Information Security Becomes a Strategic Enabler

The Spring 2008 premier issue of InfoSecurity Professional, a new publication of (ISC)², reflects the trend toward security as an independent profession, apart from IT. The proposition is supported by (ISC)²’s 2008 Global Information Security Workforce Study, a comprehensive survey of information security professionals conducted by Frost & Sullivan. The survey polled more than 7,500 practitioners from over 100 countries.
















Among the findings, security professionals overwhelmingly concern themselves with security issues, not IT issues. (See chart) Only 28 percent of respondents said that they report to an IT department, compared to 37 percent in the last survey. Moreover, lines of reporting for information security professionals have shifted. A quarter of respondents said they are part of executive management, while 21 percent report to a security department within their organization.

Overall, the study’s data is a predictor of more diverse opportunities and growth in information security as it evolves into a strategic and mature discipline.

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