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Specialist professionals not classified elsewhere

How to become an Information Security Auditor

Audits computers and networks from an independent position to check for information security problems.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say university is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

You join a company that specialises in information security audits, or join an IT company and are placed in a security department or similar to do audits. There are no exact statistics on the number of workers, but most are thought to be university graduates from both science and humanities, with slightly more men than women. Information security auditing has been developed since 2000, and as it developed, many experienced people who had worked in information security or system operations took up auditing, so the share of young people is not high. There is an information security auditor qualification scheme based on the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's information security audit system, and the Japan Information Security Audit Association (JASA), a non-profit, runs the certification exams. The scheme has four levels: Certified Information Security Lead Auditor, who leads the audit team and plans, carries out and reports on audits; Certified Information Security Auditor, who plans, carries out and reports on audits and leads audits under a lead auditor's guidance; Information Security Assistant Auditor, who joins audit teams for on-the-job training and supports audits; and Information Security Audit Associate, who gives various advice on audits when asked by the team leader. Holding these qualifications is preferred, but you can do the work without them. Knowledge from the Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA) national exams, the Information Security Management exam and the Registered Information Security Specialist exam, is useful in the work. After being hired, you become a member of an audit team and build knowledge and skills on the job. You may also attend seminars and study groups run by the Japan Information Security Audit Association and others. As a team member, you learn know-how through real work and build your skills and range, moving up through the Assistant Auditor, Certified Auditor and Certified Lead Auditor levels above. It is a new job with no fixed career path, but some people move into other information security work such as vulnerability assessment or digital forensics. The work requires ethics, responsibility, accuracy and teamwork, and you need to keep updating your knowledge and skills as digital technology changes. There is a lot of document exchange and interviewing, so business manners are needed, along with writing and communication skills.

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Questions people ask

How do I become an Information Security Auditor?

You join a company that specialises in information security audits, or join an IT company and are placed in a security department or similar to do audits. There are no exact statistics on the number of workers, but most are thought to be university graduates from both science and humanities, with slightly more men than women. Information security auditing has been developed since 2000, and as it developed, many experienced people who had worked in information security or system operations took up auditing, so the share of young people is not high. There is an information security auditor qualification scheme based on the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's information security audit system, and the Japan Information Security Audit Association (JASA), a non-profit, runs the certification exams. The scheme has four levels: Certified Information Security Lead Auditor, who leads the audit team and plans, carries out and reports on audits; Certified Information Security Auditor, who plans, carries out and reports on audits and leads audits under a lead auditor's guidance; Information Security Assistant Auditor, who joins audit teams for on-the-job training and supports audits; and Information Security Audit Associate, who gives various advice on audits when asked by the team leader. Holding these qualifications is preferred, but you can do the work without them. Knowledge from the Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA) national exams, the Information Security Management exam and the Registered Information Security Specialist exam, is useful in the work. After being hired, you become a member of an audit team and build knowledge and skills on the job. You may also attend seminars and study groups run by the Japan Information Security Audit Association and others. As a team member, you learn know-how through real work and build your skills and range, moving up through the Assistant Auditor, Certified Auditor and Certified Lead Auditor levels above. It is a new job with no fixed career path, but some people move into other information security work such as vulnerability assessment or digital forensics. The work requires ethics, responsibility, accuracy and teamwork, and you need to keep updating your knowledge and skills as digital technology changes. There is a lot of document exchange and interviewing, so business manners are needed, along with writing and communication skills.

How much does an Information Security Auditor earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥5,833,100 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Specialist professionals not classified elsewhere, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become an Information Security Auditor?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 67% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of an Information Security Auditor?

Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026