Information Security Engineers
Develop and oversee the implementation of information security procedures and policies. Build, maintain and upgrade security technology, such as firewalls, for the safe use of computer networks and the transmission and retrieval of information. Design and implement appropriate security controls to identify vulnerabilities and protect digital files and electronic infrastructures. Monitor and respond to computer security breaches, viruses, and intrusions, and perform forensic investigation. May oversee the assessment of information security systems.
$116,580 a year (for the broader BLS group this job sits in).
of the working time. Estimate.
- 99%
- 1%
- 0%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 7%. Today's estimate: 12%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 20 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identify security system weaknesses, using penetration tests.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 11% | 1.7 work days6.7 h to 2.5 work days | 0%Half by Sep 2027 | |
| Oversee development of plans to safeguard computer files against accidental or unauthorized modification, destruction, or disclosure or to meet emergency data processing needs.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 11% | 1.7 work days3.3 h to 4.2 work days | 2%Half by Feb 2028 | |
| Develop or implement software tools to assist in the detection, prevention, and analysis of security threats.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 11% | 2.1 work days3.3 h to 1.7 work weeks | 1%Half by Sep 2028 | |
| Conduct investigations of information security breaches to identify vulnerabilities and evaluate the damage.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 9% | 1.7 work days3.3 h to 1.7 work weeks | 2%Half by Jul 2028 | |
| Assess the quality of security controls, using performance indicators.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 7% | 5 h1.7 h to 1.7 work days | 17%Half by Apr 2027 | |
| Coordinate vulnerability assessments or analysis of information security systems.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 6% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 2.1 work days | 9%Half by Aug 2027 | |
| Review security assessments for computing environments or check for compliance with cybersecurity standards and regulations.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 2.1 work days | 9%Half by Aug 2027 | |
| Coordinate documentation of computer security or emergency measure policies, procedures, or tests.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 5 h1.7 h to 2.1 work days | 15%Half by Jun 2027 | |
| Develop response and recovery strategies for security breaches.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 5% | 1.7 work days3.3 h to 4.2 work days | 2%Half by Feb 2028 | |
| Oversee performance of risk assessment or execution of system tests to ensure the functioning of data processing activities or security measures.Done more than weekly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 4% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 2.1 work days | 9%Half by Aug 2027 | |
| Identify or implement solutions to information security problems.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 3.3 h1.3 h to 2.1 work days | 23%Half by Apr 2027 | |
| Coordinate monitoring of networks or systems for security breaches or intrusions.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 1.7 h25 min to 5 h | 51%Half by now |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.
- Federal Executive Branch86,390 people
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services76,660 people
- Management of Companies and Enterprises25,080 people
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services16,520 people
- Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services15,100 people
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.