text stringlengths 234 589k | id stringlengths 47 47 | dump stringclasses 62
values | url stringlengths 16 734 | date stringlengths 20 20 ⌀ | file_path stringlengths 109 155 | language stringclasses 1
value | language_score float64 0.65 1 | token_count int64 57 124k | score float64 2.52 4.91 | int_score int64 3 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
In an age where the integration of technology in healthcare is both a boon and a potential source of vulnerability, cyber threats pose a serious risk to the sanctity of patient data. Physician practices, being at the forefront of medical data handling, are duty-bound to ensure the utmost security of sensitive patient information. This not only helps in complying with legal mandates but is also critical to maintaining patient trust and ensuring their safety.
A multi-faceted cybersecurity strategy is the need of the hour for physician practices, encompassing regular risk assessments, staff training programs, advanced security protocols, and a solid incident response plan. The cultivation of a security-first culture within the practice ensures that data protection is an ongoing process rather than a one-time checklist.
The evolution of cyber threats necessitates continual advancements in the cyber defenses of healthcare practices. Investment in state-of-the-art cybersecurity measures is not merely about compliance but is a testament to the practice’s commitment to the well-being of its patients.
Cybersecurity: A Patient Safety Imperative
The concept of cybersecurity in healthcare extends well past the confines of data protection—it is a critical element of patient safety. As data breaches can lead to catastrophic outcomes like fraud, identity theft, and patient harm, the responsibility of protecting this information is enormous.
Physicians are increasingly cognizant of the severity of cyber threats, with surveys echoing their growing concerns. A cybersecurity breach can significantly undermine patient trust and have far-reaching consequences on patient care. Protecting patient information, hence, is both a legal and an ethical responsibility for healthcare providers.
The complexity of cyberattacks today demands that healthcare professionals be prepared not just to prevent attacks but also to mitigate their effects. Recognizing cybersecurity as an integral part of patient care establishes a framework for a more resilient healthcare system.
Aligning with the HIPAA Security Rule
The HIPAA Security Rule lays down the federal guidelines for the protection of electronic protected health information (ePHI) in the United States. Compliance with HIPAA is fundamental, but healthcare providers must strive to go beyond these standards to combat the dynamic landscape of cyber threats.
A proactive approach involves comprehensive and recurrent risk assessments and the implementation of safeguards tailored to counter identified vulnerabilities. Encryption, stringent access controls, and ongoing evaluation of security measures solidify the defense against unauthorized access to sensitive data.
Implementing Robust Authentication Protocols
Reliable authentication processes are crucial in safeguarding patient information. To ensure that ePHI remains accessible only to legitimate personnel, robust authentication protocols are non-negotiable.
The use of multifactor authentication (MFA), which combines multiple verification methods, significantly reinforces security. The array of options, including biometrics, smart cards, and one-time passwords, enhance security without compromising the ease of access for authorized healthcare providers.
In implementing these robust authentication systems, the aim is to strike a balance between heightened security and the practical necessity for swift access to information in urgent care scenarios. Through strict yet user-friendly verification measures, physician practices can fortify their defense against the growing threat of cyber intrusions. | <urn:uuid:0655162c-24fc-4a5f-8c1b-01cb494efdee> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://healthcarecurated.com/tech-and-innovation/how-can-physician-practices-fortify-cybersecurity-measures/ | 2024-09-15T13:56:00Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651630.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20240915120545-20240915150545-00504.warc.gz | en | 0.913913 | 635 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Attack Surface — Lydia some generative content as a starting point
An attack surface is the total number of possible entry points for unauthorized access into any system. It includes all vulnerabilities and endpoints that can be exploited to carry out a security attack. An attack surface is the entire area of an organization or system that is susceptible to hacking. Once inside the network, an unauthorized user could cause damage by manipulating or downloading data.
An attack surface is the entire area of an organization or system that is susceptible to hacking. It’s made up of all the points of access that an unauthorized person could use to enter the system.
The smaller the attack surface, the easier it is to protect.
Attack surface examples:
- Software: Such as web applications, operating systems, and software
- Devices: Such as mobile and IoT devices, laptops, tablets, smart phones, and printers
- Networks: Such as networks, cloud storage, and web APIs
- Physical controls: Such as locks
- Digital elements: Such as servers, ports, applications, websites, system access points, and code
- Attack vectors: Such as ransomware, malware, phishing, exploiting misconfigured or unpatched systems, and denial of service attacks
How do vulnerability management and attack surface management differ?
Vulnerability management involves identifying and addressing vulnerabilities that could be exploited by an attacker. Attack surface management involves identifying and reducing the number of potential entry points that an attacker could use to gain access to a system. | <urn:uuid:32defb01-82c8-4687-be0d-62ee92ded3d1> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://ridgesecurity.ai/products/attack-surface/ | 2024-09-15T14:38:46Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651630.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20240915120545-20240915150545-00504.warc.gz | en | 0.928047 | 304 | 3.65625 | 4 |
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) provide secure access to business files for remote workers, making them a crucial part of an enterprise’s technology stack. But they need the right protocols to run properly. A VPN protocol creates the tunnels that your traffic travels through when you use a VPN to keep your communications private. WireGuard and OpenVPN are two popular open-source VPN protocols that businesses and users can choose from when they sign up for a VPN service. So, what’s the difference?
When comparing WireGuard vs, OpenVPN, you should consider:
WireGuard uses fewer lines of code than many other popular VPN protocols, including OpenVPN, leaving less room for errors and vulnerabilities. This also makes it easier to audit. It also uses modern cryptography and is likely one of the safest VPNs currently on the market. However, the platform is very new (released in 2019), so it’s possible that vulnerabilities exist but haven’t been found yet.
OpenVPN supports more encryption types than WireGuard, which only offers ChaCha20 and Poly1035. Because of this, if OpenVPN discovers a vulnerability in one of the algorithms, it can inform users and they can quickly switch the service over to a different option. Neither OpenVPN nor WireGuard have any known vulnerabilities in their platform.
Also Read: VPN Security Risks: Best Practices for 2022
WireGuard is typically the faster of the two options because of its clean codebase and the fact that it runs using the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), but how much faster depends on the protocols used. WireGuard is only about 15 percent faster than OpenVPN using UDP, but it’s about 56 percent faster when OpenVPN uses the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). However, WireGuard only runs on UDP, so it won’t work with networks that block UDP traffic.
However, there are a few VPN servers, like Private Internet Access (PIA), that haven’t been optimized for WireGuard yet because it is so new. For these instances, OpenVPN would be the faster choice. Mullvad was another that hadn’t optimized for WireGuard, but it rolled out an update in April 2021, and now WireGuard is the faster choice. Users can expect similar findings once PIA updates their servers.
WireGuard’s time to connect is also much faster, only taking around 100 milliseconds. OpenVPN can take as long as 8 seconds to connect.
Because mobile users often have to switch wireless networks, especially if they’re browsing while on the go, WireGuard is typically better for mobile usability. It has no problems when users switch networks, but OpenVPN typically struggles. The connection speed comes into play here, too. If it takes OpenVPN 8 seconds to connect every time there’s a change in network, users may get frustrated quickly.
Using a VPN increases the amount of data you use, which may matter to mobile users with data caps. WireGuard adds one of the smallest amounts of data to browsing, while OpenVPN adds one of the largest. Additionally, WireGuard has fewer lines of code, making it more efficient to run and less taxing on your devices’ batteries. OpenVPN, on the other hand, is more likely to drain your batteries faster.
Privacy is the main purpose of using a VPN (it’s in the name, after all), so the VPN shouldn’t store any personally identifiable information (PII). OpenVPN follows this, keeping PII off its servers and ensuring your browsing sessions do ultimately remain private. WireGuard, however, stores your IP address on its servers until the system is rebooted. A server breach could then render the service useless because someone could connect your IP address to your browsing history.
The good news is, most partner VPNs that support WireGuard have measures in place to mitigate this vulnerability, including assigning dynamic IP addresses instead of stagnant ones or deleting IP addresses from servers after short periods of inactivity.
While both WireGuard and OpenVPN are open-source, OpenVPN seems to have actual support available, while WireGuard mostly has community support. OpenVPN offers support tickets, as well as a helpful knowledge base where users can self-serve. WireGuard offers an IRC channel where users can submit questions and get answers from developers and other members of the community. It also has its own knowledge base.
Because WireGuard and OpenVPN are both open-source, they do not cost anything for users to implement. The only cost users will incur is that of the associated VPN. WireGuard does accept donations to keep the project going, but those are completely optional.
Also Read: Best Enterprise VPN Solutions
Both OpenVPN and WireGuard will require some knowledge of coding to implement if you’re planning to go the DIY route, which will require a VPN server. However, WireGuard only has about 4,000 lines of code compared to OpenVPN’s 70,000+. This makes WireGuard much easier for users to implement without help. However, OpenVPN is natively supported by more commercial VPN solutions, which means most users don’t have to install it on their own, instead relying on their VPN service.
WireGuard vs. OpenVPN: Which is Better for Your Business?
WireGuard is currently ahead in many of the feature categories we listed, but it is still relatively new in the tech world. Neither service has any known security vulnerabilities, so both are good options for keeping your business data secure. Businesses that prioritize privacy and longevity or use a VPN or network that doesn’t support WireGuard should opt for OpenVPN. Companies that want more speed and lower resource usage should go with WireGuard. | <urn:uuid:5b2e7e34-69ec-443d-9119-72355ef1da1d> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.esecurityplanet.com/networks/wireguard-vs-openvpn/ | 2024-09-15T12:38:48Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651630.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20240915120545-20240915150545-00504.warc.gz | en | 0.932174 | 1,176 | 2.546875 | 3 |
The digital landscape in today’s world is constantly evolving, with technology advancements being made every day. While these advancements bring about numerous benefits, they also pose significant risks to businesses and individuals. Cyber threats are ubiquitous, and cybersecurity has therefore become increasingly important to governments, organizations, and individuals. Cybersecurity alone, however, is not enough to prevent cyber threats. It is only through cyber governance that we can achieve a secure and resilient digital landscape. We’ll explore this topic in great detail in this article.
What Is Cyber Governance?
Cyber governance refers to the set of policies, procedures, and processes that organizations put in place to manage and mitigate cyber risks. It is a framework that enables organizations to establish a proactive approach to managing cyber risk, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their content and systems. Cyber governance is a multidimensional concept that encompasses various components, including:
- Cyber risk management: The process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating cyber risks
- Cybersecurity: The set of technologies, processes, and practices used to protect digital assets from cyber threats
- Information security: The protection of information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction
- Data privacy: The protection of personal and sensitive data from unauthorized access or use
- Compliance: The adherence to legal, regulatory, and contractual requirements related to cybersecurity, data privacy, and information security
Cyber Governance’s Importance in Today’s Digital Landscape
With the growing complexity and interconnectedness of digital systems, cyber governance has become crucial for both public and private sector organizations. Cybersecurity incidents such as data breaches, ransomware attacks, and insider threats are increasing in frequency and sophistication, causing significant financial and reputational damage to affected organizations. Effective cyber governance helps organizations to prepare for and respond to cybersecurity incidents, minimize their impact, and maintain business continuity.
The Need for an Effective Cyber Governance Framework
An effective cyber governance framework should be comprehensive, risk-based, and aligned with the organization’s overall goals and objectives. It should cover all aspects of cyber risk management, including identification, assessment, mitigation, and monitoring. The framework should also consider the evolving cyber threat landscape, regulatory requirements, and stakeholder expectations.
Cyber Governance vs. Cybersecurity
Cyber governance is often confused with cybersecurity. While cybersecurity is a critical component of cyber governance, it is not the same thing. Cyber governance is a broader concept that encompasses all aspects of cyber risk management, including cybersecurity. Cybersecurity refers only to the technologies, processes, and practices used to protect digital assets from cyber threats. Cyber governance, on the other hand, involves not only the technical aspects of cybersecurity but also the management, policies, and procedures associated with cyber risk.
Cyber Governance and Risk Management
Effective cyber governance requires a risk-based approach to cyber risk management. This means identifying and assessing the risks that an organization faces, and then developing and implementing strategies to mitigate those risks. Risk management is a critical component of cyber governance and must be integrated into an organization’s overall risk management framework.
Best Practices for Cyber Governance
When it comes to securing the digital landscape, cyber governance plays a crucial role in ensuring that organizations are equipped to handle the evolving threat landscape. Some of the best practices for cyber governance include:
Implement a Risk-based Approach to Cyber Governance
A risk-based approach to cyber governance involves identifying and assessing the risks that an organization faces, and then developing and implementing strategies to mitigate those risks. This approach should be integrated into the overall risk management framework and should consider the evolving threat landscape, regulatory requirements, and stakeholder expectations.
Set, Review, and Update Cyber Governance Policies and Procedures
Effective cyber governance requires robust policies and procedures that cover all aspects of cyber risk management. These policies and procedures should be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect changes in the threat landscape and regulatory requirements. Additionally, policies and procedures should be communicated to all employees, and training should be provided to ensure that employees understand their roles and responsibilities.
Incorporate Cyber Governance Into Corporate Culture
Cyber governance should be integrated into an organization’s corporate culture. This means promoting a culture of cybersecurity awareness and accountability across all levels of the organization. Employees should be empowered to report potential cyber threats, and cybersecurity should be a key consideration in business decision-making.
Practice Transparency Through Collaboration and Information Sharing
Effective cyber governance requires collaboration and information sharing between organizations. This includes sharing best practices, threat intelligence, and incident response strategies. Collaboration and information sharing can help organizations to detect and respond to cyber threats more quickly and effectively.
Cyber Governance: Legal and Regulatory Landscape
The legal and regulatory landscape of cyber governance is multifaceted and forever evolving. In the following sections, we examine how the GDPR and other privacy regulations have impacted cyber governance, as well as predict the future direction of cyber governance regulations worldwide.
Overview of Current Cyber Governance Laws and Regulations
The legal and regulatory landscape of cyber governance is complex and constantly evolving. Laws and regulations related to cybersecurity, data privacy, and information security vary by jurisdiction, making compliance challenging for organizations operating across multiple geographies. Some of the key cyber governance regulations include the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union, and the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) in the United States.
Impact of GDPR and Other Privacy Regulations on Cyber Governance
The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), in particular, has had a significant impact on cyber governance. The regulation requires organizations to implement rigorous data privacy and security measures, and failure to comply can result in significant financial penalties. GDPR compliance requires a comprehensive approach to cyber governance, including risk management, policies and procedures, and employee training.
Future Directions in Cyber Governance Regulation
As the cyber threat landscape evolves, so too will the legal and regulatory landscape of cyber governance. It is likely that we will see an increase in regulatory compliance requirements related to emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. Additionally, there may be a shift toward more global cyber governance standards and regulations, as the interconnectedness of digital systems makes it increasingly difficult to manage cyber risk on a jurisdictional basis.
Cyber Governance in Practice
Effective cyber governance is crucial to mitigating risks and responding to cybersecurity incidents. How crucial? Let’s take a closer look at cyber governance in practice.
Case Studies of Effective Cyber Governance in Action
Organizations that have implemented effective cyber governance strategies have been able to mitigate cyber risks and respond to cybersecurity incidents more quickly and effectively. Some examples of effective cyber governance practices include the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF), and the Information Security Management System 27000 Standards (ISO 27001).
Lessons Learned From Cyber Governance Failures
Organizations that have failed to implement effective cyber governance strategies or suffered cybersecurity incidents provide valuable lessons for others. Some of the key lessons learned from cyber governance failures include the importance of employee training and a culture of cybersecurity awareness, the need for robust incident response plans, and the importance of collaboration and information sharing.
Cyber Insurance and Its Role in Cyber Governance
Cyber insurance can play a vital role in cyber governance by helping to mitigate the financial impact of cybersecurity incidents. Cyber insurance policies can cover a range of costs, including breach response, business interruption, and legal fees. However, cyber insurance should not be viewed as a substitute for effective cyber governance. It is important that organizations have robust cyber risk management strategies in place before purchasing cyber insurance.
Emerging Technologies and Cyber Governance
The impact of emerging technologies on cyber governance is a pressing concern for organizations today. These technologies generate large quantities of data, which can be difficult to secure and manage. Additionally, many emerging technologies are highly interconnected, making it difficult to isolate cybersecurity risks.
In this section, we explore three key strategies for incorporating emerging technologies into cyber governance frameworks. The section delves into the unique cybersecurity challenges presented by technologies such as blockchain and the Internet of Things, and discusses how organizations can proactively address these challenges through effective cyber governance.
Strategies for Incorporating Emerging Technologies Into Cyber Governance Frameworks
To effectively manage cybersecurity risks associated with emerging technologies, organizations must incorporate them into their cyber governance frameworks. Organizations should identify and assess the unique risks associated with each technology, develop and implement strategies to mitigate those risks, and monitor the effectiveness of those strategies.
Address the Cybersecurity Challenges Inherent in New Technologies
Effective cyber governance requires organizations to be proactive in addressing cybersecurity challenges associated with new technologies. Organizations should ensure that cybersecurity considerations are included in the development and implementation of new technologies, promote a culture of cybersecurity awareness, and invest in cybersecurity research and development.
Cyber Governance Training and Education
Training and education are critical components of effective cyber governance. Employees must be trained on the policies and procedures associated with cyber governance, as well as the latest cybersecurity threats and best practices. Additionally, executives and board members must have a clear understanding of the organization’s cyber risk and the strategies in place to manage it.
Cyber Governance Certification and Training Programs
There are numerous cyber governance certification and training programs available, including the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification and the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certification. These programs provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of cyber governance frameworks and strategies, as well as the knowledge and skills needed to manage cyber risk effectively.
Assessing Cyber Governance Effectiveness
Measuring the effectiveness of cyber governance is challenging, but it is critical. Metrics that can be used to assess cyber governance effectiveness include:
- Number and severity of cybersecurity incidents
- Time to detect and respond to cybersecurity incidents
- Compliance with cyber governance policies and procedures
- Employee awareness and training levels
- The effectiveness of cyber risk management strategies
Conduct Cyber Governance Assessments
Conducting regular cyber governance assessments can help organizations to identify weaknesses in their cyber governance strategy and make necessary improvements. These assessments should include a review of policies and procedures, employee training, and the effectiveness of cyber risk management strategies.
Cyber Governance Assessments: The Role External Auditors Play
External auditors can provide independent assessments of an organization’s cyber governance strategy, helping to identify weaknesses and make necessary improvements. Additionally, external auditors can help organizations to comply with regulatory requirements related to cyber governance.
Future of Cyber Governance
The future of cyber governance is likely to be shaped by emerging technologies, evolving threat landscapes, and shifting regulatory requirements. Some of the key trends and predictions for the future of cyber governance include:
- Increased focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning in cybersecurity
- Greater collaboration and information sharing between public and private sector organizations
- Growing concern over the security of the Internet of Things
- Increased regulation of emerging technologies
- Greater emphasis on training and education in cyber governance
Address the Evolving Threat Landscape With Cyber Governance
As the threat landscape continues to evolve, organizations must be proactive in adapting their cyber governance strategies to address new and emerging threats. This requires organizations to continually assess their cyber risks, develop and implement strategies to mitigate those risks, and regularly test the effectiveness of those strategies.
Build a Resilient Digital Infrastructure
Effective cyber governance is critical in building a resilient digital infrastructure that can withstand cyberattacks. A resilient digital infrastructure requires not only robust cybersecurity technologies but also effective cyber governance frameworks that enable proactive risk management, incident response, and business continuity planning.
Kiteworks Helps Organizations Build an Effective Cyber Governance Program
In today’s digital landscape, effective cyber governance is crucial for organizations of all sizes and industries. Cyber threats are a reality, and it is only through effective cyber governance that we can achieve a secure and resilient digital infrastructure. Organizations must adopt a comprehensive approach to cyber risk management, incorporating cyber risk into the overall risk management framework, developing robust policies and procedures, investing in cybersecurity technologies and training, and collaborating with other organizations to share information and best practices. By doing so, organizations can mitigate their cyber risks, respond to cybersecurity incidents more quickly and effectively, and maintain business continuity in the face of cyber threats.
The Kiteworks Private Content Network enables organizations to protect their most sensitive content, especially when it’s shared externally with trusted third parties like customers, suppliers, and partners. By consolidating third-party communication channels like email, file sharing, managed file transfer (MFT), and others, Kiteworks empowers organizations to control, protect, and track every file entering, moving through, and exiting the organization.
Because Kiteworks provides organizations the ability to control access to sensitive content, protect it in transit and at rest, and track all file activity, namely who sends what to whom, when, and how, these organizations mitigate the risk of unauthorized access and demonstrate compliance with state, national, regional, and industry data privacy regulations and standards like GDPR, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), the UK Cyber Essentials Plus, Australia’s Information Security Registered Assessors Program (IRAP), Good Manufacturing Processes (GxP), and many more.
Learn how Kiteworks powers cyber governance for sensitive content moving into, within, and out of your organization by scheduling a demo today. | <urn:uuid:a456b8c7-9760-405f-ad12-22d3ba21daf9> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.kiteworks.com/risk-compliance-glossary/cyber-governance/ | 2024-09-19T08:35:54Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651995.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20240919061514-20240919091514-00204.warc.gz | en | 0.924303 | 2,746 | 2.96875 | 3 |
A few years ago I took the plunge and bought myself a 3D printer. Since then I've been teaching other people how to 3D print at home. If you're interested in 3D printing but haven't bought your own printer yet, this course is definitely for you.
In this course I'll teach you what 3D printers are, how they work, how to purchase one and how to use it to create amazing 3D prints of your own. Many people are a little too scared to buy their first printer because they don't know really know what's involved in running one. I felt like this myself once.
I now know exactly what's involve and that's what I'll teach you in this course. I'll also demonstrate how to design a simple chess piece using two free design tools, Tinkercad and OpenSCAD. This'll give you a feel for what's involved in inventing and designing your own products.
Even if you don't want to buy your own 3D printer yet, after going though this course you'll be able to start designing your own products immediately. I'll even show you how to outsource your printing to someone else so you can become involved in this amazing technology without ever having to purchase a 3D printer!
This course consists mainly of videos, slides and on screen demonstrations by myself. It should only take you a couple of hours to complete, but it'll be a couple of hours very well spent.
Thanks for taking an interest in this course and I look forward to you being my student. | <urn:uuid:145c56f1-02f6-487f-8ab5-617b869ec759> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.mytechlogy.com/Online-IT-courses-reviews/12996/how-to-start-3d-printing-at-home-even-without-a-3d-printer/ | 2024-09-20T12:47:18Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652278.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20240920122604-20240920152604-00104.warc.gz | en | 0.984953 | 320 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Implementing automation in healthcare process has been fruitful for healthcare industries due to the repetitive nature of the process. Using automation, healthcare providers can achieve an 80% reduction in helpdesk overload. Yes, the numbers are real indeed. Previously, we talked about the role of RPA in patient scheduling.
Here we are again going to explore how automation can help healthcare providers automate the admission and discharge process and offer on-time patient care.
Understanding Admission and Discharge Process in Healthcare
The admission and discharge processes in healthcare are critical administrative and clinical procedures that occur when a patient enters a healthcare facility (e.g., hospital) for treatment or is discharged after receiving care. These processes involve various steps and interactions among healthcare providers, patients, and administrative staff. Let’s take an overview of the admission and discharge process.
- The admission process in healthcare involves multiple steps like patient registration, medical record review, admission orders, medical assessment of current condition and offering treatment.
- On the other hand, the discharge process in healthcare includes a series of steps like medical treatment review, discharge planning, flagging high-priority discharge cases and follow-up with the patients post-discharge.
Challenges with Admission and Discharge Process
The admission and discharge processes in healthcare are critical for the efficient functioning of healthcare facilities and ensuring high-quality patient care. However, they come with several challenges that healthcare providers must navigate. Here are some of the key challenges associated with the admission and discharge processes in healthcare:
The admission and discharge processes involve a multitude of administrative tasks, including paperwork, data entry, patient registration forms, and documentation. Managing these administrative aspects can be time-consuming and prone to errors.
Data Accuracy and Integrity
Ensuring the accuracy and integrity of patient data is crucial during admission and discharge. Any errors or discrepancies in patient information can lead to medical errors, billing issues, and compromised patient safety.
Patient Information Privacy and Security
Healthcare providers must adhere to strict regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to protect patient data. Maintaining data privacy and security throughout the admission and discharge processes is a significant challenge.
Effective communication among healthcare providers, patients, and their families is essential for a smooth admission and discharge process. Miscommunication or lack of coordination can lead to misunderstandings and potentially compromise patient care.
Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach that combines effective communication, streamlined processes, the use of technology (such as Electronic Health Records and healthcare management systems), and robotics automation solutions that not only enhance patient care but also contribute to the overall efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare delivery.
How AutomationEdge Hyperautomation Solution can Simplify the Admission and Discharge Process?
AutomationEdge hyperautomation solution contains a pool of technologies like RPA, AI, Intelligent Document Processing, Conversational AI and others. Integrating these technologies into the healthcare system can make the admission and discharge process for healthcare providers a lot easier. Instead of manually handling the data involved in the admission and discharge process, an AI chatbot integrated with Intelligent document processing can take care of all the tasks related to data. Let’s understand how the automated admission and discharge process works-
Admission and Discharge Process with AutomationEdge RPA
- As soon as the patient is registered, the AI bot verifies and upload medical record in the EHR system
- Share health records with the physician for medical diagnosis
- Once the diagnosis is completed, the bot continuously monitors the patient’s health
- With real-time health monitoring, the bot identifies missing tests if there are any
- Generate alerts for high-priority discharge cases
- Post-discharge track patient’s progress and create alerts for follow-ups and appointments
Robotic Process Automation is transforming the healthcare industry by revolutionizing admission and discharge processes. By automating repetitive tasks, reducing errors, and ensuring compliance, RPA in healthcare industry not only enhances operational efficiency but also improves patient care and experiences. While there are challenges in implementation, the long-term benefits make RPA a valuable investment for healthcare institutions looking to streamline their processes and reduce costs while maintaining high-quality care. | <urn:uuid:f0f99277-1928-4fef-a93b-7c124dd2238b> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://automationedge.com/blogs/why-use-automation-in-the-admission-and-discharge-process-in-healthcare/ | 2024-09-09T15:16:31Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651103.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909134831-20240909164831-00204.warc.gz | en | 0.907669 | 863 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Random IP Generator
The internet is an ever-evolving digital landscape, and for network administrators, cybersecurity professionals, or even curious enthusiasts, understanding the intricacies of IP addresses is essential. One particularly useful tool is the Random IP Address Generator.
What is an IP Address?
An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique numerical label assigned to every device connected to a network. It serves two primary functions: identifying the host or network interface and providing the location of the device in the network. There are two versions of IP addresses: IPv4 (32-bit) and IPv6 (128-bit). IPv4 addresses are represented in the familiar dot-decimal notation (e.g., 192.168.1.1), while IPv6 addresses use a hexadecimal format (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334).
What is a Random IP Address Generator?
A random IP address generator is a tool that generates a random IP address within a specified range or following specific rules. These generators often allow users to choose between IPv4 and IPv6 address types and may include options to exclude certain IP ranges (such as reserved or private IPs).
How Does a Random IP Address Generator Work?
A random IP address generator works by using algorithms to generate a series of random numbers within the acceptable range of IP addresses. The tool usually takes into account the structure of IP addresses, dividing them into octets (IPv4) or hextets (IPv6), to ensure that the generated addresses are valid.
For IPv4, the generator creates four random numbers between 0 and 255, separated by periods (e.g., 192.168.1.1). For IPv6, the generator creates eight groups of four hexadecimal digits, separated by colons (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334).
How to use a random IP generator?
Generating an ip address with the help of this website is quite easy.
- Select what will be the fast and last digit of the IP address.
- Fill in how many ip addresses do you want to generate?
- click on generate button.
- Our tool is creating an ip address.
- Now copy or download the ip.
Advantages of Random IP Address Generators
Unpredictability: Generating random IP addresses introduces an element of unpredictability, making it more challenging for attackers to target specific systems or predict network behavior.
Efficiency: By generating a diverse set of IP addresses, random IP generators enable more efficient and thorough testing, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of network performance, security, and stability.
Customization: Random IP generators often offer various customization options, allowing users to tailor the generated IPs to their specific needs and preferences.
Applications of Random IP Address Generators
Testing Network Applications
Developers often use random IP address generators to test their network applications, ensuring that the software can handle various IP address inputs. By generating a wide range of IP addresses, developers can identify potential issues or vulnerabilities in their applications, helping to improve their overall performance and security.
Simulating Network Traffic
Random IP address generators can also be used to simulate network traffic for stress testing and analyzing network performance. By generating a large number of random IP addresses and simulating network communication between these addresses, network administrators can evaluate how their systems respond to varying levels of traffic and identify any bottlenecks or performance issues.
Enhancing Online Anonymity
Some users employ random IP address generators to enhance their online privacy by periodically changing their IP addresses. By generating a random IP address and routing their internet traffic through a proxy server or VPN (Virtual Private Network) service that uses the generated address, users can mask their real IP address and protect their identity online.
Random IP address generators can also be used to bypass geo-restrictions imposed by some websites or services. By generating an IP address from a specific country or region, users can access content that might be blocked in their own location.
Random IP address generators are versatile tools with a wide range of applications, from testing network applications to enhancing online anonymity. By understanding how they work and using them responsibly, users can take advantage of their benefits and ensure a more secure and private online experience. | <urn:uuid:fcdc01bf-344b-4947-b157-1cf272a1d7d9> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.cyberkendra.com/p/random-ip-generator.html | 2024-09-09T15:14:16Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651103.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909134831-20240909164831-00204.warc.gz | en | 0.889298 | 906 | 3.09375 | 3 |
Last year, many data loss and data breach incidents left millions of people at risk. 552 of the reported data breaches were caused due to the increased use of removable media and laptops. A security and forensic analyst claimed that that the 5.9 million records that were exposed in 2008 could have all been protected if the right measures had been taken.
A main concern with data breaches lies in the increased use of removable data devices and laptops, combined with the many companies now affected by reduced IT budgets. Research also shows that the use of USB sticks and portable mobile devices will increase data security risks in this coming year.
The number of data loss incidents in the last year put thousands of people at risk and left even more vulnerable with the leak of personal and private data. The most drastic incidents were made by government agencies leaving the public feeling even more exposed leading to a lack of faith in these agencies. Companies are being warned to use better data storage methods like online data backup; however, very few heed these warnings.
It is important for companies and agencies that handle sensitive information to use a remote data backup system as it can help protect the data or restore it should anything happen to the data. | <urn:uuid:d7d8ed15-b3c3-43eb-af27-b2888625384c> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://blog.backup-technology.com/1040/increased-use-of-usb-sticks-may-pose-data-security-problems/ | 2024-09-10T21:31:19Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651318.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910192923-20240910222923-00104.warc.gz | en | 0.974743 | 239 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Between taking care of the household, the kids, the pets, and the district PTA, computer care is probably one of the last things that you think of doing on a regular basis. Without a regular maintenance schedule however, you could find out (the hard way) that a neglected computer is an energy hog - one that works harder than it needs to and one that could be a financial burden to replace.
Let's talk about maintaining hardware. So much emphasis is put on maintaining a computer's operating system that we sometimes forget how important it is to maintain a computer's hardware components. Since there can be quite a few components to take care of, let's talk about the most important one.
The most important component of a computer's hardware system is its fan. The fan is located on the computer's CPU unit and when that thing gets clogged with dirt and dust, it can run down a computer faster than you can say, "Something's wrong with my computer and I don't know what it is!" In short, the fan is responsible for keeping a computer's motor cool and this motor is what keeps the computer's hard drive and peripherals functioning the way you need them to, which translates to "fast."
A dirty fan doesn't rotate fast enough to keep that motor cool and a completely clogged fan just stops rotating altogether. This causes the computer's motor to work harder - and a harder working motor can raise the electric bill! Worst case scenario: the motor can overheat and stop working as well. No motor equals no computer.
Keep your computer's fan clean by preventing the fan from getting dirty or dusty in the first place. Use the computer in a dust-free environment and never smoke around it. Nicotine and tar mean certain death when it comes to computer fans, however should you find a need to clean the fan, do so with extreme care.
It's quite easy to cause more damage from cleaning so if you're not comfortable with cleaning your PC yourself, take it to a shop for servicing. Otherwise, you can unplug and disassemble the computer to do it yourself.
You'll need a can of compressed air and an anti-static rag to remove stubborn clumps of dust. Hold the can perfectly vertical and spray the fan being careful not to spray the dust off the fan onto other sensitive parts of the computer like circuit boards or inside the motor casing. Wipe up remaining dust with your anti-static rag and then reassemble the computer.
One thing that you certainly don't want to use to remove computer dust is a vacuum cleaner. Although using a vacuum cleaner seems to make more sense, the strong suction of a vacuum cleaner can actually spark damaging static electricity or dislodge loose cables. You also don't want to use oil-based cleaners. Although Pledge may dust your wooden tables and cabinets to a perfect shine, the oil inside a cleaner like this will erode sensitive computer parts. Stick to a liquid-free dusting method and your dusting routine will be safe enough to repeat as often as you need.
As previously mentioned, preventing dust from entering the computer is extremely important and will reduce the need to open and dust your system in the first place. The severity of outside elements (smoking, humidity, pets, etc.) will ultimately determine how often you'll need to de-dust your machine. But as an average, you shouldn't need to perform this procedure any more than once or twice a year.
The entire exercise should take no more than twenty minutes tops and once complete, you'll immediately see and hear the difference in your machine. The computer's keyboard and mouse will run more smoothly, hardware won't take as long to connect, and the entire machine won't be as loud as one that's corroded with ugly dust bunnies.
About this post
Viewed: 1,680 times
No comments have been added for this post.
Sorry. Comments are frozen for this article. If you have a question or comment that relates to this article, please post it in the appropriate forum. | <urn:uuid:f7bfe910-a40f-4bf3-8653-3820c2f6b63e> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.fortypoundhead.com/showcontent.asp?artid=2724 | 2024-09-10T20:54:27Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651318.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910192923-20240910222923-00104.warc.gz | en | 0.958158 | 826 | 2.75 | 3 |
What Is a Data Breach?
A data breach is a cyber incident in which information is accessed and extracted from an organization’s system without authorization. Stolen data could be confidential, proprietary, protected, or sensitive—such as credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, healthcare data, other personal information, trade secrets, and customer lists.
The effects of a data breach can be disastrous for an organization. Damage can be significant in terms of costs and fines as well as reputationally. The cost of a data breach can be substantial, estimated at between $3 and 4 million per breach on average for a major corporation, with some experts claiming the costs can be as high as $8 million.
Quickly and effectively responding to a breach is critical for limiting harm.
What to Do If You’ve Been Breached
Steps to Take after a Data Breach
Your first task in the event of a breach is to seal the security hole. This will prevent further breaches via the same route. Then investigate the causes.
- Secure any physical areas associated with the breach. For instance, if there was a physical break-in, change the door access codes as soon as possible.
- Take all affected systems offline immediately, but don’t turn them off until forensic experts can investigate them.
- Build an Incident Response team. Your team could include experts from a range of disciplines. You may need to hire an independent forensics investigator and involve legal, information security, and even human resources. Professional Incident Response specialists can provide essential expertise.
- Capture a forensic image of the breach and collect evidence.
- Consult with your legal team. A cyber breach will often have contractual and data protection law consequences, so knowing your position here is essential.
- Replace offline machines with clean ones, if possible, but update all credentials in case these were the cause of the breach.
- If your website has been altered, immediately remove any unwanted information and contact search engines to remove the altered pages from their caches.
- Search other sites in case your information has been posted publicly elsewhere.
- Interview those who discovered the breach to help track down the cause.
Throughout this process, make sure you haven’t destroyed any evidence—you will need this to pinpoint the cause of the breach, fix the problem, and ascertain the damage to remediate.
Once you have tracked down the origin and pathway of the breach through your systems, the next step is to remove all the vulnerabilities that led to it.
- Were your service providers involved in the breach? If so, analyze what personal information they have access to and change their privileges if necessary.
- Work with your service providers to ensure their security is at the level you need.
- If your existing network segmentation did not provide the overall protection you had hoped for, consider changing how your network is segmented for greater resilience.
- Your forensic analysis should have revealed if your intended protective measures were functional. Was encryption enabled, and were backups being performed as scheduled?
- Once you have determined who had access to data involved in the breach, check their permissions and whether these are necessary. If not, impose measures to limit access more strictly.
- Get ready to communicate the facts about the breach to all stakeholders, from employees to customers and investors.
As you are fixing the problem, consider the questions that will be asked about the breach and publish answers to key questions on your website to keep the situation as transparent as possible.
Fixing the cause of the breach is the most critical step for avoiding a recurrence, but there are likely to be repercussions that will require further remediation.
- There may be legal requirements regarding the notification of cyber breaches involving personal information, which vary by country and even by US state.
- Punitive costs may be involved with personal data loss in some jurisdictions.
- Contact law enforcement, reporting the situation and any implications for potential identity theft. You may also need to contact local intelligence agencies, such as the FBI in the US.
- If the breach involved health records, you might need to notify specific organizations, such as the Federal Trade Commission. You may also need to contact the media.
- For data thefts involving financial information, contact the businesses that maintain the affected accounts, such as credit card companies.
- Notify other affected parties, including individuals. Provide remedial services such as toll-free numbers for these parties to use for contact and free credit monitoring to track if their identity has been used nefariously.
Once you have followed these steps, you should be well on your way to preventing another breach of the same type and remediating the results of this one. For a more detailed list of specific rules regarding the notification of affected parties, see the FTC’s guide to a data breach response.
Data Breach vs. Security Breach
A security breach is when a company’s information is accessed without authorization. Typically, this incident will have resulted in unapproved access to corporate data, applications, networks, and devices. The breach occurs because the intruder has been able to bypass corporate security.
Although closely related, a data breach is subtly different from a security breach. A security breach implies unauthorized access, but a data breach means that the unauthorized access has resulted in information being extracted.
A data breach is more severe than a security breach because it typically involves the theft of confidential information, such as customer identities and financial details. This information can be sold to criminals via the dark Web.
However, a security incident does not necessarily equate to a complete breach. A phishing attack, malware infection, or employee device theft is a security incident, but it won’t be a breach if it has been contained and doesn’t end up with the threat actors gaining access to the network and corporate data.
How Breaches Happen
There are numerous causes of a security breach. Increasingly, WFH and hybrid work are leading to more devices and employees with access to important corporate resources operating unprotected by traditional perimeter-based network security. Hybrid working has also led to more personal devices (via BYOD) being used on internal networks, as hybrid workers bring their personal equipment into the office. Both these trends widen the threat domain—and cybercriminals are taking advantage.
However, these factors merely amplify the existing causes of a cyber breach.
Types of Data Breaches
An employee has harmful intent and uses their access to create a security breach.
Lost or Stolen Device
A device that has access or contains sensitive information is lost or stolen.
Threat actors employ cyberattack vectors to gain security information from systems or individuals.
Weak Endpoint Security
Malicious outsiders find vulnerable endpoints, such as unpatched devices, old software, or poor implementation of authentication protocols.
What is a data breach?
A data breach is a cyber incident in which information is accessed and extracted from an organization’s system without authorization.
What is a security breach?
A security breach is where corporate security has been compromised, including data, applications, networks, and devices, enabling access to company-held information without authorization.
What happens when a security breach occurs?
Threat actors gain unauthorized access to corporate systems when a security breach occurs. This can lead to the theft of sensitive corporate data, either to make it public to damage the company or for financial gain via sale on the dark Web.
Who is legally responsible for a breach?
In the case of a data breach, the data owner is legally responsible and faces liabilities for any losses incurred due to the breach, even if security failures were caused by a third party (such as a cloud provider). In the US, liability is imposed if the data owner has failed to implement sufficient safeguards, remediate damage after a breach occurs, or notify affected individuals and organizations within the time limit set for the local region. Negligence is proven in litigation.
When must a breach be reported?
What is the best first step you should take if you suspect a data breach has occurred?
If you suspect a data breach has occurred, the first step is to isolate the affected systems from the network. Don’t turn them off or disable these systems, as you will want to allow your forensic team to analyze the breach. But disconnecting them will prevent further extraction of data. This should be closely followed by notifying affected parties within the limits defined by local jurisdictions once the extent of the breach has been ascertained via your forensic expert team. | <urn:uuid:c4f7ef7c-2710-40c5-94e2-daa41304e038> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.blackberry.com/us/en/solutions/endpoint-security/data-breach-response-guide | 2024-09-13T06:02:48Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651507.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913034233-20240913064233-00804.warc.gz | en | 0.946556 | 1,741 | 2.625 | 3 |
A machine learning platform provides a collaborative environment that helps facilitate iterative data exploration and real-time collaboration capabilities, feature engineering, and model management. Machine learning programs automate the operational and synchronization functions and performance of the technology lifecycle. A machine learning model can provide functionality by recognizing patterns in operational data, automating repetitive tasks, and streamlining logistics, inventory management, and supply chain functions.
Machine learning allows for automated adaptation of processes without the need for human intervention. This can help identify threats and trends, and implement the appropriate measures to neutralize and protect against them. The automated nature of machine learning means it can save time and money by using predictive analytics and artificial intelligence. Machine learning technology allows data teams to achieve faster model development, deliver higher quality ML models, and achieve faster deployment and production.
Machine learning technology can help businesses understand their customers at a deeper level. By collecting customer data and correlating it with behaviors over time, machine learning algorithms can learn associations and help teams specify product development and marketing initiatives to better meet customer demand.
The pros and cons of advanced machine learning technology will vary according to your business objectives. There are many businesses that reap exceptional benefits from machine learning and related technologies such as AI and predictive analytics. | <urn:uuid:01702df0-1bb5-40a3-9b17-824e580a2383> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.cascadeo.com/services/machine-learning/ | 2024-09-13T06:04:38Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651507.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913034233-20240913064233-00804.warc.gz | en | 0.915027 | 249 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Definition: Finite State Machine
A Finite State Machine (FSM) is a computational model used to design both computer programs and sequential logic circuits. It is defined by a list of its states, its initial state, and the conditions for each transition. The FSM can only be in one state at a time; it transitions from one state to another when triggered by events or conditions, making it an ideal model for applications ranging from software engineering to digital circuit design.
Expanding on this foundational understanding, let’s delve into the multifaceted aspects of Finite State Machines, exploring their types, benefits, applications, and how they function in various domains. This comprehensive exploration will not only highlight the significance of FSMs in computing and electronics but also elucidate the principles underlying their operation and utility.
Types of Finite State Machines
Finite State Machines can be broadly classified into two categories: Deterministic Finite Automata (DFA) and Non-Deterministic Finite Automata (NFA). The DFA has a single distinct next state for each input from each state, ensuring predictability and simplicity in its operation. On the other hand, NFA can have multiple possible next states for the same input from a given state, introducing a level of complexity and flexibility in how the machine can transition between states.
Mealy and Moore Machines
Further subdivisions of FSMs include the Mealy and Moore machines, distinguished by how they produce output. A Mealy Machine generates outputs based on its current state and the input, making its output immediate and dynamic. In contrast, a Moore Machine‘s output depends solely on its current state, offering a more stable output response to changes in input.
Benefits of Using Finite State Machines
The use of Finite State Machines in software development, digital circuit design, and various fields of engineering offers numerous advantages:
- Simplicity and Clarity: FSMs provide a clear and straightforward method for modeling system behavior, making complex systems easier to understand and design.
- Predictability: By defining explicit states and transitions, FSMs ensure predictable behavior, which is crucial for reliability and debugging.
- Scalability: FSMs can be easily expanded or modified to accommodate new states and transitions, facilitating scalability in system design.
- Reusability: The modular nature of FSMs allows for the reuse of components in different systems, enhancing efficiency and reducing development time.
Applications of Finite State Machines
Finite State Machines find applications in a myriad of areas, including but not limited to:
- Software Engineering: FSMs are used to design the control logic of algorithms, user interfaces, game development, and network protocols.
- Digital Circuits: In electronics, FSMs are fundamental in the design of sequential circuits, such as counters, registers, and controllers.
- Natural Language Processing (NLP): FSMs play a role in the parsing and pattern matching algorithms of computational linguistics.
- Telecommunications: State machines are pivotal in protocol design and signal processing for reliable data transmission.
Implementing Finite State Machines
Implementing an FSM involves defining its states, transitions, and actions. The process can be summarized in a few steps:
- Identify States: Determine all possible states the system can be in.
- Define Transitions: Specify conditions or events that trigger a transition from one state to another.
- Implement Actions: Associate actions with entering or exiting a state or with the transition itself.
- Choose a Storage Method: Decide how to store the state and transition information, whether in code, tables, or diagrams.
- Testing and Validation: Verify the FSM behaves as expected under various conditions and inputs.
Finite State Machines are a powerful tool for modeling systems where the operation can be broken down into a finite number of states. Now, let’s address some frequently asked questions related to Finite State Machines.
Frequently Asked Questions Related to Finite State Machine
What Is the Difference Between DFA and NFA?
DFA, or Deterministic Finite Automaton, has exactly one transition for each symbol from every state, leading to a single possible next state. NFA, or Non-Deterministic Finite Automaton, allows for multiple or no transitions for the same symbol from a state, introducing ambiguity and multiple potential next states.
How Do Mealy and Moore Machines Differ?
Mealy and Moore machines differ in how they generate outputs. A Mealy Machine’s output depends on its current state and the input it receives, making its output variable. A Moore Machine’s output is determined only by its current state, leading to a consistent output for each state.
Can Finite State Machines Be Used in AI?
Yes, Finite State Machines can be utilized in Artificial Intelligence, particularly in areas like game development for non-player character (NPC) behavior modeling, simple decision-making processes, and as part of more complex AI systems for managing state transitions.
What Are the Steps to Implement a Finite State Machine?
To implement a Finite State Machine, one should first identify all the states, define the transitions based on conditions or events, implement actions associated with states or transitions, choose how to store this information, and finally, test and validate the FSM to ensure it behaves as expected.
How Are Finite State Machines Used in Software Engineering?
In Software Engineering, FSMs are used to design the control logic of algorithms, manage user interface states, develop game behaviors, and design network protocols, among other applications. They help in structuring the software design process for clarity and efficiency.
What Makes Finite State Machines Suitable for Digital Circuit Design?
FSMs are ideal for digital circuit design because they offer a clear method for modeling the sequential logic of circuits. This makes designing components like counters, registers, and controllers more intuitive and predictable, leading to efficient and reliable circuit designs.
Can Finite State Machines Handle Complex Systems?
While FSMs are excellent for modeling systems with a finite number of states, their ability to handle complexity depends on the design. Complex systems might require hierarchical state machines or a combination of FSMs to effectively manage multiple interacting states and transitions.
Are There Tools to Help Design Finite State Machines?
Yes, there are numerous tools available to help design Finite State Machines, ranging from diagramming tools that visualize states and transitions to software libraries that facilitate FSM implementation in various programming languages. | <urn:uuid:614ec481-45fc-49c4-9dd1-b498c0dc3fdf> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.ituonline.com/tech-definitions/what-is-finite-state-machine/ | 2024-09-16T22:21:15Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651714.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20240916212424-20240917002424-00504.warc.gz | en | 0.901257 | 1,333 | 3.703125 | 4 |
Definition: Application Layer Firewall
An Application Layer Firewall is a type of firewall that monitors and controls network traffic based on the application layer (Layer 7) of the OSI model. Unlike traditional firewalls that primarily filter data at the network or transport layers, an application layer firewall examines the data being transferred to ensure it adheres to expected patterns, rules, or behaviors associated with specific applications.
Understanding Application Layer Firewalls
An Application Layer Firewall (ALF) operates at the highest layer of the OSI model, focusing on the data and commands used by applications to communicate over a network. This firewall scrutinizes the content of the communication between applications, providing an added layer of security by understanding the context of the data being transmitted. It identifies and prevents potentially malicious activity by analyzing the commands, protocols, and content in the traffic.
How Does an Application Layer Firewall Work?
Application Layer Firewalls work by inspecting all packets that reach them and determining whether they should be allowed through based on the rules defined for the specific applications. They examine the actual content of the packet rather than just the source, destination, or port. This is accomplished through several methods:
- Deep Packet Inspection (DPI): This process allows the firewall to analyze the data inside each packet beyond the headers, including the payload, which contains the actual information or command.
- Proxy Services: The firewall can act as an intermediary between clients and servers, receiving requests from clients, analyzing them, and then forwarding only valid and secure requests to the server.
- Stateful Inspection: This method tracks the state of active connections and determines whether incoming traffic corresponds with an expected response to a legitimate request.
- Application-Specific Rules: By understanding specific applications’ behavior, the firewall can apply rules tailored to the application, allowing or denying traffic based on expected behaviors or patterns.
Key Features of an Application Layer Firewall
- Granular Traffic Control: By operating at the application layer, these firewalls can enforce fine-grained controls, permitting or denying specific types of content within a broader data stream.
- Protocol Validation: Ensures that communication protocols are used correctly and only allows legitimate traffic that adheres to the protocol’s standards.
- User Authentication: Can require users to authenticate themselves before granting access to specific applications or services, providing an additional layer of security.
- Intrusion Prevention: Because it can inspect the payload of packets, an Application Layer Firewall is capable of identifying and preventing intrusion attempts that would bypass traditional firewalls.
- Logging and Monitoring: Provides detailed logs of all traffic that passes through, including the application layer content, which can be used for in-depth analysis and troubleshooting.
Benefits of Using an Application Layer Firewall
The use of an Application Layer Firewall offers several distinct advantages, particularly in environments where security is paramount:
- Enhanced Security: By inspecting the content of data packets, these firewalls can detect and block sophisticated threats such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and other application-level attacks that might bypass traditional network firewalls.
- Compliance and Control: Many organizations are subject to regulations that require strict control over data and communications. An Application Layer Firewall can help meet these compliance requirements by enforcing rules specific to the content and context of data.
- Application-Aware Filtering: Because these firewalls understand the specific applications involved, they can make more informed decisions about which traffic to allow or block, reducing the risk of malicious activity.
- Improved Traffic Management: By controlling traffic at a granular level, Application Layer Firewalls can help optimize network performance, reducing the load on servers and improving the user experience.
- Customization: Rules can be tailored to the specific needs of the organization, allowing for a customized security posture that fits the unique requirements of different applications.
Uses of an Application Layer Firewall
Application Layer Firewalls are particularly useful in environments where applications are critical to business operations and where security is a top priority. Some common use cases include:
- Web Application Protection: Protects web applications from threats like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other attacks that target vulnerabilities in the application layer.
- Email Security: Filters email traffic to detect and block phishing attempts, spam, and malicious attachments.
- Corporate Networks: Ensures that only authorized applications and services can communicate over the network, preventing unauthorized access to sensitive data.
- Cloud Environments: In cloud-based applications, an Application Layer Firewall can help secure interactions between different services and users, ensuring that data is only accessible to those with the proper permissions.
- API Protection: Protects Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) by ensuring that only legitimate requests are processed, preventing abuse or exploitation.
Challenges and Considerations
While Application Layer Firewalls offer robust security features, they are not without challenges:
- Performance Overhead: Because these firewalls analyze the content of each packet, they can introduce latency and may require significant processing power, especially in high-traffic environments.
- Complex Configuration: Setting up an Application Layer Firewall requires in-depth knowledge of the applications being protected. Misconfiguration can lead to either insufficient protection or unnecessary blocking of legitimate traffic.
- Cost: These firewalls tend to be more expensive than traditional network firewalls due to their advanced features and the resources required to operate them.
- False Positives: The detailed analysis performed by these firewalls can sometimes lead to false positives, where legitimate traffic is mistakenly identified as malicious, disrupting normal operations.
How to Implement an Application Layer Firewall
Implementing an Application Layer Firewall requires careful planning and consideration of the network’s specific needs. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Assess Network Requirements: Understand the applications in use, the data flows, and the specific security risks that need to be addressed.
- Select the Right Firewall: Choose a firewall that fits the organization’s needs, considering factors such as performance, scalability, and ease of management.
- Define Security Policies: Develop policies that specify which applications and services should be allowed or blocked, considering both security and business requirements.
- Configure and Test: Set up the firewall according to the defined policies and test it in a controlled environment to ensure it behaves as expected without disrupting legitimate traffic.
- Monitor and Adjust: Continuously monitor the firewall’s performance and adjust policies as needed to respond to new threats or changes in the network environment.
- Training and Documentation: Ensure that IT staff are trained on the firewall’s operation and that detailed documentation is maintained for troubleshooting and future adjustments.
Frequently Asked Questions Related to Application Layer Firewall
What is an Application Layer Firewall?
An Application Layer Firewall is a type of firewall that monitors and controls network traffic at the application layer of the OSI model. It inspects the data within each packet, applying specific rules based on the application’s expected behavior, and offers enhanced security by preventing sophisticated application-level threats.
How does an Application Layer Firewall differ from a traditional firewall?
Unlike traditional firewalls that primarily filter traffic based on network or transport layers, an Application Layer Firewall examines the actual content of the data packets, such as commands and application data. This allows for more granular control and the ability to detect and block application-specific threats.
What are the key benefits of using an Application Layer Firewall?
Key benefits include enhanced security through deep packet inspection, application-aware filtering, protocol validation, and intrusion prevention. These firewalls also help in compliance, traffic management, and provide detailed logging for analysis.
What challenges are associated with implementing an Application Layer Firewall?
Challenges include performance overhead due to deep packet inspection, complex configuration requirements, higher costs compared to traditional firewalls, and the risk of false positives, which can disrupt legitimate traffic.
How can an Application Layer Firewall be implemented effectively?
Effective implementation involves assessing network requirements, selecting the right firewall, defining clear security policies, thorough testing, continuous monitoring, and ensuring proper training and documentation for IT staff. | <urn:uuid:2af96c5c-ba8d-4f66-8652-e4b761f7d650> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.ituonline.com/tech-definitions/what-is-an-application-layer-firewall/ | 2024-09-18T06:05:07Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651836.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20240918032902-20240918062902-00404.warc.gz | en | 0.896469 | 1,692 | 3.578125 | 4 |
Creating a cartoon character from scratch in 3D can be a difficult task. In this course, Creating Cartoon Characters in MODO and ZBrush, you will learn to do just that while creating your own cat-like charismatic character. First, you will learn how to start sculpting the model in ZBrush using Dynamesh and powerful modeling techniques. Next, you will go through all the steps needed to create efficient topology and UV maps in MODO. Finally, you will render a complete cartoon character with custom textures, surface details, and shaders with your own lighting setup in MODO. When you're finished with this course, you'll not only have a cool cartoon character in your hands, but you'll also have learned important 3D production skills that improve any creative workflow. Software required: MODO and ZBrush. | <urn:uuid:7a339249-0c7f-421b-a289-6e5a120d2bd6> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.mytechlogy.com/Online-IT-courses-reviews/23820/creating-cartoon-characters-in-modo-and-zbrush/ | 2024-09-18T05:24:41Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651836.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20240918032902-20240918062902-00404.warc.gz | en | 0.941158 | 170 | 3.03125 | 3 |
United States data protection laws vary by state and by data type, and there is not one overarching act that governs all types of data privacy throughout the country. Without an Act in place, many US-based companies have to decide how to best navigate sensitive data discovery and protection on their own. Even though there isn’t a federally recognized universal data privacy regulation in place, many state laws and consumer trust requires all companies to take data protection very seriously.
In this article, we’ll look at the variety of data protection laws that cover US data and what best practices are for keeping your company’s structured and unstructured data secure in the changing landscape of the US legislature.
Does the United States Have Data Protection Laws?
Although there is no overarching, country-wide Act of Congress that governs data protection in the United States, there are a wide variety of state-level laws that have been proposed or passed. In fact, according to the National Conference of State Legislates, at least 38 states have introduced consumer privacy bills in 2021 alone.
The most common type of bill proposed is comprehensive privacy legislation which broadly regulates how businesses can collect, use, and share personal information. These regulations include a specific set of consumer rights, including the protection of consumers’ right to view, change, and delete any of their personal information that was collected by a business.
Three states already have some version of this comprehensive consumer data privacy laws in place: California, Virginia, and Colorado.
- California’s Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA): Gives California residents the ability to opt-out of the selling of personal information, and the ability to view, correct, and delete their data being stored by companies. This includes not only information in databases, but unstructured data like e-mail correspondence as well. Originally passed in 2018, changes and expansions to this act will take effect in 2023 that provide even more consumer protection, similar to laws that govern data security in Europe.
- Virginia’s Consumer Data Protection Act: Similar to the CCPA, but passed in 2021 and has different regulations about which organizations it applies to.
- Colorado’s Consumer Protection Act: Intended to penalize businesses that mismanage data protection or sell consumer data without disclosing.
You may be wondering, “Which US states have data protection laws in the process of being enacted?” Many additional states have passed various data protection bills in 2021, but they have not fully taken effect yet. These states include Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, and Virginia.
Does the US Have Data Protection Laws Like Europe?
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the data protection legislation that governs all countries in the European Union (EU). It went into effect in 2018, and it applies to any companies that collect or process the personal data of EU residents or citizens, even if the company itself is not based in the EU. The GDPR enforces regulations by imposing significant fines for violations of consumer’s data privacy.
So does the US have a version of GDPR? Not yet. The USA currently does not have nation-wide or international regulations that govern data security. However, the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA) includes many similar principles and was introduced to the House of Representatives in May 2022. As of September 2022, it had not yet been voted on in the House, and there isn’t currently a projected date for its enactment should it pass.
How Do You Comply With Internet Privacy Laws in the United States?
Because of the complex and sometimes unclear regulations for data protection in the US, it can be a challenge for companies to know how to make sure they are compliant with all requirements. The best practice for companies managing their data protection is to have a system in place to discover, migrate, and govern data that stays up-to-date as regulations change.
Data management for structured data stored in databases is often fairly straightforward, but this can be a much bigger challenge for unstructured data. This type of unstructured data can be anything that isn’t numeric and stored in a database, and includes things like e-mail correspondence, screenshots of sensitive information, resumes, and more.
DryvIQ is an unstructured data management platform that protects your sensitive data with renowned speed and accuracy. We use best-in-class AI and machine learning to help companies stay compliant with regulations as they change, and provide excellent security to build consumer trust in your brand. We can help with a wide range of unstructured data management, including:
- Data Discovery
- Data Risk Protection
- Sensitive Label Audit
- Intelligent File Migration
- Large-Scale File Migration
- File System Synchronization
- Mergers & Acquisitions
Contact us for a demo today to take the pain out of data protection compliance. | <urn:uuid:3017f017-c209-411d-9927-98c061e795cc> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://dryviq.com/united-states-data-protection-act/ | 2024-09-19T11:42:24Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652028.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20240919093719-20240919123719-00304.warc.gz | en | 0.94236 | 1,021 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Whether it’s using Amazon Echo to control the heating and lighting in your home, remote analysis and diagnostics of your car’s performance, or the intelligent, automated management of your work environment, the Internet of Things (IoT) has already made its way into many aspects of the way people live and work today. And it’s only set to grow, with experts predicting as many as 30 billion connected devices worldwide within the next three years, a number set to reach 80 billion by 2025.
Of course, it’s inevitable that, as the number of connected devices continues to grow, so too will the volume and variety of vulnerabilities that will accompany them, not to mention the potential impact these could have if exploited.
A design flaw that affects the controller access network of most modern cars, for example, has been identified which could allow attackers to disable a vehicle’s safety features, such as its ABS brakes, power steering and airbags. And in the US, over 465,000 patients fitted with a particular connected pacemaker have been advised by the Food and Drug Administration to visit their doctors for a firmware update, in order to address weaknesses that could potentially lead to the device being exploited by hackers and the patient’s health put at risk.
Many such vulnerabilities may have existed for years, lying dormant, and are only now being discovered. As more connected devices are adopted and put into use, they will be increasingly interesting targets, a trend that is likely to continue for some time.
Safety and security as one
The IoT doesn’t only refer to consumer devices. The rise in automation in the manufacturing and engineering sectors has seen the advent of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), which itself has led to something of a shift in mind-set as the technology brings the operational world and the IT world closer together.
Considerations around safety in the industrial workplace, for example, have traditionally been concerned with the physical protection of employees. However, as factory floors become increasingly connected, the concept of safety will become more closely intertwined with that of device security. It stands to reason that, when an entire manufacturing plant is made up of connected devices, its cyber security will be improved in order to ensure that not only are the factory and the machinery within it better protected from outside threats, but so too is the safety of the workers.
Security baked in from the start
With a growing number of hacks and breaches hitting the headlines on an almost daily basis, it’s little surprise that consumers are becoming increasingly security conscious. Awareness of issues around the security of devices, and the potential implications of any vulnerabilities being exploited, has not yet reached the point at which it will meaningfully affect consumer purchase decisions; however, the tide will begin to turn.
Manufacturers must take steps to properly address known vulnerabilities as well as have a process to correct vulnerabilities that are discovered efficiently and securely, or consumers will lose trust in their products, their brand and even the Internet of Things devices themselves.
>See also: The impact of the Internet of Things (IoT)
Manufacturers of connected devices will need to incorporate best practices and increase the rigour of the security design of their products. Consumer devices in particular, with a focus on flashy features and low prices, are often shipped with poor default security such as hardcoded passwords that users are unable to change, potentially opening the door to unwanted administrative logins from remote attackers.
To counter such issues, manufacturers will need to focus more on core software security; to be enforce and audit that it is developed using best practices, tested for vulnerabilities, and that there is a mechanism in place to ensure the authenticity and integrity of any future patches and feature updates.
Securing the IoT isn’t necessarily an easy thing for manufacturers to get right, but security should be viewed as an enabler of the IoT’s growth, rather than a barrier, and baked in from the start.
Those companies that can get this right will gain a huge competitive advantage over those who do not. And, commercial considerations aside, ensuring consumer trust in the security and safety of connected devices will help the IoT to flourish and grow, for the benefit of everyone.
Sourced from John Grimm, senior director of IoT Security Strategy, Thales eSecurity | <urn:uuid:7cb6b2e1-51a3-429b-a221-01d855185294> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.information-age.com/future-internet-things-security-issues-8965/ | 2024-09-19T11:01:53Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652028.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20240919093719-20240919123719-00304.warc.gz | en | 0.965437 | 879 | 2.625 | 3 |
From sophisticated ransomware attacks to state-sponsored cyber espionage, organizations face more digital dangers than ever before. The stakes are high—a single successful breach can lead to devastating financial losses, reputational damage, and compromised sensitive data.
However, successful breaches will happen—it’s a matter of when, not if. But that doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Instead, your cyber resilience success depends on how quickly you can recover, get back on your feet, and keep operations running smoothly despite digital attacks.
And that’s where air-gapped networks and environments come in handy. These isolated environments, completely disconnected from unsecured networks including the internet, offer a level of protection that traditional security measures struggle to match. When even the most robust firewalls and intrusion detection systems can be circumvented, air-gapped systems provide a physical barrier that can be virtually impenetrable when properly implemented.
But what exactly are air-gapped networks, and why are they gaining renewed attention in modern security strategies? How can organizations effectively deploy this technology to safeguard their most critical assets?
We’ve got you covered.
Below, we’ll walk you through Learn everything you need to know about air-gapped networks and environments to make decisions about incorporating air-gapped systems into your cybersecurity strategy.
What Are Air-Gapped Networks?
An air-gapped network is a computer network that is physically isolated from unsecured networks, including the public internet and any other networks that are considered less trustworthy. The term “air gap” refers to the conceptual air space between the secure network and the outside world—there is literally no physical connection that bridges this gap.
Key characteristics of air-gapped networks include:
- Physical Isolation: The most important aspect of an air-gapped system is its complete physical separation from other networks. There are no wired or wireless connections to external networks.
- Controlled Data Transfer: Any data entering or leaving the air-gapped system must be transferred manually, often through removable media like USB drives or external hard disks.
- Restricted Access: Physical access to air-gapped systems is tightly controlled, with stringent security measures in place to monitor and limit who can interact with the network.
- Specialized Hardware: Air-gapped environments often use dedicated hardware that’s never been connected to unsecured networks, further reducing the risk of compromise.
The term “air-gapped” can apply to individual computers as well as entire networks. An air-gapped computer is a standalone machine that has never been connected to the internet or any other network and provides similar security benefits on a smaller scale.
Benefits of Air-Gapped Environments
Here are some of the benefits of implementing air-gapped environments:
- Better Protection Against External Threats: Air-gapped systems are immune to internet-based attacks, including malware, ransomware, and remote hacking attempts.
- Safeguarding of Sensitive Data: For organizations dealing with highly confidential information, air-gapped networks provide an unparalleled level of data protection.
- Compliance with Strict Regulations: Air-gapped systems can help organizations meet and exceed compliance requirements, particularly in sectors like healthcare, finance, and defense.
- Mitigation of Insider Threats: By limiting physical access and controlling data transfer, air-gapped networks reduce the risk of insider threats and unauthorized data exfiltration.
- Protection Against Zero-Day Exploits: Since air-gapped systems are isolated from the internet, they’re protected against newly discovered vulnerabilities that haven’t yet been patched in connected systems.
- Reduced Attack Surface: Air-gapped environments dramatically reduce the potential entry points for cyberattacks, simplifying security management.
- Business Continuity: In the event of a widespread cyber attack, air-gapped systems can continue to operate and keep critical business functions unaffected.
Air-Gapped Systems vs. Other Security Measures
While air-gapped systems provide unparalleled security in certain scenarios, they’re not a one-size-fits-all solution. Here’s how they compare with other security solutions.
Feature | Air-Gapped Systems | Firewalls | VPNs | IDS | Encryption |
Physical Isolation | Complete | None | None | None | N/A |
Protection Against Remote Attacks | Very High | High | High | Medium | Medium |
Data Confidentiality | Very High | Medium | High | Low | Very High |
Operational Flexibility | Low | High | High | High | Medium |
Implementation Complexity | High | Medium | Medium | High | Medium |
Maintenance Requirements | Low | High | Medium | High | Medium |
Protection Against Insider Threats | High | Low | Low | Medium | Medium |
How Air-Gapped Systems Work
Air-gapped systems operate on a simple yet powerful principle: complete physical isolation from unsecured networks. But how exactly does this isolation translate into enhanced security? Here’s how:
1. Physical Separation
At the core of an air-gapped system is its physical disconnection from other networks, especially the internet. This means:
- No wired connections (e.g., Ethernet cables) to external networks
- No wireless connections (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular)
- Often, air-gapped systems are kept in separate, secure rooms or facilities
2. Dedicated Hardware
Air-gapped systems typically use:
- Computers that have never been connected to the internet
- Specialized, often custom-built hardware to minimize potential vulnerabilities
- Removable storage devices for data transfer (e.g., USB drives, external hard disks)
3. Controlled Data Transfer
When data needs to move in or out of an air-gapped system:
- Information is physically transferred via removable media
- Strict protocols govern how and when data can be moved
- All incoming data is typically scanned for malware on a separate system before being introduced to the air-gapped environment
4. Access Control
To maintain the integrity of the air gap:
- Physical access to the system is tightly restricted
- Biometric authentication or multi-factor authentication is often used
- All access attempts are logged and monitored
5. Custom Software
Air-gapped systems often run:
- Customized, stripped-down operating systems
- Specially audited software to minimize potential vulnerabilities
- No unnecessary applications or services that could introduce risks
6. Regular Audits and Updates
To maintain ongoing security:
- Systems undergo regular security audits
- Software updates are thoroughly vetted before being applied
- Any changes to the system are carefully planned and executed
7. Employee Training
An essential component of air-gapped system security is human behavior:
- Staff are trained on strict security protocols
- Awareness programs highlight the importance of maintaining the air gap
- Regular drills may be conducted to ensure compliance with security measures
8. Electromagnetic Shielding
In some high-security environments:
- Air-gapped systems may be housed in Faraday cages
- This prevents electromagnetic emissions that could potentially be used to exfiltrate data
9. Monitoring and Logging
Even with no network connection, air-gapped systems use:
- Extensive logging of all system activities
- Regular analysis of logs to detect any anomalies
- Tamper-evident seals on hardware to detect physical interference
10. Disaster Recovery
Despite their isolation, air-gapped systems need backup plans:
- Redundant systems may be maintained in separate locations
- Strict protocols govern how backups are created and stored
Applications of Air-Gapped Networks
Air-gapped networks aren’t just for sophisticated global tech applications—everyone from government agencies to hospitals and SMBs (and everything in between) can benefit from these cybersecurity measures.
1. Military and Defense
Air-gapped networks secure classified data, strategic plans, and critical communications systems. These isolated networks guarantee that weapon systems and control mechanisms remain impervious to external cyber threats, maintaining the integrity of defense capabilities and national security.
2. Government Agencies
Government bodies rely heavily on air-gapped systems to safeguard national security information and protect sensitive diplomatic communications. These networks secure critical infrastructure control systems and guarantee essential services remain operational and protected from potential cyber attacks.
3. Financial Institutions
Banks and financial organizations employ air-gapped networks to protect their most critical assets and operations. These systems isolate core banking infrastructure, safeguard high-value transaction processing, and secure systems managing sensitive customer data.
4. Healthcare and Research
Air-gapped systems protect patient records and sensitive medical research data. They’re used to isolate systems controlling sensitive medical equipment, guaranteeing patient safety and uninterrupted care. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies use air-gapped networks to secure their research and development data, protecting valuable intellectual property and maintaining competitive advantage in the industry.
5. Energy and Utilities
The energy sector relies on air-gapped networks to protect critical infrastructure that powers our daily lives. These systems secure power grid control mechanisms, safeguard nuclear facility operations, and isolate oil and gas production control systems. This helps energy companies prevent cyber attacks that could potentially lead to widespread power outages or catastrophic failures in energy production facilities.
6. Aerospace and Aviation
Air-gapped systems in the aerospace industry secure aircraft design and manufacturing data. They protect satellite control systems from unauthorized access and isolate air traffic control systems to maintain the safety of air travel.
Some cryptocurrency enthusiasts and organizations leverage air-gapped systems for maximum security of digital assets. These networks are used to create ultra-secure cryptocurrency wallets, often referred to as “cold storage.”
8. Research and Development
R&D departments across industries use air-gapped systems to protect their most valuable assets: ideas and innovations. These networks secure proprietary research data, safeguard intellectual property, and isolate experimental systems and prototypes.
9. Backup and Disaster Recovery
Organizations across sectors use air-gapped systems as an important component of their data protection and business continuity strategies. These networks allow for the creation of truly isolated backup copies of critical data, guaranteeing that even in the event of a catastrophic cyber attack, essential information remains intact and recoverable.
Best Practices for Implementing Air-Gapped Networks
Here are a few tips and best practices to keep in mind when implementing your air-gapped systems:
- Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment: Before implementation, identify critical assets and potential threats. This foundational step guarantees your air-gapped network is tailored to your organization’s specific needs and risk profile.
- Use dedicated, never-connected hardware: Employ computers and devices that have never been connected to the internet or other networks. This reduces the risk of pre-existing vulnerabilities or compromises.
- Implement strict physical and access controls: Use biometric access, surveillance systems, and the principle of least privilege.
- Develop rigorous data transfer protocols: Establish and enforce comprehensive policies for moving data in and out of the air-gapped environment. This often involves dedicated, controlled devices and thorough malware scanning processes.
- Regularly audit and update systems: Conduct frequent security audits and keep all software and firmware up-to-date. Follow a rigorous vetting process for all updates to maintain the integrity of your air-gapped system.
- Provide ongoing security training: Regularly train all personnel with access to the air-gapped network. Emphasize the importance of maintaining the air gap and following security protocols to prevent human error.
- Implement robust logging and monitoring: Deploy systems to detect and log any unusual activities or potential breaches. Regularly analyze these logs to maintain the security of your air-gapped network.
- Develop a tailored incident response plan: Create a comprehensive plan specifically for your air-gapped environment. This guarantees you’re prepared to respond swiftly and effectively to any security incidents.
Air-Gap Your Backups with Airiam
When it comes to protecting your organization’s lifeline—its data—air-gapped backups are a formidable last line of defense. But let’s face it: implementing and maintaining an air-gapped system can be downright complicated. It requires expertise, resources, and ongoing vigilance.
Fortunately, that’s where Airiam can help.
With our AirGapd™ solution, we bring the power of air-gapped backups to organizations of all sizes. Here’s why you should consider partnering with Airiam for your air-gapped backup needs:
- Expertise: Our team of cybersecurity professionals has extensive experience in implementing and managing air-gapped systems. We understand the nuances and best practices that make these systems truly secure.
- Customized Solutions: We recognize that every organization has unique needs. Our AirGapd™ solution is tailored to fit your specific security requirements and operational constraints.
- Ongoing Management: We don’t just set up your air-gapped backups and walk away. Our team provides continuous monitoring, regular updates, and swift response to any potential issues.
- Compliance Support: For organizations in regulated industries, our air-gapped backup solutions are designed to meet stringent compliance requirements.
- Peace of Mind: With Airiam managing your air-gapped backups, you can focus on your core business, knowing that your critical data is protected by the most robust security measures available.
Don’t wait for a cyber attack to expose vulnerabilities in your backup strategy. Talk to us today, and let’s find the right for your overall cybersecurity plan. | <urn:uuid:94d95899-7a55-44dd-a5c8-07711966264d> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://airiam.com/blog/air-gapped-networks-explained/ | 2024-09-20T16:18:16Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725701419169.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20240920154713-20240920184713-00204.warc.gz | en | 0.902824 | 2,835 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Information from data is the backbone of any business that needs to utilize truth-based independent decisions and influence the force of data to change the business towards growth and profitability. Data quality plays a very vital role in making the right decision. The most significant obstruction for any organization in making the correct decision is the accessibility and nature. Typically, data is stored within a company either in a data warehouse or in the cloud. Each business process that the company works on produces a lot of data, and based on these data insights; specific requirements are met. Ideally, a lot of possibilities are there when the underlying dataset can create insights, but most of the system-generated data are not clean, which makes the process of creating a competitive advantage for businesses very intricate.
Also Read: Microsoft Build 2 2022 Conference Highlights
Data cleaning is viewed as the most troublesome, tedious, and costly assignment in the BI world. There have been estimations by specialists that 60-80% of the total time is utilized for data cleaning in a typical analytics project. These projects include incomplete datasets and are derived from complex systems; their business has underlying structural inconsistency and sometimes a skillset barrier. In a Harvard Business Review article, Thomas Redman estimated that insufficient data costs US companies around $3 trillion per year.
Fundamental Problems in Data
The following types of problems exist when referring to bad data (inconsistent, does not meet the primary constraints, unit of measure of values is wrong):
Missing Data: This is a problem when the insights that must be produced are not properly in line with the system that is generating the data. For example, if the system is legacy and it produces a form for capturing data, there supposedly would be some fields that are not required, but later, if insights have to be created on those business functions, then there is a problem.
Insufficient Data: If the system that captures the data is not designed to collect information about the analysis that has to be done, maybe because the data was collected for some other reason. It is always bad to make a business decision based on partial data/information, which in turn will have a negative impact.
Bad Structure: This is any data with duplicate records, outdated information, and bad quality, which may include the dataset not being BI friendly. For example, the system created a dataset with wrong data types for some features and samples that are repeating or even shifted horizontally or vertically, which will ruin the analysis overall.
Incorrect Data: This is one of the most common issues in the dataset and an essential piece of the cleaning. These types of errors are hard to identify as the error could be a definitive mistake created manually or any errors which are caused due to data generated from a system or from an instrument. Overall decides the accuracy of the analysis that is derived from the data.
Here, the above figure is an example of bad data. The above data is informative; reading the information from this figure is very easy. But the focus is not on the data being very comprehensible; rather, it must be BI friendly. Some basic data cleaning steps that need to be applied here are removing the top few rows, as those rows do not include any analytics sample.
We need to separate columns based on category and subcategory, and all the other column with blank or no information needs to be removed.
Power Query as a Data Cleaning Tool
Power Query is a powerful data cleaning, connection, shaping technology that is a core part of the Microsoft Analytics Business Intelligence tools. With power query, data cleaning is transformed and automated, which gives time for analysis and provides solutions for business impact. Analytics is correct with accurate data, so Power Query could be used to extract data from various sources, transform it to suit the needs/business function, and load it to the required destination.
To give you an example of Power Query and its capability, I will show some applied steps that have been done on the above figure to improve data quality for reporting and insights.
The first few steps are basic connections, setting up the source location, defining the headers for the dataset. The current column that exists now is given a proper name based on the features that they possess. Apart from all these basic initial steps, the most important beginning of the cleaning process is defining the data types properly. The Category Column and Subcategory Column are the steps where basic logic is applied to identify the category rows and subcategory rows. The logic here is to create differentiation among all the rows, which could be based on any criteria that match your definition. In this scenario, these two steps were crucial in the transformation as creating a dynamic logic was very difficult.
If you see the dataset in excel, you will know that the differentiation could be the fact that the indentation is provided different to different rows based on the category and subcategory, but when we import the dataset to Power BI, the indentation and the way dataset is defined in Excel changes even if it possesses the same information but the structure overall changes. So, this is a perfect example where we can say that Power Query is necessary as we have to do all the cleaning and transformation once we are already on the analytics tool. The next steps include row filtering, which is to clean the redundant information. Filtering is an important step in the transformation as it directly removes the unwanted samples from the dataset. The last and one of the most important steps was doing the Unpivot function. The better-defined columns as samples should not be kept as features. This way, the size of the dataset keeps on increasing, but the data format is very friendly for BI and developing different solutions for business analytics.
All the above steps that have been applied to the raw data are always remembered. Any step could be changed as well, depending on choices. So, what it does is it simplifies the whole process of data cleaning and automates the process for further cleaning on any new day with the same sets of raw data.
Best Practices for Data Cleaning
- It is always necessary to keep track of the data types defined according to the business function. Ensuring that the data types are used and stored in the source as much as possible is essential.
- Removing all the duplicate rows before starting any analytics project is the key to creating an accurate insight that will further ensure a positive business impact.
- Thinking about the data in the most holistic way possible, both the developer and the person who is deriving results from the insights should be kept in mind. | <urn:uuid:038039f6-0f39-414b-a5ca-be23b86f4185> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://saxon.ai/blogs/effect-of-bad-data-and-data-cleaning-using-power-query/ | 2024-09-20T18:16:39Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725701419169.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20240920154713-20240920184713-00204.warc.gz | en | 0.950617 | 1,319 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Should the removal of personal info posted online be a human right?
69% of online Americans agree that the ‘Right to be Forgotten’ should be a human right, 29% think it allows for censorship. Only 16% think the ‘right to be forgotten’ is not practical.
The ‘Right to Be Forgotten’ ruling in May 2014 allows EU citizens to request that search engines remove links to personal information where the information is inaccurate, inadequate, irrelevant or excessive.
Since the ruling, many have debated whether individuals should have the ability to edit their online identities to protect their personal privacy, specifically if the information is believed to be irrelevant. The ‘Right to be Forgotten’ has to be balanced against other rights such as freedom of expression and the media leading to time-consuming case-by-case assessments.
The research findings are based on data from an online survey conducted by Ipsos, commissioned by TRUSTe, with 1,000 adults aged 18-75 questioned online in the US between November 28 and December 5 2014. According to the survey, 71% of online Americans support people living in the United Kingdom and wider European Union having the ‘Right to be Forgotten,’ and 77% believe it helps individuals enhance the protection of their personal data. However, awareness of the ruling in the U.S. is surprisingly low as only 26% of Americans were aware that people living in the United Kingdom and the European Union had this right.
Russia also recently signed a ‘right to be forgotten’ bill into law, and many are now anticipating where will be next and if the U.S. will follow suit. Many U.S. states are already heading in a similar direction as the controversial “erase button” law has been in effect in California since May 2015, with similar legislations in process in New Jersey and Illinois.
This law requires that websites allow people under the age of 18 to remove their own postings on that website, and clearly explain how to do so. This could signify the beginning of an important trend in moving towards the right to be forgotten and putting more users in control of their online identities.
Many Americans have given away their personal information to companies online, including their phone number, address, email address, birth date, etc. Of the Internet users surveyed, 37% said they wish they had not knowingly shared their telephone number with an organization or company online.
Among those who had knowingly shared personal information they wished they had not, more than half (52%) said they would request for their telephone number to be removed, 41% would request removal of their address and 20% said they would request to remove photos of themselves if there was an option to do so.
“Our research shows that Americans believe they should have the right to greater control of their online identities,” said Chris Babel, CEO, TRUSTe. “The ‘Right to be Forgotten’ ruling brings up an interesting debate between having the right to personal privacy and the right to access accurate and comprehensive information online. Perhaps most significantly, the law presents challenges for Internet publishers and search engines who have the difficult job of allocating resources to support the large number of incoming requests from EU citizens.” | <urn:uuid:c5e1102d-e825-4c2d-b979-2ad6db552c8c> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2015/08/31/should-the-removal-of-personal-info-posted-online-be-a-human-right/ | 2024-09-08T13:02:53Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651002.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908115103-20240908145103-00404.warc.gz | en | 0.96662 | 665 | 2.59375 | 3 |
What is a Man in the Middle Attack?
The man in the middle attack is an eavesdropping method where the attacker positions themselves between a user and the application they are communicating with. In some cases, they may merely eavesdrop on communications, although they may opt instead to impersonate the application without the victim realizing they’re not communicating with the actual application.
In all cases, the end goal is the same: to steal personal information, whether it be passwords, financial information, or other sensitive material. Man in the middle (MitM) attacks are widespread -- some estimates believe a third of all attacks use MitM attacks to steal sensitive information.
The attacker must remain invisible to the victim for a MitM attack to be successful. While this may seem complicated, hackers have become adept at exploiting flaws and backdoors in networks and internet technologies, creating identical faked versions of the applications they target.
How a Man in the Middle Attack Works
There are two phases of a Man in the Middle attack: the interception phase, where the victim’s traffic redirects to somewhere where the attacker can view its contents, and the decryption phase, where hackers strip SSL or TLS traffic of its supposed protective layer of encryption.
In the interception phase, the attacker attempts to trick victims into sharing personal data by making themselves appear legitimate. Some techniques used in MitM attacks are:
- Wi-Fi spoofing: In this attack vector, the attacker creates free, legitimate-looking, public Wi-Fi hotspots. For example, an attacker at a coffee shop might use a hotspot name like “CoffeeShopPublicWifi.” These networks are unprotected, and the attacker would have full access to any data sent over this public network.
- DNS spoofing: An attacker gains access to a DNS server and alters the records to forward requests to the attacker’s website. These attacks are some of the most difficult but the most rewarding to the attacker because they can trap far more victims since DNS servers are the backbone of the internet.
- IP spoofing: This more advanced method involves altering packet headers for a particular IP address. When successful, requests to a legitimate URL or application get forwarded to the attacker’s faked website or application.
- ARP spoofing: Each device on a network is given a unique identifier, called a Media Access Control (MAC) address, to communicate. The Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) is used to find the MAC address of a given IP address. An attacker links to a legitimate IP address on the network through faked ARP messages.
Technologies like SSL and its successor TLS are meant to keep our sensitive data secure and encrypted. However, vulnerabilities do exist, which attackers have learned to exploit. The following types are the most common:
- HTTPS spoofing: The attacker sends the victim a fake certificate when a secure connection is first established. The phony certificate allows the attacker to view any data before it’s passed through to the application.
- SSL session hijacking: The attacker sends fake authentication keys to the application and the victim during the connection process. The attacker can now hide behind what appears to be a legitimate secure connection. Session hijacking is an example of how malicious attackers hack MFA.
Examples of Man in the Middle Attacks
Here are some examples of how the above methods present themselves in real-world attacks:
- An attacker sets up a website identical to the website or application, in this example, a bank. The attacker uses DNS spoofing to forward legitimate requests for the website to their faked version. While it doesn’t have to work, a victim entering their password will be captured by the attacker, giving them access to your bank account on the bank’s actual site.
- An attacker sits at a local public place and creates a public Wi-Fi hotspot that victims can log in to. Using a packet sniffer, the attacker can easily view any unencrypted traffic over the network and use any of the above decryption techniques to spy on encrypted traffic that the victim might send.
- An attacker on a public network discovers another user has failed to secure his device correctly. Using faked ARP messages, they can trick both the victim and the public network that they are the gateway, and the attacker is free to look at just about anything they want.
How to Protect Yourself from Man in the Middle Attacks
- Eliminate passwords: The ONLY way to stop malicious actors from stealing your passwords is by eliminating them. Learn more about passwordless authentication today and keep your most critical applications secure.
- Steer clear of unprotected hotspots: While free unsecured Wi-Fi is convenient to use, it also presents a security risk. If you must, use public hotspots only for casual use where no personal information is necessary.
- Ensure you connect to HTTPS: While HTTPS itself is prone to attack, it is far more secure than a standard HTTP connection. Additionally, avoid websites protected by HTTPS where you receive an alert of a certificate mismatch. While this error typically isn’t due to a hack and is often due to incorrect settings, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
- Protect your device from malware and activate a firewall: Installing and running antivirus software regularly and activating firewall protection on your computer (instructions: Mac OS X, Windows) will also protect you from attack. Many MitM attacks involve the installation of malware to work.
- Change the admin password on your router: Many modern routers are internet-connected. Change your admin password (and username if possible) to prevent attackers from gaining access to its settings. And if you don’t need the functionality, turn it off.
With Man in the Middle attacks so common, you must take steps to protect yourself from them and eliminate the threat of Man in the Middle attacks.
Other Glossary Items
Secure Access Platform Overview
Learn more about Beyond Identity's secure-by-design Secure Access platform.
An Avalanche of News About Snowflake Security
Learn the facts about what happened in the recent attack on Snowflake and how Beyond Identity secured Snowflake's enterprise systems. | <urn:uuid:56165817-395d-40a6-9653-199fdd8ab3b7> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.beyondidentity.com/glossary/man-in-the-middle-attack | 2024-09-11T00:34:54Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651323.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910224659-20240911014659-00204.warc.gz | en | 0.914058 | 1,262 | 3.4375 | 3 |
Layering security methods reinforces the ability of organizations to prevent cyber threats from penetrating security perimeters. The idea behind the efficacy of layered security is that any individual defense mechanism, no matter how healthy and robust it seems, may be flawed to the point it permits destructive intrusion and irreparable damage. Consequently, businesses employing a series of strong IT defenses layered in a way that covers another layer’s weakness are more likely to survive an attack by internal or external threats.
Defense in Depth
Sometimes referred to as a “defense in depth” strategy, layered security involves implementation of intrusion detection systems, firewalls, integrity auditing, storage encryption tools, malware scanners and other entities that protect your organization’s IT resources when other security methods fail. Advantages to implementing all seven layers of security include the ability to safeguard networked data, endpoints and assets and tapping into the power of a security system deliberately constructed in a way that forces attackers to jump multiple hurdles before compromising your system.
What are the Seven Layers of Security?
DNS (Domain Name System)
DNSs are similar to telephone books because they help computers find certain websites. Although DNS servers can be provided by Internet Service Providers (ISPs), organizations should use a secure DNS server. Common threats to DNSs include hijacking, spoofing and cache poisoning.
Firewalls erect barriers between a company’s network and the external world by scanning all incoming traffic. Firewalls determine whether incoming cyber traffic is safe or dangerous to the integrity of a business and will stop intrusions when necessary.
Network layers monitor evidence of impending external threats that may circumvent firewalls. Since hundreds of thousands of attacks emerge fresh from hackers’ computers every day, having a network layer reinforces your security strategy exponentially.
Firewalls are an essential part of your security system but can’t provide 100% protection for unique network devices. Establishing firewalls for each network device ensures devices are consistently protected even if the primary firewall fails.
Users of organizational networks represent the primary source of threats due to simple carelessness or deliberately malicious intent. Consequently, this layer of security utilizes actions such as network identification protocols and multiple authentication methods to prevent compromise on a user level.
All software applications and operating systems should come from trusted sources. They should also be regularly updated to maximize protection from the latest exploits.
Protection of sensitive data is essential to preventing data from leaking beyond a company’s network. All data should be password-protected, encrypted and backed-up to eliminate the risk of compromise or loss.
The Cloud and Perimeter Defense
Although trusting something called the “cloud” to keep your data safe and accessible at any time may not seem reassuring, be aware that the most unsafe place to store information is actually a local computer. In fact, very few computers contain the rigorous, high-quality components that superior cloud services offer, such as automatic testing and monitoring processes capable of initiating immediate alerts when deviations from the norm occur. Further, local computers do not provide the strong security that the cloud provides by implementing reinforced malware protection software and nearly impenetrable firewalls.
File encryption also enhances the security of storing your data with a cloud service provider. When files are encrypted during the process of traveling between the servers and your computers, Wi-Fi sniffers and hyperactive hackers can’t peek at your classified spreadsheets, employee information or other top secret data. In addition to being encrypted along the way, files can be further secured by providers that use AES-256 bit encryption and Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL, after the files have been imported into the cloud.
Bralin Technology Solutions is the trusted choice for in-depth discussions about the latest information technology tips, tricks and news. Contact us at (306) 445-4881 or (306) 825-3881 or send us an email at firstname.lastname@example.org for more information. | <urn:uuid:0e114ca6-1dcd-43e4-9d1e-3c26ef5302ef> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.bralin.com/strong-perimeter-it-defense-what-is-it-and-why-your-business-cant-survive-without-it | 2024-09-12T06:41:16Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651422.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912043139-20240912073139-00104.warc.gz | en | 0.904844 | 815 | 3.03125 | 3 |
PDU (Power Distribution Unit): Explained in Simple Terms
Ever wondered how all those servers and network devices stay powered in a data center? The answer: Power Distribution Units (PDU).
Think of a PDU as a glorified power strip, but much more robust and designed specifically for data center environments. It takes a single power source and distributes it to multiple devices through its outlets.
Here’s why PDUs are essential:
- Organized power delivery: Keeps your data center cabling neat and manageable.
- Monitoring capabilities (on some models): Tracks power usage for better energy efficiency.
- Reliable power supply: Ensures consistent performance for your critical IT equipment.
A PDU is used to distribute power, typically to networking and computer hardware housed in a rack in a data centre. A basic PDU has one input and multiple outputs, each designed to supply power to one piece of equipment.
A stable power supply is critical in data centres. Higher-spec PDUs can be monitored to check their efficiency. Here we break down the types of PDU typically used, together with their key features.
The key features of a PDU include:
- Power Input: A PDU typically connects to a power source and can receive power from a single-phase or three-phase power source.
- Power Output: A PDU provides power to multiple devices through its outlets, which can be configured as C13, C19, or other types depending on the equipment being powered.
- Load Monitoring: PDUs are equipped with sensors that measure the power consumption of each outlet, enabling users to monitor power usage and identify potential issues.
- Remote Access: Many PDUs can be accessed remotely via a network connection, allowing administrators to monitor and control power usage from a central location.
- Redundancy: PDUs can be configured with redundant power inputs and outlets, ensuring that power is always available even in the event of a power outage or equipment failure.
- Surge Protection: PDUs can be equipped with surge protection to prevent damage to connected equipment from power surges.
- Mounting Options: PDUs are available in a variety of form factors, including rack-mount, wall-mount, and vertical-mount, to fit different installation scenarios.
- User Authentication: Many PDUs feature user authentication and access control, enabling administrators to restrict access to the device and prevent unauthorized changes.
- Environmental Monitoring: Some PDUs can monitor environmental factors such as temperature and humidity, providing administrators with valuable information to maintain optimal conditions in the data center or server room.
Standard Cabinet PDUs
Comms Express stocks a wide range of standard cabinet PDUs. We have various configurations of input supply, output sockets and additional features. All PDUs are compatible with Comms Express cabinets and have a robust aluminium housing, a 3-metre input lead and an external earth facility.
The input power supply is one of the following four types:
- 13Amp UK plug
- IEC C14 plug (commonly used for desktop computers and monitors)
- 16Amp commando plug (a robust industrial connector with a locking cover)
- 32Amp commando plug
Standard cabinet PDUs have from 4 to 16 output sockets. These sockets are either UK 13Amp or IEC C13 (to fit C14 plugs). Mixed socket PDUs are also available with a combination of C13 and C19 sockets for different equipment.
Optional features are:
- Surge protection against power spikes
- IE C13 integrated locking mechanism on the sockets, as protection against vibration. This holds the earth pin to protect it from being accidentally disconnected. The socket will work with equipment using any C14 or C20 plug.
- A unit switch
- Neon indicator
- Branch circuits (2 x 16Amp circuits)
- Digital ammeter to allow monitoring of the load
Intelligent PDUs allow for more sophisticated power management such as remote load monitoring. Data centre administrators can then take action to prevent power overload. In some units, individual outputs can be managed remotely, enabling sequencing during power up and power down. Comms Express stocks advanced PDUs from brands like APC, Eaton and Tripp Lite.
The APC Easy Rack PDUs are designed for simplicity and reliability. They are easy to install and use, providing dependable power distribution to your rack equipment. These PDUs are ideal for environments where basic power distribution is needed without advanced features.
APC Basic Rack PDUs offer reliable power distribution through a single input with multiple output receptacles. They are suitable for distributing power from low amperage single-phase circuits to higher-power three-phase solutions. This category includes models like the AP7500 and AP9500. APC basic rack PDUs are rack-mountable and supply power to multiple devices from a single branch whip. Entry-level PDUs distribute a range of voltages at 15 Amps maximum. These PDUs have an IEC-320 C14 or C20 inlet and various outlet combinations of C13 and C19.
APC Switched Rack PDUs provide advanced, user-customizable power control and active monitoring. They allow remote on/off functionality for power cycling, which is useful for rebooting equipment or restricting unauthorized use. These PDUs also support power sequencing to avoid circuit overloads and offer real-time remote load monitoring.
APC Metered Rack PDUs focus on energy optimization and circuit protection by providing active metering. They feature user-defined alarm thresholds to warn of potential circuit overloads, helping to mitigate risks. These PDUs provide power utilization data, enabling data center managers to make informed decisions on load balancing and optimizing IT environments.
Each of these categories caters to different needs, from basic power distribution to advanced monitoring and control, ensuring that there is a suitable solution for various IT environments.
Eaton provides a range of PDUs to enable accurate power distribution, monitoring and control.
At the lower end of the range, basic units can distribute power to up to 45 pieces of equipment in a high-density rack environment.
In-line metering can be added to extend the functionality of these basic units. At the high end of the range, both metered and switched outlets are available.
Eaton advanced monitored PDUs allow monitoring of individual outlets, a group of outlets or the full PDU. Power, voltage and amperage are monitored, together with temperature and humidity.
Eaton switched PDUs enable remote control of the unit, including rebooting. Daisy chaining up to 8 PDUs using one IP address reduces the networking cost, this approach is required when using primary and secondary power feeds.
Eaton G3 metered input PDUs introduce phase branch level metering, which enables load balancing.
Metered output PDUs allow administrators to understand power consumption at the individual equipment level, including when supplied by primary and secondary feeds.
Finally, Eaton G3 managed PDUs combine the features of metering and switching, allowing remote management and reboot.
Tripp Lite manufactures a range of PDUs – of similar functionality to APC. Models include basic, switched, metered, auto-transfer and monitored.
The Tripp Lite HotSwap PDU allows for the maintenance of a UPS without affecting connected equipment.
What Is PDU? – Conclusion
As we can see, PDUs come in many forms, from basic functions to advanced monitoring. Whether you need basic or advanced setups, Comms Express is your one-stop shop for all your PDU needs. If you’re struggling to work out which PDU is for you, then have a look at our review of the Top 10 PDUs. | <urn:uuid:06a08c20-b236-4768-97d5-3fec5de94dff> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.comms-express.com/blog/what-is-a-pdu-power-distribution-unit/ | 2024-09-12T06:37:40Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651422.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912043139-20240912073139-00104.warc.gz | en | 0.901613 | 1,585 | 3.421875 | 3 |
This article will explore the ways in which data protection can benefit from artificial intelligence, as cyber attacks continue to grow and evolve
As the attack surfaces of organisations has grown since lockdown took hold and employees migrated to remote devices, pre-pandemic data protection practices have since needed a revamp of methods. Increasingly, this has entailed the automation of processes, powered by technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), which is capable of making data protection more efficient if implemented properly.
With this in mind, we take a look at some of the most valuable ways in which artificial intelligence lends itself towards data protection.
The future impact of artificial intelligence
Looking past the stigma
Because AI relies heavily on data algorithms, organisations may feel hesitant about using the technology to aid data protection practices. There is a fine balance to be struck between efficiency of threat mitigation and privacy of user data.
“There seems to be a stigma associated with AI and data protection. But, when implemented correctly, AI is very well placed to improve data protection across any industry,” said Stuart Hubbard, global AI services director at Zebra Technologies.
“If we take the use of AI within warehousing, an AI application can be built to process images or videos that require an action based on an input, for example, to alert someone if they’re near danger. When that’s the case, CCTV cameras wouldn’t need to track a person’s face; just monitor for potential danger within the warehouse. As such, if the system is designed to alert them, the video system would never need to store a person’s face, avoiding concerns around privacy and data protection.
“The rise of IoT devices and processing AI algorithms at the edge means that companies are using the data to make better business decisions in real time. All raw data outside of that will be discarded. This, alongside regulations like GDPR, is driving engineers and researchers to be more thoughtful about building efficient systems that can protect people’s privacy and drive a company’s bottom line.”
One key use case for AI within data protection practices that organisations are adopting manifests itself in security automation — utilising technologies such as artificial intelligence, analytics, and automated orchestration. With the costs of data breaches continuing to rise, it pays to have such capabilities in place to mitigate any financial damage.
“A ‘security-first’ lifestyle is a must for a remote workforce. While we’re working from home offices, on the go, and across multiple devices, employees must be empowered with the right tools and information to protect their organisation’s data,” explained Rick Goud, co-founder and CIO of Zivver.
“Today, technology can do the heavy lifting for businesses, enabling people to focus on what they do best, safe in the knowledge that machine learning and pre-set rules are working in the background to protect their data.
“Smart email security technology is a great example of security automation in practice. Such solutions are designed to protect organisations from human error in real-time, instilling best practice, raising awareness, and preventing data breaches in outbound email.
“After all, it’s not the individual’s responsibility to be the ‘data protector’ of an organisation — they need to focus on their job, be able to make decisions in the moment and have the confidence that the sensitive information they are sharing is always secure. Empowering staff to be able to send sensitive information securely is the step forward required to avoid data breaches, and the damaging consequences that can occur.”
Network from home: how data privacy and security responsibilities must be shared
Automating threat evaluation
AI can also lend itself towards automating the evaluation of threats to the network, as Jon Southby, senior cloud consultant at HeleCloud, discusses: “As more and more organisations move towards hybrid workflows, the attack surface expands, and the threats posed to the heart of a business only multiply and increase in severity. Thankfully, by using AI, organisations can automate the process of evaluating threats to their corporate data.
“AI can sift through vast amounts of data, quickly identify any abnormal activity as it happens, allowing for a proactive approach to be deployed and the appropriate countermeasures can be applied. What’s more, this occurs in real-time as opposed to a reliance on malware databases which can be slow to update and disseminate.”
The automation that artificial intelligence brings can greatly reduce strain on security staff, by notifying the company of behavioural changes that show signs of a breach.
“It is one thing to know a recording of a customer call was inappropriately shared – it’s another to know it contained inappropriate content. What is often ignored is the ability for AI to signal data breaches based on behavioural data – for instance, a rapid decline in calls might signal a shift to unauthorised messaging applications.”
AI as a black hat
Additionally, AI is capable of finding potential data vulnerabilities and amend them before an attack can take advantage.
“It’s unusual to think that AI could lend itself towards data protection. After all, more often than not, AI is in tension with data protection – especially in applications like facial recognition and surveillance, or when AI is used to sway buyer behaviour,” said Harvey Lewis, associate partner at EY.
“However, AI can be used in a ‘black hat’ role, where the idea is to tease out potential issues and correct them before implementation – much like the way that ethical hackers test the defences of websites and applications before they become open to the public.
“Alternatively, modern generative neural networks – GNNs – can be used to create lifelike faces, biometric information and many other forms of artificial data. When AI is trained on these simulations, the need to gather real personal data is diminished.”
Using AI to fight money laundering
Complying with regulation
Ultimately though, for AI to truly provide value to a data protection strategy, organisations must ensure that regulations are adhered to, as well as considering ethical matters associated with the technology.
Peter van der Putten, director of decisioning & AI at Pegasystems and assistant professor in AI at Leiden University, explained: “I wouldn’t necessarily state that AI helps data protection. Just like any other form of processing personal data, AI will have to comply with privacy regulation.
“But it doesn’t stop there. In AI ethics, other principles play a key role as well, such as accountability, fairness, transparency and explanation and robustness.
“Ultimately, the key aspect is the actual goal of the AI system – is it just benefitting the company or also the customer or citizen, and what is its risk of doing harm? More risky AI systems will be under greater scrutiny, and AI regulations are being proposed that are very similar to data privacy regulations introduced over recent years, including fines for up to defined percentages of revenue.” | <urn:uuid:74f57c73-ce13-4dc6-ac77-bbf086740759> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.information-age.com/how-data-protection-can-benefit-from-artificial-intelligence-19630/ | 2024-09-12T06:55:24Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651422.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912043139-20240912073139-00104.warc.gz | en | 0.945279 | 1,463 | 2.890625 | 3 |
In the push to modernize U.S. infrastructure, an essential player performs its role quietly yet profoundly: the Global Positioning System (GPS). Despite its absence in the explicit text of the colossal $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, GPS emerges as a foundational element across all the funded projects. This invisible force is driving innovation, precision, and efficiency, reinventing how infrastructure projects come to life.
GPS: Amplifying Efficiency and Precision in Infrastructure
The story of infrastructure modernization is incomplete without the starring role of GPS. In an industry where a staggering 92% of large projects tend to overshoot budgets and schedules, as pointed out by an Oxford University study, GPS holds the promise of revolutionizing this paradigm. Its unparalleled accuracy, capable of narrowing down to mere centimeters, is instrumental for precision construction. Safer, higher-quality infrastructures are no longer a distant dream but an achievable reality, thanks to the precise navigation and measurement capabilities GPS offers.
Leveraging GPS technology, digital construction management tools are carving their niche within the sector. Equipped with laser and GPS-enabled surveys, together with detailed 3-D terrain models, they provide real-time data verification that is streamlining the entire construction process.
GPS in Practice: Real-World Infrastructure Applications
Let’s take a concrete example of GPS’s impact from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. An allocation of $829.1 million has been made for the Upper Mississippi River/Illinois Waterway Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program. It’s GPS that stands tall in the background, ensuring that commodities such as corn and soybeans are transported safely and efficiently, proving its worth beyond just location tracking.
The importance of GPS stretches further into the deployment of the EV charging stations network, a project backed by a robust $7.5 billion fund. Embedding GPS data into maps addresses the anxiety over electric vehicle range and facilitates greater acceptance of this sustainable transportation option.
But it’s not just about ground travel; GPS’s critical function in time synchronization is less known but equally vital. Everything from our electrical grids to broadband and internet services depends on the precise timing GPS provides, keeping our modern digital world running without a hitch.
Reflecting on GPS’s Broad Impact
As the U.S. embarks on a historic venture to revamp its infrastructure under the $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a silent yet influential player underpins these efforts: the Global Positioning System (GPS). Although GPS isn’t directly mentioned in this monumental bill, its role is undeniably central to the multitude of initiatives being funded. Through its under-the-radar influence, GPS is sparking a revolution in the way infrastructure projects are designed and executed. It’s the unseen hero enhancing precision, fostering innovation, and stepping up productivity. By enabling more sophisticated planning and execution, GPS is fundamentally transforming the landscape of U.S. infrastructure development. This technology isn’t just a tool; it’s the cornerstone of a new era in building and modernizing the country’s foundational assets. | <urn:uuid:487e29cd-58d6-4304-8119-0d34de5c6610> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://constructioncurated.com/construction-management/gps-the-silent-linchpin-of-u-s-infrastructure-modernization/ | 2024-09-13T12:47:23Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651513.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913101949-20240913131949-00004.warc.gz | en | 0.896658 | 650 | 2.734375 | 3 |
We all know money is the motivating force behind cybercrimes like the creation and distribution of ransomware. The interesting twist with ransomware is that the basic rules of supply and demand become a little hard to follow. Typically you have a buyer and a seller. In the case of ransomware, the distributor—or supplier—has to steal what’s in demand—your data.
Cybercriminals create the demand by restricting access. Victims realize they need access and—if they cannot get access themselves by restoring critical files from backup—they end up paying the ransom and fueling this economy. This applies to online consumers, small business owners, and CEOS—they have all paid to retrieve data.
It’s interesting to consider the ransomware economy in the following five segments:
Cybercriminals leasing ransomware can obtain it for as little as $39 and as high as $3,000 depending on which type is purchased. They must then distribute it. Distribution costs include time spent creating and sending emails. According to Trustwave, an IT security team that spent time trying to dissect the ransomware economy, it would cost about $2,500 to spread 2,000 ransomware infections once you factor in the time to send emails and compromise sites.
Ransom demands in the United States have been known to be several hundred dollars higher than the same ransomware in Mexico or other countries with lower median incomes than the U.S. Ransomware authors have researched regions and incomes—and they understand that they can only charge what the market will bear. Ransomware authors also consider the bitcoin exchange rate when determining the ransom demand. This helps cybercriminals set a ransom that victims can afford to pay regardless of which country they’re from. In the U.S., the average ask is between $300 and $500, according to many industry sources.
3. Target market
The target market for ransomware consists of consumers and companies that retain important or business-critical information, and have the ability to pay the ransom. Unfortunately, these people also typically aren’t adhering to IT security best practices. Hospitals and other healthcare organizations are a popular target for cybercriminals because of the pressure to pay up quickly, rather than risk patient health.
Estimates as to how much has been paid in ransom tend to be conservative because many payments are undisclosed. That said, The U.S. Departments of Justice Internet Crime Complaint Center received reports of ransom payments totaling $24 million in 2015. And in July 2016, ransom payments for Cerber ransomware alone totaled $195,000 for the month. But the market is growing exponentially, and the FBI has said ransomware costs could total $1billion this year.
The relatively low barrier to entry has resulted in fierce competition among cybercriminals. Some ransomware authors and cyber-extortionists have even adopted higher levels of professionalism to make it easier for victims to pay up. And, in an interesting angle to the supplier side, ransomware kits are easily available and come with simple instructions, meaning that distributors can sell ransomware to new, smaller distributors—as long as they are guaranteed a piece of the profits.
The ransomware economy is booming and returns are high. That means you can expect the number of ransomware attacks to continue rising. Protect yourself by having adequate backups in place before a ransomware attack occurs. Test your backups to ensure that the right data is being protected and can be restored in satisfactory time frames. Also, ensure that a backup copy is kept in a different location from production data so that ransomware does not infect both at the same time.
Article · Sep 13, 2016
The Economics of Cybercrime: Understanding the ransomware market
Eric Vanderburg is an information security executive and author known for his insight on cybersecurity, privacy, data protection and storage. Some have called him the “Sheriff of the Internet” because his cybersecurity team at JurInnov protects companies from cyberthreats, investigates data breaches, and provides guidance on safe computing. Eric is passionate about sharing cybersecurity and technology news, insights and best practices. He regularly presents on security topics and maintains a security blog. You can find him throughout the day posting valuable and informative content on his social media channels.
May 09, 2024
Key insights from the OpenText 2024 Threat Perspective
As we navigate through 2024, the cyber threat landscape continues to evolve, bringing new challenges for both businesses and individual consumers. The latest OpenText Threat Report provides insight into these changes, offering vital insights that help us prepare and protect ourselves against emerging threats. Here’s what you need to know:
Apr 03, 2024
SMB data security
Imagine this: You've built your small business from the ground up, pouring your heart and soul into every interaction. And then you wake up one morning to a malware outbreak or a system failure that puts your business and customer data at risk.
Feb 08, 2023
How to protect yourself on the internet
The internet can be a great resource. It’s informative, entertaining, and it helps us communicate with friends, relatives and strangers alike. But it can also be a dangerous place if you don’t take proper steps to protect yourself from malicious threats like ransomware. Here are a few password recommendations and general computing tips to help keep you and your business safe from cybercriminals.
Dec 05, 2022
Backup or archiving? Here’s why you might need both
Products & solutions
Oct 13, 2022
5 most important steps to staying safe online
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month – that means it’s the perfect time to review your cybersecurity and computer backups. With scary headlines about cybercrime dominating the news, it might seem overwhelming. But we’re here to make cybersecurity simplified. Follow the 5 most important steps to staying safe online to fight back against hackers and cybercriminals.
Apr 04, 2022
Soaring ransomware payments, consistent infections, deceptive URLs and more in this year’s 2022 BrightCloud® Threat Report
2021 was a year of innovation for both cybersecurity professionals and cybercriminals. Our 2022 BrightCloud® Threat Report delves into the insights and trends powered by our BrightCloud threat intelligence data. | <urn:uuid:363a7a60-78b8-4d20-ab2d-6653bd64b270> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.carbonite.com/blog/2016/the-economics-of-cybercrime-understanding-the-ransomware-market/ | 2024-09-17T03:09:07Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651722.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917004428-20240917034428-00604.warc.gz | en | 0.940116 | 1,263 | 2.640625 | 3 |
In today’s rapidly advancing technological landscape, terms like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cognitive Computing are often used interchangeably, sometimes causing confusion about their actual meanings and applications. While they share common ground in many aspects, these technologies are distinct in their objectives, functionalities, and historical developments. Understanding the nuanced differences between these two can help better appreciate their roles in innovation and practical use. The confusion often stems from their shared groundwork in machine learning and neural networks, yet each strives to achieve fundamentally different goals. AI aims for autonomy in decision-making and action, whereas cognitive computing is more about enhancing human capabilities with intelligent decision-support systems.
Understanding Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence is a broad field of computer science focused on creating systems capable of performing tasks that would usually require human intelligence. This includes areas like machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), robotics, and neural networks. Essentially, AI algorithms analyze large data sets to identify patterns, make decisions, or automate processes, often without ongoing human intervention. The primary goal of AI is to create autonomous systems that can perform specific tasks more efficiently and accurately than humans. AI’s scope is extensive, covering everything from recommendation engines in e-commerce to predictive maintenance in industrial settings. Its aim is to minimize human labor and maximize machine-based efficiency and accuracy.
AI has evolved significantly since its inception in the 1950s. Early endeavors involved programming computers to solve mathematical problems and prove logical theorems. However, limitations in computational power and resources led to a period of stunted growth in the 1970s. It wasn’t until the 1990s, with advancements in processing power and the advent of big data, that AI experienced a resurgence. Modern AI applications now encompass a variety of fields and industries, from self-driving cars to sophisticated data analytics. With the explosion of big data and enhanced computational capabilities, AI algorithms have grown in complexity and efficacy. Today, AI systems are not only able to perform specific tasks but also continuously improve their performance through machine learning.
Understanding Cognitive Computing
Cognitive Computing is a subset of AI that focuses on simulating human thought processes. Emphasizing reasoning and high-level decision-making, cognitive computing systems deal with more abstract and human-like data, such as symbolic and conceptual information. The aim here is not to replace human decision-making but to augment it, providing tools that help individuals and organizations make more informed choices. Cognitive systems are often used in scenarios requiring intricate understanding and problem-solving capabilities, serving as an aid rather than a replacement for human judgment. They process complex data sets to offer insights, forecasts, and recommendations, essentially acting as an advanced decision-support system.
Developments in cognitive computing are relatively recent, gaining prominence in the early 21st century. Technologies like IBM Watson have been at the forefront, showcasing how deep learning and neural networks can be harnessed to process and interpret vast data sets. Unlike traditional AI, cognitive computing systems continuously learn and adapt, improving their accuracy and efficacy over time. IBM Watson, for example, can analyze unstructured data from various sources, from scholarly articles to social media posts, to generate valuable insights. This adaptability and learning capability make cognitive computing indispensable in fields requiring nuanced analysis and decision-making, such as healthcare, finance, and customer service.
Practical Applications and Distinctions
The practical distinctions between AI and cognitive computing are crucial for understanding their unique value propositions. An AI assistant, for example, might autonomously assess a user’s needs and take action on their behalf without further human input. In a career advisory role, an AI system could analyze a job seeker’s resume, match their skills with available job openings, negotiate terms, and finalize decisions—all automatically. This level of autonomy exemplifies AI’s potential to streamline processes and deliver outcomes without human intervention, making it ideal for tasks where speed, efficiency, and accuracy are paramount. AI can thus take over repetitive, high-volume tasks, freeing humans to focus on more strategic or creative endeavors.
In contrast, a cognitive computing assistant would perform a more supportive role. In the same career advisory scenario, it would suggest potential career paths based on the job seeker’s profile, list required qualifications, provide salary benchmarks, and present available job openings. However, the cognitive assistant would leave the final decision to the human user. This distinction highlights the core difference: AI aims to act autonomously, while cognitive computing seeks to enhance human decision-making capabilities. Cognitive systems are designed to process information in a way that mirrors human thought, making them valuable in roles that require nuanced judgment, empathy, and high-level reasoning. Thus, cognitive computing is more aligned with the concept of human-machine collaboration.
Historical Context and Evolution: AI
The journey of AI began in the 1950s when researchers first explored the possibility of making computers think like humans. Early milestones included programs capable of solving calculus problems and proving theorems. However, these early attempts were limited by the computational power of the time, leading to a period of decline in AI research during the 1970s. The term “AI winter” was coined to describe this period of reduced funding and interest. Researchers found it challenging to scale their early prototypes to more complex tasks, hitting a wall that only modern computational advances could break through.
A revival occurred in the 1990s, driven by breakthroughs in machine learning algorithms, increased computational power, and the rise of the internet. This era saw the development of more sophisticated neural networks, leading to today’s advanced AI applications. Modern AI integrates heavily with big data, cloud computing, and internet technologies, making it indispensable in various sectors including healthcare, finance, and consumer technology. The interplay between AI and big data has particularly accelerated progress, as AI algorithms feed on vast datasets to refine their models and predictions. With cloud computing, AI services have become accessible to businesses of all sizes, democratizing advanced analytics and smart automation.
Historical Context and Evolution: Cognitive Computing
Cognitive Computing’s emergence in the early 21st century marked a new chapter in the evolution of AI. Pioneered by advancements from companies like IBM, cognitive computing was designed as the third era of computing—following the eras of tabulating systems and programmable systems. Unlike its predecessors, cognitive computing systems are capable of understanding and processing natural language, learning from unstructured data, and making informed recommendations. This shift towards a more human-like understanding of information allows cognitive systems to excel in complex decision-making scenarios that require a depth of insight beyond mere data crunching. The rise of cognitive computing was fueled by advances in AI algorithms, particularly deep learning, and the availability of large-scale computing resources.
IBM’s Watson is a flagship example of cognitive computing, utilizing deep learning and neural networks to analyze massive amounts of data. Watson’s capabilities showcase how cognitive systems can adapt and improve over time, continuously updating their knowledge base and providing increasingly accurate insights. Watson has been applied in various industries, from healthcare—where it assists in diagnosing illnesses based on symptoms and patient history—to finance, where it helps in analyzing market trends and making investment recommendations. The system’s ability to process natural language and learn from each interaction makes it a powerful tool for enhancing human decision-making.
Current Trends in AI
AI technologies are increasingly making their mark across numerous fields. Consumer-facing tech such as chatbots, virtual personal assistants (VPAs), and smart advisors are becoming commonplace. These systems utilize AI to boost user experiences, delivering personalized interactions and automated responses. The growth of AI in consumer technology has been propelled by advancements in natural language processing and machine learning, enabling these systems to comprehend and respond to user queries with high accuracy. From suggesting products based on past behavior to offering real-time customer support, AI is transforming how businesses engage with their customers.
Beyond consumer applications, AI is crucial in big data and digital transformation initiatives. Businesses deploy AI to analyze vast datasets, streamline processes, and discover insights that drive strategic decisions. The combination of AI with other emerging technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain further magnifies its impact, driving innovation across industries. AI algorithms can analyze extensive data produced by IoT devices to identify patterns, predict failures, and enhance operations. Blockchain technologies also benefit from AI-driven analytics, improving security and efficiency in transaction processing. The synergy between AI and these technologies is paving the way for unparalleled levels of automation and intelligent decision-making across sectors.
Understanding the distinctions between AI and cognitive computing is essential for grasping their unique contributions to the tech landscape. Both technologies enable autonomous decisions or augment human intelligence, bringing unique capabilities that are propelling innovation in today’s digital world. | <urn:uuid:f62bc89f-c42d-4f3f-a247-423fb21ba5a8> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://bicurated.com/ai-and-ml/navigating-the-differences-between-ai-and-cognitive-computing/ | 2024-09-18T08:19:53Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651886.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20240918064858-20240918094858-00504.warc.gz | en | 0.940644 | 1,788 | 3.484375 | 3 |
While malware developers keep working on improving their creations by leveraging non-HTTP channels, such as peer-to-peer, most malicious programs still use HTTP. Worryingly, over 75% of these pieces of malware are capable of evading traditional security measures, researchers from Damballa warn.
“Malware today is using HTTP to ‘blend in’ and evade detection by sending small traces of information over the core ports and protocols that enterprises allow in and out of their network. Our research indicates that firewalls and IPS are highly ineffective at detecting next-gen malware infected devices,” Damballa researcher Terry Nelms noted.
In his research, Nelms utilized a prototype tool called ExecScent to identify malware on hundreds of hosts running traditional security products.
The opinions expressed in this article belongs to the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Information Security Buzz. | <urn:uuid:afaced9a-2f53-41d7-a8d4-78ae368d6609> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://informationsecuritybuzz.com/over-75-of-http-malware-can-evade-traditional-security-researchers-find/ | 2024-09-18T07:46:05Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651886.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20240918064858-20240918094858-00504.warc.gz | en | 0.921543 | 186 | 2.625 | 3 |
Parallel optic represents a type of optical communication technology as well as the devices on either end of the link that transmit and receive information which are also known as parallel optical transceivers. Compared with traditional optical communication, parallel optic communication employs a different cabling structure for signal transmitting aiming at high-data transmission for short reach multimode fibers that are less than 300 meters. Traditional fiber optic transceivers cannot satisfy the increasing demand for high speed transmission, like 40GbE, while parallel optics technology can be a cost effective solution for 40/100GbE transmission.
Comparison between parallel optic technology and the traditional serial optical communication would better explain what parallel optic is and the reason why it is a cost effective solution to high data rate transmission. The following of this article will offer the comparison between the two optical communication technology from two aspects: connectivity method and key components.
Literally, parallel optics and serial optics transmit signals in different ways. In traditional serial optical communication, on each end of the link, there are one transmitter and one receiver. For example, the transmitter on End A communicates to the receiver on End B, sending a single stream of data over a single optical fiber. And a separate fiber is connected between the transmitter on End B and the receiver on End A. In this way, a duplex channel is achieved by two fibers.
While in parallel optic communication, duplex transmission is achieved in a different way. A signal is transmitted and received through multiple paths, thus, the parallel optical communication can support higher data rate than the traditional optical communication. This is because, the devices for parallel optic communication on either end of the link contain multiple transmitters and receivers. For instance, in 2010 IEEE 802.3ba approved the 40GBASE-SR4 physical-medium-dependent multimode parallel optical solution, which uses eight fibers to transmit four duplex channels each at 10 Gigabit Ethernet. In this case, four 10Gbps transmitters on End A communicate with four 10Gbps receivers on End B, spreading a single stream of data over four optical fibers at a total data rate of 40Gbps.
The parallel optical communication transmitting signals over multiple fibers, which has great advantages over traditional serial optical communication. It also means that it requires different components to support its high data rate transmission.
Connector: As previously mentioned, duplex transmission in serial optical communication uses 2-fiber duplex connectors, like duplex LC connectors to link the optics with other devices, while in parallel optical communication, multi-fibers are used to reach a higher data rate. Thus, multi-fiber connectors, like 12-fiber MPO connectors are used to connect with other devices. MPO connector is one key technology support parallel optical communication. This connectivity method is showed in the following picture?(Tx stands for transmit; Rx stands for receive).
Optical transceiver light source: Another complementary technology for parallel transmission is the light source of parallel optics—VCSELs (Vertical Cavity Surface Emission Lasers). Comparing with the edge-emitting semiconductor lasers in the traditional optics, VCSELs have better formed optical output which enables them to couple that energy into optical fibers more efficiently. In addition, VCSELs emit from the top surface, they may be tested while they are part of a large production batch (wafer), before they are cut into individual devices, which dramatically lowers the cost of the lasers. The following chart is about the comparison between VCSELs and edge-emitting semiconductor lasers. Cheaper to manufacture, easier to test, less electrical current required, supporting higher data rate, parallel optics using VCSELs could be a better choice to reach 40/100GbE transmission compared with traditional serial optics.
Feature | VCSEL | Edge-Emitting Laser |
Power consumption | 2-3 mW | 20 mW |
Beam quality/ease of coupling | Better, round low divergence | Fine, asymmetric |
Speed | 10 Gbps | 1 Gbps |
Temperature stability | 0.06 nm/oC | 0.25 nm/oC |
Specral width | 1 nm | 1-2 nm |
Speckle | Low in an array | High |
IEEE has already included physical layer specifications and management parameters for 40Gbps and 100Gbps operation over fiber optic cable. Two popular parallel optic solutions for 40Gbps and 100Gbps over multimode fibers are introduced here. For 40G, 40GBASE-SR4 transceiver is usually used, which requires a minimum of eight OM3/OM4 fibers for a transmit and receive link (4 fibers for Tx and 4 fibers for Rx). 100GBASE-SR10 transceiver is for 100Gbps transmission, which requires a minimum of 20 OM3/OM4 fibers for a Tx/Rx link, 10 fibers are used for Tx and the other 10 are for Rx.
The capabilities and uses of parallel optic and MPO technology continue to evolve and take shape as higher-speed fiber optic transmission, including 40/100GbE. It is uncertain that parallel optical communication would be the trend in the future. However, many cabling and network experts have pointed out that parallel optical communication supported with MPO technology is currently a way to equip an environment well prepared for the 40/100GbE transmission. | <urn:uuid:d60c9930-e867-4a1f-8121-ba58b877a6f2> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.fiber-optic-tutorial.com/tag/40100gbe | 2024-09-18T08:38:23Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651886.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20240918064858-20240918094858-00504.warc.gz | en | 0.915803 | 1,101 | 3.03125 | 3 |
Why Cybersecurity is important in Health Sector?
Working in the healthcare space automatically means that you are dealing with some of if not the most sensitive personal information a person has. The theft or mishandling of this information has potentially dire consequences for all involved, including those who allowed the theft or mismanagement to happen. Healthcare providers, therefore, really need to be on their game when it comes to up-to-date cybersecurity best practices.
The massive increase in IoT, as well as things like mental health software and diagnostic and patient monitoring applications in modern healthcare practices, demands careful attention from administrators, executives and medical professionals. With that in mind, below are some of the most important cybersecurity recommendations to keep in mind as the threats posed by cybercriminals to healthcare providers continues to increase throughout the 21st century.
Data Security Awareness
The human factor continues to be one of the most serious security hazards across all industries, but especially in healthcare. For healthcare companies, simple human error or neglect can have severe and costly consequences. Security awareness training provides healthcare workers with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions and exercise proper caution when managing patient data.
The fact of the matter is, cybersecurity concerns are constantly evolving. Criminals are always developing new ways of phishing and scamming employees, hacking systems and exploiting new vulnerabilities. It is a cat and mouse game that will never stop, which means companies need to make continuing cybersecurity education part of their employee learning and development. This is a reality across industries, with the implications for healthcare potentially much more severe.
By restricting access to patient information and particular programmes to only those people who need it to do their jobs, access controls improve healthcare data security. User authentication is required for access limitations, ensuring that only authorized users have access to sensitive data. The preferred option is multi-factor authentication, which requires users to verify that they are the person authorized to access specific data and apps using two or more validation methods.
These methods include things like passwords and PIN numbers that are only known by the user, something that only the authorized person has, such as a card or a key, or something unique to the authorized user, such as biometrics (facial recognition, fingerprints, eye scanning). The data in question and the risks involved will dictate the necessary precaution.
Data Control & Compliance
Protective data controls go beyond access controls and monitoring to ensure that potentially harmful or malicious data activity is identified and halted in real-time. Data controls can be used by healthcare companies to prevent sensitive data from being uploaded to the internet, sent via unlawful email, copied to external storage, or printed.
Data discovery and categorization are critical components of this process because they allow sensitive data to be recognized and marked for the appropriate level of protection. Healthcare providers must, therefore, develop a data hierarchy informed by not only HIPAA compliance regulations but based on the existing vulnerabilities in their own systems, including how and where the data is accessed.
All access and usage data must be logged in order for providers and business partners to see who is accessing what information, applications, and other resources, as well as when and from which devices and locations. These records are useful for auditing purposes, allowing organizations to discover areas of concern and, if necessary, reinforce preventive measures.
An audit trail may help organizations locate precise access points, ascertain the reason, assess and, importantly, respond to damages after an incident happens.
Managing IoT Security Risks
This is the longest section of this article because it is arguably the most important consideration. You typically think of smartphones and tablets when you think about mobile gadgets. However, with the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), linked gadgets are taking on a variety of shapes and sizes. Everything from medical gadgets like blood pressure monitors to cameras used to monitor physical security on the premises could be connected to a network in the healthcare industry.
To ensure that connected devices are always secure, healthcare providers can do things like maintaining a separate network for IoT devices, monitoring the device networks on a regular basis to scan for any unusual activity that may signal a breach, and always disabling or uninstalling non-essential services or functionality.
As previously mentioned, it is always advisable to use strong multi-factor authentication whenever and wherever feasible. But maintaining the most recent versions of all linked devices helps ensure that all fixes are applied whenever they become available and is another cross-industry cybersecurity best practice. Importantly, it involves making sure employees and IT staff are on top of patches and updates to software.
With the many serious healthcare data breaches that have occurred over the last few years, good cybersecurity is now more than ever a vital component of industry operations. From informing and educating staff to developing more robust data handling and management measures, it is incumbent upon those companies and institutions storing and accessing sensitive health data that they are not compromising their customers.
Keep the above cybersecurity best practices for healthcare providers in mind, and you can rest assured you are doing everything you can to mitigate disaster.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
IPwithease is aimed at sharing knowledge across varied domains like Network, Security, Virtualization, Software, Wireless, etc. | <urn:uuid:cdf22e6d-e9e9-4459-b06f-229271c846f9> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://ipwithease.com/cybersecurity-in-healthcare-sector/ | 2024-09-08T17:07:46Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651013.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908150334-20240908180334-00568.warc.gz | en | 0.941135 | 1,047 | 2.84375 | 3 |
March 15, 2012
A Google data center near Atlanta is recycling waste water to cool the thousands of servers housed in the facility, and then purifying the excess water so it can be released into the Chattahoochee River. The project to use "grey water" in Atlanta is part of Google's broader program to reduce the impact of its data centers on the environment and local community.
The facility, which was built in 2008 (and described in a 2010 DCK article) is Google's first water treatment plant in the United States. Google financed the building of a "sidestream" treatment plant for the Douglas County Water and Sewer Authority (WSA), which intercepts 30 percent of the water from the authority's treatment plant.
"The sidestream system provides additional cleaning of the water through sterilization, filtration and chlorination, and that water is sent to us at the data center for use in our cooling towers," said Jim Brown, the data center facilities manager at Google’s Douglas County data center. "Then, the effluent treatment plant that is located on the data center campus takes water that is not evaporated into the cooling towers. That water is cleaned and returned to the Chattahoochee River clean, clear and safe."
The plant builds on concepts Google used in Belgium, where it treats water from an industrial canal for use in its data center cooling system, allowing the facility to operate without chillers.
Water conservation is an important issue in the Atlanta area, which has been affected by droughts in recent years.
"Our water supply gets hit hard during the drought season and in the summer months," said Peter Frost, executive director of the Douglas County WSA. "The Google-funded sidestream facility is a welcomed reprieve on our reservoir’s water system and saves water capacity for our residents and businesses."
Today media and local officials toured the WSA’s Sweetwater Creek Sidestream Plant and Google’s effluent treatment plant.
About the Author
You May Also Like | <urn:uuid:0367feda-34a2-4151-8040-4f439a4ff0fe> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/green-materials/google-recycling-water-for-atlanta-data-center | 2024-09-08T17:07:07Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651013.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908150334-20240908180334-00568.warc.gz | en | 0.955167 | 421 | 2.703125 | 3 |
In 2008, author Nicholas Carr argued that the IT department would not survive in the form most people were used to, as organisations moved the bulk of their IT out of owned facilities to the cloud.
Five years since, this has not happened quite as Carr imagined – and this brings us to two different outlooks towards a “redundant” datacentre.
Redundancy in IT is a system design in which a component is duplicated so if it fails there will be a backup. In a datacentre, there may be redundant components, such as servers, or network system components, such as fans, hard disk drives, operating systems and telecommunication links, that are installed to back up primary resources in case they fail.
If Carr had been right, then organisations would be looking at what to do with excess – or redundant – datacentre capacity. Redundancy has a negative connotation when the duplication is seen by the business as unnecessary.
Yes, for some businesses this datacentre capacity excess is an issue, but for the majority, the other form of redundancy – the provisioning of a datacentre to survive a range of failure scenarios – has become even more of an issue.
IT infrastructure is part of an organisation’s DNA. If someone were to cut off the IT service for an organisation, it would not be a small snag, but a corporate catastrophe for its operations. Business processes would halt, customers would be left stranded, suppliers would be unable to know what was required to be delivered, the organisation would struggle to pay its employees what they are owed, communication and collaboration would be severely impaired.
More tips on datacentre redundancy
- How PEER1 datacentre kept running amid hurricane Sandy
- Planning datacentre redundancy beyond storage and software
- Choosing hardware for datacentre redundancy
The overall availability of an IT platform means that an approach of a single application on a single physical server with dedicated storage and individual dedicated network connections is a strategy to oblivion. It is incumbent on IT to ensure that the IT platform can continue to operate through failures – as long as the cost of doing so meets the organisation’s own cost/risk profile.
When considering just how redundant a datacentre should be, it is best to consider failure scenarios as a scale.
Such an approach will help datacentre professionals to assess the cost of each outage and take it to the business – the business stakeholders can then decide at what point the cost of managing the failure (moving to a disaster recovery plan) becomes lower than the cost of surviving the failure (a business continuity plan).
Failure scenarios for datacentre redundancy
Analyst firm Quocirca’s scale of failure scenarios for datacentre redundancy includes the following:
1. Component failure – for example, where a power supply or a disk drive fails
The use of an “N+1” approach (having one more component than is really needed) can generally see an IT platform through this. For example, using two power supplies into a server or a Raid system for storage will generally provide enough time for the component to be replaced.
For systems where failure is just not acceptable or affordable, then an “N+M” approach (having more than one extra component in place) may be used.
Within the facility itself, the use of more modular uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs), generators and chillers with in-built N+1 redundant power supplies, batteries and so on can be used.
Monolithic facilities equipment does not lend itself easily to this approach.
2. Assembly failure – for example, the failure of a complete server or a storage system
With virtualisation, greater levels of availability can be provided through mirroring live images within the same system. Where physical platforms are still in use, clustering, storage mirroring and multiple network interface cards (NICs) will provide resilience to failure.
Again, within the facility, the key is to move to modular systems. For example, if the UPS consists of five sub-modules, an N+1 approach will require six modules – or 120% of the actual requirement. If a monolithic approach is taken, an N+1 approach will result in 200% of the actual requirement, with the associated higher capital and maintenance costs.
3. Room failure – for example, through power distribution failure
This would require the building of two datacentres within the same building with the facility services being mirrored across each as N+1 power distribution networks, UPSs, cooling systems and so on. This is, by its very nature, far too expensive, and so would tend to be dealt with as a site failure as below (scenario number 5).
The key strategy to room (and building) failure is to avoid it wherever possible. The use of N+1 strategies at the equipment level can help, along with the use of environmental monitoring systems to give early identification of possible hot spots developing, smoke appearing or moisture levels increasing.
This would need the mirroring of the datacentre to another, which could be within the same campus. With the use of virtualisation and cloud, this is again probably too expensive for the majority. Best to regard this as a site failure as well.
When considering just how redundant a datacentre should be, it is best to consider failure scenarios as a scale
5. Site failure – for example, caused through a local power failure or a break in connectivity through cable/fibre fracture
This is where longer-distance mirroring comes in. The use of a separate facility with cold or hot standby resources to switch over to maintain business capability is the only real way to deal with this. Data management starts to become more of an issue, as latency in systems starts to introduce the capacity to lose transactions.
6. City failure – for example, due to major disruption such as terrorism activity, storm or power grid failure
From this point on, full mirroring of capabilities at the IT level will be required. At the facility level, the organisation has the choice to mirror the facility, or to use an external infrastructure as a service (IaaS) or platform as a service (PaaS) provider to enable a suitable platform to be immediately or very rapidly provisioned.
7. Regional failure – for example, due to major natural disaster such as earthquake or tsunami
Again, here an organisation will be looking at total mirroring, and Quocirca recommends looking to move away from facilities mirroring for cost reasons.
8. Country failure – for example, due to civil war or epidemic outbreak
Here, much longer distances for mirroring are required. However, many co-location companies (such as Equinix or Interxion) can provide long-distance, low-latency dedicated connections between their facilities, enabling long-distance business continuity to be enabled without a need for complex data management to deal with latency.
This leaves us with two additional redundancy scenarios:
1. Geographic failure
Replicating and mirroring between continents is not as hard as it once was. Again, many colocation provides may be able to help here.
2. World failure
At this level, IT and the business may have other matters to worry about. However, if you really want to be able to put in place a possible disaster recovery plan for this, send your data out from the planet as a maser (a microwave-emitting version of the laser) data stream. Provided you can then get ahead of it at some future time, you can recapture all your data for use from another planet.
Clive Longbottom is service director at analyst Quocirca. The datacentre consultancy firm has three papers that cover ITLM and IT financing available for free download here: Using ICT financing for strategic gain; Don’t sweat assets, liberate them; and De-risking IT lifecycle management. | <urn:uuid:2c44456b-7db4-4af0-8419-e37f2b89859f> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/How-to-plan-and-manage-datacentre-redundancy | 2024-09-09T21:30:07Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651157.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909201932-20240909231932-00468.warc.gz | en | 0.936268 | 1,636 | 2.703125 | 3 |
As unpleasant as it is to see a ransomware message pop up on your monitor, WannaCry or ExPetr/NotPetya are not worst-case scenarios. Researchers demonstrated far more physical cyberattacks at the Black Hat hacking conference.
Thousands of factories around the world employ robots whose mechanical manipulators move boxes around, drill through parts, and perform other actions by following preprogrammed routines. These robots are quite complex, consisting of a computer (used for monitoring by an operator), a controller, and a mechanical manipulator. A program with logical operations, such as “lift the box” or “turn the arm,” is created on the control computer, and the controller breaks it down into a series of smaller steps.
The process is intricate, with many factors. For example, a box needs to be lifted smoothly and only to a certain height, and the pressing force of the “fingers” must remain at a certain value to hold the transported part firmly. The controller stores configuration files that contain data for applying a certain voltage to servomotors at a clearly specified moment, thus allowing the manipulator to lift the box correctly.
The developers of industrial robots have invested substantial efforts to ensure their inventions operate safely. Various safety devices, logical checks, and user manuals secure both factory and operators against physical damage and injury in case of operation problems or robot failures. At the same time, factory infrastructure is assumed to be “friendly”; a robot fully trusts its control computer.
However, that assumption is not always fair. Group of researchers from Polytechnic University of Milan and Trend Micro has discovered that some robots are directly connected to the Internet (for example, for receiving updates from the manufacturer or sending telemetry to company headquarters), or to an insufficiently isolated factory Wi-Fi network. This enables malefactors to discover robots with the help of a dedicated scanner.
The robots are easy prey. With no encryption used when updating firmware, no digitally signed firmware at all, and default user names and passwords used, anyone who finds a robot’s IP address can modify its configuration files and change its operation logic.
Why hack a robot?
Depending on a hacker’s goals, these opportunities can be used for both espionage (downloading existing configuration files to discover manufacturing secrets) and sabotage. Researchers have demonstrated a crafty attack on a robot that was supposed to draw straight lines (in real-life applications, it could perform electric-welding). Hacked, the robot slightly shifted its manipulator by just a fraction of a millimeter, an error that was imperceptible to the naked eye but would render the resulting product defective. The robot’s programming wasn’t modified; the only thing affected was the controller’s parameters.
Other attacks remain hypothetical, but some are dangerous for the operator. A movable robot can be reprogrammed with altered movement threshold values, for example, and that would be catastrophic.
In the short term, protection against such attacks comes down to increasing the security of existing robots to make them less accessible to the outer world as well as applying manufacturer patches that close known cybersecurity holes. In the longer term, robot manufacturers need to find new approaches and update their production standards, prioritizing not only requirements for physical safety and electrical safety but also cybersecurity. It is worth noting that Kaspersky Lab offers critical infrastructure security solutions to accomplish those goals. | <urn:uuid:172bf830-a86a-42e8-8849-5c55bbda09fc> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/hacking-industrial-robots/17879/ | 2024-09-09T21:00:21Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651157.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909201932-20240909231932-00468.warc.gz | en | 0.934802 | 705 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Learn how to navigate the DORA compliance checklist and meet DORA cybersecurity regulation requirements with our step-by-step guide.
Data Security Posture Management
Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) emerges as a critical approach to ensure comprehensive protection of sensitive information across various environments and platforms. This glossary term delves into the concept of DSPM, its significance, key components, and the role of DSPM vendors and tools in safeguarding data integrity.
Understanding Data Security Posture Management
Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) refers to the continuous process of assessing, managing, and enhancing an organization’s security posture concerning its data assets. It encompasses a range of practices and technologies aimed at identifying vulnerabilities, enforcing security policies, and mitigating risks to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data.
Components of Data Security Posture Management
Risk Assessment: DSPM begins with a comprehensive evaluation of an organization’s data environment to identify potential vulnerabilities and threats. This involves analyzing data flows, access controls, encryption mechanisms, and other security measures to pinpoint areas of weakness.
Policy Enforcement: Once risks are identified, DSPM involves the enforcement of security policies and controls to mitigate those risks effectively. This includes implementing access controls, encryption protocols, data loss prevention measures, and other security mechanisms to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards.
Continuous Monitoring: DSPM relies on continuous monitoring of data environments to detect and respond to security incidents in real-time. This involves the use of monitoring tools and technologies to track data access, detect anomalies, and generate alerts for suspicious activities.
Incident Response: In the event of a security breach or incident, DSPM facilitates an organized and efficient incident response process. This includes identifying the root cause of the incident, containing the damage, restoring data integrity, and implementing corrective actions to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Role of DSPM Vendors and Tools
Data Security Posture Management Vendors: A growing number of vendors specialize in providing DSPM solutions tailored to the unique needs of organizations across various industries. These vendors offer a range of products and services designed to assess, manage, and enhance data security postures effectively.
Data Security Posture Management Tools: DSPM tools play a crucial role in automating and streamlining security processes, making it easier for organizations to maintain a strong security posture. These tools often include features such as vulnerability scanning, policy enforcement, risk assessment, and incident response capabilities.
Cloud Data Security Posture Management: With the increasing adoption of cloud computing, organizations must extend their DSPM practices to cloud environments. Cloud DSPM solutions enable organizations to monitor and secure data stored in cloud services, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.
Datadog CSPM: Datadog CSPM is a specific offering from Datadog, a leading cloud monitoring and security platform. Datadog CSPM provides organizations with visibility into their cloud infrastructure’s security posture, allowing them to identify misconfigurations, enforce security policies, and remediate risks effectively.
Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) is essential for organizations looking to safeguard their data assets against evolving cyber threats and regulatory requirements. By implementing comprehensive DSPM practices and leveraging specialized tools and vendors, organizations can enhance their security postures, mitigate risks, and maintain the integrity and confidentiality of their data. With the continued advancements in technology and the increasing complexity of data environments, DSPM will remain a critical focus area for organizations striving to stay ahead of emerging security challenges. | <urn:uuid:43fe2d70-5306-481c-9b79-9a3664871a7a> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://scytale.ai/glossary/data-security-posture-management/ | 2024-09-17T05:48:34Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651739.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917040428-20240917070428-00768.warc.gz | en | 0.90634 | 745 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Ransomware is a cyberattack that takes control of your data and files until you pay the attacker to get them back. Ransomware can render businesses useless without access to their encrypted files and systems.
There are myths about ransomware that are used as scare tactics to make businesses fall prey to attacks. These myths are dangerous and can cause extreme damage to the businesses that follow their lead.
1. Rare Ransomware
Email attacks like phishing and vishing are commonly known cyberattack methods. Users could view them as the most dangerous or isolated known cyber threat to businesses. Phishing is not the most dangerous form of digital attack. Protecting your emails and security does not mean your business is unsusceptible to ransomware.
Phishing tactics are small fish in a big pond. Password spraying is a technique used to gain credentials from users to mislead them into providing access. There are many other risks to digital encryption that should be considered in defense strategies.
Businesses focusing on email scamming as the primary threat is a dangerous move. Theft of data and then threatening to make the data public is becoming more and more common. Ransomware is becoming less about the hackers getting into the system and more about what they choose to do next.
2. Ransomware is Unpreventable
Although new ransomware is popping up often, there are ways to prevent it from happening to you and your business. Wannacry was the armageddon of the digital landscape impacting computers worldwide from hospitals to government agencies.
Culprits of Wannacry gained around $50,000 from this cyber attack through demands for ransom alone. Individuals and companies could have prevented Wannacry with good cyber hygiene. Use good judgment when scanning emails, backup your files, use licensed software and install updates on your operating systems.
Tablets and smartphones for personal use are just as susceptible to cyberattacks as businesses. You must do everything you can to protect your files if you do not want them stolen.
Top Security Advice
There are IT security guidelines that you should follow to protect your stuff. Use a firewall on your digital devices. Whenever you download a new app or enter information into your device, you open a door that hackers can walk through. Use strong passwords and keep them updated. Use multifactor identification when you can.
Make sure you use anti-malware software and have an anti-virus installed. Back up your data and install updates on your software. Keep an eye on account users and third parties. These guidelines will help you keep your data secure, avoid phishing scams and prevent malware that could lead to ransomware.
3. Macs are Unsusceptible
Windows is the most common prey for ransomware. However, that does not mean that Macs are immune to ransomware. Mac users should still be prepared and watch out for cyber scams. There have been many programs identified that specifically target Mac operating systems. You are not safe from malware because you use a Mac instead of Windows. The attacks are increasing on Mac systems probably because they are more vulnerable since they think they are in the clear. Mac is not more secure than windows and should be just as concerned about potential attacks.
4. Small Companies are Safe
Smaller businesses underestimate the risks of malware. It is a common misconception that companies are smaller in size and are not as prone to cyber-attacks. This is false because the threat to their data is just as immense as it is to a more significant business.
Up to 86% of small to medium-sized businesses have reported being victims of ransomware each year since 2018. The reality is that smaller firms should feel more at risk since the damage from a minor attack could make such a significant impact. Since their data is not vast, an isolated attack could potentially lead to their demise.
5. One Phase Attack
It is commonly believed that ransomware is an attack in a one-phase, one-day invasion. Ransomware attackers indulge in hostile takeovers, but they are more thorough.
Aggressors look for vulnerable targets during a reconnaissance phase. Once identified, they employ a weaponization phase where they shape the direction of their attack like email scams. It could be months before the plan is executed to demand ransom.
Hackers are also commonly perceived as sophisticated and strategic in their attacks. The fact is that ransomware is pretty random. While they work in phases, the episodes focus more on whoever falls prey to their scams, not individual perpetuated schemes to pinpoint specific individuals or organizations directly. If their scams fail on their target, they have many more targets lined up to take the bait.
Now that you know more about what is true and false regarding ransomware, you can be more prepared for potential threats and attacks. You are not safer because of your operating system, but you can be more protected with the correct information and precautions. | <urn:uuid:9cd56857-febd-409c-9cd5-3bbff2f67c7b> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://cyberexperts.com/5-ransomware-myths-endangering-your-business/ | 2024-09-18T11:03:49Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651895.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20240918100941-20240918130941-00668.warc.gz | en | 0.962881 | 988 | 2.921875 | 3 |
In the current technological landscape, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) have become a fundamental component, enabling various applications and services to communicate with one another seamlessly. With their increased use, securing APIs has emerged as a critical necessity. This article delves into essential API security practices to prevent breaches and threats, ensuring your digital assets remain protected.
**Why API Security Matters**
APIs are the backbone of modern software architecture, facilitating connectivity and data sharing between disparate systems. However, this interconnected nature also makes them prime targets for cyberattacks. Ensuring API security is pivotal not only for protecting sensitive data but also for maintaining the integrity and reputation of your business.
Robust Authentication Protocols
OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect
Implementing standardized authentication frameworks like OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect is essential. These protocols streamline secure user authentication and authorization, reducing the likelihood of unauthorized access. OAuth 2.0, for instance, allows users to grant websites or applications access to their information without sharing passwords. OpenID Connect builds on OAuth 2.0, adding an identity layer enabling more secure user verification.
The adoption of these protocols in API security practices is indispensable. OAuth 2.0 enables the delegation of access through tokens, which minimizes the risk of sharing sensitive credentials. OpenID Connect provides an additional security layer by ensuring that the identity of users is verified beyond mere access. These frameworks collectively enable a cohesive ecosystem where users’ credentials and data remain secure. Moreover, the protocols are industry-standard and widely recognized, ensuring compatibility and trustworthiness across different platforms and applications.
Using JSON Web Tokens (JWT)
JSON Web Tokens (JWT) are valuable tools for ensuring secure, stateless authentication. JWTs encapsulate user data, which is signed rather than encrypted, to verify its authenticity and integrity. Critical security measures for JWTs include signing tokens with robust algorithms, setting short expiration times, and utilizing refresh tokens for long-lived sessions. By adhering to these practices, you can enhance the security of API transactions.
A token-based authentication system ensures that session management is efficient and secure. By utilizing robust cryptographic algorithms like RSA or HMAC, JWTs prevent unauthorized token forgery. In essence, a JWT token stands as a self-contained proof of identity, reducing server load and streamlining user experiences without compromising security integrity. Regularly rotating signing keys and ensuring other protected sequences enhance the multi-layer security approach that API security practices necessitate.
Effective Authorization Management
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is a cornerstone of effective authorization management. It involves assigning permissions to users based on predefined roles, ensuring individuals have access only to the resources necessary for their roles. Implementing RBAC helps mitigate the risks associated with excessive permissions and potential insider threats.
Through clearly defined roles and permission hierarchies, RBAC minimizes the attack surface by restricting access to sensitive data and operations. It simplifies administration by managing permissions collectively per role rather than individual accounts. This hierarchical system reduces potential security blind spots and streamlines compliance with various regulatory requirements, thereby embedding security deeply into organizational operations.
Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)
In addition to RBAC, Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) offers dynamic and flexible security policies. ABAC evaluates attributes related to users, resources, and the environment to enforce access control decisions. This method can accommodate complex, contextual security requirements such as time-based access, location restrictions, and device-specific permissions.
With ABAC, decision-making algorithms are based on detailed and complex rules that evaluate real-time conditions. This allows security protocols to adapt dynamically to varying contexts, enhancing the robustness and flexibility of access controls. By integrating ABAC, organizations can tailor security to both broad and nuanced scenarios, accommodating different operational needs while maintaining stringent security.
Encryption and Data Protection
Importance of HTTPS Encryption
One of the most fundamental security practices is encrypting data in transit. HTTPS encryption ensures that data exchanged between clients and servers is encrypted, protecting it from interception and tampering. Without HTTPS, sensitive information transmitted via APIs—such as login credentials and personal data—could be easily compromised.
The adoption of HTTPS is non-negotiable in any API security strategy. Transport Layer Security (TLS), which underpins HTTPS, provides a robust layer of encryption and helps verify the identity of communicating entities. This dual functionality not only ensures the confidentiality of data but also guarantees its integrity, which is vital for maintaining trust in digital transactions.
Data Encryption at Rest
While encrypting data in transit is crucial, protecting data at rest is equally important. This practice involves encrypting stored data to safeguard it against unauthorized access, especially in cases of data breaches or physical theft. Implementing robust encryption methods for databases and storage systems ensures comprehensive data protection.
Encrypting data at rest entails employing advanced cryptographic techniques to render stored data unreadable without the appropriate decryption key. This multilayered protection is essential in safeguarding sensitive information from both external tampering and internal misuse. Ensuring that decryption keys are managed securely further fortifies the overall security strategy, making any potential breaches less impactful.
Comprehensive Logging and Monitoring
Logging Authentication and Authorization Events
Effective API security requires thorough logging and monitoring of all authentication and authorization events. Logging provides a detailed record of access attempts, successful logins, and failed authentication attempts, which is invaluable for detecting and investigating potential security incidents. Monitoring logs in real-time helps in quickly identifying and responding to threats.
Log analysis tools can be employed to initiate preemptive measures against recurrent threats. Detailed log records help maintain transparency, ensuring accountability and enabling forensic analysis post-incident. This process not only aids in immediate threat mitigation but also helps in reviewing and optimizing existing security protocols, hence improving long-term API security strategies.
Monitoring for Anomalies and Threats
Beyond logging, proactive monitoring for anomalies and threats is crucial. This involves leveraging advanced analytics and machine learning models to identify unusual patterns or behaviors that may indicate a security breach. By continuously monitoring API traffic and analyzing logs, organizations can detect and mitigate threats before they escalate.
Anomaly detection algorithms scrutinize baseline operational data to identify deviations indicative of potential breaches. When integrated with machine learning, monitoring systems can continually improve and adapt to evolving threat landscapes. This proactive approach detects and resolves threats in real time, ensuring a robust defense mechanism against sophisticated cyber-attacks.
Indicators of API Security Threats
Shadow APIs and Publicly Exposed APIs
Shadow APIs—undocumented and unmanaged APIs—pose significant security risks as they can be exploited without detection. Regularly auditing your API inventory helps identify and monitor these shadow APIs. Additionally, ensuring that publicly exposed APIs handling sensitive data are adequately secured and monitored is critical. These APIs should be prioritized for security measures due to their heightened vulnerability.
The process involves a meticulous cataloging of all internal and external APIs, incorporating them into an organized inventory for continuous monitoring. Identifying shadow APIs proactively helps mitigate blind spots, reducing opportunities for unauthorized exploitation. Ensuring that publicly exposed APIs utilize robust encryption and authentication mechanisms also fortifies the API ecosystem against prevalent threats.
Unauthenticated and Poorly Rate-Limited APIs
Unauthenticated APIs are highly susceptible to unauthorized access. Ensuring all APIs require proper authentication helps mitigate this risk. Similarly, APIs lacking rate limiting controls are vulnerable to credential stuffing and brute force attacks. Implementing robust rate limiting mechanisms, particularly on critical endpoints like login and password reset features, is essential to thwart such attacks.
Authenticated endpoints act as gatekeepers, allowing only verified users to interact with protected resources. Effective rate limiting curtails malicious activities by imposing limits on the number of requests that can be made within a specific timeframe, thereby mitigating the risk of automated and repeated attacks. Integrating these security measures ensures a resilient defense against common yet compromising API vulnerabilities.
API Lifecycle Management
Versioning, Deprecation, and Retirement
Effective API lifecycle management involves diligent oversight of API endpoints throughout their lifecycle. This includes versioning to enable backward compatibility, timely deprecation of outdated endpoints, and the secure retirement of unused APIs. Proper management practices help maintain a secure and organized API ecosystem, reducing the attack surface.
Versioning allows old and new systems to coexist, facilitating smooth transitions and minimizing disruptions. Timely deprecation of outdated endpoints ensures that security vulnerabilities associated with older versions do not persist unnoticed. Secure retirement, on the other hand, involves removing obsolete endpoints from production environments completely, safeguarding against unintended leakage of vulnerabilities through forgotten or unused APIs.
Integration with DevSecOps Pipelines
In addition to Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) presents a more dynamic and flexible approach to security policies. ABAC evaluates various attributes associated with users, resources, and the environment to make access control decisions. This method is incredibly adaptable, catering to complex and contextual security requirements such as time-based access, location restrictions, and device-specific permissions.
The decision-making algorithms used in ABAC are based on intricate rules that examine real-time conditions. This capability allows security protocols to adapt on the fly to different contexts, significantly enhancing the robustness and flexibility of access control measures. For instance, an employee working remotely might be granted access only during business hours and from certain geographical locations, or an important transaction might require additional verification based on the sensitivity of the information being accessed.
By integrating ABAC, organizations can finely tailor their security protocols to address both broad and specific scenarios. This level of customization accommodates various operational needs while upholding stringent security standards. Unlike conventional RBAC, which assigns permissions based on predefined roles, ABAC assesses multiple criteria to determine access rights, allowing for a more nuanced and precise control mechanism. The flexibility offered by ABAC is essential for organizations looking to implement a more sophisticated and scalable security framework. | <urn:uuid:b02a5fb9-c5db-4be4-8546-d1e1e15061b4> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://developmentcurated.com/testing-and-security/essential-api-security-practices-to-prevent-breaches-and-threats/ | 2024-09-21T00:42:50Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725701425385.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20240920222945-20240921012945-00468.warc.gz | en | 0.898634 | 2,057 | 2.84375 | 3 |
On this Data Protection Day, Privacy and Security are in the hearts and minds of the public more than ever before—and with good reason. Consumers have increasingly been subjected to identity theft, so much so that a new industry has cropped up to provide insurance against these kinds of concerns.
At the same time, companies and government agencies around the world remain under constant threat of cyber-attacks and potential theft of sensitive data. Even exposure of highly sensitive data from once-trusted employees. Consumers are beginning to understand that their personal information has value, and as such they need to be careful with how and with whom they share it.
Technology is driving ever-forward. Walgreens is piloting a new line of “smart coolers;” fridges equipped with cameras that scan shoppers’ faces and make inferences on their age and gender. While Walgreen’s smart coolers don’t know from whom they are collecting data, large technology companies are increasingly investing in technology that does. In-home smart devices understand some of the most intimate details of our lives, and social media platforms are “feeding” consumers information that confirms their previously held beliefs via Facebook newsfeeds or new stories based on an algorithm that analyzes previous items on which users have clicked.
This kind of targeting technology is evolving—perhaps from the “convenience” that we have come to expect when Amazon recommends a book we may like based on a previous purchase—into a more insidious and creepy kind of technology where giant corporations are in fact influencing our very ideas and understanding of “the facts.” The suggestive power of social media platforms, Facebook “likes,” Google and YouTube “auto plays,” and the almost seemingly endless stream of targeted online advertising and political commentary that is flooding our inboxes all feed into this.
I have often cautioned “buyer beware” when consumers are
presented with a “free” service. If companies like Google, Facebook, and
Twitter are providing a “free” service, they are almost certainly being paid
elsewhere by their advertisers. These advertisers are literally paying to see
what consumers like and dislike in addition to the ability to sell products to
them early and often. But what about the sale of this data for an “idea” or a
What about when it begins to impact our politics and
possibly our elections? What if it begins to infiltrate not only the public
trust, but also the technology we use inside of our companies? What is that
ethical line, and how much should we be expected to accept? Facebook’s new plan
to integrate several of their social media platforms will allow them to access even
more consumer information. If everything is for sale, nothing is free.
Consumers are at risk, and not only for their personal information like credit cards, passwords and security questions being stolen and exposed. They’re also at risk because their information becomes a valuable commodity sought by anxious data brokers and even captured by devices like their automobiles and thermostats! We are undoubtedly living in a “data driven” society. We are living in a world of globalizing economies, data transfer, and ubiquitous access to everything from everywhere. At the same time, throughout the past year, we have seen an influx of compliance and data security-related stories flood news outlets.
So, who’s responsible? On the one hand, with the emergence of legislation like the EU GDPR, the CCPA, and the increasingly likely possibility of a US Federal Privacy law, companies around the globe are facing a heightened demand for data privacy and compliance regulation. From Facebook to Google, NSA to Apple, there is a continuing balancing act of deciding to share information vs. wanting to protect the information we wish to keep private.
Living in our increasingly social world has and will continue to present a paradox with personal privacy. Information placed on the internet and available publicly can be used in unintended ways regardless of your original intent. This is true for public sector organizations, businesses, and individuals.
Are Chief Privacy Officers data stewards and advocates for the privacy
rights of our employees, customers and citizens of the world? The reality is
that companies are in business to make money, and it’s the job of compliance
professionals—be they privacy officers, attorneys, or security officers—to help
them do so, to fully realize the potential of the data they obtain, and to make
sure they are protecting that information at the same time.
We continue to move towards a data-driven society with self-driving cars and IoT devices not only collecting data about us but also making decisions for us. In reality, I would suggest that the person that handles that should be the Chief Privacy Officer. Chief Privacy Officers have by nature a role that is intended to balance the collection of data, but it typically does not cover the flow of data from a company to a customer. They also typically don’t cover the algorithms that are used to make automated decisions about individuals (other than to test whether they are acceptable within the boundaries of a given law).
So who makes those decisions? And who brings up those tests of ethics and the “right thing to do” versus the “legal thing to do?” As very young children we are taught that we have to “share” with others, but that we should not “take” something without asking or permission. Notice that choice and consent, the foundations of global privacy basics and many privacy frameworks and regulations, mimic these playground rules.
Companies must be transparent about the reason that they want to collect data, give their customers a true choice about whether or not to provide it, and then follow through by ensuring that they only use the data that they collect for the purpose and within the boundaries of consent that a consumer provided. These are the rules of society, and most of us learn them on the playground, in the classroom, and at home. But unlike a playground, regulation and consumers are our monitors.
Trust is something that businesses must work to establish with their customers every day. Once lost, it is very difficult to regain. Consumers can and will reward businesses that they trust and will punish those that they don’t, as will regulators.
Regardless of whether or not your business MUST have a privacy officer, you probably SHOULD have a privacy officer. This is a person who is responsible for helping your company make those informed decisions about risk and reward, including what you should do with data versus what you can do with data. Keep in mind that both your security and privacy officers—as well as general counsel—can help you take the steps above to empower them to become “partners” with your IT and business colleagues, gain internal key executive sponsorship and cooperate with their lines of business.
Dana Louise Simberkoff is the Chief Risk, Privacy and Information Security Officer at AvePoint. She is responsible for AvePoint’s privacy, data protection, and security programs. She manages a global team of subject matter experts that provide executive level consulting, research, and analytical support on current and upcoming industry trends, technology, standards, best practices, concepts, and solutions for risk management and compliance. Ms. Simberkoff is responsible for maintaining relationships with executive management and multiple constituencies both internal and external to the corporation, providing guidance on product direction, technology enhancements, customer challenges, and market opportunities.
Ms. Simberkoff has led speaking sessions at data privacy and security events around the globe. She was featured in Forbes, writes a monthly column for CMSWire, and was highlighted in the CSO Online list of “12 Amazing Women in Security”. She is a current member of the Women Leading Privacy Advisory Board and a past member of the Education Advisory Board for the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). Ms. Simberkoff holds a BA from Dartmouth College and a JD from Suffolk University Law School. | <urn:uuid:0cef7835-082c-4db5-98a2-f659431b3514> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.avepoint.com/blog/protect/data-privacy-day | 2024-09-20T23:12:27Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725701425385.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20240920222945-20240921012945-00468.warc.gz | en | 0.960871 | 1,647 | 2.59375 | 3 |
The fixed broadband network is the infrastructure needed to meet the needs, both economic and societal, of developed markets. While some people in some developed markets have abandoned their fixed telephone connection in favour of all-mobile solutions, the majority (90% plus) still have both a fixed and a mobile connection.
People have discovered for themselves that they need both, and they have intuitively worked out what they use, where and when. The same applies to the various communications applications. Again intuitively, people are using SMS, chat, social media, email, telephone messages and voice-based telephony.
There is no reason to suppose that this will change. Using transport as an example, one method does not replace the other. We walk, use a bike, car, bus, train, boat or plane, without too much discussion and confusion.
And so wireless broadband and FttH will develop, in a complementary and harmonious way. There are several reasons for this:
- Advanced economies and societies will see an increase in the demand for quality and sophistication of applications (digital nations, digital economies, smart buildings, smart cities) and this will have its impact on the quality of the digital infrastructure that is needed to support these developments.
- Wireless is a shared infrastructure—in the absence of FttH-like applications this technology already demands a significant increase in the number of mobile towers. More of these base stations are needed as the demand for mobile capacity (broadband) increases, and this creates its own environmental and societal problems.
- Most people will have experienced mobile quality problems—blackspots, dropouts, loss of quality. How tolerant will people be of these problems in relation to TV, healthcare, HD education and other essential services?
- The level of reliability, security, privacy and quality required will be impossible to achieve without very significant investment in mobile infrastructure. However such investments will make the delivery of FttH-like mobile services economically unviable.
- Antenna-based systems will always be more expensive to maintain than fixed FttH networks. In the long term FttH is a more cost-effective solution in nearly all broadband deployments.
- Wireless broadband will be an integral and essential part of any advanced digital infrastructure. There will be some overlap but the major usages are complementary. Seamless integration between FttH and 5G will occur later on in this decade.
- In low-density areas in developed economies there is room for fixed wireless infrastructure (instead of FttH), fixed-LTE and WiMAX are some of the technologies used here. Low density means less sharing, which means better quality. The relatively small population size of the areas where such infrastructure will be deployed, and the fact that this will be mainly government-funded rural/regional infrastructure, will allow for the over-engineering necessary for the delivery of comparable user experiences to people in these areas. Nevertheless, because of its superior quality, advances in the FttH technology will see an ongoing increase of its reach into regional areas.
Mobile broadband will be the only way to advance telecoms developments in developing economies with little or no fixed infrastructure in place; and not just for telecoms—even more importantly, for economic and social developments (e-commerce, m-payments, e-health, education and so on). The UN has already earmarked broadband as an essential element in the Millennium Development Goals.
However, even here, over time (20-25 years, perhaps less) this will predictably lead to higher FttH penetration in these countries as well, for exactly the same reasons that are mentioned above.
But once again these developments go hand in hand with the development of mobile broadband, the convenience of mobile communication and the fact that it is personal, will see an ongoing increase of its use. | <urn:uuid:41754614-5495-4400-9114-d5e205f58ff3> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://circleid.com/posts/20120910_role_of_mobile_broadband_in_the_overall_telecoms_market | 2024-09-07T15:36:48Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650883.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20240907131200-20240907161200-00768.warc.gz | en | 0.950759 | 780 | 2.90625 | 3 |
Fingerprint authentication on smartphones is meant to bridge the gap between security and convenience. The problem is, we leave our fingerprints everywhere – on our coffee cups, keypads, and beyond. And, hackers are constantly looking for new, innovative ways to steal our most sensitive information – fingerprints included.
In a recent Naked Security article, white hat hackers cracked Apple’s iPhone 5s device by tricking the sensor using a “stolen” fingerprint. Their method involved “making a copy of the targeted person’s fingerprint with a high-resolution image, printing out a reverse of the fingerprint using heavy amounts of printer toner to create a mold and then making a dummy fingerprint with wood glue.”
Samsung users are not exempt either. Researchers from Michigan State University department of computer science and engineering successfully used a similar method to test fingerprint spoofing on the Galaxy S5.
“This experiment further confirms the urgent need for anti-spoofing techniques for fingerprint recognition systems, especially for mobile devices which are being increasingly used for unlocking the phone and for payment,” the researchers noted in their findings.
Other forms of biometric authentication, like iris or facial recognition, are in the works. However, until those methods are proven and perfected, err on the side of security, not convenience.
Here are some security best practices to keep in mind:
- Enable two-factor authentication whenever possible
- Create strong, long passwords that use a combination of letters and numbers
- When creating back-up PIN codes for your phone, avoid easy-to-guess PINs like your birthday
- Use unique passwords for each site.
For more security tips and tricks, visit IDnotify’s Tips page on ways to keep your identity safe. | <urn:uuid:52379c8f-e651-4a54-8743-9fd64a40a7ac> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.idnotify.com/news-recap-white-hat-hackers-crack-fingerprint-authentication-on-phones/ | 2024-09-10T02:07:31Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651164.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909233606-20240910023606-00568.warc.gz | en | 0.899146 | 366 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Revolutionizing the realm of sustainable energy, RheEnergise introduces its ‘no water’ hydropower technology—a game-changing solution that stands to redefine the way we store and manage our renewable resources. Breaking away from the chains of traditional hydroelectric methods, this innovation leverages a high-density fluid that’s considerably more effective than water. As we delve into this transformative approach to energy storage, let us illuminate how RheEnergise could be key in reshaping the future of our power grid to support a more significant portion of clean energy.
Understanding the ‘No Water’ Hydropower Technology
The Mechanics of High-Density Hydro Systems
RheEnergise is propelling us toward a greener future with a simple, yet remarkably ingenious, concept. Imagine a liquid, 2.5 times denser than water, capable of storing and generating energy—even at lower elevations. This is the reality of RheEnergise’s High-Density (HD) hydro system; during periods of surplus energy production, this dense fluid is pumped to elevated storage. Then, when demand surges, the fluid cascades downhill to power turbines, thereby generating electricity. This not only exemplifies flexibility in energy management but stands testament to the system’s ability to maintain grid stability with renewable sources.
Low-Elevation Energy Storage Solutions
A significant barrier to conventional hydropower is its reliance on high-altitude water sources—a requirement that many regions cannot fulfill. Turning the tide, RheEnergise’s groundbreaking technology allows for the establishment of hydropower systems on gentle hills, dramatically broadening the geographical horizons of potential sites. This newfound adaptability paves the way for expansive hydropower accessibility and scalability, potentially sparking a global revolution in renewable energy deployment across varied landscapes.
Economic and Environmental Advantages
Comparisons to Lithium-Ion Battery Storage
In the eternal quest for sustainable energy solutions, long-duration storage stands as a critical component to manage the ebb and flow of renewables like solar and wind power. The HD hydro system by RheEnergise presents itself as a formidable contender when compared to the incumbent large-scale lithium-ion batteries. Boasting not only cost-effectiveness but also a longer operational lifespan and enhanced energy retention capabilities, RheEnergise’s system is poised to redefine the benchmarks for energy efficiency.
Reducing Ecological Footprints
As we venture deeper into sustainable practices, the diminished infrastructure footprint of RheEnergise’s HD hydro systems unveils a new vista of environmental stewardship by minimizing the ecological impact commonly associated with large dam constructions. Exploring this system’s environmental advantages, we find a harmonious blend of energy storage potency and a gentler touch on our planet’s delicate ecosystems.
Scaling Up for Global Impact
Viability and Potential Sites Worldwide
The potential for RheEnergise’s HD hydro system is not constrained by the borders of the United Kingdom. With an eye on the global stage, over 100,000 potential sites have been identified, encompassing disused mines and quarries that already possess the necessary elevation gradients. This section casts a wide net, analyzing the vital criteria and vast possibilities for site selection, illustrating the system’s universal adaptability and potential for vast global implementation.
Industrial Applications and the Energy Transition
Anticipation builds as the inaugural full-scale demonstration of RheEnergise’s system is set to commence operations by September 2024. Serving a kaolin mining site near Plymouth, England, this project is more than a proof of concept—it symbolizes a significant leap toward industrial decarbonization. Here we’ll consider the ramifications of this pioneering venture and what it entails for the broader transition to clean energy.
The Future of Renewable Energy Storage
Long-Duration Energy Storage as a Keystone for Renewables
While RheEnergise’s innovations spark excitement, it’s imperative to acknowledge its place within the diverse tapestry of energy storage advancements. By juxtaposing this novel technology with global projects like the Swiss water battery, we understand the critical role long-duration storage plays in fortifying the foundation of a sustainable, renewable future. It’s a future where different technologies coexist and complement one another in delivering reliability and sustainability.
A Synergistic Future for Energy Solutions
RheEnergise is forging a new path in the sustainable energy landscape with its innovative ‘no water’ hydropower technology, poised to alter the way we harness and store renewable energy. This groundbreaking technology parts ways with age-old hydroelectric systems by employing a high-density fluid that surpasses water in efficiency. This pioneering approach not only promises to transform energy storage but also equips us to significantly elevate the role of clean energy in our power grid. As we explore the potential of RheEnergise’s system, it’s becoming clear that this could be a pivotal piece in the puzzle of a greener future, helping to transition us toward a more sustainable way of meeting our energy needs. Through their cutting-edge solution, RheEnergise is not just tweaking an old model—it’s reinventing the wheel, potentially ushering us into a new era of energy independence and environmental stewardship. | <urn:uuid:05aa6d63-6311-4d6e-b36e-9ace033464df> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://energycurated.com/energy-management/how-does-rheenergise-revolutionize-hydropower-storage/ | 2024-09-12T12:24:59Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651457.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912110742-20240912140742-00368.warc.gz | en | 0.878012 | 1,113 | 2.59375 | 3 |
In the Windows environment, you may set the configuration variable 3D_LINES to 1 to cause the run-time system to display lines and boxes with 3-D shading. This makes the lines appear to be inscribed into the surface of the screen. Only black lines on a non-black background are shown with shading. Other lines are displayed normally.
The set of colors available to ACUCOBOL-GT significantly impacts how effective the shading will be. Normally, the shading is most effective when the background is low-intensity white. The other low-intensity colors are next best.
The shading is only marginally effective with a high-intensity background. For this reason, the 3D_LINES setting is not used when a high-intensity background is drawn. Note that, by default, ACUCOBOL-GT shows background colors in high intensity, so you will need to use at least one other configuration variable to arrange for a low-intensity background color. For example, the BACKGROUND_INTENSITY variable could be set to 1 to force a low-intensity background.
Under Windows and Windows NT, you may freely change the way lines are displayed in COBOL by using the SET ENVIRONMENT verb to set 3D_LINES, prior to displaying a line or a box:
The runtime system remembers which lines are drawn with 3-D, so you don't need to keep track of this yourself. Note, however, that if you attach a 3-D line to a non-3-D line, the intersection will use the 3D_LINES setting currently in effect. | <urn:uuid:63870d5b-babd-4245-8fb2-0e7e8595de75> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.microfocus.com/documentation/extend-acucobol/103/extend-Interoperability-Suite/GUID-2144C304-7260-44C2-BC4C-FEAA4AC5AD56.html | 2024-09-14T23:51:14Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651601.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20240914225323-20240915015323-00168.warc.gz | en | 0.902709 | 333 | 2.609375 | 3 |
I recently returned from an HTG Peer Group conference where I met with a number of my colleagues from around the country to discuss trends in technology and business. Over the course of the conference, a very hot topic emerged: the benefits and liabilities of encryption. It got me thinking about machine learning.
Not that long ago, most traffic traveled across the internet unencrypted and relatively easy to intercept. Today, in order to secure traffic, the right side of the law has been using more and more encryption methods. For instance, when you visit a website and enter your credit card number, the page is always encrypted; when you enter a username and password, that’s also always encrypted. You will typically notice this via the yellow padlock next to the web URL in your internet browser.
But how does encryption work? During a transaction of data on the internet, both the originating location and the receiving location have to share something called a key or a token. Without getting too technical, these can be public or private keys, typically 128 or 256 bits long and are impossible to guess. (Guessing a 128-bit key would take a supercomputer about a billion years.) Being mostly hack-proof, keys provide a safe tunnel or channel for data across the internet.
Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
But here’s where it gets interesting: Hackers have recently made use of secure channels for transmitting data on the internet, too. In other words, that which was meant to protect safe data is now used to protect malicious data, and also as a means to lock people out of their own files and hold them for ransom. This is exactly what happened last week with the massive ransomware attack called “WannaCry”.
Until recently, the conventional wisdom was always to deploy a firewall, which acts as a secure door into your network. The door would only be opened for certain types of traffic traveling on specific ports. In the old days, when most traffic went unencrypted, a firewall could look at packets of internet traffic and figure out if it was legitimate or not by analyzing the actual data. Today, about 70 percent of web traffic is encrypted, for both legitimate and illegal purposes. Because a firewall cannot decrypt this traffic, it doesn’t always know what is going through the doors.
Smartest Software in the Room
Don’t get me wrong: firewalls are still very valuable because they provide a secure gateway into your network. But they’re less and less valuable at protecting against certain kinds of attacks. As the online landscape changes, more layered levels of security are required for comprehensive protection. In addition to firewalls, we use advanced, journaling anti-virus software, spam and virus email filtering, and web umbrellas that scan your content to verify if it is safe or not.
As an example of how these tools work, our web umbrella OpenDNS might notice data being transmitted from your network to a network in China. If your company regularly does business in China, the software is smart enough to realize that your transaction is legitimate. But if you rarely share information with locations in China, the software will suspect something is wrong and block the traffic. This sounds simple in concept, but is actually quite complex and entails machine learning – software analyzes data to discover how your company works and what it does every day on the internet. In our industry, this is the cutting edge of information security: software that uses advanced machine learning to detect traffic patterns, even if it doesn’t know what is behind the encryption wall.
At TekTegrity, our current layers of protection (for clients and ourselves) are very good because we’re always adapting to stay ahead of the game as traditional security tools become less effective. We believe predictive software – which uses advanced learning to flag anomalies in normal traffic patterns – is the next frontier in network protection.
Russ Levanway is a sought-after public speaker, technology expert, and community leader. As the CEO of an ever-growing managed services provider with offices in both San Luis Obispo and Fresno, Russ’s goal is to sustain and grow an IT company that provides incredible value for clients, and a great workplace for his team. When not charting out the future for TekTegrity, Russ serves on several non-profit boards, volunteers at the People’s Kitchen and travels the world with his wife and two daughters.
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters! | <urn:uuid:36eb3bfb-d1a3-4967-b3bd-b792cf514a21> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://mytechdecisions.com/network-security/machine-learning-cyber-securitys-powerful-weapon/ | 2024-09-17T08:01:15Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651750.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917072424-20240917102424-00868.warc.gz | en | 0.945949 | 935 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Around the tube is a layer of Kevlar which provides tensile strength, and on the outside is an overall sheath made of high density plastic. One or more fibers with 250 micron jackets are installed in the tubes, and the fibers are a little longer than the cable itself, so that strain on the cable which might stretch the cable does not stretch the fibers. In most cases, all the spaces inside the tubes and other places in the cable are filled with a gel which serves to block water and support the fibers in the tubes.
In loose tube construction, the fiber (usually the 250um coated fiber) is contained in a color-coded, flexible plastic tube that has an inner diameter considerably larger than the fiber itself. Up to 12 of these fibers can be put inside a tube, and is usually filled with a gel material that prevents water penetration. These tubes are standed around a dielectric or steel central member to provide more flexibility. Aramid yarn is used as the primary tensile strength member. An outer polyethylene jacket is wrapped over the assembly. Polyethylene is the most common for outdoor cables due to high moisture resistance, abrasion resistance, and stability over a wide temperature range.
The loose tube provides the protection needed for the inner fiber from the exterior mechanical forces acting on a cable by isolating them. Several loose tube cables are often combined with strength members to form a multifiber assembly, and this provides additional protection from stress, and minimizes elongation and contraction. By cutting several fibers slightly longer than the loose tube length and braiding them inside the loose tube, the shrinkage due to temperature variation can be controlled while insulating the fibers from the stresses of installation and environmental loading. This would be a big advantage in outdoor applications, which is why most outdoor fiber optic systems have a loose tube configuration. Loose tube cables are normally used for outside-plant installtion in aerial, duct and direct buried applications.
The loose tube configuration is ideal for modular designs, as each tube can hold up to 12 fibers. With multiple tubes in a cable, this could add up to more than 200 fibers. With a modular design, certain groups of fibers can be routed to intermediate points without interfering with other protected buffer tubes being routed to other locations. The color-coded scheme in loose tube cable assemblies allows for easy identification and administration of fibers in the system.
The loose tube type offers a higher level of isolation from external forces, and when subjected to continuous mechanical stress, it has more stable transmission characteristics. For any given fiber, the effects of micro-bending on cable attenuation are lower. But the main reason the loose tube type is used outdoors is that it exhibits greater stability over temperature variations.
The principle disadvantage of the loose tube cable relates to connectorization. Because of the small fiber jacket size and the use of multiple fibers in a tube, connectors “can not” be installed directly on the fibers. (I have seen it done, but it is not recommended because the very small diameter plastic jacket gives virtually no protection to the fiber, and provides little surface area for the connector to grip.) As a result, the extra step of splicing pre-connectorized pigtails to the cable is commonly used. This makes connectorizing the loose tube cable more expensive than the tight buffer cables. Note that this does not apply to splices joining two cables together, though removing the gel from the fibers and tubes does slow the splicing and connectorization processes. Note also that the majority of loose tube cables are NOT fire rated for indoor use at all, so when a loose tube cable enters a building, it either has to be run in conduit or spliced to a fire rated cable.
We are FiberStore Inc. If you would like to know more about optical fiber cables information and dont know where to buy fiber optic cable, please visit our website and contact us. We also supply fiber jumpers and fiber pigtails. Welcome to contact us. | <urn:uuid:61cbfa46-5a9d-4d8f-be5a-314a8bdefd5c> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.fiber-optic-components.com/tag/fiber-jumpers | 2024-09-18T15:37:13Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651899.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20240918133146-20240918163146-00768.warc.gz | en | 0.934771 | 807 | 3.5 | 4 |
Phishing is a common type of scam aimed at stealing personal information from victims. The techniques phishers employ are becoming more sophisticated and varied. Considering this, it is important that anyone who uses the internet — or even just has a phone — understands the more advanced strategies that phishers might use, such as “spear phishing.”
What Is a Spear Phishing Attack?
Spear phishing is most commonly done through electronic communication mediums, such as email. It establishes a single target, which may be an individual or may be a specific group, like a company. If the target is a single, especially lucrative target like a CEO, it is called “whale phishing” or a “whaling attack.” The scammers will then find all of the information they can on the target, and use this information in order to sound legitimate and trick the target into divulging more valuable information, such as credit card numbers, passwords, or company strategies.
Commonly, the scammer will pretend that they are someone the victim knows, like their manager, in order to convince them to answer their questions or follow their malicious links. This may even mean that anyone who is accustomed to answering to authority figures — such as a child — is at higher risk of falling victim to a spear phishing scam.
Spear Phishing vs Phishing
While most phishing schemes involve sending the same bait to as many people as possible, spear phishing employs a targeted approach. The goal of average phishing schemes is to potentially catch a few victims in a wide net, whereas spear phishing narrows the focus onto a smaller, but more potentially lucrative target. Spear phishing is far more difficult due to the information-gathering process, but it is also more effective, and presents a higher reward when it is successful.
Spear Phishing Examples
There are actually several high-profile cases of spear phishing scams that had devastating results. These cases often show all of the hallmarks of common spear phishing tactics: specific targeting, impersonation, and theft of private information.
In 2015, Ubiquiti Networks, an affluent computer networking company, reported that they had lost $47 million as the result of a spear phishing scam. The company said that the investigation showed no evidence of intentional sabotage from within the company. Rather, a spear phishing attack on their finance department resulted in the transfer of funds from a subsidiary company in Hong Kong into the third party bank accounts of the scammers.
As in many cases like this, the information needed to transfer the funds was gained by impersonating known business associates. Additionally, the FBI published a public advisory in 2015 warning that business activities involving wire transfers to foreign bank accounts are especially at risk of spear phishing scams. According to the advisory, the losses attributed to scams such as spear phishing amounted to roughly $200 million in 2014.
In 2016, the personal information of several Snapchat employees was compromised as the result of a spear phishing scam where the scammer posed as Snapchat’s CEO. Although no funds or other information appeared to have been stolen, Snapchat did have to spend resources on protecting employees and ex-employees from identity fraud as a result of the leak.
Protecting Yourself Against a Spear Phishing Attack
Spear phishing is generally more successful than phishing, largely due to the effort involved. This also means that it can be more difficult to protect oneself or (or one’s company) from it. Basic phishing tactics often (but not always) suffer from the same failings as most catch-all scams: poor spelling, vague wording, and generally suspicious behavior. These red flags are relatively easy to spot. Avoiding spear phishing is a bit more tricky.
- Read messages carefully. Scammers want to catch you off guard. Always be on the lookout for suspicious emails.
- Don’t assume messages are from who they say they are. Phishers commonly impersonate others, especially people with authority, in order to get the information they want.
- Be wary of particularly urgent messages. Scammers don’t want you to have time to think about the message.
- Don’t give out private information. Unless you are absolutely certain about another person’s identity and their authorization to have certain information, never give out private information.
- Be careful of links. Links can lead you to webpages with phishing software. Keep an eye out for link shorteners or other link cloaking methods.
- Don’t use real personal information. Phishers can’t use information maliciously if it isn’t real information. In response to more sophisticated phishing scams, services like MySudo are being developed which provide their users with dummy profiles and even alternate contact methods. This allows people to navigate the internet without using any private information. | <urn:uuid:f9074202-3a74-4812-b5e1-9023f90c0612> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://mysudo.com/2020/02/what-is-spear-phishing/ | 2024-09-21T03:01:53Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725701427996.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20240921015054-20240921045054-00568.warc.gz | en | 0.9556 | 1,002 | 3.234375 | 3 |
Unbilled revenue refers to income that has been earned by a company for providing goods or services but has not yet been invoiced to the customer. This type of revenue is common in industries with subscription models, like software as a service (SaaS), where services are provided continuously over time, and billing cycles may not align perfectly with the period during which the revenue is earned.
In a SaaS business, unbilled revenue often occurs when a service has been delivered or a subscription period has begun, but the customer has not yet been billed. For example, if a customer subscribes to a SaaS product on an annual plan, the company earns revenue each month as the service is provided. However, if the billing is set to occur only at the end of the year, the revenue earned up to that point but not yet invoiced is considered unbilled revenue.
Unbilled revenue is recorded on the company’s balance sheet as an asset under accounts receivable. This is because it represents money that the company is entitled to receive but has not yet requested from the customer. Properly managing unbilled revenue is crucial for accurate financial reporting and maintaining a clear picture of a company’s financial health.
Unbilled revenue can impact cash flow management, as it represents income that has been earned but not yet received. For SaaS companies, it is essential to monitor and manage this revenue to ensure that the business remains financially stable, particularly if there is a significant gap between when services are provided and when payment is collected.
Tracking unbilled revenue is also important for compliance with accounting standards, which often require revenue to be recognized when it is earned, not necessarily when it is billed or received. By keeping a close eye on unbilled revenue, companies can ensure that their financial statements accurately reflect the business’s performance. | <urn:uuid:0990dcec-2408-433f-a717-e57b730c1edf> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.cloudblue.com/glossary/unbilled-revenue/ | 2024-09-11T08:58:55Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651383.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911084051-20240911114051-00568.warc.gz | en | 0.979738 | 379 | 2.546875 | 3 |
With all the discussions surrounding smart cities, many members of the public, even policy makers are still unclear about what exactly a ‘smart city’ is. And while this is slowly changing, Governments are starting to realise that decisions on the future of cities needs to be a collaborative effort, and citizens must be involved, so they are beginning to look towards the next phase of smart city implementation and want to encourage citizens to become active participants in the movement.
Table of Contents
ToggleHow we engage society in smart cities will to be part of a wider discussion at the upcoming Smart Cities Global Technology and Investment Summit on June 27-28 2018. Key leaders from outreach projects across cities including Berlin, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Bologna are coming together to examine the ways smart technology can be used to educate communities to positively impact lives and how their organisations can help to create a more inclusive environment for citizens.
“A true Smart City requires collaboration on all levels. Since citizens are the primary ‘users’ of a city, it is of strategic importance that they can shape their own ecosystem and are part of that process,” said Joachim Schonowski, Head of Innovation Smart Sustainable Cities at Telekom Innovation Laboratories. “Many service ideas are developed by the ones who actually live in a specific area and hence know challenges and demands best. Besides communication, information events or living labs are important to help people understand difficult technologies.”
Frans-Anton Vermast, International Smart City Ambassador for Amsterdam has a similar approach and believes that ‘citizens are the end users of the city.’ The Amsterdam Smart City initiatives aim to create a more sustainable and liveable environment and boost social and economic benefits that will result in more happy citizens.
AI to aid citizen engagement
There is also the opportunity to use technology to facilitate this engagement. Recent research undertaken by Bettina Tratz-Ryan from Gartner outlines an approach ‘where citizens are an integral part of designing and developing smart cities. For smart citizens, the focus is not just about the use of technologies such as artificial intelligence and smart machines, but the enhancement of services and experience.’
“Machine learning and chatbots are being used to engage citizens or assets with their environment. Cities are building business and technology policies to assess the opportunities offered by potentially disruptive technologies like AI for elderly care, autonomous driving or delivery bots. In addition, there are emerging use cases for blockchain for transactions and in record keeping.”
Funding for smart city initiatives
“In Europe, several of the major cities are working on similar projects including Smart Streetlights, Smart Parking, Smart Bicycle or Smart Waste. So far most of these interventions have been based on government and industry collaboration using available funding options from EU or local funding programs,” said Joachim. “And the impact of these initiatives is the reduction of cost, energy reduction and reduction of fuel driven mobility. Citizens know their local communities better than anyone else; they also have more incentive to see them thrive.”
Whilst the smart city concept is high on the agenda for most city councils, funding for collaborative initiatives remains an issue, especially where it’s difficult to quantify positive financial outcomes with new disruptive technologies.
Funding can be seen as a long-term approach and can be reliant on both public and private sector partnerships, however forward thinking approaches such as volunteer-led and crowdfunding schemes have proved successful.
“What is important is that public and Governmental bodies work together on a local, continental and global level” says Joachim, “since eventually we are working towards the same vision.” And the most important innovations in a city are the ones that help solve issues important for citizens, that increase the level of social engagement in city affairs and those that build trust among people to strengthen the civil society.
The Smart Cities Global Investment & Technology Summit runs from the 27-28 June 2018, to register your place or for more information, please visit smartcityalgiers.com or contact firstname.lastname@example.org
Source PR Newswire | <urn:uuid:6f3f6570-ca77-4697-aa72-a013ce527ad9> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://itchronicles.com/marketing/smart-cities-citizens-need-to-drive-transformation/ | 2024-09-12T15:40:27Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651460.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912142729-20240912172729-00468.warc.gz | en | 0.942103 | 843 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Spyware! There is no such thing as 100% security. No matter how careful you are, there is always some risk that your computer will be compromised by a virus, Trojan or other type of malware. Many people don’t even know their computers are at risk because many of the “security” features built into today’s operating systems are actually hiding many of the threats to your computer.
In this article, I’m going to give you a basic understanding of what is happening when you run into one of these types of problems and show you how to stop it without having to reinstall your operating system.
- What is Spyware?
- Types of Spyware
- How Spyware Works
- Signs of Spyware Infection
- Spyware: Risks and Dangers
- Spyware Prevention
- Spyware Detection
- Spyware Removal
- Protecting Your Online Privacy
- Spyware on Mobile Devices
- Spyware: Legal Aspects
- Spyware in Business Environments
- Staying Informed About Spyware Threats
- Frequently Asked Questions
- 1. What is spyware, and how does it differ from other types of malware?
- 2. Can spyware infect Mac computers, or is it primarily a Windows issue?
- 3. Are there any legitimate uses for spyware?
- 4. What should I do if I suspect my computer is infected with spyware?
- 5. Can spyware be spread through email attachments or links?
- 6. How often should I update my antivirus and anti-spyware software?
- 7. Is it possible to recover data lost due to spyware infection?
- 8. What legal actions can I take against spyware developers?
- 9. Are there any free tools available for spyware removal?
- Final Words
What is Spyware?
Spyware encompasses a variety of software applications that, once installed on a device, clandestinely monitor the user’s activities, collect data, and transmit it to a third party, often for nefarious purposes. This data can include browsing habits, login credentials, financial information, and more. Spyware operates covertly, often disguising itself as legitimate software or piggybacking on seemingly harmless downloads.
Its primary aim is to compromise the user’s privacy and potentially lead to identity theft, financial fraud, or other cybercrimes.
Understanding spyware and its potential consequences is crucial in the digital age for several reasons:
- Protection of Privacy: Spyware can infringe upon one’s privacy by monitoring online activities and even recording keystrokes. Awareness empowers individuals to take steps to protect their digital privacy.
- Preventing Identity Theft: Many spyware variants aim to steal personal and financial information. Recognizing the signs of a spyware infection can help users safeguard their sensitive data and prevent identity theft.
- Maintaining Cybersecurity: Spyware is often a component of larger cyberattacks. Recognizing spyware can be an early warning sign of a broader security breach, enabling individuals and organizations to respond promptly and effectively.
- Preserving System Performance: Spyware can slow down devices and disrupt normal operations. Awareness helps users identify and remove spyware, improving their device’s performance.
Types of Spyware
- Purpose: Adware, short for “advertising-supported software,” is primarily designed to display unwanted advertisements on a user’s computer or device. It generates revenue for its creators by promoting products or services.
- Symptoms: Adware often results in intrusive pop-up ads, banner ads, or redirecting web pages to advertising content. It can slow down system performance and disrupt the user experience.
- Risk: While adware is primarily a nuisance, some aggressive forms may collect user data to target ads more effectively.
- Purpose: Trojans, or Trojan horses, are malicious software that disguises itself as legitimate programs or files. Once installed, they grant unauthorized access to the attacker, allowing them to steal data, gain control of the system, or initiate other malicious activities.
- Symptoms: Trojans often operate silently in the background, making them challenging to detect. Users may notice unusual system behavior, unauthorized access, or data breaches.
- Risk: Trojans are a significant security threat, as they can lead to data theft, system compromise, or the installation of other malicious software.
- Purpose: Keyloggers are spyware programs designed to record keystrokes made by a user on their keyboard. This includes usernames, passwords, and other sensitive information, which is then sent to the attacker.
- Symptoms: Keyloggers are typically hidden and operate discreetly. Users may not notice any immediate signs of infection. Suspicious account activity or unauthorized access may indicate a keylogger’s presence.
- Risk: Keyloggers pose a severe threat to personal privacy and security, as they can capture sensitive information and facilitate identity theft.
- Purpose: Tracking cookies are small text files stored on a user’s computer or device by websites to track their online behavior and preferences. While not always malicious, some tracking cookies can be used for intrusive data collection and user profiling.
- Symptoms: Users may notice that online ads seem to be closely related to their recent online activities or interests. However, the presence of tracking cookies is typically not immediately obvious.
- Risk: While tracking cookies are often used for legitimate purposes, some may be part of more extensive tracking efforts or used for unethical data profiling.
How Spyware Works
Spyware works through a combination of infection methods, data collection processes, and privacy concerns, all of which contribute to its intrusive and potentially harmful nature.
- Social Engineering: Spyware often relies on social engineering techniques to trick users into installing it unknowingly. This can include disguising itself as a legitimate program, email attachment, or enticing download.
- Drive-By Downloads: Some spyware can be installed silently without any user interaction through vulnerabilities in software, browsers, or plugins. This method is known as a drive-by download.
- Bundled Software: Spyware may be bundled with seemingly legitimate software downloads. Users who rush through installation processes without carefully reviewing each step can inadvertently install spyware along with the desired software.
- Malicious Links: Clicking on malicious links or visiting compromised websites can trigger the download and installation of spyware without the user’s consent.
Data Collection Processes
- Silent Monitoring: Once installed, spyware operates quietly in the background, making it challenging for users to detect. It may log various activities, such as keystrokes, websites visited, and files accessed.
- Data Transmission: Spyware often collects data and sends it to a remote server controlled by cybercriminals. This data can include personal information, login credentials, financial details, and more.
- Remote Control: Some advanced spyware allows attackers to take control of the infected device, enabling them to perform actions like viewing the screen, controlling the webcam, or executing malicious commands.
- Persistence: Spyware strives to maintain persistence on the infected device, often by creating hidden files, registry entries, or scheduled tasks that ensure it continues to operate even after a system restart.
- Invasion of Privacy: Spyware infringes upon users’ privacy rights by surreptitiously monitoring their online and offline activities. This can include tracking browsing history, collecting personal messages, and recording conversations.
- Data Theft: One of the most significant privacy concerns is data theft. Spyware can steal sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, login credentials, and social security numbers, which can lead to identity theft and financial losses.
- Erosion of Trust: The presence of spyware erodes trust in the digital ecosystem, making users wary of online activities. It can undermine the integrity of online communications and transactions.
- Legal and Ethical Issues: The use of spyware often raises legal and ethical questions. It’s typically illegal to install spyware on someone else’s device without their consent. Ethically, the invasion of privacy through spyware is widely condemned.
Protecting against spyware involves a multi-pronged approach, including using reputable antivirus and anti-malware software, keeping software and operating systems up to date, practicing safe browsing habits, and being cautious when downloading or installing software.
Signs of Spyware Infection
Recognizing the signs of a spyware infection is crucial for protecting your computer and personal information. Spyware often operates silently in the background, but it can leave several noticeable indicators.
Sluggish Computer Performance
A significant decrease in your computer’s performance, such as slow startup, lagging applications, or unresponsiveness, can be a sign of spyware. Spyware consumes system resources and can cause these issues.
Unwanted Pop-up Ads
Frequent and intrusive pop-up ads that appear both within your web browser and outside of it are a classic sign of adware, which is a type of spyware. These ads may promote questionable products or services.
Altered Browser Settings
Spyware can modify your web browser’s settings without your consent. Look out for changes in your homepage, default search engine, or the appearance of new and unfamiliar browser extensions or toolbars.
Suspicious Network Activity
Unusual network activity, such as increased data usage when you’re not actively using the internet, can be a sign of spyware. Spyware may be sending your data to remote servers or downloading additional malicious content.
Changes in System Settings
Spyware can alter system settings, such as your security settings or firewall rules, to make your computer more vulnerable to further infections or to maintain its presence on your system.
Unexpected Crashes or Errors
Frequent system crashes, error messages, or application instability that you haven’t experienced before can indicate a spyware infection, especially if these issues coincide with other signs on this list.
Excessive CPU Usage
If you notice that your computer’s CPU usage is abnormally high even when you’re not running resource-intensive applications, it could be due to spyware running in the background.
If you notice unauthorized access to your online accounts, unfamiliar charges on your credit card statements, or strange emails sent from your accounts, these could be the result of spyware collecting login credentials.
Unwanted Browser Redirects
Spyware can redirect your web searches to unfamiliar or potentially harmful websites. If your search results are consistently altered, it may be a sign of a browser hijacking caused by spyware.
Excessive Disk Activity
If you hear your computer’s hard drive constantly spinning or notice excessive disk activity when you’re not actively using your computer, it could be indicative of spyware performing data collection or other malicious tasks.
Spyware: Risks and Dangers
- Risk: Spyware can collect sensitive personal information, such as Social Security numbers, credit card details, usernames, and passwords. If this information falls into the wrong hands, it can be used for identity theft, leading to severe financial and legal consequences for the victim.
- Dangers: Identity theft can result in fraudulent credit card charges, unauthorized bank transactions, and the misuse of personal information for criminal activities. Victims often face a long and challenging process to restore their credit and financial stability.
- Risk: Spyware may enable cybercriminals to gain access to online banking and financial accounts, compromising the victim’s financial assets. Additionally, some spyware variants facilitate fraudulent financial transactions.
- Dangers: Financial losses due to spyware can range from unauthorized purchases and withdrawals to complete depletion of bank accounts. Victims may struggle to recover their lost funds and deal with the aftermath of financial fraud.
- Risk: Spyware fundamentally violates an individual’s privacy by monitoring their online and offline activities, including browsing habits, emails, chat conversations, and more. This invasive surveillance can capture intimate details of one’s life.
- Dangers: The invasion of privacy caused by spyware can lead to emotional distress and damage personal and professional relationships. Victims may experience feelings of violation and insecurity, knowing that their private information is in the hands of cybercriminals or malicious actors.
- Risk: In addition to stealing personal information, spyware may target organizations to access sensitive corporate data, trade secrets, customer databases, and intellectual property.
- Dangers: Data breaches can result in financial losses, damage to a company’s reputation, and legal consequences. Organizations may face lawsuits, regulatory fines, and loss of customer trust, which can be challenging to recover from.
- Risk: Some spyware can lead to a compromised system, allowing attackers to gain full control over a victim’s device. This can extend to cybercriminals using the infected system to launch further attacks.
- Dangers: A compromised system can be used for various malicious purposes, including distributing malware, conducting Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, or serving as a part of a botnet. The victim may become unknowingly involved in cybercriminal activities.
Legal and Ethical Consequences
- Risk: The use of spyware, especially without consent, is illegal in many jurisdictions and a violation of ethical principles. Individuals and organizations found using spyware may face legal repercussions and damage to their reputation.
- Dangers: Legal penalties for spying on someone without consent can include fines and imprisonment. In the case of organizations, regulatory bodies can impose significant fines for data breaches and privacy violations.
Safe Browsing Habits
- Avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading files from untrusted sources, especially emails from unknown senders.
- Be cautious when visiting unfamiliar websites, and avoid clicking on pop-up ads or questionable advertisements.
Keep Software Updated
- Regularly update your operating system, web browsers, and all software applications to patch vulnerabilities that spyware may exploit.
- Enable automatic updates whenever possible to ensure you’re always running the latest, more secure versions.
Use a Reliable Antivirus Program
- Install and maintain reputable antivirus and anti-malware software on your computer or device.
- Ensure that the software is set to update automatically and perform regular system scans.
Antivirus and Anti-Spyware Software
- Utilize antivirus and anti-spyware software that includes spyware detection capabilities. These programs can scan your system for known spyware signatures and behavior patterns.
- Run full system scans regularly, and pay attention to any spyware alerts or quarantine recommendations provided by the software.
Manual Detection Techniques
- Keep an eye out for signs of a spyware infection, such as sluggish performance, pop-up ads, altered browser settings, or suspicious network activity.
- Monitor your system’s behavior and resource usage for any anomalies, such as excessive CPU or disk activity when you’re not actively using your computer.
- Check your browser’s extensions and plugins regularly for any unfamiliar or suspicious additions, and remove them if necessary.
- Examine your system’s startup programs and disable any that seem suspicious or unnecessary.
- Install reputable browser extensions or add-ons designed to detect and block spyware, adware, and malicious websites. Some popular examples include AdBlock Plus, uBlock Origin, and Malwarebytes Browser Guard.
- These extensions can provide an additional layer of protection by blocking intrusive ads and warning you about potentially harmful websites.
Using Antivirus Software
- The most reliable and efficient method for removing spyware is to use reputable antivirus or anti-spyware software.
- Update your antivirus software to the latest version, and run a full system scan. The software will detect and remove spyware and other malware from your system.
- Follow the software’s recommendations for quarantining or deleting the identified threats.
Manual Removal Steps
- If you suspect a spyware infection or your antivirus software doesn’t detect it, you can attempt manual removal. However, this should be done cautiously, as incorrect actions can damage your system.
- First, disconnect your computer from the internet to prevent further data transmission to malicious servers.
- Access the Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and terminate any suspicious processes or applications.
- Remove suspicious browser extensions, toolbars, or add-ons from your web browser.
- Check your startup programs and disable any suspicious entries.
- Manually delete spyware-related files and folders from your system, but exercise caution to avoid deleting essential system files.
- If the spyware infection has caused significant damage or if you’re unable to remove it using other methods, you can try using the System Restore feature.
- System Restore allows you to revert your computer’s settings and system files to a previous state when it was functioning correctly.
- Select a restore point from before the spyware infection occurred and follow the on-screen instructions to restore your system.
Protecting Your Online Privacy
- Use strong, unique passwords for each online account. A strong password typically includes a mix of upper and lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters.
- Consider using a password manager to generate and store complex passwords securely.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Enable 2FA whenever possible on your online accounts. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring a one-time code, often sent to your mobile device, in addition to your password.
- Use encryption technologies to protect your sensitive data, both in transit and at rest. Look for the padlock icon (HTTPS) in your browser’s address bar when visiting websites to ensure secure connections.
- Encrypt your devices, such as smartphones and computers, to safeguard data if the device is lost or stolen. This can often be done through device settings or third-party encryption software.
Spyware on Mobile Devices
Risks to Mobile Devices
Mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, are susceptible to spyware infections, which can result in various risks:
- Data Theft: Spyware can steal sensitive information stored on your mobile device, including contact lists, messages, photos, and login credentials.
- Privacy Invasion: Spyware can monitor your activities, including calls, text messages, and web browsing, leading to a breach of your personal privacy.
- Financial Consequences: Some spyware may attempt to access your mobile banking apps or online payment services, putting your financial accounts at risk.
- Location Tracking: Certain spyware can track your physical location in real-time, potentially putting your safety and security in danger.
- Battery Drain and Performance Issues: Spyware running in the background can drain your device’s battery quickly and cause performance degradation.
Prevention and Removal
To protect your mobile device from spyware and address spyware infections, consider the following measures:
- Install Security Software: Use reputable antivirus and anti-malware apps designed for mobile devices. These apps can scan for and remove spyware.
- App Source Verification: Download apps only from official app stores like Google Play Store (Android) or Apple App Store (iOS). Avoid sideloading apps from third-party sources.
- App Permissions: Review the permissions requested by apps before installation. Be cautious about granting unnecessary permissions that could compromise your privacy.
- Keep Software Updated: Regularly update your mobile operating system and apps to patch security vulnerabilities.
- Secure Your Device: Use a strong PIN, password, fingerprint, or facial recognition to lock your device, and enable remote tracking and wiping features in case your device is lost or stolen.
- Check App Reviews: Read user reviews and check app ratings before downloading. Be wary of apps with low ratings or negative feedback.
- Regular Scanning: Run regular scans using your mobile security software to identify and remove spyware.
- App Removal: If you suspect an app is spyware, uninstall it immediately from your device.
- Privacy Settings: Review and adjust your device’s privacy settings to restrict access to sensitive data by apps.
- Network Security: Use secure Wi-Fi networks and avoid public Wi-Fi for sensitive transactions or data access.
Spyware: Legal Aspects
Laws Against Spyware
Various laws and regulations govern the use of spyware in many jurisdictions. These laws typically focus on protecting individuals’ privacy and personal data. While the specifics can vary by country, some common legal aspects include:
- Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) in the United States: The CFAA addresses computer-related crimes, including unauthorized access to computers and spyware-related activities.
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union: GDPR sets strict rules for the collection, processing, and storage of personal data, including provisions against spyware and data breaches.
- Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) in the United States: ECPA safeguards electronic communications from interception and unauthorized access, covering aspects of spyware and wiretapping.
Reporting Spyware Incidents
If you suspect or encounter spyware on your mobile device, consider taking the following steps:
- Uninstall Suspected Apps: Remove any apps you suspect to be spyware from your device immediately.
- Contact Customer Support: If the spyware is associated with a legitimate app, contact the app’s customer support or developer to report the issue.
- Law Enforcement: If you believe your privacy has been severely compromised or you’ve suffered financial losses due to spyware, report the incident to local law enforcement authorities.
- Data Privacy Regulators: If you are in the European Union and believe your data protection rights have been violated due to spyware, you can report the incident to your country’s data protection authority.
- Security Organizations: Inform reputable cybersecurity organizations or forums about your experience with spyware to help others avoid similar situations and receive guidance on removal.
Spyware in Business Environments
- Data Breaches: Spyware can infiltrate a company’s network, resulting in data breaches and exposing sensitive corporate data, customer information, and intellectual property.
- Financial Loss: The financial implications of spyware can be severe, including the cost of data recovery, legal fees, regulatory fines, and potential loss of business reputation.
- Operational Disruption: Spyware can disrupt business operations by slowing down systems, causing crashes, and leading to downtime, which can impact productivity and revenue.
- Loss of Trust: A data breach due to spyware can erode customer trust, damaging the company’s reputation and potentially leading to the loss of clients and partners.
- Legal Consequences: Non-compliance with data protection regulations or the use of spyware for unethical purposes can result in legal action and regulatory penalties.
- Employee Training: Educate employees about spyware risks, safe browsing practices, and the importance of not downloading or clicking on suspicious links or attachments.
- Endpoint Security: Employ comprehensive endpoint security solutions, including antivirus, anti-spyware, and intrusion detection systems, to safeguard all devices connected to the corporate network.
- Network Monitoring: Implement network monitoring tools to detect and respond to suspicious network activity, which can be an early indicator of spyware infections.
- Firewalls and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS): Deploy firewalls and IPS solutions to prevent unauthorized access and the transmission of spyware across the network.
- Regular Software Updates: Keep all software, including operating systems and applications, up to date with security patches to address vulnerabilities that spyware might exploit.
- Mobile Device Management (MDM): Implement MDM solutions to secure and monitor mobile devices used for work, as these devices are increasingly targeted by spyware.
- Data Encryption: Encrypt sensitive data to protect it in case of a breach. Encryption ensures that even if data is accessed, it remains unreadable without the appropriate decryption keys.
- Access Controls: Enforce strict access controls to limit employee access to sensitive data and systems based on their roles and responsibilities.
- Incident Response Plan: Develop a detailed incident response plan that outlines steps to take in case of a spyware or data breach incident. This includes containment, investigation, and notification procedures.
Staying Informed About Spyware Threats
- Regular Software Updates: Keep all software, including operating systems, web browsers, and security software, up to date with the latest security patches and updates to protect against known vulnerabilities.
- Automatic Updates: Enable automatic updates whenever possible to protect your devices and software without manual intervention.
Industry News and Resources
- Security News Sources: Stay informed about the latest spyware threats and cybersecurity news through reputable sources such as cybersecurity blogs, news websites, and industry-specific publications.
- Security Forums and Communities: Participate in online security forums and communities where professionals share information, insights, and experiences related to spyware and other threats.
- Threat Intelligence Services: Consider subscribing to threat intelligence services or receiving threat alerts from organizations that monitor and analyze emerging cyber threats.
- Industry Associations: Join industry associations or organizations related to cybersecurity that provide resources, training, and updates on spyware and other security risks.
- Security Training and Webinars: Attend cybersecurity training sessions, webinars, and conferences to stay up to date with the latest spyware trends and countermeasures.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is spyware, and how does it differ from other types of malware?
Spyware is a type of malware that secretly infiltrates a computer or device to monitor and gather data without the user’s consent. Unlike other malware, such as viruses or ransomware, spyware’s primary goal is information collection rather than immediate harm.
2. Can spyware infect Mac computers, or is it primarily a Windows issue?
While Windows PCs have historically been more vulnerable to spyware and malware, Mac computers are not immune. As Macs gain popularity, they become more attractive targets for spyware developers. Mac users should also take precautions and use security software.
3. Are there any legitimate uses for spyware?
Some forms of spyware have legitimate uses, such as parental control software for monitoring children’s online activities or employee monitoring software used by businesses to track employee productivity. However, these tools should always be used with consent and in accordance with applicable laws.
4. What should I do if I suspect my computer is infected with spyware?
If you suspect a spyware infection, immediately run a full system scan with reputable antivirus and anti-spyware software. Follow the software’s recommendations for removing or quarantining threats. Additionally, consider implementing the manual removal steps discussed earlier.
Yes, spyware can be spread through email attachments or malicious links. Be cautious when opening email attachments from unknown senders and avoid clicking on suspicious links in emails or on websites.
6. How often should I update my antivirus and anti-spyware software?
Regularly update your antivirus and anti-spyware software to ensure that you have the latest threat definitions and security patches. Enabling automatic updates is recommended to keep your software up to date without manual intervention.
7. Is it possible to recover data lost due to spyware infection?
Data loss due to spyware can be challenging to recover, depending on the extent of the damage. Regular data backups can help mitigate data loss. Professional data recovery services may be necessary in severe cases.
8. What legal actions can I take against spyware developers?
Laws against spyware vary by jurisdiction. Victims of spyware may consider reporting incidents to local law enforcement, filing complaints with relevant regulatory agencies, and consulting with legal professionals to explore potential legal actions.
9. Are there any free tools available for spyware removal?
Yes, there are free tools available for spyware removal, such as Malwarebytes, Spybot – Search & Destroy, and AdwCleaner. These tools can be effective in detecting and removing spyware.
To sum things up, I would say the main reasons people get spyware are:
- They visit suspect websites;
- They download and run programs without checking their “sources”
- They visit suspect websites or download suspect programs from their “trusted” software sources
By the way, the first two points are actually the same thing. By visiting suspect websites, you are taking a risk of getting infected because there is a good chance those sites contain malware.
If you do decide to visit a suspect website, it is a good idea to use an ad blocker like NoScript with a separate browser (like Firefox) so you won’t be distracted by all the ads while you are visiting the site.
If you do download something, make sure it comes from a reputable source. If you have to ask “Does this come from a trustworthy source? Positively,” then it probably doesn’t.
Information Security Asia is the go-to website for the latest cybersecurity and tech news in various sectors. Our expert writers provide insights and analysis that you can trust, so you can stay ahead of the curve and protect your business. Whether you are a small business, an enterprise or even a government agency, we have the latest updates and advice for all aspects of cybersecurity. | <urn:uuid:2f3ffc95-ae2a-4e1c-b17f-4ba408f320a3> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://informationsecurityasia.com/spyware/ | 2024-09-13T22:29:51Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651540.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913201909-20240913231909-00368.warc.gz | en | 0.898078 | 6,088 | 2.796875 | 3 |
We know what blockchain is by now.
Blockchain is an immutable distributed ledger system for maintaining a permanent and tamper-proof record of transactional data as a decentralized database that is managed by computers belonging to a peer-to-peer (P2P) network.
So what is blockchain middleware?
Blockchain middleware typically refers to software functions designed to bring together various interrelated instances and elements of blockchain data… it can also encompass software designed to combine different blockchain implementations within a unified interface for ease of use and (often) as a route to achieving scalability.
Blockchain middleware can also be used to apply blockchain to use cases in specific industries that are not well served by existing blockchain technologies.
Tibco Software CTO for EMEA region Maurizio Canton points out that while the [business] case for harnessing blockchain may be watertight, as ever the implementation can be a deal breaker if the full benefits are to be reaped and the value optimised.
“Setting up this technology comes with an inherent complexity. As a concept that is underpinned by partnership and collaboration, the need for middleware that supports integration, correlation and analytics as well as driving security and governance must be a major consideration of any project,” wrote Canton, in a blog post linked above.
Canton says that crucially, many different data sources must come together with the rest of an enterprise architecture in real-time.
“Blockchain is continually generating technical and business information that can offer valuable insights from fraud detection to the behaviours of users throughout the blockchain, so tools that can visualise these become a core ingredient for quick and simple data gathering and enhanced predictive capabilities,” added Tibco’s Canton.
Use case example
One example of a blockchain middleware platform is Omnitude, the British tech firm has partnered with multi-vendor e-commerce platform CS-Cart to build single identity capabilities into the retail experience using blockchain.
CS-Cart powers more than 35,000 websites worldwide, where multiple vendors can sell their goods through a single marketplace. Omnitude ID (OID) technology will be natively integrated into its software, providing unparalleled levels of trust and convenience and helping to reduce the risk of fraud.
Customers with an existing OID will only need to enter their identity and preferences once, then each time they transact with a vendor they will be able to use the identity and preference information already stored in the blockchain. | <urn:uuid:d56918e8-672d-458b-aadf-c427b9deccca> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.computerweekly.com/blog/CW-Developer-Network/What-is-blockchain-middleware | 2024-09-15T03:55:47Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651614.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20240915020916-20240915050916-00268.warc.gz | en | 0.93126 | 509 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Kerberos Part 1 - What is it and how does it work?
Sep 15, 2023
In the cybersecurity world, Kerberos is used for identity verification. It is also the name of the three-headed dog guarding the gates of Hades (Hell) in Greek mythology. In the case of the technology, the three heads are represented by the client, the server, and the Key Distribution Center (KDC). Understanding and protecting Kerberos is critical for cybersecurity.
What is Kerberos?
Kerberos is a network authentication protocol designed to verify the identity of users, services, and machines before granting access to resources. It was developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the late 1980s. Although it has been around for a long time, it is found in almost every operating system, of which Active Directory (AD) is the most common implementation.
The Kerberos Consortium maintains Kerberos as an open-source project. Microsoft has implemented it based on Kerberos Network Authentication Service (V5) standard while adding extensions and continues to update it frequently given its importance in security.
How does Kerberos Work?
All steps of the Kerberos authentication process use secret-key cryptography to help prevent playback, eavesdropping or tampering.
Authentication Process: When a user logs into AD, they provide their credentials, such as their username and password. The client machine contacts the Key Distribution Center (KDC) to request a “ticket-granting ticket” (TGT). In AD, every Domain Controller (DC) performs the KDC role by providing both the authentication service and the “ticket granting service” (TGS).
Ticket-Granting Ticket (TGT): The TGT serves as a token that allows the user to request access to various services without repeatedly having to enter their password. The TGT is encrypted using the user’s password to ensure its security during transmission.
Service Tickets: When the user needs access to a specific resource, the client machine uses the TGT to request a “service ticket” from the KDC TGS. This service ticket is then presented to the relevant service and, if valid, grants access without the need for password re-entry.
Kerberos is designed to provide enhanced security by:
• Strong authentication – encrypted communications, no clear text passwords.
• Ticket expiration – Issued tickets have a limited valid lifetime.
• Mutual authentication – Both the client and the service verify each other’s identities, to help prevent the impersonation of legitimate users or services.
Kerberos is generally considered to be secure though like any security measure there are some methods that can be used to defeat it. In part 2 of the blog post we will examine some of those methods and steps you can take to minimize your risk. | <urn:uuid:e5f5bc3e-7e9a-4885-81d7-286cc5ec940d> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://cygnalabs.com/en/kerberos-part-one-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-work/ | 2024-09-17T15:53:27Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651800.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917140525-20240917170525-00068.warc.gz | en | 0.937507 | 592 | 3.15625 | 3 |
Browsers are the gateway to online productivity.
Without them, we would not be able to get work done. To that end, they are also one of the biggest attack targets for bad actors. If we are not careful, and do not make a conscious effort to upkeep web browser security, hackers can easily exploit browser vulnerabilities.
What makes browsers especially appealing to these individuals? Browsers access, collect, and hold lots of sensitive data — from personal credentials to company information — that cyber hackers can sell on the dark web and use to blackmail companies.
According to Atlas VPN, Google Chrome, the world’s most popular browser, has the highest number of reported (303) vulnerabilities year to date. Google Chrome also has a total of 3,159 cumulative vulnerabilities since its public release.
In this article, we’ll dive into the topic of browser vulnerabilities, the importance of patch management, and how to streamline protection.
A Closer Look at Google Chrome’s Latest Vulnerabilities
On November 8, 2022, the Center for Internet Security (CIS) reported finding multiple vulnerabilities in Google Chrome.
The most severe vulnerability within this group could potentially allow for arbitrary code execution in the context of the logged on user. What does that mean?
Depending on a user’s privileges, an attacker could install programs and view, change, or delete data. The bad actor could even create new accounts with full user rights!
Of course, users whose accounts have minimal user rights on the system would be less impacted than those with administrative user rights.
Multi-OS systems were affected, including:
- Google Chrome versions prior to 107.0.5304.110 for Mac
- Google Chrome versions prior to 107.0.5304.110 for Linux
- Google Chrome versions prior to 107.0.5304.106/.107 for Windows
First and foremost, CIS recommends applying appropriate updates provided by Google to vulnerable systems immediately after appropriate testing. See here for all the other CIS recommended actions.
The Need for Browser Patching
Here are the key reasons you should regularly update or patch your browsers:
- Enhance Security: Prevention of spyware, malware, and other viruses that could give someone access to your data or trick you into handing it over.
- Improve Functionality: Outdated browsers might not work (well) or support new apps or software.
- Boost User Experience: Older browsers usually do not support the latest and greatest code and will have trouble loading component files in the website. This might cause a website to freeze, crash or take forever to work.
For IT admins, security aspects are probably the most important reason to patch browsers. Keeping browsers updated with the latest version (i.e., downloading and installing all provided patches) goes a long way toward preventing cyber attacks and bad actors from exploiting known vulnerabilities.
How to Create Default Chrome Browser Patch Policies
One of the easiest ways to stay on top of patches, and reduce browser vulnerability risk, is to use the JumpCloud Directory Platform.
The latest capability addition to JumpCloud’s Patch Management solution provides a universal policy to keep Google Chrome up to date for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
A universal policy saves time by automatically scheduling and enforcing Chrome security patches on a large number of managed devices.
The platform’s four universal preconfigured default Chrome browser patch policies allow admins to deploy browser updates with different levels of urgency. Admins also have the option to configure a custom universal policy; this feature allows for easy modification of existing policy settings to tailor update experiences to organizational needs.
The four JumpCloud default Chrome browser patch management policies control how and when a Chrome update is applied. The recommended deployment strategies include:
- Day Zero: Deploy automated upgrades inside your IT Department the first day an update is available.
- Early Adoption: Deploy automated upgrades to early adopters outside of IT.
- General Adoption: Deploy automated upgrades to general users in your company.
- Late Adoption: Deploy automated upgrades to remaining users in your company.
Once you have created a Chrome browser patch policy, you can assign it to any devices, policy groups, or device groups. A policy group helps quickly and efficiently roll out existing policies to large numbers of similar devices.
Capabilities of JumpCloud Browser Patch Management
JumpCloud’s new Browser Patch Management also introduces the following features:
- Enforce Chrome updates and browser relaunch.
- Enforce or disable Chrome Browser Sign In Settings.
- Restrict sign-in to a regex pattern to ensure users sign in via company email accounts.
- Automate device enrollment into Google Chrome Browser Cloud Management, which unlocks limitless capabilities for browser and extension control within the Google Admin console.
Dive deeper into the new Universal Chrome Browser Patch Management Release by exploring the release notes for this feature in the JumpCloud Community.
Learn More About JumpCloud
Try JumpCloud for free for up to 10 devices and 10 users.
Complimentary support is available 24×7 within the first 10 days of account creation. | <urn:uuid:6e2ee127-2a61-41bc-bfe4-06409341f3ff> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://jumpcloud.com/blog/browser-vulnerabilities-patch-management | 2024-09-17T14:33:03Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651800.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917140525-20240917170525-00068.warc.gz | en | 0.887537 | 1,039 | 2.59375 | 3 |
AI Case Study
Researchers at Descartes Labs create maps of cities' urban tree canopy using machine learning
Descartes Labs's cartographers and applied scientists have build a system to count trees in cities. The model, which is based on machine learning, was trained with Lidar data for cities. That has enabled it to be accurate and not mistake other greenery for trees by recording the length of the light that bounces back up from a plant. The machine learning model is able to map an entire city’s canopy, creating green thumbprints.
"New York City’s 2015-2016 tree census, for example, took nearly two years (12,000 hours total) and more than 2,200 volunteers. Seattle’s tree inventory won’t be complete until at least 2024. Such efforts aren’t done in vain; in the short term, they allow cities to better maintain their urban trees. And over the long run, they lay out the foundation for various initiatives that address everything from climate change to public health.
So to make the task of counting trees easier, a team of cartographers and applied scientists at geospatial analytics startup Descartes Labs is turning to artificial intelligence. In their quest to leave no tree uncounted, they built a machine learning model that can map an entire city’s canopy, even subtracting other greenery that might look like trees in satellite imagery. The resulting maps reveal a green thumbprint of each city—like this one of Baltimore and its surrounding leafy suburbs.
The challenge of mapping trees comes from several factors. On the ground, the human eye can easily distinguish a tree from the rest of the urban landscape. But the inability to access private areas, or places guarded by tall fences, means some trees don’t get counted. Mapping trees from above should solve that problem; the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) derived from satellite imagery has long been a reliable survey of a city’s greenery. Even so, there are limitations.
“Often when [the New York Times] needed to map things like trees, they get lumped in with other types of vegetation like grass or crops,” says Tim Wallace, a former cartographer for the newspaper who now works at Descartes Labs. The NDVI detects vegetation by measuring the distinct wavelengths and near-infrared light reflected by all plants, which means it can’t tell the difference between trees, grass, bushes, and other kinds of greenery.
What is notably different among those types of greenery are their heights; trees are obviously taller than shrubs and grass. And that can be measured using LIDAR data—essentially shooting a light from a drone or airplane at those plants, and recording the length of the light that bounces back up. Kyle Story, an applied scientist at Descartes Labs, says this “third dimension” is crucial. But collecting LIDAR data for any city is expensive because of the costly equipment involved. Luckily for his team, there are plenty of publicly available datasets that can be used to train their machine learning model.
“Using the NDVI and the LIDAR, those two datasets can tell us where trees are in an area. If there are satellite pictures, we can train an algorithm to say, ‘Okay, looking at that imagery, I can learn what trees look like,’” Story says. “Once you’ve trained that algorithm, you can run it anywhere you have satellite imagery, because you’ve taught your machine to differentiate them from bushes and grass.”
Wallace says the team has run the algorithm in over 2,000 cities so far. And according to chief marketing officer Julie Crabill, the company is hoping to talk city planners, as well as businesses and nonprofits, about implementing the technology in tree counts and other projects.
Cities’ tree counts are more than just a good bit of trivia. Urban development in the U.S. means more cities are losing tree cover—often where and when it’s needed most. Planting trees has long been a low-tech strategy to fight the effects of climate change and the urban heat island effect. Aside from that, trees are a boon for public health. They help reduce stress, they’ve been linked to the lower obesity rates, and may even curb pedestrian deaths.
Yet lower-income and minority neighborhoods that are most vulnerable to such environmental and health stresses tend to have the least tree cover. So having an accurate map of where the leafy and barren neighborhoods are, and in a timely manner, allows local government to better target tree-planting initiatives.
That’s not to devalue the work of researchers, tree experts, and volunteers who are still ultimately needed to paint an accurate picture of a city’s urban canopy, though. Like most algorithms, this one isn’t perfect—it has picked up shadows cast onto buildings as trees, for instance. It can provide a broad overview of the tree population, but gathering more granular data will still require more work."
The system's result is a green thumbprint of each city
"How many trees are in your city?
It might seem like a straightforward question, but finding the answer can be a monumental task."
Lidar data for cities and satellite imagery | <urn:uuid:57f53440-ddf7-4338-803f-b9bb0859b285> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.bestpractice.ai/ai-case-study-best-practice/researchers_at_descartes_labs_create_maps_of_cities'_urban_tree_canopy_using_machine_learning | 2024-09-08T01:06:15Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650926.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20240907225010-20240908015010-00068.warc.gz | en | 0.953372 | 1,110 | 3.265625 | 3 |
The internet can be used by a wide number of people—that could include children, adolescents, and seniors. However, ensuring that your children are safe from the negative implications of the internet could be challenging. As a parent or a guardian, you should be held responsible for taking actions that could counter the dangers of your kids online. You can participate in certain tasks to ensure the safety and well-being of your children online.
Your children can surf the internet as long as you are acquainted with the back side of using the internet. The internet could be a fun place for most people but, it could be a dark place for naïve children. They could easily become susceptible to cyberbullying and identity theft, and they could become exposed to negative persuasion online.
Recent studies by experts show that if you are participating in the online activities of your children—you are able to learn about child safety on the internet. You deserve all the rights and authority to learn about the online presence of your children to ensure that they are using it without posing any threat to their safety. The following merits are a compilation of the rules of safety that you should follow as a courtesy to your child’s safety on the internet.
1. Connect with your kids online
Internet safety is a crucial topic which should be taken into consideration by all parents. However, restricting the use of the internet could provoke your child to compromise with its independence. As a parent, you do not allow your children to interact with strange people in real life so; you should implement the same tactic with your kid when he is using the internet. You should follow your children on their social media accounts to monitor their social media lives and to see what kind of people they are connecting with.
2. Have a discussion regarding the use of the Internet
Parents usually understand the pros and cons of using the internet so; they should have a healthy discussion with their children regarding the use of the internet. They should educate them on the bright side and the dark side of the internet, and you should talk to your children about informing you regarding their usage of the internet. You should also ensure that your child refrains from using their actual personal information on the internet.
3. Monitor who your kids are connecting with online
As a parent, you should monitor the online activities of your children, and you should keep an eye on what kind of people your children are connecting with on an online platform. While it may come off as an authoritarian parenting style to your children—it is a step that should be taken to ensure the internet safety of your children.
4. Teach them about phishing scams
Teaching your child about phishing scams is an important part of internet safety. Phishing scams are fraudulent attempts to obtain sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, by posing as a trustworthy entity, such as a social media site, or online retailer.
To help your child recognize and avoid phishing scams, you can teach them to:
- Look for warning signs: Phishing emails and websites often contain misspellings, poor grammar, and other signs that they may not be legitimate. Teach your child to look for these warning signs and to be wary of any emails or websites that don’t look quite right.
- Verify the source: Teach your child to verify the source of any emails or websites that ask for sensitive information.
- Don’t click on links: Teach your child to avoid clicking on links on websites unless they are absolutely sure that they are safe. Phishing scams often use links to direct users to fraudulent websites that look like legitimate ones.
By teaching your child about phishing scams, you can help them stay safe and protect their personal information online.
4. Implement limits on the usage of the internet
The use of the internet could help your children with their homework but, it should be used in moderation. Internet safety concerns parents regarding the safety of their children, and they should implement certain limitations on the usage of the internet by their children.
If you are taking precautions to trace the online presence of your children, it could become nearly impossible to stop your children from using the websites that appeal to them. You can start setting boundaries by adjusting the parental tools and filters on your Internet Service Provider. It can block and filter the websites that might be harmful to your kids. Also, you should examine the device that your child uses to access the internet. You can consider activating the Parental Controls functions on the device to filter the websites which could pose a threat to your child’s safety online.
Also, there is a big possibility that your child will try to download some game with a virus or accidentally visit a site with inappropriate content. This is something you can’t control only for yourself. In this case, the best decision is to use anti-malware software that will block all unsafe and unpleasant things around the Web. | <urn:uuid:306ea61a-6fe9-42ad-83ef-08a37a028d17> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/make-kids-safe-internet/ | 2024-09-10T07:26:38Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651224.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910061537-20240910091537-00768.warc.gz | en | 0.95427 | 998 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Phishing is the biggest risk that every business faces today. The precursor to disasters like business email compromise, a data breach or a ransomware attack, phishing packs a punch that can send any business reeling. In order to accomplish their goals, cybercriminals rely on social engineering to trick employees into taking actions that could unleash a cyberattack, and 85% of social engineering actions take place over email. Paying attention to who is likely to fall for cybercriminal tricks can help businesses keep phishing from catching any of their employees.
Learn the secret to ransomware defense in Cracking the RANSOMWARE Code. GET BOOK>>
Learn from These Cybersecurity Disasters
When you look at the most damaging cyberattacks in history, you’ll see that the majority of them have one thing in common: their point of origin was a phishing email. Like these massive cybersecurity disasters in 2020 that were launched with just one fatal click.
An epic Twitter breach resulted in the temporary takeover of more than 130 carefully chosen accounts, including celebrity accounts with massive amounts of followers like Barack Obama, Bill Gates and Elon Musk. The attackers were then able to swindle $121,000 in Bitcoin through nearly 300 transactions by tweeting about a phony investment scheme – and it all started with a 16-year-old cybercriminal posing as a contractor phishing a privileged password from an administrator.
Cybersecurity giant SolarWinds experienced an intrusion by Russian nation-state cybercriminals who were then able to attach a few snippets of code on a routine patch. The patch was then distributed to and downloaded by major US government agencies and national security assets open backdoors that gave the threat actors access to their systems and data for more than 6 months undetected. The breach was initially discovered by cybersecurity experts at FireEye and was determined to have started with a spear-phishing email.
A monster ransomware attack hit Blackbaud, the leading developer of software used by nonprofits for fundraising and administration, is still reverberating over a year later. The attack rocked more than 120 non-profits including Britain’s National Trust, Human Rights Watch and National Public Radio. Adding to the complexity, Blackbaud’s platform was used by many hospitals for fundraising, making this the biggest healthcare cyberattack in history. The point of entry for the ransomware was a phishing email.
See how to avoid cybercriminal sharks in Phishing 101. DOWNLOAD IT>>
Phishing Volume and Cost is Higher Than Ever
More email coming into businesses means more phishing messages that could land in an employee’s inbox, and any phishing message that an employee receives has the chance of spawning a data breach. An estimated 306.4 billion emails were sent and received each day in 2020, triple the average increase of past years. That figure is expected to continue to grow steadily as companies continue to grapple with the implications of the ongoing pandemic and virus variants that could lead to long-term remote work becoming the norm. If email volume continues to trend the way that experts expect, it is estimated to reach over 376.4 billion daily messages by 2025.
The 2021 Ponemon Cost of Phishing Study shed light on the massive revenue hits that companies can suffer in the wake of a successful phishing attack. The biggest takeaway from this report is the colossal increase in the cost of a phishing attack for businesses. Researchers say that the cost of phishing attacks has almost quadrupled over the past six years, with large US companies losing an average of $14.8 million annually (or $1,500 per employee) to phishing. That’s without adding the expense of dealing with an incident investigation or paying a ransom if that email contains ransomware (which is not always legal).
See how ransomware rocks businesses in The Ransomware Road to Ruin. DOWNLOAD IT NOW>>
Phishing Risk Factors Add Complexity
While every business is at risk of a phishing attack every day, some industries are a little more vulnerable than others. A 2020 user behavior study shows that employees in these sectors are the most likely to interact with a phishing email.
The Top 5 Sectors in Which Employees Interact with Phishing Messages
- Apparel and accessories
In which industries will cybercriminals find the people who are most likely to submit credentials or share information? These are the top 5 most vulnerable industries:
The Top 5 Sectors in Which Phishing Leads to Credential Compromise
- Apparel and accessories
- Securities and commodity exchanges
A recent experiment by Canadian security researchers exposed the sad truth: an estimated 25% of North American workers tested were fooled by phishing emails, leading to some dangerous consequences.
- 67% of clickers (13.4% of overall users) submitted their login credentials, up substantially from 2019 when just 2% submitted their credentials
- The Public Sector and Transportation workers struggled the most, posting a click rate of 28.4%
- The Education, Finance and Insurance sectors performed considerably better than others, with click rates of 11.3% and 14.2% (tied)
- Users in North America struggled the most with the phishing simulation, posting a 25.5% click rate and an 18% overall credential submission rate
- About 7 out of every 10 clickers willingly compromised their login data
- Users in Europe exhibited lower click and submission rates of 17% and 11%, respectively
An estimated 97% of employees in a wide array of industries are unable to recognize a sophisticated phishing email. So what are they most likely to do when they receive a phishing message?
- 1 in 3 employees are likely to click the links in phishing emails
- 1 in 8 employees are likely to share information requested in a phishing email
- 60% of employees opened emails they weren’t fully confident were safe
- 45% click emails they consider to be suspicious “just in case it’s important.”
- 45% of employees never report suspicious messages to IT for review
- 41% of employees failed to notice a phishing message because they were tired
- 47% of workers cited distraction as the main factor in their failure to spot phishing attempts
See the tide of phishing rise & fall to spot future trends in the eBook Fresh Phish. GET IT>>
AI Doesn’t Get Fooled by Phishing or Social Engineering
Stop phishing with Graphus – the most simple, automated & affordable phishing defense available.
TrustGraph is the star of the show when it comes to keeping potentially dangerous email away from staffers.
- Your first layer of defense against phishing, TrustGraph uses more than 50 separate data points to analyze incoming messages completely before allowing them to pass into employee inboxes.
- TrustGraph also learns from each analysis it completes, adding that information to its knowledge base to continually refine your protection and keep learning without human intervention.
Graphus makes it easy for your employees to report suspicious messages and get help in case of trouble.
- EmployeeShield adds a bright, noticeable box to messages that could be dangerous, empowering staffers to report that message with one click for administrator inspection.
- Phish911 makes it a snap for employees to report any suspicious message that they receive. When an employee reports a problem, the email in question isn’t just removed from that employee’s inbox — it is removed from everyone’s inbox and automatically quarantined for administrator review.
What’s next in phishing? Find out in the 2021 State of Email Security Report! GET IT NOW>> | <urn:uuid:165fede9-593e-4db1-8f15-2aa3461b2a59> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.graphus.ai/blog/who-falls-for-phishing/ | 2024-09-10T08:21:13Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651224.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910061537-20240910091537-00768.warc.gz | en | 0.946573 | 1,552 | 2.609375 | 3 |
CSI: Data Warehouse
Armed with a knowledge of patterns, you can root out bad data.
My wife and I love all the CSI police procedural dramas that are so popular now. The crime lab crew gets to the crime site knowing nothing about the situation and finds the bad guy in 60 minutes. How about a show called CSI: Data Warehouse on Tech TV?
Imagine that you walk into a client who has a large amount of data, and he wants to know if his data is real or fake. You don't know anything about his data, or even his industry. It turns out that data qua data actually has some patterns that are fairly easy to find in a modern database. Let me give a quick overview, without much mathematics, of some of the easy ones.
Seeing the Pattern
In the old days, before we had pocket calculators and cheap computers, engineers solved equations with slide rulers and books of mathematical tables. A slide ruler is accurate to three decimal places and most of the books were accurate to five or six places at least. (If you don't know what a slide ruler is, then Google it.)
In 1938, Dr. Frank Benford was a physicist at General Electric who noticed that pages in the logarithm tables that corresponded to numbers starting with the numeral one were getting worn out faster than the other pages. Most of us would have stopped at that point and not thought about it very much.
Dr. Benford could see no immediate reason that physicists and engineers would prefer logarithms starting with one. He started data mining unrelated sets of numbers. I mean really unrelated — geography, census data, baseball statistics, numbers in magazine articles, and just about anything he could find. After looking at 20,229 sets of numbers, he found that they all followed the same pattern he had seen in the logarithm tables.
The usual guess would be that all digits, one through nine, would be equally likely to pop up at the start of a string of digits. Nope, not true; Benford's Law says that it can be approximated by the formula P(d is first digit) = LOG10(1.0 + 1.0/d). The pattern is 30.1 percent for one, 17.6 percent for two, and down to 4.6 percent for nine. You can get some confirmation of this in "The First-Digit Phenomenon" by T. P. Hill (American Scientist, July-August 1998). Benford's Law gets better as the sample gets larger and more varied.
What makes Benford's Law useful to a data miner is that you don't have to understand the data. If the data drifts from the pattern, you know to look for a systematic bias or faked data. Like any statistic, it isn't a certainty, but it's a good place to start. In fact, there are fraud detection packages based on Benford's Law that look at patterns in expense reports and other financial data.
A Run of Luck
Another data mining trick is looking at runs. If you toss a fair coin 200 times, you're almost certain to encounter a run of six heads or six tails. But when people fake data, they don't like to repeat long runs of one value. This idea can be extended to multiple values and patterns of runs, but the coin toss is the simplest case and very easy to test.
We can generalize the idea of patterns over time. Given a jar of (n) numbered marbles, draw one out of the jar at random and put it back. How many draws do you have to make to have a better than 50 percent chance of getting a previous marble that was drawn (p) draws ago? You can make this scenario into customers who come back to the store, trucks that pull into the motor pool, or whatever. Most people guess (n/2), but it's much lower. The formula is a bit messy, but here's a quick table.
n | p |
10 | 4 |
100 | 12 |
1000 | 37 |
10,000 | 118 |
100,000 | 372 |
In the real world, breaks in the data patterns are often the result of something systematic and not criminal. For example, the digit nine might show up a lot in an expense report sample because there's a $100.00 limit on something and people are padding their reports.
But the digit nine might also show up too often because the data warehouse handles missing data by filling codes that start with nines. Now we have an indication that we have a lot of missing data. We might want to look at this data and see if we need more detailed codes for kinds of missing data, if we need to improve data capture, or if we have to adjust the certainty of predictive reports to allow for this fact.
Joe Celko is an independent consultant in Austin, Texas and the author of Joe Celko's Trees and Hierarchies in SQL for Smarties (Morgan Kaufmann, 2004) and Joe Celko's SQL for Smarties: Advanced SQL Programming (Morgan Kaufmann, 1999).
About the Author
You May Also Like
Maximizing cloud potential: Building and operating an effective Cloud Center of Excellence (CCoE)
September 10, 2024Radical Automation of ITSM
September 19, 2024Unleash the power of the browser to secure any device in minutes
September 24, 2024 | <urn:uuid:cda8aeb6-33d3-438f-a2b4-c06d29a4256b> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.informationweek.com/data-management/csi-data-warehouse | 2024-09-10T07:50:51Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651224.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910061537-20240910091537-00768.warc.gz | en | 0.957614 | 1,124 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Modern applications commonly include not just original source code written by the developers who create the applications, but also code borrowed from a variety of third-party projects. If you want to ensure that your apps are free from security vulnerabilities linked to open source code – not to mention potential open source licensing violations – you need to be able to identify all of the software components that exist within it.
That’s where Software Composition Analysis, or SCA, comes in. By systematically scanning applications to detect open source code and other third-party resources that may exist in the application codebases, SCA helps businesses stay ahead of both security risks and licensing compliance challenges.
Keep reading for a detailed explanation of how Software Composition Analysis works, why it’s important, and how to add it to your business’s software security and compliance strategy.
WHAT IS SOFTWARE COMPOSITION ANALYSIS?
Software Composition Analysis is the scanning of application source code or binaries to identify third-party components and dependencies. The purpose of SCA is to determine whether an application contains any code or dependencies that were sourced from external projects but have not been properly secured or licensed.
Importantly, SCA doesn’t address all facets of security. It won’t tell you whether any code your developers wrote themselves may be subject to SQL injection attacks, for example. But it will tell you if your developers have leveraged any third-party components in ways that expose your application and your business to risks.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SCA SCANS
To explain why SCA scans are important, let’s first discuss the way in which many modern applications are built.
In most cases, developers write a substantial amount of the code that exists inside an application. However, they also often borrow preexisting code from external sources – such as code from open source projects, which is freely available on sites like GitHub, and which can be legally integrated into new applications in most cases. In addition, developers might define dependencies for their applications that require the apps to import or install third-party modules or libraries when they run.
In general, there is nothing wrong with including third-party components or dependencies in an application. On the contrary, borrowing third-party resources is a smart way to speed up development because it reduces the amount of code that developers have to write themselves.
However, relying on third-party code or dependencies when building an application can expose apps to certain risks that would not exist if developers developed an entire codebase from scratch. The main risks include:
- Security vulnerabilities: Security vulnerabilities that affect any third-party code included in an application could be exploited by threat actors to compromise the application.
- Licensing risks: In some cases, licenses impose specific requirements on how code can be reused. For example, many open source licenses require developers who borrow open source code to make their own applications (or at least the parts of them based on open source code) open source, too.
If your developers systematically keep track of which third-party components they include in applications, managing security vulnerabilities and licensing requirements related to the components is easy. The problem that many organizations face, however, is that developers may forget to note when they leverage third-party components. They can copy-and-paste open source code into their codebase, for example, without documenting where they obtained the code or which licensing rules govern it.
In addition, the use of AI-assisted coding tools, such as GitHub Copilot, creates new challenges related to third-party code reuse. In rare cases, these tools have reportedly reproduced verbatim copies of open source code. This is another way by which third-party components could sneak into a codebase without developers realizing it.
This brings us to why SCA is important: It helps developers find any third-party components that they’ve inadvertently included in an application. With that insight – as well as information provided by other types of security testing methods that complement SCA, like DAST and SAST – they can make sure they are properly managing security and licensing needs related to all of the components inside the app.
HOW DO SCA TOOLS WORK?
SCA works in a straightforward way: Engineers deploy SCA tools that automatically scan applications and check whether any of the contents within them match or closely resemble known third-party components.
SCA tools can scan source code, which is the most reliable way of checking which third-party software resources may exist inside an app. However, some SCA scanners can also scan binaries, such as application executables and container images, to look for binary code that is similar to components known to have originated elsewhere.
Advanced SCA tools also provide additional critical features, such as automated recommendations about how to fix vulnerable components.
HOW TO USE SOFTWARE COMPOSITION ANALYSIS
In most cases, taking advantage of Software Composition Analysis is as simple as integrating an SCA tool, like Checkmarx SCA, into your CI/CD processes.
Checkmarx SCA automatically scans applications to compile a comprehensive inventory of their components. Going further, Checkmarx detects and evaluates risks associated with those components so that developers and security teams can take action by remediating vulnerabilities or addressing licensing compliance issues.
In a perfect world, developers would always keep track of which third-party components they introduce to apps. But in the real world, even the most seasoned developers make mistakes and oversights – which is why scanning applications provides a crucial second layer of defense against security and compliance risks.
Learn more about how Checkmarx helps businesses get the most from SCA by downloading the Checkmarx SCA data sheet and checking out this case study about how an eCommerce business upped its security game with help from SCA. | <urn:uuid:58a8e786-ac8f-416a-a618-de720171f984> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://checkmarx.com/learn/sca/how-to-get-started-with-sca-security-tool/ | 2024-09-11T14:00:42Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651387.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911120037-20240911150037-00668.warc.gz | en | 0.940278 | 1,191 | 2.75 | 3 |
At a Glance
- Meta has released Massively Multilingual Speech, a series of AI models that can be used to translate various languages.
- Researchers used religious texts that were widely translated, like the Bible, to achieve the models' results.
Researchers at Meta unveiled a series of AI models that can be used to translate more than 4,000 languages. The Massively Multilingual Speech (MMS) models cover text-to-speech and speech-to-text.
Widely used AI applications, like ChatGPT, mostly can identify around 100 languages. Meta’s text-to-speech MMS can generate speech output from more than 1,100 languages, while its speech-to-text version can identify more than 4,000 spoken languages.
According to Meta, the models could be used for VR and AR applications in a person’s preferred language.
To collect audio data for the thousands of languages, Meta’s researchers used religious texts, like the Bible, that have been translated into many different languages and whose translations have been widely studied for text-based language translation research.
Stay updated. Subscribe to the AI Business newsletter
Meta created a dataset of readings of the New Testament in more than 1,100 languages, which provided on average 32 hours of data per language. To beef up the dataset, the researchers added unlabeled recordings of various other Christian religious readings to achieve the 4,000 number.
“While the content of the audio recordings is religious, our analysis shows that this doesn’t bias the model to produce more religious language,” the researchers said.
Meta has opted to open source both the models and underlying code so researchers can build on its work. However, the Facebook parent said it plans to increase the MMS models coverage to support even more languages and apply it to the challenge of handling dialects, which is often difficult for existing speech technology.
MMS is not the first set of models to cover a large number of languages. Rival Google has developed the Universal Speech Model, which can support around 300 languages.
About the Author
You May Also Like | <urn:uuid:e767f9f4-6fec-4104-869c-bb2ce67951c3> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://aibusiness.com/ml/meta-publishes-ai-model-that-can-translate-over-4-000-languages- | 2024-09-12T18:30:37Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651491.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912174615-20240912204615-00568.warc.gz | en | 0.938689 | 438 | 2.578125 | 3 |
As security programs go, the USB Type-C Authentication Program has a lofty goal: to create a cryptographic-based authentication scheme that would protect host systems from malicious USB chargers, cables, and devices.
USB Type-C is commonly found on notebooks, smartphones, and other connected devices because it allows faster data transfer and more power delivery than other USB interfaces. However, many enterprises disable the USB ports on corporate devices because adversaries are increasingly targeting USB devices and ports. A better approach would be to let enterprises whitelist permitted USB devices. Users want assurances that the charger or the public charging station they are using will not fry their devices. The USB Type-C Authentication Program, unveiled by the non-profit group USB Implementers Forum, would make it possible to check the device (or cable) is what it claims to be at the moment it is plugged in the USB port.
The dangers of USB-based atttacks range from malicious payloads on the USB devices which can load malware—inject keystrokes, install backdoors, emulate mouse movements, log events and data, and hijack traffic—onto the host system, to counterfiet cables and chargers which deliver too much (or too little) power and damage the system. Researchers have shown how plugging a device into a malicious power charging station could result in the device being infected with malware. Under this authentication program, OEMs and vendors will be able to certify their USB Type-C products are protected against commonly-used hardware attack methods and have not been modified.
Many operating systems used to open USB devices automatically, but that is no longer the default behavior because of the increased risks. As a result, many operating systems implicitly do not trust USB devices on the first run, and requires users to actively open the connection to the device. The USB Type-C Authentication Program will provide manufacturers and OEM vendors with a security framework based on the USB Type-C Authentication specification, originally unveiled in 2016 by the USB-IF and the USB 3.0 Promoter Group. The protocol supports authenticating over USB data bus or USB power delivery communications channels and enforces 128-bit security for all cryptographic methods. The protocol will also let products retain control over the security policies.
The specification outlines how host devices would confirm the authenticity of whatever is plugged into the USB port immediately, before any data or power transfer is made. The system will either block or permit the transfer of data or power, depending on the result of the validation check. It's not the host that can make the validation check—a charger can also authenticate a host, said Jeff Ravencraft, president and COO of USB-IF.
OEM vendors and manufacturers can create products that meet the specification so that the host system can use the protocol to perform the authentication checks. Certified devices will use 128-bit cryptographic-based authentication for certificate format, digital signing, hash and random number generation. Certificate authority DigiCert will provide and manage the public key infrastructure and the certificates used for the program. OEM and device manufacturers will contact DigiCert directly to set up their PKI operations and for certificate issance, and DigiCert will provision a signed intermediate CA.
A company can issue certificates, via our certificate program with DigiCert, that can then be embedded in their products giving their products a specific proof of identity and capabilities," said Ravencraft. "Companies' CA operations are rooted in the USB-IF CA.
At this point, the primary motivation for the program seems to be less about blocking attacks using malicious hardware, but rather addressing the problem of counterfeits. The approach will identify the product was actually made by the manufacturer, but may not have measurable impact attesting to the security of a given device. Windows exert Alex Ionescu was concerned that including the authentication functionaliy on the low-level could potentially introuce more bugs and increase the attack surface.
"Primary purpose is to fight counterfeits and help identify malicious or uncertified products," Ravencraft said.
The program opens up a lot of potential use cases for enterprises, such as being able to set security policies to restrict USB functions based on certificate status. For example, enterprises can set policy to allow allow phones to be charged only at public terminals that pass the validation check.
"[Enterprises] will be able to define a policy for dealing with products that have a certificate and those that don't," Ravencraft said.
However, for individual users, there is a risk that this program could become over-restrictive and impose a form of hardware DRM, making devices incompatible with other USB Type-C products in the market. The program is open-ended and leaves it up to the individual vendors on how to use the certification program. Vendors can use the program to also restrict support for only approved (certified) devices, such as being unable to use a cable from another brand. If the Samsung device needs its own Samsung cable as opposed to using the one from LG or a generic one purchased off Amazon, this would seriously impact useability. All exiisting cables would be unlikely to be certified, so users may be forced to swap out cables at some point.
“The intention of the program seems good, but there is certainly room for abuse," Joe Fedewa wrote over at XDA-Developers. "USB-C has been a promise of one standard connector for all devices. We’d hate to see that ruined by devices that won’t allow users to use perfectly safe 3rd-party accessories.”
Hardware manufacturers haven't said they will use the program to lock consumers into only using "supported" accessories, but the potential is there. USB-IF consists of representatives from manufacturers including Apple, HP, Intel and Microsoft, so these companies likely are working on these products. The program, which is ready to issue certificates, is currently optional for OEMs to participate in. There is time to see how the certification rules would evolve.
Image credit: Photo by Stefan Steinbauer on Unsplash | <urn:uuid:f2836ef7-7777-47ee-9f70-b8d992b62db0> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://duo.com/decipher/bringing-security-to-usb-type-c-or-more-limitations | 2024-09-12T18:30:49Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651491.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912174615-20240912204615-00568.warc.gz | en | 0.946162 | 1,234 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Gestures are used to perform actions on touch-screen devices without the use of a physical keyboard or mouse.
The following table describes gestures that you may be able to use and how to perform them on a touch screen device.
Gesture Name |
How to Perform |
Pan / Scroll |
Panning and scrolling allows you to view another part of a page that is outside of the viewing area, for example, when viewing a document that has been zoomed in on, or when a page of a document is longer than the size of the screen. |
Touch and drag a document page to move it around in the document viewing area. |
Zooming allows you to make an area of a document larger or smaller. Zooming in allows you to see greater detail of a document. Zooming out allows you to see a larger area of a document. |
To zoom out, touch two fingers to the screen and move them toward each other in a pinching motion. To zoom in, touch two fingers to the screen and move them apart from each other. | | <urn:uuid:184de1ac-52c7-4065-bdb2-c0a971407e39> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://support.hyland.com/r/OnBase/Mobile-Access-for-iPad/English/Foundation-22.1/Mobile-Access-for-iPad/Usage/OnBase-Mobile-Access-for-iPad-App-Information/Using-Gestures | 2024-09-12T19:49:13Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651491.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912174615-20240912204615-00568.warc.gz | en | 0.902009 | 221 | 3.828125 | 4 |
Communication on a network can take several forms depending upon the needs of the particular network application in use. Specifically, it can take place in one of three fundamental ways:
- Unicast: This is one-to-one communication from one device to another, the type most people are familiar with.
- Broadcast: This term refers to communication from one device to all devices on a network segment.
- Multicast: In its simplest form, multicast refers to communication from one device to a group of devices. This means transmitting to many (but not all) devices that may be on the same network segment or different ones.
Multicast communication is useful for applications such as videoconferencing, some types of VoIP telephony applications, and live video streaming. It dramatically improves the network efficiency of transmitting these types of traffic.
The functionality of multicast is primarily dealt with within the Network Layer of the OSI model. This is where the Internet Protocol resides.
IPv4, which has been around for a very long time, has a very mature and robust suite of multicast protocols and mechanisms. IPv6 has built upon the successes of IPv4 and has been designed to make multicast communication even more streamlined and efficient. In fact, IPv6 has abolished the use of broadcasts completely, replacing them with multicast communication. This is true of the IPv6 control plane mechanisms as well, which are used by protocols such as the Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NDP).
In this article, we’ll be taking a closer look at IPv6 multicast addresses and how they operate.
Summary of key concepts
The following are the main concepts examined in this article.
In the following sections, we’ll expand on the various concepts involved in implementing multicast in general and the use of IPv6 multicast addresses in particular.
When is multicast more efficient than unicast?
To understand the benefits of multicast, it is helpful to imagine a typical video conference among a small group of people within an enterprise network. Imagine that you are using a collaboration application where you can see all of your colleagues in small windows on your screen. All participants see all their colleagues in a similar manner. For the sake of this example, let’s assume that the videoconferencing application allows participant computers to communicate directly.
A videoconference between two endpoints involves relatively simple communication procedures because all audio and video are transmitted directly between the two participating parties, as shown below.
However, when more than two video endpoints take part, the method of communication becomes more complex because each participant will have to see all the other participants simultaneously. This means your video endpoint will have to send its audio and video to every other participant while they do the same, as illustrated below:
Doing this using unicast communication results in multiple communication channels between all pairs of endpoints in a full-mesh fashion.
Considering that a single high-definition quality audiovisual data stream can consume over 5 Mbps, an HD teleconference with 10 participants will consume well over 50 Mbps for a single endpoint.
What happens if you get 20, 50, or 100 participants? On a network with multiple video endpoints, you can quickly see how this kind of bandwidth usage is extremely inefficient and does not scale well.
Multicast solves this by allowing each device to send a single stream of packets to a single multicast destination address. The network will take care of duplicating those packets and sending them to all devices participating in a particular multicast group.
Each participating PC becomes a multicast source, sending one stream of packets, thus using the bandwidth of only a single stream and reducing network usage by a large factor.
Other applications where multicast is used extensively include VoIP telephone conferences with three or more participants, VoIP music on hold (MOH) applications for contact centers, and broadcast TV over IP networks, to name a few.
Network communication types
Unicast and broadcast communication are generally easy to implement. You use the appropriate destination address of the host you want to reach or the broadcast address, and your packet is sent to either a single host or all hosts on the subnet.
Multicast communication is more complicated because of the additional requirements associated with managing groups and routing traffic within them:
- It is necessary to define groups of receivers and introduce mechanisms that allow hosts to join and leave these groups.
- Multicast traffic must be routed so that all hosts that have joined a group will receive this traffic regardless of the subnet in which they reside.
- Multicast routers must have mechanisms to efficiently route multicast traffic to avoid unnecessary network resource usage. Some of these mechanisms include the following:some text
- Routers that receive multicast traffic must forward only one copy of a packet to neighboring multicast routers.
- They must send multicast packets to an adjacent router only if there is an interested receiver downstream from that router.
- Replication of multicast packets must occur at the edge router closest to the interested receivers.
The multicast address space
An essential component of multicast network operation is the use of a special multicast address space. In both IPv4 and IPv6, a specific range of addresses has been set aside to be used only for multicast. Each multicast address defines a multicast group that hosts can join to become receivers of that group. Any packet with that multicast address in the destination IP field will reach all hosts that are members of that group.
IPv4 multicast addresses belong to the 18.104.22.168/4 address space. In other words, they range from 22.214.171.124 to 126.96.36.199.
Similarly, IPv6 multicast addresses fall in the ff00::/8 address space. The definition of the range of these addresses is a little more complicated than in IPv4 because the address space includes some bits reserved for specific purposes. This additional complexity engenders a much richer and more useful feature set for multicast routing in IPv6, enabling even more features and possibilities for the use of multicast. We’ll talk a little bit more about the structure of the IPv6 multicast address shortly.
Use of IPv6 multicast in network protocols
One of the most effective ways that IPv6 multicast addresses are used is by eliminating the need for broadcasts in network control protocols. For example, in IPv4, the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) is used to determine the MAC address of the destination host (or the default gateway) so that the IP packet can be encapsulated into an Ethernet frame with the appropriate destination MAC address. ARP sends out a broadcast asking for the appropriate host to respond. Similarly, DHCP uses broadcasts to accomplish its purpose.
IPv6 has eliminated the need for broadcasts by replacing them with multicast communication, vastly increasing network efficiency. For example, IPv4 requires that you limit the number of hosts within a subnet to avoid too many broadcasts resulting in network slowdowns. IPv6 can support larger effective subnet sizes with even thousands of IPv6 hosts in a single subnet due to not using broadcasts.
Protocols such as the Network Discovery Protocol (NDP), which is essentially the IPv6 counterpart of ARP, use IPv6 multicast addresses extensively to perform their functions.
Detailed structure of IPv6 multicast addresses
The IPv6 multicast address is more complex than its IPv4 counterpart, and these addresses come in two types. These are casually referred to as the “old format” described in RFC 2373 and the “new format” described in RFC 7371. The new format is essentially an extension of the old one; it adds several fields that include additional information to support more features or are reserved for future use.
Old IPv6 multicast address format
The old format takes the following form:
- prefix is simply the prefix 0xff, which is the same for all multicast addresses.
- flags is a set of four bits that act as information flags. The first three (higher-order) bits are reserved and are always set to zero, while the fourth flag indicates the multicast address type:some text
- 0 indicates a permanently assigned (“well-known”) multicast address set by the global Internet numbering authority.
- 1 indicates an impermanent (“transient”) multicast address.
- scope is a 4-bit multicast scope value used to limit the scope of the multicast group. The value used indicates if it is a link-local or global scope and essentially defines how “wide” the multicast network is, among other things.
New IPv6 multicast address format
The new format has a slightly different structure, including multiple fields that provide information and flags to support additional features to futureproof the protocol:
The fields that do not appear in the old format are described below:
- ff1 is the first set of four flags, three of which have been defined. The highest order (leftmost) bit is reserved for future use and must remain 0. The other three, in order of highest to lowest order (left to right), are known as R, P, and T:some text
- R (Rendezvous Point): This flag indicates whether or not an RP is embedded.
- P (Prefix): This bit indicates whether or not the address is derived using a network prefix.
- T (Transient): This bit indicates whether the address is well-known or dynamically assigned. This corresponds to the lowest-order bit in the flags field in the old format for backward compatibility.
- ff2 is a second set of four flags currently reserved for future use.
- reserved is a set of four bits also reserved for future use.
- plen indicates the actual number of bits in the network prefix field that identify the subnet when the P flag is set to 1.
Deploying IPv6 multicast
The following example shows how to enable IPv6 multicast on a network of Cisco routers. The example will make use of two router roles, defined as follows:
- Rendezvous Point (RP): The router in this role acts as a “meeting point” for multicast traffic. Multicast routers send all their multicast traffic to the RP and can also request that multicast traffic be sent to them from the RP.
- Bootstrap Router (BSR): The router in this role automatically and dynamically chooses the RP for the multicast topology.
More information about these can be found in the link at the end of this section.
In this scenario, we will statically configure the RP and the BSR using the following topology:
Note the following:
- R1 plays the role of our IPv6 host in this example, acting as a multicast receiver.
- R2 plays the role of the BSR.
- R3 plays the role of the RP.
- IPv6 routing has already been configured among all routers using EIGRP.
- Loopback interfaces with the shown addresses have been created on R2 and R3 to act as the BSR and RP sources, respectively.
Note that in a typical multicast implementation, multicast receivers are actually user devices (PCs, tablets, IP phones, videoconferencing stations, etc.) and not routers, as is the case in this topology. We are using R1 to simulate an IPv6 multicast receiver out of convenience for this example. So wherever you see R1 in this scenario, think “end-user device.”
We start by enabling multicast routing for IPv6 on all devices:
Next, we configure R3 as the candidate RP:
Then we configure R2 as the BSR to advertise R3 as the RP:
Now we configure our host R1 to join a multicast group. Let’s use the FF07::7 multicast address for this:
Let’s check to see if R2 has found a valid RP:
We can see from the output above that R2 recognizes R3 as the RP for the entire IPv6 multicast address space.
Let’s now take a look at the IPv6 multicast routing table on R2 and see what IPv6 multicast groups are included there:
R2 has inserted a (*,G) entry for the FF07::7 IPv6 multicast group, and the incoming interface is GigabitEthernet 0/1, which is the interface facing the RP, as expected.
Finally, let’s generate some multicast traffic and see if it does indeed reach the receiver R1:
The ping to the IPv6 multicast group address was successful.
For more detailed information on how to configure IPv6 multicast on Cisco devices and a more in-depth explanation of some of the concepts applied here, refer to this related Cisco documentation.
Multicast over the Internet
Multicast traffic is not routable over the Internet because of the huge bandwidth that would be required to do so: Almost all ISPs will drop any packets with a multicast destination address. Multicast is typically applied within enterprise networks to accommodate internal applications that require it. Multicast can be tunneled over the Internet to allow remote sites to participate in multicast applications, but it cannot be natively transmitted over the Internet.
Having said that, there was an attempt to make multicast available over the public Internet using what is known as the GLOP multicast address space, as defined in RFC 3180. This is an experimental, public, statically assigned multicast address space for ISPs and other entities to source multicast content on the Internet. The GLOP address space consists of the 188.8.131.52/8 IPv4 address range.
GLOP addressing defines a multicast address allocation method that provides a block of 255 addresses that are determined by their 16-bit autonomous system number (ASN) allocation. The middle two octets of the GLOP address are formed by the assigned ASN.
GLOP was only experimental and has not been widely implemented or adopted on the Internet. With only 256 multicast addresses available to each ASN, it was inadequate for large-scale broadcasters.
IPv6 multicast addresses present a new opportunity to apply multicast over the Internet. The global scope multicast IPv6 address space has been defined as ffxe::/16, where “x” is any hex value. Global scope multicast addresses, as defined in RFC 4291, present a much larger address space that can be used on the Internet. Even so, adoption has been slow, especially since a large portion of the Internet has yet to be converted to IPv6.
Multicast increases the efficient use of network resources by sending a single stream of packets to multiple receivers. Multicast routers duplicate those packets wherever necessary to ensure that the multicast stream reaches all intended recipients.
Multicast is an important part of networking and is a vital feature without which many network applications would not be able to function. IPv6 multicast delivers extensive improvements to the multicast functionality of IPv4, delivering a larger multicast address space and also much more functionality than its predecessor.
The promises of the IPv6 multicast address space are many, and the way IPv6 multicast is implemented provides great potential for its use in the future as the Internet slowly but surely transitions toward a full IPv6 implementation.
Learn the benefits of IPv6 in areas such as addressing, security, and multicasting, and delve into the details with our multi-chapter guide.
Learn how IPv6 handles multicast more efficiently than IPv4 while still using Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) and follow in-depth examples.
Learn how to configure iptables for IPv6, covering the basics of installing, configuring, viewing, editing, and persistence.
Learn about IPv6 pinholing and understand how it’s different from creating firewall holes in an IPv4 environment.
Learn about IPv6 security features like the Authentication Header and Encapsulation Security Payload and compare them to IPv4.
Learn about IPv6 proxy features, operation, implementation options, and benefits, and see examples of how IPv6 proxies can be used.
IPv6 includes a new feature called Stateless Address Auto-Configuration (SLAAC) that allows devices to determine their own IPv6 addresses. Learn how it works and how it can save you time and money with our free guide.
Understand how IPv6 tunnelling is used to encapsulate IPv6 packets in IPv4 and follow examples with configuration instructions.
What is IPv6 address compression? How does it work? Why do you need it? Find out all the details, including rules for using it, in our short but complete free guide.
What is a virtual private network (VPN)? In what ways does a VPN work the same way in IPv6 as in IPv4, and what are the differences? Get the answers to these questions and more in this free article.
Learn why most of the “challenges” associated with IPv6 adoption are misconceptions and why deployment is happening at about the expected pace. | <urn:uuid:f1fb4255-a930-4b62-9abd-f898e7175787> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.catchpoint.com/benefits-of-ipv6/ipv6-multicast-address | 2024-09-14T01:02:05Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651540.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913233654-20240914023654-00468.warc.gz | en | 0.923397 | 3,560 | 3.765625 | 4 |
In the past few years, we have witnessed the numerous calamities that have befallen the online cyberspace. Cybercriminals have shown what they are capable of, from orchestrating identity theft on social media to infiltrating companies and holding their data for ransom. In contrast, cybersecurity measures have not managed to catch up in this catch and mouse game, and it is fair to assume that no one’s data is ever safe.
In fact, due to the discrete aspects of cybercrime, it might even be viable to assume that most if not all of our data has been compromised and even sold. Although authentication credentials can be updated and secured, recovering sensitive data such as images, email addresses, social security numbers, and confidential records, might be a lost cause. You would have a better chance of recovering a coin tossed into the ocean.
The only way to move forward is to cut our losses and make efforts to secure a safer future. The best way to ensure our online data privacy is to take every precaution possible, keeping in mind the current cyber climate and predicting future conditions. Here are 4 of the top predicted cybersecurity trends in 2020 and beyond.
1. Accountability for Cybercrime
When companies like Facebook, with petabytes of user data worldwide, are reported to have ‘leaked’ sensitive data, state and federal laws come eventually into play. The more data-breaches and information scandals occur, the harder the authorities work to hold those responsible for the leaks accountable.
The Federal Trade Commission even approved a $5 billion fine on Facebook, signaling legislators’ aggressive and ambitious stance towards significant data mishandling. It should reassure people that the cybercrime situation is bound to improve as more people become aware of data privacy issues.
2. Video Deep-Fakes Powered by AI
Although photo-shopped imagery is easy to dissect and identify, AI has made that scarily difficult. Current AI-based software can seamlessly blending faces into bodies, which, frame by frame, makes fake videos look incredibly real.
The socio-political ramifications of realistic yet fake imagery bring forth a series of massive concerns regarding authenticity.
3. The Threat of IoT Devices
Internet of Things (IoT) devices have promised convenience when integrated as complete ecosystems in houses. However, it all comes at a price. These devices are weakly protected, soak in heaps of sensitive data without consent, and prone to using data algorithms to track users further.
Although specific bugs can get fixed, the security concerns are only bound to increase, given the interconnected and networked nature of the IoT services and the growth of internet technologies.
4. State-Sponsored Cyber-Crime
Online Cyberspace is a lawless land. Anything goes when it comes to cyber-crime, and that especially applies to state-backed cyber-warfare. Nations act on all fronts, and the digital dimension is no exception.
These are concerns based on factual incidents of state-backed cybercrime, such as China stealing US intellectual property, North Korea hacking Sony, and Russia influencing the 2016 US presidential elections. With the development of internet technology, the growing concerns of being caught in these digital battles’ crossfire should be entertained. | <urn:uuid:0a6795e4-dbc6-4531-8675-5c0d28b27d64> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.infoguardsecurity.com/predictions-of-future-cybersecurity-trends-in-2020-and-onwards/ | 2024-09-15T08:08:08Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651616.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20240915052902-20240915082902-00368.warc.gz | en | 0.935431 | 655 | 2.90625 | 3 |
Wi-Fi vendors Netgear Inc. and Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems Inc., have both announced this week that they will be releasing Wi-Fi products that use MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) antenna technology to improve their 802.11g products’ speed, range and reliability.
More realistically, most vendors predict that users will see at least two to four times faster throughput and a doubling of range. Perhaps more importantly, MIMO Wi-Fi devices should deal better with structural issues that lead to dead spots in Wi-Fi coverage.
Best of all, while neither Netgear nor Linksys has announced prices yet, it is expected that MIMO adaptors and access points will cost little more than their existing 802.11 counterparts.
How can they do it? MIMO works by taking one of radio communication’s oldest problems, multipath, and turning it into a solution.
Multipath is what happens when signals bounce off objects or structures and take multiple paths to the receiver. If you listen to your car radio, you run into the multipath problem every day. For example, if your favorite radio station fades out every day in a certain location, you’re hearing an example of what’s called multipath fading or “Rayleigh” fading.
What’s happening is that your antenna is receiving both the transmitter’s main signal and its reflections. When these signals arrive out of phase with each other, they cancel each other out, and your morning traffic report fades out.
But starting in the 1990s, a pair of Stanford University researchers showed that you could use each reflection, each multipath route, as a separate channel.
The engineering problem was that in order to make use of multipath this way, you need multiple antennas. However, it turns out that these antennas can be very close togetherclose enough to fit on a Wi-Fi card.
So it is that MIMO devices actually transmit and receive multiple data streams over their multiple antennas. These streams are then bonded together on the Wi-Fi device to create a higher-speed wireless connection.
If this sounds familiar, it should. Bonding was a trick we often used with ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) routers, and in modem devices that combined several 56K modem connections into a single, faster connection.
More recently, Wi-Fi chip maker Atheros Communications Inc. this week has used bonding with 802.11h to make Wi-Fi devices that could double the theoretical speed of 802.11g from 54Mbps to 108Mbps. Wi-Fi devices labeled “Super G” use this technology.
Unfortunately, these accomplish this speed increase by bonding together two or more of the 802.11g standard channels. Therefore, if you have multiple 802.11g networks, they can interfere with each other. This can result in a slowdown in the conventional 802.11g network.
MIMO avoids this problem by not bonding together 802.11 channels. Instead of sending one data stream down one channel and another stream down another channel, MIMO simultaneously transmits multiple data streams over the same channel.
As you might guess, this does cause signal interference. But MIMO receivers use algorithms to pull out the proper data streams and bond them in real time, resulting in a much faster throughput with longer range than conventional 802.11 technologies.
MIMO also uses SDM (Spatial Division Multiplexing). SDM multiplexes the multiple data streams, one per antenna, to transfer data simultaneously in each channel of bandwidth. This also results in faster traffic while still using any of the 802.11 networking protocols: 802.11a, 802.11b or 802.11g.
Airgo Networks Inc. was the first company to release a commercial version of MIMO. The groundbreaking firm’s “True MIMO” AGN100 Baseband/MAC (Media Access Control) processor and AGN100RF transceiver are being adopted by such Wi-Fi equipment vendors as Belkin Corp., Linksys and SOHOware Inc.
Airgo, however, is far from the only chip OEM to be producing MIMO-capable chip sets. For example, Netgear is using Video54‘s RangeMax MIMO technology. Intel is also working on MIMO technology for its next-generation Centrino chips.
Of course, it would be too much to expect these varying MIMO implementations to be compatible with each other. Each of them, however, is backwards-compatible with existing Wi-Fi equipment. In addition, to that extent, pieces of MIMO equipment will be compatible with each other. So, for example, while you wouldn’t get 100Mbps from a combination of Belkin MIMO-enhanced 802.11g access points and Netgear MIMO-enabled Wi-Fi cards, you would still get 802.11g’s usual speeds.
In addition, MIMO Wi-Fi cards, even used with non-MIMO access points, should see extended range. That’s because, by their very nature, these cards are better at picking up low-strength signals.
What all of this means for you as a reseller or an integrator is that MIMO technology deserves your attention today. Everyone loves Wi-Fi, especially now that it’s getting more secure with the maturation of 802.11i. At the same time, everyone wants more range and faster throughput.
If at all possible, stick with one vendor, or at least one MIMO chip set, in your deployments. If you don’t, your customers won’t see significant performance gains.
Finally, if you’re hoping that 802.11n, the next high-speed networking update standard, takes care of these incompatibility woes … don’t hold your breath. 802.11n is in the very early stages of development, and we’re already seeing at least two main camps with different ideas on how to achieve a real-world 100Mbps Wi-Fi throughput.
On one side, you have the MIMO camp led by Airgo. They’re grouped together under the name WWiSE (World-Wide Spectrum Efficiency). On the other, you have the TGn (Task Force 802.11n) Sync group. This group, which includes Atheros, Intel, Nokia and Sony, is taking the bigger-is-better approach by using existing wireless technologies over bigger, 40-Mhz channels.
The bottom line? Don’t wait for 802.11n, but do test out the coming MIMO equipment, pick a vendor and start rolling it out. You and your customers will be glad you did.
Check out eWEEK.com’s for the latest news, reviews and analysis on mobile and wireless computing. | <urn:uuid:b9e579bd-c3a2-4c4e-bb38-81ac2b34eb3f> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.channelinsider.com/tech-analysis/mimoing-your-way-to-faster-wi-fi/ | 2024-09-16T13:49:23Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651697.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20240916112213-20240916142213-00268.warc.gz | en | 0.929771 | 1,443 | 2.78125 | 3 |
Every software development team can speak to the importance of efficient and effective software development practices. One practice that has gained significant traction in recent years is continuous delivery (CD). This post will delve into the concept of continuous delivery, its workings, its relation to continuous integration and deployment, its connection to DevOps, and its overall relevance in the IT industry.
What is continuous delivery?
Continuous delivery is a software development discipline where software is built in such a way that it can be released to production at any time. It is an approach where teams ensure that every change made to the system is releasable and that they can release it at any moment on demand. The main objectives of continuous delivery are to accelerate the release rate of new features, improve software quality, and reduce the cost, time, and risk of delivering changes by allowing for more incremental updates to applications in production.
How does continuous delivery work?
The process of continuous delivery begins with the development of software by the IT team. Once the software is developed, it undergoes various stages of coding, building, and testing. The code is then deployed to a staging environment where it is further tested for reliability, functionality, and performance. If the software passes all these tests, it is then pushed to the production environment. The key here is to automate this entire process, making the deployment process repeatable and reliable.
Continuous delivery vs continuous integration & continuous deployment
- This is a software development practice where the software can be released to production at any given time. It ensures that every change made to the system is releasable and can be deployed at any moment on demand.
- The main objectives of Continuous delivery include accelerating the release rate of new features, improving software quality, and reducing the cost, time, and risk associated with delivering changes.
Continuous Integration (CI):
- This is a development practice where developers integrate changes into a mainline code base multiple times in a day. It is primarily used to prevent integration problems, also known as ‘integration hell.’
- The key difference between continuous integration and continuous delivery lies in their focus areas – while CI deals with the build and initial test stages, CD focuses on what happens with the build next, its delivery to the end users.
Continuous Deployment (CD):
- Continuous deployment is often confused with continuous delivery, but they are not the same. While continuous delivery requires manual approval for deploying to production, continuous deployment does not require manual intervention and the changes are automatically deployed.
- This approach ensures that every change that passes all stages of your production pipeline is released to your customers. There’s no human intervention, and only a failed test will prevent a new change to be deployed to production.
How does continuous delivery relate to DevOps?
DevOps is a set of practices that combines software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops). It aims to shorten the systems development life cycle and provide continuous delivery with high software quality. Therefore, continuous delivery plays a pivotal role in DevOps. It not only enables faster and more frequent releases, but it also ensures that the quality of software does not get compromised at this speed. By aligning with the principles of DevOps, continuous delivery helps in achieving quicker time-to-market, improved productivity, and better product quality.
Continuous delivery is a vital cog in the wheel of modern-day IT practices. By enabling swift and reliable delivery of software, it ensures that businesses can stay competitive in today’s fast-paced digital world. Not only does it streamline the software development process, but it also paves the way for a more collaborative and efficient IT ecosystem, thus playing a crucial role in the successful implementation of DevOps. As the IT landscape continues to evolve, the relevance and importance of continuous delivery are only set to increase. | <urn:uuid:d6d8f4e1-f04f-4c3a-ba3d-92cf853753a0> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.ninjaone.com/it-hub/it-service-management/what-is-continuous-delivery/ | 2024-09-10T11:51:47Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651241.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910093422-20240910123422-00868.warc.gz | en | 0.955171 | 782 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Mine Your Own Business
Data mining technology takes information about how the elements in a warehouse are related and uses technology grounded in statistics and neural networks to look for patterns between values that could be significant. Automating the ability to pick up on these potentially revealing patterns can prove valuable, but it places serious requirements on the skills of managers and warehouse architecture design.
"There’s gold in them thar hills!" This conviction is at the heart of both data warehousing and data mining, the conviction that somewhere in the data representing business transactions there are insights that can be mined to transform a business.
The difference between the two is in how this "gold" is obtained. Data warehouses are valuable when managers know what variables should be tracked; for example, differences in buying patterns tied to geographies, age groups, etc. While this information can be extremely valuable in tuning the way a business is run, too often the results – —and consequently, their interpretation, —are colored by the way the questions are asked.
The goal of data mining is to look for some correlation between the variables stored in a warehouse that is not expected, some aberration, which upon further examination could lead to some new insight. Data mining technology takes information about how the elements in a warehouse are related and uses technology grounded in statistics and neural networks to look for patterns between values that could be significant.
A classic example of the kind of insight that can be provided by data mining is the discovery that in examining purchasing patterns in retail stores. The classic example being,, there seemed to be a higher than expected correlation between the purchase of disposable diapers and beer. Upon interpretation and more data sampling, it made sense that a parent who had run out of disposable diapers and had to make a special trip to a convenience store might also include an impulse purchase geared at rewarding him (her)or her for the inconvenience of having to go there.
While this kind of information can lead to better plans for how to stock shelves, in other situations this type of statistical correlation may point to something as serious as fraud. Automating the ability to pick up on these potentially revealing patterns clearly can prove valuable, but it places some pretty serious requirements on the skills of its managers and how an organization designs it warehouse architecture.
The Problems of Data Mining
Data mining technology has several important prerequisites, namely:
The data in the warehouse is clean and consistent.
The individuals deploying the data mining products have correctly specified the relationships between variables.
MManagement defines criteria for what it will spend to achieve "explanatory adequacy."
* The warehouse architecture supports evolution to facilitate the acquisition of any additional data.
Clean and consistent data. If the warehouse implementation team cannot assure insure that the data represented in a warehouse is consistent, data mining tools may turn up interesting correlations between data elements that may beare totally spurious. As a result, the The whole value of the data mining application is compromised.
The complexity of the task of populating a warehouse with clean and consistent data is a function of how badly the warehouse is needed. If the goal is to capture a subset of data from an operational database and transform the data values so it they can be used by business users in a data mart, the task of insuring clean and consistent data is fairly straightforward. The implementation team merely needs to insure that the source database is consistent. However, even when dealing with a single database this task is not simple.
Frequently it is not possible to rebuild historical data in a database used by a mission-critical system because there is not sufficient downtime. As a result, particularly in legacy environments, a DBA will make a schema change in such a way as not to alert the data manager. Sometimes these changes are effected by COBOL REDEFINES; , sometimes by a particular data value which that signals the existence of another file or record. Because these changes are rarely documented in one place – —rather, it isthey are distributed across file descriptions , dbms DBMS data definition files, and application code, —extensive data sampling may be required depending upon the amount of historical data being loaded into the data mart.
However, when a company is building a warehouse which that either consolidates equivalent data from multiple sources (as in the case of pulling data from multiple purchasing systems) or merges related data from different types of applications, the task of populating the warehouse is even more complex. Not only must one deal with inconsistencies within a particular source database, but recognize when the same customer or vendor is being referenced across multiple source databases, create new keys, etc.
Despite these complexities, if a company is not committed to making the investment required to insure clean, consistent data, it might as well give up any thought of using data mining technology.
Accurate identification of dependencies. To reduce computational complexity, data mining products allow the user to specify the relationships between the elements in a warehouse. In many respects, these are not unlike the kind of relationships captured in ERA diagrams used in designing databases. However, when defining a database one is defining such things as the legal relationship between entities (e.g., a student has more than one report cards) and the legal data types or range of values for each attribute.
The dbms DBMS guarantees that these specifications will be enforced. In contrast, defining parameters for use with data mining technology is more a matter of heuristics; , that is, a set of guidelines for what is expected. Data mining products use this information to "notice" relationships that violate these heuristics.
For example, one value may be dependent on another – —for example, line of credit may be a function of both credit rating and income. A higher line of credit implies that payments will be timely. A data- mining tool might flag a potentially important correlation if it finds a population of customers with a pattern of high lines of credit and a large number of late payments. What this correlation might mean is a function of how this correlation is interpreted. Depending upon the company processes used to derive the values in the warehouse, there could be very different interpretations. If line of credit is computed automatically and enforced by some computer program, then it is unlikely that there is an error in line of credit. If, on the other hand, employees are the ones who make this determination and enter the line of credit, management might want to see if these customers are tied to some geographic location serviced by a particular outlet of the company and so on.
In short, the confidence with which management can be certain that it has found a real nugget from data mining is no easy matter., but It is a function of the accuracy and skill with which these heuristics have been specified;, management’s knowledge of the business processes and systems in place;, and the ability to add additional data to the warehouse in the case the correlation is potentially important enough that it should not be ignored and and a number of competing interpretations are possible with the data currently available in the warehouse.
Determining explanatory adequacy. Scientific inquiry is a good analogy for the dilemma of companies trying to benefit from data mining. In trying to understand a phenomenon, it is as important – —and perhaps easier -- —to discount the variables that don’t contribute, as to understand the ones that do. As Lou Agosta says about data mining in The Essential Guide to Data Warehousing, "Refutation is absolute; whereas confirmation is always partial and tentative." Just as the early stages of scientific investigation typically lead to more questions that lead to more experiments, data mining technology is a tool for helping management refine the questions it should ask. Sometimes sufficient evidence can be found from these subsequent queries to point to a probable conclusion.
The dilemma comes when all obvious questions have been posed to the warehouse, and no definitive interpretation has been found for the correlation uncovered by the data mining— becomes what to does one do when all the obvious questions have been asked of the warehouse. .? There are two possibilities at this point –: conclude that the correlation is irrelevant or generate a series of hypotheses – —or theories - —about what could account for it.
If the operational systems in use in the organization contain data that could provide corroboration for one or more of the competing hypotheses, management and IT must assess how quickly such information could be incorporated into the warehouse and the relative importance of incurring the cost of rebuilding the warehouse.
If the methodology and architecture used to implement the warehouse do not support a quick iteration cycle, rather than rebuilding the warehouse, it might be easier to simply redesign the warehouse and move moving forward to capture the additional information required to see if evidence can be gathered in the future to verify the hypothesis. The feasibility of either of these approaches is also a function of how quickly the warehouse and the programs that populate it can be modified – —and how important it is to find a timely response to the business question raised by the anomaly uncovered through data mining.
An evolutionary architecture. As Agosta also points out, ideally one would like the results from data mining before designing what a data warehouse should contain, but this is not possible as such applications cannot be run meaningfully against raw operational data. For this reason, companies that want to avail themselves of data mining should insure that the products and methodology they use in their warehouse implementation support a quick modification cycle. The kKey to this is keeping a metadata audit trail of everything discovered in building the warehouse – —the source fields utilized and, how they map to the fields in the warehouse;, the look-up tables and business rules used to transform data values and , how these are affected across time by schema changes encountered, etc. In fact, given the volatility of the current business environment – —with changing requirements brought on by deregulation, M&A, and the drive toward e-commerce, —it is probably important that a company have the same concerns in building any warehouse, even it is not considering the use of data mining.
How being "wired" affects the potential value
Data mining is appealing because it suggests how one can combine the computational muscle of the computer and techniques drawn from statistical analysis and optimization technologies with the creativity of the human mind to create a supersleuth. However, the drive toward e-commerce and what Giga calls the "zero latency enterprise" adds another wrinkle to the technical and conceptual complexities discussed above. With the goal of using the Web to support personalized marketing and just-in-time manufacturing, companies are using middleware products to implement near -real-time warehouses. Depending on the business – —for example, those involved with stock transactions – —these near- real-time super-applications are mission-critical, but are they data warehouses. ?
Historically (there is some irony in the use of this word) data warehouses are were intended to assist management in introspection. The concept of introspection suggests some element of elapsed time – —a Sabbath? – —the notion of time outside the turmoil of day-to-day business which that allows us to devise a better plan. Even without this time conflict, the question remains whether even the best combination of data warehousing and data mining can anticipate a paradigm shift where many of our essential assumptions are no longer relevant. The need to balance our ever increasing need for speed, efficiency, and innovation with wisdom and an understanding of our limitations– —whether spiritual, technical, or procedural – —is surely our challenge for the next millennium.
We find ourselves in the midst of a new "wired" world, with tools more powerful than any of the prophets of the information Information Aage could have imagined. The technology supporting data mining is promising, but expectations about the ability to benefit from this technology must be balanced against a number of factors. The most, the most important of which isthese being the organization’s strategy for balancing the need for speed, the technical complexity of evolving and maintaining their IT environment, and their decision for trade-offs about what is important to survival.
About the Author: Katherine Hammer is President and CEO of Evolutionary Technologies International (Austin, Texas). | <urn:uuid:b0d9400c-4739-4241-89b4-d8098eb34ac5> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://esj.com/articles/2000/04/01/mine-your-own-business_633718620819443683.aspx | 2024-09-11T16:20:35Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651390.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911152031-20240911182031-00768.warc.gz | en | 0.939756 | 2,463 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Layer 2 Switching Methods
LAN switches are characterized by the forwarding method that they support, such as a store-and-forward switch, cut-through switch, or fragment-free switch. In the store-and-forward switching method, error checking is performed against the frame, and any frame with errors is discarded. With the cut-through switching method, no error checking is performed against the frame, which makes forwarding the frame through the switch faster than store-and-forward switches.
Store-and-forward switching means that the LAN switch copies each complete frame into the switch memory buffers and computes a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) for errors. CRC is an error-checking method that uses a mathematical formula, based on the number of bits (1s) in the frame, to determine whether the received frame is errored. If a CRC error is found, the frame is discarded. If the frame is error free, the switch forwards the frame out the appropriate interface port, as illustrated in Figure 6-7.
Figure 6-7 Store-and-Forward Switch Discarding a Frame with a Bad CRC
An Ethernet frame is discarded if it is smaller than 64 bytes in length, a runt, or if the frame is larger than 1518 bytes in length, a giant, as illustrated in Figure 6-8.
Some switches can be configured to carry giant, or jumbo, frames.
If the frame does not contain any errors, and is not a runt or a giant, the LAN switch looks up the destination address in its forwarding, or switching, table and determines the outgoing interface. It then forwards the frame toward its intended destination.
Store-and-Forward Switching Operation
Store-and-forward switches store the entire frame in internal memory and check the frame for errors before forwarding the frame to its destination. Store-and-forward switch operation ensures a high level of error-free network traffic, because bad data frames are discarded rather than forwarded across the network, as illustrated in Figure 6-9.
Figure 6-8 Runts and Giants in the Switch
Figure 6-9 Store-and-Forward Switch Examining Each Frame for Errors Before Forwarding to Destination Network Segment
The store-and-forward switch shown in Figure 6-9 inspects each received frame for errors before forwarding it on to the frame's destination network segment. If a frame fails this inspection, the switch drops the frame from its buffers, and the frame is thrown in to the proverbial bit bucket.
A drawback to the store-and-forward switching method is one of performance, because the switch has to store the entire data frame before checking for errors and forwarding. This error checking results in high switch latency (delay). If multiple switches are connected, with the data being checked at each switch point, total network performance can suffer as a result. Another drawback to store-and-forward switching is that the switch requires more memory and processor (central processing unit, CPU) cycles to perform the detailed inspection of each frame than that of cut-through or fragment-free switching.
With cut-through switching, the LAN switch copies into its memory only the destination MAC address, which is located in the first 6 bytes of the frame following the preamble. The switch looks up the destination MAC address in its switching table, determines the outgoing interface port, and forwards the frame on to its destination through the designated switch port. A cut-through switch reduces delay because the switch begins to forward the frame as soon as it reads the destination MAC address and determines the outgoing switch port, as illustrated in Figure 6-10.
The cut-through switch shown in Figure 6-10 inspects each received frame's header to determine the destination before forwarding on to the frame's destination network segment. Frames with and without errors are forwarded in cut-through switching operations, leaving the error detection of the frame to the intended recipient. If the receiving switch determines the frame is errored, the frame is thrown out to the bit bucket where the frame is subsequently discarded from the network.
Figure 6-10 Cut-Through Switch Examining Each Frame Header Before Forwarding to Destination Network Segment
Cut-through switching was developed to reduce the delay in the switch processing frames as they arrive at the switch and are forwarded on to the destination switch port. The switch pulls the frame header into its port buffer. When the destination MAC address is determined by the switch, the switch forwards the frame out the correct interface port to the frame's intended destination.
Cut-through switching reduces latency inside the switch. If the frame was corrupted in transit, however, the switch still forwards the bad frame. The destination receives this bad frame, checks the frame's CRC, and discards it, forcing the source to resend the frame. This process wastes bandwidth and, if it occurs too often, network users experience a significant slowdown on the network. In contrast, store-and-forward switching prevents errored frames from being forwarded across the network and provides for quality of service (QoS) managing network traffic flow.
Today's switches don't suffer the network latency that older (legacy) switches labored under. This minimizes the effect switch latency has on your traffic. Today's switches are better suited for a store-and-forward environment.
Cut-Through Switching Operation
Cut-through switches do not perform any error checking of the frame because the switch looks only for the frame's destination MAC address and forwards the frame out the appropriate switch port. Cut-through switching results in low switch latency. The drawback, however, is that bad data frames, as well as good frames, are sent to their destinations. At first blush, this might not sound bad because most network cards do their own frame checking by default to ensure good data is received. You might find that if your network is broken down into workgroups, the likelihood of bad frames or collisions might be minimized, in turn making cut-through switching a good choice for your network.
Fragment-free switching is also known as runtless switching and is a hybrid of cut-through and store-and-forward switching. Fragment-free switching was developed to solve the late-collision problem.
Recall that when two systems' transmissions occur at the same time, the result is a collision. Collisions are a part of Ethernet communications and do not imply any error condition. A late collision is similar to an Ethernet collision, except that it occurs after all hosts on the network should have been able to notice that a host was already transmitting.
A late collision indicates that another system attempted to transmit after a host has transmitted at least the first 60 bytes of its frame. Late collisions are often caused by an Ethernet LAN being too large and therefore needing to be segmented. Late collisions can also be caused by faulty network devices on the segment and duplex (for example, half-duplex/full-duplex) mismatches between connected devices.
Fragment-Free Switching Operation
Fragment-free switching works like cut-through switching with the exception that a switch in fragment-free mode stores the first 64 bytes of the frame before forwarding. Fragment-free switching can be viewed as a compromise between store-and-forward switching and cut-through switching. The reason fragment-free switching stores only the first 64 bytes of the frame is that most network errors and collisions occur during the first 64 bytes of a frame.
Different methods work better at different points in the network. For example, cut-through switching is best for the network core where errors are fewer, and speed is of utmost importance. Store-and-forward is best at the network access layer where most network problems and users are located.
Layer 3 Switching
Layer 3 switching is another example of fragment-free switching. Up to now, this discussion has concentrated on switching and bridging at the data link layer (Layer 2) of the Open System Interconnection (OSI) model. When bridge technology was first developed, it was not practical to build wire-speed bridges with large numbers of high-speed ports because of the manufacturing cost involved. With improved technology, many functions previously implemented in software were moved into the hardware, increasing performance and enabling manufacturers to build reasonably priced wire-speed switches.
Whereas bridges and switches work at the data link layer (OSI Layer 2), routers work at the network layer (OSI Layer 3). Routers provide functionality beyond that offered by bridges or switches. As a result, however, routers entail greater complexity. Like early bridges, routers were often implemented in software, running on a special-purpose processing platform, such as a personal computer (PC) with two network interface cards (NICs) and software to route data between each NIC, as illustrated in Figure 6-11.
Figure 6-11 PC Routing with Two NICs
The early days of routing involved a computer and two NIC cards, not unlike two people having a conversation, but having to go through a third person to do so. The workstation would send its traffic across the wire, and the routing computer would receive it on one NIC, determine that the traffic would have to be sent out the other NIC, and then resend the traffic out this other NIC.
In the same way that a Layer 2 switch is another name for a bridge, a Layer 3 switch is another name for a router. This is not to say that a Layer 3 switch and a router operate the same way. Layer 3 switches make decisions based on the port-level Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, whereas routers make decisions based on a map of the Layer 3 network (maintained in a routing table).
Multilayer switching is a switching technique that switches at both the data link (OSI Layer 2) and network (OSI Layer 3) layers. To enable multilayer switching, LAN switches must use store-and-forward techniques because the switch must receive the entire frame before it performs any protocol layer operations, as illustrated in Figure 6-12.
Figure 6-12 Layer 3 (Multilayer) Switch Examining Each Frame for Error Before Determining the Destination Network Segment (Based on the Network Address)
Similar to a store-and-forward switch, with multilayer switching the switch pulls the entire received frame into its memory and calculates its CRC. It then determines whether the frame is good or bad. If the CRC calculated on the packet matches the CRC calculated by the switch, the destination address is read and the frame is forwarded out the correct switch port. If the CRC does not match the frame, the frame is discarded. Because this type of switching waits for the entire frame to be received before forwarding, port latency times can become high, which can result in some latency, or delay, of network traffic.
Layer 3 Switching Operation
You might be asking yourself, "What's the difference between a Layer 3 switch and a router?" The fundamental difference between a Layer 3 switch and a router is that Layer 3 switches have optimized hardware passing data traffic as fast as Layer 2 switches. However, Layer 3 switches make decisions regarding how to transmit traffic at Layer 3, just as a router does.
Within the LAN environment, a Layer 3 switch is usually faster than a router because it is built on switching hardware. Bear in mind that the Layer 3 switch is not as versatile as a router, so do not discount the use of a router in your LAN without first examining your LAN requirements, such as the use of network address translation (NAT).
Before going forward with this discussion, recall the following points:
A switch is a Layer 2 (data link) device with physical ports and that the switch communicates via frames that are placed on to the wire at Layer 1 (physical).
A router is a Layer 3 (network) device that communicates with other routers with the use of packets, which in turn are encapsulated inside frames.
Routers have interfaces for connection into the network medium. For a router to route data over the Ethernet, for instance, the router requires an Ethernet interface, as illustrated in Figure 6-13.
A serial interface is required for the router connecting to a wide-area network (WAN), and a Token Ring interface is required for the router connecting to a Token Ring network.
A simple network made up of two network segments and an internetworking device (in this case, a router) is shown in Figure 6-14.
Figure 6-13 Router Interfaces
The router in Figure 6-14 has two Ethernet interfaces, labeled E0 and E1. The primary function of the router is determining the best network path in a complex network. A router has three ways to learn about networks and make the determination regarding the best path: through locally connected ports, static route entries, and dynamic routing protocols. The router uses this learned information to make a determination by using routing protocols. Some of the more common routing protocols used include Routing Information Protocol (RIP), Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP), and Border Gateway Protocol (BGP).
Figure 6-14 Two-Segment Network with a Layer 3 Router
Routing protocols are used by routers to share information about the network. Routers receive and use the routing protocol information from other routers to learn about the state of the network. Routers can modify information received from one router by adding their own information along with the original information, and then forward that on to other routers. In this way, each router can share its version of the network.
Layer 3 information is carried through the network in packets, and the transport method of carrying these packets is called packet switching, as illustrated in Figure 6-15.
Figure 6-15 Packet Switching Between Ethernet and Token Ring Network Segments
Figure 6-15 shows how a packet is delivered across multiple networks. Host A is on an Ethernet segment, and Host B on a Token Ring segment. Host A places an Ethernet frame, encapsulating an Internet Protocol (IP) packet, on to the wire for transmission across the network.
The Ethernet frame contains a source data link layer MAC address and a destination data link layer MAC address. The IP packet within the frame contains a source network layer IP address (TCP/IP network layer address) and a destination network layer IP address. The router maintains a routing table of network paths it has learned, and the router examines the network layer destination IP address of the packet. When the router has determined the destination network from the destination IP address, the router examines the routing table and determines whether a path exists to that network.
In the case illustrated in Figure 6-15, Host B is on a Token Ring network segment directly connected to the router. The router peels off the Layer 2 Ethernet encapsulation, forwards the Layer 3 data packet, and then re-encapsulates the packet inside a new Token Ring frame. The router sends this frame out its Token Ring interface on to the segment where Host B will see a Token Ring frame containing its MAC address and process it.
Note the original frame was Ethernet, and the final frame is Token Ring encapsulating an IP packet. This is called media transition and is one of the features of a network router. When the packet arrives on one interface and is forwarded to another, it is called Layer 3 switching or routing.
Routing Table Lookup
Routers (and Layer 3 switches) perform table lookups determining the next hop (next router or Layer 3 switch) along the route, which in turn determines the output port over which to forward the packet or frame. The router or Layer 3 switch makes this decision based on the network portion of the destination address in the received packet.
This lookup results in one of three actions:
The destination network is not reachableThere is no path to the destination network and no default network. In this case, the packet is discarded.
The destination network is reachable by forwarding the packet to another routerThere is a match of the destination network against a known table entry, or to a default route if a method for reaching the destination network is unknown. The first lookup tells the next hop. Then a second lookup is performed to determine how to get to the next hop. Then a final determination of the exit port is reached. The first lookup can return multiple paths, so the port is not known until after the determination of how to get there is made. In either case, the lookup returns the network (Layer 3) address of the next-hop router, and the port through which that router can be reached.
The destination network is known to be directly attached to the routerThe port is directly attached to the network and reachable. For directly attached networks, the next step maps the host portion of the destination network address to the data link (MAC) address for the next hop or end node using the ARP table (for IP). It does not map the destination network address to the router interface. It needs to use the MAC of the final end node so that the node picks up the frame from the medium. Also, you are assuming IP when stating that the router uses the ARP table. Other Layer 3 protocols, such as Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX), do not use ARP to map their addresses to MAC addresses.
Routing table lookup in an IP router might be considered more complex than a MAC address lookup for a bridge, because at the data link layer addresses are 48-bits in length, with fixed-length fieldsthe OUI and ID. Additionally, data-link address space is flat, meaning there is no hierarchy or dividing of addresses into smaller and distinct segments. MAC address lookup in a bridge entails searching for an exact match on a fixed-length field, whereas address lookup in a router looks for variable-length fields identifying the destination network.
IP addresses are 32 bits in length and are made up of two fields: the network identifier and the host identifier, as illustrated in Figure 6-16.
Both the network and host portions of the IP address can be of a variable or fixed length, depending on the hierarchical network address scheme used. Discussion of this hierarchical, or subnetting, scheme is beyond the scope of this book, but suffice to say you are concerned with the fact that each IP address has a network and host identifier.
The routing table lookup in an IP router determines the next hop by examining the network portion of the IP address. After it determines the best match for the next hop, the router looks up the interface port to forward the packets across, as illustrated in Figure 6-17.
Figure 6-16 IP Address Space
Figure 6-17 shows that the router receives the traffic from Serial Port 1 (S1) and performs a routing table lookup determining from which port to forward out the traffic. Traffic destined for Network 1 is forwarded out the Ethernet 0 (E0) port. Traffic destined for Network 2 is forwarded out the Token Ring 0 (T0) port, and traffic destined for Network 3 is forwarded out Serial Port 0 (S0).
In terms of the Cisco Internet Operating System (IOS) interface, port numbers begin with zero (0), such as serial port 0 (S0). Not all vendors, including Cisco, use ports; some use slots or modules, which might begin with zero or one.
Figure 6-17 Routing Table Lookup Operation
The host identifier portion of the network address is examined only if the network lookup indicates that the destination is on a locally attached network. Unlike data-link addresses, the dividing line between the network identifier and the host identifier is not in a fixed position throughout the network. Routing table entries can exist for network identifiers of various lengths, from 0 bits in length, specifying a default route, to 32 bits in length for host-specific routes. According to IP routing procedures, the lookup result returned should be the one corresponding to the entry that matches the maximum number of bits in the network identifier. Therefore, unlike a bridge, where the lookup is for an exact match against a fixed-length field, IP routing lookups imply a search for the longest match against a variable-length field.
For example, a network host might have both the IP address of 184.108.40.206 and a MAC address of 00-0c-41-53-40-d3. The router makes decisions based on the IP address (220.127.116.11), whereas the switch makes decisions based on the MAC address (00-0c-41-53-40-d3). Both addresses identify the same host on the network, but are used by different network devices when forwarding traffic to this host.
Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) is a network layer protocol used in IP to convert IP addresses into MAC addresses. A network device looking to learn a MAC address broadcasts an ARP request onto the network. The host on the network that has the IP address in the request replies with its MAC (hardware) address. This is called ARP mapping, the mapping of a Layer 3 (network) address to a Layer 2 (data link) address.
Some Layer 3 addresses use the MAC address as part of their addressing scheme, such as IPX.
Because the network layer address structure in IP does not provide for a simple mapping to data-link addresses, IP addresses use 32 bits, and data-link addresses use 48 bits. It is not possible to determine the 48-bit data-link address for a host from the host portion of the IP address. For packets destined for a host not on a locally attached network, the router performs a lookup for the next-hop router's MAC address. For packets destined for hosts on a locally attached network, the router performs a second lookup operation to find the destination address to use in the data-link header of the forwarded packet's frame, as illustrated in Figure 6-18.
After determining for which directly attached network the packet is destined, the router looks up the destination MAC address in its ARP cache. Recall that ARP enables the router to determine the corresponding MAC address when it knows the network (IP) address. The router then forwards the packet across the local network in a frame with the MAC address of the local host, or next-hop router.
Figure 6-18 Router ARP Cache Lookup
Note in Figure 6-18 that Net 3, Host: 31 is not part of the ARP cache, because during the routing table lookup, the router determined that this packet is to be forwarded to another, remote (nonlocally attached) network.
The result of this final lookup falls into one of the three following categories:
The packet is destined for the router itselfThe IP destination address (network and station portion combined) corresponds to one of the IP addresses of the router. In this case, the packet must be passed to the appropriate higher-layer entity within the router and not forwarded to any external port.
The packet is destined for a known host on the directly attached networkThis is the most common situation encountered by a network router. The router determines the mapping from the ARP table and forwards the packet out the appropriate interface port to the local network.
The ARP mapping for the specified host is unknownThe router initiates a discovery procedure by sending an ARP request determining the mapping of network to hardware address. Because this discovery procedure takes time, albeit measured in milliseconds, the router might drop the packet that resulted in the discovery procedure in the first place. Under steady-state conditions, the router already has ARP mappings available for all communicating hosts. The address discovery procedure is necessary when a previously unheard-from host establishes a new communication session.
The current version of Cisco IOS (12.0) Software drops the first packet for a destination without an ARP entry. The IOS does this to handle denial of service (DoS) attacks against incomplete ARPs. In other words, it drops the frame immediately instead of awaiting a reply.
Each output port on a network device has an associated maximum transmission unit (MTU). Recall from earlier in this chapter that the MTU indicates the largest frame size (measured in bytes) that can be carried on the interface. The MTU is often a function of the networking technology in use, such as Ethernet, Token Ring, or Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP). PPP is used with Internet connections. If the frame being forwarded is larger than the available space, as indicated by the MTU, the frame is fragmented into smaller pieces for transmission on the particular network.
Bridges cannot fragment frames when forwarding between LANs of differing MTU sizes because data-link connections rarely have a mechanism for fragment reassembly at the receiver. The mechanism is at the network layer implementation, such as with IP, which is capable of overcoming this limitation. Network layer packets can be broken down into smaller pieces if necessary so that these packets can travel across a link with a smaller MTU.
Fragmentation is similar to taking a picture and cutting it into pieces so that each piece will fit into differently sized envelopes for mailing. It is up to the sender to determine the size of the largest piece that can be sent, and it is up to the receiver to reassemble these pieces. Fragmentation is a mixed blessing; although it provides the means of communication across different link technologies, the processing accomplishing the fragmentation is significant and could be a burden on each device having to fragment and reassemble the data. Further, pieces for reassembly can be received out of order and may be dropped by the switch or router.
As a rule, it is best to avoid fragmentation in your network if at all possible. It is more efficient for the sending station to send packets not requiring fragmentation anywhere along the path to the destination, instead of sending large packets requiring intermediate routers to perform fragmentation.
Hosts and routers can learn the maximum MTU available along a network path through the use of MTU discovery. MTU discovery is a process by which each device in a network path learns the MTU size that the network path can support. | <urn:uuid:c3e13546-36d0-4fb7-a404-3fe01c419fb3> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.ciscopress.com/articles/article.asp?p=357103&seqNum=4 | 2024-09-16T15:34:07Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651697.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20240916144317-20240916174317-00368.warc.gz | en | 0.921126 | 5,345 | 3.328125 | 3 |
What Is Cloud Disaster Recovery (Cloud DR)?
Cloud Computing Disaster Recovery (Cloud DR) refers to strategies and technologies that use the cloud to recover critical data, applications, and infrastructure following a disruption. Cloud DR leverages cloud services and resources to ensure business continuity by replicating data and applications. Typically, Cloud DR systems use cloud storage for backup and employ cloud-based computing resources to quickly restore operations after an outage or disaster.
One of the key aspects of Cloud DR is its scalability and flexibility, allowing businesses to adjust resources based on their specific needs. This differs significantly from traditional disaster recovery solutions, which required considerable upfront investment in hardware and maintenance. Cloud DR enables a seamless transition to a backup environment, reducing downtime and minimizing data loss risks. This can be especially beneficial for businesses with limited IT infrastructure.
In this article:
- Cloud Disaster Recovery vs. Traditional Disaster Recovery
- Approaches to Cloud DR
- Benefits of Cloud DR
- Challenges of Cloud Disaster Recovery
- Choosing a Cloud Disaster Recovery Solution
Cloud Disaster Recovery vs. Traditional Disaster Recovery
Traditional disaster recovery involves maintaining physical hardware and infrastructure to back up data and applications, often housed in a secondary offsite location. This method typically demands significant capital expenditure and ongoing maintenance costs, making it less accessible for smaller organizations. Recovery times in traditional setups might be longer due to the complexity of switching to backup systems and restoring data manually.
Cloud disaster recovery utilizes cloud-based resources managed by third-party providers, offering a more cost-effective and scalable solution. Cloud DR can reduce the recovery time objective (RTO) and recovery point objective (RPO) significantly, as cloud environments can be quickly spun up and configured to restore operations. This makes Cloud DR an attractive option both for smaller businesses and larger enterprises.
Approaches to Cloud DR
There are three architectural approaches to disaster recovery in the cloud: cold DR, warm DR, and hot DR.
Cold disaster recovery refers to a minimal and cost-effective approach where backups are stored offsite with no ongoing operational environment. When a disaster occurs, data is retrieved from these backups, and systems are rebuilt from scratch. While cold DR is less expensive, it involves longer recovery times as hardware must be provisioned and systems restored, impacting operational continuity.
Despite its longer recovery time, cold DR is an attractive option for organizations with limited budgets that can tolerate longer downtimes. It also serves as a basic level of disaster recovery for critical data, ensuring that essential information is not permanently lost even if immediate recovery isn’t feasible.
Warm disaster recovery strikes a balance between cost and recovery time. In this approach, some critical systems are pre-configured and regularly updated, allowing for quicker partial recovery. Though not immediately operational like hot DR, warm DR setups mean key services can be restored relatively quickly, reducing overall downtime.
Warm DR is suitable for businesses that need faster recovery times than cold DR but cannot afford the high costs of hot DR. It employs a middle ground by maintaining a standby system that requires minimal but essential updates and resources, ensuring moderate continuity during disaster scenarios.
Hot disaster recovery refers to a fully redundant and always-ready system that mirrors the primary operational environment. Data and applications are continuously synchronized, providing near-instant failover capability with minimal disruption. This method is the most expensive but offers the shortest recovery times and the highest level of data protection and availability.
Businesses with mission-critical operations that cannot afford downtime often opt for hot DR. Although it requires significant investment in resources and ongoing costs, the ability to switch to backup systems almost seamlessly justifies the expense, ensuring operational continuity and safeguarding critical business functions.
Benefits of Cloud DR
One of the significant benefits of Cloud DR is the pay-per-use model, allowing organizations to pay only for the resources they use. This flexibility makes it easier to scale up during emergencies without significant upfront costs. Businesses can allocate funds more efficiently, focusing on other critical areas while ensuring robust disaster recovery measures are in place.
This model also allows organizations to test and update their disaster recovery plans more frequently without financial strain. Regular testing ensures that the disaster recovery plan is functional and reduces the risk of unexpected failures during an actual disaster.
Geo-redundancy is another benefit of Cloud DR, providing multiple geographically dispersed backup locations. This approach ensures that data is not lost if a disaster affects one location. By using geographically distributed data centers, businesses can protect against region-specific disruptions, such as natural disasters or local infrastructure failures.
Having data backed up across multiple locations decreases the chances of losing critical information and hastens recovery times. In case one data center faces a disruption, the organization can quickly switch to another location, ensuring continuous availability and enhancing overall resilience.
Easy Testing and Fast Recovery
Cloud DR facilitates easy testing and quick recovery mechanisms. Regular testing of disaster recovery plans is crucial to identify potential issues before they become problematic. Cloud environments make it simpler to simulate disaster scenarios, allowing organizations to test their DR plans without affecting primary operations.
Fast recovery is another inherent advantage of Cloud DR, enabled by the flexibility and scalability of cloud platforms. With cloud-based resources, organizations can quickly restore applications and data, minimizing downtime and operational disruption. This is essential in maintaining business continuity and protecting against revenue loss during disasters.
Not Bound to Physical Location
Cloud DR offers the advantage of not being tied to a specific physical location. Traditional DR solutions often rely on physical data centers that could be affected by local disasters. In contrast, cloud-based DR allows data and applications to be backed up and restored from any location, providing greater flexibility and resilience.
This detachment from physical constraints means that businesses can access and recover their data from virtually anywhere in the world, as long as there is internet connectivity. Such flexibility ensures that operations can be restored quickly and efficiently, regardless of where the disaster occurs.
Challenges of Cloud Disaster Recovery
Despite its benefits, cloud disaster recovery does raise several challenges for organizations.
Increased Compliance Requirements
One of the primary challenges of Cloud DR is navigating compliance requirements. Different industries have varying regulations concerning data protection, retention, and disaster recovery procedures. Organizations must ensure that their Cloud DR solutions comply with these regulations to avoid legal and financial penalties.
Compliance can be complex when using cloud services as data may be stored in multiple locations, subjecting it to various jurisdictions’ regulations. Organizations need to work closely with cloud service providers to ensure that their disaster recovery plans align with legal and industry standards, maintaining data security and integrity.
Potential Connectivity Issues
Connectivity issues pose another challenge for implementing Cloud DR. Dependence on the internet means that any disruption in network connectivity can impact access to backup systems and data. Organizations must ensure they have reliable and high-speed internet connections to facilitate efficient disaster recovery operations.
To mitigate this risk, businesses can implement redundant network connections, ensuring alternative pathways in case of primary connection failure. However, such measures might increase costs and add complexity to the disaster recovery plan, necessitating careful planning and resource allocation.
Limited by Service Provider SLAs
Cloud DR is limited by the service provider’s Service Level Agreement (SLA), which defines the promised uptime and service availability. Depending on the SLA’s terms, businesses might face restrictions on data recovery speed, data access, and overall service reliability. Choosing a provider with a robust SLA is crucial to ensure predictable and reliable disaster recovery.
Organizations must thoroughly review and understand the SLAs when selecting cloud providers. This ensures that the terms meet their recovery time objectives (RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO). Inadequate SLAs, or failure by cloud providers to meet their SLAs, could lead to extended downtimes and potential data loss.
Choosing a Cloud Disaster Recovery Solution
Here are a few key considerations for selecting a cloud disaster recovery solution.
When choosing a Cloud Disaster Recovery solution, the architecture is a critical consideration that influences integration, performance, and overall effectiveness. The architecture should align with your organization’s existing IT infrastructure and support integration with your current systems and applications.
Evaluate whether the solution provides multi-cloud support if your organization uses multiple cloud providers. This flexibility ensures that you are not locked into a single vendor, allowing for better cost management and risk diversification.
Additionally, the architecture should enable automated data replication and continuous data protection. Automated processes reduce human error and ensure that backups are consistently up-to-date. Support for various backup and recovery methods, such as snapshot-based backups or continuous data replication, is also essential. These methods provide different levels of granularity and recovery speed, allowing you to choose the best fit for your recovery objectives.
Scalability is a vital factor in selecting a Cloud DR solution, as it determines the solution’s ability to grow with your organization. Your disaster recovery solution must be able to scale up or down based on your organization’s needs, accommodating fluctuations in data volume and application usage.
Evaluate whether the solution can handle increases in data volume and the number of applications without compromising performance or incurring prohibitive costs. A scalable solution should allow you to add more storage or processing power on-demand, providing flexibility and cost-efficiency.
Furthermore, scalable solutions enable efficient resource allocation during normal operations and in the event of a disaster. You only pay for what you use, making it easier to manage budgets and allocate funds to other critical areas. Ensure that the provider offers clear and transparent pricing models that reflect this flexibility.
Security and Compliance
Security and compliance are paramount when it comes to Cloud DR, as they protect your data and ensure adherence to regulatory requirements. The solution should offer robust security measures, including encryption for data at rest and in transit, access controls, and regular security audits. Encryption ensures that even if data is intercepted, it cannot be read without the appropriate decryption keys.
Additionally, the solution should comply with relevant regulations and industry standards such as GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI DSS. Verify that the cloud provider has certifications and adheres to the compliance requirements affecting your organization.
Consider the provider’s data handling practices, including data residency and sovereignty issues. Data residency refers to the physical location where data is stored, which can impact compliance with local laws. Ensure that the provider’s data centers are located in regions that align with your compliance requirements.
The chosen solution should offer high availability and ensure that backups are regularly performed and verified for integrity. Evaluate the provider’s historical uptime statistics and their reputation for reliability, as consistent performance is crucial during disaster recovery.
Reliable solutions will have SLAs that guarantee a certain level of service uptime and data availability. These SLAs should include metrics such as Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO), which define the acceptable duration of downtime and data loss, respectively. A provider that offers strong SLAs can help minimize downtime and ensure business operations resume promptly after a disruption.
Additionally, consider the provider’s disaster recovery infrastructure, including data center redundancy and failover capabilities. A reliable DR solution should have multiple data centers with failover mechanisms that automatically switch to backup systems in the event of a failure. This redundancy ensures continuous availability and enhances the resilience of your disaster recovery plan.
The geographical distance between your primary data center and the backup location can significantly impact your disaster recovery strategy. A Cloud DR solution should offer geo-redundant options that store backups in multiple, geographically dispersed locations. This geographical diversity protects against regional disasters that could simultaneously affect both your primary and backup sites.
When selecting a provider, consider the latency and data transfer times between these locations. Latency can affect the speed of data replication and recovery, impacting your ability to meet RTO and RPO targets. Ensure that the provider’s network infrastructure supports low-latency connections to minimize these delays.
Additionally, consider the potential impact on recovery times and overall performance. Data transfer rates and bandwidth availability between geographically dispersed locations can vary, so it’s important to choose a provider with a robust network that can handle high volumes of data efficiently.
Related content: Read our guide to disaster recovery cost (coming soon)
Why Choose N2WS for Cloud Disaster Recovery?
When selecting a cloud disaster recovery solution, it’s essential to choose a provider that offers robust protection, scalability, and ease of use. N2WS is a leading solution for cloud-based DR, particularly for organizations using AWS and Azure. Here’s why N2WS stands out:
1. Comprehensive Cross-Cloud Backup and Recovery N2WS provides seamless backup and recovery across AWS and Azure, enabling businesses to protect critical data in multiple cloud environments. This cross-cloud capability is crucial for organizations that operate in multi-cloud environments, ensuring data is backed up and recoverable no matter where it resides.
2. Advanced Automation and Scheduling N2WS automates backup processes, allowing organizations to schedule regular backups without manual intervention. This ensures that your data is consistently protected and up-to-date. With features like automated disaster recovery testing, N2WS reduces the complexity of maintaining a resilient DR plan, allowing businesses to focus on other critical operations.
3. Immutable Backups for Enhanced Security Security is paramount in any disaster recovery strategy. N2WS offers the ability to create immutable backups, which are tamper-proof and safeguard against ransomware and other cyber threats. This feature ensures that your backups remain secure and unaltered, providing peace of mind that your data is protected even in the worst-case scenarios.
4. Cost-Efficient Disaster Recovery through Flexible Backup Options
N2WS makes disaster recovery exceptionally cost-efficient by offering flexible backup storage options. Unlike other solutions that require multiple backups, N2WS allows you to choose the number of backups you want to retain specifically for DR purposes. This means you can opt to keep just a single, most recent backup as your DR backup, minimizing storage costs. By paying for only one additional backup, you can implement a robust DR strategy without significant financial outlay, making N2WS an ideal solution for businesses looking to optimize their disaster recovery budget.
5. Fast and Reliable Recovery In the event of a disaster, speed is of the essence. N2WS offers rapid recovery times, minimizing downtime and ensuring business continuity. Whether you need to recover a single file or an entire application, N2WS’s intuitive interface and robust infrastructure make it easy to restore your operations quickly and efficiently.
6. Unmatched Compliance and Data Sovereignty
N2WS offers complete data sovereignty, as we are not a SaaS provider and never have access to your data. Your data remains fully under your control, providing the highest level of security and privacy. N2WS is one of the few providers with both a Storage Competency and a Government Competency from AWS, underscoring our expertise and reliability in handling sensitive data. With over 10 years of experience and a flawless track record—no data breaches ever—N2WS is trusted by government organizations and enterprises alike for secure, compliant disaster recovery solutions. | <urn:uuid:c68f1ec1-de79-4b95-9ca5-9732b2c53a11> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://n2ws.com/blog/disaster-recovery-in-the-cloud-pros-cons-and-choosing-a-solution | 2024-09-17T21:25:05Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651835.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917204739-20240917234739-00268.warc.gz | en | 0.923751 | 3,098 | 2.75 | 3 |
Specifies the attributes associated with names.
Abbreviation(s): DCL for DECLARE.
One or more declarations consisting of an identifier and attributes. The format of each declaration is:
level specifies the relationship of members of structures
bound-pair specifies the dimensions of arrays
attribute specifies one or more attributes of the identifier
If a level is specified, it must be written first in the declaration.
If a bound-pair is used, it must be in parentheses and must immediately follow the identifier or the parenthetical list of declarations.
The format of the DECLARE statement varies according to the number and nature of the items being declared. For example, the DECLARE statement can list one identifier and optionally specify a level, bound-pair list, and other attributes for that identifier. Or the statement can include, in parentheses, a list of declarations to which the level and all subsequent levels apply. The declarations in the second case can be simple identifiers or can include attributes that are specific to individual identifiers.
The DECLARE statement specifies the attributes associated with names. This statement has five formats:
Each of these formats is described separately in the following sections. (for more information on attributes, see the chapter Declarations and Attributes.)
A DECLARE statement cannot be used as a THEN clause or ELSE clause of an IF statement or as the ON-unit of an ON statement. A DECLARE statement cannot be used in a WHEN or OTHERWISE clause of a SELECT statement. | <urn:uuid:5b8b881c-2637-4ecb-b3b4-0c97a614cfeb> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.microfocus.com/documentation/enterprise-developer/ed90/ED-Eclipse/BKPFPFSTMTDECLARE.html | 2024-09-17T21:20:38Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651835.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917204739-20240917234739-00268.warc.gz | en | 0.81438 | 309 | 2.59375 | 3 |
America’s data centers have dramatically improved their energy efficiency, resulting in a small increase in industry electricity use during a period of explosive growth for cloud computing and online services, the U.S. government said Monday. Researchers said the industry’s reduced use of energy – also known as “negawatts” – will yield $60 billion in energy savings by 2020.
The nation’s data centers used an estimated 70 billion kilowatt hours of energy in 2014, an increase of just four percent from 2010, accounting for 1.8 percent of total U.S. electricity consumption. That’s a huge change from the previous decade, which saw double-digit annual gains in data center power usage.
The report soundly debunks the popular notion of data centers as energy hogs, a thesis advanced by The New York Times in a controversial 2012 series. Instead, the nation’s server farms have become remarkably efficient in their use of energy, making business functions more efficient as they shift to digital platforms.
The Power of the Negawatt
“Over that decade, the amount of energy savings is about 620 billion kilowatt-hours, or more than $60 billion, thanks to efficient practices,” said Arman Shehabi, a researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Labs (LBNL) and one of the lead authors of the report.
The researchers said the vast improvement in data center efficiency, combined with the IT industry’s ongoing shift to the cloud computing model, offers the potential for even more dramatic gains in energy management in coming years.
“This is the big story — we have an opportunity to reduce energy use in U.S. data centers even further while at the same time providing an order of magnitude more computational output,” said Dale Sartor from LBNL (which has published a useful summary of its findings).
Cloud Shift Boosts Efficiency
The growth of cloud computing has been a major factor in the improved energy use, as IT workloads have shifted from corporate server rooms to extremely efficient hyperscale data centers operated by leading Internet companies.
“Nearly all server shipment growth since 2010 occurred in servers destined for large hyperscale data centers, where servers are often configured for maximum productivity and operated at high utilization rates, resulting in fewer servers than would be required to provide the same services in traditional, smaller, data centers,” the report said. “It is important to note that this near constant electricity demand across the decade is occurring while simultaneously meeting a drastic increase in demand for data center services; data center electricity use would be significantly higher without these energy efficiency improvements.”[clickToTweet tweet=”The 10-year energy savings from data center efficiency is about 620 billion kilowatt hours, or $60 billion.” quote=”The 10-year energy savings from data center efficiency is about 620 billion kilowatt hours, or $60 billion.”]
The data center was slow to focus on energy efficiency from 2000 to 2005, reflected in 90 percent growth in data center energy use during that period. Things improved between 2005 and 2010, with energy usage rising just 24 percent, due to an improved emphasis on best practices as well as the economic slowdown.
A pivotal shift occurred in 2007-2009, when data center providers began sharing best practices in industry forums and conferences, a major change from the secrecy that once surrounded data center operations. This period saw the founding of The Green Grid, an industry consortium focused on energy efficiency, as well as a decision by hyperscale pioneer Google to share its closely-held efficiency secrets with the industry.
“I’m happy Google contributed to this positive effect by publishing its efficiency since 2008 and by promoting techniques for more efficient use, starting with the first data center efficiency summit in 2009,” said Urs Holzle, Senior VP of Technical Infrastructure at Google. “I’m even more optimistic than the study authors and would predict that total energy usage will go down as more IT users transition to public clouds, which not only have the most efficient buildings but through consolidation and elastic scaling reduce the energy per application. And on the client side, mobile devices use much less power than desktops, reducing total IT energy usage even more.”
This chart demonstrates how data center energy usage has changed from the 2010 projections (shown by the upper dotted line)
The findings were welcomed by Jon Koomey, an energy expert from Stanford University who co-cauthored both the original 2008 report and the new data. Koomey has long been a leading voice in the push for improved data center energy management.
“As I’ve argued for years, the level of inefficiency in enterprise data center facilities leaves lots of room for improvement, and the market is finally getting that message,” Koomey wrote on his blog.
The report found that smaller data centers, which are not increasing in number but still projected to account for 60 percent of all data center energy use in 2020, are still often inefficient. “The industry growth is primarily in hyperscale data centers, but there’s opportunity in the typical corporate or institutional data center,” Sartor said. “There are millions of them in closets or small rooms, and they’re not very efficient.”
The report cited three reasons for improved efficiency:
- Data center operators have improved their cooling and power management.
- Server vendors have reduced the power used by servers when they are idle.
- End users have consolidated servers, often through virtualization.
“In the past, most data centers blasted air conditioning indiscriminately to keep equipment from getting overheated,” said Shehabi. “This is grossly inefficient. Now there are more advanced cooling strategies, such as hot aisle isolation, economizers, and liquid cooling, which all make the cooling process far less energy intensive.” | <urn:uuid:3607c92c-1c1e-433c-9974-282fdfa73d28> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.datacenterfrontier.com/energy/article/11431180/report-data-center-efficiency-will-yield-60-billion-in-savings | 2024-09-19T05:15:26Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651981.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20240919025412-20240919055412-00168.warc.gz | en | 0.945204 | 1,222 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Oompa-Loompa (also called OSX/Oomp-A or Leap.A) – both the original Trojan horse and two variants that have been found in the wild – pose some level of danger for Mac users. This document outlines the way this Trojan horse functions, how it transmits itself to other users, and how Mac users can protect themselves.
While this Trojan horse currently damages applications and transfers itself to other users via iChat over a local Bonjour network, future variants may have the power to do further damage.
Intego’s Virus Monitoring Center has examined the original Trojan horse and its variants and the following questions and answers explain how this Trojan horse works, how it infects Macintosh computers, how it propagates, and how Mac users can protect themselves from it.
What is the Oompa-Loompa Trojan Horse?
The Oompa-Loompa Trojan horse, also called OSX/Oomp-A or Leap.A, affects Macintosh computers running Mac OS X. The Oompa-Loompa Trojan horse infects applications on computers where it runs, enabling those applications to in turn spread the virus, and can propagate by sending itself to users’ iChat buddies on a local Bonjour network.
How can Mac users protect themselves from this Trojan horse?
Intego VirusBarrier X and VirusBarrier X4 eradicate the Oompa-Loompa Trojan horse, using its virus definitions dated February 14, 2006 and later, and Intego remains diligent to ensure that VirusBarrier X and VirusBarrier X4 will also eradicate any future Trojan horses that try to exploit this same technique.
Is there more than one version of this Trojan horse?
The Intego Virus Monitoring Center has isolated three versions of this Trojan horse so far, and is monitoring suspicious activity to ensure that there are no others.
What does this Trojan Horse look like?
Initially appearing in a compressed file called latestpics.tgz or latestpics.gz, this Trojan horse, after being decompressed, appears to be a graphic file. However, if other hackers alter the current version of this Trojan horse, the file may have a different name or resemble a different type of file. To see an image please click here.
How does this Trojan horse become active?
A user must either download the file from a web site, receive it as an e-mail attachment, or receive it via iChat from a buddy on a local Bonjour network. In the latter case, users are more likely to trust the source, even though the “sender” is not aware that the file has been sent. The user must double-click the file to decompress it, then double-click the resulting Trojan horse, which is disguised, via a custom icon, to resemble a graphic file. To see an image please click here.
Does this Trojan horse indicate its presence by asking for an administrator’s password?
No. This Trojan horse runs a script in a Terminal window, but gives no other indication of its actions. It does not need an administrator’s password, since it infects either the current user’s home folder, or, if the user is logged in as root, a system folder. In the first case, no password is required to add files to a user’s home folder. In the second, relatively rare case, a user logged in as root does not need to enter a password to install files in system folders.
How does this Trojan horse infect a Mac OS X system?
When a user double-clicks the uncompressed file, expecting to see a picture, the executable code in the file runs: a Terminal window opens showing a process that runs then exits. This process installs the Oompa-Loompa Trojan horse in two locations on a user’s Mac. The Trojan horse copies itself to the /tmp folder (used to store temporary files) and installs a file called apphook.bundle in the user’s InputManagers folder (in the user’s Library folder) which ensures that it is replicated in other Cocoa applications the user launches. (If a user is logged in as root, the Trojan installs itself in the system-level /Library/InputManagers folder.)
Using Spotlight, the Trojan horse searches for four recently used applications, then infects them with its own code. The apphook.bundle Input Manager attempts to send a copy of the original file, latestpics.tgz, to every person on a user’s iChat buddy list, if that user is logged in to a Bonjour (local) network. Since users see this file coming from friends and colleagues, they assume that it is safe, and therefore double-click the file a first time to decompress it, and a second time to attempt to “view” it. Also, when users run infected applications, the Oompa-Loompa code seeks out additional applications to infect.
Is this a Trojan horse, a virus, or a worm?
It is a combination of all three of these types of malware:
1. First, it is a Trojan horse: an executable hidden inside a file disguised as a graphic file, which tricks users into opening it. This is the first contact that any user will have with this malware.
2. Then it is a virus, as it replicates in other applications on a user’s computer, damaging those applications and adding its code to them.
3. Finally, it is a worm, when it sends a copy of itself to other users via iChat. At this point, users receiving the file now have a Trojan horse.
Some have suggested that users who take risks by downloading files from untrusted sources should act more responsibly. Is this how the Oompa-Loompa Trojan horse spreads?
To ensure that users can access the tremendous amount of information available on the Internet, it is essential that they be protected with efficient security software. Suggesting that users should not download anything takes away the value of the Internet, which provides so many programs and so much other information. Also, if this Trojan horse spreads via iChat on a Bonjour network, users will trust the sender, since they are probably used to receiving files from them. Many businesses use instant messaging regularly, and commonly send and receive files to and from colleagues.
Where did Intego first find out about this Trojan horse?
Intego received a copy of this Trojan horse on February 14, 2006, after an Intego user discovered it on a Macintosh forum. The user expected the file to contain pre-release pictures of a new operating system, but instead it infected his Mac. The user discovered this later when iChat buddies on his local network asked why he was sending them files; he also found that some of his applications no longer launched.
Has Intego informed Apple about this Trojan horse?
Yes, we informed Apple as soon as we examined this Trojan horse and discovered its dangers. We were the first security company to provide samples of this Trojan horse, and we have been in close contact with Apple to ensure that this Trojan horse is controlled as quickly as possible.
Can Intego provide samples of this Trojan horse to users who are curious to see how it functions?
No. Intego’s role is to protect its users, not to spread malware. We do send such files to other security companies, along with Apple, but not to anyone else.
Does this Trojan horse delete any files?
No, it currently only infects applications and then sends itself to other users via iChat on Bonjour networks. However, it may be possible for other hackers to change this Trojan horse to delete files.
Does this Trojan horse affect any Mac OS X system fi | <urn:uuid:b9b5082f-a9c4-4161-92fa-6d3a9298326d> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/oompa-loompa-not-everyone-knows/4600 | 2024-09-20T10:32:04Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652246.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20240920090502-20240920120502-00068.warc.gz | en | 0.937376 | 1,618 | 2.78125 | 3 |
Net neutrality is the principle that internet service providers (ISPs) should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, without favoring or blocking particular products or websites. It is the concept that the internet should be an open platform, with equal access and opportunity for all.
The idea of net neutrality has become increasingly debated as the internet has evolved from an academic network to an essential communications medium used by billions of people worldwide. With so much commerce, information, and communication flowing through the internet, there are understandable concerns from both sides about how best to manage internet traffic.
Proponents of net neutrality argue that it protects free speech, competition, innovation, and consumer choice. Opponents argue that net neutrality regulations are unnecessary and limit providers’ ability to manage their networks. The debate involves complex technological, economic, public policy, and legal considerations with substantial implications.
As the gatekeepers to the internet, ISPs have substantial control over access to online content and services. Without net neutrality rules in place, advocates worry that ISPs could abuse this gatekeeper role in ways that harm consumers, competitors, and innovation.
At the same time, appropriate network management practices can contribute to improved user experiences. And regulatory systems always involve difficult tradeoffs between competing policy goals. There are good-faith disagreements among experts and advocates surrounding these tradeoffs.
II. Net Neutrality Framework
In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been the primary agency responsible for establishing a regulatory framework around net neutrality and ISP practices. Over the past 15+ years, as internet use has exploded, the FCC has explored different approaches to protecting consumers while balancing complex technological challenges and investment incentives.
Broadly speaking, the FCC’s Open Internet Orders established three key protections:
- Transparency – ISPs must disclose information about their network management practices and performance to consumers and content/application providers.
- No Blocking – ISPs may not block access to legal content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices.
- No Throttling – ISPs may not impair or degrade lawful internet traffic based on content, application, service, user, or use of non-harmful devices.
Together these protections aim to give consumers control over their internet experience while enabling continued innovation. Under Chairman Tom Wheeler in 2015, the FCC applied these protections via Title II of the Communications Act, giving the FCC clear enforcement authority.
Proponents viewed Title II reclassification as necessary to firmly ground the FCC’s authority in existing law. Opponents argued that Title II was overly burdensome. Over 200 internet companies including Google and Netflix were vocal supporters of the 2015 Open Internet Order.
In 2017, under new leadership from Chairman Ajit Pai, the FCC reversed its position. The Restoring Internet Freedom Order reclassified broadband service back to an information service and essentially eliminated bright-line protections around blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization. It also eliminated the general conduct standard which gave the FCC broader ability to address questionable practices on case-by-case basis.
Instead, the new order calls for ISPs to disclose blocking, throttling, and prioritization practices as well as reliance on reasonable network management. It also hands primary oversight authority to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to address any anti-competitive behavior via antitrust law or consumer protection violations from ISPs on case-by-case basis after the fact.
So far, major U.S. internet providers have made public commitments to uphold net neutrality principles despite the reversed regulatory regime. But many advocates remain concerned about long-term impacts and the lack of clear protections. Some states like California have looked to institute their own state-level requirements.
III. Challenges to Net Neutrality
There are good faith disagreements among technology experts surrounding net neutrality regulations. Opponents see potential innovation costs from overly intrusive regulation. While proponents worry about long-term threats to consumer welfare and online innovation from concentrated ISP market power.
In essence, the debate comes down to how to balance the interests of ISPs looking to manage their network infrastructure against the interests of consumer welfare and online innovation generally. There are complex tradeoffs with compelling arguments on both sides.
On the ISP side, delivering high speed internet to consumers involves major investments in network infrastructure and technological innovation. Providers argue that some flexibility to differentiate services can help support further improvements and expansions. Varied service tiers and pricing models may better align costs with system demands from high-bandwidth applications. And reasonable network management helps curb abuses.
Prioritized offerings could also potentially enhance experiences in some cases – for example, better supporting telehealth applications. Opponents however counter that there have been few legitimate cases where specialized services were necessary to improve consumer experience or manage traffic.
On the other side, there are concerns that ISPs have misaligned incentives due to their dual role as both conduit providers and increasingly as vertically integrated content producers themselves. Allowing paid prioritization or fast lanes could disadvantage third-party creators or small businesses without deep pockets versus well-resourced affiliates.
There is also substantial disagreement around zero-rating practices – where ISPs exempt certain applications from customer data limits. Supporters argue zero-rating offers consumer benefits. But critics see anti-competitive potential to advantage ISP offerings.
Resolving these tensions involves challenging tradeoffs with complex technological and economic considerations surrounding impacts on innovation and investment. Reasonable people can disagree on the right policy balance.
Regardless of the regulatory approach, greater transparency into network management practices and traffic delivery performance remains important to inform policy judgments going forward.
IV. What is Net Neutrality?
Net neutrality is the principle that ISPs should treat all internet traffic equally. It proposes that ISPs enable access to all legal online content, applications, and services without undue discrimination, blocking or throttling based on factors like the source, destination, content, application, protocol, equipment, or means of communication.
The concept traces back to early internet protocols which treated all packets identically, helping foster rapid innovation. Internet pioneers like Sir Tim Berners-Lee have been vocal advocates that maintaining the internet as impartial open platform is critical for continued technological development and consumer welfare.
In essence, net neutrality aims to prevent ISPs from interfering with or skewing processes of competition and innovation online to benefit their own services. It seeks to maintain the internet as fair “playing field” for all comers to build and access innovative technologies.
Prior to 2005 under Republican Chairman Michael Powell, the FCC adopted more limited net neutrality principles around allowing consumers access to their choice of legal content. However, these early principles did not carry force of regulation.
Over the past 15 years, as internet access has transitioned from dial-up modems to always-on high-speed broadband, debates over net neutrality rules have intensified. There is increased concern that ISPs have financial incentive and technical ability to discriminate against competing online services as they expand their own digital footprints. For example, an ISP like Comcast that owns media company NBC Universal may want to prioritize NBC content streams to consumers to the disadvantage of Netflix or other competing video services.
In the absence of clear federal net neutrality regulations today, major ISPs publicly promise to uphold net neutrality principles. But skeptics question whether such voluntary commitments will endure long-term, particularly as mobile and 5G networks introduce more complexity. Specific concerns center around potential throttling of heavy bandwidth services like streaming video when ISP capacity is constrained. Or disadvantaging services that directly compete with an ISP’s expanding portfolio of digital content and applications.
V. Advocates of Net Neutrality
Leading technology and internet companies like Google, Netflix, Mozilla, Reddit and Twilio have been vocal supporters of firm net neutrality rules. So too have public interest groups like Public Knowledge, Engine, New America’s Open Technology Institute and Free Press. These advocates generally argue that clear, enforceable net neutrality regulations centered on bright-line rules against blocking, throttling and paid prioritization are essential to preserving a free and open internet.
First, net neutrality advocates argue rules are necessary to prevent unfair discrimination that disadvantages consumers, startups and diverse digital content creators versus entrenched incumbents. In particular, they worry about the growing market power of a handful of major ISPs that now also own media empires spanning film production, broadcast networks and news outlets. Large vertically integrated ISPs have financial incentives to advantage their own properties or discriminate against disruption online innovations that threaten legacy business models. Strict rules enforce separation between the distribution network and applications/services to protect competition and internet innovation.
Second, net neutrality advocates point out that viable provider choice is still extremely limited for most U.S. consumers – especially in rural areas. With consolidated ownership and monopolies dominating many markets, consumers have little leverage or ability to simply switch providers if ISPs begin throttling services or instituting restrictive data caps. Strong oversight is essential to ensure consumers retain control over their online experiences.
Third, advocates argue that departure from the principles of net neutrality could fundamentally alter the consumer internet landscape going forward. Allowing paid fast lanes or zero rating of ISP preferred content risks disadvantaging startups and nonprofits. It could create artificial barriers for next-generation innovators challenging entrenched incumbents with deep pockets. Strict rules safeguard the fertile “innovation without permission” environment that made the internet such a vibrant catalyst for digital transformation across so many industries.
There are good arguments on both sides surrounding net neutrality regulations and ISP oversight authority. Appropriate network management and varied service tiers can benefit consumers under some conditions. However, left completely unchecked, ISP discrimination practices could inflict long-term damage innovation, free markets, and consumer welfare online.
Finding the right balance is challenging. But most experts across technology, academia, and public interest domains believe clear and legally sustainable net neutrality protections remain important for the continued vitality of the open internet. Critical freedoms of expression and commerce now flow through these digital highways.
Rules against blocking, throttling and paid prioritization appear necessary to protect consumers, online innovation and competition in modern broadband markets. But they may require some flexibility to accommodate reasonable traffic management.
Greater ongoing transparency from ISPs into network operations and traffic delivery also remains essential – both to inform future policymaking and so consumers can make informed choices.
As technology continues advancing rapidly, re-evaluation of the regulatory model may be necessary from time to time. But careful consideration of impacts on the internet’s foundational principles of openness is critical with each policy change.
Maintaining the internet as a level playing field may well be one of the most important technology policy challenges of the modern era – with substantial implications for free speech, competition, innovation and consumer welfare for decades to come. | <urn:uuid:7949b1b4-e1da-4b8c-a3e9-c260f54f8641> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://nirvanix.com/best-vpns/net-neutrality/ | 2024-09-08T06:52:18Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650960.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908052321-20240908082321-00268.warc.gz | en | 0.927682 | 2,156 | 3.75 | 4 |
Online shopping is something many are becoming increasingly familiar with in the digital age. From Amazon Prime to special online-only sales, anything one could ever want, or need can be bought online. However, an aspect of online shopping that is often overlooked is security. This means being aware of what sites you are visiting as well as what information you are providing. There are several steps that are easy and effective in ensuring online safety that anyone can and should work on implementing into their everyday lives.
Don’t Shop on Public Wi-Fi
Inputting your personal information on any site while on public Wi-Fi or a hot spot is just asking for that information to be stolen. These Wi-Fi spots are not secured and allow anyone access to them. Everyone can see what everyone else is doing, including shopping. You wouldn’t want to type out your Amazon password with a stranger looking over your shoulder, but that’s essentially what you’re doing when on a public network.
You also want to be wary of stores that use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to track your movements within their stores or websites. This could be another potential avenue for hackers to get into your device and steal your data.
Password protection dos and don’ts
You’ve probably heard this a thousand times before, but protecting passwords is the easiest thing you can do to safeguard your information. You should have a different password for each site or app. Using a password manager can be helpful with this. You also want to make sure that you are changing your passwords on a regular basis, at least every thirty to ninety days.
Unique passwords or sentences as passwords are also a good idea. The more complicated the password is the better. It’s also a good idea not to share your passwords with too many people. Is it really secure if ten people know it?
Virtual account numbers
Virtual account numbers are special cards with a set time and amount to spend, and after they expire the card and money on it are no good. This is a safe alternative to using your debit card online. If someone gets access to your debit card, they have access to your bank account and could end up costing you plenty before the transactions are sorted out.
If you don’t have access to this type of card a standard credit card is still more secure than a debit card. Most credit card companies give you 60 days to report theft, while some banks only give you 2 business days for reporting debit card fraud.
Beware of links in emails and on social media
The days when you could safely click a link on Facebook and buy that new amazing thing safely and securely are gone. Today hackers are using links and attachments to deliver malicious malware and ransomware to your system. It is always best to type in the address to your address bar manually, rather than clicking the link. Always make sure that the site you think you are going to is actually the site you end up on. You can verify that the link is legit by hovering your mouse over it, which will display the address it links to. This way you can see where the link takes you before clicking it.
It doesn’t hurt to follow the old adage, “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” So, if that post on Facebook for the $20 iPad seems like too good of a deal, it most likely is. Stick to reputable sites and places you have shopped before. Losing your money to thieves is not worth saving money on a tablet.
Beware of what info is asked for
Would you enter your social security number on Amazon if they suddenly asked you to provide it to make a purchase? Of course not. Be wary of what information the site is asking for. If it seems strange or out of place, it’s probably not legit. Things like name, phone, email, and address are all pretty standard things for a shopping site to ask for. Social security numbers, bank account numbers, or driver’s license number however are not standard practice for shopping online.
Look for the https
When you visit a webpage look for the https in the address. The difference between http and https is how secure the site is. The extra “s” means that the site is secure and safe. It encrypts the message so that only the intended recipient sees the information. If you’re shopping there it should have https in the address bar. If it doesn’t, don’t shop there.
Beware shopping on mobile devices
We all do it. We hit up Amazon or some other shopping app on our phone or tablet because it’s easy and convenient. We like shopping from our couches or chairs without going to the computer. But the potential for identity theft or the theft of your payment information is far greater from a mobile device than the family desktop.
Beware of shortened URLs. It is common to see them on a phone or mobile device, but could also be a trick to get you to click on them. Use the full address and avoid these shortened ones. Another thing to remember is to download a virus protection app for your device. Most devices don’t natively come with one, but the device is just as prone to hackers and malware as your PC. You want to keep them clean and safe, especially if this is your primary means of shopping or browsing.
Understanding how online security works is a valuable skill that can help prevent implications in the future. By being aware of your online presence and who can see your information you can better protect yourself from identity theft or credit card fraud. Implementing these techniques into your online life is easy, simple and could save you a number of headaches in the future. | <urn:uuid:b04330c0-db98-48d4-b87a-80c837855124> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.kraftgrp.com/7-ways-to-protect-yourself-while-shopping-online/ | 2024-09-08T06:38:43Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650960.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908052321-20240908082321-00268.warc.gz | en | 0.957928 | 1,183 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Software Development is fascinating. It has a profound impact on the world we live in. Computer programs now control how we book our flights, trains, taxis and even grocery. Software applications are ubiquitous. The advancement in technology and software development triggers a change in the way our world operates. It is amazing to see how these innovations are helping people in their day to day life. A modern day mobile device is more capable than supercomputers of yesteryears. Here we explore the recent trends and innovations in software development:
1. Machine Learning :
Machine learning has taken gigantic steps in the last few years. Google search, Self driving cars and ecommerce applications are all using machine learning. The systems are constantly learning and getting better. The realtime data is being used to create sophisticated systems that can prevent mistakes based on earlier case histories.
2. Speech Recognition :
Speech recognition is now making it into the mainstream applications. Many applications like registration of mobile phones, customer support and voice dialing systems make use of speech recognition. The modern day enterprise softwares are also using speech recognition for office automation and productivity applications like creating documents, searching web, managing email etc.
3. Automation & Digitization :
Companies are keen to find out new avenues for growth by using technology. The automation of business processes and ability to map things in the physical to digital space is making things more efficient. The digitization of businesses is allowing access to limitless information with a smart phone.
4. Services on Demand :
The on demand or shared economy is on the rise. The digital marketplaces have empowered the customer to get access to various services on their mobile device. Booking a taxi, accommodation, getting a travel ticket, or even a loan can be done with a mobile app now. Businesses and brands are looking at new ways to offer their products and services to consumers. Software companies are innovating and coming out with redefined service models for business needs.
5. Intelligent Assistants & Chatbots :
Artificial intelligence is powering the rise of intelligent assistants and chatbot applications. The devices like Amazon’s echo & Google Home Assistant are getting smarter & improving rapidly. These assistants have quite good voice recognition and can do tasks booking a taxi, ordering food, controlling music, lights etc. Companies are also developing customised chatbot applications, which are capable of addressing customer queries and handling support tasks.
6. Data Science & Analytics :
Information is growing at an enormous rate. Companies are looking at sophisticated methodology to analyze data realtime and provide them actionable insights. The data science and advanced algorithms are helping organisations to create predictive systems for enhancing their operational efficiency. Advanced analytics applications are being created to solve complex problems in various industries.
7. Blockchain Applications :
The blockchain technology and applications are gaining prominence. Several leading banks, financial institutions and governments are now experimenting with blockchain applications. It is the technology that powers the crypto currency, Bitcoin. Blockchain uses blocks of information that are secured using cryptography and stored in a decentralized way. Blockchain technology is now being used for creating social networks, shared economy applications, financial apps, crypto currency, identity management etc.
8. IoT Applications :
The IoT applications are powered by smart sensors, equipments and devices that connect to each other in the network. Many applications for real time inventory, tracking goods, smart retailing solutions, smart metering systems etc are developed using IoT. The IoT applications are also quite useful for asset tracking and supply chain management. These applications are equipped with predictive automation and business intelligence for tracking important events.
9. Progressive Web Apps :
Developers have a tedious task to manage distribution of their apps and software across platforms. But with progressive web apps, you can build a single integrated app that can serve all your platforms. Progressive web app companies allow businesses to create a single web app that serves their customers on Android, iOS (with some limitations), Windows and other platforms. The PWAs combine the best of app and web. They can be accessed through modern browsers with a URL and can be installed on your mobile too.
Innovation is a dire need for companies to stay relevant and face the future. The software development is ever evolving and presents opportunities of transformation to various industries. Some of the recent trends and innovations in software development will have massive impact on how things are done. Embracing technology at the right time can certainly prepare institutions to move ahead with the changing times.
Kreyon Systems is a leading software company embracing design thinking and digitization for delivering complete solutions to clients. If you need any assistance or have questions regarding software development, please reach out to us. | <urn:uuid:62913379-b03c-41f7-a68f-cf4316bf1cbe> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.kreyonsystems.com/Blog/recent-trends-and-innovations-in-software-development/ | 2024-09-09T10:46:24Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651098.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909103148-20240909133148-00168.warc.gz | en | 0.932605 | 946 | 2.671875 | 3 |
A short look at the development of the balanced scorecard – “one of the most significant management ideas of the past 75 years”
The balanced scorecard is a concept that has become deeply embedded in organisations of all kinds around the world – and yet, remarkably, it has only existed for fifteen years.
By 2003, the editors of the Harvard Business Review were naming the balanced scorecard as one of the most significant management ideas of the past 75 years, and a survey has found that around half the Fortune 1000 companies in the USA and 40 percent of those in Europe use balanced scorecards. Yet the concept was only developed in the early 1990s.
The balanced scorecards of the 1990s
The concept of the balanced scorecard was first touted in the Harvard Business Review in 1992 in a paper written by Robert S Kaplan and David P Norton. The paper introduced the idea of focusing on human issues as well as financial ones, and measuring performance across a much wider spectrum than businesses had done before.
By the mid-1990s other organisational theorists had taken up Kaplan and Norton’s work and modified the design method of balanced scorecards, ironing out early flaws. Kaplan and Norton published their ideas in full in The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action in 1996 and it became a business bestseller.
Balanced scorecards in a new millennium
The idea of balanced scorecards spawned variations like the “performance prism”, “results-based management” and the “third-generation balanced scorecard”.
The idea of three generations of balanced scorecards was built on in Cobbold and Lawrie’s work of 2002, which described how the balanced scorecard – or BSC, as it is often referred to – can support three distinct management activities and has evolved into the use of strategy maps as a strategic management tool.
The future of the balanced scorecard
Balanced scorecards, and management tools and strategies based on them, are used by some of the world’s most successful companies – and by companies of all sizes.
Specialist software tools have been developed to help companies benefit from the theories of balanced scorecards. An increasingly diverse range of organisations, including charities, government agencies and sports teams as well as businesses, are finding them profitable. | <urn:uuid:1ef82f3d-9d3c-460b-a67f-9eba6627650f> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://bernardmarr.com/balanced-scorecard-part-1-a-brief-history/ | 2024-09-10T17:29:32Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651303.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910161250-20240910191250-00068.warc.gz | en | 0.975101 | 473 | 2.703125 | 3 |
What do intellectual property rights refer to?
A. Rights people have for tangible resources, goods, and services.
B. Rights protected by law but not enforced by governments.
C. Rights that prevent competitors from producing similar products.
D. Rights that encourage and protect creativity and entrepreneurship.
Intellectual property rights refer to exclusive legal rights that protect creativity and entrepreneurship.
Intellectual property rights refer to the exclusive legal rights that individuals or organizations have over the creations of their minds. These rights encourage and protect creativity and entrepreneurship by granting the creators rights to their original works, inventions, or designs. They enable creators to have control over how their creations are used, reproduced, or distributed.
For example, a musician's intellectual property rights would prevent others from copying and selling their songs without permission. Similarly, a company's intellectual property rights would prevent competitors from producing identical products with similar functions without proper authorization.
Intellectual property rights are protected by law and enforced by governments to ensure that creators are rewarded for their efforts and that innovation and progress can continue. | <urn:uuid:230cfbfa-9607-42bd-ad1a-b694c947e847> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://bsimm2.com/business/protecting-creativity-and-entrepreneurship-understanding-intellectual-property-rights.html | 2024-09-15T13:39:23Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651630.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20240915120545-20240915150545-00568.warc.gz | en | 0.946759 | 214 | 3.453125 | 3 |
A worm that recently hit the Internet is another reminder that the new generation of viruses and worms at hand is building in complexity and potential for damage.
Frethem.E is the latest variant on a worm designed to take advantage of a security vulnerability in Microsoft Corp.’s Internet Explorer. The worm, which only attacks Windows systems, is roaming around the Internet but few companies have been hit, say security experts, who have given the worm various grades of potential threat. The worm hasn’t caused much mayhem because a security patch that Microsoft recently released in response to the Klez virus also will take care of the Frethem worm.
What makes the worm interesting is its ability to propagate itself.
The Frethem worm collects email addresses from the Windows Address Book and uses its own SMTP engine to send infected messages. It uses a MIME vulnerability in Internet Explorer to execute the attachment automatically when the email is opened. The user doesn’t have to double click on the attachment to activate the worm. It can do that itself.
Many companies have set up strict policies warning users not to double click on executable attachments that are emailed to them. This variant gets around that.
“We definitely see a trend toward complexity,” says Dee Liebenstein, a product manager with Santa Monica, Calif.-based Symantec Security Response, the security arm of Symantec Corp. “Since Frethem carries its own SMTP engine, it becomes more independent of the mail environment it’s trying to affect.”
Word of the Frethem.E worm comes only weeks after the discovery of the Simile.D virus, which was considered to be another evolutionary step in the complexity of virus attacks. It was largely thought to be the first complicated virus with cross-platform capabilities –t was able to attack both Windows and Linux operating systems.
“It definitely provides a new challenge,” says Liebenstein. “Every time they evolve to a new level, the anti-virus software has to evolve to that level as well.”
Frethem.E may not be the first worm to be able to execute itself but it’s a painful reminder to network administrators and security officers that the technology and the hackers’ abilities are evolving.
“This is obviously not a good thing,” says Tony Magallanez, a systems engineer with F-Secure, Inc., a data security company with U.S. headquarters in San Jose, Calif. “This is showing us what viruses can do. I’m afraid it’s something that we will see more of in the future.”
Both Magallanez and Liebenstein say network administrators need to think about a multi-pronged approach when it comes to defending their companies against viruses and worms. They both recommend reinforcing their policies that employees are never to double click on an executable. But they say administrators should be setting up filters at the gateway to keep executable attachments from ever entering the network. Set up intrusion detection software, and make sure to install security patches and update anti-virus software.
“It’s an ongoing challenge,” says Liebenstein. “We need to continue to analyze every new virus and worm and make sure we’re protected from various areas.” | <urn:uuid:73fd2f41-8cf1-4ed5-9e11-ec26129ea0d1> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.datamation.com/security/self-propagating-worm-roaming-internet/ | 2024-09-08T09:05:03Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650976.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908083737-20240908113737-00368.warc.gz | en | 0.953693 | 688 | 2.671875 | 3 |
The software-defined data center (SDDC) is a trend that has been growing in importance for several years, driven in part by factors such as virtualization and cloud computing. Infrastructure has been evolving to be more dynamic and adaptable in order to serve a business requirement for greater agility. But what is an SDDC, and how do you get there from the systems in place now?
A simple definition of an SDDC is that it is a data center where the entire infrastructure is configurable under software control. This does not mean just servers, but also the networking used to interconnect them and the storage resources available to service the needs of applications.
As an example, look no further than the data centers operated by the large Internet companies such as Google, AWS and Facebook, which need to be able to respond to constantly shifting demands on resources from customers. These have set the pattern for other service providers and enterprises to follow.
Follow the leader
These hyperscale companies built their data centers to be this way from the outset, but only need to support a limited range of services. Other organizations are likely to have to deal with a wider range of uses, and legacy infrastructure that they cannot replace all in one go. The hyperscale operators also have the resources to develop their own automation and orchestration tools, while others will have to make do with off-the-shelf commercial or open source tools.
According to Ovum principal analyst Roy Illsley, software-defined networking and software-defined storage are set to be the fastest growing areas of IT spend over the next few years, followed by cloud orchestration and management.
“This tells you that the market is heading towards the fact that everything is going to be software-defined, everything is going to be software controlled, and the internal spending of the IT department is increasingly shifting to software rather than hardware now,” he said.
But there is no single definition of what software-defined means. While it is fairly straightforward for servers, in that it usually means dividing up hardware resources among multiple workloads using virtual machines or containers, things are not so simple for storage or networking.
Software-defined networking (SDN), for example, separates the network’s data plane, which forwards data packets, from the control plane, which manages overall traffic flow. To support SDN, switch vendors such as Cisco have to make their hardware configurable using protocols like OpenFlow, so the way they route traffic can be dynamically managed by a central controller.
However, SDN platforms such as the OpenStack Neutron service and VMware’s NSX run on the servers and manage traffic between virtual machines, using software-based switching. They also support the creation of virtual networks that overlay the physical LAN, but enable a different range of IP addresses and security policies.
Software-defined storage (SDS) is also tricky to pin down. Perhaps the most common definition is a distributed storage service, such as Red Hat’s Ceph or Gluster products. These are used to create a scalable pool of storage from the combined resources of a cluster of server nodes, and present it as block storage, object storage, a file system, or combinations of these.
Meanwhile, SDS can also refer to storage virtualization such as DataCore’s SANsymphony. This abstracts and pulls together existing storage infrastructure, including arrays from third party vendors into a virtual SAN. It then provides a unified set of storage services for this pool of storage, including quality of service, thin provisioning and auto-tiering.
However you characterize it, the purpose of software-defined infrastructure is to be flexible: configured, controlled and monitored by higher level management tools. This could be via configuration management software such as Puppet, or orchestration platforms such as OpenStack or Mesosphere’s DC/OS.
But many organizations will have a lot of legacy kit that may not lend itself well to this model of operation. This means that they may be forced to operate a “two-speed” IT infrastructure while the refresh cycle gradually brings in modern kit that can be software-defined.
To address this, some newer platforms are described as pre-packaged SDDC solutions. A good example is VMware’s platform, which is based on three pillars; vSphere for operating virtual machines; vSAN, its software defined storage product; and NSX, which provides software-defined networking.
These are combined with suites of management tools in various ways to deliver products such as VMware Cloud Foundation, which can be deployed onto hyperconverged systems hardware in a customer’s own data center or on a public cloud, as with VMware Cloud on AWS.
Microsoft touts Windows Server 2016 as an SDDC platform, thanks to Hyper-V for operating virtual machines, Storage Spaces Direct and Hyper-V Virtual Switch, plus the System Center suite for management.
There are other similar offerings, and most require the customer to purchase a complete integrated platform. These can start with a few nodes and scale out to rack level, or even larger, but all essentially lock the customer into one vendor’s platform.
Opening things up
If you prefer an open source software alternative, there is the OpenStack framework. This has a modular architecture made up of numerous separate projects, with the core modules including Nova for managing compute, Neutron for configuring networking, plus Cinder, and Swift for block storage and object storage, respectively.
OpenStack is notably used by CERN, the European particle physics laboratory, to manage tens of thousands of compute nodes forming the IT infrastructure serving the Large Hadron Collider and other experiments.
Thus far, this article has only touched on IT infrastructure, but data centers also comprise other facilities such as power distribution and cooling. Might these also be managed under software control in order to make the most efficient use of resources?
Software-defined power is starting to get some attention from vendors such as Virtual Power Systems (VPS). This firm has developed its Intelligent Control of Energy (ICE) technology to enable the use of UPS batteries to meet some of the power demand during periods of peak loads. This means that the power distribution infrastructure does not have to be over-provisioned to cope with peak loads that may only occur infrequently - and the data center owner may get a rebate from the energy utility.
In terms of cooling, data center infrastructure has become smarter, but is rarely marketed as “cooling on demand.” One early approach was from HPE, which some years ago (as HP) touted a combination of sensors and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to analyze the flow of air within the data center and route cold air to where it was most needed.
More recently, liquid cooling proponents mention their technology’s ability to remove heat precisely from where it is generated, and Inertech, a subsidiary of Aligned Energy, is offering a system where the cooling units are distributed and positioned above the racks, so cooling can be delivered on demand according to requirements.
It seems clear that all aspects of data centers are becoming instrumented, and are controlled more precisely by software. The future of the data center is software-defined - but two questions remain: what exactly will that look like, and how long will it take for organizations to get there?
This article appeared in the April/May issue of DCD Magazine. Subscribe to the digital and print editions for free here: | <urn:uuid:2e13014e-8a6e-4c0d-b661-b8d7193bd352> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://direct.datacenterdynamics.com/en/analysis/sddc-is-the-answer-but-how-do-we-get-there/ | 2024-09-14T10:10:47Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651579.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20240914093425-20240914123425-00768.warc.gz | en | 0.953994 | 1,528 | 2.953125 | 3 |
Technology for good has been an emerging topic in recent years. Given how far we have come with technological advancements, it is only right that we should use this knowledge to make the world a better place.
One natural area where technology can help is healthcare. We are already seeing IT advancing the sector, with the digitisation of healthcare records and care delivery already taking place. Technology such as wearables, apps and AI are helping strained hospital staff to cope with the seemingly ever-increasing demand.
And data analytics is no exception. Even before the digitisation of healthcare and the rise of big data, medical professionals have been collecting valuable patient data for years. This has led to a huge treasure trove of data points that we can now tap into. To put this into perspective, Piedmont Healthcare, a group of eight hospitals, has over 555 billion data points to draw information from.
This data is highly valuable for improving diagnosis and can help to analyse a whole host of issues including symptoms, pharmaceuticals and dosage. Without this information, it would be considerably more challenging for medical professionals to come to the right decisions.
Many conversations on this topic often revolve around using big data to improve efficiency and reducing costs. While these are worthwhile benefits that data can bring, it is short-sighted to focus purely on this. Data analytics can also help healthcare in a more direct way.
Preventing avoidable harm
The implementation of data analytics can help healthcare organisations to avoid inflicting unnecessary harm on patients, by helping them avoid treatment mistakes or post-op infections.
The business intelligence derived from data analytics provides answers in near real-time based on a huge amount of data. By incorporating this information, it translates into actionable decisions that provide patients with better healthcare. For example, a year after Piedmont Healthcare became more data-centric, there was found to be a 40% reduction in avoidable harm. This was determined through 30 different metrics such as the rate of patient re-admittance after 30 days.
Data analytics can provide us with the tools to completely eliminate life-threatening diseases. Last year, there were a reported five million cases of malaria. However, this is set to change with the implementation of the government of Zambia’s plan to eradicate the disease by 2021. Alongside PATH (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health) and eight technology firms, they are working together under the Visualise No Malaria project to permanently eliminate malaria forever.
Healthcare workers are being trained to use this data to track, report, and treat malaria in order to stay one step ahead and prevent the spread of the infection. This active approach is already producing results. It enables us to better understand, manage and prevent malaria, while radically cutting down on response times.
>See also: Healthcare efficiency through technology
The answers derived from data directs staff at Zambia’s National Malaria Elimination Centre on when and where medicine, bed nets and other life-saving supplies are needed (and not wasting these resources by distributing it where it isn’t needed). By embracing the power of data analytics, the elimination of malaria can soon be a reality.
Making the most of your data
Although data analytics clearly brings a lot to the table, healthcare organisations need to be sure that they are using their data properly. Key things to bear in mind are giving relevant staff the means to access the data so they have the power to independently carry out data-driven decisions and ensuring the data they receive is as close to real-time as possible.
An absolutely crucial measure is to ensure staff are trained in how to use data and know the right questions to ask, in order to get to the right actions. Big data and data analytics is incredibly powerful. It just needs people behind the steering wheel equipped with the knowledge of how to use it. | <urn:uuid:df0b7670-20fe-4109-ad47-d61f73fa9ea3> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.information-age.com/data-analytics-transform-healthcare-10660/ | 2024-09-14T09:53:21Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651579.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20240914093425-20240914123425-00768.warc.gz | en | 0.94954 | 779 | 2.921875 | 3 |
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, cybersecurity is of paramount importance. Organizations face an ever-increasing number of threats, making it essential to adopt robust security frameworks. Two prominent paradigms in the realm of cybersecurity are Zero-Trust and Least-Privilege. In this comprehensive guide, Zero Trust vs Least Privilege, we will delve into the intricacies of these frameworks, explore their differences and similarities, and weigh the benefits and challenges they present. By the end of this blog, you’ll be equipped to make an informed decision on which framework suits your organization’s needs.
What is Zero Trust?
Zero Trust, often abbreviated as ZT, is a security approach that challenges the traditional perimeter-based security model. It operates on the fundamental principle of “never trust, always verify.” In essence, a Zero Trust security model assumes that threats may already exist within the network and hence, no entity, be it a user or a device, is automatically trusted. Instead, concepts of Zero Trust require constant verification, authentication, and authorization before granting access to resources.
At its core, Zero Trust security operates on the premise that threats are not just external adversaries trying to infiltrate your network; they could very well be lurking within, disguised as seemingly benign entities. This fundamental shift in mindset challenges the traditional notion that once a user or device gains remote access to your network, they can be implicitly trusted to move freely within it. In the world of Zero Trust, trust is a currency that is earned anew with every interaction and zero trust network access request.
Imagine your network as a fortified castle, and each user or device as a traveler seeking entry. In the past, once a traveler passed through the castle gates, they were often allowed to roam freely within the walls. However, this castle analogy no longer holds in the Zero Trust era.
Now, every traveler must be scrutinized at the gate, regardless of how familiar they may appear. Zero Trust mandates that each user and device be subjected to constant authentication, authorization, and verification (AAV) before being granted access points to the castle’s inner sanctum—your valuable digital resources.
Authentication ensures that the traveler is indeed who they claim to be, employing multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add layers of identity confirmation. Authorization determines what areas of the castle the traveler can enter based on their role and need-to-know information. Verification continuously monitors the traveler’s behavior and ensures that their actions align with their permissions and the castle’s security policies.
Zero Trust, therefore, is not merely a set of security tools or protocols; it’s a holistic security philosophy that permeates every aspect of your organization’s digital environment. It compels organizations to reevaluate their security posture from the ground up, acknowledging that potential threats could originate from anywhere, even within the castle walls.
What is Least-Privilege?
Least-Privilege, also known as the principle of least privilege (POLP), is another critical security concept. It is centered on the idea that users, applications, and systems should be granted the minimum level of access or authorizations required to perform their tasks. In other words, it promotes a “need-to-know” and “need-to-use” approach, minimizing potential attack surfaces by restricting unnecessary access.
Imagine your organization’s digital ecosystem as a highly intricate network of doors, each leading to a different room containing valuable assets and sensitive information. In the world of Least-Privilege, every user, application, or system represents an individual equipped with a set of keys. However, these keys are not master keys that unlock every door; they are tailored to open only the doors necessary for their specific roles and responsibilities. This meticulous allocation of keys is the essence of the Least-Privilege philosophy.
By adhering to the principle of Least-Privilege, an organization systematically reduces its attack surface, which is the sum total of all potential points of entry for malicious actors. This reduction is achieved by curtailing unnecessary access management, minimizing the avenues through which attackers can infiltrate the system, and limiting their scope of potential damage once inside.
Consider a user within an organization who, for instance, primarily handles financial data. Under the Least-Privilege paradigm, this user is granted access solely to the financial databases and related applications required for their tasks. They are not endowed with authorizations to access other areas of the network, such as HR or marketing databases, as these are unrelated to their job function. Consequently, even if this user’s credentials were compromised, the potential harm to the organization would be mitigated due to the limited scope of their access.
Components Used for Least-Privilege Access
Effectively implementing the least-privilege principle requires a well-orchestrated combination of various components, each contributing to the overall security posture of an organization. These components work in harmony to ensure that users, applications, and systems only have the access they need to fulfill their specific roles, thereby minimizing the risk of security breaches and unauthorized activities. Let’s delve deeper into these critical components:
- User Roles and Permissions: User roles and consents form the cornerstone of the least-privilege approach. They involve categorizing users based on their job responsibilities and assigning specific approvals accordingly. For example, an HR manager may have clearances to access and modify employee records but should not have access to financial data. Establishing clear, well-defined roles and consents is essential for aligning access privileges with job requirements, preventing over-privileged users, and reducing the risk of accidental or intentional data exposure.
- Access Control Lists (ACLs): (ACLs) are a powerful mechanism for specifying and enforcing access rights on specific resources within a network or system. These lists define who can access particular resources and what actions they can perform once access is granted. ACLs act as gatekeepers, ensuring that only authorized entities can interact with sensitive data or applications while denying access to unauthorized parties. They provide granular control over resource access, which is crucial for adhering to the principle of least privilege.
- Privilege Escalation Controls: Privilege escalation controls are mechanisms designed to prevent unauthorized elevation of user privileges. Privilege escalation occurs when a user attempts to gain access to higher-level authorities than initially assigned, potentially exploiting vulnerabilities within the system. Implementing controls to thwart such attempts is vital to maintaining the integrity of the least-privilege model. Techniques include requiring additional authentication for privilege elevation or employing role-based access control (RBAC) to manage privilege levels more rigorously.
- Audit and Monitoring: Regular auditing and monitoring play a pivotal role in ensuring that the least-privilege principle remains effective over time. It involves tracking and analyzing user activities, authorities, and access patterns. By scrutinizing logs and reports, organizations can identify anomalies, detect unauthorized access attempts, and assess compliance with security policies. This proactive approach enables timely intervention, reducing the risk of data breaches and ensuring that access remains in line with the principle of least privilege.
Differences Between Least-Privilege and Zero Trust
As organizations navigate the complex landscape of cybersecurity, it’s crucial to understand the distinct differences between two prominent security paradigms: Least-Privilege and Zero Trust. While both share the overarching goal of enhancing security, they diverge significantly in their scope, approach, granularity, impact on user experience, and implementation methodologies:
- Zero Trust: Zero Trust casts a wide net over the entire network architecture, challenging the conventional notion of perimeter-based security. It operates on the principle of “never trust, always verify,” meaning that no entity, whether internal or external, is automatically trusted. The focus here is on securing the entire network environment against threats that may already exist within.
- Least-Privilege: In contrast, Least-Privilege primarily focuses on control rights and clearances for individual users and applications. Its scope is more specific, centering on the principle that entities should only have the minimum necessary access to perform their functions.
- Zero Trust: Zero Trust takes a proactive approach by continuously verifying the identity and trustworthiness of entities and the legitimacy of their actions. It emphasizes strict restriction of access, network segmentation, and micro-segmentation to ensure that even trusted entities are monitored and verified in real-time.
- Least-Privilege: Least-Privilege operates on a need-to-know and need-to-use approach, limiting access to resources based on necessity. It doesn’t involve continuous verification in the same way as Zero Trust but focuses on defining and enforcing access permissions upfront.
- Zero Trust: While Zero Trust can be granular in its approach, it often operates at a broader level, concentrating on network segments, devices, and identity verification.
- Least-Privilege: Least-Privilege is inherently more granular, restricting access on a per-resource or per-action basis. It involves fine-grained access controls that ensure users or applications have only the specific authorizations required for their tasks.
- Zero-Trust: Zero-Trust aims to provide a seamless user experience by minimizing disruptions while continuously verifying the legitimacy of actions. Users may not notice the stringent security measures in place, as they are designed to work transparently in the background.
- Least-Privilege: Least-Privilege, at times, can inconvenience users, particularly when they encounter access restrictions. Users may face hurdles in accessing certain resources, which can impact productivity. Balancing security and usability is a challenge in the Least-Privilege approach.
- Zero-Trust: Implementing Zero-Trust often involves significant changes to network security architecture, including network segmentation and the deployment of identity verification mechanisms. It requires a holistic reevaluation of the entire security infrastructure.
- Least-Privilege: Least-Privilege is typically implemented through restrictive controls, user management, and authorizations assignment. It is often more straightforward to implement within existing network architectures, as it doesn’t require the same level of architectural overhaul as Zero-Trust.
Similarities Between Zero-Trust and Least-Privilege
While Zero-Trust and Least-Privilege represent distinct cybersecurity paradigms, they converge on several crucial aspects that form the bedrock of a robust security strategy. These shared similarities reinforce their effectiveness and underscore their relevance in modern cybersecurity:
- Enhanced Security: Both Zero-Trust and Least-Privilege are unequivocally committed to bolstering an organization’s security posture. By adhering to these frameworks, organizations drastically reduce their attack surface, minimizing the potential entry points and pathways for attackers. This reduction in surface area fortifies the defenses and makes it considerably more challenging for malicious actors to breach the security perimeter.
- Risk Reduction: The core mission of both Zero-Trust and Least-Privilege is risk mitigation. They target distinct aspects of security risks but share the overarching goal of reducing vulnerabilities and vulnerabilities’ exploitation. Zero-Trust’s continuous verification mechanisms limit opportunities for lateral movement within the network, while Least-Privilege curtails the risk of privilege escalation and unauthorized access.
- Compliance: Both frameworks facilitate regulatory compliance efforts. They are designed to enforce strict controls, monitor user activities, and maintain a comprehensive audit trail. This audit trail is invaluable when demonstrating adherence to various compliance requirements, ensuring that organizations can meet their legal and regulatory obligations with confidence.
- Continuous Monitoring: Zero-Trust and Least-Privilege both place a premium on continuous monitoring and verification. In a dynamic threat landscape, the need for real-time insights into user activities and resource access is paramount. Continuous monitoring not only enables the prompt detection of anomalous behavior or unauthorized access but also allows organizations to adapt swiftly to emerging threats.
- Adaptability: Flexibility is a shared attribute of both frameworks. They are not one-size-fits-all solutions but rather adaptable methodologies that can be tailored to the specific needs and circumstances of an organization. Whether an organization operates in a highly regulated industry or faces unique security challenges, both Zero-Trust and Least-Privilege offer room for customization to address those distinct requirements effectively.
“After putting a data security strategy in place, keep your data inventory up-to-date by automating continuous data discovery and classification across your organization. Vendors like BigID…can help with this.”
-Manage Insider Risk With Zero Trust (Forrester)
Benefits and Challenges of Zero-Trust
- Improved Security Posture: Zero-Trust provides a robust defense against internal and external threats by assuming that trust can’t be established without verification.
- Adaptive Access: It allows for dynamic adjustments of access rights based on real-time risk assessments, enhancing security without impeding productivity.
- Micro-Segmentation: Zero-Trust facilitates network segmentation, reducing lateral movement possibilities for attackers.
- Enhanced Compliance: Organizations adopting Zero-Trust often find it easier to comply with regulatory requirements due to stringent access controls.
- Complex Implementation: Implementing Zero-Trust can be complex, requiring changes to network architecture and user behavior.
- User Experience: Excessive verification checks can lead to user frustration and decreased productivity.
- Resource Intensive: Continuous monitoring and verification can strain network resources and infrastructure.
- Initial Costs: The initial setup and implementation costs of Zero-Trust can be substantial.
Benefits and Challenges of Least-Privilege
- Reduced Attack Surface: Least-Privilege significantly reduces the attack surface by limiting access to essential functions and data.
- Prevents Privilege Escalation: It mitigates the risk of privilege escalation attacks by granting only the minimum required authorizations.
- Enhanced Accountability: By restricting access, it becomes easier to track and attribute actions to specific users.
- Resource Protection: Critical resources and data are safeguarded from unauthorized access or misuse.
- Complexity: Implementing least-privilege access can be complex, especially in large organizations with numerous users and systems.
- User Resistance: Users may resist restrictions on their access, leading to potential pushback and decreased productivity.
- Administrative Overhead: Managing and maintaining controls and permissions can be resource-intensive for IT teams.
- Risk of Misconfigurations: Misconfigurations in access control lists can inadvertently grant excessive access or cause disruptions.
How to Choose Between Least-Privilege and Zero-Trust Frameworks
Least-Privilege access and Zero-Trust, while distinct in their approaches, share a fundamental commitment to enhancing cybersecurity on several critical fronts. They unite in their overarching aim to bolster security by reducing the attack surface and enforcing rigorous access controls. This alignment equips organizations with robust defenses against unauthorized access, privilege abuse, and lateral movement by potential attackers within the network.
Perhaps most notably, Zero-Trust and Least-Privilege exhibit adaptability, allowing organizations to tailor their security strategies to their unique needs and circumstances, whether they operate within a highly regulated industry or encounter distinct security challenges. In essence, these shared values reinforce the synergy between Zero-Trust and Least-Privilege, highlighting their combined strength in crafting a resilient cybersecurity posture that effectively navigates the complexities of the modern threat landscape.
BigID for Zero Trust and Least Privilege Access
Your data, your most valuable asset, is the prime target for adversaries. The journey to implementing a least privilege model and establishing a robust zero trust architecture begins with comprehensive data awareness. This is where BigID steps in, offering organizations complete data visibility and control, paving the way to a least privilege model. BigID’s data-centric zero trust approach seamlessly blends deep data discovery, advanced data classification, and risk management.
Gain insights into data location, sensitivity, and user access, identifying potential overexposure and excessive privileges. BigID enables automated remediation on datasets, sources, files, users, and groups. Swiftly address violations and revoke file access rights and permissions to safeguard sensitive or critical data. These invaluable insights empower security teams to define and enforce stringent policies to limit access to sensitive data, mitigating unwanted exposure and misuse throughout the entire data lifecycle.
Ready to fortify your organization’s cybersecurity—schedule a 1:1 demo with BigID today.
For more information, download the Zero Trust, Data First solution brief here. | <urn:uuid:7d93a382-f306-4d3b-bc49-c247a0d639ba> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://bigid.com/blog/zero-trust-vs-least-privilege/ | 2024-09-16T23:30:48Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651714.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20240916212424-20240917002424-00568.warc.gz | en | 0.91603 | 3,397 | 2.71875 | 3 |
In this session, we will consider the ways in which AI will affect the subset of human interactions associated with financial transactions. The reliability and predictability that is required of systems operating in the general area of “finance,” and the large scales over which it is conducted, depend heavily on more formal, objectively measurable system performance parameters than is the case in many other domains of human behavior.
In the 20 minute presentation by James Garza, the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in finance will be discussed, particularly focusing on quantitative analysis and reinforcement learning, a subset of AI. Reinforcement learning can be more consistent than human traders, and this reliability allows for consistent and stable returns. Furthermore, reinforcement learning’s ability to rapidly process vast amounts of data helps identify patterns and insights humans might miss. Reinforcement Learning operates as a decision-making agent, learning from the consequences of its actions to maximise long-term rewards while minimising risks
AI-powered information elements introduce both helpful and potentially harmful variables into the financial space. Also, the ways in which AI is integrated into finance can offer reproducible patterns for AI implementation in other domains, as well as lessons to be learned about potential system harms.
The session will offer just a glimpse of the potential AI holds for the future of finance. By harnessing AI responsibly, we can create a more inclusive, efficient, and secure financial system for all.
Let’s explore together:
- Future of Personalized Finance: How might AI systems act as financial advisors that know you better than you know yourself? AI-powered algorithms can analyze your spending habits, financial goals, and risk tolerance to create personalized investment portfolios, budgeting plans, and even predict future financial needs. How will AI democratize access to financial advice, previously reserved for the wealthy.
- Frictionless Transactions: The reliability of finance has historically been associated with endless paperwork to generate auditable paper trails for interaction accounting. AI-powered chatbots can handle routine tasks like account inquiries, fund transfers, and even loan applications, making financial transactions seamless and available 24/7.
- Enhanced Fraud Detection AI will help to identify patterns of fraudulent activity in real-time, by analyzing massive datasets of transactions to help curb and prevent costly criminal activity. Greater reliability and confidence is a pathway to greater trust in financial systems.
- Algorithmic Trading: With lightning-fast analysis and the ability to execute trades in milliseconds, AI-powered algorithms are already powering high-frequency trading. In the future, their impact could extend beyond Wall Street, potentially making automated investment management commonplace for individual investors. However, ethical considerations and potential market manipulation risks need careful attention.
- Democratizing Access to Capital: AI can open doors for those traditionally excluded from traditional financial services. By assessing creditworthiness based on alternative data sources beyond credit scores, AI can enable lenders to extend loans to underserved communities, promoting financial inclusion and economic growth. This also comes with challenges, like ensuring fair and unbiased lending practices.
By the end of our session, attendees will have a broader perspective on the role of finance among a broad array of information systems, and how financial institutions and processes, and the many processes that are affected by finance, can be changed – for better and worse – with AI. | <urn:uuid:3003e50b-db4a-47a1-b685-beb35d57b27b> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.kuppingercole.com/watch/can-ai-help-to-deliver-transaction-integrity-at-scale-eic24 | 2024-09-19T10:39:00Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652028.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20240919093719-20240919123719-00368.warc.gz | en | 0.93176 | 668 | 2.5625 | 3 |
In a globalised world, the majority of us cannot imagine a world without the use of technology. From the moment we wake up to when we go to sleep, we are constantly connected through technology without realising it. However, do we consider the dangers of knowing where everyone is at all times?
Recently, the Kim Kardashian heist has received a lot of media attention – good and bad. Yet, people, especially teens and young adults still use these platforms and share where they are located without any concern or consideration for the consequences that are attached to sharing the location. Geotagging, or tagging your location with an in-built GPS embedded in a picture or video, allows the public or anyone that has access to your social media platform to locate your current or past location.
Geotagging, or tagging your location with an in-built GPS embedded in a picture or video, allows the public or anyone that has access to your social media platform to locate your current or past location
It is not only GPS that can be used as an identifier but also pictures and videos of inside a room or a particular monument that is associated with the location, for example a particular view of a building next door. Yes, this is simple enough to understand however, most people do this without thinking and geotagging has become a habit amongst many. The consequences of this may result in something completely different from the intention of the user. This includes allowing easier access for criminals to identify the persons’ location or create a pattern for observation and surveillance which may lead to stalking. One example is tagging pictures at home. Although a user may not tag themselves at home, mediums like Instagram will tag a photo’s location through GPS at the time of posting, resulting in a location that may put other family members at risk. A Geotag can be removed although to do so requires several steps through manual editing.
Another common example is for social media users to tag themselves at airports, including their ticket which reveals their flight and seat number. The intention of this may be to show off where their next adventure is or to alert their friends where they are, but they are essentially disclosing information that could make them a potential target.This may all seem far-fetched however, we often forget about our own personal security – a form of security that seems to have various levels of importance depending on the platform and the awareness of what is at risk.
Executives and companies may also be at risk as using social media platforms lay the foundation for marketing campaigns. These types of location sharing could also be problematic for executives and CEO’s. A Social media security scan is one option for those that share the limelight or who frequently use social media to ensure that their personal information is secure. Managing Director of Agilient, Mark Bezzina stresses that “revealing such private information could lead to cyber security breaches and without the right protection, you and your company or private details could be at high risk”.
Originally geotagging was used privately to sort photos, however now as the globalised world continues to expand, the risk is higher and is something we need to be more mindful of.
Are you an Executive and not quite sure if your information is secure? Contact us here. | <urn:uuid:0ba29afa-8e3f-4cee-99c5-a42ce2bceb37> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.agilient.com.au/geotagging-fine-line-sharing-breach-privacy-2/ | 2024-09-08T12:24:55Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651002.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908115103-20240908145103-00468.warc.gz | en | 0.966287 | 664 | 2.734375 | 3 |
What is CMDB?
A Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is a file or database that provides visibility into technology assets and clarifies the relationship between hardware, software, and the networks of an IT company. This organization-wide database serves as a reference for all tech assets (configuration items) and their relationship information across diverse business functions.
What does a CMDB include?
A CMDB is a centralized repository of tech assets information. The goal of maintaining a CMDB is to manage IT assets efficiently, make better business decisions, and plan IT service and financial management. Typically, CMDBs include the following:
Configuration Items (CI): These are digital assets – hardware, software, networks, services, attributes, and properties, router, server details, application, service lifecycle, and other components involved in delivering an IT service.
Relationship Maps: These maps provide an understanding of the dependencies and relationships between configuration items. It also includes information about employees, third-party vendors, and other stakeholders.
Compliance Features: A CMDB provides insights into CI changes, their current state incidents, historical data, and checks and balances, helping through the audit process.
Dashboards: A CMDB contains dashboards providing visibility into metrics and analytics that indicate the performance and health of CIs, their patterns, the impact of changes, relationships, etc.
User Access and Permissions: A CMDB has access controls that allow only authorized members to track incidents and make changes.
Use Cases of a CMDB software
CMDB is a foundational tool for efficient IT management. It is used as a centralized repository for decision-making and planning strategic initiatives. The following are a few common CMDB use cases:
Asset Management: Track all organization-wide hardware and software assets, their current state, lifecycle stages, ownership, utilization, compliance, and other relevant information.
Change Management: Plan changes within your IT environment and evaluate their potential impact on other components by understanding their interdependencies with the help of a CMDB.
Risk Assessment: Identify relationships and interdependencies and anticipate the impact of changes on different systems and users with a CMDB during change management, are improving risk assessment.
Reporting and Analysis: CMDBs offer reporting capabilities, helping you gain insights into your IT environment. Get complete visibility of information like lifecycle management, resource utilization, application rationalization, identifying potential vulnerabilities, and planning for capacity improvements.
CMDB vs. IT Asset Management
IT Asset Management | CMDB |
Focuses on managing assets across the entire lifecycle | Focuses on interrelationships and dependencies between IT assets |
Includes assets as individual components with an underlying financial value | Includes assets as CIs |
It is an outcome of the asset management discipline | It is one of the outcomes of configuration management |
CMDB contains CIs that are a part of asset management | IT assets may not always constitute CIs |
Best Practices for Implementing a CMDB Successfully
Implementing a few best practices can help you derive maximum benefits from a CMDB, resulting in enhanced operational efficiency.
Clarify what problems you’re trying to solve and how you plan to utilize the CMDB to achieve your broader business goals.
Bring all your stakeholders and representatives from IT teams and relevant departments. Collaborate and gather inputs from all stakeholders to ensure the CMDB meets the needs of the entire company.
Regular Maintenance and Consistency
Maintain your CMDB and ensure it has complete information. Establish data standards and validations and maintain data quality. Regularly update your CMDB with the changes made in your IT environment, like configuration changes, hardware upgrades, additions, etc.
Security and Access Controls
CMDBs contain sensitive information about your organization’s IT assets and infrastructure. Ensure using role-based access controls to comply with security and data privacy standards. | <urn:uuid:4d66357d-64d5-4670-af46-536cd0fcb74f> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.motadata.com/it-glossary/configuration-management-database/ | 2024-09-09T19:04:50Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651133.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909170505-20240909200505-00368.warc.gz | en | 0.924648 | 799 | 2.828125 | 3 |
Which term describes a spanning-tree network that has all switch ports in either the blocking or forwarding state?
Click on the arrows to vote for the correct answer
A. B. C. D.B
The only two states that switch ports in a converged Spanning Tree network can have are bloced or forwarding.
The correct answer to this question is B. converged.
In a spanning-tree network, the protocol's main goal is to prevent loops by disabling redundant links while maintaining a loop-free topology. To accomplish this, the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) assigns a state to each port on the network: blocking, listening, learning, or forwarding.
When STP has disabled all redundant links in the network, and all switch ports are either in the blocking or forwarding state, the network is said to be "converged." This means that the STP algorithm has successfully determined the root bridge of the network and the best path to that root for every other switch in the network.
A converged network provides a stable topology where all devices have a clear understanding of the network topology and the path they need to take to communicate with other devices. It also ensures that there are no loops in the network, which can cause network performance issues, including packet loss, broadcast storms, and other problems.
To summarize, a converged spanning-tree network is one in which all redundant links are disabled, and all switch ports are either in the blocking or forwarding state, providing a stable and loop-free network topology. | <urn:uuid:216824c0-c599-46d0-aefe-6f5e36141e93> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.exam-answer.com/spanning-tree-network-with-all-switch-ports-in-blocking-or-forwarding-state | 2024-09-10T23:48:35Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651323.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910224659-20240911014659-00268.warc.gz | en | 0.942831 | 319 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Selecting the right key management system
This document is intended to help organizations understand the benefits of a key management system and guide them in selecting a solution that best addresses their needs.
It is written for anyone involved in the design, development, operation or support of business security applications, including managers and executives with "security", "risk" or "compliance" in their titles. It is assumed that the reader understands the basic concepts of cryptography and the role of cryptographic keys within security systems.
1. KEY MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS
Key management is the practice of protecting and administering cryptographic keys and their associated data through the key lifecycle. The importance of this is summarized in NIST Special Publication 800-57:
"The proper management of cryptographic keys is essential to the effective use of cryptography for security. Keys are analogous to the combination of a safe. If a safe combination is known to an adversary, the strongest safe provides no security against penetration. Similarly, poor key management may easily compromise strong algorithms. Ultimately, the security of information protected by cryptography directly depends on the strength of the keys, the effectiveness of mechanisms and protocols associated with the keys, and the protection afforded to the keys."
Specifically, key management should provide control over all key operations based on a combination of best practices and user-defined policies; such operations include key generation, import/export, backup, distribution, usage, update, revocation and deletion. It should also ensure that keys are stored securely to prevent unauthorized modification and, in the case of secret (symmetric) and private (asymmetric) keys, that they are not disclosed. As each key is unique and cannot be recreated, an often-overlooked consideration is the necessity to protect keys against temporary unavailability, permanent loss, and accidental or malicious deletion.
WHY SIZE IS IMPORTANT
The first modern encryption algorithm to gain significant popularity was Lucifer, developed by IBM in the early 1970s, which subsequently evolved into the US Data Encryption Standard (DES). However, the 56-bit key size is too weak to withstand brute force attacks using modern computers, so we now use symmetric algorithms like AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) which supports key lengths up to 256 bits.
Note that each extra bit doubles the strength of the key, so going from 56 to 64 bits is 256 times (i.e. 28) stronger and going from 64 to 128 bits 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 times (i.e. 264) stronger! Assuming there are no weaknesses in the encryption algorithm itself, it would take all the computing power in the world far longer than the lifetime of the universe to successfully crack a 256-bit AES key by brute force (i.e. trying every possible value). Hence the goal of attackers is to steal the key rather than try to "break" it – this is why protecting the key is so important.
WHAT IS A KEY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (KMS)?
In principle, keys can be managed using pieces of paper and storing them in a safe. However, this is highly prone to errors and abuse, and it does not scale well. Therefore, computerized key management systems have evolved to solve this problem.
A modern KMS provides a framework for managing numerous keys throughout their lifecycle. While implementations vary, desirable characteristics include:
- Support for a broad range of key types and formats
- Generation of keys using a certified hardware random number generator
- Stored keys are protected by a certified, tamper-resistant hardware device
- Replication/backup mechanisms to ensure that keys are never lost
- Logical access controls with strong user authentication
- User-definable roles (e.g. Security Officer, Operator, Auditor)
- User-definable, strongly-enforced policies (e.g. dual control)
- Protection against rogue employees (e.g. mandatory two-person operations)
- Some level of automation for common tasks
- The ability to securely distribute keys to where they are needed
- Full, tamper-proof audit log (for demonstrating compliance, e.g. with PCI DSS)
No matter how good a key management system is, it must be installed and operated in a secure fashion by trained and vetted staff according to well-defined organizational policies and procedures with regular audits.
The role of hardware security modules (HSMs)
HSMs are devices that are commonly used to generate high-quality keys, protect them against a wide range of logical and physical attacks and then utilize these keys to perform cryptographic operations in a secure environment. Also, HSMs can be certified to internationally-recognized security standards such as FIPS 140-2, Common Criteria or PCI-HSM. Because of these useful security characteristics, any decent KMS solution will incorporate an HSM (or at least provide this option).
It is also possible to use a standalone HSM as a "poor man's" KMS. However, managing the lifecycle of keys using just an HSM can be time-consuming and involve resource-intensive manual tasks, and it doesn't scale well as the number of HSM increases. Also, an HSM doesn't solve the problem of distributing the keys securely to external parties. A purpose-designed KMS addresses these shortcomings and provides the means to efficiently manage and distribute a wide range of keys, whether used by HSMs or not.
2. BENEFITS OF A KEY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (KMS)
There are significant benefits that accrue from using a key management system, which are summarised below
A KMS can enhance your organization's security posture by imposing technical measures to prevent loss, compromise or misuse of keys – for example
- High-quality key generation to prevent the use of weak keys
- Physical protection of keys against theft and misuse
- Access controls, enforcing role-based authority to manage the system
- High availability guarantees: essential to support 24/7 on-line services
- Secure key distribution to protect keys 'in transit'
- Automated key rotation to ensure key material is not compromised through overuse
- Key revocation and deletion to allow compromised keys to be taken out-of-service
- Signed usage and audit logs to provide forensic information
- Ability to support post-quantum algorithms when required
For many organizations, it is important (if not a legal necessity) to comply with various industry-specific, national and/or international standards and regulations regarding data protection, which typically rely on encryption and thus ultimately on key management. These include PCI-DSS, GDPR, SOX, HIPAA and many others. A KMS enables organizations to simply and efficiently implement the necessary processes and controls around their keys; it also simplifies internal and external audits.
A KMS provides many opportunities for reducing cost:
- Eliminates inefficient manual/paper-based processes
- Centralizes operations to optimize use of skills and resources
- Reduces human errors
- Automates certain processes
- Scales to address growth in the number of keys
- Reduces time spent on compliance and audits
- Avoids fines and reputational damage resulting from key compromise
3. BUILDING THE BUSINESS CASE
The business case for introducing a key management system is generally quite straightforward. Some organizations may already have an existing key management system (or even multiple systems), which may be either proprietary or home-grown, and perhaps once met the needs of the business but are now ineffective and inadequate. Whatever the situation, the case for introducing a new key management system will typically depend on the business-problems currently being experienced.
If the organisation has suffered from key compromises in the past or perceives the risk and cost of such compromise as sufficiently high as to be potentially catastrophic, the the main business driver will probably be risk reduction. The business case will point towards a solution that minimizes the overall risk profile, and the justification will be avoidance of fines, law suits and repetitional damage that could, in the worst case, destroy the business.
If the organization is struggling to pass audits required to comply with regulations or industry standards, then compliance is likely to be the main driver. Failure to comply with regulations can result in fines (which are becoming increasingly severe), loss of business and reputational damage, so the business case will suggest a solution that simplifies compliance and makes audits easier.
If the organization is going through significant IT transformation, driven by e.g. a merger or acquisition, then support for new systems and key migration are likely to be the main drivers. The business case will favor a flexible solution that provides the necessary technical capabilities.
If the number of keys being managed is growing rapidly (as it is in most organizations) and managing them is becoming an increasingly labor-intensive and costly exercise for the organization, then cost reduction is going to be the main driver, and the business case will call for the solution that offers the lowest total cost of ownership.
When building the business case, organizations should consider not just their current needs, but their future needs too - it is important that they choose a system that can grow/evolve with their business.
Whatever the main business driver, it is generally quite straightforward to demonstrate a positive return on investment (ROI) and thus justify the acquisition of a key management system. Even where the main driver is risk, compliance or technology, the operational cost savings will likely yield a rapid payback of the initial investment, and the savings will only grow over time.
4. MARKET SEGMENTATION
Here we look at how the KMS market is segmented to address the needs of certain industries and types of organization.
Key management is a challenge that organisations face across all sectors, but here are some examples that each have specific needs:
The defense sector has been using cryptography longer than anyone else. These keys are used to protect military and state secrets classified up to TOP SECRET and need to be distributed to end-points often located in ships, airplanes or battlefield environments. As these systems are not relevant or available to the private sector, no further consideration will be given to then in this document.
Another sector that tends to be fairly specialized is the banking and financial services sector. This is for various reasons, including the obvious need for strong security when it comes to protecting electronic financial transactions. As a result, many industry-specific protocols and standards have been developed over the last couple of decades. Also, the tight regulations governing the industry and the need for adherence to standards and compliance regimes put stringent requirements on how cryptographic keys are managed and the use of HSMs. Only a small subset of key management systems is suitable for this sector, although this does not necessarily prevent such systems from being applicable to the wider enterprise market too.
The general retail and commercial sector, while not as regulated as the banking sector, has increasing amounts of sensitive data that needs protecting. The favored and mature solution to protecting this data is through encryption that then leads to the need for appropriate key management solutions.
Range of application
While some key management systems are general-purpose and can be considered both vendor-agnostic and application-agnostic, many are more limited, being targeted at certain niche and/or proprietary applications.
Long-term data storage
Because there has been a requirement to store sensitive data on tapes, disks and other media since the early days of the mainframe computer, the need to protect such data "at rest" using encryption has driven the development of many key management systems specifically for this purpose. This has only been spurred on by the increasing amount of legislation aimed at ensuring Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is well protected.
As more and more businesses look to move their IT systems into the cloud, security becomes an increasing concern. A number of key management systems have arisen in recent years to take advantage of this trend, having a narrow focus on cloud-based applications and storage.
Some key management systems exist simply to complement that vendor's own security solutions and have little or no application elsewhere. These also tend to be focused on the specific niche applications that the vendor provides.
The relative positioning of different solutions is summarized on the following chart.
5. AVAILIABLE SOLUTIONS
Key management systems vary in their means of deployment each having its pros and cons:
To install and run on your own server hardware and operating system.
Pre-installed virtual machine (VM) image to run in a virtualized environment.
Pre-installed on a dedicated hardware platform.
Cloud-based SaaS (software-as-a-system) solution.
Deployment model |
There is generally little to choose between the first three, being largely a matter of preference; the "service" option is fine if all you're managing are keys for your cloud applications but is less than ideal for managing on-premises keys.
Regardless of the deployment model, good quality key management systems will support the use of a hardware security module (HSM), either as a mandatory requirement or an option (typically built-in to appliances or as an adjunct to a software solution), to enhance the security characteristics of the solution, particularly the generation and physical protection of the keys.
Product architecture and quality
The design and quality of any key management system is a critically important factor when choosing a solution given the role it plays in underpinning all your organization's security applications. Factors to consider include:
- Pedigree of the vendor
- Strategic nature of the product
- Security architecture
- HSM support
- Physical protection
- Future proofing
For easy reference, more detailed descriptions of these factors are included in the appendix (1) at the end of this paper.
In general, any solution that has been widely deployed within the banking sector is likely to have achieved the highest quality standards and to have shown compliance within a highly regulated environment.
Unless you have a very narrow use-case, then a broad range of capabilities is important to address not just your current, but also your future needs. Factors to consider include:
- Application agnosticism
- Vendor agnosticism
- Supported key types
- User authentication
- Policy control
For easy reference, more detailed descriptions of these factors are listed in the appendix (2) at the end of this paper.
The final factor in choosing the right solution is, of course the price. However, buyers should consider not just the initial purchase price of the solution but the total cost of ownership. This will include factors such as the on-going cost of maintenance & support and day-to-day running costs; but it is also important to factor in the cost savings that the solution will offer through centralization, increased efficiency, reduced errors, streamlined audits, automation and so on. Quite often, these intangible savings on their own will outweigh the purchase and operating costs of the system!
Key management is an increasingly important function in any modern enterprise and choosing the right key management system is a business-critical decision. Whether the driver is risk, compliance or cost, a good key management system will deliver significant benefits; however, getting the wrong key management system could be an expensive mistake.
This document describes the variety that exists in the key management market, helps buyers understand the important attributes to consider when evaluating alternatives, and provides a simple framework to help narrow down the field.
Ultimately the buyer should demand extensive documentation, a comprehensive demonstration, and solid references before moving ahead with a proof-of-concept or pilot. The vendor should be willing to answer any questions and have a flexible and collaborative approach to doing business.
7. CRYPTOMATHIC CKMS
Cryptomathic's Crypto Key Management System (CKMS) is a general-purpose, banking-grade key management solution that delivers automated key updates and distribution to a broad range of applications. It manages the entire lifecycle of symmetric and asymmetric application keys and enforces robust security processes. Central tamper-evident logs allow businesses to confidently pass internal and external compliance audits.
CKMS is used by major organisations and financial services companies worldwide to centrally control and automate the lifecycle of millions of keys.
For more information , please visit
© 2021, Cryptomathic A/S. All rights reserved. Aaboulevarden 22, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. This document is protected by copyright. No part of the document may be reproduced in any form by any means without prior written authorization of Cryptomathic. Information described in this document may be protected by a pending patent application. This document is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Cryptomathic may make improvements and/or changes in the product described in this document at any time. The document is not part of the documentation for a specific version or release of the product, but will be updated periodically.
Note: This material has been prepared for general informational purposes only.
All Rights Reserved
Crytomathic is a global provider of secure server solutions to businesses across a wide range of industry sectors, including banking, government, technology manufacturing, cloud and mobile. With over 30 years' experience, we provide systems for Authentication and signing, EMV and Crypto & Key management through best-of-breed security solutions and services.
We pride ourselves on strong technical expertise and unique market knowledge, with 2/3 of employees working in R&D, including an international team of security experts and a number of world renowned cryptographers. At the leading edge of security provision within its key markets, Crytomathic closely supports its global customer base with many multinationals as longstanding clients.
APPENDIX - CHECKLIST FOR EVALUATING SOLUTIONS
This section provides a simple checklist for evaluating and comparing key management solutions. For each competing product, evaluate whether that product meets each of the 20 suggested criteria detailed below (10 on quality, 10 on capability). Then add up the number of Y's in each section to arrive at a score out of 10 for each. Alternatively, score each criterion out of 10 to give a total score out of 100 for each.
APPENDIX 1 – ARCHITECTURE AND QUALITY CRITERIA
APPENDIX 2 – CAPABILITY CRITERIA
APPENDIX 3 – COMPARING SOLUTIONS
Now plot each product on the chart below. Products that fall into the top-right quadrant may be singled-out for a more detailed evaluation and comparison. | <urn:uuid:8143bbeb-01b1-4de1-8cc6-f48bf3ca3feb> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.cryptomathic.com/whitepapers/selecting-the-right-kms | 2024-09-13T12:29:52Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651513.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913101949-20240913131949-00068.warc.gz | en | 0.932789 | 3,796 | 2.71875 | 3 |
How to study for your CCIE
Many people studying for CCIE are looking for a solution to better memorize and retain the new information. The biggest enemy of good memory is the fact that speed of forgetting is directly proportional to the amount of information learned. One can actually start off this and write a simple ordinary differential equation that models the forgetting process:
dY(t)/dt = V – aY(t)
where Y(t) is the amount of information memorized at moment t and V is the speed of the new information being memorized. The component -aY(t) demonstrates the forgetting effect described above (speed of the forgetting is directly proportional to the amount of information learned). Integrating the equation we easily obtain:
Y(t) = V/a+const*exp(-at)
What it basically says, is that the amount of information that we memorize is proportional to the speed of learning! The exponentially decaying component does not play any major role as the time passes, and thus your know as much as you learn. As soon as you stop learning new information (or repeating the old info), your knowledge volume will decay with the speed of exponent. Not the best news in our already uneasy world!
This model, however is too simple to be valid. However, it demonstrates one important fact – unless you actively learn, you forget. The solution for the equation exhibits the well-know Ebbinghaus curve effect (Forgetting Curve), which has been known for over than century. Two methods can help you overcome the forgetting effect, and they are active learning and spaced repetitions. Let’s start with...
Active learning has many forms. The most basic involves transforming knowledge in the series of questions that could be answered in a short manner. For the demostration, look at the following blog post:
Read every paragraph, and come up with a few questions for each.
Q: What is the major drawback of the mono spanning tree?
A: Impossible to engineer traffic flow for different VLANs
Q: What is the major drawback of PVST?
A: Does not scale with the number of VLANs
Q: What was the main idea of MISTP?
A: Decoupling STP instances from VLANs.
Q: How did the original MISTP instance convey STP information?
A: Every instance has its own BPDU sent on every link.
Q: How was the VLAN to instance mapping information distributed in MISTP?
A: Manually on every switch, no automatic protocol.
Q: What is the general rule to avoid MISTP inconsistencies?
A: If VLAN is filtered on the link, make sure the respective instance is not forwarding here.
And so on. The first time you will probably read over a body of knowledge without any questions. Take another pass, and this time write down your questions. Try doing it so that the answers are short and easy to remember. Do not mix multiple concepts in the same question. Your first pass will probably result in many questions and it should be the most intense one. However, as time passes and you return to the material for repetition, you will probably condense the amount of questions. It’s a good idea save any images and figures, as they are good anchors for your visual memory. Of course, the “asking questions” procedure could be applied to any material, for example CCIE technology-focused practice labs. You can use IOS code samples as answers to questions like: “How would you configure GDOI profile?” Do not forget to type in the code samples, don’t simply copy-paste them. This approach might look simplified and indeed, there exist other, more complicated, methods of active reading, such as SQ3R. All active reading methods require intense concentration and practice, but the result surely worth it. Now, to the next stage:
While active reading greatly helps in learning, you still need repetitions to keep your knowledge fresh. There has been some research done on the optimal repetition intervals, and you can find it on the Internet. Personally, I prefer using the algorithms developed for SupeMemo application. I highly recommend anyone reading the following article: Using Supermemo method without a computer. There is a table there, suggesting the optimal repetition intervals – in 4, 7, 12, 20 days and in a month. The list continues into the scales of years, but for the purpose of exam preparation you may stop at 20 days or a month. When repeating, abridge the number of questions, condense the information and retain only the key concepts. Focusing on core facts will reduce the information load but still help you remember. If you’re practicing IOS configurations, make sure you type in your configurations using the “notepad” copy & paste method during 2nd and 3rd repetitions. You may not even use the actual routers when doing 3rd and further repetitions. Starting with 4th repetition, just skim over and make sure you clearly recall the core concepts. If you find this routine too time consuming, you may leave just 3 spaced repetitions.
The link provided above would give you recommendations on proper training schedule. You may want to optimize it using some modern calendar software (or even getting the free/commercial versions of SuperMemo software). For instance, you may use Google Calendar service as your organizer (what is cool is that you may share your calendars with friends and see how all of you progress). Suppose that you are working with ours IEWB-RS VOL1 (technology focused labs). Choose the amount of material you can easily practice every day, without putting too much stress on yourself. For example, today you spent some time practicing IEWB-RS VOL1 Labs 13.1-13.5 (Section IP Services) using the active learning approach. As a result, you ended with a series of condensed questions & answers for every lab. After that, you add notes to your calendar to repeat the same labs in 4, 7 and 12 days. Therefore, you get some work scheduled already. Keep in mind that repetitions took less time than the full-blown practice. Thus you may easily combine 3rd and 4th repetition with practicing another five labs, e.g. 13.6-13.10. It is not mandatory to practice all labs from the same section. You may “interleave” QoS and IP Services focused labs, or even combine the full-scale labs from IEWB-RS VOL2 with technology focused labs from VOL1, provided that you already have good technology coverage.
A few tips on working with our VOL2 labs. There are total of 20 labs, and you may spend quite some time working through all of them, as every single lab might take about 8-16 hours. You may use the following guidelines:
a) Do not start working with VOL2 labs unless you’re confident with most technologies from VOL1. This is important, as VOL2 is not designed to be an “easy reading” :)
b) Mark the tasks that you found hard on your initial attempt. During your second repetition, work though the core section of the labs (Switching, IGP and BGP) plus the marked non-core tasks.
c) During your third repetition, skim over the lab texts and solutions, focusing on the tasks that you marked as “hard”. It might not benefit you to repeat more than three times, but if you got a lot of free time, you can do even four repetitions.
During your final stage of preparations, you will probably find yourself repeating the condensed information from VOL1/VOL2 labs. Before attempting the lab exam, you may want to take at least one or two Mock Labs to gauge your readiness. The Mock Labs are not designed to be “repeated” - you should probably schedule a new lab every time to get more unbiased result. However, if you want a testing tool that adjusts to your level of readiness plus changes every time - you may want to try out Polymorphic Assessment Lab, which automatically generates different labs on the same physical topology.
Now, the final part: if you want to retain the knowledge learned, keep repeating the information on monthly and yearly basis. This may end up in a life-long schedule, as you will keep adding new information to your calendar of repetitions. The process worth itself as the active learning methodology and optimally spaced repetitions are proven to be an extremely effective learning tool. | <urn:uuid:a4539cb2-3ca7-4bc0-b376-4d189aff2fc9> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://ine.com/blog/2009-03-22-how-to-study | 2024-09-14T13:26:08Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651579.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20240914125424-20240914155424-00868.warc.gz | en | 0.942942 | 1,770 | 2.984375 | 3 |
In IOActive’s recent white paper,” Hacking Robots Before Skynet,” the authors noted, “When you think of robots as computers with arms, legs, or wheels, they become kinetic IoT devices that, if hacked, can pose new serious threats we have never encountered before.”
This is true, of course. We know this because we have already seen the consequences, if you assume robots are simply computers programmed to perform specific tasks.
For example, drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) are a form of robots, and an attractive target for our adversaries. Taking control of a drone would certainly disrupt a military mission, and could possibly turn a military’s weapons on itself.
In fact, Iran claims to have already done the former. It’s reasonable to think the same could be done to robots having arms and legs instead of wings.
There have also been dozens of examples of cyber attacks using less sophisticated “robots.” The Mirai botnet attack on managed DNS provider Dyn took advantage of the incredibly poor design (from a security perspective) of Internet cameras, DVR, and other devices.
In this case, the devices were used to form a botnet and attack other systems, conducting a denial of service attack that made Twitter, Etsy, and other popular sites unavailable to users. This was inconvenient to users, and likely cost revenue for Dyn customers. It was almost certainly costly for Dyn.
Reports indicate that around 8% of the web domains relying on Dyn’s managed DNS service dropped the service in the immediate aftermath of the attack.
The impact of the attack on Dyn was felt mostly in industries like entertainment and media, followed by technology. But what if the attack had been directed at first responder networks, tele-surgery, or other critical infrastructure?
How about robots with wheels instead of legs? Researchers have also proven that cars can be hacked, including steering, brakes, and the infotainment system.
Uconnect, an Internet-connected computer feature in hundreds of thousands of vehicles, controls the entertainment and navigation systems, enables phone calls, and even offers a Wi-Fi hot spot. Thanks to one vulnerable element, using the vehicle’s Uconnect system, which plugs into a cellular network, security researchers were able to gain control of the car’s entertainment system and then rewrite the firmware to send commands to critical systems like the brakes, steering, and transmission.
In a world where self-driving cars are already on the roads, this should worry everyone. Cars are among the most sophisticated machines on the planet, containing 100 million or more lines of code.
>See also: Open source technology in enterprise
The sophistication of new cars brings numerous benefits such as collision warning systems and automatic emergency braking. But with new technology comes new risks — and new opportunities for malevolence.
Automobiles are becoming increasingly intelligent, automated and most importantly, Internet-connected. This will exacerbate a problem that already exists – carmakers don’t know exactly what software is inside the vehicles they manufacture (most of the software that binds sensors and other car hardware together comes from third-parties).
That software almost certainly contains open source components with security vulnerabilities, as does nearly all software, including that used in robot technology.
As Forrester noted in their recent report on software composition analysis (The Forrester Wave™: Software Composition Analysis, Q1 2017), developers use open source components as the foundation to build their applications; creating applications using only 10% to 20% new code.
“Hacking Robots Before Skynet” stated, “Many robots use open source frameworks and libraries. One of the most popular is the Robot Operating System (ROS) used in several robots from multiple vendors. ROS suffers from many known cyber security problems, such as cleartext communication, authentication issues, and weak authorisation schemes. All of these issues make robots insecure.”
In Black Duck’s on-demand audit practice, we see this in application development every day, whether in robotics/IoT, financial services, automotive, and even cyber security applications.
Application developers leverage open source frameworks and operating systems to accelerate time to market while reducing development costs.
Pick almost any version of Apache Struts or the Spring framework and you’re going to see reported vulnerabilities, sometimes dozens of them. In fact,it is evident that hackers are actively exploiting a critical vulnerability in the Apache Struts 2 framework that allows them to take almost complete control of Web servers used by banks, government agencies, and large Internet companies.
>See also: Opening up to open source to the public
Businesses can mitigate these risks using good application security practices. This includes design decisions that would help avoid the Mirai attacks (e.g., forcing users to change default passwords) as well as better security testing.
When open source is a large part of any given application’s codebase, it becomes increasingly important to monitor which components are being used, and track security issues (over 3,000 open source vulnerabilities are disclosed each year).
Vulnerabilities in open source are particularly attractive to attackers, especially when exploits are publicly available. In the same report cited earlier, Forrester notes that, “one out of every 16 open source download requests is for a component with a known vulnerability.”
Popular open source components with known vulnerabilities present a target-rich environment for adversaries, and publicly available exploits can be used in non-targeted attacks by less skilled attackers.
Technology has transformed the way people work, live, and play and is mission-critical to nearly every organisation. Similar to other technologies, robots must be secured against dangerous security breaches.
With open source as the foundation of modern applications, often comprising as much as 90% of application code, and applications increasingly centred in cyber attackers’ crosshairs, open source risk management will be as critical to stop vulnerabilities from being used by attackers to cause serious harm to businesses and consumers.
Sourced by Mike Pittenger, vice president, security strategy, Black Duck Software | <urn:uuid:dc0f6307-8e34-4202-8a88-bc22a8d91ddd> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.information-age.com/open-source-security-hacking-robots-skynet-4713/ | 2024-09-14T13:42:18Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651579.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20240914125424-20240914155424-00868.warc.gz | en | 0.946107 | 1,261 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Cybersecurity threats and digital vulnerabilities
Companies must do their due diligence to protect critical assets, as edge data center and cloud-based cybersecurity cannot be left to chance. Knowing where vulnerabilities are within any system is the key to protecting them – however, it’s also important to note that there can be unknown, or ‘zero day,’ vulnerabilities that may fly under the radar. Once cybercriminals get inside, they can cause significant damage from stealing customer data to even shutting down business functions or power. It’s critical that facility managers understand the current cybersecurity arena to properly structure their data center cybersecurity plans. In fact, there are four main factors that have contributed to increasing cybersecurity risk, particularly in the OT environment:
- A larger landscape for potential attacks: With the increase in IoT devices and technology used in manufacturing settings, more endpoints are now susceptible to hackers entering the digital ecosystem. Smart factories are equipped with thousands of sensors connected at the cloud or the edge, creating thousands of new opportunities for cybercriminals to infiltrate and manipulate the system unlike ever before.
- Aging legacy infrastructure: Many of the world’s systems that control critical operations were installed decades before digital transformation and weren’t created with the threat of cyber-attacks in mind. It is critical for managers to assess the risk of legacy systems to stay aware of weaknesses in outdated infrastructure.
- Targeted attacks on new weaknesses: OT attacks typically aim for a specific weakness within a single target. Therefore, cybersecurity plans should consider specific paths of protection as measures such as antiviruses are not commonly applicable in these scenarios.
- Frequent third-party access: In the manufacturing environment, it’s common for external vendors, field service engineers, and other third-party individuals to have access to OT devices through their own devices, fully hosted environments, or the internet with little control or oversight. This widens the potential endpoint connections for hackers to infiltrate.
Once the threats are known, data center operators can take the necessary steps in creating an effective cybersecurity framework. It is critical that the plan takes every factor into consideration, from OT threats to dangers in the IT room.
Best practices for data center cybersecurity
While every plan might look a little bit different, some of the most effective data center cybersecurity plans have several things in common. They tend to follow best practices that incorporate encrypted devices, firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), security information and event management (SIEM), and security operation centers (SOC), as well as meticulous physical security into their strategy. Extensive audits with important compliance standards considered, such as NIST 800-53 PE, FISMA, SSAE-18 (SOC 1)/ISAE 3402, PCI DSS, HIPM, HITRUST, and ISO27001 are also common. Other key aspects included in the most stringent cybersecurity plans involve the securing of the main entry point (core) by putting IT systems into “clusters,” and redundantly protecting those clusters, as well as hard connected IT devices, through physical communications cables.
On the human side, security-conscious companies will often integrate executive oversight into their leadership team through the creation of a new chief security officer role. They might also require their software developers to attend mandatory security trainings. Because any changes should be subject to peer-level oversight in both operations and development, baking security skills into the structure of the organization will streamline this process. Code and infrastructure changes should be reviewed by at least one other team member to ensure code security, quality, and performance. Taking these extra steps will validate that the system is safe from threats posed by cybercriminals.
To maximize protection, responsible data center teams should not only embed cybersecurity into their own systems, but also consider how their suppliers approach cybersecurity. Cloud-based monitoring and management platforms should have cybersecurity integrated at every level. For instance, platforms should be consistently scanned for vulnerabilities with third-party security tools while all development work that involves changes to source code is checked for bugs, security, and license issues through static analytic tools.
To take all these matters into consideration and address this complicated task, managers should craft a strategic cybersecurity plan that addresses all these internal and external factors. Naturally, the plan will consider internal practices, but it must also take into account how chosen service providers will ensure a safe environment that matches the organization’s security profile. Hypervigilance is a skill that many data center operators will need moving forward to safekeep mission-critical devices and customer data.
Protecting the entire digital ecosystem
Although data center cybersecurity should be top of mind, securing the greater digital ecosystem is a necessary counterpart to any data center security strategy. Employing a wide view that looks past the obvious targets provides a perspective that will generate a strong plan. In the data center, most of the focus rotates around defending the core where all the servers and storage are located. However, cybercriminals look for any way to flank their target’s defenses. Data centers tend to be managed in three domains – the IT Room, Power, and Building (cooling). To ensure complete coverage, there must be a clear cyber roadmap that connects the dots across the whole ecosystem including establishing a multi-layered cybersecurity posture throughout the company as well as securing the broad ecosystem of partners, suppliers, and customer deployments. In doing so, the organization and its data center facilities will have maximum visibility into potential issues.
Companies that have a clear picture of the risks – both known and unknown – will be better prepared to build out a comprehensive and effective cybersecurity strategy. Due to aging assets, the higher number of connected devices, targeted attacks, and regular exposure to third-party access, cyber-attacks have become far more frequent. Best practices such as encrypted devices, firewalls, clearly defined business protocols, and closer attention paid to security-focused roles will help defend this wider attack landscape. However, proper cybersecurity does not end there – securing the larger digital ecosystem will ensure that cyber-attacks cannot enter from any domain within the organization. There are many things to consider, but with the right preparation, data center operators can manage a well-kept cybersecurity plan that keeps cybercriminals at bay.
Andrew Nix is the Americas Cybersecurity Solutions and Services Manager for Schneider Electric’s Global Cybersecurity Services organization. Schneider Electric drives digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, end-point to cloud connecting products, controls, software and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries. | <urn:uuid:34e0e312-a6f3-42b2-90a9-11793c0f7c39> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.datacenterfrontier.com/sponsored/article/11427440/schneider-electric-evaluating-data-center-cybersecurity-before-its-too-late | 2024-09-18T07:08:32Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651886.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20240918064858-20240918094858-00568.warc.gz | en | 0.941577 | 1,345 | 2.5625 | 3 |
June 15, 2009
The city of Quincy, Washington is spending millions of dollars to build a system to supply recycled water for huge data centers operated by Microsoft Corp., Yahoo, Intuit and Sabey Corp. The system will allow Quincy to shift the data centers' water requirements to a separate "gray water" system rather than depleting the city's potable water supply.
The water recycling program is similar to one implemented in San Antonio, which Microsoft cited as a key factor in its choice of the city for a $500 million data center. It reflects a trend in which municipalities and data center operators are working to minimize the impact of these facilities on local water systems.
The Quincy project, which will treat up to 5 million gallons of water a day, will cost $9 million. The first phase is being built with a $4.5 million grant from the state, according to the Wenatchee World, which said the city has appealed to federal lawmakers for the rest of the money.
"Data centers use water to cool down," Mayor Jim Hemberry told the paper. "What we’ve decided to do is create this water-recycling facility that will take water from our domestic sewer ... capture that and reuse it."
Hemberry said Quincy saw its sales tax revenues jump from about $800,000 a year in 2006 to more than $4 million in both 2007 and 2008 during the data center construction boom. Microsoft and the other data center companies were attracted to Quincy by the low cost of hydroelectric power from the Columbia River.
The move to cloud computing is concentrating enormous computing power in mega-data centers containing hundreds of thousands of servers. All the heat from those servers is managed through cooling towers, where hot waste water from the data center is cooled, with the heat being removed through evaporation. Most of the water that remains is returned to the data center cooling system, while some is drained out of the system to remove any sediment, a process known as blowdown.
When this process is played out at mega-data center scale, the amount of water required for cooling can be enormous, sometimes exceeding the capacity of local utilities.
Read more about:
North AmericaAbout the Author
You May Also Like | <urn:uuid:e3c9009e-4e1d-4774-8935-783f713e3938> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/green-materials/quincy-plans-recycled-water-for-microsoft | 2024-09-08T16:49:16Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651013.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908150334-20240908180334-00632.warc.gz | en | 0.956442 | 456 | 2.640625 | 3 |
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) is a standardized framework for measuring information systems’ severity of security flaws. It assigns each vulnerability a score between 0 and 10, with higher scores meaning more severe issues. This system helps organizations decide which security threats need attention first based on their potential impact.
How does CVSS Scoring Work?
CVSS scoring assigns a number from 0 to 10 based on three main factors: Base, Temporal, and Environmental metrics. The Base score shows the inherent characteristics of a vulnerability. The Temporal score considers how those characteristics may change over time. The Environmental score evaluates how the vulnerability could affect a specific environment.
CVSS Score | Qualitative Rating |
0.0 | None |
0.1 – 3.9 | Low |
4.0 – 6.9 | Medium |
7.0 – 8.9 | High |
9.0 – 10.0 | Critical |
A score of 0 means the vulnerability has minimal severity, while a score of 10 represents the most severe issues. This scoring helps organizations prioritize their responses to different security threats.
How is a CVSS score calculated?
CVSS Base Metrics
The Base Metrics are the core components used to determine how severe a security vulnerability is. They focus on the vulnerability’s characteristics, regardless of whether it has been exploited or mitigated. These metrics include Exploitability, Scope, and Impact.
Exploitability: This metric assesses how easily a vulnerability is exploited. It is broken down into four sub-components:
- Attack Vector: Measures how an attack can be executed, with higher scores for remote attacks versus those requiring physical access.
- Attack Complexity: Evaluate the difficulty of executing the attack, with lower scores for easier vulnerabilities to exploit.
- Privileges Required: This indicator indicates the level of access needed to exploit the vulnerability, with higher scores for attacks requiring fewer privileges.
- User Interaction: Considers whether the attacker needs to involve a user in the exploit, with autonomous attacks scoring higher.
Scope: This metric assesses whether the vulnerability can affect other components beyond the initial target. The score will be higher if the vulnerability can propagate, such as compromising an entire system through a single application flaw.
Impact: This metric evaluates the potential consequences of a successful exploit, focusing on three areas:
- Confidentiality: Measures the extent of data exposure.
- Integrity: Assesses the ability of the attacker to modify data.
- Availability: Evaluate the potential disruption to system access and functionality.
While CVSS-based Base Metrics provide a crucial starting point for understanding a vulnerability’s severity, they have limitations. They do not account for Temporal Metrics, which change over time, or Environmental Metrics, which reflect an organization’s specific context, such as existing security controls and asset criticality.
Organizations must consider these additional factors to fully assess and prioritize vulnerabilities, which can significantly alter the perceived risk and required response.
CVSS Temporal Metrics
CVSS Temporal Metrics evaluate the changing nature of a vulnerability over time. These metrics assess a vulnerability’s current exploitability and the availability of remediating controls, such as patches. Key subcomponents of Temporal Metrics include:
- Exploit Code Maturity: A vulnerability is less threatening until a method to exploit it becomes available. As exploit code matures and becomes more widespread, its associated score increases, reflecting the heightened risk.
- Remediation Level: A vulnerability may not initially have a patch or workaround. As temporary fixes or official patches are released, the vulnerability score decreases, indicating reduced risk.
- Report Confidence: This measures how well a vulnerability is validated, ensuring it is both real and exploitable—higher confidence results in a higher score.
CVSS Environmental Metrics
CVSS Environmental Metrics allow organizations to adjust the Base CVSS score based on their specific Security Requirements and modifications of Base Metrics.
- Security Requirements: These metrics consider the criticality of the affected asset. Mission-critical systems, like a database containing all customer data, receive higher scores than less critical assets, such as a non-privileged user’s workstation.
- Modified Base Metrics: Organizations can modify Base CVSS Metrics based on existing mitigations. For instance, “air gapping” a server—disconnecting it from external networks—lowers the Attack Vector score since remote exploitation is no longer possible.
By considering both Temporal and Environmental Metrics, organizations can achieve a more tailored and accurate assessment of a vulnerability’s actual risk to their specific environment.
History of the CVSS
CVSS has been crucial to assessing vulnerabilities since 2003/2004 when it was introduced by the National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC). Since 2005, it’s been managed by the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST). The latest version, CVSS v4.0, was released in 2023 to improve scoring accuracy and address user feedback.
Despite its importance, CVSS has faced criticism. Some argue it oversimplifies the complex nature of vulnerabilities, especially in earlier versions. Even with improvements in v4.0, the system can still overwhelm security teams with high-severity vulnerabilities that may not be the most urgent.
Organizations now complement CVSS with additional metrics and systems, such as the Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) and Risk-Based Vulnerability Management (RBVM). EPSS predicts the likelihood of exploiting a vulnerability, while RBVM considers business impact, asset criticality, and existing security controls. These methods offer a more tailored approach to vulnerability prioritization.
CVSS vs. CVE
The main difference between CVSS and CVE lies in their roles. CVE (Common Vulnerability Enumeration) gives unique identifiers to specific security vulnerabilities, making them easier to track. CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) provides a score that shows how severe each CVE is. For example, the Heartbleed vulnerability (CVE-2014-0160) has a CVSS score 7.5, indicating high severity.
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) has several limitations that organizations need to consider:
- Limited Context: CVSS scores don’t account for the specific risks to your organization. They tell you if a vulnerability is dangerous, but not if it’s dangerous to you.
- Example: Suppose two organizations—a financial institution and a small retail store—face the same vulnerability. CVSS might rate it as severe, but for the retailer, the risk might be minimal due to fewer sensitive assets, whereas for the financial institution, it could be critical due to the high value of their data.
- Subjectivity: CVSS scores can vary depending on the context, leading to inconsistencies.
- Example: A vulnerability in a widely used software might receive a high CVSS score based on its potential impact. However, the risk might be lower if a company has strong security operation controls. Yet, another organization with weaker controls might find the same vulnerability far more threatening, leading to different assessments.
- Limited Scope: CVSS doesn’t fully consider the importance of specific assets or existing controls.
- Example: CVSS might score a vulnerability in an out-of-date software as low because it’s not internet-facing. However, if that software version is critical to a company’s operations, the low score underestimates the risk, missing the asset’s importance.
- Complexity: The system requires a deep understanding of scoring factors. Understanding how to calculate and interpret CVSS scores requires familiarity with several factors, such as attack vectors, complexity, and impact.
- Example: This complexity can lead to misinterpretations or misuse of scores for organizations without dedicated security expertise.
- Potential for Oversights: Relying solely on CVSS scores can lead to missed opportunities to address the most pressing threats.
- Example: If an organization relies solely on CVSS scores, it might overlook threats that don’t score highly but are significant in their specific context—like vulnerabilities in internal systems that an insider could exploit.
Organizations should adopt a risk-based vulnerability management approach incorporating CVSS Base Scores and Temporal and Environmental factors to address these limitations. This tailored approach requires understanding the organization’s risks, including business criticality, existing controls, and the current threat landscape. | <urn:uuid:f9cfb6d1-0202-4f72-84de-c0a87cab8e47> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.balbix.com/insights/understanding-cvss-scores/ | 2024-09-09T22:20:36Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651157.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909201932-20240909231932-00532.warc.gz | en | 0.912989 | 1,753 | 3.328125 | 3 |
With passwords alone becoming more and more insufficient to ward off sophisticated cyberattacks, biometric authentication offers a more secure and convenient alternative. This innovative technology scans for a person’s distinctive physical characteristics, such as fingerprints, to verify their identity before granting them access to devices and accounts.
From mobile apps that assist with taking medicine on time to smart appliances that monitor vitals, the Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming ubiquitous in healthcare. However, IoT’s expansion brings new risks, vulnerabilities, and security challenges for healthcare practitioners and their patients.
The general rule of thumb of cybersecurity is: Anything that connects to the internet can be hacked. With the increasing popularity of Internet of Things (IoT) in the workplace, every business should be on high alert, especially those in the healthcare industry where patients' well-being hinge on the security of the device. | <urn:uuid:24dedd82-ec45-4423-82df-23ec209c18e7> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.mysherpa.com/tag/authentication/ | 2024-09-11T04:38:08Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651343.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911020451-20240911050451-00432.warc.gz | en | 0.929585 | 179 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Table of Content
Network devices, also known as networking hardware, are physical devices that are essential for communication and interaction between various devices on a network. These devices manage data traffic and provide network resources and services to connected computers and devices.
They include devices such as routers, switches, hubs, bridges, repeaters, firewalls, network interface cards (NICs), and access points. These hardware components can function as servers, client devices, or both. They aid in data transmission, provide network connection, enhance network performance, offer network security, and simplify network setup and administration.
Nile integrates a variety of network devices as part of its next-gen wired and wireless access networking solution. These include high-density Wi-Fi 6 access points, Wi-Fi sensors for experience analytics, and wired access and distribution switching fabric. These components integrate traditional WLAN controller capability as part of the switching infrastructure.
Device profiling server infrastructure is eliminated since this capability is also integrated within the wired and wireless access infrastructure. Additionally, Nile Access Service eliminates the use of physical DHCP servers on-premises within the IT environment for IP address management as it hosts this capability in the cloud.
Also hosted as part of the Nile cloud is the Guest Service which eliminates the need for DHCP server, WLAN controller and firewall installations within the DMZ in an IT environment to ensure secure guest user traffic termination.
This integration of separately consumed network devices into a single vertically integrated system with the Nile Access Service allows IT administrators to radically reduce operational burden and management complexity.
What is the purpose of a network device?
The primary purpose of a network device is to manage and direct data traffic efficiently within a network. These devices provide the necessary infrastructure to enable seamless communication between networked computers, servers, and other hardware.
They ensure that data packets reach their intended destination securely and in the quickest possible time, thereby facilitating everything from basic internet browsing to complex data analytics operations.
Types of network devices
There are several types of network devices that help to communicate, connect, and transmit data between nodes (e.g., computers and servers) in a network. Here are some common ones
Gateways serve as intermediaries that connect two different networks and enable data to flow between them. They can perform protocol conversions and are often used to connect a local network to the internet. Because they function as a translator and filter, they play a vital role in facilitating communication between disparate networks.
Access points are devices that allow Wi-Fi-enabled devices to connect to a wired network. They come in different types, such as standalone access points and those integrated into routers. Access points are crucial for extending the wireless coverage of a network and for allowing mobile devices to connect seamlessly.
Bridges are used to divide larger networks into smaller sections, effectively filtering traffic to improve performance and organization. They operate at the data link layer and can be used in various configurations like transparent, source-route, and translational bridges. Their primary role is to improve the scalability and organization of a network.
Firewalls act as a security system between your internal network and external networks, such as the internet. They come in both hardware and software forms and are a crucial component for protecting networked resources. Firewalls inspect, filter, and direct network traffic based on an organization’s previously determined security policies.
Switches operate at the data link layer and are primarily responsible for connecting multiple devices within a local area network (LAN). They come in managed, unmanaged, and smart types, each offering different levels of control over data traffic. Switches play a crucial role in optimizing data traffic and segregating network segments, thereby improving overall performance.
Routers function at the network layer and are essential for connecting different networks, including local networks to the internet. They can be wired or wireless and are often equipped with additional features like firewalls and Virtual Private Network (VPN) support. Routers serve as gatekeepers to the internet, directing outgoing traffic and receiving incoming data packets.
A repeater in a network is a device that amplifies or regenerates a signal to extend the reach of a transmission. It’s primarily used in wired networks, especially in Ethernet networks, to combat signal degradation caused by long cable lengths. By receiving an incoming signal and retransmitting it, the repeater ensures that the signal remains strong enough to cover longer distances without losing data integrity.
Opportunities and challenges with network devices
Understanding the pros and cons of each type of network device can help you make informed decisions for your network setup. The types of network devices you choose will impact your overall network performance, security, and cost.
Switches operate at the data link layer and connect multiple devices within a LAN.
Switches offer efficient data handling and can improve network performance.
Switches are generally more expensive and require a certain level of expertise to manage effectively.
Routers function at the network layer and are essential for connecting different networks.
Routers serve as the primary gateway to the internet and provide functionalities like firewall and VPN support.
They require more sophisticated setup and management, and can be vulnerable to attacks if not properly secured.
Firewalls provide a barrier between internal and external networks, filtering traffic based on security policies.
Firewalls significantly enhance network security.
A poorly configured firewall can lead to slower network speeds and access issues for authorized users.
Gateways facilitate communication between different networks that use different communication protocols.
Gateways are instrumental in connecting disparate networks.
Improperly configured gateways can become a bottleneck, affecting interconnected network performance.
Access points extend the Wi-Fi coverage of a network.
Access points allow more devices to connect from different locations.
Unsecured access points pose a security risk, making robust authentication methods essential.
Bridges connect different segments of a network and help reduce traffic loads.
Bridges improve the scalability and organization of a network.
Incorrectly configured bridges can disrupt the network topology and data flow.
Repeaters amplify and regenerate network signals, enabling data transmission over longer distances and maintaining signal integrity.
Repeaters introduce a small delay or latency due to signal processing and can contribute to network congestion if overused.
Opting to work with Nile will greatly simplify the complexities of selecting, managing, and securing the network devices your environment needs to function correctly. By leveraging the Nile Access Service, organizations can ensure a reliable, hands-off network experience that is built on zero-trust principles and with your goals in mind.
This approach minimizes the IT complexity commonly associated with managing various types of network devices, from switches and routers to firewalls and access points. Additionally, Nile guarantees network performance, providing an extra layer of assurance for enterprises and campus networks.
What are the best practices for managing network device security?
Choosing network devices that support modern and robust security is crucial for the performance and integrity of your network. While network security is just one aspect of designing and installing network hardware, it’s arguably the most important.
Below are a few best security practices to consider when configuring your network devices:
Use strong authentication methods
Implementing strong authentication methods, such as multi-factor authentication, is crucial for securing access to network devices. This practice helps ensure that only authorized personnel can make changes to the network configuration, thereby reducing the risk of unauthorized access or malicious attacks.
Regularly update firmware and software
Keeping the firmware and software of network devices up-to-date is essential for closing security vulnerabilities. Manufacturers regularly release patches and updates that address potential weaknesses, making it important for administrators to install these updates as soon as they become available.
Implement network segmentation
Network segmentation involves dividing a network into smaller, isolated segments to improve security and performance. By segregating sensitive data or critical operations, administrators can more effectively control access and reduce the attack surface.
Monitor network traffic
Continuous monitoring of network traffic allows for the quick identification of unusual or suspicious activity. Utilizing network monitoring tools can help administrators detect security incidents in real-time, enabling rapid response and mitigation.
Control physical access
Ensuring that physical access to network devices is restricted is an often overlooked but critical aspect of network security. Limiting physical access to authorized personnel only prevents unauthorized individuals from tampering with devices or potentially inserting malware-loaded hardware.
Regularly backing up device configurations is essential for quick recovery in case of device failure or other disruptions. Backup files should be stored securely, with restricted access, to prevent any unauthorized alterations.
Implement network security protocols
Adhering to network security protocols like HTTPS, SSL, and end-to-end encryption ensures the secure transmission of data across the network. These protocols add an additional layer of security by encrypting the data packets sent between network devices.
Monitor for rogue devices
Rogue devices connected to the network pose a serious security risk. Continuous monitoring for unauthorized devices and immediately isolating them from the network is essential for maintaining a secure network environment.
With the Nile Access Service, several network security capabilities come integrated as part of its vertically integrated wired and wireless access network. A Nile network extends zero trust security principles to the enterprise campus and branch, reducing the attack surface across the LAN. This means every user and device is isolated by default while enforcing zero trust policies to prevent threats from spreading. It orchestrates policy-based segmentation, eliminating the need for static Access Control Lists (ACLs) across wired and wireless networks.
A Nile network comes integrated with device profiling software for policy enforcement, ensuring that IoT devices are properly identified and managed. Nile uses hardened hardware, TPM security, and MACSec encryption to protect the network infrastructure. Instead of relying on a separately managed and maintained DMZ environment to separate wireless guest traffic from corporate resources, a Nile network tunnels guest user traffic to Nile’s point-of-presence (PoP) in the cloud, protecting the network from potential threats introduced by unknown devices.
The right networking devices for your organization
Network devices act as the backbone of your network infrastructure, making choosing the right device critical for your organization’s security, performance, and efficiency.
Nile Access Service relieves you of the burden of designing, configuring, and securing the network yourself. It offers a seamless network experience that aligns with your strategic requirements. It eliminates network complexity, reduces high up-front costs, and handles the challenge of managing and maintaining your enterprise network.
With Nile, you can rest assured knowing your network performance outcomes like availability and capacity are guaranteed. It includes built-in zero-trust security measures and offers usage-based billing for scalable, flexible consumption.
Discover how Nile can streamline the design, deployment and maintenance of your next-gen wired and wireless access network. | <urn:uuid:0bb9eafa-5eaf-49eb-8a84-069579bf5372> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://nilesecure.com/network-design/most-common-types-of-network-devices-youll-need | 2024-09-12T10:30:21Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651440.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912074814-20240912104814-00332.warc.gz | en | 0.917166 | 2,210 | 3.46875 | 3 |
Not a long time ago, many teachers believed that technology used to distract students. It was a completely wrong belief that technology keeps students from focusing. Students were not allowed to use computers and phones in the classroom. Luckily, the situation has changed, and teachers referred to another solution to harness tech-savvy and make everything possible to engage young people with online technology tools to help them complete college assignments more straightforward and faster. The majority of the students are too busy. When a student has to write a college paper, the find thing that comes to his or her mind is to find online service with good writers and send the request “write me a paper.” However, if you do not want to pay for such services, you should use an online tool for working on a research paper, a presentation, a science project, or a report. High-technology tools will make the process much more pleasant.
Young people live in the world, which requires them to be tech-savvy. Technology plays an essential role in-classroom experience.
Here are the best tools to engage students in the classroom:
Teachers always find it challenging to engage students and make them focused on specific content, an assignment, or something else. The problem to focus comes from the fact that the classroom is not the best places to do that. Students have to deal with background noise. White Noise can help in drowning out excess noise. It will help students to concentrate.
Inevitably, students will not be super happy to see this tool because a teacher can use it to mitigate the amount of multitasking, which many students do all the time on their computers. It is a tool which can block certain websites to help students focus on the assignment. Using this tool, every student will see the difference in terms of productivity.
Offer your students Kahoot!, which is an excellent tool for creating in-class questionnaires and fun quizzes. Use it to obtain various data for graphing assignments, feedback from mates, and data for research papers. Kahoot! Can be compatible with multiple devices. Students will appreciate its game-like feel, which boosts their interest.
Data literacy is critical these days. Encourage your students to collect data from various sources and teach them how to visualize it in an free infographic maker. Venngage will help students to gain a new useful skill. Using this tool, you will get access to various eye-catching infographic templates, which are fully editable.
Young people indeed have the habit of multitasking. Trello is an excellent tool for your students on how to organize and streamline their college assignments. It is free and very easy-to-use for creating workflow charts. You can use a single board and add several students for better collaboration on college projects.
Plickers is a convenient tool for educational purposes. Students will boost their concentration and engagement on the needed material. Use this tool to project questions onto their screen and engage students to answer them in real-time. A teacher will see the answers of students on the phone screen. A teacher will see the list of students who have responded to and who have not yet.
Nearpod is excellent for creating interactive and exciting lessons. You can stream your content on the screen and see the responses of your students in real-time. It is also convenient for students because they can keep in touch with the teacher, ask questions, and receive feedback.
When we speak about presentations, most people think about PowerPoint. Let’s be honest and admit that it is not the most engaging program for students. Still, it is highly-efficient in business. Encourage your students to use Prezi for creating stunning presentations. Each presentation created in Prezi looks very creative and eye-catching. Many students claim that the process of creating a presentation is more exciting and smooth in Prezi. Also, do not forget that Prezi allows to publish presentations online on students’ accounts and share with classmates.
Young people hate seriosity. It is much better to create a fun atmosphere in the classroom using Class Dojo. Every student can make his or her own avatar, gain/lose points, which are based on behavior in the school, and other skills set by the teacher. Class Dojo can be used for taking students’ attendance, creating graphs to breakdown the information for teachers. Try its key metrics feature to adjust the main teaching tactics accordingly.
Using technology in the classroom has its pros and cons. If you have a creative approach to modern education, you will use all the benefits we get thanks to technology. Be the best example to your students how to use online tools smartly, not to get distracted but rather to focus and simplify the learning process. | <urn:uuid:4b923c5e-3f26-4060-abcb-bab0fe0856fd> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.urtech.ca/2019/08/can-technology-tools-engage-students-in-the-classroom/ | 2024-09-12T09:10:47Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651440.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912074814-20240912104814-00332.warc.gz | en | 0.958532 | 962 | 3.125 | 3 |
The CMDB and its role in IT Asset Management
Maintaining order amidst the chaos of ever-evolving technologies can be an overwhelming challenge. With countless devices, applications, and interdependencies to manage, organizations require a robust solution to keep track of their IT assets, configurations, and relationships. This is where the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) steps in as a vital asset to empower businesses in taming the complexity of their IT environments.
What is a CMDB?
A Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is defined as a centralized repository that stores information about an organization’s IT assets, their configurations, and–to an extent–the relationships between them. From hardware devices and software applications to network connections and service relationships, a CMDB houses a treasure trove of data that provides the foundation for effective IT asset management (ITAM).
Each CMDB is comprised of several key components that work together to provide a comprehensive view of an organization’s IT assets. Essential components of a CMDB include configuration items (CIs), relationships, and attributes and attribute sets.
- Configuration Items (CIs)
Configuration Items are the building blocks of a CMDB. They represent individual assets within an organization’s IT infrastructure, such as servers, switches, applications, and databases. Each CI in the CMDB has unique attributes, such as a unique identifier, type, version, and relationships with other CIs. These attributes provide a detailed description of the CI and its role within the IT infrastructure.
Relationships define the connections and dependencies between different CIs in the CMDB. For example, a server CI may have relationships with an application CI, a database CI, and a storage CI. These relationships help establish a clear understanding of the dependencies and impact of changes. By visualizing the relationships between CIs, organizations can effectively plan changes, identify potential risks, and ensure smooth operations.
- Attributes and attribute sets
Attributes are the characteristics or properties of a CI in the CMDB. Each CI has a set of attributes that define its unique properties, such as IP address, manufacturer, model, and location. Attributes provide detailed information about a CI, enabling IT teams to make informed decisions and perform accurate impact assessments. Attribute sets group related attributes together, allowing for easier management and categorization of CIs.
The CMDB plays a crucial role in configuration management, which involves tracking and controlling changes to an organization’s assets. With a CMDB in place, organizations can establish baselines for their IT configurations, track changes, and assess the impact of those changes. This enables organizations to effectively manage and control their IT infrastructure, ensuring stability and minimizing disruptions.
Additionally, a CMDB facilitates the process of incident response. When an incident occurs, IT teams can quickly access the CMDB to identify the affected CIs, their relationships, and the potential impact on other services. This information enables IT teams to prioritize incidents, assign resources, and resolve issues promptly.
Benefits of implementing a CMDB
Implementing a CMDB can yield numerous benefits for organizations seeking to streamline their ITAM processes. Let’s explore some of the key benefits of implementing a CMDB:
1. Improved visibility and control
A CMDB offers organizations a complete and accurate view of their IT assets, configurations, and relationships. This visibility enables IT managers to understand the impact of changes, identify dependencies, and make informed decisions. With greater control over their IT infrastructure, organizations can effectively manage risks, minimize downtime, and ensure efficient service delivery.
2. Enhanced change management
Managing changes in an IT environment can be a daunting task. A CMDB provides a centralized platform to track and manage changes, ensuring that all stakeholders have access to up-to-date information. This enables organizations to assess the impact of changes, plan effectively, and minimize disruptions. By maintaining a comprehensive record of all changes, organizations can also improve auditing and compliance processes.
3. Increased efficiency and productivity
With a CMDB in place, organizations can automate routine tasks, such as asset discovery, configuration updates, and incident management. This automation saves time, reduces human error, and improves overall efficiency. Additionally, by having accurate information readily available, IT teams can respond to incidents faster, resolve issues more efficiently, and minimize the impact on end-users. This translates into increased productivity and improved service levels.
4. Elevated security practices
A CMDB helps manage user access to critical assets. By maintaining an inventory of privileged accounts and their associated permissions, security teams can better control access and proactively reduce the risk of unauthorized access. Additionally, the CMDB tracks the historical changes made to assets and configurations. Over time, this historical data can be used for trend analysis, helping organizations identify patterns of security incidents and emerging threats.
5. Regulatory compliance
Overall, the CMDB’s ability to centralize and manage IT asset information, facilitate change management processes, enforce access controls, and support reporting and auditing activities contributes significantly to ensuring regulatory compliance within organizations, particularly in highly regulated industries.
Additionally, the CMDB provides organizations with comprehensive reporting capabilities, allowing them to generate audit trails, compliance reports, and documentation of IT assets and configurations. These reports help organizations demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements and respond to audit inquiries effectively.
To maximize these benefits, however, the CMDB must remain accurate. Several software and tools are available in the market, each with its own unique features and capabilities. ServiceNow, Device42 and Cloudaware are some of the popular vendors that provide CMDB solutions.
ServiceNow CMDB is a widely used solution that offers a comprehensive set of features for IT asset management and configuration management. It provides a user-friendly interface, powerful automation capabilities, and seamless integration with other IT management modules. ServiceNow CMDB is highly customizable and can be tailored to meet the specific needs of organizations.
The Device42 is an IT infrastructure management and discovery software solution designed to help organizations gain comprehensive visibility and control over their IT assets, networks, and data center environments. Device42 offers a range of features to support IT operations, asset management, and capacity planning.
The Cloudaware CMDB helps organizations gain visibility and control over their cloud-based and on-premises IT assets and configurations. It serves as a centralized repository of information about an organization’s cloud resources and related data, providing a comprehensive view of the IT infrastructure.
When selecting a CMDB solution for your organization, the most important consideration is whether the CMDB solution is compatible with the organization’s existing systems and tools. It should seamlessly integrate with your IT infrastructure, asset management systems, and other IT management modules, as the level of CMDB accuracy depends on its integrability. it should also be a resource to help the security team triage and escalate security investigations based on device ownership or criticality.
The Challenges of CMDB Implementation
Implementing and maintaining a CMDB can present various challenges for organizations, including:
- Complexity of IT Environment: Organizations often struggle with capturing and maintaining accurate information about their IT assets and configurations, particularly in complex and dynamic IT environments. To mitigate this challenge, organizations should prioritize the identification and documentation of critical assets, establish clear data governance policies, and leverage automation tools for data discovery and population.
- Data Accuracy and Completeness: Maintaining accurate and complete data within the CMDB is crucial for its effectiveness. Organizations may encounter challenges related to data quality, duplication, inconsistency, and outdated information. To address these challenges, organizations should implement data validation processes, conduct regular audits and reconciliations, and establish data stewardship roles to ensure data integrity and completeness.
- Organizational Resistance: Resistance from stakeholders, such as IT teams, business units, and senior management, can hinder the implementation and adoption of the CMDB. To overcome resistance, organizations should communicate the benefits of the CMDB effectively, involve key stakeholders in the decision-making process, provide adequate training and support, and address concerns and objections proactively.
- Resource Constraints: Limited resources, including budget, time, and skilled personnel, can pose challenges during the implementation and maintenance of a CMDB. To address resource constraints, organizations should prioritize activities based on their strategic importance, leverage automation and tooling to streamline processes, seek external expertise or assistance if needed, and establish realistic timelines and milestones.
By addressing these challenges proactively and implementing best practices in CMDB implementation and maintenance, organizations can enhance the effectiveness and value of their CMDB initiatives.
How Noetic Helps
Noetic leverages Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to integrate CMDB data with other IT management systems and security tools such as endpoint detection & response, vulnerability management, cloud security and more. The platform’s comprehensive asset and exposure information, relationship mapping, and impact analysis capabilities significantly enhance incident response and resolution times, ultimately contributing to improved IT service delivery and organizational resilience.
Real-world examples of these instances include:
- Service Impact Analysis: In the event of a critical incident, such as a server failure disrupting a business-critical application, the CMDB provides immediate visibility into the impacted configuration items, their relationships, and dependencies. This allows IT teams to quickly identify the root cause, assess the impact on other services, and prioritize incident response efforts. By proactively addressing the issue and allocating resources effectively, resolution times are minimized, and business continuity is maintained.
- Security Incident Response: In the event of a security breach or cyberattack, Noetic correlates security event data with CMDB information so that incident responders can quickly determine the scope of the incident, assess potential impact on critical systems, and initiate containment and remediation actions promptly. This rapid response reduces dwell time, limits the spread of the attack, and minimizes the overall impact on organizational security posture and reputation.
- Change Management: Before implementing a planned change to the network infrastructure, IT teams can leverage Noetic to perform impact analysis and assess potential risks. By analyzing relationships between network devices, applications, and services, IT teams can identify dependencies, conflicts, or vulnerabilities arising from the change. This proactive assessment enables them to implement preventive measures, communicate effectively with stakeholders, and execute the change with minimal disruption to services, thereby improving incident response and resolution times.
Join us for a live demonstration to see how the Noetic platform provides unparalleled visibility across the entire cyber asset landscape, enabling teams to enhance change management, increase tool and resource efficacy, and optimize incident response. | <urn:uuid:bf7096c4-0d82-41c5-9c1e-27baa5cd3088> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://noeticcyber.com/what-is-a-cmdb/ | 2024-09-14T21:15:28Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651580.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20240914193334-20240914223334-00132.warc.gz | en | 0.916714 | 2,145 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise, version 16.0, allows an authenticated user to execute crafted database queries to elevate privileges of users in the system, leading to SQL Injection.
CWE-89 - SQL Injection
Structured Query Language (SQL) injection attacks are one of the most common types of vulnerabilities. They exploit weaknesses in vulnerable applications to gain unauthorized access to backend databases. This often occurs when an attacker enters unexpected SQL syntax in an input field. The resulting SQL statement behaves in the background in an unintended manner, which allows the possibility of unauthorized data retrieval, data modification, execution of database administration operations, and execution of commands on the operating system. | <urn:uuid:091947a2-a5ab-40be-9451-26a977933ad5> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://devhub.checkmarx.com/cve-details/cve-2020-6241/ | 2024-09-17T04:51:40Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651739.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917040428-20240917070428-00832.warc.gz | en | 0.832782 | 152 | 2.78125 | 3 |
An infrastructure based on codes and standards will allow for efficient growth and maintenance.
Mark Stoops / Seitel Leeds & Associates
The term "outside plant" (OSP) originated in the late 1800s. As Alexander Graham Bell's invention grew in popularity and the Bell System was formed, the new company needed to organize its operations into manageable areas of responsibility. These areas were defined as "plant departments." "Inside plant" (ISP) encompassed the switchboards that were later replaced by telephone switching machines we now call central offices. OSP referred to the facilities and all related components from the switchboard to the subscriber's telephone set.
Nearly a century later, AT&T faced a number of legal issues. The final settlement and court orders resulted in the formation of the regional Bell operating companies (RBOCs). At the same time, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued limitations that prohibited RBOCs from manufacturing, selling, owning, or maintaining equipment installed on the customer's side of the service delivery point (the demarcation point, or demarc).
The ruling that ordered AT&T's divestiture also defined the area of responsibility of the telephone company (telco) and that of the customer or building owner. It specified that the telco would be responsible for provisioning service up to the demarc-the dividing line between telco- and customer-owned facilities. However, this issue is complex since the demarc can include facilities in both the ISP and OSP.
The telco has a unique administrative name for each cable pair from its switching center to each demarc. This administrative cable count is maintained in centralized databases in the telco's service centers. In the past, the cable pairs on the customer campus were also given unique administrative names. The cable records for these campus networks were usually kept in the main terminal location on the campus and were maintained by the telco's installers. These cable identifications were referred to as "house counts," and the cables were referred to as "house cables" or "black sheath cables." Eventually, the cable plant that had been installed to support the voice systems on the customer's side of the telco demarc was transitioned from telco ownership and maintenance to customer ownership and maintenance.
Suddenly, customers had to hire cabling installation contractors to perform functions no longer in the telco's jurisdiction. With divestiture, no one took over the responsibility of maintaining the customer's cable records. The house count became open game, and its use can best be described as first come, first served. As the house cables began being used up, it became common for installers to "borrow" pairs to install new service. If dial tone was not found on a pair, it was often considered to be available. (Remember, not all services have dial tone on the pair.) Sometimes, repairs were made by replacing a jumper cable "borrowed" from somewhere else. The outcome was often a mess of cable and jumpers that no one really controlled.
Assess what you own
So just what is this interesting conglomeration of stuff that you, the customer, now own? First some definitions:
- Customer-owned inside plant (COISP) refers to the pathways, spaces, and cable plant providing the interconnection of all low-voltage systems within a customer's building.
- Customer-owned outside plant (COOSP) refers to the pathways, spaces, and cable plant providing the interconnection of all low-voltage systems within a customer's campus.
In COOSP, just as in the telco OSP, there are three environments to consider: aerial, direct-buried, and underground. Aerial infrastructure includes poles, support strand, and guy wires. Direct-buried means the cable plant is in a good old-fashioned ditch. Underground means the plant is underground but housed within vaults and conduit.
Each environment-aerial, direct-buried, and underground-has pathways, spaces, and cable plant. The pathways are the trenches, conduit, and pole lines that the cables run in, on, or through. The spaces are the splice pits, vaults, pole-mounted cabinets, and wall-mounted cabinets where the cable plant is spliced and makes the transition from one environment to another. And of course, the cable plant is the twisted-pair copper, coaxial, and fiber-optic cable.
Let's look further at the telco demarc and the pathways feeding it. The location of the point of demarcation between the telco and customer can vary depending on the regulations in your state, because the FCC rulings mentioned earlier are subject to interpretation. Every telco must provide a demarcation point between itself and the customer. In most cases, this demarcation point is in the first equipment room where the telco cable enters. However, it can also consist of separate demarcation points on each floor of each building in a multibuilding campus, or a single demarcation point at the first point on the edge of the property where the cable crosses the property line, or other similar arrangements.
In many states, telcos have a tariff in place that addresses the customer-provided entrance path. When a property is developed, the telco will require the property owner to provide a path for the installation of the telco's facilities. Typically, that will entail one or more buried conduits (with associated pullboxes), pullstrings, a backboard in a secure space, electrical outlets, and a connection from the backboard to the building service electrical ground. The telcos are good about telling customers that they are required by the tariff to provide this equipment. But they typically don't do a good job of explaining to customers that once the telco installs cable in the conduit, according to the terms of the tariff, the telco takes ownership of the conduit. Furthermore, the telco's ownership gives it the right to ban others from using the path.
When you are designing entrance facilities, it is highly recommended that you provide separate entrance paths for each communication provider from whom you expect service. When considering entrance paths, you should also plan multiple paths to provide for route diversity. In today's environment, your networks and their access to the public network figure heavily in your business's critical process path. Installing diverse entrance paths now will allow you to implement network diversity later without having to tear up the parking lot twice. This is also a good time to familiarize yourself with the codes and standards you must follow when designing and installing your OSP (see "Making your outside plant standards-compliant," page 44).
To get a handle on your COOSP and be successful in its maintenance and expansion, you first have to identify what you own. Your building owner or plant-management department can provide copies of the site plans for the property showing the buildings and site improvements. You will also need floor plans for all the buildings and the electrical drawings for the site and buildings. Last-and likely the most useful, if you can locate them-are the old telco maps and cable records for your facility. At larger sites, it is common to find the original telco map taped to a wall in the main terminal room. Cable-assignment records will be more difficult to locate, but again, finding them is worth the effort. If you find these documents, you should guard and protect them. They most likely no longer exist anywhere else.
Now that you have these tools, what are you going to do with them? Your goal is to develop a set of cable maps and cable- assignment records. To manage, maintain, move, add to, and at times remove these cables, you need to know in as much detail as possible what type of cable they are, where they are, and how they are being used. First, you must identify the type, size, and quantity of cables and conduits leaving the entrance facility room of each building. The cable-identification information on the cable protectors and crossconnect fields will tell you where the other end of the cables are. At this point, you can begin building a cable "spider map." You may use a simple diagram using blocks to represent the buildings. A good starting point is working from the architectural site plan or the electrical site plan.
If you are in Building A looking at the main cable termination field and you see something like "H1 pairs 301-400 to Building C," draw a line from Building A to Building C on your diagram and label it "H1, 301-400." Continue your search from building to building until you have included all the cable pairs in your diagram.
While you are making notes about the cables leaving each building, it is advisable to also note conduit information, including type, size, quantity, and direction of travel. This information could be a bit more difficult to obtain. A conduit might leave the entrance facility room through the ceiling and wind up leaving the building through the basement wall.
The next step is to review the electrical site plan and the site itself. It is a good idea to use the electrical site plan because it probably already includes the conduit information. In general, you will have better luck if the drawings you are working from are the ones with the construction as-built notes on them. Look for low-voltage conduit systems, pole lines, and trenching that interconnect the buildings. The pole lines will be easy to find. To accurately locate the conduit and direct-buried cable routes, you will need to use a cable locator. Once you finish this effort, you will have your pathway records.
Another type of record you should have is a spreadsheet showing where each cable pair is available for use and where those in use have been crossconnected. In telcos, these were formerly called Exchange Customer Cable Records. They were large metal binders with special columnar sheets showing every cable pair in the exchange, every terminal where each pair was available, the phone number assigned to the pair, and in which terminal it was working. Your spreadsheet will most likely be less complex. You can purchase network documentation tools that can track the physical-layer facilities and are combination mapping and database tools with many options.
Repair, replace, or expand?
COOSP documentation is a helpful tool for the next step: reviewing the age, condition, and use of each cable and conduit. Pay close attention to the condition of the infrastructure and how it is installed. Make sure the cables have the necessary electrical protection to ensure the safety of your fellow employees, the public, and your systems. Check the clearance between your COOSP and other utilities. Once you are sure your COOSP is in good condition, you can decide if you need to repair, replace, or add to it.
Whether you are repairing, replacing, or adding to your COOSP, the first thing you will need is a pathway. If you plan to repair or replace, consider reclaiming existing spare paths before building new ones. You may be able to consolidate services from multiple underutilized cables into fewer sheaths, allowing the removal of cables to create a path. Similarly, you may be able to consolidate small cables in individual ducts into a single duct. If a path cannot be reclaimed, it will be necessary to design and build a new one. At this point, the tendency is to design and build the duct system before the cable network is fully thought out, which often results in undersized duct runs. By designing the cable plant before the duct system that supports it, you can provide spare duct capacity.
Pathways in a properly designed COOSP have a useful life span of 50 years or more. In some telco environments where I have worked, underground cable jobs still use conduit systems built in the 1890s. By contrast, the cable plant interconnecting your buildings will likely need replacing in 15 to 20 years, if not sooner.
Mark D. Stoops, RCDD, is an electrical engineer working for Seitel Leeds & Associates, a Seattle-based voice and data network design firm. He can be reached at [email protected].
Making your outside plant standards-compliant
You, the customer, are responsible for the installation and maintenance of your campus network infrastructure. In the customer-owned outside-plant (COOSP) arena, installing a standards-compliant infrastructure is a huge challenge.
The codes you must consult when designing COOSP are the articles of the National Electrical Code, published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA-Quincy, MA). The articles in this code address the protection of life and property. You will also need to meet the requirements of all local building codes, which may include (by adoption) the Uniform Building Code. Remember: Codes address fire- and life-safety issues. They do not provide guidance on how to determine duct bank sizes, cable sheath sizes, or similar technical information.
There are standards in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration as well as the Industrial Safety and Health Acts of individual states that must also be met. More information is available at www.osha.gov and from your state's Office of Labor and Industry.
You would also be well-advised to follow industry-specific standards, which, although not required by law, are considered de facto standards by most people in this industry. These standards are easy to understand, thanks to the efforts of the American National Standards Institute/Telecommunications Industry Association/Electronics Industries Alliance (ANSI/TIA/EIA-Arlington, VA). In particular, ANSI/TIA/EIA-568A and -569A have useful guidelines for installing and maintaining your COOSP.
Two excellent references are BICSI's Telecommunications Distribution Methods Manual (TDDM) and the Customer Owned Outside Plant Design Manual. The TDDM and COOSP Manual, while not standards, are informative and useful reference documents, so many organizations have adopted them as a standard for their installations. More information is available at www.bicsi.org.
In addition to the codes, standards, and reference materials, there are professional service firms that can assist in the design and management of your COOSP. You may want to find a registered communications distribution designer (RCDD) to assist you. Professional designers who have earned the RCDD title have proven, through work experience and an official exam process, that they understand the networking physical layer in great detail. That physical layer is your primary concern in the COOSP area. In addition to RCDDs, you may wish to seek the assistance of architect and engineering firms as well as network design firms.
You or your consultant will use the codes, standards, reference materials, and heuristic knowledge with multiple goals in mind. The goal is to make sure your COOSP infrastructure will have a long, efficient life and meet both the current and future bandwidth needs of your network. In addition, you will address technician and general public safety during construction as well as on a day-to-day basis. | <urn:uuid:febd9cee-bdd7-488e-8d78-8d12fddfa907> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.cablinginstall.com/home/article/16467402/standards-assessing-your-outside-plant-basics-for-end-users | 2024-09-20T23:00:27Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725701425385.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20240920222945-20240921012945-00532.warc.gz | en | 0.952288 | 3,077 | 2.90625 | 3 |
More than a million and a half Americans are diagnosed with cancer every year. And while doctors and scientists have made significant strides in treatment, 600,000 people in the U.S. still die from the disease annually.
For many patients, their families and oncologists, cancer can seem (and is described) like a “fight” to win. However, research shows that this fight against cancer can also result in patients close to end of life being referred to palliative care far too late. Further, patients with advanced cancer who are not receiving palliative care measures tend to have more visits to the ER and hospital admission for cancer and therapy related complications. This can lead to additional risks for such patients as noted during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Delays in incorporating palliative care for patients with advanced cancer and late referral to hospice services not only diminished the quality of life, but also adds to the cost of care to the health care system without any improvement in overall survival. Acute care utilization close to end of life can limit the ability of any healthcare system to provide emergency room, inpatient or ICU care to those with reversible illnesses as also noted during the pandemic. Thus, it is critical to identify and those patients with advanced cancer who are at greatest risk for deterioration in the short-term so as to institute appropriate palliative care referrals.
Understanding Mortality Risks
Part of the challenge with palliative care is how doctors assess risk of mortality in patients with cancer. Research shows that, in general, oncologists patients with cancer, and regularly overestimate actual survival, which hurts chances of getting palliative care sooner.
While some causes of inaccurate mortality estimations come from following clinical trial data (which typically includes healthier patients who tend to have better survivals than patients in the real world), other reasons can include a mission to not give up, or simply shying away from the prospect of carrying out a discussion regarding palliative care or a transition away from cancer fighting therapy. Another key area rarely examined could be non-clinical factors such as social determinants of health which are typically not incorporated into the clinical decision-making.
So, if oncologists cannot accurately assess the mortality of patients with cancer soon enough for better end-of-life care, the question becomes, how do we better solve for this?
An AI Solution
Understanding the importance of end-of-life care for patients and their families, JVION, a developer of technology in the clinical artificial intelligence arena, and Cardinal Health, developed an AI/machine learning tool that examines clinical and nonclinical data for cancer patients.
The tool, which assigns a risk of low, medium or high for mortality within 30 days, examines clinical information from electronic health records (EHRs) including cancer type, tumor staging, therapies, as well associo economic information including income, household size, employment and behavioral data. The socioeconomic information is particularly important in this tool because many oncologists self-report that they do not have the time to assess social determinants of health with patients due to time constraints.
Built as an objective decision support tool, it saves oncologists time by parsing through data, and derives data on SDOH from sources that the oncologists may not have access to, thus allowing them to get a full understanding of patient risks and decide whether to intervene or modify care for patients at medium to high-risk of mortality. Once a patient has been identified as a high risk for mortality, the clinical team can look for reversible or treatable causes such as subclinical infection, lack of social support for transportation or homecare, but if the deterioration is truly due to the progressive malignancy then a palliative/supportive care workstream can be initiated. This latter workstream can be customized at the specific practice based on access to palliative and supportive care resources.
Real-World Case Study
In order to test the real-world application of the tool, JVION and Cardinal Health partnered with a large community oncology practice with 21 providers managing an average of more than 4,000 unique patients per month.
Over a 17-month period following the integration of the Jvion AI tool, (from June 2018 to October 2019), palliative care consults increased by 68% while the average monthly rate of hospice referrals increased by 8-fold . More so, the tool identified 886 at-risk patients with 50% of those identified high-risk patients having died within the first 180 days of initial identification. As an EHR agnostic tool, it can be utilized with any HER allowing an easier way for the insights generated to assist practices identify the highest risk patients. Further, the insights are dynamic and hence change from week to week depending on the evolution of the patient’s clinical and SDOH. In this era of value-based care, the early identification and timely initiation of palliative care can limit acute care ER visits and hospital admissions helping practices enhance their delivery of quality care as well as improving patient journey and quality of life.
Other Use Cases + Conclusion
Beyond mortality, AI and machine learning tools like this can also assess oncology patients’ mental health and pain control as well as develop predictive models for a variety of issues specific to patients with cancer such as risk of neutropenia and infection following chemotherapy, allowing oncologists to assess risks or change the program of treatment.
Overall, these findings showcase the valuable implications for the use AI and machine learning as oncology tools to guide treatment discussions, prevent acute HCU, and to plan for end-of-life care in patients with cancer. | <urn:uuid:f5f7ac27-e859-4f4d-ac83-c69fb947b5cb> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://iconoutlook.com/how-ai-can-improve-end-of-life-care-in-patients-with-cancer/ | 2024-09-07T14:55:33Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650883.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20240907131200-20240907161200-00832.warc.gz | en | 0.953538 | 1,165 | 2.515625 | 3 |
By: Dadapeer Agraharam Shaik, Department of Computer Science and Technology, Student of Computer Science and technology, Madanapalle Institute of Technology and Science, Angallu,517325, Andhra Pradesh.
Even as the threats rodents become more advanced, the same goes for the specialization of Cyber forensics. Thus, it is clear that shift is taking place with AI at the heart of the change, which is affecting how cyber forensics is done. In this article, the impacts of AI on the field of cyber forensic with regards to the identification, monitoring, and preventing of cyber threats are discussed. Through the implementation of AI-based tools, the area of cyber forensics can analyse larger amounts of information, as well as state and recognize various trends and abnormalities, which in turn will allow for better understanding of cyber incidents.
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence , cyber security , Digital Forensics.
Digital technology refers to the effective change that has occurred in societies because of the provision of connection and convenience. But this process has also had a critical downside, namely, the increase in risks and threats stemming from the sphere of cybersecurity – threats that have become both more numerous and more complex. Computer criminality is also one of the present threat [sic] and concerns the everyday life of many people, companies, and states, which requires more complex tools for investigation and protection. In this regard, cyber forensics, which is the study of the methodology of the collection, examination, and preservation of the digital evidence, is a very important matter. Conventionally, cyber forensics has been a domain that involved manual analysis and examination of the digital content along with the help of skilled professionals who have the ability to analyse and infer from the digital evidence related to cybercrimes. In spite of this, these traditional approaches have been found to be quite useful though they fall short of meeting the dynamic nature of the cyber threats.
The nature of the contemporary cyberviolence, merged with the volume of daily generated information, exceeds the possibilities of traditional approaches to digital forensics. For instance, while analysing a gigabyte of data from a series of events that involve a major data leak or a complex ransomware attack, understanding the specifics of malicious code, and tracking hackers’ movement across regions or countries. These tasks are time consuming and can be resource intensive and when human beings are involved the possibility of error is always an issue. Enter artificial intelligence an innovative technology that is revolutionizing many fields among them being cyber forensics. AI’s capability to handle vast amounts of data, transform it into insights, analyse, predict with optimal accuracy necessary to solve the issues troubling cyber forensic investigators.
2.TRADITIONAL FORENSIC ANALYSIS METHODS
Conventional investigation approaches represent the foundation of CS practice as a set of fundamental principles on the identification, containment, and attribution of cyber threats, a bundle of methods and procedures. The initial and most fundamental method of digital forensics, disk imaging copies the data files stored in a digital media and later reviews the items during the digital forensics undertaking. These approaches allow the forensic team to work with the disk image as a separate copy, which will allow preserving all the original information and then search for viruses, file traces, and other malicious activities. Another common and obligatory step in the forensic examination is the analysis of volatile memory (RAM) in the living system or in the dump. Speaking of the memories’ contents, one may find specifics of the operating sessions, the connected networks, and the presence of malware as evidence of active dangerous work and indications of a compromise. In addition, it will be easier to analyze the memory to understand the adversary TTPs, which will subsequently lead to identifying the proper measures or ways on how to address them.
The third challenge is the analysis of the log file; where logs of the system and applications used in the system are processed in order to reconstruct the sequence of events before and after the particular cyber incident. Thus, based on log files, the analysis of the investigators may find the time and scope of the specific suspicious activities, intrusion attempts, and information security breaches for the benefited organizations to affect the issue to the level and power. Furthermore, the use of log files goes hand in hand with identity and tracking of cyber attacks since the latter can be used in the tracing of the origin and flow of the malicious activities in the network.
3.Forensics of Internet of Things
DF is considered as a subset/cross-over of the classical forensic, which only deals with the identification and examination of digital/computerized information. The DF specialists are responsible for the identification, collection, storage, review, interpretation, and management of the digital evidence found in a number of gadgets.
IoT has become a vital aspect in the civilization of human individuals; thus, any investigation, civilian or criminal or even internal inquiries, ought to consider IoT. The vulnerabilities which can be experienced in IoT systems relate to attacks, which can be used to gain remote control of the systems, for example, it is possible to unsuccessfully control the braking system of a vehicle leading to an accident. Thus, the IoT system realizing an emergent need for carrying out more research on IoT forensics to help determine the who, what, where, when, and how in cases. From this digital forensic perspective, IoT environment contains an abundance of objects that may potentially be helpful to investigations, further, characteristics of IoT have led to the concept of ‘IoT Forensics,’ newly defined for investigative needs in the IoT framework.
Based on these two approaches, a basic but significant difference between IoT Forensics and conventional digital forensics lies on the sources of evidence. Unlike regular digital enforcement in which the laptops, computers, smartphones, smartwatches, the cloud servers are used as a regular item of investigation, the proofs pertaining to IoT Forensics may be much more invasive and include the implantations of medical instruments into animals, newborn incubation systems, traffic signals, and In-Vehicle Infotainment syria. In essence, maintaining the security of all IoT devices, an IoT network and information and communication storage practically becomes problematic, if not totally unfeasible within the various layers of the IoT network. Sometimes an event occurs and when it does, the initial function, that forensics workers perform is to identify the extent of the breach. However, it is different from the conventional procedures of securing internet of things.
3.Benefits of Integrating AI in Forensic Accounting
AI in forensic accounting practices has many advantages, which develop the sector and equip the experts with the tools for the more effective identification, investigation, and prevention of the financial fraud. There are significant benefits for forensic accountants resulting from the synergy that exists between the application of AI and the traditional investigatory processes of this profession in the contemporary complex economic environments.
1.Increased Efficiency and Speed of Investigations
- Data Processing: Originally, forensic accountants used to take a longer time to analyze large datasets but with the implementation and arrival of AI this process gets much faster. This enhances the quality as well as the efficiency of investigation processes.
- Real-time Monitoring: This makes the work of monitoring for the possible fraudulent activities done automatically hence helping in the identification of any of the activities as they occur.
2.Enhanced Accuracy in Identifying Suspicious Patterns
- Pattern Recognition: The use of the algorithm makes it easy for the identification of patterns in the data that may not be identifiable using other methods hence being an added advantage of the machine learning algorithms.
- Automated Detection: An automation of patterns improves the classification and detection of the irregularities as well as signs of fraud.
3. Improved Risk Management and Proactive Fraud Prevention
- Predictive Analytics: Instead of presenting findings that are a posteriori analysis, predictive analytics shall ensure that forensic accountants are able to formulate an outright approach of preventing it by analyzing historical records and future trends.
- Risk Assessments: Risk assessments made easy through artificial intelligence help the professionals to act proactively before the fraudsters can go to the next level.
4. Streamlined Data Analysis for Large Datasets
- Efficient Processing: AI technologies help in analyzing and sorting out mass data at a much faster and efficient rate and is not impaired as the manual analysis.
- Insight Interpretation: Criminology experts can work on consulting about the insights rather than being enclosed by the quantity of information.
5. Cost-Effectiveness and Resource Optimization
- Automation: As operations are integrated with AI, a lot of mundane work is done away with hence reducing the amount of work to be done by hand.
- Productivity Gains: This in turn leads to cost saving with regards to time and resources required in the investigations.
6.Continuous Monitoring and Adaptive Learning
- Constant Surveillance: Integration of AI systems makes it possible to monitor financial activities, and if the status malfunctions, forensic accountants will be put on notice that there is something wrong at that stage.
- Adaptive Learning: Another advantage of using AI in detecting fraud is that the learning process is constantly adjusted to ensure its applicability in the identification of the new trends in fraud schemes.
7.Early Detection of Emerging Fraud Schemes
- Historical Analysis: AI can use the previous fraud scenarios to deduce and recognize new fraudulent activities before they go viral.
- Prompt Action: Its effectiveness increases when fraud is detected at an early stage thus decreasing the negative impact of some of the complex fraud gears that are in the market today.
8.Data Visualization for Enhanced Insights
- Visual Representation: Technology solutions provided by AI present most financial data in an easy to comprehend manner, making a much better interpretation of patterns possible.
- Improved Communication: Graphic illustrations add to the flow of information and the problem-solving part of the investigation.
9.Increased Accuracy in Unstructured Data Analysis
- Natural Language Processing (NLP): NLP enhances the assessment of qualitative sources like emails and textual documents by it enhancing the accuracy of the evaluation.
- Meaningful Insights: The ability to extract more valuable information from a greater information array of form generates more efficiency in investigation by forensic accountants.
10.Strategic Allocation of Human Resources
- Automated Operations: Demands your time for the scripting of these functions to be spared for critical analytical and decision-making tasks forensic accountants can address with AI assistance.
- Optimized Expertise: Human resources involvement is systematically scheduled, namely, perfecting the outcomes of investigative work.
Applying AI to forensic accounting removes all the barriers instigated by the new age and opens a range of opportunities that improve professionals’ productivity, reliability, and prophetic vision. This shift puts forensic accountants in the driver’s seat as regards the application of emerging advanced technological tools for analysis of financial data and business fraud.
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) therefore in the field of cyber forensics is now deepening a revolution in the field in the way that various tools and capabilities for identification, investigation and curbing of cybercrimes are being provided. The various availabilities of AI in forensic professions make processing in today’s security problems much more efficient than traditional methods.
What greatly benefits from the use of AI is the fact that computers can analyse thousands of records in hours and identify patterns that can easily remain unnoticed by ordinary people, or even experienced investigators. Integration of AI in information security makes it easier to detect risks and threats in real-time and generalize the investigational processes and responses since it automates the whole process. It also increases the efficiency of forensic investigation as well as reduces the impact of cyber threats.
Furthermore, through risk analysis, AI-led predictive analytics enhances risk prevention to avoid situations that could lead to forensic expert’s exposure. In this regard, big data and analysis that consider the historical information and the early signs of potential threats contribute toward the implementation of protective measures, thus strengthening the security position of organizations.
The identified possibilities of the optimisation of the resources can also be regarded as the evidence of the crucial importance of the AI in cyber forensics. Outsourcing routine and tedious assignments increase the value and efficiency of forensic workers’ work on substantial analysis and decision-making and the effective use of available resources to a considerable extent, bring down operational expenditure.
Therefore, AI is transforming cyber forensics by delivering potent solutions that enrich the efficacy, precision, and pre-emptive potential of forensic processes. This brief review reveals that, as the field of AI technology evolves, its function in cyber forensics will remain critical so that forensic professionals have the tools and knowledge they need to address the constantly changing and complex nature of cyber threats. This revolution sets cyber forensics as one for the most advanced technological tools of the current society, protecting the digital properties and ensuring the stability of cyberspace.
- S. Manikandan, M. Rahaman, and Y.-L. Song, “Active Authentication Protocol for IoV Environment with Distributed Servers,” Comput. Mater. Contin., vol. 73, no. 3, pp. 5789–5808, 2022, doi: 10.32604/cmc.2022.031490.
- V. Kolluri, “A PIONEERING APPROACH TO FORENSIC INSIGHTS: UTILIZATION AI FOR CYBERSECURITY INCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS,” Int. J. Res. Anal. Rev., vol. 3, pp. 919–922, Aug. 2016.
- M. Rahaman, B. Chappu, N. Anwar, and P. K. Hadi, “Analysis of Attacks on Private Cloud Computing Services that Implicate Denial of Services (DoS),” vol. 4, 2022.
- M. Abdel-Basset, N. Moustafa, H. Hawash, and W. Ding, “Introduction Conceptualization of Security, Forensics, and Privacy of Internet of Things: An Artificial Intelligence Perspective,” in Deep Learning Techniques for IoT Security and Privacy, M. Abdel-Basset, N. Moustafa, H. Hawash, and W. Ding, Eds., Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2022, pp. 1–35. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-89025-4_1.
- F. Tuli and U. R. Thaduri, “The Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Forensic Accounting: A Game-Changer Asian Accounting and Auditing Advancement,” Asian Account. Audit. Adv., vol. 14, pp. 12–20, Oct. 2023.
- Shrivastava, G., & Gupta, B. B. (2014, October). An encapsulated approach of forensic model for digital investigation. In 2014 IEEE 3rd Global Conference on Consumer Electronics (GCCE) (pp. 280-284). IEEE.
- Gupta, B. B. (Ed.). (2021). Cloud Security: Concepts, Applications and Perspectives. CRC Press.
Shaik D.A. (2024) How AI is Revolutionizing Cyber Forensics, Insights2Techinfo, pp.1 | <urn:uuid:5990daa5-575e-4cc0-829c-c9a323ff6bb7> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://insights2techinfo.com/how-ai-is-revolutionizing-cyber-forensics/ | 2024-09-07T14:11:06Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650883.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20240907131200-20240907161200-00832.warc.gz | en | 0.911928 | 3,136 | 3.15625 | 3 |
The democratization of high-speed Internet coupled with the development of distributed information exchanges gave rise to the development of blockchain technology. Blockchain is the underlying technology that powers the crypto-currency Bitcoin; however, its uses transcend that. Simply put, a blockchain is public, shared distributed ledger that stores the complete transaction history of different types of […]
The democratization of high-speed Internet coupled with the development of distributed information exchanges gave rise to the development of blockchain technology. Blockchain is the underlying technology that powers the crypto-currency Bitcoin; however, its uses transcend that. Simply put, a blockchain is public, shared distributed ledger that stores the complete transaction history of different types of records. The validity, uniqueness, and integrity of the stored data is preserved, without the need for a trusted third party to verify it. As such, blockchain has peaked the interest of several enterprises, especially those in the finance and banking industries. Large tech players such as Microsoft and IBM have begun exploring the opportunities blockchain presents in the form of Blockchain as a Service (BaaS) solutions in order to incorporate blockchain technologies into their cloud offerings.
Its no secret that the industry of blockchain based companies is still relatively young. Its future is currently being shaped by experimentation and R&D partnerships between large corporations and start-ups. The main driver behind the rise of blockchain apps, especially in the enterprise, is directly linked to time and cost efficiencies, that are still far from optimal in most industries.
“ Blockchain holds the promise to fundamentally transform how business is done, making business-to-business interactions more secure, transparent, and efficient”
– Amit Zavery, senior VP of Oracle Cloud Platform
A Deloitte survey conducted towards the end of 2016 concluded that Blockchain technology would become a crucial business focus for most industries in 2017. The survey, which involved 308 senior executives who were knowledgeable about blockchain, found that most of them placed blockchain among their organizations’ highest priority. 36 percent were convinced blockchain has the potential to significantly enhance system operations, by either increasing speed or reducing costs. 37 percent recognized blockchain’s formidable security features as the main benefit. The remaining 24 percent were of the opinion that it has the potential to facilitate new revenue streams and business models. While there is a consensus amongst enterprise tech decision makers that blockchain has immense potential to reshape entire industries, the adoption plan is not as clear or direct.
Building enterprise solutions powered by blockchain is not a simple undertaking. The setup and subsequent operation of a blockchain environment involves major development and infrastructure challenges. Blockchain as a Service (BaaS) is an intriguing trend in the blockchain ecosystem that aims to ease adoption for enterprises. The idea behind it is that customers can leverage blockchain cloud solutions to create a network of their own applications and smart contracts while the cloud provider handles all the heavy lifting needed to keep the infrastructure operational.
BaaS provides blockchain capabilities as a first class Platform as a Service (PaaS) services. From a functional perspective, a BaaS model enables developers to create solutions that effortlessly combine the aptness of blockchain with typical infrastructure and platform services like storage, messaging, middle-ware, and other functional building blocks of complex software solutions. Additionally, BaaS facilitates a seamless model to manage and scale a blockchain topology without the deployment of any proprietary infrastructure.
Blockchain has gained a lot of momentum over the past few years, with good reason. As of Feb 2017, it was the second most-searched term on Gartners site, after a 400 percent increase in the 12 months prior. This shows an exponentially increasing interest in this rapidly developing market. The entire blockchain market is predicted to grow at an annual growth rate of 61.5 percent by 2021, with immutability and transparency as the driving factors behind the growth. Another thing aiding in the expansion of blockchain’s reach has been the proliferation of blockchain as a service (BaaS) solutions from major providers.
Microsoft first launched the Azure BaaS in November 2015. In 2016 it furthered its efforts with Project Bletchley blockchain middle-ware/ template, which was aimed at helping partners and customers build private consortium Ethereum networks. Microsoft is trying to aid business figure out the best way to build on top of BaaS with Enterprise Smart Contracts. The blockchain framework and middle-ware were created to help enterprises integrate and build distributed applications. Since Azure is a scalable, flexible and open platform, Microsoft claims to support a growing number of distributed ledger technologies that meet specific technical and business needs for performance, security and operational processes. They also claim the the Cortana intelligent service is capable of providing unique data analysis and management capabilities.
IBM’s BaaS service is based on the Linux Foundation's Hyperledger Fabric. Hyperledger is an open source cross-industry effort to introduce blockchain to the enterprise; by utilizing it, IBM hopes that developers will be able to rapidly build and host secure blockchain networks through the IBM cloud. In order to solidify security, IBM blockchain is underpinned by IBM LinuxONE, a security based Linux server. The IBM blockchain platform claims to be the only fully integrated enterprise blockchain platform built to accelerate the governance, development and operation of multi-institution business networks. IBM plans to offer a framework for cooperate blockchain networks, that automatically scales as members are added to it. The company states that its blockchain platform will be capable of supporting large user ecosystems and transaction rates.
Shortly after joining the Linux Foundation's Hyperledger project, Oracle added blockchain as a service to its cloud offering. The plan to launch the service was initially announced when it joined Hyperledger in August 2017. Its goal at the time was to provide an advanced and differentiated enterprise-grade distributed cloud ledger platform for consumers looking to create new blockchain based apps and/or grow their current IaaS, PaaS, SaaS and on-premise applications.
Conspicuously missing from the list of major BaaS providers is AWS. In 2016 AWS announced a collaboration with the New York City based Digital Currency Group (DCG), to provide a blockchain (as a service) experimentation environment for enterprises. So that the blockchain providers on the DCG portfolio can work with their clients, who include insurance companies and financial institutions, in a secure environment. However, this strategy is yet to end up with the development on a new BaaS platform within AWS. Scott Mullins, AWS head of worldwide financial services business development, says that their company is closely working with blockchain providers and financial institutions to prompt innovation while facilitating frictionless experimentation. Google has also been relatively quiet it matters concerning blockchain. However considering the direction other PaaS incumbents are going; we are likely to see BaaS capabilities incorporated into Google cloud in the future.
Auhtor: Gabriel Lando | <urn:uuid:bf4f208a-013e-4bf3-b8df-1b5de32dd1c5> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.filecloud.com/blog/2018/01/is-blockchain-as-a-service-baas-the-future-of-the-enterprise/ | 2024-09-13T17:40:42Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651535.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913165920-20240913195920-00332.warc.gz | en | 0.953507 | 1,387 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Social networking safety tips for kids
“Many parents are rightfully concerned about their kid’s participation in social networks. There are a number of areas to be concerned with. Who are the kids talking to? Parents might worry about the friends their kids are making online and what kind of people, even their kid’s own age, they are associating with. Some parents will be concerned about how much time their kids are spending online,” says Randy Abrams, Director of Technical Education at ESET.
ESET’s seven golden rules for parents and children for online security
1. Updated antivirus and security software is a necessity.
2. Be vigilant and monitor your child’s internet connection: set a password and allow children to surf the web only during the times when you can periodically check on their online activities. Set clear rules about the use of computers.
3. Instruct kids on internet privacy. They should never supply personal data and details to strangers on the web and social networks.
4. Control the web camera as it can be easily misused by criminals and strangers. Turn off or unplug your webcam when you don’t use it. There is malware that can access your webcam without you knowing about it. Check that the web camera is off when it should be. Have children use camera only for approved communication: with known friends and family.
5. Monitor browser history. Deleted history might be a reason to sit up and have a talk.
6. On Facebook, if you or your child shares the wall with “Everyone” or “Friends of friends” then you have lost control of who has access to all data. If one uses apps on Facebook, and is not careful, then one may end up sharing also all private data with the world.
7. The information posted on the internet does not go away. Do not assume that when you delete a photo or even the whole social network account that you have automatically deleted all the data forever. Pictures and information might be already saved on someone else’s computer. Children and parents should think twice about which pictures and details to put on the Internet. | <urn:uuid:df994093-63aa-4d18-9829-66ecf53bfe64> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2011/06/01/social-networking-safety-tips-for-kids/ | 2024-09-21T03:37:17Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725701427996.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20240921015054-20240921045054-00632.warc.gz | en | 0.950206 | 444 | 2.9375 | 3 |
A conditional request is an important feature of the HTTP protocol, as it allows the manipulation of the response that the server will send according to what the client wants. This means convenience and agility in HTTP communications. When this process is done at the edge, there is a significant improvement from an architectural point of view and, consequently, an increase in the scalability of services and in the companies’ revenue.
HTTP Conditional Requests
Making processes more practical and improving product performance are two of the requirements for anyone working with technology, both from developers and business sides. It wouldn’t be different when it comes to trying to optimize the basis of communication networks, the HTTP protocol – and one way to optimize the communication is using conditional requests.
With conditional requests it’s possible to tell the server what you want to obtain in the response of an HTTP communication – which means saving time and bandwidth, practicality and agility.
Conditional requests are, therefore, a bit different from common requests, because they operate according to the value specified in certain headers. That is, this value defines the action that will be performed on the request.
Why Use a Conditional Request?
There are many reasons, but some of them are: to validate the contents of a cache, to check the integrity of a document, to resume a download, or to avoid missing updates when sending or modifying a document on the server.
What Happens In a Conditional Request?
What happens is that the result of a connection made with this type of request can be changed when comparing the resources being checked with the value of a validator.
How Does The Behavior That The Client Expects From The Server Is Met?
It will happen according to the method and the preconditional header used in the request.
Before we understand how a conditional request works, let’s see what some of the elements that are part of this process are about.
The precondition of a request is defined by a header, and its result can be different depending on the validation or not of this precondition. The headers then give directives for this communication process, and some are used to check the cache update status, such as Cache-Control
, and others to specify preconditions for using cache, or for storing revalidation, as the Last-Modified
The preconditional directives can assign conditions only to the server, to the general state of the resource on the target, or to a group of resources. These preconditions are given by conditional requests, which are based on validators – metadata used by the client and the server to verify what is being requested.
The validation process happens as follows: the client sends the metadata to the server, and the server checks if what was requested by the client is valid or not. If the validation is inconsistent and the server is unable to select the appropriate representation, the precondition is evaluated as false without affecting the connection.
The preconditions are based on the general state of the destination resource (its current value), or on the state of the representation obtained previously (the previous value). Furthermore, a resource can have not just one, but several current representations, each one having a state of its own.
We’ve seen that the term resource is recurrent, and it’s an important element of the conditional requests, but what is it exactly? First, it’s important to know that the resource is the target of a conditional HTTP request – that is, the resource is the object to be searched, and it will give the information that this type of request wants.
In addition, a resource doesn’t have a specific format – it can be an image, an electronic document, graphics, a source of information or anything you want to search on the internet – and its main purpose is to be used by the request as a type of interface, an element to allow interaction with representations of the resource through a network. Thus, the term resource is used in a general sense for anything that can be identified by a URI.
To identify a resource, the HTTP request uses a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier), a sequence of characters – a string – that names or identifies a resource. There are two types of URI: one of them can be classified as a locator (URL, acronym for Uniform Resource Locator) and the other as a name (URN, Uniform Resource Name), or both. Generally speaking, the URL is the address of a resource, while the URN defines its identity, it’s a unique and never-changing name.
Examples of URIs:
When the client makes a request, it sends the destination URI, and when the server receives that request, it remakes a URI request that effectively meets the destination resource.
As we mentioned before, a conditional request is based on the state of a resource’s representation. But what is a representation then? A representation is the information used to check the state of a particular resource, which can be current or past, in a format that can be readily communicated through the protocol, and consists of a set of representation metadata and a flow of potentially unlimited representational data.
In this process, an origin server may receive or be able to generate multiple representations that reflect the current state of a resource. In these cases, the origin server uses an algorithm to select one of these representations as most applicable to a given request, usually based on the content of the conditional request negotiation. The selected representation is used to provide data and metadata to evaluate conditional requests.
Validators: Checking the Resource
To check if the stored resource of a server is in line with the specific version that the client wants, conditional request headers will do this verification. To make it happen, the conditional request indicates the resource version through a value, also known as validator or metadata.
There are two types of validators: modification dates and opaque entity tag. More specifically, the Last Modified header indicates the date and time the resource was modified, and the ETag header, also known as opaque entity tag, represents the resource version.
The Last-Modified header is sent by the origin server and indicates, through a timestamp, the date and time when the selected resource was last modified. This allows a recipient to make an accurate assessment of the representation’s modification time, especially if the representation changes around the time the response is generated. If there’s no modification, the server sends a 304 Not Modified
response to the browser, and the cached resource is used.
Example of Last-Modified
The ETag header (short for entity tag) in a response shows the current ETag of the representation selected in the request. An ETag is an opaque validator – that is, validators in a proprietary format that typically contain some identifier to information in a server’s persistent storage – to differentiate the different representations of the same resource.
An ETag represents a requested resource and is a string of ASCII characters enclosed in quotes, as in "095hq78954bc-la63"
. If you want to indicate that this is a weak validation, you must insert the prefix W/ before the characters, as in W/"08bn21"
Types of Validation
The validation is the return of a preconditional request, the way to know if what was requested for the server by the client is valid or not. The process of verifying versions of the same resource can occur in two ways:
The strong validation verifies if the identity of the compared resources is the same. It occurs when the client needs the resource identity (byte-to-byte identity).
The weak validation checks if the content of the compared resources is the same. It occurs when the client only needs to determine if two resources have the same content.
By default, the HTTP protocol uses strong validation, and specifies when to use weak validation.
Conditional Requests Headers
The headers used to define the conditions in a request are:
It’s used to check if the ETag of the resources, of the client and the origin server, are the same. It’s usually used with the GET method. The client using this precondition wants to prevent the method from being applied if there is any change in the representation data.
Types of If-Match
Note: An asterisk is used as a special value to represent any resource.
Example of a conditional request with an If-Match
It’s used to check if there have been changes in the resource. It’s normally used with GET method when the objective is to enable updates of information that are cached efficiently, in which transmission is minimally overloaded.
For example, when the client wants to update one or more stored resources that have ETags, it must make a request with the GET method and use an If-None-Match header that contains a list of these ETags. This allows the recipient servers to send a 304 response (Not Modified) to indicate when one of those stored resources matches the selected representation.
Example of a conditional request with an If-None-Match
It’s used with GET or HEAD methods to allow updates of a representation that is cached but doesn’t have an ETag. Another function of this header is to limit the scope of a web traversal to features that have recently changed. Thus, the If-Modified-Since header tells the server to send back the requested resource only if it was last modified after the given date. If the resource hasn’t been modified since then, the response will be 304 with no response body. If the resource has been modified, the answer will be 200 OK with the new version of the resource.
Example of a conditional request with an If-Modified-Since
It’s used when the client wants the server to send back the requested resource only if it was last modified on the given date or before it. The If-Unmodified-Since header is usually used with state change methods (such as POST, PUT, and DELETE) to avoid lost updates, that is, accidental replacements when multiple clients act at the same time on a resource that doesn’t provide ETags with their representations. If the precondition fails, the request is restarted without the precondition. It can also be used to cancel an order if the selected representation doesn’t match an already stored (or partially stored) one from a previous order.
Example of a conditional request with If-Unmodified-Since
It’s used when a client has a partial copy of a representation and wants to have an up-to-date copy of the entire representation. It’s usually used with the GET method and can be used with the If-Unmodified-Since and If-Match headers, one or both of them. For example, under normal conditions, if the representation was modified, the precondition fails and the client would have to make another request asking for the entire representation, and not just the requested range. With If-Range, if the representation hasn’t been changed, the server sends the requested parts of the desired range, but if the representation has changed, the server sends the complete representation. Thus, the If-Range header allows a client to jump to the second request without having to make a new one.
Example of a conditional request with an If-Range header
What Is The Best Way To Have Control and Agility In HTTP Requests?
At Azion clients can determine what they want from the server in a fast, practical, and agile way: with our Edge Functions.
Using our Edge Functions, you can create custom request and response rules or choose from pre-built functions, such as A/B tests, security tokens, or massive redirect. When triggered, the function runs in milliseconds on the edge node closest to the end user.
You can use functions to handle HTTP in the following request and response phases:
- as soon as a user’s requests are received in the edge node;
- before the edge node forwards the request to the origin;
- as soon as the edge node gets the response from the origin;
- before the edge node forwards the response to the user.
- inspect cookies to rewrite URLs to different versions of a site for A/B testing;
- send different objects to your users based on the user-agent header, which contains information about the device that submitted the request. For example, you can send images in different resolutions to users based on their devices;
- inspect headers or authorized tokens, inserting a corresponding header and allowing access control before forwarding a request to the origin;
- add, delete, and modify headers and rewrite the URL path to direct users to different cache objects;
- generate new HTTP responses to do things like redirect unauthenticated users to login pages, or create and deliver static web pages right from the edge.
As Edge Functions runs on our global edge network, it automatically scales without the need for management or provisioning resources. Instead, you only pay when the code runs, eliminating upfront costs and avoiding wasted resources from over-provisioned servers.
In other words, with Edge Functions you guarantee speed, practicality and agility, both for your developer and your client. And the result of all these benefits is the maximization of your revenue.
To learn more about this or other products, contact our sales team here. | <urn:uuid:956e03a3-3ff1-4fda-8f02-b1672551a001> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.azion.com/en/blog/what-is-a-conditional-request/ | 2024-09-07T20:26:13Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650920.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20240907193650-20240907223650-00032.warc.gz | en | 0.905428 | 2,773 | 3.078125 | 3 |
In today’s digitally driven world, data is often referred to as the new currency. With the exponential growth of data collection and utilization, ensuring its integrity and security has become paramount. However, amidst the efforts to safeguard data, a lesser-known but potent threat looms: data poisoning. This article delves into the concept of data poisoning and its implications for cybersecurity.
Understanding Data Poisoning
Data poisoning is a sophisticated cyber-attack strategy wherein adversaries inject malicious data into a system with the intention of corrupting the integrity of the data or influencing the outcomes of machine learning algorithms. Unlike traditional data breaches where attackers aim to steal data, data poisoning involves subtle manipulations that undermine the reliability of data-driven systems.
Mechanisms of Data Poisoning
Data poisoning attacks can manifest in various forms, depending on the target system and the attacker’s objectives. Some common mechanisms include:
1. Adversarial Examples: Attackers perturb input data in such a way that it causes misclassification or erroneous decisions by machine learning models.
2. Data Manipulation: Malicious actors alter training data used to develop machine learning models, introducing biases or false patterns that can compromise the model’s performance.
3. Backdoor Attacks: Attackers insert subtle triggers or patterns into training data that, when encountered during model deployment, trigger unintended behavior or provide unauthorized access.
The implications of data poisoning for cybersecurity are profound and far-reaching:
1. Compromised Decision Making: Data poisoning attacks can lead to erroneous decisions in critical systems, such as autonomous vehicles, healthcare diagnostics, or financial trading algorithms, posing significant risks to safety, privacy, and financial stability.
2. Undermined Trust in AI Systems: As artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms become increasingly integrated into various sectors, incidents of data poisoning can erode trust in these systems, hindering their adoption and impeding techno-logical progress.
3. Difficulty in Detection and Mitigation: Detecting data poisoning attacks can be challenging since the injected anomalies often blend with legitimate data. Moreover, mitigating the impact of such attacks requires extensive efforts to identify and remove poisoned data while preserving the integrity of the overall dataset.
Mitigating Data Poisoning Risks
To mitigate the risks posed by data poisoning, organizations and cybersecurity professionals can adopt several proactive measures:
1.Robust Data Validation: Implement stringent data validation processes to detect anomalies and inconsistencies in datasets before they are used for training machine learning models.
2. Adversarial Training: Train machine learning models using adversarial examples to improve their resilience against malicious attacks and enhance their ability to generalize to unseen data.
3. Diverse Dataset Collection: Collect diverse and representative datasets to minimize the impact of targeted data poisoning attacks and reduce the susceptibility of models to biased or manipulated data.
4. Continuous Monitoring and Response: Establish robust monitoring mechanisms to detect deviations in model performance or unexpected behaviors that may indicate the presence of data poisoning. Develop response protocols to promptly address and mitigate potential threats.
Data poisoning poses a significant threat to cybersecurity by undermining the integrity and re-liability of data-driven systems. As organizations increasingly rely on AI and machine learning technologies, safeguarding against data poisoning attacks becomes imperative. By understanding the mechanisms of data poisoning, recognizing its implications, and implementing proactive mitigation strategies, cybersecurity professionals can fortify their defenses and mitigate the risks associated with this emerging threat. | <urn:uuid:71c34f99-ad9f-43a6-b810-58fcaf070481> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.cybersecurity-insiders.com/exploring-the-threat-of-data-poisoning-in-cybersecurity/ | 2024-09-11T11:09:17Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651383.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911084051-20240911114051-00632.warc.gz | en | 0.900718 | 700 | 3.203125 | 3 |
A multi-threaded application is an application whose architecture takes advantage of the multi-threading provided by the operating system. Usually, these applications assign specific jobs to individual threads within the process and the threads communicate, through various means, to synchronize their actions. For example, a data processing application might be designed so that the graphical user interface is completely handled by a single thread, while the actual work of the application is performed by another thread. This architecture would allow the complete separation of the business logic from the user-interface logic within the application.
Another interesting use for multi-threading within an application is in the server side of a client/server application. The server could be designed so that for each service request submitted to a main controller/communications thread, a separate service thread is created to process that request and communicate the results back to the controller. The controller would then communicate these results back to the client. The main benefit of such a design is that the server is not tied up acting on one client's request to the extent that it cannot respond to other client's requests quickly.
Of course, client-server applications that have immediate (or very fast) server response have been written without multi-threading for years. This is usually accomplished by a main controller/communications process creating separate service processes for each client request. So why does an application like this need multi-threading? The main answer is: efficient use of system resources.
The creation of a thread requires very little operating system resource (memory, context swap overhead and so on) and the sharing of files and other resources is simplified. The creation of a process requires more system resources and it tends to be much more difficult to communicate and share files between processes. Multi-threading allows you to make the best use out of your existing hardware resources and also allows simple resource sharing.
There are, of course, disadvantages in using multi-threaded applications. Each thread must be aware of the resources that it might be sharing with other threads in the same process. The programmer must remember that threads execute at the same time and that if two threads write to the same data item, without any form of execution synchronization, the data-item is likely to be corrupted.
For example, consider the following code fragments:
Working-Storage Section. 01 group-item. 05 field-1 pic x. 05 field-2 pic x. procedure division. move 'A' to field-1 move 'B' to field-2 display group-item |
Working-Storage Section. 01 group-item. 05 field-1 pic x. 05 field-2 pic x. procedure division. move 'C' to field-2 move 'D' to field-1 display group-item |
Consider the following possible order of thread execution:
Processing step | Thread 1 execution | Thread 2 execution |
move 'A' to field-1 |
move 'C' to field-2 |
move 'B' to field-2 |
move 'D' to field-1 |
display group-item |
display group-item |
In this example, neither thread will display its expected result. The intended result of Thread 1 was to display 'AB', while the intended result of Thread 2 was to display 'DC'. However, the actual result is that both threads display 'DB'. If you are creating multi-threaded applications, you must synchronize execution between threads, and avoid and resolve data contention between threads, as described in the chapter Synchronizing Execution and Resolving Contention. | <urn:uuid:c6136064-03a5-4558-9e04-87b20a79f986> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.microfocus.com/documentation/visual-cobol/vc70/VS2017/BKMTMTINTRS002.html | 2024-09-12T15:40:49Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651460.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912142729-20240912172729-00532.warc.gz | en | 0.922431 | 729 | 3.921875 | 4 |
The Application/Process Layer is where TCP/IP applications and services reside. You’re more than likely familiar with many of these, since you probably interact with many TCP/IP applications on a daily basis – a web browser using HTTP, or your email client connecting to a POP3 server are but two simple examples.
The list below outlines some of the more common Application layer protocols that you should be familiar with.
- Telnet. Telnet is used to create a terminal session with a remote host, providing command-line access to the target system running a telnet server (daemon).
- FTP. The File Transfer Protocol is used to reliably transfer files between an FTP client and server using TCP.
- SMTP. The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol is used for the exchange of email between systems.
- DNS. The Domain Name Service is a distributed database that is queried to resolve (or translate) names such as www.2000trainers.com to an IP address.
- SNMP. The Simple Network Management Protocol is a lightweight network protocol that allows information to be gathered about network devices. Examples include information about utilization, hardware configuration, and so forth.
- TFTP. The Trivial File Transfer Protocol is used to transfer files between a client and a TFTP server over UDP. You’ll learn more about TFTP later, since it’s the protocol used to transfer files to and from a Cisco router. | <urn:uuid:6883cb7f-9cbb-4e16-b4ef-18c055be4acb> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.2000trainers.com/cisco-ccna-04/ccna-tcpip-osi-application-layer/ | 2024-09-17T14:59:10Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651800.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917140525-20240917170525-00132.warc.gz | en | 0.884211 | 297 | 3.421875 | 3 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.