Get With the Program

摘要

Compliance. This catch-all term for the mad scramble to keep pace with federal privacy, security and corporate-accountability regulations conjures a lot of negative imagery for IT professionals. Unrealistic deadlines. Outsiders meddling in internal affairs. Vendors peddling expensive elixirs. Massive changes for the sake of conformity rather than for technical advancement or competitive differentiation. It's Y2K mania all over again for IT shops ... or so goes the uninspired wisdom. Many technology managers still insist on viewing their organizations' efforts to comply with regulations such as SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act), HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act as a distraction from their day jobs, especially as they and their colleagues are forced to take on more work with no additional help.