Chief Information Security Officers

Employment of computer and information systems managers (including CISOs) is projected to grow 15 percent from 2022 to 2032, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). This is much faster than the average for all careers. The DOL says that “employment growth will result from the need to bolster cybersecurity in computer and information systems that businesses use. As cybersecurity threats increase, implementing more robust security policies will be especially critical for organizations that manage sensitive information." Employment sectors that will experience especially strong demand include warehousing and storage (+34.5 percent); funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles (+25.6 percent); web search portals, libraries, archives, and other information services (+23.5 percent); agencies, brokerages, and other insurance related activities (+22 percent); and software publishers (+21 percent).

Demand is growing for CISOs and other cybersecurity professionals as a result of rapid increases in cyberattacks on large businesses. In quarter two of 2024, Check Point Research saw a 30 percent year-over-year increase in cyber attacks globally, reaching 1,636 attacks per organization per week. The three most-attacked industries were education/research (3,341 attacks per week), government/military (2,084 attacks per week), and healthcare (1,999 attacks per week). “As the number of cybersecurity breaches, hacks and cyberattacks increase, so do the number of cybersecurity jobs,” according to CompTIA. “The importance of IT security is higher than ever.” Chief information security officers with considerable experience (especially at large companies), a strong record of success protecting their employers from cyberthreats, knowledge of emerging threats (and how to prevent them), and knowledge of thew potential, job uses and cyber risks of emerging technology (e.g., blockchain, augmented reality, virtual reality, quantum computing) will have the best job prospects.