Happy Holidays to you and your families!!!

 

"Give me a fruitful error any time, full of seeds, bursting with its own corrections.  You can keep your sterile truth for yourself.” – Vilfredo Pareto

 

Top Picks

Greener & Leaner:  The Top Trends For Green IT In 2009

“Green IT: It’s no longer just a buzzword for getting the executive office to buy into new technologies such as virtualization or more energy-efficient equipment. Once thought of as a feel-good initiative for enterprises wanting to improve their brand image through environmental responsibility, the greening of the data center has become a mandate for organizations of all sizes due to increasing energy costs and challenging economic conditions.”
http://www.processor.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles%2Fp3052%2F23p52%2F23p52.asp&guid=&searchtype=&WordList=&bJumpTo=True

 

Tech Innovations for Tough Times
“These days, TRIZ is coming on strong at corporations hungry for new ways to improve innovation and productivity beyond what they've already achieved with the widely adopted Six Sigma and Lean techniques”
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2008/tc20081223_490913.htm?campaign_id=rss_tech
This article discusses the use of “TRIZ”, an acronym for the “Theory of Inventive Problem Solving” in Russian.  It is an approach to innovation that is progressing through early adopters and moving mainstream. To learn more, see:

http://www.triz-journal.com/whatistriz_orig.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRIZ
http://www.innovationtools.com/Articles/EnterpriseDetails.asp?a=108

 

Admiring Bill Gates
“As much as I appreciate the goals of the Foundation, I found myself admiring Bill Gates as a person during the course of the interview. The truth is that while he was busy developing software, he's also worked on developing himself. He is the self-made American who has matured into a role model and leader.”
http://radar.oreilly.com/

 

The Dark Side of Data
“In fact, when it comes down to brass tacks, most of us are in the unfortunate situation that the vast majority of what transmits over our networks is, for lack of a better word — “dark.” We know it’s there — it has to be in order for our businesses to run smoothly. We see it move from place to place when we chart out things like bandwidth utilization or overall traffic patterns. But we don’t know, with any degree of certainty, what it is, where it’s going, where it came from, or why. It’s dark data.”
http://technetnews.net/the-dark-side-of-data.html
[This is a reposting of a September 2008 article.  I missed it the first time around and it is thought provoking – just how much dark data do we really have?]

 

IT Audit / Internal Audit / Compliance

Jim Kaplan’s AuditNet
If you are looking for audit plans, be sure to check out Jim Kaplan’s site.
http://www.auditnet.org/

 

Early Suspicions About Bernard Madoff
“The SEC failed dismally in its mandate. One bank failed after another. All the majors are insolvent. Given the magnitude of the problem, ‘you have to ask yourself, how could anybody miss the red flags....’  In addition, the common practice of market manipulation and insider trading made Wall Street feel it was invulnerable. It still does even in the current environment, with suggestions of more criminal fraud to be uncovered, and Madoff now exposed as a swindler.”
http://www.countercurrents.org/lendman261208.htm

 

New Study: What's Next for Banking Legislation, Regulation? Interview with Eva Weber of Aite Group
“In an exclusive interview, Aite Analyst Eva Weber discusses: Initial conclusions from the study; Recommendations for financial institutions in 2009; Key takeaways for banking/security leaders who need to be concerned with all threats to their institutions.”
http://www.bankinfosecurity.com/articles.php?art_id=1123

 

DHS report surveys fusion center privacy concerns
“Though this week's report provides precious little in terms of genuine assessment—most of its 42 pages are devoted to reviewing formal principles and guidelines rather than on-the-ground practices, and it leans heavily on a January Congressional Research Service report—the PIA does identify seven areas of concern DHS should work to address.”
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081226-dhs-report-surveys-fusion-center-privacy-concerns.html
The DHS Privacy Impact Assessment is at:  http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/privacy/privacy_pia_ia_slrfci.pdf
The Congressional Research Service report is at:  http://fas.org/sgp/crs/intel/RL34070.pdf

 

IT Process Improvement / Quality Management

Archived Webinar: Leveraging Software to Improve Energy Efficiency

"As the costs of electricity continues to skyrocket, organizations are faced with needing to manage the costs associated with the IT services being delivered. Effectively implemented software solutions can assist organizations seeking methods to reduce costs and even gain business benefits."

http://solutions.internet.com/5346_default

 

Fifteen Simple Ways to Green Your Data Center on the Cheap
“The good news is that you don't have to spend big money to reap big energy savings. And while a few high-profile efforts have been launched recently that require significant capital outlays to be successful, there are a number of simple yet effective ways to "green" a data center, techniques that are kind to budgets and easy to implement.  Some simple ideas work best with new facilities, while others are better suited to retrofits of existing data centers, but the truth is, all will work well to cut energy use, and yield financial savings, while not compromising reliability.”
http://greenercomputing.com/feature/2008/12/23/greening-your-data-center-cheap

 

For clean energy, look to the Internet
“Like John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins and Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures, Metcalfe believes that the set of skills that helped drive the infotech revolution can do the same for renewable energy, energy efficiency and eco-friendly materials.”
http://money.cnn.com/2008/12/22/technology/metcalfe.fortune/index.htm

 

From CIO to Chief Energy Officer
“Put simply, by improving efficiencies of motors, logistics, buildings, and energy delivery, ICT could increase its impact on emissions reductions in other sectors by a factor of five compared to the sector’s own projected increase.”
http://www.climatebiz.com/blog/2008/12/23/from-cio-chief-energy-officer
[The gist is that IT has the potential to create five times the savings in emissions than what it is slated to create with increases in IT’s direct energy consumption.]

 

Architecting for Green Computing
“Green computing is becoming more and more important every day. System architects need to take into account energy consumption and to find ways to reduce it through: system virtualization, server consolidation, smart unit positioning in data centers, and others.”
http://www.infoq.com/news/2008/12/Architecture-Green-Computing

 

Security and Risk Management

Top Security Concerns 2009
“Cybercrime and outsourcing were named top security concerns according to a new study conducted by The Ponemon Institute. The survey found that 50% of IT operations professionals viewed outsourcing as an imminent and near-time critical risk, while more than 75% of IT security professionals noted cybercrime a major issue - despite concerted efforts to thwart hackers in recent years.”
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/talkback/0,1000001161,39582681-39001093c-20099586o,00.htm

 

Feds consider searches of terrorism blogs

“The effort comes as researchers are seeing terrorists increasingly use the Internet to plan bombings, recruit members and spread propaganda. "Blogging and message boards have played a substantial role in allowing communication among those who would do the United States harm," the department said in a recent notice.”
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-12-23-terrorblogs_N.htm

 

Chertoff Praises Bush Cyber-security Efforts
“Outgoing Department of Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff says the Bush administration's work on cyber-security leaves President-elect Barack Obama well-positioned for progress on securing the nation's IT infrastructure.”
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Chertoff-Praises-Bush-Cyber-Security-Efforts/

 

Yes, Virginia, There Will Be More Attacks
“If there's any good news for security pros in 2009, however, it's probably the general consensus that IT security will remain a top priority for corporations and government agencies.”
http://darkreading.com/blog/archives/2008/12/yes_virginia_th.html

 

Human error is top IT security concern
“Human error is the biggest threat, according to 37% of the IT directors. This was followed by employees who consciously ignore security policies, according to 31% of IT directors polled on behalf of network security firm Clavister AB.”
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=knowledge_center&articleId=9122101&taxonomyId=1&intsrc=kc_top

 

Redmond security guru explains IE vuln miss
“Michael Howard, a principal security program manager with the software giant, explains that the flaw cropped up in a blind-spot developers weren't trained to scour for potential flaws. Human error is always a factor in developing secure code and sometimes fuzzing tools can help unearth error. Unfortunately, in this case, testing tools weren't up to the job either.”
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/24/ie_vuln_miss_explained/
[Highlights that there will likely always be holes that can be exploited in a single layer and why “defense in depth” approaches are so vital.]

 

Russian hackers target U.S., Europe for profit and politics
“Cyber-crime, by some estimates, has outpaced the amount of illicit cash raked in by global drug trafficking. Hackers from Russia and China are among the chief culprits, and the threat they pose now extends far beyond spam, identity theft and bank heists.  Besides the recent attack on computers at the U.S. Defense Department, which may have originated in Russia, according to military leaders in Washington, Russian hackers also are believed to be behind highly coordinated attacks that brought down government Web sites in Estonia in 2007 and in U.S.-allied Georgia when war broke out between Russian and Georgian forces in August.”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-russia-hackers2_rodriguezdec26,0,5001855.story 

 

Healthcare / Bio-Informatics / Care Delivery Organizations (CDOs)

The Future Of Health Care
“It's not just automakers, finance firms and state coffers that stand to gain from government loans and stimulus spending. If President-elect Obama is able to pass a stimulus package early next year, rumored to cost $850 billion, it could be a boon for the health care industry as well.”
http://www.forbes.com/health/2008/12/24/future-medical-technology-forbeslife-cx_rr_1224health.html

 

Rescue plan renews health IT privacy debate
“The plan to add health information technology to the multibillion-dollar economic stimulus package legislators are developing has renewed the debate over how to protect patient privacy in a nationwide health IT system.”
http://www.govhealthit.com/online/news/350729-1.html

Why Tech Can't Cure Medical Inflation
“While there are benefits that might be had from using computers more widely in medicine, doing so won't save us any money and, in fact, will likely make things more expensive. There's even a chance that the quality of care might get worse along the way.”
http://www.forbes.com/technology/forbes/2009/0112/043.html?feed=rss_technology
[This is an interesting article and reminds us of a truth – far more needs to change than just the computer systems to “treat” the skyrocketing costs of healthcare.]

 

Demand for health care help booming
“Michigan's health care industry, the state's largest employer, desperately needs thousands of workers to fill jobs with critical shortages.  That may include you -- autoworkers, social workers, accountants, computer technicians and others laid off in one of the nation's worst recessions.”
http://www.freep.com/article/20081228/BUSINESS06/812280359/1003

 

Human Error / Safety / Environment

Amateurs are trying genetic engineering at home
“Using homemade lab equipment and the wealth of scientific knowledge available online, these hobbyists are trying to create new life forms through genetic engineering — a field long dominated by Ph.D.s toiling in university and corporate laboratories.”
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/genetics/2008-12-26-diy-dna_N.htm
[The odds of someone creating something devastatingly bad is high.  No containment systems, safety protocols, etc.  We have both human error and malicious acts to worry about.]

 

NASA: Global warming to increase severe storms, rainfall
“The frequency of extremely high clouds in Earth's tropics — the type associated with severe storms and rainfall — is increasing as a result of global warming, according to a study by scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.”
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2008-12-19-global-warming-severe-storms_N.htm

 

‘Airport malaria risk rising with global warming
“Global warming is raising the risk for infection with so-called ”airport malaria” in malaria-free zones of the United States and Europe, researchers warn.  Here‘s how it happens, as the scientists explain it: Mosquitoes make their way on to planes in tropical regions, and at the end of a flight can escape into the increasingly warmer climates of developed countries, where they now have a better chance of surviving and proliferating.”
http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200812280392562

 

Global News / Business / Economics

Toyota's Losses Reflect Troubles Across the Global Economy
“With car sales plummeting, giant automaker Toyota Motor Corp., posted its first operating loss in 71 years. Economic analysts examine what impact the company's massive losses will have on the global economy.”
http://money.cnn.com/2008/12/24/real_estate/when_to_refi/index.htm?postversion=2008122414

 

Russia Faces Rising Unemployment
“Unemployment, wage arrears and short-time working have increased across Russia's labor force, with industry worst hit. The economic downturn has quickly revealed the continued unenforceability of labor law and the weak position of workers, although a proposed government support package for 'core' enterprises may prevent the situation from reaching the catastrophic proportions of the 1990s.”
http://www.forbes.com/2008/12/24/russia-layoffs-wages-cx_1225oxford.html?feed=rss_news

 

Japan suffers record fall in industrial output
“Asian economies showed more signs that recession is deepening across the world with Japan's industrial output falling at a record pace and South Korea warning it faces an ‘unprecedented crisis’. The once unstoppable Chinese economy is also feeling the strain, with companies recording a sharp slowdown in profit growth in the first 11 months of the year.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/26/recession-japan-china-south-korea

 

US News / Business / Economics

Fed Grants GMAC's Request to Become Bank-Holding Company
“Several hurdles stood in the way of the approval -- including concerns about GMAC's low capital levels and the role of its two major shareholders, neither of which are banks. The firm is also in the midst of contentious efforts to restructure $38 billion of debt, which faces a deadline on Friday.”
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123019110401633711.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

 

Data center budgets to stay course in 2009?
“Now, 37.9 per cent of those 133 who were originally polled back in May say that they have been asked to make changes to their budgets, while 62.1 per cent have not been asked to change anything.”
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/24/afcom_it_budget_survey/

 

Refi[nance] madness
“Falling interest rates are fueling a mortgage refinance frenzy as homeowners rush to reduce their housing payments.  The average rate for a 30-year, fixed mortgage dropped to 5.08% last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, more than a full point lower than just a month ago.”
http://money.cnn.com/2008/12/24/real_estate/when_to_refi/index.htm?postversion=2008122414

 

Technology & Science

Navy slashes energy use through variety of projects
“In about five years, more than 10,000 Marines and their families will move from Okinawa, Japan, to Guam on what promises to be the greenest military base in the world.  The Guam construction is one of dozens of high-profile projects being undertaken by the Navy in a concerted effort to cut energy use and decrease consumption of oil and other fossil fuels by harnessing solar power, wind energy and even ocean temperatures.”
http://www.federaltimes.com/index.php?S=3871808

 

Lighting's Eye-Popping Future
“The race is on to develop devices that do a better job of converting electricity to light. Compact fluorescent bulbs have become a popular alternative, but LEDs have the potential to be twice as efficient.”
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0112/040.html?feed=rss_news

 

Smaller Companies Win NASA's Space Race
“NASA says the deal is a milestone for the agency as part of its effort to encourage companies to get more involved in space transport and it was seen as a major win for two relatively small firms that beat out the giants of the space industry: Lockheed Martin of Bethesda and Boeing of Chicago.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/23/AR2008122302709.html?hpid=moreheadlines

 

End Notes

The News is brought to you by George Spafford, Principal Consultant at Pepperweed Consulting, LLC.  Pepperweed is nationally recognized as a leader in IT Management Consulting.  For more information, check out our website at www.pepperweed.com or call 888-229-0145. Please let us know if you see stories you think should be included in the next issue of The News, and feel free to forward this email on to others.

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