Security Profession blog
Comment and discussion about the security industry of interest to the security professional. Blogs will be submitted by (ISC)2's management team and Advisory Board members.
Friday 7 August 2009, 10:50 AM
Do we all have a role in the UK’s Cybersecurity Strategy?
Those of us with the knowledge, the professionals who have dedicated our careers to tackling cyber security issues, have a critical responsibility to help the rest of society, which has a very steep learning curve to climb. It really is time to get involved: Efforts to improve security awareness are proliferating, with many reaching out to children, small business people and communities. (ISC)2 ‘s cyber security awareness portal is a good example. The Cyber Exchange uses videos, presentations, posters and more supplied by top experts in the information security field, our members, to help spread the word on the secure Internet use. It’s time to find an initiative or start one within your own community or workplace. Or consider lending your expertise within a consultation group directly linked to one of the defined work streams: Safe, Secure and Resilient Systems, Policy; Doctrine and Regulatory Issues; Awareness and Culture Change; Skills and Education; Technical Capabilities and Research; Exploitation; International Engagement; and Governance Roles and Responsibilities. I for one am looking forward to participating in working groups examining the skills and education situation in this country.
At the very minimum, each and every professional should have read the document by now and considered how well their own organisations are managing these areas. After all this is an opportunity to highlight them with management as well. But more than this it’s an opportunity to really influence a Secure Digital Britain. What are you doing?
John Colley
Managing director for EMEA of (ISC)2
(ISC)2 is a non-profit consortium that represents more than 3,000 information security professional members in the UK and 66,000 globally.
PreviousComments on this post
You're absolutely right John! Everyone should have a role to play rather than 'sit back and wait for the government to define every detail of something that means so much to every one of us'.
The problem is that most people are just way too busy taking calls on their iPhone, writing and responding to emails, attending to blogs, searching for info, watching youtube clips and chatting to their friends on facebook - often doing everything at once!
Beyond that, it's probably more about whether or not people will actually be heard or acknowledged - i.e. 95% of all blogs are only ever read by the author!
What you need is a reason for people to tune-out of their current, mainstream interests and focus on the subject - UK Cyber Security Strategy. Otherwise the model will be delivered by a heap of officials, with official titles and everyone will have to accept what they've been given.
I've been pointing out this 'lack of unity' for ages and believe it's not going to change until it's too late. With attention spans getting smaller by the day (see what's hot on Twitter and how long it lasts) and the ME generation seeking their 15 minutes of fame, why bother getting on the bandwagon for a government model many would think they've got 'buckleys chance' of influencing?
You'd be better off making a short film of what life may be like if people don't get involved. Otherwise, the Secure Digital Britain they'll inheret will be just like the one they all live in fear of.
Good luck persuading the masses.
TFD
