InformationWeek: The Business Value of Technology

The devil you know is better than the one you don’t. Never was that adage more true than in today’s complex, ever-changing computing landscape. Unfortunately, new (and sometimes ­renewed) security threats are rising every day, putting IT and security pros in a defensive posture. In this Dark Reading ­report, we examine 10 emerging threats that you should have on your radar now.

Salaries for IT pros in higher education have been stuck in ­neutral for some time, rising just 1.4% for managers and remaining flat for staff this year. But workers get satisfaction from job perks such as flexibility and time off.

IT is forging ahead with mobile computing plans but may not be able to find the desired skills--or the budget to pay for them. While 15% of respondents to our survey say they plan to ­increase staff in the area of mobility in the next year, 38% of those who identify it as a top area of staffing increase say a shortage of workers is holding them back from adopting mobile tech, and 19% worry that salary demands will exceed their budget or that they won't be able to afford the people they need.

Security policy has been around for as long as we have had ­computing systems to secure. So why is policy so often ­ineffective? Dark Reading examines the persistent problems ­companies have faced and offers some recommendations for ­developing, communicating and following through with a ­security policy.

Thirty-one percent of our survey respondents said they anticipate end user support/help desk will be a top area of staffing decrease -- more than for any other category. However, 16% said this area is one of two that would see the biggest increase in staffing at their companies in the next year. BYOD, social media and the general consumerization of IT may be changing the nature of the internal support role at companies -- and in some cases creating new opportunities for support staffers.

Companies can learn from these leaders in the use of social networking technology for business.

The rise in social technology adoption is not reflected in IT hiring — yet — but this is one area where savvy business users could break into IT: While just 9% of respondents to our survey say they plan to increase staff in the area of social/collaboration in the next year, 92% of those who identify it as a top area of staffing increase say no specialized ­industry certs are required, and 84% are willing to train.

IT is forging ahead with mobile computing plans but may not be able to find the desired skills--or the budget to pay for them. While 15% of respondents to our survey say they plan to ­increase staff in the area of mobility in the next year, 38% of those who identify it as a top area of staffing increase say a shortage of workers is holding them back from adopting mobile tech, and 19% worry that salary demands will exceed their budget or that they won't be able to afford the people they need.

While 31% of respondents to our InformationWeek 2012 State of IT Staffing Survey citing public cloud as a top area for new hiring want to boost the number of employees with this ­expertise by 11% or even more, that may be easier said than done. In fact, 53% say required skill sets may be hard to find—or even nonexistent. That opens up opportunities for IT pros with a mix of talents and a willingness to negotiate.

Social media make the customer more powerful than ever. Here's how to listen and react.