Overview

With computers and global connectivity, everything we do has the potential to affect everyone else-- both negatively and positively.

Computer security is an example of largely negative impacts. Spam floods our inboxes. Crooks attack our computers within minutes of connecting to the Internet. Identity theft is rampant and personal privacy disappears along with our bank accounts. My infected computer makes you buy anti-virus software

But of course it isn't all bad. Mobile phones with email connect us with friends no matter where we or they are. Amazon reviews help us figure out what products to buy. Google and Wikipedia provide instant answers. Facebook connects us with friends-- and Twitter lets us know when they are brushing their teeth.

I like to study the influence of this evolving computer inter-connectivity on business, primarily through large scale data analysis. Here are some questions I am trying to figure out...

Security and Risk

Does installing a computer system create a "smoking gun" and make a hospital more likely to get sued? details...
Sure "with enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow", but does having open source code make it easier for attackers? details...
Does paying people to find bugs in software do more harm than good? details...
...and others

Emerging social, mobile, and grid computing

What do businesses like Starbucks gain from using Facebook and Twitter? details...
What make some Wikipedia pages more useful than others? details...
How are restaurant reviews different if they are fired off from a mobile phone while sitting in the restaurant? details...
...and others

Strategic use of information technology

Do online auto auctions hurt or help physical auctions? details...
Should companies acquire technology startups early while they are risky but cheap or later when they are known but expensive? details...
When do startup biotech companies make more money from being acquired rather going public? details...
...and others

Recent...

Tue, 2013-05-07

Received 2013 Carrol School of Management Undergraduate Teaching Award
Thu, 2013-03-28

Presented paper (with Eric Overby and Mike Jernigan) on Electronic Medical Records and Malpractice Liability at the University of Texas Dallas
Mon, 2012-12-10

Nominated for best paper at International Conference on Information Systems for "The Effects of Information Disclosure Policy on the Diffusion of Security Attacks"
Mon, 2012-12-10

Paper (with Jerry Kane) "Codification and Collaboration: Information Quality in Social Media,” at the International Conference on Information Systems
Mon, 2012-12-10

Paper (with Jerry Kane and Andy Boynton) “Is High Performance Contagious among Knowledge Workers?” at International Conference on Information Systems
Mon, 2012-12-03

Presented paper on sofware security at the University of Virginia
Sat, 2012-12-01

Commentary published on “Preserving opportunities in internet research: a commentary on ‘Studying Cyborgs’” in the Journal of Information Technology
Tue, 2012-10-16

Security session at INFORMS (Phoenix)
Mon, 2012-10-15

NSF workshop on Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace
Wed, 2012-09-26

Book chapter (with Saby Mitra) on “The Impact of Immediate Disclosure on Attack Diffusion and Volume,” in Economics of Information Security & Privacy III (B. Schneier, editor)
Tue, 2012-09-11

Boston College Information Systems Academy kickoff presentation
Wed, 2012-07-04

Panel on implications of data and social media at Academy of Management
Thu, 2012-06-28

Paper (with Eric Overby) “How Buyers Transition Between Physical and Elec- tronic Channels: A Longitudinal Analysis” at Statistical Challenges in eCommerce Research, (Montreal)
Wed, 2012-04-18

Presented paper (with Jerry Kane) “Collaborative Development in Wikipedia” at MIT Collective Intelligence, (Cambridge)
Mon, 2012-02-27

Spoke at Marketing on the Move conference at Wharton; UPDATED with video
Thu, 2011-12-08

ICIS in Shanghai
Wed, 2011-11-16

Presentation on technology acquisition at INFORMS annual meeting
Fri, 2011-09-30

Presentation on security research at Georgia Tech
Fri, 2011-09-23

Presentation on network analysis of vulnerability diffusion at Roode Security Workshop at Virginia Tech
Tue, 2011-06-14

I presented on the effects of immediate disclosure of security vulnerabilities at George Mason University for the WEIS conference