Bsa 411 Week 1 Dq 4 - Woodhouse 2007 Article Review

BSA 411 Week 1 DQ 4

Based on Woodhouse’s (2007) article, expand by discussing the topic of the interaction of IT strategy and corporate culture.

Woodhouse's (2007) summarizes culture as "...a perception that exists in the organization, not in the individual... Security culture is a descriptive term about how members perceive security within the organization." This is an excellent description to define the perceptions of corporate culture. The Woodhouse (2007) article goes on to discuss the misconception that IT is solely responsible for the security of computer systems. This is absolutely untrue and recognition has to be given to the responsibility of each business unit to educate all employees on their responsibilities to IT security.

At the previous company I worked for, they attempted to change the security culture of the company in the following manner. The CIO implemented an education program for all employees that the business was mandated to follow. Part of this education was to encourage employees to "mess" with their peers. If an employee saw a desktop computer unlocked, they were encouraged to change the computers desktop image to something funny. Most employees loved this approval to mess with others computers, however this creative education process dramatically changed the corporate culture, as it relates to security, so that desktops were mostly always locked when users were away from their desks. I considered it a fun and very creative way to change corporate culture of the business to accommodate the needs of IT strategies.

Ironically enough, the new company I work for is strictly against tampering with other co-workers computers to the point where it is a releasable offense. They take corporate security very seriously and this is something I both agree and promote.