The art and science of risk management

"Computers, networks, and information security seem to fall comfortably under the heading of science, but science alone is not enough. Security system developer Tripwire recently conducted a survey in cooperation with the Ponemon Institute to find out whether IT professionals consider risk management to be "science" or "art."

Ponemon surveyed 1,320 respondents across the United States and the United Kingdom: IT professionals working in information security, risk management, IT operations, business operations, and compliance. Participants were asked, "In your opinion, is information security risk management an 'art' or 'science'?"

Ponemon defined the two concepts for the purposes of the survey. "Science" means basing decisions on objective, quantifiable metrics and data. "Art" refers to analysis and decisions that are based on intuition, expertise, and a holistic view of the organization.

Two-thirds of those from IT and enterprise risk management or business operations sided with "art," while nearly two-thirds of the respondents who work in IT security and IT operations chose "science."

Tripwire CTO Dwayne Melancon weighed in with some thoughts on the results. His take is that those who work in business operations and risk management generally don't believe a precise answer is necessary in order to make a decision, so they favor art. Those who work in IT operations and security, on the other hand, view the world of risk management as a math problem with a specific answer, so they see it as a "science".

Melancon explains that the disparity between art and science is the crux of the problem when it comes to managing risk effectively. "People with these viewpoints are talking about the same thing, but they are using very different language, which can make it difficult to come to a mutually agreed point of view."

The simple reality is that risk management is both an art and a science. Computers are precision instruments that operate purely on ones and zeros. Computers--how they work, how they can be attacked, and how you manage risk and protect them--are devices that function based on science. But there is also a human factor--both in terms of the attackers and the victims--that adds an element of unpredictability, mixing intuition and art with the science.

Attackers are adept at exploiting the human factor to bypass security controls. Effective risk management depends on having the right tools in place--the science--while also having the big picture in mind, and understanding that the user is generally the weakest link in the security chain--the art."

http://www.itnews.com/it-management/62821/art-and-science-risk-management

At the company I work at sees risk management as an art. You can get basically any outcome what the top management wants to hear. Deloitte created an action plan for different stages of risk management implementation. At the first two levels you can get any outcomes eventually. I was shocked when I saw that but this is the truth.

Today's workers demand flexibility, mobility--and Facebook

"Three thousand people, Americans and Canadians aged 18 and up, were surveyed over an 18-month period that ended this April. The results paint an interesting picture of a rapidly evolving modern work force. 
The desire for unprecedented work flexibility is the key touchstone of the surveys. That flexibility is manifest in just about every facet of the work environment. Workers want to decide where they work (home, office, coffee shop), when they work ("9 to 5" is all but dead), and how they work (preferring to use their own equipment over corporate-issued machines). Already, 70 percent of workers say they work from an alternative location than the office on a regular basis, and 66 percent said they use or want to use a laptop or tablet to allow this kind of flexibility. "

http://www.itnews.com/business-issues/63362/todays-workers-demand-flexibility-mobility-and-facebook

My friend just got a job at NOKIA using Facebook as a job searching tool. I do not know he did it actually, but certainly will ask him.
To me using social media as a job searching tool is very unusual. I need more time until I adopt to them. But I agree that in a long run everybody has to face with the impact of the social media on the job search process either implicit or explicit. 

How to embed TED videos to your blog

You go on to TED.com and click on a video. It automatically starts buffering the video then you hit stop.

At the bottom left corner of the video you click on the button says: embed <>

. You will get the same pop-up window where you can set the size of the video on your blog and in the top row you can copy and paste the code to your blog. But be careful to switch from writing to HTML view and then you insert the code then switch back to writing again and keep doing what you were doing.

SAP expands reach of app store, looks to improve reviews

"You know you're not in iTunes anymore when the app you're eyeing has a US$1,050 price tag, but SAP is nonetheless expanding its online shopping experience in a bid to entice its customers to purchase enterprise software the way they shop on their smartphones.
The store now contains more than 2,000 applications from SAP and some 1,000 partners, the ERP vendor said Friday. The offerings include mobile, cloud-based and on-premises software. 
Other recent improvements include the ability to buy some partner applications using PayPal, new tools partners can use to build out storefronts and expanded geographic availability of the store to 26 countries. New additions include Belgium, Denmark, Hong Kong, Norway, the Philippines, Spain and Sweden, SAP said. 
Bazaarvoice's technology helps companies generate reviews, push them to partners' sites, and encourage customers to share them, according to its website. In January, however, the U.S. Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against Bazaarvoice over its acquisition of PowerReviews, saying the deal "substantially lessened competition in the market for product ratings and reviews platforms in the United States, resulting in higher prices and diminished innovation." 

http://www.itnews.com/cio-role/60002/sap-expands-reach-app-store-looks-improve-reviews

I warmly welcome the idea of launching an SAP app on the market. They have to keep up with the market change and hot trends. SAP using the app could tap a new flow of cash to the company. Inexpensive, flexible product feeling can reach the potential customer.

11 signs your IT project is doomed

"1. The project has launched without senior buy-in
2. No detailed project plan exists
3. Meetings have been scheduled without concern for team member availability
4. Users have had little (to no) early involvement
5. The project targets the minimum specs
6. Testing is an afterthought
7. No recovery plan is in place in the event of failure 
8. Expert recommendations have been rebuffed without testing outcomes
9. The go-live date is a weekend or holiday
10. Expectations have not been set
11. Skimp on training"

http://www.itnews.com/it-management/59664/11-signs-your-it-project-doomed?page=0,3

We are about to launch a new application and I have four years experience in software development or planning and I also faced with very similar problems. Only the clear and honest communication can resolve the conflicts for failure.

Nirmalya Kumar: India's invisible innovation

"Can India become a global hub for innovation? Nirmalya Kumar thinks it already has. He details four types of "invisible innovation" currently coming out of India and explains why companies that used to just outsource manufacturing jobs are starting to move top management positions overseas, too."

It is very interesting how he sees the changes in India. I went to the Bangladesh professor who is the father of micro lending.  For innovation you do not need big money. You just need the right incentives and motivation.

Is HR social?

Here is the social HR!

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeannemeister/2013/01/03/2013-the-year-of-social-hr/2/

"At first, I thought it was weird to think of HR as "Social HR", but upon second thought, it makes sense.  HR has largely become integrated with social media websites, and as a result, more traditional HR practices are fading.

The article mentions that HR is becoming "gamified."  Recruiters earn virtual "badges" for accomplishments and the entire process has become almost like a game. The article explains,  "Deloitte believes that letting employees share their badges – earned through completing various training modules – on Twitter, LinkedIn and in their company’s intranet is a huge motivator. People like having something to show for their achievements, especially as employees at all levels become ever more invested in maintaining a robust personal brand. The technology research firm Gartner, Inc. predicts that 70 percent of Global 2000 businesses will be managing at least one “gamified” application or system by 2014."

The article also talks about the "death of the resume".  Due to the use of LinkedIn and the building of personal brands, a paper resume is growing less and less useful.  Not only is personal branding something that will be necessary for you to do to get a job, but this article suggests that it will be a required skill of employees.

Finally, the article notes that recruiters will be finding you before you seek them out.  That already makes sense to me.  I have clients at work who I have create general accounts on job search websites for that specific purpose.  It is interesting to see how staffing agencies might change their approach in response to this changing technology." - http://goo.gl/1e4FH