Applied Knowledge

Does Twitter Fit In the Security Industry?

September 8th, 2013 · 3:13 pm @   - 

Like it or not, Twitter seems to be here to stay and the question is, what can Twitter do for us?

Since I started Stone Security Engineering in 2008, I have been convinced that there is a place for Twitter in our business, but I have not found the right fit. At least, I thought I hadn’t.

However, as I sat on my couch last night – obsessively watching my twitter feed to find out what was happening in Heart, Afghanistan (where the US Consulate was under an ongoing attack) – it occurred to me that THIS was what Twitter can do in our industry.

Live updates on what is happening around the world, in real time, from real people.

While much of it should be taken with a grain of salt since observers on the ground (or on roof-tops as was the case last night) often cannot see the whole picture and may not have enough information to properly assess what they are witnessing, it is still incredibly useful and informative. I was getting information long before the news agencies were able to post reports (except for the ones that were simply posting the twitter messages I had seen 10 or 15 minutes before) and I was getting an understanding of what it felt like to be there, something that is often lost in the more refined articles that appear on news agencies websites. As someone who is not only in the security business, but also has friends and loved ones in high threat areas, I find this to be very valuable.

So I will continue to stay glued to my iPhone, getting current news 140 characters at a time – and you might want to try it too.