Chief security officer vs information technology security manager

The differences between chief security officers and information technology security managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a chief security officer, becoming an information technology security manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a chief security officer has an average salary of $144,017, which is higher than the $124,792 average annual salary of an information technology security manager.

The top three skills for a chief security officer include oversight, risk management and security program. The most important skills for an information technology security manager are NIST, risk management, and project management.

Chief security officer vs information technology security manager overview

	Chief Security Officer	Information Technology Security Manager
Yearly salary	$144,017	$124,792
Hourly rate	$69.24	$60.00
Growth rate	16%	32%
Number of jobs	107,163	120,463
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	47	42
Years of experience	8	6

What does a chief security officer do?

Chief security officers are a part of a company's executives assigned to secure all company assets, personnel, and premises. The importance of this position increases with the continuous innovation of technology. These officers need to have advanced computer skills and critical thinking skills and be meticulous about details. Having chief security officers in a company can help add value to the company and gain a competitive advantage over competitors. They also manage a network of managers, staff, and security directors and coordinate with law enforcement or other security agencies.

What does an information technology security manager do?

An information technology security manager is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the organization's network systems to prevent unauthorized access and illegal dissemination of information from the database. Information technology security managers resolve technical issues, configure network updates, and upgrade system infrastructures to enhance optimal performance and navigation. They also install applications, inspect security breaches, and fix faulty servers to avoid system downtimes and operational delays. An information technology security manager must have excellent technical and communication skills, especially in writing reports for system findings and design networks according to business requirements.

Chief security officer vs information technology security manager salary

Chief security officers and information technology security managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Chief Security Officer	Information Technology Security Manager
Average salary	$144,017	$124,792
Salary range	Between $101,000 And $204,000	Between $91,000 And $170,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	McKinsey & Company Inc	PayPal
Best paying industry	Insurance	Hospitality

Differences between chief security officer and information technology security manager education

There are a few differences between a chief security officer and an information technology security manager in terms of educational background:

	Chief Security Officer	Information Technology Security Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Computer Science
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	Stanford University

Chief security officer vs information technology security manager demographics

Here are the differences between chief security officers' and information technology security managers' demographics:

	Chief Security Officer	Information Technology Security Manager
Average age	47	42
Gender ratio	Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0%	Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 12.6% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 9.6% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	11%	9%

Differences between chief security officer and information technology security manager duties and responsibilities

Chief security officer example responsibilities.

Manage SOX information security assessments.
Manage institution-wide information security governance processes including the creation and deployment of the initial security policy using the ISO framework.
Coordinate effective information exchange that begin with administrative controls using local encryption; direct migration to secure telecommunications links.
Enable secure transactions and electronic point-to-point communications, in private and secure digital encryption, leveraging digital signatures, without plugins.
Provide [] COBIT, and FISMA security program assessments.
Conduct destruction of COMSEC classify and unclassify material and maintain material inventories.

Information technology security manager example responsibilities.

Manage and represent RMFMC when dealing with patients and employees regarding matters of breach of privacy and / or HIPAA violations.
Manage CoBIT compliance and control self-assessment program to identify control deficiencies.
Manage the conversion to a hybrid NAS/disk/tape CommVault base backup environment resulting in decreasing backup windows and improving recovery objectives.
Create and implement security controls (encryption, inventory management), policies and procedures to ensure HIPAA compliance.
Maintain the operation in conformity with ITIL standards and practices.
Assist NASA in its compliance with relevant security standards, including NIST and FISMA.

Chief security officer vs information technology security manager skills

Common chief security officer skills

Oversight, 6%
Risk Management, 5%
Security Program, 5%
Security Policies, 5%
CSO, 5%
Incident Response, 4%

Common information technology security manager skills

NIST, 7%
Risk Management, 6%
Project Management, 6%
Risk Assessments, 4%
Incident Response, 4%
ISO, 4%

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Chief Security Officer
Chief Security Officer vs Information Technology Security Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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