Career Project
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Cybersecurity Professional Career Paper: CISO
Camren Young
School of Cybersecurity, Old Dominion University
CYSE 201s: Cybersecurity and Social Sciences
November 14, 2025
Introduction
A chief information security officer, CISO, is responsible for a wide range of responsibilities, such as data security, incident management, training and awareness for employees, regulation and standard compliance, risk management and strategy. Emerging cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities place the importance of safeguarding information produced and shared through digital resources higher than before(Goodyear, et al. 2012). This paper will discuss the relationship between social science principles related to CISO roles, marginalization, and CISO connection to society.
Social Science Principles
The role of a CISO is not solely rooted in the technical aspect of the job, but also the social and organizational points associated with the job. They manage individuals and they are responsible for communicating to all those around them. Da Silva and Jenson(2022) present one of the roles of a CISO as a modern day soothsayer, acquainted with understanding cyber security by specialized and mystical insight and skills. Analysis in the context of broader security studies that focus on ontological security and sociological ideas about identity work. CISOs are positioned at a critical point by gathering information from various sources, making decisions, and communicating those decisions to senior management using parsimony. (Da Silva and Jenson 2022)
Application of Key Concepts
CISOs have evolved into an essential leadership role and barrier against the constant threats aiming to weaken the confidentiality, integrity and availability of organizational data.(Mitcham and MSA 2024) This job incorporates social sciences to further improve their leadership skills. CISOs use parsimony to spread information amongst the team in a language everyone can understand.
Marginalization
With the constant change with digital resources, security and privacy are critical concerns for people, businesses, and governments. Unfortunately, traditional approaches to security and privacy haven’t effectively addressed problems of equity and inclusivity. Certain security tools and practices have disproportionately impacted different populations, specifically marginalized communities. It is the role of a CISO to address marginalization and create a work environment where all people can thrive.
Career Connection to Society
The role of CISOs in our society helps create and maintain different company’s security strategies. CISOs provide great input that is proposed, designed, implemented and approved with their feedback. It is essential that a company or organization has strong security strategies and policies that help protect their data. Half of cyber security breaches are the consequence of employee negligence or incompetence. CISOs asset in awareness training that is essential to maintaining networks that hold important information. (Jawaharrani et al. 2023)CISOs play a vital role in safeguarding societies stability such as our financial and health systems.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Chief Information Security Officer plays a critical wide role developing and implementing the information security strategy of an organization in order to safeguard data. The leadership and guidance of a CISO to manage the work environment for whom they are responsible for, assist in effectively guiding and create adequate policies. CISOs have become an essential for defending against possible vulnerabilities and threats that may arise in a company or system.
Works cited
Marilu Goodyear, et al. (2012)“Cybersecurity Management In the States: The Emerging Role of
Chief Information Security Officers”
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2187412
Da Silva, J., & Jensen, R. B. (2022). ” Cyber security is a dark art”: The CISO as Soothsayer.
Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 6(CSCW2), 1-31.
https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3555090
Mitcham, Z. S., & MSA, C. (2024). Key Security Concepts that all CISOs Should Know-Cyber
Guardians: A CISO’s Guide to Protecting the Digital World. eBookIt. Com.
Jawaharrani, K., Lekshmi, R. S., Nirmala, G., & Dheenadhayalan, K. (2023, May). Role of CISO-Cyber Security & Risk Management. In 2023 International Conference on Advances in Computing, Communication and Applied Informatics (ACCAI) (pp. 1-5). IEEE. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10200017/