As a creative director I have had tons of interactive portfolios come across my screen over the years and I see the same problem over and over again. Unfortunately most of this work has been produced in Macromedia Flash and that technology has taken a huge amount of criticism over the years. I personally believe that pointing to Flash as the reason for ineffective web design makes about as much sense as blaming paper for creating junk mail or the telephone for creating the solicitors who call during dinner. The fault should fall to the designers who have not taken the time to use a creative strategy as the basis of their work.

A good on-line creative strategy should define the values and brand attributes that need to be communicated to the consumer in a distinctive and compelling way that takes advantage of the medium. I use answers to the following list of questions as a starting point when I meet with a new client or start on a new project.

What are we advertising and why?

When you meet with your client about a new project, get a thorough understanding of the focus of the communications efforts such as: the brand, a specific product or service, a promotion or new news. Make sure you understand their reasons for wanting to be on-line. Often the rationale clients provide are expressed as marketing objectives not as communications objectives. Communications change the way people think and influence their behaviors. That is the difference between a marketing objective and a communications objective. What is it they are trying to achieve? Increase market share? Drive awareness? Increases frequency or penetration? Increase sales? Focus on uncovering the single most important obstacle the communications must overcome.

What is the brands communication past?

Get a clear understanding of where the brand has come from and where it is now is critical to determining where the brand needs to go. Look at the brands past advertising to gain a solid understanding of the it’s positioning, personality and focus. Research if the target of the brand’s activities have shifted and why. What are the reasons for this change?

What do we need to do?

It is a simple as it sounds. What are the deliverables that need to be created to fulfill the clients marketing and communications needs?

Who are we talking to? (Demographics)

What are the physical characteristics of your clients market? Your client should be able to provide you with some statistics that provide a snapshot of the consumer you will target with the creative work. Common demographics include: age, gender, religion, income level, education, and family composition.

Who are we talking to? (Psychographics)

What are the mental characteristics of your clients market? Your client should again be able to provide you with some information that provides a snapshot of the consumer’s mindset regarding: their personal values, their beliefs, their habits and their activities. Psychographics are often more powerful influences upon how a consumer views your clients category, brand or product as attributes often affect behavior, and attitudes typically cross age groups. Take time to know your consumer so your creative will be more impactful.

What is the personality and tone?

A brand’s personality should be a reflection it’s behavior, character, and manner. This personality should drive the style and tone of all our communications in writing, photos/illustrations, typography and style.

What is the selling idea?

The selling idea is a way of saying the most persuasive thing you can say to get consumers to alter their behavior towards a client’s category, brand or product. The selling idea should be the starting point for the development any compelling, original, and successful creative ideas. The selling idea can be about: ways of using the product, disadvantages of not using the product, satisfying needs (physical, social, psychological, new ways), product heritage / where or how it was made or generic benefit you want to own.

What do we want the consumer to do?

With any advertising you want to be able to evoke and emotion or action. What is the emotion you want them have? How should they feel about the brand? What do you want them to do?

Conclusion

This list is just a starting point. To create a great strategy you have to be able to distill and refine the answers to get at the insights and core brand attributes. The more accurate and concise you are able to become the better your ideas will be. I also recommend if possible to share your answers and thinking with a team of your peers or co-workers because the more people thinking about a project, the more new ideas can be generated.

The threat level for computer networks is high. That’s why Cyber Security professionals are in high demand.

What is Cyber Security?

You could say that modern cyber security was born on December 31, 1999.

Remember the Y2K bug? Before New Year’s Eve 1999, there was a fear that a software glitch would cause programs and networks everywhere to crash when the year changed to 2000. The worst-case scenarios included ATM and banking systems going down, air traffic control systems being disabled, and the flow of goods and services being disrupted.

Of course, in this case, the worst case didn’t come true.

This was certainly not the first time that cyber security was an issue. But the widespread media attention and publicity brought the issue of the vulnerability of computer networks to the attention of many people who had never thought about the issue before. People began to worry: What if computer networks go down? What will happen?

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Cyber Security Threats

When contemplating the issue of cyber security, or network security as it could also be called, there is one inherent problem. Computer networks and tech infrastructure are never 100% secure. The power of the Internet and other networks is their open structure. They can be accessed at many points, built and expanded upon, and used by many people. But this also makes them vulnerable.

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 were another unfortunate milestone in the history of cyber security. People began contemplating what an individual or a group trying to harm to the United States economy might go after. One of the obvious answers was: the computer networks that drive so much of the country’s economy.

On top of large-scale events such as the Y2K bug and 9/11, there are, of course, the everyday security concerns that almost anyone with a PC faces. Worms, viruses, and other agents that attack personal computers have been a threat since the beginning of network computing and have only become more so as the size and scope of computer networks has grown.

The growing field of cyber security is about managing the risk inherent in vulnerable computer systems.

Training and Education

In the beginning of the computer industry, many people specializing in cyber security or network security were self-taught. But now that these issues have come to the attention of a wider public ? including business and government ? academic degree and training programs in cyber security and network security are available from many colleges, universities, and other academic institutions.

Degree and training programs in cyber security vary widely in their length and scope. Some certificate programs and associate’s degree programs might last a matter of months or up to two years. Whereas, bachelor’s degree programs or master’s degree programs can last up to four years. In the case of a bachelor’s degree at a four-year college, a focus in cyber security or network security might be combined or come under the umbrella of another degree program such as a bachelor’s degree in computer science or information science.

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In almost any academic program in cyber security, basic classes would cover topics such as how to build and maintain a network, training in Linux and Windows networks, basic computer programming, network protocols, network intrusion detection, and local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs). Courses in criminal justice, ethics, political science, history, and business are also sometimes included in network security and cyber security curricula.

Certifications

Specific certifications in the Internet security and cyber security fields abound. Some are brand specific and qualify the individual to work on hardware or software made by a particular company. Others, known as ?vendor neutral? certifications, show a general proficiency in the field.

One of the best known certification groups is the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, (ISC²). This group sponsors several certifications that are well respected in the industry including the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and the Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP). Other organizations offering certification include the SysAdmin, Audit, Network, Security (SANS) organization and CompTIA. While no certification is required for employment in any job, certification can be a good indicator for an employer of a candidate’s experience and focus in the field. Many academic programs incorporate certification preparation into their curricula.

Careers

Virtually every company of any size that operates a computer network (such as for company e-mail or a company intranet) has a designated network or cyber security expert. Titles may vary, but look for names like network security specialist, network administrator, information security technician, and so on. At larger companies, network or cyber security experts might work on a project by project basis and take a specific role in the development of new products, services, and systems.

The role of the cyber security expert can take many forms, but it essentially boils down to protecting sensitive data and managing access to resources and networks. This might include protecting customer data, such as credit card numbers, or protecting employee data, such as health care records. It also might include preventing intrusions and criminal activity over the company’s networks.

While cyber security has played a large role in the banking industry and other large corporate transactional businesses for some time, even small companies are facing cyber security issues today. With the advent of e-commerce, network security has taken on an even larger role as financial transactions and personal information such as credit card numbers are passed along computer networks with even greater frequency. Cyber security is also an important function inside companies, as employee data must be kept private and confidential according to the law.

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As mentioned above, the September 11 attacks gave a new urgency to the problem of cyber security, and the federal government has stepped up its efforts at directing cyber security research and monitoring. In 2003, the Department of Homeland Security created its own cyber security division, US CERT (United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team). This agency is responsible for coordinating the government response to cyber attacks and also serves as a national clearinghouse of cyber security information. The Department of Homeland Security is now one of the government’s largest employers, and many career opportunities have opened up in cyber security and related fields as a result.

One of the more exciting segments of the cyber security field is cyber forensics and investigation. Experts in this field investigate cyber crime and attacks after they happen and attempt to track down the perpetrators. Local law enforcement agencies and Federal agencies such as the FBI all employ cyber security professionals in this capacity.

Sometimes, as in many tech businesses, cyber security professionals might work as independent contractors, hired by companies when they are designing a new system or have had some kind of cyber crime committed against them. This system, while giving flexibility, also requires business savvy on the part of the employee to manage clients and continually look for work.

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that job growth for system administrators (a loose term including cyber security experts) will see some of the fastest growth among all professions, growing at a rate of approximately 25% until 2014.

Ongoing Growth

The awareness of the cyber security threat continues to grow and the importance of cyber security to corporations, government, and private individuals continues to increase. Privacy is an important concern in American life and the protection of data has become a key issue. With concerns over identity theft and other similar cyber crimes, public focus remains intense on the cyber security field.

The ongoing struggle against terrorism and the quest for emergency preparedness and disaster preparedness puts a continued urgency into the cyber security field as well. Corporations are also facing new scrutiny in how they handle their data in the wake of corporate scandals. In short, the cyber security field is growing, and those with the proper training and experience will find plenty of opportunities.