Company Need a Professional cyber security Team

Cyber Security Team Structure: Roles & Responsibilities

Cybersecurity professionals are responsible for protecting the IT infrastructure and digital systems against cyber threats that aim to penetrate and steal sensitive data. By bringing security professionals together, you can create a cyber security team that helps your company understand potential risks and provide solutions for security incidents. But, it is not that simple in most cases. Building a professional team needs time and effort as there are many factors to consider when organising a cybersecurity team and assigning different roles to its members.

Read this article if you want to get a good understanding of how a cybersecurity team is structured. We are going to answer the following questions and give you full insight into a well-structured security team:

  • How is a cyber security team structured?
  • What are the different layers of a cybersecurity team?
  • How can an organisation structure a professional cybersecurity team?
  • What is the role of a CISO in a data security team?
  • Should I build a cybersecurity team for my company?
  • Should a security team work in-house?
  • Do and don’ts of a cyber security team?
  • What is the cost of creating a professional cybersecurity team?
  • What is the cost of outsourcing cybersecurity services to a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP)?

Outsourcing Cybersecurity Services & Building an In-house Team 

CaseOutsourcing to an MSSPBuilding an In-house Team
Control over the teamManagedHigh control
Familiarity with business-specific activitiesHighHigh
CostsManagedHigh
SkillsWide range of skillsLimited range of skills
ScalabilityHigh scalabilityFair
ExperienceExperienced professionalsFair
Threat managementDepends on the experience and expertise of the teamDepends on the experience and expertise of the team
Fast setupFastNeeds time to build the team
Decision makingA bit biassedControlled
Response timeFastDepends on the team
Key-person riskLow riskHigh risk

Why Does Your Company Need a Professional Cybersecurity Team?

A cybersecurity team has professional experience and expertise to look at your systems and network and analyse them regarding cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities. Thousands of businesses and startups are impacted each year by data breaches and cyberattacks. Therefore, it is important to make sure that your company is protected against such cyber threats.

A professional data security team can perform several analyses on your systems and network and do a complete risk assessment in order to detect issues related to cyber threats.

Remember that even small startups and newly-founded companies may experience cyberattacks, and they are more likely to be targeted by cybercriminals.

Many companies say, “it won’t happen to me.”

But every business needs to take cybersecurity seriously as a priority.

Here are the main reasons why your company needs a cyber security team:

  • Finding vulnerabilities in your systems
  • Helping employees with cyber awareness
  • Educating employees by organising timely events
  • Developing the required cybersecurity policies and defence plans
  • Checking regulation compliance for your business
  • Protecting you and your company’s sensitive data and finances
  • Providing a peaceful and consistent environment for growth and development
  • Increasing productivity by minimising the risks of cyber threats
  • Updating your software tools and upgrading system devices at the right time
  • Ensuring there is a reliable BYOD policy that prevents the related security issues
  • Controlling sensitive data through encryption techniques and procedures

Different Roles in a Professional Cyber Security Team

Cyber security teams specialise in protecting networks, systems, and software from cyber threats and consist of different roles and responsibilities. Each role has specific responsibilities to ensure private information and sensitive data files are secure within the system. As the cybersecurity domain keeps evolving and expanding, new roles and titles are likely to emerge.

As a result, many specialists say it would be better for many companies to take advantage of outsourcing cybersecurity services, such as services provided by MSSPs.

There are many job titles, and some are more technical than others. Generally, one should have a few years of specialised education and work experience as well as hours of training to be able to join a cybersecurity team.

RoleMain Focus in the cyber security teamEssential Skills
CISODeveloping and implementing an information security program Establishing the right security governance plans Supervising different sectors in a cyber security teamPolicy development and administration Strong technical background Strong communication skills Problem-solving
Cybersecurity EngineerDesigning, maintaining, and implementing highly secure network solutionsSecure coding practices Network architecture Ethical hacking Cybersecurity concepts and methodologies Problem solving
Cybersecurity AnalystIdentifying problems and developing plans to protect information from cyber threats and unauthorised accessScripting Controls and frameworks Intrusion detection Networking Critical thinking Risk management
Cybersecurity AssociateWorking to develop and implement a part of data security strategiesSecurity policies Network security systems Communication skills Strong research skills Analytical skills
Cybersecurity ResponderResponding and mitigating security incidentsDigital forensics Programming Investigation and analysis Collaboration Problem solving
Cybersecurity Incident HandlerPerforming threat analysis and investigating security events according to the collected informationAnalysis Network monitoring Troubleshooting Collaboration Problem solving
SOC ManagerLeading and managing the SOC teamCybersecurity concepts and techniques Leadership Operational and management skills
Security DirectorEnsuring processes are aligned with the defined strategies and policiesRisk management and assessment Project management Cybersecurity policies and concepts
SecOps LeadLeading and managing the SecOps teamPolicies and concepts Risk management Communication skills
SOC ArchitectRecognising the requirements and providing practical plans and security solutionsCybersecurity concepts Network tools and devices Problem solving Time and project management
SIEM EngineerDesigning and developing solutions for the SIEM environmentNetwork security technologies Software development and scripting Problem solving
SOC EngineerParticipating in the SOC tasks; maintaining, supporting, and configuring security devices and products Network access control Scripting Collaboration Problem solving Management and reporting
Cybersecurity ConsultantKidney Inf problems and providing expert advice for security solutions  Pen testing Programing Cybersecurity policies and concepts Communication skills Problem solving

Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

A Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is a senior-level executive responsible for creating and implementing an information security program. The program can include different procedures and policies that have been designed to protect enterprise systems, digital assets, and communication networks.

Data loss prevention and fraud prevention are the key responsibilities of a Chief Information Security Officer in a company. It is all about making sure internal staff and outside actors will not misuse or steal sensitive data.

  • Remember that a CISO is expected to have a minimum bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field with at least 7 – 12 years of hands-on work experience. Typically, a master’s degree with a security focus is preferred for CISOs.

A Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) has particular responsibilities that may vary from one organisation to another. The primary duties of a CISO in a cyber security team include but are not limited to the following:

  • Developing and implementing security processes and systems to prevent businesses from cyber threats, data breaches, etc.
  • Building a cybersecurity strategy and framework
  • Regularly evaluating and managing security risks
  • Ensuring the company complies with the required regulations
  • Developing, justifying, and evaluating the cybersecurity budget in a company
  • Developing a cyber resiliency plan so that an organisation can fastly recover from potential cyberattacks
  • Managing the human resource sector in the cyber security team to hire the best talent and minimise human error

Here are some of the most essential certifications for an experienced CISO:

  • Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
  • Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSP)
  • Certified Encryption Specialist (EC-Council ECES)
  • A+ (CompTIA)
  • Cybersecurity Analyst Certification, CySA+ (CompTIA)
  • Network+ (CompTIA)
  • Network Security Professional (CompTIA)
  • Network Vulnerability Assessment Professional (CompTIA)
  • Security Analytics Professional (CompTIA)
  • Security+ (CompTIA)
  • Project+ (CompTIA)
  • PenTest+ (CompTIA)
  • IT Operations Specialist (CompTIA)
  • Secure Infrastructure Specialist (CompTIA)
  • ITIL Foundation

CISOs may face threats both inside and outside a company. They must have a broad view of cyber threats, and they deal with these challenges in the cybersecurity industry:

  • Budget constraints
  • Talent shortages
  • Changing compliance requirements
  • Alert fatigue
  • Internal leaks
  • Hybrid malware attacks

Cybersecurity Specialists: Engineers, Analysts, Associate, Incident Responders, Incident Handler, Consultant

Cybersecurity Engineer

Cybersecurity engineers design secure systems and contribute to making up the most reliable hardware matched with the related software tools. Engineers play a critical role in guaranteeing the overall security of systems and networks in a company. They combine electrical engineering practices with computer science approaches to create the best security environment in your company. 

Here are the main responsibilities and job duties of a cybersecurity engineer in cyber security teams:

  • Planning, implementing, monitoring, and upgrading security measures in a company to protect sensitive data and security systems and networks
  • Working on troubleshooting security and network problems
  • Ensuring that there are appropriate security controls and the company’s data is well-protected against cyber threats
  • Participating in the change management process
  • Testing and identifying network and system vulnerabilities
  • Reporting and communication with the relevant departments in the company

A cyber security engineer should have a wide range of professional and technical skills, including but not limited to:

  • Secure coding practices, ethical hacking, and threat-hunting methodologies
  • Proficiency in related programming languages, such as Python, C++, Java, Ruby, Node, Go, and command-line interfaces
  • IDS/IPS penetration and vulnerability testing
  • Firewall and intrusion detection/prevention protocols
  • Proficient in Windows, UNIX, and Linux operating systems
  • MySQL/MSSQL database platforms
  • Application security and encryption technologies
  • Secure network architectures
  • Ability to work and configure VPNs, DNS, VLANs, VoIP, etc.
  • Experience in dealing with cyber threats, such as phishing, social engineering, etc.

A cyber security engineer should pass several courses and provide some specific certifications, such as:

  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional – Architecture (CISSP)
  • Security 5 certification
  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
  • IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL)
  • Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
  • Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
  • CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP)
  • Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

The most notable challenges to consider for engineers are as follows:

  • Adapting to a remote workforce
  • Emerging technologies
  • Insider attacks
  • Employee training

Cybersecurity Analyst

A cybersecurity analyst protects an organisation against cyber threats and continuously develops protocols required to hinder cyberattacks. Analysts perform timely analyses and monitor systems and networks in order to thoroughly understand threats and the different techniques hackers use to penetrate systems.

A cyber security team should have experienced security analysts that are responsible for the following:

  • Investigating security breaches and causes of data breaches in a company
  • Working with the cyber security team to detect vulnerabilities
  • Performing ethical hacking for security analysis
  • Installing and configuring security software tools
  • Developing security plans and providing suggestions and best data security practices for the team 
  • Reporting to the seniors about vulnerabilities and necessary actions

Cyber security analysing is a fundamental requirement to detect threats and security holes that may cause cureless issues. So, team members who are working as cyber security analysts must have the following skills:

  • Experience in using scripting languages, such as python or Powershell
  • Network security control
  • Intrusion detection skills
  • Firewall installation and administration
  • Familiarity with macOS, Windows, Linux, and related command-line interfaces
  • Effective incident response and handling
  • Experience in using cloud platforms and implementing related tools and practices
  • Ability to understand how to comply with the required regulatory guidelines and privacy laws

A professional security analyst should have some certifications, including the following:

  • CompTIA Network+
  • CompTIA Security+
  • CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst
  • CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner
  • CompTIA Security Analytics Expert
  • EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker
  • GIAC Information Security Fundamental
  • Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
  • Certified in Risk and Information System Control (CRISC)
  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

Cybersecurity analysts have to deal with these challenges:

  • Rise of sophisticated ransomware attacks
  • Insider threats
  • 5G
  • IoT attacks
  • Email attacks

Cybersecurity Associate

Cybersecurity associates have a great work experience in different procedures and techniques that empower them to gain a deep understanding of cybersecurity in an organisation. They leave no stone unturned to keep threats away from a company and protect it against cyberattacks.

A cybersecurity associate is someone who works to develop and implement a part of data security tasks in a company under the supervision of senior managers. Security associates take the following responsibilities and help the cyber security team design and deploy the best threat detection plans:

  • Working to monitor security procedures
  • Working with various departments to ensure there is secure communication and data security in a company
  • Performing internal audits to ensure there is a satisfactory level of regulation compliance
  • Analysing security procedures to look for evidence of threats and cybercrime

Cybersecurity associates need the following skills in order to be successful in the team:

  • Communication skills
  • Analytical skills
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Strong research skills
  • Experience in security policies and processes
  • Hands-on experience in network security systems, tools, and practices (Firewalls, VPNs)

The qualifications needed to work as an information security associate include a bachelor’s degree in a related field. There are also additional certification courses that obtaining each of them can prove your professional skills as a cybersecurity associate:

  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
  • Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
  • CompTIA Security+
  • Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT)
  • Cisco Certified Network Associate – Routing and Switching (CCNA)

The top challenges security associates face during their daily workflow are connected with the following areas:

  • Phishing attacks
  • Data breaches
  • IoT security
  • Password theft

Cybersecurity Responder

Cybersecurity incident responders have critical roles in the case of emergency situations, and they can prevent huge negative impacts of a cyberattack. Incident responders are valuable assets to any cyber security team since they spare no effort when issues and cyber threats arise and target digital assets in a company.

A cyber security incident responder has different responsibilities. Some of them include the following:

  • Monitoring networks and systems in a company to detect and prevent intrusions
  • Recognising any errors or vulnerabilities in the network or systems
  • Developing and preparing an incident response plan for the company
  • Conducting tasks related to analysing malware and malicious tools
  • Checking systems and applications for suspicious activities 
  • Having a strong relationship with other sectors and working closely to ensure there is a high level of cybersecurity
  • Providing well-defined incident reports for other sectors to properly manage situations

Cyber security incident responders make an effort to respond to any error or defect at the first stages. Accordingly, they should have professional skills, such as:

  • Collaboration
  • Data analysis
  • Digital forensics
  • Malware analysis
  • User behaviour analysis

There are many professional industry certifications that will help cyber security incident responders perform their duties in a cyber security team:

  • Certified Reverse Engineering Analyst (CREA)
  • Certified Penetration Tester
  • Certified Computer Examiner (CCE)
  • Certified Computer Forensics Examiner (CCFE)
  • Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
  • Certified Computer Security Incident Handler (CERT CSIH)
  • Certified Incident Handler (E/CIH)

There are many challenges facing incident response programs that experts should deal with:

  • Volume of risks
  • Changing regulatory rules
  • Insider threats
  • Deficiencies in collected information and real-time data

Cybersecurity Incident Handler

An incident handler in a cyber security team works to handle incidents and analyse security events that may cause significant issues. They receive reports and information and provide a deep analysis that helps other team members know how they should act against potential threats.

A cybersecurity incident handler is responsible for performing the following roles to help the incident response team achieve the best results:

  • Performing advanced threat analysis and investigating security events
  • Understanding cybersecurity policies and participating in the analysis and curing cybersecurity incidents and threats
  • Performing analyses of logs from various cybersecurity controls, such as endpoints, host intrusion prevention systems, etc.

Cybersecurity incident handlers have a wealth of experience in dealing with different cyber threats:

  • Analysis
  • Configuration technologies
  • Network monitoring
  • Troubleshooting
  • Protocols and applications
  • Network-based services and client/server applications

There are some specific certifications that every cybersecurity incident handler needs to get to join the team:

  • GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)
  • Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
  • IT Information Library Foundations Certifications (ITIL)
  • Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC)

Some critical challenges that cybersecurity incident handlers may face include the following list:

  • Malware and other suspicious activities related to emails
  • Reliability of information and data coming from different sources
  • Availability of an advanced and proven threat response plan

Cybersecurity Consultant

Cybersecurity consultants identify problems, and they have experience and expertise in evaluating security issues and risks. As a result, a data security consultant must have deep knowledge and understanding of various data protection procedures to offer the best solution. 

Cybersecurity consultants try to maximise efficiency and productivity in system protection to choose and implement the best possible data security solution. Some other responsibilities of a cybersecurity consultant are as follows:

  • Conducting ongoing research on the best and most effective cybersecurity practices
  • Monitoring internet safety and data protection problems and working closely with other IT team members
  • Delivering technical reports and suggesting actionable solutions to problems
  • Identifying vulnerable systems to suggest the best solutions and fixes
  • Educating staff if needed

In addition to strong communication and leadership skills, IT security consultants must have some additional skills to be able to handle their job responsibilities:

  • Programming languages and scripting
  • Penetration testing
  • Advanced threat management skills
  • Ethical hacking
  • Operating systems such as Windows, Linux, and UNIX
  • Frameworks knowledge
  • Deep knowledge of cybersecurity regulations 

Cybersecurity consultants identify problems and evaluate cybersecurity issues to provide reliable solutions at the next steps. Typically, cybersecurity consultants have the following certifications:

  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (ISC)2
  • Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
  • Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
  • IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL)
  • Certification in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) 
  • Security 5 Certification
  • Project Management Professional (PMP)

Cybersecurity consultants deal with different challenges, and they must gain deep knowledge in the following areas to provide the most effective solutions:

  • Geo-targeted phishing attacks
  • Healthcare data security
  • Poor cloud security
  • IoT vulnerabilities
  • Mobile devices as a cybersecurity challenge

Security Managers: SOC Manager, Security Director, SecOps Lead

SOC Manager

SOC managers lead the operational activities of the team, and they report to the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). They supervise and manage operations and activities, helping the team perform the tasks right on schedule.

As the name represents, a SOC manager leads the security operations in a cyber security team and reports to the higher managers, such as the Chief Information Security Officer. Apart from overseeing the hiring process in the team for hunting the best SOC staff, SOC managers have the following responsibilities:

  • Creating processes associated with security operations
  • Assessing incident reports
  • Driving efficient and effective cyber security operations 
  • Creating the required tasks related to regulations
  • Providing administrative direction for all operational tasks and daily activities
  • Collaborating and consulting with other group managers to deliver the best results
  • Providing reports on security operations and management
  • Managing and organising a high-quality educational environment where the knowledge and expertise of group members are constantly advancing

SOC managers move data security forward, and they are responsible for developing, maintaining, and enhancing operational tasks in a cyber security team. As a consequence, they must have a satisfactory level of work experience and professional skills. Some of them include the following:

  • Minimum 5 years of security leadership with a high level of hands-on experience
  • Exceptional operational and management skills and considerable work experience in ITIL methodologies and frameworks
  • Experience in designing and implementing the required processes and developing key performance indicators and metrics
  • In-depth knowledge and expertise of modern security concepts and approaches
  • Expert-level knowledge of networking concepts, including TCP/IP, routing, and switching
  • Expert-level knowledge of cybersecurity practices, techniques, tools, and coding languages
  • Ability to work with different operating systems, such as Windows, Linux, and UNIX

SOC managers are assets to every cyber security team, and they contribute to the overall success of the team by employing their technical and hands-on skills. SOC managers have different certifications, including the following list:

  • Security 5 Certification
  • Certified Protection Professional (CPP)
  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
  • IT Information Library Foundations Certifications (ITIL)
  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional – Architecture (CISSP)
  • Cisco Certified Network Associate Security (CCNA)
  • Project Management Professional (PMP)

A SOC manager may face several challenges during daily processes, so there is a need to assign highly-professional and experienced ones in SOC manager job positions. Some of the challenges for any SOC manager include the following:

  • Too many security alerts leads to time waste and increased operational costs
  • Tracing cyber attackers that are always acting secretly
  • Staffing shortage is a considerable challenge in the cybersecurity industry
  • Limited cyber security budgets that may result in security issues in a company
  • Improper communication and connection between different parts of a cyber security team
  • Choosing and deploying the right technology considering the cyber security budget, limitations, and future goals

Security Director

Security directors focus on overall security strategy and policies to ensure the defined goals will become real. Security directors are responsible for maintaining the safety of an organisation’s assets, but they have a more critical role. Security directors make sure all employees are working without any issues.

  • Managing supervisors and security officers, including selection, support, and scheduling
  • Managing and directing the physical damage prevention requirements in an organisation
  • Reviewing and revising safety and protection policies and procedures in a company
  • Conducting inspections to identify all the necessary security needs for the future
  • Working on improving the efficiency among the staff
  • Making sure that all the security systems and processes in the place are working properly in the best conditions

There is a wide range of cyber security skills for security directors, and only skilful ones can join a cyber security team as a security director:

  • Cloud security and related applications, tools, and security tools
  • Risk management
  • Incident response
  • Risk assessment
  • Good command of the English language
  • Psychology
  • Project management
  • Programming
  • Database applications
  • Proficiency in working with different operating systems

Security directors need several certifications like other cyber security team members. Here is a list of the most common certifications for security directors that guarantee they are proficient and skilful:

  • Certified Law Enforcement Analysts (CLEA)
  • Security 5 Certifications
  • Certified Manager Certification (CM)
  • Certified Protection Professional (CPP)
  • Certified Security Supervision & Management (CSS)
  • Industrial Security Professional Certification (ISP)
  • Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
  • Certified Professional – Human Resource (IPMA-CP)

Common challenges and concerns that most cyber security directors may face today include:

  • Education and training of team members
  • The proliferation of new technologies that can cause security issues
  • Workflow optimisation that must be integrated into cyber security processes
  • Ensuring high motivation in the team
  • Guaranteeing high performance and accountability
  • Effective communication with all the team members

SecOps Lead

SecOps is formed from a combination of security and the IT operations sectors in companies, and a SecOps lead has an important role in managing, supervising, and learning the SecOps team to provide continuous protection, effective response, and improved IT processes.

The security operations lead should have extensive experience with different cyber security procedures as they should take responsibility for various tasks and operations in the cyber security team:

  • Implementing security controls to ensure enforcement of policies and procedures
  • Managing tasks to ensure procedures are in line with the required regulatory laws
  • Maintaining a high level of client satisfaction
  • Developing, managing, and implementing a technical security incident program
  • Expert knowledge of vulnerability management, access management, and threat assessment

Essential skills needed for a SecOps lead in a cyber security team include but are not limited to:

  • Risk management and threat modelling
  • Sufficient experience and knowledge of programming languages and automation tools
  • Threat hunting skills
  • Automation and process optimisation skills

The 5 most important SecOps certifications and training courses are as follows:

  • Certified SecOps Professional (CSOP)
  • Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate
  • EC-Council Certified SOC Analyst (CSA)
  • ISC Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)
  • Corexcel Security Operations Management 

SecOps leaders play a critical role in a cyber security team, and they may face several challenges. Most organisations today have operating security challenges, and the arrival of new technologies like cloud computing makes it crucial to have a working SecOps management sector in a cyber security team. This sector deals with the following challenges:

  • Skill shortages
  • Limited cyber security budgets
  • Lack of visibility
  • Shift to remote work environments
  • Lack of automation
  • Cloud SaaS environments
  • Complex ransomware attacks
  • Hybrid malware attacks
  • Alert fatigue and false positives

Security Engineer: SOC Architect, SIEM Engineer, SOC Engineer

SOC Architect

A security operations centre architect is a client-facing role who should work to recognise the requirements of a company and turn them into practical plans and security solutions. The architect is responsible for the development of SOC services and processes that are customer-centric and proven to be implemented by team members.

The duties of a cybersecurity architect may be different from one industry to another. Since it is a senior-level job position in every cyber security team, SOC architects are responsible for a considerable part of every security plan that must be deployed in the future:

  • Examining and understanding the whole IT infrastructure of a company
  • Designing and building enterprise-class security systems
  • Making an effort to align organisational security strategy and systems
  • Designing security architecture elements according to the latest technologies and practices
  • Planning and researching which security architectures meet the security requirements of a company
  • Reviewing all firewalls, VPNs, routers, and IDS scanning technologies and servers are installed properly
  • Testing security systems and devices to ensure all parts are working according to plans
  • Developing project timelines for future tasks and system upgrades
  • Promptly responding to all incidents according to predefined plans
  • Regularly communicating with upper management and senior managers to achieve the best possible results

Each cyber security team lead considers some essential skills when hiring SOC architects. Here is a list of crucial skills for SOC architects:

  • Ability to design the required strategies and procedures
  • Hands-on experience in working with network tools and devices
  • Networking
  • Malware analysis
  • Time and project management skills
  • Risk management skills

Certifications tell many things about a cybersecurity professional. These certs become more important when it comes to assigning a person to the SOC architect position:

  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional – Architecture (ISC)2
  • Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
  • Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
  • Information Systems Security Architecture Professional (ISSAP)
  • IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL)
  • Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC)
  • Certification in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)
  • Security 5 Certification

SOC architects also have some challenges. Creating and managing budgets and training staff are 2 primary challenges for SOC architects in a cyber security team. Other challenges include:

  • Supervising the team members that SOC architects are working with
  • Adopting new technologies and deploying them efficiently and promptly
  • Analysing security risks that are associated with insider threats

SIEM Engineer

SIEM engineers have technical skills for supporting and engineering different parts of SIEM. They have a deep understanding of the systems’ infrastructure in a company and support the security design and structure of SIEM.

There is a list of responsibilities for a SIEM engineer, but the most important qualifications include the following:

  • Designing, developing, maintaining, and troubleshooting the SIEM environment
  • Creating and monitoring security measures and key performance indicators
  • Ability to deploy large environments and small environments according to the defined goals in order to achieve the maximum efficiency
  • Reporting progress of related tasks to project managers and senior members in the cyber security team
  • Analysing, designing, and delivering solutions to stop cyber threats
  • Event and log management
  • Writing new rules and offering new policies

The desired experience and technical skills for SIEM engineers include:

  • Experience working with enterprise network security technologies, appliances, and tools
  • Scripting and software development proficiency
  • Experience learning incident response and digital forensic
  • Proficient in working with different operating systems
  • Networking and related tools
  • Intrusion detection

SIEM engineers in a cyber security team benefit from different certs and data security courses. Some include:

  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
  • Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
  • Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
  • Host Based Security System (HBSS)
  • Certified Cyber Security Examiner (CCSE)
  • Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC)
  • Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
  • Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)

Your company needs a reliable threat detection and response plan and SIEM can help companies with this. The SIEM technology provides an opportunity to reduce the headache of managing and analysing cyber threats. Remember that the SIEM technology is fairly new, and it may have some challenges for organisations in the case of implementation and optimisation. But, outsourcing cybersecurity processes can be a practical solution for overcoming such challenges.

SIEM may experience the following challenges that differ based on the type of your industry:

  • SIEM may be expensive for in-house cyber security teams
  • Fine tuning a SIEM can be challenging and time-consuming for in-house cyber security teams
  • Organisations require experienced cybersecurity members to deploy the concepts of SIEM

SOC Engineer

One important role of every SOC engineer is to monitor and report events to SOC analysts, so SOC engineers must have good relationships with SOC analysts. Engineers must take time to perform complete engineering research and development and respond quickly to the required maintenance, configuration, and incident management tasks.

SOC engineers have vital responsibilities in a professional cyber security team. They should take responsibility for the following processes and report to senior managers in the team:

  • Working closely with all other team members and managers
  • Determining which alerts are relevant and have a high priority to take immediate action
  • Understanding the required security policies
  • Participating in event and incident response if needed
  • Initial addressing of client issues
  • Supporting, troubleshooting, configuring, and upgrading a wide variety of security products, such as FW, NIDPS, VPN, WAF, and UTM
  • Working on troubleshooting common network problems through proven practices

If you are working with a certified cyber security team, there are proficient SOC engineers in the team who benefit from the following skills:

  • Experience with network access control
  • Network storage technologies
  • Proven management and reporting skills
  • Scripting skills in Python
  • Familiarity with RTL design and development
  • Proficiency in working with different operating systems

SOC engineers should take some courses and obtain professional certifications. Here are the most important certifications for SOC engineers:

  • Juniper Networks Certified Internet Specialist JNCIS
  • Cisco Certified Network Associate Security (CCNA)
  • Certified Cyber Security Examiner (CCSE)
  • Certificate in Network Security Expert (C-NSE)

SOC engineers may experience some challenges in the cyber security team:

  • Poor transparency in the team
  • Spending too much time on manual tasks
  • Shortage of experienced workforce
  • Compliance challenges
  • Limited cyber security budgets

Detailed Information About Cybersecurity Roles and Responsibilities

In order to safeguard all sensitive information and files in a company, a team of professional cybersecurity activists must contribute and play their role. The cyber security team consists of several roles, including senior-level managers and leaders and the workforce who works to perform operational tasks in the team.

At the upper level, senior members are responsible for developing directive instruction and decisions. They also spend time supervising other sectors in a cyber security team and managing all the processes.

You can read more about other roles and responsibilities in the team in the following sections.

Executive Leadership

Executive leadership is the ability and authority of those members who can manage and direct employees according to a defined strategy. Executive leaders have the power and determination to skillfully adapt to situations and identify the best possible actions that produce the best results.

Executive leadership, also called the C-suite or senior executives is the ability of those individuals at the top of an organisation that guide a team toward a specific strategy. There may be a set of goals that the team must work to achieve in a defined period of time.

Steering Committee 

Steering committees are one of the most important IT management practices, and they are considered as an advisory body in the IT department of organisations. A steering committee has a key role in managing projects, and they can contribute to planning how a project must be managed.

Remember that a steering committee is a group of people, mostly consisting of managers. There is a need to make big decisions in projects that are the responsibility of a steering committee to make decisions and resolve related issues fast. 

Auditor

The auditor position in the cyber security team is a must-have requirement since auditors work closely with companies and organisations to provide proven audits and cybersecurity reports. The last report explains the issues and concerns about current systems to check if they are running efficiently and properly.

Auditors provide the final report to give complete recommendations on how you can make your cybersecurity structure better and restore it to a better condition. Auditing may be needed in different parts of a data security strategy, such as standards, processes, and tasks. As a consequence, auditors must scrutinise all these to understand which problems exist in hardware and software systems and could cause future challenges.

Data Owner

A data owner is an individual or organisation that is responsible for taking care of data and protected files. A data owner is also accountable for the proper classification and use of the data through reliable methodologies. Data ownership represents power and control over data. Regulations greatly focus on providing a better situation in terms of data ownership, storage, processing, and use.

Note that the data owner role in an organisation is assigned to a senior-level manager since there is a need for such authority and power to fulfil the responsibilities associated with data ownership.

Data Custodian

A data custodian is a job role in companies that involve the storage and transportation of data. Put simply, a data custodian focuses on the ways of data storage and the reasons why that specific type of data must be stored.

A data custodian in a cyber security team ensures that:

  • Access to the data is authorised and controlled
  • Technical processes are proven and working properly
  • Enforced controls guarantee the protection of data
  • Change management plans are in practice
  • All related policies and roles are implemented
  • The data quality is sustained during technical processing

Network Administrator

Network administrators play a key role in any IT department since they are accountable for keeping a network updated and working. Network administrators analyse hardware, software, and computing infrastructures to prove every part of the network runs properly without any defects.

Typical tasks network administrators do in an IT department include:

  • Setting up new networks and configuring the current networks
  • Maintaining and upgrading existing networks for hardware and software tools
  • Troubleshooting the network in the case of software, hardware, communication equipment, etc.
  • Monitoring the network performance and making it efficient
  • Updating and configuring malware protection tools
  • Training new staff in a company

Security Administrator

A security administrator is a chief person in cyber security teams, and they are responsible for installing and administering a company’s security solution. The constantly changing cyberattack environment urges companies to look for experienced security administrators and hire the best talent for this critical position.

Many individuals in the cyber security team can act as a security administrator to fulfil the following responsibilities:

  • Defending systems against unauthorised access and modification
  • Scanning and analysing the network for potential issues
  • Monitoring the organisational network for unusual activity
  • Configuring and supporting tools, such as firewalls and antivirus software tools
  • Updating software and developing disaster recovery plans

Engineer

Engineers are professionals who are involved in designing, developing, and inventing the most effective and efficient practices that help a cyber security team improve efficiency and productivity. They are responsible for making plans and preparing estimates on how a cyber security team can achieve the best results in a defined duration.

All things considered, engineers have to take the following responsibilities and duties to provide practical solutions for problems:

  • Inventing ideas and making them real through specified budgets and prepared tools
  • Preparing estimates about expenses
  • Creating accurate project requirements and limitations
  • Creating technical reports
  • Contributing to developing and improving policies

The Most Important Tips for Hiring Cybersecurity Team Members

Hiring cybersecurity talent is more challenging today than ever since this sector has a significant workforce shortage. The cybersecurity industry is a highly technical and specialised field, and companies may need to spend much time to find and hire a cyber security team that can survive them from the disastrous impacts of cyberattacks.

The list below explains the essential considerations when it comes to hiring the best cyber security team and deploying data security practices in your business.

Have Realistic Expectations

Having realistic expectations allows you to create a working and resultful plan. Unrealistic expectations not only lead to strategy failure in cybersecurity but also prevent a company from creating efficient and effective solutions.

To be realistic means, you are able to provide acceptable answers to the following questions:

  • What are my goals for cybersecurity in my company?
  • What are my options for achieving the best data security strategy?
  • What is my cybersecurity budget?
  • Can I build an in-house team or not?

Don’t Just Consider Technical Skills

The most important fact in hiring cybersecurity talent is that soft skills shouldn’t be ignored. Soft skills are as necessary as technical skills for cyber security team members. They show that an experienced cybersecurity worker can organise situations, communicate with others, and collaborate to deliver the best performance.

The list below shows essential soft skills you need to consider when hiring cybersecurity talent or hiring a team:

  • Communication
  • Creative thinking
  • Teamwork
  • Problem-solving
  • Team management
  • Critical thinking
  • Decision making
  • Stress management
  • Attention to detail
  • Adaptability
  • Work ethic

Training Programs

Training programs allow your team members to develop their skills and gain better knowledge about technical and theoretical topics in the cybersecurity industry. By offering training programs to new employees, you can attract the best talent and build up a robust cyber security team.

Offering training programs and organising regular training events will help your company:

  • Adopt new methods and technologies
  • Keep pace with the most recent cybersecurity challenges
  • Increase employee satisfaction and improve morale
  • Respond to industry changes quickly
  • Improve employee retention rates

What Are Common Challenges When Filling Cybersecurity Roles?

Experts agree that there is a significant gap in the cybersecurity industry, and companies may need to make much effort to find and hire the best talent. The gap remains consistent between supply and demand these days, making it a crucial problem for those companies that want high levels of data protection and security. Building a cyber security team is not just putting people in place to tackle potential cyberattacks.

  • It needs a thorough planning and structured strategy that outlines how many cybersecurity professionals we need and which roles are needed to ensure there is an acceptable level of data security in a company.

These are the main challenges for companies in different industries that must be considered:

  • Lack of cyber skills in the industry
  • Lack of cyber security training
  • Graduated people who don’t have specific skills related to cybersecurity
  • Finding the right people

Can Arranging a Professional Cybersecurity Team Help Confront Today’s Security Challenges?

For every company, effective cybersecurity is translated to the careful building and deployment of a cyber security team. Your company needs to spend much time hiring the right people for each position, making sure they can take on the responsibilities.

No information system can be considered secure without a group of talented and knowledgeable people who understand and know what they should do to keep it safe and protected. Arranging a professional cyber security team will help you get rid of costly cyber threats and focus more on essential tasks in your company.

Responsibilities of a Professional and Experienced Cybersecurity Team

Remember that people from all kinds of backgrounds can join a cybersecurity team and help the overall strategy of the team to become real. There is a CISO in every cyber security team, and other members are engineers, analysts, planners, responders, consultants, and network specialists.

You may need to spend much of your IT budget to build such a team, as it is not just about hiring people and paying them money to do the related tasks. It is about finding the best talent, hiring them, maintaining the team, and constantly providing training events to make sure your team is working properly.

Different roles in a cyber security team mean they must perform different tasks and take on a wide range of responsibilities. Here are some of the duties of a professional cyber security team.

Preventing Data Breaches

One of the primary roles of every cyber security team is to empower a company to block the causes of data breaches. Data breaches are cybersecurity incidents that can incur significant losses to a company and cost a fortune in the case of brand reputation and business growth.

A cyber security team has proven practices to prevent data breaches. In this case, Nordic Defender helps your company by taking the following practices into account:

  • Storing sensitive data securely
  • Developing a reliable and transparent data storage policy
  • Having a remote working policy
  • Constantly performing pen testing and network analysis
  • Reviewing access controls and modifying them if needed
  • Training current and new employees
  • Developing a backup and recovery plan

Performing Timely Ethical Hacking Tasks to Find Vulnerabilities and Avoid Future Problems

Don’t worry when your cyber security team performs intentional cyberattacks on your computer systems. They are trying to find vulnerabilities and security holes that may cause problems in the future.

A skilled cyber security team consists of penetration testers whose job is to penetrate and exploit systems and networks through a simulated cyberattack. Prior to the tests, there is a need to set clear goals and define what you would like to accomplish.

A thorough ethical hacking done by your cyber security team or by a third-party team can provide you with the following benefits:

  • Exposes the vulnerabilities of your systems and network
  • Evaluates what data is available to hackers
  • Reduces the risk of data breaches
  • Improves incident response
  • Helps educate the security team on the latest techniques used by cybercriminals

Identifying What Causes Data Breaches in the Company

Your cyber security team will consistently work to identify the most common causes of data breaches in your company. So the team can manage the risks and provide solutions for the detected vulnerabilities.

The cyber security team in your company can work on the following topics and report to senior members to develop helpful plans:

  • Weak and stolen credentials
  • Application vulnerabilities
  • Malware
  • Malicious insiders
  • Social engineering
  • Too many permissions
  • Physical attacks
  • Improper configuration

In order to keep your company out of the news and keep everything protected, Nordic Defender will provide you with the most advanced data breach protection services. Contact us today and let our cybersecurity analysts give you complete recommendations about this. 

Creating a Reliable Data Backup and Recovery Plan

Our data backup and recovery plan covers a variety of proven practices to minimise data loss and protect your data from several risks.

  • Hardware failures
  • Human error
  • Cyber attacks
  • Data corruption
  • Natural disasters

Things are different today, with increased risks regarding data storage and recovery. A cybercrime can result in a complete data loss that costs your company millions, but a good data backup and recovery plan can survive your company through:

  • Determining critical resources, applications, and documents
  • Setting recovery goals
  • Providing a remote data backup solution
  • Automating the data backup plan
  • Having off-site data backups

Addressing the Security Threat and Preventing Potential Security Breaches

Hacking is as easy as ABC for skilled hackers, and it is profitable. If you don’t have a powerful response plan, there may be a damaging cyberattack in the near future. Addressing cybersecurity threats is a vital role of your team that helps your company prevent potential security issues in the future.

You can’t afford to leave your cybersecurity up to chance these days, and there is a need to address specific security threats that can target your company. A cyber security team has to work without delay to address all potential threats and develop a response plan against them.

Ensuring the Company Meets the Required Regulatory Rules

No matter your company size, there are certain laws and regulations if you want to be active in a specific market. Government authorities develop these regulations in order to protect organisations and companies against potential cyber threats, and they must consider these regulations when creating a cybersecurity strategy.

One of the primary responsibilities of your cyber security team is to develop processes and policies that are completely aligned with the required regulatory rules. It doesn’t end up here because your cyber security team must work all the time until they ensure your company complies with the regulatory law in all aspects.

Setting Up and Implementing User Access Controls and Management Systems

Access control involves the management and control of user accounts, especially those who have special access privileges. The cyber security team in your company or organisation has the responsibility to design a working access control and management plan to prevent unauthorised access to the computer systems and organisational network.

To provide the best results, the cyber security team can spend time and work on different types of access controls:

  • Mandatory access controls
  • Discretionary access controls
  • Rule-based access controls
  • Policy-based access controls
  • Physical access controls

Having an advanced Identity & Access Management (IAM) requires some practices as follows:

  • Adopting a zero-trust approach to security
  • Enforcing a robust password policy
  • Using multi-factor authentication (MFA)
  • Implementing the principle of least privilege
  • Setting a just-in-time access plan where needed
  • Creating all-inclusive access control policies

Monitoring Application and Network Performance to Identify Unusual Activities

Network administrators and analysts can detect anomalies in the organisational networks and report to managers. Identifying these activities is crucial if you want to locate the source and type of cyberattack. Monitoring applications and network performance by your cyber security team lets you act quickly and stop the security threat.

The network specialists in a cyber security team focus mostly on the following topics to find out if there are suspicious activities in the network:

  • Account abuse
  • User access
  • Database activity
  • Unexpected network behaviour
  • Unauthorised port access

There is a wide range of solutions that assist network specialists in dealing with related issues:

  • Solid password policies
  • Regular review and monitoring of traffic, errors, and network alerts
  • Malware and virus protection tools
  • Robust firewall software
  • Employee education

Performing Regular Audits to Ensure all Security Practices are Regulatory Compliant

Nordic Defender provides your company with a comprehensive review of the whole IT infrastructure. Audits ensure your company has implemented appropriate policies and procedures and all of them are working effectively. The goal of cybersecurity auditing is to identify any vulnerabilities that could result in disasters in the future.

An all-inclusive audit gives you a complete report that outlines weaknesses and vulnerabilities in your systems and network.

A cybersecurity audit can be done by your in-house cyber security team or by an outsourcing service provider to give you full insight into:

  • Data security
  • Operational security
  • Network security
  • System security
  • Physical security

Deploying Detection and Prevention Tools to Block Malicious Attacks

Threat detection and prevention is a company’s power and ability to defend against cyberattacks and defeat them. If your company has a reliable threat detection and prevention strategy, it can be successful when facing real cyberattacks.

The threat detection and prevention technology is fairly new, and only a few cybersecurity service providers offer practical solutions in this category. Nordic Defender is teamed with professional data security engineers, analysts, and managers to offer you the following threat detection and prevention solutions:

  • Endpoint threat technology
  • Network threat technology
  • User behaviour analytics (UBA)
  • Ransomware protection
  • Security information and event management systems
  • Security event detection technology

Operating Closely with IT Team to Set Up a Disaster Recovery Plan

A disaster recovery plan, also known as a disaster recovery implementation plan, is a documentation that outlines the needed processes to recover an organisation after a disaster. The purpose of a disaster recovery plan is to thoroughly explain the consistent actions that must be done before, during, and after a cyberattack or natural disaster.

The cyber security team in a company must contribute to developing and upgrading the DRP in the company together with the IT team to make sure that there is a defined procedure to encounter potential disasters if occurred.

Remember that the systems may go down due to different reasons, including the following:

  • An earthquake or fire
  • Technology failure
  • Human error
  • Intentional insider attacks
  • System incompatibilities

As a result, a disaster recovery plan is essential to achieve these goals in a company:

  • To minimise interruptions that may occur in normal operations
  • To minimise the economic impact of interruptions
  • To provide smooth restoration of services

Collaborating With HR to Make Sure Employees are Educated to Identify Suspicious Activities

The cyber security team in your organisation plays a significant role in educating employees and improving their knowledge of cyber threats and hacking techniques. Getting the right cybersecurity professionals in your company is the result of effective and constant collaboration between the HR sector and the cyber security team.

The cyber security team can help the HR department in every company in the 3 main ways as follows:

  • Recruitment
  • Retention
  • Educating and development

Hiring the best talent guarantees your cyber security team have the experience and knowledge to respond to cyber threats in hard times, and your company will survive cyberattacks without difficulty.

Investing in Application and Network Performance

Monitoring and improving application and network performance is a primary role for any cyber security team. Network specialists that work in line with cybersecurity professionals can help the team with performing application and network performance analysis and reporting to senior managers about network problems.

There are standard practices that network specialists use to monitor the network and analyse it:

  • Monitoring traffic and performance metrics regularly
  • Monitoring the network infrastructure
  • Using a network management system
  • Upgrading to new technologies
  • Maintaining the firewall configuration
  • Monitoring server performance
  • Checking the settings of routers
  • Updating software and firmware for devices

Patch Management

A patch is a specific change or an update which is applied to software or hardware tools to fix potential vulnerabilities or technical issues. The comprehensive reports provided by your cyber security team assist other IT team members in understanding critical vulnerabilities and offer in-time patches to them.

Note that any software is prone to technical issues after its release, and we need to put a patch management plan into practice to discourage cybercriminals who try to exploit these issues to penetrate systems.

The best patch management plan consists of the following practices to deliver the most effective results:

  • Taking inventory of systems
  • Creating a patch management policy
  • Determining and categorising risk levels
  • Providing a backup before any actions
  • Tracking patch availability
  • Applying patches quickly
  • Testing patches after development
  • Automating the patching process

Vulnerability Management

Vulnerability management refers to the ongoing and consistent process of identifying, evaluating, and reporting on cybersecurity vulnerabilities that may exist across systems and networks in a company. Nordic Defender provides you with a solid vulnerability management strategy that presents these benefits to your company:

  • Cost-effective vulnerability handling
  • Quick response to threats
  • Unique operational efficiency
  • Transparency and detailed reporting
  • Proven compliance requirements
  • Established trust with customers
  • Automated scanning and patching

Security flaws in your systems and applications offer an attractive opportunity for hackers to perform cyberattacks and enter the systems. It is vital to spot these flaws and manage them in the next step. Nordic Defender implements the best vulnerability management tools to maximise efficiency and save time for more important tasks. Using vulnerability management tools deliver:

  • Automated scanning
  • Assessment and prioritisation
  • Continuous monitoring
  • Insightful reports
  • Cloud-based solutions
  • Patch management
  • Ability to set notification rules
  • Risk scoring and classification

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

Endpoint detection and response, also known as endpoint threat detection and response (ETDR), refers to a comprehensive endpoint security solution that combines monitoring and collecting endpoint activity data with automated response processes.

EDR should be taken into account by the cyber security team in your company to automatically uncover stealthy attackers and manage endpoint security comprehensively.

Key features of an endpoint detection and response procedure are as follows:

  • Visualisation of detections
  • Helpful for proactive defence
  • Real-time and historical information
  • Agility in detecting and responding to anomalies

Ensuring Business Continuity Planning (BCP)

Undoubtedly, business continuity faces several risks when your cyber security team can’t perform its responsibilities at the best level. Business continuity is the ability to align all functions and processes in a company with defined strategies and plans and ensure the company has practical solutions in the case of emergency situations.

A cyber security team can help a company to improve business continuity planning with the following practices:

  • Empowering your IT team
  • Enhancing data security
  • Improving reporting
  • Providing open and constant communication
  • Implementing cutting-edge technologies, such as cloud computing, IoT, etc.
  • Developing a disaster recovery plan

How to Organise a Professional Cyber Security Team to Defeat Future Threats?

We always emphasise that the best and most effective cyber defence is prevention, and organising an equipped cyber security team is a type of prevention. Investing in cyber threat prevention should be a priority for those companies that want continuous growth and development, and building a solid cyber security team will help you with this.

By considering some tips, you can organise your cyber security team. Note that if you don’t want to deal with the challenges of an in-house team, you can contact Nordic Defender and outsource your cybersecurity:

  • Understand what your company needs in terms of cybersecurity
  • Consult with professional security consultants
  • Create realistic job descriptions
  • Define roles and responsibilities
  • Invest in education
  • Offer career development opportunities

How Can Small and Large Businesses Structure Their Cyber Security Teams?

The process is completely different for small and large companies that want to structure their cyber security teams. Some data security practices are designed specifically for small businesses and newly-founded startups. Accordingly, they don’t need to spend much to implement enterprise data security plans.

On the other side, large companies are in need of developing and implementing additional data security plans compared to small companies.

Typically, a small business security team must be able to implement these practices:

  • Data backup and recovery
  • Malware protection
  • Safe BYOD plan
  • Password management and protection
  • Phishing attack protection
  • Firewall security
  • Employee training

To build an enterprise cybersecurity strategy, your team need to consider some essential practices:

  • Defining your scope of security
  • Developing policies and updating them if needed
  • Building an enterprise security architecture
  • Securing data and systems through different methodologies, such as MFA and secure passwords
  • Limiting access privileges
  • Having a comprehensive disaster recovery plan

How Nordic Defender Helps Your Company Find Rest

The cyber attack landscape is becoming sophisticated, and cyberattacks are occurring more frequently than before. As cyber threat actors develop more advanced techniques to penetrate organisational systems and steal sensitive data from databases, companies need to take advantage of new technologies and empower their cyber security teams to hinder high-impact attacks.

  • A consolidated security architecture provides your organisation with a foolproof strategy that consists of all the required processes, plans, and actions. Nordic Defender furnishes your company with this security architecture and includes both offensive and defensive security services for your company in an inclusive solution.

Offensive Cyber Security Services

Offensive cybersecurity provided by our team is translated into one sentence: “Don’t wait and open the doors for hackers till it’s too late.”

If you want to know which security gaps exist in your systems and network, offensive security services help you find security holes before they assist hackers in exploiting your systems.

Feel free to contact us if you want to learn more about our offensive cybersecurity services, designed by our professional cybersecurity experts and conducted by our ethical hackers.

  • Vulnerability assessment
  • Penetration testing
  • Web & mobile application testing
  • Red teaming and attack simulation

Defensive Cyber Security Services

Defensive cybersecurity is a subcategory of data security that focuses on improving network performance and designing the most effective plans which help organisations prevent cyberattacks and their negative impacts.

Defensive cybersecurity means upgrading systems and updating software tools to be prepared for future threats.

If you want to implement defensive cybersecurity services in your company, the Nordic Defender team will give you complete insight into the data security requirements and system upgrades, ensuring your company will be protected by the latest technologies and updated software tools against potential cyber threats.

Defensive cybersecurity services can help you with the following:

  • Updating software tools
  • Upgrading systems and devices
  • Implementing new technologies
  • Hiring the best talent in the cyber security team

Do You Know Anything About Virtual CISO and Team Arrangement?

A virtual CISO is an outsourced position responsible for performing the role of a Chief Information Security Officer. A vCISO provides the leadership and guidance needed to develop and implement an information security program in your company.

  • Contact the Nordic Defender team if you want professional vCISO services. We are a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP), and our team members endeavour to create the best data security program for your company through managed plans at affordable prices. 

The most compelling reason for any business to hire a virtual CISO is that creating an in-house team is challenging, time-consuming, and costly in most cases. Finding and recruiting cybersecurity talent is hard, which becomes more difficult for smaller companies.

Small businesses don’t need a full-time CISO to meet security and privacy requirements in their company. They can contact an outsourcing service provider and benefit from vCISO services at affordable prices right away.

Typically, implementing vCISO services in your company provides the following advantages compared to other alternatives:

  • Improved decision-making process
  • Increased efficiency
  • More time to focus on important tasks
  • Opportunity to take advantage of the best cybersecurity talent
  • Access to professional and experienced ethical hackers and testers

Here are the essential tasks a vCISO can do for your company:

  • Running regular pen tests and vulnerability scans
  • Reviewing and updating cybersecurity policies and procedures
  • Ensuring that all defined plans have been deployed
  • Creating and implementing incident response plans
  • Making recommendations for improving the current security procedures

Final Thoughts

Structuring a cyber security team in your company can take several months since you will need to find and hire talented people in your in-house team. When it comes to building an in-house data security team, you have comprehensive control and authority over your team. But, it doesn’t make sense for small or medium businesses in many cases. Companies that want the best talent and have no time to waste in finding cyber security team members prefer using outsourcing services. If you want to structure an in-house team or use outsourcing services, you can contact our consultants. We are ready to help you with complete recommendations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a cyber security team do?

  • Cybersecurity teams protect computer networks and systems from cyber threats and malicious insiders. They do this by trying to analyse network vulnerabilities and monitoring network traffic and activities. A typical routine for cyber security teams is to write reports after analysing the systems to make it clear which vulnerabilities can cause significant issues for a company.

What skills are required for professional members of a cyber security team?

  • Problem-solving skills
  • Technical aptitude
  • Knowledge of security across various platforms
  • Attention to detail
  • A desire to learn more
  • Fundamentals of computer forensics skills

What is the education level needed to become a cyber security team member?

  • A mid-level professional needs a bachelor’s degree in cyber security. But, more experienced professionals such as security engineers may require a minimum master’s degree with a focus on cyber security.

What makes a good cyber security team?

  • A professional team needs to have a holistic understanding of the latest technologies and techniques used by hackers. They must have the motivation to contribute to providing a highly-advanced level of cyber security against potential threats.

What are the 5 top services a professional team can provide for a company?

  • Networking and system administration
  • Cloud security
  • Blockchain security
  • IoT security
  • Network security monitoring, assessment, and control

How much does a cyber security team cost a company?

  • On average small and medium-sized companies would like to spend around 10% of their annual IT budget on providing a good level of cyber security. It translates to about $30,000 for a company that has a $300,000 annual IT budget.

What are the main pillars of a professional and certified cyber security team?

  • Confidentiality
  • Integrity
  • Availability

What are the 4 primary principles of data security that every team should take into account?

  • Govern
  • Protect
  • Detect
  • Respond

What roles are crucial for structuring the best cyber security team in a company?

  • Chief Information Security Officer
  • Cyber security analyst
  • Software developer/engineer
  • Cyber security consultant
  • Vulnerability analysis/penetration tester
  • Cyber security manager/administrator
  • SOC manager
  • SIEM engineer
  • Incident responder

Is it necessary to organise an in-house cyber security team?

  • No. You can build your in-house team or think about outsourcing services offered by Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs). If you are thinking about affordable plans delivered by a highly-experienced data security team, contact us to start using our tailored cyber security services. We are a certified cyber security team, providing you with everything needed to achieve an advanced level of data security.

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