Big data is poised to grow well beyond the enterprise - and anything we can imagine today. Think of how the assembly line changed the automobile and, consequently, our lives. Keeping big data secure will require an equally innovative approach. CIO.com columnist Bernard Golden calls it 'big security,' and he doesn't think the industry is ready for it yet.

Virtualization represents a sea change in IT practices. Bound for years by the "one application, one server" rule, IT infrastructure was over capacity, underused and not cost-effective.

I had the opportunity to speak at a new security conference last week, Security Threats 2012. I presented on the topic of balancing business benefits with risks in the cloud (more on that later), but the event touched on a wide range of pertinent IT topics, provoking stimulating discussions of some of the most pressing challenges business leaders are facing.

In his book "Predictably Irrational," Dan Ariely cites a study conducted at an upscale Menlo Park grocery store (speaking of which, how irrational is it that the Kindle version of this book costs $9.99, while the paperback version costs only $9.29 ... but I digress). The two professors published a paper based on the outcome of the study. Its title: Choice is Demotivating.