Information Security Manager

An Information Security Manager is responsible for keeping a company’s computer system safe from hackers. This is an ever-evolving game of cat-and-mouse that is bound to keep you interested and challenged throughout your career.

Nearly every major company has an Information Security Manager, because nearly every company conducts at least a portion of business online. You spend much of your day testing your company’s security system, and making sure it can withstand a hacker’s attack. You look for breaches in the system, and write programs to correct them. You may do this work yourself, or you may have a team of workers under your supervision.

You test new computer programs to see if those products are superior to the products you’re currently using. You also outline your company’s security policies in written documents for employee handbooks, and write companywide memos when the policies change.

A computer program is only as good as the people who use it, however. Many times, employees bend the rules and sabotage the elaborate systems you’ve put in place. They inadvertently download a malicious program, for example, or they disable the security system on their computer to make it run faster.

As an Information Security Manager, you must convince each employee that following the rules is both fun and required. You must be a Cheerleader for safety, and an infectious speaker on the topic of combating cyber mischief. You must inspire through your memos and one-on-one conversations, but you must also be prepared to reprimand those who refuse to be inspired, and continue to flaunt their ignorance of your rules.