Elizabeth Hyman Posts

A look at the week of September 20, 2010, in public advocacy for the IT channelThis week, the Senate passed the Small Business Jobs Act to open credit to small businesses and create incentives to promote expansion and hiring.  Meanwhile, the government has made little progress in implementing a plan to address cybersecurity threats a year after President Obama made it a national priority.  Tech hiring is on the rise, possibly indicating the start of a broader upward trend in hiring.  Representat ...

A look at the week of September 14, 2010, in public advocacy for the IT channelThis week, the Senate voted to move forward with the Small Business Jobs Act, providing increased loans, programs and tax cuts for small business.  Meanwhile, a growing demand for technology services and electronics is stabilizing tech-heavy metro regions even as the broader economy risks a double-dip.  Although cybersecurity legislation has been listed as a priority for Congress, its passage is far from certain.Small ...

A look at the week of September 7, 2010, in public advocacy for the IT channelThis week, a failure in Virginia computer networks points to huge system-wide vulnerabilities in every major company and government in the country.  The U.S. has fallen short in awarding contracts to small businesses.  Slow improvements in tech-sector hiring raise questions about the sustainability of future job growth in America. Broad Implications for Crash of Va. Computer Network – The failed data storage unit that ...

A look at the week of August 30, 2010, in public advocacy for the IT channel The last week of August, a top Pentagon official confirmed a significant cybersecurity breach in which a flash drive was used to infect U.S. military computers.  A recent report touted the $100-billion Recovery Act as a major source of funding for healthcare IT.  Meanwhile, high tech-sector profits have translated into a frenzy of M&A rather than an increase in hiring.  And with elections approachin ...

A look at the week of August 23, 2010, in public advocacy for the IT channelThe Office of Management and Budget is looking to scale back $30 billion in high-priority IT projects.  Some small businesses are hoping for passage of a bill that would increase lending and create tax breaks.  In a sign that the economy is improving, many IT professionals are thinking about moving to new companies.  Meanwhile, the Pentagon issued a public warning concerning the Chinese military’s efforts to run clandest ...

The current transition of doctors’ offices and hospitals from paper to the digital realm is a key challenge for our industry, but it’s also an opportunity.   How can IT professionals help physicians enter the digital age safely and with the least amount of disruption? CompTIA President and CEO Todd Thibodeaux discussed healthcare IT in a recent opinion-editorial on the San Antonio Express-News website, pointing out that without reliable, knowledgeable and entrepreneurial ...

A look at the week of August 9, 2010, in public advocacy for the IT channel This week, the FCC asked for public comments on its plan assume a larger role in the cybersecurity arena in an effort to protect our nation’s broadband infrastructure. Health-insurers, meanwhile, are diversifying their offerings and entering the healthcare IT arena. The Senate Appropriations Committee voted to fund Web services.  NFIB found that economic optimism has declined. FCC Moves to Forge a Role in C ...

A look at the week of August 2, 2010, in public advocacy for the IT channel The Energy Department reported that the electrical grid is plagued with holes threatening national security, while studies cited by The Economist find that cyber-crime accounts for a loss of over $1 billion annually.  Across the country, states have begun to seek guidance on how best to implement health IT to improve deteriorating healthcare infrastructure. Lastly, legislation directed at small businesses has stal ...

This past week there was a lot of coverage of cybersecurity measures and their effect on government agencies as well as the private sector. Recent estimates valued the material impact of cybercrime on top U.S. organizations at $171 million dollars annually.  Meanwhile, various federal departments and agencies are starting to mobilize their efforts on cybersecurity.  In addition to cybersecurity threats, health IT is an important issue that has been gaining the attention of inside the b ...

Policymakers and the military are continuing their focus on cybersecurity, with the military stepping up hiring, nations acknowledging the threat of cybersecurity and HHS working to strengthen security around online medical records.  Meanwhile, DowJones VentureSource has announced an upswing in VC investments.  The stories below highlight key policy news from the week of July 19.Military Stepping Up Cybersecurity Hiring – The Air Force has granted hiring officials special authority to use a stre ...