Saturday, November 28, 2009

Doctoral Diploma



It has finally arrived in the mail two weeks ago. It is still hard to believe that this journey has come to an end. Now it is time to press forward as my teaching journey has only begun.


Dr. Maurice Eugene Dawson Jr.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Create & Customize Images [Free]


Recently I came across this free site where you can create and customize your own pictures/images.

The full link is here.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Loving Wife & Loving Mother in Law




This was a very special day. When I drove up to the driveway I saw a huge sign saying Congrats Graduate 2009. Seeing this sign made me feel very loved all over. I just wanted to share photos of two very special women in my life. This event occurred September 18th after a very stressful day. This event was a needed one in my life as this was the first graduation party ever thrown for just me. This day was a happy one indeed.

Summer 2009 Doctoral Graduation




Recently I have graduated from the Institute of Advanced Studies at Colorado Technical University with my Doctor of Computer Science with a concentration in Enterprise Information Systems. It seems like a blur since I have been in school almost non stop. I spent my 24th birthday in the doctoral program and now I can spend this month (October) my birthday not in school. It feels good to be finally complete with only the committee approving my dissertation/4 paper option comments.

Again thanks for following my blog.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Apprehending the Future - Wiki Commentary

This article presenting some good points and ideas in identifying emerging technologies. Mentioned in the article is the Delphi Method which deals with bringing in the experts and having them discuss various topics. This in itself is a good idea however this in itself is still a prediction. The other issues surrounding this method is how informed is the individual claiming to be an expert to include the method the Delphi Process is carried out. The method of gaming prediction is an approach that was utilized by the Iowa Electronic Markets in the 1960s. What is not mentioned the military has done these types of predictions long before that. They are called war games where simulated battles are carried out and once the battle is done an observation is made to see what could have been done better to change the outcome of the battle. Even today is our new mode of fighting there is cyber war games which play out the defense or offense of a computer network. This type of prediction can be good but it must be expected that the potential enemy has the same type of knowledge or ability as the opponent that you are using to play their role.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Modified Delphi Process

1. List the url to your blog post:
http://securecybersecurity.blogspot.com/


2. Discuss the Delphi process and how we can modify it to collaborate and gain consensus. Some of the modifications to the process are anonymous, but anonymity takes time.

Generally participants comment on their own forecasts, the responses of others, and on the progress of the panel as a whole. At any moment they can revise their earlier statements. While in regular group meetings participants tend to stick to previously stated opinions and often conform too much to group leader, the Delphi method prevents it. The Delphi method calls for anonymity with all participants and even after reports become published anonymity remains.

Modification can come come in terms of allowing individuals to weight their predictions on a scale thus allowing a percentage to be taken to include being able to scope predictions. A likert model would be the best scale commonly used in questionnaires, and is the most widely used scale in survey research.

3. How can we hasten the process?

I don't know of any methods to accelerate the process other than obtaining the experts quicker and giving them a full debrief of the situation before allowing them to input their ideas/thoughts.

4. How does open or closed collaboration affect the results?

Currently a big problem is misinformation with the experts. If the experts had a period of time to ensure that they are not misinformed they would be better able to make better prediction. I think that open collaboration after results allow individuals to ensure that they understood the topic however closed collaboration could allow an individual to think they made the appropriate choice when in reality they have not.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

President Obama Speaking on National Security



Click Link to View Video

In this particular clip you can hear the President talking about America's digital infrastructure and how we need to protect. This item ties heavily in the Depratment of Defense (DoD) 8570 mandate which call for industry certifications for positions that require touching any DoD computer as it relates to Information Assurance (IA). Further discussed is how we use the internet to shop, bank, and do taxes. As our society heavily relies on this digital infrastructure we become very vulnerable. The question is what happens if in the future we can not truly protect this "digital infrastructure"? As we move forward with technologies and our physical world become more merged with the cyber one we must learn how to properly protect those assets.

Creation of Cyber Warriors



Short video discussion the merge of many air force specialties for the creation of the cyber command.

NATO Battles Cyber Attacks



In terms of the future of cyber security it appears we have a long way to go to battle this uprising problem. In Estonia they were not adequately prepared to defend themselves against hackers. The first one might ask how does this battle field change with items such as Second Life, Facebook, and etc. We have already seen Facebook being used social exploits pretending to be legitimate friends and in trouble. If the ones who are to protect you are not able to quickly deploy proper defenses how will our future be shaped as our society moves online.

Society Goes Online


Collaborating
Over and over the importance of collaborating is discussed as a key factor to effectively execute. Collaboration allows visibility across business units, into program status, and optimizes operational reviews. There are multiple tools that are free that can be utilize to accomplish this tasks.

Collaborating via Web
The future of collaboration is virtual tools such as Second Life. Second Life allows users to build objects, set permissions, re size, re texture, move, copy, and delete objects in Second life. Other items include developing a project and test it in Second Life. There are universities such as Colorado Technical University (CTU) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that host classes and meetings in this virtual world. Companies and professionals collaborate via virtual forums on various worlds. This environment allows for multiple organizations to host meetings for free thus reducing overhead and allowing for collaboration beyond simple two dimensional discussion boards.

Review of Book
In the book Technology's Promise: Expert Knowledge on the Transformation of Business and Society written by W. E. Halah a key chapter that sticks out is society moves online. There are many items discussed such as global access, entertainment on demand, virtual reality, teleliving, and shifting social foundations. The particular section of the book is important to me as I live in this age that is being discussed. For instance I attended Athens State University for my Bachelors in Science in Applied Technology on their ground campus in Athens, AL (USA). However I made the transition to receive my Master of Science in Management in Information Systems Security at Colorado Technical University (Colorado Tech) completely online while living in Cedar Rapids, IA (USA). While in the program tools such as Macromedia Breeze were utilize to view the professor, presentation, and talk live with the entire class to include recording it for later viewing. I was able to join networking groups through the virtual campus. I was able to search multiple journals and libraries all through the university's online system. Even now in my doctoral class we utilize Second Life, blogs, and various web 2.0 tools to communicate and collaborate. I would have never thought of having a large social network of friends and family from across the world in Germany, Ghana, Canada, France, United Kingdom (U.K.), Japan, and many states. Through the advances of society going online I was able to meet my current wife. We were able to exchange lines of communication for eight months before meeting one another and once we met we utilized various web tools for communicating such as Skype, Myspace, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger, and others.

Halal discusses something that he calls the intelligence interface. This intelligence interface is suggested to replace today's dumb computer interface. This interface is more of artificial intelligence with speak recognition migrating toward providing more of a conversational form of human machine interaction. The example provided is to show in a virtual environment with a virtual salesperson greeting you rather than going to the a web site in which your search for the product(s) needed. This is a perfect example of the intelligence interface in teleliving which is simple defined as the later trend in social relationships.

References
[1] W. E. Halal, Technology's Promise: Expert Knowledge on the Transformation of Business and Society, 1 ed. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Cyber Security Engineer Career Outlook & Info

Taken directly from website:


Outlook & Growth

This career is expected to grow 27 percent—faster than average—through 2016. An increase in computer security jobs is expected as technology continues to advance and become more affordable. More businesses will add computers and will need specialists to make their networks secure.
In addition, use of the Internet by businesses should increase the demand for computer security specialists. Some specialists will work inside consulting firms dedicated exclusively to computer security issues.

Salary & Wages
Those in executive roles—with titles such as chief information security officer, chief security officer or security manager—earned $106,326 on average. Those in more technical roles (security engineer, security penetration tester or web security manager) earned an average of $75,275.

What is a Cybersecurity Specialist?
Computer security specialists work with companies to build secure computer systems. They question managers and staff about their current security methods. They find out what information the company wants to protect. Specialists also learn what information employees should be able to access. Computer security specialists use their findings to plan the security system. They regularly train staff on how to use security software and properly use computers to prevent any problems.
Some computer security specialists write rules and procedures for employees to follow. In some companies, specialists coordinate security for vendors and customers in addition to employees. Specialists evaluate security breaks and determine if there are problems or errors. If there is a problem, specialists track where the break came from and shut off the access point.

Education & Degree Path
There are many ways to become a computer security specialist. Many employers prefer to hire people with some formal college education. A bachelor’s degree in computer science or information systems is excellent preparation for this occupation. Another route is to major in your area of interest and minor in computer science.
Bachelor’s degrees in computer security—also called information assurance—are available online.
An important part of preparing for this field is learning the latest technology. Some people learn through classes and others teach themselves.

Certification: As with other computer specialties, you can receive certification in certain products or groups of products, which can increase your appeal to employers.

Entering the Field: Many security specialists learn their skills on the job. They are paired with an experienced specialist who teaches them the job. This type of training can take between one and two years. The military has become a leading trainer in this specialty area. If you have skills and employment in any technical aspect of computers—repair, database and office systems—you can retrain to specialize in cybersecurity.

Career Changers: Many enter this field after working at a related computer specialty, such as programming or web mastering or network administration. You can re-tool quickly by earning a certificate or taking courses in cybersecurity or information assurance.

Average pay for average Cyber Security Engineer were in Chantilly, VA was $116,000 In USD as of Sep 8, 2009


Career Links
ISC)2 (professional information security certifications)
The SANS 2005 Information Security Salary and Career Advancement Survey
Datamation magazine
CIO Insight magazine

The Professor's Paycheck


Going through the AACSB International website I came across an article discussing the salary for new faculty. This article talks about the average salary for business professors including those teaching Computer Information Systems (CIS) and Management Information Systems (MIS) as those generally fall under the School of Business (SOB) at many institutions.

Please take a look and review the publication as it can shed some light into the profession of collegiate teaching.


http://www.aacsb.edu/publications/Archives/Mar-Apr04/p58-61.pdf

Ph.D. Shortage: Business Schools Seek Professors

Going across the AACSB site I was directed toward this article which I have posted. It may be interest to those who want to pursue a career in academia.

Ph.D. Shortage: Business Schools Seek Professors


By RONALD ALSOP

Jean Wyer is a seasoned recruiter at PricewaterhouseCoopers, but a recent headhunting request took her aback. Business schools were calling on her not to hire their graduates, but rather to help them find accounting professors.

That experience showed "just how dire the shortage of accounting Ph.D.s is becoming," says Dr. Wyer, a principal at PwC. "What terrifies me as a practitioner is the possibility that some schools may decide to stop having accounting majors if they can't find enough qualified people to teach."
[video]

M.B.A. Track columnist Ronald Alsop discusses the growing shortage of doctoral graduates in accounting.

The growing shortage of doctoral graduates from business schools is indeed worrisome. The accounting field is especially feeling the supply-demand pinch. But other disciplines such as finance and management are suffering from a scarcity of Ph.D.s, too, as they try to replace professors who are retiring or moving into corporate and consulting jobs.

AACSB International, the accrediting organization for business schools, estimates a shortage of 1,000 Ph.D.s in the U.S. this year that will grow to 2,400 by 2012. Some universities, particularly public schools, have cut back on Ph.D. programs because they're costly to operate. In addition, AACSB found in a survey of deans that many have limited their enrollment because of fewer qualified applicants.

For students, the Ph.D. shortfall means larger classes and more online content. It also is pushing schools to steal professors from their competitors, driving up the cost of salaries, summer supplements, and other benefits such as research support.

James Thomas, dean of the Smeal College of Business at Pennsylvania State University, is concerned about the spike in salaries as he tries to fill 11 vacant positions, including nine that are tenure track. "If we fill all of them, we will have to do some budget juggling given the salary and supplement increases dictated by the present faculty marketplace," he says. "Professors are becoming more nomadic as they go where the money is; moving to another school may mean a 50% increase in compensation."

Dr. Thomas, who successfully countered a couple of recent raids on his accounting faculty, says "merit increases, summer support and endowed professorships" are becoming even more important retention tools. Some schools also are offering reduced teaching loads with more time for research, as well as a faster route to tenure.

According to AACSB, newly hired professors with doctorates commanded average salaries of $137,400 in 2006, up from $113,400 in 2000. But those are just the averages; some faculty stars may fetch salaries of $250,000 or more.

Those fresh out of doctoral programs earned an average of $100,800 in 2006, compared with $77,200 in 2000. New doctoral graduates fare especially well in accounting and finance, with average salaries of about $114,000.

"Sooner or later, the price factor will kick in and more people will view becoming a business-school professor as quite attractive," says Mark Zupan, dean of the Simon Graduate School of Business at the University of Rochester. "But that hasn't happened yet." For now, Dr. Zupan is courting mid-career professors, who are starting families and find the quality of life and cost of living in Rochester, N.Y., appealing. "Rookies are too mobile," he says.

The best short-term solution appears to be enlisting more adjunct faculty from the business world. While schools can't go too far in hiring faculty without doctorates and still remain accredited, AACSB sees plenty of room for more business professionals.

It recently began promoting its Professionally Qualified Faculty Bridge Program to bring new blood into the classroom. The first one-week bridge session last fall at the University of California at Irvine attracted 26 people with expertise in such areas as accounting, marketing, supply-chain management, information systems and real estate. A second bridge program is scheduled for May at the University of Southern California. "The cavalry is on its way," declares John Fernandes, president of AACSB.

Similarly, PricewaterhouseCoopers plans to create a program called PwC Teaches that would put the firm's partners through a short academic training program and then lend them to schools. Dr. Wyer hopes to place more than 30 partners on about 20 campuses, teaching primarily tax and audit courses. PwC also may provide financial sponsorship for employees who want to earn a Ph.D. themselves and teach accounting full-time.

While many managers certainly are interested in academia, especially as they approach retirement, business-school deans are cautious. George Daly, dean of the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, is recruiting more nontenure-track faculty from companies, often with M.B.A. rather than Ph.D. credentials. But he is careful to hire people who are "thoughtful and reflective" and can do more than just relate "war stories" from the corporate battlefield.

Penn State's Dr. Thomas says he receives at least one query a week from executives who are nearing retirement or itching for a career change. "But they forget that engaging a large group of students isn't something everyone can do," he says. "I advise them to try their hand at a local community college or even high school before they waltz into a top university."

Monday, September 7, 2009

Animoto-Cyber Security Video

I created this video using a free tool from Animoto, which lets you put together a video to music from images and music. It is an easy tool to use which consists of three steps.

Friday, August 21, 2009

AudioPal Posting


Get a Voki now!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

25 Free Digital Audio Editors You Should Know About



I have found an amazing page that lists and details twenty-five digital audio editors we should know about.



http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/25-free-digital-audio-editors/

Google DC Talks: "Developing a Natl Cybersecurity Strategy"

Google talks about the national security threats we are facing today and potential threats in the future. In this they talk about the Pentagon's new establishment of a Cyber Security Command which is directly tied to President Obama's Cyber Security Act of 2009. Also note there is already a DoD 8570 Manadate for Security Professionals requiring certain certifications to be employeed on a DoD contract which impacts contractors, military, and DoD Civilians.

Google D.C. Talks: "National Security and Web 2.0"

Google has a talk with military leadership discussing the capabilities of Web 2.0 tools. The officer talks about being able to quickly conduct knowledge transfer in a war environment. The example given is one of that regarding a 2nd LT. Other examples include letting others know where IEDs are at to include other important information that could allow soldiers to be more successful in a war environment.

Video Conferencing Tools

ooVoo Web Video Chat is a free tool that gives two individuals the ability to have a video conversation. At a price additional features are allowed such as having more than three individuals talking at the same time. This particular tools saves big on travel and having to go out and purchase expensive video teleconferencing equipment. The most expensive plan is ~$40.00 per month for having the ability to have six callers talking to each other. This tool is one that many small businesses should utilize as a way to mitigate costs and improve efficiency.

Free Video Chat & Video Conferencing

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Web 2.0 Tools for Business Development

There are a number of sites that business developers, sales, and recruiting managers can use within their organization. These tools allow to have relationships with potentials customers or employees. The best thing is these sites are all free allowing only the cost per hour for an individual to utilize these particular networks. The sites are the following:

African Brain Drain [Futurist Prediction Come True]

Dr. Philip Emeagwali is an American Nigerian futurist. He was one of the pioneers of the internet and former President Bill Clinton has praised him in his achievements in computer science. In this video he talks about brain drain in the Africa community dealing with how over a million have left to America and other continents. All of which are skill workers emigrating out of Africa. He has spoken many times on concerning topics relating to Africans however this particular video clips simply talks about.

The item is years ago the prediction was that Africa would be drained of resources however many individuals stated that brain drain would be one of the major killers of this continent. Present today we can see this futurist's prediction coming to fruition.

Nigerian/African Brain Drain by Dr. Emeagwali
South African Brain Drain
African Brain Drain 101
Africa Deadly Brain Drain in Malawi

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Cool Web 2.0 Tools [Office Replacements]

I found a site which details a tons of Office replacements that are specifically for the teacher and student. It has a number of amazing tools that are free of charge. Below is an exert taken directly from the web page pertaining to the tools:

  • Google Docs & Spreadsheets - One of the more developed online office tools, Google only offers a word processor and spreadsheet, though there have long been rumors of a presentation tool (and recent acquisitions by the company would suggest that they are likely true).
  • Zoho Office Suite - Zoho is one of the most complete online office suites, offering more tools than you'll even find in Microsoft Office's student and teacher version.
  • gOFFICE - No frills gOFFICE has a very familiar look and feel.
  • ThinkFree - ThinkFree can replace Word, Excel, and Powerpoint with its suite of online apps, and they offer downloadable versions of their software as well.
  • EditGrid - EditGrid only does spreadsheets, but does them very well.


http://www.teach42.com/2007/03/06/top-10-free-web-20-sites-for-educators-and-a-few-honorable-mentions/

Hacking for Education

A researcher takes Nintendo Wii remote and demonstrates at Ted Talks how this particular technology can be used for education. Anthony took his idea and made it come to fruition. He made an interface out of a simple IR pen and a Wiimote that is capable of turning any data projector into an interactive whiteboard irrespective of the surface that is used. Anthony strongly claims that this easy setup costs less than $100 installed tied with the free Smoothboard software has the potential to be one of the most exciting innovations for some time.

What he has done is taken ~$50 worth of hardware saving thousands to allow about 80% of the capability with less than 2% of the total cost to have a true interactive whiteboard.

Birth of the Computer

Talks George Dyson at the birth of the computer at http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/george_dyson_at_the_birth_of_the_computer.html

This discussion talks about the fundamentals of the origins of the modern computer from 17th century origins to present days notebooks. This is a truly informative discussion that displays the role of Princeton to include how original computer was utilized for bomb calculation to include showing that the first programmers were women.

So when we take a look at this particular discussion what are our thoughts pertaining to this matter as it has evolved and continuously evolving today?

Friday, July 24, 2009

Greetings

This is a newly created blog which focuses on cyber security and how it shall shape our future to include pioneer technologies and or techniques.