Cyber security specialist vs information security officer

The differences between cyber security specialists and information security officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a cyber security specialist and an information security officer. Additionally, an information security officer has an average salary of $135,040, which is higher than the $93,395 average annual salary of a cyber security specialist.

The top three skills for a cyber security specialist include cyber security, incident response and NIST. The most important skills for an information security officer are risk management, risk assessments, and incident response.

Cyber security specialist vs information security officer overview

	Cyber Security Specialist	Information Security Officer
Yearly salary	$93,395	$135,040
Hourly rate	$44.90	$64.92
Growth rate	32%	32%
Number of jobs	65,235	145,907
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

What does a cyber security specialist do?

Cybersecurity Specialists are information technology (IT) professionals who safeguard and protect the company's networks. They ensure that the network infrastructure is secure at all times. They do routine checks to see whether the infrastructure is vulnerable to attacks. Cybersecurity Specialists monitor and respond to security concerns. They launch programs or software to mitigate any attacks that the company's infrastructure may receive. They also look for ways to minimize the network infrastructure's vulnerability to risks, threats, and attacks.

What does an information security officer do?

Information security officers are responsible for planning and implementing policies to safeguard an organization's computer network and data from different types of security breaches. Their duties typically include identifying computer network vulnerabilities, developing and executing a plan to secure and protect the network, and tracking computer network usage to ensure adherence to security policies. In addition, information security officers are also expected to conduct penetration tests to look for flaws and work closely with the IT and management departments to improve security.

Cyber security specialist vs information security officer salary

Cyber security specialists and information security officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cyber Security Specialist	Information Security Officer
Average salary	$93,395	$135,040
Salary range	Between $69,000 And $125,000	Between $95,000 And $190,000
Highest paying City	Bellevue, WA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	BP America Inc	Twilio
Best paying industry	Technology	Professional

Differences between cyber security specialist and information security officer education

There are a few differences between a cyber security specialist and an information security officer in terms of educational background:

	Cyber Security Specialist	Information Security Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Computer Science	Business
Most common college	North Carolina State University	Stanford University

Cyber security specialist vs information security officer demographics

Here are the differences between cyber security specialists' and information security officers' demographics:

	Cyber Security Specialist	Information Security Officer
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8%	Male, 85.9% Female, 14.1%
Race ratio	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%	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	9%	9%

Differences between cyber security specialist and information security officer duties and responsibilities

Cyber security specialist example responsibilities.

Manage and monitor enterprise antivirus and software firewall programs.
Implement a manage endpoint encryption solution utilizing TrendMicro MobileArmor to secure university workstations against sensitive data loss.
Scan network infrastructure for insecurities and vulnerabilities using programs such as ACAS and HBSS.
Work on implementing DISA STIGS.
Assist in using Nessus to scan local machines.
Upload audit files to ACAS in preparation for STIG scans.

Information security officer example responsibilities.

Lead vulnerability scanning and penetration testing for PCI-DSS compliance.
Manage client relationships in conjunction with moving production environment to AWS.
Manage all printers, switches, routers, and data archiving.
Manage and ensure all AIS systems are operated in accordance with applicable DoD directives.
Avoid fines and penalties by achieving and maintaining PCI, HIPAA, and SOX compliance.
Engage to design and implement an enterprise-wide information security program to achieve SOX and HIPPA compliance.

Cyber security specialist vs information security officer skills

Common cyber security specialist skills

Cyber Security, 17%
Incident Response, 6%
NIST, 5%
Security Operations, 4%
Forensics, 4%
DOD, 3%

Common information security officer skills

Risk Management, 12%
Risk Assessments, 7%
Incident Response, 7%
Infrastructure, 6%
Governance, 5%
ISO, 5%

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Cyber Security Specialist vs Information Security Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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