Summary
As Head of Cyber Security you will deliver an outcome-focused, professional and high-quality service.
You will play a key role in the team and be responsible for overseeing the day to day running of the cyber security team.
You will take responsibility for all cyber security standards, implementation governance, audits and assurance.
You will utilise your excellent working knowledge of the field, and as a subject matter expert, providing expert advice to the cyber and senior leadership team.
You will build working relationships with ease and work with a diverse group of stakeholders, communicating in a clear, concise, timely and effective manner.
You will use your extensive knowledge gained through technical expertise, team management and service management to ensure the seamless and successful delivery of the service.
Work Activity Components
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Advice and guidance (INAS) (Level Six) | Guides, encourages, leads and develops colleagues, in the disciplines of Information assurance. Supports employees to understand their role in the security of data and information. |
| Architectural principles (INAS) (Level Six) | Ensures architectural principles are applied during design to reduce risk, and advances assurance standards through ensuring rigorous security testing. |
| Assurance (GOVN) (Level Six) | Implements the governance framework to enable governance activity to be conducted. Undertakes and/or directs reviews as necessary to ensure management decision-making is transparent, and that an appropriate balance between benefits, opportunities, costs and risks can be demonstrated to principal stakeholders. |
| Body of knowledge (VURE)(Level Five) | Gathers information on new and emerging threats and vulnerabilities. Contributes research findings on security vulnerabilities, countermeasures, and mitigations to national and international vulnerability databases. |
| Compliance (SCTY) (Level Six) | Ensures compliance between business strategies and information security. Takes steps to ensure the organisation complies with GDPR regulations. |
| Risks and vulnerability (SCTY) (Level Six) | Contributes to the development of organisational strategies that address information control requirements. Prepares and maintains a business strategy and plan for information security activities which addresses the evolving business risk and information control requirements, and is consistent with relevant IT and business plans, budgets, strategies etc. |
| Security architecture (SCTY) (Level Six) | Develops and communicates the corporate security architecture. |
| Security control service (SCTY) (Level Six) | Leads the operation of appropriate security controls as a production service to business system users. |
| Security expertise (SCTY) (Level Six) | Leads the provision of authoritative advice and guidance on the requirements for security controls in collaboration with experts in other functions such as legal and technical support. Operates as a focus for IT security expertise for the organisation, providing authoritative advice and guidance on the application and operation of all types of security control, including legislative or regulatory requirements such as data protection/GDPR and software copyright law. |
| Threats and breaches (SCTY) (Level Six) | Identifies and monitors environmental and market trends and proactively assesses impact on business strategies, benefits and risks. Manages assessment of threats to confidentiality, integrity, availability, accountability and relevant compliance. Takes ownership of security control reviews, business risk assessments, and reviews that follow significant breaches of security controls. |
| Business continuity and resilience (INAS) (Level Six) | In the context of business continuity, assesses protection, detection and reaction capabilities, to determine whether they are sufficient to support restoration of information systems in a secure manner. |
| Data privacy and information security culture (INAS) (Level Six) | Champions organisational commitment to data privacy and information security. Promotes and supports a culture where data privacy and information security are the responsibility of every employee. Identifies opportunities for improving the security culture and takes responsibility for actioning these. |
| Implementation and processes (INAS) (Level Six) | Contributes to the development, implementation and monitoring of organisational policies and processes intended to maintain the availability, integrity and confidentiality of the organisation's information assets. |
| Influencing partners (INAS) (Level Six) | Influences internal and external partners, including the supply chain, to ensure compliance with the organisation’s information security requirements. |
| Performance measures (INAS) (Level Six) | Identifies and develops metrics and measures for information assurance such as key risk indicators (KRIs) and key performance indicators (KPIs). Determines appropriate and practical performance measures, to ensure that information assurance priorities set by the business can be effectively monitored. |
| Strategy (INAS) (Level Six) | Develops strategies for information assurance, as part of corporate IT governance, including guidelines for information and network users and alignment to standard security frameworks. Defines target thresholds for information assurance maturity and oversees activities to achieve these. |
| Networking and communities (VURE)(Level Five) | Maintains a strong external network within own area of specialism. |
| Reporting (VURE)(Level Five) | Assesses and documents the impacts and threats to the organisation. Creates reports and shares knowledge and insights with others. |
| Research activities (VURE)(Level Five) | Plans and manages vulnerability research activities into new threats, attack vectors, risks and potential solutions. |
| Tools and techniques (VURE)(Level Five) | Adopts and adapts vulnerability assessment techniques and tools to be used by others. |
| Threat intelligence gathering (THIN) (Level 5) | Plans and manages threat intelligence activities. Identifies which are the most impactful threat categories and the types of information that can help defend against them. |
| Threat modelling (THIN) (Level 5) | Conducts complex threat modelling tasks. Predicts and prioritises threats to an organisation and their methods of attack. |
| Financial awareness (BURM) (Level 5) | Demonstrates financial awareness as a part of risk management (e.g. cost-effectiveness analysis of proposed counter measures). |
| Risk countermeasures and response (BURM) (Level 5) | Coordinates response to quantified risks, which may involve acceptance/retention, transfer, reduction or avoidance/elimination. Coordinates the development of countermeasures and contingency plans. |
| Risk strategy, processes and monitoring (BURM) (Level 5) | Monitors status of risks, and reports status and need for action to key stakeholders. |
| Career paths and mentoring (PEMT) (Level 5) | Advises individuals on career paths, and encourages pro-active development of skills and capabilities. Provides mentoring to support professional development. |
| Empowerment and role model(PEMT) (Level 5) | Facilitates effective working relationships within and between teams of staff. Motivates groups of staff and teams towards a high level of performance. Engages with, and empowers groups of staff. Acts as a role model for groups of staff, setting a standard, acting professionally at all times and working to a professional code of conduct and ethics. |
| Guidance, performance and feedback (PEMPT) (Level 5) | Optimises the performance of people, measuring and reporting on performance against agreed quality and performance criteria. Collects data on the performance of groups of staff. Gives regular feedback to teams and senior staff as to team performance on work packages. |
| People processes (Level 5) | Participates, as appropriate, in formal processes such as compensation negotiations and disciplinary procedures. |
| Team dynamics (PEMT) (Level 5) | Integrates staff into teams to perform packages of work, taking account of individual and team capabilities. Consider the importance of skill mix within teams. Is sensitive towards team dynamics. |
| Transformation and change (PEMT) (Level 5) | Manages teams involved in significant transformation projects and/or during times of change, aligning change programmes with staff skills and capabilities. Supports staff, through difficult and challenging change programmes. |
| Leadership and management (SCTY) (Level Six) | Manages IT security specialist staff, including approval of project and task definition and prioritisation, quality management and budgetary control, and management tasks such as recruitment and training when required. |
Behavioural Skills
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Ambiguity | Comfortable dealing with ambiguity and operating in environments that evolve and change. |
| Analytical Thinking | Acquiring a proper understanding of a problem or situation by breaking it down systematically into its component parts and identifying the relationships between these parts. Selecting the appropriate method/tool to resolve the problem and reflecting critically on the result, so that what is learnt is identified and assimilated. |
| Attention to Detail | Applying specific quality standards to all tasks undertaken to ensure that deliverables are accurate and complete. |
| Conceptual Thinking | Acquiring understanding and insights regarding the underlying issues in complex problems or situations through the development of abstract representations, the identification of patterns and the analysis of hypotheses. |
| Decision Making | Making decisions at the appropriate time, taking into account the needs of the situation, priorities, constraints, known risks, and the availability of necessary information and resources. |
| Delegation | Delegating tasks, responsibilities and authorities effectively. |
| Flexibility | Taking account of new information or changed circumstances and/or business requirements and modifying response to a problem or situation accordingly. |
| Follow-up and Monitoring | Checking progress against targets, taking action to resolve exceptions/ issues and reporting and escalating where necessary. |
| Goal Orientation | Maintaining focus on agreed objectives and deliverables. |
| Holistic Thinking | The ability to place problems in the context of the wider business landscape or area of interest. Understanding how different business functions work together to achieve shared goals. |
| Influence, Persuasion and Personal Impact | Conveying a level of confidence and professionalism when engaging with stakeholders, influencing positively and persuading others to take a specific course of action when not in a position of authority. |
| Information Acquisition | Identifying gaps in the available information required to understand a problem or situation and devising a means of resolving them. |
| Interacting with People | Establishing relationships, contributing to an open culture and maintaining contacts with people from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Effective, approachable and sensitive communicator in different communities and cultures. Ability to adapt style and approach to meet the needs of different audiences. |
| Leadership | Clearly articulating goals and objectives, and motivating and leading others towards their achievement. |
| Organisational Awareness | Understanding the hierarchy and culture of own, customer, supplier and partner organisations and being able to identify the decision makers and influencers. |
| Providing Direction | Directing others to undertake specified tasks within a defined timescale. |
| Resilience | Demonstrates resilience when working under pressure, displaying a calm and rational approach to the task at hand. |
Technical Skills
| Title | Details | Depth |
|---|---|---|
| Access Control Systems | Any tool or system which provides security access control (i.e. prevents unauthorised access to systems). | Expert in |
| Analytical Tools | Analytical, statistical and machine learning tools appropriate to the organisational environment. Able to apply these tools and techniques to meet the requirements of stakeholders. | Proficient in |
| Application Systems | Technical or functional understanding of Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) applications and/or other bespoke software deployed within the organisation in order to provide system configuration, audit, technical, and/or functional support. | Proficient in |
| Big Data | The discipline associated with data sets so large and/or complex that traditional data processing applications are inadequate. The data files may include structured, unstructured and/or semi-structured data, such as unstructured text, audio, video, etc. Challenges include analysis, capture, curation, search, sharing, storage, transfer, manipulation, analysis, visualization and information privacy. | Familiar with |
| Business Continuity Planning | Methods and techniques for risk assessment, business impact analysis, establishment of countermeasures and contingency arrangements relating to the serious disruption of IT services. | Familiar with |
| Business Environment | The business environment relating to own sphere of work (own organisation and/or closely associated organisations, such as customers, suppliers, partners and competitors), in particular those aspects of the business that the specialism is to support (i.e. localised organisational awareness from a technical perspective). | Expert in |
| BYOD | The policy of permitting employees to bring personally owned mobile devices (laptops, tablets, smart phones etc) to their workplace, and the implications of using those devices to access privileged company information and applications consistent with safeguarding corporate systems and data taking account of security and confidentiality requirements. Also called bring your own technology (BYOT), bring your own phone (BYOP), and bring your own PC (BYOPC). | Proficient in |
| Cloud/Virtualisation | The principles and application of cloud/ virtualisation (including ownership, responsibilities and security implications). Use of tools and systems to manage virtualised environments. | Proficient in |
| Corporate, Industry and Professional Standards | Applying relevant standards, practices, codes, and assessment and certification programmes to the specific organisation or business domain. | Expert in |
| Cyber Security Concepts | The understanding of cyber security concepts and ability to effectively translate and accurately communicate security and risk implications across technical and non-technical stakeholders so that they are understood and applied. | Expert in |
| Disaster Recovery Planning | Methods and techniques for planning for, and mitigating against, serious disruption of IT services. Techniques may include data replication, log shipping, HA, resilience, fallback location/services, offsite back-up, recovery time objectives (RTO), recovery point objectives (RPO), maximum tolerable downtime window, cloud computing, diversity, etc. | Familiar with |
| Information Architecture | Methods, techniques and technologies for ingesting, securing, processing and using data and information within and beyond an organisation. | Proficient in |
| Infrastructure/System Security | The security threats and vulnerabilities that impact and/or emanate from system hardware, software and other infrastructure components, and relevant strategies, controls and activities to prevent, mitigate, detect and resolve security incidents affecting system hardware, software and other infrastructure components. | Expert in |
| IT Audit | Principles, practices, tools and techniques of IT auditing. | Familiar with |
| IT Environment | The IT environment relating to own sphere of work (own organisation and/or closely associated organisations, such as customers, suppliers, partners), in particular own organisation's technical platforms and those that interface to them through the specialism, including those in closely-related organisations. | Familiar with |
| National/International Standards | Current and emerging standards associated with IT practice nationally and internationally, published by authorities such as IEEE, IEC, BSI, ISO. | Proficient in |
| Network Data Security | Network security and threat mitigation, including physical, electronic, firewalling, encryption, access, and authorisation; protecting data at rest and in transit; defending against viruses and malware; the impact of Big Data; and the integration of robust security controls into enterprise services and policies. | Expert in |
| Network Traffic Analysis | Methods and techniques for the capture of traffic information (packet level) and the forensic analysis of this information into its constituent elements. | Proficient in |
| Networking and Communications | The planning and management of the interaction between two or more networking systems, computers or other intelligent devices. | Proficient in |
| Operating Systems | System software that controls activities such as input, output, dynamic resource allocation, and error reporting, within the operation of a computer configuration. | Proficient in |
| Operational/Service Architecture | Knowledge of the IT/IS infrastructure and the IT applications and service processes used within own organisation, including those associated with sustainability and efficiency. | Proficient in |
| Own Organisation's IT Products and Services | The IT products and/or services supplied to internal and external customers by own organisation. | Familiar with |
| Security Software, Tools and Techniques | Specialist tools and techniques used in the pursuit of vulnerability management, penetration testing , digital forensics and other security management disciplines for bug-hunting, abstract interpretation and program analysis, binary analysis and reverse-engineering, exploit development, source code analysis, and static and dynamic application security testing (SAST/DAST) etc. | Proficient in |
| Third Party IT Products and Services | The IT products and/or services supplied to own organisation by external suppliers. | Familiar with |
Other Skills
| Title | Details | Depth |
|---|---|---|
| Appraisal Techniques | Methods and techniques for appraising an individual's performance and potential. | Proficient in |
| Budgets | Principles, methods, techniques and tools for the preparation and monitoring of budgets to manage costs and ensure cost-effectiveness and value for money. | Familiar with |
| Coaching Techniques | Methods and techniques for coaching individuals or groups by a balanced combination of support and direction, which could include use of virtual learning environments plus add-ons to augment feedback specific to work items, workflow or career plans. | Proficient in |
| Data Protection | Principles, practices, tools and techniques to ensure data protection. | Proficient in |
| Disciplinary Issues and Procedures | Managing episodes of unsatisfactory behaviour or performance in accordance with appropriate policies and legislative conformance. Includes changes to circumstances, such as sickness, disability and other personal issues. | Familiar with |
| Document Management Techniques | Methods and techniques for the organisation, storage and version control of information in both paper and electronic formats. | Proficient in |
| Enterprise Architecture | Understanding of Enterprise Architecture principles and practises, e.g. as defined within TOGAF, used to create a strategic framework to align the organisation's business strategy, processes, information, and technology to satisfy business goals. Enterprise architecture provides a holistic view of the organisation, enabling effective decision-making, optimisation of resources, and more efficient adaptation to change in the business environment. | Familiar with |
| Financial Management | Knowledge of Financial Management and Management Accounting. Competent management of costs, budgets and cash flow. | Familiar with |
| Information Assurance Methods and Tools | Information assurance methods, tools and techniques (including the Caldicott Principles) used to protect the integrity, availability, authenticity, non-repudiation and confidentiality of user data and manage the risks related to the use, processing, storage, and transmission of information. | Expert in |
| Legislation | Relevant national and international legislation. | Expert in |
| Literature Search | Methods, techniques and tools for searching and obtaining relevant knowledge from published literature. | Proficient in |
| Network Data Gathering Techniques | The selection, implementation and application of network data gathering methods, tools and techniques that are appropriate to the information required and the sources available. | Proficient in |
| Performance Monitoring | Identifying, agreeing and monitoring (usually by face-to-face interviews) objectives and deliverables with individuals. Identifying under-performance issues against agreed quality standards and performance criteria. Identifying gaps in capability and causes, disciplinary or ability-related (needing assistance, training or other support). | Proficient in |
| Presentation Techniques | Methods and techniques for delivering effective and accessible presentations, either face-to-face or online within various contexts and to a variety of audiences. | Proficient in |
| Process Documentation Techniques | Principles, methods and techniques for establishing, documenting and maintaining processes. | Proficient in |
| Project Planning and Control Techniques | Methods and techniques associated with planning and monitoring progress of projects. | Familiar with |
| Project Risk Management | The identification, assessment and management of project risks, that could result in time or cost over-runs, or failure to deliver products which are fit for purpose. | Proficient in |
| Report Writing Techniques | Methods and techniques for writing clear, accessible and persuasive reports. | Proficient in |
| Research Techniques | Methods, techniques and tools for the systematic discovery, analysis, and reporting of knowledge about all aspects of information systems. | Proficient in |
| Resource Allocation | The effective and efficient routine deployment of resources, (but also including reassessment and reallocation in a dynamic multi-project environment), to achieve optimum results. | Proficient in |
| Risk Management | Methods and techniques for the assessment and management of business risk. | Expert in |
| Stakeholder Engagement | Establishing relationships, analysing perspectives and managing stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Adapting stakeholder engagement style to meet the needs of different audiences. The identification of key business stakeholders and an assessment of their level of power and interests, and their perspectives to inform the way(s) in which they should be considered and managed. | Familiar with |
| Standards Writing Techniques | Principles, methods and techniques for establishing, documenting, and maintaining standards. | Proficient in |
| Team Dynamics | Knowledge and understanding of the psychological and environmental forces that influence the direction of team behavior and performance and the tools and techniques to improve team cohesion and performance. | Familiar with |
| Techniques for Effective Meetings | Methods and techniques for running effective meetings and for understanding and influencing the roles played by participants. | Proficient in |
| Threat Landscape | Knowledge and understanding of the threat landscape, regulatory and legislative requirements and awareness of industry good practice relating to information governance, privacy and security. | Expert in |
Training
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Data Management | Data management concepts, methods, tools and techniques relating to the planning, development, implementation, administration and curation of data. |
| Diversity and Inclusion | Raise diversity in-the-workplace awareness in order to better understand how the world looks through the eyes of people of a different age, race, gender, sexuality, etc, improve communications with people from diverse backgrounds and reduce the levels of unconscious bias in decision-making. |
| Human Resource Planning | Techniques and practices involved in planning the numbers and types of personnel needed over time by a particular skillset, department or function within an organisation. |
| Local Area Networks | Features and characteristics of local area networks relevant to installation and support of hardware and software components. |
| Mentoring | Methods and techniques for providing mentoring support to less experienced individuals. |
| Network Infrastructure Architecture | The frameworks and principles on which networks, systems, equipment and resources are based. |
| Service Delivery | The service delivery processes: the systems, products, services, hardware and software environment. |
| Software Configuration | Installation, configuration and tuning of applications or systems software. |
| Wide Area Networks | Features and characteristics of networks configured over a wide area i.e. beyond the geographical boundaries of a single site. |
Professional Development Activity (PDA)
| Title | Details | PDA Group |
|---|---|---|
| Deputising | Standing in for supervisor or manager on a temporary basis during periods of absence. | Broadening Activities |
| Gaining Knowledge of Broader IT Issues | Increasing and maintaining currency of knowledge of broader IT issues through reading, attending and participating in seminars or conferences, special studies, temporary assignments etc. | Increasing Knowledge |
| Gaining Strategic Knowledge of Employing Organisation | Developing a comprehensive understanding of the business environment in which the employing organisation operates and its position, policies and direction in relation to health and care, country and global issues. | Increasing Knowledge |
| Job Shadowing and Special Assignments | Undertaking temporary periods or secondments in other roles, particularly those that offer a new perspective on own function or exposure to other environments and cultures. | Broadening Activities |
| Management Development | Undertaking learning and best practice of the skills appropriate to managing all or part of an organisation, including business and financial management, benefits management, people management, management of change and strategic planning. This will require both on and off the job learning and may include participation in an appropriate development programme such as MBA or DMS (Diploma in Management Studies). | Developing Professional Skills |
| Mentoring | Acting as a mentor, advising those for whom there is no direct responsibility, on matters to do with their job role, career and professional development. | Broadening Activities |
| Negotiating and Influencing | Undertaking learning and practice of negotiating with and influencing others. | Developing Professional Skills |
| Participation in Professional Body Affairs | Taking an active part in professional body affairs at branch, specialist group, committee or board level. | Participation in Professional Activities |
| Project Assignments | Participating in a project team, working group or task force established to deliver a solution to a specific problem or issue - especially valuable if the group is inter-disciplinary. | Broadening Activities |
Qualification Components
| Title | Awarding Bodies |
|---|---|
| BCS Practitioner Certificate in Information Risk Management | BCS The Chartered Institute for IT |
| CGEIT Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT | ISACA |
| Chartered Cyber Security Professional (ChCSP) | The UK Cyber Security Council |
| CISA Certified Information Systems Auditor | ISACA |
| CISM Certified Information Security Manager | ISACA |
| CISSP Certified Information Systems Security Professional | (ISC)2 International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium |
| CRISC Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control | ISACA |
| FEDIP Leading Practitioner | The Federation for Informatics Professionals |
The Professional Body Responsible for this job family is BCS. This job role profile was created in collaboration with BCS, using Role Model Plus.