OCISO

OCISO, commonly written as OCISO, is an acronym for Office of the Chief Information Security Officer. It denotes a unit within an organization charged with coordinating information security policy and program management. The exact structure and naming vary by organization; some use OCISO as an independent office, others as a subdivision within IT, risk, or governance functions. The primary aim is to protect information assets and ensure security measures support business objectives.

Core responsibilities typically include developing and maintaining an information security strategy and policy framework; conducting risk assessments and risk management; ensuring regulatory and contractual compliance; planning and coordinating incident response; overseeing security architecture and engineering; managing vulnerability and threat programs; handling third-party and vendor risk; and promoting security awareness across the organization. The OCISO also coordinates with privacy, legal, audit, and IT operations teams.

Governance and reporting: in many organizations the OCISO reports to the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) or to the Chief Information Officer (CIO). The function may supervise information security program managers, analysts, and engineers, and may operate or partner with a security operations center. The emphasis is on governance, policy development, and program execution rather than day-to-day technical implementation.

Variability exists in how OCISO is defined and staffed. It is common in government, higher education, and large enterprises, and less so in small organizations. Related terms include Deputy CISO, Information Security Office, or Security Governance Office. The OCISO framework is often aligned with standards such as ISO/IEC 27001 and cybersecurity frameworks like NIST SP 800-53.