What's Mine Is . . . Mine

For years, data had a home. It resided in an application on the network, and a particular group of people authorized to access that application controlled how the data was handled. But as information-sharing initiatives begin to take shape in government, data becomes more transient. And that leaves many feeling uncomfortable. Most discussions about information sharing revert to security -- how to ensure the protection and integrity of data as it travels across networks. But actually, culture could trump security in terms of difficulty. To get naysayers on board -- or at least cooperating -- they must be included in the discussion, says John Teeter, chief enterprise architect at the Health and Human Services Department. A more open dialogue helps foster relationships, which is another key factor in encouraging information exchange.