CEO’S MESSAGE CHANGES TO THE DCN BOARD
At the risk of repeating myself, great things are happening in North Dakota! I’m pretty sure I could start every column with that statement, but it’s true. In fact, there are so many things happening, sometimes it’s hard to keep up. But let’s just talk about a few.
Leadership in the State of North Dakota understands the importance and impact of broadband and continues to make sure all North Dakotans have access to service that is fast and reliable. One way they are doing that is through broadband infrastructure grants. North Dakota Information Technology recently awarded grants to eight service providers – some of which are DCN Owner companies – to build out high speed fiber optic broadband networks in the western most part of the state, providing reliable, symmetrical broadband infrastructure. These grants address 16 critical communities, some of the most rural parts of the state, with over 11,000 miles of fiber install. Our connectedness grows!
Another industry that is rapidly evolving (and is close to this farm boy’s heart) is agriculture. North Dakota is a hotbed
After serving as general manager/CEO of Dakota Central, based in Carrington, and the DCN Board of Governors for 22 years, Keith Larson has retired. Larson joined Dakota Central in 1979 and joined the DCN Board of Governors in 2000 when he assumed leadership of the company.
Holly Utke took the reins at Dakota Central on Jan. 1, 2023, and simultaneously joined the DCN board. Prior to her GM/CEO appointment, Utke served in many roles at Dakota Central including eight years as chief financial officer and positions in marketing, sales, and customer care. She has been with the company for more than 20 years.
“Keith has been an outstanding board member and we’re grateful for his service,” says DCN CEO Seth Arndorfer. “I’m also glad to have Holly join our Board of Governors and am confident she will be a valuable addition.”
DCN'S DDoS GETS A REFRESH
Every year, small and large businesses alike experience distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that not only cost money, but their reputation can suffer as well. In fact, according to Corero, the average cost of a DDoS attack in the U.S. is around $218,000 – and doesn’t factor in ransomware costs or reputational damage.
If you’re not familiar with DDoS attacks, there are three main types:
Volume-based: these attacks send information packets that are continuously downloaded and weigh down a server’s bandwidth. It’s similar to how your home Wi-Fi slows down during a family gathering. There are too many devices in the house downloading information at the same time, so your
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for precision ag research and experimentation. Groups ranging from higher education to private enterprise are making great advances. They are figuring out ways to utilize technology to improve yields and profitability of both crops and livestock. In part, we are ahead of much of the world thanks to the work and research being done with UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) across our vast plains. North Dakota is home to a growing cluster of UAS research, business, and military interests, and is home to one of seven Federal Aviation Administration test sites conducting vital research. That research includes using technology that will be used in precision ag to improve practices such as pesticide spraying; crop, livestock, and moisture monitoring; and disease detection and mitigation.
What is the glue that binds all these things together? Connectivity! In order to accomplish any of these advances, broadband infrastructure has to not only reach the towns, but also the “last mile.” This is the term describing the last connection between a provider’s network and the end user’s premises, either a home or a business. The last mile is generally the most expensive part of the network to build or upgrade. DCN and our Owners already reach every corner of the state and are working diligently to also connect that last mile.
As you’ll see in this newsletter, we are seeing growth at DCN, adding staff and continuing to invest in capacity and our offerings. We do this because it’s not only good for North Dakota, it helps you do business — even better.
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internet speed suffers. The same happens to servers when they’re overwhelmed with incoming or outgoing information.
Protocol: this type of attack causes a service disruption by overconsuming server resources and/or the resources of network equipment like firewalls and load balancers. For example, a hacker may send continuous requests as pings or fragmented packets to a firewall that renders the target inaccessible. And, unfortunately, not all of these requests can be identified as malicious.
Application: this attack goes directly to the network’s operating system as groups of requests to send or receive information. To illustrate, each time you visit a website, your web browser sends a request to the site’s server for information. The information is sent back in code that’s read and displayed so you can see it. An application attack requests information faster than the server can send it back and eventually the server crashes.
As the “bad guys” get more sophisticated, so must we. The team at DCN saw opportunities for enhancement in our DDoS service and our customers were asking for more. That drove our refresh and we now offer industry-leading DDoS protection that delivers dynamic protection from well-known as well as and emerging threats. Our internet subscribers have the option to subscribe to DDoS service for near-real-time protection against a variety of threats including volumetric, protocol, and application layer attacks.
DCN customers who subscribe to DDoS have access to a variety of information through our secure portal:
• Graphs that show monitored normal and abnormal traffic
• Detailed explanation of protocol, source and destination IPs, and attack profile matched for a mitigation event
• View historical alarms and mitigation triggers
• Ability to configure email alerts for active mitigation start and end
• Custom reports available upon request
If it’s time for you to learn more about DCN’s DDoS services, contact your account executive or the sales team at 800-814-3333 or sales@dakotacarrier.com.
THOUGHTS FROM THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION
When I decided to apply for the job of executive director for BAND, I knew the learning curve for the legislative session would be steep. My predecessor was well known in the hallways of the capitol, and I knew I had some big shoes to fill. At the time of this writing, the session isn’t over, but I’ve learned a lot along the way. Here are some of my takeaways from this legislative session:
1. Many people think that broadband just “happens.” Most of the people of North Dakota have access to broadband and are very grateful for it. However, many have no idea who provides it, what it took to get it, and what it takes to finish the job. Thanks to the great work of BAND member companies, we have the most connected state in the nation and are on the cusp of connecting all North Dakotans to high-speed internet. However, we still have a lot of work to do to make that happen.
2. North Dakota lets anyone participate in the process of making a law. Whether you are a state employee, politician, lobbyist, or citizen, we all have the right to share our thoughts on legislation. Anyone can testify on a bill and have their voice heard. It makes for some interesting days at the capitol!
3. It’s a LOT of work to be a good legislator and they face some tough decisions. They're expected to know a lot of things about a lot of topics in a relatively short amount of time. They give up four months of their lives to serve the people of North Dakota. They make mistakes and sometimes get things wrong, but the good ones are making decisions they believe are in the best interest of North Dakotans. I have a better insight and respect for the work they do for our great state.
I’ve learned there are a lot of really good people who do their work at the capitol during legislative session. I want to thank everyone who has helped me through my first session and look forward to continuing my work to lobby on behalf of my members long after the 80th legislative day has passed.
UPDATED CO-LO SCANNERS
Customers who partner with DCN for co-location of their equipment have probably noticed things look a little different at the co-lo doors. Card and biometric scanners have been upgraded at the Bismarck and Fargo facilities.
These new scanners have updated biometric capabilities and read new high-frequency, non-cloneable cards (so pick up your updated card if you haven’t already). Keeping your equipment and data secure is crucial and DCN is always trying to stay ahead of those bad actors.
SYVERSON NEW DCN CFO
Kristin Syverson is the new chief financial officer (CFO) at DCN.
Syverson’s diverse background includes finance, marketing, and operations in the manufacturing, engineering, and non-profit sectors. These combined with a decade of CFO experience have made her into a leader with strong analytical, change management, and strategic planning skills that will help DCN thrive.
The CFO is an integral part of the DCN executive team, accountable for a comprehensive set of financial responsibilities. The CFO establishes and maintains the company’s financial policies and procedures, providing operational and administrative direction for accounting, budgeting, purchasing, billing, collections, and cash management. As CFO, Syverson is also responsible for ensuring soundness of the company’s financial structure. She is based out of the Fargo office.
Syverson earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of North Dakota and a Master of Business Administration from University of Phoenix. In 2016, she was named to the Prairie Business magazine annual 40 Under 40 list.
“Kristin assumes the CFO role from Jim Laske, who had been with DCN since 2001,” said DCN CEO Seth Arndorfer.
“We are extremely grateful for Jim’s 21 years of leadership. While Kristin has big shoes to fill, we’re confident that her background will allow her to hit the ground running and provide DCN with sound financial leadership.”
TRIO JOINS TECHNICAL TEAM
Dakota Carrier Network has hired two new employees Nathan Briggs and Andrew Geigle, and team member Tara Taylor has assumed a new role.
Briggs, Geigle, and Taylor are all serving as Ethernet/IP technician I. As such, they are part of the Network Operations Center (NOC) team, supporting DCN’s state-ofthe-art carrier Ethernet and IP networks. Responsibilities include network monitoring and provisioning, trouble analysis, receiving and resolving trouble reports, and administration of equipment. Briggs and Taylor are based out of DCN’s NOC in Bismarck and Geigle will work from Fargo following training in Bismarck.
Prior to joining DCN, Briggs worked as an information systems specialist in the mining industry since 2016. He worked in a variety of areas including server and network administration, network design, system
security, and technical support. Briggs earned an associate degree in computer information systems from Bismarck State College and a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from the University of Mary in Bismarck.
Geigle has been an information systems maintainer for the U.S. Army/North Dakota National Guard since 2017. Duties included working with information systems and equipment, managing networks, operating diagnostic equipment, and ensuring continuity of power to equipment. With the NDNG, Geigle completed Advanced Individual Training in network management. He is currently working toward a bachelor’s degree in cyber security systems through Southern New Hampshire University.
Taylor joined DCN in 2015 as an application administrator and late in 2021 shifted to application analyst. Her previous roles at DCN included administering software applications to create reports based on statistical information, configuring and maintaining network monitoring, and creating and maintaining custom dashboards. Prior to joining DCN, she served as a technical support trainer and application analyst. Taylor earned an associate degree in computer support from Bismarck State College and is a MEF Carrier Ethernet Certified Professional (CECP).