President's message: Rethinking the millennial cybersecurity threat

Millennials are certainly not the advanced persistent cyber security threat in today’s workforce as some perceive. Millennials are the first generation in the information age to grow up with technology in their hands. They are also the first technological and social generation that is extremely savvy when it comes to leveraging information technology to network, socialize, multi-task, and increase productivity and efficiency in both their personal and work lives.

Often times they come into today’s public sector work environment with great enthusiasm to quickly be handed outdated technology and restrictive information security policies that significantly stymie and marginalize their passion, creativity, and skills. In many cases, their personal technology arsenal that they carry with them is far superior to what they are given to struggle with in the workplace.

In the cyber security and information technology realms, we need to figure out how to deliver the latest technology into their hands and capitalize on their exemplary and unique generational traits that can revolutionize the business world far beyond where it is today.

Brian D. Kelley
President, CGCIO
GMIS International
bkelley@portageco.com

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