Cybersecurity Response Policy and Practice
This course equips students with the tools and strategies needed to build, deliver, and implement a cybersecurity strategy, secure executive buy-in, and develop a cyber playbook for responding to real-world security incidents.
Course Overview
This course examines the real-world challenges that CISOs and executive leaders face in establishing cyber-resilient organizations. You’ll begin by learning the foundational elements of a cybersecurity strategy—covering risk models, control frameworks, incident response approaches, and navigating complex threats that often have no clear solution.
The course also emphasizes the role of executive leadership and corporate governance in aligning security goals with broader organizational resilience. As you progress, you’ll build a response playbook designed for real-world application and explore executive-level coordination during high-pressure cybersecurity events.
An immersive simulation places you in the shoes of leaders like CEO, CFO, and COO during a cyber crisis, helping you understand the urgency and decision-making required in such scenarios. By the end, you’ll walk away with a tangible playbook and a strategic lens for managing cybersecurity at the leadership level.
Why Choose the Cybersecurity: Policy and Practice Course at Northeastern?
Executive-Level Focus:
Understand the decision-making challenges faced by CISOs, CEOs, CFOs, and board members during major cybersecurity threats.
Foundational Strategy Building:
Learn the core components of an effective cybersecurity strategy—from risk modeling to control frameworks and response plans.
Crisis Response Playbook:
Develop a practical, ready-to-use crisis response playbook to guide your organization through real-world incidents.
Immersive Leadership Simulation:
Experience a high-stakes executive simulation that demonstrates the coordination and urgency required during cyber crises.
Real-World Relevance:
Gain insights into how top organizations prepare for and recover from cybersecurity incidents using proven frameworks and executive alignment.
Meet the Course Creator
Robert Duncan
Robert Duncan serves as the Group Chief Information Security Officer for Ardagh Group, a global supplier of sustainable, infinitely recyclable, metal and glass packaging for brand owners around the world. Ardagh operates 65 metal and glass production facilities in 16 countries, employing 20,000 people with sales of approximately $10bn, producing over 35 billion containers a year. He is also very active on the European speaking circuit, attending and speaking at events such as the Financial Times Cyber Security Summit, the e-Crimes congress, EU focused conferences in Brussels and various others.…