CIO Essentials: Facebook, data breaches and email overload

Ever wondered what CIOs are reading on silicon.com? Our CIO Essentials feature puts you in the picture. Each week a leading IT chief picks his or her top stories from the past week and explains why they matter.

This week we hear from Jane Kimberlin, IT director at Domino's Pizza Group.

Is checking your emails whilst on holiday such a crime? Is it not more relaxing to know there are no major issues and that the hundreds if not thousands of emails accumulating hold no huge shocks?

Help plug the data leaks - sign the e-petition
A necessary move given customers' concerns over the safety of their personal information and the growth of e-crime. I would urge all responsible individuals to sign this e-petition to protect customers and to ensure companies handling sensitive data do so responsibly.

Editor's Blog: The Facebook sweepstake
The use of Facebook by prospective employers is an interesting use of social networking. However, nothing replaces a face-to-face interview.

Chips are down in Second Life
How refreshing to see a clear statement on differentiating between the virtual and reality. No doubt Second Life has many more phases to go through as it evolves. So reminiscent of the early days of the web - "no place in the commercial world", "for youngsters only". How wrong can you be?

Boots axes IT chief
So, in just one week, both Boots and House of Fraser have announced they are not replacing their outgoing CIOs. Are CIOs failing to earn their seat at the board table by not delivering value? Or does this mean that IT is now such an integral part of the overall business that a separate role is no longer required? Is the rest of the board able to take on the role of delivering change through technology? Certainly one to watch.

Email impossible to escape - even on holiday
Is checking your emails whilst on holiday such a crime? Perhaps because those of us in IT are so used to being available 24x7x365 we cope better with short interruptions whilst relaxing. Is it not more relaxing to know there are no major issues and that the hundreds, if not thousands of emails accumulating hold no huge shocks? Technology developments have meant you are always contactable so live with the monster you have created.

If you are a UK-based IT director or CIO and would like to take part in the CIO Essentials series by choosing your top five stories of the week, send us an email here at silicon.com.