SDG Secure Challenge
Can a technology training event be fun, rewarding, competitive, and challenging – at the same time?
Lexington, KY – February 27, 2008 – Systems Design Group, Inc., (SDG), a Lexington, KY based information technology professional services company is challenging the notion that a technology seminar or educational event must be delivered via the typical “death by Power Point” format. SDG has launched the SDG Secure Challenge, a year-long IT educational series that allows participants not only a chance to learn about technology but also win prizes for themselves and the company they represent.
Participants earn points in variety of ways and the person with the highest individual point total at the end of the Challenge period in December will win the Grand Prize, a $2,000 trip voucher to a destination of that person’s choice. There will also be prizes for second and third place finishers. Additionally, each individual participant in the Challenge will earn points for the company that he or she is representing. Prizes will be awarded to companies that finish first, second, or third in the company point standings at the end of the Challenge period. Finally, a random drawing will be conducted at the end of the Challenge. Every participant, regardless of their point total, will be eligible for the random drawing prize.
Additionally, there will be activities offered on the SDG Secure Challenge online portal. Points will be issued for participation in these activities, which may include reading assignments, quizzes, polls, and scavenger hunts. There will be monthly activities, along with random ones. The point standings will be posted on the SDG Secure Challenge online portal as well. Participants will be issued a login credential to access the standings on the portal.
“This is not the typical information technology seminar or training event that many people are used to seeing,” said Bowe Hoy, SDG’s director of sales and marketing. “We wanted to design a program that offers technology education and training to participants but in a format that is fun, rewarding, competitive, and challenging at the same time. We think that SDG Secure Challenge is that type of program.”
Hoy added that the program is free for any IT professional despite the fact that the prizes being given away are worth thousands of dollars. SDG is able to keep it free for participates by involving several of its key partners in the program, including Check Point Software, Symantec, HP Software, and Tech Data. Check Point is donating seven of its Edge security device, with each one retailing for about $2,000. Symantec, meanwhile, is providing the Garmin GPS, a very popular item among IT professionals, and two sets of mountain bikes. Tech Data is donating funds for the $2,000 trip voucher, while HP Software is providing funds to help cover other costs associated with the program.
A strong team of key partners is critical to the success of this program, Hoy said, due to its magnitude and scale. There will be a total of 30 live events on the calendar, covering four states and seven cities. Several key technology topics will be covered during the course of the program, including: mobile data protection, network access control, server protection and recovery, and application security. Security strategy and policies, program development, and assessments will also be featured throughout the Challenge. The centerpiece of SDG Secure Challenge is a series of live training events The first live event is called “Go for Gold”, which will focus on mobile data protection. Go for Gold revolves around the fact that in the business world, data is the most precious asset. In fact, data is more precious than gold to most organizations, especially if it gets compromised and falls into the wrong hands. The treasure hunters of today are after a company’s gold – its data. And finding that gold is easier than many people realize, especially if it resides on endpoint devices like laptops, PDAs, or USB drives. At this event, participants will learn, in a fun and hands-on way, how easy it is for corporate treasure hunters to go for gold. Each person will be transformed into a treasure hunter, and with the help of others on their team, discover how to turn a stolen laptop into a pot of gold. Retrieving data from an unprotected device has never been so easy. Participants will then witness how Check Point’s PointSec data encryption solution makes that impossible. PointSec turns the potential goldmine of stolen data into a pile of bricks. Another benefit of the SDG Secure Challenge is continuing education credits. Participants who have earned one of two key IT security certifications, Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), will be eligible to earn up to three hours of continued education credits that are required to maintain those certifications.
More information about the SDG Secure Challenge can be found at sdgsecure.com.
About Systems Design Group, Inc.
Systems Design Group, Inc., (SDG) is an information technology professional service company, specializing in information security, managed services, and network infrastructure. We will be the trusted partner of our clients by providing a tailored portfolio of high value technology services and solutions to achieve their business goals and objectives.
Founded in 1991, SDG is headquartered in Lexington, KY, with customers located in adjacent states and throughout the country. SDG has been recognized as an innovative and leading edge technology company with a unique focus on information security. We are committed to our clients through all phases of technology design, acquisition, implementation, and training – with a security mindset and approach. Our security services and products help companies protect its most valuable assets, its data and reputation.