TITSSN welcomes working with the new administration on the challenges of IT Security being a people problem, not an industry one.

Link: http://titssn.net

Good day to you,

TITSSN is very pleased with our new president’s focus on the national cyber infrastructure as it had been one of our most intimate concerns during him campaign. Our motto over the years has been that the problems being faced in the IT Security space was not an industry one, but a people one and as such warrants the need for a more global concerted effort towards its education and awareness initiatives. The impacts and effects of the IT Security Threats Landscape reverberates through ever layer of our lives at home, school and work and as such is more than just a simple issue at hand. Yet, unchecked, these issues are not getting the time and attention needed to be seen as serious as they really are today for tomorrow.

The infrastructure of our country relies heavily on a strong technology backbone and unless the proper security education and awareness is provided at all levels, our points of vulnerabilities and exploitation increases with every new device, gadget or piece of technology that is added to it. It is for this reason that over the past few years, we have risen to the challenges of promoting the education and awareness values of IT Security and why it is imperative that people understand the real impact and effects it has on us as a people. This isn’t an issue that is for us as individuals, it is about how we as individuals creates an impact that affects others through the use of messaging (email, IM and text), browsing, file sharing, peer-2-peer networks and general PC etiquette.

I am as much a risk to you as you are to me and thus the global infrastructure is at risk unless we cultivate this mindset of security consciousness. This new era of warfare is a technological one that allows an individual to sit at a PC and launch massive targeted attacks against people, processes, critical infrastructure, governments and countries, without even knowing who you are nor do they care of the intended impact. The need to create hysteria and massive downtime effects drives them to do this without any regard for those who suffers the effects. This is where we are today and is why we need to do this sooner than later.

This is the reason why we kicked off our Secure Minds Initiative to create an educated/aware resilient global network of IT Security Minded people who can secure and protect themselves from IT/Internet threats. We want this administration to realize the need for integrating IT Security into the lower school systems so that our youths can better be prepared for the technology age ahead before they reach high school and college levels. Educating their young minds will help to strengthen the weakest links and bind the chains of the infrastructure much more secure. Parents should also play their part and not leave this up to the school systems to foster this needed education and awareness of basic internet/technology best practices.

As internet broadband services become more mainstream to the average user and the connection speeds increases, the effects of the IT Security Threats Landscape bears heavily on those who are not properly secured and protected either through the protective solutions or just the educational awareness of how to be more secure. The increase in use of instant messaging, social networking and email adds an immeasurable list of ways in which we are at risk. Our future is very strong with the presence of technology at the heart of it and no matter how much we invest in it, the needed for better education and awareness will circumvent whatever is put in place because the human element plays such a significant role in these issues.

We will continue to provide the public outreach and educational programs needed to facilitate the enhancement of this needed resource for our people across the board. Our community outreach programs add the needed one on one communications and access to our IT/Security professionals who are able to talk with community members about these issues and are there as a local go to resource. We are integrating these educational resources into social networks and services to enhance the safe, secure and collaborative resources they provide. We don’t have to fear technology, we just need to secure it by having the proper education and awareness backed by the needed useful solutions.

As in anything we do at this level, there are those who talk about these issues and then there are those who listen and decide on what next steps to take. Here at TITSSN we cover the entire process of listening, research and development, training and awareness and providing local hands on resources to people, processes and things to complement the circle of competence and confidence. Delivering the message of IT Security doesn’t take high levels of technical skills or levels of specialty in the space, it takes the simple understanding of why this is an important part of our world today and why we need to take an active part in being stronger links in the chain of our infrastructure.

Applying the configurations and settings does require that you be aware of what is needed, how to do it and what the effects will be. This does require some level of technical understanding as the impacts of not configuring it properly can lead to bigger problems. And so the process of this initiative is a staged one, one that begins with creating the resources for providing the education and awareness, the other for promoting those resources and then delivering them effectively. As we look forward to this new era of change(s), one tends to feel a sense of wow, what is going on, are we ready for this and if not, do I have a choice. It is not a question of if, but when, and it is that when we must prepare for.

TITSSN is that leading force providing the pathway of resources, education, awareness, services and deliverables to compliment this new era of technology and its focus. We look forward to bringing this whole process together for those who are looking to be more aware of how to protect their privacy, intellectual property and identity on and offline. There isn’t a line between both as they are very much intertwined, it is the knowledge of how and why that create a blur in the mindset to think that the online and offline worlds are truly separate. We must get past this level of thinking and move forward with the mindset of convergence as we brace ourselves for these upcoming changes.

We welcome this new administrations focus on these issues and looks forward to working with them towards a more converged and resourceful technology experience. We are here and will answer the call if and when needed, to take these initiatives to the next level.

Thank you and have a great day,

~Brett A. Scudder~
President/Chairman/IT Security Attaché
~TITSSN~