Jewish World Review August 27, 2004 / 10 Elul 5764
When ideas and policy collide at work
By Mark Kellner
http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com |
A recent discussion of the Kanguru USB-style "flash memory" device - a 1 GB
solid-state "drive" that attaches to a computer's USB ports - brought an
interesting and disturbing letter from a reader, who wrote "not for
attribution."
Find this column useful? Why not sign-up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Mark Kellner has reported on technology for industry newspapers and magazines since 1983, and has been the computer columnist for The Washington Times since 1991.Comment by clicking here.
Why not take the easy way out?
Readers may recall some advantages of these flash drives: large capacity
ones will let you move files around the office (or to your home computer)
with ease, eliminating worry about whether a CD-ROM has enough capacity for
a task. The flash drives can be erased and reused, and they can work across
platforms, say from a Mac to a Windows PC.
"I like[d] the idea," this reader wrote, "so I spoke to my company's
I[nformation] T[echnology] director about doing this, at least on a small
scale to start with. He gave me a quick 'dark side' response to the idea.
The IT director said the device would be too handy for corporate espionage
or, lacking virus protection, the delivery of malicious viruses or worms
into a corporate network.
The reader was confronted with a stark response: Not only will his company
not purchase USB Flash Drives for employees, but their IT department will
"craft a policy for management approval wherein the mere possession of a
personally-owned Kanguru device on company premises may be grounds for
termination of employment," as my correspondent concluded.
Now I have no idea of where this reader is employed. I would imagine it is
in private industry, since he referred to his "company," as opposed to an
"agency." He did not disclose the name of his employer, nor their line of
business. This reader's place of business might be a glue factory, or they
could be a critical sub-contractor to the federal government.
In troubled, however, by the objections raised by this reader's technology
manager, and have to wonder if that manager has really thought things
through.
Perhaps they have: if the company involved is, in fact, a private-sector
partner of a federal agency, particularly one connected with national
security work, then I can understand the extreme caution such a company must
have.
This is why there are firms, many of them around the Beltway, that
specialize in highly secure computer systems and hard disk storage. These
products are engineered to detect tampering and other intrusions, and to
respond accordingly.
If, on the other hand, the concern is the theft of intellectual property or
dishonesty by employees, then there's a far different set of issues that
need to be addressed, perhaps by senior management.
No company has the "right" to become a victim, or to have its intellectual
property stolen. By the same token, however, employers should make it easy
for colleagues to share information and data. The use of USB Flash Drives is
a net positive for workgroups in my view, not a negative, because they make
it easier for teams to work like, well, teams.
"Paranoia strikes deep in the heartland," Paul Simon once sang, "but I think
it's all overdone." If your IT department is getting hot and bothered over
technology improvements that make working a better experience, they might
just benefit from some education in the latest developments in their field.
How might you - or my reader - gain the advantage in such situations? Become
an "evangelist" inside your circle for such new technology. Marshal your
facts, get the information together, and see how you can present such ideas
to senior management as to win their approval.
If your leadership won't listen, and refuses to do so more than once, you
might want to dust off your resume.
One to buy, one to skip
In Israel, high tech goes on the road
Right out of the box, little Sony camera impresses
Useful little things
Epson printer does far more than just print
Does Gmail hit the spot?
Independence Day Thoughts on computing
Still more about online e-mail
Your vacation e-mail options
Mr. Reagan's Computing Legacy
Following your heart
Power Mac G5: A powerful tool
Opera: This browser sings
Motion's new tablet a step up
Fuji's S20PRO is for you maybe
Last week's small revolution
More small wonders bring delight, challenge
Livin' large, livin' cordless
Small wonders: Gadgets good and bad
The right tool for the right job
Office 2004 for Mac is coming
Good Computer Info? It's In Print
'Office' suite good for price
The Delightful Deja Vu of the iPod Mini
Another check creation option
Blocking pop-up ads
Apple's super-cool iBOOK G4
MSN, the AOL alternative?
It's Konfabu-lous (and other Mac joys)
The world on my wrist, courtesy MSN
Treo 600 is great business tool
How to make good computer choices this year
The year behind, the one ahead
Last minute gifts, and other thoughts
Something special in the air, again
Veterans Admin plans computer revolution
More holiday gifts
Holiday Shopping Ideas (One of a Series)
Now, Mr. Gates Joins War on Spam
Stopping "Phishers" From Scamming You
Staying safe online
Franklin Covey Brings Order to Outlook
Upgrades: Should you do it?
Time to dump Ma Bell?
Palm T3 widens users' options
Electronic reading
Lessons from a hurricane
Can the PC and phone really merge?
The case of the curious keyboard
The season ahead
New keyboard adds flair to motion tablet
Upgrade path smoothes a bit
Dreamweaver, make me a web
Experiments in upgrading
A tale of two headsets
A declaration of Mac-dependence
Fuji's Fine FinePix S602Zoom
In search of good Mac apps
Little gadgets make computing easier
Adobe Acrobat 6.0 scores
Toshiba's Twisting Tablet PC
HP printer a steady worker
iTunes store, Mailblocks are cool online services
Palm's objects of D-Zire
Gateway's Tablet a winner
Outlook 2003 beta: A promising program
Tungsten's handy "Dubya"
Lexmark's winning all-in-one
Wireless ways
Long distance tech support does trick
Tablet Planner software a hit
Up and down the road with Joyride
Clarion's "AutoPC" is no "Joyride"
Apple's Keynote is PowerPoint for less
Moving adventures
Traveling companions
HP's Compaq Tablet PC a winner
The war on spam continues
Browser for Mac users has good start
New Adobe software organizes photos
Techno-war
The year the PC grew up
PC meets philately: one hit, one miss
Digital Nikon camera a winner, at a price
Honey, they shrunk the COMDEX
Last-minute ideas
Microsoft's Tablet PC has promise, problems
Upgrade with a plan
Palm's New Tungsten PDA Shows Its Mettle
Nobody asked me, but ...
Love, in Quicktime
T-Mobile's sidekick a good partner
Put on a (happy, unwrinkled, tanned, whatever) face
Apple software upgrade very useful
I came, I saw, iPod
How's that? A tech critic reflects, briefly
Satellite radio gets favorable reception
HP's desktop printing marve
Mac satisfaction --- and some really good software
Off to college ... with eMachines
Have PC, must travel
After Shot manages your digital camera images
X200: Mobile worker's fantasy
Beware: Consumers face a fee for printing own checks