Assessment Centers for Cybersecurity Leadership Selection: Exercises, Validity, and ROI

What Did This Cybersecurity Research Find?

This cybersecurity leadership assessment study evaluated the validity of assessment centers (ACs) used to select security managers and directors at 20 organizations. Cybersecurity-specific assessment centers (combining incident simulation, stakeholder briefing, and budget prioritization exercises) predicted leadership performance at r = 0.47, outperforming traditional interviews (r = 0.29) and resume review (r = 0.15) for management-level security hires.

Key Findings

• 1Assessment centers predicted security leadership performance at r = 0.47
• 2Traditional interviews predicted at r = 0.29; resume review at r = 0.15
• 3Incident simulation exercises had the highest individual validity among AC components
• 4Stakeholder briefing exercises predicted cross-functional collaboration effectiveness
• 5AC implementation cost was recovered within 18 months through reduced leadership turnover

How Does This Apply to Cybersecurity Careers?

Professionals aspiring to security leadership can prepare for assessment center exercises. Organizations can implement validated approaches to selecting security leaders rather than relying on interviews alone.

Who Should Read This?

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