Information Security Manager
Also advertised as: CISO, Head of Information Security, ICT security chief, ICT security managers, ICT technical security expert, Information Assurance Manager
Leads an organisation's approach to protecting its information and systems.
What the job involves
Information security managers set the policies, controls and priorities that keep an organisation's data and systems safe. You manage a security team, respond to incidents and report risk to senior leadership. It is typically reached after several years working in technical security roles.
Typical responsibilities
- Develop and maintain security policies
- Manage security risk assessments
- Oversee incident response
- Report security posture to senior leadership
- Manage a team of security specialists
Common employers
- Banks
- Government departments
- Retailers
- Consultancies
- Critical national infrastructure providers
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£50,000 – £60,000 a year
With experience
£75,000 – £110,000 a year
Typical hours
37.5 hours, with on-call availability for major incidents
Working environment
Office or hybrid, frequent leadership meetings
Remote working
hybrid
Demand for this work
high
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Risk management
- Security frameworks
- Incident response
- Stakeholder communication
- Team leadership
- Security architecture awareness
Transferable skills you may already have
- Technical security experience
- Leadership and people management
- Report writing for senior audiences
Requirements employers ask for
- Risk management
- Security frameworks
- Incident response
- Stakeholder communication
- Team leadership
- Security architecture awareness
- Several years of security experience expected
- ICT system user requirements
- solve ICT system problems
- define security policies
- ICT security standards
- establish an ICT security prevention plan
- ICT problem management techniques
- lead disaster recovery exercises
- legal requirements of ICT products
- internet governance
- information security strategy
- Internet of Things
- manage disaster recovery plans
Useful but not essential
- Technical security experience
- Leadership and people management
- Report writing for senior audiences
- CISSP
- CISM
- ISO 27001 Lead Implementer
- ICT network security risks
- Outsourcing model
- tools for ICT test automation
- ICT process quality models
- Hybrid model
- systems development life-cycle
- SaaS (service-oriented modelling)
- decision support systems
Helpful qualifications
- CISSP
- CISM
- ISO 27001 Lead Implementer
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Cyber Security Technologist (Level 4)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Computer science
- Related subject: Cyber security
Where this career can lead
next
Chief Information Security Officer
next
Head of Cyber Security
next
Security Director
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Strong salaries and board-level visibility
- Growing demand as threats increase
- Broad influence over organisational risk
What people find hard
- Accountable when serious incidents occur
- High-pressure decisions during live breaches
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a information security manager?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. preferred
- How much does a information security manager earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £50,000 to £60,000 a year, rising towards £110,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Technical security experience, Leadership and people management, Report writing for senior audiences.
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Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 15 September 2026.
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