The InfoSec pros’ Holiday Wish List

PART 2

If you had one wish for the

InfoSec community this holiday season,,

what would it be?

“My wish for the InfoSec

community this holiday

season is that we could find

a way to deal with serious

vulnerabilities in a less

dramatic way… the visibility

of issues in the press

can create unnecessary

panic in the larger

community.”

“If I had one wish, it would be to rely less on

spreading fear, uncertainty and doubt, but rather build on the

many successes we have made in

the past. From the inside, it may

seem that everything is broken, but we’ve actually become really good at seriously mitigating what is an Immensely complex problem. “

-Martijn Grooten,, Editor

“My hope for the security

professional is that there's a

little something extra under

the tree to support continued

education and professional

growth in 2016. It’s critical that

security professionals maintain

a balanced skillset that

supports the business and helps

drive informed decision-

making.”

-Michael Hanley, Head of R&D

“More qualified

InfoSec professionals...

our industry needs

more ‘whitehats’ to

stay ahead of the

‘blackhats.’”

-Brian Jackson,, Sales Acct. Executive

“In 2016, my one wish

would be a recognition that

good security people come from a

variety of backgrounds and fields,

[including] economics, business,

sociology and risk management. If

we expand our idea of what it means

to be ‘in security,’ embrace new ideas

and different types of people,

we will be able to face new challenges head-on.”

“My wish for all of

us is… to draw a bigger

circle around our orbit, so that

we can bring in more people who

share our passion and calling to

be here, but with diverse

backgrounds and unconventional

experience, [TO] help grow our

strengths where we don’t

yet reach.

-Cheryl Biswas, IT Coordinator

“If I could have One Wish, it would be to

improve how cyber security is

seen as a profession. The

reason I wish for this is because

of gender equality. Despite the

increasing number of [roles]

available and rising salaries,

most women still do not

consider a career in CYBER security.”

-Jane Frankland,

Consultant

“I wish for unity and peace...

Too many organizations live

with a house divided

between privacy, security

and legal. The BEST

[programs] out there are

driven by teams, not

individual departments.”

-Hudson Harris, Chief Privacy Officer

“An easy ride on-call, if you're one of the unlucky ones…”

-Sarah Clarke, Consultant

“My wish for the

InfoSec community this

holiday season is a Babel Fish

for everyone! This would

instantaneously turn every

security professional into the

kind of communicator

that Churchill or Martin

Luther-King would

be proud of!”

-Neira Jones, Consultant

“If I had one wish, it would be that we learn to

function with the same unity as

a world-class orchestra. If you

are new to the InfoSec

community, take some time to

learn from the elders. If you

are an elder, mentor to help

the newcomers strengthen their knowledge and skills.”

-Bob Covello,

InfoSec Analyst

“I'm going to ask

for 3 wishes, all of which

Relate to kindness. Firstly,

please be kind to the 'users'. For

most, security is not their number

one priority… Please don't see

your 'users' as a problem to be

fixed, but instead recognise

them as an asset to

be nurtured.” -Jessica Barker,

Consultant

“Secondly, be kind To each other. Let's build

Each other up & gain strength

from our community. Finally,

be kind to yourself. You're working

hard, fighting fires & seeing the

same problems coming back like

boomerangs. It can take its toll,

so please give yourself a break.”

“I would wish for [us]

to carry the hope that we can,

in fact, succeed at our task of

securing information and apps.

Keep up the good fight, stay

vigilant, and hold onto the hope

that as technology advances, so

will our ability to detect and

prevent the attacks that try to

wear us down each and every day.”

-Lori MacVittie, Principal Technical

Evangelist

From All of Us at

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Images courtesy of shutterstock.com