The CISO Evolution

CHAPTER 10Recruiting and Leading High Performing Teams

If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.

— Booker T. Washington

Opportunity

In Chapter 6 – Cybersecurity: A Concern of the Business, Not Just IT, we briefly discuss addressing the cybersecurity skills gap in the context of the COSO principle of “Attract, Develop, and Retain Capable Individuals.” Cybersecurity professionals have specialized skills that are in short supply. Think about the following (in your best internal Liam Neeson voice) when dealing with an adversary that is holding your organization's technology environment for ransom:

I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you're looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have bitcoin…but what I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my server go now, that will be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you…but if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you…and I will do whatever I can to work with the authorities to squash you.

I've always dreamed of doing that; however, let's get back to reality. The skills gap has driven a vigorous competition for talent, which forces organizations to tailor how they approach their cybersecurity staffing. They must ensure they have the right people in the right roles at the right time. Recruiting and developing cybersecurity professionals is an investment ...