The following article discusses the career path of Information Security Director. Learn about how to become one, education requirements, job duties, traits and qualities, national salary outlook as well as top national employers of Information Security Directors.
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Job Duties
Information security directors are at the senior management level. They oversee that all company messages and data are handled in a safe and secure manner. They ensure that data sharing systems are implemented and used properly across their organization. They also put rules and regulations in place in terms of how IT systems can be used in the business. These directors hold responsibility for ensuring that software and security protocols are fully effective. This means that their job is ongoing, as these systems continuously develop and change, something that the director must keep up with.
An information security director usually also has a team working under him. These staff members are responsible for putting security strategies in place. They will focus on things such as making sure different workers have access to different parts of a system. It is the director’s role to oversee this and to develop the regulations and practices that everybody else has to follow. The team checks the reports and logs to make sure that there have been no breaches.
Furthermore, information security directors ensure that the network traffic of the organization is maintained appropriately. Depending on how large the organization is, they may also be responsible for the maintenance of storage software and security. They always have to ensure that all packages are up to date and monitored for effectiveness.
Other job duties of the information security director are:
- To recruit, retain, train, and dismiss other employees
- To be a part of the senior management team that oversees the overall security master plan and strategy
- To direct, develop, and coordinate all internal IT security policies, including corporate data, access, control, application security, software, technology, and more
- To oversee all technical issues within the organization and be ultimately responsible for their resolution
- To manage the IT security department
Where We Work
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 100,000 information security analysts in 2016, a profession closely related to that of information security director, being in a subordinate position. The largest employers of these professionals are:
- Computer systems design and related services 28%
- Finance and insurance 19%
- Management of companies and enterprises 9%
- Information 8%
- Administrative and support services 6%
Meanwhile, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were also 367,600 computer and information systems managers in 2016, an advancement opportunity for information security analysts and therefore closely related to the profession of information security director. The largest employers of these professionals are:
- Computer systems design and related services 22%
- Information 11%
- Finance and insurance 11%
- Management of companies and enterprises 10%
- Manufacturing 8%
How to Become
Information security directors are generally expected to hold a bachelor’s degree in a field related to IT, such as computer science. Additionally, they are expected to have extensive practical experience in IT security, starting at entry level positions and working up from there. Most information security directors work in offices during regular business hours, although they may also have to attend security emergencies.
Education Requirements
A bachelor’s degree is generally the minimum requirement for an information security director, preferably in a field that relates to information or computer science. This means they are knowledgeable in mathematics, software development, and computer programming. Additionally, if they have completed any management information systems (MIS) courses, they will also have learned about business. It is now becoming increasingly common for these directors to hold a graduate degree as well, in particular the master of business administration (MBA), which ensures they have adequate management skills.
Professional experience is also very important. In fact, many information security directors have five to 10 years of experience in the field, some even more. Exactly how much experience such a director needs will depend entirely on the organization, with larger companies looking for those with more experience. Because computer systems are used at every level of society, exactly where this experience is gained can vary tremendously. Some organizations prefer those who have work experience in the same industry, whereas others prefer those with a more generalized background.
Traits & Qualities
The most effective information security directors have the following traits to some degree or other:
– Strong analytical skills
– Excellent business skills
– Great communication skills, both oral and written
– Strong decision making skills
– Excellent leadership skills
– Great organizational skills
Minimum Education
Bachelor’s Degree
The national average salary estimate for Information Security Director was $143,303. This number is estimated from over 209,836 employees, users past and present job advertisements from Indeed.com. This equates to an hourly salary of $74.64 and monthly of $11,942.
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$53,000
$276,000
The following section lists Information Security Director salaries in each state around the country. The figures are based on the total number of job postings through Indeed.com. For example, US had the largest quoted salary of $143,303 while US had the smallest quoted salary of $143,303.
According to Indeed.com, the following states had employers looking to hire a Information Security Director. The quoted salary figure represents the average salary from all job postings by this employer.
| Employer Name | Location | Average Salary |
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Learn More
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| Career Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Chief Medical Officer | $185,835 |
| Medical Director | $184,548 |
| Chief Technology Officer | $147,424 |
| Director of Engineering | $138,182 |
| Director of Pharmacy | $136,890 |
| Chief Marketing Officer | $136,769 |
| Data Scientist | $130,297 |
| Chief Financial Officer | $130,123 |
| Quantitative Analyst | $127,870 |
| Investment Banker | $125,041 |
