Articles Tagged with ''security career''

Does your organization have an active program that conducts reference checking on employees before they are hired? Ownership of the pre-employment vetting process does not often reside with the security function within the organization. Some companies outsource background checks to third party organizations to share the task. Many of these policies are impacted by legislation, and limitations can be imposed on the use of various vetting methods.

 With more than 200 security leaders in attendance, the first Security 500 Conference held in Washington, DC, brought high levels of thought-leadership and discussions to the fore. Verizon CSO Michael Mason started off the day with his keynote on challenging the technological imperative by asking “what problem will this solve? How will this support our mission?” before investing in new technology.  

 At some point during your working life, you will find yourself looking for a new job. There are a wide range of circumstances that may bring you to that point, ranging from retiring from public or military service; corporate reorganizations and/or leadership changes; you’re terminated; you resign; the location at which you work is destroyed; your company collapses financially; or you just want to advance your career in a new environment. While each of these circumstances may influence how you will position yourself during the job search, there are a number of common factors that place immense stress on an already difficult process.  

 Afew years ago we published an article on security related certifications that were being marketed as a means to advance your career. At that time there were a relatively small number of certifications that we were seeing listed on resumes. Today, we are still routinely asked which certifications are needed for career advancement or which ones are being requested by hiring managers. Frankly, unless the role has a specific requirement that connects to one of the more technical certifications, for the most part, the hiring authorities are not demanding them.  

Personal branding is a consideration that is frequently overlooked by those who are seeking a career change or wanting to improve their upward mobility within their organizations. Too often, it is misunderstood and seen as being self-aggrandizing, egotistical or even perceived as “brown nosing.” While there are ample examples of this, these reflect poorly thought out and executed strategies.

The battle means that companies might be in danger of losing simply because they lack the manpower to deal with it. The battle means that companies looking for more security staff aren’t going to find them – they’re going to have to create them.

The Homeland Security Department ranked last in overall satisfaction amongst 19 large federal agencies for the third year in a row, according to the National Journal. The agency’s 46.8 percent rating in overall satisfaction marks a more than 6-point drop from 2012. The rankings, in “The Best Places to Work” 2013 report, are largely based on data collected by the Office of Personnel Management through its Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.

Cyber security salaries are higher than you might expect – Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) earn an average base salary equivalent to the compensation of other C-level executives for 50 percent of survey respondents in the 2013 Salary Benchmark Report. 

Dan Ryan’s story is classic, happy and all-American that those entering the profession can learn from and hope to emulate. “I guess you could say I started at the bottom and worked my way up.” Yes, you could say that Dan, but that would be understatement – Dan’s expertise and perfection have helped him rise through the ranks at a meteoric pace.