What does a CISO need to have? In today’s threat landscape, Chief Information Security Officers have a significant responsibility. They have a major influence on the company and must regularly demonstrate their worth and competence. Just stumbling into the role of CISO is not the best option, because if you want to advance a career in cyber security, you should prepare well. This guide provides information to help you clearly define your own path to becoming the in-demand CISO, to achieve the right value for your company and to realize your full potential.
The CISO: Definition and Responsibilities
The Chief Information Security Officer is a senior executive and often a member of senior management. He is responsible for the development and implementation of an information security program that protects an organization’s people, processes and technology. His primary role is to drive an organization’s cyber security agenda. In their role as chief cybersecurity officer, the CISO must understand an organization’s existing security challenges, identify new problems, know what needs to be addressed, prioritize initiatives, and create a strategic roadmap. Develop cybersecurity policies that comply with both industry regulations and local laws that manage cybersecurity communications,
In the event of a cybersecurity incident, a CISO must work with their team to identify, analyze, and assess risks. In addition, CISOs should be able to analyze the cost of an incident and assess the overall impact of an incident. He must preventively develop adequate incident response plans, prepare detailed incident reports and make safety recommendations related to the incident. A proactive approach to threat management can easily give CISOs a solid reputation that leads to leadership recognition and an overall more secure organization.
How to become a CISO
CISOs must have a proven track record. To build their reputation and demonstrate their expertise, aspiring CISOs should do the following:
education is everything
Regardless of whether the training is formal or informal, most organizations expect specific qualifications that demonstrate an individual’s ability to perform the duties of a CISO. Some companies expect applicants to have a postgraduate degree in cybersecurity in addition to a bachelor’s degree, e.g. B. a Master of Science in Cyber Security (MSCS).
Relevant technical experience
Before applying for a CISO role, it is important to demonstrate that you have the hands-on experience necessary to run a cybersecurity organization safely and successfully. The technical knowledge must be up to date and related to the specific threats in a given industry. The latter is especially important for new CISOs. Most CISO positions require at least five years of cybersecurity experience.
gain leadership experience
Like any management position, the CISO is also a management task. As such, aspiring CISOs need to know how to build a strong cybersecurity team and how to effectively lead team members to deliver the necessary skillsets that contribute to an overall strategy. Management experience is typically required for CISO positions. Some require at least 7-10 years of management experience.
develop leadership skills
In addition to management experience and skills, CISOs must also bring a certain level of leadership presence, also known as “gravitas” (personality and self-confidence that they exude through their demeanor). This includes a range of communication skills, a personal demeanor and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations. There is no precise definition of leadership presence, but it is an indicator of one’s leadership potential.
expand qualifications
Aspiring CISOs can broaden their horizons and leadership skills by attending high-quality, globally recognized training programs such as the Check Point Mind CISO Academy.
Develop a strategic vision
Companies looking to hire a CISO are looking for candidates who can lead the company into the future. Prospective CISOs must demonstrate an interest in personal development and demonstrate their ability to support the growth and development of a talented, inquisitive and committed team.
Many roads lead to the CISO
There is no single path that aspiring CISOs need to take. Rather, a range of cybersecurity certifications, an inquisitive mind, and a strong network of peers can help prepare you for the role. The following competencies are important milestones on the path to becoming a CISO:
- Technical skills are a must. A CISO needs to know everything about network security, cloud security, identity access management, infrastructure adoption and adaptation, as well as tools and technologies that ensure the protection, integrity and availability of data in the enterprise.
- Security engineers who aspire to become CISOs often focus on finding problems. CISOs not only need to be able to find problems, but also to identify problems and vulnerabilities that are not obvious to their environment. It takes time and practice to learn to ask the right questions and look at problems in unconventional ways.
- CISOs need to constantly update their knowledge base when thinking about cyber security. What is required to implement cybersecurity on-premises is different than what is required for the cloud. With the emergence of more and more automation and AI-based tools, knowledge must also be constantly adapted.
- Many aspiring CISOs sell their technical skills to potential employers. Again, these are important traits for this profession: a solution-oriented attitude, recognizing wins and losses, and an emphasis on using cybersecurity as a business enabler (rather than a cost center). Anyone who finds ways and can show how to increase the turnover of the employer or potential employer will offer significant added value, which will also be recognised.
Pave the way to success
All too often, business leaders prepare their CISOs for failure by treating cybersecurity as a zero-sum game. The mentality is often: “There must never be a single cyber attack on my company”. With this mentality, a CISO is considered unsuccessful in the event of a security incident. He or she is then threatened with dismissal. Strategic-minded CISOs know they can prepare for success by working with senior-level stakeholders to develop proposed success criteria (eg, prevent 98 percent of attacks) and realistic KPIs.
CISO vs. CIO – A key difference
For a long time, companies didn’t see the need to hire a CISO if they already had a CIO. Companies wondered why a generalist like the chief information officer couldn’t take care of cyber security. However, as cyber threats increased and security breaches were uncovered, greater accountability and security oversight became imperative. A CIO can create the overall IT plan for an organization, but the CISO is responsible for preventing and responding to cyber threats. When CIOs and CISOs work together, organizations can operate with maximum efficiency and digital security.
Conclusion
For IT security professionals, the CISO role may seem like the ultimate professional role. However, there are similar roles that offer similar status, salary, and level of responsibility. For example, the Chief Data Officer (CDO) role might be of interest to some, while the Business Information Security Officer (BISO) role might be of interest to others.
However, if you decide to take on the role of CISO, you should ideally set the course as early as possible in your professional career. Certainly, a role entrusted with this level of responsibility is not something to be rushed into. However, if you heed the tips mentioned, stay up to date on cyber threats, identify and fix problems and vulnerabilities, and guide and coordinate IT teams, you have the right tools to confidently recommend yourself for the position of CISO.
