Tag Archive for: pick

Bears Second-Round Draft Pick Jaquan Brisker ‘Chess Piece’ at Safety – NBC Chicago

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Bears view Jaquan Brisker as ‘chess piece’ in secondary originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

Not many people predicted that the Bears would select a safety with one of their two second round picks on Thursday, but when Jaquan Brisker was available at No. 48, Ryan Poles couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Poles commended Brisker’s on-field ability, and off-field intangibles that make him the exact type of player the team is trying to target as they reshape the organization.

“Really everything that you’ve heard myself and Matt (Eberflus) talk about the last few months, he has that in him,” Poles said.

Bears scout Chris Prescott went into a bit more depth when describing the traits the team liked when evaluating Brisker.

“You’re talking about a big guy that ‘s physical,” Prescott said. “You know we like his toughness, we like his ball skills. I actually saw him plav vs. Maryland, I think he had a pick in that game and a PBU in that game. A guy that I think has got speed, range, ball skills plus he brings the physical side of the game that we like. Obviously with Flus and his defense, obviously wanting to be a physical team, he also brings that aspect of it too.”

But one of the biggest draws for the Bears is Brisker’s versatility. It’s something that came up with all three of the team’s picks on Friday. Kyler Gordon can play inside or outside corner. The team envisions Velus Jones as a swiss army knife on offense, and an impactful contributor on special teams. And Brisker has the ability to move all over the field at safety. According to PFF, Brisker has taken 668 snaps lined up deep, 690 snaps in the box and 332 snaps in the slot, over the past three seasons.

“He’s kind of a good chess piece I guess you would say,” Prescott said. “A lot of moving parts. You can play him close to the line of scrimmage and he can come up and he can play the run. He can fit in there and then he can also revert and flip him back, because he’s got enough speed and range and good enough eyes to where you can go locate the ball and play the ball well on the back end.”

By moving Brisker back and forth, defensive coordinator Alan Williams can try…

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VPN and mobile VPN: How to pick the best security solution for your company

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With the influx of remote workers, companies must develop and implement guidelines to ensure network security.

Secure VPN Connection. Virtual Private Network or Internet Security Concept.

Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto

One of the most noticeable changes to the enterprise as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic is the move to hybrid or remote work. As more and more employees work remotely indefinitely, the need for secure access to networks, systems and data becomes even more paramount.

Deploying a virtual private network (VPN) in your organization accommodates remote employees by providing safe access to those internal resources. 

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Another bonus: VPNs can be used in conjunction with single sign-on services and outside applications (such as Slack or G Suite) to streamline business applications usage and identity management, making it even easier for employees to work remotely.

However, providing employees with VPN access is just the start. Companies should also enforce a VPN usage policy. Otherwise, network security and internal resources may be at risk.

This VPN usage policy, from TechRepublic Premium, offers customizable guidelines to help IT ensure that VPNs are properly deployed, and it outlines acceptable use policies for end users on company-issued and personal devices.

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Not only has demand increased for VPNs, but the availability of VPN options has increased too. Case in point: mobile VPNs. Mobile VPNs stay intact across changes in physical connectivity, hence the “mobile” in the name. This solution ensures data user mobility and…

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What to study? Take your pick

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With the Leaving Cert finally behind you having completed your exams in the midst of one of the most challenging years in living memory, you may not wish to make the step to university level yet, or maybe you want to start earning money sooner.

Whatever your reasons, there are a wealth of options in the further education and training (FET) sector that could be the right choice for you. If you decide this is the path, Solas, the State agency charged with developing the sector, should be your first port of call.

“FET offers different education routes for school-leavers including Post Leaving Certificate [PLC] courses, apprenticeships and traineeships,” says Solas spokeswoman Maria Walshe.

“These courses can act as a stepping stone into further learning and higher education, a way to try out an area of learning, as well as being the right course to progress directly into a huge variety of careers.”

Walshe says there are “many advantages” to choosing the FET route including the opportunity to earn and learn with hands-on experience in an apprenticeship or in smaller class sizes with no tuition fees on PLC and traineeships.

Popular fields

The most popular fields of study include engineering, manufacturing and construction, as well as health and welfare. The most popular courses last year were nursing, early childhood care and education and applied social studies.

The most popular traineeships in 2020 included aircraft maintenance technician, beauty therapy, medical administration and outdoor activity instruction.

The most popular craft apprenticeships last year included electrical, carpentry and joinery, as well as plumbing and motor mechanics. Of the newer apprenticeships, the most popular…

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Colonial Pipeline Hack Puts Cybersecurity Back In Focus. Which Stocks Should You Pick?

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Our theme of Cyber Security Stocks has declined by about -6% year-to-date, significantly underperforming the S&P 500 which has gained about 11% over the same period. However, the sector is likely to come back into focus for a couple of reasons. Firstly, there was a major cyber attack on the computer systems of the Colonial Pipeline forcing a shutdown of a pipeline that controls roughly half the gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel flowing along the U.S. East Coast. This marks the second major attack on core U.S. infrastructure in six months, coming on the heels of the Solar Winds hack which was reported last December. Secondly, last week, President Joe Biden signed an executive order aimed at bolstering the federal government’s cybersecurity defenses, with a host of plans to implement stronger cybersecurity standards. The recent events are likely to cause companies and the U.S. government re-assess threats and potentially increase cybersecurity-related budgets. This should bode well for companies that provide software, hardware, and services that help protect computer systems and networks.

Within our theme, Fortinet, a company that provides cybersecurity-related hardware and software, has been the strongest performer, rising by about 37% year-to-date driven by stronger than expected earnings in recent quarters. On the other side, the stock price for Qualys a company that provides cloud security, compliance, and related services, remains down by about 18% this year, as its outlook for this fiscal year was lighter than analysts expected.

[4/14/2021] How’s Our Cybersecurity Theme Faring?

Our indicative portfolio of Cyber Security Stocks has declined by about -1% year-to-date, underperforming the S&P 500 which has gained about 10% over the same period. However, the theme remains up by over 130% since the end of 2019, significantly outperforming the broader markets. The recent sell-off comes as investors book profits on remote working and SaaS…

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