Victoria Health creates CISO role

Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has created a chief information security officer role to increase accountability over internal IT security.

The department put out the call for the senior technical specialist this month to lead its information security unit, which currently reports to DHHS' strategy and design assistant director.

iTnews understands the position is a new role, separate to the Victorian Public Healthcare Sector CISO held by Grant Lockwood and which also sits within the department. 

“Appointment of the new CISO role will elevate leadership of this team to report directly to the chief information officer,” the job ad states.

CIO Steve Hodgkison said in a LinkedIn post last week that the newly created executive role would sit within the department’s business technology and information management branch.

He said the CISO will lead cyber security strategy, policy and operations, as well as and “implement programs of work under the DHHS cyber security strategy and action plan”.

These programs will focus on improving “data, information, application and infrastructure security controls and cyber security incident response processes and capabilities”.

The CISO will be responsible for “all aspects of the cyber security lifecycle” at the department, including identifying, responding to and recovering from threats, attacks and incidents.

The executive will also play a key role in increasing cyber security awareness and understanding across the department, as well as contribute towards government-wide policy.

DHHS is offering the successful applicant a five-year contract with an annual salary of up to $183,601.

iTnews was seeking additional comment from the department at the time of publication.