A Guide to Building Strong Teams in Cybersecurity

They say that teamwork makes the dream work, and that's just as true for managed service providers (MSPs). 

Expert teams with a deep understanding of the cybersecurity industry are vital contributors to your organization's business and growth, especially as the cost of data breaches continues to rise.

A strong cybersecurity team can develop innovative solutions to the rapidly changing threat landscape and guide your entire staff in implementing and maintaining these solutions. Plus, your team can help you differentiate your MSP from your competitors.

The Importance of Teamwork in Cybersecurity

Close collaboration between your cybersecurity team and the rest of your organization is critical for several reasons:

• Faster threat responses: When everyone on your staff understands their role in keeping your MSP secure, your cybersecurity team can dedicate more time to monitoring and responding to active threats.
• Increased innovation: Bringing together a team of professionals with diverse backgrounds and perspectives can spark discussions on new ways to address evolving security issues.
• More comprehensive protection: Collaboration helps improve network visibility by eliminating data silos, making it significantly easier to identify and respond to new threats within your MSP and your clients' networks.
• Improved client service: Your clients rely on your MSP to keep their systems secure, and building a team of cybersecurity experts can help you ensure your clients receive the best solutions available.

Tips for Structuring a Cybersecurity Team

Establishing a clear hierarchy between different team members based on their experience and role helps improve work coordination and boost productivity. After all, when everyone knows what their specific role is in a team, they can focus completely on their work and drive better results. 

The first thing you'll want to do in this process is define key roles and responsibilities, which can include:

• CISO: The chief information security officer (CISO) serves as the leader of your team, which involves developing policies and overseeing the team's normal operations.
• Security director: This individual ensures the team's typical processes align with the policies the CISO has established. They should have a solid background in risk management, cybersecurity policy and project management.
• Penetration tester: Your penetration tester is an ethical hacker who hacks networks to identify and address vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them.
• Security architect: The security architect, or cybersecurity engineer, is the individual who secures data from attackers and plans, implements and tests network security systems.
• Incident response leader: The incident responder is the one in charge of managing the organization's response to security incidents such as data breaches.

Depending on the size and composition of your team, you may need to combine or split these roles to ensure you cover all your bases. 

For example, a large team might need two security directors to provide enough oversight of everyone involved. And a smaller team may need to combine penetration testing and incident response to keep operations moving.

Building Better Teams Through Personal and Professional Development

Your cybersecurity team is only as skilled as its members. If you don't already have cybersecurity experts on your payroll, upskilling or retraining existing IT employees to become members of your cybersecurity team is a great place to start. Thorough training can also help you avoid having to deal with the current shortage of cybersecurity professionals.

MSP leaders should encourage cybersecurity team members to take advantage of opportunities for personal and professional development, such as:

• Attending industry events
• Completing certificate programs 
• Working through daily training exercises 

If you identify significant knowledge or skills gaps, hiring team members who can fill them is equally effective. Look for experts with diverse backgrounds in cybersecurity, IT and other related fields.

The Importance of Authentic Leadership in Cybersecurity Teams

Authentic leadership is a leadership style where leaders “bring their whole selves to work.” They don't split themselves into different personas for work and personal life — they are genuine and sincere, which enables them to build meaningful relationships with team members.

Authentic leaders are honest and transparent with their team, which develops trust, builds morale and encourages team members to do their best work. They let go of the industry jargon to speak plainly with their people, showing that they understand the importance of cutting out the fluff and getting straight to the point.

Other key traits of authentic leaders include:

• Reliability: True collaboration means teammates know they can rely on each other and their leadership to help them work through each task. Authentic leaders regularly check in with their team and lend a hand when team members need assistance.
• Conviction: A strong leader stands up for what they believe in, whether it's a social cause or suggestions for organizational improvement. This strong ethical and moral drive inspires others on the team.
• Respect: Authentic leaders are respectful of others and lead with empathy. They recognize and appreciate the differences between team members, which ensures everyone on the team can have their voice heard.

Authenticity is important for more than just your CISO — as our CEO Connor Swalm explains in an episode of Gone Phishing, openness and vulnerability are essential qualities for building strong relationships among team members. 

Cybersecurity Team Building Resources and Tools 

Adopting advanced new technologies can help you enhance productivity and make it easier to keep up with new threats as they emerge.

Some tech tools you might consider using for more efficient team management include:

• Messaging systems: Implementing instant messaging platforms or SMS messaging systems provides an easy, accessible way for team members to communicate with each other.
• Project management software: Platforms like Asana and Jira help team leaders monitor progress on specific projects and tasks, keeping their teams on schedule.
• Cybersecurity training platforms: Engaging training software programs like Phin Security can help team members build their knowledge, develop their skills and boost efficiency. 
• Intelligent automation: Automating tedious cybersecurity tasks, such as manual data entry and system backups, can improve collaboration by allowing your team members to focus on more urgent matters.

At Phin Security, we take a human-centered approach to professional development. Our platform uses historical training data from all your team members, which ensures we deliver the most appropriate content at the right times. 

We also provide real-time visibility into how your team members are performing so you can maintain a strong sense of accountability. 

Boost Your MSP Cybersecurity Team's Capabilities With Phin Security

If you're looking for a cybersecurity software training platform that can keep your team on its toes, Phin Security is the solution for you. Our engaging lessons teach MSP employees what they need to know to stay up to date with today's evolving cybersecurity threats, and realistic phishing simulations enable them to apply what they've learned.

Plus, advanced reporting and analytics capabilities enable team leaders to monitor their performance and identify key areas for improvement.

See how our cybersecurity training platform can push your team members to the next level. Request your 30-day free trial to get started!