Government Technology - July 2008 - (Page 18)

Most agencies manage sensitive citizen data: addresses, Social Security numbers, financial records and medical information. You name it, some state or local office has it, and probably electronically. The problem? Many theorize that the Millennials’ penchant for online openness could unintentionally expose private information, leaving it ripe for the picking. Millennials bring innovative ideas about technology’s use, but for that same reason, do they also pose new security risks? “You’ve got the ability here with these sorts of online assets or social networks, you’ve got the capability for information within the organization to leave the organization.” Samir Kapuria, managing director, Symantec Advisory Consulting Services The Hard Truth Anti-virus vendor Symantec released a study in March 2008 assessing this issue. Symantec commissioned Applied ResearchWest to execute the study, and 600 participants were surveyed from different verticals, including government. Survey participants included 200 IT decision-makers, 200 Millennial workers and 200 non-Millennial workers born before 1980. The data revealed that Millennials are more likely than workers of other ages to use Web 2.0 applications on company time and equipment. Some interesting figures include: 69 percent of surveyed Millennials will use whatever application, device or technology they want at work, regardless of office IT policies; and only 45 percent of Millennials stick to company-issued devices or software, compared to 70 percent of non-Millennials. According to Samir Kapuria, Symantec Advisory Consulting Services’ managing director, C-level administrators and agency heads view IT as a controllable asset, but Web 2.0 threatens to take control away. JULY_08 IT Use at Work » 66 percent of Millennials access Facebook or MySpace, compared to 13 percent of non-Millennials; » 75 percent of Millennials use Web mail, compared to 54 percent of non-Millennials; “Those lines of control start to blur because the assets in question aren’t necessarily that of an organization, but that of a private person or a third party,” he said. “The mechanisms that allow a CXO [corporate officer] to control the usage of that asset start to dissipate as well.” » 75 percent of Millennials have downloaded software on their work computer for personal use, compared to 25 percent of nonMillennials; Danger Ahead? “With these sorts of online assets or social networks, you’ve got the capability of information within the organization to leave the organization,” Kapuria said, “[though] not necessarily for malicious purposes.” Kapuria offered an example: An employee e-mails a work-related spreadsheet to his or her personal e-mail account to download at home to complete after work hours. The spreadsheet represents an informational asset of the agency that is no longer connected to the organization’s network. According to Kapuria, “The corporation is not aware that their asset is out there. And now the risks posed to those assets are things an organization cannot mitigate.” » 46 percent of Millennials use an instant-messaging client on the company network, compared to 22 percent of non-Millennials; » 38 percent of Millennials access streaming video at work, compared to 18 percent of non-Millennials; and » only 57 percent of both Millennials and non-Millennials think they’ve been properly trained on their employer’s technology-use policies. 18 http://www.govtech.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - July 2008

Government Technology - July 2008 Point of View The Last Mile Big Picture On the Scene Four Questions for ... Generation 2.0 at Work Dangerous Convenience Tainted Justice? Are You Ready? E-Discovery Basics Smart Docs Advanced Math Online Video Blues Spectrum Personal Computing Products signal:noise

Government Technology - July 2008

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