Security training for IT managers

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

http://www.computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/story/0,10801,75940,00.html

By Peter H. Gregory CISSP, CISA 
NOVEMBER 15, 2002

In my first column, I wrote about how IT managers must think
intuitively about security in the enterprise. In the broadest sense,
there are two ways that an IT manager can acquire this needed wisdom:  
through on-the-job training and through formal and informal learning.  
Learning by doing and by making mistakes was the norm in the 1990s,
but nowadays IT managers are expected to know information security
best practices and how to apply them in their enterprise. In other
words, knee-jerk security is no longer acceptable (if it ever was);  
rather, every IT manager is expected to know what measures need to be
taken proactively to protect the organization's information assets.

But an IT manager's intuition must go beyond firewalls, intrusion
detection, VPNs and antivirus software. While these are compulsory in
nearly every environment, IT managers must also understand how
technology supports the organization and how the organization uses
information to conduct its operations. This is the realm where the IT
manager needs to understand the risks associated with IT and how to
influence organizational decision-makers in order to ensure that the
organization isn't exposed.

For IT managers fortunate enough to still have a travel budget, there
are some excellent conferences packed with learning opportunities to
meet IT managers' needs. I'll describe some of the better conferences
here.

The Computer Security Institute's NetSec conference, to be held in
June in New Orleans, offers a rich assortment of learning
opportunities. That is in addition to the CSI's outstanding conference
that was held this week.

The SANS Institute, formerly known for its practitioner-only training
and topics, offers management tracks at its larger conferences. There
is an Information Security Officer Training track at the Cyber Defense
Initiative conference in San Francisco in December. This track
includes training in security management, policy and the concept of
defense. The SANS 2003 annual conference in San Diego offers the
Information Security Officer Training track and also a Security
Leadership Essentials Bootcamp for Managers track. The San Diego
conference has 12 tracks in all, so like the CSI conferences, there
are opportunities to dip into more technical topics.

The MIS Training Institute (MISTI) holds an annual security conference
called InfoSec World Conference and Exposition. The next one will be
held in Orlando in March. Like CSI and SANS, there are plenty of
sessions for IT managers.

One of the nice things about the CSI and SANS conferences is that an
IT manager can duck into any of the hands-on sessions to learn more
about specific topics, even if others perform the hands-on work.  
Insight into the work that one's staff performs is always a good
thing.

One often-underused benefit of conferences is the opportunity to
network with other IT managers. However, based upon the numbers of
technical and management tracks at CSI and SANS, one might suppose
that one in 10 conference attendees is a manager.

Research firm Gartner Inc. hosts security conferences especially for
those at the manager level and above, so at these conferences you're
certain to meet your peers. In 2003, there are two conferences
scheduled, one in May in Chicago and one in September in London. Other
organizations holding security conferences include Giga Information
Group Inc., which has its Infosecurity conference in December in New
York, and the Information Systems Audit and Control Association &
Foundation. And the InfoSec World Conference and Expo has a CISO
Executive Summit -- perhaps a bit above the clouds for most IT
managers, but nonetheless a place where the top security leaders are
invited to gather, share and learn.

There are a host of smaller regional security conferences that might
be closer to where you live and work. One such event is the
SecureWorld Expo, to be held in Baltimore, Detroit, Atlanta, Seattle,
Minneapolis and Houston in 2003.

I will discuss security certifications for managers in my next column.  
Future columns will discuss books and other resources and some of the
fundamental truths about information security that will help the IT
manager make good technology and business decisions.



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