Given the significance of the Treasury division’s perform to Britain, Reg readers would possibly count on the Head of Cyber Safety emptiness at the moment being marketed would include a wage that displays its criticality.
They’d be sorely disillusioned: the beginning wage for the appropriate candidate is £50,550 (c. $62,500), which many infosec hounds within the non-public sector might balk at.
The job, listed on LinkedIn – the place CVs go to die – is a everlasting submit that might be both full or half time, and versatile working hours might be accommodated, working from London, Darlington or Norwich.
“We’re on the lookout for a Head of Cyber Safety to affix the crew and supply recommendation to seniors on cyber dangers throughout our companies and methods,” the posting reads. “That is an thrilling and significant alternative to work on cyber safety on the coronary heart of Authorities in a time of momentous change.”
HM Treasury says it’s looking for a candidate who has “a constant observe file of managing cyber danger administration companies and other people,” and the flexibility to “empower, lead and drive a crew offering important companies to the group” may also be key.
Oh, and cash mustn’t be that vital to you. In spite of everything, who cares about paying the payments at a time of the very best inflation hike for many years?
The Head of Cyber Safety is simply thought to be being a “Mid-Senior degree” position, in keeping with the Treasury. Maybe that’s the reason the wage authorities is providing is within the vary of £50,550 to £57,500, whereas a fast look at a number of job websites exhibits that the going charge for a Head of IT Safety in London is extra like £85,000 to £100,000.
That is the federal government’s financial and finance ministry we’re speaking about right here – the division with total management of public spending and setting the route of the UK’s financial coverage – so you’d suppose that being in total cost of IT safety could be a fairly demanding position.
The truth is, the job advert says the Head of Cyber Safety can be liable for service supply, individuals and repair administration, price range and provider relationship administration, safety governance, monitoring and assurance. The profitable candidate may also have oversight of “specialist safety processes” and the provisioning of system safety all through the group.
That appears like fairly a demanding job to us – particularly as it’s in a corporation the place a safety breach might trigger severe injury.
Some within the safety trade itself are much more important. Tom Lysemose Hansen, CTO and co-founder of Norwegian cybersecurity outfit Promon claimed that comparable jobs within the non-public sector are value 5 to seven instances the wage on provide.
“Such a startlingly low wage for a place as strategically vital as this could concern UK taxpayers. In case you pay peanuts, you get monkeys,” he mentioned.
“Frankly, this gives the look that the British authorities is not taking its cyber safety critically. If cyber safety corporations can see it, then you’ll be able to guess that malicious actors can too.”
Such a senior cyber place comes with inherent stresses – particularly as it’s at such a financially and economically vital establishment – Hansen added, and so it’s essential the UK public sector pay a aggressive wage to draw excessive caliber candidates properly suited to the position.
“In any other case, from a nationwide safety perspective, the UK is flirting with catastrophe and simply ready for the subsequent main cyber assault or information breach.”
The federal government ought to acknowledge this – particularly because the foreword to final yr’s National Cyber Strategy states that “primary cyber safety stays central to our efforts as we toughen up our response to those that assault the UK and our residents. Our focus can be on making the general public sector extra resilient.”
Nonetheless, no less than the profitable candidate could have entry to a cycle-to-work wage sacrifice scheme and season ticket advances. ®
