SUNY Empire State College’s School for Graduate Studies is offering a new online Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT).
Online MSIT students choose one of two tracks: cyber security or web technology.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics there will be a 12 percent growth from 2016-2026 in employment opportunities for computer and information systems managers. This is the fastest growth than the average for all occupations, college officials said.
Not only is it among the fastest growing section, it is well-paying with the median annual wage for computer and information systems managers of $142,530 in May 2018. Moreover, the state Department of Labor reports that long-term occupational employment projections for computer systems analysts and information security analysts are “very favorable,” the department’s highest ranking, and that experienced information security analysts earn nearly $150,000 per year.
Business Report: What New Data Breach Law Means
by Richard Ruzzo
On July 26, the Shield Act was signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to direct that better security measures and policies are put in place by all business that store, maintain or electronically handle non-public personal information (NPPI) to help protect against hackers obtaining an individual’s personal and private information.
The law is set to take effect March 21.
What determines a breach in a security system?
A breach occurs when one’s NPPI is exposed, made vulnerable or stolen from the host organization by unscrupulous data thieves. The information at risk and covered by the new statue is as follows:
Any data that is compromised and consisting of any combination of; name, Social Security number, driver’s license number or non-driver identification card, account number, credit card number, security access code, password or PIN to a financial account, username/email address with a security question/password and any biometric data information based on unique features that can be viewed digitally.
Businesses that are already regulated and that need to comply with data breach notifications for state or federal laws are also covered by the statue and must contact the state Attorney General, the Consumer Protection Board and the State Police if a breach occurs.
Look Of Today’s Office Spaces Features Both Open And Private Spaces, Designers Say
Courtesy drb Office Interiors
By Jill Nagy
Today’s offices often combine open areas with private conference space, may be furnished more like a living room or cafe than a traditional office, and allow for people to work either sitting or standing up, according to two Saratoga office designers, Lisa Boyle of the Boyle Group and Dorothy Rogers-Bullis of drb Office Interiors.
Boyle sees a trend toward “well-certified buildings,” similar to LEED-certified but focused on the health needs of the people inside the building.
“It’s a huge trend,” she said.
It may include ergonomically designed chairs, stand-up desks, task lighting that focuses on the work surface, locally controlled heating and cooling, and a lot of greenery. She noted that millenials, who now constitute a third of the workforce, are very concerned about their health and well-being.
Artificial Intelligence Apps Are Among Those That Can Aid Companies In Today’s IT World
Courtesy Empiretech
By Jennifer Farnsworth
For small business owners, navigating through all of the IT options available can seem overwhelming.
Among them is the use of AI, or artificial intelligence, which can provide countless benefits to a business The trick is learning how pick and choose what best meets company’s needs.
According to Dawn LeGere, president and co-owner with her husband, Carl LeGere, of Empiretech, which has an office in Queensbury, more and more apps and platforms that harness the abilities of AI will, and have, become available for all types of small businesses to use.
LeGere said people are becoming accustomed to using apps like Siri and Alexa in their personal lives, becoming more comfortable in adopting and utilizing AI. She said businesses should continue to look for apps that track consumer behavior, “bots” that provide automatic online customer communication and feedback and AI systems that streamline and enhance HR procedures.
Many more types of AI enterprise level technologies will continue to become available and affordable for small businesses.
Business Advisor Michael Cruz Pens Book That Guides People Through Hiring Process
By Susan E. Campbell
A new book by local business advisor Michael Cruz is aimed at helping managers at all levels acquire the skills to employ the best people and retain them longer.
“Hire The People You Want (And The Questions You Must Ask To Get Them)” aggregates the insights and tips Cruz has acquired helping clients of his consulting firm, Lighthouse Advisors LLC out of Queensbury, to manage their rapid growth, for which building infrastructure, support and an executive team are key components.
“Most people don’t have the skills to hire the best candidates and no one wants to take the time to learn,” said Cruz.
Before founding his firm in 1999, Cruz ran marketing departments in the corporate sector and honed his skills as a communicator.
StoredTech Named Again By Inc. Magazine As One Of The 5,000 Fastest Growing Companies
©2018 Saratoga Photographer.com
By Jennifer Farnsworth
IT provider StoredTech has again been recognized by Inc. magazine’s as one of the fast-growing companies in America.
The company was added to Inc.’s top 5000 list for 2018, something StoredTech owner Mark Shaw said is due to their unwavering focus on customer service.
Inc. is a monthly publication focused on growing companies. It named StoredTech 2,555 out of 5,000 in 2017.
In 2016, the company was ranked 1,113 in the magazine’s ranking of 5,000. According to the magazine, StoredTech showed a 167 percent growth over the last three years.
“A fanatical focus on customer delight. If our clients are delighted, they share that with others and the ability to grow is so much easier,” said Shaw.
Shaw started his company in Queensbury in 2010. The company provides a comprehensive portfolio of voice, data, video services and equipment. Their headquarters is in Queensbury, with branch offices in Plattsburgh and South Plainfield, N.J. They provide IT support and project management, cloud services, outsourced IT leadership, and business services to businesses, healthcare groups, municipalities and nonprofit organizations.
PrimeLink Creates State-Of-Art Network Operations Center At Its Space In Plattsburgh
Courtesy PrimeLink
PrimeLink Inc, a regional telecommunications company with offices in Champlain, Plattsburgh, and Queensbury, has continued to build its regional presence in the Champlain and Upper Hudson Valley areas by overhauling its original Plattsburgh office location to accommodate a state-of-the-art Network Operations Center.
The new NOC is a place from which network administrators and engineers supervise, monitor and maintain the PrimeLink telecommunications network, company officials said. The NOC includes a main observation room which contains several visualizations of the network being monitored, workstations at which the detailed status of the network can be seen, and all necessary software to manage the network remotely.
The company said the NOC is now the focal point for network troubleshooting, performance monitoring, and coordination with affiliated clients, vendors, and other networks.
It represents the center of the PrimeLink regional infrastructure, monitoring the activity and performance of its overall fiber infrastructure that stretches from Montreal, Quebec, to Albany. Officials said from this central location, the information exchanged through the PrimeLink network is carefully monitored so that all phone calls, critical documents, presentations, business transactions, and so forth—arrive on time and intact as expected.
Ecommerce Websites Need To Be Aware Of Regulations In American Disabilities Act
By Jill Nagy
“Google, look at me,” is the name of the game for ecommerce merchants, experts say.
More commonly known as search engine optimization, marketing techniques are utilized help a website come up at or near the top of a list of search results on search engines like Google.
One way to get there is to tag the products on the site with proper schema coding, advised Sara Mannix of Mannix Marketing in Glens Falls. The tags allow a search engine to identify a product, down to the actual make and model.
The engines recognize the tags for the same reason the U.S. Postal Service recognizes zip codes: they designed them.
A tag can also identify a more general class of product, such as men’s sweaters, as well as specific items, such as men’s blue sweaters, size medium, in a specific price range.
She also recommends setting out “bread crumbs” to lead to the product in question—for example, clothing to menswear to sweaters to blue, size medium.
Other experts recommend listing a business with directories, everything from the local chamber of commerce to yelp. There are 70 or so of those sites and Google checks them all, looking for companies that are widely listed. This is especially important for brick and mortar stores attempting to attract customers.
With Ransomware Causing Concern, Now Is The Right Time To Invest In Data Security
Courtesy Colden Co. Inc.
By Jim Lapointe
It is well known that the cyber world is a dangerous place and becoming more dangerous every day. Threats to businesses like ransomware are causing real concern and notable monetary damage to many small to mid-size businesses.
If the ever-increasing threats are not enough of a reason to take a deeper look at your business’s data security (and those reasons should be enough) there is another reason: regulation. Governments are taking a more active role in security and enforcing regulations for minimum security standards as well as fining businesses that do not meet those standards.
In fact, just this past month at the National Governor’s Association, a majority of State Governors agreed to increasing cyber security standards. The problem for many small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) is keeping up with those regulations and finding solutions that are price-competitive.
As an example, each state has their own statutes for protecting personal identifiable information (PII). Some are vague and advise businesses to take “reasonable” precautions. New York has a more defined policy that outlines specific steps businesses need to take to protect PII.
If your business does not meet these standards and is the unfortunate victim of a breach, expect a fine to go along with your other headaches.
StoredTech Acquires NC-Based IT Firm
Stored Technology Solutions LLC announced the acquisition of Sabre Networks, which is now part of its team. Sabre is a North Carolina-based IT managed solutions company. They have a customer centric focus, and share ethics and values with StoredTech, company officials said. The company said Sabre is joining forces with StoredTech to provide better...