The Time Has Come to Acknowledge Security as a Profession
ERNEST J. CRISCUOLI · The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science · 1988
Despite the importance of private security in today's world, security has yet to become widely accepted as the complex and demanding profession it really is. The successful practice of security requires extensive specialized knowledge as well as a full range of general managerial skills. The field has witnessed much progress in the last decade toward codification of its body of knowledge, development of formal academic programs, and establishment of professional certification programs. The two biggest obstacles to acceptance as a profession are erroneous public perceptions of the field and the lack of a structured prerequisite to practice. Both of these obstacles are being addressed by the industry's leading association and others in the field.