The Open Security Exchange (OSE), a cross-industry forum dedicated to merging physical and IT security solutions across an enterprise, today announced that William Plante, senior director of corporate security and brand protection, Worldwide Operations at Symantec Corporation has joined the OSE Convergence Council. Plante joins the four initial members of the Council: Michael Butler of the Defense Manpower Data Center, Adam Stanislaus of First Data Corporation, James Connor (formerly of PeopleSoft) and Jon Hodgdon of Procter & Gamble.
In collaboration with OSE Advisory Members, the Convergence Council defines strategic direction for the Exchange by acting as advocates for the end-user community. The Council's most important contribution is to ensure that OSE initiatives reflect the needs of corporate security officers, and that its deliverables are directly usable by physical and IT security professionals. The initial meeting of the Convergence Council, held in February, defined three key areas of focus:
1. The OSE should become a "knowledge broker" in the area of IT and physical security convergence.
2. There is a need to simplify the credentialing and de-provisioning of a combined physical and IT credential.
3. There is a need to synchronize the multiple "people systems" (i.e., individual databases used for human resources, physical security, and IT) used in enterprise and government today.
"I am very pleased to participate on the Open Security Exchange's Convergence Council," says Plante. "The OSE's efforts to identify IT security and physical security convergence opportunities fall very much in alignment with Symantec's desire to promote a holistic view for organizational risk and security management. The convergence of physical and IT security technology is a natural progression towards a rational and practical security program. The OSE will also raise the level of awareness among enterprises about how important a role the convergence of technology has in today's IT infrastructure protection."
The Convergence Council will meet throughout the year to provide input and monitor OSE's progress pertaining to suggested initiatives.
"The initial meeting of the Convergence Council was extremely enlightening," says Laurie Aaron, Vice-Chair of the Open Security Exchange and board supervisor for the Convergence Council. "The knowledge base that we are able to tap into provides strong guidance for future OSE deliverables. The Convergence Council members who have offered this organization the benefit of their professional experience and knowledge are some of the most intelligent, motivated and sincerely involved individuals I have ever had the pleasure to work with."
Security professionals of all backgrounds, including IT, physical, investigative and operational, are invited to apply to become Convergence Council members. More information about the Convergence Council, including applications for participation, may be obtained by sending an inquiry to [email protected] g.
