Human-First Cyber Leadership – Leading with Empathy in High-Stress Environments
Enroll any time. Learn at your own pace.
Human-First Cyber Leadership: Leading with Empathy in High-Stress Environments is a 10-hour micro-credential for experienced cyber leaders in government, defense contracting, and other regulated environments who are responsible for both people and technology. You will learn practical ways to lead with empathy, psychological safety, and emotional intelligence amid classified missions, 24/7 operations, incident response pressure, audits, and demanding government customers, so your teams stay healthy and resilient while still meeting performance, compliance, and mission requirements.
Human-First Cyber Leadership – Leading with Empathy in High-Stress Environments
Audience
This micro-credential is designed for CISM-level cybersecurity leaders such as ISSMs, cybersecurity managers and program managers, directors of information security, GRC and cyber risk managers, SOC and cyber operations managers, senior security consultants, and deputy CISOs working across federal and defense portfolios.
What This Course Covers
Module 1
The Human Reality of Cyber Defense
Explore the human side of cyber work in defense and GovCon environments, from 24/7 operations and incident response to compliance pressure and mission risk. Reflect on how your leadership style affects morale, performance, and psychological safety for your team.
Module 2
Empathy and Emotional Intelligence for Cyber Leaders
Build core skills in empathy and emotional intelligence tailored to cyber leadership. Learn practical techniques for listening, perspective-taking, and giving feedback that de-escalate tension and support accountability in high-pressure, technical environments.
Module 3
Leading Through Incidents, Audits, and Crises
Learn how to lead in the moments that matter most—major incidents, outages, audits, and deadline-driven events. Practice communication and decision-making approaches that maintain clarity, composure, and empathy while managing fatigue and running blameless, learning-focused reviews.
Module 4
Building Resilient, Inclusive Cyber Teams
Focus on building teams that are resilient over time and inclusive of diverse backgrounds and work styles. Design norms, rituals, and support structures that promote psychological safety, belonging, and sustainable performance in demanding mission environments.
Module 5
Sustaining Yourself as a Human-First Leader
Turn inward to focus on your own sustainability as a leader. Identify stress patterns, set mission-aligned boundaries, cultivate peer support, and build a personal development plan so you can lead with empathy over the long term without burning out.
Skills and Learning Outcomes
By the end of this micro-credential, participants will be able to:
01
Recognize and respond to the key human stressors facing cyber teams in defense contracting environments, including overload, burnout, and disengagement.
02
Apply empathy and emotional intelligence in everyday interactions and high-pressure situations to de-escalate tension while maintaining clear expectations and accountability.
03
Lead incidents, audits, and crises with communication, rotations, and review practices that protect both mission outcomes and team well-being.
04
Establish team norms, inclusion practices, and coaching approaches that build resilient, psychologically safe, and high-performing cyber teams.
05
Implement personal strategies—reflection, boundaries, peer support, and growth plans—to sustain effectiveness as a human-first cyber leader over time.
Optional Live Sessions
There is an optional two-hour live session with JHU Cybersecurity Subject Matter Experts. See the schedule HERE.
Built for Working Professionals
On-Demand Learning
Complete this micro-credential entirely on your own schedule. An optional 2-hour live session with Johns Hopkins Subject Matter Experts is offered at the end of the month you enroll. See the schedule here.
Scenario-Based Exercises
Videos, activities, templates, reflections, low-stakes assessments, case studies, and facilitated discussion in the live section grounded in government, defense, and contracting environments.
Recognized Credential
Earn a certificate of completion upon completing this micro-credential from the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering. Use this micro-credential for 10 CPEs for certification maintenance.
Subject Matter Experts
A micro-credential designed and taught by Johns Hopkins subject matter experts with real-world experience in government and defense contracting.
Why Choose Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering combines deep cybersecurity, systems engineering, and government mission expertise with a practical focus on communication and leadership, giving you tools that align with how federal programs and contractors actually operate. This micro-credential offers a targeted pathway for mid-career cyber leaders to become trusted translators between technical teams and contracts, legal, and program leadership, helping defense contractors manage cyber risk more effectively while protecting mission outcomes and national security.
Pricing and Continuing Education
Program Cost
$338
If you register by July 30
Continuing Education
Eligible for up to 10 CPEs
Includes 10 contact hours of learning
Partnership Discounts
Members of our partnership organizations always receive membership discounts of 10-20%! These discounts do not apply in addition to the early bird rate.
Log in to the membership portal of your association to get your JHU discount codes to use at checkout!
- Information Systems Security Association (ISSA)
- ISC2 Northern Virginia Chapter
- DC Cyber Professionals and the Cover6 Community
Group Enrollment For Your Team
Looking to upskill your team? We offer group enrollment options and discounts to make it simple and cost-effective for organizations of any size. Get in touch, and we will help you get started!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Yes. Many learners receive employer support for professional development. Payment options depend on the course type and how the organization plans to pay.
For Executive and Professional Education courses, learners should register as usual and select “Other Method” during checkout if their employer cannot pay by credit card. An EPE team member will follow up within three business days to coordinate payment, such as ACH transfer, employer voucher, or another approved payment arrangement.
For Great Learning courses, learners should contact the EPE team at engineeringexeced@jhu.edu or speak directly with the Great Learning admissions team. The teams will coordinate payment and enrollment.
Organizations interested in enrolling multiple employees or requesting custom education or workforce training solutions should contact the EPE team directly to discuss enrollment options, program needs, and payment arrangements.
Tuition remission is currently available only to eligible full-time Johns Hopkins faculty and staff and applies to a limited number of EPE courses. If a course qualifies, eligible learners who register using their Johns Hopkins email address will automatically have tuition remission applied as their payment method.
Tuition remission does not currently apply to asynchronous (self-paced) online courses or programs taken through our partners such as Great Learning or AIAA. The Johns Hopkins Provost’s Office is reviewing tuition remission policies, including the possibility of extending benefits to asynchronous courses, but no timeline is currently available.
Johns Hopkins alumni receive a 15% discount, which is automatically applied during checkout when they indicate they are alumni.
Eligible Johns Hopkins faculty, staff, students, and Applied Physics Laboratory employees receive a 20% discount on qualifying EPE courses when they register with a Johns Hopkins email address.
Eligible Johns Hopkins faculty and staff receive a 15% discount on Great Learning courses. To receive the discount, learners should identify themselves during the enrollment process and register using a Johns Hopkins email address. Eligibility will be verified before enrollment is finalized.
Select programs may also offer discount codes through partner organizations or special promotions. When available, discount codes can be entered during checkout.
Meet the Johns Hopkins Executive and Professional Education Cybersecurity Instructors
Andrea Molina, PhD, CISM, ITIL, CEH, PMP
Dr. Andrea Molina is a U.S. Coast Guard officer and senior technical program leader with 19+ years of experience delivering cybersecurity, AI-enabled systems, and enterprise platforms across federal and defense environments. She leads Command & Control and Navigation requirements for a $150M+ C5I portfolio supporting 40K+ users and also founded the Coast Guard’s Cyber Mission Capabilities Branch, delivering deployable cyber operations, threat hunting, and incident response capabilities nationwide. Dr. Molina teaches at Johns Hopkins Engineering for Professionals, where she advises doctoral students in Cyber Analytics and AI/ML. She holds a Doctor of Engineering in Cyber Analytics and specializes in aligning cyber strategy, risk, and AI to mission-critical federal operations.
Caleb Havens, OSCP, CISSP, CRTO, GCPN, eJPT, Security+
Caleb Havens is a Principal Security Consultant at NetSPI, specializing in Red Team Operations and Social Engineering. A former Marine Corps Intelligence and Reconnaissance Officer, he supported the Missile Defense Agency’s Test and Cyber Engineering Directorates and later served as a Red Team Operator for the US Army’s Threat Systems Management Office, conducting adversarial assessments of DoD systems. Caleb now leads Red Team Operations for Fortune 500 organizations across defense, finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure, bringing real-world operational tradecraft from military intelligence and corporate security to the classroom.
Jay Ferron, CEH, CISM, CISSP, C)PTE, C)ISSM CRISC, CVEi, MCITP, MCSE, MCT, MVP, NSA-IAM
Jay Ferron is a multi-certified information security subject-matter expert with over 30 years of experience in cybersecurity, compliance, systems integration, and IT transformation. He has led initiatives to design and implement secure architectures, define IT management processes, and establish meaningful operational metrics for organizations across multiple industries.
Throughout his career, Jay has been deeply involved in both the strategic and hands-on aspects of information security, advising leadership while also working directly with technical teams to improve security posture and resilience. He has authored more than 19 technical courses for Microsoft, Global Knowledge, and other training providers, helping thousands of IT professionals advance their skills in security and related technologies. In addition to his technical and teaching work, Jay founded Interactive Security Training, LLC, a firm dedicated to helping organizations secure and manage their data through consulting, implementation, and training services.
Matthew Burch, M.S., CISSP, CEH, Security+, CCIE (R&S), CCIE (SP), CCDS, AWS SAP, AWS SAA, AWS DVA, AWS MLS, AWS Security, PCEP
Matthew Burch is a cybersecurity and cloud computing leader with over 20 years of experience in highly regulated enterprise environments, including financial services and critical infrastructure. He has led large-scale technology, cloud, and AI initiatives aligned with strict governance, risk, and compliance requirements. Matthew has partnered with federal organizations and contractors through workforce development programs, including Department of Defense–aligned initiatives, helping build certification pathways in cybersecurity and cloud technologies. He currently serves as faculty in cloud and AI programs, preparing professionals to operate effectively in secure, mission-critical environments.
Henry Bromley III, MBA, PMP, CISSP-CCSP, CSEP, CEH, CHFI, SEC+
Henry Bromley brings over 30 years of engineering and cybersecurity experience supporting federal missions, spanning nuclear systems, systems engineering, and information systems security. He serves in a lead security engineering role supporting government and commercial cloud-based programs. As an adjunct graduate professor, he teaches Managerial Computer Forensics and has delivered CISSP Common Body of Knowledge instruction, helping to prepare information security professionals. He is committed to equipping students with practical, job-ready skills for securing high-consequence, mission-critical environments.
Farhat Shah, CISSP, PMP
Ms. Shah currently serves as the cybersecurity subject matter expert for the Department of War (DoW). Ms. Shah has worked in different capacities to launch and implement cybersecurity programs and initiatives within her organization. She provided critical cybersecurity support to systems across the U.S Army leading to successive mission completion.
Ms. Shah began her career as a software engineering intern. She graduated from the Army’s Intern Program, earning a Master’s in Software Engineering from Monmouth University. Ms. Shah holds a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering and a second Master’s in Technical Management from the Johns Hopkins University. Her experience entails Software development, Systems Engineering, Project Management, and Cybersecurity for information systems that she has gained over her career as an engineer with the Army.
Barry Hudson, CISSP, CGRC, SSCP, CC
Barry Hudson’s career was primarily with large contractors in the US Government sector. The last 15 years took him on an exciting journey; planning, implementing, maintaining, and managing (as ISSO/ISSM) complex cybersecurity systems for two large government facilities. These efforts include creation of policy and procedures, selecting, building and configuring technology infrastructure, production operations, and compliance monitoring prior to turnover to the Government customer.
His newly discovered energy is to share his experiences and perspective, and to grow the Cybersecurity family. Barry holds a CISSP, CGRC, SSCP, and CC is an ISC2 Authorized Instructor, and independent contractor and lecturer.
Sandra Fonseca-Lind, DBA, EdD, CISA, CISM, CRISC, CDPSE
Dr. Sandra Fonseca is an accomplished information technology professional with more than 40 years of experience in the IT industry, including 15 years serving as a Systems Security Manager, Project Manager, and Data Architect at a federal agency in Washington, D.C. She has spent more than 30 years in higher education, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses across all instructional modalities, and has also served as Program Director for IT and Cybersecurity programs.
Dr. Fonseca holds a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) with a specialization in Management Information Systems and a Doctor of Education (EdD) with a specialization in Instructional Design. She has served as both a volunteer and board officer for several professional organizations, including ISACA, ISSA, PMI, ACFE, and ASQ. She currently serves as Associate Director of Governance for the Washington, D.C. Chapter of ISACA, Education Director for the ISSA NOVA Chapter, and a volunteer with the Washington, D.C. Chapter of PMI.
Human-First Cyber Leadership – Leading with Empathy in High-Stress Environments