Career Spotlight: IT Security Coordinator
Cybersecurity and the role of the IT security coordinator routinely makes headlines and continues to grow in importance. Protecting computer systems and networks, connected devices, and the data that flows among them is of vital importance to organizations of all types. With nearly every endeavor relying on digital capabilities, from the running of our smart home appliances to keeping planes in the air to accessing our money, IT security is paramount.
Career options for someone with a security coordinator background are expanding. But what does an IT security coordinator do, and what is your potential in jobs involving cybersecurity program management? Here, we’ll examine job duties, salary information, and education and certification that can make you competitive in the market.
What Does an IT Security Coordinator Do?
Security coordinators can take on many responsibilities, depending on the size and breadth of an organization’s IT footprint. The typical IT security coordinator oversees and manages security policies and frameworks, procedures and reports, and systems that ensure that data and infrastructure are protected from mistakes and crimes. They also manage the work involved in responding to any breach or breakdown.
Duties include:
- Developing the policies and procedures for securing systems, as well as creating the documentation needed, from incident response processes to disaster recovery
- Assessing and managing risks to uncover vulnerabilities, threats, and mitigation strategies
- Monitoring systems and responding to incidents to keep an eye out for data breaches, malware infections, unauthorized access, and mistakes, like uploading error-filled updates or opening a phishing email
- Training and conducting awareness campaigns to create a culture of security
- Complying with various cybersecurity frameworks, preparing for audits, and providing required documentation
- Managing security tools, technologies, and vendors
- Providing firewalls, detection systems, antivirus software, and more
- Managing access by various levels and types of employees and contractors, as well as managing third-party vendors, partners, and service providers
How Much Does an IT Security Coordinator Make?
Salary.com reports that the average salary for an IT coordinator in the United States is $85,404, with likely range from $77,084 to $94,312. Information security analysts saw a median salary of $120,360 in 2023, according to U.S. government data.
This is a career area where demand for qualified people exceeds the supply. The government expects information security analyst jobs to grow a whopping 33% between 2023 and 2033. Top industries include computing, finance and insurance, information technology, consulting services, and overall management of companies and enterprises.
What Certificates Can Help You Stand Out?
The first step in starting a security coordinator career is earning your degree in a tech-related field, like a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. It’s a highly sought-after and flexible degree. Aside from security and program management, such a degree prepares you for myriad jobs in a wide array of industries.
To further stand out in the job market and command a higher salary, you can add a certification to your IT degree, such as:
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC)
- CompTIA Security+
What Is the Difference Between Information Security and Cybersecurity?
Working as an information security coordinator and working in cybersecurity are separate but overlapping career areas.
In information security, you primarily protect information systems and the data they contain. The focus is on confidentiality. That means keeping things secret. Integrity—keeping things complete, accurate, and up to date—is the second element. Lastly, you need to make sure that data is accessible when needed. Information security covers all data, even data that is not in digital form. Think of paper files and images, and potentially physical artifacts.
Cybersecurity is focused on digital data, along with electronic communications services and systems. It’s an area of specialization that includes onsite servers, cloud platforms, networks, and endpoints, as well as the infrastructure that makes it all work. Think of cybersecurity as a specialized subset of information security.
A career as a security coordinator is a rewarding one, working at the forefront of a highly needed area of expertise. When you earn an IT degree at Excelsior University, you’re giving yourself the credentials you need to prosper in this field.
