Vote for the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

The InfoSec community frequently debates over the value of industry certifications. A frequent point of contention has been (ISC)2, an organization best known for the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification. The CISSP is thought by many to be a necessary evil in that it is often required to pass through HR gatekeepers but doesn't actually certify real world knowledge or aptitude.

"If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. … We need not wait to see what others do."

--Mahatma Gandhi

Above is the quote that is often reinterpreted as "Be the change you want to see in the world". As a community we need to do this.  Last year the first steps were taken when Wim Remes (@wimremes) pursued and successfully obtained a seat on the (ISC)2 Board of Directors. This year promises to see additional change as "four horsemen of the impending infosec apocalypse" have risen to the challenge of holding (ISC)2 accountable to the security community.

Dave Lewis (@gattaca), Boris Sverdlik (@jadedsecurity), Scot Terban (@krypt3ia) and Chris Nickerson (@indi303/@isc4thepeople) have all declared their intentions to run for the (ISC)2 Board of Directors. They are the new blood (ISC)2 desperately needs. All four are highly regarded not only for their insight and technical prowess but for their dedication and contributions to our industry. None are bashful about standing up for what they believe in and they will undoubtedly continue to do so as board members.

Each person needs 500 endorsements to get on the ballot. If you hold an (ISC)2 certification (any certification) I encourage you to seriously consider these candidates:

  • Endorse Read the petition for Dave Lewis here

  • Endorse Read the petition for Boris Sverdlik here

  • Endorse Read the petition for Scot Terban here (new link)

  • Endorse Read the petition for Chris Nickerson here (new link)



UPDATE 8/24: As Nickerson pointed out in the comments (see below), there is no limit on the number of people you can endorse and this year you can vote for up to four candidates.



UPDATE 8/30: (ISC)2 has stated that webforms are not a valid way to submit endorsements. Please email your endorsements (along with your cert#) to:

  • Dave Lewis votedave@liquidmatrix.org

  • Boris Sverdlik isc2board@jadedsecurity.com

  • Scot Terban drkrypt3ia@gmail.com

  • Chris Nickerson cnickerson@isc4thepeople.com
     *The email addresses above are intentionally not clickable.




UPDATE 11/16: Voting is now open! (closes on 11/30/12 at 5:00pm EST). If you are an (ISC)2 member you can vote hereDave Lewis may be the only "Horseman" who made it on the ballot but you can still write in the other candidates.



*This post originally appeared on Maske[d]Crusader.net