The departure of these and other information security veterans from Fortune 500 companies reflects the beginning of turbulent times for chief security officers (CSO). Since Sept. 11, CSOs have faced new pressures to prove the value and effectiveness of their security measures, even as they struggle politically for legitimacy within their corporations and for support from the technology and business units they're trying to protect, say analysts.. . .
The departure of these and other information security veterans from Fortune 500 companies reflects the beginning of turbulent times for chief security officers (CSO). Since Sept. 11, CSOs have faced new pressures to prove the value and effectiveness of their security measures, even as they struggle politically for legitimacy within their corporations and for support from the technology and business units they're trying to protect, say analysts.

"We're in a transition period, and the smart [CSOs] are getting out of the way," says David Foote, president and chief research officer at Foote Partners LLC, a management consultancy and IT job research firm in New Canaan, Conn. "They see the risks in trying to build in the next phase of security - moving from fragmented delivery of security technology to a coordinated, aggressive, well-conceived security program.

"They understand how long it takes to build attention and change the culture to make this next step, but they're not getting the support they need to brand and build this next level of security," says Foote, who is also a Computerworld columnist.

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