Avoiding security paranoia

Yet another story out of the UK is troublesome to the overall direction of KM and threatens a fit of paranoia around the world that could throw a wet blanket over the growing interest in more open communication.
I’m referring, of course, to the recent HM Revenue & Customs loss of two CDs containing the personal and financial details of 25 million people, which according to one report could be worth £6bn to criminals.
Knowledge sharing isn’t really about stolen personal information or identity but when companies get in the ‘security’ mode, it often affects everything. And so, we worry.
In this issue three writers discuss both sides of security issues popping up not only in the UK but around the world, all with the warning that an organisation cannot allow security concerns to freeze operations behind steel doors.
From Spain, Milton Sousa (page 18) tells us of a growing and positive movement from internal Research and Development (R&D) to ‘Connect and Develop’ (C&D). The trend opens doors for companies to reach beyond their core competencies to collaborate externally in order to adapt to a changing and increasingly complex environment.
From the UK, David Cole (page 32) writes about an elusive search for a security utopia in the EI section and concedes that people, not technology, represent the biggest security threats. But at the same time he asks and answers the question: “What can be done to deliver better employee security without constraining the capabilities of today’s typically devolved, non-hierarchical organisation?”
And EI’s last word columnist, Doug Miles, urges readers to “secure data but share it around”. From AIIM market surveys, Doug concludes that ‘data in motion’ is much harder to secure than ‘data-at-rest’, but what good is data-at-rest? He reviews the issue of ‘control or share’, comes down on the side of share and suggests ways to practice ‘secure collaboration’.
All that and I haven’t even mentioned the KM giants giving good counsel in this edition of Inside Knowledge – Brook Manville, David Ulrich and Tom Davenport (described by another KM expert as the next – if not the new – Peter Drucker).
Now, don’t think that’s all there is! Victoria Axelrod and Jenny Ambrozek are back with Part II of the Masterclass begun in December; this one on KM’s role in prediction markets. Also back: Lynda Rathbone (website woes) and, as always, David Gurteen (going social).
Enjoy!

Jerry Ash, Editor