ASG's Security Solutions Blog

Interview with Francis D'Addario, Security Executive Council and ASG Security Summit Keynote Speaker

  

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By Ron Worman, The Sage Group

Our first keynote for the ASG Summit on March 9 is Francis D'Addario. I have been able to have quite a few conversations with Francis over the last few months and have found him articulate and eclectic. Not many security executives and thought leaders can blend philosophy, politics and risk into a sensible conversation.

Our conversation focused on how all the disparate elements of the security ‘ecosystem' could enter into a ‘Great Conversation', and, if so, what would they say security should look like to all of us in 2020. ‘Should' is an important word. It implies that the essential vision is necessary and clear enough to be understood by all.  It implies urgency. It implies action.

"The Great Conversation" said D'Addario, "and perhaps many related conversations to follow will offer a strategic course correction. Our people, process and technology mitigation successes to date remain embedded in silos, largely unshared, and divorced from an integrated strategic roadmap that requires measured incremental improvement."

At best, D'Addario believes this represents a vast opportunity to architect a new vision for security, one that takes into account all the voices. At worst, it represents a persistent inability to address natural and man-made breeches that address the security of our citizens, private enterprise and public institutions.

"We know from history, that once stakeholders no longer trust the public and private institutions to care for them rapid disintegration occurs", said D'Addario. "If we are to ring-in true all-hazards risk resilience by 2020 our ability to persuasively integrate trans-sector people, process, and technology protections must begin in earnest.  No less than a comprehensive course covering the wide range of physical and logical consequences of all-hazards risk will do."

Francis will propose the architecture for a ‘Great Conversation'; 7 Pillars or nodes by which the vision can be created:
1. Business relationship with Government
2. Government's Relationship with Business
3. Government's Relationship with the Citizens
4. Citizen's Accountability to the New Security Reality
5. Business's relationship with its market ecosystem and supply chain
6. Business's relationship with its employees
7. Technology Architecture that supports the above 

"We require a risk-based and people-centric strategy", said D'Addario. "We need a common lexicon. We need resilience in policy, processes and in our infrastructure.  But more than ever we need the willingness of private enterprise leaders and public policy leaders to join with their employees and citizens in a ‘Great Conversation'.  And we need a structure to that conversation so, over time, we reach our goal. We must create a ‘trusted fabric' that all stakeholders can trust to lead them."

I asked Francis what he would like to see from the attendees and what this ‘conversation platform' that ASG has helped create, could do to help. 

"Ideally, we need to hear observations, questions, concerns and ideas around these issues", said D'Addario. "We will address one or two with our panel at the end of the Summit and relevantly continue the conversation with our various key notes and technology leaders thereafter on this blog. Our ability to share both failure and success of our endeavors within a trusted community going forward will be consequential to our stakeholder communities."

Any conversation starts with a question. So we both agreed to end the interview with a few questions for all of you to ponder and possibly comment on:
1. What should 2020 look like to meet your needs?
2. How will you ensure that your next generation of leadership is on the roadmap?
3. What are you working on today that will help contribute to the roadmap?
4. How would you like to enter the conversation?

• Through a blog like this?
• Through industry forums that meet regularly through: 
• Online broadcasts or webinars?
• Face to face within a trusted sources facility?
• Through a newsletter?
• Other?
• All of the Above