Episode 78 — Cyber and Information Security Risk for PMs
The foundation of cybersecurity in projects is asset mapping—knowing what exists, where it resides, and who interacts with it. Assets include not only hardware and software but also data sets, cloud services, and third-party connections. Without this map, defenses remain blind. Project managers should maintain a living inventory of systems, interfaces, and information flows. This record allows accurate risk identification and control assignment. Asset mapping also supports impact analysis when changes occur. When the team knows which assets matter most, they can prioritize protection efficiently rather than scatter attention across every device or file indiscriminately.
Understanding the threat landscape gives meaning to these assets. Projects face a broad spectrum of threats—from phishing and credential theft to ransomware, data leaks, and insider misuse. Attackers exploit weak points in process as much as in technology. Social engineering preys on trust, while misconfigurations open unseen backdoors. By reviewing recent incidents in similar industries, project managers gain insight into patterns relevant to their environment. Threat awareness turns abstract caution into practical defense. It ensures that resources focus on the most likely and damaging vectors rather than every hypothetical possibility.
Basic hygiene remains the most cost-effective protection. Regular patching, secure configuration, and system hardening prevent most opportunistic attacks. Outdated software and default passwords remain the leading entry points for cyber incidents. Establishing a simple cadence—monthly patch reviews, configuration baselines, and vulnerability scans—creates rhythm and accountability. These actions need not be technical deep dives; they are project disciplines akin to quality or schedule reviews. When teams normalize hygiene, they reduce exposure without disrupting productivity. Security begins not with expensive tools but with consistency in maintaining the basics everyone controls.
Identity management anchors access control. The principle of least privilege—granting only the access necessary for a role—limits potential damage from mistakes or misuse. Multi-factor authentication adds resilience by requiring an additional verification layer beyond passwords. Together, they transform identity from weak point to safeguard. For project managers, this means ensuring that access provisioning follows policy and that temporary accounts are revoked after use. Strong identity governance protects both systems and accountability, ensuring that every digital action can be traced to an authorized, responsible individual rather than a shared or forgotten account.
Vendors and remote connections extend the project’s digital boundary, introducing supply chain risk. External partners often require system access or data exchange, creating new exposure paths. Contracts should define cybersecurity obligations—encryption standards, notification timelines, and incident cooperation requirements. Secure gateways, virtual private networks, and access monitoring reduce third-party risk. Project managers must treat vendor access with the same scrutiny as internal credentials. Supply chain resilience begins with vigilance: verifying that partners maintain comparable safeguards and that remote links close promptly when no longer needed. Trust in partnership must be earned through control, not assumption.
Data classification organizes protection by value. Not all information deserves equal control, but all deserves intentional handling. Classification labels—such as public, internal, confidential, and restricted—define who can see and store data, how it must be transmitted, and when it should be deleted. Handling rules follow these labels: encrypt confidential files, avoid emailing restricted data, and sanitize devices before disposal. Classification prevents overexposure and supports privacy compliance. For project managers, ensuring that classification and handling procedures are part of onboarding and documentation turns security from guesswork into governed routine.
Secure development and change control protect systems as they evolve. Many projects include configuration, coding, or integration work that can introduce vulnerabilities. Adopting secure development practices—code review, dependency scanning, and segregation of development and production environments—minimizes risk. Change control adds oversight: no update should move into production without testing and authorization. These measures balance agility with assurance. Security in development is not about slowing innovation; it is about ensuring that progress does not create hidden liabilities waiting to emerge after deployment.
Backup, recovery, and resilience checks form the safety net when prevention fails. Regular, tested backups protect data from loss due to ransomware or hardware failure. Recovery procedures should define who initiates restoration, where clean copies reside, and how long recovery takes. Periodic drills validate readiness. True resilience extends beyond data—it includes maintaining operations under degraded conditions. For project managers, resilience planning ensures continuity even when technology falters. It converts disruption from catastrophe into inconvenience, proving that security maturity is measured by how fast teams recover, not just how well they resist attack.
Incident response planning defines how to act when something goes wrong. Every project should align with the organization’s broader incident response structure, identifying local roles and communication paths. Who detects, who decides, and who reports must be known in advance. Early containment—isolating affected systems, collecting logs, and notifying leadership—prevents escalation. Project managers bridge the technical and managerial worlds during response, ensuring that information flows accurately and decisions are documented. Practiced response transforms panic into process, preserving confidence even under pressure.
Security testing must fit naturally into the delivery cadence. Penetration tests, vulnerability scans, or configuration audits should align with major milestones rather than appear as last-minute hurdles. Embedding testing into normal rhythm turns assurance into part of development, not disruption. When testing is routine, findings become learning opportunities instead of emergencies. Regular validation proves that security controls work in practice, closing the feedback loop between design and defense. Continuous verification strengthens both product quality and team confidence, reinforcing that security success is sustained, not assumed.
Communicating cyber risks effectively requires clarity without jargon. Technical terms can alienate non-specialists, while oversimplification can downplay urgency. Project managers act as translators—explaining exposure, likelihood, and consequence in practical language tied to business impact. A phrase like “potential downtime of two days” resonates more than “denial-of-service vulnerability.” Clear communication fosters shared responsibility, ensuring that everyone, from developers to executives, grasps the real meaning of cyber risk. When understanding spreads, vigilance follows naturally, and decisions become informed rather than reactive.
Security is strongest when it is ordinary. Building cyber and information protection into daily project work—planning, procurement, testing, and reporting—makes it routine rather than exceptional. When controls exist by design, not by demand, risk reduction becomes effortless. Cybersecurity is not a checklist; it is a culture of care for data and trust. For project managers, integrating security into normal operations ensures that protection scales with progress. In the end, security built into everyday work becomes invisible but invaluable—the quiet assurance that innovation remains safe, sustainable, and credible.
