Cheyanne Mallas plays a crucial role in bridging business and technical teams in cyber security projects.
She emphasizes that cyber security should be a shared responsibility with tangible outcomes like uptime, compliance, and customer trust.
Defining scope and stakeholder roles is the initial step in securing cloud infrastructure or implementing MFA across a workforce.
Mallas ensures everyone understands their role; legal teams focus on data privacy, CFOs on budget risks, and IT teams on clarity to prevent burnout.
Regular touchpoints like standups and risk briefings are held to maintain project momentum and evolution rather than following a static checklist.
Aligning technical work with business priorities is key, where a solution reducing breach probability can be seen as a business win, not just a security fix.
Mallas highlights the importance of training employees, as even new hires unaware of phishing emails can become vulnerabilities if not educated.
Demonstrating the business value of cyber security helps earn long-term executive support for future projects.
Mallas believes in showcasing results over technical jargon to persuade executives to view cyber security as an investment rather than a cost.
The ability to adapt quickly without losing momentum distinguishes strong cyber security project leaders.
Her leadership style combines discipline with empathy, providing the necessary structure and flexibility for effective cyber security project management.