Best Pieces of Security Content in 2021

Last year I inaugurated a list of the 12 Best Pieces of Security Content. To match the current year, I’m expanding the list to 21 winners. Here goes.

  1. Best LinkedIn Campaign: Social Wednesday with Evolutz by Suzanna Alsayed. We get to see security leaders such as Matthew Porcelli, Chuck Harold, and Miranda Coppoolse show their personal side in a fun game of 12 Questions

  2. Most Interesting New Media for Security Content: The Clubhouse app is teeming with great discussions on everything from security operations centers to working with integrators, especially via Physical Security Today, Josh Phillips, and Matthew Dimmick.

  3. Most Beneficial New Security Initiative: The Kindness Games shows that you can operate more effectively as a empathetic leader than as a martinet.

  4. Best Industry Predictions for 2022: International Security Journal pulls together the thoughts of 25 security leaders and bundles them into a compelling narrative. And, yes, busted, I’m in it.

  5. Best Continuing Security Research: The ASIS Foundation continues to fund valuable research for the profession, including ones this year on AI in security and gathering intelligence through social media.

  6. Best Blog Post: Brivo CEO Steve Van Till pulls the curtains back on so-called touchless and frictionless access control in his piece, “Have You Been Duped By Touchless Access Control?”

  7. Best Interactive Game: The Insider Risk Business Game, designed by insider risk firm Signpost Six, puts you in the position of identifying and ferreting out a potentially devastating insider threat.

  8. Most Intriguing New Service: Bond bills itself as an app-based service that you use when you feel uneasy or threatened, but before you call 9-11. Video advisors, bodyguards, and secure cars are one click away. Will it catch on?

  9. Best E-Newsletter: iThreat’s Insider Signal Newsletter provides analysis of a broad range of insider attacks, from fraud and espionage to violence and ransomware attacks. Full disclosure: I work on it.

  10. Best One-Time Webinar: The Consumer Technology Associations delivers “Combating Deepfakes” with experts from Dolby and Adobe.

  11. Best Webinar Series: If The OSPAs hasn’t covered the issue in its Tuesday/Thursday webinar series, it probably doesn’t exist. Masterfully helmed by Martin Gill, who always invites pertinent and knowledgeable guests.

  12. Best Virtual Networking: The Security Industry Association’s SIAThere brings in new faces for low-key chats, trivia and prizes, and relief from Covid worries.

  13. Best Virtual Conference Series: Corporate Security Modernization, emceed by Phelim Rowe, alights virtually in different parts of the world to discuss relevant regional and global issues. Titans such as Chuck Tobin and Joe Olivarez appear regularly.

  14. Best Industry Report: SIA’s Megatrends continues to lay out the crucial themes that lie ahead.

  15. Best Feature Article: In “Open Secrets” in the July/August issue of Security Management, security risk analyst Mark Ashford hits the bullseye on the importance of developing in-house OSINT collection and analysis capabilities.

  16. Best Magazine Redesign: Sticking with Security Management here. The wider, easier-to-read, and more colorful layout somewhat compensates for the pring magazine dropping to only 6 issues a year.

  17. Most Useful Column: Jerry Brennan never fails to provide actionable advice in his monthly Career Intelligence column in Security magazine (coauthored with Joanne R. Pollock since May).

  18. Most Groundbreaking Report: In  The Future of Disinformation Operations and the Coming War on Brands, the Network Contagion Research Institute sounds the alarm on the surging threat of disinformation on corporate reputation. (Again, I participated.)

  19. Best Live Security Event: This is a toss-up, because I attended both GSX and ISC West. Both had high-quality attendees and discussion, but reduced exhibit space and foot traffic. Based on the rapturous word of mouth, the nod goes instead to the IPSB’s 2021 Close Protection Conference in Las Vegas.

  20. Best Guerilla Book Marketing: I haven’t read it, but I see it everywhere, and I hear good things: Carlos Francisco’s So, You Want to Get Into Corporate Security? Notice served.

  21. Best Tweets: Following Alfredo Yuncoza alone would cover my needs for security information. His tweets are germane, frequent, fascinating, and in Spanish.

    AND A BONUS FOR A BETTER 2022

  22. Best Podcaster: Chuck Harold. Like Corn Flakes, the Original and Best.

Michael Gips