Communicating the value of security

Whether your work has you speaking in front of the media or just championing your ideas internally, whether or not those ideas are heard has as much to do with how they are presented as what the ideas are. In Information Security, the most important task we do is communicating the value of security. For this to be successful, you need to ensure your personal brand has integrity, trustworthiness, and experience. These factors take entire careers to build, but there are also resources that can help.

One of those resources is SECore.info. This new website created by the Open Security Foundation brings verified security experts and reporters together, as well as a tool to help experts promote their ideas through presenting at security conferences.

I'll be speaking more about this topic of self-promotion during Security B-Sides PHX this weekend. Check out the B-Sides page for more information.

SECore is also providing a great opportunity to increase your communication skills on security topics by hosting a workshop during RSA in San Francisco this month. This one-on-one training is co-hosted by the technology PR firm LEWIS Pulse, and will help you with personalized training on how to effectively communicate about your work to the media and to your co-workers.

SECore Media Training for Security Professionals
Date: Wednesday, February 29
Time: 8:15am - 6:00pm (hour-long sessions)
Location: Marriott Marquis, 55 4th Street, San Francisco

Register at EventBrite.

InfoSecMentors @ BSides Byte Size

Just a quick note to tell our UK friends that the crew from BSides London is throwing a little meetup in Central London called BSides Byte Size! It's Saturday, January 7th, at a venue to-be-disclosed closer to the date. I'll be there as well, and I'll bring InfoSecMentors stickers to give out to anyone that attends!

From the BSides London website:

BSides Byte Size - The Acoustic Set Saturday 7th January 2012 Venue - TBC (A Pub in London) There are no invites, no sponsors, no projectors just you and beer. The Acoustic Set is a simple gathering of like minded people meeting, talking, listening, debating and drinking so come along and participate. So what makes this acoustic? Anyone speaking is not provided with any electronic assistance. If you want to talk you need to go low-tech. Who's speaking? We are going to have a few well known people come and speak but anyone can speak. Just turn up on the day. Tell people you're coming on Twitter by using #BSidesByteSize.

No tickets or RSVP is required, but please join us on the event's SECore.info profile and let everyone know that you're "interested" or "attending" and post comments.
So hopefully we'll see you there!

Happy Holidays!
-Marisa