To be effective as cybersecurity leaders, security managers need both technical knowledge and management skills to gain the respect of technical team members, understand what technical staff are actually doing, and appropriately plan and manage security projects and initiatives. This is a big and important job that requires an understanding of a wide array of security topics. The Cybersecurity Leadership Curriculum develops cyber leaders who have the practical skills to build and lead security teams, communicate with technical and business leaders alike, and develop capabilities that build your organization’s success.
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Cybersecurity requires engagement from all levels of leadership throughout an organization. The key differentiator between these various levels is the amount of technical knowledge and business knowledge that is required to succeed. Technology knowledge is invariably greater as you move down the pyramid while business knowledge increases as you move up the pyramid with increasingly more responsibility. Roles and titles will vary across organizations of different sizes and industries but the amount of technical knowledge that an engineer or analyst requires is vastly different from that which a CISO or even a VP of Security requires.
However, as a security leader or manager we are in a difficult situation. We need to have enough technical acumen to understand our team, resolve technical disagreements, and weigh in on appropriate technical direction. At the same time, we must have enough business understanding to convey technical security topics in ways that non-technical leaders can understand and translate business drivers to our teams in ways that they in turn can understand.
That is the focus of this curriculum. To give security leaders both the technical knowledge and management skills to gain the respect of technical team members, understand what technical staff are actually doing, and appropriately plan and manage security projects and initiatives.
Cybersecurity Leadership Triads
In an effort to help our students find the right path, SANS Cybersecurity Leadership Curriculum has created two triads of courses and certifications that align to help create stronger, more well-rounded cybersecurity leaders. This entire blog post is dedicated to describing these triads in detail as well as providing a series of related resources.
Cyber42 Leadership Simulation
In 2020 we added something new to the mix. We call it Cyber42. This cybersecurity leadership simulation game has been added to a number of SANS Cybersecurity Leadership courses. Additionally, starting in January 2021, we are offering monthly, free Cyber42 Game Days in our various versions, including:
- Security Capabilities
- CISO For A Day
- Vulnerability Management
- Identity and Access Management – coming in Nov 2021
Why Take Cybersecurity Leadership Training With SANS?
- Leadership Focused – appropriately plan and manage security projects and initiatives
- Technical Focused – gain the respect of technical team members and understand what technical staff are actually doing
- Holistic, Curated Curriculum – based on various job roles and focus areas
- Hands-On Labs – extensively focused on “the how” through non-traditional “lab work” such as analyzing case-studies, participating in team exercises, and competing against classmates in Cyber42 games
- World-Class Instructors – versatile, real-world security practitioners authoring & instructing
- Comprehensive Courseware – access to slides, notes, audio files, labs, and additional resources for future reference
- Certification Prep – specialized training that will help you prepare for a GIAC certification attempt
GIAC Certifications
In addition to courses, we offer six GIAC certifications, one SSA certification, and plans for more in 2021.
- GSLC: GIAC Security Leadership Certification
- GSTRT: GIAC Strategic Planning, Policy, and Leadership
- GCPM: GIAC Certified Project Manager
- GSNA: GIAC Systems Network Auditor
- GLEG: GIAC Law of Data Security & Investigations
- GCCC: GIAC Critical Controls Certification
- GISP: GIAC Information Security Professional
- SSAP: SANS Security Awareness Professional
SANS CyberTalent Assessments
Whether you are looking to hire new employees for cybersecurity positions or creating opportunities for your existing talent, SANS
CyberTalent can help ensure you find the right skills match for the job. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the cost of a bad hire is at least 30 percent of the employee’s first-year earnings – for a security analyst, that’s $27,000+. You can’t afford to get hiring wrong at a time when talent is increasingly difficult to find. SANS CyberTalent Assessments measure the aptitude and skills of cybersecurity professionals, allowing employers to create professional development and retention programs for existing employees or test and rank the skill sets of candidates to fill open positions.