Cybersecurity Teamwork: A Review of Current Practices and Suggested Improvements

Abstract

As cyber-attacks and their subsequent responses have become more frequent and complex over the past decade, research into the performance and effectiveness of cybersecurity teams has gained an immense amount of traction. However, investigation of teamwork in this domain is lacking due to the exclusion of known team competencies and a lack of reliance on team science. This paper serves to provide insight into the benefit that can be gained from utilizing the extant teamwork literature to improve teams’ research and applications in the domain of cyber-security.

Exploring Team Competencies in Cybersecurity

“…Simonson et al (2020) noted that the binary outcomes of common cybersecurity team training, whether success or failure, excludes necessary factors of team performance assessments. This is evident from prior team research, which suggests that measuring only task-based interactions omits the emergent states between team members (Mathieu et al, 2008;Simonson, 2020).…”

“…Although team competencies are well studied, there is a gap between available team literature and cybersecurity team literature (Simonson et al, 2020). Team competencies and their associated variables provide insights into the limitations of team training currently being employed in the domain of cybersecurity.…”

“…Victims of these 2020 attacks, including firms such as Maze, DoppelPaymer, and RagnarLocker, were demanded to pay an average of $1.5 million through ransomware attacks (Muncaster, 2021). While technologically driven solutions remain the focus of cybersecurity teams, the processes by which cybersecurity professionals work together are indispensable for preventing, responding to, and mitigating the effects of these attacks (Mauer et al, 2012;Simonson et al, 2020).…”

Shift Happens: Human Factors Considerations for Handoffs in Cyber-Security Operations Centers

“…There is a dearth of research on transitions of responsibility between cybersecurity professionals. Along with many other aspects of teamwork (Simonson et al, 2020), very little research on handoffs within a cybersecurity context has been conducted. Unlike cybersecurity, each of the domains mentioned below has received scientific evaluation regarding handoff processes.…”

Investigating Cyber Attacker Team Cognition

“…Traditional defenses focus primarily on preventing or detecting security breaches, mainly through technical solutions. Recently, the cyber defense domain has been improved by adding human factors research and engineering, which focuses on the fit between the humans doing the work and technology, further improving defender effectiveness (Gutzwiller et al, 2015;Simonson et al, 2020). However, both are defendercentered views.…”