Published on April 1, 2012.

Choosing the right online cyber security masters program is crucial because it helps you to take control of your online career and get the information and resources to protect your online identity and business operations. Cyber security masters program is a master’s-level education in computer science and information technology that is nationally accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Career Schools in the Information Systems Industry (CAICS).

Cyber security masters programs are accredited by CAICS to teach a person how to handle the vulnerabilities that will arise from their own or others’ actions (visit websites like Fortinet to get all the details). The program provides the student with the tools to prevent these vulnerabilities from being exploited, and helps him/her apply security principles to carry out business practices on a daily basis.

Bachelor’s Degrees

To earn a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, students must obtain a minimum of 52 credit hours and a cumulative average of 2.50 in two years of study. A minimum of four foundation courses, three research courses, and three electives must be earned. The four foundation courses, 3.50 each, comprise the majority of the coursework for bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity. An additional eight foundation courses, 5.50 each, can be taken to add electives. However, at least 25 of these credits must be online courses.

Certificate of Completion

A student may earn a certificate of completion by successfully completing the 48 foundation courses and all 50 elective courses. Students do not have to earn at least 52 credit hours. At least 3.0 grade point average in the courses that comprise the foundation requirement and at least 2.5 grade point average in the courses that comprise the elective courses are required for the completion of a certificate of completion.

Autumn at Night

Published on October 31, 2010.

GetchaBooks

Published on August 17, 2010.

I’m proud to announce that my textbook comparison shopping website, GetchaBooks, has officially re-launched for Fall 2010. GetchaBooks is the one-stop-shop of textbook purchasing for college students at ten select schools. If you’re a student at one of these schools, a thirty-second process of selecting your courses is all that separates you from the most informed and understandable breakdown of textbooks for those courses, complete with recommendations on where to buy them across the web.

In the last six months, the GetchaBooks team has redesigned almost every aspect of the site, adding features and crafting a user experience that finally makes the awful process of textbooks purchasing pleasurable. After hundreds of hours of Skype calls, instant messages, whiteboard sessions, code sprints, debugging spurts and usability testing, I’m happy to say that the experience is no less than awesome.

I’d like to thank my friends and family, whose understanding, patience, and feedback were crucial during the development of GetchaBooks. I can’t count the number of social gatherings I missed to work on this project. Aware that it means a lot to me, they’ve always excused my absence and even offered to help.

So, what are you waiting for? Check out GetchaBooks, and let me know what you think.

277 Days

Published on July 14, 2010.

After 277 days of flawless power, there was an interruption of service at my house. For 75.9% of a year, my little PowerMac G4 Cube dutifully served files and routed traffic. This post is in memory of its record uptime, cut short by a lack of electricity.

My Tympanoplasty, A Retrospective

Published on August 23, 2008.

This is the landing page to the story of my tympanoplasty. However, it’s just a slice in the middle of a larger story, which you can find in the tympanoplasty category of my blog. More importantly, this post and the others contain useful and inspiring stories from people at different parts in the healing process. Always be sure to read the comments, and don’t be afraid to contribute.

Earlier this year, I wrote about an elective surgery I undertook to recover hearing in my right ear. From the time I was little, my right ear drum had a hole in it, a perforation. I went for several procedures as a child to repair the hole, but none of them were successful.

Having that hole in my ear drum had always been a part of me. I learned to turn my head to hear people better, and I adapted to wearing an ear plug whenever around water, including and especially while showering.

Fast-forwarding eighteen years, this last February, my family and I decided it was time to take another shot. Consulting Dr. Lawrence Meiteles, we were introduced to and studied a procedure called a Tympanoplasty.

The idea of recovering any hearing was truly amazing to me – thinking about it made me instantly emotional.

As a student, I’d always refused to take any time off, unless I was particularly sick. In this case, for this reason, I was willing to take any amount of time off, even in the midst of a busy senior year of high school.

I retell this story now because it’s time to wrap it up. It’s been six months since the procedure and everything is well. I can bathe and swim without an ear plug and my hearing is much better, although not perfect. Although recovery was painful and tedious at times, I regret nothing… not even wearing this setup immediately after the surgery:

Big Bandage

At this juncture, I’m renaming the category of the blog that tells this story of my life from “ear surgery” to “tympanoplasty”. Hopefully, that’ll make it easier for Googlers to find my experience. I entirely and without reservation recommend the surgical services of Dr. Lawrence Meiteles to anyone with an ear drum perforation. I couldn’t be more appreciative to have something I thought I’d never have – decent hearing.

Register for Change Harlem Valley Times Article

Published on August 15, 2008.

Stephanie Preston’s article about Register for Change made its way into this week’s Harlem Valley Times. Go give it a read!

As always, I quote it below for posterity’s sake.

Students raise political awareness with ‘Register for Change’ rally

DOVER – Students and recent graduates from Dover High School held a political rally on Aug. 9 in the Town of Dover to promote the importance of voting, as well as to inform the public about presidential candidate Barack Obama’s policies.

Bumper stickers, pins and signs were given out at the “Register for Change” event, and voter registration cards were available for residents to fill out.

A couple weeks before his graduation from Dover High School in June, Valedictorian Richard Mondello, 18, created a group on the social networking Web site www.facebook.com advocating to host a political rally during the summer. He received a large amount of feedback from his fellow students wanting to participate and join the group.

“I wanted to do something that would show that the young people of Dover are getting really involved and excited about the upcoming election,” Mondello said.

“I feel like young people hardly ever get good press, and I wanted us to do something positive and constructive,” he said.

After the event’s date was confirmed, Mondello and Dylan Young, 18, went to a town board meeting to get permission to assemble.

Mondello also contacted the Barack Obama campaign about the event, which is how he received the bumper stickers, pins, signs and voter registration cards that were available at the rally.

“There have been a lot of great people coming out to support us and coming up to the tent registering to vote,” said Justin Schneider, 18.

“I’ve been here since 8:30 for the cause. I’m not necessarily for a candidate. I’m for change and involvement in the political process. That’s what all of us are really trying to promote,” he said.

Congressman John Hall (D-Dover) also attended to help promote involvement in the political process.

“The wonderful turnout for this event is proof that bringing people into the political process will make a difference. I think it’s a great message to publicize,” Hall said. “The first step is to be involved and to vote.”