Chief security officers get big bucks

As chief security officers (CSOs) arrive on the corporate landscape, a new report has found that their salaries in the US vary dramatically between industries.

Those working in financial services earn significantly more than in any other sector, at up to $400,000 per annum plus bonuses.

A separate report suggests that companies plan to hire additional security officers.

The Meta Group predicted that, while about 20 per cent of its 2,000 corporate clients have CSOs on board, that will grow to 40 per cent within five years.

Meta analyst Christian Byrnes explained that companies which do not develop CSO positions are setting themselves up for potential security breaches.

Meanwhile, researchers at Giga Information pointed out that there is still little uniformity around how the CSO is compensated.

CSOs in financial services reporting directly to chief information officers (CIOs) make between $125,000 and $270,000, while those reporting to chief financial officers and chief operating officers may earn as much as $400,000 plus a 15 to 25 per cent bonus.

CSOs in telecoms, utilities and manufacturing who report directly to the CIO earn about $70,000 to $90,000 per year, plus a 15 per cent bonus, according to the Giga research.

This is closely matched by CSOs from the science/business sector, where they can earn as much as $100,000 but can expect somewhat smaller bonuses, at 10 per cent to 15 per cent.