COBIT Quickstart validation

It was nice to come across a validation by Computer Weekly of the COBIT Quickstart model as part of a demystification of what is involved with IT Governance- I've used it in a number of sites and find it especially useful for looking at Small to Medium enterprises as they struggle with IT management beyond the basics of getting the computers onto the desk. Really useful for getting a business to focus on a prioritised management plpan for the risks that are inherent in technology systems.

It strikes me that it's a useful follow on to see this after leaving WD06 early- there's only so much front end focus a guy can take! Getting a website up, running, optimised and then refreshed with all the latest AJAX bits and new found sexiness counts for nought if the businesses running sites can't then take advantage of, and solidly manage, the data that inevitably flows from increased interactions with their businesses. Maybe, in time, we'll see a few more webheads start to get serious about the new professionalism and see a few CISA certifications creep into the audience..

It was refreshing to note one question posed from the audience of the security implications of using AJAX and the follow on discussion that noted the strong risk potential for bypassing established navigation metaphors and tools (like the back button on your browser) if you aren't a (very) switched on developer.

Here's to taking IT governance out of the realm of being an oxymoron- you'll start to care when your eHealth data is at risk...