The Unemployed Information Security Professional: How To Keep Your Skills Sharp

Former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, yesterday when asked for a statement regarding the recovery of the nation's economy said; "expect unemployment to reach 10 percent and hover there for awhile."

He said this is of concern because the longer people are unemployed, they start to loose their job skills. To help Information Security professionals who are unemployed retain their skills I suggest the following:

10 Things for the Unemployed Information Technology Security Professional to Do To Stay Competitive When Between Jobs

1. Review all of the IT Security Information you can for Microsoft's new Windows 7 .Operating System; you will be ahead of most security professionals in this area if you do.
   
2. Refresh your knowledge of the SANS TOP 20 vulnerabilities; the most critical of IT Security vulnerabilities.
   
3. Refresh your knowledge of NIST.gov IT Security Control Guidelines; in-depth information about security controls and countermeasures; most company's use some adaptation of NIST security guidelines.
   
4. Review CCCure.org's FREE security training videos and test quizzes; can't believe this resource is free! Incrdible!
   
5. Studying for a highly sought after Information Security Certification; gaining a cert will help market yourself to prospective employers.
   
• See my blog post: How To Pass The CISSP Exam
6. View free online IT Security Webinars; easy way to get cutting edge training.
   
7. Become a speaker for other professional organizations on IT Security topics.
   
8. Participate in LinkedIn Group discussions and answer questions related to IT Security; become an IT Security Thought Leader!
   
9. Volunteer on an IT Security organization's Board and/ or volunteer your time teaching Computer/ Internet Security to schools or non-profit agencies; great networking opportunities.
   
10. Take advantage of the time and consider creating a business plan and start an IT Security consultancy; market your services to local businesses or non-profits who normally don't have access to expert security professionals.
    

Best of luck,

Julius Clark, MBA, CISSP, CISA

informaton security, technology, african american, unemployed