Feeling Secure

Bob Weinstein is a journalist who covers technology, project management, the workplace and career development.

  Career Development  

Surveys of corporate executives conclude that security is a top priority and most companies plan to hire more security professionals over the next decade. There will be an increasing need for people to work in network security, disaster recovery, telecommunications and wireless security. Experienced project managers who are up for a difficult career swerve are particularly welcome.  

It sounds like a green-light opportunity, correct? Maybe. Forget the surveys and statistics spewed by big-buck consulting firms. The reality is, the security landscape is a confusing mess. Most corporate security projects are underbudgeted, poorly organized and poorly directed. And while companies acknowledge a need for security professionals to maintain and upgrade their networks and firewalls, most small and midsize companies are looking for seasoned professionals and offer no training programs.

It's the classic Catch-22 scenario. If you have no experience, no one will hire you. So how do you foot in the door? Read on and find out.

"Many companies are likely to outsource security functions rather than spend money to train their own people," observes Dan Verton, cyberterrorism expert and author of Black Ice: The Invisible Threat of Cyber-Terrorism (McGraw-Hill Osborne Media).

What we have is confusion and mixed messages. What companies are …

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