Chapter 13 – Emerging Technology

Given near-universal Web access and the wide use of blogs and social networking, can companies still keep their information secret? (p220).

The question came up because Barton discovered an employee of IVK had blogged about the outage. The staff member spread gossip that viruses or hackers were the source of IVK’s troubles. It was a touchy situation because Williams had given specific orders to keep quiet.

My personal take is that companies can limit their negative exposure from employee bloggers but not eliminate it. Many employees have not considered the ramifications of their actions on the Internet. Before the age of blogs, an employee did not have the virtual soap box that allowed their message to reach thousands.

To limit negative exposure, businesses should consider using an official employee policy. Ask their staff to agree to it as a condition of employment. The agreement should include network security guidelines, and explain their responsibility as representatives of the company.

Chapter 14 – Vendor Partnering

How important is “control” to a company like IVK when outsourcing IT?

The IT staff was instructed to find a new financial software vendor for IVK. The search led to a discussion about Software as a Service (SaS). IVK had considered using a vendor that hosted most of their data in the cloud. The IT staff was divided on whether it was wise to entrust a third party with their sensitive data.

I think the appropriate level of control is dependent on the company. Financial companies, such as banks, may be reluctant to allow anyone outside their business from handling their data. There are liability concerns, public reputations, and corporate espionage considerations. However it is may also be beneficial for other companies to consider using SaS solutions. Google has won a string of