Women Security Executives Gather for First Executive Women's Forum on Information Security

Organizer Joyce Brocaglia of Alta Associates says the event may become an annual affair

By Kathleen Carr

December 01, 2003 — CSO — There was a bar, a spa and 120 women in a tropical setting. What a perfect environment to talk security. In September, female security execs gathered at the Alta Associates Executive Women's Forum on Information Security at Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa in Fort Myers, Fla. By day, they listened to risk management and CEO panels and heard folks speak on privacy, regulations and the challenges of dealing with Washington. But by night, there was mingling with fellow security executives and hot tubs to soak in.

Perhaps the hot tub loosened everyone up, because event participants noted that failures were openly shared and discussed. "The conference was great," says Mary Ann Davidson, CSO of Oracle, who attended the event. "In our business, you do so much reading, and you know names, but you never meet the people. I will absolutely keep in touch with the people I met there. We talked quite a bit about vulnerability disclosure and the challenges there. How do we deal with the fact that people are going to be irresponsible and post exploit code? How do we differentiate between helping customers who need to defend against those exploits and appeasing the people who discover themthe researchers? It was a really good and energetic discussion. Interestingly, you know, it had nothing to do with gender."

Joyce Brocaglia, president and CEO of executive recruiting firm Alta Associates, which ran the conference, says her company plans to make it an annual event. You might be wondering why women need a security conference of their own. Brocaglia points out that as demand has increased for CSOs, the style of leadership that companies are seeking for that role has changed as well. They are seeking someone with executive management skills, not just a technology background, and Brocaglia notes that that's where the women are a great fit for security positions. They have the technology background, but they also excel at the softer skills of project management and team-building.

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