open letter to the ISC2 Membership

Disclaimer

I was an ISC2 Board Member from January 1st 2012 until December 2014. I am an ISC2 Member in good standing. I am, at this moment, not working for ISC2, with ISC2, or in any other fashion associated with ISC2. This letter represents my personal opinion only. It does not reflect the opinion of any organization I have been, am, or will be associated with.

That said ...

Good morning, good evening, or good night,

As an ISC2 Member, there is a big chance that you will find yourself in San Francisco, California next week. I understand that your agenda is full of awesome events, some professional and some a little less so, I think it is important to realize that the events in and around the Moscone Center are the ideal venue to interact with the organization you are a proud member of, and with it's Board members.

While I am sad to learn that ISC2 is not organizing a townhall meeting this year, there are still plenty of opportunities to meet them, get to know them, and to let them know how you feel as a member. 

ISC2 will be on the expo floor at booth #108 and #109. Additionally, there is a member reception on Wednesday April 22nd that you can RSVP for. There are undoubtedly alternative venues where you will run into representatives of the organization, especially the board members (<- it makes sense to familiarize yourself with their faces if you aren't already). 

As a member, first and foremost, we all have engaged ourselves to be part of, and contribute to, the membership. As such we bear a responsibility to want better for us. While I am personally not going to be in San Francisco with you, I would like to take the time to suggest some questions you can ask to your Board members in case you meet them or if you find yourself at a venue where you can interact with them.

Before I kick off, allow me to make one suggestion. In the event that you run into a member of ISC2 staff or a member of management, please take the time to give them a hug and thank them for the work they do every single day for you.

1. The ISC2 Bylaws are 10 years old. As the primary document that governs the organization and its Board, I feel it is up for a thorough review. As an example, what was a mostly US-centric organization in 2004 is now a fully international organization with a global membership. What are you, as a Board, doing to govern yourself in order to make this organization successful? What are you, as a board, doing to keep our Bylaws up to date with todays reality? How can I, as a member, help with that?

2. As a member, I believe that ISC2 misses a lot of opportunities to provide value to its membership. What are you, as a Board, doing to ensure that the organization is able to develop initiatives that benefit the membership? What can I expect over the next few months and years as a member? How can I contribute to that?

3. As a member, I believe I am under-informed about what the organization does. Your last publication of annual meeting minutes happened in 2014, your last annual report was published in 2012. What are you, as a Board, doing to inform the membership about the organization, it's financial health, the strategic initiatives, and how I can become more involved to contribute to the success of the organization and us as the membership?

Now obviously, you will be challenged in San Francisco. I am the first to admit that there's more opportunity to be distracted than there is to stay focused. I also believe that as an ISC2 member, you owe it to yourself to ask these, and more questions. 

If you choose not to, I'd suggest you spend $85 in one of the awesome establishments you can find and consider to skip your next AMF payment.

In any case, enjoy the opportunity to spend time with your peers at RSAC and thank you for your contributions to make this digital world a safer place.

Sincerely,
Wim