introduction of technology

Monday, July 30, 2012

Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK)

With the rising adoption of cloud solutions, it is very important for organizations and enterprises to be sure that their IT department and the professionals they hire are competent with the key concepts of cloud services and its environment.? This is what the Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge is for.? But what is it really and how do you pursue it?? This article will give you all the details that you need to know regarding CCSK and how to obtain it.

What is Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge?

The Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge or CCSK is an online examination that measures your skills and know-how on important cloud security concerns.

So basically, the CCSK just proves that the IT professional is aware of the security risks in going cloud, as well as the best practices to observe when going for cloud security.

The CCSK exam can be accessed on an on-demand basis so there is no need to schedule.? The examination was created and hosted by the Cloud Security Alliance. ?It was launched in September 2010.

The CCSK is supported by cloud security experts and IT organizations all over the world.? Not only is it supported by Cloud Security Alliance, but it also has the backing of the European Network and Information Security Agency.? These are the two leading organizations that are involved in cloud security research worldwide.

The CCSK has 50 multiple-choice items and you would need to answer 40 of these correctly to obtain your certification.

It is important to note that you will need 60 minutes to finish the test and test takers are not allowed to pause the exam, so once you start, you should make sure that you will be able to finish the exam in one sitting. ?When the time runs out, you can no longer modify or add to your answers.

The CCSK costs $295 for an exam token.? In the event that you fail the examination, you will have two more chances to pass using the same exam token.

The CCSK certification is valid forever, but if there are changes, you might want to upgrade your certification.? The CSA allows you to take a new version of the exam when it becomes available.

Why it matters

The CSA is very upfront in saying that CCSK is not an alternative for other information technology security certifications, which are focused on a particular skill or job function. ?But it can still be rather important, especially for someone looking to establish a career in IT.? The CCSK is still a good way to measure an IT professional?s competency in the best practices of cloud security.? The CCSK is also a good add-on for other certification programs such as the Certified Information Systems Security Professional, Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional, and Certified Authorization Professional, among others.

Who should pursue CCSK?

While geared towards security professionals, the CCSK should be recommended for a wide array of IT professionals.? This is because it covers a broad array of topics from governance to architecture, compliance to data security.? There are really no requisites that you need to fulfill if you want to pursue a CCSK certification.? There are training courses that can help you prepare, but these are not required.

How to pass the CCSK

You might think that the CCSK is easy.? Think again. According to Jim Reavis at the Dark Reading Blog, the passing rate for CCSK as of August 2011 is only 53%.? Yes, close to half of those who take the test fail. ??Fortunately, there are some things that you should know about the CCSK in order to help you pass:

1. Scope.The certification exam aims to measure your skills in these domains:

Application Security
Cloud Architecture
Compliance and Audit
Data Center Operations
Encryption and Key Management
Governance and Enterprise Risk
Identity and Access Management
Incident Response
Information Lifecycle Management
Legal and Electronic Discovery
Portability and Interoperability
Traditional Security, BCM, D/R
Virtualization

2. The exam questions.The content of the exam comes from three different sources: CSA Guidance, ENISA and the CCSK Study Guide.

The CSA Guidance is a set of top practices for cloud operations and its latest version is available online.? Seven out of 10 questions will come from the CSA Guidance. enisa logo

ENISA stands for European Network and Information Security Agency, and 20% of the questions on the CCSK come from their Cloud Computing Risk Assessment document.

The CSA also provides you with a study guide that incorporates the concepts and best practices set out in both the ENISA and CSA Guidance documents.? The remaining 10 percent of the questions would come from the Cloud Security Alliance study guide.

3.Official training courses. The Cloud Security Alliance has two official training courses for those who want to be better prepared for the CCSK.

The CCSK Basic is a one-day comprehensive review of the basic concepts of cloud security. ?You can get a comprehensive account of cloud computing, as well as the different domains as laid out by the CSA Guidance and the ENISA framework.? The Basic module costs $695, but you are already provided with an exam token with the purchase.

The CCSK Plus, on the other hand, contains expanded materials and a lot of practical activities.? This module costs $1195 and comes with a free exam token.

There are also some books and materials that could help you in preparing for the exam.? For those who are looking for CCSK help for less than $50, check out the following books:

Like most certification programs, the Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge should not be used as a shortcut to experience. You must have the requisite experience to make the certification meaningful.? Experience, review and training could help you secure a CCSK certification easily and quickly.

Police: Man charged in 3 slayings says he erred

This undated photo provided by the Pennsylvania State Police shows Kevin Cleeves. Trooper Adam Reed says an Amber Alert was canceled Saturday, July 28, 2012, after police in Austintown, Ohio, apprehended 35-year-old Cleeves, who was traveling with his missing daughter, Leia. (AP Photo/Pennsylvania State Police)

QUINCY, Pa. (AP) ? Hours after authorities began investigating the shooting deaths of three people in a central Pennsylvania home, the man later charged in the case admitted to state police that he'd "messed up."

The suspect, Kevin Cleeves of Waynesboro, said that in retrospect he never should have gone to the home of his estranged wife's boyfriend Friday night, even if he was concerned about the welfare of his 4-year-old daughter.

Because there, authorities alleged, he quarreled with his wife and her boyfriend in front of the girl and was told to leave but instead opened fire, shooting to death the two adults as well as the man's mother. He then fled with the girl 250 miles to neighboring Ohio, where he was arrested and his daughter was recovered safely.

Cleeves was charged with three counts of criminal homicide in the deaths of 25-year-old Brandi Cleeves, 28-year-old Vincent Santucci and 55-year-old Rosemary Holma and was awaiting an extradition hearing Monday. Court records listed no attorney for him.

Detectives in Ohio declined to say where his daughter, Leia, was on Sunday.

Kevin Cleeves, 35, was headed for Michigan in hopes of getting the girl to his aunt's house, according to an affidavit filed in court in Pennsylvania.

He called his aunt about an hour after the slayings, and he was "drinking and mad," she told police. He admitted to her that he was behind the shootings and she called police.

Cleeves got as far as Austintown, Ohio, just over the Pennsylvania state line, where he was arrested in a hotel parking lot.

Santucci's father, Vincent L. Santucci Sr., told The Herald-Mail of Hagerstown, Md., that that his son, a chef, had only known Brandi Cleeves for little more than a month but they had a positive energy between them.

"He was a kind person, loving son and brother," he said.

Santucci Sr. said his former wife was a wonderful mother who had put herself through nursing school and found her calling as a nurse.

"We think she died running to help her son," he said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-07-29-Kidnapping-Three%20Dead/id-a3782979ddf44891a3a112a4fc1b6068

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Saturday, July 28, 2012

U.S. Solar Industry Praises Rep. Bilbray?s Efforts to Promote Renewable Energy

Bilbray votes to maintain Dept. of Energy loan guarantee program.

Washington, DC (PRWEB) July 27, 2012

The Solar Energy Industries Association? (SEIA?), the national trade association for the U.S. solar industry, today praised U.S. Representative Brian Bilbray (R-50th,CA ) for his support of solar energy in a key panel vote. Congressman Bilbray voted against legislation that would eliminate the successful Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Guarantee Program.

?The solar industry sincerely appreciates Congressman Bilbray?s vote to maintain the Loan Guarantee Program,? said Rhone Resch, SEIA President and CEO. ?In this political environment, it takes true vision and courage to ignore politics and take a principled, fact-based stand in support of renewable energy. We appreciate his leadership on this issue.?

On July 25, 2012, the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power considered the ?No More Solyndras Act.? The legislation, as ultimately approved by the subcommittee, goes far beyond implementing safeguards to improve the DOE Loan Guarantee Program and instead, would eliminate the program. This short-sighted, politically expedient approach to the issue would significantly hinder the development of utility-scale renewable energy projects in America.

The DOE Loan Guarantee Program has spurred the development of 11 utility-scale solar energy projects that support thousands of construction jobs and will produce enough clean energy to power more than 630,000 homes. These projects all have existing contracts with utilities to purchase the power they generate, which provides a guaranteed revenue stream that minimizes financial risk to taxpayers. The program?s structure provides a net positive return to taxpayers and leverages private sector capital to finance vital renewable infrastructure projects.

?America?s solar industry thanks Congressman Bilbray for his long-standing and steadfast support of solar energy and the policies that will help our nation realize the significant economic and energy security benefits associated with the expanded deployment and use of solar energy,? added Resch.

The bill, passed 14-6 by the subcommittee, is expected to move to a full-committee mark-up early as next week, before the August Congressional recess.

The U.S. solar industry employs 100,000 Americans at more than 5,600 companies, mostly small businesses, across the nation in all 50 states.

About SEIA:

Established in 1974, the Solar Energy Industries Association is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Through advocacy and education, SEIA is building a strong solar industry to power America. As the voice of the industry, SEIA works with its 1,100 member companies to make solar a mainstream and significant energy source by expanding markets, removing market barriers strengthening the industry and educating the public on the benefits of solar energy. http://www.seia.org.

Background Materials:

Facts on the DOE Loan Guarantee Program

Infographic on Loan Guarantee Program

Monique Hanis
Solar Energy Industries Association
202.556.2885
Email Information

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-solar-industry-praises-rep-bilbray-efforts-promote-174530639.html

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Biel says Timberlake engagement is 'wonderful'

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Jessica Biel says that before Justin Timberlake proposed, she didn't expect to ever get married.

The 30-year-old actress told The Associated Press on Friday that she feels "wonderful" about the engagement. Biel and Timberlake, 31, reportedly became engaged late last year but rarely speak publicly about their relationship.

Biel called the engagement "wonderful. It's actually not anything I ever really thought was going to happen to me or that I really wanted. And when it happened it just seemed ? it just was right."

No wedding date has been made public.

Biel is promoting "Total Recall," which also stars Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale and Bryan Cranston.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/biel-says-timberlake-engagement-wonderful-033602365.html

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Friday, July 27, 2012

New Weight-Loss Drug May Help Keep Pounds at Bay

A potential new weight-loss drug created by scientists may help people shed pounds and keep them off, researchers say.

In the study, obese mice treated with the drug ate less, lost weight and experienced improved metabolic health, such as reduced insulin resistance, compared with obese mice not given the drug.

The drug appears to work by increasing the body's sensitivity to leptin, a hormone that suppresses appetite. It's thought that obese people become desensitized to leptin, meaning their bodies do not respond to it.

"By sensitizing the body to naturally occurring leptin, the new drug could not only promote weight loss, but also help maintain it," said study researcher George Kunos, of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Because the study was conducted in mice, it's not clear whether the effects will translate to people. The researchers plan to start tests of the drug in people if it passes a safety test required by the National Institutes of Health, Kunos said.

New drug, tried method

Because obese people become desensitized to leptin, simply giving people supplements of the hormone does not promote weight loss, studies have shown. The desensitization process is thought to involve cannabinoid receptors ? the same receptors that are activated by chemicals in marijuana.

Activating cannabinoid receptors is known to promote feelings of hunger in marijuana smokers, and blocking these receptors has been shown to cause weight loss. However, a previously developed weight- loss drug, called rimonabant, that blocked cannabinoid receptors also caused serious psychiatric side effects, including anxiety and depression. Rimonabant was sold in Europe beginning in 2006, but was taken off the market a few years later.

The drug tested in the new study, called JD5037, was designed to not enter the brain as a way to reduce psychiatric side effects. The drug blocks cannabinoid receptors in other parts of the body, including the liver and muscle, Kunos said.

Obese mice given JD5037 daily for about a month lost 28 percent of their body weight, and reached the weight of a normal-size mouse, Kunos said. Moreover, the mice lost the weight while continuing to eat the high-fat diet that led to their obesity in the first place. The mice appeared to lose most of the weight in the first two weeks, and maintained it after that.

The mice showed no signs of psychiatric side effects.

Another weight-loss drug?

Although our appetites are controlled by our brains, the new drug does not need to get inside the brain to do its work, Kunos said. Instead, the drug reduces leptin levels by inhibiting leptin production by fat cells and increasing the clearance of leptin, which in turn, makes the body more sensitive to the hormone, Kunos said.

Two weight-loss drugs, Belviq and Qsymia, were recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. But because of the vastness of the obesity epidemic, medications that act in different ways are badly needed to help the problem, Kunos said.

Before Qsymia, which was previously called Qnexa, was approved, there had been concerns about the drug's side effects, including its potential to cause a fast heart rate.

Belviq may also cause serious side effects, including serotonin syndrome, a potentially life-threatening drug reaction that causes the body to have too much serotonin, a chemical produced by nerve cells, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Pass it on: A new drug causes weight loss in mice, but studies in people are needed.

Follow Rachael Rettner on Twitter @RachaelRettner,or MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND. We're also on Facebook & Google+.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/weight-loss-drug-may-help-keep-pounds-bay-200538201.html

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Thursday, July 26, 2012

Weaker demand pressures Dow Chemical 2Q

Dow Chemical CEO Andrew N. Liveris has a pretty bleak assessment of the world's economy, predicting that it could take until 2014 for growth to return to a normal pace.

Liveris said Thursday that deteriorating global business conditions caused a 34 percent drop in Dow Chemical's second-quarter net income. And he doesn't expect to see much improvement for the rest of this year.

"The new reality is that this world is not in a normal growth mode," he told analysts on a conference call. "And it does not appear that we will see this for at least 12 to 24 months."

A quarterly profit of 55 cents per share missed estimates and shares in the nation's largest chemicals maker fell 3.7 percent in afternoon trading. Liveris said volumes fell in most categories as demand dropped because of a "synchronized global economic slowdown." Customers were cautious about purchases because of uncertainty about where global growth is headed.

The Midland, Mich., manufacturer has a broad reach across industries and geographic regions, selling materials used in everything from televisions and paint to construction and agricultural products.

Since the end of the first quarter, economies have slowed in the U.S. and China. Some European countries have fallen into recession as the massive debt crisis there drags on. Manufacturing has declined in all three regions.

For the April-through-June quarter, Dow Chemical's earnings fell to $649 million. A year earlier, Dow earned $982 million, or 84 cents per share. Revenue dropped 10 percent to $14.51 billion. That's the company's first decline in revenue since the third quarter of 2009.

Analysts polled by FactSet forecast earnings of 64 cents per share and revenue of $15.69 billion.

Sales fell for materials used in electronics, energy, coatings and infrastructure. Sales also fell for performance materials, like polyurethane and epoxy. Performance plastic volumes rose but sales dropped because of a 9 percent decrease in prices.

One bright spot was agricultural products where sales rose 12 percent to a second-quarter record of $1.7 billion.

Overall, prices fell 5 percent, declining in all geographic regions. The biggest drop ? 8 percent ? was in Europe.

To contend with these conditions, Dow Chemical will ramp up its efforts to cut costs and reduce capital expenditures. Liveris said that the company will extend the time expected for it to reach near-term earnings targets but still expects to hit those targets.

Shares of Dow Chemical fell $1.12, or 3.7 percent, to $29.15 in afternoon trading. Its shares have risen 41 percent since hitting a 52-week low of $20.61 in October but are still short of their high of $36.32 late last July.

__(equals)

AP Business Writer Michelle Chapman contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/weaker-demand-pressures-dow-chemical-2q-111742971--finance.html

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Wednesday, July 25, 2012 - Family Home and Life: Wow Us ...

Hi all and thanks for stopping by. Here are the linked post I choose from last weeks link ups. They are all good tutorials with good pics so I hope you will take a look at each of them. Comment and tell them I sent you :)

Call Me PMc has a really nice and pretty gift idea using a Mason jar.

What Happen's at Grandmas has wowed us again with her amazing family event ideas.

Bear Rabbit Bear shows us how to make a cute gift or home decor item that's easy to make.

The Magic Bean gives us a free download for her cute rag doll and clothing.

If you have been featured feel free to grab an 'I've Been Featured!' button.

Wow Us Wednesday is a link up for:

All items, projects or ideas made by you.... crafts, art, photography, furniture re-dos, organizational feats, recipes, money saving tips, decorating ideas, party plans, you name it!

Grandparents if you have a post about a fun grandchild activity or visit, you are eligible too. If it wows us, it belongs here on Wow Us Wednesday! Don?t forget to link back! ? a text link at the bottom of your post, or link somewhere on your blog is okay! Or grab my button below.

This link will be open until Friday noon if you forget on Wednesday.

I am starting an email reminder list for this link party. Please make sure you enter your email when linking to be included. If you entered it last time you don't need to again. Thanks!
I love followers! Please consider following me in someway. Also please visit some other linkers and comment there too, ok?

Please link up to three post and please do not relink ones from the previous week. Link to the specific post, not your blog home page. No Etsy shops or giveaways, please!

I would love to feature projects I choose and share them throughout the following week - by submitting a link to this party you are allowing authorization for your project to be featured with a photo from your post. Featured links will include a photo and a link back to the originating site.

Thank you so much for linking up with me. I'm sorry that time has not allowed me to stop by and comment on each link. Please know I appreciate you all!

Source: http://www.familyhomeandlife.com/2012/07/wow-us-wednesday_25.html

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