It is with great pleasure that I announce the availability of The Pragmatic CSO: 12 Steps to Being a Security Master. It's been an interesting process and I learned a lot. I'm sure you will be pleased with the outcome.

So, what now? Go back to www.pragmaticcso.com [1] and check out the new site. You can buy the book RIGHT NOW, by navigating down the page a bit and clicking on the "BUY NOW" button. It'll cost you $97 and there are some volume discounts for those that want to "gift" the P-CSO to friends and colleagues.

The first 100 customers will get a limited edition Pragmatic CSO poster to hang on their wall. It's kind of like having a devil (or angel) riding on your shoulder at all times to keep you on the straight and narrow.

For the next day or so, you'll need to process the payment through PayPal (you can still use your credit card) as I work through the nuances of merchant accounts and shopping carts. Told you I learned a lot.

If you aren't ready to buy yet, you can check out the introduction. That will give you a flavor of the content and writing style. You'll also get to see the 12-steps in all their glory. You'll need to opt in on the web site and you'll get an email with the download information. You'll also get "5 tips on being a Better CSO" for your trouble.

I had a number of folks review the manuscript, and perhaps the most interesting tidbit of feedback was that the P-CSO is bigger than the CSO. Security and VoIP blogger Ken Camp told me that he thinks anyone that has to manage CSOs should read the book as well. So if you are a CSO great. If you manage a CSO, you should read it too.

And I know that a lot of my vendor and PR readers have been looking for some ways to do business. Well, now you have it - and it's pretty cheap. So even if you aren't an end-user type - maybe you know some that would appreciate the book (it's a great gift). Or maybe you like the Daily Incite and want to make sure I can pay the bills to keep writing it. Either way, I appreciate the business.

So what's next? The Pragmatic CSO community will launch in February. Not only will there be templates and forums focused on the book, but at long last I'll be publishing some Security Incite research for subscribers. I'll also be doing interviews and vendor "hot seat" podcasts on the site each month as well.

And yes, there is more. With a purchase of the book, you get a 30-day trial in the community (value: $97). So basically you are getting the book for free. So watch this space. It'll be a busy January, but I'm excited about what's next for the Pragmatic CSO.

Finally, I couldn't do much of anything without all of you that read my stuff every day. Thanks for that, and I am looking forward to your feedback on the book.

Let's make 2007 the year of the Pragmatic CSO!