RENO, Nev. (Dec. 2, 2014) – The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) and Governor Brian Sandoval announced today at a press conference that Ghost Systems, a provider of cybersecurity data centers, has opened its global headquarters in Incline Village, NV, with offices and the first of several data center projects in Reno. The company is expected to fill up to 150 jobs.

Founded by Donald Ritzman/CEO and Gregory Fish/CFO, Ghost Systems’ SafePlace™ Ecosystem is a complete cybersecurity solution that directly protects anything connected to a network, using future-proof “perfectly secure” technologies to create an impenetrable electronic network mesh – the electronic equivalent of Kevlar™ – which overlays onto existing public and private networks to prevent cyber theft of digital information.

Major development at the Reno Technology Park is currently in progress for the next phase of Ghost’s flagship SafePlace™ center that is expected to serve its customers worldwide. “Because of its ideal geographical location, high availability to massive network fiber infrastructure and abundant affordable power options of the area, we found Reno to be a rare find and one that suits us well. Not to mention the fact that Nevada is a business-friendly state and Reno is becoming a significant technology hub rivaling any in the US”, says Ritzman. The current construction and expected expansion facility will cost over $210 million to deploy (including $180 million in capital equipment).

“It is exciting to see continued technology growth in the Reno-Sparks area with the addition of the Ghost Systems SafePlace™ centers.” said Mike Kazmierski, CEO of EDAWN.   “The quality jobs associated with cybersecurity, a growing industry nationally provide an extraordinary addition to our community and will complement our growth in other sectors, like advanced manufacturing.” he said.

Billions of dollars a year are spent by cyber groups to develop and implement advanced cybertheft tools. Often these groups are state-sponsored and large numbers of people go to their job everyday – their cyber-thief job – to build these massive cyber-weapons designed in infiltrate unsuspecting IP-connected devices. The reason for this is simple.  For every dollar spent by these groups to build their cyber weapons they make five dollars or more in profit, not to mention all the personal information and corporate intelligence they capture from their thievery. And it’s only getting worse.

“Cybertheft is one of the most nefarious crimes society faces today. You cannot go one day without hearing or reading about a major cyber breach or computer hack. Often very large thefts take place in plain sight and major damage is done before anyone realizes what has happened.  There is no warning and often there is little or no trace the thief has even been inside your computer. And everyone with a networked device is at risk – companies and individuals alike” Said Don Ritzman, CEO of Ghost Systems.  Don continues, “With the SafePlace™ Ecosystem wrapped around your system, you are protected from these thieves.  SafePlace™ acts like an electronic Kevlar™ mesh preventing unauthorized access to your device and to your information no matter what form that information takes. Our mission is to protect every device that is connected to a network and eliminate cybertheft entirely. With the perfect cybersecurity that SafePlace™ provides, we can accomplish our mission.”

Also in attendance at the press conference, held at the Atlantis Resort Spa Casino were Reno City Vice-Mayor Oscar Delgado, Reno City Manager, Andrew Clinger, Reno Assistant City Manager, Bill Thomas and Reno City Director of Community Relations, Fred Turnier. Business partners include, Root Technology, EMC, Basin Street Properties, Rune Technology, Time Compression Strategies, Rye Technology, Unique Infrastructure Group, Northern Nevada Urban Development Company, Watson Rounds, CBRE, and Yottio.

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About EDAWN:
The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada is a private/ public partnership established in 1983 committed to recruiting, expanding and supporting newly forming quality companies that bring jobs to the region and have a positive impact on the quality of life in Greater Reno-Sparks-Tahoe.

Contact:
Norma Yamaji, Marketing Coordinator,
775-829-3768, yamaji@edawn.org