Fostering convergence goal of upcoming ASIS show

YARMOUTH, Maine—For the second year in a row, (ISC)2, an organization for information security professionals, will co-locate its conference with ASIS International next month in Philadelphia. Leaders of both organizations call the collaboration integral to the future of the security profession.

Last year’s collaboration was "a big success," according to Eduard Emde, president of ASIS International, which is hosting its 58th annual conference. Feedback from attendees was positive and plenty of anecdotal evidence showed traditional physical security professionals attended IT security panels organized by (ISC)2 and vice versa, he said.

The fact this crossover is happening "is my main measure of success,” Emde told Security Director News. "This more practical way of celebrating convergence ... is something I look forward to.”

As a result, continuing the collaboration this year was a no-brainer, according to Emde and Hord Tipton, executive director of (ISC)2, which is hosting its 2nd annual Security Congress.

The cross pollination that occurs when physical security and IT security folks come together is important for the profession, as the line between the two camps continues to blur, as well as also for the companies and organizations security professionals are tasked with protecting, Emde and Tipton said. "Companies need to understand that the world has really, really changed and you need to reinvent the way you protect things, and when you do that both sides [physical and IT security] have to be involved," Tipton told SDN.

Emde echoed the sentiment. “The risks we face are changing, so we need to talk to each other.”

And having both conferences in the same place gives attendees the freedom to widen their exposure to sessions, speakers, vendors and networking opportunities they otherwise would not have access to. “The profession is a little bit in flux,” Emde said. “People can vote with their feet by going where they think they get the most value from the sessions.”

Neither group tracks how much crossover there is between their respective memberships, but there are certainly plenty of IT security people who also have a foot in physical security and the other way around, said Emde, who himself holds both ASIS International’s Certified Protection Professional (CPP) designation and (ISC)2’s Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) designation.

Emde said belonging to both organizations and holding both certifications makes a lot of sense for professionals in the security field. "Personally, if I was a mentor to someone I would recommend they really pursue that," he said.

Tipton said he would like to see the line between the two security camps “just disappear," but acknowledges it will take a while and said bringing together the professionals with the dual conferences is a small step in that process.

ASIS and (ISC)2 are also introducing a Career Pavilion for the first time, where physical and IT security professionals can receive career coaching, get their resumes reviewed and connect with employers.

The conferences take place on Sept. 10-13 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadephia. As many as 26,000 physical and IT security professionals are expected to attend.

Check out the schedule for ASIS International’s the 58th Annual Seminar and Exhibits and the one for (ISC)2‘s 2nd Annual Security Congress.