Doing the right thing for security's sake

Don Tennant just hits it home over and over.  Read his recent article entitled, "Do the Right Thing".  Don interviewed four very important CIO's at Computerworld’s Premier 100 IT Leaders Conference last week. 
 
My favorite quote from the article is "he refused to allow a tempestuous political climate to cloud his vision for what he felt he needed to accomplish."  That was Clark Kelso, CIO of the state of California speaking.  Wow.  Can you imagine being responsible for IT for the State of California?  No thank you.  Give me a little state any day of the week - big fish, little pond.
 
I was so inspired by Don's interviews that I am going to have to write my own little column on how politics impact not just IT, but Security.  With the advent of a new governor and new IT Director, our little state is going through drama-trauma.  Fortunately, the CISO's job didn't get cut and he has his head screwed on, so to speak.  It is absolutely amazing how politics gets in the way of doing the right thing.  It takes a very strong person to withstand political pressure in a non-career limiting way.  Is that even possible?  It's a shame when you have to give up your job for what you believe in.  But doing the right thing requires that risk.  You have to stand up for what's right no matter what the cost. 

No matter what the cost?  Yes.  And that's scary.