Our job as information security professionals is to evaluate risks against our critical assets and deploy safeguards to mitigate them. We work in various roles as firewall engineers, penetration testers, auditors, management, and the like. The common thread is risk: It is part of our job description.

The Information Security Governance and Risk Management domain focuses on risk analysis and mitigation. It also details security governance, or the organizational structure required for a successful information security program. The difference between organizations that are successful and those that fail in this realm is usually not tied to dollars or staff size.: It is tied to the right people in the right roles. Knowledgeable and experienced information security staff and supportive and vested leadership are the keys to success.

Speaking of leadership, learning to speak the language of leaders is another key to personal success in this industry. The ability to effectively communicate information security concepts with C-level executives is a rare and needed skill. This domain also helps you speak this language by discussing risk in terms such as Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and Return on Investment (ROI).