The skills of the Cybersecurity Manager: training and professional development
30 May 2025The Cybersecurity Manager is a professional who combines highly specialized technical competencies – hard skills – with strong interpersonal and management abilities – soft skills. In today’s digital environment, the Cybersecurity Manager, an excellent communicator with strong leadership qualities, is an indispensable professional to coordinate departments and figures dedicated to preventing cyber attacks, with a strategic vision of corporate security.
Technical Skills: the heart of digital security
The work of a Cybersecurity Manager is built on specific expertise, such as knowledge of relevant regulations and risk management techniques, along with the ability to implement ever-evolving technologies to safeguard the company’s digital infrastructure.
Industry regulations, such as GDPR, NIS2, or ISO/IEC 27001 standards, evolve along with technologies; staying constantly updated is one of the first tasks for a Cybersecurity Manager.
Assessing risks and being able to implement cybersecurity strategies and technologies are fundamental skills: the Cybersecurity Manager must conduct vulnerability analyses, monitor security incidents, and coordinate responses to potential cyberattacks.
In a world of rapid and constant change, staying informed about emerging technologies – like AI applied to security, cloud computing, blockchain, phishing, ransomware-as-a-service, and cyberattack techniques – is a top priority for the Cybersecurity Manager.
Soft skills and leadership: managing people and crises
Alongside technical competencies, the Cybersecurity Manager must possess impactful soft skills. First of all, the ability to communicate effectively: this job profile must be able to explain complex concepts even to those with no specific knowledge, such as managers, customers and stakeholders.
They must communicate and collaborate with other departments to understand business needs and take a proactive, prevention-focused approach.
Leadership qualities are essential: beyond leading a complex team, the Cybersecurity Manager must ensure rapid responses during crises – such as cyberattacks – which can make the difference between effective containment and escalating damage.
Cross-functional collaboration is also crucial: the Cybersecurity Manager works closely with the Cybersecurity Official (CISO), the most operational professional, but also with legal, marketing, human resources, and general management, becoming a true bridge between technology and business strategy.
Educational Pathways and Professional Development
To build a career in this cutting-edge and ever-evolving field, one must undertake a structured educational path that combines IT skills, regulatory knowledge, and a managerial mindset.
Degrees in computer engineering, cybersecurity, or computer science provide a solid foundation, while professional certifications (such as CISSP, CISM, CEH, ISO 27001 Lead Implementer) are essential to validate technical competencies and stay updated on international best practices.
To bridge academic training and professional expertise, it is essential to pursue advanced training programs that offer both, integrating technical skills with the development of necessary soft skills.
Bologna Business School has long been a leader in combining technological and managerial competencies, offering several educational programs focused on the practical applications of cybersecurity in business settings.
Executive Master Artificial Intelligence for Business: a 12-month, part-time hybrid program (part online, part in-person), taught in English, designed to equip participants with robust skills to harness AI’s potential in business contexts.
Aimed at entrepreneurs, successful managers, and professionals across industries looking to integrate AI into their careers, this Master is also the ideal starting point for consultants seeking advanced knowledge demanded in all markets.
Its hybrid format, with evening online classes and two on-campus Smart Weeks, allows professionals to access high-quality education from BBS’s international Faculty while networking with industry experts, without pausing their careers.
Workshops, Leadership Talks, and Company Visits, culminating in a final Project Work, enhance this forward-thinking learning path, perfectly aligned with rapidly evolving business models and competitive environments.
Professional Master Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Management: a full-time, 12-month program in English, supported by Lab Cini, a point of reference for academic research in the field of computer science, is a training course that, thanks in part to its connection with CINECA, an inter-university consortium and home of the supercomputer Leonardo, is aimed at young graduates who want to become professionals capable of managing innovations.
With a strong industry network, fostered by the Bologna Technopole, CINECA, and AI FAIR, the first international fair on Artificial Intelligence, this Master entirely dedicated to technological innovation is a real springboard to the world of work, thanks also to the internship that can be carried out in companies or agencies both in Italy and abroad.
Open Program Cybersecurity Management: a part-time program taught in Italian, it focuses specifically on cybersecurity risk measures, aiming to train managers capable of leading risk analysis and assessment directly, while enabling technical professionals to acquire the managerial skills needed to translate their expertise into business practices.
With 14 teaching sessions, meetings with CISOs from global companies, and a partnership with Confindustria Emilia Area Centro, this program is the ideal way for cybersecurity professionals to stay competitive in an increasingly digital, and therefore more vulnerable, landscape.
