You're aiming to lead in cybersecurity. How can you hone your leadership skills?

No one book will give you all the knowledge you need; there is no wax-on, wax-off to cybersecurity. It requires hard work, determination, discipline, and a deep-seated willingness to protect and keep people safe. Not everyone can be a special forces operator; my superpower is my understanding of computers and technology. For 20 years, I have been pushing myself, failing exams, learning new things, and adapting to challenges. I've sacrificed family events and consistently put my clients first because I am driven to safeguard others. Just like the men and women in our armed forces, both at home and around the world, thank you for your service. -BUT this is my service—I’ve got your back. On my watch, let me keep your loved ones safe.

I've always found that collaborating with special interest groups and peers has added value. I'm apart of a few boards that relate to other industries and they all add value as it provides a global perspective. I leverage external sources to support our current infrastructure for continuous improvement. I've hosted Security Advisory meetings to meet with internal and external stakeholders to see what challenges everyone is facing, it typically provides great discussion points and potential mitigation.

The foremost aspect is knowledge acquisition. Create peer learning circles. Establish mentorship programs. These foster a culture of continuous learning. This enhances the team’s collective knowledge and keeps everyone up-to-date. Organize guest lectures and workshops. Implement scenario-based training. Conduct tabletop exercises. These can highlight potential gaps in the current security posture. Hold post-mortem meetings. They provide valuable learning experiences. Develop a forward-thinking cybersecurity strategy. Establish innovation labs. Encourage a culture of innovation.

Leading in cybersecurity requires a deep, hands-on understanding of the latest attack vectors and defense strategies. This means keeping pace with the evolving threat landscape, continuously refining your skills through practical experience and advanced certifications, and actively engaging with the cybersecurity community. Effective leadership inspires confidence through proven expertise and staying current with the latest cyber attacks.

To excel in cybersecurity leadership, focus on these key areas: 1. Continuous Learning: Stay updated on the latest threats and technologies through certifications and industry news. 2. Effective Communication: Develop the ability to clearly convey complex security concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. 3. Strategic Thinking: Understand business goals and align cybersecurity strategies accordingly. 4. Team Building: Foster a collaborative environment, mentor team members, and encourage professional development. 5. Decision-Making: Cultivate strong decision-making skills by analyzing risk, managing resources, and learning from past experiences.

1. Listen actively to team input. 2. Articulate complex concepts simply. 3. Provide regular updates. 4. Encourage and give feedback. 5. Develop public speaking skills. 6. Ensure clear documentation. 7. Foster open communication channels.

Strong communication is the first. You must articulate complex security concepts in a way that stakeholders across the organization can understand and act upon. Whether explaining the importance of encryption to non-technical staff or discussing risk management strategies with the board, clarity and conciseness are key. Practice simplifying technical jargon and using analogies that resonate with your audience to foster a culture of cybersecurity awareness. Clear communication not only educates but also builds trust, ensuring that everyone is aligned in protecting the organization’s digital assets.

The best leader are also very good at being a follower. Both of those role involved one common aspect: being a good communicator. Communicate clearly and effectively will make you a more confident and effective leader. People typically listen to the one know ound like he know what to do. Learn how to communicate, provide instructiThe best leaders are also very good at being followers. Both of those roles involve one common aspect: being a good communicator. Communicating clearly and effectively will make you a more confident and effective leader. People typically listen to the one who sounds like they know what to do. Learn how to communicate, provide instructions, feedback, and lead with good morals and confidence.

This is my favorite thing about cybersecurity; how close we become as teammates as we go through such high pressure situations together. People who are lone wolves, or not process oriented, don’t do well in cybersecurity because the field is so vast no one person can be an expert in every aspect of it. In fact, I don’t want to be responsible for every single little thing, because then I’ll become a single point of failure who can bring down the entire organization. It’s nice to know someone has my back as much as I have their’s, and cybersecurity is an industry where you can truly experience that feeling.

Cybersecurity is a team sport, and as a leader, your job is to cultivate a collaborative environment. Encourage your team to share knowledge and ideas, creating a safe space for expressing concerns and opinions. Recognize and leverage the unique strengths of each member to drive innovative solutions and a strong security posture. A leader who values teamwork not only strengthens their defense strategies but also builds a resilient and motivated team. By promoting collaboration, you ensure a unified approach to tackling cybersecurity challenges.

Teaming is important in cybersecurity. That’s one of the big reasons why there are always a lot of threat-sharing and cybersecurity-sharing platforms in this field. A well-communicated team is a secure team. By letting everyone know about the latest threats, you ensure that everyone is prepared for battle.

Leadership is always about leading by example. It is crucial to lead a team that trusts you. How can you expect others to do the right things, such as continuous learning, mitigating insider threats, conducting threat research, and staying up-to-date with cyber threats, if you don’t even read about it yourself? Connect with your team and demonstrate that you are taking steps to improve, and they will follow you.

Regularly connect with your team. Share real-life examples of breaches and their impacts. Implement accountability measures. This can be through regular audits and peer reviews. Use security metrics and dashboards to track compliance. compliance and highlight areas for improvement. Share these metrics openly with the team. This proves transparency. Enroll in advanced courses and attend industry conferences. Create opportunities for knowledge sharing within the team. Make learning a part of the team culture. Empower your team to make decisions.

I’ve always encouraged my students to enhance their educational base through school, certifications, or self-study. I was a hypocrite because I didn’t continue with my own certifications, because I didn’t see the need. However the cybersecurity certifications of today can open many doors for people who attain them, as well as increase their knowledge in some very important areas. If someone already has the experience, they should prove it to themselves, and others, by buckling down and studying to pass a certification test. I recently received the Blockchain Security Professional and CISSP certifications, then added the CISSP-ISSMP, and will take the ISSAP exam soon, with the ISSEP to follow.

To be a cybersecurity leader, it’s important to understand the critical concepts of responsibility and accountability. Responsibility involves taking action, but accountability is the act of answering for them. For example, senior management, including the board of directors, are responsible for setting the policies that become the security standards which the security personnel are responsible for implementing. If there is a security incident, however, senior management will be held accountable by stakeholders for the failure of the people under their leadership to protect the organization. As a security manager, your team is responsible for the tasks you assign them, but you’ll be held accountable by senior management for their actions.