Find out the top 10 core skills you need to master as an information security manager and what hard skills you need to know to succeed in this job.

An Information Security Manager is tasked with the responsible for protecting their company's computer systems and network against internal and external cyber-related threats. If this happens then all company data and information will be at risk of being stolen, damaged or lost. He/she will be tasked with prioritizing security coverage of the company.

Besides that, other duties he or she can get to handle include; developing and testing security measures, perform computer risk related training to company employees, develop and maintain data systems of the company, auditing system applications, perform backup and recovery procedures and monitor system logs and traffic for any suspicious incident.

Core Skills Required to be an Information Security Manager

Core skills describe a set of non-technical abilities, knowledge, and understanding that form the basis for successful participation in the workplace. Core skills enable employees to efficiently and professionally navigate the world of work and interact with others, as well as adapt and think critically to solve problems.

Core skills are often tagged onto job descriptions to find or attract employees with specific essential core values that enable the company to remain competitive, build relationships, and improve productivity.

An information security manager should master the following 10 core skills to fulfill her job properly.

Verbal Communication:

Verbal Communication is the use of tones and language to relay a message; it aids as a vehicle for expressing ideas, concepts and it, is critical to the daily running of the business.

An Information Security Manager portrays his/her image and that of the company by the way he/she communicates; strong verbal communication skills are vital for business development and forging lasting relationships with customers, suppliers, and colleagues.

Decision Making:

Decision Making is the art of making choices by identifying a decision, gathering information and assessing alternative resolutions before settling on one.

An Information Security Manager cannot afford to make poor decisions, that's why he ought to develop a systematic approach to decision making that allows him to make every decision with skill, confidence, and wisdom producing a final choice of competence in the workplace.

Orientation to Work:

Orientation to Work is the introduction that is given to a new worker whereby he is introduced to coworkers and given relevant information like schedules, performance standards, benefits and facilities, names of the supervisors, etc.

An Information Security Manager must ensure that all new employees go through an orientation process to assimilate into the workplace and become familiar with what is expected of them.

Physical Abilities:

Physical Abilities is the ability of one's strengths and limitations that are also known as the individual resources to perform well at the tasks given.

An Information Security Manager must understand that his employees are very different types of people who vary in what they can or cannot do and treat each one with respect while supporting them to become the best in what they do.

Self Confidence:

Self Confidence is the ability to know who you are and what you are capable of doing which shows in your behavior, your body language, how you speak, etc.

An Information Security Manager must be confident enough to inspire confidence in others while encouraging them to handle daily tasks and their personal lives with self-confidence that will, in turn, produce a well-rounded individual.

Personal Commitment:

Personal Commitment is an obligation that you have voluntarily agreed to fulfill without being cajoled or threatened and are willing to be held accountable for the results.

An Information Security Manager ought to understand that though adopting new policies and procedures will be met with resistance, the approach by which safety standards are implemented and enforced influences employee's attitudes and commitment towards the organization.

Managing Details:

Managing Details is the skill of paying close attention to details of every element of your job performance to ensure nothing is overlooked.

An Information Security Manager should be keen to handle every detail using strategic planning and organizational techniques that make it easy to keep track of everything that is happening in the organization consistently desiring to improve their knowledge and skills.

Meeting Management:

Meeting Management is the skill to know and understands the reason why an official meeting should be held and who should attend.

An Information Security Manager must learn how to properly organize and conduct meetings to contribute to organizational effectiveness by determining situations that require a meeting, understanding types of meetings, planning the meeting, running the meeting to the close and managing people after the meeting.

Technology Savvy:

Technology Savvy is the introduction of the digital technology in the workplace as a strategy to make tasks run swiftly against doing them manually.

An Information Security Manager must ensure that the technology he introduces to the workplace integrated seamlessly with the workflow and empowers the users rather than complicates and damages the workflow making sure the employees are well prepared and not overwhelmed with the technology.

Programming Skills:

Programming Skills is the ability to use technical languages, tools, and operating systems professionally in the workplace.

An Information Security Manager ought to value digital competencies in the workplace, being the third core subject and treated with the same respect as numeracy and literacy because they are the future of the company and very vital to the growth and productivity of the business.

Hard Skills Required to be an Information Security Manager

Hard skills are job-specific skill sets, or expertise, that are teachable and whose presence can be tested through exams. While core skills are more difficult to quantify and less tangible, hard skills are quantifiable and more defined.

Hard skills are usually listed on an applicant's resume to help recruiters know the applicant's qualifications for the applied position. A recruiter, therefore, needs to review the applicant's resume and education to find out if he/she has the knowledge necessary to get the job done.

An information security manager should have a good command of the following hard skills to succeed in her job.

Information Security Manager: Hard skills list

Analytical
Customer service
Computer
DLP (anti-virus and anti-malware)
Ethical Hacking
Equipment Maintenance
Instructing
Installation
Interpersonal
IT
Systems Evaluation
Linux Operating Systems
Management and System Security
Operating Systems
Programming Languages
Repairing
Risk Management Methodologies
Secure Coding practices
Systems Analysis
Technical and Functional
Technology Design
Threat Modeling
Troubleshooting
UNIX
Windows
Writing

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