A chief security officer (CSO) is an
organization's most senior
executive
Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to:
Role or title
* Executive, a senior management role in an organization
** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators
** Executive dir ...
accountable for the development and oversight of policies and programs intended for the mitigation and/or reduction of
compliance, operational, strategic, financial and reputational security risk strategies relating to the protection of people, intellectual assets and tangible property.
The
accountabilities of the CSO include, but are not necessarily limited to:
* In cooperation with the organization’s executive leadership team(s), directs the development of an effective strategy to assess and mitigate risk (foreign and domestic), manage crises and incidents, maintain continuity of operations, and safeguard the organization.
* Directs staff in identifying, developing, implementing, and maintaining security processes, practices, and policies throughout the organization to reduce risks, respond to incidents, and limit exposure and liability in all areas of information, financial, physical, personal, and reputational risk.
* Ensures the organization’s compliance with the local, national, and international regulatory environments where applicable to the accountability of this role (i.e. privacy,
data protection Data protection may refer to:
* Information privacy, also known as data privacy
* Data security
{{Authority control ...
, and environmental, health and safety).
* Researches and deploys state-of-the-art technology solutions and innovative security management techniques to safeguard the organization’s personnel and assets, including intellectual property and trade secrets. Establishes appropriate standards and associated risk controls.
* Develops relationships with high-level officials in
law enforcement
Law enforcement is the activity of some members of the government or other social institutions who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by investigating, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms gove ...
(and international counterparts) to include in-country security (and international security agencies), intelligence, and other relevant governmental functions as well as private sector counterparts
orldwide
* Through other internal policy committees, personnel and/or other external resources, coordinates and implements site security, operations, and activities to ensure protection of executives, managers, employees, customers, stakeholders, visitors, etc., as well as all physical and information assets, while ensuring optimal use of personnel and equipment.
Digital or cyber security, sometimes referred to as IT security, does have a cooperative inter-connected involvement. Some organizations have combined various elements of security programs within the "
chief information security officer
A chief information security officer (CISO) is a senior-level executive within an organization responsible for establishing and maintaining the enterprise vision, strategy, and program to ensure information assets and technologies are adequately p ...
" (CISO) function. IT security typically addresses security-related risk issues across all layers of an organization's technology stack. This may include:
* Emerging Technologies and Market Trends
*
Identity and access management
Identity and access management (IAM or IdAM) or Identity management (IdM), is a framework of policies and technologies to ensure that the right users (that are part of the ecosystem connected to or within an enterprise) have the appropriate acce ...
* Incident and crisis management
* Information and
privacy
Privacy (, ) is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves, and thereby express themselves selectively.
The domain of privacy partially overlaps with security, which can include the concepts of a ...
protection
*
Risk
In simple terms, risk is the possibility of something bad happening. Risk involves uncertainty about the effects/implications of an activity with respect to something that humans value (such as health, well-being, wealth, property or the environ ...
and compliance management
*
Security architecture
* Organizational resiliency programs and assessments
*
Threat
A threat is a communication of intent to inflict harm or loss on another person. Intimidation is a tactic used between conflicting parties to make the other timid or psychologically insecure for coercion or control. The act of intimidation f ...
, intelligence and
vulnerability management
Vulnerability management is the "cyclical practice of identifying, classifying, prioritizing, remediating, and mitigating" software vulnerabilities. Vulnerability management is integral to computer security and network security, and must not be ...
References
Sources
*CSO Standard
Chief Security Officer*ASIS International releases CSO ANSI Standard
ASIS International Releases CSO American National Standard -*
*Chief Security Officer - An Organizational Model, ANSI/ASIS CSO.1-2013
S
Protective service occupations
Management occupations
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