Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/61383
"If cyber security is truly a national priority, then we need to be able to 'take our temperature' in terms of measuring the cyber security health of the nation." —Harris Miller, ITAA president ronment; and document compres- sion, which is designed to document accessibility, increase productivity, and cut costs. These agreements will complete USC Tests National Cyber-Security importance NUS places on SMEs as technology transfer partners," says Tay Kim Huat, INTRO's deputy director. "INTRO will continue its efforts to partner with industry and provide services based on NUS technologies." the cycle of technology development, say school officials. They also illus- trate how commercially viable tech- nologies can be transferred from academia to industry. "The signing demonstrates the on a semiannual basis, according to a metrics tool kit developed by TechNet, a network of CEOs pro- TOOLS OF THE TRADE Harvard ManageMentor Plus Adds New Topics Havard Business School Publishing has introduced a new version of Harvard ManageMentor PLUS, its online performance support tool for managers. Version 2 adds four new topics—implementing strategy, making business decisions, implementing innovation, and persuading others—to the e-learning program, bringing the number of total topics covered to 37. The four topics were developed with the help of practition- ers in the field. "Implementing strategy" teaches managers how to align teams and individuals to help them achieve strategic goals. "Making business decisions" offers practical approaches to effec- tive decision making, includ- ing steps to identify core is- sues, to evaluate multiple alternatives, and to commu- nicate and implement the decision. "Implementing in- novation" teaches managers the skills necessary to bring ideas—their own or someone else's—to fruition. Finally, "persuading others" helps develop a manager's abil- ity to influence outcomes, command attention, change minds, and influence decision makers. "Today's organizations are trying to make dramatic moves forward in a new age of competitiveness, which requires employees to be in lockstep with the corporate mission," says Maureen Betses, vice president of e-learn- ing at HBSP. "These four new topics provide managers with tactical, practical advice on core business activities." University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business in Santa Clara is working with the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) to test America's readiness to fend off cyber attacks.Marshall's Center for TelecomManagement (CTM) will direct its research to the abilities of small, mid-sized, and large businesses to safeguard the national computer network. The research will be conducted national priority, then we need to be able to 'take our temperature' in terms of measuring the cyber secu- rity health of the nation," says Har- ris Miller, ITAA president. Miller adds that the challenge is to under- stand how companies are protecting their information systems from attack, what cyber security vulnera- bilities require attention, and how to measure progress in fixing them. The research program, Miller a snapshot that can be used by decision makers for determining improvement goals, IT security investment, research, and public policy options," says Morley Wino- grad, executive director of CTM. "If cyber security is truly a believes, "goes a very long way toward meeting that challenge." Georgia WebMBA Links to Germany The Georgia WebMBA—an online MBA program involving five Georgia universities—has now added an international component. Students from Anhalt University of Applied Sciences in Bernburg, Germany, will work together this summer with stu- dents from Kennesaw State Univer- sity, Georgia College & State Uni- versity, Georgia Southern University, The State University of West Geor- gia, and Valdosta State University. The expansion to Germany will put Georgia WebMBA students in the same online class with MBA stu- dents at Anhalt, giving participating students the international experience BizEd MARCH/APRIL 2004 63 moting technology issues. Later surveys will focus on how well the nation has met its goals to improve security and pinpoint where further work is needed. "The resulting work will provide