Communication is a fundamentally lacking part of infosec, and we're paying the price. (1/n)

When "technical" skills are considered greater and mightier than whichever skills aren't considered "technical" (not even going to try and give examples because everyone has different opinions), we end up exactly where we are.

So where is that? (2/n)

Business-focused colleagues, those with decision-making power and money and those talking to potential clients, don't understand our needs from a security perspective.

And why should they? That's not their job. (3/n)

We shouldn't have to teach them everything about infosec for them to understand the importance of what we're saying. In fact, understanding often replaces lack of trust. When we don't have trust, we rely on understanding everything so we can decide for ourselves. (4/n)

What about those we're providing tools and services to? Those who aren't yet our clients need reason to work with us. There are about a million reasons this is a broken system. Let's start at them learning about our products and services in the first place. (5/n)

There are so many tools out there that they could use, so many companies they could work with. Communication is critical here, in client meetings, through our website, through our online and telephone support.

What differentiates one option from everyone else? (6/n)

Nothing really, at least not at the level at which we're communicating what we provide and the benefits we can bring.

As a result, so much time has to be spent on behalf of clients to compare products that still ultimately all look the same to them. (7/n)

This again leaves non-infosec professionals making decisions about things that are very costly and time-consuming, and should be long-term investments, without fully grasping why they're choosing what they're choosing.

It's too much. (8/n)

We haven't even gotten to our own team members. How do we on-board new members with the right information? How do we provide resources without always requiring dependency on others' free time? How much do we trust each other? Is our communication good enough for trust? (9/n)

Why are team members showing up to meetings having done things no one was aware of? Or without doing enough? How did no one know what they were working on for weeks?

Communication is broken.

And are you including personal check-ins? Remember, we need trust. (10/n)

This thread could go on forever, so gonna stop it here for now.

Next time you have a big problem, consider where communication played a role. It more than likely did.

How are you improving your communication skills? We all should be working on them, always.

(11/11)