Finding the Perfect Candidate for the Head of Information Security Role
Understanding the Urgency & Impact
The role of Head of Information Security is not just another job; it’s a mission-critical function that ensures an organization's cybersecurity strategy is both resilient and adaptive to modern threats.
The Head of Information Security goes by a list of other names:
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
Director of Information Security
VP of Information Security
Head of Cybersecurity
Chief Security Officer (CSO)
Information Security Manager
Security Director
Senior Security Architect
Security Operations Director
Cybersecurity Director
Chief Technology Security Officer (CTSO)
Principal Security Officer
Global Head of Information Security
IT Security Director
Enterprise Security Director
Chief Risk Officer (CRO - when security is combined with risk management).
If your Head of Information Security is not liaising with or integrated with risk management, your organization has a serious gap in its defensive posture that no amount of compliance with regulations will resolve.
Not all Head of Information Security roles are full-time roles nor are they created equally. The author of this article has personally served in this role as an executive security leader or virtual CISO during his career, and has turned down more than one CISO role in his career.
You want to make sure that if you are only looking for a short-term contract role for your Head of Security that your candidate has experience being his own business owner, has a compliant corporation and a good reputation in the industry. LinkedIn recommendations (the author has over 40 of them on LinkedIn) are your warmest leads versus using the older methods of phone calls and emails and give you a very good impression of the quality of your candidates delivery services. Also, their ability to start another engagement, quickly, is crucial. A candidate that has too much work or is too busy may not be appropriate for what you are trying to accomplish.
If you’re considering applying or hiring for this role, here’s what the ideal candidate should bring to the table.
1. A Proven Cybersecurity Leader Who Can Execute Quickly
This is not a role for someone looking to learn on the job. The organization needs a leader with hands-on experience in governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) as well as technical security implementation. This does not mean they need to be a subject matter expert in the technology, but they should understand how it works, what it protects and how it reduces risk.
Ideally, they have served as an enterprise architect, giving them several business, process and human models with which to understand and communicate with all layers of the organization and a requisite framework for understanding the “big picture.” They should also know how to establish proper governance structures, even if those structures are light, so that agreements are formed as it pertains to metrics and what success would look like.
The ideal candidate should have a history of leading security programs and must be able to hit the ground running, meaning within that first week you should have an initial strategy and roadmap and discussions with all pertinent members at a client site documented, and a process to review and signed off on work done that show progress against the agreed metrics with anticipated targets or changes on progress.
The ideal candidate will know when to stop wasting your money. If an organization is not going to invest in adequate security controls, etc., that candidate will know how to re-scope the engagement with the customer, explain what needs to happen for the remainder of the scope to be completed, and what barriers to success (lack of budget, lack of executive buy in, lack of cooperation) are preventing the implementation of the security program. Excellent candidates will not waste time on security programs doomed to failure because their client is not committed to the process.
Key indicators of the right fit:
2. Cybersecurity Tools & Risk Mitigation
Again, this is not a role for someone looking to learn on the job. The organization needs a leader with hands-on experience in technical security implementation. This does not mean they need to be a subject matter expert in the technology, but they should understand how it works, what it protects and how it reduces risk. The head of security is not the implementation specialist, but if necessary and with the right time and documentation, could implement the technology according to standard and procedures documentation (however, they should not have to but they should be able to).
The Head of Security should be proficient in the programmatic aspects of endpoint security, cloud security, sensors, vulnerability and risk management, third-party security assessment and vendor risk management, communicating with their team of staff and consultants as to what they expect the final outcome to be - remember, enterprise architecture experience is important and this is why.? The architect may not know the specific operational details of implementing a SIEM, IDS/IPS, firewalls, endpoint security, and cloud security solutions but they should know what the inputs are to implement and what the outputs are as it pertains to the organizations alignment with vision and mission.
3. Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement
Leadership requires people and political skills. This position requires managing a team, collaborating with IT and engineering teams, and reporting cybersecurity risks and strategies to senior leadership. Communication skills are just as critical as technical knowledge.
Strong candidates will:
4. Education, Certifications & Industry Recognition
While education and certifications aren’t everything, they serve as strong indicators of a candidate’s commitment to security best practices.
For a head of information security, having business acumen and finance background in terms of managing budgets and portfolios would be ideal. A degree in business administration, or an MBA, would fill this crucial gap.
领英推荐
I cover the industry recognized information security leadership and management certifications; CISSP, CISM, and CCISO. Each of these focuses on different aspects of information security, making them suitable for professionals at different stages of their careers and with varying responsibilities.
1. CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional)
Focus: Technical security leadership and hands-on implementation of security controls.
Best for: Security practitioners, architects, engineers, analysts, and managers who need deep technical knowledge and leadership skills.
Core Topics (Domains):
Key Takeaway: CISSP is the most technical of the three, focusing on security principles, implementation, and operational aspects rather than governance or business strategy.
2. CISM (Certified Information Security Manager)
Focus: Governance, risk management, and aligning security with business objectives.
Best for: Information security managers, risk professionals, and executives responsible for policy-making, compliance, and enterprise security strategy.
Core Topics (Domains):
Key Takeaway: CISM is less technical than CISSP and emphasizes executive level governance, compliance, and aligning security with business strategy. It is designed for executives and professionals who oversee security programs rather than implementing them directly.
3. CCISO (Certified Chief Information Security Officer)
Focus: Executive leadership, program and project management, financial oversight, and governance at the C-suite level.
Best for: Aspiring or current CISOs, security directors, and senior security leaders responsible for enterprise security strategy.
Core Topics (Domains):
Key Takeaway: CCISO focuses on executive-level decision-making, including budgeting, leadership, and business continuity, making it ideal for those overseeing entire security programs and aligning them with organizational goals.
Summary of Differences
CISSP (Technical Security Manager): If you are hands-on with security controls, architecture, and technical aspects.
CISM (Business Security Manager/Executive): If you focus on governance, policies, and risk management along with general technical knowledge, business acumen and IS principles. CISMs focus on ensuring that strategy aligns with governance at board and executive levels and produces provably desired outcomes.
C|CISO (Business Security Manager/Executive): If you focus on the portfolio management and financial domains in addition to general technical knowledge, business acumen and IS principles. C|CISO focuses on ensuring that projects and programs align with strategy to contribute to measurable and desired outcomes.
MBA (Business Strategy): Helps bridge the gap between technical expertise and business strategy. Demonstrates business acumen and finance background in terms of managing budgets and portfolios which in combination with a CISSP, would cover the C|CISO certification but would not necessarily cover the governance and risk management principles covered in the CISM.
So, a candidate would their CISSP and C|CISO would be a strong candidate, even stronger with a CISM. A candidate with their CISSP, CISM and MBA OR CISSP, CISM, C|CISO would be your strongest candidate from this perspective.
Lastly, experience trumps these certifications.?
Those with actual business management consulting or executive experience in their past along with their MBA are powerful consultant that add tremendous value and perspective for your security endeavors. These candidates will have an advantage over the rest of the candidate pool regardless of their education or certifications, especially if they have solid references.
The Takeaway
The perfect candidate for this Head of Information Security role is a well-rounded cybersecurity professional who can execute immediately, lead a team effectively, and align security strategy with business needs. They must be able to juggle both high-level governance and lead the hands-on technical implementation and mentor junior team member.
About the Author
James "D0c" Muren is the founder of Dark Gravitas Inc. (DGI), a boutique platform and product disruptor focused on improving existing business processes with AI. He is a dynamic and results-driven leader with 30+ years of experience spanning cybersecurity, risk management, and technical consulting. Expert in aligning security strategies with business objectives, M&A security architecture, and embedding privacy principles into enterprise workflows. Proven track record in designing and implementing high-value technology solutions, driving measurable global impact—including $200M revenue growth for a bio-science firm. Adept at building security services, mentoring teams, and delivering strategic consulting to prepare organizations for transformative growth.?
Key Achievements & Expertise
Risk Management and Cybersecurity Lead
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