Connecticut wants to make business data encryption stronger

These days, the security of customer data is of utmost importance to those in the business community. For private companies that want to do business with state agencies in Connecticut, they will likely need to step up their encryption software in order to get those lucrative contracts.

Connecticut lawmakers are considering a mandate that will require all public vendors to encrypt all of the personal data that is stored and transmitted while they are doing business with the state. Business will also be responsible for creating stronger password protections and controlling how much information can be downloaded at one time.

The idea behind this is to help prevent important data from being stolen, and to help mitigate any damage that could be done in the event that a hack takes place. This increased push for greater protections comes about a month after the Anthem breach, in which the personal data of nearly one-third of Connecticut's residents were exposed.

"We've learned a hard lesson, but it provides us with the momentum to accomplish change – change to put in real protections for Connecticut residents," State Majority Leader Bob Duff said in an interview with Government Technology. "This is also an opportunity for the state to provide assistance to small businesses to encrypt their sensitive data and make our state a more attractive place for them to locate."

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Connecticut Technology Council announced its 2015 Women of Innovation

Every year, the Connecticut Technology Council chooses a group of women across the state who represent the very best in science, technology, engineering and math. These women come from a variety of backgrounds, and include those who are innovators and community leaders, whether they are in the professional workforce or are still students.

The year's list has 56 women on it, and they are in many different fields that rely on the heavy use of state of the art technology. This year's women has researchers, teachers, students, engineers, managers and entrepreneurs. The most common industries that these women are employed in include biotech, pharmaceuticals, computer hardware, software and medical technology.

"Each year the Women of Innovation awards ceremony honors outstanding women who have made contributions in their professions, studies, and in many cases, their communities," said Beth Alquist, planning committee chair for the Women of Innovation awards program, in a public statement. "The 2015 Women of Innovation awards dinner is an inspirational time to celebrate these women and their accomplishments."

There are eight awards categories, and a winner in each of these categories will be chosen from the impressive list of women. The list includes tech executives, professors from Yale University and other senior officials from the high-tech world in Connecticut.

For those students that are a part of the night, they are competing for one big prize, a $4,000 scholarship from Covidien, one of the sponsors of the event. Whoever wins the Youth Innovation and Leadership category — high school, undergraduate and graduate students are eligible — will receive the check.

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CloudHealth Technologies sees a massive influx of new investments

A Boston-based developer of management software for the cloud, CloudHealth Technologies, announced at the end of January that it has raised $12 million in new funding. These new investments and influx of money were led by Silicon Valley venture capital firm Scale Venture Partners, which joined those that already have a financial stake in the company.

CloudHealth Technologies offers IT services for those companies and businesses that are reliant on the performance of cloud-based software to succeed. Many companies in the Boston area — and across the entire country — rely on the cloud for a number of services, including data backup and new software applications for what they develop over time.

The services of CloudHealth allow these individual companies to monitor the performance of the cloud, as well as analyzing and tracking the best ways to use all of the features that the cloud offers. Any issues that arise can be dealt with quickly and more affordably than they would otherwise if the service was not being monitored by a third party.

"There is this ecosystem of cloud vendors forming as the world is moving to the cloud, and the market is moving very quickly," CloudHealth Technologies co-founder Dan Philips said in a public statement. "We are fortunate to be in the middle of that and accelerating like crazy."

The new investments will allow CloudHealth to expand its reach and capabilities in Boston, which is good news as Massachusetts' technology sector continues to make up larger and larger parts of the state's overall workforce.

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Snow removal in Connecticut has gone high-tech

This has been a particularly brutal winter for those living in the New England area, as the last few weeks have seen a record-setting amount of snowfall. This has left many government officials, as well as homeowners looking to dig themselves out of the mess, wondering what to do with all of the excess snow.

Officials in Boston have done everything they can think of to get rid of the snow, from shoveling it onto the sidewalks to melting it, even going as far as to dump some into the surrounding harbor. But Connecticut has come up with a more tech savvy way to alert public workers to the areas that need the most attention.

With resources limited and already stretched to the breaking point, cities have to be very careful and efficient when it comes to getting rid of all the snow that has built up over the last month. This means knowing what problem areas need to be dealt with first, so cities can get up and running as quickly as possible.

In Connecticut, workers are now using a program known as Veoci. This is a system that allows those out on the road to take pictures of problem areas that need snow removal as fast as possible, uploading them to a main system that can be accessed by the public works employees. That way, places that need the most attention can get it right away.

The new computer system was implemented this past weekend by officials in Bridgeport, Connecticut, with many commenting on how well it helped aid the effort to deal with the massive amounts of snow.

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Two Connecticut cities named major U.S. tech hubs

In a recent report from industry website NerdWallet, two Connecticut cities were named as major technology hubs in the United States. While California's Silicon Valley is still the undisputed champion of the tech world in the country, other states are starting to see that field take off in their own backyards as well.

The two cities that made the cut in the NerdWallet study were Bridgeport and New Haven. In the top 50 cities across the country, these two were the only ones that represented Connecticut, as they were found to be the most progressive and forward-thinking of the other cities in terms of the technology industry.

So what sets Bridgeport and New Haven apart from other cities in the area? NerdWallet had a few different pieces of criteria that all of the top 50 cities counted needed to meet. These included number of patents per 1,000 residents, the financial support available to the industry, and how close together these tech startups are.

That last piece of information is arguably the most important, as it shows an area's ability to share inventive ideas and ability for people to collaborate. The more startups that are clustered together, the more innovators can benefit from the idea sharing and common labor pools. Connecticut has seen a steady rise in tech startups in recent years.

Whether or not you live in these two cities is not important, as you can be dedicated to your technological craft from any location. If you are looking to start your own tech company, be sure to work with KYO Logic for our custom database software. Check out the rest of our website to learn more about the products that we offer.

Connecticut adopts more high-tech criminal investigations

Gone are the days when law enforcement officials had to rely on outdated technology to aid their investigations. Thanks to some much-needed improvements in the state of Connecticut, solving crimes will be much more technologically advanced, thanks to a device known as the P-20 Leica Scan Station.

State police in Connecticut now have the ability to virtually recreate crime scenes in order to help them catch suspected killers and other wrongdoers. This kind of technology had been used sporadically throughout the state over the past few months, but will now be standard operating procedure. 

Through a combination of lasers and cameras, the virtual reality device can help detectives search through a crime scene long after they have left the physical location. The lasers take millions of measurements that could be potentially important to investigators.

The ability to step into the virtual world and see the entire space from a full 360 degrees allows law enforcement officials to recreate multiple perspectives, including that of the victim, any potential eyewitnesses or even the suspect themselves. Putting their focus into the scene of the crime can open up a new world of potential questioning.

State officials say it is essential that accounts given by eyewitnesses are backed up by facts. When and if any questions in the stories come up, investigators can look into and analyze them within this virtual world, and help them to build a case against the person or persons suspected of committing the crime.

If you are interested in custom database software, even if it isn't necessary to solve a crime, be sure to work with developer KYO Logic.

How to establish your own tech startup

Starting your own business is a difficult process, especially if you are going into an industry that is as competitive as the technology industry. Creating your own company does not have to be impossible, however, as long as you follow a few simple guidelines.

Launching a tech startup is certainly not for the faint of heart, because you will have to deal with the mistakes and problems that come up during the creation process. All you need to do is follow the advice of those who have come before you.

Here are a few useful tips for creating your own tech startup:

  • Build the right team: The secret to your success will be those you surround yourself with. You only want the best of the best employed at your business, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for tech talent that will be sure to make a huge difference in your company.
  • Get investors: Having enough money to get your business off the ground is essential to your success. Be sure to contact investors who are interested in getting in on the ground floor of a company to get cash to start successfully.
  • Keep it simple: You don't want to overextend yourself too quickly, as this can spell doom for your company. As long as you keep yourself small and work to build yourself up, you won't put yourself at risk of going under too quickly.

If you work in the tech industry and need custom database software for your startup, be sure to work with developer KYO Logic. You want to get the most out of your Massachusetts technology business, and your success will be assured with our Boston Software development services.

Massachusetts has the most tech-heavy labor force in the country

According to a new analysis that took a look at every state in the country, the workforce in Massachusetts is the most technology-heavy in the United States. This information comes from a report released earlier this week by CompTIA, a technology industry trade association headquartered in Illinois.

In the Massachusetts labor force, according to the report, nearly one out of every 10 workers is employed in a technological field, such as software, telecom, tech manufacturing, among others. With just under 10 percent, 9.8 percent to be exact, in the technology industry, Massachusetts was able to edge Virginia out for the top spot in the country.

According to the United States Labor Department, this amount came out to nearly 300,000 employees in Massachusetts working with technology in one capacity or another. The average wage of a tech worker in Massachusetts was $121,000, the second-highest in the country and nearly double that of an average worker in any other industry.

Not only is the workforce becoming more technologically-savvy, but the tech industry in the Bay State is also continuing to grow steadily each year. In 2014 alone, nearly 9,000 jobs were added to the technology field, making Massachusetts the fourth-largest in terms of job growth. There was also a growth in the number of positions advertised, with 16 percent more openings in late 2014 than there were a year before.

If you work with technology and need custom database software for your job, be sure to work with developer KYO Logic. Be sure to make the most out of your Massachusetts technology job, whether you are part of a larger company or launching your own startup.

New York tech scene driven by private and public initiatives

Civic technology, aimed at developing solutions to benefit a community's population, is an area that is attracting widespread interest in recent times. In New York City, a new private initiative is seeking to encourage its development through collaboration between academics, engineers and data scientists, to name a few. The founders of the Personal Democracy Forum, an annual event on the influence of the Internet on politics and advocacy, have recently opened Civic Hall in Manhattan's Flatiron District.

Civic Hall has 18,500 square feet of work, conference and event space. Here, private companies are coming together to develop innovative solutions like air conditioners with low carbon emissions. Public organizations, including the New York Public Library, are collaborating with programming events at the Hall.

Throughout the city, tech companies are growing at an unprecedented pace, as Mayor Bill de Blasio has followed in the footsteps of his predecessor, Michael Bloomberg, in fostering IT development with tax breaks, imitating San Francisco's model. Major companies like BuzzFeed and Etsy have million-dollar tax credits, and much smaller companies are feeling the benefits as well.

"Civic technology is attracting widespread interest in recent times."

According to Jones Lang LaSalle, employment in the tech sector is up 40 percent since 2008 in New York City, with the yearly rate at 8.4 percent, compared to 5.2 percent in Silicon Valley. Venture capital investment is up 138 percent in the past year. Digital media, online retail and software developing companies are leading the charge.

In the case of app and other software developers, New York companies are often thriving by gearing their products specifically to city dwellers. By understanding and targeting a specific audience, the city's tech sector is cementing its place as a national leader.

Massachusetts tech startups to keep an eye on

The great thing about Massachusetts is that it is currently in the middle of major growth in its technology industry. In fact, a recent report from the research firm CB Insights found that the Bay State is currently third in the country for tech startups. Now is the perfect opportunity to be a part of the creative innovations being done in this field.

But what do some of the best startups in the state look like? Finding the best of the best to invest in or be a part of in other ways can be tricky, especially with so many new companies popping up all over the place.

Here are a few tech startups to keep an eye on:

  • "Now is the perfect opportunity to be a part of the creative innovations being done in this field."

    ClearSky Data: While the digital world continues to grow, we all need places in which to store our data. ClearSky will aim to help businesses with their data storage needs through various products and services it develops.

  • Drafted: While little is known about this startup currently, according to state filing papers it will revolve around technology-enabled human resources services. This is great news for a part of the corporate world that can often lag behind others when it comes to being updated and technologically efficient.
  • nToggle: This is a startup that is all about digital advertising. The main goal of this new company, which was incorporated in September of last year, is to help both buyers and sellers trade with both greater efficiency and transparency.

If you are looking to have your Massachusetts tech startup make the most of your custom database software, be sure to work with developer Kyo Logic.