The News - July 14, 2008

"To know yet to think that one does not know is best;
Not to know yet to think that one knows will lead to difficulty. ” – Lao Tzu

Top Picks

Recorded Webinar: Governing IT in a Green World
IT is key stakeholder in the definition of an organization’s “green” strategy and then must work to support the strategy. In order to do this, IT must be aware of the issues facing the organization and then come up with measures that make business sense. This webinar covers both management and high-level technical issues for IT management to consider to implement "green IT", chiefly through reductions in energy consumption, and meet the overall green initiatives of the business.
Links to the webcast, PowerPoint file and an Excel file with electricity rates for US states are at:
http://www.spaffordconsulting.com/webinars.html

Down for Everyone Or Just Me
This is a very simple service that answers the question “Is the website down just for me or are others seeing a problem too?”  The user interface is simple and to the point.  Enter the server name in the box and click on the blue “or just me?”
http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com/

Amazon’s Kindle
This is an amazing reading device that you can load your PDFs on and it is connected to Amazon using an included wireless 3G phone connection.  The feedback I am getting is very positive and plan on buying one shortly.  Even if you aren’t thinking of buying one, go to the webpage, read the features and look at the marketing.  It’s very impressive.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FI73MA/?tag=georgespaffor-20  

Book Recommendations

Metrics for IT Service Management by Peter Brooks, Jan van Bon and Tieneki Verheijen
This is one of the best books on metrics for ITSM.  The authors cover the basics of why metrics are needed, how to use them, their design and production.  They then have metrics for the various process areas.  What I like is that for each metric they provide the description, specification, justification, audience, constraints, danger value, target value and possible value.  The book provides the reader with enough background that he/she can make an informed decision about the metrics that make sense in a particular phase in a process lifecycle.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/9077212698?ie=UTF8&tag=georgespaffor-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=9077212698

Corps Business – The 30 Management Principles of the U.S. Marines by David H. Freedman
This is a great book.  I first browsed it in an airport and then bought it on Amazon.  The book is full of stories and examples.  One of my favorites is the 70% principle.  When all things are equal, if a solution appears that meets at least 70% of requirements, then try it and learn vs. waiting for the perfect solution to come along and it be too late to help.  The book is well written and definitely worth the read.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0066619785?ie=UTF8&tag=georgespaffor-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0066619785  

IT Audit / Internal Audit / Compliance

Dan Swanson’s SEC and CCC Email Lists
Dan produces a couple of high quality lists for people looking for information on governance, risk, audit and security

A) Dan's CCC emails provide online resources in support of your Governance, Risk Management, and Internal Audit efforts. Content related to IT Audit and IT Security is provided on occasion. Resources related to leadership, quality, strategy, and management is frequently also included.
To subscribe, send an email to:  Dans_CCCemails-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

B) Dan's SEC emails provide online resources in support of your IT Audit and IT Security efforts. Content related to Governance, Risk Management, and Internal Audit is provided on occasion. Resources related to leadership, quality, strategy, and project management is frequently included.
To subscribe, send an email to:  Dans_SECemails-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

IT Process Improvement / Quality Management

Spontaneous Empowerment
“When undertaking process improvement efforts, it is very important to get compliance to following the new processes.  A common mistake I see is when organizations rollout new processes is to drop them during a crisis and opting to run around like crazy until the crisis clears.  The problem is that this approach introduces risks.”
https://swarm.jupitermedia.com/itsmwatch/2008/07/spontaneous-empowerment.html

IBM AlphaWorks: From software theory to fact
“Semantic Web, rapid application development, data visualization, and health care applications are just some of the emerging software types being investigated by IBM's AlphaWorks division.”
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-204580.html?tag=nl.e550

The Green Data Center – Steps for the Journey
Excellent guide on greening the data center.
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/redp4413.html

High Performance Data Centers:  A Design Guidelines Source Book
63 pages on design considerations for building an efficient data center.
http://hightech.lbl.gov/documents/DATA_CENTERS/06_DataCenters-PGE.pdf   

Security and Risk Management

Committees approve more money for cybersecurity
"The House and Senate Appropriations committees have approved different measures to fund the Homeland Security Department in fiscal 2009, and each would provide more money for cybersecurity than the Bush administration requested."
http://www.fcw.com/online/news/152976-1.html?topic=security

DHS financial systems' security questioned
"Plans by agencies of the Homeland Security Department to correct security weaknesses in their financial management systems don't  correct the fundamental causes  of the problems. Also, the plans are not consistently updated with correct information and lack detail, according to a recent audit commissioned by DHS’ inspector general."
http://www.fcw.com/online/news/153038-1.html 

Jennifer Bayuk has a Website Now
Jennifer is a security practitioner with substantial theoretical and practical application experience.  She’s recently gone solo and has her website up documenting her publishing efforts, meetings she will be attending, etc.
http://www.bayuk.com/

Desk rage spoils workplace for many Americans
“Get out of the way, road rage. Here comes desk rage.  Anger in the workplace -- employees and employers who are grumpy, insulting, short-tempered or worse -- is shockingly common and likely growing as Americans cope with woes of rising costs, job uncertainty or overwhelming debt, experts say.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN0947145320080710  

Healthcare / Bio-Informatics / Care Delivery Organizations (CDOs)

Queen’s develops remote healthcare monitoring
“Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) have developed a device that will enable doctors to monitor patients’ health from thousands of miles away and could make long stints in the GP’s waiting room a thing of the past.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article4323501.ece

 Medicare billings tracked to 14 dead doctors here
“The Senate panel studied claims of 1,500 deceased doctors and found the 14 Chicago area doctors had their ID numbers used to bill Medicare for more than $3,000 between 2000 and 2007.”
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1053049,CST-NWS-medfraud13.article  

Human Error / Safety / Environment

After Applause Dies Down, Global Warming Talks Leave Few Concrete Goals
“Nearly everyone had something to cheer about on Wednesday after the major industrial powers and a big group of emerging nations pledged to pursue “deep cuts” in emissions of heat-trapping gases in coming decades. … But behind the congratulatory speeches on Wednesday, some experts said, was a more sobering reality. The documents issued by the participating countries had very few of the concrete goals needed to keep greenhouse gases from growing at their torrid pace, they said.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/10/science/earth/10assess.html?_r=1&ref=science&oref=slogin

Findings on Katrina Trailers Went Undisclosed, Maker Says
“A leading U.S. trailer manufacturer failed to disclose to Hurricane Katrina evacuees or the government its internal findings that formaldehyde in some units exceeded a federal health standard by as much as 45 times in 2006, its chairman acknowledged to Congress yesterday.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/08/AR2008070802315.html?hpid=sec-nation

Acidifying oceans pose danger to coral reefs
“The carbon dioxide spewed into the atmosphere by factories, cars and power plants is not just raising temperatures. It is also causing what scientists call ‘ocean acidification’ as around 25 percent of the excess CO2 is absorbed by the seas.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN1046682220080710  

Global News / Business / Economics

Wen Bo: Environmentalism growing in China
“Wen Bo says he was inspired to enter the environmental movement in high school when he watched the televised tactics of the international pressure group, Greenpeace."
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/06/19/green.wenbo/index.html#cnnSTCText?iref=werecommend  

Cleaner energy for China: An interview with the chairman of ENN Group
“Although it is difficult for privately held companies to compete in China’s energy sector, ENN Group found its niche in producing and distributing cleaner energy.  E NN began its global expansion in 2007, when it contracted to build a plant that will produce 200,000 tons a year of dimethyl ether in Egypt, thus becoming the first Chinese privately held company to export patented clean-energy technology.”http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/ghost.aspx?ID=/ghost.aspx?ID=/Energy_Resources_Materials/Oil_Gas/Cleaner_energy_for_China_interview_chairman_of_ENN_Group_2158_abstract 

Italy and Britain eye nuclear power potential
“Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Sunday oil-consuming countries should meet to fix a maximum price they were prepared to pay for oil or they would have to invest heavily in nuclear power.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL1338159220080714?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

US News / Business / Economics

The Southwest desert's real estate boom
“A solar land rush is rolling across the desert Southwest. Goldman Sachs, utilities PG&E and FPL, Silicon Valley startups, Israeli and German solar firms, Chevron, speculators - all are scrambling to lock up hundreds of thousands of acres of long-worthless land now coveted as sites for solar power plants.”
http://money.cnn.com/2008/07/07/technology/woody_solar.fortune/index.htm?cnn=yes  

Rising crude oil prices: A decade-long trend
CNN plotted the changes in crude oil from 1998-2008.  It’s interesting to see it visually.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/09/crude.oil.prices/index.html