dbaDIRECT Names Steven A. Knight Chief Information Security and Risk Officer

Florence, KY and Cincinnati, OH (PRWEB) January 06, 2012

dbaDIRECT, Inc. has named Steven A. Knight Chief Information Security and Risk Officer in charge of global information security, risk, and privacy. As dbaDIRECT's top information security executive, Knight will be responsible for ensuring the security of dbaDIRECT's information assets and services.

Bringing over 22 years of IT experience with him, Knight is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA). He graduated magna cum laude from Thomas More College, completing his bachelor of business administration degree with a double major in finance and marketing. He is also a Gulf War veteran, having served in the United States Air Force.

Knight's CISSP and CISA certifications reflect his rigorous professional experience and ongoing education and proficiency in information security. They denote Knight's elite level of expertise in information security policies and standards, which will enable him to lead the development of information security strategies, architectures/infrastructures, awareness programs, regulatory compliance programs, and policies/standards that align with the critical business needs of dbaDIRECT and its clients.

"We're thrilled to be adding someone of Steve?s caliber to our executive team," said Ken Roth, Chief Operating Officer for dbaDIRECT. "His extensive experience in the areas of security, governance, and risk management along with his deep knowledge of audit services makes him a natural fit for dbaDIRECT. Steve has a proven track record of success when it comes to strategic and tactical security planning for some of the leading Fortune 1000 companies."

Knight will oversee information security, privacy and Internet safety across the company, coordinating closely with key headquarters groups and working in partnership with the information security community to bring the best ideas and approaches to dbaDIRECT. Knight has worked in and with the information security community for many years. He has held key security management positions for companies such as Jefferson Wells, Duke Energy, and Ohio National Financial Services.

?I?m excited to be joining the premier market leader of remote database and infrastructure services," said Knight. "Information security is without a doubt a central pillar to the services dbaDIRECT offers to its global customers, and I look forward to the exciting changes and growth that lay ahead.?

As the leader in intelligent remote database and operating system administration services since 1999, dbaDIRECT has enabled companies of all sizes to obtain professional, 24x365 IT system administration services for a fraction of the price of hiring full-time employees or consultants. dbaDIRECT provides complete support for all major OS platforms, including remote system administration for Windows, Linux system administration and Unix system administration. Its remote administration services for database platforms offer support for Oracle, DB2, Sybase, SQL Server, and MySQL.

The company manages thousands of infrastructure components for customers worldwide, many of which are Fortune 1000 and Forbes Private 500 firms. Its international Data Operations Center is headquartered in Greater Cincinnati. For more information, please visit http://www.dbadirect.com or call 877-687-3227, x238.

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Vanguard Announces Year-Round University for System z Security and Compliance Training

Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) January 25, 2012

Vanguard Integrity Professionals, the experts on information security for System z?, today announced its latest security and compliance education and training initiative for information technology security professionals. Vanguard zSecurity University? provides year-round z/OS? and RACF? security and compliance training. Vanguard zSecurity University addresses the growing need for advanced mainframe-specific security technical skills required to effectively secure System z. The training also enables compliance with complex regulatory requirements such as the Payment Card Industry-Data Security Standards, Health Insurance Portability and Accounting Act, Sarbanes-Oxley Act and z/OS RACF security checklists in the Department of Homeland Security and National Institute of Standards and Technology Security Configuration National Checklist Program.

?The z/OS mainframe continues to host about 85% of an enterprise?s critical data and applications, making it the single most important host in your network,? said Steven Ringelberg, chief operating officer at Vanguard. ?And while System z is perhaps the most securable platform in your network, it is not inherently secure. Vanguard zSecurity University equips practitioners with applicable knowledge and hands-on skills that can be put to immediate use to improve enterprise IT security, avoid unnecessary risks and ensure compliance.?

The university curriculum is designed to teach both new and experienced security professionals practical techniques for improving security, minimizing risk and administration errors, increasing productivity, reducing information technology costs and ensuring compliance. Courses are taught by members of the Vanguard professional services team, each with an average of more than 30 years of security implementation experience. These industry recognized experts were responsible for developing or contributing to many of today?s modern RACF security functions and security best practices for z/OS.

?Vanguard training addressed many of the unanswered questions that I have had since beginning my career on the mainframe platform,? said one trainee. ?The training was very informative and the class curriculum was directly related to my job role.?

?The need for System z specific security and compliance training has increased significantly over the past few years,? said Lori Nguyen, manager of conference and training at Vanguard. ?Vanguard provides flexible, on-demand security training programs that have an immediate impact. Investing in security training is the best and most cost effective way to secure your enterprise.? She continued, ?If you are an IT security or compliance professional responsible for implementing, administering, supporting or auditing System z, this training is for you.?

Vanguard zSecurity University curriculum includes:

SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

????Developing Effective RACF Administration Skills
????Intermediate RACF Facilities
????Advanced z/OS Security: RACF for the Enterprise

ASSURANCE, AUDIT, REPORTING AND COMPLIANCE COURSES

????Fulfilling Compliance Requirements for z/OS Systems Using the z/OS RACF Checklists in the DHS and NIST Security Configuration National Checklist Program (NCP)
????Automating Reporting on z/OS Systems Compliance with NCP Checklists Using Vanguard Configuration Manager
????Reporting for the z/OS and RACF Environment

To view the Vanguard zSecurity University course list and schedule, click here. To learn more about Vanguard zSecurity University visit http://www.go2vanguard.com or call the Vanguard training team at 702-794-0014.

About Vanguard Integrity Professionals

Vanguard Integrity Professionals, an IBM Business Partner, provides enterprise security software and services that solve complex security and regulatory compliance challenges and deliver a rapid return on investment. With automated solutions for Audit and Compliance, Operational Security and Intrusion Management, Vanguard enables government agencies and corporations around the world to ensure continuous monitoring of z/OS systems, safeguard cloud computing secure domains, and protect critical data and applications from cybersecurity threats. Vanguard provides 24/7/365 live customer support from the United States. Local support is available as well in other countries.

IBM, RACF, System z and z/OS are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Vanguard zSecurity University is a trademark of Vanguard Integrity Professionals in the United States and other countries.

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