For us in the Security industry, the question is not the state of the Markets, but the state of our industry. Have we been in a sprint, or are we part of a marathon race?
Recently, I boarded an airplane to San Francisco for the RSA Conference. Uniquely, I was wearing three different hats: one as a company CEO, one as a speaker, and one as a recruiter. I would use the three separate perspectives to analyze the state of the industry from different angles and with a little luck, one of us would return with the right answer. In this article, I will share with you, our 6,500 newsletter recipients, the observations of my intimate group.
Lee J. Kushner, CEO:
One of the privileges of being a CEO is that you get to speak with other CEOs about how they are affected. I was extremely encouraged by the number of meetings that I had scheduled while I was attending the conference. During the meetings, the common theme was where to find more people and where to seek help. Although there was still a considerable need for technical information security people, the overwhelming request was for sales and business development professionals. The CEOs that we spoke with were all concerned about increasing market share within the industry, and mobilizing more ways to generate revenue for the company. Generally, companies invest in sales and marketing only when the market exists for their product. CEOs donšt fish in barren lakes. All the indications were there that these leaders saw a growing pie and were fixated on making sure they got their piece.
Lee J. Kushner, Speaker:
Typically, I am billed as an expert on "Hiring and Retaining Information Security Professionals." My address focused on how hiring managers can become more effective in attracting and hiring the right Security professionals and what it takes to keep them happy. Expecting a smaller audience due to the recessionary outlook, I was shocked to see more than double the attendees in the room. The feedback and questions indicated that the audience was made up of hiring managers and executives, not candidates seeking employment. Many spoke with me privately about their company having open requisitions and current job openings and staffing shortages within their companies. While discussions ranged about the excess of IT personnel, it was clear that Security Professionals were still at a premium.
Lee J. Kushner, Executive Recruiter:
As usual, we reserved our regular-sized booth at the conference and packed our promotional give-aways to distribute amongst the many conference attendees that would be coming by to visit us and discuss their careers. In this "slow" economy, we expected a drove of visits from unemployed and soon to be unemployed professionals as well as those seeking change to further their careers. Instead, we were surprised to find an even balance of visits from companies seeking to fill vacancies.
Other tidbits that I gleaned at the conference included the following:
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One CEO was quoted as citing a current shortage of 50,000 Security Professionals. |
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The General Accounting Office reported the results of a recent audit indicating that over 150 Government Computer Systems were reported hacked recently. |
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President Bush surprised many of us by permitting the enactment of HIPPA regulations. |
A recent Computer World article cited analysts comments suggesting that Information Security budget would not be affected by cuts in IT spending.
The one theme that was common to all three of my roles was that the long-term outlook for the industry was bright. A plethora of new products and companies would continue to evolve to satisfy the insatiable security needs of Corporate America. Insurance companies, banks, healthcare providers, and Fortune 500; as well as small to medium-size companies, startups, professional practices, and even the individual consumer would continually look to increase their reliance on the computer, thereby increasing their need for secure computing. For all those used to sprinting, conserve your energies; wešre in a marathon.
