The below USA Today article grabbed my attention. As a government employee, more specifically a DoD employee, I work on a network that confounds me. My email is suspect and the Internet regularly craps out when doing simple things like Google searches.
Raids On Federal Computer Data Soar
Reported cyberattacks on U.S. government computer networks climbed 40% last year, federal records show, and more infiltrators are trying to plant malicious software they could use to control or steal sensitive data.
Federally tracked accounts of unauthorized access to government computers and installations of hostile programs rose from a combined 3,928 incidents in 2007 to 5,488 in 2008, based on data provided to USA TODAY by the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT).
I waist more time waiting for web pages to load, only to have the network administrator tell me that the blog page I’m trying to view is not authorized.
I’m intrigued by Web 2.0 and the tools (wikis, blogs, social networking, etc.) that go along with the idea. I use these tools regularly to manage many aspects of my personal and professional life, and they make me infinitely more organized and productive in both realms. However, many of these tools are not authorized on my government network, so I am forced to fashion "workarounds."
Why is this? Is it because of cyber attacks like those referenced in the USA Today article? Is it because the government network folks perceive Web 2.0 tools as time wasters?
I suspect it’s a combination of things. However, if we are to fight the forces that fight us, we are going to have to figure a path that protects the network, but allows one to utilize the same tools those trying to do harm to us are using – the Web 2.0 tools.
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