• A great reminder about relationships in information security

    22 Aug 2018

    I’ve always believed that poor communication can make or break an information security program. So many times, I witness IT and security professionals failing to get their messages across to their audience and, worst of all, talking down to the very people whom they should be lifting up. I’ve written about it many times over the years:

    https://searchenterprisedesktop.techtarget.com/tip/Ten-ways-to-sell-security-to-management

    https://searchwindowsserver.techtarget.com/tip/Working-in-IT-Simple-steps-to-get-users-on-your-side

    https://it.toolbox.com/blogs/itmanagement/the-one-skill-worth-mastering-in-it-052814

    George Bernard Shaw said something that applies nicely: “The problem with communication is the illusion that it has occurred.” Very true! So many people assume that non-technical people just know what’s being said but that’s not how it works. Well, here’s another thing I wanted to share – this time from John Maxwell. Check out this video and its message about walking with something who’s experiencing a challenge. The average people John’s referring to can apply directly to the Nick Burns-type characters working in IT and security. The reality is that people often don’t and need more (and better) information and guidance…Therein lies the opportunity for those of us working in this field. We either improve our communication or our security initiatives suffer…