Monday, April 3, 2017

Word of the Day: CSO (Chief Security Officer)

Word of the Day WhatIs.com
Daily updates on the latest technology terms |April 3, 2017
CSO (Chief Security Officer)

A Chief Security Officer (CSO) is the employee responsible for the physical security of a company, including its communication and business systems. The job of a CSO is to protect people, assets, infrastructure and technology. An asset can be a digital asset, such as software or intellectual property, or it can be a financial instrument, such as a trading document or currency. An asset can also be a physical asset such as a building, a shipping container or an electronic device.

The CSO provides the executive leadership necessary for identifying, assessing and prioritizing risk and directing all efforts concerned with safety and security. A primary responsibility of every CSO is to understand which assets need protecting and how to protect them. Because the CSO is involved in both the business and technical aspects of security, he or she is likely to be involved in planning for and managing disaster recovery.

Depending on the size of a company and how security is integrated into company culture, a CSO may report to the Chief Information Officer or the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), the Chief Risk Officer (CRO) or the Chief Executive officer (CEO). A CSO may also work with Human Resource Management (HRM) departments to train employees on security awareness and work with the Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) to research more effective security products.

In a large enterprise organization, the CSO may work closely with the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), the senior-level executive responsible for developing and implementing an information security program, which includes procedures and policies designed to protect enterprise communications, systems and assets from both internal and external threats. In a smaller organization, the CSO's job responsibilities may overlap with those of a CISO. If the company does not have a designated CISO or CSO, security responsibilities may be carried out by the CTO or CIO.

Such responsibilities often include:

 

  • Establishing and implementing standards and procedures to prevent the unauthorized use, modification or destruction of physical and digital assets.
  • Overseeing technologies used in physical asset security, including IP cameras used in video surveillance, mobile and desktop point of sale terminals and biometric authentication.
  • Creating and implementing a communication plan to alert stakeholders when security events occur.
  • Creating and implementing an incident response plan.
  • Ensuring that documentation demonstrates the level of response and containment effectiveness required for compliance to internal and regulatory policy.

Quote of the Day

"If an organization ignores the physical layer of its network for the security assessment, it will face some challenges that could be easily avoided." - Ernie Hayden

 

Trending Terms

disaster recovery plan
CISO
information security
intrusion detection
physical security

 
Learning Center

Why physical network security is a necessity for enterprises
Physical network security is easy to overlook, but it's critical for the safety of organizations. Expert Ernie Hayden explains why.

Aflac CISO Tim Callahan on global security, risk management
With today's cyberthreats, the Aflac CISO says security officers have to know more about intelligence and working with government and private industry.

An IT security strategy guide for CIOs
The only thing that separates your organization from the dangerous cyberthreat landscape is an effective IT security strategy. In this Essential Guide, get best practices for combating cyberthreats and crafting your IT security roadmap.

Identifying the warning signs of network intrusions
The signs of network intrusions are difficult to determine, but here's some expert advice on how to recognize the warning signs.

Data center physical security gets a tougher look
Data center physical security is increasingly a topic that is getting a closer look, with tough questions, from organizations seeking colocation space.

Writing for Business

The number of security holes found during the penetration test left _________ shaken.
a. the CSO and me
b. the CSO and I
c. the CSO and myself
Answer

 

 

 

Stay In Touch
For feedback about any of our definitions or to suggest a new definition, please contact me at: mrouse@techtarget.com

 

Visit the Word of the Day Archives and catch up on what you've missed!

 

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