But that doesn’t mean that WikiLeaks is the “canary in the coal mine” for DLP techniques. In fact, it’s going to receive more attention and more thought than ever (we picked it as one of our top 5 trends for 2011), but the hard truth is that security is about mitigating risk, not eliminating it. It’s not a message your CEO wants to hear, but acknowledging that systems are imperfect and breachable is the first step towards recovery, as they say.

Even the National Security Agency reportedly has acknowledged the fact, and if the world’s spookiest spooks can’t stop breaches, how can your company? From Reuters:

The U.S. government’s main code-making and code-cracking agency now works on the assumption that foes may have pierced even the most sensitive national security computer networks under its guard.

“The most sophisticated adversaries are going to go unnoticed on our networks,” she said.

“There’s no such thing as ‘secure’ any more,” Debora Plunkett of the National Security Agency said on Thursday amid U.S. anger and embarrassment over disclosure of sensitive diplomatic cables by the web site WikiLeaks.

So much for holiday cheer.

4. 4G networks boot up. 4G has been “here” since I started at TechTarget, three and a half years ago. And by “here” I mean, “available in select cities, if the wind is right.” Things have changed, and it’s “here here” now, and I fully expect the competition and features from Spring, Verizon and AT&T to dramatically change how we approach mobile connectivity. Wait, did I say AT&T? Don’t hold your breath: While 4G deployments are scheduled to go live in 2011, delays, bugs and “select markets” are all par for the course. Don’t count the eggs before they’ve hatched, so look to Sprint and Verizon to be playing hardball in this arena as AT&T plays catch up (I recently heard their spot, “the fastest mobile network, period.” Huh?).

Though T-Mobile is awfully cute with their own 4G claims, they’re not doing much more than confusing the market on this issue.

3. Security gets spotlight … but maybe not the budget. Security has always been one of the most fascinating areas in IT to me, but as a line-item on the budget, it’s regularly underfunded, overlooked and ignored. Well, the conversations are going to shift, if WikiLeaks makes good on its promise to expose a major bank’s dirty laundry. While Bank of America is fingered as the likely target, it probably won’t matter as top execs around the country watch their fellows have every secret exposed. That’s a wake up call.

One angle I haven’t seen in the press, though: This is already happening, every day. If our Russian counterparts didn’t already have access to the trove of released cables, I would be shocked. What’s embarrassing about this situation is not that data was leaked (even the NSA considers itself compromised as a matter of course), but that it is so publicly and humiliatingly done. Execs will be pressing security teams for assurances that it won’t happen here, but I don’t expect the budgets or willpower to follow through. Poor InfoSec.

2. Apps for all. I honestly don’t know how IT is going to deal with this one: We’re seeing an explosion in point-solution apps, tailored management and dashboard tools, and web widgets that knowledge workers are incorporating into their daily lives as part of the work/play balance. I do it, and so do a lot of other users. It can really boost productivity, a lot of it is inexpensive, and it doesn’t seem to be much of a problem, at first. Then you start getting support calls on some freeware that you’ve never seen. Or you end up having to find a management solution that can control 7 different mobile operating systems, including offering remote wipe for devices that don’t have remote wipe.

And remember, no one wants to be the next WikiLeaked company. IT will have to start developing common sense policies that embrace our appy world – from iTunes apps to Facebook apps and PC freeware – that stresses education and self-service, mitigating risks while being flexible enough for users to get their job done.

1. The economy. I’m still seeing reports of 20% underemployment, which is staggering. It affects our workplaces – more temporary employees, more stress, more uncertainty. But it’s also one the IT crowd is at the forefront on: While IT is rarely regarded as the hero, it is directly responsible for such a huge percentage of productivity boosts over the past decades, that I can’t help but believe that the smart application of technology can help weather this storm. It won’t be easy, and budgets will stay trim in a lot of places, making it a tricky year all around, but particularly in IT where budget review has always been a tough proposition.

Michael Morisy is the editorial director for ITKnowledgeExchange. He can be followed on Twitter or you can reach him at Michael@ITKnowledgeExchange.com.