Investigating the Impact of CIO Competencies on IT Security Performance of the U.S. Federal Government Agencies

Abstract

Based on data gathered from the Federal Information of Security Management Act reports, agencies' IT budget, and Chief Information Officers' competencies, we find that IT security performance is positively associated with Chief Information Officers who have technical skills, long tenure, and domain experience. However, managerial skills appear to have a stronger positive impact on IT security performance when Chief Information Officer's report directly to agency heads. These results suggest that agency's heads should consider specific Chief Information Officer's capabilities when making strategic decisions to appoint or promote new Chief Information Officers.