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Clearing the Confusion - vSphere Virtual Cores, Virtual Sockets, and Virtual CPU (vCPU)
This is a topic that I have been confused on more than once. I would read the help documentation and the VMware KB article, thought I understood it and later say “wait, what?”
First, let’s look at a host…
Analyzing Maximum vSphere vCPUs on a Host
In vSphere 5.1 (I’ll update this for future versions), you can have up to 64 vCPUs configured on a virtual machine, if you have vSphere Enterprise Plus (the number goes down as the edition of vSphere is reduced). BUT, you are also limited to assigning a maximum number of vCPUS that your physical server has available in logical CPUs.
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If we take a look at one server in my lab, it’s a Dell T610 with a single physical CPU socket that has 4 cores (quad-core) and hyperthreading is enabled, which doubles the number of cores presented, for a total of 8 cores:
What this means is that the maximum number of vCPUs that I could configure for a VM on this host would be 8. Let’s verify.
If we edit the settings of a VM on that host, we see that we can either configure it with 8 virtual sockets and 1 virtual core per socket, 4 sockets and 2 cores per socket, 2 sockets and 4 cores per socket, or 8 sockets and 1 core per socket (all of which, if you multiple, totals 8):
On another host, a Dell M610, I have 2 physical sockets, 4 cores per socket, with hyperthreading enabled, which gives me a total of 16 logical processors:
If I look at a VM on that host (note that these VMs need to be hardware version 8 or above), I can configured any combination of virtual cores that total no more than 16 (could be 16 x 1, 1 x 16, 2 x 8, 8 x 2, 4 x 4, etc):
Now that you know the the limitations of the physical hosts and hypervisor, let’s look at why this differentiation of virtual sockets vs virtual cores is available and what you should choose.
The Guest OS Knows the Sockets and Cores
Warning! A very important part of understanding this is that when you configure a vCPU on a VM, that vCPU is actually a Virtual Core, not a virtual socket. Also, a vCPU has been traditionally presented to the guest OS in a VM as a single core, single socket processor.
What you might not have thought about is that the guest operating systems know not only the number of “CPUs” but also the number of sockets and cores that the CPU has available. As Kendrick Coleman shows in his post on vCPU for License Trickery, you can use the CPU-Z utility to find out how many sockets and cores your virtual machine has.
Does it make any difference for the performance of the applications inside if the OS thinks it has 4 sockets and 2 cores per socket or 1 socket with 8 cores? As far as I can tell, NO (but I welcome your comments). The guest OS is just scheduling the threads from each process onto a CPU core and, using the hypervisor, those virtualized threads are scheduled, by the VMkernel scheduler, on a logical CPU core of the operating system.
If it doesn’t have any effect on performance, why would VMware even offered this option to specify the number of sockets per core for each VM? The answer is that it’s all related to software licensing for the OS and applications.
OS and Application Licensing Per Socket
Many (too many) operating systems and applications are licensed “per socket”. You might pay $5000 per socket for a particular application. Let’s say that Windows Server 2003 is limited to running on “up to 4 CPUs” (or sockets). Say that you had a physical server with 4 quad core CPUs, for a total of 16 cores and then enabled hyperthreading for a total of 32 logical cores. If you configured your VM to have up to 4 “CPUs”, as the license specified, those 4 vCPUs would only run on 4 physical cores. However, if you had of installed that same Windows OS on the same phsyical server, it would have run on up to 4 sockets but, with each socket having 4 cores, it would have offered up to 16 logical cores for Windows (which still not breaking your end user license agreement). In other words, you would get to use more cores and likely receive more throughput.
In the end, what you are doing here is gaining granular control over how many virtual sockets and how many virtual cores per socket are presented to each virtual machine. This way, you can ensure you get the performance you need without having to buy extra licenses and without violating your EULA. | <urn:uuid:c97962cb-f389-4558-8808-601820ad2004> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.actualtechmedia.com/io/virtual-cores-virtual-sockets-vcpu-explained/ | 2024-09-10T00:59:28Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651164.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909233606-20240910023606-00888.warc.gz | en | 0.925776 | 1,049 | 2.53125 | 3 |
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed and continues to change every aspect of our lives. A fundamental shift has occurred in how we live and think. All this began in 2020 when the world suddenly locked down to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The United States implemented COVID-19 restrictions in late March of 2020. Overnight, people had no access to in-person services. So, they turned to their mobile devices. This produced an attitudinal shift from resentful acceptance to grateful acceptance of mobile apps.
Mobile First: Pandemic Mobile App Development
It was only a matter of time, even without extraordinary circumstances, before businesses would be forced to offer their customers mobile access to their products and services, but COVID-19 has accelerated that demand for almost all types of businesses.
There are just a handful of types of businesses or services that cannot be provided any other way than in person. Hotels, resorts, and cruise lines are types of businesses that depend on in-person customers. Airlines are another. Some medical services, such as surgery and dental work, can’t be done any other way but in person.
However, most businesses can have mobile apps that provide a different avenue for customers to buy their goods or services. Many businesses resisted this trend, because their in-store, brick-and-mortar traffic was so good before the pandemic.
Resistance came from their steep financial investment in brick and mortar infrastructure and a stubborn adherence to a mid-20th-century business model that technology was making obsolete.
Restaurants and grocery stores are prime examples of this. Restaurants had to quickly move from an in-dining service model to a curbside take-out and delivery model, underpinned by a mobile app that made ordering easy for customers.
Pizza chains had this in place already. But now sit-down and fast-food restaurants had to catch up or close. Franchise and fast-food restaurants realized that offering curbside and delivery service and having an easy-to-use mobile app was their key to survival, so many, but not all, adapted quickly.
Likewise, grocery stores realized that a new business model of curbside and delivery service, where customers placed orders through a mobile app, was the only way to be viable during the pandemic.
Some grocery store chains had mobile apps to order groceries that customers could pick up curbside. But the demand for grocery deliveries far outpaced curbside pickups.
Amazon led the way in grocery deliveries through its partnership with Whole Foods. Customers used the delivery service infrequently, preferring to go to a grocery store in person. But, once COVID-19 restrictions were imposed, the demand for grocery delivery skyrocketed, with higher customer demand than open slot availability.
Even though Amazon has been cutting-edge with their mobile apps, it didn’t occur to them to offer to contact customers when an available slot was open, instead of just saying there were no open slots. Strange for Amazon to be behind on this one. How many orders did they lose because customers went somewhere else?
COVID-19 and Mobile App Development
COVID-19 mobile app development extended far beyond restaurants and grocery stores. A sharp rise in mobile app development was pushed by limited access to purchasing any goods and services except through an online method.
Healthcare delivery is a prime example. Before the pandemic began, some medical providers had dabbled in offering telehealth services, but there was little widespread interest or commitment to it as a primary offering to patients.
COVID-19 changed the playing field. The healthcare industry, which relied on in-person visits for payments from private insurance providers, state Medicaid providers, and federal Medicare providers, stood to lose billions of dollars if they could not see patients.
Most healthcare systems had mobile app developers quickly create telehealth systems that ensured continuity of service (and payments). The range of telehealth services spanned from primary care providers to mental health service providers. In-person care was limited to hospital emergency departments and hospital admissions, with stringent restrictions on visitors and visiting hours.
Education is another sector where mobile app development has boomed during COVID-19. Some colleges and universities have had distance and e-learning programs in place for a while, but the pandemic has forced all higher education institutions to offer virtual programs, which meant more mobile app development.
The pandemic itself fed mobile app development. As conditions and restrictions changed frequently, local, state, and national governments needed mobile apps that could immediately alert citizens of changes affecting them. In addition, attempts to contain the spread of COVID-19 led to the development of mobile apps that would alert people if they had possibly been exposed to the virus.
COVID-19 Forced Mobile App Development to Get Better–Fast
Mobile app developers have been very busy developing new mobile apps for all sorts of businesses during the pandemic. Virtual meetings, whether for work, health visits, legal visits, court trials, education, dates, family visits, or game nights became the cornerstone that kept people connected to each other.
There were several players already in the virtual meeting space when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Among these were Skype, Go To Meeting, Microsoft Teams, and a little, almost-unknown app called Zoom.
Most of the better known virtual meeting apps were clunky, hard to use, or didn’t have a free offering for group meetings. Zoom focused on these weaknesses, and quickly became the frontrunner for virtual connections.
Zoom offered free meetings to groups for 40 minutes (groups quickly learned that all you had to do was start another 40 minute session to keep longer meetings going) and very affordable pricing for users who needed advanced virtual meeting capabilities. Their app was easy for novice and aficionado alike.
Zoom forced Microsoft to dramatically improve MS Teams, the virtual meeting app used by many businesses. Microsoft’s story is a story that ripples through mobile app development during the pandemic. Newer competitors unburdened by “we’ve always done it this way” can quickly gain market share from more established competitors.
COVID-19 Mobile App Development Lessons and Trends
Businesses have learned that customers want more mobile and they want it to be easy to use. Customers have learned to embrace the digital experience.
Some businesses that avoided going digital or mobile because they wanted to keep their storefronts front and center are playing catch-up. They realize now that it’s imperative that their businesses operate digitally. This was inevitable, but COVID-19 accelerated the process.
Companies developing mobile apps are also having to adapt. One trend is that mobile app developers want to work remotely. Now that developers have realized they don’t have to endure long commutes to offices to do great work, they don’t want to go back to the way it was before COVID-19.
Companies that do mobile app development are adjusting to empty offices and accommodating their developers who want to continue owrking remotely. They are also finding new ways to conduct customer research, as they perfect their User Interface (UI) and the User Experience (UX) with user testing. They are learning how to use digital tools to capture critical visceral feedback that they get when users are using an app.
These challenges are being negotiated and will be overcome, even though the way through them is a bit murky right now.
How Software Design Solutions Can Help Your Business with Mobile Application Development
When you hire us to help develop mobile applications for your business, we start by getting the right information:
- Understanding your business goals and how you want to meet them
- Understanding your customers and their needs
- Analyzing your products and services to determine if they can be delivered in a different, mobile-enabled way
Transforming your business to a mobile model is not nearly as easy as you might hope. It will take longer and may cost more than you might assume. However, this is as important, if not more important, than building another storefront or plant.
Giving your customers a mobile way of doing business with you is the most strategic investment you can make in your business. Easy mobile use and interaction defines your brand. Because of COVID-19, this may become the primary way your customers interact with you.
If you’re ready to give your customers the mobile experience they want, contact us to find out how we can help you do it well and do it right the first time. | <urn:uuid:3ee89e32-7865-46a4-b02c-234e5f4d378a> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.avi.com/content-hub/how-covid-19-has-changed-mobile-app-development/ | 2024-09-10T00:49:04Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651164.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909233606-20240910023606-00888.warc.gz | en | 0.971372 | 1,748 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Artificial intelligence (AI) advancements will affect almost 40 percent of jobs around the world and up to 60% in advanced economies with troubling social consequences, according to a new report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Some jobs will be wiped out completely, while a part of them will be complemented by AI.
Kristalina Georgieva, Managing director of the IMF, warned in her blog post that a careful balance of policies is needed to tap into AI’s potential. While AI could jumpstart productivity and growth, it also could deepen inequality.
“In most scenarios, AI will likely worsen overall inequality, a troubling trend that policymakers must proactively address to prevent the technology from further stoking social tensions,” Georgieva writes.
AI may impact about 60 percent of jobs in advanced economies. The number is lower, at 40%, for global employment. Half of exposed jobs may benefit from AI integration, enhancing productivity. For the rest, AI applications may execute key tasks currently performed by humans, which could lower labor demand, leading to lower wages and reduced hiring. In the most extreme cases, some of these jobs may disappear.
While facing fewer immediate disruptions from AI, many lower-income nations also risk falling back even further as they don’t have the infrastructure or skilled workforce to harness its benefits.
It is difficult to assess the net effect even for the IMF, as AI ripples through economies in complex ways.
“What we can say with some confidence is that we will need to come up with a set of policies to safely leverage the vast potential of AI for the benefit of humanity,” Georgieva said.
She also warns of polarization within income brackets, with some employees seeing wage increases from harnessing AI powers and others lagging. The inequality may be further exacerbated if AI disproportionately complements a handful of higher-income workers and boosts the capital returns of a few firms.
“Younger workers may find it easier to exploit opportunities, while older workers could struggle to adapt,” Georgieva said, raising another social issue.
The IMF assessed how well 125 countries are prepared for AI, and the findings reveal that wealthier economies, including advanced and some emerging market economies, tend to be better equipped for AI adoption than low-income countries.
Singapore, the United States, and Denmark posted the highest scores on the index based on their strong results in all four categories tracked.
Even the tech sector is not safe from AI. In two weeks of 2024, tech companies that recently announced significant investments into AI laid off more than 5,500 workers, CNN reported.
The IMF report comes before the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting, which takes place in Davos on January 15th-19th. AI remains one of the hottest discussion topics among global business and political leaders. | <urn:uuid:fba4df72-cd93-4cc3-a472-35e19dd98912> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://cybernews.com/news/artificial-intelligence-deepen-inequality-half-jobs-at-risk/ | 2024-09-11T05:33:00Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651344.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911052223-20240911082223-00788.warc.gz | en | 0.959878 | 582 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Over the last decade we’ve witnessed an unprecedented surge in the amount of highly sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (PII) being collected by organizations worldwide. Businesses are using this PII to unlock a wealth of insights into their customers’ preferences and behaviors. However, the handling of PII has become a growing concern in light of recent data breaches and cyberattacks, raising questions about the adequacy of safeguards and the potential for misuse of this sensitive information.
What Qualifies as PII?
According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) the following identifiers are considered PII:
- Full name (if not common)
- Home address
- ID number
- Passport number
- Vehicle plate number
- Driver’s license
- Fingerprints or handwriting
- Credit card number
- Digital identity
- Date of birth
- Genetic information
- Phone number
- Login name or screen name
Sensitive PII Versus Non-Sensitive PII
Sensitive PII includes highly confidential data such as full name, Social Security Number (SSN), driver’s license number, mailing address, credit card information, passport details, financial details, and medical records. Disclosure of this information can pose significant risks, as it can be exploited for identity theft, fraud, and other malicious purposes. On the other hand, non-sensitive PII encompasses information that is less sensitive and generally does not pose immediate security concerns. Examples include zip code, race, gender, date of birth, place of birth, and religion. While this data may not be as vulnerable to identity theft, it can still be valuable for marketing and targeted advertising campaigns.
Data Privacy Laws and PII
In the United States, data privacy laws are overseen by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST defines personally identifiable information (PII) as any data that can be used to uniquely identify an individual, such as:
- Social security number
- Biometric records
The European Union has a comprehensive data protection framework known as Directive 95/46/EC. This directive defines PII as any information related to an identified or identifiable natural person. It includes:
- Identification number
- Physical, physiological, mental, economic, cultural, or social identity factors
The Australian Privacy Act 1988 defines PII as any information or opinion that can be reasonably used to ascertain the identity of an individual. This includes:
- Information or opinion that can reasonably ascertain identity
The New Zealand Privacy Act defines PII as any information about an individual that can be used to identify them, including:
- Contact details
- Financial health
- Purchase records
Canada has two primary data privacy laws: the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and the Privacy Act. PIPEDA defines PII as any data that can be used to identify an individual alone or when combined with other information. The Privacy Act has a similar definition, but it also exempts certain types of information, such as personal information collected for journalistic, artistic, or literary purposes.
How to Protect PII
Protecting PII is crucial to prevent its misuse and safeguard individuals’ privacy. Businesses and individuals share responsibility for protecting PII. Cybercriminals target PII for sale on underground marketplaces, highlighting the importance of its security.
- Collection and Retention: PII should only be collected and retained when absolutely necessary to minimize the risk of unauthorized access.
- Disposal: Once PII is no longer required, it should be deleted to minimize the risk of unauthorized access.
- Untrustworthy Sources: PII should not be provided to untrustworthy sources to prevent its potential misuse or exposure.
- Physical Security: Physical security measures can help protect PII. Mailboxes should be locked or post office boxes used to reduce mail theft. Discarded documents containing personal information should be shredded or otherwise disposed of securely.
- Identity Theft Prevention: To safeguard against identity theft, it is crucial to implement various protective measures. Firstly, employ robust passwords that use a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters, and avoid using the same password for multiple accounts. Additionally, consider encrypting sensitive data, such as financial records and personal information, to prevent unauthorized access. It is also advisable to refrain from carrying sensitive documents or devices that contain personal information, as they could be lost or stolen. To further enhance security, use separate passwords for each online account, and protect all electronic devices with password protection. Finally, when discarding computers, ensure the hard drives are reformatted to remove any traces of personal information. | <urn:uuid:ce132cd9-59d1-4e6d-957b-3d67d36af00d> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.lepide.com/cyber-learning/what-is-personally-identifiable-information-pii/ | 2024-09-11T06:49:16Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651344.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911052223-20240911082223-00788.warc.gz | en | 0.893436 | 947 | 2.984375 | 3 |
Digital forensic and cybersecurity professionals are in high demand. To keep up with this demand, educational institutions have nurtured the digital forensics program since the late 1970s. As the program grows, its curriculums and tools evolve to keep up with modern threats. However, this level of advancement, at such as quick pace, creates teaching challenges for educators.
What Are Your Digital Forensics Teaching Challenges?
During the Project Ares’ Live Play of Battle Room 9 Digital Forensics Webinar (opens new window), we polled our attendees about the teaching challenges they felt hindered their progress. Their responses:
- 33% answered, lack of subject matter expertise
- 67% answered, difficulty designing hands-on lab experience
Experiential learning (opens new window), also known as learning by doing, comes with many life-long learning benefits for students. In digital forensics, experiential learning prepares students for a hands-on, cyber investigative environment. However, adopting and sustaining experiential learning also carries its challenges for educators with complex curriculums or under-developed cyber programs. We’ve learned through our research and conversations with educators that digital forensic teaching challenges include:
- Implementing hands-on labs
- Designing a cyber range
- Having minimal resources
So, what are the solutions to these digital forensics teaching barriers (opens new window)? There are many ways to look at these complications, and there are just as many ways to solve them. Let’s examine a few of these solutions.
Teaching Challenge #1: Digital Forensics Curriculum Planning
There’s more content than there’s time to teach it. Careful planning and time go into creating a purposeful curriculum that will advance future digital forensic experts (opens new window). The thought of adding hands-on labs may feel daunting. They also take time out of your lecture and meaningful discussion. In short, there’s a lack of time to plan and incorporate them into your teachings.
Yet, in the digital forensics hands-on profession, they’re necessary. That’s why, by design, many hands-on labs supplement classroom theory.
Core Curriculum Elements
Designing a class curriculum or a full-blown course to align with hands-on labs doesn’t have to be overwhelming or intimidating. Try these three tips to guide you in your planning:
- Customize your curriculum to your student’s needs
- Make pivots in your lesson plan to suit your students as they progress
- Give yourself enough time to plan ahead
Remember the basics! As an educator, you’re likely familiar with these core curriculum-building elements. Use them to help you identify where hands-on labs will be an asset to your students’ learning. Remember, you can always pivot along the way to adjust for how well your students are progressing. One of the benefits of experiential learning is that hands-on practice accurately assesses when and where students need extra time to grasp the learning material.
However, aligning your curriculum to hands-on practice alone isn’t enough to help you overcome your challenges. You need the tools to get you there.
Teaching Challenge #2: Designing InfoSec Hands-on Labs
The effectiveness of experiential (opens new window) learning in digital forensics, as in cybersecurity, is through the implementation of hands-on labs. Better yet, it’s an engaging cyber range. Providing realistic scenarios for your students to practice their skillset is invaluable to their learning and cements your lectures in their minds.
Where the challenge comes in is designing an information security range. In fact, our poll revealed this as the biggest pain point. Why? Home-grown, home-built cyber ranges are expensive and laborious to maintain.
- Do you have subject matter experts available to write up and validate the content?
- How about the time to gather the open-source tools?
- Can your software skills execute the content in an engaging environment that aligns with real-world scenarios?
- Who provides the tech support and maintains the environment?
If you can, that’s awesome! If this doesn’t sound like something you want or can do, why reinvent the wheel? Educators don’t have time to do this, nor do they need to. These cyber EdTech platforms exist and come with experts, resources, and support. Save your time and save your money, by finding an existing platform that fits your teaching needs.
Teaching Challenge #3: Minimal Cyber EdTech Resources
Although, teaching digital forensics involves more than just embracing and sustaining a new teaching approach. The addition of a virtual cyber range can change your position in the classroom. In addition to teaching your students, you’ll need to facilitate instructional delivery with labs.
Most educators can manage to teach and facilitate this type of experiential learning tool. However, it’s not ideal for everyone. Educators have varying degrees of comfort when it comes to adopting technology in the classroom. To increase your tech comfort, review your capabilities and identify where you need the most help and who can help you.
Once you identify your needs, choosing the right platform can actually save you time. With the right EdTech platform resources, consider working with a teaching assistant who can provide you with options:
- Train you how to execute the cyber range
- Facilitate your cyber learning environment while you teach
- Teach the digital forensics hands-on labs while you facilitate
A teaching assistant is a great resource to support cyber range adoption. Having someone who encourages progress and allows you to get back to what you do best: teaching. You can talk through ideas with each other and determine where you’re needed the most in the classroom.
Aside from a teaching assistant, ensure that your team includes tech support. They’ll minimize your stress and maximize your time by applying a fix on the spot. Selecting a solution that provides these turnkey resources built-in should be a high priority for any educator seeking EdTech teaching support.
Experiential learning done right can offer solutions to these teaching challenges. Connect your core curriculum building blocks with the right resources to help you simplify administrative teaching duties, empower your classroom culture, and demonstrate teaching success.
Innovate Your Digital Forensics Classroom with Experiential Learning
With the right planning, tools, and teams in place, you’ll experience tangible evidence of experiential learning progress. We’re talking about the type of progress that fosters innovation. In other words, the hands-on cyber learning your students will achieve in your classroom will directly translate into the work your students will do in the professional world.
Whether you are a beginner or incredibly advanced in cybersecurity expertise, you’ll find that Project Ares can help you as an instructor or student. After all, our commitment is to you and your students. We want to help empower, educate, encourage, and equip you to overcome these teaching barriers. | <urn:uuid:8dc714b7-f35e-41ea-8a1e-0c91931e2774> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://circadence.com/digital-forensics-experiential-learning-challenges/ | 2024-09-12T13:23:55Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651457.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912110742-20240912140742-00688.warc.gz | en | 0.936787 | 1,458 | 2.765625 | 3 |
What is Cybercrime: Risks and Prevention
Perhaps the most dangerous types of malware creators are the hackers and groups of hackers that create malicious software programs in an effort to meet their own specific criminal objectives. These cybercriminals create computer viruses and Trojan programs that can:
- Steal access codes to bank accounts
- Advertise products or services on a victim’s computer
- Illegally use an infected computer’s resources – to develop and run:
- Spam campaigns
- Distributed Network Attacks (also called DDoS attacks)
- Blackmailing operations
What is cybercrime… and what are the risks?
To discover more about how cybercriminals operate – and the risks of falling prey to their activities – please click on the links below:
- Support for Spammers
- Distributed Network Attacks / DDoS
- What is a Botnet?
- Premium-Charge Calls and Sending Paid SMS
- Stealing Electronic Currency
- Stealing Online Banking Information
- Ransomware & Cyber Blackmail
- Evolving Virus Delivery Methods
- Targeted Computer Virus Attacks
How to protect yourself against Cybercrime
With cybercriminals using so many techniques to attack users’ computers and data, multi-layer defences are a necessity. Anti-malware solutions that combine signature-based detection, heuristic analysis and cloud-assisted technologies can do more to defend your devices and data against new, sophisticated threats.
Kaspersky Lab is recognised for its world-class, multi-layer anti-malware products that can protect a range of computers and devices against cybercrime, including:
- Windows PCs
- Linux computers
- Apple Macs | <urn:uuid:bfa761d2-2041-4908-aee7-6867ae8a4fa3> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://usa.kaspersky.com/resource-center/threats/cybercrime | 2024-09-13T19:12:28Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651535.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913165920-20240913195920-00588.warc.gz | en | 0.891667 | 347 | 3.328125 | 3 |
The Answer for Big Data Storage
Big Data analytics delivers insights, and the bigger the dataset, the more fruitful the analyses. However, big data storage creates big challenges: cost, scalability, and data protection. To derive insight from information, you need affordable, highly-scalable storage that’s simple, reliable, and compatible with the tools you have.
What Is Big Data Storage?
Big data storage is a compute-and-storage architecture you can use to collect and manage huge-scale datasets and perform real-time data analyses. These analyses can then be used to generate intelligence from metadata.
Typically, big data storage is composed of hard disk drives due to the media’s lower cost. However, flash storage is gaining popularity due to its decreasing cost. When flash is used, systems can be built purely on flash media or can be built as hybrids of flash and disk storage.
Data within big data datasets is unstructured. To accommodate this, big data storage is usually built with object and file-based storage. These storage types are not restricted to specific capacities and typically volumes scale to terabyte or petabyte sizes.
Big Data Storage Challenges
When configuring and implementing big data storage there are a few common challenges you might encounter. All these challenges take different shape when running on the public cloud vs. on-premises storage.
Challenge | Cloud vs. On-Premise |
Size and storage costs Big data grows geometrically, requiring substantial storage space. As data sources are added, these demands increase further and need to be accounted for. When implementing big data storage, you need to ensure that it is capable of scaling at the same rate as your data collection. |
Public cloud storage services like Amazon S3 offer simplicity and high durability. However, storage is priced per GB/month, with extra fees for data processing and network egress. Running big data on-premises delivers major cost savings because it eliminates these large, ongoing costs. |
Data transfer rates When you need to transfer large volumes of data, high transfer rates are key. In big data environments, data scientists must be able to move data quickly from primary sources to their analysis environment. |
Public cloud resources are often not well suited to this demand. On-premises, you can leverage fast LAN network connections, or even directly connect storage to the machines that store the data. |
Security Big data frequently contains sensitive data, such as personally identifiable information (PII) or financial data. This makes data a prime target for criminals and a liability if left unprotected. Even unintentional corruption of data can have significant consequences. |
To ensure your data is sufficiently protected, big data storage systems need to employ encryption and access control mechanisms. Systems also need to be capable of meeting any compliance requirements in place for your data. Generally, you’ll have greater control over data security on-premises or in private clouds than on public clouds. |
High availability Regardless of what resources are used, you need to ensure that data remains highly available. You should have measures in place to deal with infrastructure failures. You also need to ensure that you can reliably and efficiently retrieve archived data. |
Public clouds have strong support for this requirement. When running on-premises, ensure your big data storage solution supports clustering and replication of storage units, to provide redundancy and high durability on par with cloud storage services. |
Big Data Storage Key Considerations
When implementing big data storage solutions, there are several best practices to consider.
Start by inventorying and categorizing your data. Take into account frequency of access, latency tolerance, and compliance restrictions.
Use Data Tiering
Use a storage solution that lets you move data to lower-cost data tiers if it needs lower durability, lower performance, or less frequent access
Set policies for data backup and restoration, and ensure storage technology meets your Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO).
Cloudian® HyperStore® and Splunk SmartStore reduce big data storage costs by 60% while increasing storage scalability. Together they provide an exabyte-scalable storage pool that is separate from your Splunk indexers.
With SmartStore, Splunk Indexers retain data only in hot buckets that contain newly indexed data. Older data resides in the warm buckets and is stored within the scalable and highly cost-effective Cloudian cluster.
Elasticsearch Backup and Data Protection
Elasticsearch, the leading open-source indexing, and search platform, is used by enterprises of all sizes to index, search, and analyze their data and gain valuable insights for making data-driven business decisions. Ensuring the durability of these valuable insights and accompanying data assets has become critical to enterprises for reasons ranging from compliance and archival to continued business success.
Optimize Your Big Data Analytics Environment for Performance, Scale, and Economics
Improve data insights, data management and data protection for more users with more data within a single platform
Combining Cloudera’s Enterprise Data Hub (EDH) with Cloudian’s limitlessly scalable object-based storage platform provides a complete end-to-end approach to store and access unlimited data with multiple frameworks.
- Certified by HortonWorks
- Scale compute resources independent of storage
- No minimum block size requirement
- Reduces big data storage footprint with erasure coding
- Increases performance with replicas that mimic HDFS
- Compress data on the backend without altering the format
- Enables data protection and collaboration with replication across sites | <urn:uuid:8434d8c6-02d2-4cdb-bde2-acdfeab4005b> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://cloudian.com/solutions/big-data/ | 2024-09-21T03:54:22Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725701427996.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20240921015054-20240921045054-00888.warc.gz | en | 0.896968 | 1,138 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Essential Cybersecurity Best Practices for Safeguarding Digital Assets
Date: 27 August 2024
Safeguarding digital assets has become a critical priority in an increasingly digital world. With the rise of cryptocurrencies and other digital investments, robust cybersecurity practices are essential to protecting these valuable assets from theft, fraud, and cyber attacks. This article explores essential cybersecurity measures that individuals and organisations should adopt to secure their digital assets effectively.
Securing Cryptocurrency Wallets
Securing cryptocurrency wallets is fundamental to protecting digital assets from theft and unauthorised access. A robust security strategy begins with using strong, unique passwords and enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of protection. Regularly updating your wallet software ensures you benefit from the latest security patches and features.
For those holding significant amounts of cryptocurrency, using hardware wallets provides enhanced security by storing assets offline, away from online threats. Additionally, it's important to be cautious of phishing attempts and malware. Always back up your wallet's private keys in a secure location. Implementing these measures can significantly reduce the risk of losing your valuable digital assets to cyber criminals.
Protecting Cryptocurrency Exchanges
Protecting cryptocurrency exchanges is crucial given their role as primary targets for cybercriminals. To ensure the safety of transactions, such as when you want to exchange cake for sol, choosing an exchange that implements strong security measures is essential.
Look for platforms that use robust encryption methods, conduct regular security audits, and have secure server infrastructures to protect user data. Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) and maintaining complex, unique passwords for accounts are additional steps that enhance security.
Staying informed about any security breaches or updates from your exchange can also help you take timely action to protect your assets. By prioritising these security practices, you can safeguard your cryptocurrency transactions and investments from potential threats.
Avoiding Phishing Scams
Avoiding phishing scams is essential for safeguarding your digital assets from cybercriminals who attempt to steal sensitive information through deceptive tactics. Phishing scams often come in the form of fraudulent emails, messages, or fake websites designed to trick users into revealing personal details or login credentials.
To protect yourself, always verify the authenticity of any communication claiming to be from financial institutions or cryptocurrency services. Check for secure, legitimate website URLs and avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown sources.
Be cautious of unsolicited requests for sensitive information, and use tools like email filters and anti-phishing software to detect potential threats. By staying vigilant and practising careful online behavior, you can effectively reduce the risk of falling victim to phishing scams.
Implementing Network Security Measures
Implementing network security measures is essential for protecting digital assets from a wide range of cyber threats. For example, when handling transactions involving cryptocurrencies like SOL vs. USDT, it is crucial to secure your network against potential breaches.
Start using firewalls to prevent unauthorised access and ensure all communications are encrypted through secure protocols such as HTTPS and VPNs.
Regularly update all software and systems to address vulnerabilities and protect against emerging threats. Employing solid passwords and conducting frequent network audits will help identify and mitigate security risks. By adopting these comprehensive network security measures, you can effectively safeguard your digital transactions and protect assets from cyber threats.
Conducting Regular Security Audits
Regular security audits are critical for maintaining the integrity and safety of your digital assets. These audits involve thoroughly reviewing your security infrastructure, identifying vulnerabilities, and assessing the effectiveness of existing protection measures.
Engaging cybersecurity experts to perform these assessments ensures that potential weaknesses are detected and addressed before malicious actors can exploit them. Regular audits help verify that your systems are up-to-date with the latest security patches and standards, and they can also reveal areas where additional safeguards may be needed. By systematically evaluating and strengthening your security posture through periodic audits, you can enhance your defenses and protect your valuable digital assets from evolving cyber threats.
Securing digital assets requires a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity involving technical measures and vigilant practices. By adopting essential security practices such as protecting cryptocurrency wallets, securing exchanges, avoiding phishing scams, implementing robust network security, and conducting regular audits, individuals and organisations can better safeguard their digital assets from evolving cyber threats. As the digital landscape grows, staying informed and proactive in cybersecurity will be vital to protecting valuable digital investments. | <urn:uuid:3f40cfbc-f7e5-4a2f-a2af-3ab04d04bea3> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.cm-alliance.com/cybersecurity-blog/essential-cybersecurity-best-practices-for-safeguarding-digital-assets | 2024-09-21T02:36:57Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725701427996.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20240921015054-20240921045054-00888.warc.gz | en | 0.910631 | 890 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Over the past ten years, digitalization has made people’s lives easier
Navigation apps that show real-time traffic information and estimated travel time, virtual fitting rooms that help you get the most fitted clothes you want when you shop online, and virtual museums where you can get close to valuable cultural relics at home… These scenarios have already become a part of the daily lives of the Chinese people.
As China steps up its efforts to build a digital country, digital technologies are being widely applied, bringing digital dividends to more and more people.
The country has further consolidated the foundation of its digital industrialization and accelerated the process of industrial digitalization over the past ten years. China’s digital economy grew from 11 trillion yuan ($US1.58 trillion) in 2012 to 45.5 trillion-yuan last year. Today, digital technologies are reaching every corner of the country and are bringing profound changes to the lives of the Chinese people.
Over the past ten years, digitalization has made people’s lives easier.
From 2012 to 2021, internet penetration in China grew from 42.1 percent to 73 percent, with optical networks covering all prefectural-level cities. Besides, all administrative villages and villages lifted out of poverty across the country have broadband access.
As of the end of July, China had 475 million 5G mobile users. The country is home to the world’s largest 5G network.
Thanks to the leapfrog development of digital infrastructure, new technologies and business models emerge, such as the sharing economy, online retail, and mobile payment.
The fruits of digital construction are benefiting all aspects of society. Today, people order food by scanning QR codes and pay bills with facial recognition. Parking and garbage sorting are also made intelligent through digital technologies.
In rural areas, farmers are selling farm produce on livestream platforms, and digital technologies are turning traditional agriculture much smarter. More and more farmers are seeing increasing income thanks to digitalization.
Over the past ten years, digitalization has made services much more convenient for people.
Today, online, and remote services are very prevalent in China. In south China’s Hainan province, 18 urban hospitals, 340 rural healthcare centers and 2,700 village clinics have been equipped with 5G telemedicine devices. These devices can reduce the average length of patient visits by three to five hours and improve hospitals’ efficiency by 30 percent.
China has established the world’s largest online education platform and a national platform for medical insurance information. Over 90 percent of China’s counties and districts have access to telemedicine. During the remarkable decade, digital technologies have made important contributions to narrowing the urban-rural and interregional gaps regarding social service resources.
Over the past ten years, China has made huge improvements in digital government services. Digital government is an important part of China’s digital construction efforts. Applying digital technologies in government services is an effective measure to modernize the governance system and capability, as well as an inevitable choice for China to meet the public’s ever-growing demand for government services.
At present, mobile government service platforms are seen almost everywhere in the country, and people can have their errands done via a single website and in any province in the country.
Nearly 90 percent of provincial-level administrative licenses can be applied online, and applicants can receive the licenses with only one visit to the relevant offices at most. The average processing time has been reduced by over a half.
According to a UN survey, China’s E-Government Development Index is the ninth highest in the world. | <urn:uuid:eb172950-fce7-49f9-a4b4-b050e2abdca8> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://ciotechasia.com/digitalization-leads-to-better-life-of-chinese-people/ | 2024-09-09T02:07:23Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651053.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909004517-20240909034517-00188.warc.gz | en | 0.944918 | 743 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Data analytics is more than just the consumption and processing of raw data. It's explaining a situation or telling a story about why something has or will happen. As a consequence, one of the most important aspects of the process is visualizing the data in a way that makes sense to the stakeholders that will view this information. Platforms such as IBM Cognos BI offer compelling software that can perform visualization tasks easily, sharing information in a way that makes sense to both a regular employee and an executive. However, creating a visual result means more than just throwing up a chart. Analytics professionals must strike the right balance in presenting their findings to their audience.
Context is king
One of the first steps analytics should deliver is a result that makes sense in the situation it's delivered. How people receive the data will affect their decision-making ability. Consequently, context matters in a very important way. The Harvard Business Review suggested that visualization should take a different shape depending on whether it's delivered in a presentation or as a deck within an email. A presentation gives little time for the receipt of information. Thus it's essential to draw out bigger points in the graphs or charts displayed. On the other hand, a deck will give people time to actually view everything. In that situation, data scientists should provide more details on their findings.
Similarly, results should have a benchmark that people understand. Applying consistent metrics, along with ideal goals, can help stakeholders understand the situation more clearly, according to GoodData. Utilizing colors in relation to those measurements and milestones can help.
Using the right visuals
Not all data visualizations are created equal. Data scientists should understand that people can interpret specific bits of information differently if using different charts or graphs. A pie chart may not deliver a critical point as effectively as a bar graph can, for example. With this in mind, visualization company Tableau suggests looking at the information and determining what works best. A line graph is useful in identifying trends, while a bar graph can provide comparative analysis for different products or services. A pie chart works best when comparing percentages and shares, but they may not work if either of these have an overlap, such as multiple-answer surveys. Scatter plots and bubble charts may work best when determining variations on a specific item. In choosing the right visual and context, businesses benefit from getting the information they need out of analytics. | <urn:uuid:586e2709-5811-44d9-b224-6c5755ec8f72> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://avianaglobal.com/making-data-visualization-work-in-analytics/ | 2024-09-17T16:24:38Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651800.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917140525-20240917170525-00388.warc.gz | en | 0.937752 | 480 | 2.734375 | 3 |
SSH (Secure Shell) is a protocol used to establish a secure, encrypted connection between two remote devices. This is achieved using SSH keys. SSH keys are an access credential in the SSH protocol. See our blog post, What are SSH Keys? to learn more. While SSH keys are standard and more frequently used in Unix and Linux environments, they are also used on Windows devices.
Why Use SSH Keys
Some benefits of using SSH Keys over passwords are:
- The strong encryption makes it ideal to carry out tasks such as issuing remote commands and remotely managing network infrastructure and other vital system components. This is especially important in the era of cloud infrastructure and remote work.
- They support automation and scripting.
- They are more efficient than passwords.
- SSH keys can be combined with other security features like Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). See Get Started: MFA to learn more.
How It Works
SSH keys consist of a pair of cryptographic keys having one private key and one public key. Who or what possesses these keys determines the type of SSH key pair. There are three different types of SSH keys: User keys, Host keys, and Session keys.
See these resources from SSH Academy to learn more:
- The private key must be stored in a secure manner. Never share it with anyone.
- Use strong and unique keys.
- Use the User Portal to distribute keys.
- Limit access permissions.
You can store the SSH keys in JumpCloud Password Manager as secure notes.
Before you can start using SSH keys, you need to generate your own SSH key pair on the system you would like to use to access another remote system.
Depending on your operating system:
- To generate SSH keys using CLI on Mac and Linux, see Generating an SSH Key to learn more.
- To generate SSH keys on Windows with PuTTY, see Generating an SSH Key Pair in PuTTY to learn more.
The generated key pair is available in a file in the location you specified. If you accept the default location, the key pair is available in the id_rsa file in the .ssh directory. The private key is saved to the computer and is used to verify the public key. The public key is saved to the id_rsa.pub file and needs to be added to JumpCloud.
Adding SSH Keys to an Account
You can add and manage SSH keys for your account in your JumpCloud User Portal. Adding SSH Keys to your account can help to authenticate you to access remote system resources (if this is required by your IT Admin). See Add an SSH Key to an Account to learn more.
You can create, manage, and use SSH keys in Windows to remotely access a Linux device using the SSH protocol. JumpCloud stores the public key and an SSH client like PuTTY stores the private key on a Windows device. The public key is sent to all of the Linux devices a user is connected to, but the SSH client facilitates the SSH session. See Use SSH keys for Windows to learn more.
You can also manage your keys in PuTTY. In this scenario, JumpCloud manages the public key, and PuTTY stores the private key that a Windows user creates. See Manage SSH Keys in PuTTY to learn more. | <urn:uuid:2223ac5f-ff82-4b81-b592-46f2f3e22224> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://jumpcloud.com/support/get-started-ssh-and-ssh-keys | 2024-09-17T16:11:55Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651800.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917140525-20240917170525-00388.warc.gz | en | 0.913912 | 677 | 3.390625 | 3 |
To kick off the twentieth annual Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has announced that CISA and the National Cybersecurity Alliance will “focus on ways to “Secure Our World” by educating the public on how to stay safe online. Secure Our World is a theme that CISA will focus on throughout the next year “as we work to drive behavioral change around core cybersecurity habits by providing everyone with the knowledge and tools they need.”
To start, CISA “challenged everyone to help secure our world by adopting four simple steps that everyone can take to stary safe online:”
- Use strong passwords
- Turn on multifactor authentication
- Recognize and report phishing
- Update software.
These tools are free and available to all of us. I urge all of our readers to take advantage of these tools and frequently visit CISA’s website to participate in Secure Our World and protect yourself and those around you. I also urge you to spread the word in your sphere of influence so we can all do our part in making online activities safe. | <urn:uuid:274b3eae-654f-4d28-a852-af42c3067a9e> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.dataprivacyandsecurityinsider.com/2023/10/cisa-launches-cybersecurity-public-awareness-campaign/ | 2024-09-17T15:10:13Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651800.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917140525-20240917170525-00388.warc.gz | en | 0.944667 | 231 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Social engineering isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when most people think about cyberattacks. Yet, social engineering is consistently the most widely used avenue for breaking through an organization’s cyber defenses. Even when hackers use technical means to break through a system, there will often be some social engineering involved to obtain login credentials, extract useful tips and access confidential information.
It could occur through any channel including email, text, live chat, social media, phone call and face-to-face. When deployed by a seasoned cyber criminal, social engineering makes stealing sensitive information a much quicker job than conventional hacking. Given the dangers it poses, recognizing the warning signs is essential to avoiding falling victim. Check out these social engineering tactics and tips to avoid them.
According to the FBI’s 2021 IC3 report, phishing was by far the most common type of cyber attack contributing to just under 40 percent of victims. Phishing occurs through an email, text (smishing) or voice call (vishing) from what seems to be a trusted party requesting for information. There’ll be a degree of urgency to the request which is one of the primary distinctions between phishing and pretexting.
Phishing contributed to nearly 40 percent of victims in the FBI’s 2021 IC3 report
For instance, you may receive an email claiming to be from your bank asking you to confirm card details or Internet banking login credentials if you don’t want your account closed.
Spear phishing is a form of phishing that is highly targeted and based on extensive research about the target. For example, an email sent to you purporting to come from your immediate supervisor asking you to share certain confidential information.
Prevention: Do not open emails and/or attachments from senders you do not recognize, nor should you click on any links they contain. Report, then immediately delete any suspicious email or text.
Pretexting typically starts off with a genuine context to gain your attention and trust. It may be a series of messages from the perpetrator who poses as a co-worker, law enforcement officer, tax official, banker or major customer. Once trust is established, they’ll request for sensitive information such as bank and customer details.
This tactic is not limited to online channels and phone calls alone. For instance, a fraudster could find their way into your offices then pose as an IT auditor or helpdesk technician to earn your trust and gain access to your computer.
Urgency is one of the primary distinctions between phishing and pretexting
Prevention: Do not respond to calls or emails from unknown sources. Call or email colleagues, customers, bankers, law enforcement or other parties the scammer poses as, directly using their officially listed phone numbers and email addresses. This helps confirm an information request is indeed from them before you disclose any sensitive data.
Baiting rides on the target’s greed or curiosity by making false promises or presenting fake opportunities. Once the target has latched onto the bait, the attacker would access their personal data and/or infect their computer with malware.
A classic baiting technique is to use physical media such as a flash drive to disperse malware. Bad actors will place the drive in a conspicuous location such as an elevator or bathroom. They’ll make it appear interesting or authentic — like labeling it ‘payroll list’. Many people would want to see what the rest of their colleagues earn. When they plug in the flash drive, the malware would be installed.
Baiting also occurs online through ads with lucrative messaging that eventually lead the user to a malware-infected site or deceives them into downloading a virus-laced application.
Prevention: If you can avoid plugging any flash drive to your computer, the better. If you must use one, make sure you own it or have received it directly from a credible source such as your IT department. Do not click any links on strange popup windows or emails. Keep your antivirus up to date.
A popup window or a new browser tab claiming to have found dangerous malware on your computer. This is the modus operandi of scareware. Also known as fraudware or deception software, the idea is to cause panic by alleging the presence of non-existent threats.
The popup will propose an instant solution — install some magical software that makes the problem disappear. Except in this case, you’ll have installed actual malware instead. Scareware is also propagated through email containing fake warnings or offers to procure premium services.
Prevention: Do not click any links on strange popup windows or emails. Keep your antivirus up to date.
Social engineering is founded on human manipulation. Bad actors use your fear, greed or passion to get you to disclose information or provide access you otherwise wouldn’t if approached directly. Having your wits about you is crucial to defeating social engineering attacks.
Bad actors use your fear, greed or passion to get you to disclose information or provide access
If an email, text, call or enquiry sounds too good or too alarming to be true, it probably is. A healthy dose of skepticism will save you. Suspect you could be the target of a social engineering attack?
C Solutions can help your Orlando area business reduce risk and improve your cybersecurity resilience.
Schedule a free consultation today! Call 407-536-8381 or reach us online. | <urn:uuid:f6de2711-1f4a-400f-9c87-2cf996ffec3c> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://csolutionsit.com/social-engineering-tactics-avoid/ | 2024-09-18T20:43:30Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651941.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20240918201359-20240918231359-00288.warc.gz | en | 0.93402 | 1,108 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Creator: University of Michigan
Category: Software > Computer Software > Educational Software
Tag: engineering, Matlab, problems, programming, students
Availability: In stock
Price: USD 39.00
This specialization was developed for engineering students to self-study engineering mathematics. We expect students to already be familiar with single variable calculus and computer programming.
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Through this specialization, students will learn matrix algebra, differential equations, vector calculus, numerical methods, and MATLAB programming. This will provide them with the tools to effectively apply mathematics to engineering problems and be well-equipped to pursue a degree in engineering. To get a better understanding of what this specialization has to offer, be sure to watch the Promotional Video! | <urn:uuid:82c2b5f8-85d6-4141-b1b9-ba67c110ff61> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://datafloq.com/course/%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0-%D0%B4%D0%BB%D1%8F-%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B6%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2/ | 2024-09-20T04:50:45Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652130.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20240920022257-20240920052257-00188.warc.gz | en | 0.919102 | 162 | 2.765625 | 3 |
A Virtual Machine (VM) is a computer environment with resources such as CPU, memory, and hard drive. But it uses software to run instead of a physical computer. In other words, a virtual machine is an emulation of a physical system.
Let's understand with an example. Let's say X is a real physical computer with its resources. Now, you can install virtualization software on X to create any number of virtual machines. For the sake of this example, let's say, you create three virtual machines – A, B, and C. Now, X is your host, and A, B, and C are your guests or VMs that run on it. The resources of X, such as memory, hard drive, and CPU, are split among the three VMs in such a way that each has its resource. This way, what you change on B will not reflect on X or C.
Some of the best virtual machine backup software are:
- SolarWinds Virtualization Manager – FREE TRIAL Here's a comprehensive manager that not just backs up your data, but also monitors and fixes performance issues. Its predictive recommendations optimize your VMs and boost productivity. Get a fully functional 30-day free trial!
- Vembu BDR Suite – FREE TRIAL This cloud disaster and recovery platform are well-suited for small and medium enterprises. It enables anyone to recover complete VMs, physical devices, applications, and even a single file quickly. Access 30-day free trial.
- Veritas NetBackup Also known as Symantec NetBackup, this backup and recovery tool was designed for enterprise users. It provides agentless backup and quick recovery in the cloud.
- Altaro VM Backup This is a quick and high-performance backup and replication solution for Hyper-V and VMware environments.
- Veeam Backup and Replication This enterprise cloud backup platform backs up and protects your data across all environments.
You may wonder about the need for such a setup? Let's see the benefits of having VMs in your environment.
Benefits of Virtual Machines
VMs are useful in many situations and below are some of them.
- You can run many different computers, each with a different operating system, on a host. For example, the host can be a Windows OS while the VMs can run Ubuntu, macOS, etc.
- Saves huge costs because you don't have to buy separate systems. Rather, you can provision the existing host for many VMs.
- Highly portable, especially when you want to run older applications.
- Ideal for resource-intensive and multithreading applications, and more.
Due to these benefits, VMs became a popular way of computing. Over time, their use became widespread and this brought up the need to backup data used and stored in VMs. Again, specialized software was created for this purpose, and that's exactly what we're going to see in this article.
Best Virtual Machine Backup Software
Let's now take a detailed look into the features of each of this VM backup software.
SolarWinds Virtualization Manager is a comprehensive tool that monitors and manages your VM environment. Its advanced capabilities also boost productivity and optimize performance.
Features: Now, let's dive into the features of SolarWinds Virtualization Manager.
- Intuitive Dashboards The dashboards are extensive and intuitive and provide multiple views of your virtual environment. It maps VMs to their underlying host, storage, and other resources, so you can identify and troubleshoot problems easily. You can also understand the correlations and make quick changes when needed.
- Extensive Metrics Other than the dashboard, you also get extensive alerts and reports. This tool constantly monitors different metrics such as throughput, latency, and more, and sends alerts when the values go below or above the established threshold. Also, reports can be generated for specific clusters, hosts, or virtual machines. This will give you granular visibility of machines and environments. Further, you can analyze the trends based on historical performance, so you can better understand the problem, and resolve the same.
- Manages Sprawl This platform continuously monitors the VMs and ensures that VM sprawls don't happen. It reclaims zombie, idle, and stale VMs, and allocates accordingly. Also, it removes all the orphaned files, so space opens up for more storage.
Thus, these are some of the important features of the SolarWinds virtualization manager. While it doesn't back up VMs, it controls sprawls and ensures that resources are allocated optimally.
- Excellent dashboard that can scale to comfortably monitor multiple hosts and VMs in an enterprise environment
- Supports monitoring individual VM resources
- Can integrate with cloud products like Azure and Amazon EC2
- Provides recommendations for improvements along with color-coded health metrics
- Offers capacity planning and detailed reporting options
- Designed specifically for the enterprise, home users and small businesses will likely prefer SolarWinds VM Monitor
Pricing: SolarWinds Virtualization Manager starts at $1,759.
Free Trial: Click here for a fully functional 30-day free trial
Vembu BDR Suite is a cost-effective option for data backup and recovery. It's ideal for small and medium enterprises that want to recover virtual machines, applications, or even files from a WAN quickly and easily.
Features: Below are the salient features of Vembu BDR.
- Data Protection Vembu BDR uses a combination of tools and strategies to keep your data safe. Its end-to-end encryption encrypts your backup data before it leaves your data center, so the chances for interception are less. Further, the data is stored in an encrypted format in the Vembu Cloud. Due to these high-security practices, Vembu Cloud complies with many industry standards and certifications such as HIPAA, FISMA Moderate, SAS 70 Type II, and more.
- Restoration The restoration process is a breeze too. You can restore data from your VM, physical machines, applications, and files quickly through the Vembu BDR console. This console is intuitive and easy to navigate, so the recovery process takes only a few minutes.
- Backup Across Platforms Vembu BDR backs up your data across devices and platforms, such as the following:
- VMware: Agentless VMware Backup and Replication feature backs up your VMware ESXi host and vCenter Server.
- Hyper-V: Agentless Hyper-V feature protects your entire Hyper-V environment and its data.
- Windows: It works well on workstations and VMs running on Xen, VirtualBox, KVM, and more.
- Microsoft products: Vembu BDR can backup data from MS Exchange, SQL, Active Directory, Outlook, PostgreSQL, and more.
- Operating systems: Protects your Windows and Mac data from accidental crashes.
Overall, Vembu BDR is comprehensive and works well across many environments and platforms. Its no-frills and focused approach toward data backup and recovery make this platform a good choice for small and medium businesses.
- Offers a full suite of BDR tools
- Supports full and incremental backups
- Leverages agentless technology to perform backups with minimal performance impact
- Supports offsite backups
- Better suited for small to medium-sized networks
Pricing: Vembu BDR offers five pricing tiers and they are:
- Free: Limited to a maximum of 10 VMs.
- Standard Essentials: $108 per VM or CPU socket per year. Limited to 10 CPU Sockets or 100 VMs.
- Standard: $216/CPU-socket/year or $36/VM/year.
- Enterprise Essentials: $180/CPU-socket/year or $30/VM/year. Limited to 10 CPU sockets or 100 VMs.
- Enterprise: $360/CPU-socket/year or $60/VM/year.
Download: Access all the features of the BDR Suite with the 30-day free trial.
3. Veritas NetBackup
Veritas NetBackup is an enterprise backup and recovery software that leverages the power of automation and artificial intelligence to provide high levels of data security.
Features: Here's a brief look at Veritas NetBackup's important features.
- Multi-Cloud Optimization NetBackup is well-suited for multi-cloud environments. It manages all your cloud environments and reduces their complexity from a data management standpoint. It also helps to scale data protection for your applications spread across multiple cloud environments. Further, it ensures resilience for workload migration across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.
- Automation A key feature of NetBackup is its automation capabilities that provide a cost-effective and sustainable cloud environment. You can use its 200+ APIs to automate a ton of features such as scheduled backups, rollovers, streamlined access, and more. The best part is you can add these functionalities into your workflow in the existing NetBackup infrastructure.
- Native Kubernetes Support Netbackup supports Kubernetes natively, so you can backup and recover all Kubernetes mission-critical workloads quickly and easily. In turn, this also offers the opportunity to implement a distributed cloud strategy that best fits your needs. Also, you can manage and recover data using native Kubernetes tools.
- Data Protection NetBackup provides an extra layer of resilience for your data. Its multi-layered approach protects your data from ransomware and other forms of cyberattacks. Further, it supports multi-factor authentication, role-based access control, military-grade encryption both at rest and in transit, and more. All these measures together protect your data from unauthorized access.
- Detection and Recovery This tool continuously monitors your data and their access and reports the same to you. This is why you have complete data visibility across your entire infrastructure. Further, its AI-powered anomaly detection and automated malware scanning detects changes/anomalies at the earliest and alerts you accordingly. Besides detection, it also streamlines the recovery process. It offers both orchestrated and automatic recovery at scale and suggests a malware-free version of data that you can recover, in the event of an attack.
In all, NetBackup is an advanced platform that comes with wide-ranging features for data protection, anomaly detection, and recovery. Further, its automation capabilities add to the ease of management.
- Designed with enterprises in mind
- A solid option for those looking for an on-premise solution
- Can mirror cloud-storage environments locally
- Ample 60-day trial period
- The interface feels outdated, making it tougher to navigate
Pricing: Contact the sales team for a custom quote.
Free Trials/Demos: There are no free trials or demos at the time of writing this piece.
4. Altaro VM Backup
Altaro VM Backup is a high-performance backup tool that works well on Hyper-V and Vmware environments. Its rich features and easy setup also add to its appeal.
Features: Let's now take a peek at some of Altaro's features.
- Simple to Set Up A highlight of this tool is its simple and quick setup. The company claims that you can install and set up your first VM backup within just 15 minutes, as it requires no complex configurations or learning curves. There are no software dependencies either.
- Easy Backup and Replication Altaro uses the augmented inline deduplication process to efficiently store your data, so you can make the most of your storage space. Likewise, you also have the option to continuously replicate your VMs to a remote site. You can also choose to backup your data as frequently as once every five minutes. This brings down the chances of data loss due to replication or storage gaps. Moreover, you can leverage Microsoft VSS to backup live VMs when it comes to replicating critical data.
- Multiple Cloud Providers This platform integrates natively with many cloud providers such as Azure, Wasabi, and AWS. Just enter your credentials and Altaro will seamlessly handle the data transfers. No additional inputs or tools are required.
- Archiving Altaro uses the Grandfather-Father-Son archiving system to archive your backups. This is done in addition to your continuous backups. You can set the archiving schedule and can retrieve them based on their timestamp. There are two advantages to this form of archiving – saves space and provides redundancy.
- Encryption To keep your data secure, Altaro uses 256-bit AES encryption to encrypt all your backup data. You can even keep a secure password to decrypt the data. This encryption is available for both remote and local copies.
In all, Altaro offers a complete backup and restoration service that is sure to keep your data safe and secure.
- Great interface, easy to see key backup metrics
- Supports virtualization recovery
- Has a version for MSPs and resellers
- Can detect changes in data and replace files, acting as a DLP tool
- Would like to see more database recovery options, specifically recovering single databases rather than the entire VM
- Large datastores can corrupt if not carefully monitored
Pricing: Contact the sales team to buy a license.
Free Trial: Click here for a 30-day free trial.
5. Veeam Backup and Replication
Veeam Backup and Replication is a modern BDR platform that protects your data and eliminates any downtime arising from data loss or delayed recovery. It is also simple to use and highly flexible with configurations.
Features: Here's a look at Veeam's key features.
- Multiple Platforms Veeam works well across cloud, virtual, and physical environments. With this platform, you can backup and restore data from Google Cloud, Azure, AWS, NAS, Windows, Linux, SAP HANA, Oracle, PostgreSQL, VMware, Nutanix, and even enterprise apps.
- Automation With Veeam, you can automate regular administrative tasks as well as mass deployments. You can also standardize deployment, configuration, and access with a bunch of RESTful APIs. Moreover, it's simple to streamline protection and recovery for all users across your cloud and physical environments.
- Large-scale Deployments Veeam works well for large-scale deployments, as you can control and manage them through a single console. You can also streamline access using SSO tools like SAML 2.0. Likewise, you can do one-click restores of your data across multiple machines. All these provide granular control over your data.
- BaaS and DRaaS Veeam offers Backup as a Service (BaaS) and Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS). Both these services are highly scalable and you can use them to onboard your customers and enable self-service for them. Likewise, this can be used to discover devices, set policies for them, integrate them into a workflow, and more.
Overall, Veeam is a complete backup and recovery solution for all your environments.
- Easy to use for both technical and non-technical users
- Supports system-level recovery and backups
- Can run on Windows or Linux operating systems
- Ideal for small businesses and home users
- Would like more integrations into more hardware storage and NAS solutions
- Would benefit from FTP backup integration
Pricing: Contact the sales team for a custom quote.
Free Trial: Click here for a free trial.
Virtual machines provide a ton of benefits for enterprises in the form of cost savings, improved efficiency, higher productivity, and more. However, the downside is that VMs can quickly sprawl and get out of control. Further, managing data across different VMs can become challenging, and may soon become too overwhelming if you do it manually.
To avoid these hassles and to make the most of VMs, go for VM backup software like the ones we have described in this article. Also, consider using a virtualization manager if you have to configure and manage many VMs across different environments. Remember, these two are distinct functionalities, and can be hard to combine in the same tool. At the same time, both are essential for a thriving VM environment. | <urn:uuid:1697a139-19ba-4b56-b2f5-cb64606ec82f> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.ittsystems.com/best-virtual-machine-backup-software/ | 2024-09-20T04:17:26Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652130.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20240920022257-20240920052257-00188.warc.gz | en | 0.922912 | 3,364 | 3.1875 | 3 |
If you’re running a business, you’ve likely worried about cybersecurity threats at some point. spyware, in particular, is a stealthy menace that can infiltrate your systems, steal sensitive data, and compromise your operations.
But don’t worry because Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to help you bolster your defenses against spyware.
Read on to explore how AI can detect spyware, what you need to know to get started, and why it’s a game-changer for your business.
What is Spyware?
Before diving into AI, let’s quickly cover what spyware is and how it works.
Spyware is a type of malicious software that infiltrates your computer systems without your knowledge. It collects information like login credentials, financial data, and personal details, then sends this data back to the attacker.
This can lead to severe consequences, such as identity theft, financial loss, and a tarnished reputation.
The Challenge of Detecting Spyware
Detecting spyware can be incredibly challenging. Traditional methods rely on signature-based detection, which means identifying known malware by its unique code.
However, cybercriminals are constantly evolving their tactics, creating new and more sophisticated spyware types that can evade these traditional defenses.
This is where AI comes in.
How AI Enhances Spyware Detection
Leveraging Machine Learning
Machine learning stands out as one of AI’s most powerful tools. These algorithms sift through massive datasets to uncover patterns and detect anomalies.
Here’s how it works for spyware detection:
- Data Collection: AI systems collect data from various sources, including network traffic, user behavior, and system logs.
- Training the Model: The collected data is used to train the AI model. During training, the AI learns to distinguish between normal and suspicious behavior.
- Real-Time Analysis: Once trained, the AI continuously monitors your systems, analyzing data in real time to detect any signs of spyware.
AI doesn’t just look for known signatures; it also uses behavioral analysis to spot anomalies.
For example, if an application suddenly starts accessing sensitive files or sending data to unknown servers, AI can flag this behavior as suspicious.
It can also detect suspicious traffic or activities on your network infrastructure, prompting you to review your network security. This proactive approach helps catch new and unknown spyware that traditional methods might miss.
AI can also predict potential threats by analyzing trends and patterns.
If certain behaviors or activities have historically led to spyware infections, AI can alert you before an actual attack happens.
This allows you to take preventive measures, reducing the risk of an infection.
Implementing AI for Spyware Detection in Your Business
Choose the Right AI Solution
First, you need to choose the right AI solution for your business.
Look for cybersecurity providers that offer AI-driven spyware detection. Make sure the solution integrates seamlessly with your existing systems and provides real-time monitoring and alerts.
Regularly Update and Train AI Models
AI models need to be regularly updated and trained to stay effective.
Cyber threats are constantly evolving, and your AI system must adapt to new spyware tactics. Work with your provider to ensure your AI models receive regular updates.
Monitor AI Performance
While AI is powerful, it’s not infallible.
As such, you should monitor the performance of your AI system and review any flagged activities. This helps fine-tune the AI model and ensures it accurately identifies threats without generating too many false positives.
Combine AI With Other Security Measures
AI should be part of a multi-layered cybersecurity strategy.
What does it mean?
Well, it means it is a good idea to combine AI-driven spyware detection with other security measures like firewalls, antivirus software, and employee training.
This comprehensive approach provides robust protection against spyware and other cyber threats.
Benefits of Using AI for Spyware Detection
Faster Detection and Response
AI can detect spyware in real time, allowing for immediate response. This minimizes the time spyware can operate within your systems, reducing potential damage.
Reduced False Positives
AI analyzes behavior rather than just signatures. This means it can effectively reduce false positives. You won’t be bogged down by constant alerts for benign activities, which means you can focus on real threats.
AI solutions can easily scale with your business.
Whether you’re a small startup or a large enterprise, AI can handle increasing amounts of data and growing cybersecurity needs.
It’s no secret that spyware is a significant threat to businesses, but AI offers a powerful tool to detect and prevent these attacks. AI tools use machine learning, behavioral analysis, and predictive analytics to enhance your cybersecurity defenses, ensuring your sensitive data remains safe.
Remember to choose the right AI solution, keep it updated, and integrate it with your overall security strategy. With AI on your side, you can stay one step ahead of cybercriminals and keep your business secure. | <urn:uuid:3e366fe3-d096-4e4f-a615-b3ede990f360> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.infoguardsecurity.com/how-to-use-ai-to-detect-spyware/ | 2024-09-08T00:07:25Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650926.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20240907225010-20240908015010-00388.warc.gz | en | 0.916136 | 1,046 | 2.59375 | 3 |
The development of SSDs dates back to the 1950s and 60s, but they became commercially viable in the late 2000s. The significant milestone was the introduction of NAND flash memory by Toshiba in 1989, which laid the foundation for modern SSDs. By the mid-2000s, SSDs began appearing in high-performance computing environments, and by the 2010s, they became mainstream in consumer electronics.
The SSD market has grown rapidly, driven by the increasing demand for faster, more reliable storage solutions. As of 2023, the global SSD market was valued at approximately $34 billion, with projections to reach over $60 billion by 2028. Major players in the market include Samsung, Western Digital, Intel, and Micron. SSDs are widely used in personal computers, enterprise servers, and data centers, competing with traditional HDDs and newer technologies like NVMe and M.2 drives.
SSDs offer several advantages over traditional HDDs:
- Speed: SSDs provide significantly faster read/write speeds, which improves system performance and reduces boot and load times.
- Reliability: With no moving parts, SSDs are less prone to mechanical failure, increasing data reliability.
- Energy Efficiency: SSDs consume less power, which is beneficial for both mobile devices and large data centers.
- Durability: SSDs are more resistant to physical shock and temperature variations, making them suitable for a wider range of environments.
Despite their advantages, SSDs face several challenges:
- Cost: SSDs are more expensive per gigabyte compared to HDDs, although this gap is narrowing.
- Lifespan: SSDs have a limited number of write cycles, which can impact their longevity, particularly in write-intensive applications.
- Data Recovery: Recovering data from a failed SSD is more complex and less likely to be successful compared to HDDs.
- NAND Flash Memory: The primary storage medium in SSDs, available in different types such as SLC, MLC, TLC, and QLC.
- Controller: Manages data storage, retrieval, and error correction.
- TRIM Support: Helps maintain optimal performance by clearing unused data blocks.
- Wear Leveling: Extends the lifespan of the SSD by distributing write and erase cycles evenly across the memory cells.
- Encryption: Provides data security through hardware-based encryption.
Types of SSDs
- SATA SSDs: Use the SATA interface, offering a balance between cost and performance.
- NVMe SSDs: Use the PCIe interface, delivering much higher speeds compared to SATA SSDs.
- M.2 SSDs: Compact form factor SSDs that can use either SATA or NVMe interfaces, popular in laptops and ultrabooks.
- U.2 SSDs: Use the PCIe interface, designed for enterprise and data center applications.
- Personal Computers: Boosting system performance in desktops and laptops.
- Enterprise Servers: Enhancing the speed and reliability of data centers and cloud services.
- Gaming Consoles: Reducing load times and improving game performance.
- Embedded Systems: Providing robust storage solutions for industrial and IoT devices.
How to set up SSDs
Setting up an SSD typically involves:
- Installation: Physically installing the SSD in your device, which can involve connecting to a SATA or PCIe slot.
- Cloning: Transferring data from an existing drive to the new SSD using cloning software.
- Configuration: Adjusting system settings, such as enabling AHCI mode in the BIOS for optimal performance.
- OS Installation: Installing a fresh operating system if not cloning from an existing drive.
- Firmware Updates: Keeping the SSD firmware up to date for improved performance and reliability.
- HDD (Hard Disk Drives): Traditional storage devices with moving parts, slower and less reliable than SSDs but cheaper per gigabyte.
- NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express): A protocol designed to maximize the performance of SSDs connected via PCIe.
- M.2 Drives: A form factor for SSDs, supporting both SATA and NVMe interfaces.
- Kioxia: The History of Flash Memory
- Samsung Solid State Drive: White paper
- Intel: SSD Performance and Reliability
- The evolution of solid state drives (SSDs)
- What’s the Difference Between an SSD and a Hard Drive
- SSD vs Hard Drive vs Hybrid Drive | <urn:uuid:e8db28e3-e662-4f25-94bd-5eba932b069e> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://zesty.co/finops-glossary/ssd/ | 2024-09-08T00:20:29Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650926.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20240907225010-20240908015010-00388.warc.gz | en | 0.909719 | 914 | 2.890625 | 3 |
The role of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) has become more critical than ever in today’s interconnected and rapidly evolving digital landscape. The complex and dynamic nature of modern digital ecosystems presents a myriad of security challenges that traditional approaches struggle to address. As organizations embrace digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as a powerful tool in the hands of CISOs to navigate this complexity and fortify their cybersecurity strategies.
The Complexity Challenge
The rise of cloud computing, IoT devices, remote work, and interconnected applications has led to an explosion of data and digital touchpoints within organizations. While this interconnectedness fosters efficiency and innovation, it also introduces a high degree of complexity that cybercriminals are quick to exploit. Traditional security measures often fall short in dealing with the sheer scale and diversity of potential threats, leading to vulnerabilities that threaten data integrity, privacy, and overall system security.
The increasing reliance on cloud computing and third-party vendors has also made it more difficult for organizations to maintain control of their data. This is because cloud providers have access to sensitive data, and they may not always have the same security measures in place as the organization itself. Additionally, the proliferation of IoT devices has also created new security challenges. These devices are often poorly secured, and they can be easily hacked into. This can allow attackers to gain access to a network or system, or to steal sensitive data. Adding the complexity of remote work, employees working from home may not be using the same security measures as they would in the office. This can make it easier for attackers to gain access to their devices and data.
AI’s Armor: Adaptive and Analytical
Artificial Intelligence (AI) brings a revolutionary paradigm shift to cybersecurity. Its ability to process vast amounts of data, learn from patterns, and adapt in real-time enables it to tackle the complexity challenge head-on. Machine Learning (ML), a subset of AI, equips security systems to identify anomalies, predict potential threats, and respond with minimal human intervention. This adaptability is crucial in an environment where new attack vectors emerge frequently.
AI-driven tools, such as intrusion detection systems and behavior analytics, continuously monitor network activity, flagging unusual patterns that might indicate a breach. By leveraging historical data, these systems can predict potential security breaches and vulnerabilities, allowing CISOs to proactively address them.
A Force Multiplier in Threat Detection
Traditional security methods often rely on predetermined rules and signatures to identify threats. This approach struggles to keep pace with rapidly evolving cyber threats and sophisticated attack techniques. AI-driven solutions revolutionize threat detection by employing advanced algorithms to detect anomalies that might go unnoticed by rule-based systems.
For example, AI can detect subtle deviations in user behavior, helping identify compromised accounts or insider threats. It can also sift through massive datasets to spot trends and correlations that might indicate a breach. These capabilities transform AI into a force multiplier, enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of threat detection efforts.
Mitigating Zero-Day Vulnerabilities
Zero-day vulnerabilities, which are unknown to software vendors and have no corresponding patches, pose a significant challenge. According to Poneman Institute, 80% of successful breaches come from zero-day attacks. Cybercriminals exploit these vulnerabilities to launch devastating attacks. AI’s ability to quickly analyze code and system behavior aids in identifying potential zero-day vulnerabilities. By simulating attacks and exploring possible weak points, AI assists in preemptively fortifying systems against unknown threats.
Human-AI Collaboration: The Future of Cybersecurity
While the rebate of AI being a friend or foe is still on the table, AI brings remarkable capabilities to the table, the human element remains indispensable. CISOs and their teams provide the context, ethical judgment, and strategic insight that AI lacks. The symbiotic relationship between human expertise and AI’s analytical prowess creates a comprehensive defense strategy.
CISOs can harness AI to automate routine tasks, allowing their teams to focus on high-value activities such as threat hunting, incident response, and developing proactive security strategies. Additionally, AI-generated insights can inform decision-making processes, helping CISOs allocate resources effectively and stay ahead of emerging threats.
In an era of escalating cyber threats and intricate digital ecosystems, CISOs face an uphill battle to safeguard their organizations. Embracing AI as a guiding hand in cybersecurity empowers CISOs to navigate complexity, predict threats, and fortify their defenses. The fusion of human expertise and AI’s analysis might pave the way for a more secure digital future, where organizations can innovate and grow without compromising their data and systems. As AI continues to evolve, CISOs must seize the opportunity to leverage AI’s potential and steer their organizations toward safer horizons. | <urn:uuid:5cc16b03-eff6-4265-bbc5-2081bdf746f5> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://agileblue.com/navigating-complexity-ais-guiding-hand-for-cisos-in-securing-modern-digital-ecosystems/ | 2024-09-09T05:56:45Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651072.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909040201-20240909070201-00288.warc.gz | en | 0.930358 | 966 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Language is a tool, the purpose of which is remarkably simple: to transfer the thought or idea in my head into yours, as completely and accurately as possible. Like most tools, the tool of language might be used by different users in diverse ways.
Mastery of language is no guarantee of success. New technologies mean new vocabulary. And new vocabulary means a less consistent use of that vocabulary. And nothing is newer or bigger in the marketplace than AI-related technology.
It's all about context
Language only works when both sides of a conversation agree on context and definitions. Said more colloquially, language works best with both sides are “on the same page.” In the technical world, the classic example of a miscommunication of this type is one between Engineering and Marketing. It is so common, in fact, that it is the fundamental premise of the humor in the cartoon strip Dilbert.
The problem is actually quite simple: the goal of an Engineer is communicating an idea precisely. While Marketing is also about communicating, preciseness is of secondary importance. The primary goal is to influence. If a less accurate word gets a better response from the Marketer, the less accurate word will be used. Naturally, this results in a disconnect (i.e., miscommunication) when an Engineer attempts to learn from Marketing materials.
Another common source of miscommunication is two groups having different definitions of the same word. In some cases, both are even correct, though incompatible. A perfect example of this is the word “theory.” To a scientist, engineer, or mathematician, the word “theory” has a very precise definition which is quite different from that of a non-technical person. William Briggs is a scientist with a PhD in Mathematical Statistics who offered the following insight on the subject in 2012:
“By the way, it is a pet peeve of mine to call any intellectual model of something a ‘theory.’ In science, a model is an explanatory, predictive description of some system or process. A hypothesis is a model that in principle can be falsified, that is, the evidence that would disprove the model can be unambiguously stated. A theory is a hypothesis that has, so far, survived all attempts to prove it wrong.”
The conflation of the definitions of “theory” and “hypothesis” in the minds of non-scientists makes communications between scientists and non-scientists a tricky problem to solve. In other words, it is difficult to transfer the thoughts or ideas of a scientist into the head of a non-scientist completely and accurately. In a more general sense, it is a good example of distinct groups having difficulty communicating with one another.
How do we fix this?
As a consumer of technology, “cross-silo” communication like this is an everyday challenge, whether it is between you and a vendor, or between you and other groups within your organization. As stated at the beginning, AI-related technologies are new to the marketplace, and therefore, a source of a lot of imprecision and miscommunication.
To fix this, first, you need a source of accurate, precise data. Your Sales team, an Account Manager, and a Sales Engineer have the job of influencing you to buy a product. They are taught to communicate in Marketing terms. What you have going for you is that most Sales Engineers, plus a surprising number of Account Managers, came from an Engineering background. It is not hard to get them into “geek mode” where they drop the Marketing vocabulary and switch to Engineering-speak. At that point, it is important to know the definitions of the Engineering terms they will be using.
AI has been around as a field of Computer Science since the mid-1950s. As such, the vocabulary is established in the technical world. But all of this is new to the consumer in the last few years, so the definitions of words used in consumer-facing media are a bit “fuzzy.” You have undoubtedly run across terms such as “Artificial Intelligence,” “Machine Learning,” “Large Language Models,” “GPT,” “Generative AI,” “Deep Learning,” “Neural Nets,” and “ChatGPT.” Let’s make sense of these.
Two basic categories of AI
Like the term “physics,” AI or Artificial Intelligence is not really a “thing” in and of itself. Rather, it is an umbrella under which many other fields exist. Discounting early avenues of research under the AI umbrella, there are two basic types of AI today: statistics-based AI and neural-network-based AI.
Statistics-based AI is better known as ML or Machine Learning. Fundamentally, ML is all about creating a model comprised of one or more equations to describe a solution, then “training” that model using positive and negative reinforcement by providing the models with right and wrong answers. This training is essentially a computer-assisted search for coefficients for each variable in each equation, which, when novel values are plugged into the variables, results in the desired answers.
If this sounds too simple to be considered intelligence, you are not alone in that opinion. It is common for ML to be considered as a “lesser” science under the AI umbrella. While ML’s status as “intelligence” is debatable, its power as a tool is not. ML excels at many difficult tasks.
While ML can be used for many things, if I had to pick one sole use case that defines its utility, I would choose “grouping.” ML is exceptionally powerful for finding things that “look like” each other. This might be finding all of the photos of your dog on your phone. Or finding the faces of people in a photograph to use as a point on which to focus the lens. Since we are talking about security, it might be useful for finding groups of servers in your network with similar traffic patterns, then notifying you when the traffic from one of those servers suddenly becomes less like it used to be (i.e., a deviation from the baseline), potentially indicating a breach.
There are dozens of other possible uses, including finding all your NTP servers, all your Redis databases, or all the machines in your network running old, unpatched versions of Windows.
If you read that a product uses AI, it is likely that the specific technology in use is ML. Compared with other AI technologies, ML is the most predictable, best understood, and easiest to implement. It also nicely solves a lot of problems common to the security space. It is also worth noting that while training an ML model (the part the vendor does) requires extensive compute resources, using an ML model (the part you do once you have purchased the product) once it has been trained requires no more computing power than any other application.
When the average person hears the term “AI,” solutions based on Deep Learning are probably what they have in mind. Before we define Deep Learning, however, we first need to talk about Neural Nets.
The fundamental building block of a computer is the NAND gate. With computer logic, any other type of gate, and thus any computer, can be built of NAND gates. In fact, the computers in the Apollo spacecraft were the size of a large shoebox and contained about 14,000 NAND gates.
NAND gates are simple critters. In the simplest form, a NAND gate has two inputs and one output. When both inputs are high (“on,” or logic 1), the output is low (“off”, or logic 0). Other combinations of inputs (low/low, low/high, or high/low) result in a high output. Simple. But from this lowly logical construct, all computers are built.
The fundamental building block or “processing unit” of the brain is a neuron. Neurons are not much more complex than NAND gates. They communicate electrochemically via several inputs (typically hundreds) and one output. While the logic in a neuron is more complex than a NAND gate (typically an analog threshold function, rather than an on/off logic gate), this is easily modeled in software.
A group of neurons “wired” together is a Neural Net. While Neural Nets are a fun curiosity, their true power is realized when layers of neurons are connected, where each neuron feeds one or more other neurons in large numbers. This is Deep Learning. Officially, deep learning is defined as “a neural network containing more than one layer.”
What is interesting is that Neural Nets are a descendant of Perceptrons, which were invented in 1943, and first implemented in 1958. While Perceptrons had serious limitations, the basic concept was sound, and evolved into Neural Nets in 1987. In other words, we have had the basic building blocks and understood the fundamental ideas upon which today’s incredible AI technology is based for over thirty-five years, yet AI progress was glacial until recent years.
What was lacking was compute power. The human brain has roughly 100 billion neurons. Between these neurons, there are roughly 100 trillion connections. Computer power has been growing exponentially since its inception, but only with the recent advent of extremely powerful computer graphics co-processors with thousands of processor cores each has it been possible to build Neural Networks with meaningful numbers of neurons. Let us throw some numbers out to put this into perspective.
In 1986, when I first started getting serious about programming, the most powerful supercomputer in the world was the Cray X-MP/48. This machine cost about $20M USD at that time, or about $55M USD in today’s money. It was about the size of a restaurant’s walk-in refrigerator, and used about 350 kw of electricity, about as much as a square block of houses with the AC cranked up. A Raspberry Pi Zero, when released a few years ago, cost $5 USD and had roughly the same performance as one of these systems. A single iPhone or high-end Android phone that you carry around in your pocket and toss in the trash when you break the screen is about as powerful as all the supercomputers in the world in 1986 combined. A visit to your local big box store might net you a machine equal to a few hundred iPhones.
While huge advancements have been made in the computer science side of AI, it is really the astonishing increase in computer power and ability to simulate ever-greater numbers of neurons that has led to the remarkable abilities of today’s AI solutions.
Solutions built on deep learning
Outside of ML, nearly all other current AI technology is based on Deep Learning. Generative AI is the broad classification of systems that produce the “wow” factor in AI today. Generative AI is the ability to synthesize new output, often in the style of other input data. This might be audible (voices, sounds, or music), visual (pictures, movies, drawings), or text (words, sentences, paragraphs, poetry, or lyrics, for example). This output might be entirely original or done in the style of a specific artist (your favorite search engine should be able to turn up examples of the voice of Elvis singing Sir Mix-a-Lot’s Baby’s Got Back or a painting of a corgi in the style of Vermeer).
Large Language Models are Generative AI systems that specialize in human language. Unless you live under an extremely large rock, you have likely heard of ChatGPT. ChatGPT is a web interface on top of AutoAI’s product called GPT. ChatGPT is a remarkable system which, based on prompts and questions from a user, produces output ranging from puzzling to astonishing. ChatGPT will happily do your child’s math homework (or write their book report), write you a story, analyze a piece of software, or help you write some code in Python. The output of ChatGPT can be easily seen as intelligent (though whether this output truly represents intelligence or not is beyond the scope of this article). Certainly, the output is close enough to intelligence to show where the technology might go in the next five years.
Deep Learning in security
To date, there has been little integration of Neural Network-based AI solutions in security products. It is certainly not zero, but there are still a few speedbumps to be navigated before a vendor will commit to incorporating this technology.
If I may take a few liberties with the term “motivation,” the first liability of the current generation of Large Language Models is that its “motivation” is to produce output that satisfies a user. This sounds rather good, until you realize that output that satisfies a user is not necessarily correct output. An LLM is entirely happy with being wrong, so long as the user is happy. In fact, it would not even be accurate to say that being correct is a secondary consideration for an LLM. If the output of an LLM does happen to be accurate, it’s more of a happy accident, and of no real concern of the LLM. While this is fine when writing LLM-assisted poetry, it might be problematic when assisting with security policy.
Second, LLMs can still “get out of hand,” so to speak. By necessity, LLMs are trained with a far wider breadth of knowledge and data than is strictly necessary for the use they are being put to. In fact, it is sometimes useful to think of using an LLM in the same way as hiring an employee. An employee hired to do the task you need done certainly has life experience outside of that task. Like an errant employee, current LLM implementations can be led outside of safe topics of conversation.
LLMs are extremely recent technology, and these issues are being worked on by a lot of very smart people. They will undoubtedly be solved in the next year or so. Once they are, expect a variety of new product features, including natural language interfaces, automatic prioritization of issues, cross-referencing of previously solved issues, and suggestions for issue resolution. Twelve to eighteen months from now, I would be surprised if there was not a product on the market that might send you the following email:
Dear User. Anomalous traffic with characteristics matching the newly released CVE-20240101 was detected from the following four machines in your Dallas datacenter starting at 04:53:07 this morning: […] All four of these machines were lacking vendor patch XXX, and two were also lacking patch YYY, both of which mitigate CVE-20240101. As these were redundant database servers and adequate capacity was available for fail-over, these machines were temporarily disconnected from the network. Please click >here< to automatically re-image, patch, and restore these systems, or click >here< for more information and other options.
Each piece of this already exists today, at least in the research phase. LLMs can parse the English text of CVEs (common vulnerabilities and exposures). They are capable of comparing the data in that CVE with real-world network traffic. They are capable of analyzing network volume and capacity. They are capable of analyzing a system’s installed (and missing) software and configuration. And they are capable of generating Ansible scripts to automate the rebuilding of systems and restoration of configurations and data. It is just a matter of putting the pieces together.
In the world of social media and news, we are watching history unfold as language (and, therefore, communications) is being made deliberately less precise. We are watching real-world implementations of the lessons of Bernays and Orwell. In the world of technology, however, we are not yet facing these challenges. We are still free to speak precisely and accurately. Having the right vocabulary is an important part of that. | <urn:uuid:13ba5d12-c47c-4993-928c-ff8e79119a1c> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.illumio.com/blog/ai-communication-problem | 2024-09-10T09:51:57Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651241.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910093422-20240910123422-00188.warc.gz | en | 0.961497 | 3,339 | 3.25 | 3 |
Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a waste of time and money, according to researchers at Microsoft – one of the biggest proponents of DRM technology. DRM is an attempt to prevent piracy by making it impossible to copy digital files such as those found on CDs and DVDs. Microsoft, which has put much of its marketing emphasis for Windows Media Player 8 and 9 on its DRM capabilities, has been trying to convince record company and movie studio executives that the best way to stop pirates is not to track them down and make examples of them as they did with Napster, but to ensure that it is simply impossible for them to make copies of data.
But a group of Microsoft’s own researchers have argued that history shows it is impossible to stop pirates and that it is easier and more cost-effective to focus on providing content at the same kind of price and at the same level of convenience as the pirates do.
Microsoft’s researchers argue that it was easy to shut down the Napster file-sharing network because there was a central group of servers needed to run the network. Newer networks such as Gnutella do not have the same flaw and so are impossible to shut down, even if they exist only on a small-scale, local level rather than globally.
While the answer given by Microsoft to the problem of pirates DRM looks more promising as a result, the researchers argue that the various technologies are always going to get broken and security keys will always get leaked.
“Proposals for systems involving mandatory watermark detection, in addition to severe commercial and social problems, suffer from several technical deficiencies which lead to their complete collapse. We conclude that such schemes are doomed to failure,” say the researchers. | <urn:uuid:b5e0fdeb-f1fe-4809-84ec-b4039637e43f> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.information-age.com/drm-just-a-waste-of-time-say-microsoft-researchers-23857/ | 2024-09-10T11:07:35Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651241.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910093422-20240910123422-00188.warc.gz | en | 0.965299 | 349 | 2.59375 | 3 |
IP Camera Lens: DC Iris, P-Iris, Aperture, Depth of Field
Lenses play an important role for high quality image capturing in a surveillance system, especially in the mega-pixel IP world. The performance of IP camera highly relies on the lens quality. Normally, conventional IP cameras utilize fixed lens, or vari-focal lens to provide standard quality images. For high-end market, some manufacturers developed and launched IP cameras equipped with auto-Iris and P-Iris lens.
What is Iris?
The iris is the part of the camera that has an adjustable opening to allow light to enter and fall upon the image sensor (i.e. CCD, CMOS). If the Iris creates a larger opening, more light can get through; a smaller opening allows less light through. The aperture is the size of the opening in the iris.
Aperture is measured by F-Stop on your camera controls. A small F-Stop is a large aperture opening and a large F-Stop is a small aperture opening. Because a smaller aperture limits the amount of light entering the lens, a large F-Stop also requires more light to properly expose an image.
To know the relationship between F-Stop/Aperture and Depth of Field is:
- Large F-Stop = Large Depth of Field = More Light Needed
- Small F-Stop = Small Depth of Field = Less Light Needed
Auto-Iris is motorized lens, with the ability to adjust the iris to keep constant video level, is good for environment where lighting condition may vary. Compared with Fixed or Manual Iris lens, Auto Iris lens used more advanced technology, camera with an Auto Iris lens are often more expensive. There are two types of Auto Iris lens:
- DC Iris: controlled by direct-current (DC) driving signals from camera.
- Video Iris: controlled by video signal with separate power from camera.
The "P" in P iris stands for "precise" because the iris uses both the ability to automatically adjust like an auto iris with controls in the camera’s software to create improved video clarity and depth of field. IP camera adopts the most advanced iris control technology - P Iris, which allows keeping an accurate and consistent sharpness and depth of view.
P-Iris is a new type of iris control that is both automatic and precise. Unlike a DC-iris lens, the main task of the P-Iris control is not to continuously adjust the flow of light through the lens. The primary objective of P-Iris is to improve image quality by enabling the optimal iris position to be set so that the central and best-performing part of the lens is used most of the time. This position, expressed as a specific f-number, is where the lens performs optimally, where many optical errors are reduced, and where image quality (with regards to contrast, resolution and depth of field) is at its best. This is the default setting in an camera with P-Iris.
In conclusion, P-Iris is better than DC Iris; when can precisely control the aperture, it can solve the depth of view problem, currently there are several lens manufacturers launched P-Iris lens, both P-Iris and DC Iris adopt the same 4PIN connector, but they are different in pin function: P-Iris (A+, A-, B+, B-); DC-Iris (Cont-, Cont+, Drive+, Drive-).
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Tags: IP Camera | <urn:uuid:dba568af-ccd3-4b55-b202-99f5099db458> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.burglaryalarmsystem.com/technology-news/ip-camera-lens-dc-iris-p-iris-aperture-depth-of-field.html | 2024-09-11T17:35:41Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651390.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911152031-20240911182031-00088.warc.gz | en | 0.917792 | 755 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Millions of electronic devices have encountered edge computing in the processing and delivery of data across large networks. Throughout the past decade, this process has proven to be a practical solution for handling the proliferation of IoT devices and modern applications that depend on real-time computing power.
Here, we’ll discuss how manufacturers have progressed by using edge computing. But, first, let’s take a look at the factors driving this effective latency reduction solution.
What’s Driving Edge Computing?
Manufacturers are expected to be among the most common end-users of edge computing in the future. The concept of an intermediary platform between the cloud and the user has expanded the possibilities for intensive data processing in large production plants.
Due to distances between a plant and its cloud-based data center, part of the solution for combatting network latency has been strategic placement of devices at network edges or locations closest to the user. The result of this has been faster processing, while data comes from multiple sources besides the cloud. And the cloud then provides access to data from suppliers, as the facility itself has sensors in many internal areas, such as the use of surveillance cameras.
The IoT and Big Data revolutions in business are expected to connect over 50 billion devices in 2020. In the process, over 1.44 billion data points will be transmitted per day at large facilities. This data will go through the stages of collection, filtering, and processing. It will produce the analytics that managers will review to make important business decisions – sometimes even in real-time.
The growth of this paradigm means that demands for connectivity and computing power will need to handle faster data transmissions to compete for quality. The concept of latency in data delivery will become obsolete for organizations aiming to be competitive on a global level. Supply chains will need to upgrade technology and deploy edge computing solutions to stay relevant. This means that IoT will require more power closer to the data source.
Growing the Edge Computing Market
The edge computing market reached a value of over $1.7 billion in 2019,and industry forecasts point to this technology surpassing $9.3 billion by 2025 – a growth of 34 percent (CAGR) throughout the 2020-2025 period.
With the continued expansion of IoT and AI, smart city planning will support even more edge computing by telecom firms and carriers that are developing more powerful networks. The market will also be driven by 5G cellular technologies, requiring broader bandwidth that supports a wider array of devices, from smartphones to self-driving vehicles to large-scale IoT.
The Use of Edge Computing in the Manufacturing Process
The widespread adoption of edge computing among manufacturers will improve interoperability among IoT deployments. These inevitable innovations for big producers will help reduce downtime, while improving production quality and economic efficiency. It will ultimately reduce the strain of workloads across wider bandwidth networks. The result will allow for the expansion of IoT sensors throughout a factory for every imaginable computing purpose. The wealth of data it produces will lead to smarter analysis and better-quality products.
The Prominence of Industrial IoT
Manufacturers will embrace the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in production processes to improve network communication within cloud-based systems. Part of the reason producers will have large market shares in the edge computing technology space will be due to resistance from small to medium companies. But many of these smaller players simply will not have enough capital to invest in expansive networking strategies. Manufacturers with deep funding, however, will be best suited to invest heavily in massive IoT data collection.
The original purpose of edge computing was to cut bandwidth costs in systems encompassing IoT devices over long distances. Now, it has proved to be effective for the growing use of real-time applications that demand local processing and storage capabilities, and it’s expected to remain a strong force in networking for the foreseeable future, since the edge will be an important key to reducing the strain on large-scale network resources. | <urn:uuid:970fcc93-dce8-43c2-a874-e4e7f7fe9874> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://iotmktg.com/the-growing-potential-of-edge-computing-to-transform-the-manufacturing-industry/ | 2024-09-12T18:35:42Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651491.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912174615-20240912204615-00888.warc.gz | en | 0.929303 | 797 | 2.6875 | 3 |
In recent years, there has been an overwhelming increase in the volume of data within the healthcare industry, ushering in the era of big data management in healthcare. This data is sourced from diverse outlets, including patient health records, electronic devices, genomics, medical imaging, and more. Concurrently, advancements in computational power have facilitated the processing of extensive datasets, giving rise to the integration of Big Data analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare. These technological innovations present the medical industry and practitioners with the opportunity to glean invaluable insights into patient care, identify predictive patterns, formulate personalized treatment plans, and enhance the overall efficiency of healthcare processes. This blog post delves into the transformative influence of Big Data and AI on patient care within the healthcare sector.
Types of Healthcare Data
The term “big data” encapsulates an extensive volume of information within the healthcare domain, covering aspects ranging from individual patient care to the underlying processes that drive healthcare operations. There is a growing inclination among healthcare institutions towards adopting a patient-centric approach, facilitated by advanced data management services. Patient data, whether analyzed individually or in aggregate, holds immense value in understanding both clinical and business-related functions. The ultimate goal is to leverage this data to enhance care for all patients. Three primary categories of patient data wihin the clinical context are:
Electronic Health Records (EHR)
Electronic Health Records have become the backbone of modern healthcare, consolidating patient information, medical histories, and treatment plans into digital formats. The accessibility of EHRs facilitates seamless data sharing among healthcare providers, enhancing collaboration and ensuring comprehensive patient care.
With the proliferation of wearable devices and health apps, patients are now active contributors to their health data. This real-time, patient-generated data provides valuable insights into daily habits, vital signs, and overall well-being, offering a holistic view that aids in personalized treatment plans.
Clinical trial data
Big Data plays a pivotal role in the management and analysis of data generated during clinical trials. This includes vast datasets on the efficacy and safety of treatments, helping researchers draw meaningful conclusions and facilitating the development of innovative therapies. Different registries provide different levels of access to data. Examples include ClinicalTrials.gov, the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and OpenTrials.
Big Data Technologies in Healthcare
The need for advanced technologies for processing and interpreting extensive datasets has become crucial. These technologies include data warehousing, analytics, and machine learning algorithms. Specially in healthcare, where the volume and intricacy of data can be overwhelming, technologies like Graphical Processing Units (GPUs) and AI accelerators are assuming an increasingly pivotal role in the management, processing, and extraction of valuable insights from healthcare data, showcasing the significant influence of big data in pharma.
The utilization of GPUs and AI accelerators in AI and Big Data processing is growing, thanks to their parallel processing capabilities. These technologies adeptly manage intricate tasks such as training deep learning models and processing vast amounts of patient data. The advent of remote GPU technologies allows multiple users to share a single GPU, optimizing hardware utilization and reducing costs. AI accelerators enhance AI algorithms, facilitating quicker data processing and improved real-time analytics. They expedite the analysis of unstructured data, such as radiological images, doctor notes, or genomic sequences, resulting in enhanced outcomes.
These advancements have paved the way for groundbreaking collaborations between medical and data professionals, driven by a desire to foresee the future and anticipate issues well in advance.
An illustrative example of such collaboration is the Pittsburgh Health Data Alliance. This initiative, focused on big data management in healthcare, seeks to amalgamate data from diverse sources, including insurance and medical records, wearable sensors, and genetic data, to create a comprehensive portrait of the patient. The ultimate goal is to provide a personalized healthcare package based on this intricate understanding of individual health profiles.
Application of Big Data Tools in Healthcare
- Data warehousing and storage: Efficient storage solutions ensure the accessibility and integrity of vast healthcare datasets, allowing for seamless retrieval and analysis when needed.
- Data analytics and machine learning: Advanced analytics and machine learning algorithms, vital components of big data integration in healthcare, enable healthcare professionals to derive meaningful insights from large datasets. This includes predictive analytics for identifying potential health risks and trends.
- Predictive modeling for patient outcomes: Big Data empowers healthcare providers with predictive modeling capabilities, enabling them to anticipate patient outcomes and customize treatment plans for better results.
Improving Diagnostics and Treatment
Big Data’s impact on diagnostics and treatment is transformative, offering:
- Early disease detection through data analysis
- Personalized medicine and treatment plans tailored to individual patient profiles
- Enhanced diagnostic accuracy with machine learning algorithms assisting healthcare professionals in making more precise diagnoses.
Enhancing Patient Engagement
Big Data not only benefits healthcare providers but also empowers patients through:
- Access to their health data, fostering a sense of control and awareness
- Improved communication between healthcare providers and patients, leading to more informed decision-making
- Utilization of data for preventive care and wellness programs, promoting proactive health management.
Ensuring big data security in healthcare is important, safeguarding sensitive information to maintain patient privacy and confidentiality.
Big Data management in healthcare is revolutionizing patient care by harnessing the potential of vast healthcare datasets. From diagnostics to treatment and patient engagement, the impact is far-reaching. Responsible data management is crucial in ensuring the ethical and secure use of healthcare data. As we move forward, the possibilities are limitless, with the continued evolution of data-driven healthcare promising a future where patient care is more personalized, efficient, and effective. Embracing these advancements is key to ushering in an era of healthcare that is not just data-driven but also patient-centric. This procedure necessitates accurate data categorization in order for smaller pieces of data to be evaluated effectively. We at Intone take a people-first approach to data optimization. We are committed to providing you with the best data integration and management service possible, tailored to your needs and preferences. We offer you:
- Knowledge graph for all data integrations done
- 600+ Data, and Application and device connectors
- A graphical no-code low-code platform.
- Distributed In-memory operations that give 10X speed in data operations.
- Attribute level lineage capturing at every data integration map
- Data encryption at every stage
- Centralized password and connection management
- Real-time, streaming & batch processing of data
- Supports unlimited heterogeneous data source combinations
- Eye-catching monitoring module that gives real-time updates
Contact us to learn more about how we can help you! | <urn:uuid:3bb4688c-b4d2-416c-9e3e-b51f73bdf4e9> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://intone.com/revolutionizing-patient-care-big-data-management-in-healthcare/ | 2024-09-20T08:05:57Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652138.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20240920054402-20240920084402-00288.warc.gz | en | 0.901212 | 1,366 | 3.046875 | 3 |
In the world of software application development, fuzzing is designed to find bugs.
Fuzzing or fuzz testing is an automated software testing technique that involves providing invalid, unexpected, or random data as inputs to a computer program.
The program is then monitored for exceptions such as crashes, failing built-in code assertions, or potential memory leaks.
Generally, a fuzzer will determine it has found a bug by detecting an application crash. Many potential interesting security bugs don’t necessarily cause a normal application to crash immediately.
By feeding unexpected or random data into a program, fuzzing catches bugs that would otherwise slip through the most thorough manual checks and provides coverage that would take staggering human effort to replicate.
Typically, fuzzers are used to test programs that take structured inputs.
GitHub has more on fuzzing here.
NIST’s guidelines for software verification specify fuzzing among the minimum standard requirements for code verification.
This month, the Google developers are able to announce ClusterFuzzLite, a continuous fuzzing solution that runs as part of CI/CD workflows to find vulnerabilities.
“With just a few lines of code, GitHub users can integrate ClusterFuzzLite into their workflow and fuzz pull requests to catch bugs before they are committed, enhancing the overall security of the software supply chain,” say the team.
Since its release in 2016, over 500 critical open source projects have integrated into Google’s OSS-Fuzz program, resulting in over 6,500 vulnerabilities and 21,000 functional bugs being fixed. ClusterFuzzLite goes hand-in-hand with OSS-Fuzz, by catching regression bugs much earlier in the development process.
According to Daniel Stenberg, author of curl, “When the human reviewers nod and have approved the code and your static code analyzers and linters can’t detect any more issues, fuzzing is what takes you to the next level of code maturity and robustness. OSS-Fuzz and ClusterFuzzLite help us maintain curl as a quality project, around the clock, every day and every commit.”
With the release of ClusterFuzzLite, any project can integrate this essential testing standard and benefit from fuzzing.
“ClusterFuzzLite offers many of the same features as ClusterFuzz, such as continuous fuzzing, sanitizer support, corpus management, and coverage report generation. Most importantly, it’s easy to set up and works with closed source projects, making ClusterFuzzLite a convenient option for any developer who wants to fuzz their software,” said Metzman, Chang and Winser.
The takeaway here is that with ClusterFuzzLite, fuzzing is no longer just an idealised ‘bonus’ round of testing for those who have access to it, but a critical must-have step that everyone can use continuously on every software project. | <urn:uuid:86795e8b-867f-4107-93e0-9cfc87d32379> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.computerweekly.com/blog/Open-Source-Insider/Continuous-fuzzing-with-ClusterFuzzLite | 2024-09-13T02:38:33Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651506.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913002450-20240913032450-00088.warc.gz | en | 0.929295 | 609 | 2.875 | 3 |
What Do You Say When Someone Says The Earth's Flat?
Experts aim to make technology and science relate more to everyday life.
How long does it take the Earth to orbit the sun? Half of U.S. adults don't know, according to a recent National Science Foundation survey. In fact, a 2001 NSF survey found that 42% of adults said they couldn't be bothered with science and technology issues--this at a time when literacy in both have enormous impact on the nation's health and economy.
Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University's Office for Science and Society in Montreal, says indifference and outright rejection of technology and science are stunting progress in both areas.
Thinking that better communication of the topics might turn things around, the National Institute of Standards and Technology convened a panel of scientists, journalists, educators, and others to coach those in the know on how to effectively communicate with those in the dark. The panel's report has just been published, and it calls for a two-way, all-media push that, among other things, relates science to everyday life and does more than preach to the choir.
"A lot of people feel it's all incomprehensible," says Jesse Gordon, a senior systems analyst with consulting firm Technology Planning & Management. It isn't, he says, "but too often, the people teaching science are so into it that they can't communicate it in a way that people grasp it."
Gordon says there needs to be more "popularizers" of science and technology, perhaps in the mold of Stephen Hawking. Schwarcz, a chemist, is one popularizer: He has a weekly radio show in which he answers listeners' science questions.
"I've learned you can't communicate with those who have very, very strong beliefs, like in astrology or that the moon landings were faked, but you can give education early on," he says. Children and adults need a "vocabulary" for critical thinking.
Both Schwarcz and Gordon acknowledge that the Internet is a major source of bogus information. But, they say, as the world learns how to judge the worthy online information from the worthless, the Internet will be a heavy tool for beating back superstitions and misconceptions.
Gordon says he has talked with people who in the course of a conversation espouse questionable beliefs. He walks the person through the idea, or as he puts it, "I reduce the argument to its absurdity." Were someone to say the world is flat, for example, he might ask that person where people fall to when they go over the edge.
Schwarcz isn't put off by what seems to be an increasing number of dubious alternative beliefs about the world. He says it's likely that the same percentage of people have odd thoughts today as 100 years ago. Communication options have multiplied in the interim, though, giving voice to more people.
Maybe so, but one wonders why that percentage hasn't dropped as fast as the planet's gotten smaller.
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September 25, 2024 | <urn:uuid:c3ab38e5-2766-4340-b260-dcef68518b75> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.informationweek.com/it-leadership/what-do-you-say-when-someone-says-the-earth-s-flat- | 2024-09-13T02:53:53Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651506.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913002450-20240913032450-00088.warc.gz | en | 0.963228 | 667 | 2.75 | 3 |
An ethernet switch or network switch is an essential device for connecting multiple devices together on a local area network (LAN).
This comprehensive guide will explain what is an ethernet switch, what do it do , how it works, and its key benefits.
What is an Ethernet or Network Switch?
An ethernet switch or network switch is a networking device that connects multiple devices on a computer network. It works on the data link layer (layer 2) of the OSI model and uses MAC addresses to forward data packets to the correct destination device.
Some key things about ethernet switches:
- Forwards data frames based on MAC addresses
- Operates at layer 2 (data link layer) of the OSI model
- A plug-and-play device with no configuration required
- Creates a collision domain per port
- Supports full-duplex communication for increased speed
How Does an Ethernet Switch Work?
Ethernet switches use packet switching to receive, process, and forward data. The key steps are:
- Receiving: The switch receives an incoming ethernet frame on one of its ports.
- Learning: It examines the source MAC address and adds it to the MAC address table along with the associated port.
- Forwarding: It looks up the destination MAC address in the table to find the correct outgoing port.
- Filtering: It forwards the frame only to the destination port, filtering it from other ports.
- Flooding: If the destination MAC address isn’t found, the frame is flooded out to all ports.
This selective forwarding allows the switch to filter data traffic and prevent unnecessary broadcasting across the network.
What do ethernet switches do?
Here are the key things that ethernet switches do:
In summary, the main job of an ethernet switch is to intelligently forward frames between devices to enable local communication using MAC address lookups. This makes them a core component of Ethernet based networks.
Ethernet switches send frames only to specific devices having specific mac addresses and only intended to receive that frame.
So now the question comes:-
How does the switch decide where to send the frames transmitted from different devices on the network?
Every frame has a source and destination MAC address field, and a switch opens up (if it needs to) that frame and looks at that information. Then, it cross-verifies that source MAC address in its table. If the source MAC address is not present in the table, it adds the MAC address and the port into the table. This table is referred to as the content-addressable memory table ( CAM table) in CatOS and the MAC address table in IOS holds a map of which MAC addresses have been detected on which ports and is used to identify which ports have been discovered.
The switch then identifies the destination MAC address of the frame and examines the table to see whether there is a match. If there is a match, that frame is only forwarded to that port. The frame is transmitted to all ports if a match is not found.
Ethernet switches can segregate network devices into groups by using VLANs.
Check out the Ethernet Switch vs Hub vs Router article for a more in-depth comparison.
See also: What is a Router and What Does it Do?
What are the different types of ethernet switches?
There are several different types of ethernet switches. The main categories are:
- Chassis-based switches with slots to add modules and ports as needed
- Flexible and scalable, can expand as network grows
- More expensive than fixed switches
- Examples: Cisco Catalyst 6000, Huawei CloudEngine series
Fixed Configuration Switches
- Basic “plug and play” switches
- No configuration options
- Lowest cost option
- Offer basic management like VLANs, port monitoring etc
- Some configuration possible via GUI
- Cost effective for small and medium networks
- Fully configurable via CLI or web interface
- Advanced features like SNMP, VLANs, LAGs etc
- Most expensive, for large and complex networks
- Examples: Cisco Catalyst, HPE Aruba, Juniper EX series
- Multiple switches connected as single logical unit
- Scalability and resilience benefits
- Cisco Catalyst, HPE Aruba, Huawei CloudEngine series
Power over Ethernet (PoE) Switches
- Provide power over ethernet cables to devices like IP phones, cameras
- Standards like 802.3af, 802.3at, 802.3bt
- Cisco Catalyst, Juniper EX, HPE Aruba support PoE
Optical Fiber Switches
- Support fiber optic cable connections
- Used for backbones, data centers, high speed networks
- Examples: Cisco Nexus, Juniper QFX, HPE SN6000
So in summary, factors like budget, scalability needs, network size and applications determine the ideal ethernet switch type for an organization.
See also: managed vs unmanaged switch
Advantages and Disadvantages of an Ethernet Switch
Advantages of an Ethernet Switch | Disadvantages of an Ethernet Switch |
Switches have port ranges between 8-48 ports suitable for small and large Local Area Networks. You can use switches inside the home as well if you have heavy usage applications like multiplayer games or heavy music file sharing. | Switches with more ports are costlier. |
Switches are more Intelligent than hubs and have many features, including device identification, layer2 security, flood identification, prevention, Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), etc. | You need networking knowledge to configure a switch properly. A wrong or improper switch configuration can do disaster in the network. |
The switch reduces the number of broadcast domains. | Switches are not as good as routers in limiting a broadcast; however, nowadays, there are layer3 switches that can handle broadcasts like routers. |
The switch supports VLANs for logical port segmentation. | Some switches only support normal VLAN ranges from 1-1005 and do not support extended VLAN range(1006 to 4094). Therefore, you should always check a switch VLAN limits as per your requirement. |
Switches can use the CAM database or MAC address tables to map the port to MAC. | Some switches have a specific limit for MAC address tables; you should always check the maximum CAM database size before deploying switches. |
Switches are robust and can handle broadcast and multicast packets. | Although switches can handle broadcast and multicast packets well, handling Multicast packets in switches requires careful planning and design. |
Administrators can manage VLAN security and turn ports on and off using intelligent ethernet switch features. | Again these advanced features need proper networking knowledge and careful planning. |
Ethernet switches are essential for building local area networks. They allow multiple devices to connect, communicate, and share data at fast speeds in a seamless plug-and-play manner. Investing in a quality ethernet switch is a great way to improve network performance and expand connectivity. | <urn:uuid:a8b17a89-5b19-4f44-86a9-7ee8979c0587> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://afrozahmad.com/blog/what-is-ethernet-or-network-switch/ | 2024-09-14T04:41:08Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651548.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20240914025441-20240914055441-00888.warc.gz | en | 0.884534 | 1,449 | 4.0625 | 4 |
Sustainable architecture is an essential response to the growing challenges posed by climate change, urbanization, and resource scarcity. Energy-efficient building technologies are at the heart of this architectural movement, driving innovation and transforming how buildings are designed, constructed, and operated. By minimizing energy consumption and reducing the carbon footprint of buildings, these technologies play a crucial role in creating more sustainable urban environments. This article explores various energy-efficient building technologies that contribute to sustainable architecture, including the use of advanced materials, smart systems, renewable energy sources, and innovative design tools like floor plan makers.
Energy efficiency in buildings is not just about reducing utility bills; it is a fundamental component of sustainable development. Buildings are among the largest consumers of energy, accounting for nearly 40% of global energy use and contributing to a significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions. Improving energy efficiency in buildings can therefore have a substantial impact on reducing the overall environmental footprint.
The push for energy-efficient buildings is driven by a combination of regulatory measures, technological advancements, and an increasing awareness of environmental sustainability. Governments worldwide are setting stricter energy codes and standards, encouraging the adoption of green building practices. At the same time, advancements in technology are providing architects and builders with new tools and materials that make it easier to design and construct energy-efficient buildings.
One of the key strategies for enhancing the energy efficiency of buildings is the use of advanced materials that offer superior insulation, durability, and sustainability. Insulating materials such as aerogels, vacuum insulation panels, and phase change materials have revolutionized the way buildings manage thermal energy. These materials significantly reduce heat loss or gain, thereby decreasing the need for mechanical heating and cooling systems.
For example, aerogels, often referred to as “frozen smoke,” are extremely lightweight and have low thermal conductivity, making them ideal for insulating windows, walls, and roofs. Phase change materials, on the other hand, absorb and release thermal energy during the process of melting and solidifying, thus helping to stabilize indoor temperatures and reduce the need for additional energy inputs.
Additionally, sustainable materials like cross-laminated timber (CLT) and recycled steel are gaining popularity in sustainable architecture. CLT, made from layers of wood stacked crosswise and glued together, not only provides excellent structural performance but also sequesters carbon, making it a more sustainable alternative to traditional concrete and steel.
Smart building systems leverage advanced technologies such as sensors, automation, and artificial intelligence to optimize energy use and improve the overall performance of buildings. These systems can monitor and control lighting, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) in real time, adapting to the needs of occupants and changing environmental conditions.
For instance, smart lighting systems use occupancy sensors and daylight harvesting techniques to adjust artificial lighting based on the presence of people and the availability of natural light. This not only reduces energy consumption but also enhances the comfort and well-being of occupants. Similarly, smart HVAC systems can learn usage patterns and preferences, adjusting the temperature and airflow to maintain optimal conditions with minimal energy use.
Building management systems (BMS) integrate various smart technologies into a single platform, providing a holistic view of the building’s performance. By analyzing data from different sensors and systems, a BMS can identify inefficiencies, predict maintenance needs, and suggest improvements to further enhance energy efficiency.
Incorporating renewable energy sources into building designs is another crucial aspect of sustainable architecture. Solar power, wind energy, and geothermal systems can provide clean, renewable energy to meet the demands of buildings, significantly reducing their reliance on fossil fuels.
Solar panels are one of the most common renewable energy technologies used in buildings. They can be installed on rooftops, facades, or even as part of building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems, which seamlessly blend solar cells into building materials like windows and roof tiles. Advances in solar technology, such as the development of transparent solar panels and flexible thin-film solar cells, are expanding the possibilities for integrating solar power into building designs.
Wind turbines, though less common in urban settings, can also be incorporated into building designs, particularly in high-rise structures. Small-scale vertical-axis wind turbines are often used in combination with solar panels to provide a more consistent and reliable source of renewable energy.
Geothermal systems, which utilize the stable temperatures below the Earth’s surface for heating and cooling, offer another effective way to reduce energy consumption in buildings. These systems can be particularly beneficial in areas with extreme temperatures, as they provide a constant, renewable source of energy that is not affected by weather conditions.
Design tools like floor plan makers play a vital role in the development of energy-efficient buildings. These digital tools allow architects and designers to create detailed, accurate representations of building layouts, enabling them to optimize the design for energy efficiency from the outset.
Floor plan makers can be used to simulate various design scenarios, assess the impact of different building orientations, and identify the most efficient use of space. By experimenting with different layouts, designers can ensure that natural light and ventilation are maximized, reducing the need for artificial lighting and mechanical ventilation systems.
Additionally, floor plan makers can integrate energy modeling software, allowing designers to evaluate the energy performance of their designs in real time. This capability is particularly useful in the early stages of design, where decisions about materials, insulation, and building orientation can have a significant impact on the overall energy efficiency of the building.
For example, a floor plan maker can help determine the optimal placement of windows and shading devices to minimize heat gain in the summer and maximize solar gain in the winter. It can also assist in selecting the best locations for renewable energy systems, such as solar panels or wind turbines, based on the building’s orientation and local climate conditions.
By incorporating energy efficiency considerations into the design process, floor plan makers help ensure that buildings are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional and sustainable.
As the field of sustainable architecture continues to evolve, new technologies and approaches are emerging that promise to further enhance the energy efficiency of buildings. One such trend is the development of net-zero and positive energy buildings, which produce as much or more energy than they consume. Achieving this requires a combination of advanced energy-efficient technologies, renewable energy integration, and innovative design strategies.
Another emerging trend is the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimize building performance. AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data from smart building systems to identify patterns and predict future energy needs, allowing for more precise control and optimization of energy use.
The integration of smart grids and energy storage solutions is also becoming increasingly important. By connecting buildings to a smart grid, energy can be managed more effectively, with excess renewable energy stored and distributed as needed. This not only improves the resilience of energy supply but also supports the broader transition to a more sustainable energy system.
In conclusion, energy-efficient building technologies are critical to the success of sustainable architecture. From advanced materials and smart systems to renewable energy integration and innovative design tools like floor plan makers, these technologies are reshaping the way buildings are designed, constructed, and operated. As the demand for sustainable buildings continues to grow, the adoption of energy-efficient technologies will be essential in creating a more sustainable future for all. | <urn:uuid:5d2f78d0-fc94-4e25-a836-a316444ce856> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://diversinet.com/energy-efficient-building-technologies-for-sustainable-architecture/ | 2024-09-15T11:07:09Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651622.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20240915084859-20240915114859-00788.warc.gz | en | 0.927279 | 1,488 | 3.984375 | 4 |
Information Security made great strides last year.
Sadly, so did cyber-crime.
In the U.S. – according to a recent FBI study – almost 90 per cent of firms experienced computer attacks last year despite the use of security software.
So what happened in 2005?
In a year when rootkits went mainstream and malware went criminal, information security improved.
There was no global pandemic like the Slammer or Blaster worm juggernaut. There was no malware with a replication magnitude of the order of Code Red, Slammer, Nimda, or the Iloveyou virus. With the notable exception of PHP worms, even the Linux side had fewer popular viruses and worms.
Patching got easier. Not only did more and more sophisticated patch management tools arrive from every sector, but there were fewer patches to deploy. Administrators got better at blocking hackers and malware. And end users don’t click on every file attachment they receive.
But security onslaughts attain greater significance as the year saw the metamorphosis of cyber malice into a highly organized and sophisticated international crime syndicate, where the likes of ‘phishing’ and ‘spamming’ have gone through drastic evolution.
Eighty-seven per cent of the more than 2,000 public and private enterprises that took part in the FBI survey said that they had undergone one or the other kind of security attack. Virus, spyware and adware top the list where a significant amount of businesses faced systems and data sabotage. One third of the companies detected port scans of their systems, a method used by attackers to identify vulnerable PCs to sneak in, the survey said.
A staggering 98 per cent of survey respondents said they used antivirus software, of which nearly 84 per cent still suffered a virus attack.
According to U.S.–based security and communications software vendor MicroWorld Technologies Inc. in Farmington Hills, Mich., many antivirus software products fail to prevent virus attacks because they work in a reactive way with known virus signatures, and hence cannot take on newer threats. Enterprises must revaluate the kind of technology and effectiveness of many leading antivirus and security software they use.
The stuff that is getting by our defenses is more dangerous: Malware went criminal. Most of today’s malware exists to steal confidential information, send spam, or steal identities. Now, malware is getting harder to remove, hiding better, and contains more tricks and exploits than ever.
IT managers and system administrators reported spyware and viruses were the most common problem, followed by port scans, sabotage of data or networks, and adult pornography. While not necessarily illegal, adult pornography is against the policy of most organizations, the study noted.
More than 50 per cent of hacking attempts came from within the U.S. and from China, as many organizations were able to trace where intrusion attempts originated. But hackers are using computers that are under their control but located in other countries, combined with the use of proxies to make detection more difficult.
The FBI said a Romanian hacker could use a proxy computer in China to gain access to a compromised computer in the U.S., leading to a false conclusion that the attack originated in the U.S.
Antivirus software is widely used, and most organizations also have firewalls in place, the survey said. But 44 per cent reported that intrusions came from within their own organizations, and “this is a strong indicator that internal controls are extremely important and should not be underemphasized while concentrating efforts on deterring outside hackers,” the FBI said.
Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed had implemented event logging on their network, a measure the FBI said is a crucial element in tracking crime. And half of those stored the logs on a remote protected server. | <urn:uuid:3645b965-2efe-459d-92ea-c0df3ba61d27> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/cyber-crime-strides-in-lockstep-with-security/4951 | 2024-09-15T11:31:21Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651622.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20240915084859-20240915114859-00788.warc.gz | en | 0.955886 | 777 | 2.625 | 3 |
Interception Techniques and Protocols
There are two approaches for leveraging the network infrastructure to intercept and redirect traffic to WAAS for optimization. The first method relies on interception protocols or routing configuration used by the networking components (routers and switches) to selectively intercept traffic and redirect it to the WAAS infrastructure. This method is referred to as off-path interception. The most common method for off-path network interception is the Web Cache Communication Protocol, or WCCPv2.
The second method places the WAE physically inline between two network elements, most commonly a router and LAN switch. All traffic between the two network elements is passed through the WAE, which can then selectively intercept traffic for optimization. This method is referred to as in-path interception, because the WAE is physically placed in the data path between the clients and servers.
This section discusses both off-path (WCCPv2) and in-path interception in detail. It also discusses other interception options for specific use cases, such as policy-based routing (PBR) and content switching. These additional interception options add to the flexibility with which WAAS can be integrated into existing network infrastructures of all sizes.
Web Cache Communication Protocol
This section does not provide an exhaustive reference for the WCCPv2 protocol. Rather, it provides enough information about the protocol background and concepts to enable you to understand the WCCPv2 implementation in Cisco WAAS. For an in-depth understanding of the WCCPv2 protocol, you are encouraged to read the WCCPv2 protocol draft. The full WCCPv2 IETF draft is available online at http://www.wrec.org/Drafts/draft-wilson-wrec-wccp-v2-00.txt.
WCCP is a transparent interception protocol first developed by Cisco Systems, Inc. in 1997. WCCP is a control plane protocol that runs between devices running Cisco IOS and WCCP "clients" such as WAAS. The protocol enables the network infrastructure to selectively intercept traffic based on IP protocol and port numbers, and redirect that traffic to a WCCP client. WCCP is considered transparent, because it allows for local interception and redirection of traffic without any configuration changes to the clients or servers. WCCP has built-in load-balancing, scalability, fault-tolerance, and service assurance (fail open) mechanisms. Figure 4-4 shows the basic functions of WCCP.
Figure 4-4 Basic WCCP Functionality
The current version, WCCPv2, is used by Cisco WAAS to transparently intercept and redirect all TCP traffic, regardless of port. The following section describes the basic WCCPv2 concepts and how they are specifically used by Cisco WAAS.
The routers and WAEs participating in the same service constitute a service group. A service group defines a set of characteristics about what types of traffic should be intercepted, as well as how the intercepted traffic should be handled. There are two types of service groups:
- Well-known services
- Dynamic services
Well-known services, also referred to as static services, have a fixed set of characteristics that are known by both IOS and WCCPv2 client devices. There is currently a single well-known service called web-cache. This service redirects all TCP traffic with a destination port of 80. The characteristics of a dynamic service are initially only known to the WCCPv2 clients within the service group. The characteristics of the service group are communicated to the IOS devices by the first WCCPv2 client device to join the service group.
A unique service ID identifies service groups, which is a number from 0 to 255. Service IDs 0 to 50 are reserved for well-known services.
The WCCPv2 implementation in WAAS supports a single dynamic WCCPv2 service, the tcp-promiscuous service. Although referred to in WAAS as a single service, the tcp-promiscuous service is in fact two different services. The two service IDs enabled with the tcp-promiscuous service are 61 and 62. These are the two service group IDs that are configured in IOS when using WCCPv2 with WAAS. Two different service groups are used because both directions (client-to-server and server-to-client) of a TCP connection must be transparently intercepted. To optimize a connection, WAAS must see both directions of the connection on the same WAE. Not only does WAAS intercept the connection in both directions, but it also intercepts the connection on both sides of the WAN link. Because the packet Layer 3 and Layer 4 headers are preserved, transparent interception is used on both sides of the WAN in both directions to redirect connections to the WAAS infrastructure for optimization. Figure 4-5 shows a basic topology with WCCPv2 interception configured for WAAS.
Figure 4-5 Basic Network Topology with WCCP
What is the difference between services 61 and 62? You can view the service attributes using CLI commands in both WAAS and IOS. Example 4-9 shows the attributes of services 61 and 62 using the IOS CLI.
Example 4-9. WCCP Service Group Attributes
AST6-RTR-02# show ip wccp 61 service WCCP service information definition: Type: Dynamic Id: 61 Priority: 34 Protocol: 6 Options: 0x00000501 -------- Hash: SrcIP Alt Hash: SrcIP SrcPort Ports: -none- AST6-RTR-02# AST6-RTR-02# show ip wccp 62 service WCCP service information definition: Type: Dynamic Id: 62 Priority: 34 Protocol: 6 Options: 0x00000502 -------- Hash: DstIP Alt Hash: SrcIP SrcPort Ports: -none- AST6-RTR-02#
A description of each value is provided in Table 4-2.
Table 4-2. WCCP Service Group Attributes
Well-known or dynamic service. |
The numeric service ID for the group. |
The priority for the service group. When multiple service groups are configured on the same interface in the same direction, they are evaluated in descending priority order. |
The IP protocol number defined by the service group. |
Flags field indicating further service characteristics. |
The value(s) in the redirected packet used as the hash key. |
Alternate Hash |
The value(s) in the redirected packet used as the alternate hash key. |
The Layer 4 port numbers defined by the service group. |
The command output shows that the only difference between services 61 and 62 is the value from the packet used as the hash key. By default, service group 61 hashes on the source IP address and service group 62 hashes on the destination IP address. Later, this chapter discusses the significance of the hash key used in each service group. By default, the spoof-client-ip feature is enabled for both services. This is the WCCPv2 feature that allows WAAS to handle optimized traffic transparently. Traffic forwarded to the WAE uses the same source and destination IP addresses and TCP ports as when it entered the WAE.
The tcp-promiscuous services define TCP as the protocol and do not define any ports. By not defining any ports as part of the service groups, this causes interception and redirection of all TCP traffic. When traffic passes through an interface in the IOS device with WCCPv2 redirection configured, it is evaluated against the protocol and port combination defined by the service to determine whether or not the packet should be redirected. By default this is the only criteria that is used to determine whether or not a packet is redirected. It is important to note that the IOS WCCPv2 implementation is not stateful. This means that IOS WCCPv2 is only dealing with redirected traffic on a packet-by-packet basis. It does not keep track of TCP connection state for redirected traffic. On the other hand, the WCCPv2 implementation in WAAS is stateful. WAAS tracks each connection as a flow throughout the life of the connection.
Forwarding and Return Methods
WCCPv2 supports different methods for forwarding redirected traffic to a WAE, and for the WAE to return traffic to the router for forwarding. These methods are referred to as the forwarding and return methods and are negotiated between IOS and the WAE when a WAE joins the service group.
The forwarding method defines how traffic that is being redirected from IOS to the WAE is transmitted across the network. The first method, GRE forwarding, encapsulates the original packet in an IP GRE header with the destination IP address set to the target WAE and the source IP address set to the WCCPv2 router ID of the redirecting router. When the WAE receives the GRE-encapsulated packet, the GRE header is removed, and the packet is processed. Figure 4-6 shows an example of GRE forwarding.
Figure 4-6 WCCP Redirection Using GRE Forwarding
The second forwarding method, L2 forwarding, simply rewrites the destination MAC address of the packet being redirected to equal the MAC address of the target WAE. This forwarding method assumes that the WAE is Layer 2 adjacent to the redirecting router. L2 forwarding was originally developed for the WCCPv2 implementation on hardware-based platforms, such as the Catalyst 6500. Figure 4-7 shows an example of L2 forwarding.
Figure 4-7 WCCP Redirection Using L2 Forwarding
One of the benefits of L2 forwarding is that it allows for the WCCPv2 redirection to occur in hardware on Cisco Catalyst Series switches. In fact, on the Catalyst 3560/3750 and 4500/4948 series switches, the only forwarding method supported by WCCPv2 is L2 forwarding. Additional information about the configuration requirements for deploying WCCPv2 on Cisco Catalyst switches is provided in the "WCCP Configuration" section.
The return method defines how traffic should be returned from the WAE to the redirecting router for normal forwarding. Like the forwarding method, there are two different return methods:
- GRE return: Egress traffic from the WAE using GRE return are encapsulated using IP GRE, with a destination IP address of the WCCPv2 router ID and a source IP address of the WAE itself. When the WCCPv2-enabled router receives the returned packet, the IP GRE header is removed and the packet is forwarded normally. WCCPv2 in IOS knows not to re-intercept traffic returned to it using GRE return.
- L2 return: The L2 return method returns traffic to the WCCPv2-enabled router by rewriting the destination MAC address of the packet to equal the MAC address of the WCCPv2-enabled router.
When multiple WAEs exist in a service group, WCCPv2 automatically distributes redirected traffic across all WAEs in the service group. When traffic passes through an IOS device with WCCPv2 redirection configured, the IOS device assigns traffic for that connection to a bucket. Each bucket is assigned to a specific WAE. The method that determines to which bucket traffic is assigned, which determines how traffic is distributed across multiple WAEs within a service group, is called the assignment method. The bucket assignments are communicated from the lead WAE to all of the IOS devices in the service group. The assignment method can use either a hashing or masking scheme, and is negotiated between IOS and WAE during the formation of the service group.
Hash assignment, which is the default assignment method, performs a bitwise hash on a key identified as part of the service group. In WAAS, the hash key used for service group 61 is the source IP address, while the hash key used for service group 62 is the destination IP address. The hash is not configurable, and is deterministic in nature. This means that all of the routers within the same service group will make the same load-balancing decision given the same hash key. This deterministic behavior is what allows WCCPv2 to support asymmetric traffic flows, so long as both directions of the flow pass through WCCPv2-enabled IOS devices in the same service group. Hash assignment uses 256 buckets. Figure 4-8 shows an example of the hash assignment method and bucket-based distribution model used by WCCPv2.
Figure 4-8 WCCP Redirection Using Hash Assignment
The second assignment method is called mask assignment. With mask assignment, the source IP address, destination IP address, source port, and destination port are concatenated and ANDed with a 96-bit mask to yield a value. The resulting 96-bit value is compared to a list of mask/value pairs. Each mask/value pair is associated with a bucket, and each bucket is in turn assigned to a WAE. Unlike hash assignment, the number of buckets used with mask assignment depends on the number of bits used in the mask. By default, WAAS uses a mask of 0x1741. This results in 26 buckets that can be assigned across the WAEs in a service group. With current Catalyst WCCPv2 implementations, up to 7 bits can be defined for the mask. Figure 4-9 shows an example of the mask assignment method and bucket-based distribution model used by WCCPv2.
Figure 4-9 WCCP Redirection Using Mask Assignment
Once a WAE has successfully joined a service group, a periodic keepalive packet is sent every 10 seconds from the WAE to each router in the service group. The keepalive mechanism occurs independently for each configured service group. If a router in the service group has not received a keepalive packet from the WAE in 25 seconds, the router unicasts a Removal Query message to that WAE requesting that it immediately respond. If no response is received within 5 seconds, for a total of 30 seconds since the last keepalive message from the WAE, the WAE is considered offline and is removed from the service group. Figure 4-10 illustrates this behavior.
Figure 4-10 WCCP Keepalive Timeout
When the WAE is removed from the service group, it is reflected in the Router View advertised from each router in the service group. When the lead WAE determines that a WAE has been removed from the service group, it generates a Redirect Assignment message to each router in the service group. The Redirect Assignment message instructs the routers how to reallocate the buckets across the remaining WAEs in the service group. The length of time required to calculate the new assignments might very depending upon when the group of WAEs becomes stable. The WAE waits a minimum of 9 seconds. The maximum length of time depends on when the IOS device sends an update message without any changes indicated, typically between 19 and 39 seconds.
When a WAE (re)joins the service group, a new Redirect Assignment message is generated by the lead WAE. When the new WAE begins receiving redirected traffic from the routers in the service group, it does one of two things, depending on whether or not the redirected traffic is for a new connection or part of an existing connection. Traffic associated with newly established connections is evaluated against the Application Traffic Policy (ATP) and processed normally by the WAE. Traffic associated with existing connections is forwarded directly to the WAE that previously owned the bucket for that connection. This WCCPv2 mechanism is called flow protection and is enabled by default. Flow protection allows for existing connections to continue to be optimized even when the traffic assignments for the WAEs in a service group change.
After the no wccp ver 2 command is issued, WCCPv2 checks whether any connections are being served by the WAE. If zero connections are being served, the shutdown is immediately carried out. If there are more than zero connections being served, WCCPv2 waits for the user-configured wccp shutdown max-wait XX time.
During this time, if the connection count goes down to zero, shutdown is immediately done. At the end of the max-wait time, if the connection count has decreased but is still non-zero, the shutdown count waits another 60 seconds, in the hope that if the connection count has decreased other connections may complete too. At the end of the max-wait time, if the connection count has not decreased, shutdown is immediately done. During the 60-second incremental wait, if the connection count becomes zero, shutdown is done. At the end of the 60-second incremental wait, if the connection count has not reduced, the shutdown is done. At the end of the 60-second incremental wait, if the count has further reduced but is still non-zero, another 60-second incremental wait is done.
Unless the user interrupts the wait period, the code waits first for the configured length of time. If it thinks that connections are reducing, it waits a little longer in the hope that more connections can be completed. However, if it realizes that the connection count has not decreased, it discontinues waiting and shuts down.
With WCCPv2, each service group can support up to 32 routers and 32 WAEs. This means that a single service group can support N x 32 concurrent optimized TCP connections, where N is the number of concurrent optimized TCP connections supported by the largest WAE model. Each WAE in the service group is manually configured with the IP address of each router in the service group. The WAE then uses unicast packets to exchange WCCPv2 messages with each router. It is not required that the routers in the service are manually configured with the IP address of each WAE in the service group. Each router listens passively for WCCPv2 messages from the WAEs in the service group and responds only as a result of receiving those messages.
The WAE in the service group with the lowest IP address is elected as the "lead" WAE. The lead WAE is responsible for communicating the list, or view, of the routers in the service group to the service group routers. The lead WAE is also responsible for informing the routers how traffic should be distributed across WAEs in the service group. Upon receiving the view of the routers in the service group from the lead WAE, each router responds individually with a Router View. The Router View contains a list of each WAE that the router is currently communicating with. What is implied is that the routers in the service group do not communicate directly with each other; they learn about each other through the Router View advertised by the WAE. Likewise, the WAEs in a service group do not communicate directly with each; they learn about each other from the WAE View advertised by the routers.
For deployments where you may want to limit redirection to specific types of traffic, you can use a WCCPv2 redirect list. A WCCPv2 redirect list is a standard or extended IOS access list that is associated with a WCCPv2 service. Traffic passing through an interface on the router with WCCPv2 redirection configured must match not only the protocol/port specified as part of the service group, but also a permit entry in the redirect list. Packets that match the service group protocol/port criteria but do not match a permit entry in the redirect list are forwarded normally. Example 4-10 demonstrates the use of a WCCPv2 redirect list.
Example 4-10. WCCP Redirection Using a Redirect List
! access-list 100 permit ip 10.10.10.0 0.0.0.255 any access-list 100 permit ip any 10.0.0.0 0.0.0.255 access-list 100 deny ip any any ! ip wccp 61 redirect-list 100 ip wccp 62 redirect-list 100 !
In this example, TCP traffic sourced from or destined to subnet 10.10.10.0/24 will be intercepted and redirected by WCCPv2. Another option is to use a redirect list to specify a subset of TCP ports for redirection. Example 4-11 shows how this could be done.
Example 4-11. WCCP Redirect List Using Application Ports
! access-list 101 permit tcp any any eq 25 access-list 101 permit tcp any eq 25 any access-list 101 deny ip any any ! ip wccp 61 redirect-list 101 ip wccp 62 redirect-list 101 !
This example uses a redirect list to allow WCCPv2 to intercept and redirect SMTP traffic only on port 25.
Service Group Placement
The placement of service groups 61 and 62 should not be overlooked in your deployment. The placement refers to which IOS interfaces are configured with service group 61 and which interfaces are configured with service group 62. In most environments, service group 61 should be configured on the client-facing interfaces. For example, when deploying WCCPv2 on a remote-office WAN router, service group 61 is configured to intercept a client request. Configuring group 61 inbound on the router's LAN interface or outbound on the router's WAN interface accomplishes this. Figure 4-11 shows an example of configuring service group 61 inbound on the router's LAN interface.
Figure 4-11 WCCP Service Group 61 Placement
For the reverse direction of the connection, service group 62 is used. Service group 62 will be configured in the opposite direction of service group 61. Using the same example shown in Figure 4-11, Figure 4-12 shows service group 62 configured inbound on the router's WAN interface. The following figure shows the complete placement and configuration using both service groups.
Figure 4-12 WCCP Service Group 61 and 62 Placement
This section provides a basic overview of configuring WCCPv2 within both IOS and WAAS. Detailed WCCPv2 configurations specific to various design options are presented in Chapters 5 and 6.
There are three primary steps involved when configuring WCCPv2 in WAAS. First, you must define which routers the WAE will establish WCCPv2 communication with. WCCPv2 can be configured to use either unicast or multicast for communication. Unicast is the most commonly deployed configuration. For unicast communication, you must define the IP address of each router in the service group that the WAE will communicate with. This is done using a router list. A router list is configured using the following syntax:
wccp router-list 1-4 ip_addr...
Example 4-12 shows a basic WCCP router list configuration.
Example 4-12. WAAS WCCP Router List Configuration
wccp router-list 1 10.10.10.1
Up to six IP addresses may be defined per line. For deployments where there are more than six routers in the service group, additional router IP addresses can be defined by configuring a second line using the same router list number. Example 4-13 shows a WCCPv2 router list configured with ten IP addresses.
Example 4-13. WCCP Router List Using Multiple IP Addresses
wccp router-list 1 10.10.10.1 10.10.10.2 10.10.10.3 10.10.10.4 10.10.10.5 10.10.10.10.6 wccp router-list 1 10.10.10.7 10.10.10.8 10.10.10.9 10.10.10.10
For the second step, the WCCPv2 tcp-promiscuous service is configured and associated with the router list created in the first step. The following command syntax is used:
wccp tcp-promiscuous router-list-num 1
The final configuration step is to enable WCCPv2 using the command wccp version 2. This command starts the WCCPv2 negotiation with any IOS devices configured in the router list. Example 4-14 shows a complete WCCPv2 configuration in Cisco WAAS.
Example 4-14. Complete WAAS WCCP Configuration
! wccp router-list 1 10.10.20.1 wccp tcp-promiscuous router-list-num 1 wccp version 2 !
The IOS WCCPv2 configuration involves two steps. First, the WCCPv2 services are configured in global configuration mode. The WCCPv2 services in IOS are configured using the numeric service ID, as opposed to the service name used on the WAAS configuration. Example 4-15 shows the tcp-promiscuous services configured in IOS.
Example 4-15. Cisco IOS WCCP Global Configuration
! ip wccp 61 ip wccp 62 !
The second step involves configuring WCCPv2 redirection on each interface through which client and server data passes. Unless you are using the WCCPv2 negotiated return egress method discussed later in this chapter, WCCPv2 redirection should never be configured on the interface connecting to the WAE. Interception is configured in either the inbound or outbound direction. When using outbound redirection, the ip wccp redirect exclude in command must be configured in the interface connecting to the WAE. This prevents traffic coming into the WCCPv2 server (router) from being re-intercepted, which would cause a redirection loop. Example 4-16 demonstrates a complete IOS WCCPv2 configuration, including the use of the ip wccp redirect exclude in command.
Example 4-16. Complete Cisco IOS WCCP Configuration
! ip wccp 61 ip wccp 62 ! ip cef ! interface Serial0/0 bandwidth 1536 no ip address encapsulation frame-relay ! interface Serial0/0.100 ip add 10.88.80.18 255.255.255.252 ip wccp 61 redirect out ip wccp 62 redirect in frame-relay interface-dlci 100 ! interface GigabitEthernet0/0 no ip address duplex auto speed auto ! interface GigabitEthernet0/0.1 description ** Branch Client VLAN ** encapsulation dot1q 10 ip address 10.10.10.1 255.255.255.0 ! interface GigabitEthernet0/0.20 description ** Branch WAE VLAN ** ip address 10.10.20.1 255.255.255.0 ip wccp redirect exclude in ! end
Note that the ip wccp redirect exclude in command is configured on the subinterface connecting to the WAE. This is required because outbound redirection is used on the serial interface connecting to the WAN. An alternative configuration is shown in Example 4-17.
Example 4-17. Cisco IOS WCCP Configuration Using Inbound Redirection
! ip wccp 61 ip wccp 62 ! ip cef ! interface Serial0/0 bandwidth 1536 no ip address encapsulation frame-relay ! interface Serial0/0.100 ip add 10.88.80.18 255.255.255.252 ip wccp 62 redirect in frame-relay interface-dlci 100 ! interface GigabitEthernet0/0 no ip address duplex auto speed auto ! interface GigabitEthernet0/0.1 description ** Branch Client VLAN ** encapsulation dot1q 10 ip address 10.10.10.1 255.255.255.0 ip wccp 61 redirect in ! interface GigabitEthernet0/0.20 description ** Branch WAE VLAN ** ip address 10.10.20.1 255.255.255.0 ! end
This example uses inbound redirection on the interface connecting to the client subnet and the serial interface connecting to the WAN. Because outbound redirection is not used, the ip wccp redirect exclude in command is not required on the interface connecting to the WAE.
In addition to running WCCPv2 on software-based IOS platforms such as the Cisco Integrated Services Router (ISR), WCCPv2 is supported on Cisco Catalyst Series switches. At the time of this writing, the Cisco Catalyst Series switches listed in Table 4-3 support WCCPv2 for use with Cisco WAAS.
Table 4-3. Cisco Catalyst Platforms Supporting WCCPv2 with WAAS
Catalyst 3560/3750 |
Catalyst 4500/4900 |
Catalyst 6500, Sup2 |
Catalyst 6500, Sup32 |
Catalyst 6500, Sup720 |
With the exception of the Catalyst 6500 with a Sup720, the hardware-based platforms require L2 forwarding and mask assignment for all of the redirection to happen in hardware. The Sup720 is capable of performing GRE forwarding in hardware, but still requires mask assignment for hardware acceleration. In addition to the requirements for forwarding and assignment methods, only inbound WCCPv2 redirection should be used on hardware-based platforms. In fact, the Catalyst 3560/3750 and 4500/4900 only support inbound redirection. While it is possible to configure outbound redirection on the Catalyst 6500 platform, it is not recommended because it causes the first packet for every redirected connection to be processed in software by the MSFC. Likewise, using the ip wccp redirect exclude in command on a Catalyst 6500 causes the first packet for every flow entering the interface to be processed by the MSFC and switched in software. However, because inbound redirection is the recommendation for hardware-based platforms, this command is not required.
The following configuration guidelines should be followed to ensure WCCPv2 redirection on hardware-based platforms is handled completely in hardware:
- Use L2 forwarding instead of GRE forwarding.
- Always use mask assignment.
- Only use inbound redirection.
- Do not use the ip wccp redirect exclude in command.
The L2 forwarding and mask assignment options are configured as part of the service definition in WAAS. These capabilities are advertised to the WCCPv2-enabled IOS devices when a WAE first joins the service group. Example 4-18 demonstrates the WAAS WCCPv2 configuration with the L2 forwarding and mask assignment options.
Example 4-18. WCCP Configuration Using L2 Forwarding and Mask Assignment
wccp router-list 1 10.10.20.1
wccp tcp-promiscuous router-list-num 1 l2-redirect mask-assign
wccp version 2
Unlike the hash algorithm used with hash assignment, the mask used for mask assignment is configurable. As mentioned previously in this chapter, the default mask used by WAAS is 0x1741. The default mask is applied to the source IP address for service group 61 and is applied to the destination IP address for service group 62. Depending on the IP addressing used in your environment, you may want to change the default mask to provide for better load distribution among the WAEs in a service group. The default mask is changed on the WAE using the following command syntax:
wccp tcp-promiscuous mask src-ip-mask 0-4261412864
The configured mask is applied to service group 61. Service group 62 mirrors the configuration and cannot be configured separately. Example 4-19 shows using a non-default mask with WCCPv2.
Example 4-19. Custom WCCP Mask
wccp router-list 1 10.10.20.1
wccp tcp-promiscuous mask src-ip-mask 0xf
wccp tcp-promiscuous router-list-num 1 l2-redirect mask-assign
wccp version 2
Policy-based routing (PBR) provides another alternative for transparent interception with WAAS, although it is less commonly deployed than WCCPv2 and inline interception. PBR can be used in situations where customers are unable to run WCCPv2 or inline interception. PBR can also be used in conjunction with a content switch, such as the Cisco Application Control Engine (ACE), to provide transparent interception and load balancing for large-scale data center deployments. Deployment examples using PBR for transparent interception are provided in Chapters 5 and 6.
PBR functions in a similar manner to WCCPv2, in that a router/switch running Cisco IOS is configured to intercept interesting traffic and redirect it to a WAE. Unlike WCCPv2, no configuration is required on the WAE to support interception using PBR. The following configuration steps are required for a basic PBR configuration:
Step 1 Create an access list to define interesting traffic for redirection.
Step 2 Create a route map that matches the ACL created in Step 1 and sets an IP next-hop address of the target WAE.
Step 3 Apply the route map to interfaces through which client and server traffic traverses.
Example 4-20 demonstrates a basic PBR configuration used for redirecting all TCP traffic to a single WAE.
Example 4-20. PBR Configuration
! ip cef ! access-list 199 permit tcp any any ! route-map WAAS-INTERCEPT 10 match ip address 199 set ip next-hop 10.10.20.5 ! interface Serial0/0 bandwidth 1536 no ip address encapsulation frame-relay ! interface Serial0/0.100 ip add 10.88.80.18 255.255.255.252 ip policy route-map WAAS-INTERCEPT frame-relay interface-dlci 100 ! interface GigabitEthernet0/0 no ip address duplex auto speed auto ! interface GigabitEthernet0/0.1 description ** Branch Client VLAN ** encapsulation dot1q 10 ip address 10.10.10.1 255.255.255.0 ip policy route-map WAAS-INTERCEPT ! interface GigabitEthernet0/0.20 description ** Branch WAE VLAN ** ip address 10.10.20.1 255.255.255.0 ! end
Because PBR evaluates only traffic entering an interface, the route map entries are configured on both the client and server-facing interfaces. This is the equivalent of using only inbound redirection with WCCPv2. The set ip next-hop command in the route map is configured with the IP address of the WAE. By default, PBR does not validate to availability of the IP address specified as the next-hop address. As long as the next-hop address exists in the routing table, the route map entry will be applied. On software-based platforms (ISR, and so forth), Cisco Service Assurance Agent (SAA) can be used to track the availability of the next-hop IP address. If the next-hop address becomes unreachable, traffic matching the route map entry is forwarded normally using the routing table. However, this capability does not currently exist on hardware-based platforms.
Other difference between WCCPv2 and PBR is that PBR does not perform automatic load distribution and failover when multiple WAEs exist. The first next hop IP address configured in the route map is used until it becomes unavailable. Only at that point is traffic redirected to a secondary next hop IP address in the route map. Chapters 5 and 6 provide examples of PBR deployments that include next hop availability tracking using SAA and load distribution among multiple WAEs.
An alternative to the various off-path interception mechanisms is to place the WAE physically inline between two network elements, such as a WAN access router and local-area network (LAN) switch. Figure 4-13 shows a basic topology with the WAE deployed physically inline.
Figure 4-13 WAE Physical In-Path Deployment
Physical inline interception is an attractive option for situations where it is not possible or ideal to run WCCPv2. It is also possible that the networking equipment at a site is provided and managed by a managed service provider (MSP). The MSP may not be able to configure or support a WCCPv2 solution on the managed devices.
To support physical inline interception, the WAE requires a separate inline module. The inline module is a 4-port, fail-to-wire NIC that supports two separate inline groups. Each inline group has a synchronous pair of inline ports that interconnect two network elements. Traffic entering one inline port is optimized by WAAS (when applicable) and switched out the opposite inline port in the same group. The inline group functions like a transparent Layer 2 bridge.
By providing two inline groups on a single module, the WAE can support designs where multiple paths out of a site exist for redundancy and load sharing. Each unique path is connected to the WAE through a separate inline group. Figure 4-14 shows a sample remote site topology with multiple WAN routers and a single WAE deployed with inline interception.
Figure 4-14 Physical In-Path Deployment Using Multiple Routers
As the arrows in Figure 4-14 indicate, traffic can enter or leave the site through either router. Even though the same flow enters the site through one inline group and exits the site through another inline group, the connection will still be optimized. The optimized connection state is not tied to a physical interface, but is tracked for the WAE as a whole independent of the interfaces traversed by the traffic.
Each inline group functions in one of two operating modes:
- Intercept operating mode: Traffic entering the inline group is evaluated against the Application Traffic Policy (ATP) for optimization.
- Bypass operating mode: All traffic entering the inline group is bridged without any optimization.
The bypass operating mode is designed to allow the WAE to continue passing traffic if the WAE looses power. A keepalive mechanism between the network drivers and the inline module is used to determine if the WAE is functioning properly and can optimize connections.
The keepalive frequency is configurable between 1 and 10 seconds. The default failover timer is set to 3 seconds. The transition between intercept operating mode and bypass operating mode does cause a momentary loss of line protocol. If one or more of the inline ports are connected to a LAN switch, this transition in interface state can cause the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) recalculation. To prevent the STP calculation from interrupting traffic forwarding, the switchport connected to the inline module on the WAE should have the STP PortFast feature enabled. Failure of a single inline port in the group is propagated to the other port in the group. For example, if the LAN0 port in InlineGroup 1/0 goes down, the WAE will take down line protocol on the WAN0 port in the same inline group. This propagation of interface state between the ports in the same inline group prevents situations where adjacent devices connected to an operational InlinePort believe the network path to be online and usable, when in reality the connection on the other side of the WAE is unavailable.
When a WAE is deployed physically inline, all traffic between the two network elements will be seen by the WAE. Non-TCP traffic is bridged through the inline module without modification. In addition, packets associated with a connection that was first seen on the opposite inline port in a group are bridged. This type of traffic flow is common when a WAE is deployed inline on a trunk between a router and LAN switch. If the router is providing routing for traffic going between VLANs locally, it is possible for traffic to traverse the inline module twice. Figure 4-15 shows an example of this type of traffic flow.
Figure 4-15 Physical In-Path Deployment with One-Armed Routing
The inline module also supports 802.1Q trunk connections between the two network elements. An added benefit to using the inline module is the ability to define which VLANs are evaluated for interception. Traffic that is received by the inline module tagged with a VLAN ID that is excluded from interception will be bridged without any optimization. This capability is supported only for tagged VLANs. Traffic received by the inline module on untagged VLANs will be intercepted and evaluated against the ATP for optimization and acceleration. By default, TCP traffic received on all VLANs is intercepted and evaluated against the ATP. VLANs can be excluded or included for interception using the following commands:
no inline vlan all inline vlan 100
Example 4-21 shows the resulting InlineGroup configuration.
Example 4-21. WAE InlineGroup Configuration
! interface InlineGroup 1/0 inline vlan all no inline vlan native,0-99,101-4095 exit !
There are different sequences of the inline CLI command that will result in the same VLAN filter being applied. For example,
inline vlan all no inline vlan 100
results in all VLANs except for 100 being intercepted. But so does the following:
inline vlan native inline vlan 0-4095 no inline vlan 100-110 inline vlan 101-200
In terms of VLAN assignment, the most permissive command takes precedence. If the inline group is already configured with inline vlan all, then you need to selectively remove VLANs from interception or remove all VLANs and selectively add individual VLANs back for interception.
When an inline group is in bypass operating mode, a physical cross-connect is enabled between the two ports in the inline group. This behavior essentially creates a crossover cable between the two network elements. In cases where the two network elements are unable to communicate using a crossover cable, line protocol will not be restored when the inline group is in bypass operating mode. This is generally a nonissue when the switchport that the LAN InlinePort is connected to supports automatic medium-dependent interface crossover (MDIX). MDIX allows the switchport to automatically detect the pinouts of the cables used to connect two devices. In cases where the switchport does not support this capability, the cabling guidelines outlined in Table 4-4 should be followed.
Table 4-4. WAE Inline Module Cabling Guidelines
Required Cable |
Switch to switch (no WAE) |
Switch to router (no WAE) |
Router to router (no WAE) |
Switch to WAE |
WAE to switch |
Switch to WAE |
WAE to switch |
Router to WAE |
WAE to router |
WAE to WAE |
Content switching is the final interception mechanism discussed in this chapter. Content switches have traditionally provided load-balancing services for servers, firewalls, and content caches. Within the context of WAAS, content switching provides dedicated hardware for intercepting and load balancing connections across a farm of WAEs. Using content switches for transparent interception with WAAS is useful for large data center deployments, complex topologies, and integration with other advanced features such as application protocol optimization and SSL-offload. In addition, customers with existing content switching deployments can leverage their experience and investments in content switches for transparent interception with WAAS. The Application Control Engine is the Cisco content switch that will be discussed in this section. Deployment and configuration examples for integrating ACE with Cisco WAAS are provided in Chapter 6.
Application Control Engine
The Cisco Application Control Engine (ACE) module is a service module for the Cisco Catalyst 6500 series switches and Catalyst 7600 series routers. ACE provides intelligent load balancing and security services for enterprise applications and network devices. ACE can be used in a large-scale data center environment to transparently intercept and load balance connections for WAAS. The following are some of the key performance characteristics of Cisco ACE:
- Up to 16 Gbps of throughput and 345,000 connections per second per module
- Up to 4 million concurrent connections
- Support for up to 250 virtual partitions, allowing customers to create virtual ACE modules using a single hardware module
- Up to 16,000 real servers, which when used with Cisco WAAS provides nearly infinite scalability
- High availability and scalability by using up to four ACE modules in the same Catalyst 6500 chassis or across multiple chassis
There are two common deployment models for integrating ACE into the network infrastructure: bridge mode and routed mode.
In bridge mode, ACE is used to merge two VLANs together. In order for traffic to pass between the two VLANs, it must pass through the ACE module. As traffic passes through the ACE module, it is evaluated against the configured service policies to determine whether or not it should be acted upon. The IP subnet used on the bridged VLAN is the same. Figure 4-16 shows an ACE module deployed using bridge mode.
Figure 4-16 ACE Deployed Using Bridge Mode
The WAN-facing VLAN in Figure 4-16 is referred to as the client-side VLAN. The VLAN facing the data center resources is referred to as the server-side VLAN. As traffic enters the client-side VLAN, it is evaluated against the configured service policy. Traffic matching the service policy is redirected to a WAE, which has a dedicated VLAN interface configured on the ACE module. Traffic egressing the WAE comes back into the ACE module, where it is switched out the server-side VLAN toward the origin server.
In contrast to bridge mode, deploying ACE in routed mode allows for traffic to be routed between two different IP subnets. Using this deployment model, the client and server-side VLANs are on different IP subnets. Because the ACE module is a Layer 3 hop, traffic must be directed to the ACE module through the routing configuration of the hosts or network infrastructure. Figure 4-17 shows an ACE module deployed using routed mode.
Figure 4-17 ACE Deployed Using Routed Mode
ACE is typically deployed in conjunction with WAAS using transparent, or directed, mode. This means that the ACE module does not perform any Network Address Translation (NAT) of traffic passing through it. | <urn:uuid:8eb8b766-6eab-40dc-9179-5298d6b31603> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.ciscopress.com/articles/article.asp?p=1192686&seqNum=2 | 2024-09-16T15:36:35Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651697.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20240916144317-20240916174317-00688.warc.gz | en | 0.890062 | 9,670 | 3.203125 | 3 |
Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) is a way of ensuring and controlling compliance. Some sources call it a PIA (Privacy Impact Assessment), though it means much the same thing. It is used to assess the necessity of data processing, as well as to estimate the risks and freedoms of individuals (data subjects) whose data is being processed. A well-made DPIA is a good instrument of accountability, as it demonstrates precisely which measures are being taken and to what extent.
While the GDPR will require these assessments – which is a novelty compared to the Data Protection Directive – but, on the other hand, the organizations will no longer have to notify the supervisory authorities of all processing that is taking place.
DPIA is Not Required When…
It is easier to outline the cases where the DPIA is not required, as for most processing operations, such assessment needs to be performed. The DPIA is mostly not required in the cases where:
- processing is not “likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons” (Article 35(1)). This should be the main deciding factor when determining whether to make an assessment or not. When in doubt, always do.
- a similar kind of processing has already taken place, so the DPIA can be re-used
- where the processing has a legal basis in legislation stating that it does not have to be carried out and if it has been carried out prior to the establishment of such a basis
- when the processing is listed as optional on the supervisory authority list
For example, mailing lists used to send generic newsletters do not require a DPIA. Of course, unless the e-mails are personalized and if the users themselves signed up for the service. Even certain limited profiling may not require a DPIA, such as when analysing past purchases only on that site and then displaying potentially interesting ads for further items on the website.
If you feel the DPIA is not required, you should still make an assessment noting your rationale for not performing a full-scale DPIA.
When Is DPIA Required?
Conversely, DPIA is required whenever processing is likely to present a risk to the individual. The official recommendation of the Article 29 Working Party is that a DPIA be conducted whenever it is not clear if it is required, since such an assessment is a useful tool nonetheless.
Advice of the data protection officer should be sought in all cases when making an impact assessment regarding high-risk data. DPIA should be re-assessed at least every three years, even sooner if any circumstances have changed. Periodically review your processing activities; for some, the DPIA could have become required in the meantime due to changes in risk.
Existing operations started before May 2018 when the GDPR enters into force could also be subject to DPIA. Technically, only if significant changes occur, or if the time comes for an update. But it would still be a prudent thing to do right away.
What Constitutes High Risk?
Article 35(3) outlines areas for which a DPIA is particularly required. This includes automatic processing and profiling which evaluates the aspects of a person in a systematic and extensive way, if such processing results in decisions concerning the natural person that could have a significant legal impact on their lives.
Large-scale processing of sensitive personal data also requires the production of a DPIA. Article 9(1) lists personal data as data revealing “racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation”. If your company is processing such data, then a DPIA is mandatory.
Systematic large-scale monitoring of a publicly accessible area also requires a DPIA.
Note that this list is non-exhaustive. Similar high-risk activities could exist that would essentially necessitate a DPIA without being listed themselves. How should your company know what high risk data are? The Article 29 Working Party has created a set of criteria that can help you determine whether your data is high-risk, based on the Articles and recitals of the GDPR.
Criteria for High-Risk Data
The Article 29 Data Protection Working Party has published the following guidelines for assessing whether your data belongs to a high-risk group. The more criteria your data fits in, the more likely it is high-risk. Two or more criteria should be a clear sign that a DPIA is in order. Supervisory authorities themselves will have to compile a list of processing operations for which a DPIA is mandatory.
Screening someone’s personal data, including profiling and predicting one’s preferences based on it, is certainly high risk. This includes the individual’s performance at work, health and economic situation, behaviour and movement. Practical examples would include assessing one’s creditworthiness based on credit bureau data, or health plans based on one’s genetic tests.
2. Automated decision-making
This type of decision making concerns automated (computer) decisions that can have significant legal effects on an individual. Improper use may result in discrimination (not giving someone loans based on circumstantial demographic data, or displaying a different set of ads based on user’s spending habits, for example). Keep in mind that an individual has the right to manual processing; i.e. with human intervention, and has the right to appeal any decisions.
When monitoring or observing data subjects in a publicly accessible area (such as video surveillance or wi-fi tracking in front of a business establishment, like a shopping centre), a DPIA must be performed. This is because the individuals could not know that their data is being collected and by whom. Also, they might not even avoid such monitoring even if aware of it.
For example, if you monitor your employees’ activities, such as when they got to work and which websites they browse while at the office, a DPIA is mandatory.
4. Sensitive Data
A DPIA is mandatory when processing special categories of personal data, as outlined in the previous section. This would encompass, for example, medical records and financial data. However, even non-sensitive data can fall under this category if enough data would be captured to such an extent so as to be very intrusive, such as “cloud computing services for personal document management” and similar.
5. Matching Datasets
When data from two distinct processing operations is combined, usually from different data controllers, and used for various purposes not foreseen by the data subject, such processing is highly sensitive and requires a DPIA. Care must be taken to ensure whether such processing is allowable in the first place. Tracking across devices may fall in this category, as well as syncing usage data based on a cookie for an advertising ID.
6. Large-Scale Processing
Large-scale processing consists of processing a large amount of personal data at “regional, national or supranational level”. Such processing which could affect a large number of individuals or result in a high risk is considered large-scale.
To better understand whether your data processing activities qualify, analyse both the relative (as a percentage of the total population) and the absolute number of data subjects concerned. The sheer amount of data, the duration, the type of processing and the geographical extent also play a part. What constitutes large-scale has not been precisely defined, so if in doubt, perform a DPIA.
7. Vulnerable Subjects
When there is a “power imbalance” between the data subject and the data controller, a DPIA may be required. The power imbalance refers to the inability of the data subject to consent to the use of their data. Employees, elderly or patients are the most prominent examples of vulnerable subjects. Employees often cannot oppose processing (lest they lose their job).
8. New Technologies
The technology this pertains to the most is definitely biometrics, but includes other novel uses of technology for data processing such as the Internet of Things. Finger print and facial recognition are expressly listed, but the list is non-exhaustive. The rationale is that any new technologies may collect and use data in previously unseen ways, and data subjects may not be aware of that all. Data controllers could also struggle with adequately assessing risk, let alone measures to control it. The DPIA helps solve that problem. The Working Party document lists a motorway camera driving monitor with plate recognition as an example of a novel technology requiring a DPIA.
9. Cross-Border Transfer
This depends on the country the data is being transferred to; whether there are any adequacy decisions or derogations. Most likely, a DPIA will be required since it is the international law which is in force for such transfers, making them riskier.
10. Denial of Rights
In some cases, this is similar to point 1 of this list. It includes publicly unavoidable processing, as well as that which can prevent individuals from making a contract – see the bank loan example above.
How to Carry Out a DPIA
The DPIA should be carried out before the processing begins, in line with the philosophy of ‘data protection by design’. It should be as early as possible, even if some processing activities are still unknown. The DPIA can (and should) be updated afterwards. The Working Party stresses that “carrying out a DPIA is a continual process, not a one-time exercise’.
It is the controller’s obligation to carry out a DPIA. He may delegate the task to someone else, but the responsibility lies solely with the controller. If the organisation has appointed a DPO, they should be consulted for all matters regarding DPIAs, as they are also responsible for monitoring.
Consult All Interested Parties
A potential issue is the requirement of the GDPR that the data controllers should, where appropriate, consult the data subjects when carrying out a DPIA. This can be done via a survey, study or consultations. If the views of the data controller differ from those obtained from others, it should be noted in the DPIA. If you feel that consulting data subjects is not feasible (due to few means of reaching them or extraordinary costs, for example), you can opt not to seek their opinions, but you must provide reasons for doing so.
Depending on the complexity, your company might need help from independent advisors from various fields, especially if your operations are complex and large-scale. This is allowed under the GDPR and falls under the ‘consultation’ part from the previous paragraph. Both internal and external consultations can be performed.
DPIA can be rather exhaustive, and that is a plus point in most cases. While DPIA is not a public document and does not need to be published, it helps build public trust if a company decides to do so. Take care that while an exhaustive DPIA is good, any trade secrets or sensitive information you include are sent to the supervisory authority, and a public version does not need to be as exact.
Some supervisory authorities have already published their methodologies of producing the DPIA, for example Germany’s ULD or the UK’s ICO.
Obligatory Content of the DPIAs
DPIAs must contain at least the following:
- Description and purposes of processing
The scope of the project for which the DPIA is performed and its purposes must be exhaustively described. All relevant contextual information should be included. Provide a practical description of processing that will take place, and mention the technical equipment that will be used for processing.
- Assessment to ascertain whether such processing is even required
Give your rationale for processing and explain which legal basis you aim to base your processing upon.
- Assessment of potential risks to the data subjects
Evaluate the risk of data loss, illegitimate access and undesired modification, as these lead to real and damaging consequences to individuals.
- Measures taken to minimize the risk and ensure compliance with the GDPR
These guidelines are very broad and can be more specific, depending on the data processing activities. This will be addressed in conjunction with the local supervisory authorities, but it also means that it is easy to conduct a DPIA even for smaller companies.
Overall, it should not be too difficult to comply with the stipulations regarding the contents of the DPIA, as they largely overlap with existing quality assurance schemes (ISO 31000 for example). The Working Party Article 29 likens the DPIA to a risk management tool, since it by nature encompasses all the factors (nature, scope and purpose) for processing, contains risk assessments (how likely it is for data breaches to occur) and methods of treating such risks (ensuring that adequate safeguards are used at all times).
Regardless of the precise structure of the DPIA, it must be a genuine attempt to assess the risk and determine what measures the company should take to alleviate them. ENISA recommends the use of two axes for risk assessment. There are four levels of impact, ranging from low to very high. These consider the potential impact a breach would have, while the ‘threat occurrence probability‘ is self-explanatory. These two combined create a risk level value. A high level of probability of a data breach can elevate the risk level of low-impact data. For example, all high-impact data are high-risk, regardless of probability, while low-impact data are considered medium risk if the risk of data breaches is high.
High-risk data warrant more stringent security measures, such as organisational (access control and education) to technical (encryption, safe deletion, storage only on computers not connected to the Internet etc.). Always remember that the less data you have on hand, the lower your risks are. In fact, you are not allowed under the GDPR to keep more data than absolutely necessary for immediate processing in the first place.
Communication with the SA
The supervisory authority must be contacted if the residual risks, i.e. risks that are left even after performing all the reasonable measures, are still too high. For example, personal data stored on company servers can be managed with encryption, employee training, backups, access controls and finally, data destruction.
However, in some cases even such robust measures are not enough and the risk becomes unacceptable, and the company cannot do much more about it. This is especially true of sensitive data that might, to put it bluntly, ruin one’s life should a data breach occur.
Failure or incorrect performance of a DPIA (Data Protection Impact Assessment), or not consulting the appropriate supervisory authority when necessary, can result in penalties of up to EUR 10 million or 2 percent of a company’s global turnover for the preceding year, whichever is higher.
These fines are draconian and a proper management of impact assessments is certainly a more fruitful investment.
It pays to perform good and comprehensive DPIAs since they are an essential tool of proving compliance with the GDPR, but it also helps your company establish data protection measures that will ensure customer satisfaction and data security.
DPIA is a process, not a checklist, and so must be reviewed often. An organization must always keep track of its operations, and a DPIA can shed some light on certain risky situations when re-assessing the processing operations. Note that DPIAs do not regulate the implementation of risk-reduction measures; they merely specify them. Regular audits should be used to ensure that the recommendations are followed.
The GDPR has given companies and organisations a lot of leeway in producing their DPIAs, providing only broad and minimal guidelines. More detailed advice is sure to follow, but this is a good sign: even smaller companies without a legal department will be able to complete them. DPIAs could, eventually, become much less of a headache than they seem to be right now. | <urn:uuid:68980a2c-a388-4d67-b634-f44e1e6ddf06> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://gdprinformer.com/gdpr-articles/impact-assessments-guide | 2024-09-20T11:20:10Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652246.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20240920090502-20240920120502-00388.warc.gz | en | 0.94152 | 3,297 | 2.53125 | 3 |
A hot topic in the IT space the past few months has undoubtedly been the rise of generative AI and publicly available AI tools like ChatGPT. The benefits of AI are being felt across industries, by all types of companies and customers, but not all A.I. is used responsibly.
When a new technology arises, it’s always necessary to look at the other side of the coin, as the positives aren’t always without negatives.
Recently, cybercriminals have been using AI as a tool to make scams easier to believe. The unethical use of tools like ChatGPT are keeping cybersecurity professionals on their toes.
So far, AI voice scams have built on classic schemes like phishing with its easy use and the little knowledge of AI expertise required to operate the tools. Beyond that, cybercriminals can utilize AI to write malware without coding experience, crack passwords, analyze stolen data and find software vulnerabilities.
AI and social engineering
Robocalling scams and phishing emails are nothing new to cybercriminals. But according to researchers at McAfee thanks to generative AI tools, cybercriminals need as little as three seconds of someone’s voice to successfully clone it and use it in a scam call.
These robocalls in the past would often imitate health care providers, the IRS or someone claiming to extend your auto warranty. But now AI-enabled voice-cloning services are making it appear like these calls are coming from a loved one. Further, these tools can allow threat actors to respond in real time as they type responses in their voice-cloning applications.
The McAfee research also found that 77% of victims in AI-enabled scam calls report that they have lost money with over a third of those victims have lost more than $1,000.
Protecting against AI-enabled cyber crimes
In a New York Times op-ed, US Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan said that despite the full extent of generative AI’s potential being up for debate, there’s little doubt that it will be highly disruptive.
She added that for the US to maintain pace with these technologies, the right policy choices must be made.
“When enforcing the law’s prohibition on deceptive practices, we will look not just at the fly-by-night scammers deploying these tools, but also at the upstream firms that are enabling them,” Khan wrote in the piece.
Along with its research, McAfee also provided some steps to protect against AI voice clone attacks that you can begin using today, including:
- Establishing a verbal codeword with kids, family members or trusted close friends, much like a financial institution or alarm company, and use it in messages when asking for help.
- Always question the source and determine if the caller sounds like it’s who you think it is. Hang up and call the person directly if you have doubts.
- Think before you share on social media. The wider your base of connections, the more risk you could be exposed to. Be sure your social media content isn’t available to the greater public and only exposed to those who are your friends and family.
- Protect your identity through identity monitoring services.
- Clear your name from data broker sites that buy, collect and sell detailed personal information that is collected from several public and private sources.
Understanding AI as an organization
We generate incredible amounts of data every day and the organizations with well-laid out strategies to capture, process and monetize data are destined to be the leaders in creating customer satisfaction and improving efficiency.
HCLTech’s NEXT.ai is a service that provides cutting-edge solutions for the engineering R&D industry. While it’s difficult to monitor and protect against AI-driven cybercrimes, NEXT.ai is a service that helps organizations understand the power of AI and how their customers could be impacted.
Organizations adopting AI in all aspects of their journey are expected to achieve market leadership relative to those who do not. HCLTech is a partner to help achieve, strategize and implement industry leading AI solutions.
Additionally, HCLTech provides IoT Security to help counter ransomware attacks and maintain dynamic cybersecurity. Interconnected devices and digital adoption have increased so greater exposure to risk and security challenges has increased, too. Further, HCLTech’s 360° SecureOT Framework enables organizations to assess, strategize, define, design and manage their OT landscape based on various industry accepted cybersecurity guidelines and standards. | <urn:uuid:df1e8fd8-d4ed-4a92-b325-17bb0e788e03> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.hcltech.com/trends-and-insights/cybercriminals-utilizing-ai-commit-cybercrimes | 2024-09-08T05:55:23Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650960.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908052321-20240908082321-00588.warc.gz | en | 0.952302 | 929 | 2.96875 | 3 |
IoT Security: What Are the Ramifications for Spying?
The amount of data large tech firms collect based on what we do in and outside of our homes is growing.
February 13, 2019
Last year, I went to 172 places in 53 cities located across six countries and evidently skied 55 miles. If those trips together — whether by foot, car, plane, train or on a pair of skis — were in a straight line, it would be enough to go around the planet 1.6 times. But I know this because Google informed me that it is so. The company has been tracking me precisely and sometimes incorrectly, telling me that I went to the dentist instead of a café, for instance, but most of the time, the service is accurate. Today, Google knows that I was curious about the weather yesterday because I asked the smart speaker in my home to tell me the forecast. A Nest thermostat keeps track of how often the heat is in use.
And with the rise of IoT and AI, the amount that Google and other colossal tech companies know about us is poised to expand in ways that are hard to fathom. While adoption is arguably still in the early phases for both, there is little to stop connected sensors from continuing to proliferate all around us while algorithms take charge of a growing list of duties once only performed by humans.
While the cybersecurity ramifications of these trends have become a prominent theme, the question for how this might change the state of spying has been less considered. It would cost a fortune for a private investigator to travel the world — shadowing someone from a distance and tallying the distance of their trips, but Google offers me that information for free while also using it to enable targeted advertising.
The possibilities expand as the number of connected devices around us do. As CES showed us this year, Google is serious about being a dominant force in the smart home market. The company, along with Amazon, is steadily expanding the functionality of its smart assistants while working to integrate it with an ever-expanding assortment of products: TVs, fans, air purifiers and newer household appliances.
What all of this might mean from a cybersecurity perspective is less clear. Decades ago, the notion of willingly setting up a network of microphones to allow a large corporation to have access to audio from within your home would have seemed ludicrous. But now, a sizable portion of the U.S. population — 32 percent according to one survey — has a so-called smart speaker.
And a large number of smartphone users enable tech firms to know nearly each and every location they visit by merely carrying a smartphone with them.
There is already evidence that the connected devices we carry — either near us or even within us — can enable new possibilities for spying. In 2016, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said it is possible that the U.S. government would spy on suspects via smart home devices. While that may be more of a possibility than a reality, there are a handful of cases where such devices have enabled unprecedented types of surveillance. One such example comes via a man named Ross Compton who allegedly set fire to his home in 2016 as part of an insurance scam. Local police got a warrant for his pacemaker data and a cardiologist determined that his alibi didn’t line up with his cardiac data. He told cops, however, that he broke a window in his house with a cane and threw his possessions out it and then climbed out and pulled heavy items to the front of his house. His steady pulse during the time of the fire apparently told a different story — as did the traces of gasoline outside of his house.
That is an isolated example involving an individual. Consider the possibilities if, say, a nation-state actor or other types of threat actor was able to achieve access to millions of records of citizens — perhaps even collating them with their social security cards and other personally identifiable information.
Such an outcome is possible. It wasn’t long ago — in the summer of 2017 — when Equifax was hit by one of the most infamous cyberattacks in U.S. history. Ultimately, some 145.5 million U.S. consumers had their data exposed, including their full names, social security numbers, birth dates, addresses and in some cases driver’s license numbers.
While attribution of a cybercrime is notoriously difficult, there were tale-tell signs that a nation state was behind the Equifax breach. There was also evidence that the nation in question was China, although the investigators studying the Equifax breach did not universally agree on that conclusion. Whether China-backed hackers were behind the hack, Equifax leaders feared Chinese spies were targeting the firm and shared their concerns with the FBI, according to The Wall Street Journal. The subsequent investigation also revealed that the attackers behind the Equifax breach were targeting specific individuals.
The U.S. Justice Department concluded that Russian intelligence officers were behind another famous breach — a 2014 Yahoo attack that exposed data on 500 million users. Yahoo would go on to divulge that a 2013 attack affected its entire user base of 3 billion users.
Ultimately, when it comes to cybersecurity, it is hard to make definitive conclusions about broad-based attacks, but it is true that most of us have a growing amount of data being collected about our activities and, second, that nation-state–based agents appear to be interested in that information.
About the Author
You May Also Like | <urn:uuid:44099721-68c0-486c-849c-9f9349b529ac> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.iotworldtoday.com/security/iot-security-what-are-the-ramifications-for-spying- | 2024-09-09T12:24:46Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651098.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909103148-20240909133148-00488.warc.gz | en | 0.977089 | 1,111 | 2.515625 | 3 |
A groundbreaking federal initiative has been launched to address historical discrimination against farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners, backed by a $2 billion allocation through the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program. This program, part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, aims to compensate individuals who faced discrimination based on personal attributes like race, sex, and disability, according to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. The scale of this initiative is unprecedented, reflecting the government’s recognition of the systemic unfairness that has plagued the agricultural sector for decades.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) received a staggering 58,000 applications from individuals claiming they had faced discrimination. After rigorous evaluations, the USDA approved one-time payments that total approximately $2 billion. Secretary Vilsack describes these payments as acknowledgments of the injustices faced rather than complete compensation for the material and emotional losses endured. Among the recipients are 408 farmers from Virginia, who collectively received $28,451,840. The program’s scope and scale underscore the immense magnitude of the discrimination issue within American agriculture.
Compensation and Distribution
The distribution of these funds provides a snapshot of which areas have been most severely affected by discriminatory practices. Notably, a significant portion of the claims came from southern states with larger Black populations, highlighting the deep-rooted racial disparities in agriculture. Many of these states have long histories of racial inequities, and the payouts reflect decades of compounded disadvantages faced by Black farmers in particular. John Boyd, Jr., founder of the National Black Farmers Association (NBFA), described the $2 billion payout as historic while pointing out continuing challenges like banks denying loans to Black farmers and discriminatory practices by corporations.
Farmers in Virginia were notable beneficiaries, receiving over $28 million in total payouts. The payments’ range varied considerably, from $3,500 to a substantial $500,000, depending on the nature and impact of the discrimination experienced. These discriminatory practices included, but were not limited to, loan denials, loan delays, exorbitant interest rates, and a general lack of assistance. This initiative aims to not only provide financial relief but also shine a critical light on the systemic issues that have allowed such discrimination to persist for so long.
Systemic Reforms and Future Outlook
The USDA’s efforts go beyond financial compensation; there is an overarching goal to rectify systemic issues and transform the institution’s public perception. By diversifying leadership and reducing human discretion in loan assessments within the Farm Service Agency, the USDA is committed to preventing similar discriminatory practices in the future. This approach aligns with broader federal aims to create a more inclusive and equitable service industry in agriculture, one that all farmers, ranchers, and landowners can trust and rely on.
However, challenges remain. Although the financial assistance program is a significant step forward, critics argue that it does not fully address the root causes of the ongoing discrimination. For instance, despite the historic payout, banks continue to deny loans to Black farmers, perpetuating financial instability. Additionally, there are ongoing concerns about discriminatory practices by large agricultural corporations, such as John Deere, which have been accused of racially biased service policies. These lingering issues suggest that while the $2 billion allocation is a landmark achievement, more comprehensive measures and continued vigilance are necessary to sustain meaningful change.
The Role of Advocacy and Community Support
A groundbreaking federal initiative has been launched to address historical discrimination against farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners, backed by a $2 billion allocation through the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program. Part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, this program aims to compensate individuals who have faced discrimination based on personal attributes like race, sex, and disability, according to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. The scale of this initiative is unprecedented, reflecting the government’s acknowledgment of systemic unfairness that has long existed in the agricultural sector.
In response, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) received an overwhelming 58,000 applications from individuals claiming discrimination. After meticulous evaluations, the USDA approved one-time payments totaling approximately $2 billion. Secretary Vilsack explains these payments are not full compensation but rather acknowledgments of the injustices suffered. Among the beneficiaries are 408 farmers from Virginia, collectively receiving $28,451,840. The program’s scale underscores the monumental magnitude of discrimination within American agriculture over the years. | <urn:uuid:2b2be9fb-96ca-4ad9-b694-e4e28a656e6f> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://governmentcurated.com/government/federal-government-allocates-2b-to-address-farmer-discrimination/ | 2024-09-11T22:15:17Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651405.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911215612-20240912005612-00288.warc.gz | en | 0.941295 | 890 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Tips on basic Linux server security
If you just put your Apache web server online, and are thinking into making the first step in your system security, this brief article will help you do that. By having your own server, you must understand the responsibility behind it. While the web server itself (Apache in this example) is not a big security problem (at least not the software package itself), there are a few things you should take care on your system.
I presume you know that having a password like ‘Mom’ or ‘girlfriend’ is not a good start for securing your system. I usually prefer passwords with both numerican and alphatbetical characters, plus some extra symbols. This is a good password: ILik3-PeN_gu1nS. Passwords should be complicated as there are a lot of ways someone can get your encrypted password. When we are talking about Linux systems with a webserver, the first thing that comes to my mind are all those numerous buggy CGI scripts that make you get /etc/passwd file from the attacked system. When that is done, a copy of Crack or John The Ripper can be used for cracking the password. Always remember: a good password is harder to crack. If you use some basic word for a password, a good wordlist will make the cracker software spit your en-encrypted password on the screen in no-time.
File transfer and remote logins
Think what software packages should run on your system, and remove the ones that you don’t need. If you are thinking about transfering files from and to your system shut the FTPd down. There is far more secure way that does the same – SCP. By quickly checking the man pages for SCP, we get: “scp copies files between hosts on a network. It uses ssh for data transfer, and uses the same authentication and provides the same security as ssh. Unlike rcp, scp will ask for passwords or passphrases if they are needed for authentication.”
SCP clients don’t have that much good looking GUI frontends, but you can do it all from the shell by using the syntax:
scp Localfile Username@RemoteServer:RemoteFolder
I hope you don’t use the Telnet Deamon which usually sits on the port 23. If you do, remove it as SSH is a far better way of remotely doing a login into your system. The big difference between telnet and SSH, is that SSH provides significantly enhanced security for your login situations.It provides an encrypted communications path between two untrusted hosts over a potentially insecure network and thus prevents user’s passwords and other sensitive data from being transmitted across the network in clear-text form.
There is no point of not using the hosts.deny and hosts.allow files for blacklisting some people, and giving others the right to connect to the system. The hosts.allow file (located at /etc/hosts.allow) describes the names of the hosts which are allowed to use the local INET services, as decided by the ‘/usr/sbin/tcpd’ server (for instajnce telnet, finger, ftp, exec, rsh, ssh, tftp, talk…). The hosts.deny file is doing just the opposite thing and is self explanatory. In most of the books I read about security on Linux systems, authors have this proposition regarding usage of mentioned hosts.* files.
First add all:all into your host.deny list, which doesn’t allow anyone to connect to your INET services, and then edit hosts.allow with all the hostnames which should be able to connect. This is the bottom line what should be done on the Linux system that is connected to the Internet, but let’s say Murphy’s Law strikes – When you add all:all to host.deny list and save the configuration, your Internet connection just crashes and you are not able to connect to the system which is physically thousands of miles from your home. Because of this I prefer first editing hosts.allow and then the hosts.deny list.
Checking the integrity
While you can use Tripwire or any other similiar solution for checking the integrity of files that reside on your system, there is another way of doing this. To tell you the truth, it is not as powerful, but it is usable. Let’s consider this seven liner:
for rpmlist in `rpm -qa | sort`
echo ” __ $rpmlist __”
rpm -V $rpmlist
done > /tmp/123.out
cat /tmp/123.out | mail -s “RPM Check `date +%T %A %d.%m.%Y`” email@example.com
This shell script basically makes a list of RPM files on your system, sorts them in an easily viewable format and verifies them to see what has changed. After that it mails the whole list to the administrative mailbox. Everything can of course be re-configured to suite your needs the best.
This is the snapshop of one of the e-mails sent as the result of this shell script:
Also it would be suitable to add this script in CRON, so you can receive a daily snapshot of the RPM’s on your system. In this exaple is starts every day at 10 am.
[admin@pilatus]# crontab -l
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE – edit the master and reinstall.
# (/tmp/crontab.1759 installed on Tue Apr 16 16:06:48 2002)
00 10 * * * /usr/local/etc/rpmcheck.sh
Checking the logs
Usually you should periodically check the logs on your system. All the vital things about the current status of your system can be seen from the logs. While manually checking all the files takes some time, and time is precious, there are a few tools that help you automate the process of checking your system logs.
I like to use LogSentry, a freeware product by Psionic Technologies.
As can be seen from the product description: “LogSentry automatically monitors your system logs and mails security violations to you on a periodic basis. It is based on a program that ships with the TIS Gauntlet firewall but has been improved upon in many ways to make it work nicely for normal system auditing.”
Setting up your copy of logcheck.sh is very easy, these are some of the main sections that must be edited:
As the purpose of LogSentry is to send you e-mail alerts of things happening on your system, you should point out your mailbox.
Full path to logtail program is usually in /usr/local/bin. Logtail is custom executable that remembers the last position of a text file. This program is used by logcheck to parse out information from the last time the log was opened, this prevents reviewing old material twice.
This should be non public writable /tmp directory which prevents race condition and potential symlink problems.
LogCheck should also be added to CRON, so it can check the logs in desired time formats. I prefer every 30 minutes.
A few examples of LogCheck reports:
May 13 23:58:32 pilus sshd: Bad protocol version identification ” from 22.214.171.124
May 10 01:51:20 pilus su(pam_unix): authentication failure; logname=spartacus uid=502 euid=0 tty= ruser= rhost= user=root
I hope these tips helped you answer some of your basic questions, and gave few pointers on how some things should be done. These are some useful references for the things covered in this article.
- Stanford EDU: TCP Wrappers Information and Configuration
- The Secure Shell TM Frequently Asked Questions
- Snatching /etc/passwd with PHP MyExplorer
- Snatching /etc/passwd with Multi Router Traffic Grapher
- LogSentry 1.1.1 download | <urn:uuid:64a3a457-f544-41e6-ad67-e48d5b131f40> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2002/05/14/tips-on-basic-linux-server-security/ | 2024-09-13T04:58:28Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651507.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913034233-20240913064233-00188.warc.gz | en | 0.910629 | 1,714 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Over the recent weeks, you’ve probably heard or seen reports of the data hack that happened on Facebook and LinkedIn, which exposed millions of users’ personal information online. Both Facebook and LinkedIn acknowledged the incident, however noting that the information was either publicly available or obtained were from previously reported data breaches.
Regardless of how it happened, the damage was done, and we’ve covered it in this article here explaining the incident. What’s certain is that these data breach incidents, which seem to be growing in frequency, have sparked concerns among social media users. How are cybercriminals able to gain access to our data? What techniques do they implement to capture our data?
To get answers, CSA reached out to Brad Gray, Senior Vice President APAC at Exclusive Networks, who outlined various cyber attack strategies that cybercriminals use to manipulate users.
Amid increased digital activities and new technologies adopted during COVID-19, scammers are also repackaging old tactics, like brand imitation, to lure unsuspecting victims.
“Instead of redirecting users with bad links to websites that look similar to well-known brands, QR codes, which have recently become a popular way for businesses like restaurants to engage with consumers, have become the new way of misleading people to fraudulent websites or download malware”, said Brad.
Advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine-learning, although they have many positive applications, these powerful tools have their pitfalls as well. They can be manipulated and used to scrape information on victims, track and engage with them, automate hacking and impersonate targets using speech synthesis, etc.
According to Brad, deep fakes, which leverage AI and machine-learning to create realistic simulations of individuals, are currently not a major source of concern. As the technology improves, however, the risks associated with them will increase and criminals could use them to target influential figures and trick unwitting victims into giving up confidential information.
Another technology that could potentially put individuals at risk is IoT devices. This technology is becoming much more prevalent in our daily lives and as a result, they have become potential targets for unwanted intrusion. Our domestic appliances, such as smart fridges and air-conditioning units that are connected to the internet can become data collection points for cyber attackers that can be easily exploited.
“Additionally, many of these IoT devices have not been designed with security in mind or are not installed with proper security procedures in place”, said Brad. “According to a Palo Alto Networks’ report, 98% of all IoT device traffic are unencrypted, exposing personal and confidential data on the network”.
This puts companies at risk, especially as employees connect their IoT-enabled applications to laptops and other devices that are indirectly or directly linked to business servers.
As mentioned earlier, social media users are now more concerned than ever with their data being leaked online. So, what kind of information are cybercriminals interested in? Publicly available personal particulars posted on social media platforms, such as a user’s contact details, location, and business activities can be scraped and analysed to profile victims and their behaviours.
“This is usually done in the reconnaissance phase to gather more information about targets, which can then be used to build a convincing impersonation and as part of phishing scams”, said Brad.
Other seemingly innocent social media posts on birthday celebrations could reveal important details such as date of birth or a pet’s or a child’s name. These are commonly used as verification details to services such as email or banking websites, and in the wrong hands, could give unintentional access to those with nefarious intent.
Hence, we need to be more aware of what we do online so that our data does not fall into the hands of cybercriminals. It is important to teach individuals to watch what they post and check what information is included in their pictures, especially for any personally identifiable information online such as names, home and email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth and other information relating to medical status and education, etc.
“With live updates available on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, people inadvertently reveal more than they realise on their whereabouts or what they are doing. Even innocuous pictures of work from home setups can be misused. It could contain vital information on things like their running routes, the street they live on and the layout of their home”, explained Brad. | <urn:uuid:6cf581cd-debe-4bda-9260-0dafdf9b960e> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.exclusive-networks.com/id/beware-of-what-you-post-online-or-you-may-regret-it/ | 2024-09-14T09:57:38Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651579.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20240914093425-20240914123425-00088.warc.gz | en | 0.959426 | 908 | 3.03125 | 3 |
Throughout the past year, many mobile messaging apps have come under fire for inherent security vulnerabilities. This month, WhatsApp (one of the largest globally used messaging apps) has gone to great lengths to ensure users’ personal data is protected. Their recent deployment of end-to-end encryption, one of the largest to date, poses the question: is the security of mobile messaging apps about to change?
Last year, we reported on a security flaw that had been plaguing WhatsApp users. At the time, researchers had discovered a weakness in the app’s encryption that made it possible for cybercriminals to read plain text communications sent through the app.
It was found that WhatsApp was using the same key to decode the encrypted message on both sides of a conversation. When the same key is used for both the sender and receiver’s messages, it makes it exponentially easier for someone to intercept messages sent via unsecured Wi-Fi networks and pull the actual text out of the encrypted data. Therefore, hackers could potentially see sensitive information such as addresses or personal photos, sent via WhatsApp.
WhatsApp has since taken measures to remedy this security flaw and is in the midst of rolling out increased privacy features for Android WhatsApp users.
This new security comes in the form of end-to-end encryption added by default for one-to-one text messages sent through the app. Although this feature is currently only available for Android users and does not yet apply to group messages, photos, or videos, WhatsApp Inc. plans to rollout end-to-end encryption across all platforms in the near future.
So why are privacy advocates rejoicing over end-to-end encryption, and why should users care?
End-to-end encryption provides an added level of security that makes it nearly impossible for anyone other than the intended recipients of the message(s) to read the contents of the message.
WhatsApp’s deployment of end-to-end encryption is one of the largest implementations across a mobile messaging platform to date. Android users can now breathe a little easier as it is highly unlikely that their text messages sent through WhatsApp will be seen by unwanted eyes.
If you plan to use WhatsApp for group messages, to send photos and videos, or are using it on a mobile device that is not yet protected by end-to-end encryption, it’s best to practice some key mobile security habits to ensure your information stays protected.
- Avoid using unsecured Wi-Fi networks to send personal information. Free and open public Wi-Fi is great in theory, but this openness comes with a downside. Because these networks are used by a large number of people, they are often a hacker’s favorite target. Hackers can easily intercept data such as photos, messages, passwords and more, leaving unsuspected users in the lurch.
- Don’t put sensitive information in the hands of a mobile messaging app. It’s a good rule of thumb to keep sensitive information, in general, off of your mobile devices and messaging apps. Phones can be lost or stolen and security flaws of apps exploited so you should never trust your mobile device to keep banking information, social security numbers or addresses secure.
- Have comprehensive security software installed on your mobile device. McAfee® Mobile Security, free for Android and iOS, offers a variety of protections, including one that will alert you if you are about to connect to an unsecured Wi-Fi network from your Android device. | <urn:uuid:2481da5d-0457-4521-9752-a411a73bc6e7> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/mobile-security/whatsapp-adds-encryption/ | 2024-09-15T14:32:46Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651630.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20240915120545-20240915150545-00888.warc.gz | en | 0.935397 | 716 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics are two transformative technologies that, when combined, have the potential to revolutionise numerous industries and aspects of our daily lives. In this article, we will explore the exciting world of AI robotics, its current state, applications, and the impact it is having on various sectors.
The Confluence of AI and Robotics
AI robotics represents the fusion of artificial intelligence and robotic systems. It involves the integration of AI algorithms and machine learning with physical robots, enabling them to perceive their environment, make decisions, and take actions autonomously. This convergence empowers robots to perform tasks that were previously considered too complex or dangerous for automation.
The key components of AI robotics encompass a range of technologies that enable these machines to sense, think, and act autonomously. Sensors play a crucial role in perceiving the environment, including cameras, lidar, and tactile sensors. AI algorithms, such as machine learning and computer vision, process sensor data to make informed decisions. Actuators, such as motors and manipulators, allow robots to interact with the physical world, while control systems coordinate these actions. Together, these components create a foundation for AI robotics to navigate, manipulate objects, and perform tasks autonomously.
These in turn affect the applications of AI robotics as well – AI robotics finds application across various industries, revolutionising tasks and processes. In manufacturing, robots equipped with AI enhance efficiency and precision in tasks like assembly and quality control. Healthcare benefits from AI robotics in surgeries, diagnostics, and patient care. Agriculture utilises robots for precision farming and harvesting. Logistics and warehousing optimize with robots for order fulfillment and inventory management. Autonomous vehicles and drones represent AI robotics in transportation and delivery. In search and rescue missions, AI robots navigate disaster-stricken areas. Furthermore, space exploration relies on AI-driven robots for planetary exploration. These applications highlight AI robotics’ versatility and its potential to enhance productivity and safety across diverse fields.
AI robotics is at the forefront of technological innovation, reshaping industries and enhancing our quality of life. As we continue to advance in this field, it is essential to address the associated challenges while harnessing the benefits of AI robots to improve efficiency, safety, and accessibility across various domains. AI robotics represents a promising future where machines and humans collaborate seamlessly, unlocking new possibilities for progress and discovery. | <urn:uuid:e91ee7fc-7c1e-489a-91a2-cb2fb3276ac0> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://i-investonline.com/ai-robotics-shaping-the-future-of-automation/ | 2024-09-16T20:33:35Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651710.86/warc/CC-MAIN-20240916180320-20240916210320-00788.warc.gz | en | 0.918754 | 475 | 3.671875 | 4 |
Israel is subjected to sand and dust storms from several directions: northeast from the Sahara, northwest from Saudi Arabia and southwest from the desert regions of Syria.
The airborne dust carried in these storms affects the health of people and ecosystems alike.
New research at the Weizmann Institute of Science suggests that part of the effect might not be in the particles of dust but rather in bacteria that cling to them, traveling many kilometers in the air with the storms.
Some of these bacteria might be pathogenic — harmful to us or the environment — and a few of them also carry genes for antibiotic resistance.
Others may induce ecosystem functions such as nitrogen fixation.
Prof. Yinon Rudich and his research group, including postdoctoral fellow Dr. Daniela Gat and former research student Yinon Mazar, in Weizmann’s Earth and Planetary Sciences Department investigated the genetics of the windborne bacteria arriving along with the dust.
“In essence, we investigated the microbiome of windborne dust,” says Rudich.
“The microbiome of a dust storm originating in the Sahara is different from one blowing in from the Saudi or Syrian deserts, and we can see the fit between the bacterial population and the environmental conditions existing in each area.”
The researchers found that during a dust storm the concentration of bacteria and the number of bacterial species present in the atmosphere rise sharply, so people walking outdoors in these storms are exposed to many more bacteria than usual.
Rudich and his team then explored the genes in these bacteria, checking for antibiotic resistance — a trait that can arise owing to elevated use of antibiotics but also naturally, especially in soil bacteria.
Antibiotic resistance has been defined by the World Health Organization as one of the primary global health challenges of the twenty-first century, and its main driver is the overuse of antibiotics.
But bacteria can pass on the genes for antibiotic resistance, so any source of resistance is concerning.
How many different genes for antibiotic resistance come to Israel from the various dust storms, and how prevalent are these genes?
Rudich says that the study enabled the researchers to identify a “signature” for each source of bacteria based on the prevalence of antibiotic resistant genes, which revealed whether the genes were local or imported from distant deserts.
“We found that as more ‘mixing’ occurs between local dust and that which comes from far off, the lower the contribution of the imported antibiotic resistance genes.”
In other words, antibiotic resistance coming from Africa or Saudi Arabia is still a very minor threat compared to that caused and spread by human activity, especially animal husbandry. Also participating in this research were Dr. Eddie Cytryn of the Volcani Center and Prof. Yigal Erel of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
City air not set to improve
Urban air pollution is attributed, to a large extent, to emissions from transportation. Prof. Rudich and Staff Scientist Dr. Michal Pardo-Levin ask how these sources contribute to air pollution.
Their findings show that pollution that does not come from the combustion engine but rather is released from the friction of the vehicle’s tires on the road and from braking systems can lead to serious health effects upon inhalation.
That means that even if we manage to significantly reduce our cars’ tailpipe emissions, city air will still be polluted, to a large extent, with these other substances. And since the friction of tires and brakes are necessary for driving, reducing their emissions could be much harder.
- Timor Shuster-Meiseles, Martin M. Shafer, Jongbae Heo, Michal Pardo, Dagmara S. Antkiewicz, James J. Schauer, Assaf Rudich, Yinon Rudich. ROS-generating/ARE-activating capacity of metals in roadway particulate matter deposited in urban environment. Environmental Research, 2016; 146: 252 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.01.009 | <urn:uuid:78ef6901-669b-4b79-8384-2688e7046d79> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://debuglies.com/2017/06/29/the-dust-storm-microbiome/ | 2024-09-18T01:36:05Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651835.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20240918000844-20240918030844-00688.warc.gz | en | 0.935159 | 823 | 3.515625 | 4 |
Insurance Premiums are Being Hit Hard by Space Debris
The vast expanse of space, once thought to be an infinite and untouched frontier, is now cluttered with a growing menace: space debris.
As humanity’s presence in space expands, so does the risks associated with orbiting fragments of defunct satellites, spent rocket stages and other discarded space objects. This surge in space debris poses unique challenges for the aerospace industry, particularly in the realm of insurance.
There is an intricate relationship between space debris and aerospace insurance; a relationship which profoundly impacts this crucial sector.
Bracing for impact
Space debris –ranging from minuscule paint flecks to sizable derelict satellites– poses a significant threat to operational spacecraft.
The risk of collisions and subsequent damage has escalated as the number of satellites in orbit has surged, driven by the boom in satellite constellations for communication, Earth observation and other purposes.
As per a recent estimate, more than 30,000 pieces of trackable space debris are orbiting the Earth. It is projected that, over the next decade, more than 12,000 satellite launches will be taking place each year.
A direct hit on insurance premiums
Aerospace insurance broadly covers three stages: liftoff, placement of the satellites into orbit and the lifespan of the satellite. Disasters and failures during liftoff are well known to everyone. However, what is relatively lesser known is the failure of placing satellites in their designated orbits.
On a broad level, there are three types of orbits: high Earth orbit, medium Earth orbit and low Earth orbit. Each has its own purpose and offers various perspectives through the feeds they send back. Most weather and communications satellites tend to have a high Earth orbit (above 35,000km from Earth’s surface). Navigation and speciality satellites, designed to monitor a particular region, are typically placed in a mid Earth orbit (25,000 km-35,000 km from Earth’s surface). Most scientific satellites have a low Earth orbit (180 km-2,000 km from Earth’s surface).
Though the gap between orbits might look wide, one should consider the speed at which a satellite needs to travel to remain geostationary in each orbit or to keep revolving around the Earth. The combination of both (height and speed) is what makes the exact placement of satellites in orbit so critical.
If –for whatever reason– placement is inaccurate from launch, fuel stored within the satellites is consumed to move it towards its intended spot. This severely limits the lifespan of the satellite and its value delivery, an aspect covered by insurance also.
The escalating threat of space debris has increased the threat factor in the placement and lifespan of the satellites in an unforeseen way. This has forced insurance providers to reassess their risk models and pricing strategies.
As the likelihood of collisions increases, so does the potential for insurance claims. Insurers are compelled to adjust premiums to accommodate the heightened risk associated with space missions. The risk assessment becomes more complex as the volume of space debris grows, demanding a delicate balancing act for insurers to remain financially viable while providing coverage for their clients.
The space insurance industry is witnessing a paradigm shift in the design and implementation of policies. Traditional policies may no longer suffice in the face of the evolving space debris landscape.
Insurers are now incorporating clauses specific to space debris mitigation measures, collision avoidance protocols and end-of-life disposal plans. The most common measure adopted is to allow the satellites to re-enter the stratosphere and burn down before crashing on Earth. However, with increasing satellite density of varying sizes, compliance and adherence to such measures are a little fuzzy.
The shift in focus of disposal requires both insurers and policyholders to stay abreast of evolving international guidelines and best practices to ensure comprehensive coverage in an era dominated by space debris concerns.
A tech advantage
Advancements in technology offer a silver lining amid the challenges posed by space debris.
Insurance companies are increasingly relying on satellite tracking systems, collision prediction algorithms and real-time monitoring to assess and mitigate risks.
Such technological interventions not only enhance risk management, but also empower insurers to provide more accurate and tailored coverage, aligning with the dynamic nature of space activities.
Space debris is a global concern that transcends national boundaries. International collaboration is crucial to address the challenges posed by space debris, and this extends to the realm of insurance.
The harmonization of regulations, sharing of data and collaborative efforts to establish standardized practices are essential components to ensure the long-term sustainability of space activities and insurance coverage.
The impacts of space debris on aerospace insurance are profound, ushering in a new era of challenges and opportunities. As the aerospace industry navigates the complexities of an increasingly crowded orbital environment, insurance providers play a pivotal role in shaping risk mitigation strategies.
The ongoing evolution of policies, integration of cutting-edge technologies and international collaboration are key elements in safeguarding the future of space exploration and the insurance industry that supports it. | <urn:uuid:8df9a423-639d-4706-b5d9-c0d192409772> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.infosysbpm.com/blogs/business-transformation/insurance-premiums-are-being-hit-hard-by-space-debris.html | 2024-09-18T02:15:52Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651835.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20240918000844-20240918030844-00688.warc.gz | en | 0.926397 | 1,017 | 3.046875 | 3 |
What Are the Reasons for Cyberattacks?
There are many reasons an attacker would launch a cyberattack. One of the biggest reasons is financial gain. Attackers can steal personal and financial data and sell it on the black market or use ransomware to extort money from the target. Other reasons that hackers launch attacks are for political reasons, experimental reasons, or government-sanctioned reasons.
Types of Cyberattacks
Cyberattack is a general term that applies to a range of methods and techniques hackers can use to gain unauthorized access to networks and devices. Here are some of the most common cyberattacks:
Malware is short for "malicious software" and can apply to all types of software that can cause damage to devices, networks, or data. Worms, viruses, and trojan horses are some types of malware. Cyberattacks using malware usually require user interaction to be effective and can be prevented with security training.
Ransomware would fit into the malware category but deserves its own category because of its uniqueness and prevalence. Ransomware encrypts a user's system and then demands a ransom payment, usually in a cryptocurrency, to restore access to the system.
Phishing is the technique of convincing an unsuspecting target to commit some harmful action with an email that masquerades as communication from legitimate sites. This action could be entering credentials into a counterfeit website so they can be stolen or downloading and installing any of the varieties of malware.
Denial of Service
A denial of service attack is a brute force method of preventing a network, application, or service from running properly. This involves sending a flood of requests that overwhelm the targeted service. A distributed denial of service attack, or DDoS attack, uses a vast network of devices to accomplish more than just using one attacking system can.
In a man-in-the-middle attack, the attacker inserts himself between a target and a service they are trying to access. The attacker can then harvest data from the target without them knowing.
Exploits are attacks on known vulnerabilities and bugs in software. Often updates and patches will fix these flaws, but enough vulnerable software has not been updated in general that attackers scan networks connected to the Internet for it. By leveraging these bugs, hackers can gain unauthorized access to systems and data.
SQL injection is a technique that attackers use on vulnerable database-enabled applications. If applications are not programmed correctly, hackers can execute code on a database and gain unauthorized access to sensitive data.
Cryptojacking could be considered a type of malware attack. Attackers trick users into installing software that will "mine" cryptocurrency for them using phishing or other techniques.
DNS tunneling can be used for legitimate reasons. But it can also be used for malicious ones like disguising outbound traffic as DNS to conceal data that is being stolen from a network.
What Are the Results of Cyberattacks?
At the very least, a cyberattack can cause networks, services, and applications to run slowly, stop responding, or crash. A cyberattack can also result in much more damage.
Attackers could steal sensitive customer data, including personal data, health data, or financial information. Once they have this data, they can use it to steal identities or sell it on the dark market to other criminals.
Ransomware attacks can shut down a network and devices until the ransom is paid. This can disrupt business processes and create irate customers.
Cyberattacks can also tarnish the reputation of a business. Customers and clients expect their data to be kept private and secure. A data breach can damage the trust customers once had in a business.
Can Cyberattacks Be Prevented?
Devices and networks can be protected from cyberattacks. Here are some cybersecurity tactics that can be enacted to prevent cyberattacks from inflicting any damage.
Enforce Sound Security Practices
Stolen credentials can give an attacker all the access they need to launch any type of cyberattack they choose. Strong passwords and the use of two-factor authentication can prevent attackers from being able to use stolen credentials. This is only one of many security practices that can prevent attacks.
Educating users about cyber threats and cybersecurity can prevent cyberattacks. Employees that know how to detect a phishing attack will be less likely to fall prey to malicious emails.
Back-Up and Keep Audit Trails
Backups are necessary for the worst-case scenario when data gets corrupted. It can mean the difference between a system being back online in a few minutes or a few days.
Keeping an audit trail will give you the information necessary to detect and track data breaches resulting from compromised credentials and other cyberattacks.
Encrypt All Data
Encrypting data when it is in transit or at rest will make it useless to attackers if they get unauthorized access to it.
Keep Applications Patched and Updated
Many cyberattacks are successful because of known bugs and flaws in software. Attackers take advantage of them to launch cyberattacks on devices or entire networks. Software vendors are usually quick to create patches and updates to fix bugs, but they must be applied regularly to keep systems secure.
Use Email and Endpoint Security
Email security software can detect and remove malicious attachments that can result in a cyberattack and stop phishing attacks. Endpoint security software can ensure that each device on the network can detect and prevent malware, viruses, and other cyberattacks.
Use a Firewall
A firewall can protect the perimeter of a network from cyberattacks by monitoring, filtering, and blocking, when necessary, incoming and outgoing data packets.
Segment Your Network and Devices
Segmentation can prevent the lateral movement of cyberattacks within a network. Segmentation uses zero trust architecture that separates a network into subnets that each have their own unique access and security requirements. This means a successful cyberattack on one device will not affect the other devices on the network.
Cyberattacks are a risk of connecting to the Internet. Attackers use a variety of techniques to steal data, extort money, or simply make your systems hard to use. Cyberattacks can be detected and prevented with vigilant security practices and modern security techniques and software.
Discover how Zero Trust Segmentation contains the spread of ransomware and other cyberattacks across the hybrid attack surface, restricting lateral movement proactively or during an active attack. | <urn:uuid:6b66178a-fecb-4887-9c4a-7cd5b2acbe79> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.illumio.com/cybersecurity-101/cyberattack | 2024-09-13T08:13:36Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651510.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913070112-20240913100112-00288.warc.gz | en | 0.928149 | 1,283 | 3.421875 | 3 |
What happens when you click on a phishing link?
If you have an email address then you surely have received unsolicited messages that seem a little fishy. These messages tell you about prizes you have won, unfamiliar bank accounts that are overdrawn, or even the classic Nigerian prince looking for someone to help move their millions.
Most of the time these emails are strange enough to set off alarm bells – but sometimes they seem just plausible enough that clicking that link seems like a reasonable risk. After all, what is the worst that could happen?
Today we’ll look at how to identify phishing attacks and examine their risks. Finally, we’ll cover what you should do if you have accidentally opened one of the malicious links contained within these emails and suspect your computer has been infected by a virus or malware.
What is phishing?
Phishing refers to the practice of sending emails which pretend to be from a trustworthy source in an attempt to get people to divulge their personal and private information. Phishing emails take many forms, ranging from fake lottery or sweepstakes notifications to fake credit card alert emails.
Note: The word ‘phishing’ is a portmanteau of fishing and phreaking – a term coined in the 1970s to refer to hackers who would exploit vulnerabilities in the phone system to make free calls.
Unopened, the emails themselves do no harm – but if a user believes that the message is legitimate then they may click on links contained within the email, exposing themselves to risk.
While email based phishing is the most common form – smishing or SMS-text message based phishing is on the rise. Never open unsolicited links or download file attachments that arrive via text message.
Possibly the most dangerous form of phishing, spear phishing uses messages that seem to come from a trusted sender. These attacks are often orchestrated by breaching a legitimate email address or using spoofing techniques to send emails which appear to be from a trusted sender.
These attacks are harder to defend against as users are going to be more likely to click on a link or download an attachment from a familiar sender.
Social Engineering Attacks
Social engineering exploits people instead of computer vulnerabilities and can be paired with phishing to create very effective cyber attacks. One way that these attacks can be executed is by sending emails which your business would expect – for example sending a job application which includes an attachment or link.
If your business is currently hiring you may think little of opening an email with this information! For this reason it is always essential to scan files with an updated antivirus before opening them and to be wary of suspicious links, no matter the source.
How do you know if you’ve clicked on a phishing link?
While it can sometimes be difficult to tell if you’ve clicked on a phishing link, here are some red flags to look out for:
- Spelling and Grammar – Phishing sites are often hastily put together and may contain spelling or grammar errors. Be on your guard if you notice spelling mistakes.
- Odd Website Appearance – While businesses update their website from time to time, if a page doesn’t look right, listen to your gut and don’t provide any sensitive information until you’ve verified the site is authentic.
- Unusual URL – Most phishing attempts work by using a site that pretends to be a legitimate site. If you think you should be at Amazon.com but the URL says Amaz0n.com, something is wrong!
- Page isn’t using HTTPS – Most of the web uses secure SSL connections which many browsers identify with a lock icon in the URL bar. Additionally, the URL itself will begin with HTTPS:// instead of HTTP://. You should always avoid inputting your sensitive data into web pages which are not using a secure connection.
What happens if you open an email with a phishing link?
In many cases, phishing emails are hard to identify from their subject line alone. This means you may find yourself looking at an opened email with suspicious links or attachments and wondering if the damage has already been done.
The good news is opening an email without clicking on links or downloading attachments is unlikely to result in any harm.
If the email has arrived at your personal address, your best bet is to report the email as a phishing attempt to your email provider so they can block the sender in the future. If the email has come to your work email address, you should contact your IT department so they can take steps to protect your business’s network against future phishing attacks.
What happens if you click on a phishing link?
Despite our best efforts, phishing scams can be quite effective. A study in 2021 found that 3% of employees will ultimately click on a phishing email link – possibly exposing their organization to risk.
Every phishing attempt is slightly different – but these are the most common risks that networks face:
A hacker might receive information from or about you
A typical phishing website will look like a login page – usually for a financial institution, email provider, or other legitimate online service.
Any login credentials, personal data, or credit card numbers you provide here will be sent to the cyber criminals who created the phishing attack. In some cases the login credentials may actually be passed along to the real website and you will be successfully logged in, while in other cases you may simply receive an error message.
Similarly, some pages will request credit card information, social security numbers, or other sensitive details.
The attachment may try to run a macro or scripts
A common way that hackers breach your system with phishing links is by using malicious macros embedded in Word documents or PDFs. Macros are automations which use pre-programmed key presses and mouse clicks to accomplish a specific task – in this case usually something nefarious.
Software developers recognize the potential for macros to be used maliciously, so most document readers will ask you if you wish to enable macros or scripts when they are present. Never enable macros, even if the file comes from a trusted source.
There may be limited circumstances where your line of work requires that you allow macros – but these are going to be highly specific circumstances. The vast majority of us will never need to enable macros and allowing them to operate is an unnecessary risk.
Malware may be installed on your device
In extreme cases, phishing sites may go a step further and install malware on your computer. This is more common when attachments are downloaded and opened – but browser vulnerabilities exist that can result in malicious files being surreptitiously opened, even without user action.
Your network and contacts may be exploited
Whether the phishing attack installs malware software or simply steals your email account credentials, the attack often is just beginning. Using information obtained from spyware or helpfully provided by an unwitting victim, the attackers can then launch even more damaging attacks against your network or contacts.
What to do if your device has been compromised
As soon as you realize that you may have accessed a phishing site, it is important to take action:
Disconnect your device
Quarantining your system can be a highly effective way to limit the damage of a variety of cyber attacks including ransomware attacks. If your computer has a wired internet connection, disconnect it immediately. If it is connected to your wireless network, power off the connected device and use a second device to change your wi-fi network password.
Change passwords and credentials
Using a non-compromised device, immediately change any passwords that may have been exposed in the breach. The most critical passwords to keep control of are email accounts and financial accounts, and these should be secured first.
Monitor or freeze your credit
Identity theft is one of the most serious risks of phishing so it is prudent to keep a close eye on your credit. While not always convenient, freezing your credit with the three major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) is a great way to protect yourself from unauthorized new account creation.
Scan your system
Run a full system scan with antivirus software to ensure that no malware was added to your system. Windows computers ship with the antivirus program, Microsoft Defender, and there are numerous reputable anti-malware programs available from third parties.
Back up important files
Keeping backups of important files should already be a part of your cyber security protocols – but if it isn’t, now is the time to make backups. Save any irreplaceable or mission-critical files to an external harddrive. This will protect you in the event that a ransomware attack compromises your system and makes your files inaccessible.
Speak to a data breach expert
For maximum peace of mind, it is a good idea to contact an IT service who offers data breach protection. They will be able to help ensure that your system doesn’t harbor any lingering signs of intrusion and protect against future attacks.
An Old Problem That Isn’t Going Away
Scammers have been using phishing attacks since the earliest days of the internet, and while the subject lines may have changed over the years the attacks haven’t. You should always treat unsolicited emails with suspicion, and in particular should be wary of links and attachments.
If you have already opened a suspicious file or clicked on a link that took you to an ersatz login page, then your system may be at risk. Contacting a local IT professional for virus and malware removal service is the most effective way to ensure your computer stays safe. | <urn:uuid:16c5957a-32a0-454d-868b-b58af8df4b3c> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://bristeeritech.com/it-security-blog/what-happens-when-you-click-on-a-phishing-link/ | 2024-09-14T12:56:47Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651579.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20240914125424-20240914155424-00188.warc.gz | en | 0.938178 | 1,965 | 3.3125 | 3 |
A study conducted by Pew Research Center found nearly eight in 10 adults in the U.S. were at least somewhat concerned with how companies use data collected about them. In the same study, only 6% of Americans said they understood what was done with the data collected about them by companies.
This study highlights the importance of privacy to the American consumer—and the lack of transparency many organizations have around data collection and use practices.
This is the first installment in a series of blog posts focused on understanding the basics when it comes to privacy—we’ll outline what you and your organization need to know to be successful when it comes to privacy regulations and data protection.
Thanks to technology, we live in a globalized world. A European Union (EU) citizen can shop online with U.S.-based brands, and someone living in New York can virtually visit a museum located in California without leaving their home.
“When we begin to talk about privacy regulations, it’s important to understand that different cultures have very different views on privacy,” said Swathi West, manager of healthcare and privacy at BARR Advisory. “Typically, Americans tend to be less concerned with privacy, while other countries have a stronger definition of privacy and stricter privacy regulations.”
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provides an excellent example of how privacy regulations affect a globalized, connected world. Since the GDPR is a regulation in the EU, American companies may think it doesn’t impact them if they have no presence in the EU or no EU-based employees—but many U.S.-based companies must comply with the GDPR if they offer goods or services to EU residents or monitor the behavior of EU residents.
“This reaches a lot further than many U.S. organizations may realize,” explained West. “For example, if your website is based in the U.S. but still attracts and collects data from European visitors, you must heed the GDPR.”
With so many privacy-related terms thrown around, what does “personal data” really mean? Personal data is any information connected to a person’s identity—this could include their name, job, religion, address, and more.
Processing personal data is defined as collecting, recording, gathering, organizing, storing, using, disclosing or otherwise making personal data available by electronic means.
The GDPR is the most thorough privacy regulation that exists in the world today. Passed into law in the EU in 2018, this strict regulation sets guidelines for the collection and processing of personal information of individuals who live in the EU.
“The GDPR is very clear stating any entity, regardless of their location, that collects or processes personal information of EU residents must comply with the regulations laid out in the GDPR,” West emphasized. “Knowing whose data your organization collects or processes makes it easier to determine whether or not your organization must comply.”
Under the GDPR, organizations have to ensure that not only are they gathering data legally, but also protecting the data from misuse or exploitation. This means companies can be significantly more liable in the event of a data breach.
The GDPR was designed to give EU citizens more control over their personal data and make it easier for consumers to understand how their data is collected and used. Organizations are required to notify consumers if their data was compromised in a breach.
The U.S. has no overarching federal consumer data privacy law in place the same way the EU does. “Instead of one privacy regulation here in the U.S., we have a number of industry-specific regulations that encompass privacy,” West noted. Those regulations include:
Regardless of your industry, it’s always important to check in with your GRC and legal team or your trusted security partner to ensure you’re complying with any industry-specific privacy laws that may apply to your organization.
While there’s no federal consumer privacy regulation, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is the most prominent state privacy law in the U.S. It gives consumers more control of their data, including:
How do you know if the CCPA applies to your organization? You are required to comply if your business serves California residents and meets one or more of the following three requirements:
“California is the most populous state in the country, so many organizations need to comply with the CCPA,” said West. “If a California consumer visits your website and you have cookies collecting any information that could be linked with their personal identity, you will have to inform them and give them the option to opt-out.”
While the CCPA was a groundbreaking privacy law when it passed, a number of other states have followed in California’s footsteps and passed their own comprehensive privacy regulations. Massachusetts, New York, Maryland, Hawaii, Colorado, and Virginia have similar laws in place.
It can be helpful to compare and contrast some key aspects of the GDPR and CCPA in order to understand the rights certain consumers have and the different requirements of compliant organizations.
Both the GDPR and CCPA grant consumers the right to access, delete, and opt-out of personal data collection. The GDPR gives consumers the right to correct incorrect personal information and also requires explicit consent from consumers to have their data collected, two rights not granted by the CCPA.
Businesses should always work closely with a legal and compliance team to understand how privacy regulations affect their business. This might include a privacy attestation or audit.
“It’s best practice for a business to respect consumer privacy,” said West. “Regardless of regulations, it’s good for your business and good for your consumers when you are open and honest about your data collection practices,” she concluded.
With these regulations in mind, how can organizations ensure they are processing personal data correctly? In part two of this blog series focused on privacy, we’ll dive into how different frameworks and assessments can help organizations achieve compliance with various privacy regulations.
Interested in learning more about how privacy regulations may impact your organization? Contact us today for a free consultation. | <urn:uuid:97cb4fe9-0634-494d-abe6-1e4f5be1b6ac> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.barradvisory.com/resource/making-sense-of-privacy-regulations/ | 2024-09-14T15:04:21Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651579.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20240914125424-20240914155424-00188.warc.gz | en | 0.948172 | 1,274 | 3.046875 | 3 |
What is Six Sigma?
Six Sigma (6) is a process improvement methodology, which aims at reduction in costs & subsequently increases in profits. Its ultimate performance target is virtually defect-free processes and products (3.4 or fewer defective parts per million (ppm)). Defects may be related to any aspect of customer satisfaction: high product quality, schedule adherence, cost minimization. It describes quantitatively how a process is behaving/performing. A defect is defined as anything outside of customer specifications.
Six Sigma originated at Motorola in the early 1980s and later many companies adopted this approach to improve their process behavior. The Six Sigma methodology consists of the
steps "Define - Measure - Analyze - Improve - Control," which is the roadmap to achieve defect free processes. Within this improvement framework, it is the responsibility of the improvement team to identify the process, identify the defect, perform root cause analysis and implement action plans to reduce the defects. In today’s scenario, the companies want to reduce more and more process defects, hence they have started training programs on
Six Sigma Certification for their employees internally or the professionals take the training program from certified bodies like ASQ, IASSC, etc. There are different certification belts in a
six sigma program-yellow Belt, Green Belt, Black Belt & Master Black belt.
The Six Sigma is a methodology revolves around given below parameters:
• Everything is a process
• All processes have inherent variability
• Data is used to understand the variability and drive process improvement decisions
Six sigma distinguishes itself from other quality improvement programs immediately in the "Define" step. When a specific
Six Sigma project is launched, the customer satisfaction goals have been established and decomposed into sub goals such as cycle time reduction, cost reduction, or defect reduction. (This may have been done using the
Six Sigma methodology at a business/organizational level.) There are different roles present in the team like six sigma Champion, Sponsor, etc. who help and guide throughout till the completion of the project.
The Define stage for the specific project calls for base lining and benchmarking the process to be improved, decomposing the process into manageable sub-processes, further specifying goals/sub-goals and establishing infrastructure to
accomplish the goals. It also includes an assessment of the cultural/organizational change that might be needed for success. The Measure stage consists of capturing and analyzing voice of customer which consists of having a proper data collection plan and mapping the current process. In the Analyze stage, after the data collection has happened, next step is to do analysis and identify the root causes creating the problem. Next stage is Improve stage where most feasible solution is selected amongst the all the probable solution after having numerous brainstorming sessions with the team. In final stage-Control Stage, implementation of solutions takes place with the process being managed and monitored properly. In fact, this is the most important of all the stages as new process needs to be sustained and rolled out as per the plan. If needed, special experiments and modeling may be done to confirm the cause and effect relationships; but many improvement projects may be accomplished with the most basic statistical and non-statistical tools. It is often necessary to iterate through the Measure-Analyze-Improve steps.
Some of the tools used in different stages of the Six Sigma are-:
Define :Contract, Baseline, Kano Model, Quality Function Deployment
Measure: Sampling Techniques, Data collection, Feedback collection & analysis
Analysis: Cause & Effect Diagrams, FMEA, 5 why’s, Root cause analysis, Statistical Inference.
Improve: Design of Experiments, Robust Design
Control: Statistical Controls & Non statistical Controls
To summarize, six sigma is purely based on statistical logic used to study process behavior by using different statistical tools and correct the process if any deviations are present in the process performance. The
primary goal of Six Sigma is to improve customer satisfaction, and thereby profitability, by reducing and eliminating defects.
Author : SiddharthPareek | <urn:uuid:aba979cd-bec1-43af-8d66-183f4ae9a26a> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.greycampus.com/blog/quality-management/what-is-six-sigma | 2024-09-16T23:26:56Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651714.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20240916212424-20240917002424-00888.warc.gz | en | 0.936804 | 836 | 2.546875 | 3 |
The recent proliferation of the WannaCry ransomware has changed the face of this growing form of computer threat in for several reasons:
- WannaCry represents a new evolution of ransomware that not only damages the infected host but also acts as a "worm" that actively attempts to infect any other reachable device. This resulted in exposure of backend systems, including UK hospital computers connected to MRI scanners, as well as infection of advertising billboards and unattended parking kiosks which are often unpatched and running on an outdated—and unsupported—OS.
- Ties to Lazarus, a suspected elite hacking group from North Korea are now being suggested. If determined to be true, this might be the first example of a widespread cyberattack involving a nation-state. Unlike the recent launch of military missiles in North Korea, a state-sponsored cyber-attack is not likely to elicit a military response.
- Blame is also being attributed to U.S. intelligence agencies for hoarding the knowledge of hundreds of known exploits, not to mention their dismal failure at preventing highly-classified information about these vulnerabilities from getting into the hands of criminals.
This discussion won’t specifically focus on WannaCry other than to reiterate that it is an exploit of older versions of Windows using an attack vector that was revealed during a breach of the aforementioned government agencies. It was also quickly patched by Microsoft.
The three-part lesson there is quite simple:
- Stay current on OS versions whenever possible
- Implement security patches as soon as they become available
- Maintain a good anti-virus solution
Oh, and educate users more formally why they should never click on an unsolicited attachment or a hyperlink and why comprehensive backups are critical.
Instead, we will focus on how this type of attack may impact those running the uniquely-architected IBM i operating system.
Ransomware on IBM i
Argued by many to be immune, we can categorically state that servers running IBM i can indeed be impacted by viruses and malware, including those like WannaCry running on a Windows machine that may have a connection. Any suggestion otherwise is a fallacy.
There are numerous examples of IBM Power Systems servers falling victim to traditional viruses and even ransomware. The Fortra security experts recently aided a customer who discovered almost 250,000 infected files within their IFS!
The good news, and ironically the reason for the misperception, stems from the fact that the IBM i operating system, along with native objects such as RPG programs and Physical Files (PF), are immune to infection. But immunity does not imply that those objects can’t still be impacted via a rename or delete operation. And there are file systems on the server whose objects can be both infected as a carrier or encrypted and held for ransom.
So how do we minimize the risk?
Protecting Your Server
First, I always recommend Powertech Exit Point Manager for IBM i to restrict user (or viral!) access to IFS and the associated file systems. This should be employed in conjunction with strict management over defined shares including never openly sharing the root, and as part of an overall control that should be applied to all network services, including FTP and ODBC.
Next, leverage the QPWFSERVER authorization list to limit who can access the QSYS.lib directory structure through the file server. This activity is rarely required for business purposes and can prevent impact on traditional files. Note that this control is not effective against users that have *ALLOBJ special authority.
On a related note, ensure that profiles don’t have unnecessary access to the file systems or data. People often think that attacks come in anonymously but that’s rarely true. At some point, credentials are being compromised or leveraged so ensuring that security best practices are followed for user connections, password policy, and object permissions is critical.
We also need to ensure that viruses are detected prior to delivering their payload. Unbeknownst to many, IBM i has contained anti-virus enablement features since V5R3. Part of the reason for this lack of awareness is that these controls are not beneficial until a native scan engine, such as the popular Powertech Antivirus for IBM i is purchased and installed.
We cannot comment on whether or not any Fortra customers were impacted by the WannaCry ransomware attack, but we have had customers reach out expressing concern over the attack. Though they weren’t impacted, they saw this as a wake-up call and are now interested in taking action to protect themselves from future threats. Unfortunately it can take attacks like these to get people to take action, but we are happy to see that this did serve as a wake-up call for some already.
If you want to learn more about how viruses and malware can wreak havoc on your IBM i systems, we have several other resources that can help:
- Webinar: The Truth About Viruses on IBM i
- Article: 4 Reasons You Need Native Virus Scanning
- Video Blog: Malware, Ransomware, and Viruses vs Your IBM i Server | <urn:uuid:5be3d834-fb1f-4437-b676-677eaad78937> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.fortra.com/blog/could-ransomware-wannacry-hit-ibm-i | 2024-09-19T10:30:10Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652028.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20240919093719-20240919123719-00688.warc.gz | en | 0.956592 | 1,045 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Smart Supply Chains: Revolutionizing the Supply Chain through Smart Technology
Enhancing efficiency and profitability using a smart supply chain: Traditional supply chain processes are no longer sufficient to meet the ever-increasing customer demands. Leveraging technology, my businesses are now building and adopting smart supply chains.
By harnessing the power of smart technology, businesses can optimize their supply chains, streamline operations, and enhance decision-making processes, ultimately delivering better customer experiences.
Below, we will explore the various ways in which smart technology is revolutionizing supply chains and the benefits it offers to businesses in terms of efficiency, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
On this page:
- What is a Smart Supply Chain?
- What technologies are used in a Smart Supply Chain?
- The Internet of Things (IoT) and Supply Chain Optimization
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Enhanced Decision-Making
- Blockchain Technology for Transparency and Security
- Predictive Maintenance and Cost Reduction in Supply Chains
- Smart Supply Chains: Gaining a Competitive Edge with Smart Technology
What is a Smart Supply Chain?
A smart supply chain, also known as an intelligent or digital supply chain, refers to the integration of modern technologies, data analytics, and automation into various aspects of the supply chain management process. The aim is to enhance efficiency, visibility, and responsiveness across the entire supply chain, from sourcing raw materials to delivering the final product to customers.
The goal of a smart supply chain is to create a more agile, efficient, and adaptable network that can respond effectively to changing market conditions, customer demands, and unforeseen disruptions. It’s about leveraging technology to gain a competitive edge by improving operational efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing overall customer satisfaction.
Key components of a smart supply chain typically include:
- Data Integration and Sharing: Various data sources, such as IoT devices, sensors, RFID tags, and internal and external data feeds, are integrated to provide real-time information about the movement, status, and conditions of goods throughout the supply chain.
- Analytics and Insights: Advanced data analytics and machine learning techniques are used to process and analyze the vast amount of data collected. This helps in making informed decisions, predicting demand, identifying trends, and optimizing operations.
- Automation and Robotics: Automation technologies like robotic process automation (RPA) and robotic arms are used to streamline repetitive tasks, such as packaging, sorting, and loading/unloading. Autonomous vehicles and drones can also play a role in transportation and delivery.
- Predictive and Prescriptive Analysis: By analyzing historical and real-time data, predictive and prescriptive analytics can anticipate potential disruptions and suggest optimal actions to mitigate risks and optimize processes.
- Blockchain Technology: Blockchain can be used to create a secure and transparent record of transactions and movements in the supply chain, helping to track the origin, authenticity, and movement of products.
- Demand Sensing: Advanced demand forecasting techniques, coupled with real-time data, allow for more accurate predictions of consumer demand, reducing overstocking or understocking issues.
- Supplier Collaboration: Digital platforms facilitate seamless communication and collaboration between suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, enabling them to respond rapidly to changes in demand or supply.
- Real-time Visibility: IoT sensors and other technologies provide real-time visibility into the location and condition of goods, allowing for better tracking, quality control, and compliance monitoring.
- Risk Management: Data-driven insights enable companies to identify and mitigate potential risks in their supply chain, such as disruptions caused by natural disasters, geopolitical issues, or labor disputes.
- Environmental Sustainability: Smart supply chains can optimize routes and processes to minimize carbon footprint and reduce waste, contributing to environmental sustainability goals.
What technologies are used in a Smart Supply Chain?
A smart supply chain leverages a variety of technologies to enhance visibility, efficiency, and collaboration across the entire supply chain.
These technologies work together to create a digital ecosystem that enables smart supply chains to optimize operations, respond to changes in real time, and deliver products to customers more efficiently and effectively.
Some of the key technologies used in a smart supply chain include:
- Internet of Things (IoT): IoT devices such as sensors, RFID tags, and GPS trackers are used to collect real-time data on the location, condition, and movement of goods. This data is crucial for tracking, monitoring, and optimizing supply chain operations.
- Big Data and Analytics: Advanced data analytics tools process the massive amounts of data generated by IoT devices and other sources. This helps in identifying patterns, trends, and insights that can be used to make informed decisions and predictions.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning: AI and machine learning algorithms are used for demand forecasting, predictive analytics, and decision-making. They can help optimize inventory levels, streamline logistics, and improve overall supply chain efficiency.
- Blockchain: Blockchain technology provides secure and transparent transaction records. In supply chains, it can be used to trace the origin and movement of goods, verify authenticity, and ensure compliance with regulations.
- Robotics and Automation: Robotic process automation (RPA) and robotic arms automate repetitive tasks such as order processing, sorting, and packaging. Autonomous robots can be used for warehouse automation and even last-mile delivery.
- Cloud Computing: Cloud platforms enable real-time data sharing and collaboration among various stakeholders in the supply chain, regardless of their geographical locations. Cloud-based solutions also provide scalability and flexibility.
- Advanced Robotics: Besides automation, advanced robotics systems are used for tasks like material handling, picking, and assembly in warehouses and manufacturing facilities.
- Drones: Drones can be utilized for inventory management, warehouse inspections, and even delivering goods in remote or hard-to-reach areas.
- 3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing: 3D printing technology can reduce lead times and costs for producing certain parts and products, making supply chains more agile and responsive.
- Digital Twins: Digital twin technology creates virtual replicas of physical assets, allowing for real-time monitoring, testing scenarios, and optimizing asset performance.
- Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR): AR and VR can be used for training, maintenance, and remote collaboration, improving efficiency and reducing downtime.
- Predictive Analytics: Predictive models use historical and real-time data to forecast demand, potential disruptions, and supply chain bottlenecks, enabling proactive planning.
- Edge Computing: Edge computing processes data closer to the source, reducing latency and allowing for real-time decision-making at the edge of the network, which is crucial for time-sensitive supply chain operations.
- Supply Chain Software Platforms: Various software solutions provide end-to-end visibility and management of the supply chain, including Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Transportation Management Systems (TMS), and more.
We explore some of the technologies in the following sections.
The Internet of Things (IoT) and Supply Chain Optimization
The seamless integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) into supply chain management systems enables enhanced optimization of operational processes and resource allocation.
By connecting physical objects to the internet and enabling them to communicate and share data, the IoT provides real-time visibility and insights into the supply chain. This allows for more accurate tracking of inventory, improved demand forecasting, and better coordination of logistics.
For example, sensors embedded in products can transmit information about their location, temperature, and condition, ensuring that perishable goods are properly stored and transported. This not only reduces waste and loss but also enhances the overall efficiency of the supply chain.
Furthermore, the IoT enables proactive decision-making and automation of routine tasks. With the ability to collect and analyze vast amounts of data, supply chain managers can identify patterns and trends, allowing for predictive maintenance and optimized routing.
For instance, if a machine is showing signs of wear and tear, IoT sensors can detect this and automatically trigger a maintenance request, preventing costly breakdowns and downtime. Moreover, by leveraging IoT-enabled devices such as smart shelves and RFID tags, retailers can automatically track inventory levels and trigger reordering when stock is low, ensuring that products are always available for customers.
This level of automation not only saves time and reduces human error but also allows supply chain professionals to focus on more strategic tasks, driving innovation and improving customer satisfaction.
Overall, the integration of the Internet of Things into supply chain management systems offers tremendous potential for optimizing operations and delivering value to both businesses and consumers.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Enhanced Decision-Making
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is emerging as a crucial tool in supply chain management, providing organizations with the ability to make data-driven decisions and improve operational performance. By analyzing large volumes of data, AI algorithms can identify patterns, predict future demand, and optimize inventory levels. This allows companies to reduce costs, minimize stockouts, and improve customer satisfaction.
Moreover, AI can automate routine tasks such as demand forecasting, order processing, and inventory management, freeing up employees’ time to focus on more strategic activities.
To further enhance decision-making, AI can also help organizations identify potential risks and disruptions in the supply chain. By monitoring external factors such as weather patterns, economic indicators, and geopolitical events, AI algorithms can flag potential issues and enable proactive decision-making. For example, if a hurricane is forecasted to hit a region where a company’s suppliers are located, AI can help identify alternative sourcing options or adjust production schedules to mitigate the impact. By leveraging AI to make more informed and timely decisions, organizations can reduce supply chain disruptions, increase resilience, and ultimately deliver better outcomes for their customers.
Four Benefits of Artificial Intelligence in Supply Chain Management:
- Improved Efficiency: AI can automate repetitive tasks, streamline processes, and optimize operations, leading to increased efficiency and cost savings.
- Enhanced Accuracy: AI algorithms can analyze large datasets and make predictions with a high degree of accuracy, reducing errors and improving decision-making.
- Real-time Insights: AI can process data in real-time, providing organizations with up-to-date information on inventory levels, demand patterns, and potential risks.
- Better Customer Satisfaction: By optimizing inventory levels, minimizing stockouts, and ensuring timely deliveries, AI can help organizations meet customer expectations and enhance satisfaction.
By harnessing the power of AI, organizations can revolutionize their supply chains and stay ahead in today’s rapidly changing business landscape.
Blockchain Technology for Transparency and Security
Blockchain technology has emerged as a transformative tool in supply chain management, enabling organizations to enhance transparency and security in their operations.
By utilizing distributed ledger technology, blockchain allows for the creation of a transparent and immutable record of all transactions and activities within a supply chain. This transparency helps to build trust among stakeholders and ensures that all parties involved have access to the same information, reducing the risk of fraud and counterfeit goods.
Furthermore, blockchain technology provides a high level of security by encrypting and decentralizing data, making it extremely difficult for hackers to tamper with or manipulate the information stored on the blockchain. This enhanced security not only protects sensitive data but also prevents unauthorized access to critical information, such as product origins and authenticity.
In addition to transparency and security, blockchain technology also offers benefits in terms of efficiency and traceability. By digitizing and automating supply chain processes through smart contracts, organizations can streamline operations and reduce the need for manual intervention. Smart contracts, which are self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement directly written into the code, enable seamless and automated transactions, eliminating the need for intermediaries and reducing the risk of human error.
This automation not only improves efficiency but also enables real-time tracking and traceability of products throughout the supply chain. With blockchain, organizations can easily trace the journey of a product from its source to its final destination, providing consumers with accurate and reliable information about the product’s origin, manufacturing processes, and ethical sourcing practices.
This level of traceability not only enhances consumer trust but also enables organizations to quickly identify and address any issues or bottlenecks in the supply chain, ultimately leading to improved overall performance and customer satisfaction.
Predictive Maintenance and Cost Reduction in Supply Chains
Predictive maintenance techniques have emerged as a cost-effective solution for optimizing the performance and longevity of equipment in supply chains. By utilizing smart technology and data analytics, businesses are able to anticipate and prevent equipment failures before they occur, reducing downtime and minimizing the need for costly repairs.
This proactive approach to maintenance not only increases the reliability and availability of equipment but also helps in streamlining the overall supply chain operations.
Incorporating predictive maintenance in supply chains offers numerous benefits. Firstly, it enables businesses to schedule maintenance activities during planned downtime, minimizing disruptions to the production process.
Secondly, it helps in identifying potential issues and addressing them before they escalate into major problems, thereby reducing the risk of equipment breakdowns and unscheduled downtimes.
Thirdly, predictive maintenance allows businesses to optimize their spare parts inventory by accurately predicting when replacements will be needed. This not only reduces inventory costs but also ensures that parts are readily available when required.
Lastly, predictive maintenance techniques can improve safety by identifying and rectifying potential safety hazards in equipment before they cause any accidents.
By harnessing the power of smart technology and predictive analytics, businesses can revolutionize their supply chains and achieve significant cost savings while enhancing operational efficiency.
Smart Supply Chains: Gaining a Competitive Edge with Smart Technology
The integration of advanced technological solutions has become essential for businesses aiming to gain a competitive edge in today’s market. Smart technology offers a range of benefits that can help companies stand out from their competitors.
One key advantage is the ability to gather and analyze large amounts of data in real-time. This data can be used to gain valuable insights into customer behavior, market trends, and industry developments. By harnessing this information, businesses can make more informed decisions and tailor their strategies to meet the ever-changing demands of the market. This not only allows them to stay ahead of the curve but also enables them to anticipate customer needs and offer personalized experiences, ultimately increasing customer loyalty and satisfaction.
In addition to data analytics, smart technology also enables businesses to streamline their operations and improve efficiency. Automation, for example, can help eliminate manual and repetitive tasks, freeing up employees’ time for more strategic and value-added activities. This not only reduces the risk of human error but also increases productivity and reduces costs.
Furthermore, smart technology can facilitate better communication and collaboration both internally and externally. Through the use of cloud-based platforms, teams can easily share information, collaborate on projects, and make real-time updates, regardless of their location. This not only improves efficiency but also enables businesses to respond quickly to market changes and customer demands, giving them a competitive advantage in the fast-paced business landscape.
Ultimately, the adoption of smart technology in supply chains offers businesses a competitive edge, enabling them to streamline operations, improve customer satisfaction, and adapt to the ever-changing market dynamics.
Therefore, it is imperative for businesses to embrace and leverage the power of smart technology to optimize their supply chains and stay ahead in today’s highly competitive business environment. | <urn:uuid:ea75e49f-5dac-44a9-bf43-62b9feb36580> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.businesstechweekly.com/operational-efficiency/logistics-and-fulfilment/smart-supply-chain/ | 2024-09-20T17:11:55Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725701419169.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20240920154713-20240920184713-00588.warc.gz | en | 0.914753 | 3,146 | 2.84375 | 3 |
The Internet is awash in new things, and two of them, IPv6 and the Internet of Things (IoT), could potentially lead to a whole lot of trouble. Experts say that it is possible that the new addressing scheme, which is necessary to accommodate the explosion of wireless technology and the billions of IoT devices that are flooding the Internet, will create a landscape that allows malicious hackers (crackers) to launch potentially potent distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.
A DDoS attack is launched when crackers take over numerous Internet endpoints and turn them into “bots.” These bots, as the name implies, do the bidding of the bad guys. In a DDoS attack, the bots are instructed to repeatedly send data in an effort to overwhelm the target and take it offline.
Together, the IoT and IPv6 raise a series of concerns, as Rene Papp has pointed out at Dark Reading, writing that a number of factors point to potential danger: Tools aimed at identifying malicious traffic in IPv6 are immature and the devices that translate between IPv4 and IPv6 are “brittle.” The term is a shortcut for the idea that the devices’ CPU, memory and bandwidth tend to be maxed out by the stringent demands of mediating the relationship between IPv4 and IPv6.
The final piece to the puzzle is that the security on IoT devices is not evolved and is not a top agenda item for developers. IoT developers also have to keep things as inexpensive as possible, and security may be one area in which they look to cut costs. This is a real danger: Many of the functions that the IoT devices will provide – such as monitoring heart patients and keeping tabs on the security of power plants – make it dangerous for them to be offline for extended periods of time.
The sense is that experts are just getting their arms around the issues. At CircleID, Ram Mohan, the vice president and CTO for Internet domain name registry Afilias, pointed to the Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP) as a potential problem. This is an IoT protocol that enables “bypass server-based mechanisms” that in turn enable streamlined communications by devices on the same network. This makes it easier for the IoT to scale. The shortcut comes with a price, however:
So that little wireless activities tracker you wear on your wrist (Fitbit, Apple Watch, and many others) which you love as it syncs up your health data on your cell phone and your company tablet? With a little bit of malware, it can turn into the zombie device that you fear: it can attack any server without your noticing until it’s too late!
The potential problems could be large.
“Within IPv6, there are a couple of features that make it more susceptible to DoS attacks,” said Johannes Ullrich, Ph.D, the CTO of SANS’ Internet Storm Center. “One problem with DoS [and DDos] attacks is that many of them originate from spoofed addresses. That makes it harder to track them down. In IPv6, there are so many addresses it is easier to spoof addresses. In the end, it comes down to the same problem as in IPv4, which is that spoofing is possible if the ISP is not filtering correctly.”
The good news, at least for the time being, is that virtually none of the IoT devices using IPv6 are connected directly to the Internet. They are on subnetworks or in some way cordoned off from direct contact, according to Tom Coffeen, the IPv6 evangelist for Infoblox.
The fact that we are in a transition from IPv4 to IPv6 is helping stave off a problem – at least temporarily. “These IoT devices are not connected to the Internet directly over their IPv6 addresses,” Coffeen said. “If there is not…they can only attack via the gateway.”
The fact that the IPv6 IoT world is safely tucked away from direct contact with Internet – and thus its dangers — is countered, to some extent, by the fact that IPv6 DDoS attacks are occurring, wrote Lisa Beegle, SIRT manager at Akamai. “Yes, we have identified a limited number of observed IPv6 attacks documented to date,” she wrote. “The Akamai research team has also observed some IPv6 tools and we believe that they will continue to evolve.”
These attacks may not be IoT specific. It’s only a matter of time, however, before they are. At that point – when, in essence, the training wheels come off the IoT and IPv6 – those billions of poorly secured devices will be accessible to crackers. The bad guys will be ready. Let’s hope security forces will be as well.
Carl Weinschenk covers telecom for IT Business Edge. He writes about wireless technology, disaster recovery/business continuity, cellular services, the Internet of Things, machine-to-machine communications and other emerging technologies and platforms. He also covers net neutrality and related regulatory issues. Weinschenk has written about the phone companies, cable operators and related companies for decades and is senior editor of Broadband Technology Report. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org and via twitter at @DailyMusicBrk. | <urn:uuid:5914d767-505e-45b0-a83f-38fd539622ef> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.itbusinessedge.com/networking/the-iot-ipv6-and-ddos-a-dangerous-mix/ | 2024-09-09T17:58:10Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651133.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909170505-20240909200505-00688.warc.gz | en | 0.946801 | 1,112 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Which IPsec security protocol should be used when confidentiality is required?
Click on the arrows to vote for the correct answer
A. B. C. D.D
The correct answer is D. ESP (Encapsulating Security Payload).
IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) is a protocol suite used to provide secure communication over IP networks. IPsec can be used to provide confidentiality, integrity, and authentication of network traffic. There are two main IPsec protocols: Authentication Header (AH) and Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP).
AH provides authentication and integrity for IP packets, but it does not provide confidentiality. In contrast, ESP provides confidentiality, as well as authentication and integrity, by encrypting the entire IP packet.
MD5 (Message Digest 5) is a hash function used for integrity checking, but it does not provide confidentiality. PSK (Pre-Shared Key) is a method of authentication, but it does not provide confidentiality.
Therefore, the correct answer is D. ESP, as it provides both confidentiality and authentication/integrity for IP packets. | <urn:uuid:e3c8bc44-45c1-4b98-82d8-79fdd4882f6d> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.exam-answer.com/ipsec-security-protocol-confidentiality | 2024-09-11T00:24:23Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651323.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910224659-20240911014659-00588.warc.gz | en | 0.925228 | 222 | 2.921875 | 3 |
A Cloud for the Artificial Mind: This Data Center is Designed for Deep Learning
As deep learning proliferates, companies search for the best infrastructure strategy
While we mostly hear about Artificial Intelligence systems like IBM’s Watson, which won Jeopardy! six years ago; Google’s AlphaGo, which won a game of Go in a match with the ancient Chinese game’s human world champion last year; or Carnegie Mellon’s Libratus, which last month beat one of the world’s top poker players, many computer scientists around the world are working on AI systems that will never appear in the news.
Over the last five years or so, Machine Learning, a type of AI, has been a quickly rising tide that’s now starting to permeate nearly every corner of technology. From self-driving cars to online advertising, cybersecurity, and video surveillance, companies are training computers to do many of the things human workers have been doing but better, or at least cheaper.
Neural networks, computer systems that aim to simulate the way neurons are interconnected in the human brain, are trained to do these tasks the same way babies learn about the world – by observation, repetition, trial, and error, assisted instead of parents by computer scientists – although babies are still much, much better at it. A neural net learns to understand spoken language, for example, by listening to a lot of recorded speech, such as movie dialogue; it learns to identify objects by looking at tons of images. When it makes an error, that data is fed back into the net, which makes fewer and fewer errors with every cycle.
Training is the most resource-intensive computing workload in the machine learning development process. The explosion of deep learning software development (deep learning is the most widespread machine learning technique) is driving a growing need for specialized computing infrastructure, geared for the types of workloads required to train neural nets. These computers are similar to high-performance computing (HPC) systems scientists use and as such require lots of power and cooling capacity from the data centers that host them.
The Artificial Mind is Power-Hungry
Seeing a business opportunity in this trend, a Poway, California-based company called Cirrascale recently pivoted from being a high-performance hardware vendor and cloud service provider to being a specialist in designing and hosting compute infrastructure for deep learning. In addition to selling the high-octane hardware, the company uses its data center outside of San Diego to provide this infrastructure as a service, somewhat similar to the way Amazon Web Services provides its cloud servers but with a few key differences.
“These types of boxes are very powerful,” David Driggers, the company’s CEO and founder, said in an interview with Data Center Knowledge. Because they have a lot of computing muscle, they are extremely power-hungry. Unlike AWS, which provides virtual server instances, Cirrascale’s deep learning cloud is a bare-metal cloud service. You get a dedicated high-performance box (or several) to run whatever software you need on it.
Driggers said many of his customers doing machine learning development work are new to the world of high-performance computing. It’s not trivial to set up, manage, and cool an HPC cluster, and they are happy to offload that problem to someone who understands it.
Cirrascale’s data center is designed to provide power densities north of 30 kW per rack (power density in an ordinary enterprise data center is 3 to 5 kW per rack, rarely exceeding 10 kW). “That’s a lot of wattage,” Driggers said. “Doing that part of it is hard, and we’re not charging a huge premium for that.”
<-- A cabinet housing Cirrascale's bare-metal cloud platform in the company's data center outside of San Diego (Photo: Cirrascale)
To cool that kind of density, the data center uses a proprietary liquid cooling system developed by ScaleMatrix, which owns and operates the Cirrascale data center. Instead of cool air traveling from front to back of the IT equipment (as it does in most data centers), the system pushes air with extremely high velocity from bottom to top, exhausting warm air at the top of the server cabinet. Each cabinet is a closed environment and has its own water supply and air circulation system, which ensures neighboring cabinets don’t affect each other’s temperature.
After many years of building high-performance computing systems, Cirrascale – whose previous incarnation was Verari Systems, the HPC hardware and data center container vendor that went bust in 2009 – has felt at home in the deep learning space, which it entered two years ago. “We’ve been doing 30 kW for well over 10 years, so we’re comfortable with standing up high-performance computing,” Driggers said.
Linking the Virtual Neurons
HPC systems and systems used to train deep neural networks are built using fairly similar architectures. Driggers believes that as the latter matures and starts to scale, its architecture is going to look more and more like that of the former.
The workhorse in this architecture is the GPU, or, more accurately, a group of GPUs networked together, computing in parallel. A single Cirrascale server for deep learning packs up to eight Tesla GPUs by NVIDIA (currently the GPU leader in deep learning), working in concert with an Intel Xeon CPU. Its most powerful cloud system has eight dual-GPU accelerators, being in effect a 16-GPU server, which you can rent for about $7,500 per month.
Cirrascale's GX8 Series server with eight of NVIDIA's Tesla GPUs, a deep learning workhorse (Photo: Cirrascale)
Cirrascale’s single most important innovation, its technological crown jewel, is a special way of interconnecting GPUs in a single system. Called PCIe Switch Riser, it enables any GPU to talk directly to any other GPU on the motherboard at maximum bandwidth, helping both performance and scalability.
DGX-1, NVIDIA’s own supercomputer designed specifically for deep learning, is configured in a similar way, Driggers said. The chipmaker’s GPU interconnection technology is called NVLink. He conceded that if you need “absolute cutting edge,” you should go with the NVIDIA box. But, if you can tolerate 15 percent lower performance while paying half the price, Cirrascale has a comparable system with the same NVIDIA P100 GPUs, he said. It sells the DGX-1 as well.
A look inside NVIDIA's DGX-1 supercomputer, the "absolute cutting edge" in deep learning hardware (Photo: Yevgeniy Sverdlik)
Startup Solving for Common Sense
While a lot is written about deep learning today, few companies are actually using the technology in production. Hyperscale cloud operators like Google and Facebook are applying it in many of their user-facing features, but most of the companies working in the field are still in development stages, and that’s true for the majority of Cirrascale’s cloud customers, who are writing algorithms and learning to scale their deep learning applications to handle larger data sets.
Today, each of these customers is taking a handful of nodes, a small subset of what Driggers believes they will eventually need. As they grow and their applications mature, he anticipates the preferred infrastructure model will be hybrid, combining private and public cloud.
One customer already using a hybrid set-up is Twenty Billion Neurons, or twentybn. The Berlin-based startup with a research lab in Toronto was founded a years ago by a group of academics who believe that the dominant neural-net training technique for some of the most promising applications, such as self-driving cars, is flawed and already ripe for disruption.
Instead of using still images to train neural nets to identify objects, the dominant approach, twentybn uses video. “Our mission is to teach machines to perceive and understand the world,” Roland Memisevic, the company’s chief scientist and one of its co-founders, said in an interview. Memisevic is a professor at the influential Montreal Institute of Learning Algorithms and a former doctorate student of Geoffrey Hinton, a key figure in the development of deep learning as we know it today.
That the world is three-dimensional; that there’s gravity; that an object has permanent features and can get from point A to point B only by moving – concepts a human being has a firm grasp of by the time she reaches three – are things that are extremely difficult for a machine to understand by looking at still images, Memisevic explained, adding that there’s strong scientific reason to believe that the only way it can gain that understanding is through video.
Twentybn has paid an army of internet users to shoot more than 60,000 short video clips of themselves doing simple things like throwing objects against walls, dropping objects, or picking them up, videos “generated to reflect things that we want the network to learn,” he said. The company is using these and synthesized videos to train its neural networks with the goal of selling custom AI solutions for autonomous vehicles and video surveillance.
Twentybn uses Cirrascale’s GPU-packed bare-metal cloud servers to train its neural nets but also keeps its own computing cluster in-house, at its lab in Toronto, to handle the massive amount of synthesized video it generates.
A Post-GPU Future?
Memisevic believes technologies that improve communication between GPUs, like the cloud provider’s Switch Riser, are going to be indispensable in the future, as neural networks get bigger and bigger. However, it’s unclear at the moment what the best way to harness a lot of GPUs will be over time; today there are several approaches.
Because what we’re witnessing is just the beginning of what is expected to drive the next technological revolution, there is still a lot of unknowns about the kind of computing and data center infrastructure machine learning or other types of AI will ultimately require. “We looked around for every company like mine that has to find a way to harness GPUs to train networks, and we have been and are still exploring multiple directions toward using those GPUs,” Memisevic said.
Using hybrid cloud was a strategic decision twentybn made precisely because of the uncertainty of what its future computing needs may be. It’s putting two ponies in the race, and one of them is a rental. Even GPUs themselves may eventually be replaced by something that simulates neural nets better and more efficiently, he said. Today’s brute-force approach to making these networks more powerful by plugging in more GPUs is far from ideal.
In fact, he is convinced there will be a better alternative. After all, the human brain is a lot more powerful than a GPU cluster while using a tiny fraction of energy and occupying a tiny fraction of space than the cluster does. “Right now we’re scaling, scaling, scaling; and that’s going to grow,” he said. “Demand for high-power computation on GPUs is unfortunately going to grow over the years. GPUs, as compared to brains, use ridiculously large amounts of electricity; there could be something so much better that uses so much less power.”
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You might think you’ve experienced VR, and you might have been pretty impressed. Particularly if you’re a gamer, there are some great experiences to be had out there (or rather, in there) today.
But over the next few years, in VR, as in all fields of technology, we’re going to see things that make what is cutting-edge today look like Space Invaders. And although the games will be amazing, the effects of this transformation will be far broader, touching on our work, education, and social lives.
Today’s most popular VR applications involve taking total control of a user’s senses (sight and hearing, particularly) to create a totally immersive experience that places the user in a fully virtual environment that feels pretty realistic.
Climb up something high and look down, and you’re likely to get a sense of vertigo. If you see an object moving quickly towards your head, you’ll feel an urge to duck out of the way.
Very soon, VR creators will extend this sensory hijacking to our other faculties – for example, touch and smell – to deepen that sense of immersion. At the same time, the devices we use to visit these virtual worlds will become cheaper and lighter, removing the friction that can currently be a barrier.
I believe extended reality (XR) – a term that covers virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) – will be one of the most transformative tech trends of the next five years. It will be enabled and augmented by other tech trends, including super-fast networking, that will let us experience VR as a cloud service just like we currently consume music and movies. And artificial intelligence (AI) will provide us with more personalized virtual worlds to explore, even giving us realistic virtual characters to share our experiences with.
VR in education and training
VR is already making great inroads into education, with a large number of startups and established companies offering packaged experiences and services aimed at schools. Engage’s platform is used by the likes of Facebook, HTC, and the European Commission to enable remote learning. And one study published in 2019 found that medical students trained using VR were able to carry out certain procedures quicker and more accurately than peers trained using traditional methods.
These new methods of teaching and learning will become increasingly effective as new technologies emerge. One that is likely to make waves is the Teslasuit, which uses a full-body suit to offer haptic feedback, enhancing the immersion through the sense of touch. It also offers an array of biometric sensors enabling the user’s heartbeat, perspiration, and other stress indicators to be measured. The suit is already used in NASA astronaut training, but its potential uses are unlimited.
For training, it could be used to safely simulate any number of hazardous or stressful conditions and monitor the way we respond to them. For example, Walmart has used it to train retail staff to work in Black Friday situations, instructing them on how to best to operate in busy shop environments with long queues of customers.
As well as training us for dangerous situations, it will also drastically reduce the financial risks involved with letting students and inexperienced recruits loose with expensive tools and machinery in any industry.
VR in industry and work
The pandemic has changed many things about the way we work, including the wholesale shift to home working for large numbers of employees. This brings challenges, including the need to retain an environment that fosters cooperative activity and the building of company culture. Solutions involving VR are quickly emerging to help tackle these.
Spatial, which creates a tool best described as a VR version of Zoom, reported a 1,000% increase in the use of its platform since March 2020. In total, the value of the market for VR business equipment is forecast to grow from $829 million in 2018 to $4.26 billion by 2023, according to research by ARtillery Intelligence.
Communication giant Ericsson (which has provided Oculus VR headsets to employees working from home during the pandemic for VR meetings) has talked about creating the “Internet of Senses.” This involves developing projects involving simulating touch, taste and smell, and sensations such as hot or cold. It predicts that by 2030, we will be able to enter digital environments that appear completely real to all of our five senses simultaneously.
This will lead to the advent of what it calls the “dematerialized office” – where the office effectively vanishes from our lives as we’re able to create entirely interactive and collaborative working environments wherever we are in the world, simply by slipping on a headset and whatever other devices are needed for the task at hand.
VR in socializing
There are already a number of VR-based social platforms that allow friends or strangers to meet up and chat or play in virtual environments, such as VR Chat, Altspace VR, and Rec Room. As with VR in other fields, the growing level of immersion that is possible thanks to new technological developments will make them more useful and more attractive to mainstream audiences throughout the coming decade.
This year Facebook, which has long had a stake in VR due to its acquisition of headset manufacturer Oculus, unveiled its Horizon platform. Currently, in beta, it allows people to build and share collaborative online worlds where they can hang out, play games, or work together on collaborative projects.
While we will always make time for meeting up with friends and loved ones in the real world, as our working and school lives become increasingly remote, it’s likely that more of our social interaction will move into the online realm, too. Just as we are no longer barred from careers or educational opportunities due to an increasingly virtualized world, we will have more meaningful ways to connect with other humans as technology improves in this area.
And of course – VR in games and entertainment
The “killer app” for VR is gaming, and the reason the technology is developing at the pace it is, is due to the large market of people willing to spend money on the most impressive and immersive entertainment experiences.
Sandbox VR operates real-world VR centers where equipment that it simply wouldn’t be practical or affordable to use in our homes offer some of the most immersive experiences yet created.
Using full-body haptic feedback suits, they offer five games – one licensed from Star Trek – that let groups cooperate or battle it out in deep space, aboard ghostly pirate ships, or through a zombie infestation.
CEO Steve Zhao describes the experience his company has created as a “minimal viable Matrix or holodeck.” In a recent conversation that you can see here, he told me, “the outcome is that you believe in the world – it’s very real, and in order to progress, you and your friends have to communicate and work together. One of the best ways to describe it is that you are the stars inside your own movie – that’s basically what we created.”
It makes sense in many ways that there could be two markets for consuming VR entertainment – at least in its early days. While the most immersive and impressive tech is big, expensive, and requires technical skill to operate, it’s more viable to offer it at dedicated venues rather than as an in-home experience. As with movies, the stay-at-home offerings will provide something perhaps a little less spectacular but more convenient – at least until we get to the point where we can have full-size Star Trek holodecks in our own homes!
Where to go from here
If you would like to know more about measuring HR effectiveness, check out my articles on:
Or browse the Augmented, Virtual & Mixed Reality to find the metrics that matter most to you. | <urn:uuid:34acee3e-4365-466a-96f2-075eadf70c2a> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://bernardmarr.com/the-future-of-virtual-reality-vr/ | 2024-09-14T16:47:01Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651580.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20240914161327-20240914191327-00288.warc.gz | en | 0.959537 | 1,605 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Nursing in remote areas is a demanding yet highly rewarding profession. It involves delivering healthcare services to populations that are often underserved due to geographic isolation. This article explores the myriad challenges nurses face in these settings and the unique rewards that come with the role.
Nursing is a profession characterized by its dedication to caring for others, often under challenging circumstances. In remote areas, these challenges are magnified due to factors like limited resources, geographic isolation, and cultural differences. Despite these obstacles, nurses in remote areas play a crucial role in providing healthcare to communities that might otherwise go without. The rewards of such work can be profound, offering personal and professional fulfillment that is unmatched in many other nursing environments.
The Challenges of Nursing in Remote Areas
One of the most significant challenges of nursing in remote areas is geographic isolation. This isolation can impact both the healthcare professionals and the patients they serve.
- Access to Healthcare: Remote areas often lack easy access to healthcare facilities. Patients might need to travel long distances to reach a clinic or hospital, which can be particularly challenging for those with limited mobility or financial resources.
- Transportation: Nurses working in these regions might have to travel considerable distances to visit patients. Poor road conditions and extreme weather can further complicate travel, making it difficult to reach those in need promptly.
- Professional Isolation: Nurses in remote areas often work alone or in small teams, leading to professional isolation. This can result in a lack of immediate peer support and limited opportunities for professional development and mentorship.
Remote healthcare facilities often operate with limited resources, which can hinder the delivery of quality care.
- Medical Supplies and Equipment: There may be shortages of essential medical supplies and equipment, making it challenging to provide comprehensive care. Nurses must often be resourceful, finding ways to work with what is available.
- Staffing: There is frequently a shortage of healthcare professionals in remote areas, leading to increased workloads for those who are present. Nurses might have to perform multiple roles, from administrative tasks to direct patient care.
- Infrastructure: Many remote healthcare facilities are underfunded and may lack adequate infrastructure. This can include outdated buildings, limited technology, and insufficient communication systems, all of which can impact the quality of care provided.
Cultural and Linguistic Barriers
Remote areas often have diverse populations with unique cultural and linguistic needs.
- Cultural Sensitivity: Nurses must be culturally sensitive and aware of the specific health beliefs and practices of the communities they serve. This requires ongoing education and an openness to learning from patients.
- Language Barriers: Communication can be a significant challenge if patients speak a different language than the healthcare providers. Misunderstandings can lead to misdiagnoses and inappropriate treatments.
Psychological and Emotional Stress
The demands of nursing in remote areas can take a toll on the psychological and emotional well-being of nurses.
- Burnout: The combination of heavy workloads, professional isolation, and the emotional demands of caring for critically ill patients can lead to burnout. This is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that can impact a nurse’s ability to provide quality care.
- Trauma and Grief: Nurses in remote areas often deal with traumatic situations and high mortality rates. This constant exposure to suffering and loss can lead to compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress.
The Rewards of Nursing in Remote Areas
Despite the challenges, nursing in remote areas offers numerous rewards that can make the experience deeply fulfilling.
Personal and Professional Growth
- Skill Development: Working in remote areas often requires nurses to develop a broad skill set. They must be adaptable, resourceful, and capable of handling a wide range of medical situations. This can lead to significant professional growth and a high level of competence.
- Autonomy: Nurses in remote settings frequently have a high degree of autonomy. This independence can be empowering and help nurses develop strong decision-making and leadership skills.
- Impactful Work: The work nurses do in remote areas can have a profound impact on the communities they serve. Knowing that their efforts are making a tangible difference in people’s lives can be incredibly rewarding.
- Community Connection: Nurses in remote areas often become integral members of the communities they serve. They build strong, lasting relationships with patients and their families, which can be deeply fulfilling.
- Trust and Respect: In many remote communities, healthcare professionals are highly respected and trusted. This respect can lead to a strong sense of purpose and satisfaction in one’s work.
- Cultural Exchange: Working in remote areas provides opportunities for rich cultural exchange. Nurses can learn about different ways of life, traditions, and perspectives, which can broaden their own worldview.
- Natural Beauty: Many remote areas are located in regions of stunning natural beauty. Living and working in these environments can provide a unique lifestyle and opportunities for outdoor activities and exploration.
Case Studies and Personal Stories
To illustrate the challenges and rewards of nursing in remote areas, it is helpful to consider some case studies and personal stories from nurses who have worked in these settings.
Case Study 1: Nursing in the Arctic
One nurse who worked in a remote Arctic community described the experience as both challenging and rewarding. The geographic isolation was extreme, with the nearest hospital several hundred miles away. Medical supplies were often scarce, and the harsh weather conditions made travel difficult. However, the nurse found the work incredibly rewarding. The tight-knit community welcomed her, and she developed strong relationships with her patients. The experience also allowed her to develop a high level of clinical competence and adaptability.
Case Study 2: Nursing in Rural Africa
Another nurse shared her experience working in a rural village in Africa. The challenges included limited access to clean water, basic medical supplies, and reliable electricity. Despite these obstacles, she found the work deeply fulfilling. She witnessed firsthand the impact of her efforts, such as reducing the incidence of preventable diseases through vaccination programs and health education. The cultural exchange was also enriching, as she learned about the local customs and traditions.
Strategies for Overcoming Challenges
While the challenges of nursing in remote areas are significant, there are strategies that can help mitigate these difficulties and improve the working conditions for nurses.
Improving Infrastructure and Resources
- Investment in Healthcare Facilities: Governments and organizations can invest in building and maintaining healthcare facilities in remote areas. This includes providing modern medical equipment and ensuring a reliable supply of necessary medications and supplies.
- Telemedicine: The use of telemedicine can help bridge the gap between remote areas and larger medical centers. This technology allows for remote consultations with specialists, improving the quality of care that can be provided locally.
- Transportation Solutions: Improving transportation infrastructure and providing reliable vehicles for healthcare workers can make it easier to reach patients in remote areas.
Supporting Healthcare Professionals
- Professional Development: Offering ongoing training and professional development opportunities can help nurses in remote areas stay updated with the latest medical practices and technologies. This can also provide a sense of professional growth and fulfillment.
- Peer Support Networks: Creating networks of support among healthcare professionals working in remote areas can help reduce feelings of isolation. Regular meetings, both in-person and virtual, can provide opportunities for sharing experiences and advice.
- Mental Health Support: Providing mental health resources and support for healthcare workers is crucial. This can include access to counseling services, stress management workshops, and programs to prevent burnout.
Community Engagement and Education
- Health Education Programs: Implementing health education programs in remote communities can empower individuals to take control of their own health. This can reduce the overall burden on healthcare services and improve health outcomes.
- Cultural Competence Training: Training healthcare professionals in cultural competence can improve the quality of care they provide and enhance their relationships with patients. This includes learning about the local culture, language, and health practices.
The Future of Nursing in Remote Areas
The future of nursing in remote areas holds both challenges and opportunities. Advances in technology, such as telemedicine and portable medical devices, have the potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery in these settings. Additionally, there is growing recognition of the importance of supporting healthcare professionals who work in remote areas, which can lead to improved working conditions and better health outcomes for patients.
Governments and organizations must continue to invest in healthcare infrastructure and support systems for remote areas. This includes ensuring that healthcare facilities are adequately funded and equipped, providing professional development opportunities for healthcare workers, and fostering community engagement.
Nursing in remote areas is a profession that comes with a unique set of challenges and rewards. The geographic isolation, limited resources, and cultural differences can make the work demanding, but the personal and professional growth, strong community connections, and impactful nature of the work make it deeply fulfilling. By addressing the challenges and supporting healthcare professionals, we can ensure that remote communities receive the quality care they deserve and that nurses continue to find joy and purpose in their vital work. | <urn:uuid:17c004df-a09f-4cc0-bf4f-436f4bda4325> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://diversinet.com/challenges-and-rewards-of-nursing-in-remote-areas/ | 2024-09-14T18:16:33Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651580.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20240914161327-20240914191327-00288.warc.gz | en | 0.952714 | 1,828 | 3.125 | 3 |
Avoid getting ripped off online
Online security is one of the top catch phrases these days, but hardly anybody knows what it means and worse, most home computer users think security only applies to corporations and online businesses.
Most people think online security means simply protecting your credit card data from fraud and theft, but it actually goes way beyond that.
The potential for mayhem and just plain disruption of your life doesn't just mean credit card fraud - it can mean having your identity stolen, your life disrupted and spending hours cleaning up after an online 'vandalism' attack.
You must protect yourself from everyone from the teenage computer hacker to the organized crime syndicate using computer worms and keystroke logging viruses.
The great news is that a number of simple techniques should protect you against the vast majority of threats, since the evil doers will simply move on to easier pastures.
Update your anti-virus files
The widespread 'Bad Trans' worm logged keystrokes and transmitted potentially sensitive data such as credit card and social security numbers to the 'bad guys'.
Though this virus contained a high level of criminal intent, it was easily blocked by anyone with up-to-date anti-virus files.
If you don't have anti-virus software with current virus definitions installed, you leave the door wide open for security problems.
Install a Firewall
A firewall helps prevent unauthorized access to your computer by 'hackers'.
It closes off the entry points (called open 'ports') carried by virtually every computer connected to the Internet.
A common misconception is that firewalls are only for people with cable or other high-speed connections.
Even if you use a dial up connection to get online, a firewall can help you detect and prevent people from logging on to your computer, stealing files or even using your computer to break into others!
You can take a free test of your computer's security by logging on to http://www.symantec.com/securitycheck/ and clicking 'Find out today if you are safe'. The results may surprise you.
Use secure sites
Only give sensitive data such as credit cards, social security numbers and important passwords over a secure connection.
This means the little yellow lock appears in the lower part of your browser and nobody but the website you are connected to should be able to read the data you send.
Change passwords often
An easy way for you to protect your sensitive data and email is to change your passwords on a monthly basis, or even more often depending on how frequently you use computers away from home. If you log on to your email at the library, in 'cyber cafes' or any other remote computer then the possibility exists that computer could have a key-stroking virus present.
This means everything you type into the computer (passwords, birthdays, social security numbers, credit cards) could be logged and used by someone else. Change your passwords at lease once a month.
Though not fool-proof, these security tips should help reduce your vulnerability and keep you safer online.
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Conversational AI-based CX channels such as chatbots and voicebots have the power to completely transform the way brands communicate with their customers. As AI has grown more sophisticated in recent years, increasingly more companies have made the decision to leverage these channels, providing efficient and cost-effective self-service customer interactions.
Cyara Botium empowers businesses to accelerate chatbot development through every stage of the development lifecycle.
Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Large Language Models (LLM) are central to how chatbots understand and respond to customer queries by generating natural language responses to human-supplied questions
However, it can be difficult to distinguish between NLP and LLMs. While both hold integral roles in empowering these computer-customer interactions, each system has a distinct functionality and purpose. When you’re equipped with a better understanding of each system you can begin deploying optimized chatbots that meet your customers’ needs and help you achieve your business goals.
An Overview of NLP and LLMs
Simply put, NLP and LLMs are both responsible for facilitating human-to-machine interactions. While NLP makes it possible for bots to understand the various nuances of human language and extract meaning based on defined rules and structures, LLMs leverage large amounts of data to predict and generate human language, allowing your bots to hold conversations and respond to all manner of customer queries.
While each technology is integral to connecting humans and bots together, and making it possible to hold conversations, they offer distinct functions.
What is NLP?
NLP is used to help conversational AI bots understand the meaning and intentions behind human language by looking at grammar, keywords, and sentence structure. NLP uses various processes to interpret and generate human language, including deep learning models, semantic and sentiment analysis, computational logistics, and more. By gathering this data, the machine can then pull out key information that’s essential to understanding a customer’s intent, then interacting with that customer to simulate a human agent.
What are LLMs?
LLMs, such as GPT, use massive amounts of training data to learn how to predict and create language. As an advanced application of NLP, LLMs can engage in conversations by processing queries, generating human-like text, and predicting potential responses. By identifying patterns in extensive training data—such as books, articles, and more—LLMs can produce conversations that feel engaging and simulate human writing styles, though their understanding is based on learned patterns rather than true comprehension.
Based on your organization’s needs, you can determine the best choice for your bot’s infrastructure. Both LLM and NLP-based systems contain distinct differences, depending on your bot’s required scope and function.
Key Differences Between NLP and LLMs
While NLP has been around for many years, LLMs have been making a splash with the emergence of ChatGPT, for example. So, while it may seem like LLMs can override the necessity of NLP-based systems, the question of what technology you should use goes much deeper than that. While each technology is critical to creating well-functioning bots, differences in scope, ethical concerns, accuracy, and more, set them apart.
NLP and LLMs differ in several key areas, such as the following:
NLP systems are built using clear-cut rules of human language, such as conventional grammar rules. These outline how language should be used and allow NLP systems to identify specific information or parts of speech.
LLMs require massive amounts of training data, often including a range of internet text, to effectively learn. Instead of using rigid blueprints, LLMs identify trends and patterns that can be used later to have open-ended conversations.
Generally, NLP maintains high accuracy and reliability within specialized contexts but may face difficulties with tasks that require an understanding of generalized context.
LLMs, meanwhile, can accurately produce language, but are at risk of generating inaccurate or biased content depending on its training data.
Because NLP systems are trained based on language rules, NLP can be used for tasks such as helping brands understand brand perception and ways to improve customer satisfaction, conducting market research, and analyzing customer feedback.
LLMs are often more suited for diverse tasks that require a deeper understanding of context and generating content, such as managing large-scale customer interactions and responding to more complex queries.
When using NLP, brands should be aware of any biases within training data and monitor their systems for any consent or privacy concerns.
Likewise, LLMs must be continuously monitored for risks, often related to data usage and security considerations. AI governance policies can be used to proactively address ethical and compliance risks.
NLP systems may encounter issues understanding context and ambiguity, which can lead to misinterpretation of your customers’ queries.
LLMs can also be challenged in navigating nuance depending on the training data, which has the potential to embed biases or generate inaccurate information. In addition, LLMs may pose serious ethical and legal concerns, if not properly managed.
Leverage a Chatbot Optimization Solution
Whichever technology you choose for your chatbots—or a combination of the two—it’s critical to ensure that your chatbots are always optimized and performing as designed. There are many issues that can arise, impacting your overall CX, from even the earliest stages of development.
As this technology continues to advance, it’s more likely for risks to emerge, which can have a lasting impact on your brand identity and customer satisfaction, if not addressed in time. When it comes to AI, there is plenty of room for disaster when defects escape notice.
That’s why Cyara’s Botium is equipped to help you deliver high-quality chatbots and voicebots with confidence. When you use Botium, you can easily determine the best bot technology for your needs, including integration with over 55 chatbot technologies and all major NLP engines, so you can seamlessly test and monitor performance and eliminate defects ahead of customer impact.
Botium also includes NLP Advanced, empowering you to test and analyze your NLP training data, verify your regressions, and identify areas for improvement.
There are several key differences that set LLMs and NLP systems apart. With Botium, you can easily identify the best technology for your infrastructure and begin accelerating your chatbot development lifecycle. Contact us to learn more or visit cyara.com. | <urn:uuid:a86cc5cf-bd3a-4ecc-8490-5d12c575c965> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://cyara.com/blog/nlp-vs-llms-optimizing-your-chatbots-for-success/ | 2024-09-07T12:11:03Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650826.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20240907095856-20240907125856-00029.warc.gz | en | 0.941428 | 1,326 | 2.734375 | 3 |
It’s Code Red for the healthcare sector after yet another major, life-threatening cyber-attack that experts say was completely preventable.
Deemed the “most significant” cyber-attack in the history of the UK National Health Service (NHS), the June 3 ransomware attack shut down seven London hospital systems, halting treatment, postponing critical operations, and threatening lives.
It underscores the urgent need for cyber preparedness in a sector that’s particularly vulnerable.
Systems are outdated. Basic cyber practices go unperformed. Employees don’t get sufficient security awareness training. Cybercriminals know all this – and they also know that, when lives are at stake, victims are more likely to pay.
The NHS cyber attack’s ramifications extended far and wide. The perpetrators publicly released 400GB of names, birthdates, NHS numbers and blood test results. They also encrypted systems data, rendering it inaccessible, which caused the postponement of more than 6,000 hospital appointments and procedures in London.
Outdated systems, a failure to identify vulnerable points, and a lack of basic cyber hygiene are reasons why the NHS ransomware attack succeeded, the founding chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre stated. And, he warned, this attack could be a harbinger of more against the NHS.
But the NHS is far from alone. Globally, the health sector has been hard hit of late. Change Healthcare, a US insurance claims processor owned by United HealthCare, suffered a major blow in February, and poor cyber hygiene was also blamed.
To block further attacks, healthcare providers, insurers, and others in the industry around the world will need to act fast to secure their systems, educate their workers, and more.
Read on to explore the NHS cyber-attack in more depth, look at similarities to the Change Healthcare breach, and discover how to efficiently and effectively stem the rising tide of health sector cyber-attacks in the UK and globally.
The NHS Ransomware Attack: One of the Most Critical Ever
The Russian ransomware gang Qilin, thought to be Kremlin-backed, infiltrated the computer systems at Synnovis, which provides blood pathology testing and diagnostics to two NHS trusts in London. What happened to Synnovis underscores the concerns that plague health providers worried about suffering a similar attack:
- Business continuity. The attackers froze Synnovis’ systems by encrypting information needed for the systems to run. As a result of the attack, which cyber experts are calling one of the most significant ever against the NHS, 4,913 acute outpatient appointments and 1,391 operations were disrupted, according to the NHS. Guy’s, St Thomas’, King’s College and Evelina London Children’s Hospitals are among those whose ability to provide services was severely impaired.
- Protecting patient data and other sensitive information. Qilin downloaded private data for which it demanded a £40 million ransom. When Synnovis refused to pay, the group released on the dark web data from 300 million patient interactions with the NHS, including HIV and cancer blood test results for which the HIPAA Journal says individuals may now be subject to extortion. The attackers also took spreadsheets containing financial arrangements between hospitals, practitioners, and Synnovis.
- Protecting patient lives. The National Health Service in England was urging people with universal blood types to donate blood after the Synnovis attack disrupted hospitals’ ability to match patients — underlining how cyberattacks can have serious and potentially life-threatening impacts.
- Although no penalties or fines have been mentioned publicly against Synnovis or the NHS to date, providers as a whole whose cyber hygiene is found to be lacking may be vulnerable to penalties, including GDPR fines, should their systems and data suffer breach.
Why did it happen? Ciaran Martin, the founding chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, said after the attack that parts of the NHS’s IT system is outdated and remains at risk of more attacks. He blamed the legacy systems as well as a failure to identify vulnerabilities and conduct basic cybersecurity practices as the leading reasons why the NHS cyber-attack succeeded.
Echoes of Another Major Ransomware Attack
The NHS ransomware attack has many similarities to an attack that occurred in the US in February 2024. That attack, called the “most disruptive cyber-attack on US critical infrastructure to date,” is expected to cost parent company United Healthcare (UHC) billions of dollars and unprecedented data losses affecting one-third of Americans. And, similar to the NHS cyber-attack, the Change Healthcare breach might have easily been avoided had basic security hygiene practices been in place, according to testimony.
A US Congressional subcommittee explored cybersecurity vulnerabilities in healthcare during a May 16 hearing. What it found: The healthcare industry as a whole treads on shaky ground, facing more, and more dire, threats than ever before.
Yet, it remains behind the cybersecurity curve compared to most sectors.
Emboldened by the success of the cyber-attack on Change Healthcare, criminals are now targeting others in the sector. U.S. healthcare system Ascension on May 8 discovered a “security event” that caused a systems shutdown: weeks later, employees in a number of states were still documenting care with pen and paper.
Likewise, weeks after the NHS cyber-attack, blood testing in London was reportedly occurring at about 10 percent of its normal rate. Synnovis anticipated taking several months to fully recover, the HIPAA Journal reported.
Must-Have Cybersecurity Measures in the Health Sector
The health sector “lags far behind most essential infrastructure sectors … on research to understand the risks and develop specific plans to protect, respond, and recover from cyberattacks,” The Lancet reports.
It’s time to catch up, before cybercriminals catch you and your patients. Fortunately, protection is no mystery; security experts know what to do and how to do it effectively and efficiently. To get started, we recommend:
Security awareness training
No specific cause for the NHS breach has yet emerged, but this much we know: human error accounts for 95% of all cybersecurity incidents, the World Economic Forum reports.
What to do: Hornetsecurity’s next-gen Security Awareness Service trains employees using realistic spear phishing simulations and AI-powered e-training, heightening awareness of cyber security risks and threats. Employees learn effectively how to protect themselves and their company. The service is fully automated and easy to use.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Obtaining login credentials used to be an automatic in for intruders, but MFA makes it only half the battle. If the hackers don’t have access to the second layer, such as the user’s device or authentication app, they won’t be able to get in.
What to do: Check and double-check all your systems and software to ensure that they’re covered by MFA, preferably phishing resistant varieties, to block unauthorized entry into your systems and software.
Robust backup and recovery systems
It’s not a matter of “if” you’ll be attacked, but “when,” particularly in healthcare. Being able to recover swiftly—resilience—is key to minimizing costs, damage, and downtime.
What to do: Modernize your backup system with Hornetsecurity’s 365 Total Backup Solution. Among its features:
- Automatic backup of Microsoft 365 data multiple times a day;
- Protection from ransomware attacks as well as third-party disruptions via backup storage and security on Hornetsecurity infrastructure, independent of Microsoft;
- Easy search and recovery;
- Hassle-free, unlimited storage;
- Centralized management; and
- Data storage in local, secured, robust and redundant Hornetsecurity data centers, granting control over data jurisdiction.
Data privacy and security protections
Robust security includes having safeguards in place for storing, accessing, and sharing sensitive personal health information.
What to do: Adopt a zero-trust model with Hornetsecurity’s 365 Permission Manager tool. Using it, you can:
- Perform bulk actions to manage permissions at scale;
- Use Quick Actions to fix permissions on multiple sites at once;
- Assign out-of-the-box best practice policies, or create custom defined compliance polices for SharePoint sites, Teams, or OneDrive accounts;
- Receive alerts for critical shares or policy violations; and
- Use the Audit function to approve or reject policy violations.
Assess your supply chains
Note that in this attack, the impacted hospitals themselves weren’t breached, it was the supplier of pathology testing. No business today operates independently, and this is especially true in healthcare. Follow the steps above to ensure that “your house is in order” but also investigate your supply chains, understand their security posture, and plan for how your organization can continue operating if a critical supplier is impacted by a cyber-attack.
To properly protect your healthcare environment, use Hornetsecurity Security Awareness Service to educate your employees on how to secure your critical data.
To keep up with the latest articles and practices, visit our Hornetsecurity blog now.
Conclusion – An Ounce of Prevention
Don’t wait for a crisis: get your checkup and preventative care now. If you’re in the healthcare sector, your organization is extremely vulnerable to breach by criminals emboldened by recent successes. Truly, it’s not a matter of if your healthcare organization will be hit, but when. Contact Hornetsecurity today to try our solutions for free, and protect your systems and data before attackers strike.
The NHS cyber attack was caused by outdated systems, a failure to identify vulnerabilities, and a lack of basic cybersecurity practices.
The attack disrupted hospital operations, postponed critical treatments, and led to the release of sensitive patient data.
Organizations can prevent attacks by implementing security awareness training, multi-factor authentication, robust backup systems, and ensuring data privacy and security protections. | <urn:uuid:cdf14a4e-e9f9-4ea0-a6b3-a0ef151de145> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.hornetsecurity.com/en/blog/nhs-cyber-attack/ | 2024-09-08T12:09:18Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651002.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908115103-20240908145103-00829.warc.gz | en | 0.936432 | 2,082 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Flexitarians are people who have consciously decided on cutting down the meat content in their diet, not completely but to a major extent. This conscious decision is made considering the health and environmental benefits the diet offers, which include preventive health care and animal welfare, respectively. Hence, a flexitarian diet is majorly a plant-based diet with the occasional inclusion of dairy and meat products.
Globally, the food & beverage industry is witnessing a drastic shift in consumer behaviors regarding their food & beverage choices. The scenario is evitable with the sudden rise in consumer demand for plant-based products rather than the products derived from animal origin. After the much-talked-about vegan trend, which is quite restrictive and completely eliminates the consumption of animal-derived products, including dairy; a flexitarian diet is somewhat flexible and occasionally allows the consumption of meat and dairy products. Consumers these days are looking for healthier and sustainable food options with reduced fat content, which drives the demand for plant-based products. Also, the growing cases of lactose intolerance around the globe bolster the demand for plant-based food & beverages. Hence, due to health concerns and sustainability issues, consuming products imbibed with plant protein is becoming a popular trend across the globe. – said Pratiti Nayyar (Senior Research Associate at MarketsandMarkets™).
Nishikant Yadav (Associate Manager – Food, Beverage, Animal Nutrition, and Agriculture at MarketsandMarkets™) added that plant-based diets are becoming popular across the globe and are anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 18% between 2019 and 2030. Plant-based meat and beverages are the two main categories of plant-based food that are experiencing huge demand from consumers around the world. Plant-based meat has proven to be a revolutionary innovation as it aids in reducing meat consumption, thereby reducing various health and environmental concerns. The American Society for Nutrition (US) and Good Food Institute (US) have stated with evidence that plant-based foods lead to salutary well-being. Consumers are now becoming more aware and educated about the high nutrient profile of plant-based food as well as about the disadvantages associated with processed food, as essential components are stripped off while processing them.
The current plant-based food & beverage industry is highly dynamic and growth in this industry is fueled by factors such as:
- Growing inclination toward healthy lifestyles
- Associated health concerns among consumers for lactose intolerance. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), globally, around 65% of the human population has a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy.
- Awareness about the benefits of a plant-based diet
- Rise in the number of flexitarian and vegan population
- Growing investments, and favorable government policies and initiatives.
Some of the industry investments in recent years include:
- In 2018, the German Government invested USD 780,000 toward the research for texturizing plant-based meats to feel more like meat. This investment was made to promote the consumption of plant-derived products.
- In April 2017, Danone made a strategic acquisition of WhiteWave Foods (US), a player offering dairy alternative products, including plant-based milk and snack bars. This acquisition was made to meet the growing trend of sustainable eating and promote consumption of its plant-based beverages.
- In August 2019, Danone North America expanded the current capacity of its facility in DuBois, PA, US. This expansion was aimed at increasing the production of its plant-based products, including Silk, So Delicious, and Vega branded products to meet the growing consumer demand.
- In 2017, Bill Gates and Leonardo DiCaprio invested in Beyond Meat (US), a company that launched the first plant-based burger in the market.
Furthermore, industrialists such as Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Reid Hoffman, and Jack Ma are some of the investors who showed confidence and came forward to invest in Motif Ingredients (US) that engineers plant-based ingredients to offer similar nutrition than the animal-based products offer.
New Launches to Support the Growing Trend for Plant-based Food:
- Burger King (US) is launching its first plant-based product – Impossible Whopper – in its US stores, from Aug. 8, 2019.
- Earlier in 2019, Chobani, L.L.C. (US) shifted its focus from dairy to non-dairy products and launched its coconut-based yogurts, including ingredients such as tapioca flour and quillaja extracts.
- In February 2019, CoYo (Australia) launched coconut-based kefir drinks loaded with live probiotic kefir cultures fermented with Sri Lankan coconut milk; these included lactobacillus plantarum and bifidobacterium BB12.
FIGURE 1 PLANT-BASED FOOD & BEVERAGES MARKET SIZE, 2019 VS. 2025 (USD BILLION)
e – Estimated; p – Projected
Source: Related Research Publications, Government Publications, Company Press Releases, Company Annual Reports, Company Websites, Company Publications, and MarketsandMarkets™ Analysis
Consumers are showing a positive outlook toward plant-based products and are demanding highly nutritious, low-fat, and low-sugar products. Vegan and flexitarian diets are the major factors driving the demand for plant-based food & beverages. Plant-based dairy beverages are the most trending option amongst consumers who are willingly replacing milk & milk products with plant-based alternatives. Due to the rising trend, some international café chains have also started offering plant-based milk coffees. Apart from milk, other plant-based products such as yogurts, kefirs, and cheese are also trending in many developed countries. Consumers are trying and experimenting with products and are demanding protein-rich and flavorsome products derived from natural sources. Also, due to the rising clean label trends, consumers are also looking for label information, preferably natural claims, while making their purchases, which further accelerates the demand for plant-based products. These trends, coupled with government initiatives, new product launches, investments, and expansions in the market, are expected to support the plant-based food & beverage manufacturers and would create a sustainable environment and future ahead.
For more information, please write to us at [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:62897774-4030-4508-abea-2c3ed2f5ca60> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://blog.marketsandmarkets.com/flexitarianism-the-consumption-of-plant-based-food-is-the-new-future/ | 2024-09-09T19:06:38Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651133.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909170505-20240909200505-00729.warc.gz | en | 0.954883 | 1,297 | 2.6875 | 3 |
In a nutshell configuration management involves the detailed updating and recording of information that describes an enterprise’s software and hardware. It covers both device configuration management and the whole set of processes related to network operations and support. Some the actions involved in configuration management include – device configuration collection and inventory, change management, archiving, […]
In a nutshell configuration management involves the detailed updating and recording of information that describes an enterprise's software and hardware. It covers both device configuration management and the whole set of processes related to network operations and support. Some the actions involved in configuration management include - device configuration collection and inventory, change management, archiving, and backup among others. As cloud computing continues to infiltrate enterprise IT, configuration management has never been more important. Despite the fact that the cloud makes it exceedingly simple to deploy hundreds or even thousands of machines, system admins are left with the daunting task of managing each of those devices. When there are only a few machines, maintenance tasks like applying security patches, fixing security holes, and downloading updates only took a few minutes but multiply those minutes by hundreds or thousands and you get chores measured in weeks and months. The good news is that software can be used to automate the tasks associated with configuration management. Sys admins can utilize various open source stacks of code that were designed to reach out and touch files in the vast empire of virtual machines.
Ansible is a model-driven configuration management tool, ad-hoc task execution tool, and automated app deployment tool all in one. For the above reason, the company prefers to categorize it as an 'orchestration engine'. Ansible is built on five design principles - ease of use, quick learning curve, comprehensive automation, efficiency, and security. Ansible can be installed via a git repository clone to an Ansible master server. It is built on python but its modules can be written in any language, provided the output of the module is valid JSON. Ansible has a vast collection of modules that can be used to manage different systems and cloud infrastructure like OpenStack and Amazon EC2. Like several other open source projects, Ansible also has a paid product that is available via a web UI referred to as Ansible tower.
CFEngine is probably the oldest and one of the most established configuration management tools. It has been described as the grandfather of configuration management tools. CFEngine has undergone numerous iterations allowing it to maintain relevance as OS have migrated from local data centers to the cloud. It runs on C and despite having a significantly smaller footprint, CFEngine runs quickly and has few dependencies. There is a library of reusable data-driven models that can help CFEngine users model their desired states. The main drawback of CFEngine is its steep learning curve.
Chef is a powerful IT infrastructure configuration management tool that is offered as both an enterprise and open source product. Chef has a scalable and flexible automation platform and provides integration with leading cloud providers. It also provides enterprise platform support, including Solaris and Windows and enables users to develop, bootstrap and manage OpenStack clouds. Chef is written in Erlang and Ruby, extensions or specifications are written in pure ruby. Aside from configuration management, Chef can also be used to rapidly provision and deploy servers for automated delivery of services and applications.
Fabric is a Python command-line tool and library for streamlining the use SSH for systems administration tasks or application deployment. It offers a fundamental suite of operations for executing remote or local shell commands and downloading/uploading files, as well as additional functions like aborting execution or prompting the running user for input. The main advantages of Fabric is that it uses simple primitives (reboot(), get(), sudo() etc.) and all you need is a remote command API, this eliminates the need for abstraction or a DSL.
Unlike most of the other CM tools, Pallet is more of a CM library or framework built with developers in mind as opposed to a standalone CM tool. Its lightweight nature means it can easily be embedded or integrated into other applications. Despite the fact that it can work in traditional on premise servers, Pallet is designed for cloud based environments. Pallet is relatively new in the market so its documentation is still a work in progress but its user community is quite helpful. Pallet is built with Clojure, a JVM implementation of the LISP programming language.
As part of a bigger enterprise ready application, the configuration management section of Salt is feature-full and robust. Like Ansible, Salt is a CLI based tool that uses a push method of client communication. Users can issue commands like install packages or start services to "minions" directly from the CLI, which receives the commands from the central salt master and replies with the results of the command(s). Salt can be installed via a Git or via the package management systems on masters and clients.
Slaughter is a Perl-based utility tool that is used to automate the deployment, configuration, and maintenance of a large number of servers. Despite the fact it was written from scratch, it is greatly inspired by CFEngine. Slaughter is considerably small in terms of code, and the concepts required to understand and use it. Despite its simplicity, Slaughter is flexible and facilitates a wide range of functions. Slaughter is a client-pull application, this basically means that each machine that has slaughter installed on it is expected to schedule itself. There is no central server in charge of mediation, control or scheduling. | <urn:uuid:adf7c793-5187-44b5-b701-8d9aca24c4a2> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.filecloud.com/blog/2014/08/top-8-configuration-management-tools-for-sys-admins/?ref=tamerlan.dev | 2024-09-09T18:17:23Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651133.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909170505-20240909200505-00729.warc.gz | en | 0.941541 | 1,099 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Cloud computing is great for the enterprise because it promotes collaboration.
With cloud data, multiple people can share, edit, and work together on documents and other files. This information is typically stored off premises and outside a company firewall in what’s called a public cloud.
Here are several ways cloud computing promotes collaboration among teams.
Workers used to have to create, maintain, and edit their own set of files. This was a problem for several reasons:
Collaboration between employees was much more cumbersome.
Those employees risked losing those files.
Sensitive data could have been exposed to the wrong people.
Files may have been lost due to unwieldy back-up systems.
The cloud wipes away those challenges. Employees can access the most updated version of a file at any time. That file’s integrity stays in tact despite software and hardware crashes, so that the latest version is in one place at all times.
Cloud computing encourages collaboration in this way.
Access To Cloud Files Breeds Participation
When people know where to look for information, they’re more likely to participate.
Organized cloud documents allow workers to see the exact same file at the same time. Often, a file may show a list of users who are looking at a particular file simultaneously.
Participants are also able to communicate with each other. Many cloud tools allow users to comment on certain parts of the file, and they also have chat functionality built in so that team members can keep their conversation within that file without spilling over to instant messenger or email.
Use Multiple Devices To Access And Edit One File
It can be argued that we take for granted the technology we have available to us today. After all, we can edit a business proposal at our desk at work, from a car or bus during our commute to work, or while waiting in line at the grocery store.
Most likely, in these scenarios, we’re using at least a laptop and a smartphone to accomplish these tasks.
But, keep in mind that the computer that propelled NASA’s Apollo mission couldn’t even match the power that we have in our pockets today.
Being able to access and change the same file from a smartphone, tablet, or laptop is an incredible feat.
Get Real-Time Updates When Using The Cloud
Another overlooked aspect of cloud computing is that changes are done in real time.
Chatting with other participants, leaving comments, and any file updates occurs instantaneously.
One audience that appreciates real-time updates is remote workers, who may not see or hear what is happening in an office, but still needs access to crucial files to get their work done.
Plus, if the real-time updates are throwing participants into a tailspin, they can generally go back and look at the revision history of a file to see what has changed since the last time they opened or modified it.
If collaboration is an issue within your organization, consider switching to cloud computing for organized files that are updated real-time and invite participation. | <urn:uuid:9f90b945-57c6-4e6a-9050-347bf0e3b576> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://blog.integrityts.com/how-cloud-computing-promotes-collaboration | 2024-09-11T00:59:35Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651323.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910224659-20240911014659-00629.warc.gz | en | 0.955586 | 623 | 2.796875 | 3 |
With a significant rise in the number of emergency cases, the need of the hour is to transport the patients to the nearest hospital as soon as possible. Ambulance services provide an ambulance that is medically equipped and transports patients to care centers, such as hospitals. In certain cases the patient is given out-of-hospital medical treatment. Emergency services hire ambulances to respond to medical emergencies. In general they are equipped with flashing warning lights and sirens for this purpose.
They can quickly transport paramedics and other first responders to the scene, hold emergency medical equipment and transfer patients to hospital or other final treatment. Most ambulances use a van or pick-up truck based design. Others take the form of motorcycles, cars, buses, boats and planes.
What are ambulance services?
Ambulance services are the emergency response for critically injured or sick patients that also ensure that healthcare workers provide appropriate attention. Outpatient programs contribute to prompt medical care for victims of injuries or patients with chronic illnesses. Ambulance services play a significant role in the health care sector.
The ambulance services industry comprises private and public providers offering air or surface transport services to seriously ill patients, along with primary medical care. These vehicles are equipped with healthcare practitioners operating life-saving devices. For many countries, private ambulance services have emerged to provide ambulance services, particularly in rural areas that lack the necessary funds to provide free ambulance services and also due to state monetary issues.
Types of ambulance services transport:
Ground Ambulance Services
Ground transportation leads the segment because it is the most reliable and safe way to treat patients in an emergency. Its flexibility and easy availability are also expected to fuel segment growth as compared with other transport systems. Ground ambulance includes trucks for van or pick-up, car/SUV, motorcycle, bicycle, all-terrain, golf cart, and bus.
Water Ambulance Services
Ambulance boats are boats that provide emergency medical assistance and facilities to remote areas surrounded by a bodies of water. These ambulance boats are very close to the conventional ambulances and are fitted with all the necessary gadgets including ventilators, surgical equipment, a paramedics team and other necessary equipment for providing assistance to the victims. Many lifeguard vessels or lifeboats can also be used as ambulances for transporting victims or casualties in emergencies.
Air Ambulance Services
Air ambulance services is a broad concept that includes the use of air or helicopter transport to carry patients to and from healthcare facilities and accident scenes. During aeromedical evacuation or rescue operations onboard helicopter and propeller aircraft or jet aircraft, personnel provide extensive prehospital and emergency and critical care to all types of patients.
The use of air transport to provide medical evacuation on the battlefield dates back to World War I but its role was significantly expanded during the wars in Korea and Vietnam. Aircraft also began to be used by the civil emergency medical services. In particular for major emergency incidents, helicopters may carry medical care to the scene and transfer patients to medical hospitals. Fixed-wing aircraft are used for long distance transportation.
Recent trends in ambulance services industry
Advanced life support
Advanced Life Support (ALS) is a series of life-saving procedures and skills that expand Basic Life Support to further assist circulation and include an open airway and adequate ventilation (breathing). ALSs key algorithm, which is invoked when actual cardiac arrest is identified, depends on monitoring of the heart’s electrical activity on a heart monitor.
Defibrillation is applied, and medication is provided, depending on the form of cardiac arrhythmia. Oxygen is given, and endotracheal intubation may be tried to protect the lungs. The treatments effect on heart rhythm, as well as the existence of cardiac output, is periodically assessed.
Air ambulance demand rising amid the coronavirus outbreak
The outbreak of an infectious lung disease triggered by the Coronavirus has raised alarm worldwide. The virus can be transmitted between humans by contact with bodily fluids (e.g. by coughing and sneezing). Therefore, the disease is extremely contagious. A patient with suspected or confirmed coronavirus is not permitted to travel on a scheduled flight because of the high risk of contagion. For these situations, only an Air Ambulance is sufficient.
An experienced flight doctor on board an air ambulance takes care of the patient, using devices identical to the machines in a typical intensive care unit. Air ambulances are available from around the world. We can use not only the large commercial airports but smaller regional airfields as well. We can then transport the patient near the admitting hospital, so that only a short transport on the ground is necessary. An air ambulance will generally be made available on the same or the next day.
Internet of Things (IoT) in ambulance services
Emergency care is a critical field of medicine whose outcomes are determined by contextual knowledge time, quality and accuracy. Furthermore, the effectiveness of emergency treatment depends on the quality and accuracy of the information received during the emergency call and of the data obtained during the emergency transport.
Emergency doctors often lack the health records of patients and base the medical care on a set of information gathered including details given by the patient or his family. Consequently the provision of emergency treatment is more patient-centered than patient-centered knowledge. Wireless body area network and IoT (Internet of Technology) enable accurate data collection and are increasingly being used in medical applications.
Modern ambulance today contains the most modern and advanced technologies. The medical equipment used today can easily provide hospital-like treatment to the patient when in transit and make their journey very comfortable and simple from one facility to the next. Governments have been under constant pressure to significantly improve emergency treatment, including the treatment received by ambulance services.
Free Valuable Insights: Global Ambulance Services Market to reach a market size of USD 31.8 billion by 2025
The government reports resulted in the development of guidelines in ambulance construction about the internal height of the area of patient care (to enable a caregiver to continue to care for the patient during transportation), and the equipment (and therefore weight) that an ambulance needed to carry, and many other factors. | <urn:uuid:62d287a0-7ce4-4217-af63-072a314ffcf3> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/ambulance-services-are-gaining-huge-demand-with-advancements-in?context=tag-air | 2024-09-10T23:21:18Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651323.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910224659-20240911014659-00629.warc.gz | en | 0.944312 | 1,246 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Pattern recognition tasks such as classification, localization, object detection and segmentation have remained challenging problems in the weather and climate sciences. Now, a team at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is developing ClimateNet, a project that will bring the power of deep learning methods to identify important weather and climate patterns via expert-labeled, community-sourced open datasets and architectures.
Once the project gathers momentum, the resulting deep learning models would be able to identify complex weather and climate patterns on a global scale, according to Karthik Kashinath, who is leading the project. Kashinath is a member of the Data & Analytics Services Group at NERSC, a DOE Office of Science User Facility at Berkeley Lab.
Accelerating the Pace of Climate Research
Most recently, both Kashinath and Prabhat, leader of NERSC’s Data & Analytics Services Group, presented their work at the 2018 meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) held Dec. 10-14 in Washington, D.C. Prabhat gave an invited talk on “Towards Exascale Deep Learning for Climate Science” and Kashinath gave a talk on “Deep Learning recognizes weather and climate patterns” and presented a poster on ClimateNet, both of which several other Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley researchers contributed to. This research is supported in part by the Big Data Center collaboration between NERSC, Intel and five Intel Parallel Computing Centers that was launched in 2017 to enable capability data-intensive applications on NERSC’s supercomputing platforms.
To apply quality control to the images for ClimateNet, Berkeley Lab researchers have modified the “Label-Me” tool developed at MIT and created a web interface called ClimateContours.
Discussions about the role of machine learning in pattern recognition were common at the AGU meeting on climate, geophysics, geochemistry and others, as well as a workshop on how machine learning can be used in climate modeling, Kashinath noted.
Machine learning and deep learning are really bringing sweeping changes to the field,” he said. “There were six sessions on machine learning in the geosciences.”
Both scientists were often approached by colleagues, teachers and students throughout the conference, asking questions about when ClimateNet will be ready, will it work on observational data (it will) and whether it would be useful in classrooms (yes).
According to Prabhat and Kashinath, ClimateNet could dramatically accelerate the pace of climate research that requires recognizing complex patterns in large datasets. Currently, it can take a scientist years to research a problem, develop a hypothesis to test an idea and then produce results that will stand up to peer review. With the kind of deep learning analysis that will be developed under ClimateNet, the two say that the lifecycle of such problems could be greatly reduced.
As the term implies, machine learning requires learning. Teaching a computer to learn means that data needs to be curated and labelled, models need to be developed and then analyzed repeatedly. For ClimateNet, this means creating a database of carefully curated images in which climate experts label the images to tell the computer what it’s looking at. The concept is analogous to the process behind tagging photos of friends in Facebook – after explicitly marking photos as belonging to the same person a number of times, Facebook “learns” to apply the tag to new photo posts of the same person.
In the past, climate researchers would label such images often using their own heuristics, which could lead to discrepancies in results, even between researchers using the same database. In order to apply quality control to the images for ClimateNet, Kashinath, Mayur Mudigonda, Adrian Albert, Kevin Yang and Jiayi Chen have modified the “Label-Me” tool developed at MIT and created a web interface called ClimateContours, which was unveiled at the AGU meeting, to crowdsource the “hand” labeling task. Examples, which will be modified and fine-tuned by users, have been created using the Toolkit for Extreme Climate Analysis (TECA) software, which implements expert-specified heuristics to generate label information.
The first phase of the project will be to create a database of 10,000 to 100,000 labeled images, which will then be used to train powerful machine learning models to more quickly and accurately to identify about 10 classes of distinct weather and climate patterns for understanding extreme events. Deep learning, a flavor of machine learning, takes raw data and extracts useful information for pattern detection at multiple levels of abstraction. The power of deep learning is truly realizable only when both large amounts of data and high-quality labels are available to train these models on large machines, such as the Cori supercomputer at NERSC. The former already exists in climate science, and the latter is the central goal of the ClimateNet project.
Because ClimateContours is publicly available, Prabhat and Kashinath expect climate experts from around the world to contribute datasets and label them. To jump-start the project, they are planning to conducte targeted hackathons at several labs, universities and conferences, inviting researchers to spend an hour or so and label some data.
We think we will have a good database to work with in a few months,” Prabhat said.
The database will continually grow and evolve as more people contribute. For quality control, sets of expert-labeled images will be inserted to test how well the users are performing in the labeling task and to guide them in labeling more precisely and accurately. And to augment existing datasets from model output, images from satellite observations and reanalyses products will be introduced. There is plenty of material to work with, as an estimated five petabytes of climate data has been produced and archived worldwide. And as more labels are added, the ClimateNet database will keep getting bigger and the resulting deep learning models better.
With a trained deep learning architecture, global climate data can be analyzed rapidly and efficiently to determine the changing behavior of extreme weather such as the frequency and ferocity of tropical storms, the intensity and geometry of atmospheric rivers and their relationship with El Nino,” Prabhat said. “Better analysis tools will improve localized understanding of how such storms form, when they will make landfall and how intense they will be. We will be able to extract impact-related metrics that people really care about at the end of the day.”
The end result of the project will be to overcome the limitations of the heuristic methods that have been developed over several decades and bring high-speed, high-fidelity precision analytics to climate science, said Prabhat, who has been applying machine learning to climate data for the past three years and given Berkeley Lab a head start in the field.
We’re positioned in the right place, surrounded by climate experts like Bill Collins and Michael Wehner, and our computer science colleagues at UC Berkeley who have been pioneering the development of advanced machine learning algorithms for over 20 years,” Prabhat said. “We have large datasets and the computational horsepower to analyze them. ClimateNet will create the high-quality labeled database that the community needs.” | <urn:uuid:4bebd39f-68b4-49c4-b0eb-8e762cfecca2> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://insidehpc.com/2019/02/climatenet-looks-to-machine-learning-for-global-climate-science/ | 2024-09-11T00:11:10Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651323.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910224659-20240911014659-00629.warc.gz | en | 0.942737 | 1,487 | 3.015625 | 3 |
It’s the second part of our talk with Daniil Svetlov at his radio show “Safe Environment” recorded 29.03.2017. In this part we talk about vulnerabilities in Linux and proprietary software, problems of patch an vulnerability management, and mention some related compliance requirements.
Video with manually transcribed Russian/English subtitles:
Previous part “Programmers are also people who also make mistakes”.
Taking about the fact that if you use fully updated software and do not use some self-written scripts, programs, then in theory everything will be safe.
But recently there was some statistics that critical vulnerabilities stay in Linux kernel about 7 years from the moment they appeared as a result of a programmer’s error till the moment they were found by our white hat researcher.
But it is not clear during these seven years if cybercriminals have found them, used them and how many systems were broken using this vulnerabilities. Not to mention that some special government services may use it too.
For example: The latest Linux kernel flaw (CVE-2017-2636), which existed in the Linux kernel for the past seven years, allows a local unprivileged user to gain root privileges on affected systems or cause a denial of service (system crash). The Hacker News
Well yes. There is such a statistic. There is also some criticism from proprietary software developers. Like you say “many eyes that looks in code will find any error.” This is a quote from Linus Torvalds, if I’m not mistaken.
Not exactly. Linus’s Law is a claim about software development, named in honor of Linus Torvalds and formulated by Eric S. Raymond in his essay and book The Cathedral and the Bazaar (1999). The law states that “given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow”; or more formally: “Given a large enough beta-tester and co-developer base, almost every problem will be characterized quickly and the fix obvious to someone.” Wikipedia
But in practice, yes, there are really old vulnerabilities that come up after many many years. Because apparently they did not looking for this vulnerabilities well enough.But we still don’t have anything else, except Linux kernel. Therefore, they can say anything, but they will use it anyway. It is in the first place.
And secondly, sometimes vulnerabilities appear in Microsoft software, for example in Windows. Quite possible that in some calculator, someday researchers will be found vulnerability from the times of Windows XP. All these are normal things.
The fact that some vulnerabilities were disclosed is not such a big trouble. The big troubles appear if vulnerabilities were not patched promptly. Particular systems in some particular infrastructure. Why do they get updated slowly?
The reasons can be quite different actually. Why, for example, do not update all applications at once?
If we have Linux servers, let’s update them all. Great. But on these Linux servers we have our own applications. Who will guarantee that when updating some open-source components that these applications use, they just will not break. They can stop working suddenly and we will need to figure out why. It turns out that before update of any component, you need to undergo a complete testing process. This is also expensive.
Plus it also slows you down probably.
Yes, and it slows down, so there must also be a compromise.
If you scanned your network, detected some vulnerabilities and brought them to IT administrator saying: “Let’s update!”, the natural questions will be “Why? How critical these vulnerabilities are? Are they really exploitable in our infrastructure?” And in all companies the software will be updated only when it is really necessary.
Or when we look at Windows workstations. You can update them, but you need to restart the computer. And users really do not like to reboot. Because they have some scripts working there.
Yes, or they just opened a document.
Yes, the document is open, they work with it and then the window pops up: “restart, you have critical update.” This is also annoying, it interferes with their work. That delays the whole updating process.
Well, if we go back a week ago we had Sergei Soldatov here in the studio and we discussed the problem of so-called targeted attacks, APT in particular. And we discussed it at the end recommendations of Australian Department of Defence.
They adore articles like “15 first measures in order to increase information security”. And the four main things that you need to do in your infrastructure, in their opinion, if you want to protect yourself from APT:
- Whitelisting applications so you can not run any untrusted application.
- Restrict administrative privileges to all who do not need them for official duties.
- The third and fourth is just to update of the operating system and update of all user applications.
Sergey doubted the fact that the first two items are still relevant now because all the attacks are done not with malware, but with PowerShell, cmd, the most common software.
And on the second point, he also said that very much can be done directly with user permissions. And if we talk about Trojans and CryptoLockers, they do not really need any admin rights, they will encrypt exactly what is available for the user. And yet, the remaining two items, update operating systems and software updates, are important. But, as I understand it, doing this is a scale of a big organization, when you have thousands of computers in principle, it is very difficult.
Yes, indeed. I can agree that the Australian Defense Ministry is in a trend. Basically, the same recommendations can be found in the CIS Critical Controls and many many other standards. Even in PCI DSS.
PCI DSS requires all critical updates to be installed within a month.
Requirement 6: Develop and maintain secure systems and applications
6.2 Protect all system components and software from known vulnerabilities by installing applicable vendor-supplied security patches. Install critical security patches within one month of release.
Yes, both about updating and scanning vulnerabilities with certified solutions, and about scanning vulnerabilities with your scanner: not only perimeter, but also inside your network. All this is also in PCI DSS. Those. All modern standards really recommend this in one form or another.
Is it difficult or simple: of course it is difficult. Here is the problem of scale. Let’s say we have an infrastructure in with two servers, with Linux for example, and 20 workstations running Windows. Basically, we can manually monitor how they are updated and whether there are no vulnerabilities there. Or write your own scripts that will do it.
Another situation is when you have thousands and tens thousands of servers not only with Windows and Linux, but also with proprietary Unix, some network devices, etc. Some certified network devices from Russian local vendors can be used, that are unknown all over the world. All this greatly complicates the whole process of Vulnerability Management.
In fact, for each host of the network it is necessary to detect what software or firmware version it uses. View the list of vulnerabilities. To do this, you need to look at all security bulletins of each vendor. And then to understand which of the vulnerabilities are really critical in order to prioritize recommendations for the update.
If this is a large organization, then it’s likely that IT administrators will make the updating. If the organization is small enough, then usually the IT administrator is the security guy at the same time, he is in charge of everything, and he will have to update infrastructure too.
Hi! My name is Alexander and I am a Vulnerability Management specialist. You can read more about me here. Currently, the best way to follow me is my Telegram channel @avleonovcom. I update it more often than this site. If you haven’t used Telegram yet, give it a try. It’s great. You can discuss my posts or ask questions at @avleonovchat.
А всех русскоязычных я приглашаю в ещё один телеграмм канал @avleonovrus, первым делом теперь пишу туда. | <urn:uuid:460ad699-1710-47e4-bbe8-63855c6a8467> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://avleonov.com/2017/04/22/why-you-cant-update-it-all-at-once/ | 2024-09-12T05:25:25Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651422.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912043139-20240912073139-00529.warc.gz | en | 0.937291 | 1,795 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Nestled in the Kwahu Afram Plains South District of the Eastern Region of Ghana, Ogbodokope grapples with a host of devastating educational challenges that have persisted over time. The semi-island community is accessible only via the Volta River, and it lacks essential services such as electricity, potable water, and health facilities. The absence of these basic amenities further complicates the already grim situation, making the delivery of quality education a near-impossible feat. These deficiencies include a high teacher deficit, lack of teaching and learning materials, and insufficient furniture, painting a bleak picture for the students and the two teachers striving to provide education under these harsh conditions. Despite the Ghana Education Service’s efforts to establish a formal school to combat child labor and trafficking, the situation remains dire, prompting a desperate plea for comprehensive intervention.
Teacher Deficit and Accommodation Issues
The teacher deficit in Ogbodokope stands as one of the most glaring issues, threatening the very fabric of the educational system. With only two teachers, both former students of the school, the burden is immense. The head teacher, often entangled in administrative tasks, leaves Manasseh Ogbodo Kuma to juggle the entire school’s academic needs single-handedly. The lack of sufficient teaching staff stems mainly from the reluctance of teachers to accept postings to Ogbodokope, primarily due to the inadequate accommodation available. Without suitable living conditions, education professionals are understandably hesitant to relocate to such a challenging environment, exacerbating the already critical shortage of teachers.
In an attempt to address this pressing issue, the community has shown remarkable resilience. Through communal labor, residents constructed a six-unit accommodation block for teachers. However, this endeavor also faces significant obstacles, as the structures are still incomplete, missing essential components like doors and windows. The local Member of Parliament supported the effort by contributing roofing sheets, but the buildings remain unfinished. Currently, these makeshift classrooms serve the community during the day, and tragically, they become shelters for goats at night. The dire state of the accommodation highlights the urgent need for government intervention to ensure that teachers have a decent place to live, thereby attracting more educators willing to work in the community.
Inadequate Learning Facilities and Materials
Equally troubling is the severe lack of teaching and learning materials, which has rendered the educational experience subpar for the students of Ogbodokope. Initially, students were forced to study under trees for over two decades before the mud classroom structures were constructed. Even though these makeshift classrooms now provide some semblance of a learning environment, they are far from adequate. The floors become moist after rainfall, creating an unhealthy setting for students. Additionally, the community’s efforts to build more permanent structures have stalled, as the government has yet to provide the necessary support to complete these projects.
Furniture represents a significant concern, with many students bringing kitchen stools from home to use during lessons. The use of these makeshift seats not only symbolizes the dire lack of resources but also reveals the challenging conditions under which education is being provided. Without basic furniture, maintaining an effective learning atmosphere becomes nearly impossible. The teachers, despite their dedication, struggle to deliver quality education due to the absence of essential teaching aids and materials. This shortage hampers their ability to offer a well-rounded education, forcing them to improvise continually.
Impact on Community and Need for Intervention
The lack of adequate educational facilities and materials not only affects the academic performance of the students but also has broader implications for the entire Ogbodokope community. The assemblyman for the area has voiced these concerns, highlighting the community’s struggles and advocating for better educational and health facilities. Improving educational infrastructure and access to basic healthcare services would significantly enhance the quality of life for the residents of Ogbodokope. As it stands, the community’s ability to break free from the cycle of poverty is hindered by the severe deficiencies in its educational system.
The current state of Ogbodokope’s education system underscores the immediate necessity for comprehensive support from the government and other stakeholders. Addressing these fundamental issues requires a multifaceted approach that involves improving teacher recruitment and retention through better accommodation, providing sufficient teaching and learning materials, and completing the construction of formal school structures. Only by investing in these critical areas can the quality of education be elevated, offering the children of Ogbodokope a chance at a brighter future.
The teacher shortage in Ogbodokope is a severe problem, jeopardizing the entire educational system. With only two teachers, who are both alumni of the school, the challenges are overwhelming. The head teacher often gets caught up in administrative duties, leaving Manasseh Ogbodo Kuma to handle all the academic needs alone. This shortage mainly arises from teachers’ unwillingness to accept postings to Ogbodokope due to insufficient housing. Without adequate living conditions, education professionals are understandably hesitant to move to such a hard-to-live location, worsening the teacher scarcity.
The community has shown tremendous resilience in combating this issue. Through communal efforts, residents built a six-unit accommodation block for teachers. Yet, this project faces hurdles as these structures lack essential components like doors and windows. The local Member of Parliament supported the endeavor by donating roofing sheets, but the buildings are still incomplete. These makeshift classrooms are used during the day and tragically serve as shelters for goats at night. This dire situation emphasizes the urgent need for government intervention to provide decent housing, attracting more teachers to the community. | <urn:uuid:250c4eae-da54-4214-92f6-55e642a6faf2> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://educationcurated.com/education-management/can-improved-facilities-solve-ogbodokopes-education-crisis/ | 2024-09-14T16:59:14Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651580.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20240914161327-20240914191327-00329.warc.gz | en | 0.956438 | 1,133 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Basically, budgeting refers to the process of improving the workings of your existing budget model into something more productive. Organizational budgets often fail to achieve their targets because their budgets are somehow unrealistic and consist of mechanics that never work. Hence, planning the right budget for an organization is crucial for success.
For instance, you have a company manager that wants to increase the sales and gain twice as much profit as before but only the problem is, he doesn’t know how. The manager may not have a clear idea of obtaining the suggested figures if he does not know if a budget is in control or not. A budget that’s out of control will not only lead to incomplete projects, but it will also lead to multiple losses that might give the organization a really tough time.
As you know, an organization’s profit figures will only match those observed in the past. Therefore, important actions have to be taken to sustain, if not improve those results. Since sales volumes differ each year, you need to hire a sales staff that’s competent enough to keep up with the existing figures.
Once you’ve replaced your old sales staff with a new one, they may require extensive training and understanding of the work that’s been going on before them. This process may take up a considerable amount of time ad a product that you’re about to launch may take months or even a year to reach the markets.
For hiring a managerial staff to plan the organizational budgets, you can’t just rely on the interviews that are being conducted within your office. People may seem quite cooperative and able at the time of the interview but their real value is only exposed when they’re actually working in the field.
For example, a manager that you’ve hired may request the foreman to increase the production level by one hundred percent. This would mean that the company equipment will be fully utilized which is rather impossible because of the continuous maintenance that would eventually result in breakage of the machinery.
Complying with best practices means that your organization should have a budget that’s real rather than something that the manager wishes for to happen. The expenses taking place within a company should be thoroughly analyzed by the manager before he or she drafts a budget. These should also include purchasing systems that are committed to remain within the budget limits.
Also, the bonuses that you plan on giving the manager should be based on the profits his budgets are making instead of assigning him a fixed amount. This way, the manager will remain more focused on reaching the budget target instead of making spending errors. | <urn:uuid:d4bcdef4-a409-41b9-9e49-62620cfdac39> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | http://www.best-practice.com/compliance-best-practices/financial-compliance/using-best-practices-for-organizational-budgets/ | 2024-09-19T15:28:22Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652031.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20240919125821-20240919155821-00829.warc.gz | en | 0.969156 | 531 | 2.53125 | 3 |
In recent years, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) has become a standard in the industry. Already used by millions of websites to protect their information, SSL is a necessary and relatively accessible security feature to apply onto your site. We’ve talked a lot about what SSL is, and how reliable free SSL can be – and to take it further today, we’ll talk about redirecting your domain to HTTPS and WWW URLs.
To fully grasp the concept of the need for redirection, one has to understand that websites can have variations in terms of URL. Take for example, the following:
While the same site would show up in the web browser, search engines consider these to be four different websites. #1 and #2 are utilizing HTTP, while #3 and #4 are utilizing HTTPS. Whenever you visit a website, one of the easiest ways to see if the site is utilizing SSL or not is to see whether or not “https://” is visible in the URL address bar. The “s” here stands for “secure” and denotes that it uses the SSL protocol. Many website visitors, especially if they are dealing with financial transactions on the site, look for “https://” in the URL to reassure themselves that the information exchange will be secure.
However, many website owners may be surprised to find out that having SSL set up doesn’t mean that the site is encrypted. When a redirect from HTTP to HTTPS is not set up, a user may still land on the HTTP or unencrypted version of the site.
Unfortunately, this means that:
a) They’re unable to fully leverage the SEO boost that comes from enabling HTTPS (a Google ranking signal since 2014) as search engines may index their HTTP sites instead
b) Visitors ending up on the HTTP version of their site are still at risk of sensitive data exposure from simple man-in-the-middle attacks
c) They are unable to gain the trust of visitors who don’t feel reassured seeing the “http://” URL
So how do you set up domain redirects so that you don’t always have to include “https://” in the address bar? According to Google, the best way to ensure that users and search engines are directed to the correct page is a server-side 301 redirect. One way to do this is to go into your web server, and input the redirection code. However, this step can get complicated, especially if you’re not web-savvy.
This is where Cloudbric comes in to live up to its “all-inclusive” promise. In addition to offering all users free SSL certificate generation and installation services, we’re also providing all users with Redirection Mode.
Setup is simple. After signing up for the service, head over to your dashboard settings and turn on both the HTTP to HTTPS redirection, as well as the Non-WWW to WWW redirection. This will ensure that all variations of your domain redirect to the same site with the URL format https://www.example.com.
For your subdomains, the same directions apply – except that Non-WWW to WWW redirection is not necessary.
But a couple of things to consider before turning on Redirection Mode. First, make sure that your website is up and running normally when you type the “https://” in front of your domain name. Popular browsers like Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Firefox block mixed content (when initial resources are loaded in HTTPS but other resources like scripts or stylesheets are loaded over HTTP). With mixed content, your website can look broken to users and will need to be remedied.
Second, this mode on the Cloudbric dashboard is only for users who are using a SSL certificate. If you aren’t using SSL and prefer HTTP connection only, make sure that Redirection Mode is turned OFF, or face potential errors to your website.
For users that are using SSL, 301 redirection with Cloudbric’s Redirection Mode ensures that your visitor connection is encrypted no matter what URL your visitors land on. Get started today, and for additional questions or concerns, send us an email at firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:89094603-34a0-438f-96ce-abe55975782c> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.cloudbric.com/taking-ssl-one-step-further-with-redirection-mode/ | 2024-09-20T19:30:06Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725701423570.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20240920190822-20240920220822-00729.warc.gz | en | 0.921386 | 888 | 2.6875 | 3 |
TrickBot virus Removal Guide
What is TrickBot virus?
TrickBot – a modular banking malware employed by criminals in different campaigns to steal sensitive data
TrickBot - the infamous financial trojan that used by many cybercriminals' groups
TrickBot is a financial Trojan first discovered in 2016 and targeted customers of leading banks in the UK, US, Australia, and other countries. The virus is well-known for its ability to mimic online banking windows and steal personal information, such as log-in names and passwords, with the help of the post-exploitation tool Mimikatz. It is also capable of stealing information from Bitcoin wallets, acquiring access to email accounts and stealing network/system data to proliferate laterally. Additionally, the compromised system might start sending spam emails boobytrapped with Trickbot's payload.
Analysts revealed that this malicious program was invented and released to the cyberspace after cybercriminals noticed the significant success of Dyre trojan, and began using it as malware-as-a-service.TrickBot was actively performing attacks on CRMs (Customer relationship management) and Payment Processors, and over the years, has seen a variety of malspam campaigns. In 2019, malware managed to hijack 250 million email accounts to increase its operations. During the coronavirus pandemic, cybercriminals behind Trick bot virus employed medical advice and testing lures to make users click on attachments and execute malicious macro commands.
Summary | |
Name | TrickBot |
Also known as | Trojan.Trickbot.e, Trojan.Trickbot, Trojan:W32/Trickbot, and many others |
Type | Banking Trojan |
Distribution | Malspam, botnets |
Operation principle | Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) |
Symptoms | Some users might experience increased CPU usage, inability to access certain websites, slowdown in computer response, errors, crashes, and similar. However, Trojans rarely exhibit any symptoms |
TrickBot possesses a wide array of capabilities:
Danger level | High. While the infection of malware remains the biggest threat to corporation networks and businesses, regular computer users can be victims as well |
Associated risks | Companies and consumers might suffer significant financial losses, sensitive data compromise, identity theft, customer data exposure, and other devastating ramifications |
Programming language | C++ |
First appearance | August 2016 |
Elimination | To get rid of malware, a network-wide scan with anti-malware should be initiated. In some cases, Safe Mode access might be needed – we provide the instructions below |
System fix | Virus damage and system remediation can be performed with the help of FortectIntego |
Analysis revealed that this banking Trojan employs similar encryption techniques and hijack strategies as Dyre (alternatively known as Dyreza). Malware can bypass some security applications and infiltrates the system when users click on the malicious link or download a fake program.
After the invasion, TrickBot injects its malicious scripts and codes into banking websites. In other words, the cyber threat switches the original version of the site with its malignant substitute. In order to enforce this technique, C encryption language is used. In this regard, the newly detected Trick Bot malware also uses the improved version of the algorithm – C++.
What is more, the technique is supplemented with Microsoft CryptoAPI algorithm unlike AES and SHA256, previously employed by Dyre. Unlike the previous version of the virus, Trojan.TrickBot executes COM and TaskScheduler commands to maintain the computer under control.
The first campaigns were targeted Australian banks only. However, on April 2017 TrickBot Trojan has been spotted attacking banks in The United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, France, Switzerland, and New Zealand.
TrickBot is a banking Trojan that targets financial institutions in the entire world.
While TrickBot Trojan mainly targets corporate networks and businesses, regular users might encounter it as well. In case of the attack, you need to run a full system scan with a reputable malware removal program, such as SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes. It will help to remove TrickBot from the system entirely.
Due to excessive malware's capabilities, systems that the infection occurred on might struggle to operate properly, even after TrickBot removal. In such a case, the affected machines can be remediated with the help of repair tool FortectIntego.
Fake Lloyd's bank emails help to distribute Trick Bot
Experts have recently spotted a new way which was employed to distribute TrickBot trojan. The malware was spreading inside the email letters from fake Lloyds Bank. It was disguised as an attachment holding confidential account documents. Note that official Lloyds Bank is not related to this malspam campaign in any way, except that its name was used for malevolent purposes.
Victims report receiving an email from <email@example.com> on December 6, 2017, which contained Protected32.doc attachments. Obviously, the letter was designed to look extremely genuine and has convinced many people to believe its legitimacy.
The email briefly explained to the recipients that it is an automatically sent message which does not require a reply. It simply encouraged the gullible people to check the attachment and included the following instructions:
To unlock/view your documents, follow the instructions below.
1. Look for an attachment (Protected.doc) ( typically at the top or bottom; location varies by email service).
2. Your Authorization code is: 430SJAOPS982XXS.
3. Enter the authorization code when prompted.
Remember, that you should not open any email attachments which look suspicious or unrelated to you. We want to remind you about the previous techniques which hackers used to spread TrickBot malware. The hackers have tried to employ a similar malspam campaign in June 2017 which was almost identical to the one spreading Jaff ransomware.
Cybercriminals collaborate to create persistent and even more dangerous malware
Cybercriminals used social engineering techniques to trick users into opening a malicious email attachment. They included an obfuscated PDF file that opens a Word document. This file asked to enable macro command in order to see the content. Clicking “Enable Macros” button executes Trojan on the system. New victims of TrickBot were banks in India, Singapore, Netherlands, and Bulgaria.
However, financial institutions were not the only ones who have been suffering from TrickBot Trojan. Now it is also targeting two Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) SaaS providers and PayPal users. In May security researchers discovered two malware distribution campaigns that targeted 210 URLs.
Latest TrickBot's appearances
TrickBot's update came in March 2018, when hackers improved the code by making its detection and defense more complicated. It has also been utilized to provide screen-locking capabilities, working similarly to ransomware. However, it seems that this aspect of the virus is not fully developed yet, as the module that is meant to encrypt files does not accomplish its goal.
In May same year, security researchers noted a collaboration of two viruses – TrickBot and IcedID. While most Trojans would usually remove previously installed malware, authors of these malicious threats decided to work together and share profits. Apparently, computers infected with IcedID were also injected with TrickBot, making the operation of malware much more efficient.
In June 2018, TrickBot targeted UK citizens, sending them spoofing HM Revenue & Customs emails, which claimed that there is an outstanding amount of money that victims need to pay back. Users were then prompted to click on a malicious link or on the attachment, which delivered TrickBot malware.
In 2019, Trickbot was seen in several campaigns that were also infecting users with such threats as Ryuk ransomware or Emotet. In summer, more than 250 million email accounts were compromised by the malware, sending out malspam to other targets worldwide. Additionally, security experts also noticed several updates to TrickBot during 2019, including its “TrichBooster” module that allows the exploitation of SMB (Server Message Block) vulnerability in order to send spam and avoid detection from deleting sent emails from the outbox.
During COVID-19 pandemic, hackers behind TrickBot launched a new campaign that tries to abuse fears and anxiety surround coronavirus.
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, TrickBot was also employed in malicious coronavirus-themed spam emails, where the attackers use WHO (World Health Organization) and other entities. Security experts are warning organizations that more variations of phishing emails are targeting companies and businesses with TrickBot and other malware:
Attacks/campaigns using COVID-themed lures has continued to increase over the last week. We continue to observe increasing amounts of malicious messages and websites preying on the fear and uncertainty around the pandemic.
Criminals released a test version of the password-stealing grabber.dll module by mistake
In the first half of July 2020, cybersecurity researcher Vitaly Kremez shared the news about the infamous credential-stealer TrickBot on Twitter. In fact, it turns out that the managers of this deadly dangerous Trojan failed to initiate their latest attack. According to the researcher, crooks released a test module of password-stealing grabber.dll, which once installed informs the victim via the default web browser that the system has been infected. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Opera, and users of other web browsers started reporting the following message last week:
You see this message because the program named grabber gathered some information from your browser. If you do not know what is happening it is the time to start be worrying.
Please, ask your system administrator for details.
TrickBot trojan is being distributed via spam email attachments and, usually, initiates its malicious activities in a way to remain unnoticed. Thus, the above message showing up on web browsers indicates the fact that it's the first time when criminals failed and the current campaign is not going to be very successful.
TrickBot developers released a test module by accident, which displays a browser-based warning saying that the program named grabber is stealing information
The notification saying “the program named grabber gathered some information from your browser” is genuine. It's not a scam as many consider it. The alert is triggered by the grabber.dll, which is one of the main TrickBot virus executables aiming at harvesting saved passwords and browser credentials. In case of success, the virus gets all credentials that are required for the connection to the victim's bank account or other accounts.
People who have received the notification about “program named grabber” while web browsing must immediately close the browser, restart the machine into Safe Mode, and run a full system scan with a professional anti-malware program. This notification means that a TrickBot Grabber has been recently installed and has to be removed to prevent data leakage, identity theft, and money loss.
Trojan has mostly been spread via phishing emails
Experts have detected that phishing emails are still the primary distribution method used by hackers to infiltrate TrickBo. They might disguise under genuine looking PDF or DOC documents and contain Invoice or Private Details subject line. People are easily tricked to open malicious attachments since criminals imitate well-known companies.
Malware also aims at PayPal users. Thus, if you receive an email from PayPal about suspicious activities in your account or reporting about other problems, you should login into their website directly instead of clicking provided links or attached documents.
The crooks develop different techniques to access personal information. Thus, such emails are usually very convincing. Do not fall into their trap even if they ask you to review suspicious invoice documents or tax reports.
Furthermore, the Trojan can attach itself to a free application. So you should give it a second thought before installing even a new media player. The latter often happens to be the carrier of more malicious cyber threats. By exercising additional caution, you will reduce the probability of TrickBot hijack.
Trick Bot is mainly distributed using cleverly engineered phishing emails
Terminate TrickBot virus using trusted security software
The only way to clean your system from Trojan horse is to employ a reliable security software for TrickBot removal. This malicious program has the ability to imitate legitimate computer processes or files.
Therefore, trying to find and eliminate all malware-related files from the computer is a difficult and complicated task that might lead to irreparable damage to the system.
We highly recommend installing powerful anti-malware software and running a full system scan. In case the malware managed to affect the whole network or a server, appropriate scans should be executed. We want to remind you that you have to remove TrickBot immediately because this data-stealing trojan might lead to money loss and other serious privacy-related issues.
It is also important to change all the server/system-related passwords and tokens (if such were used) in order to avoid future compromise.
Getting rid of TrickBot virus. Follow these steps
Manual removal using Safe Mode
If TrickBot does not let you operate the anti-virus program properly, enter Safe Mode with Networking:
Manual removal guide might be too complicated for regular computer users. It requires advanced IT knowledge to be performed correctly (if vital system files are removed or damaged, it might result in full Windows compromise), and it also might take hours to complete. Therefore, we highly advise using the automatic method provided above instead.
Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Networking
Manual malware removal should be best performed in the Safe Mode environment.
Windows 7 / Vista / XP
- Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 button (if that does not work, try F2, F12, Del, etc. – it all depends on your motherboard model) multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
- Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.
Windows 10 / Windows 8
- Right-click on Start button and select Settings.
- Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
- On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
- Now scroll down to find Advanced Startup section.
- Click Restart now.
- Select Troubleshoot.
- Go to Advanced options.
- Select Startup Settings.
- Press Restart.
- Now press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking.
Step 2. Shut down suspicious processes
Windows Task Manager is a useful tool that shows all the processes running in the background. If malware is running a process, you need to shut it down:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Click on More details.
- Scroll down to Background processes section, and look for anything suspicious.
- Right-click and select Open file location.
- Go back to the process, right-click and pick End Task.
- Delete the contents of the malicious folder.
Step 3. Check program Startup
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Go to Startup tab.
- Right-click on the suspicious program and pick Disable.
Step 4. Delete virus files
Malware-related files can be found in various places within your computer. Here are instructions that could help you find them:
- Type in Disk Cleanup in Windows search and press Enter.
- Select the drive you want to clean (C: is your main drive by default and is likely to be the one that has malicious files in).
- Scroll through the Files to delete list and select the following:
Temporary Internet Files
Temporary files - Pick Clean up system files.
- You can also look for other malicious files hidden in the following folders (type these entries in Windows Search and press Enter):
After you are finished, reboot the PC in normal mode.
Remove TrickBot using System Restore
Another way to get rid of the virus is by using System Restore function:
Step 1: Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Windows 7 / Vista / XP- Click Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
- Select Command Prompt from the list
Windows 10 / Windows 8- Press the Power button at the Windows login screen. Now press and hold Shift, which is on your keyboard, and click Restart..
- Now select Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings and finally press Restart.
- Once your computer becomes active, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt in Startup Settings window.
Step 2: Restore your system files and settings
- Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter.
- Now type rstrui.exe and press Enter again..
- When a new window shows up, click Next and select your restore point that is prior the infiltration of TrickBot. After doing that, click Next.
- Now click Yes to start system restore.
Finally, you should always think about the protection of crypto-ransomwares. In order to protect your computer from TrickBot and other ransomwares, use a reputable anti-spyware, such as FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes
How to prevent from getting trojans
Do not let government spy on you
The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices. Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.
You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using Private Internet Access VPN.
Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings. Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact – you can set this process to be performed automatically.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use Data Recovery Pro for the data restoration process. | <urn:uuid:34d9c4ce-c35f-469b-886b-8b876004598e> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.2-spyware.com/remove-trickbot-virus.html | 2024-09-08T20:21:58Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651017.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908181815-20240908211815-00029.warc.gz | en | 0.928672 | 3,937 | 2.578125 | 3 |
What is ransomware?
Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts a victim’s files and demands payment to restore access to the data. It’s a form of digital extortion.
How Does Ransomware Work? What Does Ransomware Do?
Here’s how a typical ransomware attack unfolds:
The ransomware is delivered to the victim’s computer, often through a phishing email, malicious attachment, or by exploiting a vulnerability in the system.
Once executed, the ransomware encrypts files on the victim’s system using a strong encryption algorithm. It might target specific file types, such as documents, spreadsheets, and images, or encrypt entire drives.
3. Ransom Demand:
After encrypting the files, the ransomware displays a message to the victim, demanding payment in exchange for the decryption key. The ransom is typically requested in cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, to make the transaction more difficult to trace.
4. Payment (Optional):
Victims may choose to pay the ransom in hopes of getting their files back. However, there’s no guarantee that the attacker will provide the decryption key after receiving payment, and paying the ransom encourages further attacks.
5. Decryption (Optional):
If the victim pays the ransom and receives the decryption key, they can attempt to restore their files. In some cases, security researchers are able to crack the encryption or obtain the decryption keys, and they may offer free decryption tools.
What Are Some Examples of Ransomware Types?
Crypto ransomware encrypts files on a victim’s computer and demands a ransom payment in cryptocurrency to decrypt them. It is often spread through phishing emails or drive-by downloads.
Scareware uses social engineering to trick users into downloading or buying unwanted software. It often appears as a pop-up window that warns the user that their computer is infected with a virus or other malware. The pop-up window may also demand that the user pay a fee to remove the infection.
Locker ransomware is a type of malware that locks the victim’s computer and demands a ransom payment to unlock it. It is often spread through phishing emails or drive-by downloads. Paying the ransom is not always a guarantee of getting the computer unlocked.
What are some of the tactics that ransomware actors employ to force their victims to pay a ransom?
Ransomware actors use various tactics to manipulate and pressure their victims into paying the ransom. Some of these tactics include:
Many ransomware notes include a countdown timer, threatening to increase the ransom amount or permanently delete the decryption key after a certain period. This sense of urgency pressures victims to pay quickly without seeking alternatives.
Threatening to Expose Sensitive Data:
Some ransomware variants not only encrypt the victim’s files but also exfiltrate them. Attackers may threaten to release sensitive or embarrassing information publicly if the ransom is not paid.
Impersonating Law Enforcement or Government Agencies:
Some ransomware screens pretend to be from a law enforcement agency, falsely claiming that illegal activities were detected on the victim’s computer. The ransom is then framed as a “fine” that must be paid to unlock the computer.
By attacking high-profile targets such as hospitals or municipalities, attackers create public pressure and negative media attention that might urge the victim to pay the ransom quickly.
Offering “Support” or Negotiation:
Some ransomware groups provide a “customer service” experience, guiding the victim through the payment process or even negotiating the ransom amount. This may make the payment process seem more legitimate or manageable.
Providing Evidence of Decryption Capability:
To build trust, some attackers may offer to decrypt a small number of files for free as proof that they have the ability to unlock everything once the ransom is paid.
Targeting Critical Systems:
By targeting essential business systems or critical infrastructure, attackers can bring operations to a halt, creating a crisis that pushes the victim to pay the ransom quickly.
What is ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS)?
Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) refers to a business model where ransomware developers offer their malicious software and sometimes additional support services to other criminals for a fee or a share of the profits.
This arrangement allows individuals or groups with little or no technical expertise to launch sophisticated ransomware attacks, significantly lowering the barrier to entry in cybercrime. Even attackers with minimal technical skills can use RaaS to launch effective campaigns.
What Are Some Ransomware Examples?
In May 2023, the LockBit ransomware group targeted the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). The LockBit group was able to gain access to TSMC’s network through a phishing email that was sent to an employee. Once the LockBit group had access to TSMC’s network, they were able to encrypt the data on over 10,000 servers.
The LockBit group demanded a ransom of $70 million from TSMC in exchange for the decryption key.
In June 2023, the Cl0p ransomware group exploited a zero-day vulnerability in the MOVEit Transfer platform to steal data from several organizations, including British Airways, the BBC, and Boots. The group then encrypted the stolen data and demanded a ransom payment of $10 million from each victim.
How can Acalvio help an enterprise counter ransomware attacks?
Acalvio’s Ransomware Protection solution provides a playbook of purpose-built deceptions that are designed to detect ransomware at any stage of the ransomware kill chain. For example, the solution deploys a special set of ransomware detection baits that enable detection of encryption actions performed by ransomware. These deceptions enable detection of known, zero-day, and unknown ransomware.
When ransomware infiltrates the network and tries to compromise an endpoint, a high-fidelity incident is immediately generated in the solution. Details of the endpoint along with evidence of the ransomware attack are displayed in the incident.
The solution carries out automated notification and response actions that have been configured by the Security team. These steps leverage prebuilt integrations with existing SOC workflows. | <urn:uuid:13d5021a-7e96-4df0-bf29-00eb53df1d7a> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.acalvio.com/resources/glossary/ransomware/ | 2024-09-12T09:59:51Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651440.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912074814-20240912104814-00629.warc.gz | en | 0.92539 | 1,284 | 3.265625 | 3 |
Data governance is the foundation for managing data efficiently and making the organization’s data reliable and trustworthy. The tenets of data governance are to establish methods, layout clear responsibilities and develop robust processes to standardize, protect and store data. The aim of data governance is to:
- Minimize risks of data inconsistency and breach
- Institute regulations on how data is to be used
- Implement compliance regulations
- Add value to existing and future data
- Reduce costs that might incur due to bad data
- Protect data
Data Governance effectively lays down the guidelines for collecting, refurbishing and building data to meet the standards of the organization. It also ensures that critical data of the organization is available in a standardized and reliable form. The following figure shows the various aspects of data governance.
Importance of Data Governance in Business
Data has become the oil for most organizations today. Hence, it is of grave importance that the right data is being used to derive insights from. This is one of the primary reasons why every enterprise must have effective data governance. Additionally, as organizations possess data – both their own as well as their client’s, it becomes imperative to protect the sensitive information from misuse or fraud. This is another reason why enterprises must make data governance a core function. Following are some of the key areas where data governance plays a crucial role:
Ease of transacting data – Data governance tools and resources are very useful in organizing data to ease the process of locating useful information for sharing files.
Securing data – Misuse of data can get organizations embroiled in serious legal issues. Data governance tools provide security from breaches within the organization or from external agencies.
Reliability for data analytics – Analyzing data is an indispensable activity in an organization to understand their own business and in understanding the customers. Analysis of poor quality data results in ineffective decisions. The data generated in an organization keeps on growing exponentially and it is important to analyze and organize data for reliability. Data governance lays down guidelines to consistently produce credible data.
Creating a backup of data– Having all the critical data backed up is an important contingency that organizations have. Data governance makes the process of storage and backup of data efficient.
Reusing Data – Several documents in a company undergo revisions. It is essential to maintain all the versions of the document despite the changes. Let us suppose a company keeps on revising its internal processes as a part of its improvement drive. Several documents related to these processes undergo changes and are maintained in different versions. Data governance provides a data management framework that makes sharing and reusing these files efficient and notifies other members about the changes made.
Benefits of Data Governance
Cost and Time Efficiency
Often, the biggest hurdle for enterprises adopting a data-driven culture is having to efficiently process large amounts of data without having to spend a fortune on it. In such a scenario, having to deal with faulty or inconsistent data is sure to unnecessary run-up the cost of data projects. Instead, having a governance model in place ensures that only the most accurate and relevant data is being used to drive data initiatives. This improves the overall efficiency of the process, reduces errors, and gives your business a solid data set to work with. Additionally, data governance forces a business to clearly define its core data, and the rules governing that core data. The inception of data governance is a step towards creating awareness about data definitions and standardization. The enforcement of this ensures greater operational efficiency over time.
Lack of effective data governance is a security concern. Bad quality data, and badly structured data pose a security risk as having unstructured data clogging the database makes it difficult to assess situations where there has been a breach of security. Good data governance tools and practices make it easier to monitor what is happening across your database, and will make it easier to see what areas may be at risk. As people continue to understand the importance of their personal data, governments are beginning to take ways in which companies store, protect, and use their customer’s data extremely seriously.
A Quality-Driven Culture
Assurance of having reliable data is of prime importance to a business. Effective data governance provides assurance that the data is clean, standardized, and accurate. The effects of this reverberate throughout a company and bring about a quality-driven attitude to all data projects in the organization.
The Ownership of Data Governance
When it comes to data governance, it is not a one-person job. It takes several departments to work together in order to effectively manage and govern data. Most companies also have a Chief Data Officer who is responsible for the utilization and governance of data across the organization. One of the most important factors with data governance is the alignment of all teams and business users that are in charge of collecting, governing, and consuming the data. Ensure that everyone is on board and that there are clear goals, clearly defined processes, and clear permission levels to make everything run smoothly.
In a survey conducted by BI survey, it’s found that in 60% of organizations, the finance department plays a prominent role in data governance and management.
Ensuring the Success of Data Governance in Your Organization
Data Governance must be viewed as an enterprise effort – you may implement it in segments, but it must always and necessarily have an enterprise perspective. For that, first, a governance body must be established which creates the necessary strategy and policy for the organization. This is not a one-time exercise, but an ongoing effort that requires monitoring and maintenance. Continual monitoring, maintenance, and review of the data are crucial and important. The success of any Data Governance program can be obtained through effective communication amongst IT, Business Units and data stakeholders. Other success factors include sufficient documentation and communication of changes, issues, and tasks in a streamlined, pre-defined communication plan.
A secure, high-performing Data Governance program will assist any organization to leverage its genuine business-worthy data with the help of appropriate technology solutions. The end objective of any Data Governance program is to enable organizations to effectively react to challenges and opportunities posed by the market, by adopting the “Data First” philosophy.
Acuvate’sMaster data governance solution helps in verifying, validating, monitoring consistent and accurate data. If you need help in establishing a powerful data governance strategy in your organization, please feel free to get in touch with our consultants. | <urn:uuid:80d5b598-b23d-4542-8945-7cde6710a155> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://acuvate.com/blog/understanding-data-governance-and-who-should-own-it/ | 2024-09-13T16:16:49Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651523.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913133933-20240913163933-00529.warc.gz | en | 0.940818 | 1,305 | 3.1875 | 3 |
What Is File Locking?
What Is Locking a File?
File locking is a data management feature that allows only one user or process access to a file at any given time. It restricts other users from changing the file while it is being used by another user or process. This eliminates issues with users or processes making interceding updates on the same files at the same time. IBM introduced the capability for file locking in 1963 as a feature called “exclusive control” for mainframe computers as part of the 360 operating system.
In essence, file locking is a first-come, first-served method for file management in systems with multiple users or processes accessing files. With file locking, when a process or user accesses a file, other users are blocked from being able to access it. After the process or user has finished reviewing or making changes to the file, control is relinquished, and the file is unlocked so it can be accessed again.
In some cases, multiple users are allowed to access the file and make updates simultaneously. In this case, the changes are selectively merged after the file is not in use, either manually or automatically.
How to Tell If a File Is Locked?
Some applications create a temporary file while the original file is open to prevent others from editing the same file. These temporary files are usually deleted when the user or process finishes with the file and exits the program. However, if an application crashes unexpectedly or is improperly closed, the lock files can remain and prevent the program from opening again. In this case, it is necessary to find the locked file and save it properly. File locking commonly appends .lock or .lck to the file while it is locked. Searching for this can identify locked files.
When a file is locked, a message is generated. The locked file messages vary, mostly from operating system to operating system, but can also be generated by an application. Commonly seen messages related to file locking include the following.
- The action can’t be completed because the file is open in another program.
- The process cannot access the file because another process has locked a portion of the file.
- The source or destination file may be in use.
- This virtual machine appears to be in use.
- You must close the file before proceeding.
How to Lock a File?
Files or folders on a computer can be locked using tools that are built into the application or operating system or using external tools for file locking. The steps that need to be taken for file locking or to lock a folder vary based on the application, operating system, or external tool that is used.
When making a selection for the best tool, it is important to be clear if it is a file or a folder that needs to be locked. While the same tool might be used, how it is used and the implications vary. There are pros and cons to file locking versus locking a folder. A few considerations are as follows.
Pros | Cons | |
Lock a Folder | Save time by locking multiple files in a folder at one time | Unable to directly view the contents of a locked folder |
File Locking | Quick to lock a single file | Takes more time because multiple files cannot be locked at one time |
How to Unlock a File?
Sometimes a file is locked without a user’s knowledge. In some cases, the operating system identifies the application or process that is using the file, and it is easy to rectify the issue. Other times, the user gets a message, such as “the folder or a file in it is open in another program,” and is left to figure out which application or process has locked the file. In a case such as this, the user cannot be sure which program it is. Sometimes it can be from a process running in the background, so it does not appear in the list of open applications and processes.
There are a number of ways to identify and unlock files, including the following.
Free programs can be downloaded and used to move, rename, or delete a locked file when it is unclear what application or process is locking it. With most of these tools, unlocking a file is as simple as just right-clicking the locked file or folder to identify the application or process that has locked the file or folder. Once it is found, the file or folder can be easily unlocked by shutting down the application or process that has caused the folder or file to be locked.
If a file has been locked over a network because another user has it open, the person will have to close the file before it can be accessed by another user on a different computer.
In the case of a specific error, such as a “virtual machine” error, the issue could be that an LCK file is preventing the user from taking ownership of the VM. To gain access to the VM, the user would need to delete the LCK files associated with the virtual machine in question.
Use the following steps to delete all lock files manually.
From the command line:
1. Navigate to the working directory in the terminal using cd
2. Run ls -latr to show directory listing in long format
3. Sort by timestamp and reverse, so the most recent files are at the top
4. Run rm filename to remove each lock file
5. Some software may also leave lock files in the home directory—if this is the case, the user needs to repeat steps two, three, and four in the home directory
From the file explorer:
1. Navigate to the working directory in the file explorer
2. Sort the folder to show the most recent files at the top
3. Delete all files that start with a dot or hash, or end in a .lck extension
Check all subdirectories to make sure every lock file is gone.
The Benefit of File Locking
- Avoid others to access and edit files or folders
- Avoid data loss
- Avoid merge conflicts
- Better manage files, folders, and directories
- Improve collaboration
- Prevent conflicts while editing
- Prevent two people from opening and updating the same document or file at the same time
- See who is working on a file
File Locking for Collaboration Without Headaches
File Locking is an important capability for online file access and team collaboration. Without file locking, conflicts and overwriting would eliminate the efficiencies gained with online collaboration. File locking protects the integrity of files and folders and supports the needs of distributed teams and users.
Egnyte has experts ready to answer your questions. For more than a decade, Egnyte has helped more than 16,000 customers with millions of customers worldwide.
Last Updated: 13th April, 2023 | <urn:uuid:12a45021-5268-4abd-ae2c-f5aca088e190> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.egnyte.com/guides/file-sharing/file-locking | 2024-09-13T14:45:42Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651523.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913133933-20240913163933-00529.warc.gz | en | 0.946546 | 1,391 | 4.03125 | 4 |
Human and AI Art
This is how we trust technology
At the NZZ Future Health Conference in Basel, we had the opportunity to put years of theoretical research into practice. With over 30 participants we held a workshop, working on a mutual understanding of trust in artificial intelligence, what it means, what it does, how to deal with it. The organizers called the session: How can we strengthen peoples’ trust in AI? After a theoretical background, outcomes of the workshop and personal reflections, why we should stop asking how to increase trust, will be presented in this report.
No one should trust Artificial Intelligence . Is the headline of an article by Dr. J. Bryson (2018), Professor of Technology and Ethics at the Hertie School in Germany. In the article, she states that we should not need to trust AI because it is both possible and desirable to engineer AI for accountability (Bryson, 2018). Does this mean that we do not need trust, when we rely on AI and can hold someone accountable in case of failure? Designing for accountability often means transparency in processes. It should be clear how an algorithm came to a conclusion (e.g. why did person X get a loan and person Y not). However, there is a misconception about transparency and trust. The prevailing myth is, when we enhance transparency, we enhance trust. However, when we enhance transparency, we do not enhance trust. In fact, the opposite is the case. When we design for transparency, we give up on trust (Botsman, 2020) and replace it through control.
There seems to be a lot of confusion on the nature of trust in the context of technology, which needs urgent clarifying. Trust is more and more used as a buzzword (#trustwashing), a nice-to-have or something to advertise for. However, you simply cannot advertise for trust. Doesn’t your level of trust automatically decrease if someone says: Trust me!? Trust is an effort, and it must be earned by demonstrating trustworthy behavior (Botsman, 2020). Trust as an attitude is equally important as trustworthiness as a property and both influence how we use technology.
In interpersonal relationships, trust is a coping mechanism, that helps humans deal with uncertainty and risk. It requires that a trustor is vulnerable to a potential betrayal of the trustee, whom the trustor entrusts with a certain task (for example being a loyal partner or a competent mechanic) in a specific context at a specific point of time. According to A. Baier, understanding betrayal is critical, if we want to distinguish trust from reliance. In her example, she explains that you can rely on inanimate objects such as an alarm clock. But if it does not wake you appropriately, you are disappointed, but not betrayed. Reliance without the possibility of betrayal is not trust (for criticism of this view see McLeod, 2015). There are different views on how trust versus reliance plays a role. Within this report, we conclude that a trustor relies on artificial intelligence. Reliance on artificial intelligence is mediated by trust in the designers of the product, which in turn should possess trustworthy properties.
Trustworthiness is distinct from trust as an attitude. But ideally, the trustor trusts in a trustee, who is trustworthy. Trustworthiness refers to a range of properties of the trusted person. Trustworthiness can be visible characteristics or features. Trust is largely based on observation of cues, which are analyzed on rational, affective analogous levels (Lee & See, 2004). Snap judgments of trustworthiness can also be made rather subconsciously when we are in the early stages of trust formation, where no previous information about the trustee is available. Humans perform quite well in using subtle cues to judge the trustworthiness of other humans, which has been investigated through fMRI in experimental settings. However, this rather subconscious assessment cannot be well transferred to trust in technology (Hoff & Bashir, 2015). Such experimental settings using fMRI to measure trust could possibly work well in the context of human-robot interaction. The results of these experimental settings should be viewed with high caution.
Vulnerability is the heart of all trust theories. Psychological vulnerability when it comes to interpersonal trust refers to the will to be vulnerable to others. The level of risk humans are willing to take differs and is often investigated under the concept of dispositional or propensity to trust. It can best be described as an individual trait, often correlated to optimism or pessimism. Researchers look at gender or cultural differences, to describe variances why some trust more easily than others. For instance, using Hofstede’s power distance dimension, some variance in the reluctance within the interpersonal trust of participants with Japanese background has been explained (Hoff & Bashir, 2019; Lee & See, 2004).
When translating interpersonal trust in trust in automation, vulnerability is also at the core. However, not only the psychological vulnerability of the trustor (what risk is the trustor willing to take?), also technological vulnerabilities, play a key role as they affect the trustworthiness of a product. Technological vulnerabilities can be best described as weaknesses in performance or process: Is it working reliably? Does it do what it is supposed to do all the time I want it to do it?
It is desirable to design such a perfect machine that always does exactly what it is supposed to do, all the time when I want it to do it. But the perfect machine is an illusion. We are talking about software and hardware, which is always faulty, never perfect. Research suggests that many humans have a positivity bias towards machines. This means that people overestimate the capabilities and tend to believe machines are perfect and as a result overrely on them. This is one major distinction to interpersonal trust because, in interpersonal trust, it has been shown that humans are rather skeptical at the beginning (Dzindolet et al, 2003). Consequently, the dynamics of trust in automation and trust in humans proceed in reverse order. Psychological biases are difficult to overcome, but learning through experience (experiencing a mistake yourself), awareness and training (e.g. reflecting in heterogeneous teams) are available as possible countermeasures.
In short, trust in automation is not the same as merely relying on automation, however, interpersonal trust is the dominant paradigm of a substantial corpus of research as it shares critical features with trust in automation. Trust is an important variable when investigating how people interact, use and rely on technology. This is the core of the significant work by Parasuraman et al (2000) and Parasuraman & Riley (1997). They distinguished between different forms of abuse, i.e. relying too much, too little or not at all on technology. An often quoted example is, how the captain of the cruise ship Costa Concordia undertrusted the ship’s navigation system and decided to control manually, which may have been a cause for a great disaster killing many passengers. On the other hand, many examples have also shown how overtrusting a system has led to fatal errors (Hoff & Bashir, 2015).
Of course, inconsistencies remain upon the exact definitions of trust and trustworthiness, the distinction to reliance and how interpersonal trust translates into trust in automation. Another important topic is how trusting can be measured, through questionnaires, behavioral observation or physiological measurements (e.g. from neuropsychological research). This will be the subject of the next report. For this report, the underlying understanding of the terms should be in focus: Human automation trust can be viewed as a specific type of interpersonal trust in which the trustee is one step removed from the trustor (Hoff & Bashir, 2015, S.10)
Last but not least, it is important to keep in mind that trust in technology always has three components. The trustor trusts the trustee (human or technology) to do X but not Y. For example, I trust Amazon to deliver my package on time, but I do not trust that Amazon respects my privacy. Generalization of trust and imprecise usage of terminology are counterproductive. Simplification is the enemy.
Automation, defined as a technology that actively seeks data, transforms information and makes decisions (often based on inherent AI, see Hengstler et al, 2015), has the potential to improve efficiency and safety in many areas of applications. However, the appropriate level of trust is key in relying on automation or other kinds of technology including artificial intelligence based systems. Ideally, we should avoid over- or under-confidence, because we could run the risk of missing opportunities, such as not only saving someone’s life but also making it more worth living. Trust mediates how humans rely on technology. The case of Heidi Dohse, a professional heart patient, demonstrates the intricacies of trust in technology. I had an interesting conversation with Heidi and this is her story. For over 35 years, Heidi Dohse is 100% dependent on her pacemaker and would not have survived without this technology.
Although Heidi said, at one point she had to trust her pacemaker, the context was one where there was clearly no real choice (given the fact that death is not a desirable choice). She had to rely on technology to survive. She said she had to trust that it works well. In this case, trust did not affect adoption, but usage after her pacemaker was implemented. In the beginning, she checked her pulse manually very often, many times per day, per hour. Time goes by and Heidi got used to the pacemaker and checked less often. According to her words, she learned to trust, that everything works well (compare with the concept of learned trust by Hoff & Bashir, 2015). Can these trust-questions be transferred to AI and automation?
Heidi Dohse, Loubna Bouarfa, CEO of OKRA, and myself, we co-lead a workshop at the NZZ Future Health Conference 2020 in Basel. A deep dive session, where we worked on various questions around trust with attendees from the health sector. The question of the workshop formulated by the organizers was: How can we strengthen peoples’ trust in AI? Around 30 people attended the session, where they had to reflect on their personal, critical challenges around trust. It soon became very clear that terminology is an issue. What does trust mean? How does it affect me, my company, my products and clients? The distinction between trust as an attitude versus trustworthiness as a property was a critical point, which lead to a lot of confusion.
The attendees wrote their questions and challenges in small groups on sticky notes, which we discussed together in the end. Questions and comments could at least be structured in two categories tech-related and tech-unrelated. The tech-related questions refer more to trustworthiness as a property. Topics such as transparency, regulation, data management, and sharing were examples.
The technology-related questions can be linked to the cognitive influences on trust. Cognitive influences relate to the hypothesis that people think about whether they trust artificial intelligence or not. It’s a more conscious, rational perspective. The technology-unrelated topics deal with questions such as the fear of being replaced by algorithms or how a company can create a cultural environment to unlock the full potential of artificial intelligence. These are rather affective (emotional) influences on trust. This approach means that people not only think about whether they trust AI or not, but also or maybe rather feel it.
According to Lee & See, we tend to overestimate the cognitive influences on trust (we focus on rules, guidelines or explainability). Along these lines, we tend to underestimate the emotional influences on trust. We tend to forget, that trust, ultimately, is an emotional response (2004). Furthermore, we also need to consider that trust comes in layers and is dynamic. Hoff & Bashir differentiated three layers of human automation trust: Dispositional, situational and learned trust. Defining all would go beyond the scope of this article, but in the context of artificial intelligence and within the discussion of the workshop, the distinction of initial and dynamic learned trust is relevant to mention. Initial learned trust represents trust prior to interacting with a system, while dynamic learned trust represents trust during an interaction (2015, S. 30). This distinction is relevant because measures relevant to trust have different meanings and effects depending on the layer.
The fact that trust relationships are unstable and dynamic is comforting and discomforting at the same time. Discomforting, because there is no control, no consistency, no stability we can calculate with. Comforting, because of the trust dynamics we must constantly keep in touch with our inner self, reflect on the status quo, and if something went wrong, there is always a chance to undo and regain trust, if we only work hard enough.
Heidi Dohse, not only survived thanks to great hardware and reliable algorithms, and connected devices. Now she connected her pacemaker to various IoT devices and data sharing platforms so that she is now able to run the Ironman thanks to constant monitoring and adaption of the pacemaker during training sessions (Ironman is a form of a marathon, an athletic event). Now, 20 years after the first heart surgery, automation does not only help her to survive but to strive and live a life, where she can pursue her dreams and goals, unthinkable 10 years ago. As much as the privacy advocate in me would like to disapprove of data exchange platforms like Strava, and the researcher in me warns not to generalise about an individual case, it was comforting and moving to hear her story. I am sincerely happy that thanks to the technological developments she can live a happy, fulfilled life.
As always, AI and automation, is not only about replacing human capabilities, let it be the heartbeat or intelligence. It is about adequate use. Trust is one of the most important mediators when it comes to reliance on technology. It is critical to invest in all facets of trust. If the potential of artificial intelligence is to be harnessed, it needs something more intangible than good soft- and hardware or privacy laws: It needs integrity. Laws and technological security are necessary conditions to build trust in AI, but that’s not enough. Furthermore, the dimensions named above influence each other in ways that still need exploration. Frison et al. have demonstrated in their study that drivers infer the trustworthiness of vehicles based on design aspects that have nothing to do with objective performance. Referring to the Halo-effect, the authors recommend that designers, in their case vehicle designers, should carefully consider halo-effects and [avoid to] give users the impression that systems perform better than they actually do (Frison et al., 2019). This can have dangerous consequences.
In order to create an adequate level of trust in AI, users need to learn how to think critically. Skepticism and trust are not opponents, but rather dance partners that can guide users to the right decision. Users must question now and with the help of policymakers and educational institutions must find answers to the questions: How far can and should I trust artificial intelligence and where do I have to set clear boundaries? Developers, companies and such, must stop asking, how can we increase users’ trust in AI products? Trust is an effort and you cannot advertise for it or buy it. Trust must be earned. The role of Tech-Companies is to earn trust by demonstrating that they are trustworthy (Botsman, 2020).
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Further articles available here | <urn:uuid:3d607fd2-959a-4871-967b-11d1493bec8a> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.scip.ch/en/?labs.20200220 | 2024-09-14T20:35:08Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651580.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20240914193334-20240914223334-00429.warc.gz | en | 0.956537 | 3,179 | 3.109375 | 3 |
What can NAND flash do now for high-performance computing (HPC) storage and how will it evolve? Garth Gibson, the co-founder and chief technology officer for Panasas, the (HPC) storage provider, has definite views on it. Here’s a snapshot of them.
El Reg: How can solid state technology benefit HPC in general?
Garth Gibson: The most demanding science done in HPC is high resolution simulation. This manifests as distributed shared memory — the science is limited my memory size. Memory is typically 40 per cent of capital costs and 40 per cent of power costs, and can be said to be the limiting technology in future HPC systems.
Solid state promises new choices in larger, lower power memory systems, possibly enabling advances in science better and faster. More narrowly, solid state technology does not have mechanical positioning delays, so small random accesses can have latencies that are two orders of magnitude shorter.
El Reg: Does Panasas have any involvement with NAND in its products? If so, how and why?
Garth Gibson: Panasas uses NAND flash to accelerate small random accesses. In HPC storage, the bulk of the data is sequentially accessed, so this means that the primary use of small random access acceleration is file system metadata (directories, allocation maps, file attributes) and small files.
But we also use this space for small random accesses into large files, which, although rare, can lead to disproportionately large fragmentation and read access slowdown. I am totally enamored of STT-RAM because it promises infinite rewrite and DRAM-class speeds.
El Reg: What are your views on SLC NAND and MLC NAND in terms of speed (IOPS, MB/sec), endurance, form factor and interfaces?
Garth Gibson: Our experience is that the NAND flash technologies are becoming more mature, and we can increasingly trust in the reliability mechanisms provided. This means that enterprise MLC is sufficiently durable and reliable to be used, although SLC continues to be faster when that extra speed can be fully exploited.
El Reg: Where in the HPC server-to-storage ‘stack’ could NAND be used and why?
Garth Gibson: The driving use of NAND flash in HPC by the end of this decade is likely to be so called “burst buffers”. These buffers are the target of memory to memory copies, enabling checkpoints (defensive IO enabling a later “restart from checkpoint” after a failure) to be captured faster.
The compute can then resume when the burst buffer drains to less expensive storage, typically on magnetic hard disk. But shortly after that use is established I expect scientists to want to do data analytics on multiple sequential checkpoints while these are still held in the burst buffer, because the low latency random access of NAND flash will allow brute-force analysis computations not effective in main memory or on magnetic disk.
El Reg: Does Panasas develop its own NAND controller technology? If yes or no – why?
Garth Gibson: Panasas is using best-in-class NAND flash controller technology today. But changes in NAND flash technology and vendors are rapid and important and we continue to track this technology closely, with an open mind to changing the way we use solid state.
El Reg: What does Panasas think of the merits and demerits of TLC NAND (3-bit MLC)?
Garth Gibson: TLC NAND flash is a new technology, not yet ready for use in Panasas equipment. As it evolves, it might become appropriate for burst buffers … hard to say now.
El Reg: How long before NAND runs out of steam?
Garth Gibson: As usual, technologists can point to challenges with current technology that seem to favor alternative technologies in a timeframe of 2 to 4 generations in the future. I’m told in such discussions that 2024 looks quite challenging for NAND flash, and much better for its competitors.
However, with that much time, the real issue is how much quality investment is made in the technology. The market impact of NAND flash is large enough now to ensure that significant effort will go into continued advances in NAND flash. This is not as clear for its competitors.
El Reg: What do you think of the various post-NAND technology candidates such as Phase Change Memory, STT-RAM, memristor, Racetrack and the various Resistive-RAMs?
Garth Gibson: I am totally enamored of STT-RAM because it promises infinite rewrite and DRAM-class speeds. Totally magic! I just hope the technology pans out, because it has a long way to go. Phase change is much more real, and suffering disappointing endurance improvement so far.
El Reg: Any other pertinent points?
Garth Gibson: Magnetic disk bits are small compared to solid state bits, and solid directions are available to continue to make them smaller. As long as society’s appetite for online data continues to grow, I would expect magnetic disk to continue to play an important role. However, I would expect that the memory hierarchy – on-chip to RAM to disk will become deeper, with NAND flash and its competitors between RAM and disk.
Not such good news in his views on memristor technology. Maybe HP will surprise us all. ® | <urn:uuid:2101cb0e-c652-40c4-852f-5542c3128abc> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://insidehpc.com/2012/03/panasas-kingpin-whats-the-solid-state-state-of-play/ | 2024-09-17T07:52:47Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651750.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917072424-20240917102424-00229.warc.gz | en | 0.937114 | 1,126 | 2.640625 | 3 |
by James Gratchoff & Guido Kroon, University of Amsterdam
Project Spartan is the codename of the new Microsoft Edge browser and successor to its previous, Internet Explorer. This research paper gives insight into the current artefacts that the current development versions of Project Spartan leaves behind on workstations. The authors analysed what these artefacts are, where they are located and how can they be gathered. This research led to the conclusion that Project Spartan’s back end does not differ much from the latest Internet Explorer versions, as Project Spartan still uses similar ways to store data on the workstation it runs on. Furthermore, an open source tool has been developed to gather some of these artefacts in an automated way. The purpose of the tool is to gather the location of the artefacts not present in the database.
Web browsing activity is a major source of information in forensics investigation. Much open-source and proprietary software already exists to perform forensic investigation on the most popular leading web browsers. These forensic tools depend on the architecture of the web browsers and thus need to adapt their code to new versions or new browsers.
Microsoft is moving away from their traditional web browser, called Internet Explorer (IE), and launching their new Edge web browser, formerly codenamed Project Spartan, which will be shipped by default on Windows 10. The web browser uses the new Edge engine, which is a fork from their former Trident engine that IE is based on. However, as Edge is currently still in development as Project Spartan, this research will refer to it as Project Spartan, and not as Edge.
The purpose of this project is to gather information about new artefacts that Project Spartan leaves behind on workstations. If time permits, an open source tool for analysing these artefacts will be created as a proof of concept.
1.1 Scope, motivation and research question
As Edge is a newly developed browser, it is interesting to research the artefacts it leaves on workstations, especially if more and more people are to start using it when Windows 10 is released next summer. Therefore, this new information may be valuable to the digital forensics community and will soon be needed for investigations. This project will only target the browser artefacts. A quick investigation of the new Cortana features has been also carried out. Information that can be found on this project is related to Project Spartan and not to the Edge browser that has not yet been released. However the browser is supposedly just to be given another product name thus the artefacts found should be the same and located in the same directory structure with a difference in the path name. The path name that will be used in Edge is not known on the day of writing.
Overall discussion of the significance and motivation resulted in the following research question:
What and where are the artefacts Project Spartan leaves behind on workstations, and how can these artefacts be gathered for further analysis to serve as forensic evidence?
The above research question can be divided into the following research sub-questions:
1. As the new Project Spartan engine is forked from its predecessor’s Trident engine used with IE, how much does Project Spartan differ from its predecessor and to what extent can existing forensic toolkits for browsers still gather these artefacts in the same way they gather artefacts for Internet Explorer?
2. Can a tool be developed, based on the assembled results, in order to gather the artefacts of the Project Spartan web browser in an automated way?
Due to it being a recent product, no forensic research related to Windows 10 or Project Spartan/ Edge has been published at the time of writing. However much research has been done regarding web browser forensics. This project started by analysing the structure of Project Spartan and also how the latest version of Microsoft IE stored its information. Version 10 and later of IE will be referred to as IE v10+ in the rest of this report. Then the similar features of Microsoft Project Spartan were compared to IE v10+ in terms of artefacts location and databases. Furthermore the new features of Project Spartan were analysed and traced back to find where the artefacts location were stored on disk.
2.1 Browser forensics
Forensics tools that investigate browser activity, rely on the location of artefacts stored on disk. These locations are specific to each browser. Thus these tools need to adapt the locations and way of gathering information when a new browser is released. Forensics investigators need to gather detailed and trustworthy information about all the artefacts left on the disk by the browser. Moreover, any kind of information that a browser leaves behind can be valuable and of extreme importance in investigations. That is why it is important not to neglect any artefacts that could lead to a stronger proof of user activity.
Private browsing has also become popular as it is a way of increasing privacy while browsing. Using private browsing, the browser is not supposed to store any browsing activity during the session. Thus it is understandable that private browsing forensics has been a developing area of research. Said et al researched Microsoft IE as well as Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome regarding their privacy browsing features. They concluded that Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox complete a better task in hiding their private browsing data, while Internet Explorer seems to leave evidence ‘all over the hard drive’. Chivers conducted another research project targeting the private browsing feature of IE 10, and was able to recover data from private browsing in a specific window of time. Indeed by carving log files he was able to identify some substantial records of private browsing that had taken place the last time the browser was opened. Due to the short life cycle of private browsing records in the database, these records could not be found after opening the browser a second time. To
carve the log files containing the previous records of the private browsing he developed a tool, ESECarve.
2.2 Structure of Internet explorer
A great deal of research has been done related to IE version 10 and later. And from our early investigation on the structure of Project Spartan we could say that it is extremely similar to IE v10+. Microsoft Project Spartan and IE v10+ rely on an Extensible Storage Engine (ESE) database, previously known as Joint Engine Technology (JET), to store their information. Metz, detailed in his research what the format of the database is and Chivers describes how the ESE works. In IE 10, a single database named WebCacheV1.dat is dedicated to storing artefacts. This database is located at:
Artefacts present in this database differ in their type (e.g. Cache, History, Cookies) and these types are divided into different containers tables (‘Containers XX’). These containers can be identified using another container table present in the same database, named ‘Containers’, that acts as an index table specifying which artefacts correspond to which containers. Each container shares the same fields that can be found in . All these fields are valuable for forensic investigations. The functioning of the database follows the steps described in . When a transaction is taking place the ESE first stores in memory the information regarding this transaction in a log cache, then it subsequently stores in memory the necessary database pages. As soon as the system is ready it writes to the log file (e.g. V01.log). After this, if possible, the database is updated with the new transaction and proceeds in a clean state, if not it will proceed in a dirty state. If the state of the database is dirty it will have to be recovered using the .chk files (that stores logged transactions from a known checkpoint) and the corresponding log files. The database can also be recovered to a clean state using the esentutl Windows tool. Most of the artefacts are not only stored in the database but can also be found on the disk as files. For IE 10, these artefacts are located in the subdirectories of:
The artefacts that can be found there are for example the cache files, the cookies, the favourites and what have you. Another location where IE stores information is in the registry key. The information located there is obfuscated but can be read with IE PassView. The information that can be found there is autocomplete forms, auto complete password or typed URLs. The location of the registry key is:
The first part of the research was to understand the structure of the Project Spartan browser and understand what methods it was using to store information about an user. Secondly an investigation on how and where artefacts were found in most used web-browsers was carried out. This investigation was mainly focused on IE version 10 and later, due to the similarities found in the first step with the Project Spartan browser. Further to this investigation the authors compared the artefacts from IE and Project Spartan and documented what new artefacts could be found on Project Spartan. The next step was to discover where and how artefacts are stored on the disk. Thereafter tools used to investigate browser activity were tested on the new browser. The last step was to summarise what had been found using available tools and to create a tool that is able to find the new artefacts discovered on Project Spartan.
The following tools were used for this research:
- ESEDatabaseView v1.30 ESEDatabaseView is simple utility to browse through ESE structured database files, developed by Nir Sofer. We used it to browse through the ESE databases Project Spartan uses to store its data in, namely the WebCacheV01.dat and the Spartan.edb files.
- ESECarve v1.20 ESECarve is a forensic tool written by Chivers that is used to inspect and and recover deleted data from ESE database files.
- Notepad++ v6.7.8 (with the hex editor plugin v0.9.5) Notepad++ is an open source text editor for Windows operating systems. Together with the hex editor plugin we used this tool to open and read contents of many files.
This section describes where Project Spartan store its artefacts on disk and detail whereas or not these artefacts could be found in the Extensible Storage Engine (ESE) database. A section also describes what features, that are likely to leave artefacts, are not implemented yet in Project Spartan.
Microsoft Project Spartan uses the same database structure as the latest versions of Internet Explorer, namely the ESE database. The Internet Explorer 10 ESE database structure has been researched in-depth by. The main WebCache database file is located in a dispersed fashion, which differs per user, hence the %LocalAppData% environment variable:
Numerous tools exist for reading these database files, which we will also list in the Tools section, but we mostly used ESECarve, ESEDatabaseView and esentutl. Within this database file, all sorts of information is stored, but not much actual content (some, but definitely not all). Rather, it is more like an index which keeps track of all the locations where the actual artefacts are stored.
When we try to open this file with a hex editor, we can see that this version still uses the same format that previous versions use. The hex dump of the database headers can be interpreted as follows (see figure 4.1). This can be verified when analysing the database with esentutl, which is installed by default on every Windows system. Note that the database is using little endian, so when compared with a hexadecimal dump, every byte range needs to be read in reverse order. While the database mostly stores Metadata as opposed to actual content, there are some interesting artefacts to be harvested from within this file, such as:
1. visited URLs (see section 4.5)
2. Cortana search queries (see section 4.8)
3. download history (see section 4.6).
The container that is being viewed in figure 4.2 shows all the container IDs of the other containers that can be viewed. It shows what content is being stored in which container and where it can be found on the system (folder paths).
Project Spartan stores its caches in a dispersed fashion as well, which differs per user, hence the %LocalAppData% environment variable:
Just like IE there are four cache folders in this directory, which each contain a portion of the cache. They contain all sorts of content which is saved locally when browsing with Project Spartan, like HTML pages, pictures and even downloads which are stored here temporarily before they are moved to the actual download folder. This is an example of such a cache folder:
Project Spartan stores its cookies in a dispersed fashion as well, which differs per user, hence the %LocalAppData% environment variable:
Project Spartan stores its bookmarks in a dispersed fashion as well, which differs per user, hence the %LocalAppData% environment variable:
The visited URLs is a form of Metadata that reveals information of what URLs the user browsed. It does not show the actual content of the web pages, but it is still valuable information for forensic investigators. The URLs are stored within the database file we covered in section 4.1. The following screenshot (see figure 4.5) gives an impression of these artefacts. Some columns are not shown, which also reveal information about dates and time, and which can be useful when creating time lines:
Downloads history is also found in the database file we covered in section 4.1. The container name is ‘iedownload’. There are multiple containers under that name, but it is container ID 17 on our system (see figure 4.6). The values are hex encoded and thus need to be converted to ASCII readable text in order to read it (see appendix B for a more detailed overview). The downloads are temporarily stored in the cache location we covered in section 4.2. When the download is completed, it is no longer to be found there, as it is then moved to the download folder.
Interestingly enough, Microsoft Spartan stores its Web Notes in the bookmarks folder as well (see figure 4.7):
Project Spartan uses Bing as its search engine for Cortana search queries. This is an experimental feature that was not available to our country yet (The Netherlands), so we used an OpenVPN connection to the US to test this new feature. Spartan stores its search queries inside the database file we covered in section 4.1. The container name is ‘DependencyEntry 5′(see figure 4.9).
The reading list is stored inside a separate database, also separate for each user. We added a web page to the reading list, which could be found inside the database when we opened the database with ESEDatabaseView (see figure4.10).
Since Windows 8, tiles are available and can be modifiable. This feature is included in Project Spartan as well. It consists of fonts, colours and interface elements for applications. The tiles are not stored in the ESE database but can be found on the disk. They are located at:
For analysing artefacts for InPrivate browsing, we needed to upgrade our system with a newer version of Windows 10 (build 10122), which had the new Spartan Browser that supported InPrivate browsing. In order to retrieve the InPrivate pages visited, we used a tool created by Chivers, named ESECarve. This tool was intended to retrieve InPrivate browsing artefacts from the IE 10 browser. Due to incompatibility of the software on Windows 10, it was necessary to move the folder containing the database files (.chk, .log and WebCacheV01.dat) to an earlier version of Windows. We were successfully able to recover Project Spartan InPrivate pages with Windows 7 and the ESECarve tool (see figure 4.11).
The life cycle of InPrivate logs described in was verified with Project Spartan. Indeed the InPrivate history could be recovered from the same session with ESEDatabaseView (see figure 4.12) but as soon as we cleared the cache and restarted the browser these entries disappeared from the container. However the entries were recovered using the ESECarve tool that uses the .log and .chk files to recover information about the InPrivate browsing.
The version of Project Spartan available in the latest Windows 10 build (10122) does not include all the features that should be present on a browser. New features are awaited such as the password storage or extensions capability. IThome, leaked some screenshots of an unreleased build of Windows 10 (10123).
These screenshots show new features implemented in Project Spartan such as:
• Credential storage As of yet, Project Spartan does not enable users to store their credentials whenever they login to a certain website.
• Forms storage As of yet, Project Spartan does not enable users to store forms whenever a user fills in a digital form.
• New features in Cortana Current features, such as Cortana, may change over time or have added features, which is also interesting for future research. These features could not be investigated as the 10123 release was not available at the time of writing.
Other potential features that are currently not part of Project Spartan:
• Synchronisation Current popular browsers are currently offering synchronisation of passwords, bookmarks and such. It would not be a far fetched idea that Microsoft may implement such a feature in later development versions of Project Spartan, or final versions of EDGE.
This section presents what are the results of our investigation on the Project Spartan browser. First the similarities and differences found between Project Spartan and IE v10+ will be described. This is followed by a description of the automated tool created to find the missing artefacts that are not documented in the ESE database.
5.1 Project Spartan vs. Internet Explorer (similarities and differences)
The investigation performed in this research, highlighted the Project Spartan artefacts. This section compares the artefacts found in Project Spartan with the latest versions of IE. This comparison is done as the artefacts created by the two browsers are extremely similar. At the time of writing not all the features of Project Spartan are available. It is thus difficult to deduce all the similarities and differences.
First of all, it is worth mentioning that the back end of Project Spartan is really similar to IE v10+. They both use the same database engine, named ESE database, in order to store information about user activity and to provide a way of recovering crashes occurring in software. It is understandable that these two browsers use the same database engine as the ESE database is used as the core system of many Windows-like features such as Microsoft Exchange Server, Active Directory and Desktop Search. As a result, the structure of the Project Spartan database is also really similar to the latest versions of IE v10+. These allow most of the software created to find artefacts in the ESE database to work in with Project Spartan. However some tweaks need to be implemented to make them work with Windows 10.
However, new features have been introduced with Project Spartan. These features introduces new artefacts that can be of considerable importance in forensic investigations. The new features have been documented in Chapter 4. As an example, the information stored by Cortana can be valuable for an investigator as it stores the values that are searched using the engine. In this database suggestions made to the user (based on its profile) by the engine are also stored. Other new features such as the reading list or the Web Notes are likely to be of great interest to an investigator.
To conclude, the structure of Project Spartan is in the end similar to the latest versions of IE. New artefacts appeared as the browser offers features that were not implemented on IE. This artefacts have been documented and the upcoming section presents a proof of concept reuniting the artefacts that were not found in the ESE database.
5.2 Automated tool
Not all the artefacts are stored in the ESE database, that is why the authors created a proof of concept able to retrieve the missing artefacts. The script does not retrieve the artefacts present in the database as this database can be read with ESEDatabaseView or with the ESECarve tool. The goal was not to reinvent the wheel but to complete the tool present in the open source community.
This tool (named SpartanLeftovers) can be run next to ESECarve to retrieve the most valuable artefacts from the Project Spartan browser. The script is written in PowerShell 3.0 and allows an investigator to easily summarise the location of the missing artefact in clear and readable csv format. SpartanLeftovers is open source and available in appendix C. The artefacts that are targeted are the favourites, the web notes, the stored tiles and the last unexpectedly closed tabs. Figure 5.1 shows an output of the script. The script lists all the files present in the related directories with their path, creation time, last accessed time, last modification time, owner of the file, attributes and size. From a forensic standpoint the tool can be run on an mounted disk and does not write on the targeted disk. It has been chosen not to access and carve the files in order not to change the access time values this is why the tool only provides the location of the files.
The following figure shows the hash difference created using FTK:
Currently the way in which and the location where Project Spartan stores its artefacts is very similar to previous versions of Internet Explorer. The browser relies heavily on the ESE database structure, which makes current ways of collecting artefacts not much harder. Most artefacts of features have been analysed that are part of the current development builds of Project Spartan and we suspect that current forensic toolkits that also harvest artefacts of IE will not need to drastically alter their harvesting techniques to also gather artefacts from Project Spartan. Toolkit developers are advised to use the path locations specified in this paper to acquire the artefacts of Project Spartan. The new features such as the Web Notes or Cortana integration can also give insight into the digital footprint a user can leave on a system. These new features should also be added to existing forensic toolkits as well. It should be noted that Project Spartan is still in development and artefacts may change over time (see chapter 7 for more on future work considerations).
The authors also developed a tool which gathers some information analysed in an automated way. The tool is open source and has been designed for forensic/research purposes. It provides a way of recovering the artefacts, left behind by the Project Spartan browser, that are not stored in the ESE database and/or that cannot be retrieved with the ESECarve tool developed by Chivers. The source code (Appendix C) is open to any improvements.
This research outlines some new artefacts that can be gathered within the current development versions of Project Spartan. However, there are a couple of elements to be considered for future work.
This research should be reviewed whenever Microsoft releases a final and stable version of Edge. This research only focused on the development versions of Project Spartan. Current features that have been analysed during this research may change over time, as well as new features that might be added in the future, which we already outlined in section 4.12. Features like a credential manager, forms storage, synchronisation of connected device are features that would be very interesting subjects for research once they have been implemented.
Currently, the ESE database structure has not been greatly researched, and this also differs per implementation that uses the ESE database structure, such as IE, Exchange and now Project Spartan. Also, as InPrivate (private browsing) artefacts can still be harvested from the ESE database, it would be good to see Microsoft fix this and perform a similar project as done by Chivers to see if these artefacts can still be harvested. However questions arise if this possibility to harvest such information, with the right forensics skills, was made intentionally for forensics purposes.
Extensible storage engine. Microsoft Developer Network, 2012. Exclusive broke the news: Win10 preview version 10123, edge browser new change. IT House Original, 2015.
Forensically interesting spots in the windows 7, vista and xp file system and registry. irongeek, 2015.
Ie passview. Nirsoft, 2015.
Openvpn. OpenVPN Technologies, Inc, 2015.
Howard Chivers. Private browsing: A window of forensic opportunity. 2013.
Jens Lorenz. Notepad++ Plugins – Browse Files at SourceForge.net. http://sourceforge.net/projects/npp-plugins/files/, 2015.
Bonnie Malmstr ̈m and Philip Teveldal.o database in internet explorer 10. 2013. Forensic analysis of the ese
Joachim Metz. Extensible storage engine (ese) database file (edb) format specification. 2010.
Nir Sofer. ESEDatabaseView – View/Open ESE Database Files (Jet Blue/ .edb files). http://www.nirsoft.net/util/ese_database_view.html, 2015.
Junghoon Oh, Seungbong Lee, and Sangjin Lee. Advanced evidence collection and analysis of web browser activity. digital investigation, 8:S62–S70, 2011.
Huwida Said, Noora Al Mutawa, Ibtesam Al Awadhi, and Mario Guimaraes. Forensic analysis of private browsing artifacts. In Innovations in information technology (IIT), 2011 International conference, pages 197–202. IEEE, 2011.
Jason Weber. Project spartan and the windows 10 January preview build. Microsoft IE, 2015.
Spartan’s WebCache database
As previously mentioned before, Microsoft Project Spartan uses the same Extensible Storage Engine (ESE) database structure as previous versions of IE. The IE 10 ESE database structure has been researched in-depth by Malmstrom and Teveldal. When opening this file with a hex editor, we can see that this version still uses the same format that previous versions use:
This can be verified when analysing the database with esentutl, which is installed by default on every Windows system. Note that the database is using little endian, so when comparing with a hex dump, every byte range needs to be read in reverse order. For example, the page size is 0x00800000 which we need to reverse in Endianess, so that gives us 0x00008000, which is 32768 in decimal, which means it is 32768 bytes, or 32 KiB per page. Every page’s offset starts at 32 KiB increments, which is offset 0x8000 when exploring in a hex dump. If we go to this offset, we can see the start of the first page. The second starts at 64 KiB, and so on.
The download history is part of the ESE database. This is an example of :
You can contact the authors on email@example.com (James Gratchoff) and firstname.lastname@example.org (Guido Kroon). Download a PDF version of the original paper here.
Edit: you can now also download an adapted script that works with Microsoft Edge here (ps1 file). | <urn:uuid:79d0a66c-de61-4f62-862c-d0ff7ca66dda> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.forensicfocus.com/articles/project-spartan-forensics/ | 2024-09-18T13:55:16Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651899.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20240918133146-20240918163146-00129.warc.gz | en | 0.93255 | 5,595 | 2.796875 | 3 |
May 1, 2000
DNS resources and tools to help you get connected
As a systems administrator, you might be responsible for connecting your company to the Internet, possibly for the first time. But before you can do so, you need to understand the basics of Internet addressing, find out how to get a Web address, and learn how to register your domain name. In "A DNS Primer," January 2000, Mark Minasi introduced the fundamentals of DNS. I will help you find resources for obtaining IP numbers and registering your domain name and provide practical information about DNS and its associated tools. (For more information about domain naming, see "Related Articles in Previous Issues," page 115.)
Obtaining Names and Addresses
The Internet Assigned Number Authority (IANA—http://www.iana.org) was historically the organization that doled out names and addresses. However, in 1993, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded to Network Solutions Incorporated (NSI—http://www.networksolutions.com) a 5-year contract that authorized NSI to operate the InterNIC (http://www.internic.net) name-registration service. At that time, InterNIC was the place that most people went to for a network identifier (NET_ID) or a domain name in the .com, .org, or .net namespace. When InterNIC assigned your IP address, you owned the address and could keep it even if you changed ISPs. Today, the process of obtaining addresses and of registering domain names has changed.
IP addressing in the modern era. InterNIC no longer assigns IP addresses and hasn't done so since about 1997. In the Western Hemisphere and some parts of the African continent, the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN—http://www.arin.net) is now the IP number authority. The size of Internet routing tables was becoming unmanageable, so several years ago ARIN organized unused address space into Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) address blocks. ARIN assigns the CIDR address blocks, in turn, to ISPs or other regional number authorities, such as Réseaux IP Européens (RIPE—http://www.ripe.net) in Europe and the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC—http://www.apnic.net). If you're in the United States, you need to coordinate with your ISP to obtain an IP NET_ID address from ARIN.
More than 50 percent of all possible Class C addresses are still available, but because the address supply is rapidly diminishing, getting a full Class C address is difficult. Instead, ISPs and ARIN distribute small address blocks and assign NET_IDs with as few as eight host addresses. IP number authorities assign the address blocks by using variable-length subnet masks (VLSMs), which provide a method of implementing classless addressing. A full description of VLSMs is beyond the scope of this article, but the sidebar "Subnetting and Variable-Length Subnet Masks" describes the motivation for using VLSMs and gives a VLSM example.
How can a company with several hundred systems operate with a mere handful of IP addresses? Companies might have many users, but generally they have only a few servers that require publicly visible IP addresses. Increasingly, organizations use private IP addressing internally and assign a public IP address to public servers. Companies might use the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request for Comments (RFC) 1918 private addresses or Network Address Translation (NAT) to statically map the server's public address to an internal private address. When a client system communicates with the Internet, NAT dynamically and temporarily assigns the client a public address. If the number of clients that need addresses exceeds the number of available public addresses, Port Address Translation (PAT—aka NAT overload) provides the addresses. NAT and PAT address management occur transparently at the router or NAT server. To learn more about current address assignments, visit John Crossley's IP Network Index (http://www.ipindex.net/), which cross-references IP Class A, B, and C network numbers with network names.
Registering domain names in the Internet's commercial era. The NSF's contract with NSI expired in April 1998. Unfortunately, no one planned how to handle domain name requests after that date, so NSF has extended NSI's contract several times, most recently through September 2000. In 1998, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN—http://www.icann.org) began creating a fair and efficient domain-name-registration system. Many factors influenced the formation of ICANN, and you can find a good description of its history and evolution at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Web site (http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname). Although NSI remains the sole administrator of names in the .com, .org, and .net namespace, many companies, such as America Online (http://www.aol.com), Internet Names WorldWide (http://www.internetnamesww.com), and register.com (http://www.register.com), can register names in that space. You can find a list of all accredited name registrars at the ICANN Web site.
DNS is a distributed database that contains host, mail server, name server, and other domain information. You must maintain a primary name server and at least one secondary name server for every Internet domain. When a client system on the Internet needs to find a server's IP address (e.g., a reader of this article surfing to http://www.win2000mag.com or sending email to [email protected]), the client sends a DNS query to its local name server. If the local name server doesn't have the necessary target server address information, the local name server sends a query to one of 13 well-known root name servers on the Internet. The query then proceeds to one of the target domain's name servers for final resolution. Many ISPs provide primary and secondary DNS service; others provide only secondary DNS service and require the customer to host the primary name server.
Examining DNS file structure will help you understand the name-lookup process. DNS information resides in simple text files called zone files, which contain information called Resource Records (RRs). The most common RRs are
Start of Authority (SOA)—denotes the primary name server for a domain and a few additional administrative items
Address (A)—supplies a host name's IP address
Canonical Name (CNAME)—provides alias host names so that you can associate more than one host name with an IP address
Pointer (PTR)—associates a host name with an IP address and performs reverse name lookups
Mail Exchanger (MX)—defines a domain's mail systems
Name Server (NS)—defines a domain's name servers
Listing 1, page 115, shows an example zone file mapping host names to IP addresses in the fictitious example.com domain. In this example, the domain hosts Web, FTP, email, and name servers, and the ISP (ispexample.net) hosts the secondary DNS and backup mail server. The IP address in this example is actually a private IP address. So what do all these records mean? The SOA record includes the name of the primary DNS server for this domain and the email address associated with this domain's naming administrator; note that the record lists the DNS administrator's email with a period (.) instead of the at sign (@) because @ has special meaning in DNS files.
This resource record also contains five other parameters. First, a serial number identifies the version of this information and tells a secondary server that new information exists to download. Second, a refresh value tells the secondary name servers how often to check for updated information. Third, a retry value tells the secondary servers how often to reattempt connections to the primary server. Fourth, an expire value tells the secondary servers when the information in databases is old and unreliable. And fifth, a Time to Live (TTL) value tells a requester how long you can safely cache the information.
The NS records contain the names of the name servers for this domain. The first server listed is the primary name server because it's the server that the SOA record names. The MX records contain the names of the email servers for this domain. The number in front of the address is the preference value and is most useful when the domain has two or more email servers.
When a remote user sends mail to [email protected], the remote mail system looks up the MX record for the example.com domain. The remote mailer then attempts to establish an SMTP connection with the mail server that has the lowest preference value. Thus, an organization can specify multiple mail servers with the same preference level for load balancing, or specify servers with different preference levels to provide a backup. The A records contain the IP addresses to associate with each of the listed host names in the example.com domain. The CNAME record contains alias host names. In this example, the FTP and Web services are on the same server but have two different names that map to the same IP address. Using two separate names ensures that if the FTP service moves to another system, external users never need to know about the move.
Each domain contains another important zone file: the reverse lookup file. This file maps an IP address to a host name. The zone file for the fictitious 192.168.210.0 address space (assuming that this entire Class C address has one owner) might look like the file in Listing 2, page 116. The only new RRs in this listing are the PTR records, which associate an IP address with a host name.
You'll find DNS server software under a variety of names, depending on the OS you use. Windows NT simply refers to DNS, but UNIX calls the software named (i.e., name daemon) or Berkeley Internet Name Domain; BIND is the most common name. Although each DNS software package is slightly different from others, it's useful to understand RRs and file formats so that you know how the packages lay out domain name information. For information about products that let you provide a DNS service on an NT server, see the sidebar "DNS Resources," page 116.
All DNS software uses the same terminology to refer to DNS information, whether the software uses regular DNS text-file format or a proprietary-file format. Furthermore, although individual sites might not use UNIX-based DNS software, the major ISPs do, so you need to use the correct terminology when discussing DNS with your ISP.
Last but not least, UDP datagrams on port 53 carry DNS queries. DNS zone transfers between primary and secondary name servers use TCP on port 53. If you run the primary DNS server on your network and connect to an outside secondary DNS server, configure your firewall so that zone transfers can occur only between the designated name servers.
Tools to Examine DNS and Domain Information
The most basic tool you can use to search a domain name or IP number database is NSI's Whois. Although you'll find Whois on all UNIX systems and some Windows systems, accessing the database is easiest on the Internet. You can find NSI's Web interface to Whois at http://www.networksolutions.com/cgi-bin/whois/whois. Screen 1, page 116, shows a Whois query for the win2000mag.com domain. The response shows contact information for the domain, when the record was last updated, and the associated name servers (in preference order). You can use Whois to look up information based on domain names and contact names. Whois can also tell you whether a particular domain name is available.
Nslookup is a handy TCP/IP utility for examining the DNS database. This utility is a standard part of NT (and UNIX) systems, and versions of Nslookup for Windows 9x also exist. You can use the Nslookup utility as a test aid to examine DNS.
Figure 1 shows an example Nslookup session. As callout A in Figure 1 shows, the user invokes the program by typing the command nslookup. The program responds by listing the name and address of the user's default name server. The first command, Help, which callout B in Figure 1 shows, lists all Nslookup commands and functions. Callout C in Figure 1 shows that the user next enters host name www.win2000mag.com. The program responds by listing the host's IP address (184.108.40.206). The set type=MX command, which callout D in Figure 1 shows, tells the program to display MX information. The following command, Win2000mag.com, asks for information about the win2000mag.com domain. The program responds with the names and addresses of the domain's three mail servers (and two name servers). Callout E in Figure 1 shows the Set Type=SOA and Win2000mag.com commands, which tell the program to display SOA information about the win2000mag.com domain. Finally, the program responds with the SOA parameter information, as well as the names and addresses of the domain's name servers.
Related Articles in Previous Issues |
You can obtain the following articles from Windows 2000 Magazine's Web site at http://www.win2000mag.com/articles.DAVID CHERNICOFFForefront, "Preparing for Active Directory," January 2000, InstantDoc ID 7761MARK MINASI"A DNS Primer," January 2000, InstantDoc ID 7733MICHAEL D. REILLYGetting Started with NT, "Domain Name Resolution with DNS," June 1999, InstantDoc ID 5408BARRIE SOSINSKYNews Analysis, "The Internet Name Game," September 1999, InstantDoc ID 7086 |
The NS host information that Nslookup shows (ns1.duke.com and ns2.duke.com) doesn't match the host information that the Whois lookup shows (ns1.rockymtn.net and ns2.rockymtn.net). This result is unusual but merely signals that the Whois database isn't synchronized with the name server information advertised on the Internet. Given this discrepancy, the display from nslookup is more definitive than the display from Whois.
In the past, Internet connections, IP addresses, and domain names were the responsibility of UNIX systems administrators. However, because NT represents a growing percentage of servers on the Internet, these details are important to systems administrators who have traditionally concentrated on the LAN. DNS is one of the most important aspects of your site's Internet connection. If you don't set it up correctly, your public hosts might be unreachable and your users might not be able to reach hosts on the Internet. If you want to know the nitty-gritty behind DNS, the industry-standard text is Paul Albitz and Cricket Liu's DNS and BIND, 3rd edition (O'Reilly & Associates, 1998). For NT-specific information, see Paul Albitz, Matt Larson, and Cricket Liu, DNS on Windows NT (O'Reilly & Associates, 1998).
About the Author
You May Also Like | <urn:uuid:6896cdb7-b7a1-44cf-9a05-69dc45befb22> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.itprotoday.com/networking-security/how-dns-works | 2024-09-18T15:41:41Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651899.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20240918133146-20240918163146-00129.warc.gz | en | 0.886644 | 3,174 | 3.0625 | 3 |
Tonga’s domestic subsea fiber cable that was destroyed in a volcanic eruption could take up to a year to repair if a spare cable can’t be sourced from other companies.
In January, a large underwater volcano erupted close to Tonga, triggering tsunamis reaching heights of almost three feet in places. Both the international Tonga Cable – laid in 2013 and running 827km to Fiji – and the Tonga Domestic Cable connecting the islands of Vavaʻu, Lifuka, and Tongatapu were damaged.
Though the island nation’s international cable is now repaired, Tonga Cable chief executive James Panuve told Matangi Tonga that up to 110km of cable may have to be manufactured in France to fix the domestic cable if it can't source a spare cable of the same type elsewhere.
Though the cable ship Reliance has successfully recovered both ends of the domestic cable, there is a gap of around 110km between the two broken ends.
“It has attempted to recover the middle section but it appears that the cable has been deeply buried under debris from the volcano eruption of 15 January. Without proper survey equipment, it is hard to tell what has happened to the cable system. Water depth in this area is between 1.6 to 1.8km," said Panuve.
He added the ship will provide Tonga Cable with a more detailed report on their findings, but estimates that the company might need all 110km replacing.
"The other problem is that this cable type is not easily sourced and none of our neighboring cable operators have any of this cable type. We are looking worldwide for anyone with spare cable of this type, failing which, we will need to order it from Alcatel in France, which could take 6-9 months to manufacture and deliver. But as with most things, I think it would be safe to bet on a year," he said.
More than 50km of the international cable was damaged in the eruption – more than Tonga cable had aboard the Reliance. Panuve said three companies donated spare cable that they had on the ship.
Panuve also said the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) is interested in sending a research vessel to do a survey of the Hunga Ha'apai area and the cable system to see what the seabed looks like in the wake of the eruption.
“This may be of great assistance for Tonga Cable in understanding what happened to our two cable systems and possibly whether it is safe to relay our domestic cable on its original path. If successful, the research vessel may be visiting our waters in March or April of this year,” he noted. | <urn:uuid:c4cb7fb7-0b29-4ef4-aa22-d8292e13ad11> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/tonga-domestic-cable-could-take-up-to-a-year-to-repair-after-volcanic-eruption/ | 2024-09-19T20:01:34Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652067.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20240919194038-20240919224038-00029.warc.gz | en | 0.973551 | 549 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Why is transparency critical in local government?
In this article, you will learn:
- Why openness and accountability go hand-in-hand with transparency
- How both internal and external communications improve with greater transparency
- Why transparency is most effective with the right digital tools designed for local governments
Local citizens do their best to vet their political candidates to ensure they get public officials into office that are honest, have integrity, and will work for the best interests of the community. When the media comes forth with news about fraud in government, it's a huge letdown, especially when it happens in local government.
Secrecy creates an environment where there is the potential for the lack of accountability and abuse of power. When information about how a local government operates isn't forthcoming, it causes the public to be skeptical. Best practices for good governance recommend that transparency is a vital component of good government and strong communities.
One of the challenges in making local government transparent to any degree is tight budgets and a burden on limited resources.
Fortunately, technology has become a friend to local governments. Digital tools create an environment of openness, transparency, honesty, accuracy, accountability.
The Benefits of Openness, Transparency, and Accountability
Public officials with integrity are ever mindful of the fact that the money they have to spend on their communities comes directly from their citizens through tax dollars and that the government exists to serve them. Having access to these funds also means that citizens have the right to know how their local officials intend to allocate those funds. Good governance entails keeping the best interests of the citizens at the forefront of decision-making for the community. In a sense, the citizens act as overseers for their public officials and government staff.
The more a local government can provide in the way of transparency, the more it increases trust, honesty, and integrity in the government leaders.
Another area where local governments can improve the public's trust in them is by sharing policies publicly. That way the public knows how the government officials should be handling things and can hold them accountable for doing so. Code enforcement rules and requirements, board meeting minutes, council meeting minutes, financial documents, budgets, and annual reports should all be easily accessible by the public.
Integrity is inherently connected with trust. When citizens feel that their government officials are working hard to earn their trust, it builds confidence in the public's view of the government. For local governments to be proactive in transparency speaks volumes to their constituents. When the general public has questions, they need a place to get answers. The public expects details on how governments made their decisions. Local governments that initiate processes to provide the information that matters most to citizens proves that the government officials have their citizens' best interests at heart.
Transparency Enhances Communication
The benefit of providing as much information to the public as possible is that it gives them an opportunity to think about decisions that the local officials made and provide valuable feedback to them. The comments and feedback open up yet another opportunity for the all-important two-way communication. Local governments are continually looking at how to improve the quality of life for their citizens. The best decision-making is a result of multiple perspectives, including the perspectives of community members. Based on their comments, government officials can incorporate necessary changes. The value in two-way communication is that it shows that the local government is listening and responding to the community's needs.
People often forget that responsibility works both ways. The government needs to honest and transparent. The community has responsibilities as well. Citizens have a responsibility to be informed and hold their local governments accountable.
Technology Is the Key to Transparency
Advancements in technology have provided new ways for local governments to share information publicly in ways that are efficient, cost-effective, and fast. New digital tools make it drastically easier to store and manage documents and other information. Citizens are familiar enough with technology that they expect their governments to be current on how technology can make information more transparent and accountable.
Social media has become a staple in our society. Not only has it become important in our personal lives, it's important in business and local government too. It's often the most proficient way to share information. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube provide outlets to share information proactively with the general public for announcing events, live-streaming government meetings, and communicating policy changes. In today's world, many people spend lots of their time on social media, and that means that social media is a great place to get information to them fast. Additionally, social media opens up a way for two-way communication. Local governments can post information in seconds and in a few more seconds get comments and feedback from citizens. These discussions provide rich communications that benefit both parties.
The first place that citizens will usually go when they want to get information about their community is their local government's website. It makes sense that this is the place that local governments should focus their attention on providing access to the information that citizens want most.
When citizens have access to a search box that brings up any public document, it saves clerks and other local government workers the time to pull it up and deliver it to the person who asked for it. Search boxes on a government website make it fast and easy for citizens to pull up government policies, the budget, financial information, forms, documents, and live-streaming videos for council meetings.
Having mobile access to documents and information is also a timesaver for local government officials. Mobile apps and devices bring information to elected officials to them wherever they are, any time of day or night.
One of the most efficient uses of technology is in document security and management. Local governments handle thousands of documents. Online storage and filing systems take the work out of manual paper filing systems.
Even if government staff were to locate documents that the public asked for, they'd still have to scan them, upload them, and email them. It's far more efficient to let citizens pull up the documents they want and print them in the convenience of their homes and offices.
iCompass offers all the tools that help local governments create transparency in local governments. From streamlining board meeting processes to document storage to communications and livestreaming local government meetings, iCompass meets your local government's needs right where they're at. Transparency in local government is critical for gaining the public's trust and there's no better company to help you achieve that than iCompass. | <urn:uuid:3f302bc3-1b47-4385-b790-dfef02e9dc23> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.diligent.com/resources/blog/why-transparency-critical-local-government | 2024-09-19T20:25:23Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652067.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20240919194038-20240919224038-00029.warc.gz | en | 0.953598 | 1,300 | 3.5 | 4 |
In the world of Internet protocol traffic, consumers can choose between a TCP or UDP setup for their business or personal use. When it comes to TCP vs UDP features and functions, each brings its own set of advantages and challenges.
With that said, UDP is known for being faster and more up-to-date, yet many systems still rely on TCP to download batches of information. Users will need to take a look at their specific IP needs to make an informed decision about which protocol is best for them.
What is TCP?
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is connection-oriented, meaning once a connection has been established, data can be transmitted in two directions. TCP has built-in systems to check for errors and to guarantee data will be delivered in the order it was sent, making it the perfect protocol for transferring information like still images, data files, and web pages.
But while TCP is instinctively reliable, its feedback mechanisms also result in a larger overhead, translating to greater use of the available bandwidth on your network.
What is UDP?
User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a simpler, connectionless Internet protocol wherein error-checking and recovery services are not required. With UDP, there is no overhead for opening a connection, maintaining a connection, or terminating a connection; data is continuously sent to the recipient, whether or not they receive it.
Although UDP isn’t ideal for sending an email, viewing a webpage, or downloading a file, it is largely preferred for real-time communications like broadcast or multitask network transmission.
What is the Difference Between TCP and UDP?
TCP is a connection-oriented protocol, whereas UDP is a connectionless protocol. A key difference between TCP and UDP is speed, as TCP is comparatively slower than UDP. Overall, UDP is a much faster, simpler, and efficient protocol, however, retransmission of lost data packets is only possible with TCP.
Another notable discrepancy with TCP vs UDP is that TCP provides an ordered delivery of data from user to server (and vice versa), whereas UDP is not dedicated to end-to-end communications, nor does it check the readiness of the receiver (requiring fewer overheads and taking up less space).
Connection status | Requires an established connection to transmit data (connection should be closed once transmission is complete) | Connectionless protocol with no requirements for opening, maintaining, or terminating a connection |
Data sequencing | Able to sequence | Unable to sequence |
Guaranteed delivery | Can guarantee delivery of data to the destination router | Cannot guarantee delivery of data to the destination |
Retransmission of data | Retransmission of lost packets is possible | No retransmission of lost packets |
Error checking | Extensive error checking and acknowledgment of data | Basic error checking mechanism using checksums |
Method of transfer | Data is read as a byte stream; messages are transmitted to segment boundaries | UDP packets with defined boundaries; sent individually and checked for integrity on arrival |
Speed | Slower than UDP | Faster than TCP |
Broadcasting | Does not support Broadcasting | Does support Broadcasting |
Optimal use | Used by HTTPS, HTTP, SMTP, POP, FTP, etc | Video conferencing, streaming, DNS, VoIP, etc |
TCP vs UDP Speed
The reason for UDP’s superior speed over TCP is that its non-existent ‘acknowledgement’ supports a continuous packet stream. Since TCP connection always acknowledges a set of packets (whether or not the connection is totally reliable), a retransmission must occur for every negative acknowledgement where a data packet has been lost.
But because UDP avoids the unnecessary overheads of TCP transport, it’s incredibly efficient in terms of bandwidth, and much less demanding of poor performing networks, as well.
Which is Better for Video Conferencing?
The flow controls from TCP, although dependable, are unable to recover missing data fast enough to be useful in real-time video communications. And while data integrity is important, it has to be balanced with speed to ensure the pace of communication remains unhindered.
That’s why the Lifesize web and desktop apps have been developed to prioritize UDP over TCP for media transport, while our Icon meeting room systems exclusively use UDP for real-time media. Additionally, Lifesize employs strategies like error concealment, error correction, and rate controls for robust UDP media connections sans lags or latency.
Lifesize strongly recommends our customers enable access via UDP toward our cloud servers, as this can help achieve the best user experience possible.
How to Enable UDP on Lifesize
For the highest-quality video conferencing available, Lifesize favors UDP to reduce delays and ensure smooth calls every time. In just a few steps, you can have UDP enabled on Lifesize and be well on your way to better meetings and stronger results.
1. Open Lifesize
Open the Lifesize web or desktop app to get started. Lifesize supports a wide range of devices and user preferences, with apps for PC and Mac computers, Android and iOS phones and tablets, and a browser-based web app for any devices unable to download applications.
2. Choose preferences
Once you’re in the Lifesize app, you’ll want to choose your port preferences. To place calls to other devices through a firewall, you need to configure your firewall to allow incoming and outgoing traffic to the Lifesize system through the reserved TCP or UDP ports.
To minimize the number of UDP ports available for communication, you can restrict the range by changing values in Preferences > Network > Reserved Ports. By default, Lifesize systems communicate through ports in the range 60000 – 64999 for video, voice, presentations, and camera control.
While Lifesize encourages users to stick to this range, you do have the ability to restrict the number of UDP ports that are available. If the range you choose is not a subset of the default, be sure it begins with a port number greater than 49151.
Additionally, the range has to start with an even number and end with an odd number to include an even number of total ports. For example, if a range starts at 62000, set the lower end to 62000 and the upper end to 62099 to allocate 100 ports (the required minimum).
Please note, changing the values in Reserved Ports will cause the system to restart.
3. Open proxy settings
With your preferences in place, it’s time to open your proxy settings by navigating to Preferences > Network > Proxy.
This table is a great resource on the necessary firewall and proxy settings associated with UDP, as you’ll need to configure your firewall to allow outbound access from your network to your UDP ports. If you happen to have third-party integration for approved Cisco® and Polycom® devices, you will be provided with an H.460 server IP address, as well.
Be sure to click Save on your updates. Successful proxy connection shows as Connected, but if your proxy status shows Failed, it’s important to check your settings and try again.
4. Enable UDP
With UDP enabled on Lifesize, users can make the most of their video calls and conferencing, thanks to 30 frames of video or more per second. This image-refresh interval is so fast, you won’t have to wait for delayed data retransmissions, which means improvements in clarity, consistency, and productivity all in one platform.
After exploring the difference between TCP and UDP, it’s clear any business using virtual communications can benefit greatly from UDP. Not only does UDP avoid the transport traps and clogged networks common with TCP, but it boasts exceptional speed for all your streaming needs. And by enabling UDP for Lifesize, companies enjoy enhanced workflows, less overhead, and fewer interruptions all around, making this pairing a true win-win. | <urn:uuid:0901e3f1-516a-4851-b052-dfeefda35e19> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.lifesize.com/blog/tcp-vs-udp/ | 2024-09-19T20:17:36Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652067.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20240919194038-20240919224038-00029.warc.gz | en | 0.905527 | 1,638 | 3.640625 | 4 |
The Non-Definitive Guide to Making Your Existing Spaces Smarter and More Sustainable
What is a Smart Space?
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, smart spaces refers to the physical environments that have been enhanced with technology to enable them to respond intelligently to the needs of their users. It seeks to improve the quality of daily living, businesses and communities.
Over the recent years, smart spaces have emerged as a viable solution for businesses to achieve their long term sustainability goals, but in a human-centric way that enhances the experience of a space while also helping future-proof business processes.
Building smart places from scratch vs. smartening up spaces
There are two common routes when it comes to realising smart spaces; both with its own advantages and challenges.
The route that gets the most love both from customers and the media is to build smart spaces from scratch. Think purpose-built labs to test out smart technologies. Examples of this in retail includes Amazon Go and Nike’s House of Innovation.
There is definitely a certain allure to creating a space dedicated to innovation, tugging on people’s sense of curiosity and novelty. After all, this way enables businesses to truly immerse themselves in the experiment of being able to “do anything”.
The more understated, but certainly more relatable way for most businesses, is to smarten up existing spaces — retrofitting them with smart technologies without the costs and cons of going back to square one.
This way, businesses are able to utilise their existing real estate footprint and maximise its value, which, one can argue, is the more sustainable practice.
Sweet spots - use cases all businesses can deploy
One of the greatest benefits of integrating smart technologies into existing environments is the ability to capture data that were previously overlooked blind spots, which can then be used to inform and improve future business decisions.
- Providing proactive services to employees and customers by predicting their needs
- Boosting energy efficiency by monitoring spaces capacity
- Increase forecasting accuracy of products and services, for less waste and improvements in bottom line
- Improving security through proactive monitoring of spaces, without capturing any personal identifiable information (PII)
- Better space planning by capturing how people move between your spaces
As we embrace the potential of smart spaces, it is important to address several ethical implications that all businesses must consider.
- Data Privacy: Ensure that no personal identifiable information (PII) are captured and that the data collected are anonymised.
- Security: Incorporate strong cybersecurity measures to protect against data breaches, unauthorised access, and malicious attacks.
- Avoiding algorithmic bias: Care must be taken to ensure that AI algorithms used are as unbiased as possible, and do not reinforce discriminatory practices or existing inequalities. Many companies do this by using synthetic datasets to teach their algorithms.
- Inclusivity: Design smart spaces to be accessible and inclusive, addressing the needs of diverse individuals, including those with disabilities or limited digital literacy. | <urn:uuid:6c42ae34-4b02-4bed-98ea-ad53835f8c2d> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.meldcx.com/blogs/the-non-definitive-guide-to-making-your-existing-spaces-smarter-and-more-sustainable | 2024-09-07T16:28:15Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650898.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20240907162417-20240907192417-00229.warc.gz | en | 0.941196 | 618 | 2.640625 | 3 |
An Introduction to the Noise Protocol Framework
Nick Mooney March 5th, 2020 (Last Updated: March 5th, 2020)00. Introduction
Noise is a framework that can be used to construct secure channel protocols. Noise takes a fairly basic set of cryptographic operations and allows them to be combined in ways that provide various security properties. Noise is not a protocol itself: it is a protocol framework, so by "filling in the blanks" you get a concrete protocol that has essentially no knobs to twist. We’ll use the term “Noise protocol” to refer to a concrete protocol, and “Noise framework” to refer to the framework overall.
Every Noise protocol begins with a handshake that follows a particular pattern. The end result of a Noise handshake is an encrypted channel that provides various forms of confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity guarantees. Which of these guarantees you get depends on which handshake pattern is used, but a collection of standard handshakes with known security properties are provided. The Noise framework is fully agnostic to what is actually transmitted via the encrypted channel established with a handshake. You could transmit messages, video files, or anything else.
Noise is fundamentally based around Diffie-Hellman key agreement. There are many constructions that make use of DH, including perhaps the most simple DH construction which is to agree on a key that is then used directly for symmetric encryption. Noise has several advantages over building your own DH-based protocol. Some of the primary benefits are (1) that the structured nature of the Noise framework allows us to build protocols with exactly the properties we need, as well as analyze whether those properties are present, and (2) that “advanced” properties not provided by a simple DH construction (like message authentication) can be built into Noise protocols with combinations of Diffie-Hellman and the behavior of the Noise state machine. Noise Explorer is a tool that automatically analyzes handshake patterns and demonstrates the security guarantees present at each step of the handshake graphically. I refer to Noise Explorer often when trying to understand new handshake patterns.
The rigidity of a Noise protocol is one of its biggest assets. A web browser, using TLS in lieu of a Noise protocol, might have to connect to a wide variety of servers, each supporting different combinations of cryptographic algorithms. This additional capability on behalf of the web browser means that sometimes the browser might use less secure cryptography than it is capable of, or that bugs may be introduced by the logic that handles protocol negotiation. On the other hand, a Noise protocol uses a defined set of cryptographic algorithms and handshake messages that are chosen ahead of time. Noise fits well in homogeneous environments where negotiation is not generally required because both parties run software controlled by the same entity.
I will try to explain a bit more about the Noise framework and why it's neat, but I should mention that the Noise spec is very readable.
There are several reasons why I think the Noise framework is useful:
- The framework is flexible, but protocols built with the framework are concrete: each participant implements the same state machine, and the framework is built to ensure from the start that each participant sees the same interactions
- There is almost no built-in protocol negotiation*, reducing the risk of downgrade attacks (where an attacker forces a client to use a less-secure mode of operation), confused deputy attacks (where a client is "tricked" into misbehaving or leaking secret information), and other issues that are the result of two different parties having different views of the same interaction
- Noise requires a fairly minimal set of primitives to build a concrete protocol:
- An AEAD cipher (such as ChaChaPoly1305 or AES-GCM)
- A hashing algorithm (such as BLAKE2 or SHA-256)
- A Diffie-Hellman scheme (such as ECDH with Curve25519)
In short, Noise allows developers to build secure protocols that do not have a lot of surprising behavior.
* Noise supports fallback patterns, which allow for some negotiation in circumstances that cause an initial handshake to fail, such as when a long-term static key has changed. This is very limited compared to, say, TLS.
A Noise protocol begins with two parties exchanging handshake messages. During this handshake phase the parties exchange DH public keys and perform a sequence of DH operations, hashing the DH results into a shared secret key. After the handshake phase each party can use this shared key to send encrypted transport messages.
The Noise framework supports handshakes where each party has a long-term static key pair and/or an ephemeral key pair. A Noise handshake is described by a simple language. This language consists of tokens which are arranged into message patterns. Message patterns are arranged into handshake patterns.
A message pattern is a sequence of tokens that specifies the DH public keys that comprise a handshake message, and the DH operations that are performed when sending or receiving that message. A handshake pattern specifies the sequential exchange of messages that comprise a handshake.
A handshake pattern can be instantiated by DH functions, cipher functions, and hash functions to give a concrete Noise protocol.
A handshake consists of two parties, the initiator and the responder. Once a Noise handshake is completed, the result is an AEAD-protected transport channel, but it's also important to note that arbitrary message payloads can be transmitted during the handshake phase, before the full handshake is complete. This allows immediate transmission of protocol messages without the full round trip delay of the handshake. Payloads transmitted alongside handshake messages are partially protected, and will have different security guarantees depending on which handshake message they are attached to.
Whenever encrypted information is transmitted during a handshake (after keying material has been established, usually after the first Diffie-Hellman), the hash of the handshake transcript so far is included as the "associated data" in AEAD. This helps ensure that both parties have the same view of the handshake, even if the encrypted payload is empty.
The quote above mentions that the initiator and responder can each have a long-term static key pair and/or an ephemeral key pair. Noise handshake patterns are named after the state of these long-term static keys: NK
, etc. The first letter indicates the status of the initiator's long-term static key, and the second letter indicates the status of the responder's long-term static key. All Noise handshakes involve some combination of transmitting public keys and performing Diffie-Hellman operations. Static keys are used to provide long-term participant identity, so you can confirm that the party you’re talking to today is the same party you were talking to yesterday.
All the standard handshake patterns require an exchange of ephemeral keys: this is done to provide forward secrecy, so that a later compromise of long-term static keys would not reveal the plaintext contents of previous communications. Noise has this property in common with TLS 1.3, which also requires the exchange of ephemeral keys, an upgrade from previous versions of TLS where it was optional. Some Noise protocols also offer identity hiding properties, depending on when the static keys are transmitted.
Letter | Meaning |
No long term static-key is present |
The long-term static key is Known to the other party before the handshake |
The long-term static key is transmitted (Xmitted) to the other party during the handshake |
The long-term static key (for the initiator) is Immediately transmitted to the responder, despite absent/reduced identity hiding |
Handshakes are represented textually using a standard format: an arrow signifying the direction of communication followed by a sequence of tokens that describe state machine operations. You will see this "ASCII art" format whenever handshake patterns are described in the Noise specification or elsewhere.
02. Valid Handshakes
During a handshake, each party transmits its ephemeral and/or static public keys, and performs DH operations between the ephemeral and/or static public keys of both parties. In fact, there are only six possible tokens (barring PSKs, which we will discuss later):
: generate ephemeral keypair and transmit public key.->
at the front of the line indicates that the public key is transmitted from initiator to responder and<-
indicates that the public key is transmitted from responder to initiator. -
: transmit long-term static public key. The->
arrows signify the transmission direction in the same way as for thee
: both participants perform a DH between the ephemeral/static keypair of the initiator and the ephemeral/static keypair of the responder.
Commas separate each token in the same step of the handshake and indicate that the associated action occurs before the next token is processed.
03. Example Handshake Patterns
Jumping Right In: The NN
Here is the NN
Noise handshake pattern. NN
means that neither party has a long-term static key, so the handshake is based entirely on ephemeral keys. The handshake pattern is:
<- e, ee
This pattern represents an unauthenticated DH handshake.
The first thing to notice is that e
are not messages, per se -- they are tokens processed by the state machines of both parties. Some tokens (e
), but not all (e.g. ee
), lead to messages being sent.
Let's look at what each party does during this handshake.
First, the ->
arrow indicates that the transmission will be from the initiator to the responder. The e
token specifies that the initiator generates an ephemeral keypair and transmits the public key to the responder. The responder receives and stores the initiator public key. Both parties hash this key into their handshake hash, which will be included as authenticated data in AEAD ciphertext (ensuring that both parties have the same view of the handshake transcript) as soon as a symmetric key is established and the parties begin encrypting messages. The initiator also has the option to transmit a payload alongside this handshake message. If the initiator were to include a payload, it would include no authentication.
<- e, ee
The responder now does the same. The <-
arrow indicates the transmission will be from the responder to the initiator. The e
token indicates that the responder will generate an ephemeral keypair and transmit the public key to the initiator. The initiator receives this key, and both parties hash the key into their handshake hash. Now, processing the ee
token, both parties perform a Diffie-Hellman between the initiator ephemeral key and the responder ephemeral key. The result of this Diffie-Hellman is used to create a new chaining key, which is in turn used to derive a key that can be used to symmetrically encrypt/decrypt content*. As we mentioned in the first handshake step, now that symmetric key material has been generated, the handshake hash will be included in AEAD ciphertext.
The responder can include a message payload alongside this handshake message. This message would be encrypted, providing message secrecy and some forward secrecy.
See the analysis of the NN handshake in Noise Explorer for some more information.
At the termination of the handshake, both parties will have a shared symmetric state (technically, two shared symmetric states) that can be used to send encrypted messages back and forth. These transport messages (post-handshake) will benefit from message secrecy and some forward secrecy. Because the whole handshake is unauthenticated via any out-of-band means, this scheme is not resistant to an active attacker.
Changing Things: The NK
Let's consider now the NK
pattern. The initiator here still has no long-term static identity key, but the responder has a long-term static identity that is known to the initiator (transmitted out of band, or during a previous handshake).
The handshake pattern is as follows:
-> e, es
<- e, ee
The first step of the handshake pattern is a "pre-message," which just serves to identify that the contents were somehow transmitted before the handshake began. In this case, <- s
shows that the responder's long-term static identity was somehow communicated to the initiator ahead of time. The ...
separates pre-messages from handshake messages.
-> e, es
The initiator generates an ephemeral public key transmits it to the responder. Transmitted / received messages are always hashed into the handshake hash. Next, both parties perform a Diffie-Hellman between the initiator's ephemeral key and the responder's static key, which is (as always) used to update the chaining key.
Because our chaining key is now based off the responder's long-term static key, which was transmitted out-of-band, any message payload attached to this handshake method benefits from some message secrecy (i.e. given a full transcript of this handshake, the message contents could only be decrypted by an attacker with access to the responder's long-term private key).
<- e, ee
The responder now generates an ephemeral keypair and transmits its public key to the initiator. This handshake message (containing the responder's ephemeral pubkey) benefits from sender authentication since the responder's long-term static identity was used in a Diffie-Hellman. This handshake message also benefits from some message secrecy, since the former DH was used to establish a symmetric key.
Both parties perform a Diffie-Hellman between the initiator's ephemeral key and the responder's ephemeral key, rolling the result into the chaining key and enabling forward secrecy, should the responder’s long-term static key ever be compromised.
04. The Handshake State Machine
During a Noise handshake, each party keeps track of the following variables:
: The static and ephemeral keypairs of the local party (which may be empty) -
: The static and ephemeral public keys of the remote party (which may be empty) -
: The aforementioned handshake hash, which hashes all handshake data sent and received -
: A chaining key based on hashes of the outputs of all previous Diffie-Hellman operations -
: An encryption key (derived fromck
) and a nonce that are used to encrypt message payloads
As each token is processed, these variables are updated. The functions supported by the state machine are defined in the Processing Rules section of the Noise specification.
Because the handshake pattern is set ahead of time, each state of the state machine has exact one valid transition to the next state. You can view the possible state transitions as a simple, single-directional chain: there is no input that causes cyclical behavior.
05. After the Handshake
During the handshake phase, the two parties share a single symmetric cipher state. Once a Noise handshake is completed, this state is split into two cipher states, one for each direction of communication. Each of the newly-created ciphers uses a key derived from an HKDF with the chaining key as input.
At this point, the handshake is complete and there is nothing Noise-specific about communicating over the encrypted channels produced by the handshake. Noise does specify a rekey operation that could be triggered by an application-specific message to rotate keys any time after the handshake has been completed.
06. Adding More
Noise supports several other features outside of the handshake patterns that we haven't yet talked about.
Prologues can be used to ensure that both parties have identical views of data -- to ensure that a MITM attack hasn't occurred between the two users before the handshake commences, for example. Prologues will cause the handshake to fail if both parties do not have the same prologue data, but prologues are not considered to be secret data and are not mixed into encryption keys.
Noise also supports pre-shared keys. PSKs can be used to provide message secrecy (and some form of message authentication) before any other handshake operations have occurred. Noise patterns that use PSKs are named by appending "pskZ" to the name of the handshake, where "Z" is a number indicating where the psk token is inserted into the handshake.
Let's take NNpsk0
for example. Remember that the original NN
<- e, ee
with the PSK token included at the beginning of the first handshake message. The suffixes 1
, etc place the PSK token at the end of the first, second, etc. messages respectively. The NNpsk0
handshake pattern is:
-> psk, e
<- e, ee
As a PSK is pre-shared by definition, the psk
token doesn't actually cause either party to transmit anything to the other. The psk
token is processed by both parties mixing the PSK into their cipher state.
In particular, this token is processed by each party calling MixKeyAndHash(psk)
(defined in the Noise spec), which updates both the chaining key and the handshake hash. To ensure forward secrecy and avoid catastrophic reuse of cipher keys, the Noise protocol framework does not allow for the transmission of encrypted data after just processing the psk
When an e
token is processed in a PSK handshake, the ephemeral public key is mixed into the handshake hash (as usual) and the chaining key (which is specific to PSK handshakes). This mixing ensures randomization of the symmetric key to ensure that the symmetric key is not based solely on the PSK. In fact, an e
token must be present in a PSK-based handshake, either before or after the psk
Full Protocol Names
When we use Noise to build a protocol, we "fill in the blanks" by providing a handshake pattern, an AEAD construction, a hash function, and a DH scheme. Noise prescribes a naming convention for a specified protocol, as follows:
This protocol name contains all the information required for Noise clients to participate in a concrete run of this protocol, giving us a nice human-readable way to specify a protocol. The initial chaining key within the handshake state machine is actually based on the full protocol name, further ensuring that both parties have the same internal model of the protocol they are running.
07. Noise in Production
Noise is used today in several high-profile projects:
- WhatsApp uses the "Noise Pipes" construction from the specification to perform encryption of client-server communications
- WireGuard, a modern VPN, uses the Noise IK pattern to establish encrypted channels between clients
- Slack's Nebula project, an overlay networking tool, uses Noise
- The Lightning Network uses Noise
- I2P uses Noise
- David Wong's Noise explanation, an excellent visual introduction to the Noise protocol framework
- Trevor Perrin's Noise talk at Real World Crypto 2018
- The official Noise website
- The official Noise specification, one of the more readable specs I have encountered!
- Noise Explorer, a tool that allows you to explore Noise handshake patterns as well as design your own. Noise Explorer performs some automated analysis of the security properties of various handshakes, and is also capable of generating reference implementations.
- Thanks to Jordan Wright, Jeremy Erickson, Ed Marczak, and Dennis Jackson for editing and providing input on pre-release versions of this post | <urn:uuid:bdeb44fe-e38e-4eeb-9205-f16d058bfccc> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://duo.com/labs/tech-notes/noise-protocol-framework-intro | 2024-09-08T22:02:13Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651035.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908213138-20240909003138-00129.warc.gz | en | 0.901603 | 4,077 | 3.203125 | 3 |
Privacy and data protection on the Internet has always been a sensitive topic and one of the main barriers against the extensive adoption and use of Internet services. During the last couple of years, there have been heated debates regarding the need to protect citizens’ personal data online, as a result of the emergence of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union (EU). At the same time, the world has witnessed major privacy-leaks incidents, which demonstrated the data protection limitations of major online platforms such as the Facebook, Yahoo, and Instagram. The recent leak of nearly 87 million Facebook users’ data as part of the Cambridge Analytica case is only the tip of the iceberg, as it adds up to a number of similar incidents that have occurred during the last decade. For example, personal information of 57 million Uber users and of 600,000 drivers were accidentally exposed in late 2016, while an unauthorized access to “high-profile” Instagram user accounts took place in 2017. Back in 2010, it was found that several Facebook apps were transmitting user identifiers. Moreover, in 2013 a large-scale data breach at Yahoo’s infrastructure occurred, which affected 3 billion user accounts. Despite their adverse effects, these incidents have raised awareness regarding the privacy risks that are associated with the user’s data on the internet. In this context, individual users and our society as a whole are deeply concerned about the privacy implications of Internet services.
Decentralizing Data Ownership and Control
Most of the privacy and data protection vulnerabilities of online services stem from their centralized model for data collection, storage, and processing. This centralized model makes it extremely difficult for individuals to ensure that their sensitive data (e.g., location, purchase behavior, interactions in social media, browsing history) are used solely for the purposes that they are originally provided. In the centralized approach, end-users are forced to entrust their data to a third party, which has the power to abuse the data or even share it with other parties.
A decentralized approach to personal data management is therefore proposed as a remedy to the above-listed challenges. The decentralized approach does not rely on a single party for data collection and processing, but rather provides end-users with fine-grained control over their personal data. Likewise, they also enable new models of trust, governance and data management, which makes users the active participants in the collection, processing, and use of their data in various applications. In the scope of a decentralized approach to data management, sensitive data remains under the control of the user, who decides when and with whom to share his/her data.
The implementation of the decentralized approach to personal data management is not a purely theoretical concept. We are already witnessing practical implementations which are propelled by the rise of distributed ledger (i.e. blockchain) infrastructures. The distributed ledgers enable data control by the peer nodes of the blockchain network rather than aggregating and processing data centrally. As a prominent example, Dock.io is providing one of the world’s first decentralized social network, which aims at alleviating the proclaimed privacy vulnerabilities of mainstream social networks. As another example, the Enigma project provides scalable privacy mechanisms over any blockchain infrastructure. Enigma promotes a unique and disruptive approach to data processing, which employs advanced mathematics in order to allow execution of queries over encrypted data without ever decrypting them. In this way, it guarantees privacy and data protection at all times, in addition to ensuring decentralized data ownership and control.
The rise of Personal Data Market
The decentralization of data ownership and control is also an enabler for entirely new business models, which rely on end-user’s participation in the data management process. In particular, each user can be incentivized to approve access to his/her data, which is a foundation for a personal data market. The interested stakeholders can then ask for permission to access an individual’s data. The process may involve grating monetary (or other) benefits to the end-user in order for him/her to allow access to his/her data. Moreover, end-users should be able to negotiate the access of a third-party to their data, either through asking for higher rewards or even through requesting a higher privacy or data protection level (e.g., use of a reduced dataset with less sensitive data).
The main characteristic of a personal data market is that it alleviates the “silo” nature of personal datasets which are used in most of the current applications. Nowadays, personal datasets are provided by end-users for use within specific applications. It is not technically easy and legally allowable to reuse and repurpose personal datasets across different applications. The personal data market will alleviate this limitation, as data will be always accessed and shared following the end-users’ consent. Data processors will be therefore able to access and repurpose datasets according to the needs of different applications, provided that citizens give their consent.
Personal data markets could be the next evolutionary step towards a transparent and privacy-preserving use of sensitive data. However, they are currently at a research stage due to the existence of both technological and regulatory barriers. At the technology forefront, the advent of blockchains holds the promise to facilitate decentralized data management. Similarly, at the regulatory forefront, the advent of the GDPR regulation provides a framework for regulating the operation of the personal data market. Note however that the human aspects of the personal data market should be also researched, including the impact of personal preferences and of the type of the personal data that is accessed.
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
GDPR is the European Union’s new data protection law. As already outlined, it can be the framework that will regulate the operation of the emerging personal data markets. It will take effect on May 25, 2018, i.e. later this month. GDPR is destined to replace the Data Protection Directive (“Directive”), which has been in effect since 1995. While it preserves many of the principles established in the previous “Directive”, it also gives individuals greater control over their personal data and imposes many new obligations on organizations that collect, handle or analyze personal data. As such it is more appropriate for supporting personal data markets. At the same time, it provides national regulators with the power of imposing significant fines on organizations that breach the law.
Despite being an EU regulation, GDPR has received global attention. This is because it is considered as a role model for dealing with privacy issues on a global scale. Therefore, it is expected that GDPR will be adopted in several other countries over time. Currently, it applies to organizations that collect and process data within the EU, as well as to the processing of personal data of individuals who reside in the EU by organizations established outside the EU.
GDPR, Cambridge Analytica, Blockchains for data management and personal data markets are some of the concepts that will redefine the way personal data are handled on the Internet. In the next few years, we will witness radical changes in the collection, storage, and processing of personal data by established and emerging data providers. Recent announcements by Facebook in this forefront confirms the above statement. However, many more are yet to come. | <urn:uuid:49e488ba-169b-4de8-b5af-99ef2b32cbef> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.itexchangeweb.com/blog/personal-data-markets-decentralizing-data-control-and-ownership/ | 2024-09-08T21:56:04Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651035.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908213138-20240909003138-00129.warc.gz | en | 0.939148 | 1,481 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Which of the following is needed to be enable back the role of active in HSRP?
Click on the arrows to vote for the correct answer
A. B. C. D.A
In the Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP), two or more routers work together to present the appearance of a single virtual router to the hosts on a LAN. One of the routers is elected as the active router, and the others are in standby mode, ready to take over if the active router fails.
In order to enable the role of active back, the HSRP standby router with the highest priority will preempt the active router when it becomes available again. Therefore, the answer is A. preempt.
Here's a brief explanation of the other options:
B. priority: This is used to determine which router becomes the active router when all routers are started or restarted at the same time, or when the current active router fails. The router with the highest priority becomes the active router.
C. failover: This is the process of switching from the active router to a standby router when the active router fails.
D. revert: This is not an HSRP command, but it may be used in other contexts to describe a process of returning to a previous state or condition. | <urn:uuid:e9b10747-2b54-4f96-bc89-8336f1fb515f> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.exam-answer.com/hsrp-role-enable | 2024-09-10T04:30:27Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651196.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910025651-20240910055651-00029.warc.gz | en | 0.932572 | 264 | 2.75 | 3 |
What if Education and Technology could converge, resulting in only one thing? The name of this fusion would be: EdTech! Actually, this has already happened, and it is precisely this junction and its evolution over the years that we’re going to discuss in this text.
EdTech is the abbreviation for educational technology and it represents the set of techniques that aim to facilitate education, promoting forms of teaching and learning integrated with various technological resources that are enabling new forms of access to knowledge.
Both formal and informal education have been transformed, not only with new technologies, but also with new teaching methodologies that have enabled the use of innovative tools, transforming old traditional practices into approaches that are more consistent with the interconnected world we live in today.
We have already mentioned in previous texts how Industry 4.0, or the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution - driven by technologies such as AI, IoT, cloud and edge computing - has transformed all social segments in recent years, automating systems and inserting different sectors of society into one hyper-connected scenario. With Education it could not be different, Education 4.0 is here to stay, using the technologies mentioned above with a learning by doing approach, which brings the concept of learning through experimentation, projects, experiences and practice.
According to Nova Escola, the main platform for content and services for teachers in Brazil, there are no established ready-made models and new educational proposals can be built constantly, promoting the rupture of old decontextualized paradigms (based only on the transmission of knowledge in low-income environments conducive to the learning process).
In the United States, the Lifelong Kindergarten working group, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), was created to think about early childhood education by exploring new models of play, seeking solutions using technology and various non-traditional materials.
With regard to academic or professional learning, teaching platforms with MOOC (massive open online courses), such as Coursera, edX, FutureLearn, Khan Academy, Udacity, Udemy, among others, have changed the face of distance learning.
Want to study at Harvard while living in Rio de Janeiro? It’s possible! Do you want to learn opera singing from an Italian teacher or Arabic lessons with a native speaker? All of this is possible with online teaching on platforms that have different resources, including interaction between students and teachers, as well as practical exercises and feedback delivery.
Even a trip to the museum or library today can be done with the support of database technology. Of course, face-to-face experience is still extremely important, but combining digital resources with face-to-face experience can be a great opportunity for democratizing access to knowledge.
But, how will it be possible to migrate from face-to-face to online, or hybrid forms? Who will provide the necessary solutions for schools, companies or independent tutors to work with the most modern and innovative teaching approaches?
That’s where the role of edtech comes into play!
EdTech: What is it?
You’ve probably heard all the possible names for startups or tech companies that work in the different sectors of our 4.0 society: Edtech, Fintech, Foodtech, Healthtech, etc. These various “techs” are nothing more than companies that apply technological resources to different sectors.
Edtechs, therefore, offer tools in technology for educational institutions, teachers, students and companies in general that are interested in an innovative and contemporary approach to education. These solutions can be of the most varied types and can be directed to online, hybrid or face-to-face teaching. Let’s look at some examples below:
- Apps: can be both for storing content, as well as for gamification, online classes and interaction inside and outside the classroom;
- Platforms and databases: just like apps, platforms can be used for content, games, interaction or can also become large libraries, enabling access to theoretical knowledge, or spaces for interactive practices in 3D.
- Management systems: management tools for institutions, teachers and students, enabling monitoring of activities, attendance, programs and planning.
- Robotics: for online, hybrid or face-to-face teaching modalities, it is applied with the help of computer engineering and artificial intelligence. Companies like LEGO Education, for example, work in partnership with edtechs that provide resources and training for teaching robotics from kindergarten to professional.
Challenges and solutions
We’ve discussed in our blog previously how Azion enables digital classrooms and the challenges of distance education. We can extend this discussion to the adoption of technology in education in general and to edtechs, which are responsible for providing the necessary tools for innovation in teaching and learning.
The challenges relate to developing solutions that are scalable on demand, that deliver an optimized quality of experience, are secure, have high availability and are able to use real-time data to bring insights to educational institutions and students.
Below, we look at some of these issues and what Azion can offer in return:
- On-demand scalability: When deploying your code on our platform, let Azion run and scale it for you. Edge Functions abstract all of the underlying infrastructure, so you can focus on your code and build applications faster than ever.
- Optimized user experience: By using Edge Cache, you accelerate content delivery by keeping copies cached at the edge of the network, closer to your users. Furthermore, it is possible to maintain a low latency between your solution and the user, ensuring a good performance and, consequently, a good experience.
- Security: By utilizing Azion’s edge computing platform, we prevent threats from reaching the source infrastructure, ensuring systems stay online against DDoS attacks and other types of attacks.
- High Availability: Maintain the highest quality of delivery and reliability through Azion’s edge network, covered by an SLA of 100% availability.
- Real-time insights: Gain access to data to power your Big Data platform and deliver real-time insights that make your solution different.
At Azion we already have some clients in the education sector, such as educational institutions, which are leaders in distance learning, and edtechs that deliver resources quickly and safely. Whether you are an edtech or educational institution, Azion has solutions for you. Sign up for a free account today to try out the services Azion offers.
In the next text in our education blog series, we’ll go into more details about the resources offered by edtechs today and how our edge computing solutions can work hand in hand to transform and innovate the education sector. | <urn:uuid:8f693c09-b94c-4234-bff5-66e09d7a8ba7> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.azion.com/en/blog/edtech-technology-and-education/ | 2024-09-11T07:51:49Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651344.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911052223-20240911082223-00829.warc.gz | en | 0.947171 | 1,366 | 3.375 | 3 |
Did you know that the number of devices connected to your Wi-Fi can affect your Internet speed? This is due to bandwidth limitations, influenced by both the number of devices and what you do on them. Let’s explore what the typical household setup looks like.
You Have a Lot of Devices
On average, a typical US household has around 17 devices connected to the Internet. Yes, you read that right—17! These include everything from smartphones and laptops to smart TVs, gaming consoles, and a variety of smart home gadgets. With so many devices vying for bandwidth, it’s no wonder that our traditional Internet struggles to keep up with the demand.
But how did we get here? A recent statistic from Parks Associates has revealed that smartphones are now more prevalent and are frequently used concurrently with other devices like laptops, smart TVs, and gaming consoles. This simultaneous usage by multiple devices strains the available bandwidth, leading to potential slowdowns or interruptions in Internet speed and performance.
Your Devices Are Hogging Your Speed
Have you ever experienced your Internet inexplicably slowing down, causing frustration during streaming sessions or online gaming? These episodes often stem from bandwidth-intensive activities happening simultaneously across your network.
What is Bandwidth?
Bandwidth, in simple terms, refers to the amount of information your Internet connection can handle per second. Imagine your Internet connection as a pipe through which information flows. Bandwidth is like the width of this pipe—it determines how much information can flow through at once. So, even if the speed stays the same, a wider pipe (higher bandwidth) allows more data to flow smoothly. In essence, higher bandwidth levels ensure that your Internet can handle multiple activities at once without any hiccups, making your online experience seamless and enjoyable.
Your Bandwidth-Hogging Devices
- Smart TVs are notorious for gobbling up bandwidth, especially when streaming high-definition or 4K content.
- Streaming services like Netflix, TikTok, and YouTube can also be heavy users of bandwidth, especially when multiple devices are streaming simultaneously.
- Video calls, whether for work or catching up with friends, are also data-intensive activities that contribute to the bandwidth crunch.
- Online gaming, which requires a smooth and uninterrupted flow of data between your device and the game servers.
How To Feed Your Bandwidth-Hogging Devices and Experience Fast Internet?
So, what’s the solution to this bandwidth dilemma? Fiber Internet. Unlike traditional connections that can struggle with multiple devices, fiber Internet offers a wider data highway, ensuring smooth and seamless experiences across all your devices.
With fiber Internet, you won’t have to worry about devices slowing down your Internet or experiencing frustrating lags during your favorite shows or online gaming sessions. It’s the perfect harmony between the multitude of Internet-connected devices in your home and the bandwidth they crave.
Published: May 2, 2024 | <urn:uuid:81752fad-d183-4b4a-8460-3fe3e6796675> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.gigabitnow.com/columbus/news/your-devices-are-slowing-your-internet | 2024-09-11T07:28:54Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651344.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911052223-20240911082223-00829.warc.gz | en | 0.925547 | 592 | 3.0625 | 3 |
The answer is “42”
In the novel, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, aliens build a supercomputer the size of a city and they assigned it a single task, to answer the Great Question of “Life, the Universe, and Everything.” After 7.5 million years, the descendants of the computer’s architects return for the answer, which they were surprised to learn is “42”.
They had the answer, what they didn’t understand was the question. Asking the right questions, those questions that will give you actionable, insightful answers, is a skill that must be learned. Now that Artificial Intelligence is becoming a reality, being able to ask AI the right questions is more important than ever.
The Rise of AI
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way we work and live. AI is already being used in a wide variety of industries, from healthcare to finance to customer service. As AI becomes more sophisticated, there is a growing need for people who can understand and interact with these systems.
One of the most important roles in AI development is prompt engineering. Prompt engineers are responsible for creating the inputs or prompts that tell AI systems what to do. These prompts can be as simple as a question or as complex as a set of instructions. The better the prompt, the better the results from the AI system.
Prompt engineering is a relatively new field, but it is growing rapidly. As AI becomes more widespread, the demand for prompt engineers will only increase, and learning the basics will be a valuable skill for anyone.
What is prompt engineering?
Prompt engineering is the process of creating prompts that tell AI systems what to do. These prompts can be as simple as a question or as complex as a set of instructions. The better the prompt, the better the results from the AI system.
For example, a prompt engineer might create a prompt that tells an AI system to write a poem about love. The prompt might include specific instructions, such as the number of lines in the poem, the rhyme scheme, and the topic. The prompt engineer would then test the prompt to see how well the AI system performs.
“Prompt engineering is a new and emerging field in artificial intelligence that is quickly gaining popularity. By understanding how to prompt an AI model, you can get it to produce more accurate, relevant, and creative results.”
How to Get a Six-Figure Job as an AI Prompt Engineer, Time Magazine, April 14, 2023
How to get a start in prompt engineering
There are a number of ways for people to get their start in prompt engineering. These include:
- Taking online courses: There are a number of online courses that teach the basics of prompt engineering. These courses can be a great way to learn the fundamentals of the field.
- Participating in hackathons: Hackathons are events where people come together to build software. There are often hackathons that focus on AI, and these can be a great way to learn about prompt engineering and to network with other people who are interested in the field.
- Working on open source projects: There are a number of open source AI projects that need prompt engineers. Working on these projects is a great way to gain experience in prompt engineering and to contribute to the field.
Are certain professions at risk?
The rise of more capable AI and skilled prompt engineering will create new jobs, but could put some current business professions at risk. Professionals need to adapt and use these new tools to become more efficient and productive. Roles that may be impacted include:
- Technical writers: As AI systems become more sophisticated, they will be able to write documentation and training materials on their own. This could lead to a decline in the demand for technical writers.
- Trainers: As AI systems become more capable, they will be able to train people on how to use software and hardware products. This could lead to a decline in the demand for trainers.
- QA engineers: As AI systems become more robust, they will be able to find and fix problems on their own. This could lead to a decline in the demand for QA engineers.
Prompt engineering is a new and exciting field that is growing rapidly. As AI becomes more widespread, the demand for prompt engineers will only increase. This makes prompt engineering a great career choice for people who are interested in AI, and a great new skill set everyone should learn more about, regardless of their profession.
Overall, the rise of prompt engineering is a positive development for the future of AI. Prompt engineers will play a critical role in the development of AI models, and they will help to ensure that these models are used in a safe and responsible manner. | <urn:uuid:f65e46ac-073d-4114-a69d-c99396d86838> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.clearobject.com/prompt-engineering-blog/ | 2024-09-12T11:24:00Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651457.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912110742-20240912140742-00729.warc.gz | en | 0.965468 | 985 | 2.984375 | 3 |
A new study by medical researchers at LMU extends the list of tasks performed by the smallest blood cells known as platelets:
At sites of infection, actively migrating platelets sweep bacteria into aggregates for disposal by phagocytic cells.
The active role of blood platelets in immune defense has been underestimated.
A new study now published by LMU medical researchers led by Dr. Florian Gärtner and Professor Steffen Massberg, shows that this cell type has a larger range of functions than previously thought.
Thrombocytes are best known for their role in blood coagulation and wound-healing.
But they are not only adept at patching up tears in the endothelial cell layer that lines the blood vessels.
“They are also important in defending the organism against bacterial pathogens.
They have the capacity to actively migrate within the organism, to interact with pathogens and immobilize them.”
This is lead author Florian Gärtner’s summary of the major findings of a study that has just appeared in the leading journal Cell.
Some 750 billion platelets are passively transported in the bloodstream throughout the adult human body.
Platelets adhere specifically to sites in the vasculature where the endothelial cells have been damaged by binding via surface receptors to proteins in the sub-endothelial cell layer.
They then spread out on the extracellular matrix, and interact with one another to form a network that acts like a sticking plaster to seal the wound.
Furthermore, they are intimately involved in initiating blood coagulation at wound sites, but also in the development of blood clots (thromboses) which can obstruct blood circulation.
In a project carried out under the auspices of the DFG-funded Collaborative Research Center (Sonderforschungsbereich) SFB 914 (which focuses on the investigation of immune cell migration in inflammation, development and disease) Gärtner, Massberg and colleagues recently developed a way to track individual platelets at the site of an inflammatory reaction for extended periods.
These observations revealed an unsuspected function of this cell type.
“Not only do they attach to bacterial cells by passively sticking to the vascular wall, they are also capable of active locomotion,” says Gärtner.
At sites of inflammation or infection, platelets begin to actively explore their immediate environment, and when they come into contact with foreign bodies, such as invasive bacteria, they use the traction associated with locomotion to collect them into bundles, rather like street-sweepers clearing up debris.
The resulting platelet-bacterial aggregates facilitate the activation of neutrophils, which engulf the trapped microbes.
The reason why the versatility of platelets has so far been overlooked may well lie in the fact that they are derived from giant precursor cells called megakaryocytes by fragmentation, and therefore lack nuclei.
The work of Gärtner und Massberg demonstrates that they are nevertheless capable of undergoing dynamic shape change and active migration.
This finding has implications that extend beyond their role in immune defense, because it reveals what anucleate cells can do. “This is a very striking demonstration that the cytoskeletal apparatus responsible for cell motility does not depend on the presence of a nucleus,” Gärtner says.
In addition, the new results make platelets an attractive target for drug developers searching for novel ways to treat inflammation reactions. As Gärtner points out, “one way to modulate the action of the body’s immune defenses would be to inhibit the ability of platelets to migrate.”
- Florian Gaertner, Zerkah Ahmad, Gerhild Rosenberger, Shuxia Fan, Leo Nicolai, Benjamin Busch, Gökce Yavuz, Manja Luckner, Hellen Ishikawa-Ankerhold, Roman Hennel, Alexandre Benechet, Michael Lorenz, Sue Chandraratne, Irene Schubert, Sebastian Helmer, Bianca Striednig, Konstantin Stark, Marek Janko, Ralph T. Böttcher, Admar Verschoor, Catherine Leon, Christian Gachet, Thomas Gudermann, Michael Mederos y Schnitzler, Zachary Pincus, Matteo Iannacone, Rainer Haas, Gerhard Wanner, Kirsten Lauber, Michael Sixt, Steffen Massberg. Migrating Platelets Are Mechano-scavengers that Collect and Bundle Bacteria. Cell, 2017; 171 (6): 1368 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.11.001 | <urn:uuid:f9571e99-aa9b-40f7-a0e4-09273dbd28cc> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://debuglies.com/2017/12/19/immune-system-the-bodys-street-sweepers/ | 2024-09-17T12:02:18Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651773.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917104423-20240917134423-00329.warc.gz | en | 0.917701 | 974 | 3.15625 | 3 |
International Relations GPT-AI-Powered International Relations Insights
AI-Powered Insights for Global Affairs
Load MoreCorrect English GPT
Write English like a native speaker. Type any text in English or any other language and receive corrected output in English that you can copy and paste anywhere. To improve the style of the corrected text, send "s"
Expert in Open-Source Intelligence
Political Science Bot
Helping students to learn political science. (Derivative of bit.ly/3tSn1wJ via CC BY 2.0.)
Ask me anything, and I'll respond in 学习强国 style (à la Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era)
Global Politics GPT
Global Politics GPT is an IB Global Politics focused ChatGPT
Now with code interpreter and Wolfram for advanced research.
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Introduction to International Relations GPT
International Relations GPT is designed to provide comprehensive, well-researched insights into international relations, diplomacy, and political theory. It leverages extensive knowledge of historical and contemporary events, theories, and key figures in the field to assist users with detailed explanations and analyses. For instance, in a scenario where a user needs an in-depth understanding of the causes and consequences of World War I, International Relations GPT can offer a thorough breakdown of the political, economic, and social factors involved, along with critical perspectives from various historical sources.
Main Functions of International Relations GPT
Research and Analysis
A student writing a thesis on the impact of the Cold War on modern international relations can use this function to obtain detailed analyses and perspectives from key scholars and primary sources.
A graduate student needs comprehensive analyses of Cold War policies and their long-term effects on international relations. International Relations GPT provides summaries, detailed explanations, and references to key academic works.
Understanding the historical context of the Treaty of Versailles through a detailed breakdown of the events leading up to it, the key players involved, and its subsequent impact on global politics.
An author writing a historical novel requires a deep understanding of the Treaty of Versailles. International Relations GPT offers detailed historical context, analysis of key figures, and the treaty's lasting impacts.
Policy Recommendations and Forecasting
Providing a policy recommendation for a non-governmental organization (NGO) on how to address human security issues in conflict zones.
An NGO seeks advice on improving human security in conflict zones. International Relations GPT analyzes current conditions, historical data, and provides actionable policy recommendations.
Ideal Users of International Relations GPT
Students and Academics
Students and scholars in international relations, political science, history, and related fields benefit from International Relations GPT's ability to provide comprehensive, well-sourced information and analysis, aiding in research, thesis writing, and academic projects.
Policy Makers and Analysts
Government officials, policy makers, and analysts who require detailed, accurate information on international politics and diplomacy can use International Relations GPT for policy development, risk assessment, and strategic planning.
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
NGOs involved in international development, human rights, and conflict resolution can leverage International Relations GPT for insights into geopolitical dynamics, policy recommendations, and historical context to enhance their operational strategies and advocacy efforts.
Guidelines for Using International Relations GPT
Visit aichatonline.org for a free trial without login
No need for ChatGPT Plus to access the trial.
Prepare your queries
Clearly define your questions related to international relations, diplomacy, or political theory.
Use the chat interface
Type your queries into the chat interface provided on the website.
Review and refine responses
Evaluate the answers received, and if necessary, refine your queries for more specific information.
Take advantage of the additional resources and documents available on the platform for deeper insights.
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Detailed Q&A about International Relations GPT
What is International Relations GPT?
International Relations GPT is an AI-powered tool designed to provide expert insights and analysis on topics related to international relations, diplomacy, and political theory.
How can I access International Relations GPT?
You can access International Relations GPT by visiting aichatonline.org and using the free trial without needing to log in or subscribe to ChatGPT Plus.
What kind of questions can I ask International Relations GPT?
You can ask a wide range of questions including historical contexts, theoretical frameworks, current events analysis, and policy recommendations related to international relations.
What are some common use cases for International Relations GPT?
Common use cases include academic research, policy analysis, diplomatic strategy formulation, and educational purposes.
How accurate and reliable are the responses from International Relations GPT?
The responses are based on extensive training and available data, aiming to provide well-researched and credible insights. However, users are encouraged to cross-reference with other sources for critical decision-making. | <urn:uuid:0113d50d-075a-484a-8f29-22805b4c98f6> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://theee.ai/tools/International-Relations-GPT-2OToA1C7Vb | 2024-09-17T13:01:53Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651773.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917104423-20240917134423-00329.warc.gz | en | 0.855232 | 1,259 | 2.515625 | 3 |
HIPAA Compliant Records Storage and Destruction
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) created standards for the storage and disposal of protected health information (PHI) such as the information found on medical records. Healthcare providers and businesses must comply with HIPAA, not only to obey privacy laws created to protect confidential patient information but also to avoid costly fines and lawsuits. Here, we review guidelines to follow to ensure your organization has HIPAA compliant records storage and destruction procedures in place.
Storing Medical Records
Medical records must be stored securely in order to comply with HIPAA regulations. All paper and electronic records must be organized and kept in a secure environment that is locked, password protected and off-limits to unauthorized individuals.
Additionally, the records should only be accessed by authorized personnel who need access to perform their job duties. Storing electronic medical records also requires additional security measures, such as encryption, to protect the data from unauthorized access.
Storing Protected Health Information
The HIPAA Security Rule broadly shields protected health information by stipulating certain requirements for records management of medical records and other types of files that might contain this information. The rule dictates that PHI must be protected by administrative, technical, and physical safeguards. These include, but are not limited to:
- Annual risk assessments
- Employee training
- Assignment of a privacy officer
- Reviewing policies
- Unique user identification for accessing electronic PHI
- Encryption of ePHI
- Physical and electronic access control
- Secure workstations and devices
- Secure transmission of records
These, in connection with the standards set under the Privacy Rule, are intended to keep personal health information restricted only to those who have a right to access it. In addition to keeping medical records safe from unauthorized persons, HIPAA medical records storage requirements state that PHI should be made available to patients and others who have a right to access it.
Secure Disposal of HIPAA Documents
HIPAA doesn’t specify required methods of document destruction for files that contain PHI, but it does set forth some basic guidelines that can be applied to the destruction of medical records. Put simply, paper medical records should not simply be abandoned where they are accessible to unauthorized individuals, such as a dumpster or trash bin. Organizations handling PHI must ensure patient medical records are destroyed in a way that minimizes the risks that their contents will be stolen. Common methods of HIPAA compliant document destruction include:
- Document destruction through burning, shredding, or any other method that renders data irrecoverable to protect against the threat of a data breach;
- Clearing, overwriting, or purging electronic media; and
- Third-party disposal or destruction services through a vendor, such as Armstrong Archives
The requirements for storing the confidential information found in medical records are more specific than those provided for the destruction of health and medical records. The destruction process is relatively vague: there are few laws and specifics about shredding medical records. The most important factor in medical record destruction is that whatever method is used must ensure the records will not be exposed to unauthorized eyes, or recoverable once destroyed.
Medical shredding, and any kind of handling of protected medical information, requires the highest level of service from a records management provider. You must be sure to select a document shredding service that you can trust to handle confidential documents with appropriate safeguards and with the utmost care. Be sure to ask about the destruction strategies your medical shredding service uses to ensure all patient data is properly destroyed.
How will the medical records shredding company transport sensitive health care records to the location where they will be destroyed? This is also part of the provider’s responsibility for proper disposal. Armstrong Archives can provide your medical practice with locked consoles for the collection of medical files that are ready for medical records shredding. Contact us to learn more about our document shredding services.
When you use a third party for destruction services, many will provide a certificate of destruction. This certifies that your paper or electronic medical records went through the destruction process. Be sure to ask for a certificate of destruction and maintain it as part of your medical records management documentation.
HIPAA itself does not set forth any standards on how long medical records should be maintained. Instead, state laws govern when PHI may be destroyed. Under Texas law, physicians must keep patient records for 7 years after their last visit or until the patient reaches the age of 21 (if under 18), whichever is longer. This is why responsible healthcare providers in Texas must have HIPAA compliant records storage to maintain patient information for the required time periods in a secure and fully compliant way. | <urn:uuid:83c7a07e-0957-4fb4-8c16-91efa580d117> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.armstrongarchives.com/industries/medical-records-management/ | 2024-09-17T11:03:12Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651773.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917104423-20240917134423-00329.warc.gz | en | 0.933498 | 945 | 2.6875 | 3 |
What are Common Vulnerabilities & Exposures (CVE)?
What is a CVE? Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) is a free service that publicly lists known computer and network security vulnerabilities. CVE acts as a glossary that allows security and IT professionals within organizations to learn about common security flaws so they can better protect their systems. CVE also allows various security systems and tools to exchange information. The CVE list is maintained by non-profit MITRE Corporation, although vendors, researchers, developers, and users are also contributors. It’s worth noting the MITRE Corporation also advises federal agencies on scientific research, development, and cybersecurity protocols. CVE is also a component of the Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP), a framework of specifications that supports automated security and vulnerability management. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) oversees the open standards that underlie SCAP and how they should be used. Read on to learn more about CVE, the framework behind this program, and the databases that keep the public informed about these issues.
Exposure vs. vulnerability
In information security, two key terms describe compromises within organizations’ IT systems. In CVE contexts, a vulnerability is a weakness within a software system. This weakness can create an opportunity for a threat actor to exploit, gain access, or otherwise interfere with the system. For example, some common security vulnerabilities include missing data encryption, broken algorithms, bugs, and uploading potentially risky file types. Exposure, on the other hand, is a step above vulnerability. Exposure occurs when a threat actor takes advantage of a vulnerability and performs unauthorized actions within a system. Essentially, an exposure is the logical outcome of a vulnerability.
For an issue to qualify for the CVE list, it must meet all of the following criteria.
Vendor acknowledgment. The vendor managing the hardware or software must determine that the flaw negatively impacts network security or creates a potential cybersecurity threat.
Poses a risk. The vendor must be able to provide evidence that the flaw interferes with their security policies.
Acts independently of other issues. There must be a way to resolve the flaw independently of any other bugs or issues within a system.
Affects one codebase. The flaw must only affect one product. If more than one vulnerability or exposure affects a codebase, each of those issues receives a separate CVE identifier. The exception is if a shared protocol or standard cannot operate without being vulnerable. In this case, the flaw is assigned a single CVE identifier.
As of Dec. 16, 2022, there are a total of 202,178 CVEs listed in the National Vulnerability Database. Also as of this date, the NVD has received 23,972 new CVEs so far in 2022. Below are some databases that list CVEs.
National Vulnerability Database
The National Vulnerability Database (NVD) is the most comprehensive database of security vulnerabilities and information about them. Each of the vulnerabilities on the CVE list is included in the National Vulnerability Database. This database covers additional information about risks that the CVE does not contain. The NVD is fully synchronized with the CVE list, so any changes or additions are included in the larger database. It’s important to note CVSS scores are not included in the CVE list and are instead posted in the NVD.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) is an industry standard for assessing a vulnerability’s severity. The vulnerability will receive a numerical score based on the extent of its severity. The National Infrastructure Advisory Council launched the framework in 2005, and the coding system ranges from zero to 10. The below CVSS numbers mean the following.
0.1 to 3.9: Low threat
4.0 to 6.9: Medium threat
7.0 to 8.9: High threat
9.0 to 10.0: Critical threat
If a flaw qualifies as a CVE, it receives a CVE identifier. These labels follow the general format CVE-YEAR-NUMBER.
The first number in the CVE string represents the year the vulnerability was first identified.
Following identification, CVE Numbering Authorities (CNAs) assign a unique number to each CVE.
A CVE identified in 2006 that a CNA assigned the number 0794 would be labeled as CVE-2006-0794. | <urn:uuid:67d852ab-2f92-47bf-8954-0c358ad23adf> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.coalitioninc.com/en-ca/topics/what-is-common-vulnerabilities-exposure | 2024-09-19T23:45:33Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652073.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20240919230146-20240920020146-00129.warc.gz | en | 0.913737 | 890 | 3.640625 | 4 |
Artificial Intelligence has been used in design and manufacturing for some time, since the deep learning revolution of the early 2010s at least. However, designers, engineers, and architects are finding that the power of newly emerging generative AI – such as the foundation models that power ChatGPT – is potentially even more transformative.
The principle is simple. Through a natural language interface, designers can just explain what they want to make, what materials they have available and how it should work.
Then, just like ChatGPT finds the best way to put words together to make sentences, it finds the best way to make your ideas a reality.
It’s not just an exciting vision of how designers will work in the near future - it’s already being implemented today.
So, here’s a peek at how generative AI is changing the face of design, covering what we’ve seen so far and some ideas about how it will evolve in the future.
How Is Generative AI Used In Design?
One of the key use cases is in the design of physical objects, components or products. Factors like material efficiency and production speed can be optimized by AIs that have been taught about the qualities of different materials and the pros and cons of every manufacturing process.
Siemens, for example, envisions a future where a manufacturing technician can get instant answers to questions about how changes to manufacturing processes will impact the finished product.
Of course, there are problems caused by hallucination – the tendency of today’s generation of generative AI models to confidently make mistakes.
Errors in the design or manufacturing process of objects could lead to products that are defective in a dangerous way. It’s fair to say human skills are currently needed to mitigate this - not just in design but in every field where generative AI is used. Just one of the reasons why I believe human jobs will be changed by AI rather than replaced by them in the near future.
In graphic design, too, generative AI is quickly proving to be useful. Nutella used algorithms to create millions of different unique packaging designs for its Nutella Unica range. Each jar is stamped with a code, allowing it to be identified by collectors of unique packaging art.
And it also has potentially transformative applications in architecture and urban planning. According to a McKinsey report on the impact of generative AI, it is being used to design buildings, shape urban landscapes, and augment human designers' skill sets at integrating their work with the natural environment.
Architects can use it to manipulate elements like room layout and features like stairwells and facades. Then, they can just set the parameters they need and let AI spit out multiple prototypes and candidates that fit the bill.
It's also being found to be a useful tool in fashion design. Hong Kong-based computer scientist Calvin Wong has created an AI fashion design assistant that generates outfits in seconds based on specific requirements and information on available materials. Aida – the AI-based Design Assistant – creates finalized design images for clothing in around ten seconds. The process usually takes weeks for human designers.
One company that is confidently betting on generative AI as the future of design and manufacturing is the long-established provider of industry-standard tools, Autodesk.
I recently spoke to the head of research at Autodesk, Mike Haley. He told me that AI has played a role in generative design for some time but has traditionally posed challenges, particularly around the huge amount of compute resources that were required.
The development of cloud-based generative AI platforms, though, has caused these barriers to come down, enabling many more creatives to understand its benefits for themselves.
Haley said, “I'm very optimistic that we're now seeing the emergence of those kinds of tools that can take that real-world information, can help us reason about it, and help us produce better designs for the world.”
The Future of Generative Design?
It’s obvious to me that generative AI has a lot of potential to augment abilities and streamline working processes in design.
But there are challenges, too. One of the biggest will be balancing the ongoing need for true human creativity with the desire to create efficiency through automation. Sure, AI can throw out 100 designs a second, but can we be sure that they all express the creative and technical flair that businesses want to put in front of their customers?
And, of course, there are ethical concerns about data ownership, authorship and intellectual property rights that still need to be worked out.
But overall, I see a future where tools available to designers and makers in all fields continue to become more intuitive and more useful for assisting with tasks involving human creativity.
Looking ahead, I believe we will see tools that become capable of more than creating-to-order, that are more able to understand and anticipate the nuanced needs of individual designers and brands.
They will also become more tuned towards enabling personalization at scale. This might even start to upend the long-held expectations of uniformity and the cookie-cutter approach that we have of mass-produced goods and products. Which certainly has the potential to make the world more interesting. | <urn:uuid:3a85407a-5133-43ce-b248-4e1e76c77afd> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://bernardmarr.com/the-rise-of-generative-ai-in-design-innovations-and-challenges/?paged1006=2 | 2024-09-07T21:28:40Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650920.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20240907193650-20240907223650-00329.warc.gz | en | 0.962285 | 1,073 | 3.203125 | 3 |
A consortium of universities and high-tech companies Tuesday formally launched a joint Internet-based test-bed platform for developing massive online services using distributed computing and overlay networks.
The project, dubbed “PlanetLab” is hosted by Princeton University but is a grass roots effort currently made up of 60 different academic institutions with 160 machines at 65 sites around the globe. The goal, say organizers is to make it so that educational organizations and private enterprise can build applications for the next generation of the Internet without bringing down the current system we know and love today.
”[The Web is] so successful and so many people depend on it, it’s become impossible to go to the core of the Internet and make radical changes to introduce the kind of new services we see people wanting to deploy,” Princeton University scientist and Intel Research member Larry Peterson said during a conference call to the press.
The short-term goal is to attach upwards of 1,000 widely-distributed machines in the next two to three years.
To date, more than 70 research projects at top academic institutions including MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley, Princeton and the University of Washington have used PlanetLab to experiment with such diverse topics as distributed storage, network mapping, peer-to-peer systems, distributed hash tables, and distributed query processing.
Peterson says high-tech companies will now be key to the project’s success. Already Intel has provided seed money and donated 100 computers. Hewlett-Packard
followed suit with 30 more computers for 10 additional sites. More tech companies are expected to come on board in the next few months.
“This is about pooling resources and to build out the infrastructure, but in the end this about lowering the barrier to entry to developing on the Internet,” Peterson said. “One could imagine that there could be many public and private Planet Labs that co-exist and interoperate between each other.”
Different than the Internet 2 project or even Grid computing, the group says the most obvious benefit is that network services installed on PlanetLab experience all of the behaviors of the real Internet where the only thing predictable is unpredictability (latency, bandwidth, paths taken). A second advantage is that PlanetLab provides a diverse perspective on the Internet in terms of connection properties, network presence, and geographical location. The broad perspective on the Internet enables development and deployment of a new class of services that see the network from many different angles.
The PlanetLab software is based on the most current release of Red Hat . Organizers say the Linux operating system was chosen because of its ability to get up and running fast and handle extremely large amounts of computing.
Another key objective of the software is to support distributed virtualization — the ability to allocate a portion or “slice” of PlanetLab’s network-wide hardware resources to an application. This allows an application to run across all (or some) of the machines distributed over the globe, where at any given time, multiple applications may be running in different slices of PlanetLab.
“This is just the beginning of a new class of services and applications that are distributed over much of the Web and will affect the design of intelligent servers, network storage and network processors,” said U.C. Berkeley computer science professor and co-director of Intel Research Berkeley David Culler.
Two current examples include UC Berkeley’s OceanStore, which is global persistent data store distributed over the whole Internet and Intel’s Netbait, a research platform that detects and tracks Internet worms globally.
Other projects onboard include the CoDeeN content distribution network (Princeton); Sophia distributed query processing engine (Princeton); PIER distributed query processing engine (Berkeley); ScriptRoute network measurement tool (Washington); Chord scalable object location service (MIT, Berkeley); and SplitStream multicast streaming system (Rice).
“What we are doing is a circle of design, deploy, and measure,” said Culler.
The next step, according to Culler, is for participants to set up a consortium that will operate the network and to invite other companies and education institutions to participate. The majority of the sits are located in the United States, Europe and Australia. The group says Russia, China and India are being approached to add to the mix. | <urn:uuid:ee3029b8-5cce-4b9e-be64-a58d0c0eef32> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.datamation.com/erp/planetlab-slices-into-alternate-internet-universe/ | 2024-09-09T03:03:06Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651053.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909004517-20240909034517-00229.warc.gz | en | 0.930143 | 888 | 2.890625 | 3 |
You may not know much about AWS, but I bet you’ve heard of their clients. Some of the biggest corporations in the world use AWS, including Netflix, Twitch, LinkedIn, Facebook, BBC, Twitter, and Adobe. Next time you’re streaming your favorite movie or scrolling through social media, it’s likely you’re doing so thanks to AWS.
AWS stands for Amazon Web Services. Yes, AWS is a branch of Amazon, the largest e-commerce company in the world. What many don’t know is that AWS is also the most broadly adopted cloud provider in the world. In fact, AWS makes up nearly three-quarters of Amazon’s net operating revenue and has a 32 percent share of the cloud IT services market.
But what does any of this mean for you and your company? Let’s take a closer look at what the cloud is, how AWS works, and how you can get started working with it.
What Is the Cloud?
You probably remember a time when you would get a “hard drive full” or “memory card full” message on your computer or phone. Nowadays, most people’s images and files are automatically stored in the cloud. Physical storage for those files still exists somewhere—just not on your device. AWS provides physical storage that you access via the internet on your electronic device.
But the cloud isn’t all about storage. AWS also provides virtual computers that can run programs and perform advanced calculations and analysis for a variety of applications. Some companies use thousands of these virtual computers.
How Does AWS Work?
Before the adoption of cloud computing, companies had to rely on bulky servers and complicated infrastructure to provide the storage and computational needs of their businesses. However, infrastructure is costly to purchase, manage, and scale. You have to purchase the physical hardware, store it in a secure and controlled environment, pay someone to monitor and fix it, and set up new hardware as needed. As you can imagine, all this work makes your operating costs skyrocket.
This is where AWS comes into the picture. They provide the infrastructure hardware and management on a massive scale. Each company or organization that uses AWS has access to the nearly unlimited and instantaneous resources provided by AWS but only pays for the resources they actually use, which can save them time, money, and effort.
Think about a company like Netflix: They have to store the video files that their customers stream, of course, but they must also ensure their videos stream quickly to a global customer base and that each user is getting custom recommendations that match their tastes. To this end, AWS provides Netflix with compute, storage, and infrastructure that allow the company to scale quickly, operate securely, and meet capacity needs anywhere in the world. Some of the biggest companies in the world rely on AWS to operate on a daily basis.
How Do You Work with AWS?
Partnering with AWS is easy—you don’t even have to be a tech giant to use AWS resources. Here’s a brief overview of the process:
- Sign up: To use AWS, users need to sign up for an account and provide payment information.
- Choose Services: Once signed up, users can choose from a wide variety of AWS services, including compute, storage, database, networking, security, and more.
- Create Resources: After selecting the desired services, users can create resources such as instances, volumes, databases, and buckets, which are hosted on the AWS infrastructure.
- Configure Resources: Users can then configure the resources as needed, such as by installing applications, configuring network settings, or adjusting security permissions.
- Use Resources: Once the resources are created and configured, users can use them to run applications, store data, host websites, and perform other tasks.
- Pay for Usage: Users only pay for the resources they use and can easily scale up or down as needed to meet changing demand.
If you’re a tech-savvy individual looking for a cloud storage solution for personal projects or simple data storage, using AWS is fairly simple. If you’re thinking about AWS from the perspective of a large business or organization, working with large quantities of data, managing user access, and many other parts of the process can make a transition to cloud computing more complicated. That’s why we suggest partnering with an AWS premier partner like nClouds to help your migration go smoothly and help you save money. Contact nClouds to schedule a meeting with a migration expert that can help lay out your fast path to migration. | <urn:uuid:ca9f4fcd-4392-4cd9-ae70-ea4c4e872303> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.nclouds.com/blog/what-is-aws-and-how-does-it-work/ | 2024-09-10T06:39:27Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651224.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910061537-20240910091537-00129.warc.gz | en | 0.947104 | 945 | 2.546875 | 3 |
FREMONT, CA: The increasing trend of digital tools and advanced information are the two key factors that are guiding the modern agriculture. The partnership among the farmers and researchers across the public and the private sectors is also playing equal roles to enhance modern agriculture.
The new tillage and harvesting equipment, followed by new methods of irrigation and air seeding technology is leading to better yields and superior quality of food and fiber.
Smartphone: Mobile technology has played an essential role in not only controlling but also observing the crop irrigation systems. By implying modern technology, farmers can easily manage their irrigation systems from their phones or computers without driving to the field every day. The moisture sensors that are installed in the ground can communicate information about the level of moisture that is there in the soil at various depths.
Check Out: Agri Business Review
Ultrasound: Besides keeping a check on the baby animals in the womb, ultrasound can be also be used for discovering the quality of meat that is available in an animal before it is sent to the marketplace. The examination of DNA helps the producers to recognize the number of animals that has excellent pedigrees along with other desirable qualities. The technology can also be used for assisting the farmers in enhancing the quality of their herds.
Mobile Technology and Camera: Some many farmers and ranchers use various applications so that they can keep tabs on the employees and also install cameras within the farms. Managers at livestock are setting up their barn feedlots and pastures with cameras so that they can get the images from wherever they are, such as at home or office.
Crop Sensors: The perfect farmers can efficiently apply fertilizers is by the usage of crop sensor technology that also maximizes the uptakes. The technique can sense the condition of the crop and reduce the potential oozing and running off into the groundwater. Instead of making a prescription fertilizer map for the field, it is better to use crop sensors and permit it to direct the uses of the fertilizer in real-time. | <urn:uuid:d9d9b448-855a-4f7b-94f8-f47f2de629fe> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.enterprisetechnologyreview.com/news/how-agtech-is-enhancing-the-agriculture-sector-nwid-1039.html | 2024-09-11T13:22:49Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651387.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911120037-20240911150037-00029.warc.gz | en | 0.956573 | 408 | 2.9375 | 3 |
At the Chaos Communications Congress, experts come together to discuss the hottest topics concerning security, privacy, and human rights in the digital age. Naturally, the new European ePrivacy Regulation was on the agenda this year.
Ingo Dachwitz, editor of German digital rights and Internet privacy portal Netzpolitik.org, talked about the regulation — what it’s about, how it can change the Internet, and why most representatives of the Internet industry think that its consequences may be disastrous.
A brief history of personal data protection regulation in Europe
You may already know about ePrivacy Regulation, or at least have heard of it. Public consultation was conducted in the EU, and it’s already been discussed in many of the European media. Here we summarize how the story of ePrivacy in Europe began.
The Internet started growing rapidly in the 1990s, and with it, the volume of user data has grown as well. Companies developed new ways to acquire and process that data, which became a valuable commodity. The more user data a company has, and the more effectively it analyzes the data, the more accurately that company can target consumers, selling products by showing users ads based on the data the users generate.
The European Commission began to pay special attention to everything concerning this sphere and how and by whom the data was used. The situation clearly required legal regulation on a higher level than had existed before. The first act on personal data protection was the Data Protection Directive. Its definition of personal data was somewhat vague, so 21 years later, in April 2016, it was replaced by General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The regulation aims to strictly define and categorize personal data, as well as to unify and strengthen the rules of protection of EU citizens’ data — be it genetic, intellectual, cultural, economic, or social information. Examples include IP addresses, customer names, phones, supplier records, staff records, and much more.
Defining the new ePrivacy Regulation
And then came ePrivacy Regulation, which takes effect in May 2018 and adds regulation to the GDPR. Its precepts are largely similar to those of the GDPR; the main difference is that the ePrivacy Regulation divides personal data into two huge parts: content data (text messages, pictures, languages used, etc.) and metadata — “data about the data,” the information about the content files. For example, for Web pages, metadata include keywords, cookies, fingerprint files, and so forth. Metadata is hugely important for anyone who wants to define somebody on the Net, track them, and analyze their behavior.
ePrivacy Regulation’s guiding principle regarding all types of user data on the Net is: “Privacy by default.” That means:
- Data may be collected only with a user’s active consent, and it must be be erased or anonymized when no longer needed for a communication (Article 6).
- All forms of online tracking must be strictly controlled, beginning with users being asked directly if they want to be tracked. Tracking by default (without asking the user’s permission) and tracking walls (which block access to website content unless users agree to being tracked) are forbidden (Articles 7,8,9).
- Offline tracking (over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi) may be used only for statistical purposes — or after obtaining explicit consent from a user (Article 8).
- Providers of communication services shall secure users’ data by using end-to-end encryption, and a user’s data can be deciphered only by that user (Article 17).
- Communication service providers may not prohibit the use of any means of user protection from tracking or targeting (e.g., ad-blockers) (Article 17).
Since the Regulation’s proposal in January 2017, European society has engaged in great debates about it. Europe’s largest media as well as representatives of Internet businesses have expressed the common point of view that the Regulation is not only not helpful for users, but also user-unfriendly and nonproductive.
Industry lobbyists on ePrivacy in the EU, such as the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), DigitalEurope, the European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA), the European Magazine Media Association (EMMA), and more (members of these organizations include such companies as Amazon, Facebook, Google, Apple, Microsoft; the largest European digital, advertising, and PR agencies; and media companies), started an Internet campaign against the regulation. It is called “Like a Bad Movie,” and it imagines a world with ePrivacy Regulation in effect. They claim that the regulation’s approval will hurt users and the Internet as a whole. Its claims:
- Limiting data-driven ad revenue will reduce the amount of high-quality journalism, leading to fewer quality information sources and less diversity of opinion on the Internet;
- The business models of useful apps that live on data-driven ad revenue will fall apart;
- The Regulation will confuse consumers more than help them, forcing them to manage privacy settings on every single device, in every browser, and on every website;
- Much less free content will be available because sites won’t be able to make money from data-driven ads.
The lobbyists’ overarching point is that the Regulation threatens data-driven business models, and so the lobby is fighting it hard. Of the 41 lobby meetings on ePrivacy held with EU Commissioners in 2016, 36 were with corporate interests. As a result, the final proposal of the regulation — what we have now — is already missing some things that were in the draft. For example, its definition of metadata is vague, and the proposal to ensure default e-privacy settings on computer equipment was excluded.
The battle continues. Amendments to the regulation made by the European Parliament on October 23, 2017, tighten the rules constraining industry representatives. The lobbyists haven’t surrendered, though; there’s still time for new amendments to change the document completely.
This is all we know so far, and we’ll keep our eye on how the whole thing goes. We highly recommend you do the same. The regulation’s global impact is going to be enormous, as the Internet finds it may have to move away from being funded by user data. That makes the regulation, if it’s adopted, one of the most important upcoming events of the year — it will definitely mean more to the global economy than the FIFA World Cup. | <urn:uuid:52ac06ea-fc1e-42a6-9dcb-acd0a859ce49> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/battle-of-eprivacy/21805/ | 2024-09-13T20:48:01Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651540.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913201909-20240913231909-00729.warc.gz | en | 0.936143 | 1,338 | 2.828125 | 3 |
This is Part 1 of a three-part blog post that will look to describe what a bootloader is and where it fits into the boot process.
Part 2 will describe the U-Boot bootloader, specifically "Das U-Boot", where we will be further examining its origins and its usage in the world of embedded Linux systems.
With a thorough understanding under our belt, we will look to examine the possible attack vectors available using practical examples in Part 3.
In an embedded system context, the bootloader is simply the part of the system that is used at start-up to assist in the process of successfully starting the system and loading the operating system kernel.
In an embedded system the bootloader has two main functions:
1. Initialization of the System
2. Loading of the Kernel
An embedded system would be in an absolute minimal functional state, just after power-on or reset. In this state, many controllers and/or supporting chipsets would not yet have come online, and as such, there is a requirement to pre-empt this functionality using available resources.
Typically this initial functionality is handled by on-chip static memory (ROM). This type of bootstrapping from ROM requires the system to usher in further phases before the final operational state is achieved.
The final operational state occurs when the kernel has finally been loaded into RAM and is executed. Once this state has been achieved the bootloader is no longer required and the memory that was previously allocated is reclaimed and reused by the system.
Phase 1: ROM Code
As previously mentioned, based on the minimalistic supporting controllers and/or chipsets, the code executed after a power-on or reset is typically stored on-chip on the SoC. This code is known as ROM Code and is loaded onto the chip upon manufacturing.
The ROM Code itself is tasked with loading the next instructions or chunk of code into SRAM using a choice of peripheral devices. The main reason that SRAM is used is due to this type of memory NOT requiring a memory controller to function and can thus be utilized prior to any sort of controller initialization.
Some examples of peripheral devices that ROM Code can choose from are:
- NAND memory
- Flash memory connected through SPI
In most cases, the boot sequence, as executed by the ROM Code, will fall back to a number of possible other sources, such as:
In some cases, the SRAM capacity is not large enough to support a full bootloader and in these cases, an SPL (Secondary Program Loader) is used. This SPL itself is loaded into SRAM and at the very end of the ROM Code phase, the SPL is found at the start of SRAM and continues on where the ROM Code left off.
Phase 2: SPL (Secondary Program Loader)
The SPL’s main job is the loading of a TPL (Tertiary Program Loader) into DRAM. Once loaded into DRAM the TPL then takes on where the SPL left off, however this time from Dynamic memory.
This process allows for an ever-increasing availability of memory which is used to allocate to the execution of the kernel and file system.
Phase 3: TPL (Tertiary Program Loader)
The TPL typically takes the form of a fully-fledged bootloader, such as U-Boot, which allows for an interactive prompt. This interactive prompt allows for user input in order to run various commands, some of which are:
- The loading of new boot images into flash storage
- Execution of memory and storage management tasks
Once this phase has been completed the kernel is typically located in memory and execution is then passed to it via the bootloader.
Typically before passing full control to the kernel the bootloader needs to offload details by providing plain information to the kernel in order that the kernel can execute cleanly. The following information is typically passed to the kernel by the bootloader:
- The type of SoC used
- The size and location of RAM and CPU speed
- The Kernel Command Line
- The location and size of the DTB (Device Tree Binary), this is optional and is dependent on whether the device support DTB
- The location and size of the initial RAM disk (initramfs), this is also optional and is dependent on whether the File System itself will be offered up as an initial RAM disk or not
This information in most modern ARM architectures is typically passed to the kernel using a Device Tree.
A device tree is merely a structured attempt at describing an underlying computer system, such that, a Linux kernel can gain insight into the under-the-hood components of the system that it is running on.
As its namesake implies the details that are described the system are structured in a tree-like fashion, with the root of the tree (Root Node), denoted as a slash ‘/’. All subsequent nodes in the tree are further denoted using a name, value property e.g. name = ‘value’
In order for the device tree to be usable by the bootloader and kernel, it must be presented to both the bootloader and the kernel as a binary file. The Device-Tree-Compiler (DTC) is used to compile a .dts source into a .dtb binary for presentation to both of the interfaces.
Stay tuned for Part 2 "Das U-Boot" ... | <urn:uuid:62b617f9-fee4-4ed3-81cb-dc4962c6617c> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://blog.attify.com/bootloaders-part1/ | 2024-09-18T20:59:01Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651941.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20240918201359-20240918231359-00329.warc.gz | en | 0.938809 | 1,113 | 3.453125 | 3 |
If you are an IoT device user, chances are that your device is riddled with numerous security issues. This post teaches you on how to stay secure if you are an end consumer with the love of Internet of Things devices, and how you can use them without compromising on the IoT security.
Internet of Things or so-called “Smart Devices” is the talk of the tech town currently. Every single month, 100s of new devices are being released with none or improper security protections in place.
Why IoT Security is non-existent?
The primary reason for the insecurity for these IoT devices is the lack of awareness, meaning the developers and smart device manufacturers don’t know how to make devices secure from vulnerabilities. Also, adding to it, the fact that the manufacturers often lack the bigger picture which is required to understand the security issues in an IoT device.
Another common misconception which we have seen through our interactions with the IoT developers and manufacturers is that most of the people still think of IoT security being only about the security of devices. However, if you actually understand IoT, you would realize that it is a combination of various different components which comprise an IoT ecosystem.
These IoT Components are:
- Hardware: the Smart Device or Gateway
- Web apps, Mobile apps, Cloud assets
- Radio communication.
So when you perform IoT security, ensure that you look at the entire ecosystem rather just a single smart device. Let’s dig a bit deeper into each of the above components:
- Hardware: Numerous vulnerabilities including exposed serial port, ability to dump firmware, bypassing hardware protections and more.
- Web Apps, Mobile apps, Cloud assets: All possible vulnerabilities which you could imagine – Authorization and Authentication flaws, Insecure endpoints, Insecure network communication, logic flaws and more.
- Firmware Security issues: Hardcoded sensitive information, ability to modify the firmware, no signature or integrity check etc.
- Radio communication: Capturing authentication and pairing mechanism to obtain keys, plaintext communication, replay attacks, MITM attacks, Jamming and more.
The above are just a few examples of the vulnerabilities and security issues you will find in the Internet of Things devices. It is the little pieces being secure and with secured interaction between them, which comprises the 360 degrees Internet of Things Security. With this blog post, my aim is to give you an overall perspective of how you could start building more secure IoT devices and have a discussion with your team and revisit the insecure devices that you have built in the past. This will also serve as a guide for the end-users or consumers who actually use these devices.
What to do for IoT Security as a consumer
Now, let’s pause for a moment and think of how we as a consumer would decide from a security perspective if we are evaluating various IoT solutions which we want to buy. As a consumer, we think of IoT devices from a mere functionality perspective and say – Okay, this is a smart thermometer or this a smart bottle and will serve this purpose in my day to day life.
We fail to understand the criticality of the fact that whether our data is going to be secure with this device or not, and asking the question that can I actually trust this device with sensitive and confidential information such as personal medical information or family vacation habits, is the question that we need to ask ourselves.
True, the understanding is limited but how you can apply the knowledge to understand the security of devices you are going to buy is critical. In case you have a bit of technical understanding, you can check out some of the other technical posts we have written on the topic of IoT Security:
- Firmware Analysis of IoT Devices
- Emulating and Exploiting firmware binaries
- Hacking IoT Hardware
- Exploiting IoT Enabled Smart Bulb Security
- and more.
Let’s now have a look at some actionable tactics and pointers which you can start using immediately in order to have a secure smart environment around you. Below are the 5 points which will ensure that your smart device is not easily vulnerable to malicious hacker attacks:
- Strong Password: Most of the IoT device users don’t change the default credentials which the device is shipped with. Based on our analysis of numerous smart devices, an astonishing 75% of them are shipped with same credentials for its entire product line, making it extremely easy for attackers to crack. If you remember the most popular and widespread IoT botnet ever, Mirai, it relies on the vulnerability that millions of IoT devices were using default credentials which were extremely easy to brute force and crack. This also highlights the importance of the fact that you should always change the password of any IoT device that you purchase and use.
- **Updating the firmware: **Updates are the key to ensuring that your device is loaded with the most recent security patches and is secured from the known threats. With every update, manufacturers patch identified and reported security bugs and take a step forward to harden the security of the product If you are still using an old firmware version, you are risking the security and privacy of yourself and handing it over to the malicious hackers who are constantly looking for vulnerable targets. In some of the cases, even though updating firmware would be a bit tricky, taking that extra effort in order to update the firmware would prevent your device from being compromised in the future.
- Separate VLANs / Removing from the network: In case if you are using an IoT device on your trusted home or corporate network, always ensure that you have the IoT devices on a separate VLAN compared to the other laptops and personal devices. This will add a layer of protection from typical network-based attacks.
- Stay Updated with the recent news and happenings in IoT security: Since IoT is evolving at such a fast pace, it is highly important that you stay updated with all the recent news and public vulnerabilities being disclosed or shared in the news about IoT devices.
- Do your homework before buying “another” IoT product: I can understand the excitement and the adrenaline rush that comes with getting a new IoT gadget at your home or workplace, using it, showing it off to your colleagues and so on, which is perfectly fine. Even I am a tech enthusiast and love to buy all the various kind of IoT devices in the market. Just a word of caution here – do your research before you buy a new IoT device. Most of the devices which are launching these days in the market are not vetted for security and don’t even have a security team which could help them ensure the security of their user’s data. This is even more important if you are going to trust the device with personal and sensitive information. Look at the kind of PII they are asking you (and not asking for but still collecting).
Overall, Smart IoT Devices are one of the biggest advancement in technology and is pushing the entire humankind forward. At the same time, it is important that we don’t let these technical advancements and new IoT devices create an insecure future where our privacy is non-existent. | <urn:uuid:160c1113-be31-40d8-a487-79df69a93455> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://blog.attify.com/iot-security-consumer-tips/ | 2024-09-18T20:41:52Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651941.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20240918201359-20240918231359-00329.warc.gz | en | 0.951088 | 1,448 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Coordinating a data center design project? Good luck. You've got your work cut out. Among the many items on your plate of challenges is making sure the facility itself provides an ideal environment for the rigorous grind of everyday IT. While not all IT shops are set up in state of the art fortresses, adhering to data center environmental standards is essential to creating ideal conditions in Tier-3 certified buildings and server closets in small offices alike.
1. Temperature Control
As it turns out, heat may not be the ferocious data center threat it's made out to be. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto found that servers don't necessarily fail in higher temperatures and increasing heat can actually cut the energy consumption associated with cooling equipment. Those findings correlate with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers' (ASHRAE) decision to broaden its recommended range for data center temperatures from 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit to 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
On a side note, it's also possible to control how data center temperatures affect equipment by investing in specific types of server hardware. Dell and other manufacturers recently introduced a new breed of heat-resilient servers that are designed to run in environments roughly 10 degrees hotter than normal. Additionally, engineers can optimize internal server fans in a way that helps protect equipment by automatically adjusting to noticeable temperature changes in the facility.
2. Humidity Control
Data centers work hard to combat heat. They probably work even harder to keep humidity under control. Bigger facilities use a gaggle of CRAC units to create a consistent airflow that streams throughout the room. These systems generally work by pulling in and cooling heat, then pushing it out as cold air through the vents and intakes that lead to the servers. As referenced in the above link, ASHRAE recommends a dew point level range of 41.9 degrees Fahrenheit to 59 degrees Fahrenheit with a maximum relative humidity of 60 percent.
I've heard the argument that data center humidity isn't the big deal it's made out to be, either. Maybe, but being cozily situated on the safe side never hurt anything. Too high of a humidity level can form water that puts server hardware and other equipment at risk. In addition to CRACs and chillers, data center designers should invest in systems that can detect humidity and water in the vicinity of their equipment.
3. Static Electricity Monitoring
Unknown to many, static electricity is one of the biggest threats in the data center environment, an invisible nuisance you likely won't see or hear coming. In fact, the sensitive components in common IT equipment, particularly newer harder, can be damaged or completely fried by less than 25 volts of discharge. If this problem isn't addressed, it might result in frequently dropped calls, system crashes, and even data corruption. Luckily there is equipment available to monitor static electricity. These systems should be strategically installed in locations where charges are potentially the largest.
4. Fire Suppression
Data center environmental standards dictate that a comprehensive fire suppression system is a must-have feature. Just ask Amazon. In January of 2015, the e-commerce giant was the victim of a fire at its new facility in Ashburn, Virginia, which was under construction at the time. The blaze apparently started on the roof, but fortunately there were no injuries and development of the building reserved for Amazon Web Services was barely affected.
Incorporating a quality fire protection system is merely one part of the plan. The other is the ongoing process of making sure it still works. Of course you never want one of these things to have to spring into action, but the peace of mind you gain from knowing that it can when needed is invaluable. Instead of sitting idle, fire suppression systems should be periodically tested and actively monitored to ensure they will indeed come through in the clutch.
5. Physical Security Systems
Data center environmental standards place a huge emphasis on physical security, and rightfully so. In this setting, operators must devise a plan that keeps intruders out of the building as well as the server room and the racks they reside on. We've touched on physical security in previous posts, but I'll refresh in saying there is plenty to be done aside from deploying armed guards outside the doors. Options for physical security range from IP surveillance systems to advanced sensors that alert the appropriate personnel when the building or server racks are entered by unauthorized parties.
Centralizing the Data Center Environment
With everything from humidity sensors to physical security controls to account for, it's fairly easy to see how overseeing the data center quickly becomes an unenviable task. Organizations that prefer a more straightforward and centralized approach can find it in an environmental monitoring system. The ideal here is to provide facility-wide visibility that makes it possible to monitor everything from a single location. The best of these systems integrate with server management software and applications for a complete picture of the data center environment. Sounds like a swell investment.
Photo Credit: Laurence Simon (Crap Mariners) via Flickr
Photo Credit: Eric Skiff via Flickr
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Rightly or wrongly, being part of the ‘it’ crowd at school is what every tween and teen yearns for. Being part of a group makes kids feel safe and protected during a time where they could be feeling very vulnerable.
Quite often kids will do whatever it takes (much to their parents’ horror) to secure their membership in a group, and it appears that sharing passwords is no exception.
New research released by McAfee shows that more than a quarter of Aussie kids aged 8-16 know the passwords of others. Worse still, nearly a third (28%) have used them to log into others’ devices or social media accounts to snoop, post fake updates, change settings or replace pictures as a joke.
Now, whilst there is an array of potential hair-raising activities that adventurous teens could be partaking in, sharing passwords is not something we can ignore. In fact, sharing passwords could actually have some of the most devastating consequences to your child’s future.
Managing passwords is one of the most important ways to keep a tight reign over your digital reputation and online footprint. If your password gets in the wrong hands, your digital footprint and reputation is no longer in your control.
Many school principals make no secret of the fact that a teen’s digital reputation will play a role in determining prefectships, scholarships and the elusive role of school captain. If a potential candidate’s social media profile is not in keeping with the school’s values, then an applicant will be disregarded.
So, here are a few of my tips to help keep passwords safe and manage digital reputations:
- Create unique passwords for all accounts, whether it’s an app, social media or website. Ideally passwords should be 8-10 characters and include a combination of upper and lowercase letters, as well as symbols and numbers. Avoid using familiar numbers and names – this will only lead to trouble.
- If possible, enable multi-factor authentication for logins – which will ask you to verify your login via text (for example). This way you will know if anyone is trying to access your account without you knowing
- In addition to websites, apps and social accounts, make sure devices are protected with passwords too. Use a pin or passcode and make sure it’s not the same for all your devices
- A helpful option is an identity manager, which can take out the hassle of creating various passwords. McAfee LiveSafe™, which offers protection across all devices, also has a multi-factor authentication application included called True Key by McAfee that makes it easier and safer to login to websites, apps or devices by using a combination of factors such as the user’s face, fingerprint or device
So please encourage your kids to keep their passwords safe and secure and NOT to share, regardless of pressure from the ‘group’. I get my boys to think of passwords like toothbrushes – they are not for sharing!
Till Next Time,
Stay Safe Online! | <urn:uuid:048843bf-4de5-426d-b243-082a17d86335> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/privacy-identity-protection/passwords-not-cool-share/ | 2024-09-08T01:08:39Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650926.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20240907225010-20240908015010-00429.warc.gz | en | 0.942466 | 627 | 3.109375 | 3 |
AI is expected to drive a 160 percent increase in data center power demand by 2030 and recent headlines have been rife with examples of how big tech companies are (and aren’t) prepared to meet that demand and mitigate emissions. Most notably, in its latest environmental report Google announced that, beginning in 2023, it is “no longer maintaining operational carbon neutrality." Meanwhile, an investigative piece by Bloomberg also highlighted that Google’s total planet-warming emissions in 2023 were 48 percent higher than 2019 and in that period, its total energy consumption also doubled.
Per the Rocky Mountain Institute, “the United States is witnessing an unprecedented surge in data center power demand. Data center electricity consumption was 2.5 percent of the US total (~130 TWh) in 2022.” The Boston Consulting Group projects that total data center power demand will increase by 15-20 percent annually to reach 100-130 GW (800-1,050 TWh) by 2030. That’s the equivalent of the electricity used by about 100 million US houses – about two-thirds of the total homes in the US.
Data centers need massive amounts of energy for their operations and require stable, reliable power sources to remain in operation. But when that power is drawn from a majority fossil fuel-powered grid, emissions soar.
Big tech companies, industrial entities, manufacturers, and more are increasingly turning to carbon offsets or investments in carbon removal technologies to curb their growing emissions and illustrate their commitment to sustainability. This is not enough.
Growth in power demand cannot reverse decarbonization plans and increase emissions throughout our communities. Large energy users – including data centers – must not increase demand for more new methane and carbon combustion power technologies.
Any new natural gas, coal, or fossil fuel plant will be built and operated for decades, locking in emissions for years to come, and will only enable the continued volatility of fossil fuel prices as compared to the price certainty of renewables.
The main obstacles to decarbonizing data centers are supply sufficiency, carbon intensity, grid access, grid reliability, and sustainable pricing, but there are scalable, dispatchable carbon-free energy solutions ripe for investment opportunity – including off-grid green hydrogen production and storage.
Everybody wants power - off-grid solutions can deliver
While big tech and AI operations are getting most of the attention, nearly all industries are grappling for access to power. And overall demand for energy continues to rise - Enerdata reported that global energy consumption accelerated by +2.2 percent in 2023, greatly outpacing the average 2010-2019 growth rate of +1.5 percent per year.
Environmental concerns, emissions reporting requirements, policy actions, and more have shifted much of this growing demand toward renewable power sources. While the renewable energy industry is booming and many promising innovations can be deployed to decarbonize power generation, this presents another challenge: grid congestion. New data center capacity schedules and years-long queues to connect renewable assets to the grid are slowing progress toward a cleaner energy future.
One solution? Turn to off-grid renewables, which are not beholden to the grid’s limitations and notorious regulatory processes.
Powering hydrogen production with dedicated, off-grid renewable resources like solar and wind, elevates hydrogen from simply a clean fuel to a vital component in our quest to reach reliable renewable energy.
Data centers and other energy-intensive sectors that adopt off-grid green hydrogen solutions will reduce reliance on utility power grids and avoid frustrating interconnect delays. They can also say with confidence that their operations are not contributing to grid congestion and instability. All this while ensuring critical operations can meet and maintain their current demand trajectory without creating new emissions.
Sustainability without sacrificing reliability
Large energy users like data centers don’t just need a lot of clean energy - they need their energy sources to be reliable. When a site provides power for digital infrastructure, telecommunications, or other critical sectors, a small outage or disruption could be costly and dangerous.
This challenge is well-known to industry players and policymakers. In 2021, the 24/7 Carbon Free Energy (CFE) Compact was introduced by a diverse group of businesses and government entities – including Google – during the United Nations High level Dialogue on Energy. By their definition, “24/7 Carbon-free Energy (CFE) means that every kilowatt-hour of electricity consumption is met with carbon-free electricity sources, every hour of every day, everywhere.” The Compact acknowledges that the transition to a fully decarbonized energy sector is possible thanks to continued industry-wide innovation and introduces actions stakeholders can take to drive progress.
Strategically pairing long-duration storage with generation means hydrogen can be deployed consistently and continuously to meet changes in demand – even when the renewable energy sources powering its production aren’t running.
This approach transforms notoriously intermittent generation like solar and wind energy into firm, dispatchable assets capable of driving decarbonization across many sectors. More broadly, scaling up off-grid hydrogen production and storage can help our energy system reach the sought-after goal of 100 percent renewable generation.
Reliability and sustainability can go hand in hand in an industrial decarbonization strategy if industries act with urgency. We must invest in and scale dispatchable, carbon-free energy solutions - humanity is dependent on it! Twenty-four/seven, clean and reliable hydrogen is one option that stands to benefit large energy users – and data centers specifically. | <urn:uuid:16f25d2b-de08-46db-92ad-1586b686a13e> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/opinions/sustainability-without-sacrificing-reliability-solving-the-data-center-energy-problem-with-off-grid-green-hydrogen-and-storage/ | 2024-09-10T11:31:08Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651241.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910093422-20240910123422-00229.warc.gz | en | 0.935274 | 1,111 | 2.625 | 3 |
Protecting the privacy of your own data in 2021 is hard and seemingly only getting harder. For most people, learning to use new technology isn’t easy, and adapting to continual changes in products and services makes it more complex. With rapidly evolving security and privacy risks, there are always more privacy threats than individual consumers can track.
You are likely very familiar with the most common threats that put your data at risk, such as using insecure passwords, sharing passwords, and not installing required security updates on your devices. Poor privacy practices and inadequate security in online applications pose a further risk, regardless of the actions you take to protect yourself.
But there are many other privacy risks that go beyond these typical cases. Here are some examples of more subtle privacy threats that you may not be thinking about regularly:
Geotagging. When you share a photo from your smartphone, what are you actually sharing? You might not realize it, but smartphones record detailed metadata about your device and image in each JPEG file—including precise GPS coordinates for where the picture was taken. When you share that JPEG with others, or upload it, you are sharing this metadata too (this is how social media platforms can automatically categorize photos by time and location). If you share photos on a regular basis, you can effectively be sharing a detailed trail of your movements. Law enforcement regularly uses image metadata to locate unwitting criminals. While most major social platforms will strip out the metadata from uploaded photos, occasionally a defect or gap in their site may result in this metadata being accessible.
High-resolution risks. Digital cameras today offer incredible image quality, such that even amateur photos can look fantastic. However, there is a downside to those tack sharp images with many megapixels of detail: they can reveal more information than intended. For example, it is possible to take advantage of this high resolution to identify nearby people who are not in the photo—from their reflections in the eyes of the subjects. You can also pick up other fine details, like text on confidential papers someone is carrying or someone’s fingerprints, even from a distance. The same risk applies to advances in media fidelity in other fields. High-quality audio recordings from sensitive microphones—such as those in intelligent personal assistants—can pick up private conversations not meant to be recorded. You can even analyze audio recordings of keyboard sounds to reconstruct what was typed. As the quality of video and audio sensors and devices increases, these risks will multiply.
Van Eck Phreaking uses specialized equipment to analyze electromagnetic signals to eavesdrop on communications. Anyone that handles highly sensitive information will be familiar with working in rooms with no windows, or inside a Faraday cage where no devices with microphones are allowed, due to techniques that use radio emissions or microphones to “watch” your laptop screen. There are analogous techniques that can use a laser to listen to a conversation from 500 meters away, or exfiltrate data using ultrasonic signals. This type of technology can actually be used for beneficial purposes as well—it’s how the Zoom app detects physical Zoom appliances in the same room—but of course it can be, and is, used by malicious actors to spy on others.
Scraping. When you upload data to an online application, you might expect that it will stay there unless someone who knows you intentionally copies it somewhere else. But in fact there are thousands of groups constantly scraping online data, for a variety of reasons, both good and bad. Google constantly scrapes the web to create its search index, but there are other scrapers who are malicious, and use bots to create attacks so vast in scale that they that would not be possible using manual means. At F5, we regularly see that more than 90% of all login attempts on many major web applications, on a 24/7 basis, come from bots looking to take over accounts. Bots are also used to scrape images from social media platforms, to then create additional fake accounts that look plausible to other users. This is one of the reasons you see so many social media bots with the same profile photos. If you are wondering if your social media image is being used by fake accounts, you can do a reverse image search and investigate.
Cross-correlation risks. Individual bits of benign data can be correlated to expose more about you than you might realize is possible from the pieces themselves. Giving your phone number to a drug store to save some money may seem innocuous, but when that number is looked up on third-party marketing lists, and then combined with leaked lists of voter registrations, it can now be used to identify where you live, how you vote, your health issues, your movements, and whom you communicate with on social media. This profile of you can then also be re-sold over and over. Years ago, AOL released what it thought were a data set of “anonymized” search requests, but by combining bits of personally identifiable information (PII), some users in their dataset were able to be identified.
These are just a few examples in an ever-growing list of threats to your privacy. It’s probably a lot for most people to process. And yet, AI and automation technologies, in the hands of cybercriminals and other malicious actors, make these privacy threats exponentially worse.
As illustrated by scraping, massive amounts of data can be stolen and repurposed at high-speed using sophisticated bots. Similarly, bots can scrape geotagging information from billions of online photos, and AI can rapidly analyze these datasets to detect “interesting” patterns, such as fingerprints or recognized faces. Van Eck Phreaking and similar techniques are traditionally thought to require physical proximity, but now the ubiquity of vulnerable IoT devices makes large-scale invasion of privacy possible at a distance (think of The Dark Knight, when Batman hijacks every mobile phone in Gotham to emit high-frequency bursts to perform radar-like mass surveillance to find the Joker). Our security research teams have found that the entire IPv4 space can be automatically scanned for vulnerable devices in a matter of hours. They also found Internet-connected baby cameras that were compromised through automation and then used to speak to children in their homes. Finally, deep learning systems take cross-correlation privacy risks to a new level, identifying patterns that humans would never find on their own. In short, the use of automation and AI, combined with security issues, creates entirely new categories of privacy threats—which can then be exploited at Internet-scale.
Dealing with all of these threats in the long term is clearly beyond the abilities and energies of most individual consumers. So, what’s the solution? For a comprehensive, societal-level answer, the onus is on governmental policy and regulation, along with platforms, products, and organizations to keep us as safe as possible, using the best available security and privacy technology, which incorporate their own advanced AI and automation capabilities on our behalf. Over time, we are seeing that consumers and governments are holding companies more accountable for doing this effectively, and we’ve already seen actions punishing companies that fail to protect against these threats. Meanwhile, companies like Apple, who are approaching product design from a privacy-first standpoint, are justly praised and rewarded.
While addressing privacy threats in a systemic way is our best long-term defense, at the same time, we should take a number of simple steps ourselves that can go a long way toward protecting our own privacy, especially against today’s most common risks. This is why today, Data Privacy Day, is so important and helpful. It’s a great opportunity for everyone around the world to remind themselves of basic privacy practices which can produce great benefit, without having to be a privacy expert. | <urn:uuid:f77c5d06-1b40-495d-86e5-0650500f2f0c> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.f5.com/pt_br/company/blog/ai-and-protecting-against-the-next-generation-of-privacy-threats | 2024-09-10T10:46:27Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651241.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910093422-20240910123422-00229.warc.gz | en | 0.945873 | 1,572 | 2.984375 | 3 |
Popular Cyber Attacks and Due Care for Reasonable Security. As children, we enjoyed reading the many fairytales that began with, “Once upon a time.” As adults in the workplace, we regrettably read the stories of so many recent cyber attacks that start with, “Someone opened a phishing email.”
That is because 91% of all cyberattacks start with some type of phishing email that is so alluring and convincing to someone, that someone clicks its maliciously embedded hyperlink or attachment, and well, the rest is history. Attackers do not need to attack the vigorously defended perimeter created by your organization’s robust firewall. Just like the maginot line of the French that the German army so easily outflanked in World War II, today’s cyber criminals can break in unabated into your seemingly impenetrable network by targeting the weakest security links of your organization – your employees. It is crucial for you and your team to be aware and how to respond. Below is a short guide outlining the most common types of attacks today and how to identify and combat these cyber security threats.
Social engineering is a term popularized by Kevin Mitnick, a reformed cybercriminal and one of the most famous computer hackers of all time. Mitnick, like so many cybercriminals learned that it is much easier to manipulate a user into offering their password to you than it is to hack them to find it. A social engineering perpetrator is nothing more than a con artist is. The goal is to obtain confidential information from a user that can then be used to implement a future theft or attack. Social engineering attacks are derived around a compelling story such as
- An incredible deal that is expiring
- You have an overdue payment
- An urgent financial transaction needs your confirmation
- Your computer has been compromised by malware or hacker
The key to thwarting any type of social engineering attack is to slow down. Social engineering attacks depend on rushing the intended victim so they do not have time to second guess the situation at hand. There should also be an attempt to authenticate the authoritative person making the request.
Anyone who has an email address is fully aware of this type of social engineering attack. According to the Verizon 20018 Data Breach Investigation Report, 78 percent of users within an organization did not click a single embedded link within an email in 2017. Unfortunately, that leaves 22 percent who did, with four percent clicking on just about anything that came in an email. Phishing is a numbers game. A million phishing emails are cast out concerning “your package delivery by UPS”. Out of that million, only a small percentage will breach email filtering systems. Of the ones that make it, only a small percentage of recipients will be expecting a package from that shipping company, and of that group, we know that at least four percent will click the link.
Every organization requires some sort of third party email security system, even those who utilize public cloud email systems such as Office 365. Users must also undergo security awareness training to teach them how to be skeptical and identify suspicious emails that should be further scrutinized by IT.
This form of cyber attack seems dated today in a digitally connected world, but is still highly effective. Like phishing, vishing is a numbers game, with millions of automated prerecorded messages being sent to phones lines in order to case a wide net. Referred to as “dialing for dollars,” the typical message outlines some urgent matter and the victim is instructed to either press a number on their phone to be transferred to a representative or call back on a given number. Once the victim initiates contact with the representative, they are in the final crosshairs of the scammers.
Always be cynical of automated messages that convey urgency. Rather than be transferred to a representative or obediently call the number provided, authenticate the source by looking up the phone number of the organization using a respected search engine and call to verify.
Though relatively new on the scene, cybercriminals are realizing the potential of using SMS messaging communication, (texting) for their schemes. That is because nearly a trillion text messages are sent every hour across the globe and 90 percent of them are read within three minutes of receipt. Since the success of social media attacks rely on the notion of urgency and immediacy, this makes it a perfect medium, which is why its use is growing.
While text messaging is often used for multi-authentication purposes, these simply use text as a means to deliver a PIN that is then inputted into another source. It is relatively good advice to never click a hyperlink delivered by text and never call an unknown phone number.
Also referred to as whale attacks, Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks are centered around the idea of impersonating a well a C-Level executive of a targeted organization. The scam involves a fraudulent email from the high level executive to someon within the organization requesting a wire transfer , tax documents or employee records. While phishing attacks are implemented to achieve multiple obectives such as delivering ransomware, steal passwords or download malware to name a few, BEC attacks are all about the money, a lot of money. According to the FBI last year, the practice of BEC attacks is now a $5 billion business. The financial losses inflicted on an organization from a single attack can be huge. In 2016, the Mattel Corporation was a victim of an elaborate whaling scheme in which an attacker spoofed the email of the new CEO on his first day of work. An email was sent to a finance executive instructing him to send a wire transfer to a Chinese bank account for a new vendor. The wire transfer was for $3 million. Fortunately, the money was later recovered.
Unlike phishing attacks, BEC attacks are specifically targeted and well planned out. Once the attackers infiltrate the email system, they will observe and study the email culture of the organization for months. The attack is then initiated to coincide when a top executive is on vacation or is new on the job. BEC attacks are often immune from standard spam filtering solutions but there are a number of ways to combat them.
- Implement a protocol in which all financial wire requests must be verified verbally over the phone. Some organizations require the confirmation of a secret word or phrase at the start of the call.
- In order to prevent a spoofing attack, have users hit the forwarding email button rather than the reply button. Doing so will allow them to confirm the exact email address of the person requesting money or confidential materials.
- Rather than simply hitting the reply button to respond to requests, have the users create a new email with the confirmed email address of the requester.
- Caution C-Level executives from posting personal information such as vacations or information that could be used to answer multi-authentication security questions for a password reset.
Organizations have a duty to their employees and customers to protect their data. Continually evaluating IT safeguards, security awareness, compliance, and business objectives should be prioritized and balanced.
Consider a Continuous Penetration Testing program or Pen Testing as a Service (PTaaS) to assess your safeguards throughout the year for a proactive security approach.
Enhance your security strategy to address your changing working environment and risk profile due to COVID-19. HALOCK is a trusted cyber security consulting firm and penetration testing company headquartered in Schaumburg, IL in the Chicago area servicing clients throughout the United States on reasonable security strategies.
Are you prepared for a cyber security incident? Assess your incident response readiness. We can help if you have a security incident to help minimize the impact.
Incident Response Hotline: 800-925-0559 | <urn:uuid:c3200920-428b-4218-bb47-a8597c4ef7f1> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.halock.com/popular-cyber-attacks-levied-today-why-due-care-is-so-important-reasonable/ | 2024-09-10T10:27:37Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651241.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910093422-20240910123422-00229.warc.gz | en | 0.954091 | 1,578 | 2.625 | 3 |
As technology evolves, so do the tactics of cybercriminals. Large Language Models (LLMs) like GPT-4, designed to assist in various legitimate tasks, are being increasingly exploited by threat actors to enhance their ransomware and malware campaigns. Understanding how these AI-driven tools are misused is critical for developing robust cybersecurity defenses.
How LLMs are Exploited by Cybercriminals
Automated Phishing Attacks
One of the most significant ways LLMs aid cybercriminals is through the automation of phishing campaigns. LLMs can generate convincing, personalized phishing emails at scale, using natural language processing to mimic legitimate communication. This increases the likelihood of recipients falling for these attacks, as the emails can be tailored to specific industries, organizations, or even individuals.
LLMs can be used to create highly convincing fake identities on social media, forums, or even in direct communication channels like email or messaging apps. These identities can engage with targets to gain trust or extract sensitive information, which is then used to facilitate further attacks.
Cybercriminals can leverage LLMs to generate malicious code or modify existing malware to evade detection. These models can provide templates for ransomware, obfuscate code to avoid antivirus scans, or even suggest new methods to exploit vulnerabilities. The ability of LLMs to generate code snippets based on simple prompts significantly lowers the barrier for less technically skilled attackers to create or adapt malware.
Reconnaissance and Data Analysis
LLMs can analyze large datasets to identify potential vulnerabilities in a target’s infrastructure. By processing information from public sources or even stolen data, LLMs can help threat actors identify weak points in security that can be exploited.
LLMs can be leveraged in data poisoning attacks against defense ML/AI systems by generating subtle yet sophisticated adversarial inputs. These inputs are crafted to manipulate the training data of security tools, causing the model to learn incorrect patterns or classifications. By introducing these tainted data points, an attacker can degrade the performance of defense algorithms, making them less effective at detecting threats. This can lead to bypassing existing security mechanisms, as the poisoned model may fail to recognize malicious activities or misclassify them as benign.
Preventing AI-Enhanced Attacks with Deceptive Bytes
As cyber threats become more sophisticated with the aid of AI, the need for advanced defense mechanisms is more critical than ever. Deceptive Bytes offers a proactive solution to counteract these evolving threats.
Deceptive Bytes’ technology focuses on creating a dynamic environment that continuously changes, making it difficult for malware to execute successfully. By presenting false information about the environment, the solution confuses and misleads malware, rendering traditional and AI-enhanced attack strategies ineffective.
The platform utilizes real-time behavioral analysis to detect anomalies and potential threats before they can cause harm. By continuously monitoring how software interacts with the system, Deceptive Bytes can identify unusual patterns that might indicate an ongoing attack, including those guided by LLMs.
Unlike traditional reactive security measures, Deceptive Bytes takes an active approach by engaging with the threat, causing it to reveal itself. This not only helps in stopping the attack but also gathers valuable intelligence on the tactics being used, which can be crucial in defending against future threats.
The misuse of LLMs by cybercriminals poses a significant challenge to modern cybersecurity. However, solutions like Deceptive Bytes offer an effective countermeasure by employing dynamic deception and proactive defense strategies. As AI continues to evolve, so must our defenses, ensuring that we stay one step ahead in the ever-changing landscape of cybersecurity. | <urn:uuid:f22d43d4-2f1f-43fc-855f-797f85f09ca0> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://blog.deceptivebytes.com/the-role-of-large-language-models-in-enhancing-ransomware-and-malware-threats/ | 2024-09-11T17:27:12Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651390.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911152031-20240911182031-00129.warc.gz | en | 0.920057 | 724 | 2.953125 | 3 |
Electronic waste is one of the fastest-growing types of waste in today’s environment—and one of the most dangerous. From computer components to mobile devices, flash drives to batteries, electronic devices and their constituent parts are being used—and thrown away—more than ever before. Printer cartridges are a major contributor to the electronic waste problem. In North America alone, over 350 million printer cartridges end up in landfills each year. Not to mention, the entire process before the cartridge even gets to your office—drilling for oil, refining, shipping, manufacturing the cartridge, packaging, delivery, and sales.
With such an impact resulting from just a single printer cartridge, a little effort on your part can go a long way. A toner recycling program involving the toner cartridges you use will have a positive impact on the environment.
Disposal and Waste – Let’s start at the end—the final destination of a printer cartridge and its waste. It’s estimated that each laser printer in your office produces about 100 pounds of waste each year. The majority of that waste ends up in landfills, where—for cartridges made from specialized non-biodegradable plastics—they take 1,000 years to filly decompose. Disposal also contaminates the surrounding environment—landfill-based cartridges can leach toxins into the ground, while incineration produces poisonous air pollution.
Production and Raw Materials – It takes approximately three quarts of oil to produce a single toner cartridge, and production of toner cartridges also takes its toll on energy and water. Fortunately, cartridges can be refilled as many as a dozen times, slashing the cost in raw materials, water usage, and energy expenditure. With consistent efforts, you can save as many as nine gallons (36 quarts!) of oil through recycling a single cartridge. Every component saves raw materials—the plastics, metals, and inks from a used cartridge can all be reclaimed and reused.
While technological strides for greener offices continue to advance, we can do our part for the environment today by simply recycling the toner cartridges we use. Consistently applied, this small habit can have a huge impact. Contact Infomax today to get a toner recycling program underway in your organization. | <urn:uuid:f1245a39-cf98-49ef-838b-2069174bb934> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.infomaxoffice.com/the-big-impact-of-toner-recycling/ | 2024-09-11T17:43:17Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651390.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911152031-20240911182031-00129.warc.gz | en | 0.925644 | 465 | 3.375 | 3 |
The concept of SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards has been around since 1991. Since then, SIM cards have been upgraded and modernized to fit the needs of today’s technology. As adaptations are made to our devices, necessary technology is required to maintain seamless connectivity.
The eSIM (embedded SIM) was introduced to the market in the 2010’s more notably established in 2017 when Apple launched eSIM with the Apple Watch Series 3, the first LTE-capable Apple Watch. Over the coming years, a substantial shift occurred towards eSIM adoption with GSMA Intelligence predicting 850 million eSIM smartphone connections globally by 2025 and growing to 6.7 billion by 2030.
However, there are a few types of SIM card solutions on the market, such as the iSIM, and it’s important to know the difference. So, what’s the difference between the eSIM and iSIM?
A SIM card is a physical, removable chip that is used to connect a device to a mobile network. It’s what pairs that device to the specific carrier. eSIM leverages the SIM card into a universally compatible card that can connect to any cellular carrier or technology.
Typically, SIM cards cannot be replaced remotely, and a physical switch is required to change network carriers. The device would need a different SIM card for each carrier it connects to – the carrier profile is unique to each SIM. With eSIM, you have a carrier-agnostic approach because profiles are downloadable, meaning when you switch from one carrier to another, it occurs digitally, instead of physically as is the case with traditional SIMs.
An iSIM (integrated SIM) is a small chip that can be embedded in a device to store the user's SIM card data. The user's SIM card is not required to be inserted into the device, but rather it transmits data via iSIM. Similar to eSIMs, iSIMs replace the need for a physical SIM card. iSIMs have been available since 2016 and have remained uncommon in the market; although, the iSIM is positioned to be a next step in the evolution of SIM cards.
iSIM offers great connectivity for specific solutions. However, it is not projected to take over the eSIM market. Some of the main benefits of iSIM can be seen in more consumer-facing products, such as small wearable devices.
Because eSIM technology can support multiple carrier profiles, the result is future-proofed and reliable. The impact of eSIM for IoT is comprehensive and benefits can look like:
KORE offers simple eSIM solutions to best fit your connectivity needs. Our OmniSIM Rush and OmniSIM Reach options take the complexity out of global deployments. KORE provides comprehensive solutions and eSIM technology that give you all of the flexibility you need to get started today. Learn more about our offerings and eSIM solutions here.
Stay up to date on all things IoT by signing up for email notifications. | <urn:uuid:cde04f4b-fd48-48e2-bcbc-282b1acef5cf> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.korewireless.com/news/esim-vs-isim-whats-the-difference | 2024-09-11T16:34:43Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651390.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911152031-20240911182031-00129.warc.gz | en | 0.944333 | 607 | 2.75 | 3 |
802.11ac is often referred to as Wi-Fi 5. It’s designed to boost internet speed, improve reliability, and extend the range of wireless networks. For business owners, this means a more efficient and stable Wi-Fi experience for both operational needs and guest usage.
The Basics of 802.11ac Wi-Fi Technology
802.11ac operates primarily on the 5 GHz band, known for less interference compared to the crowded 2.4 GHz band used by older standards. This results in cleaner, faster connections. With increased channel bandwidth and more spatial streams, 802.11ac can offer speeds several times faster than its predecessor, 802.11n.
Advancements from 802.11n to 802.11ac
Moving from 802.11n to 802.11ac is like upgrading from a two-lane road to a superhighway. While 802.11n could deliver speeds up to 450Mbps, 802.11ac steps it up, offering potential speeds up to 3x faster. This increase is pivotal for businesses with high bandwidth demands, such as video conferencing and large file transfers.
Key Features of WiFi 5
- Enhanced Speed: Capable of delivering speeds up to three times faster than 802.11n.
- Improved Bandwidth: Offers wider channel bandwidths.
- Beamforming: Targets Wi-Fi signals directly to your device rather than broadcasting in all directions, enhancing signal strength and range.
- Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO): Allows more devices to connect simultaneously without slowing down the network.
Understanding IEEE 802.11ac Standard
The IEEE 802.11ac standard, ratified in 2014, set the foundation for high-performance wireless networks. It emphasized not only speed but also efficient data encoding and robust signal management. These enhancements make 802.11ac an ideal choice for environments with multiple connected devices.
Compatibility with Older Wi-Fi Networks
One of the greatest strengths of 802.11ac is its backward compatibility. It works seamlessly with older devices operating on previous Wi-Fi standards. This means you can upgrade to an 802.11ac router without needing to replace all your existing devices. It’s a forward-thinking choice, ensuring your business stays connected with the latest technology without immediate overhaul needs.
Exploring the Differences Between Wave 1 vs Wave 2
When we talk about 802.11ac, it’s essential to understand it comes in two waves: Wave 1 and Wave 2. Each wave signifies an evolution in technology, offering distinct features and capabilities.
What Sets Apart Wave 1 and Wave 2 in 802.11ac?
Wave 1 was the first iteration of 802.11ac, hitting the market around 2013. It brought substantial improvements over its predecessor, 802.11n, particularly in terms of speed and bandwidth. However, Wave 1 had its limitations in device connectivity and efficiency.
Wave 2, introduced around 2015/2016, took things further. It didn’t just improve on the basics; it revolutionized them. Here’s how:
- Increased Bandwidth: Wave 2 can support up to 160 MHz channel bandwidth, double that of Wave 1’s 80 MHz.
- More Spatial Streams: Wave 2 can handle up to four spatial streams, whereas Wave 1 is limited to three.
- Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO): Perhaps the biggest leap, Wave 2’s MU-MIMO technology allows a router to communicate with multiple devices simultaneously, a feature not available in Wave 1.
Benefits of WiFi 5 Wave 2 for Users
Wave 2’s MU-MIMO technology means better handling of multiple connections – a boon in environments with numerous Wi-Fi-enabled devices. The increased bandwidth translates to faster data transfers, making it ideal for high-demand tasks like streaming HD video or conducting large file backups.
Upgrading from Wave 1 to Wave 2: What to Expect
Upgrading to Wave 2 promises a more robust and efficient network. Expect smoother performance, fewer bottlenecks, and improved range. However, to fully harness these benefits, ensure your devices are Wave 2 compatible.
How Wave 2 Improves Upon Wave 1 in Performance
Wave 2 doesn’t just accelerate Wi-Fi speeds. iI smartens up the way your network handles traffic. With MU-MIMO, your router can address multiple devices in parallel, reducing wait time and improving overall network efficiency. This is crucial for businesses where time is money, and network delays are more than just an inconvenience.
Wave 1 and Wave 2: Compatibility with Devices
Compatibility is key in technology transitions. Thankfully, both Wave 1 and Wave 2 routers are backward compatible with older Wi-Fi standards. But to leverage Wave 2’s full potential, using Wave 2 compatible devices is recommended. Most modern smartphones, laptops, and tablets are already equipped for this, making the transition smoother for businesses upgrading their network.
Maximizing Speed and Throughput with 802.11ac Wireless Networks
What Data Rates Can You Achieve with 802.11ac?
802.11ac technology can deliver impressive data rates. These speeds are influenced by factors such as the number of spatial streams, channel width, and whether your network is using Wave 1 or Wave 2 technology.
The Role of MIMO in Boosting Wi-Fi Speeds
Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) technology is a cornerstone of 802.11ac’s speed. It allows for multiple data streams to be transmitted simultaneously, significantly boosting performance. In Wave 2, we see the advent of Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO), which takes this a step further by allowing the router to communicate with multiple devices at once, rather than sequentially.
Assessing the Throughput Advantages of 802.11ac
Throughput – the actual data rate achieved – is often less than the maximum theoretical speed. However, 802.11ac still outshines its predecessors. Its efficient data encoding, wider channels, and advanced signal processing ensure higher throughput, which is vital for bandwidth-intensive tasks.
Tips for Optimizing Your 802.11ac Network
- Position Your Router Wisely: Centralize the router in your workspace to ensure even coverage.
- Update Device Drivers: Ensure all devices use the latest drivers for optimal compatibility and performance.
- Utilize Dual-Band Capabilities: Separate devices across the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands to reduce interference.
- Regular Network Maintenance: Keep the router’s firmware up to date and regularly reboot your system to maintain peak performance.
Comparing 802.11ac Throughput with Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
While 802.11ac offers significant improvements over previous Wi-Fi standards, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) is the new kid on the block, promising even greater speeds and efficiency. Wi-Fi 6 builds upon the strengths of 802.11ac, particularly in handling multiple devices and in dense network environments. However, for many businesses, 802.11ac is still a sufficient choice, balancing performance with cost-effectiveness.
Understanding the Dual-Band Functionality of 802.11ac Wi-Fi
802.11ac stands out for its dual-band functionality. This feature is a critical element for business owners looking to provide a stable and fast Wi-Fi experience for both operational needs and guest usage.
The Significance of 5 GHz in 802.11ac Networks
802.11ac primarily operates on the 5 GHz band. This band is less congested than the widely used 2.4 GHz band, leading to less interference and more stable connections. The 5 GHz band is particularly adept at handling high-bandwidth activities like HD video streaming or large file transfers, crucial for many business operations.
Dual-Band Networks: 2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz Within 802.11ac
Understanding the difference between the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands is key to optimizing your network:
- 2.4 GHz Band: Offers better coverage but is more prone to interference and typically delivers slower speeds.
- 5 GHz Band: Provides faster speeds and is less susceptible to interference, but has a shorter range.
How Bandwidth Affects 802.11ac Performance
Bandwidth is like the highway of your Wi-Fi network. The wider it is (think 80 MHz or 160 MHz channels in 802.11ac), the more data can travel at once, leading to faster speeds and better performance, especially for data-intensive tasks.
Choosing the Right Frequency for Your Wi-Fi Activities
It’s all about balancing speed and coverage. For tasks that require high speed but are closer to the router like video conferencing, the 5 GHz band is ideal. For activities that need wider coverage but can tolerate slower speeds, like browsing the web in a large office, 2.4 GHz is more suitable.
Multi-user MIMO: Enhancing the Multi-Device Experience
Multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) in 802.11ac takes the dual-band functionality to the next level. It allows a router to communicate with multiple devices simultaneously on both bands. This is a boon for businesses with multiple users and devices, ensuring smoother connectivity and better overall network performance.
802.11ac vs Other Wi-Fi Standards: What Sets It Apart?
When comparing 802.11ac to other Wi-Fi standards, its standout feature is speed. It’s designed for the modern, high-bandwidth requirements of business (and home use), setting it apart from earlier standards.
802.11ac and Beyond: What’s Next with Wi-Fi 6 and 6 GHz?
Looking ahead, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) has even greater speeds and efficiency, especially in dense, high-traffic environments. New WiFi improvements could eventually introduce the use of the 6 GHz band, opening up more spectrum for wireless communication. For businesses, this means contemplating future-proofing their networks for even higher demands.
Is Upgrading to 802.11ac Wi-Fi Worth It for Consumers?
For most businesses, upgrading to 802.11ac is a smart move. This helps improve efficiency, better handling of multiple device connections, and enhanced range. If your current setup struggles with bandwidth-intensive tasks or a high number of connected devices, 802.11ac offers a worthwhile improvement.
How 802.11ac Fits into the Landscape of Wi-Fi Standards
802.11ac fits into the Wi-Fi standards landscape as a bridge between older, slower standards and newer standards like Wi-Fi 6. It offers a significant upgrade in performance without requiring the latest hardware, making it an accessible choice for many businesses.
802.11ac: The Preferred Standard for High-Speed Wireless LAN
In summary, 802.11ac holds its ground as the preferred standard for high-speed wireless LAN in many business environments. It offers a balanced mix of speed, efficiency, and compatibility, making it a go-to choice for businesses looking to boost their Wi-Fi performance without jumping into the world of Wi-Fi 6. | <urn:uuid:f7dd20dd-e356-470c-be05-0a56b0920967> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://purple.ai/blogs/wifi-5-802-11ac/ | 2024-09-12T22:29:37Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651498.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912210501-20240913000501-00029.warc.gz | en | 0.913517 | 2,308 | 2.765625 | 3 |
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