The IT industry is both in the news every day and invisible at the same time. How can that be? We’re being talked about in the media, by local government officials, and federal ones too. Insurance companies are making decisions about how networks should be secured. But no one is talking to us, because until now we have been invisible as an industry of professionals.
Use our legislative tools and train up on how to interact with them
National Society of IT Service Providers have started to make introductions to their local and federal legislative representatives and have found that one of the first things that happens is akin to astonishment. They didn’t know that there was anyone to call upon. Government only works with participation and our industry can only work if we have input to proposed regulation.
- State Representive contact list
- Know your legislator handbook
- Instructional video’s for self-representation
These are all available now and more are coming. Join now to get involved.
Follow the Governance committee and help make your qualifications more visible
The second question, they ask, is what makes you qualified? And here they aren’t looking for your years of experience. Most of them are lawyers, so they are looking for your affiliation, certification, degree or continuing education documentation.
- Badging
- Public profiles
- Corporate and individual membership
There is resistance to this idea, and we don’t want to do anything that would prevent a person of talent and desire from hanging out their shingle. But there also needs to be well defined career path and method for the consumer to understand more clearly who it is they are hiring.
Industry representation
The insurance industry is headed down a path of determining risk by auditing business cyber security. Currently, it’s ever-increasingly complex forms, but soon it’ll be a tool that continuously audits the network. Does our industry want this? Where is our voice?
At the Federal level, CISA, has invited NSITSP to participate in several committees. We’ll be appointing members to those committees, because we never again want to see messaging to small business on how to protect themselves from an MSP. We do want common sense assistance and clear cyber security messaging. We know our members are the best suited to make this happen.
We have to keep an eye on areas outside of IT and make sure that we’re represented wherever we are being talked about and decisions are being made. NSITSP is positioning itself to be part of the solution and represent the industry.
Media visibility
Why is it that when the media writes an article or does a local news story that they always talk to the same people? It’s because they don’t know you. We have public relations and media training available so your local news will contact you and you’ll be ready to deliver the boots on the ground perspective that they desire.
Get involved
Have a listen to our most recent public quarterly meeting. Then be sure to join as an individual or as a company. Once you’ve joined, you are welcome to attend any committee meeting, participate in our forums and attend member-only training sessions and webinars.
Are you reading this but aren’t yet a member of the National Society of IT Service Providers? Please join us today. Together we can move this industry toward more professionalism and be in all the places where people are making decisions about our future.