Topic > The Importance of IT Governance - 1336

IT Governance is an important concept in information technology. The IT governance structure defines the level of authority, decision making, and how issues are resolved. It ensures businesses stay on track to achieve their strategies and goals, implements good ways to measure IT performance, and shows what key metrics management needs and what return IT is returning to the business from investment he is making (Schwartz K, 2007) . IT governance helps achieve business-IT cooperation and senior management IT involvement (De Haes S, 2014). Many organizations encounter frequent changes in administration that affect policies, processes and priorities. IT governance structures can help manage change so that the CIO establishes and executes the governance processes necessary to ensure component compliance and approves IT plans. It also creates governance processes and resources so that centrally managed capabilities meet mission needs. There is also the CIO Executive Committee that recommends technology solutions and priorities. The CIO Executive Board establishes Department of Defense IT consolidation goals and reviews progress. Under their guidance, groups are formed to produce policies and guidelines. Based on their reports, the leadership team can initiate or suspend actions and make necessary changes (Department of Defense). There are many new technologies and international competitors inventing new systems that bring new problems to the organization. The Air Force must be prepared for not only current but also future risks. Being in the military and being able to communicate anywhere in the world at any time means there is always IT coming and going, and leaving an area that can be hacked. The Air Force has a large turnover of personnel every year. All members are taught how parts of the military work and how IT is performed. This makes the system vulnerable sometimes a member may stop participating and still possess an identity card which can then be used to access databases and critical information for a few months before it is noticed that members are no longer part of a unit. Members who are discharged for misconduct may hold a grudge against the military and seek to inform an outside agency about military procedures and possible.