Richard Bray

The consequences of a data breach can be far-reaching and complex, but in almost every case the cause is simple. An employee, the 'average user', has either taken a shortcut around the security procedures or lost a device with critical data in a public place, or both.

The world can't get enough wireless. Canada's Research in Motion has put a whole desktop of communication in anybody's pocket. In California, rental cars now have optional high-speed Internet service.

The power of social networking is striking the federal government with unmistakable force. This month a successful Facebook campaign initiated by a University of Ottawa professor led Industry Minister Jim Prentice to re-evaluate the timeline of a new copyright legislation set to be introduced in Parliament.

Don't let your data warehouse turn into an IT security nightmare, warns CIO Government Review columnist Richard Bray. Bray explores the security challenges involved in managing continuously increasing volumes of data, while looking at how organizations can get the most value out of their data jewels.

SCADA controls used to run public utility infrastructures are being scrutinized for its security vulnerabilities. They are simple devices, typically transmitting and receiving data at slow speeds. They are, however, increasingly being attached to computer networks, making it a prime target for hackers out to wreak havoc.

When a computer scientist gets an MBA, and then becomes almost infatuated with economics, the result can be a unique, market-based analysis of IT security. MBA security specialist Ionut Ionescu gives his take on hacking, forensics and incident management.

Canadians and Americans will soon be breezing across the border between British Columbia and the state of Washington with pilot trials of RFID-enabled drivers' licences, as a replacement to passports or other travel documents. But the technology that will be used in the proposed trials does not allow data encryption.

The month-long assault in April against Estonia's government Web sites, banks, media outlets and ISPs was neither unusual nor unexpected, and the origin of the attacks may never be known. The attacks also punched big holes in the idea that the Internet is so universal and has so much inherent redundancy that it can heal itself, patching around damaged nodes and getting the data safely to its destination, despite any and all obstacles.