Peer Respect

In the network forensics/network traffic analysis community, peer respect is huge. The community is, in essence, a large and open meritocracy, and its members are particularly respectful of analytical ability, new insights, and fresh thinking. When an analyst proves his or her merit, he or she gains a tremendous amount of respect from the community and is invited into a trusted circle. Trust is everything in this profession. We trust our peers with information that could cause us and our organizations grave damage if it fell into the wrong hands. What do I value most in my professional life? The trust and respect of my peers.