The questioning nature of the tech-savvy Generation Y creates a security nightmare for enterprises that fail to harness their inquisitive energy warns information security expert Phil Kernick.

He said developments such as the iPhone and social networking sites like Facebook revealed gaping holes in traditional security models, but also presented companies with significant opportunities.

“Traditional information security has relied on barriers, controls and hierarchy to enforce protection of information,” said Phil, who is Director of Technical Assurance at CQR Consulting. “This paradigm is being supplanted by the Generation Y workforce – those born between 1978 and 1994 – who are demanding access in any way, at any time and from any place.

“One problem is that the toys they love – MP3 players, USB drives, mobile phones – can be used to steal corporate data because of their tiny size and enormous storage capacity. Downloading music and video can be a copyright minefield for the employer if it’s done at work.

“However, Generation Y offers their employers a massive amount of upside, as long as they’re not afraid to grab it.  The fact that something’s new doesn’t make it wrong. Funnily enough, when these managers started their job 25 years ago, the new practices they embraced probably freaked out the generation before them. The wheel keeps turning.”

CQR Consulting is a company that delivers independent information security services, without the need to sell hardware, software or other technology services. The Australian-owned company is an “honest broker” for organisations often caught between the competing claims of incumbent vendors.

Phil Kernick developed his Generation Y insights for a recent presentation, during which he reported a number of statistics that demonstrate the technology appetite of Generation Y:

►    97 per cent own a computer

►    94 per cent own a mobile phone

►    76 per cent use instant messaging

►    75 per cent have a Facebook account.

“These guys are dubbed Generation Why,” noted Phil. “They ask questions like: Why can't I have open slather on everything? Why can't I have as much bandwidth as I want? Why do I have restrictions on what I can do?

“Attitudinally, they are very different from their parents. For one thing, they don't appreciate the need for privacy. They regard their lives as an open book and assume everyone else's is too. They don’t understand that information put in the public domain can last forever.”

Phil said one of the great resources offered by Gen Y was their extended networks. “With things like Facebook, they regard themselves as part of a community rather than as an individual,” he said.

“If they have a problem, they look to their community to provide the solution. They don’t see it as a personal problem, so they ask everyone in their community about how to fix it. That community involves an internal trust model which can offer a huge plus for Gen Y getting stuff done.

“On the other hand, information sharing can equate to information leakage. While they are not afraid to ask questions if they don’t know something, information leaking like a sieve is real concern. While these are real risks, it’s not all bad news: There’s a terrific amount of upside for employers.

“The big clue to solving this problem is to make them part of the solution. These guys don’t work well with arbitrary rules, so give them a reason and ask them to help you build something. You can’t corral the energy of Gen Y because they’ll use it to break out: You need to harness this energy.”

For more about CQR Consulting, visit www.cqrconsulting.com.  For media assistance, call John Harris at Impress Media Australia on (08) 8431 4000 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

For more about CQR Consulting, visit www.cqrconsulting.com.  For media assistance, call John Harris at Impress Media Australia on (08) 8431 4000 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .