New information technologies must be harnessed with appropriate standards and procedures to avoid losing classified or proprietary information, according to a new report released by the Aerospace Industries Association.
The report, titled Disruptive Information Technologies: Leveraging the Benefits, Avoiding the Pitfalls, offers recommendations to help the aerospace and defense industry embrace these useful technologies, and steps that AIA can take to help protect crucial information. The special report was released at the Fifth Annual AIA Information Leadership Forum during National Aerospace Week.
“The adoption of these new technologies is essential for speeding workflow and keeping pace with our future employees,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “But protecting proprietary information is paramount.”
These new technologies – cloud computing, social networking and the use of personal mobile devices – are described as “disruptive” as they are not currently addressed with industry-wide standards and procedures. Yet they have the potential to radically alter the way that e-business is undertaken at all levels in the supply network.
“As our industry embraces new tools that enable effortless collaboration, we can't lose sight of potential security and data protection risks,” said E-Business Steering Group chair Bryan Tutor of Triumph Group Aerostructures.
The nature of the aerospace and defense business makes the industry one of the most exacting test cases for the effective deployment of such technologies, since it often involves national security, export licensing and intellectual property rights.
Among the recommendations in the report:
AIA should advocate with policymakers to ensure that consistent cloud standards are applied across different government departments and agencies.
AIA should consider the case for a secure aerospace and defense industry computing cloud.
Companies should keep personal and business devices separate at present.
AIA should develop best practice guidelines and template policies to help industry exploit these technologies.
To view the report, click here.