Cybersecurity Professionals Your IT Team Needs
Written by Lindsay McKay
Is an IT team different from a cybersecurity team? The answer to this question isn’t so simple. A lot depends on the size of the organization, the budget, and what type of professionals they have on the team. Many companies will combine the two teams together as one, which isn’t a bad thing as people who focus on IT hardware and operations should also be working with people who focus on security and compliance of the company’s network and data. Within cybersecurity there is even more delineation, learn more about red, blue and purple teams in cybersecurity in my other blog. Whether your company has its own IT team and Cybersecurity team, or if they are combined as one, here are three security professionals your IT team needs.
Systems Security Administrator
The first line of defense against suspected activity is a company's security administrator, either within its local network or out on the internet. Typically, a systems security administrator is focused on security, such as installing and maintaining firewalls and virus protection. Systems security administrators, in either case, are responsible for helping companies define best practices for IT security, as well as coordinating penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities.
Credentials to look for: CompTIA Security+ certification, CompTIA Pentest+ certification
Must-ask interview questions:
- What is the difference between IDS and IDP?
- If a company’s computer network is attacked, what are the biggest implications?
- Can you describe a time when you used a new technological advancement in a security policy?
Network Administrator
Network administrators build and maintain networks, they not only manage and monitor networks but also design them to enable future expansion. They understand computers, networks, servers, and how to optimize said networks, hardware, software, and anything else that is necessary for the business to operate smoothly. While systems security administrators focus on security, network administrators focus on troubleshooting and maintaining networks.
Credentials to look for: CompTIA Network+ certification, CompTIA Server+ certification
Must-ask interview questions:
- What is TCP?
- What is the difference between a workgroup and a domain?
- Why would you add local users when on a domain machine?
Information Systems Security Manager
An information systems security manager is someone who orchestrates your company’s security measures. Among other things, this involves creating IT infrastructure, implementing policies, managing IT security audits and vulnerability and threat assessments, and detecting and preventing intrusions. Additionally, information systems security managers may be tasked with developing and implementing strategies to improve the security and reliability of IT projects, including software development.
Credentials to look for: Arcitura Certified Cybersecurity Specialist, PECB ISO 31000 Risk Manager certification
Must-ask interview questions:
- What is your experience with disaster recovery and business continuity?
- How would traceroute help you find out where a breakdown in communication is?
- What is data protection in transit vs data protection at rest?
Critical Skills Every IT Team Needs
Outside of the security professionals your IT team should have, there are three key skills someone on the team should possess:
- Project Management: the number of projects, processes, and systems IT needs to maintain is never-ending. Having someone on the team who is able to prioritize, organize, and schedule is extremely beneficial.
- Data Analysis: data, data, and more data, your IT team needs to be able to organize, utilize, interpret, analyze, and be able to use that information to adopt better security measures and protocols.
- Incident Response: being skilled at incident response includes having the foresight to create backup plans, create a detailed Computer Security Response Plan, and being able to respond and adapt quickly to unforeseen hindrances.
There is so much knowledge out there to help people in technical roles and non-technical roles learn about cybersecurity best practices. All employers should look into corporate training for their employees and encourage ongoing cybersecurity training to help prevent burnout in your IT team department.
Disclaimer
The information contained in this post is considered true and accurate as of the publication date. However, the accuracy of this information may be impacted by changes in circumstances that occur after the time of publication. TechnoEdge Learning assumes no liability for any error or omissions in the information contained in this post or any other post in our blog.