What sets the professional apart from the practitioner?
W
ho is a professional? Can everyone be a professional, or does that mean that the
term then becomes meaningless?
First, let’s look at the security profession. Are we a profession? The answer is… yes. We may not yet have a professional body in the UK which holds Chartered Status; however, we do have The Register of Chartered Security Professionals which is owned by the Worshipful Company of Security Professionals and managed by the Security Institute. There are currently 70+ Chartered Security Professionals earning the prestigious post nominal of CSyP.
Most security professionals will agree that our industry is difficult to define. There is a huge range of business types, roles and responsibilities that come under the umbrella of “security”. The work of other “professionals” such as doctors or accountants, for example, are clearly understood, but it is not so well defined for a security professional. This is likely to be due to the fact that the security industry is diverse with many facets such as physical security, cyber security, risk, resilience and such like. Perception of what security actually is also becomes a factor, as it is perceived to be limited to physical security such as CCTV or uniformed security officers.
When we look at academic achievement and career development we can make similar parallels. For an accountant and a doctor it is clear what the required level of academic achievement is. Chartered Accountant is a term that people understand and accept as being someone who has achieved a recognised level of competence in their chosen profession.
The way that business is conducted in both public and private sector organisations has changed significantly over recent years. Statistics and research have identified that procurement is generally motivated by either “pain” or “pleasure”. The “pain” they may incur if they don’t or the “pleasure” they may gain if they do procure an item, solution, product or service. Unfortunately, the motives for procuring security-related solutions and products is based upon “pain” and therefore it is the responsibility of us as security professionals to ensure that we are able to communicate effectively with key decision makers in order to advise and support them on key issues surrounding security.
Some of the issues stem from the way that security professionals approach their own roles, which can be defined as traditional or entrepreneurial. The former view their job as being aligned to a service function and a cost to the bottom line. This lends itself to a situation where simply reducing the amount of money spent on security becomes a key objective. Conversely, those in the entrepreneurial category see security as a discrete supportive function that supports each area of a business, enabling it to conduct business effectively whilst underpinned by proportionate security practices and measures; it also requires an integrated interdepartmental approach. For example, human resources and security professionals work together to implement adequate pre-employment screening of staff and contractors. Many current security professionals view themselves and their peers within this category and businesses are now starting to recognise the benefits that the role of the security professional brings to an organisation.
All too often security is perceived as a ‘grudge’ purchase rather than an integral part of a company’s strategy. This is due to misconceptions on the part of senior business decision makers combined with the fact that too few security professionals are able to present ideas in a way that is based upon a broader understanding of the business needs. It is this broader more holistic approach to work and business that sets the true security professional apart from the practitioners. There are key business practices, disciplines and knowledge bases that differentiate professionals:
Historic Perspective gives individuals a sense of the journey that has been made to reach this point in time. Understanding and appreciating the past informs decisions and allows learning to avoid repeating mistakes and to replicate
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© CI TY S ECURI TY MAGAZ INE – SUMMER 2014
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