Bruno Kerouanton

Today, I was supervising a CISSP exam. This time, it wasn’t usual since it took place in a United Nation’s base. I was at the same time happy to see that they cared about this exam and IT security in general, and very impressed by their jobs, the usefulness of it, the sacrifice of part fo their live, the intensity of their missions.

Certifying a security consultant is nice. Certifying a senior IT manager that has got the immense charge of ensuring IT capabilities for UN in places such Irak is great, and it can only leave a bizarre feeling of astonishement and satisfaction.

This day was not a normal day. Even after a full day traveling, 1 train and 2 planes, I couldn’t sleep much, and since I was awake I managed to read the excellent novel “Salmon fishing in Yemen” I bought in Geneva airport. I hadn’t a clue I was going to meet some guys whose lives are even more intense that those described in the novel, the next morning.

When I came into the breakfast room, I stared with amazement the t-shirts of most people having breakfast : helicopter teams fighting fire forests, demining staff in lost parts of the thirld world, and so on… This feeling is still the same for me, as I am still in the base writing this blog posting, and that the exam ended 1 hour ago.

What intense lives they have… No (or at least minimalist) family lives, great dangers… All for saving people, helping the world from collapsing into desolation. After a day amongst those peacekeeping warriors, all I can feel is that my CSO role of a canton in Switzerland is nearly flat! But as I have a family to maintain and take care, well…

Tomorrow I’m flying back : 2 planes, 1 train, back to work for 3 hours, 1 train and 1 final plane to be on the evening in the Assises de la Securite in Monaco. What a day ! But I like it, I bet you guessed why.

I’m now leaving the base and will do some tourist stuff