Recent months saw several cyber security threats, from the WannaCry ransomware attack to multiple Yahoo data breaches. The costs of such attacks are expected to reach $6 trillion per year within the next four years, as businesses and individuals scramble to keep their data secure.

Many businesses have made cyber security a top priority, investing in the tools and talent to protect their network from dangerous cyber attacks. One trend on the rise is hiring a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), a senior executive responsible for information assets and technologies.

Read on to see how a CISO could help your business.

CISO Roles and Responsibilities

A CISO’s main role is to head up business network security, which is accomplished through many different tasks:

  1. Become the expert on existing threats and potential new threats. The CISO must be informed of new cyber security threats on the rise, anticipating what may be the next big attack and preparing appropriately.
  2. Coordinate system-wide security protocol. It’s up to the CISO to train all employees on security best practices and to ensure all departments are following standard guidelines to maintain network security.
  3. Carefully vet vendors and security employees. A secure business must use the best of the best when it comes to security vendors, and information technology (IT) and data security employees. The CISO is responsible for considering all options and making recommendations.
  4. Effectively communicate and report to the rest of the senior-level executives. The CISO will likely be one of the only data security experts at the top level of the business. He or she must be prepared to give regular reports, communicate risks and security outlooks, and work cohesively with other business leaders.

These are only a few of the many responsibilities of a CISO. Depending on each business’s unique needs, the role may vary.

How a CISO Can Benefit Your Business

Trends indicate increased spending to ward off cyber crime: By 2021, available cyber security jobs will reach 3.5 million. Staying ahead of this trend and hiring appropriate cyber security personnel, like a CISO, is a benefit to your company.

A CISO will help your business’ leaders think strategically about network security. He or she will make network security an ingrained daily practice, as opposed to reacting once it’s too late.

The dependency on technology, Internet of Things (IoT) devices and wireless work environments are expected to continue to rise. A business that places importance upon network security is putting itself in a position to thrive, even among varied cyber security threats.