Dear Austin ISSA members,
I would like to give you a status of our first quarter activities.
Our Peer Education program started off with Vern Williams’ very successful Incident Response Class. The original class sold out very quickly so Vern was able to secure time for an afternoon class. The class feedback was overwhelmingly positive and we’re very appreciative to Vern for his work in making this possible. Others have volunteered their time and skills in delivering other classes throughout the year in a variety of topics so keep an eye out for upcoming announcements. Many years ago, ISSA was the only source for training within the city. With the introduction of UT’s Center for Identity program, ACC’s security programs, InfoSec Institute and other similar programs it did not make sense for our chapter to try to compete with these organizations. Instead, we’re focusing on affordable classes that are not offered elsewhere and Vern’s class shows success.
Speaking of InfoSec Institute, three members won free training thanks to InfoSec Institute’s generosity. InfoSec Institute is offering free training for CCNA, CHFI, CISA, CISM and Security+ certifications and these offerings will continue through the year. InfoSec Institute offers multiple courses, visit https://www.infosecinstitute.com for a complete list of courses.
Our outreach program continues to grow too. We are working with the Austin Technology Council (ATC) and the Austin chapter of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) to co-host panel sessions on business and healthcare security issues respectively. We are also working with other groups to promote joint events with regard to connected physical security controls. We are open to discussing opportunities with any non-profit Austin organization to help promote security so contact us if you have any recommendations. We will also be featured at the Cyberhub Summit on May 3. The Summit educates executives on vital issues and solutions and we will address current security threats. Early bird registration for the Cyberhub Summit is available through their web page.
ISSA members Henry Moreno and Seth Robertson are working on our security track at Innotech on October 6. ISSA has partnered with Innotech since the first Austin conference and this year we’re looking into opportunities to present table top exercises to the conference attendees.
The Texas legislature will convene in 2019 which means that bills will be filed late this year including bills that will likely address security issues. We have contacted several representatives to offer nonpartisan guidance on security best practices. Being non-profit organizations, ISSA national and our local chapter will not get involved in political issues but, instead, strive to encourage legislators to create effective security policies for the benefit of the entire state.
Things are looking great this year so far and I predict that our success will continue to grow. We could always use volunteers to help us continue to grow so please contact a board member if you’re interested in assisting.