I didn't hear about a single data security breach the week of June 16, but then I spent the week volunteering at Camp Sunshine (http://www.mycampsunshine.com), a camp for kids with cancer. Perhaps it’s because I didn't read, watch or listen to the news! But instead, focused on a different security issue – that of children with special needs enjoying a week at summer camp with other kids just like them, and here they felt secure and safe enough to act like ‘normal’ children.
In reality, according to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (link http://www.privacyrights.org) and Attrition.org (link http://attrition.org/) there were numerous breaches in the headlines that week -- Domino's Pizza, Citibank, Petroleum Wholesale and Colt Express Outsourcing Services.
As a matter of fact, there were only three areas at Camp Sunshine that were even remotely related to technology -- outside of the infirmary equipment, of course. The first was a room of computers loaded with games for kids who couldn't be exposed to physical activity outside. The second was limited access to the Internet, which enabled us to contact Chick-Fil-A, who donated more than 400 chicken biscuits after the children called for an 'Eat More Chicken' campaign at camp (you can read about it in the camp's newspaper, the Daily Sunshine (http://www.dailysunshine.org)! And finally, a high-tech (40 feet+) climbing wall, which was donated by Tom Noonan, former CEO of (now IBM) Internet Security Systems (ISS).
This climbing wall was one of the highlights of the weeks where a girl that had leg braces as a result of cancer was persuaded to try climbing the wall. After scaling about 25 feet, she came down in tears of joy having reached far beyond the limits she thought she was capable.
Now back at work, it's images from that week that should enable me and others around me to challenge ourselves to solve critical business problems while at the same time making a difference in this world.
Until next time,
Gary
