What do you do if your project managers need to contribute to Cybersecurity policies and procedures?

Project managers will understand the "blocking and tackling" better than most in an organization, so getting their input on security policies is a good idea. Some things to ask them: 1. What is the usual order of operations/tasks? If your policy creates a requirement that has a certain trigger event, make sure that the trigger happens first in real life, or otherwise you'll have a requirement that never comes into force. 2. Are the requirements realistic? Project managers are masters of balancing the iron triangle (time vs. scope vs. cost). Security policies may seem reasonable when drafted but be impossible to implement. 3. Does everyone know about the policy? A perfect policy that no one knows about is pretty much worthless.

When project managers need to contribute to cybersecurity policies and procedures, it is essential that they are well-informed about best practices and relevant regulatory requirements. They should work closely with the information security team to understand the specific needs of the project and ensure that policies and procedures are aligned with the organization's security objectives. Project managers can play a crucial role in identifying and assessing security risks related to the project, ensuring that appropriate measures for data protection and cybersecurity are implemented. They can also assist in integrating cybersecurity requirements into the project lifecycle, from conception to implementation and maintenance.

What do you do if your project managers need to contribute to Cybersecurity policies and procedures? Hope they don't click 'Accept All Cookies'! If my project managers need to contribute to cybersecurity policies and procedures, I ensure they undergo specialized training to comprehend the nuances of cyber threats and best practices.

From Project Management perspectives, integrating cybersecurity considerations into project management processes and methodologies involves embedding security principles and practices throughout the project lifecycle. Here's how to do it effectively: Risk Assessment: Incorporate cybersecurity risk assessments as a standard part of project initiation. Identify potential security threats, vulnerabilities, and impacts on project objectives. Security Requirements: Define cybersecurity requirements as part of project planning. Specify security controls, standards, and guidelines that need to be followed throughout the project. Security Planning: Define roles and responsibilities for security tasks, allocate resources for security activities.

To involve project managers in cybersecurity policies, offer specialized training on relevant regulations and best practices. Encourage collaboration between project teams and cybersecurity experts. Incorporate cybersecurity checkpoints into project management frameworks. Remember, security is everyone's responsibility—it's like adding an extra lock to the project door! As the saying goes, "Cybersecurity is not a single task but a constant process," and "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link."

Collaboration can be facilitated through: Regular Meetings and Communication: Schedule regular meetings and establish communication channels where project managers and cybersecurity teams can exchange information, share updates, and discuss security-related matters. Cross-Functional Teams: Encourage the formation of cross-functional teams that include representatives from both project management and cybersecurity disciplines. Joint Planning and Decision-Making: Involve cybersecurity experts in project planning and decision-making processes from the outset. This allows them to provide valuable input on security requirements, risk assessments, and mitigation strategies, ensuring that security considerations are integrated into project.

If project managers need to help with cybersecurity rules, ask experts for advice. Collaborate with cybersecurity professionals, legal advisors, and compliance specialists to develop comprehensive policies. Use their experience to find regulatory requirements, industry standards, and best practices. Help project managers learn about cybersecurity basics and policy implications. Encourage open dialogue and feedback to make sure policies match organizational goals and address emerging threats. By involving experts, project managers can get valuable insights and help develop and implement robust cybersecurity policies and procedures.

Always work as a team, this is not an individual effort. If you are working a task that has items outside of your personal scope, find someone that can aid you through it. Imagine this, in life when you have a medical concern - do you always go to your family care? General practitioners are invaluable here by all means, but when you have a skin issue, you go to your dermatologist, if you are having anxiety concerns a mental health professional, and the list goes on. Make sure you do not cut off professionals who can better facilitate your needs, in all aspects of life.

Remember that time we brought in the team no one likes – the super techie security folks – to rewrite those procedures? My job was smoothing that over. It's about translating their jargon into actions people understand. That built trust all around, and honestly, better policies too! Security experts know the risks, your team knows the day-to-day process. When those connect, people get the 'why' behind the policies. My experience is that makes a huge difference in whether folks actually follow them, not just begrudgingly tick the compliance box. Find a way to let security folks get hands-on with a project sometime. Seeing how things work in the real world can be incredibly eye-opening for them too!

Identify in-house cybersecurity experts, such as IT security teams, network administrators, and compliance officers, who possess deep knowledge of the organization's systems and security protocols. Then reflect on the skills gaps that still exist and consider external assistance from contractors.

To get project managers involved in cybersecurity policies, review regulations that apply to their projects. Check if you are following rules like GDPR, HIPAA, or specific to your industry. Give training to project managers so they know what they need to do and how the rules work. Make rules for keeping information safe, responding to problems, and managing suppliers. Check policies often to make sure they keep up with new rules and best practices in the industry. If project managers are informed, they can help make sure their projects follow the rules and reduce risks.

Project Managers can familiarize themselves with relevant laws, standards, and frameworks that impact their organization. Identify Applicable Regulations and Standards: Start by identifying the specific laws, standards, and frameworks that are relevant to your organization's industry. Examples include GDPR, PCI DSS, HIPAA, ISO 27001, etc. Access Official Documentation: Obtain official documentation of the regulations and standards from reputable sources such as government websites, industry associations, or standard-setting organizations. Engage with Compliance Experts: Collaborate with compliance experts within your organization or seek external consultants who specialize in regulatory compliance and cybersecurity.

When making change or suggestion to legal or regulatory concerns, always work with your organization's legal staff and appropriate counsel. With that said, it is highly beneficial to have a base-level of knowledge to any potential regulation that could impact a project / entity. Look at all relevant standards, laws, concerns, and applicable frameworks to ensure you are not missing key details.

I've learned the hard way – regulations aren't there to be annoying, they're there because bad things have happened. Studying them forces you to think about those scenarios with your own projects, leading to much better policy design. A lot of the work has been done for us already with standards like those you mentioned. As project managers, we're good at using existing frameworks. Leaning on these helps make sure we haven't missed any huge blind spots! Regulations can be intimidating. My role often boils down to translating that legal-speak, asking, "What does this actually mean for how we do our work day-to-day?" It prevents those 'wait, we can't do that?' hiccups down the line.

Engage with legal experts or the internal risk and compliance team to get a clear understanding of the applicable regulations and how they impact your projects and organization.

It's may not be proper for project manager to deliver training. Do understand the audience technical level and expectations. The material of training should be prepared by technical experts, the project manager could assist review as a 3rd party. On the other hand, project manager should engage with training team of human resources, explore for integration to company's training framework.

Facilitate knowledge sharing and training sessions between project managers and cybersecurity teams. Together, along with team members, they can train on the process of developing cybersecurity policies, including identifying stakeholders, conducting risk assessments, drafting policies, and obtaining approvals. Provide training on risk management principles and methodologies to help stakeholders assess cybersecurity risks, prioritize controls, and develop policies to mitigate identified risks effectively. Policy Writing Skills. Offer guidance on writing clear, concise, and effective cybersecurity policies, using appropriate language, formatting, and structure to communicate policy requirements clearly to stakeholders.

It's Not One-and-Done. Honestly, those annual security videos everyone skips through? Mostly useless. We have to get creative! Short, frequent reminders tied to real tasks are what I push for. It's like those safety briefings before high-risk work. Don't just scare people with jargon. Remember that project we lost data on? I use that as the example, showing exactly how it could have been prevented. Suddenly, the policies become tools, not annoyances. Gamify where possible! :) I know it sounds silly, but turning awareness into a competition (even with small prizes) makes a huge difference. Folks start policing each other, and the learning is way better because it's fun, not a chore.

User training is one of the most beneficial methods of ensuring the adoption levels of a project stay high. This also works towards all other aspects of the infosec world, in that it ensures employees are adequately trained in mitigation techniques / red flags.

Assess the current cybersecurity knowledge and skills of project team members to identify specific training needs. Customize the training content based on the specific roles within the project team and their interaction with the organization's IT infrastructure and data. Decide which mediums for training are most effective for each type of learning that needs to be taught. Self-paced online may be cheaper, but do people even pay attention?

One of the risks that usually happens is that project team keeps security controls to a minimum in UAT and DEV environments during a project. It is important that a Security Assessment is carried out before moving the product or service to Production. Also additional monitoring is recommended if you have a third-party consultant or outsourced development. Irrespective of approach (waterfall, agile) the information security requirements should be considered at every step and monitored.

Security policies aren't set-it-and-forget-it. They need milestones, check-ins, the whole shebang! My team uses the same tools to track security compliance as we do for deadlines. That way, it's never an afterthought. I love dashboards for this! Seeing adoption trends visualized makes it easy to spot where more training is needed, or if a policy itself just isn't working. Hard to argue with the numbers! Feedback is Golden. :) I've learned to include regular open forums where people can give honest (even anonymous) feedback on the policies. Sometimes a tiny tweak based on what's actually happening on the ground can make all the difference in whether security works or becomes a burden.

No part of the cybersecurity field is static and as such must be continuously monitored, reviewed, and adapted to fit all needs as time progresses.

In the context of project managers contributing to Cybersecurity policies and procedures, performing regular updates is vitally important. Updating policies and procedures to remain current with laws, regulations, and industry standards will allow an organization to continue to properly secure their data.

I believe in the critical importance of regularly updating cybersecurity policies and procedures. Cybersecurity is an ever-evolving field, and policies must evolve with it. Project managers play a crucial role in advocating for regular reviews and updates of cybersecurity procedures. It's essential to stay informed about emerging threats and technological advancements that could impact our organization. By ensuring that our company's policies are up-to-date, we can effectively protect against the latest cyber threats and keep our projects secure.

Champion the cause for regular audits and updates of your cybersecurity policies. Staying ahead requires policies that adapt as swiftly as the threats evolve. Dedicate time to understand the latest in cyber threats and the technologies designed to counteract them. Knowledge is your first line of defense. Foster an environment where every team member is aware of and invested in the cybersecurity measures in place. Collective vigilance is key to resilience.

Establish clear communication channels and accountability mechanisms to ensure that project managers understand their roles and responsibilities regarding cybersecurity. Emphasize the importance of communication between project teams, cybersecurity experts, and stakeholders to effectively address security concerns throughout the project lifecycle.

Involve your employees in recurring Tabletop exercises. Have employees practice in a multitude of scenarios. They need to be ready when events occur.

Leadership Engagement. I'm currently speaking with several companies right now, and my number one consideration - question - is about leadership engagement. Inclusive of IT policies, cybersecurity is a strategic business imperative. Policies must be rock solid because they form the bedrock of what needs to be done. This is what leadership has agreed to support. This is also an iterative process that involves excellent communications between leadership, customer needs, product security, and internal capabilities to manage challenges and expectations. Look for leadership engagement. If you were to ask for a second "Here's what else to consider..." I would say a timeline for implementing and reviewing target objectives. Show me the POA&M.

Cybersecurity is not just a technical challenge but a human one. The most sophisticated policies and procedures can be undermined by simple human error. As such, creating a culture where security is everyone's business, where questions are encouraged, and where continuous learning is valued, can be as important as any policy document. Encourage storytelling and sharing of lessons learned from security incidents within and outside the organization. These stories can be powerful tools for embedding cybersecurity into the corporate culture, making it more tangible and relatable for all employees.