All Project Managers might agree with this: working as a Project Manager is exciting as no two days are ever the same.

Just like a conductor of an orchestra leads all musicians to bring harmonic masterpieces to life, so does the cybersecurity Project Manager leading and coordinating the different stakeholders to bring a project to completion, while overseeing all aspects of it.

Within the Managed Detect and Respond (MDR) Service at NVISO, we, cybersecurity Project Managers, handle several unique projects at the same time, making sure that the onboarding of new clients and the services provided to them as well as to current ones are properly handled on time and within scope. Within our agile company, we implement cyber strategies to provide the best possible service to safeguard our clients from cyber-attacks.

In order to ensure that all deliverables are duly met on time and that risks are mitigated, we create a detailed project plan taking into consideration all the variables and the different teams of engineers and analysts from the client’s and NVISO’s side working on each project. 

Once the project scope has been clearly defined and agreed upon by all parties, we manage the project through all its phases, working closely with our colleagues. We plan the set of activities that need to be undertaken and the relative deadlines, we define priorities, requirements, and success criteria, assign specialist work and make sure that everything is being monitored and delivered as agreed. Similar to the conductor of the orchestra, we set the tempo and ensure that the different groups of instruments, the woodwinds, percussion, brass, strings, and keyboards, all work harmoniously together to deliver their best performance.

Working as a Project Manager is an art, and it requires strong skills. Most importantly a passion for cybersecurity and a client-oriented mindset. Good communication skills are key to the success of a project. Being able to clearly communicate to all different stakeholders and ensuring that the most technical parts of a cybersecurity project are fully understood by all parties is the basis of a good start and development of a project. 

Being able to properly plan and organise is another strong skill that cybersecurity Project Managers need to have. We work in a fast-paced environment, therefore having proper time management and task prioritization skills is essential, as well as ensuring that everything is prepared for the project initiation, building, and testing phases, up until the project closure and its transition to the ongoing service.

Sometimes, unforeseen events happen despite having carried out extensive preparation to mitigate risks. The ability to solve problems and manage conflicts within the team makes a huge difference in the success of a project and is a key skills that Project Managers need to have.

Cybersecurity is a dynamic and evolving sector, and we, cybersecurity Project Managers, have the privilege of being right at the centre of the action. We make projects come to life, and seeing the satisfaction of the clients for the results provided and the fulfilment of the colleagues for the great work done is what makes our job so worth it. 

NVISO provides a variety of services where a cybersecurity Project Manager plays a key role. More information on NVISO’s services can be found here.

Maria Rita Milanese

Maria Rita Milanese

Maria Rita Milanese is a Senior Cybersecurity Consultant working as Project Manager & Service Delivery Manager at NVISO in the CSIRT&SOC Department.

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