Analysis: The CSO – PR stunt, scapegoat or good idea?

There have been a spate of high-profile cyber attacks on large organisations in recent months and you could argue that there has never been a worse time to be a chief security officer (CSO).

Or perhaps that's the wrong way to look at it. These attacks, from hacking groups such as Anonymous, splinter faction Lulzsec and other less public hackers, targeting major private organisations, and public bodies such as the CIA and the UK's Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), have pushed security to the top of the international agenda.

So since their domain is seen as more important than ever, perhaps there's never been a better time to be a CSO?

Given that security chiefs are currently being asked to do more with less, many CSOs will scoff at that statement, but there's no doubt that security is on the top of several agendas, not least the IT manager's.

The government was due to launch its new cyber security strategy last week. Although it has delayed the launch, to "dot the i's and cross the t's" as it put it, cyber security remains a tier one issue.

Also last week, security awareness topped a poll by BCS as the most important attribute of the IT professional of the future.

And there have been several high-profile breaches recently, again pushing security into the spotlight.