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CISO Spotlights

Reference

Glossary

One page per term: the definition first, then what it means for the person in the seat and where it shows up on this site. Each entry is sourced to the certifying body, regulator or record it belongs to. 12 terms.

B

  1. Board cybersecurity expertise

    Board cybersecurity expertise is cyber knowledge held by directors, not management. Why US disclosure of it is voluntary and how it connects to a CISO's career.

    Also: director cybersecurity expertise, cyber expert on the board

C

  1. Chief security officer (CSO)

    A chief security officer (CSO) leads security as a whole: people, sites, information and often cyber. How the CSO differs from the CISO and how to read the title.

    Also: CSO, chief security officer

  2. CISM

    CISM is ISACA's certification for people who manage an information security program. What it requires, what it tests and how it maps to the CISO's job.

    Also: Certified Information Security Manager, ISACA CISM

  3. CISO career path

    A CISO career path is the run of jobs, credentials and experience that leads to the security chief's seat. What official sources say and the routes this site tracks.

    Also: path to CISO, how to become a CISO

  4. CISO personal liability

    CISO personal liability is the legal exposure a security chief carries as an individual. Two key cases, the rule that adds a personal signature, and why it matters.

    Also: CISO liability, security chief legal exposure

  5. CISO reporting line

    A CISO reporting line is who the chief information security officer answers to, in management and on the board. What rules require and why it shapes the job.

    Also: CISO reporting structure, who the CISO reports to

  6. CISO tenure

    CISO tenure is how long one person holds the chief information security officer seat. How it is measured, why filings rarely state it, and how to read it.

    Also: CISO time in seat, security chief tenure

  7. CISSP

    CISSP is ISC2's certification for security practitioners and leaders with five years of experience. What it requires and where it sits in a CISO's career.

    Also: Certified Information Systems Security Professional, ISC2 CISSP

F

  1. Fractional CISO

    A fractional CISO fills the chief information security officer role part time, on an ongoing contract. How rules treat it and how it differs from interim or vCISO.

    Also: part-time CISO, vCISO, virtual CISO

H

  1. Head of security

    Head of security is the title for whoever leads an organization's security team. How it compares with CISO in scope, authority and seniority, and how to read it.

    Also: head of information security, security lead

I

  1. Interim CISO

    An interim CISO runs the security program between one chief's exit and the next one's start. Why the seat must be filled, how it differs from acting or fractional.

    Also: acting CISO, interim chief information security officer

S

  1. Security leadership titles

    Security leadership titles name the people who lead security: CISO, CSO, VP of security, head of security, BISO. What each signals and how this site maps them.

    Also: security executive titles, CISO equivalent titles

A term missing, or a definition that reads wrong? Request a correction. Longer explainers live in the guides.