SLP 3

SLP 3

IT Governance

In the contemporary world, IT governance can refer to various frameworks. The concept/architect of IT governance has been confused with implementing IT standards meant to uphold compliance. "IT governance is the responsibility of executives and the board of directors and consists of leadership, organizational structures, and processes that ensure that the enterprise's IT sustains and extends the organization's strategies and objectives" (Mikalef, Patel & van, 2020). IT governance is essential in ensuring that the organization achieves its desired behaviors and outcomes. The existing relationship between IT investment and IT governance has long been cited in determining an organization's success. Having the right relationship in place ensures the existence of effective communication between the organization and its customers. IT governance has been subject to several challenges, some of which positively and negatively impact organizations. The impacts of the organization's issues depend on the response strategies that an organization has towards regaining back normal situations within the organization. In this light, the paper sought to examine three major issues facing IT governance; IT risk management and cloud computing. The paper will further examine the effects of the organization's issues and recommendations on how the issues can be addressed.

IT Governance Issues

IT Risk Management

A well-managed organization must have ways of proactively identifying risks associated with IT governance. Having such mechanisms in place acts as the first line of defense towards the organization. IT risks forms account for fundamental components in an organization. However, they can easily be overlooked or even given little attention from relevant bodies. There are several reasons as to why IT governance fails to take IT risk issues seriously. For instance, it might be due to a lack of proper understanding of the associated technological risks. This can also be due to the complex nature of the technology risks, making it difficult to understand what is needed (Mikalef, Pateli & van, 2020). From an IT governance perspective, IT risk management poses the following threats. System issues that hinder technological data management: weaknesses in risk management possess several IT data field risks. This, in turn, results in the systematic issues in IT governance, including continuous IT challenges and ineffective management of clients-based services (Mikalef, Pateli & van, 2020). The presence of weak IT governance policies hiked costs and prices in providing IT services within an organization and increased fraudsters.

The second IT risk management possess on IT governance is the creation of bad headlines. Such scenarios have significant issues and impacts upon organizations in the following way. The issues can result in the loss of vital datasets due to weak data management practices (Takabi, Joshi & Ahn, 2019). This, in turn, can harm organizational performance and its brand name reputation. The absence of inadequate disaster recovery has the capacity of leaving an organization in a state that it is unable to interface with their customers when it comes to the provision of critical services.

Cloud Computing

Information technology plays an essential role in the development of an organization and even a state at large. The emergence of cloud computing has facilitated the adoption of e-governance within organizations. Cloud computing can be defined as delivering services, including data storage, database storage and networking over the internet (Takabi, Joshi & Ahn, 2019). With cloud technology in place, individuals, together with organizations, can store all its information remotely. The impacts of cloud computing in organizations touch the IT governance department. Perhaps, both departments rely on technology to ensure that issues are working out properly and in the required manner (Chou, 2019). Cloud computing negatively impacts the IT governance of organizations in the following ways.

The security concern of cloud computing directly and negatively impacts the IT governance within an organization. While utilizing cloud computing, one is not in a position of precisely determining where a piece of given information has been stored. This increases the possibility of having higher data security risks (Mikalef, Pateli & van, 2020). Security issues and concerns of cloud computing remain a reality in most organizations and should be addressed the soonest as possible. However, failure to address the issue early enough might result in significant losses within the organization.

The second challenge is poor governance and control. Most governance issues facing cloud computing are easily transferred to or are directly impacting IT governance (Takabi, Joshi & Ahn, 2019). Therefore, it is the role of IT governance to ensure that every IT asset has been implemented as required and in line with the policies which have been agreed upon.

Impacts of Issues on the Organization For Failing to Address Them

The purpose of IT governance in an organization is facilitating innovation while upholding quality performance within the organization. The tool is equally important in academic and practical research within the organization. The two issues, cloud computing and IT risk management, have negatively impacted IT governance (Mikalef, Pateli & van, 2020). This, in turn, has slowed down the rate of innovation and quality research that is normally obtained from the research done by the organization. The availability of issues in place has made it difficult for the organization to achieve IT governance goals. In summary, the issues have made it difficult for the organization to mitigate IT governance issues while delivering quality and required services to its clients.

Strategies for Altering IT Governance

Several ways IT governance can be altered to contain the challenges caused by the two issues mentioned above. The following recommendations should be taken into account to address the issues resulting from IT risk management. First is advocating for awareness about possible IT risk issues. Creating awareness among people will ensure that relevant stakeholders and organizational people affected can follow the right things in the efforts to minimize the challenges. Secondly is enhancing a proper understanding of the IT risks within the entire organization. In situations within the organizations where the issues are rampant or information has been tampered with, it is important to ensure that involved individuals understand what needs to be done. Thirdly is implementing the right policies in place. This will ensure that security breach cases have been controlled.

On matters to do with cloud computing issues on IT governance, the following strategies should be implemented. The first solution is limiting the number of cloud vendors. With a small number of vendors, the organization can manage sourcing and other services executed over the cloud. The second strategy is regular verification of SLAs before utilizing them. The verification should be undertaken before having a written agreement with the vendors.

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10-22-2020

IT ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING

you are required to write a report on how to implement IT governance policies as a senior IT manager (note: check background readings). The report needs to use at least three academically sound sources (Journal papers, conference proceedings, relevant magazine articles such as CIO are acceptable).

SLP Assignment Expectations

The paper will be assessed on the appropriateness and completeness of the detail you provide regarding the topic. You are expected to use correct grammar, spelling, and English vocabulary. Check your paper for missing or inappropriately used words. Consider that this paper will be reviewed by the CIO and/or your commanding officer. It is strongly suggested that you ask a trusted colleague to review and edit your papers.

References

Chou, D. C. (2015). Cloud computing risk and audit issues. Computer Standards & Interfaces, 42, 137-142. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0920548915000690

Micallef, P., Pateli, A., & van de Wetering, R. (2020). IT architecture flexibility and IT governance decentralisation as drivers of IT-enabled dynamic capabilities and competitive performance: The moderating effect of the external environment. European Journal of Information Systems, 1-29. Retrieved from https://orsociety.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0960085X.2020.1808541

Takabi, H., Joshi, J. B., & Ahn, G. J. (2019). Security and privacy challenges in cloud computing environments. IEEE Security & Privacy, 8(6), 24-31. Retrieved from https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/5655240/