Sunday, September 2, 2012

Looking for Cyber Ops Academic and IA Opportunities

NSA (National Security Agency) provides a list of four new National Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cyber Operations for academic years 2012 - 2017:

Dakota State University, South Dakota
Naval Postgraduate School, California
     Military and DoD Civilians Graduate Certificate Program
     U.S. Civilians Scholarship for Service Program
Northeastern University, Massachusetts MA and PhD in IA
University of Tulsa, Oklahoma Cyber Corps


The CAE-Cyber Operations Program is intended to identify institutions offering a curriculum that is deeply technical, interdisciplinary, and firmly grounded in computer science, computer engineering and/or electrical engineering, with extensive opportunities for hands-on applications via labs/exercises. The CAE-Cyber Operations Program complements NSA's existing CAEs in Information Assurance Education and Research Programs, and provides a particular emphasis on technologies and techniques related to specialized cyber operations (e.g., collection, exploitation, and response) to enhance the security posture of our nation. 

National Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cyber Operations Program. Applications accepted from 4-year colleges and graduate-level universities annually by 15 January each year. Application timeline for CAE applications in Cyber Operations.

CAE-Cyber Ops Timeline
Application Submission: NLT 11:59pm 15 January
Review of Applications: 15 January - 29 February
Notification to Applicants: 1 March
Curriculum Review Visits: March - April
Final Determinations: 15 May
CISSE/Certificate Presentation: mid-June

National Centers of Excellence in Information Assurance (IA) programs by state
High School Work Study Programs
Comments, recommendations, +1s, and reaction box checks are appreciated.





Saturday, August 25, 2012

What do you love? and Search Playground Tips and Tricks



Whether you are developing your search skills or showing others, the online no cost classes are available along with the YouTube videos of the Google+ Hangouts with Power Searching Experts.

What if you don't want to watch videos and participate in the activities? Google Search Tips and Tricks has something for everyone's curiosity, search expedition or passion.

Whether you want to know the weather in a destination location, convert currency, calculate anything, find medication information, drop an image in the search bar, track your packages via FedEx, UPS, or USPS, get real time stock quotes, search by file type, search for recipes, search within specific sites, use operators to specify a search, search by Reading levels, or tinker in the Search Playground there is something for everyone.

What is your favorite thing to do in the Search Playground?
Comments, recommendations, +1s, and reaction box checks are appreciated.


Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Boogie Wipes


One product that was not around when my daughter was younger is Boogie Wipes. Chuckle...but these things make wiping the nose of an infant, toddler, adult or anyone with a runny, stuffy nose easy without leaving a red or sore nose. 

As we used them, people said they had never seen or heard of Boogie Wipes, so I thought I would share it on the blog since the product was first sold in December 2007.

Since it is also back to school time, you can enter the contest Backpacks, Binders, Boogie Wipes, Oh-my! for a chance at cash, Boogie Wipes, pizza party, and other cool things through September 30, 2012. You can enter from their site as it redirects you to Facebook contests.

Save the Sleeve is another aspect of the site, with jokes, facts, a game about boogers, and a tab for teachers. So have some fun, learn something new, and save a few sleeves.


Comments, recommendations, +1s, and reaction box checks are always appreciated.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Online Identity Risk Calculator

Regardless of how you implement network offensive and defensive measures, every time you access the net the risk of online identity theft can occur. There are enough horror stories out there to divert the n00biest of n00bs to avoid the INTERNET.

The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) through StaySafeOnline.org provides an Online Identity Risk Calculator. If you are the family techspert, share this site with your family members so they can conduct a self assessment by answering a few questions. Aside from banning the family from accessing the network, education and awareness are practicable options.


Some of the helpful hints that seem like common sense to the family techspert, may not seem so common to users who never delve into the 5Ws (who, what, where, why, when) of how the Internet works and risks they may be exposing themselves to every day.

Keep a clean machine
Be Web Wise
When in Doubt, Throw it Out
Play an Internet safety game like Are You Smarter than a Fraudster? or have the kids share what they learned with Phineas & Ferb and being cybersmart.

How do you keep the family safe and educated about Internet activities? What lessons learned are shared between the family users?

Comments, recommendations, +1s, and reaction box checks are appreciated.

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Why the difference in ballot questions?

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On June 28, 2010 I emailed the GA Board of Elections because I was not satisfied with the response from our local board of elections personnel about registering with Republican or Democrat party affiliation. I wanted to register as an Independent as I did in Florida.

This is the response I received from Rhonda Brown, Operations Coordinator, SOS Elections Division:

Thank you for your email.
The State of Georgia does not register voters with any party affiliation.  During a primary election, a registered voter may cast a ballot in the Republican or Democratic Primary, but not both.  There will be no choice to make for the general election because all candidates will be on one ballot. If I may be of further assistance, please let me know.

So here we are for today's election and there are ballot questions for Republicans and Democrats but they are not the same. I see the question asked in the comments of the Augusta Chronicle article and maybe an email to the local media will provide the real answer but of course only after the election.

Republican ballot questions

1. Should Georgia have casino gambling with funds going to education?
2. Do you support ending the current practice of unlimited gifts from lobbyists to state legislators by imposing a $100 cap on such gifts?
3. Should active duty military personnel who are under the age of 21 be allowed to obtain a Georgia weapons license?
4. Should citizens who wish to vote in a primary election be required to register by their political party affiliation at least 30 days prior to such primary election?
5. Should the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to provide that the paramount right to life is vested in each innocent human being from his or her earliest biological beginning without regard to age, race, sex, health, function, or condition of dependency?
6. Should the Richmond County School Board members be limited to serve only 2 four year terms?
7. Should the sheriff, solicitor general, coroner, clerk of superior court, probate judge, tax commissioner, and civil court judges elections be non-partisan?
8. Should the Augusta-Richmond County Commission pass an ordinance banning smoking in public places?
9. Should the state of Georgia pass legislation to allow for gambling on horse racing in Georgia?
10. Should the Augusta-Richmond County Commission pay for the moving of families out of Hyde Park subdivision?

Democrat ballot questions

1. Should the Georgia Constitution be amended to allow the state to override locally elected school boards’ decisions when it comes to the creation of charter schools in your county or city?
2. Do you support ending current practice permitting unlimited gifts from lobbyists to state legislators?
3. Should Georgia  adopt an income tax credit for home energy costs to support the economic security of our families?
4. Should Georgia reduce sales taxes on made in Georgia products so as to support the growth of small businesses in our state?
5. Currently, the candidates for mayor and commissioners qualify as non-partisan. Would you like the law changed so that they qualify as partisan (Democrat or Republican)?

Just wondering, Normal Ops or SNAFU?

Other posts/sites you may be interested in:

Comments, +1s, reaction box checks are always welcome.