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The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency plans to release its secure by design principles this week to encourage the adoption of safe coding practices, which are a core part of the Biden administrations recently released national cybersecurity strategy.

The document isnt meant to be the Holy Grail on secure by design, said CISA Director Jen Easterly during the CrowdStrike Government Summit in Washington on Tuesday, but its an important step when it comes to shifting the burden to software companies from individual users and small businesses when it comes to cybersecurity.

The secure by design approach to building software products isnt a new idea but it is gaining more traction. Before the release of the national cybersecurity strategy, Easterly and Eric Goldstein, CISAs assistant director for cybersecurity, wrote an op-ed calling on software vendors to stop passing the buck on cybersecurity. Easterly also made the case for secure by design during a speech at a recent Carnegie Mellon University event, where she called for three core principles for technology manufacturers.

At the CrowdStrike summit, Easterly repeated those principals for software vendors, which are: take ownership of security outcomes for their customers, provide radical transparency to their customers, and improving design quality in product by focusing on building safe products. Its incredibly important that we now focus on ensuring that the software that powers our lives is secure by design and secure by default, she said.

One early implementation of secure by design comes from the Department of Energys cyber informed engineering strategy, a framework aimed at including cybersecurity in engineering practices.

Easterly noted CISA will focus more in the coming months on issues related to open source software used within industrial control systems. Additionally, she said, CISA will work on the High-Risk Community Protection initiative announced late March.

Easterly also talked about the need to increasingly become more resilient in the face of growing cyber threats, and noted that one major lesson out of the Ukraine war is the power of societal resilience.

I dont think our country really showed that during Colonial Pipeline and I dont think we showed it recently under the high-altitude balloon, she said, referencing the Chinese spy balloons that floated through the U.S. and received widespread media attention.

During the early days of the Colonial Pipeline ransomware incident after the company shut down the pipeline during recovery, fears of a loss of gas lead to long lines at the pump. Easterly continued: I think at the end of the day, our ability to keep calm and carry the hell on is really going to be the key to deal with very significant nation state threats.

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On the heels of the US cyber strategy, CISA set to release secure by ... - CyberScoop

FieldBin gives service providers, technicians, contractors, and field service trade professionals the tools they need to grow their business and increase profits.

Application Available to All California-Based Trade Service Companies

FieldBins software, which is designed to help contracting, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, and other trade companies manage every aspect of their business in one, easy-to-use platform, will help California trade companies to rebuild their communities and existing businesses.

California is experiencing unprecedented weather events which have caused tremendous damage, stress, and hardships for residents and businesses across the state, says Garrett Wilson, president, FieldBin. By offering our software for free to California field service trade companies, we hope that we can ease some of these challenges and help these hard-working professionals better serve the needs of their customers while helping keep their businesses running efficiently, especially as labor shortages remain high.

Moodys RMS, a risk-modeling service, estimated the cost from California's floods and infrastructure damage in January alone to be $5-7 billion. AccuWeather Inc., however, put its own estimate far higher at $30 billion, making contractors and other trade professionals in high demand.

Last October, FieldBin offered its application free of charge for one year to any Florida-based trade company assisting with Hurricane Ian recovery.

FieldBin is the easiest software tool for hard-working, field service trade business owners and teams who want to reduce the hassle of back-office operations, cut down on paperwork, and streamline processes. Its features include work order scheduling, invoicing, inventory management, estimating and quotes, payments processing, service portal, and customer management with a simple-to-use interface, intuitive navigation, and easy drag-and-drop functionality all accessible from anywhere on any device.

In addition to contracting, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and landscaping, FieldBin is ideal for painting, cleaning, roofing, fencing, and handyman service businesses.

If youre a California-based trade service company and interested in using FieldBin, visit https://www.fieldbin.com/

About FieldBin FieldBin is a cloud-based Field Service Management (FSM) software created to help small-to-medium sized field service trade companies grow their businesses. Its easy-to-use solution gives service providers, technicians, contractors, and field service trade professionals the tools they need to grow their business and increase profits. Learn more at https://www.fieldbin.com/

Matthew PughPugh & Tiller PR for FieldBin+1 443-527-1552mpugh@pughandtillerpr.comVisit us on social media:FacebookTwitterLinkedIn

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FieldBin Offers Free Field Service Software to California Trade Professionals Dealing with Extreme Weather - EIN News

Apple announced on Wednesday that its annual developer's conference, WWDC, will begin on June 5 and run through June 9.

Apple holds a launch event led by CEO Tim Cook on the first day of the conference and typically unveils new iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Mac software.

WWDC is Apple's biggest conference of the year. The company invites software developers to visit its headquarters and holds workshops and sessions dedicated to using Apple's software tools to make new apps.

WWDC also provides a preview of where Apple is heading. The company usually discusses its goals for software development and reveals new iPhone features.

Most years, Apple doesn't announce new hardware at WWDC. However, this year, Apple could reveal its long-awaited virtual and augmented reality headset at the conference, according to Bloomberg. In addition, Apple could choose to announce new high-powered Macs to a friendly developer audience this June.

WWDC will be streamed virtually on Apple's website for free.

The conference will be held online, with an in-person day at Apple's headquarters, Apple Park, on the first day of the conference. Last year, Apple invited developers and media to watch the pre-recorded opening presentation at its headquarters in Cupertino, California, called Apple Park.

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Apple announces its big annual conference, where it could reveal its new headset - CNBC

Tax procrastination happens. But if you're still missing key forms or feeling overwhelmed, you can buy more time by filing a free tax extension.

Nearly one-third of Americans procrastinate with their taxes, the top reasons being complexity and stress, according to a recent survey from IPX1031.

You can avoid a late-filing penalty with an extension by the federal deadline on April 18. But you still must pay your balance by the due date to avoid a late payment penalty and interest. You may also need a separate state income tax extension, depending on where you live.

Here's a look at more tax-planning news.

By filing for an extension, you'll have an extra six months to submit your taxes, which bumps the deadline to Oct. 16. "All it does is help you," said Bill Smith, national director of tax technical services at CBIZ MHM's national tax office.

However, a delayed filing means you'll wait longer for a refund, he said. As of March 17, the average refund was $2,933, according to the IRS.

While several disaster areas qualify for automatic extended deadlines this season, Karla Dennis, an enrolled agent and founder of Karla Dennis and Associates, suggests affected taxpayers also file for an extension by April 18.

"It was the same in 2020 when we went through Covid," she said. "Unfortunately, IRS did not retool its system and a lot of taxpayers still received letters."

If you can't make the April 18 tax deadline, there are a few ways to file for a federal extension, with or without a tax professional.

One option is to file Form 4868 online via IRS Free File, which offers free guided tax prep software. "Anyone can go on that site and file for the extension," regardless of income, said certified financial planner and enrolled agent John Loyd, owner at The Wealth Planner in Fort Worth, Texas.

Another choice is to make an electronic payment and select "extension" as the reason, which provides an automatic six-month extension without filing Form 4868, according to the IRS.

However, Loyd uses the first option to minimize the chance of mistakes or confusion. "If you file Form 4868, it's very clear that you know exactly what you're doing," he added.

Dennis also suggests filing Form 4868 over the payment option, especially if clients later need proof that they did file an extension. "I have never been able to defend a late-filed return with someone saying they've gone online to pay," she said.

Again, you'll need to take separate steps to request more time to file your state tax returns, depending on where you live.

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If you can't make the tax deadline, here's how to file a federal extension for free. All it does is help you,' says tax pro - CNBC

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) State Forester Calvin Mukumoto has proclaimed all of April as Oregon Arbor Month, allowing lots of time for commemorative plantings and other tree-related activities.

Trees play an essential role in the lives of Oregonians, said State Forester Mukumoto. Living through the extreme heat of 2021 and the isolation of the COVID pandemic has brought home to all of us the importance of urban trees to provide shade and cooling, as well as contact with nature right in our own neighborhoods. This proclamation highlights those and the many other benefits that both rural and urban forests provide to the people of Oregon.

Read the full text of the proclamationhere.

Scott Altenhoff, manager of the Oregon Department of Forestrys Urban and Community Forestry Program said, Arbor Month is the perfect time to reflect on the contribution trees make to our physical, mental and emotional health, to the livability of our communities, to our safety, the quality and quantity of our air and water, and to our economy.

Altenhoff said, With extreme weather events becoming more common, more and more communities are recognizing trees for the role they play in moderating temperatures and slowing rainfall runoff and erosion.

At the same time, Altenhoff said urban trees face a wide range of threats. Urban trees in Oregon are at risk from intensifying development, new pests and diseases, such as emerald ash borer, Mediterranean oak borer and sudden oak death and more extreme weather events, he said.

The non-profit organization Oregon Community Trees supported the move from a week-long to a month-long recognition of trees back in 2020. OCT President Mike Oxendine said many towns and cities during the pandemic had to cancel in-person tree celebrations.

This year, people are getting creative and planning many tree-related activities throughout Arbor Month, including public dedications of Hiroshima peace trees that had to be postponed back in 2020, he said.

Oxendine cited the April 29 dedication in Oregon City and the May 20 one in Klamath Falls as two examples of communities celebrating their peace trees, which were grown from the seeds of trees that survived the atom bombing of Hiroshima, Japan in August 1945.

More money for urban forestry is on the horizon

ODFs Altenhoff said hes encouraged that substantial new federal funding for urban forestry is expected by ODF over the next few years. The additional funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill will boost our capacity to help communities better manage and improve their urban forests. Whether its conducting a local tree inventory using free software linked to a statewide tree database, or banding together to secure long-term contracts for the growing of diverse trees now in short supply, cities and towns will be able to really make a difference.

Altenhoff said a large share of the funding will be directed at helping historically underserved and marginalized communities, which often have less tree canopy than more affluent areas. We will be able to help cities and towns start to make up for years of underinvestment in those areas, said Altenhoff.

Altenhoff is also heartened by state legislation to earmark funding specifically for urban forestry for the first time. If passed, Oregon will join other states which are investing in their urban forests so they continue to provide benefits to their people.

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Oregon state forester proclaims April as Arbor Month, a great time to ... - KTVZ