Security's Shaky State

Ant writes "According to InformationWeek, Information Technology (I.T.) security professionals say when it comes to security, most I.T. departments are underfunded, understaffed, and underrepresented. Resourceful I.T. security professionals are getting the job done, but their efforts have been hampered by undersized staffs and underfunded budgets that limit choices ranging from what products they buy to the vendors they work with."

Comments

SOX

[Bonker]

Sarbanes-Oxley act is the new security-minded sysadmin's best friend.

Managers and Execs start taking IT security a hell of a lot more seriously when they realize they can go to jail if they're implicated in fraud.

To comply with SOX, you have to document all your procedures, all your data flow, and make it available to gov't regulators. You also have to document what holes you're aware of in your systems and how you plug them.

Whistleblowing is quick, easy, anonymous, and DEVESTATING.

SOX ROX.

Unions are a good idea

[ReformedExCon]

It's unfortunate that unions have gotten such a bad rap, especially among engineers in the computer-related fields. For all the Randian talk of rugged individualism, most people really are just sycophants and sheep. That's not bashing, it's just the way it is. For every engineer demanding better pay and working conditions, there are one thousand who are just happy to collect a paycheck every two weeks. If the industry was made up of solely the former type of engineer, there really wouldn't be any need for unions, each person acting in his own self-interest would be a union unto himself.

However, when you look around and see people working 40+ hours a week, working on the weekends, working through the night, showering at work because they don't have time to go home, and being pushed through project cycles that are causing undo stress, something is wrong. The balance of power is not maintained and the employers are exploiting the engineers. That "great" paycheck you're raking in every two weeks suddenly comes out to barely double minimum wage when you break it down hourly. The cost to your family is also incredibly high as they don't have you around. It's a terrible situation.

So what's the solution? Well, the favored solution among the computer cognoscenti is to "go find yourself a new line of work". Why should someone who is good at their job be forced to take a different job just because the industry is unwilling to offer a fair wage as well as reasonable working conditions? It should not be a requirement that anyone who wants to work in the computer industry should also be forced to give up their personal lives. Unionizing is one very good way of forcing employers to bend to the needs of the employed.

It's unfortunate that so many people are against the idea. We ought to be working to live, not living to work.

Re:No one notices a well done security job...

[CrazyClimber]

I was going to moderate this thread until I saw your post. There's no option for "needs hug" and you sure deserve it.