CSO Breakfast Club (csobreakfastclub.com) is pleased to announce a partnership with the Greater Baltimore Technology Council (gbtechcouncil.org) and the UMBC Center for Cyber Security Training (umbctrainingcenters.com) to hold a lunchtime Cyber-Threat Security Briefing beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday April 13, 2010 at the UMBC Training Centers in Baltimore, Maryland.

The event will feature an hour-long briefing by US Federal Officials on the current state of cyber-threats to US businesses and critical infrastructure, followed by a luncheon.  Reports from the Federal Government and data security industry experts have shown that foreign government-sponsored attacks against US computer systems have increased significantly. 

The briefing will be presented to CSO Breakfast Club members, who are information security executives from prominent Fortune® 1000 companies, large universities, large healthcare systems and other organizations in the north eastern US, and to GBTC member companies and other interested information security professionals.  It will be simulcast over the web so that it is available to anyone interested in the topic.

CSO Breakfast Club Founder and CEO Bill Sieglein is excited to be leading this important event.  “With Maryland’s focus on cyber security and our club’s members’ active interest in this topic, the briefing is a timely and important step in helping commercial organizations understand the implications of current and potential threats to their critical information.”  The CSO Breakfast Club members are responsible for protecting their organizations’ vital information assets as well as the Nation’s critical infrastructure against these cyber threats.  The CSO Breakfast Club represents an important link between Maryland’s cyber initiative and the private sector.

Greater Baltimore Technology Council Executive Director Steve Kozak sees direct relevance to his members.  “The threat briefing will provide our members a valuable perspective on this critical topic as they continue to develop and use products and services to counter the many threats to our governmental and private assets.”  GBTC represents more than 300 companies focused on technology development in the greater Baltimore area. 

Vice President of UMBC Training Centers Kent Malwitz is pleased to host the event.  “Partnering with CSO Breakfast Club and GBTC on this important briefing fits perfectly into our focus on leading cyber security education in the mid-Atlantic area.” Building on UMBC’s designation as a National Center of Excellence in Information Security and Assurance, UMBC Training Centers delivers high quality non-credit Information Security training programs to develop new skills and prepare for valuable industry and professional certifications.

For more information, contact Tim Satterfield, CSO Breakfast Club (tim@csobreakfastclub.com), Jennifer Gunner at Greater Baltimore Technology Council (jenniferg@gbtechcouncil.org), Christina Wiegand, Cyber Security, UMBC Training Centers (cwiegand@umbctrainingcenters.com).

To register to attend, click here.

By Steve Kozak
When I think of 2010, the phrase “Ready to pounce” comes to mind. Or, as one tech executive recently told me, “Our pipeline feels more like a plum tree these days, laden with multiple fruits that keep swelling and swelling.”

Yes, Maryland’s tech industry is alive and well. Looking back, 2009 was a challenging year, with layoffs, restructurings and expense watching at every company. That said, as I meet with leaders from the tech industry, I continue to hear 2009 “was a relatively ‘even’ year for us, it wasn’t ‘that’ bad” - “that” being a relative word.

Many industry execs mentioned seeing an uptick in business activity this past spring. Others are even mentioning the “H” word: HIRING. In fact, I’d say that many of our region’s tech companies have quietly been in “hire” mode for months now.

How? Well, in general terms, the ongoing need for new technology is not only not going away, it’s getting greater. Plus, given our proximity to Washington, government contracting will continue to play a major role in revving our region’s economic engine. Yes, technology (in broad terms) is driving the growth of our country.

Regionally, our unemployment rate is already significantly lower than the national average. Now, throw in a few new ingredients to the mix, like BRAC, cyber security and bio parks, and the short-term future is bright.
This explains why the Milken Institute’s 2008 State Technology & Science index (which ranks states in the best position to succeed in the tech-led information age) ranked Maryland No. 2 in the country.

Recent activity suggests that the tech industry is ready to flourish in Maryland in 2010.  We ended the year with TeleCommunications Systems acquiring three (THREE) companies within 45 days and Millennial Media, in a historically tough venture market, taking in $16 million in new funding. And we’re only 21 days into the new year and already, more great news.  Last week the Governor released the CyberSecurity report which will position Maryland to be the hub for federal, academic and private-sector cybersecurity efforts and Judy Britz was named Executive Director of the Maryland Biotechnology Center - which is great news for our state’s bioscience community.  Throw in today’s announcement that Martek Biosciences purchased Amerifit Brands for $200…IN CASH…and yes, I’d say our region’s tech industry is alive and well!!

Stay tuned…more good news is coming.