June 2012, Issue 23 Connect with us:

ELECTION 2012   BREAKAWAY 2012   TECH ENTREPRENEURS   IT WORKFORCE   CYBERSECURITY   GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY

Election 2012 Tech Influence on Recent Poll Numbers Although still early, the 2012 Presidential election remains very close (within the margin of error). According to Rasmussen Reports, Governor Romney leads President Obama 47 percent to 44 percent (5 percent support another candidate and 4 percent are undecided). Expect these numbers to fluctuate throughout the election, but generally remain very close. Of course, some events may lead to slight changes in polling numbers in the near term, including the Supreme Court’s ruling on healthcare reform and Governor Romney’s announcement on his choice for a running mate. Read more.   Breakaway 2012 Public Policy Committee Meeting at Breakaway CompTIA Breakaway is the premier education and training event for the IT channel. This year, Breakaway will take place July 30 to August 2 at the ARIA Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The Public Policy Committee will be meeting on Thursday, August 2, from 8:00-9:00 a.m. Following the public policy meeting, please join us for a cybersecurity presentation including a keynote and a panel discussion about how law enforcement is tracking cyber criminals and how the channel can support these efforts. Read more.   What Does the IT Industry Think about the U.S. Presidential Election? Renowned national pollster, author and opinion leader John Zogby will present results of a specially commissioned CompTIA opinion survey of U.S. IT business executives and their views on innovation and its broader meaning in the context of the 2012 U.S. presidential election at the Breakaway Lunch and Keynote session on Tuesday, July 31. President Obama and presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney are increasingly staking out distinct policy positions. What does this mean for the IT sector and the advancement of technology in general? Read more.   Tech Entrepreneurs Crowdfunding Opportunities for the IT Channel With the passage of the JOBS Act, securities-backed crowdfunding for small companies has become a reality. Do you know the legal requirements for seeking crowdfunding? What about the type of disclosures required for potential investors? Do you know the circumstances in which there is a potential for personal liability if your company gets sued? And when you can start crowdfunding? Join Sara Hanks, CEO, and Brian Knight, director of entrepreneur services, at CrowdCheck Inc. for a free webinar on July 25 at 1:00 p.m. (CT). Register.   IT Workforce Startup Act 2.0 Introduced in both House and Senate A bi-partisan group of legislators introduced Startup Act 2.0 in both the House and Senate. This legislation is intended to boost our economic recovery by providing greater support for high-paying, high-skilled jobs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). It would create a new visa for U.S. educated students and entrepreneurs, enabling U.S. employers to begin filling the 300,000 IT related jobs currently open. Read more.   Cybersecurity No Better Than 50/50 Chance for Cybersecurity Reform Earlier this month  Senator Lieberman stated that he is hopeful that “there is still a possibility” that cybersecurity could get passed in the Senate this year. This is Senator Lieberman’s last legislative session since he is retiring this year. Many beltway insiders believe that the chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is eager to see passage of comprehensive cybersecurity reform as his last major achievement. Read more.   Data Breach Notification Proposal is Good Policy, But Faces Uphill Battle Last week, Senator Toomey (R-Penn.) released the "Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2012," and is co-sponsored by Senators Olympia Snowe, Jim Demint, Roy Blunt and Dean Heller.  Overall, to the extent a data breach notification law gets passed during the 2012 legislative session, this legislation is the least burdensome on businesses when compared to Senator Feinstein’s Data Breach Bill or even Rep. Bono Mack’s data breach notification proposal. Read more.   Grassroots Advocacy CompTIA, TechVoice, TLPAC Join Forces to Advocate for Tech-Friendly Policies We’re forming a new Southern California chapter of TechVoice in conjunction with locally-based TLPAC. The new Southern California TechVoice Chapter will focus on creating and channeling a powerful grassroots voice for the IT industry. Its first event will be hosted by Powerwave Technologies on July 23 and feature David Kappos, undersecretary of commerce and director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Kappos will discuss intellectual property policy and the need for increased focus on STEM education for kids at all levels. Read more.   STEM Education and Immigration Reform In view of the significant relationship between IT, innovation and the retention of high skilled workers in the United States, CompTIA attended a Community Leader Briefing on Immigration Reform last week at the White House. While our attention is focused on the issue of retaining highly skilled workers who have obtained a certain level of STEM education in the U.S., the White House briefing provided a perfect opportunity to learn more about the Administration's perspectives on the issue and how it may affect the industry. Read more.   CompTIA, MHTF Team Up to Support STEM Education in Minnesota Schools CompTIA and the Creating IT Futures Foundation, through its TechVoice partnership with the Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA), made a $5,000 grant to support SciTechsperience, Minnesota’s STEM-based internship program. The grant is one in a series of grants the foundation is making on behalf of TechVoice partners to support community-based efforts to promote IT and IT workforce development, education and training. Read more.   IN THE NEWS The Washington Post: Small Cloud Companies Struggling to Secure Federal Contracts   The Wall Street Journal: Small Employers Welcome Work Permits for Young Immigrants   The Hill: Republicans Predict Obama Will Back Down from Veto Threat   Public Policy Contacts Workforce Education Elizabeth Hyman Vice President, Public Advocacy   Tech Entrepreneurs Lamar Whitman Director, Public Advocacy   IT Security David Valdez Senior Director, Public Advocacy   PAC and Grassroots Advocacy Matthew L. Evans Manager, Public Advocacy   CompTIA Worldwide Headquarters I CompTIA, Inc. 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 100 Downers Grove, IL 60515-5439, U.S.A. © 2012 CompTIA Properties, LLC, under license to CompTIA, Inc. All Rights Reserved. To read previous issues of Policy Watch, click here.