What we should know about CISOS (Chief Information Security Officer) is a question that is increasing with the evolution of technology and is closely related to security. This is due to the increase of vulnerabilities in companies, which forces them to work to improve the security of their assets and minimise risks.
Attackers are becoming more and more innovative and defence tools are becoming smaller and smaller. As a result, companies with traditional methods have many more types of vulnerabilities. As a result, the position of the CISO within the organisation is increasingly under scrutiny.
If you want to know more, stay tuned to read what we need to know about CISOS. Let’s get started!
What is a CISO
A CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) is the main manager who protects the company’s information and implements the necessary security measures. He or she is in a high-level position because one of the main objectives is to coordinate the company’s security initiatives.
In recent years, due to the sensitive situation brought about by Covid-19, companies have encountered an increase in vulnerabilities that they must not let slip through their fingers, which is where the concept of CISO comes in.
The demand from companies for this position is increasing due to the great need to protect themselves against these information security risks. I recommend reading our previous article Vulnerability disclosure programme. Why is it so important for CISOs?
Main functions of a CISO
The main functions of a CISO are to direct, evaluate and manage new threats in order to enhance the security strategy. This results in a reduction of risks and attacks to the company’s assets.
However, the functions within the CISO position will vary depending on the size of the company you work for, the hierarchy, regulations and information security policies. Each company places more importance on some issues than others, so one of the key things a CISO must be able to manage is the ability to adapt to the business.
What a CISO does
The responsibilities of a CISO fall under the following headings:
- Generate and implement information security policies.
- Conduct security awareness training for employees.
- Maintaining data security and privacy.
- Review the management of access control to information.
- Manage the company’s computer security incident response team.
- Understand and investigate the organisation’s information security structure.
The CISO profile is being incorporated into more companies due to the important technical knowledge that he/she has, in addition to the skills that he/she brings to the company in terms of communication, leadership and strategy.
In addition, it must communicate and work with other departments in the company to align security tasks with wider business objectives. This reduces the risks that such threats and vulnerabilities are found within the company. Ensuring security should be an ongoing process in the day-to-day running of the company.
As data and threats evolve, it is important that all employees are regularly made aware of all security policies so that analysis, risk management and monitoring can be maintained in an efficient manner.
The continuous work of a CISO by constantly updating the other departments as responsible for security, proposing suitable budget strategies for the company and continuous training of employees to reduce human errors, will protect the company from all kinds of attacks and vulnerabilities, thus achieving the requested security objectives.