Two terms still nebulously defined, but impacting on each other in the present day.

Information Assurance: A strategic commitment on the part of an organisation to protect information while providing it to those entitled to receive it, managing risk and reducing it where possible (starter for 10 definition–feel free to improve). Reference point: (None available at this time)

Web 2.0: Low cost tools and applications intended for wide public use to improve communications and allow everyone to participate in a global discussion using the Internet. Reference points: Weblogs, wikis, social networking sites, instant messaging, Skype, memory sticks, P2P resource sharing, etc.

The two currently interact in an undeclared war existing between IT departments and resource users within organisations. The weapons of choice for IT departments are rigid rules and sanctions (e.g., no you may not use Skype or instant messaging in the workspace, you may not send or receive emails of more than x mb, etc.), while the subversive user finds ways of getting around or breaking the rules, usually with the intent of being a more productive worker (and using some of the time saved to goof off a little).

The war is described here, at Tech Republic’s Sanity Check blog. It also links to a Wall Street Journal article that I have stumbled across frequently since its publication, “10 Things Your IT Department Won’t Tell You.”

Before we start discussing the information assurance implications of social networking and other Web 2.0 features, peace needs to break out between IT departments and the people working within organisations. There are serious issues regarding Web 2.0 tools, no question. But if you need to send a graphics-heavy file to someone and cannot do it with your company email, what are you going to do? If your organisation network fails frequently and you are faced with idle time at your workstation, where are you going to go? If your organisation prohibits personal phone calls at work and you are far away from your loved ones, how will you stay in touch?

Rigid rules will trap IT departments more than they will constrain the behaviour of staff. Guidelines and workarounds will go further.

Hat tip (and many thanks) to Ian Bryant for forwarding the Sanity Check posting.