Led by President Obama, the U.S. has embraced cybersecurity as a national priority, and as such the nation's businesses, academic institutions and government agencies are focused as never before on information security and assurance. There is no better time to benchmark information security careers. And, frankly, there might not be a better time to start - or re-start - one.

There are three key findings from this inaugural study:

Risk Management, Cybersecurity, Fraud/Forensics are Top Priorities - No matter how you ask the question - "What skills are required?" "What training will you seek?" "What are the top 3 concerns for CISOs?" - the answer consistently comes back to risk management, cybersecurity and fraud/forensics investigations. These topics emerge among the top choices of skills, studies and job opportunities. The challenge for 2010 is developing these competencies sufficiently within organizations - a task that ties directly into the other two key findings below.

Information Security Professionals Want New Skills - and Organizations Will Foot the Bill - Conventional wisdom is that when economic times get tough, training budgets take the biggest hit. But survey results tell a different story: a whopping 79% of their organizations continue to fund that training at least partially. This is a strong testament to the commitment to grow information security careers. But it comes with a caveat: When asked what their biggest obstacle is to attaining new skills, 47% of respondents say "too much work."

Schools, Professional Groups Stand to Benefit in 2010 - Committed to growing their professional competencies, information security professionals will invest their time and resources in certifications bodies, professional organization and academic institutions in 2010. The message to academic institutions and professional organizations: There is a critical mass of eager students looking to improve their skills and advance their careers, and it is up to you to 1) Differentiate yourself from your competitors, and 2) Meet the needs of these professionals on their terms.

Register for this webinar for insights and analysis on each of our major survey categories, including:

• Education - 23% of respondents say a graduate degree is now the minimum requirement for entering the information security profession;
• Background Checks - At a time when we're continually told that we're at greatest risk of insider crimes, only 26% of respondents say they have undergone a background check in the past five years.
• Leadership - Asked where senior security leaders are recruited, only 34% of respondents say "promoted from within." 46% say their leaders are recruited externally.

Following the overview of survey results, Tom Field, Editorial Director of Information Security Media Group, will conclude with a panel discussion among industry experts on how to approach career trends in 2010.

Barbara Massa, Vice President, Global Talent Acquisition, McAfee

Barbara Massa is Vice President of Global Talent Acquisition at McAfee. Barbara joined McAfee in June, 2009. For the 10 years prior to joining McAfee, Barbara led the Talent Acquisition function at EMC and Documentum respectively (Documentum was acquired by EMC in December of 2003.) Barbara's prior work includes leadership positions in the recruiting organization at Cadence Design Systems and at an external recruiting firm.

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Patrick Howard, Chief Information Security Officer, Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Patrick D. Howard serves as the Chief Information Security Officer of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He provides vision, leadership and oversight in developing, promulgating and implementing an agency IT security strategy. This organizational change meets the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) requirements as they relate to IT security.

Howard has more than 35 years of experience in the security industry, and has worked in the computer security field for the past 16 years. Prior to joining the NRC, he worked as the Chief Information Security Officer at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, (HUD) where he managed HUD's enterprise-wide IT security program. There he led HUD to a first ever "A+" score on Congress' 2006 FISMA Report Card and was recognized as a 2007 Fed 100 winner for his accomplishments in government IT. Prior to joining HUD, Howard was employed by the Titan Corporation, supporting the Department of Transportation serving as the department's certification and accreditation program manager.

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Tom Field, Editorial Director

Tom Field is an award-winning journalist with over 20 years experience in newspapers, magazines, books, events and electronic media. A veteran community journalist with extensive business/technology and international reporting experience, he has written news, sports, features, fiction and analysis for publications ranging from Editor & Publisher to Yankee Magazine, and he has held editorial management positions at weekly and daily newspapers, as well as a global business/technology magazine. An accomplished public speaker, Field has developed and moderated scores of podcasts, webcasts, roundtables and conferences, and he has appeared on C-SPAN, The History Channel and Travel Channel television programs.

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