The “Always On” Culture
This is the first in a small series of blogs on the
changing nature of identity within organizations, from both an internal and a
consumer perspective. In this we have considered how the pace of change
is forcing traditional approaches to be developed to accommodate the needs and
likes of the target population more than ever.
A large part of the culture change we see is that of the Always on Culture. “Instant gratification” may be too bold a statement, but the essence of this is ensuring the right person can see the information they want, when, where and how they wish to; but within the boundaries of what is appropriate for the data they are viewing. If we don’t provide the information, our competitors may do so and gain critical advantage.
So what is the fuss about? Users are more demanding than they have ever been. Arguably they don’t care about what is appropriate for the provider of the information, or at least not until it is something that directly affects them. At a very personal level, we may want to have access to say our medical records when and where we wish. Conversely, when we learn that those same records have been viewed by a myriad of people with no meaningful reason, we get upset. Appropriate use, then is the key both for the provider and the consumer of the data.
Traditional security approaches are only a part of the solution. In fact, if our identity approach is broken, then traditional security approaches can be meaningless. If I don’t know who you are, what your rights are, why am I doing anything with you at all? Balancing this, balancing consumer, user, provider and of course legislative requirements is fundamentally not delivered without good Identity and Access Management. Know your target audience, know the context of their request for information – where, how, when – and drive your response by these.
In the follow on article, we’ll be reflecting on an associated consideration, that of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and what this really means, both for the user and the employer.
If you’ve a deeper view of the Always on Culture and what organisations should be doing to respond to this, or fundamentally see this from a different perspective, let us know. There is no one right approach. Without good Identity and Access Management, though, I’d staunchly argue there are plenty of wrong ones.
About the Writer:
Mike Nelsey, Managing Director, aurionPro SENA
Working in the IT industry since the early 90’s, Mike leads the aurionProSENA European operation. Mike has been involved in identity and access management since 1999 when the company won its first framework agreement with UK policing for web access control.Since then he has overseen the company’s strategy moving into a focused delivery model working closely with Oracle to provide a true stack offering covering consult, design, build and support.