Security Industry Needs 'Passion And Expertise,' Says San Francisco VP
There's not a single week where there isn't news of a hack attack on a major company or government agency. With the ongoing threat of countless attempts to infiltrate large computer networks on a daily basis, demand for new information security analysts is expected to remain high in San Francisco for several years. For career advice, Michelle Dennedy, Chief Privacy Officer at Intel Security, took time from her demanding job to offer some valuable tips.
What is your background and education?
"I'm the vice president and chief privacy officer at Intel Security. I'm responsible for the development and implementation of Intel Security data privacy policies and practices, working across business groups to drive data privacy excellence across the security continuum. I've recently co-authored a book titled "The Privacy Engineer's Manifesto: Getting from Policy to Code to QA to Value." I have a law degree from Fordham University School of Law and a bachelor's degree with university honors from Ohio State University. This spring I will be teaching an introduction to Privacy Engineering course at INI, Carnegie Mellon."
Can you describe some of the services Intel Security provides?
"McAfee is now part of Intel Security. With its innovative approach to hardware-enhanced security, and unique Global Threat Intelligence, Intel Security is intensely focused on developing proactive global security solutions and services that protect people, systems, networks, and mobile devices. Intel Security combines the experience and expertise of McAfee with the proven performance of Intel to make security an essential ingredient in every architecture and on every computing platform."
Can you share any advice to students interested in a career in computer security?
"One of my core beliefs is that information about people is valuable in and of itself: culturally, commercially and personally. How that information is protected and respectfully shared is a beautifully complex challenge that welcomes passion and expertise from many angles. If you are fantastic at imagining how to play with really big prime numbers, draw your sword and take your seat at the security round table. We are waiting for you. The bottom line is that anyone with an interest in how we move forward as a world of information filled with almost endless possibility, in a safe and ethical fashion, can help us build the future as part of the security and privacy industry."
Randy Yagi is a freelance writer covering all things San Francisco. In 2012, he was awarded a Media Fellowship from Stanford University. His work can be found on Examiner.com Examiner.com.