FBI Agent to Speak on Cybersecurity October 21

CyberDivision & White Collar Programs
of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Presented by FBI Special Agent Norm Sanders



October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Is your business prepared?

Join the Chamber at South County Connections, Wednesday, October 21 when FBI Special Agent Norm Sanders discusses current trends in Cybersecurity, including ID Theft in Business/Commerce, and a case study on fraud.

To register, visit the event webpage or call Janice Hutchins 253.627.2175.

Transpo Tech Conference 2015

Technologies and transportation?  Here's how to know more:

State of Technology Luncheon Features Innovator

The State of Technology Luncheon will feature Geoffrey Moore, author and recognized expert on innovation.

To learn more and register, online here.

(Click on Image for a Larger View)

Pierce County earns national recognition for Mobile App Internship

If you’re a local college student looking to jump start a high tech career, Pierce County has an app for that.

Thanks to a partnership between Pierce County and the University of Washington Tacoma (UWT), local students get real-world experience making mobile applications for smartphones. As one of the first programs of its kind in the nation, Pierce County’s mobile internship was honored this month by the widely respected Digital Government Achievement Awards.

"The internship program is a great success for the community and the university," said Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy. "The county's Information Technology Department is providing enhanced services to citizens and staff, the university is offering practical learning opportunities, and interns are learning state-of-the-art programming skills that give them an edge in a competitive job market. I'm proud of the excellent work being done by sponsors and participants."

Interns work closely with a mentor to design, build, and launch a mobile app that works on Apple and Android devices. Students learn the latest software tools and gain skills that are in high demand with companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Boeing.

Since the program began in 2011, interns have created seven apps for internal or public use. Here are three examples:
•    The MyVote app provides secure access to a citizen’s voter record as well as sample ballots and locations for ballot drop offs.
•    The Road Operations Active Response (ROAR) app enables Public Works and Utilities crews to instantly report mudslides, downed trees, etc. during emergencies. The app feeds Pierce County’s emergency databases with real-time road conditions.
•    The Emergency Shelter app helps residents find the locations and details of open emergency shelters during flooding, ice storms or other disasters.

More information about two of the public apps can be found here. Other public apps are in development.
Andrew Fry, assistant director of Industry Partnerships at UWT, praised the program as a “model” for how local government and universities can expand career opportunities. “I have worked with both large and small companies from Boeing and Microsoft to three-person startups. If I picked a model for how I would create an internship program with an industry partner, the one that has been developed with Pierce County is where I would start.”

The Digital Government Achievement Awards highlight outstanding agency and department websites and technology programs. View the complete list of DGAA awardees.

Tacoma's Topia Launches Skoot Cloud App

Topia Technology, developer of secure, cloud-based file syncing and sharing solutions for individuals and businesses, announced the Skoot cloud application.

Topia’s New Skoot Cloud App Provides Unmatched, Secure File Access and and Sharing Across Devices, Storage Locations and Cloud Services.

With Skoot, you are able to browse all your files, devices and cloud services at once; access, share and move content across PC, Android, Dropbox, Google Docs and more.


Skoot is a new, simple and secure way for users to quickly browse, access and share files saved across devices and services, such as PC, Android, Dropbox and Google Docs, with support for iPhone and iPad coming in the next couple weeks. With Skoot, subscribers securely cloud-enable everything they have, so they can log in once and view all their content. Users grab what they need, share files with others and even remotely move documents between devices. Unlike other cloud, file sharing or remote access services that work in a silo or require that all content be uploaded to the cloud, Skoot makes all your files accessible no matter where they sit.

Traveling with just your laptop or iPad and need a doc off your work desktop? Or forget to put something into Dropbox? Open Skoot to grab it and browse securely through your other stuff while you’re there. Try Skoot for free for 30 days.

“Cloud services have dramatically improved the way users store and access content in their home and business lives,” said Janine Terrano, CEO of Topia Technology. “Yet for individuals with more than one device, location or service, we saw an untapped opportunity to put the user in the center of their own personal cloud for the utmost convenience, privacy and security. Logging in just once on the device at hand, users have all their content – stored across computers, cloud services, mobile devices and more – right at their fingertips.”

Skoot is designed for users that want to easily access all their content, regardless of where it’s saved. It creates a personal, secure cloud encompassing all a user’s computers, files, devices – even other cloud services. Can’t remember where you put something? Skoot makes everything easy to get to; log in from any device and search content by location (i.e., device), file type or file name.

Users can now make thoughtful decisions about what goes in the cloud, stays on the device or is protected in Skoot’s Vault. This is the first time individuals get to put files where they want them without limiting access, and files no longer have to be uploaded to the cloud to be accessed remotely.

Skoot is:

All your Stuff – Browse and securely grab your content regardless of where you are, where it’s stored and what device you have. Access your files across PC, web, tablet, smartphone, etc. and between devices. Continue to use all the free storage your favorite cloud and file-sharing services (Dropbox, Google Docs, etc.) provide. Skoot is your personal content browser.

How you Want it – You are the center of your own personal cloud. Put files where you want them (device, cloud, Vault) and fill your cloud with as much or as little as you want. Easily share your content any time. Browse or search all your stuff on every device at once, without multiple services and log-ins.

Wherever and Whenever – Don’t worry about where you put content, you can still get it using whichever device is at hand – PC, Android tablet, iPhone, etc. No longer pre-plan (or forget) to have the right file, at the right time on the right device.

Protected and Private – Secure your content with end-to-end encryption and protect your file-sharing services for the first time. Use the Skoot Vault to secure and encrypt all your sensitive files.

Skoot enables users to treat sensitive documents, such as business files or financial documents, with care, so they are not exposed in the cloud. Most cloud services store data on their servers “in the clear” with little or no protection. Skoot’s end-to-end encryption provides users with a secure alternative. Skoot never moves a user’s file until requested, and when a file is moved it is heavily encrypted. For even further protection, subscribers can use Skoot’s Vault. Based on the same principle behind a safe or safe deposit box, users place electronic documents in a Vault that is accessible from anywhere, but only they hold the key.

“Today’s cloud providers offer great value and convenience to users, they just don’t work well with each other,” added Terrano. “We’re excited to show prosumers how easy it is to use all their favorites – together and securely – for the first time. No longer feel burdened to choose, consolidate or manage them separately.”

Skoot starts at $4.95 a month and includes 2GB of Vault space.

Skoot for Business: Highly Secure and Flexible

Skoot helps businesses support secure employee access to multiple cloud file syncing and sharing and data storage services (Dropbox, Google Docs, internal SMB stores, etc.). It offers employees an improved way to grab and share content while ensuring enterprise-grade security, enforcing policies and connecting and consolidating different cloud data stores. Skoot adds unparalleled data encryption to existing solutions during the file transfer process, so businesses can protect the cloud file syncing and sharing services employees use. And the Skoot Vault gives employees a simple means to protect sensitive files.

“Skoot makes bring your own device – BYOD – a great productivity opportunity for businesses of all sizes,” added Terrano. “It not only helps IT teams improve remote access via a broad mix of devices, but across the range of cloud services employees connect to them. Staff also have insight into where employees are storing files.”

Deployed by SMB and enterprise organizations as a cloud service or platform, Skoot enables employees to browse and grab files regardless of where they are, where it’s stored and what device they have at hand, increasing productivity, collaboration, efficiency and unmatched security over the wire and at rest. To learn more about the unique benefits of Skoot for Business, visit www.skootit.com

About Topia Technology

Topia Technology develops secure, cloud-based file syncing and sharing solutions for individuals and businesses. The company’s applications create “personal clouds” to make files accessible on a user’s every device – computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone – regardless of where they are stored. Need to find, search or share all your stuff whenever you want? Get Skoot atwww.skootit.com

Mobile App Links Retailers & Consumers

The Tacoma Metro marketplace is the first market in the country to get access to an exciting new technology being introduced by WhereURnow LLC. The company has developed a robust mobile application platform that will allow businesses of all sizes and scope to link up with consumers, who are interested in their services.

Additionally, the application utilizes the location information for both the consumer and the businesses to deliver information to consumers from businesses, based on what is closest to them. This allows business owners to target consumers who are interested in their services and are in their neighborhood.

The consumer gets relevant information both by proximity and their interests and provides mapping and directions to those businesses. As a consumer, you can also easily change the location of your search from your current location to another location with just a few clicks inside the application. You can select a different zip code, a different neighborhood, city or state.

The WhereURnow platform is a web based application, so it also allows consumers to look for information about businesses from their home or work and then easily save that info to their phone for future use.

The business owner also uses the web platform to manage their content on the WhereURnow platform. This allows the business owner 24/7 access to their content and allows them to change that content instantaneously. A business owner has the ability to have multiple offers in the system. The management system provided in the platform also gives the owner access to a complete redemption tracking system for any offers they put into the system and provides access to a loyalty program managed entirely through the WhereURnow interface.

The company launched the service on September 15th and is currently signing up businesses in advance of the public launch of the application in mid-October, which will be accompanied by a significant media campaign on local TV and internet sites.

Bring New Ideas to Market

The i6 Challenge is a new $12 million innovation competition administered by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce, in partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF).

EDA will award up to $1 million to each of six winning teams with the most innovative ideas to drive technology commercialization and entrepreneurship in their regions. NIH and NSF will award a total of up to $6 million in supplemental funding to their SBIR grantees that are associated or partnered with the winning teams.

We encourage entrepreneurs, investors, universities, foundations, and non-profits to participate in the i6 Challenge. The deadline for applications is July 15, 2010. For more information, email or join the i6 Challenge conference call at 2pm EDT on May 17, 2010.

100 Pixels Right Between the Eyes

MorphoTrak's facial recognition imagery was the focus for businesses at the Chamber's monthly Good Morning Tacoma.


Sheriff Paul Pastor talks with attendee about security.

The business group was most interested in what businesses could do to assist law enforcement in the identification and apprehension of criminals. In reviewing the progress and future of law enforcement, Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor said the future of law enforcement is in information: information mining, database management, etc. He said Pierce County, the first to adopt the facial recognition system of MorphoTrak, is on the cutting edge and has solved 50 cases using this technology.

Presenter Robert Taylor, Senior Manager, Tacoma Business Group, MorphoTrak, Inc. said the facial recognition program is an investigative tool, not a positive identification. And, he provided courtesy of his company, a list of recommendations for capturing good quality face images for assisting criminal investigations:

• Place a security camera where the subject is most likely to be looking. In many instances, the best placement may be at the entrance facing into the building as most robbers look directly at the exit when they are leaving the scene.
  
• Place a camera at "head height," or slightly lower, about 5 feet from the floor.
  
• Check to see if the resolution of the video will capture enough resolution. 70-100 pixels of data between the eyes is optimal.
  
• Use "attention traps" to get subjects to look in the direction of a video surveillance camera.
  
• If the business uses looping VHS tapes to record, replace the tapes frequently (every two weeks if possible, every month at minimum). (Think about the grainy images we've all seen on TV!)
  
• If the business routinely asks for ID during a business transaction, consider taking a photocopy (at 200% zoom) or using a digital "card scanner" to capture a digital version of the ID.

Today's program was sponsored by Sonitrol, which is also sponsoring a brochure now in development by the Chamber to guide businesses for the most effective placement of surveillance and security cameras. When it's available, this blog will post the information.

Weed Selected for New Dept. of Commerce

Gov. Chris Gregoire introduced her new head for a redesigned state Department of Commerce (formerly Dept. of Community, Trade and Economic Development). The announcement was made at a luncheon presented by the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, the Prosperity Partnership, and the Washington Roundtable.

He is Rogers Weed, formerly a corporate vice president at Microsoft where he spent 15 years. The Governor said: "Innovation has been at the center of Rogers’ entire working life. Rogers earned an undergraduate degree in computer science from Duke University and an MBA from Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania."

HIGH Tech in Gig Harbor

It is 10:11 am on Jan. 21, and the crowd in the Galaxy Gig Harbor theater complex are awed into silence by this announcement from Galaxy CEO, Frank Rimkus regarding the location of International Space Station Expedition 18.

Going at a rate of 17,500 miles per hour, I think they are over the South Pacific right now…

The still picture on the big screen in Theater 6 (capacity of 500 and where students from Peninsula School District are waiting in the wings to ask their questions of astronauts Mike Fincke and Sandra Magnus) flicks over to live feed video of the ground station responsible for actually doing the hooking up, and we’re off to a running start.

Kareen Borders, by all accounts THE person responsible for making this historic event happen by “bugging NASA until they gave in,” and Key Peninsula Middle School science teacher, addresses attendees in several theaters on each of their respective screens. She praises this partnership between business and education as bringing badly-needed cutting-edge technological achievement to students—opening their eyes to the world of science and hopefully to all that can be achieved through it. Including jobs that might not even exist yet.

When a disembodied voice announces that they are ready, the screens fill with the visages of Mike and Sandra in their royal blue uniforms emblazoned with the American flag and floating, bouncing—Sandra’s brown hair sticking up all around her head. We are mesmerized as we realize, Hey! They are in space! An appreciative murmur could be heard as Mike says they are “ready” the same time Kareen Borders thanks them. Little bit of a time lag between the theater and the space station but surprisingly not a time lag between Mike and Sandra and us as their mouth movements coincide with the audio.

Questions ranged from What is it like to sleep? Mike: We sleep in a sleeping bag that’s tethered down—that’s important, to “What are the effects on a human body staying in space so long?, Sandra: Calcium leaks out of our bones…similar to osteoporosis…we counter the effects through ingestion of calcium and exercise, to a thought-provoking question, How do you get resistance to use for exercising [due to lack of gravity]?, Sandra: Pulling against a vacuum [one of a few machines that helps].

There were at least a dozen kids who asked questions—sometimes relaying questions from kids from out of state and a few technologically science-savvy questions that had us adults scratching our heads.

The light bouncing and floating (and Sandra’s hair) were a little disconcerting to watch at first, but with Mike doing somersaults and sipping juice (letting fly a couple of big droplets that he then gobbled up mid-air), he entertained the crowd while Sandra answered questions.

At one point Sandra pointed out that they were basically human guinea pigs (which they were happy to be, don’t-get-her-wrong) to gauge how humans fare long-term in outer space and collecting all the data that would help for future long-term endeavors to the moon or even, Mars. As Mike put it, How much do we really need to survive or better yet, how little?

They have already learned how to make oxygen, recycle their urine, and harness solar energy for all their energy needs.

The astronauts were clearly enjoying themselves and the audience even more so as we caught a glimpse of life in outer space via Sandra’s and Mike’s answers.

As the downlink winded down and the astronauts waved their final goodbyes, there was a feeling that something magically momentous just happened.

Galaxy CEO Frank Rimkus then reiterated that even though there have been downlinks happening since 2001, with only a few in the last two years, this was the first time that it happened between the private sector and public education. He was proud that they were able to offer an educational entity the use of the state-of-the-art equipment that their Galaxy Uptown theater provided and to which most schools don’t have access to. He thanked the local Rotary Clubs for getting together funding to bus the students and acknowledged the presence of representatives from the Gates Foundation, the Paul G. Allen Foundation, the Russell Foundation, and the President of Washington Roundtable. Contingents from McChord AFB, Fort Lewis and Bremerton’s naval community were present as well as representatives for Gov. Gregoire and Sen. Derek Kilmer, whom Rimkus also acknowledged.

But ultimately, it was the presence of the students themselves that brought energy and purpose to such an event, and thanks to the formation of community and business partnerships, they were given an opportunity to embark on the right road in their journey to compete in a global workforce.

Guest Author: Mimi Jansen, Communications Coordinator

Tacooma-Pierce Co. Chamber

Facing Up to the Challenge

Military Affairs Committee Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber

Meeting Notice
Wednesday, Jan. 7
7:30 – 9:00 a.m.
La Quinta Inn
1425 E. 27th St.
Tacoma 98421

AGENDA

Preview of the 2009 State Legislative Session
Sen. Derek Kilmer will give us an overview of the upcoming legislative session, with particular attention to military and veterans’ issues.

MorphoFace Investigate, Facial Recognition for Criminal Justice and Intelligence Communities
Eric Hess, Sr. Biometric's Product Manager’s presentation is covering the MorphoFace Investigate application, its recent successes at PCSD, and a little about Sagem's history in Tacoma.

Sagem Morpho is an integral part of Sagem Securite's global success in the development, manufacture and integration of biometric technologies including fingerprint, iris and facial recognition. Based in Tacoma WA, Sagem Morpho provides R&D support, engineering, technology and customer support services for systems throughout North America, including law enforcement, Federal Government, Homeland Security, civil identification, and applicant background check systems, and is the biometric algorithm provider for the FBI AFIS.

Sagem Morpho actively engages its customers in development of emerging technologies. Its recent work with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department lead to the arrest and conviction in a local identity theft case involving numerous local victims, showcasing the potential of facial recognition for investigative tasks within law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Breakfast Buffet: $12.00 with RSVP. Non-reserved attendance: $15.00
RSVP: Rose Crist, 253-627-2175; DUE 12 noon, 01/05

(Non-RSVPs welcome, but PLEASE call to help with plans for meals and seating arrangements.) Those persons reserving and not attending or canceling before the RSVP deadline will be billed.

Broad Band of Brothers

Consistent rumblings from labor and business show a mounting support for expanding broadband.

Blogged earlier on this page, Speed Matters (aka CWA/organized labor), were successful this summer in getting a bill (Broadband Data Improvement Act, (S. 1492)) through Congress and a Presidential signature for a broadband bill. Still needed, funding for implementation.

Recent activities have included their coalition with the Telecommunications Industry Association to get the National Governors' Association to send letters to both Democratic and Republican leaders to encourage development of high speed Internet infrastructure.

Similarly, the U.S. Chamber and Connected Nation are working to add infrastructure development as part of a "rebuilding America" stimulus package.

HI Tech

Just recently announced is a new report for the science and technology industries in Hawaii.

The contractor, the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) prepared an economic and workforce profile of Hawaii's science and technology industries. Overall, the report found that in 2007 the private technology sector contributed over $3 billion to the state's $61 billion economy (5% of the total).

Combining the public with the private sector, the technology sector accounted for more than 31,000 jobs, 3.6% of the state's total employment. Of particular relevance for our own potential growth, over 7,000 of these public sector jobs were attributed to the state's large military presence.

The report notes that many defense workers are involved in the commercial market segments as aerospace and ICT industries overlap significantly.

Tech Chases Fantasy

Only if you're a fan of old science fiction, or a more current fan of bad film, would you remember Heinlein's Starship Troopers.

USA Today's article about the Pentagon's interest in spaceship delivery of 13 (what a number!) soldiers to hot spots around the world immediately brought to mind that old book and its derivative film.

Of more intriguing interest is the idea that our ideas for the future are presaged in science fiction, the notion that is only sometimes explored in other media.

Tacoma Technology Companies

For my first post I want present a list of Tacoma Tech. companies. I'm always on the lookout for a local tech. job and I stumbled upon a great list of Tacoma Tech. companies. This list comes from http://www.thriceallamerican.com/tacoma_tech_companies, and I want to share it with everyone (yes, I got their ok to do this). Who says all the tech. jobs are in Seattle or the Eastside? With the gas prices so high and such a commuting nightmare, Tacoma is definitely a great place to work! Let me know of other local companies that should be added to this list.

Software Houses: Companies with dedicated programming units
Ambient ID, Inc.: RFID solutions for healthcare and food safety industries.
AppTech, Inc.: IT consulting and design.
Artifex: Custom software for a variety of business applications, as well as web and graphic design.
Ascentry Technologies: Wireless communications for Homeland Security applications. (Purchased by TechAlt Inc. of Seattle in Jan. 06. I have been unable to determine whether or not they still have operations in Tacoma.)
Avue Technologies: Software solutions for human resources department.
Cascadia Software: Training and integration of Sybase database systems, and development of DBA tools.
IDmicro: RFID tracking devices and associated software.
IdentityMine: Prototyping, proof of concept, and marketing demonstration services for emerging technologies.
Insynq: Develops and offers applications for remote management, business applications, and consulting.
Intel (Dupont): The world’s #1 chip maker, where I used to work—not a software company, but enough programmers for “critical mass”.
InVivo Health Partners: Hardware and software for information management in healthcare.
Konnects: Online social networking for the business and professional worlds.
Limelight Healthcare: Develops IT software for the healthcare industry.
LION Mortgage Technology Solutions (Gig Harbor): Software solutions for mortgage lenders.
NewTec (Fort Lewis): Defense contracting firm.
Nu Element: Fuel cell and associated technology.
Prepared Response: Software for emergency first-responders. Headquarters are in Seattle, but Tacoma has a large portion of the employees.
Sagem Morpho: U.S. headquarters of a European-owned biometric software systems vendor.
Topia Technology: Mobile object technology for a variety of applications, including integration of disparate systems, distributed computing, and in situ application evolution. Creator of Skoot large file transfer service.
Vadium Technology: Develops secure encryption solutions for enterprise, government, and military applications.
Web Development: Web dev firms get a category of their own, to distinguish them from software companies
Business Internet Services: Development of custom web sites and associated back-end applications.
Data-Imagery: Content management, CRM and e-commerce web development.
Gridwork Design: Web design for publications and non-profits.
HighPoint Solutions: Integrated strategy, branding, marketing company, including some web development.
SiteCrafting: Web design and web application development.
Information Technology: IT service providers
Internet Identity: Services to combat phishing and other forms of online fraud.
IS Techs (Puyallup): IT and help desk consulting services.
ITC (Midland): Computer and network design, procurement and support, web hosting and design, online databases, Flash/Actionscript, ASP, php development, kiosks, Drupal and Plone, and general problem solving.
Optic Fusion: Colocation and hosting.
Graphic Design: Tech-related design firms
Ainsworth Studio: Graphic and website design.
Rusty George Creative: Branding, graphic design, digital/interactive design and development.

Other Companies with Software Jobs: A few larger local companies that occasionally hire software engineers
City of Tacoma: Not a company, but didn’t want to make a new category…
Columbia Bank: No comment necessary.
DaVita: Kidney dialysis equipment.
Russell Investment Company: Tacoma’s most prominent local company (and Fortune’s 63rd top place to work for 2006).
Weyerhaeuser (Federal Way): Raper of the ecosystem, er, I mean responsible forest
management company…

Customer Service and other Support: Technology companies with support (non-techie) operations in Tacoma
Expedia.com: Customer service call center near the UWT.
Netflix: Distribution center near the mall.