BSides: Infosec pros need a PR makeover

By

Work with the business, not against it.

Security professionals should get a public relations makeover to help them sell infosec to management, a security consultant says.

BSides: Infosec pros need a PR makeover

Speaking at the Bsides London conference, security consultant Brian Honan said that rather than become frustrated at managements lack of interest in investment in security, IT should sell security to the board.

“The management opinion is 'fix it' and yours is 'give me money'," Honan said.

Complete coverage of Infosecurity Europe 2012 

“We think that management are stupid but this is not the case, they are people who built the internet and are not experts on IP law or data protection, so it is up to us to present in a concise way and make issues to present to the board.”

It was important Honan said to consider how management thought and to realise security had its "own language".

“Forget about costs: Present your business case to the management, tell them that you need to spend and it is not just a new box,” he said.

He said management disliked uncertainty so security professionals must align with business priorities, and focus on how security could help the business.

This article originally appeared at scmagazineuk.com

Got a news tip for our journalists? Share it with us anonymously here.
Copyright © SC Magazine, UK edition
Tags:

Most Read Articles

India's alarm over Chinese spying rocks CCTV makers

India's alarm over Chinese spying rocks CCTV makers

Woolworths' CSO is Optus-bound

Woolworths' CSO is Optus-bound

Hackers abuse modified Salesforce app to steal data, extort companies

Hackers abuse modified Salesforce app to steal data, extort companies

Cyber companies hope to untangle weird hacker codenames

Cyber companies hope to untangle weird hacker codenames

Log In

  |  Forgot your password?