The security community learns how to schmooze like the mainstream

Computerworld - PHILADELPHIA -- The CERT Coordination Center at Carnegie Mellon University here has long had the ear of Congress in matters of computer information security, but last Wednesday was a first in terms of CERT's politicking -- it held a good old-fashion cocktail party at a national convention.

Often thought of as the domain of lobbyists and spin doctors, CERT served up to 200 lawmakers, delegates and business leaders on a second-floor conference room of the PNC Bank. Many of those in attendance had to make their way through the police barricades on the streets of Philadelphia in response to demonstrations sparked by the Republican National Convention.

"With all the national and international parties held during these reception hours, a turn-out like this is pretty good," said Ron Plesco, who turned down a Pennsylvania Delegation reception to attend the CERT event.

Plesco, director of policy for the Pennsylvania State Police, said that by showing up at high-profile political events like these, CERT is helping to further galvanize private/public cooperation over the volatile realm of information security. And it also goes far to help CERT raise much-needed grant funding to launch new programs like Carnegie Mellon's Institute for Survivable Systems and National Cyber Forensics Training Center

Not to be left out of this political back-scratching game is the Pittsburg Regional Alliance (PRA) -- think of it as a statewide consortium of chambers of commerce. The PRA is actively pushing Pennsylvania cities as high-tech growth corridors, so by co-hosting several tech parties during the convention, the PRA is getting the exposure it needs to promote the area as a technical hotbed to both lawmakers and prospective technology companies, says PRA representative Dominique Argento.

CERT Director Rich Pethia said the main reason for accepting the PRA's invitation to co-host the reception coinciding with the Republican convention was to raise awareness among influential members of government who CERT normally doesn't reach.

Pethia said he was encouraged by the turnout, and and by the level of sophistication he perceived among attendees, including the state attorney general, FBI members and business people.

"They weren't just asking surface-level questions. They asked for our perceptions of some of the issues with respect to Internet security, the need for international cooperation, and the relationship between security and privacy," Pethia explained.

During the reception, Pethia gave a short presentation that covered the history of digitization, digital signature legislation and privacy.

"I think we got the [political] exposure we wanted," said Pethia, who added that CERT won't attend the Democratic NationalConvention in Los Angeles from Aug. 14 to 17 because the group wasn't invited. "What I was encouraged with is, if this was party time, when the talking started nobody left," Pethia said.