To say it's been busy is an understatement. We knew this all along, didn't we?
But it really wasn't until we got down to the nitty-gritty of compiling all the happenings for our various listings in this edition that we realized just how darn hectic it's been for all of us. Combing through coverage of the industry in our magazine and newsletters, as well as on our website, we wondered if we'd actually be able to fit it all in our Reboot 2006 section.
Turns out the wonder was warranted as many of the industry listings we fashioned had to be pared down, alongside some of our more substantive features. But, not to worry, you can read the more detailed listings and peruse longer versions of other pieces on our website. However, our annual roundup of our Group Tests' Best Buy and Recommended products is neatly packaged in the back of this book.
Alongside these and our lists, we also asked our friend Jon Oltsik at analyst firm Enterprise Strategy Group to share more details about recent research his group conducted on the role of the CSO/CISO. He gained some interesting insight about these pros and just how their positions contribute to the corporate view of information security as a whole.
Additionally, we report on four of the major vertical markets wrestling with all the threats, compliance issues, IT security planning pitfalls and more. Each of these business sectors — including finance, healthcare, government and education — have quite distinct security risks to overcome, yet many of the problems are universal as well.
This is why we will be adding special sections throughout next year to offer even more focus and updated details on various topics that are particularly concerning to these main markets. Our first, in February's edition, will focus on healthcare and, of course, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
Indeed, we've been frantic at times this year, and likely we'll see more of the same in 2007. But, looking on the bright side, we in this space surely are not wanting for intellectual stimulation. Well, that is, except when we're confronted with movies starring Harrison Ford (and his earring) as a knowledgeable IT security pro. Let's skip such synaptic misfirings in 2007
-Illena Armstrong is SC's U.S. editor-in-chief.
