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LDR516: Strategic Vulnerability and Threat Management

LDR516Cybersecurity Leadership

5 Days (Instructor-Led)
30 Hours (Self-Paced)

Course authored by:

Jonathan Risto

LDR516: Building and Leading Vulnerability Management Programs

Course authored by:

Jonathan Risto

30 CPEs
Apply your credits to renew your certifications
In-Person, Virtual or Self-Paced
Attend a live, instructor-led class at a location near you or remotely, or train on your time over 4 months
11 Hands-On Lab(s)
Apply what you learn with hands-on exercises and labs

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Overview
Syllabus
FAQs
Schedule & Pricing

Integrate strategic and tactical approaches to level up enterprise vulnerability management programs while addressing infrastructure and cloud environment challenges.

Excellent labs. More fun than I thought possible with vulnerability management.
Page JefferyNewmont

Course Overview

This course equips security leaders with the strategies, tools, and insights needed to build and mature vulnerability management (VM) programs that reduce real-world risk. With a strong emphasis on business alignment, risk-based prioritization, and modern threat modeling, you’ll develop the skills to lead VM initiatives across traditional, cloud, and hybrid environments.

Through 11 artificial intelligence (AI)-powered labs and the Cyber42 simulation game, you’ll gain the hands-on and strategic experience needed to make vulnerability management work—at scale, and with impact.

What You'll Learn

Build and evolve vulnerability management programs across traditional, cloud, IoT, and hybrid environments
Prioritize vulnerabilities using business-aligned context and threat intelligence
Develop and apply VM metrics to measure program maturity, demonstrate risk reduction, and drive stakeholder support
Design remediation strategies that include patching, compensating controls, and automated tools to minimize exposure
Communicate vulnerability risk effectively to executives, IT, and business units using tailored reporting and dashboards
Align VM with regulatory frameworks (e.g., NIS2, NIST, HIPAA, GDPR, CRA) and board-level governance for sustainable compliance

Business Takeaways

Assess organizational strengths, weaknesses, and maturity in vulnerability management programs
Prepare for and respond to critical vulnerabilities and zero-day issues
Prioritize security investments using data-driven decision-making and contextual risk models
Translate technical VM findings into business impact to improve executive understanding and buy-in
Uncover hidden obstacles by grouping and analyzing vulnerabilities
Use program metrics and reporting to improve compliance posture and guide continuous improvement
Implement proactive remediation capabilities

Meet Your Author

Jonathan Risto

Principal Instructor

With a career spanning 20+ years and has included working in-network design, IP telephony, service development, security and project management, Jonathan has a deep technical background that provides a wealth of knowledge he draws upon when teaching.

Course Syllabus

Explore the course syllabus below to view the full range of topics covered in LDR516: Strategic Vulnerability and Threat Management.

Section 1Vulnerability Management Design and Planning

This section introduces the strategic role of vulnerability management and lays the foundation for building effective, business-aligned programs. You’ll explore how asset inventory, contextual data, and cloud architecture influence risk visibility and program design.

Topics covered

Foundation of vulnerability management (VM)
Asset management and attack surface understanding
Assessment techniques
Common challenges and pitfalls
Responding to evolving threats

Labs

Defining VM Value
Communicating Critical Flaws
VM Alignment
Cyber42 Game Round 1

Section 2Vulnerability Identification

This section addresses the technical and organizational challenges of identifying vulnerabilities across infrastructure, applications, and cloud-native services. You’ll examine discovery architecture, scan methods, and third-party coordination for responsible disclosure.

Topics covered

Prioritization strategies
Remediation approaches
Measuring and tracking success
Risk management and documentation
Governance and stakeholder engagement

Labs

Scanning Techniques
Scan Validation
Pipeline Integration Demo
Cyber42 Game Round 2

Section 3Vulnerability Analysis, Metrics, and Communication

This section focuses on interpreting vulnerability data, correcting inaccuracies, and turning technical risk into actionable insights. You’ll learn to prioritize vulnerabilities, measure program maturity, and communicate risk effectively across the business.

Topics covered

Risk-based and strategic metrics
Effective reporting and communication
Automation and efficiency
Driving culture change and executive engagement
Integration with incident response

Labs

Contextual Prioritization
Board Briefing
Translate for Your Audience
Cyber42 Game Round 3

Section 4Driving Remediation and Automation

This section explores how organizations treat vulnerabilities effectively across hybrid environments. You’ll examine patching, compensating controls, automation techniques, and how to align remediation with change and configuration management.

Topics covered

Compliance and regulatory alignment
Preparedness and response
Post-incident and continuous improvement
Roles, responsibilities, and risk ownership
Evolving VM with technology

Labs

Changing Culture
Gold Image Pipeline
Remediation Effectiveness
Cyber42 Game Round 4

Section 5Collaboration and Continuous Improvement

This final section synthesizes course themes and focuses on advancing vulnerability management maturity. You'll explore stakeholder mapping, continuous improvement strategies, and program design aligned with business goals and future-readiness.

Topics covered

Proactive VM
CTEM (Continuous Threat Exposure Management)
Adoption challenges and solutions
Emerging risks and technology
Future-ready governance

Labs

VM Buy-In
Attack Path Analysis
CTEM Program Design
Cyber42 Game Final Round

Things You Need To Know

Relevant Job Roles

Operational Leader

Cybersecurity Leadership

Operate from the point of view of an adversary in order to protect you most sensitive assets.

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Security Manager

Cybersecurity Leadership

Daily focus is on the leadership of technical teams. Includes titles such as Technical Director, Manager, and Team Lead.

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Senior Security Leader

Cybersecurity Leadership

Daily focus is on the leadership of technical teams. Includes titles such as Technical Director, Manager, and Team Lead.

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Vulnerability Analysis (OPM 541)

NICE: Protection and Defense

Responsible for assessing systems and networks to identify deviations from acceptable configurations, enclave policy, or local policy. Measure effectiveness of defense-in-depth architecture against known vulnerabilities.

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Cybersecurity Researcher

European Cybersecurity Skills Framework

Research the cybersecurity domain and incorporate results in cybersecurity solutions.

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Course Schedule & Pricing

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Location & instructor
Virtual (OnDemand)
Instructed by Jonathan Risto
Date & Time
OnDemand (Anytime)Self-Paced, 4 months access
Course price
$8,260 USD*Prices exclude applicable local taxes
Registration Options
Self-Paced
Location & instructor
Las Vegas, NV, US & Virtual (live)
Instructed by Jonathan Risto
Date & Time
Fetching schedule..View event details
Course price
$8,260 USD*Prices exclude applicable local taxes
Registration Options
In-Person Virtual
Location & instructor
Virtual (live)
Instructed by Jonathan Risto
Date & Time
Fetching schedule..View event details
Course price
$8,260 USD*Prices exclude applicable local taxes
Registration Options
Virtual
Location & instructor
Washington, DC, US & Virtual (live)
Instructed by Jonathan Risto
Date & Time
Fetching schedule..View event details
Course price
$8,260 USD*Prices exclude applicable local taxes
Registration Options
In-Person Virtual
Location & instructor
Amsterdam, NL & Virtual (live)
Instructed by Kevin Garvey
Date & Time
Fetching schedule..View event details
Course price
€7,715 EUR*Prices exclude applicable local taxes
Registration Options
In-Person Virtual

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Learn Alongside Leading Cybersecurity Professionals From Around The World

Slide 1 of 3
It is excellent for people who are creating and implementing their VMP. The course is detailed, thorough, and sets clear expectations for a successful program.
Rachel Parkhurst
Slide 2 of 3
Great class full of new info for beginners and experienced VM folks. Thank you!
Jen O'Malley SAP
Slide 3 of 3
I have really enjoyed the discussions around these labs and hearing similarities from other users. I think this format for labs is fun.
Isaac Philbrook Premera

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LDR516: Strategic Vulnerability and Threat Management