In the past four days alone, we’ve had ample reminder of enterprise technology’s double-edged sword. The headlines are unmistakable: bleeding-edge platforms only provide a technical advantage when they are properly tested and secure.
It’s a conversation that begins each Questcon engagement, and one that commands vigorous policy-level debate. We sincerely hope this spate of high-profile glitches sparks a global commitment to safe, seamless technology as a core value.
Our top story broke early this morning with analysis still pending:
“Technical Glitch Stops Spanish Stock Trading” (Reuters)
“Trading was halted shortly after 0800 GMT, when the blue-chip exchange, the IBEX, was up 0.25 percent at 6,772 points. Equity market auctions began again at 0935 GMT, but no time was specified for full trading to resume, the bourse said.”
“Southwest Airlines Computer Glitch Makes Multiple Charges, Bookings” (LA Times)
“[The] airline’s online system malfunctioned in response to an unusually high number of bookings from passengers hoping to take advantage of the deals Friday. On its Facebook page, Southwest said the response from customers ‘created website performance issues at various times during the day.’ The airline said extra staff was called in over the weekend to address the problem.”
“Knight Capital Filings Show Scant Board Duty for Tech Risk” (Reuters)
“When trying to limit technology risk, it does not matter how often a board meets if the firm fails to conduct enough monitoring and testing of its technology systems, said John Alan James, professor at Pace University’s Lubin School of Business. ‘Again, it comes back to how it is managed. It depends on how high a profile the CEO put on this.’”
We can’t help but note the irony of our featured news source making news for their own cloud-based security breach:
“Hacked Reuters WordPress Platform Had Known Security Issue”
“Dave Bartoletti, an analyst with Forrester Research, says many customers make the mistake of assuming their cloud vendors are taking care of security, even if they’re not. In this case, it appears WordPress released the appropriate security patches, but that isn’t always the case. ‘The mistake to make is you throw it out to the cloud and think it’s somebody else’s problem.’”
IT Managers, we want to hear from you. What are the platforms, policies and emerging technologies keeping you up at night, and what are your plans to minimize the risk?
