Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
with business operations from an ROI perspective to justify both initial investment
and ongoing IA operations. Information assurance extends to business assurance,
business functionality assurance, capability assurance, or mission assurance. Align
IA with the business functionality it enables or safeguards. Current concerns that
by extension will drive future IA activities include compliance management. Leg-
islative compliance now dictates the need for IA (e.g., Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA
Privacy Rule, HIPAA Final Security Rule, etc.). Look for increasing legislation to
protect the personal data and financial transaction data now almost ubiquitously
online. Compliance management includes legislation management, litigation
management, compliance assessments, gap analysis, remediation planning, policy
development, awareness training, tracking, and reporting; look for increasing ser-
vice offerings and automation in these areas.
14.3.2.3 Extrapolation
One way to look at the future is to extrapolate the future from past events. Extrapo-
lation may take a heuristic path with basis in judgment or a rational path with basis
in mathematics/statistics.
The Internet provides the ability to reach local, regional, national, and world-
wide customers in manners never before possible. The result is mass competitiveness
where economies of scale rule and high-volume business can push margins to razor-
thin levels. For example, the independent insurance agent can no longer compete
in personal lines (i.e., auto and homeowner's insurance) with regional or national
direct writers. The Internet provides the necessary knowledge for the consumer to
determine appropriate insurance levels, search engines provide the lowest-cost pro-
vider, and there is little or no competitive differentiation other than price.
Technology pushes and continues to push commoditization of many product and
service areas, and this will change the independent insurance agent business. This is but
one example of many where commoditization will change the face of small-business
America that must compete in an ever-encroaching world economy where less expensive
labor, and therefore less expensive products/services, is but a mouse-click away.
Such commoditization will drive further investments in technology to reach a
broader customer base; competitive differentiators in the market share battle will
accommodate consumer security and privacy demands to protect customer infor-
mation and technology-driven revenue streams.
The time is past when a computer scientist could be an expert across the range
of computing technology. The increasing spread of technology and the depth of
knowledge required to use a particular technology effectively drive the need for spe-
cialization, and so it goes for IA. One specialized discipline in particular is the need
for security architects, those who guide the complexities of IA projects and align
business drivers and compliance requirements with security services and mecha-
nisms. The focus on highly specialized expertise will drive the need for outsourcing
and IA specialist contractors.
