Communication

Beyond the Firewall: Part 4 – From Peer to Lead in Cybersecurity Teams Introduction Moving from a technical peer to a team lead isn’t just a title change—it’s a mindset shift. In Part 4 of the Beyond the Firewall series, we explore what it means to take on leadership in cybersecurity environments. Delegation, escalation, and cross-functional communication aren’t covered on a CompTIA exam—but they’re crucial to a team’s success. Leading from the Trenches Most new leads are promoted from within. That means yesterday’s peer becomes today’s decision-maker. ...

Beyond the Firewall: Part 3 – Collaboration, Conflict, and Control Introduction In security, the stakes are high—and so are emotions. Especially during red-team/blue-team drills, security audits, or live incident response scenarios. That’s why in Part 3 of our “Beyond the Firewall” series, we’re focusing on how students and new professionals can build the interpersonal resilience to manage disagreement, assert their role appropriately, and de-escalate tension when things go sideways. This isn’t just about being nice. It’s about maintaining operational control during the moments when every second and every message matters. ...

Beyond the Firewall: Part 2 – Teaching Technical Communication in Cybersecurity Introduction In Part 1 of our Beyond the Firewall series, we highlighted why soft skills like communication and empathy are just as vital as technical know-how. In this post, we go deeper into technical communication—what it means in cybersecurity, why it’s often overlooked, and how you can teach it directly in your IT curriculum or onboarding program. Strong technical communication helps: ...

Beyond the Firewall: Part 1 – Why Soft Skills Make or Break Cyber Careers Introduction You can teach someone how to configure a firewall. But can you teach them how to stay calm during a data breach, explain complex issues to a non-technical executive, or collaborate with a peer who disagrees with their approach? These aren’t technical skills—they’re soft skills, and in today’s cybersecurity landscape, they are often the deciding factor between a good hire and a great one. ...