Hey Now I'm A Rock Star

"Security practitioners used to be seen as propeller-hat wearing introverts hunched over computers in dark, cold basements for weeks on end, shunning daylight and anyone who tried to start a conversation with them. But times have changed.

"Thanks to the blogosphere, social networking sites and podcasting made easy, many security pros are taking on a much more public persona, becoming near-rock stars. Evidence of this can be seen in abundance at the ShmooCon 2009 security gathering in the nation's capital this weekend.

"One example was a Friday lunch gathering of the Security Twits -- a growing group of security pros who communicate with each other and the rest of the world via the Twitter micro blogging site. Another example was an evening meet-up of security podcasters.

"True, many security pros still prefer the quiet, isolated life. It's also true that the introvert tag was never a fair fit for many people. But several conference attendees acknowledged theirs has become a much more public profession. It's a necessity, they say. To truly improve security, people need to be out there communicating the threats computer users face and how to take the proper defenses..."

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