IT Security

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MEGATREND #2_ IT Security

GOVERNMENT TODAY is faced with paradox. On the one hand, the application of information technology offers great promise in solving various public security problems such as border and container security. On the other hand, as IT becomes more pervasive in society, the public expects the government to protect them from the intentional and unintentional misuse of technology. In either case, it is clear that IT will play an ever-increasing role in the future of public security.

THE APPLICATION of information technology to the public security challenges of the post 9/11 environment is promising in many ways. Industry has long used IT systems to keep track of their inventory, and much of the same technology can be repurposed for tracking shipments through public transportation channels as well as the movement of people across borders. Sophisticated information technology can even be used to pull together the disparate information residing in different agencies (often in different formats) to look for patterns that could indicate a public security problem. If these systems are implemented correctly, they can lead to greater security and efficiency.

Government, however, faces many of the same issues with IT as industry. Implementing complex IT systems requires specialized (and often expensive) resources that don´t contribute directly to the core mission of government. Should this expertise be developed in-house or outsourced to private industry? Can these systems be standardized across governmental entities to save the cost of developing custom systems for each agency?

In addition, government faces an even greater obligation for data privacy than industry because the information collected on behalf of security applications can be potentially damaging to citizens and businesses if divulged to the wrong parties. For example, if the shipments of a particular company were accidentally revealed to competitors it could be put at a competitive disadvantage.

In order to get the citizenry to participate in data collection, government will have to prove that it can be a good custodian of the information collected. Protection of such data can involve the application of very sophisticated technologies. But do the benefits outweigh the risks?

PROTECTING CITIZENS FROM THE MISUSE OF TECHNOLOGY

In addition to applying information technology as an aid to public security, governments must deal with the increasing misuse or even abuse of IT that can cause public harm. Citizens expect the government to play a role in protecting them from these acts, which range from online criminal fraud schemes to corporations failing to properly adequately protect sensitive personal information. This requires a shift in the type of resources needed for creating and enforcing laws.

Further complicating matters, the connected nature of today´s electronic business world means that these abuses can take place outside the jurisdiction of a local government, requiring interagency or even international cooperation. The ensuing laws also have a significant impact on the business climate for both IT vendors and their customers. Increasingly, businesses will be expected to assume some of the burden for protecting the public from these intentional and even unintentional acts as part of the cost of doing business.

Is there a way to balance the convenience of modern commerce with the risks to public? What is the role of government in protecting the public? What role should business play? And what level of responsibility must citizens assume in order to protect themselves?

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