4 ms·

It's amazing, but they did: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/equifax-ceo-hired-a-music-major-as-the-companys-chief-security-officer-2017-09-15 https://www.mar

It's amazing, but they did: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/equifax-ceo-hired-a-music-major-as-the-companys-chief-security-officer-2017-09-15 https://www.marketwatch.com/story/equifax-ceo-hired-a-music-...

detaro 5y ago
That alone really doesn't mean much. Security has even more than other areas of IT many people with "odd" backgrounds.
- throwawaygh 5y ago
  Yes, Equifax's ciso was clearly super competent.
  - detaro 5y ago
    I in no way suggested that, please don't pretend I did. We have plenty reason to assume she wasn't.
    - throwawaygh 5y ago
      Then I'm not sure what the point of your post was. Software security is a mess in large part because of the phenomenon you describe.
      - detaro 5y ago
        > Then I'm not sure what the point of your post was. That "but she has a music degree!" is the least relevant part of evaluating if someone is qualified for such a CISO role or not. Someone with the "wrong" degree but talent and relevant experience would easily beat someone with a fancy "Masters of Information Security" degree that then muddled around in less relevant areas. Focusing on people's degrees is almost always the wrong measure in IT.
        throwawaygh 5y ago
        > Someone with the "wrong" degree but talent and relevant experience would easily beat someone with a fancy "Masters of Information Security" degree that then muddled around in less relevant areas. Sure, totally agreed. > Focusing on people's degrees is almost always the wrong measure in IT. Maybe 20 years ago. (I was there.) Today, asking for exceptional technical depth and a proven track-record of leadership is not a big ask.
        detaro 5y ago
        And the linked article and the common references to it highlight almost exclusively "wrong degree/education" instead of "no relevant experience/track-record" (if that's the case, no clue what her experience looked like on paper. but the article also brushes it away with a sentence just to focus back on education). That's my problem with it.
        NotSammyHagar 5y ago
        I'm guessing you are from non-traditional background and work in it somehow. Having a track record is pretty basic when evaluating people for high level positions who have non-traditional backgrounds. Why is this upsetting to you?
        detaro 5y ago
        > I'm guessing you are from non-traditional background and work in it somehow You're guessing wrong. > Having a track record is pretty basic when evaluating people for high level positions who have non-traditional backgrounds. Not sure why you're saying that in a thread where everybody agrees that track record is important? > Why is this upsetting to you? It's not upsetting, I just think, as I've explained multiple times, that putting a spotlight on the degree alone, as the linked article does, is a bad argument, given that track record and experience matter much more than what degree someone got years ago. It's a cheap gotcha.
        5y ago
- dodobirdlord 5y ago
  Yea, but it's Equifax, so they don't get the benefit of the doubt.

detaro 5y ago

That alone really doesn't mean much. Security has even more than other areas of IT many people with "odd" backgrounds.

throwawaygh 5y ago
Yes, Equifax's ciso was clearly super competent.
- detaro 5y ago
  I in no way suggested that, please don't pretend I did. We have plenty reason to assume she wasn't.
  - throwawaygh 5y ago
    Then I'm not sure what the point of your post was. Software security is a mess in large part because of the phenomenon you describe.
    - detaro 5y ago
      > Then I'm not sure what the point of your post was. That "but she has a music degree!" is the least relevant part of evaluating if someone is qualified for such a CISO role or not. Someone with the "wrong" degree but talent and relevant experience would easily beat someone with a fancy "Masters of Information Security" degree that then muddled around in less relevant areas. Focusing on people's degrees is almost always the wrong measure in IT.
      - throwawaygh 5y ago
        > Someone with the "wrong" degree but talent and relevant experience would easily beat someone with a fancy "Masters of Information Security" degree that then muddled around in less relevant areas. Sure, totally agreed. > Focusing on people's degrees is almost always the wrong measure in IT. Maybe 20 years ago. (I was there.) Today, asking for exceptional technical depth and a proven track-record of leadership is not a big ask.
        detaro 5y ago
        And the linked article and the common references to it highlight almost exclusively "wrong degree/education" instead of "no relevant experience/track-record" (if that's the case, no clue what her experience looked like on paper. but the article also brushes it away with a sentence just to focus back on education). That's my problem with it.
        NotSammyHagar 5y ago
        I'm guessing you are from non-traditional background and work in it somehow. Having a track record is pretty basic when evaluating people for high level positions who have non-traditional backgrounds. Why is this upsetting to you?
        detaro 5y ago
        > I'm guessing you are from non-traditional background and work in it somehow You're guessing wrong. > Having a track record is pretty basic when evaluating people for high level positions who have non-traditional backgrounds. Not sure why you're saying that in a thread where everybody agrees that track record is important? > Why is this upsetting to you? It's not upsetting, I just think, as I've explained multiple times, that putting a spotlight on the degree alone, as the linked article does, is a bad argument, given that track record and experience matter much more than what degree someone got years ago. It's a cheap gotcha.
        5y ago
dodobirdlord 5y ago
Yea, but it's Equifax, so they don't get the benefit of the doubt.