Aligning Security Initiatives With Strategy
COURSE OVERVIEW
As security professionals we have seen the landscape change. Cybersecurity is now more vital and relevant to the growth of your organization than ever before. As a result, information security teams have more visibility, more budget, and more opportunity. However, with this increased responsibility comes more scrutiny.
This course gives you tools to become a security business leader who can build and execute strategic plans that resonate with other business executives, create effective information security policy, and develop management and leadership skills to better lead, inspire, and motivate your teams. The course will help you to:
Develop Strategic Plans
Strategic planning is hard for IT and security professionals because we spend so much time responding and reacting. We almost never do strategic planning until we get promoted to a senior position, and then we are not equipped with the skills we need to run with the pack. MGT514 will teach you how to develop strategic plans that resonate with other IT and business leaders.
Create Effective Information Security Policy
Policy is a manager's opportunity to express expectations for the workforce, set the boundaries of acceptable behavior, and empower people to do what they ought to be doing. It is easy to get wrong. Have you ever seen a policy and responded by saying "No way, I am not going to do that"? Most of us have. Policy must be aligned with an organization's culture. In MGT514, we break down the steps to policy development so that you have the ability to design and assess policies that can successfully guide your organization.
Develop Management and Leadership Skills
Leadership is a skill that must be learned, exercised, and developed to better ensure organizational success. Strong leadership is brought about primarily through selfless devotion to the organization and staff, tireless effort in setting the example, and having the vision to see and effectively use available resources toward the end goal.
Effective leadership entails persuading team members to accomplish their objectives, removing the obstacles preventing them from doing it, and maintaining the well-being of the team in support of the organization's mission. MGT514 will teach you to use management tools and frameworks to better lead, inspire, and motivate your teams.

HOW THE COURSE WORKS:
MGT514 uses the Cyber42 leadership simulation game to put you in situations that spur discussion, critical thinking, and melding of different points of view that you will encounter at work.
The course also uses case studies from Harvard Business School, case scenarios, team-based exercises, and discussions that put students in real-world situations. You will be able to use these same activities with your own team members at work.
The next generation of security leadership must bridge the gap between security staff and senior leadership by strategically planning how to build and run effective security programs. After taking this course you will understand the different phases of the strategic planning process, learn key planning tools, and have the fundamental skills to create strategic plans that protect your company, enable key innovations, and facilitate working effectively with your business partners.
THIS COURSE WILL PREPARE YOU TO:
- Develop security strategic plans that incorporate business and organizational drivers
- Develop and assess information security policy
- Use management and leadership techniques to motivate and inspire your team

WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE:
- Electronic Courseware and printed books containing the entire course content
- MP3 audio files of the complete course lecture
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
WHAT TO TAKE NEXT:
"The new management certification, GSTRT, demonstrates that the holder possesses the skills necessary to be a modern security leader that can create security plans and programs that resonate with other business leaders, set strategic direction, and effectively lead their teams to accomplish business goals." - Frank Kim, SANS MGT514 Course Author
"Members of the C-Suite tend to view all technologists, and especially cyber security professionals, with a bit of suspicion and trepidation as they advance into the ranks of senior management. The skills that cause someone to be promoted into the CISO position are often different than the skills that keep them there as successful executives. The problem is exacerbated by the ease of "name dropping" senior executive terms like strategic planning, budget discipline, and return on investment. A certification like the GSTRT demonstrates the successful candidate has proven knowledge in both the cyber security domain and the skills needed in cost effective governance." - Stephen Northcutt, original author MGT514, GIAC Founder, Founding President SANS.EDU
The GIAC Strategic Planning, Policy, and Leadership (GSTRT)certification validates a practitioner’s understanding of developing and maintaining cyber security programs as well as proven business analysis, strategic planning, and management tools. GSTRT certification holders have demonstrated their knowledge of building and managing cyber security programs with an eye towards meeting the needs of the business, board members, and executives.
Business and Threat Analysis
Security Programs and Security Policy
Effective Leadership and Communications