What does an Information Security Manager do?

An information security manager is primarily in charge of overseeing the security systems established to protect a company's data from hackers or cyber-attacks. Their responsibilities revolve around monitoring networks for any security breaches, designing and developing new security systems, and improving existing ones when necessary. They may also perform research and analysis to determine company needs, provide instructional materials, and produce progress reports. Furthermore, as an information security manager, it is essential to provide technical support to employees, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Information security manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real information security manager resumes:
- Develop goals and strategies to achieve company goals while improving upon current ITIL processes and procedures.
- Provide direct leadership with managing corporate HIPAA Privacy/Security compliance initiatives.
- Manage the administration of various encryption, authentication and public/private key management technologies and certificate/digital authority.
- Manage the conversion to a hybrid NAS/disk/tape CommVault base backup environment resulting in decreasing backup windows and improving recovery objectives.
- Conduct risk assessments and collaborate with leadership to provide recommendations regarding critical infrastructure and network security operations enhancements.
- Coordinate penetration testing, address vulnerabilities, and analyze NIST 800-82 and ISO 27001 standards/gap analysis for SCADA and business networks.
- Lead the deployment of a new SIEM system for a large government agency.
- Authore and publish policies and standards benchmark against ISO 27001 and regulatory controls to maintain compliance.
- Authore and publish information security policies and standards benchmark against ISO 27001 and industry best practices.
- Provide SME guidance to verify that systems and interfaces are in compliance with NIST and VA-wide security directives.
- Work with CIO in establishing centralizing AWS management as well as the CTO/Applications in establishing a cloud development environment.
- Implement enterprise-wide HIPAA compliance program.
- Develop organization-wide PCI-DSS policy to ensure compliance with requirements.
- Provide information security recommendations to the CIO and executive staff.
- Program manager/Project director leading the information technology Sarbanes-Oxley compliance effort.
Information security manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 7% of Information Security Managers are proficient in Risk Management, NIST, and Infrastructure. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Detail oriented, and Ingenuity.
We break down the percentage of Information Security Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Risk Management, 7%
Transitioned the Federal Reserve Information Technology (FRIT) organization from a risk avers organization to a risk management organization.
- NIST, 7%
Reviewed SOC 2 statements to assess the degree to which they met NIST requirements.
- Infrastructure, 5%
Partner with Director of Operations and Infrastructure to translate Information Security Policies into technical requirements, operational processes and procedures.
- Governance, 5%
Developed and implemented Security policies that adhered to best practices and were needed for compliance to governance requirements.
- Incident Response, 5%
Planned, configured and maintained web based Information Security Education site and Enterprise wide incident response reporting and tracking application.
- Risk Assessments, 5%
Conducted internal risk assessments and security plans for 3 newly acquired businesses and implemented strategies to standardize security procedures.
Most information security managers use their skills in "risk management," "nist," and "infrastructure" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential information security manager responsibilities here:
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for an information security manager to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "information security analysts must carefully study computer systems and networks and assess risks to determine how security policies and protocols can be improved." Additionally, an information security manager resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "directed information security operations to ensure integrity of government data assets and compliance with internal controls and regulatory requirements. "
Detail oriented. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling information security manager duties is detail oriented. The role rewards competence in this skill because "because cyberattacks can be difficult to detect, information security analysts must pay careful attention to computer systems and watch for minor changes in performance." According to an information security manager resume, here's how information security managers can utilize detail oriented in their job responsibilities: "recommended changes to protected vulnerable networks and systems following detailed risk assessments of various components. "
Ingenuity. information security managers are also known for ingenuity, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to information security manager responsibilities, because "information security analysts must anticipate information security risks and implement new ways to protect their organizations’ computer systems and networks." An information security manager resume example shows how ingenuity is used in the workplace: "provide expertise and ingenuity to the risk and information security management tasks. "
Problem-solving skills. information security manager responsibilities often require "problem-solving skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "information security analysts must respond to security alerts and uncover and fix flaws in computer systems and networks." This resume example shows what information security managers do with problem-solving skills on a typical day: "introduce an encryption solution to secure sensitive data on portable devices. "
The three companies that hire the most information security managers are:
- Pwc177 information security managers jobs
- Change Healthcare51 information security managers jobs
- Wells Fargo31 information security managers jobs
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Information security manager vs. Access control specialist
An Access Control Specialist is in charge of implementing security protocols and systems to prevent unauthorized access into different facilities. They usually stand guard at entry points to greet and verify visitors' identity, conduct inspections to detect and collect prohibited items and work together with security teams to enforce security policies and regulations. Moreover, an Access Control Specialist may also handle and monitor security alarms and systems, respond to distress, and keep an eye on any suspicious activities.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between information security managers and access control specialist. For instance, information security manager responsibilities require skills such as "risk management," "nist," "infrastructure," and "governance." Whereas a access control specialist is skilled in "control devices," "ts/sci," "customer service functions," and "customer facilities." This is part of what separates the two careers.
The education levels that access control specialists earn slightly differ from information security managers. In particular, access control specialists are 14.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an information security manager. Additionally, they're 1.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Information security manager vs. Securities consultant
A securities consultant is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the company's premises, including enforcing protection for all the employees and company assets. Securities consultants also handle the confidentiality and stability of data network systems to prevent potential breaches and unauthorized access to information. They coordinate with the system analysts to design programs and databases as part of technical solutions to maximize productivity and increase efficiency. A securities consultant writes incident reports, recommend strategic techniques, and research threat risks that may put the company in jeopardy.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real information security manager resumes. While information security manager responsibilities can utilize skills like "risk management," "governance," "vulnerability management," and "network security," securities consultants use skills like "security management," "customer service," "architecture," and "security solutions."
Securities consultants earn a lower average salary than information security managers. But securities consultants earn the highest pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $99,249. Additionally, information security managers earn the highest salaries in the media with average pay of $146,049 annually.securities consultants earn lower levels of education than information security managers in general. They're 7.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Information security manager vs. Securities analyst
Securities analysts, also known as financial analysts, are responsible for collecting and interpreting data on securities, economies, corporate strategies, and financial markets. They provide clients with recommendations on investments based on in-depth research. This role has various duties and responsibilities that include putting out a buy, sell or hold recommendation in the financial markets, assessing the value and financial stability of companies, and meeting with company representatives to better understand their business practices. Securities analysts are also responsible for devising financial models.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an information security manager is likely to be skilled in "risk management," "infrastructure," "governance," and "vulnerability management," while a typical securities analyst is skilled in "security policies," "security systems," "database," and "linux."
Securities analysts earn the highest salary when working in the finance industry, where they receive an average salary of $95,246. Comparatively, information security managers have the highest earning potential in the media industry, with an average salary of $146,049.When it comes to education, securities analysts tend to earn similar degree levels compared to information security managers. In fact, they're 4.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Information security manager vs. Sap security consultant
An SAP security consultant is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of network and applications within the database management systems. SAP security consultants analyze the stability and efficiency of the user interface, authorize data access, and perform audits and quality checks. They also identify resolution for system issues and determine network solutions to increase optimization. An SAP security consultant must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in assisting end-users with the server navigations.
Types of information security manager
Updated January 8, 2025