CISO (Chief Information Security Officer)

The CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) is the senior executive responsible for an organization’s overall cybersecurity and information-protection strategy. Unlike the cybersecurity analyst ✕ A cybersecurity analyst protects an organization’s systems and data from threats: monitoring the network for attacks, responding to incidents and strengthening defences. More in the glossary → , who works in the technical day-to-day, the CISO operates at an executive, strategic level: defining security policies, assessing and managing risk, leading the security team, overseeing compliance with regulations like GDPR, and deciding how the budget is invested in protection. They are also the one who answers to leadership and, when a serious breach or data leak happens, who coordinates the response and is accountable. The role combines technical knowledge with business vision, people management and the ability to communicate risk to non-technical people. It is a role of growing importance, as security has become a strategic matter for companies.