Ride the Lightning
Cybersecurity and Future of Law Practice Blog
by Sharon D. Nelson Esq., President of Sensei Enterprises, Inc.
The Rebellious Millennial Employees: We Love the Evidence They Provide
March 2, 2010
So you have a policy against social networking on work computers? Who cares? Probably not your Millennial generation employees. 45% of them use social networking at work whether or not their employers have imposed policy restraints. Of course, you can use technology to block them from visiting these sites on their computers. And then they reach for their cell phones chanting the Millennial mantra, "There's an app for that."
A hat tip goes out to another friend and colleague, legal tech visionary Dennis Kennedy, who sent me a terrific report from Accenture called "Jumping the Boundaries of Corporate IT" which examines the Millennials' use of technology.
The clear message of the report is that it isn't easy to control Millennials. You attempt to fence them in and they are not only pissed but they'll find a way to jump the fence. Or unlock the gate. Or bust straight through the fence. Remember the karaoke favorite "Don't Fence Me In?" Never is that more true than with the Millennials.
Loading roque apps, which should of course be blocked by technology but usually isn't, is a favorite pastime of the Millennials. Not only does this create security holes but new sources of evidence.
This is actually a fun report to read, full of headings like "Says Me." "Dude, That's So Yesterday." "Ask Forgiveness, Not Permission."
The final section is full of quotes from Millennials, some of which would give anyone in charge of IT security a coronary.
29% of those surveyed say that they don't know if their company has a social networking policy. 17% say a policy has never been published. 11% say that what the company has published is too complex to understand. 11% say – in essence – screw the policy, I'll do as I see fit.
This is great read not only for employers and IT managers, but also for those of us who do computer forensics. I joke about the iPhone, but it is evidence-rich and we've located many a smoking gun there. One of the things that struck me as I read the report was that it helps to determine where to look for evidence. If you understand how Millenials think and their proclivity for defying company policy, you'll look for things that policy tells you shouldn't exist. But they do – and we love these miscreants for the bounty they allow us to harvest.
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