Understand the Hidden Frictions That Shape Your English in IT Security Work
- Klara Orsos
- Jul 26
- 4 min read
I’ve been working with IT Security professionals for a year now through CyberNeuroLanguage (CNL), and one observation has become impossible to ignore: many of us share surprisingly similar communication friction points.
Different backgrounds, different security-related roles, different levels of English — yet the same recurring patterns show up when the pressure rises.
Across incident response, escalations, stakeholder communication, and cross‑team collaboration, I’ve seen how clarity in security work is shaped less by general English level and more by hidden usage patterns that appear only in high‑stakes situations.
These patterns are what I call communication friction — and they matter far more than most people realize.
What “communication friction” means in IT Security
Communication friction is the set of hidden patterns that make your English harder to use in high‑pressure security work — from incidents to proper reporting to stakeholder calls. These frictions reduce clarity, slow down your message, and increase the chance of misunderstandings.
If your communication ever felt sluggish or just difficult to follow — especially in situations where clarity mattered a lot, read on because...
recognising the source of that difficulty is the first step toward reducing cognitive load and communicating with more ease and clarity..
The Four Friction Categories in IT Security Communication
Over the past year, I’ve recognized four friction categories consistently emerging in my neurolanguage coaching work with security professionals. These categories are distinct, sometimes overlapping, and directly tied to real‑world security communication.
1. Situational Communication Friction
Situational friction reflects how your English performs in real‑time, high‑stakes, high‑pressure security work.
It shows up in:
incidents
escalations
ticketing
stakeholder calls
cross‑team collaboration
This friction type measures how clearly and reliably you communicate when the situation itself changes — when you’re switching contexts, responding live, or summarizing evolving findings.
2. Mechanical Friction
Mechanical friction covers the micro‑skills that affect clarity:
grammar
sentence structure
word order
pronunciation
These patterns show up in everyday English as well — but they have greater impact when you need to be precise and structured in your security‑work communication.
3. Cognitive Friction
Cognitive friction appears when your brain cannot keep up with the communication demands of the situation.
It includes:
processing speed
freezing
vocabulary recall
structuring thoughts
switching registers (technical ↔ executive)
This friction becomes visible under pressure, multitasking, or when you need to explain something clearly while still thinking through the technical details.
4. Emotional Friction
Emotional friction is where clarity is influenced by your threat‑response system (the amygdala) — the part of the brain that reacts to pressure, evaluation, and perceived risk.
It includes:
fear of mistakes
frustration
avoidance
confidence issues
imposter syndrome
These emotional patterns can block access to your knowledge — especially in high‑stakes interactions where clarity matters most.
A Diagnostic Tool for IT Security Communication: The Security Comms Clarity Scorecard
To help you understand what’s already working well for you — and what could potentially block your communication clarity — I created a diagnostic tool: the Security Comms Clarity Scorecard.
It’s designed specifically with questions around clarity in security work, covering the friction types outlined above.
Why this name? A word-by-word breakdown
"Security Comms"
Because the tool focuses on communication patterns that are highly likely to appear in security‑work contexts — not in casual English, not in textbook English, and not in generic business English.
"Clarity"
In IT Security, clarity isn’t a “nice to have” — it’s a necessity. AI can help us write, sure… but when it’s time to talk, we’re on our own.
As a fellow IT Security professional, I know well that developing your communication skills rarely feels urgent to you. There’s always another certificate to chase, another CTF to win, or a new tool to master — or your attention is pulled entirely into the world of AI.
I get it.
But the lack of clarity shows up immediately when you need to:
present your work or findings
summarize an incident or project milestone
answer a question in a cohesive, preferably non‑rambling way
All of that requires structured, confident communication.
"Scorecard"
A scorecard is a tool that maps performance across defined categories — and that’s exactly what this one does.
It doesn’t “test” your English. Instead, it evaluates your communication across four friction types and shows how each one influences your clarity under pressure.
You receive an overall result and a detailed friction profile highlighting what’s already strong and what may benefit from more attention or support.
Why this matters for IT Security communication?
Most IT security professionals believe they’re good communicators. If that’s genuinely true for you, great.
But if you’re not entirely sure and would rather take a closer look to see what could be blocking your clarity in your security work, the Security Comms Clarity Scorecard gives you a structured, pattern‑based way to do that.
Understanding your friction patterns is the foundation for becoming clearer and more confident, especially in demanding or high‑pressure situations.
It's Your Turn Now
If you’ve reached this part of the article, you’re probably curious about your communication clarity.
Now take a short break and try the scorecard. It’s free and takes about five minutes.
Once you’ve answered all the questions, your results page pops up and shows:
your overall evaluation
your dominant friction type(s)
your strongest clarity patterns
detailed insights for each friction category
Essentially, you’ll receive a clear snapshot of the communication profile that shapes your clarity, confidence, and professional impact in your security work.
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