Social Collaboration Tools Gain Ground As Organisations Refresh It

Social collaboration tools gain ground as organisations refresh IT
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Social collaboration tools are gaining some ground in enterprise IT in the face of stern senior management resistance.
Recent research by Vanson Bourne, sponsored by Avanade – a Microsoft-centric IT services firm with an interest in promoting collaboration tools – shows an upturn in interest in using social networking tools for business purposes.
Andy Hutchins, director, collaboration at Avanade reports a significant uptick in interest in enterprise collaboration tools in the last six months, much of it connected with comprehensive IT refreshes as UK organisations emerge from recession.
But he conceded that it is early days for the increase and that while oil and gas, and product companies are leading the way in the technology, his own firm is not seeing a similar intensification of interest in the public sector or financial services. 
“There are some public sector organisations looking to bring this [kind of technology] in,” Hutchins said.
The research, conducted among 5,000 IT professionals and end users of internally focused social media tools, found:
37% http://www.carcaresoftware.biz/carcaresoftwarebiz/car-maintenance-schedule of respondents said that the main barrier for not adopting enterprise social networking tools is a lack of support from senior management
48% said that their company does not need social networking tools because it does not fit their corporate needs
83% of respondents currently using social technologies said that they would want to use more in the future
63% of respondents’ main reasons for wanting to adopt social networking tools is the ability to find information faster
Hutchins explained that, with the survey, Is enterprise social collaboration living up to its promise? they were trying to get beyond the headlines about social media to find out what businesses were doing. 
“We’re familiar with these tools in our daily lives, but are we really using them for business?” he said.
In addition, he said, are companies and organisations using social media tools in compliance with internal or external governance and to strategic effect?
For more on social collaboration tools in enterprises
Enterprise social networking tools yield collaboration benefits
Hutchins draws a distinction between an older generation of collaboration tools that store documents, such as SharePoint and newer ones, like Yammer or Huddle, which are “more about interactive discussion”.
He said his firm has seen an increase in interest, in the last six to nine months with SharePoint 2013, Microsoft’s acquisition of micro-blogging tool Yammer, and the hosted online service Office 365 .
“There is a maturing of technologies like cloud, mobile, social, and BYOD that adds up to a tipping point. Now is the right time. There is a demand for discussion around work processes, and a desire to bring in knowledge from the extended organisation of partners, and so on. And to do it securely, on any device,” he said.
Nevertheless, the research showed significant scepticism among senior managers about the strategic value of social media.
“There was an element among the senior managers surveyed that this kind of technology is time wasting. They need to see the value, for instance, of connecting experts to furthering business goals, as in the oil industry or pharmaceuticals,” he said.
“More than half of the respondents do see the business value. And while younger workers are more comfortable with the new tools and ways of working the use has to be cross-generational to get the value.
“This does, however, require IT to be responsive.”

For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240204572/Social-collaboration-tools-gain-ground-as-organisations-refresh-IT

Public Sector Ignoring Secure By Default Approach

Public sector ignoring secure by default approach
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The public sector is risking security breaches by ignoring the principle of making new digital systems with the government’s digital reform programme secure by default , a study has shown.
More than two-thirds of government employees feel that not enough attention is being placed on ensuring key “digital by default” platforms are also secure by default, according to a survey by security firm McAfee .
In July, the Science and Technology Committee (STC) cast doubt on the government’s digital by default strategy in an open letter to Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude .
The STC raised questions around the security of citizens’ data after hearing evidence that the government does not keep up with privacy-enhancing technologies and does not update its software regularly.
More on government’s digital agenda
Government creates Digital Leaders network
More than a quarter of over 800 government employees polled believe that small to medium enterprises are vulnerable to cyber attacks due to their involvement in the supply chain for the delivery of government projects.
This figure rises to 35% amongst those working in roles which require a high level of knowledge or some knowledge of cyber-security issues
Only 14% of respondents feel G-Cloud gives adequate consideration to cyber-security, and  a mere 13% said cyber-security occupies a prominent enough position in the Universal Credit Programme .
Although 60% of civil servants said cyber security is a high or top priority within their department, 47% said that little or no knowledge of cyber security is needed in their positions.
This shows a potentially serious lack of accountability within the public sector, with more than 80% of those questioned working in central government, and likely to be handling highly-sensitive information.
The study found that the areas of most concern are data protection and security (36%), direct hacking attempts like DDoS attacks or SQL injections (17%) and attacks from foreign governments and criminal or terrorist organisations (14%). 
Just over half of respondents said an important solution to the problems caused by the lack of digital skills is to run more dedicated training courses and development programmes for specialists in this field, while 41% called for stronger specialist teams within departments. 
Anecdotal responses gathered during the survey indicate that experience outside of the public sector may bring much needed cyber security expertise to government departments, with respondents saying the skills of those who have private sector experience are not fully utilised. 
One respondent said there is no shortage of digital skills in the civil service, but the most highly skilled civil servants in this area are in the lowest grades.
Another respondent said there are many people with the necessary experience in the public service, but their skills are not being used properly.
The study found that the skills gap in the public sector may be compounded by a address management software perceived disadvantage for those who leave the public sector to go on a secondment.
A third of respondents believe that if civil servants leave central government and re-enter, it either slightly or badly damages their career.
“Civil servants are our nation’s first line of defence, yet current government policy does not appear to be providing them with the incentives nor the training required to fully address the challenge,” said Graeme Stewart, director, UK public sector strategy at McAfee.
The results from the study, he said, are further proof that initiatives such as Digital Government Security Forum (DGSF) are needed.
The DGSF is designed to help counter specific cyber threats posed by digital service transformation by sharing best practice use cases across industry and wider public services.
“It is only with a coordinated and concerted set of efforts that UK Plc can remain safe and a place for digital business to flourish, said Stewart.

For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240204564/Public-sector-ignoring-secure-by-default-approach

Better Brighter Future Delayed: Commercial Airliners Vulnerable To Hacks Via Android

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As the technology that will one day network cars together and reorganize the roads in the name of safety and efficiency continues to rush towards us, word comes that the computerized systems used to control commercial aircraft in flight are now vulnerable to hackers via android devices. Net-Security.org is reporting on an April 10th presentation at the “Hack in the Box Conference” by German security consultant Hugo Teso during which he demonstrates how a wireless device can be used to transmit malicious code into an aircraft’s computer through at least two different systems currently used to exchange information between aircraft and ground stations. Those of you who are already afraid to fly will want to read all of the excruciating details here: http://www.net-security.org

Like many people, I believe that the highways of the future will be heavily automated. The possibilities of computerized roads are enormous and the technology could change the way our society functions by combining the benefits of cheap, efficient public transportation with the convenience enjoyed by car owners today. Imagine a world where a car will arrive at your doorstep moments before you leave for work, carry you in comfort and privacy on a trip that will meet with no traffic jams, stop at no lights, and during which you will be free to watch TV, browse the internet, catch a nap or just look out the window. Upon dropping you off, the car will then head off to its next customer or, if you are one of the Neanderthals who insist on owning your own vehicle, head off to a designated parking facility until you summon it again.

That future is heavily dependent upon the seamless integration of a number of networks and like modern aircraft, cars of the future will need to exchange a great deal of data to coordinate even the simplest of trips. car maintenance software Within that coordination lies the opportunity for mayhem and our lives will hang in the balance. While I look forward to that better, brighter future, for the time being I will keep my feet firmly on the ground and my hands wrapped around the steering wheel.