A year in review: The most important security stories of 2009

This is an excellent article by Leischen Stelter with Security Director News. A year in review: The most important security stories of 2009

By Leischen Stelter -

YARMOUTH, Maine—As we approach the beginning of a new year, it’s important to stop for a moment and evaluate what happened over the course of the year. What were some of the biggest issues facing security professionals this year? What can we learn from them and how do we move forward into a new year? A theme that resonated throughout 2009 was money, or rather, the lack of it. It was a tough financial year for most organizations and, unfortunately, when it comes to reducing expenditures, security is often on the slashing end. In a continuing trend from 2008, reports indicated that more than 50 percent of security practitioners experienced budget cuts due to the current economic crisis. But despite these budgetary cuts and economic hardship, it was also reported that the salaries of security professionals continued to rise in 2009, with the average compensation up 2 percent from 2008. And while most security professionals indicated an increased need for security due to economic conditions, the FBI reported a significant drop in violent crime and theft in most parts of the country for the first half of 2009.  And not all sectors fared equally in 2009. Read the full story here