Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Blogs Careers
    • Blogs
    • Careers

    IT Teched Off at the WSJ

    By
    Deb Perelman
    -
    August 13, 2007
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Playing on the gap between what employees do with their work computers and their IT departments’ wishes that they wouldn’t, The Wall Street Journal ran an article titled, “Ten Things Your IT Department Won’t Tell You” July 30. Situation sound familiar?

      Really, how could it not be: There is no question that for a good lot of employees, their work computer is a “home away from home” where they shop for birthday gifts, watch YouTube and IM with friends to make evening plans, even when they have the full knowledge that it goes against their employers’ policies.

      Is it because employers and IT departments are green meanies, control freaks and generally no fun whatsoever? The WSJ seems to know that this is not the whole picture:

      “Partly, they want us to work while we’re at work. And partly, they’re afraid that what we’re doing compromises the company’s computer network — putting the company at risk in a host of ways. So they’ve asked their information-technology departments to block us from bringing our home to work.“

      And yet, the WSJ proceeded to inform readers of 10 ways they could get around their IT departments, from surfing blocked sites without leaving any traces to carrying on IM chats without downloading software, while only giving brief mention to the security risks at hand.

      Predictably, IT professionals not pleased. Running responses with titles including “Taunting the CIO,” “Sanity Check: Did The Wall Street Journal sabotage businesses…?” and “The Wall Street Journal’s Irresponsible And Dangerous Attack On Corporate IT” the vast majority called the article unequivocally damaging, naïve and a CSO’s worst nightmare.

      The web log, An Information Security Place said “the WSJ needs a smack upside the head.” Andy IT Blog, wrote an open letter to the WSJ reporter, Vauhini Vara,

      “As a security professional my days are filled with trying to protect the assets of my company. I strive to educate my users to practice safe security and not do things that will put the network or the company at risk. Your article has just thrown lots of work out the window.“

      Yet, others took a more far-sighted approach, reasoning that users already know how to do all of this stuff as the information was available elsewhere but also that perhaps its time for IT departments to take steps to bridge the gap between what users want and what they know is safe.

      Ceasing framing the issue as a “Users Versus IT” war, helping users take part in safe personal computing–from shopping to emailing to IM-ing in their workplace downtime, and for CIOs and corporations to recognize that an iron fist is not going to keep employees happy were some of the suggestions that stood out in responses, and in all likelihood, are the trains of thought that will keep IT departments relevant in the Enterprise 2.0 hereafter.

      Deb Perelman
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×