The person in charge of securing a company’s digital information infrastructure is usually referred to as the chief information security officer (CISO) (CISO). This professional is usually in charge of developing and enforcing the company’s security posture. This can include anything from sensitive information handling procedures to security measures for the digital infrastructure. The chief information security officer, as a member of the c-suite of corporate officers, usually has a high level of responsibility and may be in charge of a large number of information security personnel.
A chief information security officer’s primary responsibility is to protect the integrity of the company’s information technology (IT) infrastructure and any proprietary data it holds. This can start with physical and software solutions, such as firewalls, but it frequently extends to people. To prevent privileged or proprietary information from falling into the hands of competitors, the CISO will typically establish procedures that must be followed when dealing with it. He may also be in charge of formulating a response strategy in the event of a procedure breakdown.
A CISO may be involved in areas such as privacy and fraud prevention in addition to information security. Because these areas are frequently linked to IT, the CISO may be called upon to develop procedures for preventing and dealing with fraud.
A chief information security officer usually reports to a high-ranking member of the executive team in a typical corporate structure. Depending on the company, this could be the chief executive officer (CEO), chief operating officer (COO), or another officer. Because many information security functions may have direct legal ramifications, the CISO may report to the head of the legal department in some cases.
The CISO position may be eliminated from the C-suite in some corporations or smaller businesses. A director or vice president of information security may be in charge of these security issues instead of a corporate officer. Their responsibilities are often similar to those of a CISO, but they will have a different title and position within the organization.
In some cases, the CISO is also known as the chief security officer because he is responsible for both the physical and information security of the company (CSO). As the CSO is responsible for the physical security of the business operations, theft, corporate espionage, and other related issues, the combination of these roles generally creates a slew of new responsibilities. One reason for the merger could be the growing role of technology in physical security, where monitoring devices and other components are frequently linked to IT infrastructure.