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5 personal skills that are vital for success in threat management jobs

Published on: 18 Jul 2022

Jobs in threat management offer a great career choice for professionals with information technology or general cyber security skills. Roles such as security analyst and SOC analyst have a vital part to play in protecting firms from emerging risks and data breaches, so are in great demand from employers.

But what are recruiters looking for in applicants to these positions? While good technical skills and industry knowledge are essential, they can only take you so far. Success in this area also depends on a few key soft skills, so it's vital you understand what these are and know how best to highlight them on your CV and during an interview.

Here are five that should be on any professional's CV, and why they matter.

Analytical skills

The ability to look at data from multiple sources, run analytics processes and ensure you're taking the right conclusions from the outcome is a primary requirement of any security threat analysis role. This is vital in investigating new trends or unusual activity to determine what's behind it and what action is needed. 

Problem solving

A curious mindset and a passion for solving problems is another highly advantageous trait to have if you're to be successful in this area and help you determine the optimum response to any issues. Critical thinking skills and the ability to look at issues from various angles in order to determine the best solution will separate the most effective threat management personnel from the rest. 

Communication

A key part of the role of a threat manager or analyst will be to create recommendations for improvements to the business' systems and highlight to security engineers where any existing weaknesses lie.

As such, the ability to clearly communicate your findings to both non-technical colleagues and senior staff such as the chief information security officer will be crucial. This means skills in both written and verbal communication, and everything from drafting in-depth reports to giving presentations can be expected to be included in the job description.

Leadership and collaboration

Many senior threat management roles will require employees to lead teams of security analysts, as well as work closely with security engineers and other professionals such as penetration testers to identify and remedy any vulnerabilities. Therefore, skills such as delegation, time management, organisation and the ability to inspire the people around you all contribute to effective cyber security leaders.

Attention to detail

Being able to spot things that everyone else might miss is the key to being successful in threat management. This helps you identify trends and make connections between seemingly unrelated things to spot any gaps in your security or recognise elements a hacker may seek to take advantage of. At the same time, being able to do this under pressure is also vital, as you'll need to respond quickly to any new threats before they have a chance to cause damage.

Learn more about what threat management jobs involve or browse our site for the latest jobs in this area.