We expect more automation, integration, and online activity in the foreseeable future, resulting in more cybersecurity risks and issues. Therefore, organizations and individuals are spending more resources on cybersecurity projects to implement, maintain, and optimize the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their digital services and data. The demand for cybersecurity projects and expertise is growing and squeezing the supply of experienced cybersecurity implementers. That is, competent cybersecurity project managers will be progressively in high demand! The result is more cybersecurity technical experts (often in the junior ranks) will be asked to lead their first cybersecurity projects potentially before they are competent to do so; now what?
Shields Up: Cybersecurity Project Management is for our technical friends who are more familiar with Intrusion Detection and Protection Systems (IDPS) than risk registers but are now asked to lead cybersecurity projects. Shields Up provides an end-to-end project management framework tuned for cybersecurity projects. More experienced cybersecurity professionals will appreciate the innovative and lean elements of this approach. The reader is guided through the hybrid project management delivery approach and shown essential project management tools that increase the probability of project success.
Cybersecurity project management in Shields Up aligns with international standards such as the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework, the ISO 27001 Information Security Management, and ISO 9000 Quality Management. A key feature of Shields Up is the reader can quickly apply the hybrid project management approach since it aligns with the global frameworks already followed by cybersecurity subject matter experts (SMEs) leading to more predictable and repeatable projects.
There are microlearning and exercises sections throughout the book to guide the reader to further learn about cybersecurity project management. Microlearning is an emerging way of continuous professional development where the learner continuously learns in small chunks in addition to attending formal training opportunities like a three-day technology course. The book concludes with Appendixes including career planning tools to help the reader continue their professional development.
Keywords
cybersecurity; hybrid project management; NIST cybersecurity framework; ITIL 4 service management; Lean Six Sigma Optimization; risk management; certified information systems security professional; CISSP; continuous improvement; digital transformation; agile; career planning; lean management