http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/technology/26cyber.html
For my first blog of the semester I am going to comment on an article from the NYT's that is about a week old. The overview is that the Pentagon just confirmed that in 2008 a foreign intelligence agent in the Middle East used a thumb drive to infect DoD computers. The thumb drive installed malware that could and might have transferred sensitive data to Russia. Numerous computers were infected and at least one highly protected classified network was penetrated. It was so bad that the President at that time, George W. Bush, was briefed up on the situation.
In the military, as in business, information is power. The ability to send, share, and analyze data quickly is key to staying ahead of your adversaries or your competition. IT helps us to manage all this data and share it quickly with people who need to make decisions. The better your network systems are connected internally and externally the better your business or organization will function and the better your managers can make sound decisions.
The drawbacks to relying on very tightly connected IT systems are the issues of security and privacy. If hackers or competitors can install malware, viruses, or steal data from your systems then you lose the competitive edge and your "trade secrets" can be vulnerable to being compromised. Not only that but if your IT systems are infected and no longer function your entire business may be in jeopardy, especially if that is the medium by which you conduct a majority of your business. The military has realized the importance of IT security and has just formed its own US Cyber Command a few months back to bring many different agencies under one consolidated command in order to effectively combat cyber threats.
IT can help us run our businesses more efficiently and help us keep the competitive edge, but we have to ensure we have sufficient protections in place such as virus protection and limiting access to our systems by unauthorized personnel. If not, the technology that is so important to us and our business can be used by one single person, in an instant, to our competitor's advantage.
