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Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of an information security manager. Feel free to use our job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as an information security manager.

 

Who is an Information Security Manager?

Information security management (ISM) establishes and oversees the controls that must be implemented by an organization to make sure that the assets’ confidentiality, availability, and integrity are properly protected from threats and vulnerabilities. Information risk management is at the core of ISM. This process involves assessing the risks that an organization must manage and protect its assets from, as well as communicating those risks to all relevant stakeholders. This necessitates following the right procedures for asset identification and valuation, which include estimating the value of assets’ secrecy, integrity, availability, and replacement.

An organization may put a security management system in place as well as other best practices as part of information security management. Therefore, an information security manager is a professional who supervises staff members as they handle various information and digital security jobs using information technology. Managers of information security are concerned with ensuring that their team is meeting the organization’s needs for information security efficiently. An organization’s systems, networks, and data must be safeguarded from computer viruses, security flaws, and malicious hacker attacks by an information security manager. Information that is crucial and highly secret may be lost when an organization’s information technology systems are interfered with by these types of intrusions. Businesses that don’t protect their data risk losing a lot of money as well as possible fines. As a result, businesses must put in place suitable security measures.

Information security managers examine an organization’s security precautions, such as firewalls, anti-virus software, and passwords, to find any weaknesses that could leave information systems open to attack. To find anything that can point to a potential problem in the future, they also examine reports produced by the monitoring system. Managers of information security also oversee security and backup systems, disaster data recovery, and investigations into security infringements. Simulated attacks are frequently conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the security mechanisms in place. Employees receive training from information security managers who discuss security threats, the necessity for strong passwords, and how to protect data when using mobile devices away from the office. Managers and employees often have varying levels of access to company data depending on their position and seniority.  information security managers spend their days working in offices. Some managers are responsible for managing both an internal workforce and remote employees. Since the nature of this type of work demands information security managers to continue working until the issue has been remedied, overtime hours are sometimes necessary.

The prerequisites for becoming an information security manager include both academic credentials and professional experience. A bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, or computer programming is typically required by employers. To increase your chances of landing a job, you can decide to earn a master’s degree in information technology or gain professional certification. You can become a Certified Information Systems Security Professional by completing the certification process offered by the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium. The majority of businesses need five years of IT experience as well as previous management experience from security management level employees.

A competent information security manager must have both technical expertise and management abilities. You should be knowledgeable about the most recent dangers to computer and data security, and you should be able to change your procedures as necessary. You should possess good managerial instincts and be able to guide a group of security professionals while utilizing the talents and capabilities of each team member. These managers need to be well-versed in information technology and comprehend the difficulties associated with information security. Analytical and problem-solving talents are essential for managing security concerns in information systems. They must have good communication and presentation abilities to raise security issues’ comprehension and awareness throughout the organization. A successful information security manager is a diplomatic team player who understands how to work with other IT experts and provide security solutions.

 

Information Security Manager Job Description

Below are the information security manager job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write an information security manager job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.

• Examine security policies and practices to make sure they are current and consistently followed throughout the organization.
• Deliver security awareness training to all staff.
• Create and maintain security plans.
• Control audits, whether they are conducted by the company or by other parties.
• Control the security crew.
• Provide new security team members with training.
• Control the department’s spending and the expense of any technical training.
• Examine the current setup to identify any areas that could use changes or upgrades.
• Serve as the point of contact for all security-related inquiries.
• Create and maintain physical security, disaster recovery, and other related things.
• Share the company’s new programs and security objectives with other managers.
• Create security guidelines and protocols, such as plans for handling incidents and recovering from disasters.
• Keep an eye on security systems for flaws or malfunctions that could leave the company vulnerable to data loss or cyberattacks.
• Determine whether emerging technology or market trends pose a security risk to the company.
• Keep an eye on network traffic to spot any unusual activity, such as virus activity or attempts at illegal access.
• Conduct security audits to find weaknesses in networks or computer systems.
• Initiate internal departmental coordination to deliver training on new security measures or practices.
• Provide security awareness training to employees to help them identify potential threats and understand how to protect themselves from harm.
• Discover potential dangers and be aware of effective self-defence measures.

 

Qualifications

• A high school diploma or GED is required.
• Security training, licensing, and registration that is state prescribed are essential in seeking this position.
• Certification in information security (CISSP, CSSLP, CCFP, CISM, etc.) is advantageous.
• Risk analysis/assessment experience is an advantage.
• Experience with Microsoft Windows Server/Unix server is required.
• Experience in Microsoft Project.
• An understanding of information technology (IT)
• A minimum of two years of experience in information security management or a similar role.
• Thorough experience in preventing illegal activity and carrying out access control.
• Extensive knowledge of surveillance equipment and security procedures.
• Good manual dexterity is required.
• Candidates must have the ability to work well with people at every level and in every department.
• Understanding of security industry rules and regulations.
• Must have advanced ability to coordinate responses to security threats and breaches.
• Outstanding leadership and organizational skills.
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills.
• Candidates must be willing and available to respond to security alerts outside of business hours.

 

Essential Skills

• Technical skills: Technical skills are the knowledge and proficiency you possess in a certain field or subject. You might, for instance, be well-versed in software, hardware, and information security protocols. This is an illustration of technical information security expertise.
• Communication skills: For the job of information security manager, communication is crucial. The main point of contact between their information security team or department and the rest of the organization is what effective information security managers are supposed to do. You must be able to communicate clearly with coworkers, superiors, clients, and other stakeholders if you want to succeed as an information security manager. You might be in charge of writing and sending emails, making presentations, and addressing teams of workers on security procedures. A manager’s ability to effectively communicate is critical, but it’s crucial for an information security manager in particular. Managers of information security must communicate with the other department heads in the company honestly and efficiently. Keeping strong contact with these other department leaders is a necessary aspect of this.
• Leadership skills: You can have management responsibilities for a group of IT specialists as an information security manager. You can inspire your team and aid them in achieving their objectives by using your leadership talents. Using your leadership abilities, you can assign tasks and inspire your team to fulfil them.
• Adaptability: Adaptability is one of the qualities that an effective information security manager must possess, and for good reason. Nearly every day, there is a chance that problems could come up and things might happen that, to be resolved successfully, need a thorough grasp of the information security environment and swift adaptability. You can never plan enough to not be adaptable, even though excellent planning and strategy might prevent much of this.
• Analytical skills: The capacity to analyze data and derive conclusions from it is known as analytical skills. Managers of information security must have a strong analytical mind. They must possess the quick analysis and problem-solving skills necessary for high-level information security concerns. The responsibility rests with information security managers because they are frequently at the highest level of event escalation in their division or team. It may be necessary for you to conduct data analysis as an information security manager to choose the optimal security precautions for your company. You can spot potential threats and vulnerabilities with the aid of your analytical ability.
• Business acumen: Understanding the financial effects of security measures requires business acumen. Information security managers need to know how to put in place security measures that are affordable. For instance, a corporation could only have a little budget for cybersecurity, but the information security manager can use their business savvy to uncover the most cost-effective security methods.
• Innovation within constraints skills: Budgetary constraints are the specific constraints that we are focused on in this situation. The amount of funding that can be given to the organization’s information security team or department depends on budgetary constraints. Information security managers must be able to successfully implement new information security and IT technologies and solutions into the firm given these cost constraints. The hiring of new information security staff members is under the purview of information security managers and must always be budgeted for.

 

How to Become an Information Security Manager

Step 1. Obtain a Degree

A bachelor’s degree in a technology-related discipline, such as information security, information technology, or computer science, is typically required of information security managers by businesses and organizations. Candidates with a comparable master’s degree, like a Master of Business Administration (MBA), may be hired by some employers.

Step 2. Acquire On-the-Job Experience

Acquiring on-the-job experience is a crucial part of becoming an information security manager. A solid foundation in information security and technology, which can be attained by working in positions like information security analyst and network/computer systems administrator, is likely to be required for this position, according to the BLS. It is advantageous if information security managers have held these positions themselves to gain an understanding of how each job should be carried out because they are frequently the ones in charge of setting job duties and assigning tasks to staff in their department. Information security managers can have a solid understanding of what each position necessitates for success by gaining experience in these entry-level responsibilities.

Step 3. Acquire Certifications

Although certifications are not required, they can give information security managers access to more employment prospects and financial potential. Having a master’s degree can help you land competitive jobs in information security, but it’s not always necessary. For an information security management post, having a master’s degree in cybersecurity may provide a candidate with an edge. A graduate degree in a relevant subject, such as computer science or information technology, can be helpful for information security. Several professional certifications, like the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), the Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) certificate, and the Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) certificate can be beneficial to aspirants’ information security managers, according to the BLS. A cybersecurity degree is a great method to acquire the knowledge required to earn these certifications.

Step 4. Seek employment

Depending on your starting point, there are a variety of ways to gain employment as an information security manager. If you’re an entry-level student, if you have a lot of IT expertise, or if you have managerial experience, the degree of employment and the kinds of positions you can seek may vary. According to your degree of education, experience, skills, and industry, there are different job prospects available. Many information security managers start in entry-level positions and progress to managing positions as they gain expertise.

 

Where to Work as an Information Security Manager

During normal business hours, information security managers frequently work in an office setting. To conduct security audits or meet with clients, they could be required to travel to different locations, such as client sites or data centres. Some information security managers might be able to work from home, however, this is typically only viable if they have a dedicated home office that is protected by the requisite security measures. When there is a crisis or a deadline, information security managers may be expected to work more hours than their normal 40-hour workweek. Information security managers are in charge of ensuring that an organization’s data is safe and secure, which makes the position challenging at times. They must possess the capacity for quick thinking and quick decision-making. The BLS predicted that employment opportunities for managers of computer and information systems would grow by 11% between 2020 and 2030, which was a quicker rate of growth than the average for all occupations. It was anticipated that more firms will rely on information technology, necessitating the assistance of managers in safeguarding sensitive data.

 

Information Security Manager Salary

In Nigeria, the average monthly salary for an information security manager is about 483,000 NGN. The minimum salary is 246,000 NGN, and the maximum salary is 743,000 NGN. These sums represent the typical monthly wage, which takes into account housing, transportation, and other amenities.

In the United States, the average income for an information security manager is $138,904 as of 2022, however, the range frequently lies between $125,341 and $153,677. Salary ranges can vary significantly depending on a variety of crucial aspects, including schooling, credentials, supplementary talents, and the length of time you’ve been working in a given field.

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