November 28, 2009
From the Western Australian branch of the Australian Computer Society; they are launching two new “Centres of Excellence”. Information here. Information supplied by Philip Argy. Thank you to the ACS for passing this to us. We look forward to hearing more about this initiative.
———————————————————————————————-
Securus Global: IT Security, Penetration Testing, Security Assessments, PCI Compliance, Product Assurance, QualysGuard, Security Strategy, Vulnerability Assessment.
An “ACS Centre of Excellence” ?
Talk about an oxymoron !
The ACS looks like they want to be more open with the community through this forum so before bringing up already discussed issues and old flames, give them a go with information to be provided and focus on the topics at hand.
Can the ACS provide more information on what it is they are trying to accomplish?
The ACS appear to be using PR to soften their highly tarnished image.
Similarly, outlaw motorcycle gangs do kiddies xmas charity toy runs, every year. It’s great PR, and diverts the public’s attention away from what the gangs represent, for the 364 remaining days of the year.
No-one is saying that the ACS are an outlaw motorcycle gang. But the PR tactic they’re adopting is an old one.
If we are to believe the ACS is moving with the times & softening it’s stance, where have been the public retractions by their CEO of their highly imflammatory & misleading comments that caused the stir, such as;
“(the ACS is) the guardian of professional ethics and standards in the ICT sector” ?
In the absence of such as retraction, what is is clear, is that while the ACS PR attempts to spin it’s way out of the mire in which it finds itself, the old culture remains.
ACS: Retract those statements, or forever stand condemmned by the IT sector as pious, self-serving and irrelevant.
Not from WA so I couldn’t comment but I’ve heard nothing but good things about ECU. I’d be interested to discover the other centres for other states….
the who?
The one sided discussions here make me wonder where the ACS members are. Are there none in the infosec field? Only Philip Argy is holding the torch. Are members not allowed to talk about the organisation? It is hard to warm to this organisation with no one arguing the case for the benefits of joining. I wonder if all the negative information is not just limited to a few but to the majority of the IT field.
Fair point and maybe one Phil may answer.
It’s not just here. The arguments and lack of ACS support are the same across the Net everytime the ACS is mentioned. I’ve opened up this forum to the ACS to present whatever they like to those in the industry who read this blog. They can contact me at anytime and I will post their stuff and point of view.
Up to the ACS exec and members if they want to respond. I hope they don’t think it beneath them to get into these discussions. I think given the perception of the ACS by the broader IT industry, they would be doing themselves a disservice taking that stance.
DD
After the barrage of criticism about the ACS being pious and sanctimonious, here we have proof of the sentiment – in the form of the ACS’ self-titled, “Centres of Excellence”.
Now, any mob going around claiming themselves to be “Centres of Excellence” from the very start of it’s existence and without so much as a run on the board – is – to use the aussie vernacular – fair up themselves.
Ask yourself: When thinking of the term “Excellence” in reference to a place of higher learning, what do you immediately cast your mind to ? Harvard ? Cambridge? Yale ? Sydney Uni, even ?
Yep, these are undisputed kings in the higher learning world, places where one very much doubts the term, “Centre of Excellence” bandied about too much. There’s no need to. Because, quite simply, they are.
Your Harvards, Yales, Cambridges & Sydney Uni’s have *EARNED* their reputation over many years. I doubt that when Harvard first opened for business, they saw the need to use that grossly ugly term, “Centre of Excellence” to promote itself.
ACS: Actions speak louder than words. A little humility might go a long way to helping your cause.