“In my battle against chaos, complexity and other current conundrums, few conferences add as much condensed clarity as does this brief time together.”

As John McClurg, Vice President and Chief Security Officer of Dell succinctly stated, there is a lot of value to be gained as a Security 500 participant and nothing to lose. The Security 500 Survey is available now through July 18th for you to complete and submit.

The Security 500 Benchmark Program is your tool to enter your security-related data and receive a confidential and free benchmarking report. The survey covers 17 different sectors and allows you to compare your data against other enterprises within your sector as well as the entire Security 500 population.

The survey is also a tool to identify the key trends in enterprise security, critical issues and key trends regarding security leadership, strategy and operations. Your input adds to the collective knowledge of our profession and value to you and your peers.  

New this year is that all participating enterprises have the option to be included in the Security 500 rankings numerically or to be listed alphabetically. We have made this change to allow those concerned with numerical rankings to be included and recognized among the best security leaders in the world.

The 2014 Security 500 Survey is available at www.securitymagazine.com/security500survey through July 18th.

Please join us! This year’s Security 500 Conference will held on November 17, during the OSAC and ISMA meetings week in Washington DC, at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill.  We are inspired by our Security 500 members who worked to bring the Overseas Security Advisory Council, the International Security Management Association and the Security 500 together for the most powerful and exciting gathering of senior-level security executives in the world.

The executive program will open with a keynote by Michael Mason, Chief Security Officer of Verizon. Mason oversees and coordinates global security efforts throughout Verizon and all its business units. His team focuses on issues ranging from data protection to supply chain security and workplace violence prevention. He frequently speaks on leadership issues within Verizon.

The program features three interactive panels addressing current management issues, crafted by Security 500 members especially for security leaders:

1. The Predictive Revolution: How Dynamic Organizations are Driving Decision-Making with Technology to Manage Against Threats and Win Fans in the C-Suite.
2. Facing the Talent Gap: Everyone needs more security talent, especially in international markets. Will a talent shortage be your next crisis?
3. If You’re Not Confused, You’re Not Paying Attention: Our esteemed panel of accomplished leaders will share their experiences that shaped, elevated and threatened their careers.

Featured panelists include:

•  David Burrill, Burrill Green
• Jerry Brennan, Security Management Resources Group
•  Mike Howard, Microsoft
• John Imhoff, Ernst & Young
•  Bonnie Michelman, Massachusetts General
• John O’Connor, Fidelity Investments
• John Stewart, Cisco

We will finish with the Security 500 Presentation and our famous networking reception. I hope you will take advantage of this outstanding, free program and all the benefits it offers your organization and you personally. Visit www.security500.com for more information.