KEDC receives grant for second year in a row based on stellar track record
For about three years, a diesel engine company in Bakersfield was a member of Kern Economic Development Corporation — but now it is a direct beneficiary. The company, Central California Power, is one of nine small to medium-sized businesses in Kern County that added a...
BTK serial killer: Power of computer forensics
He called himself the BTK serial killer. It stood for “bind, torture, kill.” And he taunted Wichita, Kansas, law enforcement for more than two decades until his ego and computer forensics brought him down. The BTK arrest in 2005 and the killer’s eventual sentencing to...
Cybercriminals, state sponsors target energy industry
A cyberattack in April on a shared data network forced four U.S. natural-gas pipeline operators to temporarily shut down computer communications with customers. It was one of the latest displays of the vulnerability of America’s power grid and energy industry to...
EDUCATION ROUNDUP: Centennial High takes 10th in international mock trial tourney
Centennial High School mock trial students competed against others from China, Atlanta, Florida and Texas and took 10th place out of 28 teams, coach Brett Dobson said. The team returned from the Empire San Francisco Mock Trial Tournament this weekend. “It is basically...
Cybercrime prevention and risk management go hand in hand
Whether you are in Kern County’s energy or IT segments — or any other segment of our economy — none of us can ignore the risk of cybercrime. Uniquely, it is both a property and liability risk. In the last issue of the Kern Business Journal, Alphonso Rivera, CEO of...
Community Voices: It’s not just Trump who should worry about cell phones
A grainy cell phone photo and Facebook posts by guests at President Trump’s plush Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida last month touched off a firestorm of concerns about potential security breaches associated by the new president’s continued use of his Android cell phone....
Business, legal dispute takes embarrassing turn
Who does not rejoice over the advancement of computer systems these days? Well, I can think of two businesspeople who now wish they had a bit less “connectivity” when their relationship went sour. Advanced Micro Resource’s forensic services were called in to unsnarl a...
Cyberscam: Real estate deals are easy targets
A few weeks ago, a California Public Radio station reported that millions of dollars were being “bled” each month from Los Angeles homebuyers by cyberscammers. But the rip-off is not happening only in Los Angeles. It’s happening throughout the country at alarming...
Advanced Micro Resource focuses on forensics, training
Successful entrepreneurs must be creative, competent and hard working to succeed. They also must be quick and nimble — able to recognize new opportunities and adjust their business plans and systems to capitalize on emerging markets. Alphonso Rivera demonstrated these...
Energy industry becomes cyber war battlefield
U.S. energy facilities are increasingly being targeted by cybercriminals, according to a recent report released by government and private security officials. Just one agency, the Department of Homeland Security, reported a jump in cases with its investigators...
Hospital cyber attack a matter of life and death
A computer virus that infected systems throughout the world earlier this year caused millions of dollars in damages to companies in nearly every industry. It also demonstrated that hospitals may be particularly vulnerable to such attacks. The WannaCry ransomware,...
Cyberattacks: Retailers risk loss of cash, reputation
Hacking, data breaches and other types of cybercrimes are targeting more retailers, as both brick-and-mortar stores and online shopping websites increasingly rely on digital systems to conduct business. Recent studies reveal millennials, people in the 23- to...
Cybercrime: Farmers increasingly targeted by thieves
It’s an easy crime to commit and a hard one to detect. Cyber criminals are stealing millions of dollars a year from valley farmers and processors. The high-profile thefts of valuable truckloads of California tree nuts have grabbed recent headlines and...
