I do not attend many of the information security conferences because I could teach most of the sessions they present. I continue to attend the ISSA CISO Executive Forums every year because the content is strategic, new, and valuable, the speakers are of the highest quality, and I’m with peers who share the unique challenges we face as senior-level information security officers.

The opportunity to interact and network with others at this level, discussing challenges we all face honestly, candidly is invaluable.

In a recent project, there were several open source and over the counter products involved. The task at hand was to make sure that not only did the components integrate seamlessly, but securely as well. Using several of the best practices discussed in the ISSA monthly meetings and annual Symposium helped our organization develop processes and procedures to ensure a successful outcome. We created a concise policy for open source software; reviewed and revamped our acquisition process for software; and made targeted modifications to processes, tools and training. The customer was pleased with our results.

My security team regularly attends our local ISSA meetings. They gain the benefit of training and information sharing with other information security professionals. They also gain the opportunity to give something back to the security community in the form of topics they share. I know my team, as well as I, have learned from our participation in local ISSA meetings.

My association with ISSA enables me to build working relationships with professionals in my industry. We have shared common problems and found common solutions utilizing shared resources and training supplied by ISSA and at chapter meetings. This information allows me to design solutions in a more expeditious and effective way using tools and information that others have already researched.