An invaluable element in the life of any professional is undoubtedly education, which in the end is the perfect complement to success in any industry, and especially in security.
by Héctor R. Torres, PhD, MBA, CPP, CFE, CHS*
A fraternal greeting from Puerto Rico to all colleagues and readers of this column. It is a pleasure to share again with you. In today's column we will talk about continuing education in the security profession.
This topic continues to have a lot of relevance especially from the point of view of business. Given the changes faced by organizations due to the increase in global competition, the need for professional practitioners in our industry is created.
Practitioners who continually educate themselves to face the various security challenges that will be faced in the 21st Century. Although there is no substitute for experience, continuing education is still a prerequisite for being successful in our profession. Many colleagues have approached me to consult me on the subject of continuing education.
The question is always the same; What is the role model for achieving continuing education? A model I share with them is based on three components; develop experience, academic education and professional certifications. Let's examine each component of this model.
Experience
As I have reiterated above, there is no substitute for experience. Consider the following model. We receive information from courses or trainings. The information received becomes knowledge.
The continuous practice of knowledge over time makes us develop the experience and the experience in turn develops the necessary skills to exercise our profession. Just having knowledge about a security subject is not enough to practice our profession.
Unfortunately, many security practitioners think that knowledge is all that is needed and this is far from the truth. We develop as true professionals with constant practice and continuing education. With experience we also develop our professional credibility. As the old saying goes; the devil knows more by old than by devil.
Academic education
Today and more than ever academic education is indispensable in the business world. Security as a managerial function in a business organization requires its practitioners to be academically educated to deal with the challenges of the business world. Depending on the country and your level of general schooling, a bachelor's degree in business administration would be recommended for corporate security practitioners.
To occupy managerial positions, a master's degree in business administration would be recommended. Academic degrees are necessary because in the business world we have to compete to establish our credibility. Therefore, we have to be seen as practitioners of a business management function and not only as security practitioners in order to fit into the organization and be able to contribute to its success.
Many of my colleagues sometimes complain that they are too old to return to college. I always give them my personal example. I returned to college after a 22-year "vacation." I was able to complete two master's degrees and a doctorate, professional and personal goals that helped me establish my professional credibility. I am currently in the process of completing graduate studies in Project Management as I have learned how valuable continuing education is. Wanting is power and a good education is priceless.
Professional certifications
In terms of continuing education, another line that should be considered is the professional certifications of our profession. There are many prestigious and not so prestigious organizations that provide professional certifications.
Some certifications require hours of continuing education to maintain as well as an annual membership fee which can be onerous from an economic point of view. Many business organizations pay their employees these memberships others do not.
Certifications from world-renowned professional security organizations are worthwhile as they are internationally recognized. These certifications recognize the professionalism and excellence of practitioners.
Possessing a master's degree in accounting is not the same as being a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). On the other hand, you have to be very careful with organizations that offer dubious certifications in exchange for money. You have to investigate these organizations to determine if they are worth the investment in them. In the end, the decision to become certified is merely personal.
As we can see, our profession requires trained and prepared professionals to face the multiple security challenges of the 21st Century. It is for this reason that we must consider continuing education as an ideal instrument for our preparation.
The model presented is a very functional one and personally it has helped me a lot to achieve my professional goals. It definitely works.
I invite you to continue to share your ideas and concerns from the world and security management.
A hug and see you next time!
* If you wish you can write to the author of this article by email: [email protected]
