Real Science Guide

Friday, January 3, 2014

FireEye snaps up cyber forensics firm Mandiant for $1 billion cash-stock deal

Security vendor FireEye today announced it has acquired privately-held endpoint security incident response vendor Mandiant for $1 billion with $106.5 million in cash.

FireEye and Mandiant said they intend to integrate Mandiant’s portfolio of products with FireEye’s to develop new enterprise and cloud products and services. For one thing, FireEye said Mandiant’s endpoint threat detection and response products will be incorporated as a core element of the FireEye Oculus platform. FireEye’s CEO Dave DeWalt says the goal is to develop comprehensive products aimed at combating advanced threats that are stealthy attacks on organizations.

+MORE ON NETWORK WORLD What to expect of Internet of Things in 2014 | Washington Post reports servers attacked, Chinese espionage suspected+

Network World - Security vendor FireEye today announced it has acquired privately-held endpoint security incident response vendor Mandiant for $1 billion with $106.5 million in cash.

+MORE ON NETWORK WORLD What to expect of Internet of Things in 2014 | Washington Post reports servers attacked, Chinese espionage suspected+

Mandiant has become known for forensic work it has done to assist a wide variety of companies, including large media organizations such as the Washington Post, determine how their networks have been attacked, often for purposes of cyber-espionage. Kevin Mandia, Mandiant’s founder and CEO, has been appointed by the FireEye board of directors to the position of senior vice president and chief operating office at FireEye. FireEye indicated it now provides its threat-protection software to more than 1,500 government, enterprise and small to mid-sized customers.

Ellen Messmer is senior editor at Network World, an IDG website, where she covers news and technology trends related to information security. Twitter: MessmerE. E-mail: emessmer@nww.com

Read more about security in Network World's Security section.

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Predictions gone wrong: Losing bets analysts made for 2013

Cast your mind back to the late 2000s -- when the iPhone 3G beguiled consumers and the iTunes App Store began shifting users' ideas about how they bought and used software, when Microsoft pros saw nothing but clear skies after Windows 7 cleared out the Windows Vista storm, when green technology was touted as a transformative force in IT.

In 2008 and 2009, professional tech forecasters made their best guesses about what IT would look like in 2013. These forecasts are often meant to help IT professionals figure out where they'll get the most bang for the buck in the historical three- to five-year timelines for IT planning.

[ Bob Violino and Robert Scheier show how businesses today are successfully taking advantage of mobile tech, in InfoWorld's Mobile Enablement Digital Spotlight PDF special report. | For quick, smart takes on the news you'll be talking about, check out InfoWorld TechBrief -- subscribe today. ]

InfoWorld - Cast your mind back to the late 2000s -- when the iPhone 3G beguiled consumers and the iTunes App Store began shifting users' ideas about how they bought and used software, when Microsoft pros saw nothing but clear skies after Windows 7 cleared out the Windows Vista storm, when green technology was touted as a transformative force in IT.

No company wants to sink a substantial percentage of its IT budget into a flash-in-the-pan technology -- and everyone wants to be a low-cost fast follower. Established analysts' predictions are part of how IT avoids the first fate and achieves the second.

Now that future has arrived. If IT pros had listened to the forecasts in 2008, would they have spent their money wisely or well? We plumbed the InfoWorld archive for some of the forecasts made about 2013, then tried to see how they held up in a world that's since seen the iPad and the spread of mobile working, plus the explosion of cloud computing.

Prediction No. 1: The overall market for green IT services will peak at $4.8 billion in 2013

What happened: The recession happened, and "our technology is green" went from being a goal to being a side benefit. Public cloud computing providers like Apple, Google, and Facebook may be building clean-energy facilities, but they're doing so with an eye toward reducing the bottom lines on energy consumption. In the United States, "green IT" has retreated as a market.

On the bright side, however, it looks like there's still a green IT market in India. This year, Gartner is expecting Indian companies to spend $29.2 billion on technologies like advanced metering infrastructure, carbon capture, and solar energy technology.

Prediction No. 2: PC shipments will record double-digit growth from 2009 to 2013, buoyed by growing demand for laptops and netbooks

What happened: The iPad happened in 2010, and individuals have been shifting their technology dollars to tablet technologies ever since. IDC, which made the original forecast, has tracked PC sales for this year, and the news isn't good: Worldwide PC shipments are expected to fall by 10.1 percent in 2013, below the previous projection of a 9.7 percent drop.

It's the most severe yearly contraction on record and reflects a truth in IT budgets: Any sales and growth in personal computers is fueled by replacement sales. The market isn't growing. Worldwide, an estimated 314 million PCs were sold this year -- far below the 444 million PCs predicted back in 2009. People are buying iPads and other tablets instead.

Prediction No. 3: Mobile phones will overtake PCs as the most common Web-access device worldwide by 2013

What happened: Although the originator of this prediction, Gartner, didn't respond to inquiries, other firms have been tracking Web access and have shared their findings. In March 2013, Adobe released its analysis of Web traffic to more than 1,000 websites and found that 84 percent of all Web traffic came from users on desktop or laptop computers, 8 percent from tablet users, and 7 percent from smartphone users. StatCounter, which tracks visits to websites via ad network data, found that desktop usage still dominates, at 76.1 percent.

Prediction No. 4: Windows Mobile will claim 15 percent of the global smartphone market, second to the Symbian OS's 47 percent market share

What happened: Nokia got killed by iOS and Android, that's what happened. Since IHS iSuppli made this prediction in 2009, the once-dominant force in the mobile phone market was overtaken by device makers who understood the basic truth that users care more about smartphone software than they do the hardware. When Nokia began its death spiral, it took Symbian with it, which explains why the OS has a 0.1 percent market share today.

iSuppli now says Android is the leader in the smartphone OS market with a 76.5 percent share, with Apple's iOS a distant second with 14.9 percent. As for Windows Phone, Windows Mobile's successor? It's an even more distant third with 3.9 percent of the market.

Prediction No. 5: By 2013, the enterprise mashup market will reach $700 million

What happened: Enterprise mashups, which were once defined as the integration of digital data from multiple sources for business purposes, have since been rebranded. You may know them now as part of the API and big data phenomena.

Asking analyst firms about estimated market sizes for enterprise mashups in 2013 gets you a lot of "We don't measure that market" responses. However, Gartner estimates that big data will be a $34 billion market in 2014. That's 48 times greater than the original forecast for mashups. Maybe this one will be true.

This story, "Predictions gone wrong: Losing bets analysts made for 2013," was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Follow the latest developments in key and emerging technologies at InfoWorld.com. For the latest developments in business technology news, follow InfoWorld.com on Twitter.

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5G Wireless: Reality looks to catch up with hype

Don't feel bad if you don't really know anything about 5G wireless networking – because, by most standards, it doesn't actually exist yet. The cross-pollination of codified specifications, new products, and technological innovation required hasn't yet brought 5G to fruition.

What there has been, however, is a lot of hype. Samsung grabbed attention in May with its announcement of a 1Gbps wireless connection it referred to as “5G,” saying it would bring the capability to its production smartphones by 2020.

Network World - Don't feel bad if you don't really know anything about 5G wireless networking – because, by most standards, it doesn't actually exist yet. The cross-pollination of codified specifications, new products, and technological innovation required hasn't yet brought 5G to fruition.

+ Also on NetworkWorld: A brief history of mobile networks | A first look at gigabit Wi-Fi adapters | Blazing Samsungs, or how not to handle a product return +

The European Commission’s Horizon 2020 plan, announced this month, includes roughly $172 million for 5G research and development, and South Korea’s Yonhap News announced that country’s government would spend $475 million on developing a national 5G network, to be completed by 2020. Both proposals cite the transformative effects and massive economic benefits of 5G technology.

The problem, however, is that no one seems to agree on precisely what the term 5G even means. Sathya Atreyam, a research manager at IDC, says that it’s become a buzzword at this point.

“There are many players right now who are claiming that they are investing a lot of dollars in 5G research, [but] they’re all investing in different areas of 5G … somebody’s focused on increasing data speeds, somebody’s focused on better coverage,” he says.

“It reminds me of a story which is often heard,” Atreyam adds. “There are six blind men feeling and touching an elephant and giving their definition of the elephant. Every one is true, but it’s only part of the puzzle.”

Standards bodies like the International Telecommunication Union, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the 3rd Generation Partnership Project are all tracking the various technological developments. The ITU officially recognized the IMT-Advanced standard in January 2012, though it did not use the term 5G in describing the technologies, which include the next generations of the successful LTE and the less-successful WiMAX.

It’s important to remember, of course, that even when a particular “G” term is fairly stable and commonly understood – 3G, for example, is generally agreed to refer to the ITU’s IMT-2000 standard – it isn’t a hard-and-fast official definition. Refinements in WCDMA technology produced HSPA and HSPA+, which are often referred to as “3.5G” or “3.75G,” without fundamentally changing the underlying hardware.

Indeed, those technologies were even more ambitiously titled in the recent past, according to Forrester principal analyst Frank Gillett.
“With 4G, we saw versions of 3G – HSPA+ - called 4G, and then we had to say LTE to mean true 4G,” he says. “I’m expecting to see a lot of silly marketing junk later in the decade, as the 5G stuff ramps up.”

So what might 5G technology actually look like? That’s not known for sure, but experts like Craig Mathias, a well-known wireless consultant and Network World blogger, think there are clues out there.

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Android invades the enterprise

As the little green robot known as Android wends its way into the enterprise, it's teaching useful lessons that are reshaping corporate attitudes toward the BYOD movement.

Analysts and CIOs say the multifaceted nature of the mobile operating system is forcing companies to make key decisions about what they will, and won't, control in bring-your-own-device programs -- and those decisions are in turn cascading across all operating systems and devices.

+ Also at NetworkWorld: 2014 Tech Industry Outlook +

While Google's operating system has far surpassed Apple's iOS in worldwide mobile market share -- Android had more than 79% of the smartphone market in the second quarter of 2013, while iOS fell to 13%, according to IDC -- Apple still dominates the enterprise. According to a June 2013 activation report from mobile software maker Good Technology, 75% of the mobile activations at Good's Fortune 500 clients were for iOS devices.

Computerworld - As the little green robot known as Android wends its way into the enterprise, it's teaching useful lessons that are reshaping corporate attitudes toward the BYOD movement.

+ Also at NetworkWorld: 2014 Tech Industry Outlook +

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Saturday, November 30, 2013

Colleague Letter: The Division of Earth Sciences (EAR) Employment Opportunity (Open Until Filled)

EAR 12-002

Dear Colleague Letter: The Division of Earth Sciences (EAR) Employment Opportunity

DATE: April 25, 2012

The Division of Earth Sciences (EAR), within the Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) at the National Science Foundation (NSF), announces a nationwide search for a geologist professional to fill the following positions:

Associate Program Director and Program Director positions for the following programs: Continental Dynamics, EarthScope, Education and Human Resources, Geobiology and Low-temperature Geochemistry, Geomorphology and Land Use Dynamics, Geophysics, Hydrologic Sciences, Instrumentation and Facilities, Petrology and Geochemistry, Sedimentary Geology and Paleobiology, and Tectonics.

Formal consideration of interested applicants will begin June 1, 2012 and will continue until selections are made.

NSF Program Directors bear the primary responsibility for carrying out the Foundation's overall mission to support innovative and merit-evaluated activities in fundamental research and education that contribute to the nation's technological strength, security and welfare. As an Associate Program Director and Program Director, you will play an instrumental role in NSF's mission to support innovative and merit-reviewed activities in basic research and education. To fulfill these responsibilities in the Division of Earth Sciences, requires knowledge in one or more of the areas of geobiology, geochemistry, the geologic environmental record, geomorphologic process analysis, geophysics, geosciences education, environmental systems, hydrology or tectonics and a commitment to high standards; receptivity to a breadth of new ideas; and good judgment. In this process, you will get unique opportunities to influence, and help lead, your scientific field.

Qualifications of a successful candidate include a Ph.D degree or equivalent in a relevant Geosciences discipline, an established record of research and education in a field appropriate to the position, and managerial experience in academe, industry or government, plus at least four years (Associate Program Director) / six years (Program Director) of successful research and research administration. The position requires effective oral and written communication skills; familiarity with NSF EAR programs and activities is highly desirable. The incumbent is expected to function effectively, both as an individual within specific NSF Programs, and as a member of crosscutting and interactive team in the Division of Earth Sciences and more broadly with other parts of the NSF. The applicant must also demonstrate a capability to work across government agencies to promote NSF activities and to leverage program funds through interagency collaborations.

Associate Program Director and Program Director positions recruited under this announcement may be filled with one of the following appointment options:

Intergovernmental Personnel Assignment (IPA) Act: Individuals eligible for an IPA assignment with a Federal agency include employees of State and local government agencies or institutions of higher education, Indian tribal governments, and other eligible organizations in instances where such assignments would be of mutual benefit to the organizations involved. Initial assignments under IPA provisions may be made for a period up to two years, with a possible extension for up to an additional two-year period. The individual remains an employee of the home institution and NSF provides the negotiated funding toward the assignee's salary and benefits. Initial IPA assignments are made for a one-year period and may be extended by mutual agreement. Under the provisions of the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA), non-citizens may be considered as long as the individual is employed at an IPA-eligible institution.

Visiting Scientist Appointment: Appointment to this position will be made under the Excepted Authority of the NSF Act. Visiting Scientists are on non-paid leave status from their home institution and placed on the NSF payroll. NSF withholds Social Security taxes and pays the home institution's contributions to maintain retirement and fringe benefits (i.e., health benefits and life insurance), either directly to the home institution or to the carrier. Appointments are usually made for a one-year period and may be extended for an additional year by mutual agreement.

Temporary Excepted Service Appointment: Appointment to this position will be made under the Excepted Authority of the NSF Act. Candidates who do not have civil service or reinstatement eligibility will not obtain civil service status if selected. Candidates currently in the competitive service will be required to waive competitive civil service rights if selected. Usual civil service benefits (retirement, health benefits, and life insurance) are applicable for appointments of more than one year. Temporary appointments may not exceed three years.

For additional information on NSF's rotational programs please visit: https://www.nsf.gov/about/career_opps/rotators/

Applications will be accepted from U.S. Citizens. Due to a recent change in Federal Appropriations Law, only Non-Citizens who are permanent U.S. residents and actively seeking citizenship can be considered. Therefore, you are required to provide documentation that confirms you are actively seeking citizenship at the time you submit your application. Non-citizens who do not provide documentation will not be considered.

Individuals interested in applying for these positions should send a current CV and statement of interest to:

Dr. Wendy Harrison
Division Director
Division of Earth Science, Suite 785S
National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22230
Fax: (703) 292-8571
Email: weharris@nsf.gov

NSF IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER COMMITTED TO EMPLOYING A HIGHLY QUALIFIED STAFF THAT REFLECTS THE DIVERSITY OF OUR NATION.

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Biological Science Administrator (Program Director), Division of Biological Infrastructure, Directorate for Biological Sciences, AD-0401-04 (Closes: 1/13/2014)

The responsibilities of the NSF Program Director are constantly evolving. The Program Director is guided by the goals of NSF's Strategic Plan: (1) enable the United States to uphold a position of world leadership in all aspects of science, mathematics, and engineering, (2) promote the discovery, integration, dissemination, and employment of new knowledge in service to society, and (3) achieve excellence in U.S. science, mathematics, engineering, and technology education at all levels. The core strategies NSF staff employ include developing intellectual capital, strengthening the physical infrastructure, integrating research and education, and promoting partnerships.

Responsibilities of the Program Director include, for example, long-range planning and budget development for the areas of science represented by the program or program cluster, the administration of the merit review process and proposal recommendations, the preparation of press releases, feature articles and material describing advances in the research supported, and coordination and liaison with other programs in NSF, other Federal agencies and organizations.

Additional duties and responsibilities include the following:

PROGRAM PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
Maintains a healthy balance of support for all the needs of the research and education enterprise through program, division, directorate, Foundation, or interagency activities. Manages program resources to provide optimal appropriate scientific judgment to insure integrity and consistency in the grant/declination process without conflicts of interest, and with balance among appropriate sub-fields and institutions, and participation of all qualified scientists. Manages an effective, timely merit review process, with attention to increasing the size and quality of the reviewer pools and insuring participation by women, minorities and disabled scientists.Provides scientific expertise, evaluation and advice for other programs in NSF, including international programs, and other research programs, and cross-directorate programs.Advises and assists in the development of short-and-long range plans, establishing goals and objectives for support of research programs. Plans the budget for the program considering past, present and future fiscal years, allocates resources within the budget by distributing scarce resources among competitive projects, and manages post-award evaluation.Controls waste, fraud and abuse. REPRESENTATION, COMMUNICATION AND LEADERSHIP Represents the Program, Division and the Foundation within the scientific community, with other NSF Divisions, with other appropriate agencies and organizations, and with the public, accurately reflecting NSF policy and positions.Creates and maintains linkages to other NSF units and other Federal agencies in pursuit of the overall NSF mission.Participates in staff, panel, committee and other meetings, providing input relevant to program area and/or Division.Pursues affirmative action and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) goals.Pursues and/or is responsive to assignment on special projects and temporary function teams across the Foundation to solve problems, improve staff communication, and effect coordination for special programs.Contributes ideas and effort to improving the quality of policies and NSF's performance of the overall mission. Prepares and disseminates a variety of informational documents which may include data on progress being made toward NSF goals, trends and opportunities papers, and budget plans.PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Establishes contacts and maintains active involvement in Program and related areas through participation in professional activities.Maintains familiarity with salient current research developments. Pursues individual research as workload and travel funds permit.Expands administrative capabilities through training courses or assumption of new management.

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Dear Colleague Letter - Employment Opportunity for Broadening Participation in Engineering Program Director, Engineering Education and Centers Division (EEC)

EEC 13-001

Dear Colleague Letter - Employment Opportunity for Broadening Participation in Engineering Program Director, Engineering Education and Centers Division (EEC)

Date: March 14, 2013

The Engineering Education and Centers Division (EEC) in the Directorate for Engineering (ENG), announces a nationwide search for an individual to serve as Program Director for the Broadening Participation in Engineering Program (BPE). The rotational assignment will be made for one year, and it may be extended for additional years by mutual agreement. Formal consideration of interested applicants will begin April 1, 2013 and will continue until a selection is made. The selected applicant is expected to start between July 1, 2013 and September 30, 2013.

Through its funding portfolio, the BPE Program focuses on effective means of creating diverse pathways to engineering careers for all members of society, particularly those currently under-represented in the engineering workforce. The objective of the program is to improve the quality and diversity of the engineering workforce through targeted, systemic investments that achieve demonstrable short term and long term impact. The selected individual is expected to:

Develop the ENG broadening participation strategy to maximize the impact of ENG investments.Solicit, review, and effectively manage a portfolio of awards in broadening participation.Work with other experts internal and external to NSF to evaluate the long term impact of ENG’s broadening participation portfolio.Serve as a resource for ENG through their expertise on current scholarship and research for effective broadening participation strategies.Work closely with other program officers and administrative staff across the Engineering Directorate on methods to improve existing review, outreach, and other efforts to meet NSF goals of broadening participation.Participate in intra- and inter-agency broadening participation workgroups, as appropriate, to effectively leverage ENG investments

NSF Program Directors bear the primary responsibility for carrying out the overall mission of the agency. To discharge this responsibility requires not only knowledge in the appropriate disciplines, but also a commitment to high standards, a considerable breadth of interest and receptivity to new ideas, a strong sense of fairness, good judgment, and a high degree of personal integrity.

Required qualifications include a Ph.D. degree or equivalent professional experience in an engineering discipline, plus six or more years of successful research, research administration, and/or managerial experience in academe, industry, or government. The appointee is expected to have knowledge of research in an engineering discipline as well as the scholarship of broadening participation as evidenced by leading research efforts, scholarly publications in this area or other relevant measures. Experience in managing programs that enhance the recruitment, retention and successful career development of underrepresented groups in engineering and related disciplines is highly desirable. Leadership experience in engineering education or broadening participation efforts (departmental, college, university, societies, journals, etc.) is required. In addition, demonstrated achievements in classroom teaching and student advising are important attributes for the successful applicant. Also desirable are knowledge of the general scientific and engineering community and strong skills in written and oral communication. The appointee is expected to function effectively both within specific programs and as part of a team, contributing to and coordinating with offices throughout NSF and with other Federal and state government agencies and private sector organizations. The National Science Foundation especially encourages applications from women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities, as well as individuals from Minority Serving Institutions.

This position may be filled through one of the following appointment options:

For additional information on NSF's rotator programs, please visit http://www.nsf.gov/about/career_opps/rotators/.

Applications will be accepted from US Citizens. Due to a recent change in Federal Appropriations Law, only Non-Citizens who are permanent US residents and actively seeking citizenship can be considered for Federal appointments (i.e., Visiting Scientists, Engineers and Educators (VSEE) program, Temporary Excepted Service). Therefore, you are required to provide documentation that confirms you are actively seeking citizenship at the time you submit your application. Non-citizens who do not provide documentation will be considered only for the IPA program.

Individuals interested in applying for this Program Director position should send a current CV and statement of interest to:

Engineering Education and Centers Division
National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 585
Arlington, VA 22230
Phone: 703-292-8380
Attn: Dr. Theresa Maldonado, Division Director
Email: tmaldona@nsf.gov

NSF IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER COMMITTED TO EMPLOYING
A HIGHLY QUALIFIED STAFF THAT REFLECTS THE DIVERSITY OF OUR NATION.

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