ITPro Today: Do You Have What It Takes to Be a CISO? Take the Personality Quiz

Nabil Hannan, NetSPI Field CISO was interviewed by ITPro Today regarding the key traits of effective CISOs. Read the preview below or view the article online.

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Cybersecurity professionals often have highly demanding roles in an organization. They are required to possess the necessary technical skills for managing the security infrastructure across the entire organization, while also maintaining a proactive mindset for continually evolving the security strategy. Unfortunately, due to the large responsibility they bear, they can become easy targets for blame when security incidents occur. Nevertheless, despite the stress, cybersecurity jobs remain attractive to candidates.

The position of the chief information security officer (CISO) stands out as one of the most influential and well-paying roles within an organization, attracting a diversity of talent. While strong technical skills are key, CISOs must also exhibit resilience, unwavering focus, and a strong commitment to transparency.

Interestingly, candidates with nontraditional backgrounds offer unique benefits to the cybersecurity field, specifically CISO roles. “I’ve found that individuals that have faced adversity in their life tend to make better CISOs,” noted Amit Anand, senior analyst at the Everest Group. “The challenges they have had to face tend to make them more adaptable and better at communication and collaboration.

ITPro Today spoke with CISOs and CEOs from a variety of organizations to determine traits that either nurture or hinder a CISO’s success. 

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“Most CISO job descriptions focus on applicants with technical acumen but often fail to include the soft skills needed (i.e., communication, critical thinking, and leadership). For example, an essential component of the CISO role is understanding how an organization makes money and brings value to its customers. Often, threat actors will approach attacks based on where the money is. As a result, CISOs require soft skills to better make the connection between how cybersecurity fits into an organization’s broader financial picture.” – Nabil Hannan, Field CISO at NetSPI

You can read the full article at https://www.itprotoday.com/compliance-and-risk-management/do-you-have-what-it-takes-be-ciso-take-personality-quiz!