Skills and Competencies of a Great Cybersecurity Team

In the 21st century, building a cybersecurity team can sometimes feel daunting because cyber defense can be expensive and it would take a 145% increase in the number of cybersecurity professionals just to match the cybersecurity needs around the globe. 

In today’s climate, more and more businesses are transitioning to online platforms, but this could also mean plenty of hiccups when it comes to online security. Just recently, the World Health Organization reported a significant swell in the number of cyberattacks since the remote work transition, through email scams targeting the general public. This demonstrates that the more you go online, the more vulnerable you become to online attacks. Therefore, having a team of cybersecurity experts in your company creates an additional layer of security for your business and the clients you’re supporting.

In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, what makes a great cybersecurity team?

If you’re looking to form your own team of cybersecurity specialists, here are some essential skills to look for:

● Extensive knowledge and adaptability when it comes to emerging IT tools and trends

Technology is a rapidly evolving industry, and it’s useful to have a team that knows a lot about the latest and most advanced tools and that actively explores emerging industry trends. Not only does this ensure that your company is always on top of possible security risks, but it’s also useful in designing and monitoring the security of the company and its business systems, according to Utica  College. Additionally, it enables the team to quickly spot  the  company’s  weak points and find solutions even before a cybersecurity issue comes up.

● Technical expertise

When it comes to skills, a recent study from the Department  for  Digital,  Culture,  Media  &  Sport  (DMCS)  states that the most common technical qualification in the UK is the Certified Information Systems  Security  Professional  (CISSP)  accreditation. CISSP accreditation is vendor-neutral and renowned worldwide as the first Information Security certification to meet the rigorous requirements of ISO/IEC Standard 17024. 

● Problem-solving and Creativity

The Cybersecurity Workforce Development Toolkit developed by the  US  Department  of Homeland  Security  highlights that an effective cybersecurity team must also be agile in finding  solutions  to  complex  challenges  and  flexible  enough  to  come  up  with unique approaches depending on the type of problem that occurs. As cybersecurity issues often hit companies on their blind side, the team must be able to think on their feet and plan incident response actions rapidly, as cyberattacks could quickly escalate if left unresolved. 

● Collaboration and Teamwork

As with any other team, a core skill required in a cybersecurity team is teamwork or the ability  to effectively collaborate and work toward accomplishing shared goals. A study published by  Frontiers  in  Psychology  titled, “Cyber Teaming and Role Specialization in a Cyber  Security  Defense  Competition”  states  that  most  high-performing  cybersecurity teams have team members that know that ins and outs of their role in a specific team and  that  understand  the  specific  tasks  and  expertise  of  the rest of the team. This means that for group dynamics to work, team members must be able to anticipate one another, coordinate, and ultimately achieve effective and efficient workflows.

Teamwork ensures not only the team’s effectiveness when it comes to solving issues, but also the team’s—and in turn, the company’s—overall sustainability. Knowing the specific pain points of a team and having the dedication to work toward addressing these pain points together are the key to moving a team forward.

Build a Great Cybersecurity Team

As more and more companies look toward prioritizing cybersecurity, outsourcing has become in demand in recent years as it is more cost-effective, especially for smaller companies that do not have the resources to hire their own teams. Moreover, firms in the IT industry have started to specialize in different IT fields such as technical support for customers and even AI-capable software. This makes outsourcing even more beneficial for companies. 

The right outsourcing partner can offer data  and back office support that can help you build a great and high-performing cybersecurity team.  At the same time, they can create endless  opportunities  for  your company to realize your full potential. Look for a partner with the following:

• Comprehensive security measures to protect data, hardware, networks, virus/malware, physical protections
• Remote management and continuous security awareness
• Globally recognized security certifications: ISO9001, ISO27001
• Adherence to privacy laws: GDPR, DPA2012, HIPAA compliance

Partnership with Infinit-O

Infinit-O’s mission is to create endless opportunities for your company to realize your full potential.

We can build you a great, high-performing Cybersecurity team:

• Threat Intelligence Analyst
•  Systems/Cloud Administrator
• AWS and Azure DevOps Engineer
• IT Technical Assistant
• Information Technology Team
• IT Operation Analyst
• IT Operation Engineer
• Others

Let’s work together to build a great Cybersecurity Team.

Start small. Exceed expectations. Think infinitely. Think Infinit-O.