One of the most important aspects of a company is the IT systems. An information security manager is the ‘security guard’ of all IT systems. Let’s find out more about that role in this article.
Landing a job as a manager is absolutely not easy. Furthermore, the managerial job itself is indeed tough. Yet, many build their careers to land such roles. Why? Because it is rewarding both for opportunities and income.
It takes special skills and several skills to be a manager. One managerial role is the information security manager. These professionals play a critical role in the IT departments of the company. Furthermore, they are the brains of the organization. They manage the overall operations of the department.
This article will help you have a deeper understanding of what an information security manager does for an organization.
What Is An Information Security Manager?
In simple words, these professionals are the security guards of IT. They protect organizations’ computers and networks. Viruses, breaches, and cyberattacks cause huge damages. Information security managers prevent those threats from happening.
Data breaches damage how a business operates. Moreover, those damages may last for a long time. For instance, important and confidential information may be lost. That information is valuable to competitors. Worse, even hackers find your data valuable.
Additionally, data breaches cause huge reputational and financial damages. You may lose the trust of your customers and partners in an event of a breach. Also, various regulating bodies impose huge fines for data protection failure. The mentioned factors make proper security measures a necessity for all businesses.
Duties Of An Information Security Manager
These professionals assess security measures to protect IT systems. These measures include passwords, firewalls, and anti-virus software. An assessment helps these professionals see risk-prone areas. Furthermore, system-generated reports help these professionals identify potential risks.
Data back-up is also a part of their regular tasks. They also oversee the recovery efforts after a security incident. Moreover, these professionals investigate probable causes of a breach and how to prevent it in the future. These IT professionals also carry out simulated attacks. They do that to see the strength of the systems.
Furthermore, they are also teachers. They educate employees for security awareness. For example, they emphasize the need for strong passwords. They also explain the different security risks. Employees might encounter threats inside and outside of the workplace. Thus, leadership skill is required for this managerial role.
Job Requirements
Employers generally require candidates to hold a bachelor’s degree. No degree guarantees a spot in a particular career. Yet, having an IT-related degree greatly helps in this job. Moreover, many employers prefer applicants with degrees related to information security.
This is a leadership role. That is why degrees in IT management or business administration give huge benefits. Also, senior-lever security manager jobs often require a master’s degree. This may be in the field of cybersecurity of information systems. These types of degrees show that they have the technical skills and conceptual knowledge necessary to protect information systems.
Moreover, employees generally require five years of experience in the information security field. Thus, most IT employees work their way up before acquiring this position.
Workplace
This is often a full-time position in an office setting. They manage an in-house team as well as remote workers. Overtime hours are common in this job. That is because an information security manager must continue working until the problem is solved.
Indeed, this position carries a lot of responsibilities. These professionals find themselves both challenged and rewarded well.
