Pointers: Recommended readings 09-15-08

Source: Data breaches and related security concerns are encouraging an increase in security spending, according to a survey by Forrester Research.Information security now accounts for 10 percent of information technology budgets in the private sector, up from 8 percent in 2007, With the increased spending comes increased scrutiny, according to Forrester. Many technology managers now need to go through more red tape to get new security purchases approved.Source: The Sept. 7 New York Times Magazine looks at how Facebook, Twitter and other social-networking tools are re-engineering our social dynamics.The key change is what social scientists call ambient awareness, the idea of being in constant contact with other online users.Many people who initially question the value of that contact eventually find such connectivity intriguing and addictive, .Source: Twitter might not seem to be a promising tool for organizations to use for communicating with customers, given its 140-character limit on messages.But a growing number of businesses have learned to use the technology to reach customers in new ways, .The key capability Twitter brings is a real sense of engagement, business executives say. Twitter provides a direct interaction with customers that e-mail and other Internet technologies can’t match.Source: Ask a techie what he or she wants in a manager, and you will likely hear the usual answer: someone who understands technology. However, that’s not the whole story, . True, techies want someone who knows enough about technology to make smart decisions about resources and schedules.But when pressed, techies also say that their managers’ people skills are more important than their tech savvy. In particular, managers need listening skills, .