focuses

Today's state of insecurity

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 07:00:00 -0400

It was quite a surprise to read that the personal information of 1,200 eBay users was posted online this week. Luckily, as you'll read in our first story, it looks like there was no security breach of the network and it appears that the exposed credit card numbers were not valid. Still, it focuses our attention on the large number of hackers who are out there, waiting and ready to pounce on our data.

I had the opportunity this week to meet with Michael Barrett, the CISO of PayPal, which is now owned by eBay. We talked a bit about the state of security in general and discussed how he and other C-level executives, including the CIO, collaborate at PayPal. I have to say, he has a pretty realistic view. He noted--much to the dismay of his PR reps--that no enterprise can ever be fully risk free, but went on to add that none of us live risk free lives either. The question really is, how much is the right amount of risk to absorb, and what do you have to do to get to that acceptable level of risk? A fortress mentality--the idea that you can keep the bad guys away by building walls and trenches around the enterprise--will not, by itself, help you understand risk or get your organization to that level. What is needed is a culture of security in which people throughout the enterprise have a common understanding of what constitutes risky behavior, and then apply security measures accordingly, as they develop new business processes and collaboration links within and between their enterprises.

In this issue, I also link to an interesting interview with a convicted hacker. In his words: breaking into computers at telecom companies was "so easy a caveman could do it." This 23-year old begins his two-year sentence in federal prison today. Let me know what you think about the state of security--or insecurity-- in your network. -Patty

AMD Strengthens Ties to Transmeta with $7.5M

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 20:01:38 -0400

On Friday, Advanced Micro Devices said that it has pumped $7.5 million into chip designer Transmeta. AMD tapped Transmeta to help bring the AMD64 and HyperTransport technology offerings to market in 2006, and the company has already made plans to use Transmeta's energy-efficient designs in future chip sets. Upon the announcement, Transmeta shares rose 24 cents, or 34 percent, to 94 cents in late trading (remaining well below last year's $2 per share price). Shares of AMD rose 20 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $14.39. Transmeta has struggled to transition from being a chip designer and manufacturer to a company that focuses on licensing its technology to companies like AMD.

For more on AMD/Transmeta:
- read more in ComputerWorld. Article

Sometimes, listening beats talking

Sun, 20 May 2007 20:01:39 -0400

People feel valued when they believe that they have an impact or influence on their surroundings. You can accomplish that by simply listening to them, acting on the good ideas they have, and giving them credit. The first step is talking to those who will be affected by the decision, asking them what they think the problem is, how they would solve it, if your proposed solution addresses their concerns, and what's missing. But don't present your solution first and ask for their input. Try to lead them through a collaborative discussion that focuses on how they view the situation and what possible solutions might be. You can slowly work your solution into the conversation and get feedback. When you come up with needs that haven't been addressed, ask for input in modifying your proposal from those most affected and from those who will have to implement the change. Each time you do this, you will learn something new about the situation, and that can result in changes to your own plan that more completely addresses the problem.

Learn more about soliciting input:
- read the blog at InfoWorld

ALSO: read this about listening to junior employees

PLM reaches the midmarket

Wed, 02 May 2007 20:01:38 -0400

Product lifecycle management (PLM) software used to be thought of as an enterprise play, but not anymore. Today, the midmarket accounts for about 45 percent of PLM software sold annually. PLM, which allows companies to manage and support the information surrounding their various products and parts, includes XML or enterprise application integration; core functions like data vaults, document and content management, workflow and program management, and information authoring tools and functional applications. It is becoming more popular in companies of all sizes due to the expansion of outsourcing and contract manufacturing overseas, an increase in mergers and acquisitions, and the amount of regulatory and compliance laws. PLM offers companies the chance to enable company-wide collaboration to create whatever products are in play. Unlike ERP, which focuses on transactional business operations and manages financial or inventory data, PLM focuses on products and is designed to handle the changing, unstructured data associated with product design. But quantifying ROI can be tricky. Vendors include Omnify Software, Agile Software, Enovia MatrixOne and Arena Solutions.

Learn more about the value of PLM:
- read the article at CIO Decisions

ALSO: read this on why PLM software is close, but not perfect

The third wave of IT

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 20:01:39 -0400

IT is entering the third stage in its evolution, after first focusing on programmatic and managed processes like general ledge and ERP, and then on predicting what is about to happen through processes like budgeting, business intelligence and spreadsheet analysis. The current phase of evolution focuses on what is happening at this moment. This third wave is enabling people to collaborate more successfully while reducing cost and risk to these new initiatives. Third-generation systems are characterized by a bent toward problem-solving, and the systems that support these processes must work over a variety of protocols to acquire and combine the information people need to support transformational problem-solving. The focus of value is the new class of problems we can solve, the problems of transforming the business to meet and sometimes drive market changes and create business value. It is all about combining expertise, information and technology to enable transformational activity.

Read more about the third wave of IT:
- read the column at ComputerWorld

The new CIO: executor and strategist

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 20:01:39 -0400

CEOs today are getting the message: If your CIO isn't a top-notch innovator, executor and strategist and isn't part of the inner management circle, it's time to get a new CIO. The CIOs of today must understand business processes first and the latest technologies second. By working with key executives, CIOs should quickly pinpoint key strategic priorities that the organization must tackle and translate these strategic imperatives into a technology plan that rigorously focuses on ROI and streamlining the business rather than implementing a particular system. Examine your current initiatives and determine which dovetail with the CEO's vision.

Read more about staying in the trusted circle:
- read the article at Wisconsin Technology Network

ALSO:
- read this on whether it's the end of the line for CIOs
- this on going above and beyond what's expected
- this on the era of "New IT"
- this on whether CIOs know what's expected of them
- and this on the importance of trust and open-mindedness in CIOs

Innovation vs. Six Sigma

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 19:01:38 -0500

You can have your cake and eat it too. In other words, fostering innovation doesn't preclude deploying Six Sigma--a quality measurement and improvement program focusing on business process improvement. While Six Sigma was first applied in manufacturing, more and more service businesses and areas within corporations are using it. Six Sigma focuses on making companies' systems more efficient and productive, and has a very low tolerance for risk. That might seem at odds with innovation, but that's not the case. It's not advisable to launch both initiatives at the same time though: become grounded in one before attempting the other. To be effective with both, separate the efforts, communicate a compelling mission to employees, appoint one senior manager to oversee both efforts, and support both teams.

Learn more about combining innovation with Six Sigma:
- read the article at CIO Today

ALSO NOTED: Microsoft Word has a new vulnerability; Federal CIO Council weighs in;

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 19:01:38 -0500

> Microsoft Word 2000 security vulnerability exposed. Article

> Federal CIO Council focuses on building the IT workforce. Article

> Industry heavyweights in Europe charge Microsoft with illegal practices allegations. Article

> eBay's Skype pushes business-oriented features. Article

And finally… Viruses are still a serious threat, according to the U.K.'s CIO Jury IT user panel. Article

ALSO NOTED: New Burners-Lee project focuses on growing Web adoption; Feds nab international phishing gang; and much more...

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 19:01:33 -0500

> Sony to debut the lightest notebook ever. Article Photo

> New Burners-Lee project focuses on growing Web adoption. Article

> Feds nabs international phishing gang. Article

> Understanding what autonomic computing is. Article

> How the iPod has become the new corporate training tool. Article

> Air Force takes military strength into the cyberspace battle. Article

And Finally... A helicopter gets the vote out in remote Hawaii. Article

ALSO NOTED: Law enforcement focuses on HP investigative sources; How technology is making people look younger; and much more...

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 20:01:33 -0400

> Law enforcement focuses on HP investigative sources. Article

> How technology is making people look younger. Article

> 14 easy ways to batten down the PC fleet. Article

> Latest wireless auction raises nearly $14 billion in bids. Article

> Companies look to lay down "smart networks." Article

> Mozilla's latest Firefox version boasts better security. Article

> Social networking is the next corporate network. Article

And Finally... Examining the "follow the leader" mentality. Article