Our next meeting entitled "The evolution of the information Security Profession" will take place on Wednesday the 26th of April at 4PM in the Burlington Hotel on the 2nd Floor, in the 'Connaught Suite 2'.

The general outline of the topic is as follows -

The Information security discipline, like the subject it covers is constantly evolving. What was originally a very niche discipline has now become a mainstream profession populated by individuals with a very diverse range of skills and competencies. Many "traditional" disciplines such as risk management, bcp/dr and audit are now to a greater or less extent integrated under the security and compliance banner - this has lead to a blurring of roles and a degree of confusion about what the security profession is, and how it defines itself.

The major questions we will attempt to cover in the discussion are -

What makes the security profession distinct?
Is it a particular certification/qualification/experience or is it less tangible?
What are the entry criteria for a security professional, the milestones and the potential career directions?
Is there a formalised career path?
How can an employer tell the difference between a professional in the field and a (for want of a better word) spoofer?
Is the career path supported by credible and useful industry efforts and academia?
Who are the main professional organisations and institutions?

Our Speaker for this meeting is one of the most distinguished security professionals in the world - David Lynas.

David is the chair of COSAC one of the most influential security conferences (now in its 13th year). In addition he is the co-author and developer of the security architecture process SABSA. He recently co-authored the book "Enterprise Security Architecture: a business driven approach".