IT Insights by Julian Rouse

Every now and then, my team and I might encounter a security vulnerability that could potentially impact our operations. One such instance was brought to our attention recently, and it underscores the importance of proactive security measures. On Monday evening, senior leadership alerted me to a new security concern: popular Microsoft apps for Mac are at risk of code injection attacks. You can read more about this issue in the  Computer Weekly article . Proactive Detection and Leadership Response As someone who typically stays ahead of security threats, it's not uncommon for me to discover vulnerabilities early. However, this particular issue was flagged by senior leadership, highlighting the critical role of vigilance at all levels. When such concerns arise, my approach involves a few key steps: Asking the Right Questions:  In situations like these, it's essential to ask the right questions to understand the potential impact and urgency. Key questions include: What is the nat...

In the dynamic world of IT, restructuring a team is often necessary to align with evolving business goals, new technologies, or shifting project demands. I recently read an insightful article on InformationWeek titled  “How to Know When It’s Time to Restructure Your IT Team” , which delves into the signs that indicate a need for restructuring and how to navigate the transition. Based on this article, I want to share two perspectives on the topic: one from my experience joining a restructured DevOps team in the past and another from a more recent experience as a manager who facilitated a successful team member transition. Joining a Recently Restructured DevOps Team Several years ago, I joined a DevOps team that had undergone significant restructuring. My role at the time involved replacing a colleague who was well-versed in network administration and database management. My background in system administration, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), and security aligned better with the new di...