NSA Internet Monitoring is LEGAL
Wed, 07/02/2014 - 7:59am
Ken Dilanian, AP Intelligence Writerivacy Board Says NSA's Internet Monitoring Is Legal
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The National Security Agency programs that collect huge volumes of Internet data within the United States are constitutional and employ "reasonable" safeguards designed to protect the rights of Americans, an independent privacy and civil liberties board has found.
In a report released Tuesday night, the bipartisan, five-member Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, appointed by President Barack Obama, largely endorsed a set of NSA surveillance programs that have provoked worldwide controversy since they were disclosed last year by former NSA systems administrator Edward Snowden.
However, the board urged new internal intelligence agency safeguards designed to further guard against misuse.
Under a provision known as Section 702, added in 2008 to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, the NSA uses court orders and taps on fiber optic lines to target the data of foreigners living abroad when their emails, web chats, text messages and other communications traverse the U.S.
Section 702 has its roots in the Terrorist Surveillance Program, a collection program President George W. Bush ordered after the 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S. without seeking a change in the law. After administration lawyers deemed aspects of it illegal, and after co-called warrantless wiretapping was disclosed in news reports, Congress essentially legalized the program in 2008.
Much about how the government uses Section 702 information remains unknown, including the extent to which it is used to help authorities investigate and prosecute domestic law enforcement cases, such as drug cases, unrelated to terrorism or intelligence.
Section 702 includes the so-called PRISM program, under which the NSA collects foreign intelligence from Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple and nearly every other major U.S. technology firm.
Because worldwide Internet communications are intermingled on fiber optic lines and in the cloud, the collection inevitably sweeps in the communications of Americans with no connection to terrorism or foreign intelligence. Since the Snowden disclosures, activists have expressed concern that a secret intelligence agency is obtaining private American communications without individual warrants. Some have questioned how such a program could be legal under the Constitution.
The board, including a Democratic federal judge, two privacy experts and two former Republican Justice Department officials, found that the NSA monitoring was legal and reasonable and that the NSA and other agencies take steps to prevent misuse of Americans' data. Those steps include "minimization," which redacts the names of Americans from intelligence reports unless they are relevant.
The board's validation of the controversial NSA surveillance program stands in contrast to its last report in January, when it argued that the NSA's collection of domestic calling records under Section 215 was unconstitutional. The Obama administration disagreed but has proposed to overhaul the program by ending NSA's collection of the records.
The new report will be voted on at a public meeting Wednesday in Washington.
"The board has seen no trace of any such illegitimate activity associated with the program, or any attempt to intentionally circumvent legal limits," the report says. That said, the board noted that the rules "potentially allow a great deal of private information about U.S. persons to be acquired by the government."
In some aspects, the board found, the programs push "close to the line of constitutional reasonableness. Such aspects include the unknown and potentially large scope of the incidental collection of U.S. persons' communications," and collection of communications about a target, such as a foreign terrorist organization, that could capture two innocent American discussing the organization.
The report offers a set of policy proposals "designed to push the program more comfortably into the sphere of reasonableness."
For example, the board recommends that NSA and CIA analysts query Section 702 data using the names or email addresses of Americans "only if the query is based upon a statement of facts showing that it is reasonably likely to return foreign intelligence information."
In contrast to the widespread questions about whether the NSA's collection of calling records under Section 215 was a valuable anti-terror tool, U.S. intelligence officials and skeptical members of Congress have agreed that Section 702 has been responsible for disrupting a series of terrorist plots and achieving insights into the intentions of foreign adversaries.
The board said, "Monitoring terrorist networks under Section 702 has enabled the government to learn how they operate, and to understand their priorities, strategies, and tactics." The programs have "led the government to identify previously unknown individuals who are involved in international terrorism.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Friday, June 27, 2014
Is your work environment lifeless and dull or active and inspiring?
Most organizational leaders put greater thought, time, and energy into their products and services than they do their culture. Yet culture drives everything that happens in organizations, day to day.
Who knows best whether or not your organization provides a safe, inspiring workplace? Employees do. They don’t miss a thing.
To learn what employees think about your work environment, you need to ask them. You need to make it easy for employees to give you regular, honest perceptions of your work environment.
Glassdoor does a great job of gathering employee insights on employees’ companies. Glassdoor asks employees to rate their companies in six areas: culture and values, work/life balance, senior management, compensation and benefits, career opportunities, and their approval of the company’s CEO.
Ratings in each area contribute to the company’s overall score on a “five star” scale. Top scoring companies earn coveted spots in Glassdoor’s “Best Places to Work” list. This year, the top five are (click to see the Glassdoor review of that company) Bain & Co., Twitter,LinkedIn, Eastman Chemical, and Facebook
You can check out how employees rate your company on Glassdoor. Better yet, do it yourself. Engage employees in an annual “how are we doing?” survey and gather responses on these same key areas. Some of my clients use systems like Cvent.com or FluidSurveys.com to conduct regular feedback surveys with employees.
Asking employees is the starting point. Understanding employee perceptions is easy. The hard work begins with sharing what you’ve learned, soon after the data is in. Don’t wait — and don’t hide the results. Share what you’ve learned, and share what you plan to do about gaps that employees see.
If you don’t share the results, employees’ confidence in management will fall. By sharing the results, you make a promise — to fix things, to make things better.
Once you share the results, start making needed changes. You’ll likely need to revise policies, procedures, systems — and probably some people — to increase workplace trust and dignity.
Why care about workplace inspiration? Our culture clients work hard to align plans, decisions, and actions to boost workplace inspiration — and the results are worth it. Clients who use our system consistently enjoy 40% gains in employee engagement, 40% gains in customer service, and 35% gains in net profits.
What do you have to lose?
What do you think? How safe and inspiring is your work environment? How well does your company ask employees what they think about your company – and work to resolve issues that arise? Share your thoughts about this post/podcast in the comments section below.
Subscribe to my free weekly blog & podcast updates. Subscribers enjoy free resources and insights plus details on upcoming events and books. My next book, “The Culture Engine,” will be published by Wiley in September 2014.
Get your copy of my ChangeThis manifesto, titled “What? Your Organization Doesn’t Have a Constitution?”
I invite you to add your experiences to two “fast & free” research projects I have underway. The Great Boss Assessment compares your current boss’ behaviors with those of great bosses. The Performance-Values Assessment compares your organization’s culture practices to those of high performing, values-aligned organizations. Results and analysis are available on my research page.
5 Business Lessons from Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs
As a lifetime basketball fan, I’ve enjoyed seeing the game develop over the years. As a business strategist, I am also fascinated by the National Basketball Association's (NBA) growth into a global organization.
I was especially happy to see the San Antonio Spurs, a truly quality organization with an international team, win the NBA championship this year. Undeniably, one of the biggest reasons for the Spurs’ success is long-time coach Gregg Popovich. Under the leadership of Coach Popovich (or Pop, as he is affectionately referred), the Spurs have been America’s most successful franchise, not just in basketball, but in professional sports.
And he makes it all look easy.
How does he do it? An examination of Pop’s management style and strategy reveals many lessons that can benefit leaders from all areas of business.
Here are 5 lessons for all of us from Coach Pop:
1. Be willing to adapt. The game of basketball has changed – and so has Pop. From changing the game plan to fit aging players to adjusting to trends in the sport, he is always looking to tweak and keep his team performing at a high level…despite being the longest tenured coach in any of America’s four major sports leagues.
Just one example: the increased use of the 3 point line. In recent years, NBA teams have used the ‘three point field goal’ (a late addition to the rules of the game) at a higher rate, forcing coaches to adjust. Pop, notoriously ‘old-school’ in his approach, said the following regarding the three point shot:
“I hate it. To me, it's not basketball.
But you gotta use it.”
In today’s market where Facebook is yesterday, Twitter is today, and tomorrow is coming quickly, it’s often a matter of adapting quickly – or losing market share to your competitors.
2. Make tough decisions for the benefit of the team. The decisions of an NBA coach are inherently held under a microscope and second guessed. But Popovich has a confidence that is fueled by his 'team-first' mentality.
Example: Pop received criticism two years ago when he didn’t allow four key members of the team to play in a major televised game (hurting TV ratings and subsequent revenue) – so they could rest. That decision cost the Spurs a hefty fine of $250,000 in the end, but they stood by their coach and his decision.
Pop often limits players’ time on the court in order to keep them fresh and to help avoid injury. Some players would question this decision, since it lowers their career statistics and could possibly hurt their ‘legacy’. His response?
“…these guys could all have better stats. I play them for 29 or 30 minutes a game in their careers and their stats suffer because of it, but that sacrifice helps our entire team.”
Great leaders make tough decisions, knowing they’ll receive criticism. But they have the confidence to stand by those decisions in order to achieve their long-term goals.
3. Learn how to deal with multiple cultures and nationalities. The current Spurs roster includes 8 players born outside the United States, including players from Canada, France, Argentina, Italy, Australia, and Brazil. How does Popovich deal with this mix of nationalities, mentalities, and cultures? Scott Cacciola of The New York Times explored this in his recent article:
Popovich has long espoused the virtues of an international roster, not merely because the players have a diverse set of skills but also because having them around enhances his own life. Popovich, who was born to a Serbian father and a Croatian mother, takes great pleasure, he said, in learning about his players’ lives and backgrounds…
“I think it’s just a respect for letting them know you understand they’re from another place,” Popovich said, adding, “We all grew up differently.”
In today’s shrinking world, the most successful leaders are able to communicate effectively with an international team. This involves more than just studying the culture of a specific country or two – it means developing a global mindset.
4. Be resilient. Merriam-Webster defines resilience as: the ability to become strong, healthy, or successful again after something bad happens.
For you non-NBA fans, it might be interesting to know the Spurs organization was moments away from also winning the NBA championship last year. Ahead by 5 points with only 28 seconds left in a potentially series ending game with the Miami Heat, the game seemed all but put away. However, the team normally known for their discipline and attention to detail uncharacteristically fell apart in those last few seconds – losing not only that game but also the following – and thus missed out on what many thought was the last chance for the aging Spurs to win it all.
How would they bounce back?
Popovich made sure the team learned from those mistakes – and used them as motivation. Multiple members of this year’s championship team mentioned last year’s Finals failure as an aid to keeping them focused…They refused to forget that bitter feeling, and the end result was redemption earlier this month: the most lopsided NBA finals victory ever.
If your team suffers a de-motivating setback, remember: Life is full of disappointments! The agony of defeat can be crushing – or it can be used to develop a laser-like focus that inspires performance at the highest level.
When disaster strikes, pick up the pieces, learn from your mistakes, and try again. Above all – refuse to give up.
5. Care about company culture. The class of the league. Ultimate professionals. A culture of excellence. These are expressions outsiders have used to describe ‘The Spurs Way’.
So what is ‘The Spurs Way’? It can be difficult to define, but essentially it is a culture built around a values system – a system which is then inculcated into each and every part of the San Antonio Spurs organization. It works because everyone buys into it – from the role players to the star players, from the assistant coaches to Coach Pop himself.
With Popovich’s leadership and support, the Spurs have created an environment in which trust, respect, hard work, and selflessness are lauded, applauded, and reinforced at every level.
Sound too good to be true? It isn’t. Do an internet search for interviews with Spurs players and coaches, and see how these qualities are consistently reflected – by everyone.
Doesn’t sound like your style? Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, the Spurs say.
Fellow NBA organizations know how valuable training under The Spurs Way is; many former Spurs players, coaches, and executives now have positions of responsibility in teams around the league. A quick look at this chart (already 3 years old) shows former Spurs members on 14 NBA teams – but that reach has certainly grown by now.
Remember: Culture starts at the top. Employees often complain about company rules or ‘codes of conduct’, not because they don’t like or agree with them – but because their own leaders refuse to follow them.
When company leaders and key team members set the example, the others will follow. The result?
A culture of excellence.
If you still aren’t convinced, take a look at the figures gathered by writer Kurt Badenhausen, inhis recent article for Forbes Business section:
- Highest winning percentage of any team in major pro sports (U.S.) since 1997 (The team has not won fewer than 60% of its games in any season)
- The trio of Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker under the guidance of coach Gregg Popovich has won more playoff games than any trio of players in NBA history
- Posted operating profits of a record $39 million last season despite playing in the NBA’s fourth smallest market.
- Ratings for Spurs games on Fox Sports Southwest were up 15% this year and ranked second in the NBA
The Spurs have truly set a standard for business success – and they have Coach Pop to thank for a large part of it.
Want to build a ‘culture of excellence’ in your organization?
Maybe it’s time forThe Spurs Way. But remember one thing:
It’s not as easy as it looks.
***
Justin Bariso is a business consultant and author who is working on his first book (topic soon revealed). He enjoys finding business lessons in various places – like while watching great basketball games. Follow him here by clicking the yellow FOLLOW button or on Twitter@JustinJBariso.
Friday, April 25, 2014
7 Must-Know Tips for Managing Your Millennial Sales Team
Organizations used to be able to cook up a successful sales team with a few basic ingredients: a quality product, a compelling compensation plan, a simple training program and effective sales tracking. Not so anymore. Millennials have changed the recipe.
Millennials are the youngest generation in today's workforce. They also differ vastly from those in the generations before them -- and that's especially true when it comes to sales. Millennial salespeople are confident, self-expressive, liberal, upbeat and open to change. They came of age immersed in technology and instant communication. Their expectations, for work and personal life, are sky-high.
It should come as no surprise then that this unique generation has tremendous potential for great results in sales -- but millennials require a new style of management to foster that success.
Here are seven essential tips for effectively managing millennial salespeople:
Related: How Retailers Can Recruit and Retain Millennials (Infographic)
1. Figure out what really drives them. Millennials are idealists, often focusing more on social impact or personal fulfillment than how much money they make. They also tend to live at home with their parents longer than those of previous generations and put off marriage and child-rearing. As a result, some millennials are less driven by the need for financial stability than the quest for work-life balance or community contribution. Figure out what really drives your millennial staffers so that you can motivate them effectively.
2. Help them see the clients' perspective. Because millennial salespeople sometimes sell to older clients, they'll need to understand and connect with them. Teach your millennial sales team that 55-year-old prospects won't have the same outlooks or aspirations as 27-year-olds. The baby boomer client might be highly motivated by financial security, say, while a millennial one could be driven by convenience and flexibility. If millennial salespeople fail to understand the perspectives of those from other generations, they will struggle to maintain relationships with some clients and close sales with many prospects.
Related: When Your Employees Are Millennials and Your Customers Are Boomers
3. Train, train, train -- and then train some more. Millennials might be overeducated for their entry-level jobs, but you should still provide them with extensive training. Baby boomer parents have instilled millennials with an appreciation for continued education. By offering comprehensive training to new hires, you'll draw top young talent to your organization. Plus, millennials are typically enthusiastic learners who will implement the strategies and techniques they are taught. The more training you provide, the more effective they will be.
4. Focus on what they do -- not when. The idea of a 9-to-5 workday is not just foreign to most millennials; it’s abhorrent. If left to their own devices, these young salespeople might head off to the gym at noon, but that doesn't mean they're not hardworking. They'll likely to stay late at work to finish what they have to do.
Many organizations struggle to manage their millennial salespeople by requiring that they work certain hours. This is unnecessary and harmful to productivity. Millennials are famous for demanding work-life balance. If they sense that their employer lacks an appreciation for work-life equilibrium, their morale may plummet and they might consider other job options.
So instead of setting a rigid work schedule, give your millennial sales team specific daily or weekly sales-activity goals: a certain number of calls, meetings to arrange or events to attend. Then let them work according to the schedule that enables them to be the most productive.
5. Give them lots of feedback. There's a reason why millennials are called Trophy Kids! This generation wants glowing recognition -- and lots of it. Remember that this generation grew up receiving awards and trophies for nearly every endeavor, whether it's taking last place at a Little League tournament or fifth place at a science fair. Capitalize upon this by giving lots of feedback. Knowing that their manager thinks they're doing a great job can be a terrific motivator. Millennials aim high when it comes to work achievement and are exceptionally open to constructive criticism if it will translate to more success, faster.
Related: 6 Keys to Developing Millennials Into Managers
6. Set their expectations for success. Millennials grew up with instant gratification -- fast food, instant messaging and 24-hour news cycle. As a result, this generation looks for fast results and is likely to get bored quickly. In the workplace this translates into what's known as job-hopping: Millennials might stay at each job for only a few months to a year, leaving for greener pastures if their expectations aren't met in a timely manner. Instead of viewing this negatively, consider that this mind-set can be an asset to your business. Millennial salespeople start every new job with enthusiasm and high hopes. If you can help shape their expectations for the job, you can more consistently retain millennial talent. Set realistic expectations early on for millennial salespeople, and you will lessen the likelihood that they'll leave in the near future.
7. Ask for their help. One of the best qualities of members of the millennial generation is that they are collaborative, team-oriented workers. This means they're likely to want to help others in the workplace. Once they have shown superior skills in particular areas, invite them to train others. Millennials will likely be strong with technologies such as your customer relationship management system. Let them help veteran salespeople master a technology if they struggle with it.
Millennials are the youngest generation in today's workforce. They also differ vastly from those in the generations before them -- and that's especially true when it comes to sales. Millennial salespeople are confident, self-expressive, liberal, upbeat and open to change. They came of age immersed in technology and instant communication. Their expectations, for work and personal life, are sky-high.
It should come as no surprise then that this unique generation has tremendous potential for great results in sales -- but millennials require a new style of management to foster that success.
Here are seven essential tips for effectively managing millennial salespeople:
Related: How Retailers Can Recruit and Retain Millennials (Infographic)
1. Figure out what really drives them. Millennials are idealists, often focusing more on social impact or personal fulfillment than how much money they make. They also tend to live at home with their parents longer than those of previous generations and put off marriage and child-rearing. As a result, some millennials are less driven by the need for financial stability than the quest for work-life balance or community contribution. Figure out what really drives your millennial staffers so that you can motivate them effectively.
2. Help them see the clients' perspective. Because millennial salespeople sometimes sell to older clients, they'll need to understand and connect with them. Teach your millennial sales team that 55-year-old prospects won't have the same outlooks or aspirations as 27-year-olds. The baby boomer client might be highly motivated by financial security, say, while a millennial one could be driven by convenience and flexibility. If millennial salespeople fail to understand the perspectives of those from other generations, they will struggle to maintain relationships with some clients and close sales with many prospects.
Related: When Your Employees Are Millennials and Your Customers Are Boomers
3. Train, train, train -- and then train some more. Millennials might be overeducated for their entry-level jobs, but you should still provide them with extensive training. Baby boomer parents have instilled millennials with an appreciation for continued education. By offering comprehensive training to new hires, you'll draw top young talent to your organization. Plus, millennials are typically enthusiastic learners who will implement the strategies and techniques they are taught. The more training you provide, the more effective they will be.
4. Focus on what they do -- not when. The idea of a 9-to-5 workday is not just foreign to most millennials; it’s abhorrent. If left to their own devices, these young salespeople might head off to the gym at noon, but that doesn't mean they're not hardworking. They'll likely to stay late at work to finish what they have to do.
Many organizations struggle to manage their millennial salespeople by requiring that they work certain hours. This is unnecessary and harmful to productivity. Millennials are famous for demanding work-life balance. If they sense that their employer lacks an appreciation for work-life equilibrium, their morale may plummet and they might consider other job options.
So instead of setting a rigid work schedule, give your millennial sales team specific daily or weekly sales-activity goals: a certain number of calls, meetings to arrange or events to attend. Then let them work according to the schedule that enables them to be the most productive.
5. Give them lots of feedback. There's a reason why millennials are called Trophy Kids! This generation wants glowing recognition -- and lots of it. Remember that this generation grew up receiving awards and trophies for nearly every endeavor, whether it's taking last place at a Little League tournament or fifth place at a science fair. Capitalize upon this by giving lots of feedback. Knowing that their manager thinks they're doing a great job can be a terrific motivator. Millennials aim high when it comes to work achievement and are exceptionally open to constructive criticism if it will translate to more success, faster.
Related: 6 Keys to Developing Millennials Into Managers
6. Set their expectations for success. Millennials grew up with instant gratification -- fast food, instant messaging and 24-hour news cycle. As a result, this generation looks for fast results and is likely to get bored quickly. In the workplace this translates into what's known as job-hopping: Millennials might stay at each job for only a few months to a year, leaving for greener pastures if their expectations aren't met in a timely manner. Instead of viewing this negatively, consider that this mind-set can be an asset to your business. Millennial salespeople start every new job with enthusiasm and high hopes. If you can help shape their expectations for the job, you can more consistently retain millennial talent. Set realistic expectations early on for millennial salespeople, and you will lessen the likelihood that they'll leave in the near future.
7. Ask for their help. One of the best qualities of members of the millennial generation is that they are collaborative, team-oriented workers. This means they're likely to want to help others in the workplace. Once they have shown superior skills in particular areas, invite them to train others. Millennials will likely be strong with technologies such as your customer relationship management system. Let them help veteran salespeople master a technology if they struggle with it.
Friday, February 28, 2014
Building App Layer Security Into the Supply Chain
Hailey Lynne McKeefry
2/24/2014
2/24/2014
Today's complex and complicated supply chain translates into
quick communication with partners. At the same time, it creates huge opportunity for data leakage and security issues that need to be addressed proactively in supply chain
systems.
"Every enterprise is connected in some way to its partners in the supply chain and must allow access to communicate back and forth," Bala Venkat, chief marketing officer at the applications security vendor Cenzic, told us. "That exposes third-party applications. Unfortunately, we see a high level of confusion about what application security is. Too often, it gets confused with network layer or secure socket layer security. "
Partners in the supply chain may serve as a back door to a desired target. "Hackers often try to find the weakest link of the network they want to attack," Venkat said. "Connection-related attacks are becoming increasingly popular, so it's become very compelling to solve."
Today, the electronics supply chain faces a daunting number of potential security flaws, including form caching issues, JavaScript vulnerabilities, SQL injection attacks, and web server configuration vulnerabilities. Each makes critical information, from product designs to price lists, vulnerable to attack. The rise of mobile supply chain apps will only increase the potential application vulnerabilities of the supply chain.
The answer, then, is a proactive look at the security of supply chain software being used by the organization and its partners. "You simply can't tell a partner that you can't connect with their systems, but you can ask for independent verification that the applications in question are free from all the possible vulnerabilities that exist."
Today, Cenzic introduced its Partner Application Security Certification Testing Program, which offers this type of certification. The Cenzic Partner-Application Security Scanning(Cenzic PASS) service uses a combination of consulting and cloud-based vulnerability scanning-as-a-service to test and certify integrated applications. Venkat said it can identify and help remediate more than 6,000 vulnerabilities.
Knowing how to launch a process around application security can be daunting. However, Venkat recommends a three-step assessment process.
- Define the security standards: Understand what applications are being used to connect partners across the supply chain. What standards do they meet? What level of vulnerability scanning is needed? Financial, logistics, and accounting applications, for example, are likely targets and should be rigorously protected. "As part of step one, there needs to be an automated workflow, so application owners are guided through the process of managing associated applications."
- Ask partners to take responsibility for scanning their apps: After classifying applications as high, medium, or low risk, partners should scan each one for security holes and remediate them.
- Appoint an administrator to monitor and manage app certification: Since software is constantly upgraded and updated, someone has to monitor and verify that all critical applications are being secured. "This person would monitor the dashboard report on what applications are certified and which have not."
Too often, application security becomes a reactive activity; it takes center stage only after a breach has occurred.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Measuring the effectiveness of your security awareness program
Organizations that maximize the efficacy of their security awareness programs stand to benefit not only from better incident prevention, but many other benefits as well, including improved reputation and customer loyalty, says John Schroeter
By John Schroeter
February 12, 2014 — CSO — As Yogi Berra put it, "If you don't know where you're going, you'll end up someplace else." Do you know where you're going with respect to your privacy and security awareness programs? How will you know when–or if–you get there?
There are many benefits an organization will enjoy when it makes those improvements, not the least of which is the budget justification for creating a security awareness program that help will boost security effectiveness overall. Martin Sadler, Director of Security at HP Labs, summed them up thusly: "
Organizations that have achieved a high level of security effectiveness are better able to identify major data breaches, secure confidential information, limit physical access to data storage devices, and achieve compliance with legal and self-regulatory frameworks. They are also in a better position to attract and retain high-quality security personnel and enforce corporate policies."
Those benefits have ripple effects throughout the organization—benefits that span protecting the company reputation to increasing customer trust and loyalty. And those translate directly to the bottom line.
Granted, measuring security effectiveness is not as straightforward as measuring a manufacturing process. There are many variables that are simply outside of one's direct control. In fact, a recent ISACA report conceded, "...security is contextual and not an isolated discipline; it depends on the organization and its operations.
Furthermore, effective security must take into account the dynamically changing risk environment within which most organizations are expected to survive and thrive." All the more reason that improvements be addressed wherever possible!
In any case, this variability may explain the disparity of results Dr. Kenneth Knapp discovered when he investigated the effectiveness of security programs. He found that while the majority of infosec professionals surveyed believed they were able to secure their information effectively, only 22 percent of them believed so with a high degree of confidence.
How to use Syrian Electronic Army attacks to improve security awareness
"But wait just a minute," you object. "Everyone knows that security is a process, not a destination. Is there really any such thing as arriving?" Well, of course there is. Just because a process is dynamic doesn't mean it's left without any measurable aspects. Besides, if any process is to be improved, it must also be measured.There are many benefits an organization will enjoy when it makes those improvements, not the least of which is the budget justification for creating a security awareness program that help will boost security effectiveness overall. Martin Sadler, Director of Security at HP Labs, summed them up thusly: "
Organizations that have achieved a high level of security effectiveness are better able to identify major data breaches, secure confidential information, limit physical access to data storage devices, and achieve compliance with legal and self-regulatory frameworks. They are also in a better position to attract and retain high-quality security personnel and enforce corporate policies."
Those benefits have ripple effects throughout the organization—benefits that span protecting the company reputation to increasing customer trust and loyalty. And those translate directly to the bottom line.
Granted, measuring security effectiveness is not as straightforward as measuring a manufacturing process. There are many variables that are simply outside of one's direct control. In fact, a recent ISACA report conceded, "...security is contextual and not an isolated discipline; it depends on the organization and its operations.
Furthermore, effective security must take into account the dynamically changing risk environment within which most organizations are expected to survive and thrive." All the more reason that improvements be addressed wherever possible!
In any case, this variability may explain the disparity of results Dr. Kenneth Knapp discovered when he investigated the effectiveness of security programs. He found that while the majority of infosec professionals surveyed believed they were able to secure their information effectively, only 22 percent of them believed so with a high degree of confidence.
Punish careless employees to reduce security breaches, vendor says
Moreover, the survey showed that more than a third did not believe that their organization effectively secures its data. And this is likely understated. Sounds like room for improvement.
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