Cyber leaders: Key to team success and more resilient cyber defense
On January 31, President Trump met with agency leaders and cybersecurity experts at the White House, where he stated, “I will hold my cabinet secretaries and agency heads accountable, totally accountable for the cybersecurity of their organization.” He went on to add, “We must protect federal networks and data. We operate these networks on behalf of the American people, and they are very important and very sacred.”
Clearly, risks posed by vulnerabilities in IT systems or applications will be front and center with incoming Cabinet and Agency heads. However, there are also inherent but less obvious risks produced by inadequate cyber leadership, dangers that may not always be noticeable but have enormous operational ramifications. For instance, poor cyber leadership negatively affects cyber team behaviors, staff recruitment and retention, and the ability to gain the trust of incoming Agency leaders now explicitly charged by the President for accountability for their agencies’ cybersecurity. Often thought of as “soft skills,” these capabilities are actually tough skills to acquire and apply. To address operational risk, strong cyber leaders must be proficient in clearly and effectively communicating cybersecurity concepts and concerns to agency leadership, in managing cyber team satisfaction and retention, and in perceiving and modifying their leadership styles to respond to rapid changes in cyber threats and organizational requirements.
Join this ICF webinar to learn how to identify risks that can result from weak cyber leadership. Our presenters will share their experiences with cyber teams, and explore how cyber leadership skills can avert operational problems and decrease risk, while increasing cyber workforce capacity. The webinar will discuss:
- Leadership challenges and situations facing federal cybersecurity supervisors, managers, Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), and Chief Information Officers (CIOs);
- Potential implications of those challenges for successful mission accomplishment; and
- A structured training solution that results in more capable, resilient federal cybersecurity leaders.
Given President Trump’s determination that cybersecurity accountability is implicit in Cabinet and Agency heads, skilled cyber leaders are needed now more than ever. These cyber leaders must support, communicate and influence agency leadership cybersecurity decisions while effectively managing cyber teams to protect federal networks and data.
Please join us on February 15 to learn more about how to identify possible hidden risks and take steps to equip your leadership team with skills they will need to understand and respond to new requirements as well as build and manage their own cyber teams.
