Karen P. Patten

Mobile device security considerations for small- and medium-sized enterprise business mobility

Purpose – This papers purpose is to identify and accentuate the dilemma faced by small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who use mobile devices as part of their mobility business strategy. While large enterprises have the resources to implement emerging security recommendations for mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, SMEs often lack the IT resources and capabilities needed. The SME mobile device business dilemma is to invest in more expensive maximum security technologies, invest in less expensive minimum security technologies with increased risk, or postpone the business mobility strategy in order to protect enterprise and customer data and information. This paper investigates mobile device security and the implications of security recommendations for SMEs. Design/methodology/approach – This conceptual paper reviews mobile device security research, identifies increased security risks, and recommends security practices for SMEs. Findings – This paper identifies emerging mobile device secur...

Comparing the Mobile Device Security Behavior of College Students and Information Technology Professionals

Mobile devices are now a standard part of both personal and workplace information technology (IT) usage. However, they introduce a variety of security concerns that users are failing to address. This article examines and compares the security preparedness of 227 IT and non-IT college students about to enter the workforce and 83 predominately non-security-focused IT professionals. Results indicate that all groups put their data and connected networks at risk by failing to properly secure their personal mobile devices. Suggestions include organizational mobile device security policies and mobile device security awareness and training for both current and incoming employees.

Enterprise 2.0 Management Challenges

The nature of the enterprise and the way people work is changing rapidly. The enabling power and competitive advantage of new social and participative technologies will benefit those that recognize the way work is changing. Web 2.0, the ‘second phase’ of the Web, is the foundation of a new and improved Enterprise 2.0. Enterprise 2.0 provides, through a web of interconnected applications, services, and devices, the capabilities for enterprise employees and vendors to be more competitive and productive and for enterprise customers to be more engaged and loyal by accessing the right information from the right people at the right time. This paper describes Enterprise 2.0 management challenges and issues identified by Chief Information Officers, which include the unauthorized use of services and technologies, the integration of a myriad of technologies and capabilities, and the potential compliance and security implications. The authors have proposed a conceptual framework that explores the relationships of three Enterprise 2.0 dimensions – technology, its use, and how resulting user-generated content may lead to business value – with management implications affecting IT culture and policies within the enterprise. This paper provides observations and suggestions for future research.

The Changing Nature of “Workspace” and “Workplace:” What It Means for SMEs

As the virtual pipelines are laid to extend the reach of broadband connectivity to remote locations and to increase capacity on already available locations, connectivity and availability with those previously unreachable is increasing as well. The connectivity barriers are constantly being reduced as the broadband reach extends. The breakdown of connectivity barriers causes a dramatic change in the “work-space” and “work-place.” In an information age, where the work output is mostly digital and easily transmitted in the broadband medium, the pressing need for physical interaction in the workplace is diminishing. Add to that the growing technology that digitizes the human senses (auditory and visual), virtual communication methods allow for increased remote interaction. In this chapter, we discuss the evolving nature of the “work-space” and “work-place.” In the past few years, the digitization of work along with the increasingly expanding and accelerating rate of connectivity resulted in the evolution (or revolution) currently underway.

SME Opportunities with Broadband-Driven Information Technologies: Supporting SME Business Needs

In the broadband economy, SMEs enjoy technology-supported opportunities to interact with customers in ways that were neither possible nor thinkable until recently. However, to effectively sustain SMEs’ competitive position, technology must first meet the business needs of small enterprises. In this chapter, we discuss how broadband-driven mobile technologies can actually support SME business needs. In the first part of the chapter, we present examples from multi-year research focused on identifying SME business needs by mapping the technological evolution and investments of small enterprises that are at the forefront of IT adoption. In the second part of the chapter, we specifically introduce mobile applications and discuss how they can play a role in SMEs’ competitive evolution. Finally, we cannot discuss an emerging topic such as broadband-driven mobile technologies without acknowledging issues related to security and privacy protection in the “anytime/anywhere” environment. Hence, the chapter concludes with a discussion of privacy principles that all professionals, and particularly the nomadic SME professionals, need to take into account when utilizing mobile apps.

Evaluating Student Learning in an IT Curriculum Using Bloom's -- Webb's Curriculum Taxonomy

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) requires any accredited undergraduate Information Technology (IT) program to develop a continuous improvement practice to evaluate and update the undergraduate IT curriculum as necessary. During the process to incorporate cybersecurity topics into the IT curriculum, the faculty at a southeastern public university developed an IT Security-related and Cybersecurity Curriculum Taxonomy to identify strategies to move security-related topics taught in the higher level courses to lower and intermediate courses. To do this, the faculty combined Blooms Taxonomys six levels of thinking with Webbs Depth of Knowledge Model to create Blooms -- Webbs Curriculum Taxonomy. The purpose of this paper is to describe the methodology used to create the taxonomy with the expectation that the same method could be used to evaluate any IT curriculum for a variety of reasons.

Girls in it: how to develop talent and leverage support

The objectives of this panel are to inform the audience about national and regional initiatives developed by the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) to reach out to middle and high school girls; learn from promising experiences in which the panelists have been directly involved; and discuss venues to scale and sustain efforts to increase womens participation in technology careers. Panelists will describe their particular experiences, and discuss ways to utilize the Aspirations in Computing program to increase enrollment and retention of females in computing. A minimum of 30 minutes will be set aside for question and answer.

SMEs and Information Technologies in the Broadband Economy

Today’s broadband-supported tools are enabling small and medium enterprises (SMEs) access to and easier management of information technologies (IT). These tools are offering new ways to communicate and reach customers. Although large corporations have resources and money to invest in emerging information technologies, they also have a major disadvantage: their size may cause complexities (and sometimes inertia) that may slow down new technology adoption. The size and dynamic nature of SMEs can enable such businesses to quickly take advantage of technological progress while minimizing risks. The key, however, is for SMEs not only to adopt, but also to effectively plan, implement, maintain, and manage the broadband-supported technological evolution.

Cases on SMEs Digital Innovations

To help explain some of the concepts addressed throughout the book, in this chapter, we present four case studies. Each case concerns a small entrepreneurial company that has innovatively used information technology (IT) to achieve success. These cases were all developed as one part of a collaborative research project between the International Council of Small Business (ICSB) and Dell, Inc. While the four companies are quite different, representing a variety of industries, they have important commonalities in the way they used IT for innovation.

The IT Entrepreneur in SMEs

Throughout the book, we have referred to the leaders of SMEs without actually saying much about such individuals. There is, of course, much more to understanding leadership in SMEs who engage in IT innovation. In this conclusion, we explore the key characteristics of IT entrepreneurs who have created successful SMEs. For example, entrepreneurs usually have a high need for achievement as well as a great deal of self-confidence. Successful entrepreneurs are also quite knowledgeable with regard to the technical content of their organization’s product or service. But entrepreneurs whose organizations are successful over the long run also share a set of characteristics that define exceptional organizational leaders. So what sort of person is the “IT entrepreneur?”