Symantec Survey Finds Global Critical Infrastructure Providers Less Aware and Engaged in Government Programs

Symantec Survey Finds Global Critical Infrastructure Providers Less Aware and Engaged in Government Programs  

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Oct. 31, 2011 – Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today released the findings of its 2011 Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Survey, which found a drop in awareness and engagement on a global basis as measured by the CIP Participation Index. Compared to 2010, companies surveyed this year show a CIP Participation Index of 82 percent in government protection programs, down 18 points from last year. Critical infrastructure providers come from industries that are of such importance that if their cyber networks were successfully attacked and disabled, it would result in an actual threat to national security.


Click to Tweet: 37% of companies are engaged in government CIP programs this year, compared to 56% last year: http://bit.ly/swxJ0B.


“The findings of this survey are somewhat alarming, given recent attacks like Nitro and Duqu that have targeted critical infrastructure providers,” said Dean Turner, director, Global Intelligence Network for Symantec. “Having said that, limitations on manpower and resources as mentioned by respondents help explain why critical infrastructure providers have had to prioritize and focus their efforts on more day-to-day cyber threats. However, we think that targeted attacks against critical infrastructure providers in the form of Stuxnet, Nitro and Duqu will continue. Businesses and governments around the world should be very aggressive in their efforts to promote and coordinate protection of critical industry cyber networks. These latest attacks are likely just the beginning of more targeted attacks directed at critical infrastructure.”


Survey Highlights:

  • Lower awareness and engagement in government CIP programs.  This year, companies are generally less aware of their government’s CIP programs.  Thirty-six percent of respondents were somewhat or completely aware of the government critical infrastructure plans being discussed in their country compared to 55 percent last year.  In 2011, 37 percent of companies are completely or significantly engaged, versus 56 percent in 2010.
  • Slightly more ambivalence about government CIP programs.  The survey also revealed that companies are more ambivalent in 2011 than they were in 2010 about government CIP programs.  For example, when asked to voice their opinion about government CIP programs, 42 percent had no opinion or were neutral.  Also, companies are now slightly less willing to cooperate with CIP programs than they were one year ago (57 versus 66 percent).
  • Global Organizations feel less prepared.  It is not surprising that as an organization’s assessment of the threat drops,  their readiness drops as well. Overall readiness on a global scale fell an average of eight points (from 60 to 63 percent in 2011 compared with 68 to 70 percent in 2010).

Recommendations to ensure resiliency against critical infrastructure cyber attacks:

  • Develop and enforce IT policies and automate compliance processes.  By prioritizing risks and defining policies that span across all locations, organizations can enforce policies through built-in automation and workflow and not only identify threats but remediate incidents as they occur or anticipate them before they happen.
  • Protect information proactively by taking an information-centric approach to protect both information and interactions.  Taking a content-aware approach to protecting information is key in knowing who owns the information, where sensitive information resides, who has access, and how it is coming in or leaving your organization. 
  • Manage systems by implementing secure operating environments, distributing and enforcing patch levels, automating processes to streamline efficiency, and monitoring and reporting on system status.
  • Protect the infrastructure by securing endpoints, messaging and Web environments.  In addition, defending critical internal servers and implementing the ability to back up and recover data should be priorities.  Organizations also need the visibility and security intelligence to respond to threats rapidly.
  • Ensure 24x7 availability.  Organizations should implement testing methods that are non-disruptive and they can reduce complexity by automating failover.  Virtual environments should be treated the same as a physical environment, showing the need for organizations to adopt more cross-platform and cross-environment tools, or standardize on fewer platforms.  
  • Develop an information management strategy that  includes an information retention plan and policies.  Organizations need to stop using backup for archiving and legal holds, implement deduplication everywhere to free resources, use a full-featured archive system and deploy data loss prevention technologies.

Recommendations for governments to promote critical infrastructure protection:

  • Governments should continue to put forth the resources to establish government critical infrastructure programs.
  • The majority of critical infrastructure providers confirm that they are aware of government critical infrastructure programs.
  • Furthermore, a majority of critical infrastructure providers support efforts by the government to develop protection programs.
  • Governments should partner with industry associations and private enterprise groups to disseminate information to raise awareness of government CIP organizations and plans, with specifics about how a response would work in the face of a national cyber attack, what the roles of government would be, who the specific contacts are for various industries at a regional and national level, and how government and private business would share information in the event of an emergency.
  • Governments should emphasize that security is not enough to stay resilient in the face of today’s cyber attacks. Governments should also emphasize to critical infrastructure providers and enterprises  that their information be stored, backed up, organized, prioritized, and that proper identity and access control processes are in place. 
  • Symantec’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Survey

    Symantec’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Survey is the result of research conducted in August and September 2011 by Applied Research, which surveyed C-level, IT professionals in SMBs and enterprises in 14 industries specifically designated as critical infrastructure industries. The report was designed to examine awareness, engagement, and readiness with regards to government CIP programs. The survey included 3,475 organizations from 37 countries in North America, EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), Asia Pacific, and Latin America.


    About the CIP Participation Index

    The CIP Participation Index combines a blend of questions that gauge how engaged organizations are with their government’s CIP programs. It is normalized to 2010, our base model year. By convention, the 2010 CIP Participation Index is 100 percent.


    Resources

    Connect with Symantec

    About Symantec

    Symantec is a global leader in providing security, storage and systems management solutions to help consumers and organizations secure and manage their information-driven world. Our software and services protect against more risks at more points, more completely and efficiently, enabling confidence wherever information is used or stored. More information is available at www.symantec.com.


    Note to Editors: If you would like additional information on Symantec Corporation and its products, please visit the Symantec News Room at http://www.symantec.com/news. All prices noted are in U.S. dollars and are valid only in the United States.


    Symantec and the Symantec Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Symantec Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.


    Forward-looking Statements: Any forward-looking indication of plans for products is preliminary and all future release dates are tentative and are subject to change. Any future release of the product or planned modifications to product capability, functionality, or feature are subject to ongoing evaluation by Symantec, and may or may not be implemented and should not be considered firm commitments by Symantec and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions.

    Deloitte Survey: Inadequate Internal Awareness Toward Mobile Security

    Oct. 14, 2011, 9:00 a.m. EDT

    Deloitte Survey: Inadequate Internal Awareness Toward Mobile Security

    NEW YORK, Oct. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Though organizations spend significant resources to keep their computer networks protected from external security threats, significant security risks still remain as a result of the actions of their own employees, according to a recent Deloitte poll which surveyed nearly 1,200 information technology and business executives across the United States.

    According to the survey, 40 percent of respondents are unaware if their organization has strategies, policies, procedures or technology controls in place to effectively enforce mobile security. Without an awareness of these policies, employees may be hard-pressed to comply with them.

    Additionally, 28.4 percent of survey respondents believe there are unauthorized PDAs, tablets, or a combination of both connecting to their enterprise intranet, and particularly their e-mail servers. Unauthorized devices represent a significant security threat to organizations well beyond just the threat to the computing infrastructure itself.

    "Devices like tablets, PDAs and smartphones have become ubiquitous over the past few years as people increasingly purchase them as tools to enhance their productivity at work and at home," said JR Regan, principal, Deloitte & Touche LLP and innovation leader to Deloitte's federal practice. "Despite the benefit of these new devices, they also present increased security threats for organizations which now must be wary of security threats originating from new channels."

    Even with a general unfamiliarity around mobile security policies and precautions in their organization, the overwhelming majority of respondents are concerned about one or more organizational security risks. Nearly 87 percent of respondents feel their company is at risk for a cyber attack originating from a mobile security lapse. Additionally, 41 percent of respondents feel that their organization is at risk in each of the following areas: operational risks, technological risks, infrastructure and device risks and legal and regulatory risks.

    The poll was conducted during Deloitte's Dbriefs Technology Executive series: "Securing Enterprise Social Media and Mobility Apps." For more information and to view the full results of the poll please visit: http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_US/us/Services/consulting/technology-consulting/50b77076deabf210VgnVCM3000001c56f00aRCRD.htm

    As used in this document, "Deloitte" means Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.

    Langdon Cook Sam Johnston Public Relations Hill & Knowlton Deloitte 212 885 0499 203 708 4156 sam.johnston@hillandknowlton.com lancook@deloitte.com

    SOURCE Deloitte Consulting

    Check Point Extends 3D Security with Acquisition of GRC Leader Dynasec

    Check Point Extends 3D Security with Acquisition of GRC Leader Dynasec

    Redwood City, CA — Mon, 31 Oct 2011

    Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP), the worldwide leader in securing the Internet, today announced the acquisition of privately held Dynasec Ltd., a leading provider of Governance, Risk Management and Compliance (GRC) solutions. The acquisition extends Check Point 3D Security that enables companies to view security as a business process, focusing on policy, people and enforcement. The combined security and GRC solutions will enable customers to manage their entire 3D Security process from corporate objectives, to policies and security enforcement – maintaining a continuous holistic security and compliance picture.

    Organizations today face a growing number of industry standards and government regulations that require CIOs and security officers to implement a consistent security framework that adheres to GRC requirements without disrupting the flow of business – a nearly impossible task when done manually. The acquisition of Dynasec will help organizations accelerate the path to 3D Security by enabling customers to easily translate compliance requirements into IT security policies that map to their overall business objectives.

    Check Point’s offering will include security, business and consulting services together with Dynasec’s easy2comply leading GRC software solution that provides a rich set of GRC frameworks with built-in best practices that are customizable for hundreds of compliance standards. The Check Point solution will offer a simple way for businesses to automate the manual task of handling a growing number of regulations and compliance standards.

    A major advantage of easy2comply is the ability to implement the technology in less than two weeks, helping customers streamline compliance efforts. By leveraging GRC frameworks that include pre-defined regulatory standards, customers are able to quickly translate business and compliance requirements into IT policies at a fraction of the time it takes most companies. Integrating these tools with Check Point’s existing security solutions enables customers to define and manage policies that can be applied to all of the company’s leading protections, including Firewall, VPN, Application Control, Intrusion Prevention, Data Loss Prevention, Mobile Access and Endpoint Security – helping organizations create a security blueprint that reflects their specific business needs.

    “By providing an easy way to define, manage and translate security policies into IT security controls, we are further enhancing the implementation of 3D Security for our customers,” said Amnon Bar-Lev, president of Check Point Software Technologies. “This acquisition makes it very simple for customers to establish corporate policies that adhere to a wide range of global compliance regulations, and reinforces the importance of turning security into a business process.”

    Dynasec, an Israeli-based company, was founded in 2004 and has customers in over 20 different countries and across multiple industries, including the financial services, telecommunications, government, energy and healthcare sectors. The transaction is expected to close within the next month. Terms of the acquisition will not be disclosed.

    “With this new offering, we are extending our 3D Security strategy and bringing customers the tools that enable them to easily and quickly implement corporate and security policies with full control and enforcement,” concluded Bar-Lev.

    About Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.
    Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (www.checkpoint.com), the worldwide leader in securing the Internet, provides customers with uncompromised protection against all types of threats, reduces security complexity and lowers total cost of ownership. Check Point first pioneered the industry with FireWall-1 and its patented stateful inspection technology. Today, Check Point continues to develop new innovations based on the Software Blade Architecture, providing customers with flexible and simple solutions that can be fully customized to meet the exact security needs of any organization. Check Point is the only vendor to go beyond technology and define security as a business process. Check Point 3D Security uniquely combines policy, people and enforcement for greater protection of information assets and helps organizations implement a blueprint for security that aligns with business needs. Customers include tens of thousands of organizations of all sizes, including all Fortune and Global 100 companies. Check Point's award-winning ZoneAlarm solutions protect millions of consumers from hackers, spyware and identity theft. 

    HP to Keep PC Division

    HP to Keep PC Division

    Continued combination of HP and its Personal Systems Group expected to deliver greater customer and shareholder value

    PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 27, 2011

    HP today announced that it has completed its evaluation of strategic alternatives for its Personal Systems Group (PSG) and has decided the unit will remain part of the company.

    “HP objectively evaluated the strategic, financial and operational impact of spinning off PSG. It’s clear after our analysis that keeping PSG within HP is right for customers and partners, right for shareholders, and right for employees,” said Meg Whitman, HP president and chief executive officer. “HP is committed to PSG, and together we are stronger.”

    The strategic review involved subject matter experts from across the businesses and functions. The data-driven evaluation revealed the depth of the integration that has occurred across key operations such as supply chain, IT and procurement. It also detailed the significant extent to which PSG contributes to HP’s solutions portfolio and overall brand value. Finally, it also showed that the cost to recreate these in a standalone company outweighed any benefits of separation.

    The outcome of this exercise reaffirms HP’s model and the value for its customers and shareholders. PSG is a key component of HP’s strategy to deliver higher value, lasting relationships with consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and enterprise customers. The HP board of directors is confident that PSG can drive profitable growth as part of the larger entity and accelerate solutions from other parts of HP’s business.

    PSG has a history of innovation and technological leadership as well as an established record of industry-leading profitability. It is the No. 1 manufacturer of personal computers in the world with revenues totaling $40.7 billion for fiscal year 2010.

    “As part of HP, PSG will continue to give customers and partners the advantages of product innovation and global scale across the industry’s broadest portfolio of PCs, workstations and more,” said Todd Bradley, executive vice president, Personal Systems Group, HP. “We intend to make the leading PC business in the world even better.”

    More information is available at www.hp.com/investor/PSG-Decision.

    About HP

    HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure at the convergence of the cloud and connectivity, creating seamless, secure, context-aware experiences for a connected world. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

    Symantec Enhances SMB Specialization to Magnify Growth Opportunities for Partners

    Symantec Enhances SMB Specialization to Magnify Growth Opportunities for Partners

     

    MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – October 25, 2011 – Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced new security and backup tracks within its SMB Specialization, which provides partners with the skills and experience needed to differentiate themselves from their competition and drive greater revenue by tailoring their services and support to SMBs. This development reflects Symantec’s commitment to helping its channel partners more effectively serve the SMB market. In addition, the SMB Specialization now includes the Symantec Technical Support Center, providing partners with access to a dedicated SMB support team and sales support.


    Click to Tweet: Symantec boosts potential earnings for SMB partners with enhanced SMB Specialization: http://bit.ly/tdOPzu


    Specializations are the cornerstone of the Symantec Partner Program and provide increased opportunities for predictable, profitable growth to partners who display knowledge and experience in a solution area or market. Earning the SMB Specialization allows partners to demonstrate their proficiency in specific solution families.


    To better align with their expertise and business models, SMB partners now have the opportunity to earn exclusive financial benefits by focusing on either the security track, backup track or both. The Specialization benefits are unique to the individual tracks, and partners who achieve both will attain maximum benefits. SMB Specialists can take full advantage of the ability to deliver Symantec security and backup solutions to SMB customers in their platform of choice—including cloud services, appliances or traditional software—and receive the same financial, technical support and enablement benefits independent of product form factor.


    The security track emphasizes Symantec SMB security solutions including Symantec Endpoint Protection and Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business Edition, Symantec Endpoint Protection.cloud, Symantec Protection Suites (SBE/ABE) and Symantec Messaging Gateway Small Business Edition. The backup track includes Symantec Backup Exec, Symantec Backup Exec.cloud, Symantec Backup Exec 3600 Appliance and Symantec System Recovery.


    Partners who achieve the SMB Specialization will have access to a new dedicated support team through the Symantec Technical Support Center (STSC) for SMB Specialists. The STSC is a new support benefit designed to provide SMB Specialists with access to a team of technical support professionals dedicated specifically to helping them quickly resolve their SMB customers’ technical questions with many of Symantec’s SMB products.


    SMB Specialization Benefits

    The Symantec SMB Specialization provides qualified partners with greater access to Symantec sales and technical resources to help them accelerate the sales cycle, as well as incentives, tailored promotions, tools and access to the Symantec Opportunity Registration Program or up-front discounts at distribution, designed to help partners accelerate profitability. Partners who achieve the Specialization will also be able to differentiate themselves with an SMB Specialization member certificate and logo and customizable campaigns.


    SMB Specialization Partner Requirements

    Eligible partners must be enrolled in the Symantec Partner Program as a Corporate Platinum, Platinum, Gold, Silver or Registered level channel partner or Global Strategic Partner. They must also meet defined profile requirements for participation and complete Symantec training and accreditation requirements for SMB solutions.


    Quotes

    “Specializations are the cornerstone of the Symantec Partner Program and we'll continue to evolve our Specializations to meet the needs of our partner community. The enhancements we're making to our SMB Specialization will give our partners the opportunity to drive more revenue and increase the value they provide to our joint SMB customers.”
    —Randy Cochran, vice president, Americas Channel Sales, Symantec Corp.


    “We are committed to giving our partners more opportunities to be profitable selling Symantec's SMB solutions. The SMB Specialization is designed to provide Symantec partners who serve the SMB market with enablement, incentives and support tailored to their unique business needs as well as those of their customers.”
    —Steve Cullen, senior vice president of worldwide marketing, SMB and .Cloud, Symantec Corp.


    “Symantec’s SMB Specialization makes it easier for us to work with our small business customers and stand out among the competition. The expertise we have demonstrated gives our customers the peace of mind that they are protected, enabling them to focus on running their businesses.”
    —Spencer Ferguson, president, Wasatch Software


    Differentiating with Symantec Specializations

    Symantec Specializations, which recognize partners with proven expertise in a particular area of business or market segment, provide partners with the skills and experience required to deliver differentiated service to their customers. Symantec partners achieve Specialization by meeting certain requirements that deepen their knowledge and proficiency in a solution family and receive unique benefits as a result of their investment. Globally, Symantec offers 11 Specializations in key solution areas and market segments. Symantec also offers a Master Specialization to partners with deep expertise in delivering advanced consulting services in related solution Specialization areas.


    Specializations vary by region. Full details of current Specializations with regional requirements and benefits are available at www.symantec.com/partners/programs/specializations/index.jsp


    Related

    Connect with Symantec

    About Symantec

    Symantec is a global leader in providing security, storage and systems management solutions to help consumers and organizations secure and manage their information-driven world. Our software and services protect against more risks at more points, more completely and efficiently, enabling confidence wherever information is used or stored. More information is available at www.symantec.com.

    Red Hat Joins Facebook’s Open Compute Project to Drive Datacenter Efficiency

    Red Hat Joins Facebook’s Open Compute Project to Drive Datacenter Efficiency


    Open Compute Project to use the open source development model to transform the energy efficiency of global datacenters; Red Hat CTO Brian Stevens keynotes at the Open Compute Summit

    Raleigh, NC - October 27, 2011

    Red Hat, Inc. (NYSE: RHT), the world's leading provider of open source solutions, today announced that it has joined the Open Compute Project, a project established by Facebook with the goal of building one of the most efficient computing infrastructures at the lowest possible cost.  With this, Red Hat will collaborate with the Open Compute Project and its members on technologies, design and development to redefine the next-generation datacenter.

    With the Open Compute Project, Facebook embarked on a mission to build datacenters using the traditions of open source software and with the intention of sharing its technologies as they evolve.  The project’s datacenters are designed to improve efficiency through reduced energy loss, power consumption and re-use of resources, such as using system heat output to warm buildings.  With its first Open Compute Project datacenter in Prineville, Oregon, the organization achieved a 38 percent increase in energy efficiency at a cost of 24 percent less as compared to its other facilities.  Red Hat has coordinated with several large customers to participate in the Open Compute Project, starting with the certification of Red Hat Enterprise Linux on two systems that are based on the Open Compute Project specification.  As a result of this collaboration, users of Open Compute Project-based systems are able to utilize Red Hat solutions, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux, as certified technologies in their datacenters.

    Today, in New York City, the Open Compute Project is hosting its second Open Compute Summit to promote technologies and innovation for defining and delivering these efficient datacenters.  At the event, Brian Stevens, CTO and vice president, Engineering at Red Hat, will deliver a keynote presentation on Red Hat’s commitment to the open source development model and the collaboration on the Open Compute Project.

    “Red Hat was built on the principles of openness, collaboration and technology contribution that define the open source development model,” said Stevens.  “With the Open Compute Project, Facebook is using the power of the open source model to redefine how datacenters are designed and built.  With our consistent focus on innovation and end-user value, it was natural to take part in this project to not only extend the benefits of Red Hat products to these systems, but to also help expand the reach of open source technologies as a whole.”

    Following the certification of its operating system, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Red Hat plans to test its virtualization platform, Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization.  Additionally, it is expected that its recently acquired storage technologies will be extended for use within Open Compute Project architecture environments.

    “Efforts such as the Open Compute Project take open source to another level as they share information and best practices on datacenter scale, sustainability, cost and efficiency with the broader industry, leveraging the power of collective knowledge,” said Jay Lyman, senior analyst with The 451 Group. “Facebook and other supporters should be commended for the effort, which gains technology and open source credibility with the involvement of Red Hat.”

    For more information about the Open Compute Project, visit http://opencompute.org/.  For more information about the Open Compute Summit, visit http://opencompute.org/summit.

    For more information about Red Hat, visit www.redhat.com.  For more news, more often, visit www.press.redhat.com.

    About Red Hat, Inc.
    Red Hat, the world's leading provider of open source solutions and an S&P 500 company, is headquartered in Raleigh, NC with more than 70 offices spanning the globe.  Red Hat provides high-quality, affordable technology with its operating system platform, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, together with cloud, virtualization, applications, management, storage and service-oriented architecture (SOA) solutions, including Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization and JBoss Enterprise Middleware. Red Hat also offers support, training and consulting services to its customers worldwide. Learn more: http://www.redhat.com.

    TITUS Receives 2011 Outstanding Information Technology Award from IEEE Ottawa

    TITUS Receives 2011 Outstanding Information Technology Award from IEEE Ottawa

     

    OTTAWA, ON – October 28, 2011TITUS, a leading provider of security and compliance solutions for email, documents, and SharePoint, has been selected to receive the 2011 Outstanding Information Technology Award from the Ottawa Section of IEEE, the global association that advances innovation and technological excellence. The award will be presented at the IEEE Ottawa 67th Annual General Meeting Banquet on Friday, October 28.

     

    “Award recipients are recognized both for their innovative technology approaches as well as their significant contributions to the communities served by IEEE Canada,” says to Dr. Rajan Sreeraman, Chair of IEEE Ottawa Section. “We are recognizing TITUS in the information technology category as a leader in providing software solutions for information security, compliance and SharePoint classification.”

     

    The IEEE Ottawa Section Award Committee selected recipients based on a number of factors, including:
    •              Innovation and patents
    •              Products and technology
    •              Benefits and services for the region, province, and country
    •              Employment
    •              Market driven strategy for the local and international industry

     

    “We are pleased to be acknowledged with this award from IEEE Ottawa,” said Tim Upton, Founder, President, and CEO at TITUS. “This award not only recognizes TITUS and our leading software solutions, but also recognizes the people behind the solutions. We have a great team at TITUS who design, develop, market and sell our products around the world.”

     

    About TITUS

    TITUS is the leading provider of security and compliance software that helps organizations share information securely while meeting policy and compliance requirements. Our solutions enable military, government, and large enterprises to raise awareness and meet regulatory compliance by visually alerting end users to the sensitivity of information. Products include TITUS Classification, the leading message, document and file classification and labeling solutions; TITUS Aware, products that enhance Data Loss Prevention by detecting sensitive information at the desktop; and the TITUS family of classification and security solutions for Microsoft SharePoint. TITUS solutions are deployed to over 1.5 million users within our over 300 military, government and enterprise customers worldwide, including Dow Corning, United States Air Force, NATO, G4S, Paternoster, Pratt and Whitney, Australian Department of Defence, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. For more information, visit www.titus.com or the TITUS Data Security and Compliance blog.

     

    About IEEE

    With over 400,000 members around the world, the IEEE is the world’s largest professional association advancing innovation and technological excellence for the benefit of humanity. IEEE and its members inspire a global community to innovate for a better tomorrow through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities. IEEE is the trusted “voice” for engineering, computing and technology information around the globe. The IEEE Ottawa Section, established in 1944, has over 2,000 local members who continue to elevate the Ottawa Section’s status as one of the most active IEEE sections worldwide and the most active in Canada. The members include many science, mathematics, engineering and technology recognized leaders in the world.


    (download)

    Four Tech Trends Fueling Hiring

    Click here to download:
    WPM$46DA.PM$ (5 KB)

      
    Four Tech Trends Fueling Hiring

       Recently Released Salary Research Indicates Key Growth Areas
       TORONTO, Oct. 27 /CNW/ - Mobile media isn't just making it easier
       to get information on the go -- it's also creating demand for
       professionals who can help companies beef up their mobile
       presence, according to the just-released 2012 Salary Guide from
       Robert Half Technology. Other technology trends fueling IT hiring
       include:
           -  Access to increasing amounts of data
           -  Constantly evolving IT security threats
           -  Growing online collaboration in business

       "As the popularity of new devices increase, a greater need for IT
       security and the use of collaboration tools in business is developing,"
       said Lara Dodo, a Canadian regional vice-president of Robert Half
       Technology. "This uptick in demand has resulted in higher starting
       salaries for positions in these specialty areas."
       Following is a description of the trends fueling hiring and their effect
       on starting salary ranges:
           -  Mobile media -- Continued growth of smartphones and tablets is
              heightening the demand for individuals with experience creating and
              organising content for the small screen. As a result, starting
              salaries for mobile applications developers are expected to rise 8.2
              per cent over 2011 levels to a range of $72,500 to $102,750.

           -  Increasing amounts of data -- Thanks to technology, companies can
              access more data than ever before. Businesses seek those who can
              gather and organise this information and highlight what's relevant to
              business goals. Among the positions most in demand are business
              intelligence analysts, who will see a 6.8 per cent increase in average
              starting salaries to a range of $70,750 to $98,500.

           -  Constantly evolving security threats -- Data security and protection
              continue to be a priority for companies, particularly in industries
              such as banking and healthcare. Starting salaries for data security
              analysts are expected to increase 4.9 per cent to a range of $83,250
              to $124,500.

           -  Growing online collaboration -- As firms increase their use of
              internal social media to facilitate collaboration and online learning,
              there's an increasing need for software developers, especially those
              with SharePoint and .NET experience. The base compensation for
              software developers is expected to rise 6.2 per cent next year to a
              range of $59,750 to $99,750.

       More information on skills and positions in demand, as well as a
       salary calculator that allows users to quickly determine starting salary
       ranges for positions in select local markets, is available via the Robert
       Half Technology Salary Centre (www.rht.com/salarycentre).
       About Robert Half Technology
       With more than 100 locations worldwide, Robert Half Technology is a
       leading provider of technology professionals for initiatives ranging
       from web development and multiplatform systems to network security
       and technical support. Robert Half Technology offers online job
       search services at www.rht.com.
       EDITOR'S NOTE: Your readers can download a free copy of the
       Robert Half Technology 2012 Salary Guide at
       www.rht.com/SalaryCentre.
       For further information: TO SPEAK WITH A LOCAL EXPERT,
       CONTACT: Robert Half Technology Contact: Nadia Santoli (416)
       350-2330 nadia.santoli@rhi.com

       This information is being distributed to you by CNW Group Ltd.
       To discontinue this service, click here.
    Ces renseignements vous ont été distribués par le Groupe CNW Ltée.
    Pour mettre fin à ce service, cliquez ici.
    © 2011 CNW Group Ltd, all rights reserved
    © 2011 Groupe CNW Ltée, tous droits réservés


    University of Toronto researchers create world's most efficient flexible OLED on plastic


    University of Toronto researchers create world's most efficient flexible OLED on plastic

    TORONTO, Oct. 30, 2011 /CNW/ - Engineering researchers at the University of Toronto have developed the world's most efficient organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) on plastic. This result enables a flexible form factor, not to mention a less costly, alternative to traditional OLED manufacturing, which currently relies on rigid glass.

    The results are reported online in the latest issue of Nature Photonics.

    OLEDs provide high-contrast and low-energy displays that are rapidly becoming the dominant technology for advanced electronic screens. They are already used in some cell phone and other smaller-scale applications.

    Current state-of-the-art OLEDs are produced using heavy-metal doped glass in order to achieve high efficiency and brightness, which makes them expensive to manufacture, heavy, rigid and fragile.

    "For years, the biggest excitement behind OLED technologies has been the potential to effectively produce them on flexible plastic," says Materials Science & Engineering Professor Zheng-Hong Lu, the Canada Research Chair (Tier I) in Organic Optoelectronics.

    Using plastic can substantially reduce the cost of production, while providing designers with a more durable and flexible material to use in their products.

    The research, which was supervised by Professor Lu and led by PhD Candidates Zhibin Wang and Michael G. Helander, demonstrated the first high-efficiency OLED on plastic. The performance of their device is comparable with the best glass-based OLEDs, while providing the benefits offered by using plastic.

    "This discovery, unlocks the full potential of OLEDs, leading the way to energy-efficient, flexible and impact-resistant displays," says Professor Lu.

    Wang and Helander were able to re-construct the high-refractive index property previously limited to heavy metal-doped glass by using a 50-100 nanometre thick layer of tantalum(V) oxide (Ta2O5), an advanced optical thin-film coating material. This advanced coating technique, when applied on flexible plastic, allowed the team to build the highest-efficiency OLED device ever reported with a glass-free design.

    The results of Wang and Helander's work titled "Unlocking the Full Potential of Organic Light-Emitting Diodes on Flexible Plastic" are published online in the journal Nature Photonics (Nature Photonics DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2011.259). The full paper is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2011.259

    A video interview with Michael G. Helander discussing this research is available at http://vimeo.com/uoftengineering/oled

    Please contact Luke Y. H. Ng for images associated with this research discovery.

    For further information:

    Luke Y. H. Ng
    External Relations & Student Life Officer
    Department of Materials Science & Engineering
    Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, University of Toronto
    Telephone: 416-946-3211
    Email: lukeyh.ng@utoronto.ca
    Web: www.mse.utoronto.ca

    This information is being distributed to you by CNW Group Ltd.
    To discontinue this service, click here.

    Ces renseignements vous ont été distribués par le Groupe CNW Ltée.
    Pour mettre fin à ce service, cliquez ici.

    © 2011 CNW Group Ltd, all rights reserved
    © 2011 Groupe CNW Ltée, tous droits réservés

    Mobilicity adds two Wi-Fi hotspot devices to provide more flexibility for affordably connecting tablets, laptops and gaming consoles to the web

     

    Mobilicity adds two Wi-Fi hotspot devices to provide more flexibility for affordably connecting tablets, laptops and gaming consoles to the web

    Unlimited data customers can improve productivity with new portable hotspot,
    new Wi-Fi docking station and smartphones with built-in Wi-Fi hotspot technology

    TORONTO, Oct. 28, 2011 /CNW/ - Mobilicity today announced it added two Wi-Fi hotspot devices to its roster of smartphones with built-in hotspots to give productivity-driven customers an array of options for easily and affordably accessing the Internet through its industry-leading unlimited data offering.

    The Huawei E583C is a compact, plug-and-play, portable Wi-Fi hotspot, which at 90 grams can quickly pop into a pocket or handbag and can connect up to five Wi-Fi devices and one tethered device.

    With password-protection and support for up to 8GB of additional memory, the device allows Mobilicity data customers to connect other smartphones, laptops, netbooks, tablets, digital cameras and Wi-Fi enabled video game consoles using the carrier's unlimited network.

    Mobilicity also introduced the Huawei D105 Wi-Fi Dock, a docking station for its Huawei E1691 data stick. It doubles as a Wi-Fi hotspot and makes it possible to simultaneously connect more than 20 Wi-Fi enabled devices to the web using Mobilicity's unlimited data offering.

    The Huawei E583C mobile hotspot and D105 Wi-Fi Dock join the HTC Panache, Samsung Nexus S and Samsung Galaxy Mini Android smartphones, which feature built-in Wi-Fi hotspots enabling customers to efficiently connect their other Wi-Fi devices to the Internet when they add Mobilicity's $10 industry-leading unlimited data onto any unlimited talk and text plan. For data stick and standalone Wi-Fi hotspot customers, Mobilicity offers unlimited data for only $40/month.

    Pricing and availability
    The Huawei E583C and Huawei D105 Wi-Fi dock are priced at $99.99 and $69.99 respectively. They are available at Mobilicity stores across Canada as are the Samsung Nexus S ($349.99), HTC Panache ($299.99) and Samsung Galaxy Mini ($169.99) smartphones.

    About Mobilicity (DAVE Wireless)
    Mobilicity, Canada's smart mobile carrier, was created to bring down the cost of wireless with unlimited talk, text and data plans, affordable North American coverage, plus popular handsets and smartphones - without locking customers into contracts or charging extra or hidden fees. Everything Mobilicity does adds up to a better wireless experience, not an expensive one. NOW THAT'S SMART.

    Formerly known as Data & Audio-Visual Enterprises Wireless Inc. (DAVE Wireless), the company is led by Obelysk, a diversified Canadian holding company, and Quadrangle Capital Partners, a global investor in the telecommunications and media sectors. Mobilicity was named one of Canada's Top 25 Up and Coming Information & Communication Technology start-ups in 2010 by the Branham Group Inc. Further information about Mobilicity can be found at www.mobilicity.ca.

    For further information:

    For more information, images or interviews, please contact:
    Robert Kirsic
    Coordinator, Public Relations
    Mobilicity
    robert.kirsic@mobilicity.ca

    Sheryl Steinberg
    Director, Corporate Affairs
    Mobilicity
    647-70-PRESS
    media@mobilicity.ca