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Networking + learning at the 2019 SecureWorld Atlanta show
30 May 2019Before I went out on my own and started my own information security consulting business, I learned two things:
1) I work in information security but I’m really a sales professional (everyone is in sales whether they like to believe it or not)
2) It’s not about who I know but also who knows meI found that practicing and growing these aspects of my career is as important as ever. Even if you can’t get out or don’t like getting out, you need to network. Attending security events is not only a great way to clear your mind and learn new things… it’s also a great way to develop new and existing relationships.
That’s exactly what I did at the SecureWorld security show this week. I got to meet some new folks and see some people that I’ve known here in the Atlanta information security scene for a couple of decades, including a former student of mine who took a security essentials class from me at the Southeast Cybercrime Institute over 15 years ago. He’s now a CISO for a Fortune 500 company. He must’ve remembered a thing or two that I said. I need to go back and review that content! 🙂
The signal-to-noise ratio in our field is a bit out of whack these days. Many speakers tend to rehash the same old stuff that we keep hearing. Furthermore, vendors continue their efforts rebranding and repurposing the same old security concepts that have been around for decades…and it drives me nuts. Based on the conversations I have, others feel the same way. It was refreshing to attend some sessions at the show on things like legal issues – a subject in our field that doesn’t receive the attention it deserves. We don’t want the lawyers taking over. As amusing as it is hearing certain attorneys try to speak “security”, they’re the ones with law degrees and management tends to lend them a bit more credence than they do us IT and security professionals. But that’s mostly a credibility problem that can be solved with the right mindset.
Oh, I also had a video interview at the show with SecureWorld’s media guy, Bruce. Poor Bruce. 😉
It’s good to go to shows like SecureWorld to remain connected in our increasingly disconnected world. I owe a debt of gratitude to SecureWorld (it used to be called SecureWorld Expo, now simply SecureWorld) as that’s where I cut my teeth on becoming a professional speaker on information security. I probably gave 75 presentations during that three-year roadshow from 2005 to 2007. I’ll be back one day to give a keynote or two…
Check out SecureWorld… It’s probably coming to a town near you and, if you’re like me, you’ll find that it’s totally worth it.
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I’ve written/co-written 12 books on information security including:
