Over the years, operational risk management activities have evolved from simple information gathering to a functional discipline with dedicated staff using established formal policies and procedures.

These three terms constantly blur together in organizations without a common risk lexicon. As such, we sometimes find ourselves using them interchangeably when, in fact, they are not synonyms. These terms represent three completely different types of project concerns (oh, great, a new term -- concern!) and are managed differently.

In every facet of life, the question of who you can trust surfaces -- though the answer often eludes us. In the information security game, we try to create mechanisms to help us answer this question, and our reputation as well as professional pride are tied up with getting it right. But is that possible?

If you're like most IT managers, you have a couple of open requisitions. You'd like to make the most of your requisitions, and you don't want to take a long time to hire. To hire the most suitable candidate who aligns with your strategy and needs, find candidates with relevant experience and then ask them the important questions.

Companies are turning to Web services to help them extend their data warehouses to key suppliers and other supply chain partners via BI extranets. This is just one finding from a recent Cutter Consortium survey that asked companies about their data warehousing and BI practices.

I'll assume that we're all cured: that we're no longer susceptible to fads or hype; that we've matured after the dot-com crash; that we know how to spot a serious technology trend. That said, let's talk about Web services.