When Mano Paul of (ISC)2 discusses today's top application security challenges, he draws an analogy with sharks. And what he views as the skills needed to tackle today's top threats might surprise you.

Discussing Verizon's new report on the state of PCI compliance, PCI expert Jen Mack says payment card security today is "disappointing," and global merchants are at serious risk of new data breaches.

The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks struck the U.S., but the impact and lessons affected the world and the entire information security profession, says Rolf von Roessing, past international vice president of ISACA.

Frequent face-to-face training on social media policies is a vital component of any risk management effort, says consultant Erika Del Giudice.

Careers in IT security remain hot, says David Foote, noted researcher and analyst of IT workforce trends. But there's a disconnect between current job opportunities and the talent pool looking to fill them.

Facial recognition technology could prove to be an effective way to authenticate individuals seeking entry to secured buildings or databases storing sensitive information. But the biometric technology already is being abused, and IT security managers employing facial recognition should be careful to encrypt the biometric data, cautions a privacy rights leader.

ICBA's Chris Lorence says all financial institutions, especially community banks, should appreciate the positive and negative effects posts on social-networking sites can have on their reputations.

Give a man a fish, you feed him for today, the proverb says. Teach a man to fish; and you feed him for a lifetime. That adage can be applied to information security, as well.

When it comes to social media, organizations have to be vigilant and consistent with risk assessments that closely monitor and evaluate emerging threats, says Andrew Kennedy of BITS.

Yahoo's Justin Somaini believes his fellow CISOs in business and government do a good job keeping their bosses informed of proper information security practices, but could do better in educating the rank and file about them.