Why Technology Risk Is Now Enterprise Risk And How CIOs Can Catch Up In 2026

InnovationWhy Technology Risk Is Now Enterprise Risk And How CIOs Can Catch Up In 2026ByGanesh Ariyur,Forbes Councils Member.for Forbes Technology CouncilCOUNCIL POSTExpertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. | Membership (fee-based)Jun 11, 2026, 07:15am EDTGanesh Ariyur is a CIO & CDIO advising CEOs, boards & PE firms on enterprise risk, AI, and technology-led value creation. Transform Smarter. gettyIn every private equity-backed business where I managed technology, IT was always the last item on the value-creation agenda. But after a cyber incident or failed integration, IT suddenly became the only thing anyone wanted to talk about. Most CIOs miss this shift from being overlooked to being the main focus.Technology is no longer just about infrastructure, and treating it that way is what causes this sudden change. It is now one of the biggest sources of risk for a business, yet most CIOs have not updated their approach to reflect this. Technology is seen as infrastructure until it becomes a risk that affects the bottom line.I have worked at four private equity-owned companies with different sponsors, and the same issues kept appearing. Cyber incidents would halt operations for days. AI projects introduced new regulatory risks. Third-party failures disrupted supply chains that were not fully understood. M&A integrations uncovered hidden technology debt that quietly reduced deal value.By the time these problems reached leadership, they were no longer just IT issues. They were already being discussed on earnings calls, in audit reports and during sponsor reviews, while most CIOs still acted like infrastructure managers and left risk discussions to the CFO and general counsel.Why The Shift HappenedSeveral changes happened at the same time. AI moved from testing to real use, raising important questions about data, how models behave and regulatory risks that boards now want clear answers to. Cybe...