Miscellaneous:
Simon
Edwardses in IT security, and how to identify them
by Simon Edwards
How to avoid confusing yourself and other people
Simon Edwards #1
I have been working as an IT journalist since 1995 and have specialised in computer security for the last few years. My job means that I routinely come into contact with security companies here in the UK and in the US.
Most of my career has been spent working for a publishing company called Dennis Publishing, at different times as a full-time member of staff, a freelance writer and even as a security consultant for the company's computer systems.
There is a very flattering article about me on Revolution magazine's website. I wouldn't say that I had quite such a pivotal role in developing Dennis Publishing's Internet presence, but I certainly worked there for a few years as the IT senior online editor.
The photo of me is new as of March 2005, and should help to differentiate me from the other Simons described here.
Dennis publishes magazine titles including Computer Shopper, PC Pro, Computer Buyer, Mac User and non-IT magazines such as Maxim and AutoExpress. If you read Sinclair User many years ago you might be interested to know that it was one of ours too.
Simon Edwards #2
I don't know exactly what the odds are that a number of people with exactly the same name should end up working in the same industry, but I cannot imagine it's very likely *. Imagine my surprise, then, when I began a journalistic relationship with the UK office of Internet Security Systems (ISS) only to discover that it housed a pre-sales consultant called Simon Edwards.
Some time later there was a chance that I might actually work for ISS. It didn't happen in the end, but we did discuss what e-mail address I should use as clearly simon.edwards@... had already been taken.
I kept bumping into the ISS Simon Edwards at various conferences until he left the company to work at Toplayer, after which time I lost track of him. Since then I have had dealings with other security companies as a journalist, and on one memorable occasion an 'astute' PR person thought that I was the ISS Simon Edwards and become very suspicious about my motives for chatting to senior execs in the pub.
UPDATE: I attended Infosec 2003 in London. And there he was, large as life and now working for GuardedNet. After catching up with each others' news we went hunting for another security Simon Edwards who was rumoured to be in the vicinity. See Simon Edwards #4 below!
Simon Edwards #3
There
is another Simon Edwards that I have not had any contact with but who crops up
on Google pretty often. This Simon is the author of the Linux firewall
configuration utility called
Guarddog, and who has a Web site called www.simonzone.com.
Simon Edwards #4
During a quick visit to Infosec 2003 I bumped into Simon Edwards #2, who was sitting on the GuardedNet stand. This stand was opposite the Vistorm stand. It turns out that Vistorm employs a pre-sales consultant called (you guessed it) Simon Edwards. We went over to see him, but he was at lunch. Shortly after, however, I received an e-mail from this new Simon.
He started off by saying, "You may have guessed my name is also Simon Edwards and you're right. I work in Internet security in the UK as well!!" It turns out that he's been working for Vistorm for around three and a half years (as of April 2003) and before that he was an engineer at now defunct integrator Compass Solutions.
Any more?
If you are an IT security Simon Edwards and have been missed off this list please let me know and I'll add you. This page has already attracted the attention of Simon Edwards #2 and #4, both of whom have contacted me using the e-mail address simon_edwards@(thisdomain).
First published on www.transceiver.co.uk, January 2003.
The above article is © Simon Edwards 2002. This article may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form in whole or in part without the written consent of the author.