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Multi-tenant architecture serves multiple customers using a single instance of software running on a server. Separate customers in a multi-tenant environment tap into the same data storage and hardware, each creating a dedicated instance. Although every tenant’s data runs on the same server, it remains isolated and invisible to others.
Within the context of application delivery and load balancing, multi-tenancy has a similar definition. In this instance each tenant might represent a business unit or customer organization requiring access to an isolated group of resources (servers and applications). Each tenant may have different requirements based on their needs such as security protocols, compliance requirements, budget allocations. A multi-tenant load balancer can manage the requirements for each of these different tenants within the same central management cluster.
Originally, multitenancy simply referred to a single software instance that serves multiple tenants. However, the term multi-tenant has broadened in meaning beyond software multitenancy thanks to modern cloud computing, and now also refers to shared cloud infrastructure.
In cloud computing, online users access data and applications that are hosted in various data centers by remote servers. Instead of locating applications and data on servers on the premises of a company or on smartphones, laptops, and other individual client devices, they are centralized in the cloud. The ease and convenience of accessing multiple apps and platforms from various devices has, in part, driven the explosion of cloud-based multi tenant applications.
What is Multitenant Architecture?
Multitenant architecture, multi tenant architecture, or multitenancy architecture in cloud computing refers to multiple cloud vendor customers using shared computing resources. However, although they share resources, the data of cloud customers is kept totally separate, and they aren’t aware of each other. Without multitenancy or multi-tenant architecture, cloud services including containers, IaaS, PaaS, serverless computing, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) would be far less practical.
Multi tenant architecture references a single instance of the software, such as one workable application, that runs on the multi-tenant cloud infrastructure provided by the cloud vendor, such as Azure, AWS, or GCP, to simultaneously serve the needs of multiple customers. tenants are invisible to each other and customer data is stored exclusively in multi-tenant SaaS architecture.
Some multi-tenant architecture examples would be Hubspot, Github, and Salesforce. In each case, every user shares the main multi-tenant database and software application, but each tenant’s data is invisible to others and isolated. Users can customize some features, such as notifications or themes, but core application code remains intact and cannot be changed by tenants.
Within the realm of application delivery, a multi-tenant architecture is one that can handle different policies for each entity requiring access to each pool of resources. This means one central management control plane, can govern application services for different tenants. Those tenants may access different applications, with distinct SLAs and security policies, but the ADC will handle them centrally, providing visibility across the tenant environment.
Single Tenant vs Multi-Tenant
There are several ways to think about the differences between single tenancy versus multitenancy. A classic way of thinking about single tenant architecture versus multi-tenant architecture is the analogy of a single family home versus an apartment building.
It is true that users of the multi-tenant architecture share infrastructure and amenities as you would in an apartment building or condominium complex, and that user accounts or “apartments” are customizable. However, there are drawbacks in privacy with this housing analogy that do not necessarily exist in a cloud environment.
A better analogy for understanding multitenancy might be how multiple customers use a bank. The many users of such a facility mostly are unaware of each other, and enjoy much greater security due to their shared amenities. Although they may be shared in a common location, assets are completely separate. And while at an individual branch (or on an individual app or server) there may be an occasional “noisy neighbor” effect on a busy day, bank customers mostly don’t perceive each other.
Users of public cloud computing platforms access the same servers and other infrastructure while maintaining separate business logic and data. And while originally multi-tenant architecture referred to one instance of software that served multiple tenants, modern cloud computing has expanded multitenancy to include shared cloud infrastructure.
Within application delivery, a single tenant might represent an individual customer, a business unit, a function within an organization or team. Multi-tenancy then refers to a combination of those business units, teams or customers, each of which might have their own requirements, resources and cost centers.
Single Tenant vs Multi-Tenant Pros and Cons
To better compare single tenancy and multi-tenant platforms, consider their basic structures, benefits, and drawbacks:
Single Tenant SaaS
In single tenant SaaS architecture the client is the tenant. Each user has supporting infrastructure and a dedicated server in the single tenant environment. Users cannot share single tenant products, but they can customize them to their exact requirements.
A subdivision with one basic model home that can be customized is a metaphor for a single tenant SaaS environment. In this kind of neighborhood community, the basic floor plan and infrastructure are designed and built by the same engineer, but each household uses its own infrastructure and can modify it as needed. Similarly, each user in a single tenant architecture can customize their individual software instance to meet their business requirements.
Advantages of Single Tenant Architecture
Security. Single tenancy isolates each user’s data completely from other users. This structure protects against breaches and hacking, since customers can’t access the sensitive information of others.
Reliability. Single tenant environments are more reliable because the activities of one user cannot affect anyone else. For example, downtime during one client’s difficult integration impacts that client’s software alone; it won’t impact the software of any other users.
Easier Backup and Restoration. Isolated backups to a dedicated portion of the server for each user’s database make it easier to access historical data for backup and restoration. Because all user data is stored in account-specific locations, teams can more easily restore previous settings.
Individual Upgrades. Single tenants don’t need to wait for universal updates from the software provider and can upgrade their services individually, on their own time as soon as the download is available, without disrupting workflow, after hours.
Easier Migration. Migrating to a self-hosted environment from a SaaS environment is easier because it is simpler to export and transfer data that is all stored in one space.
Drawbacks of Single Tenant Environments
Some drawbacks associated with single tenant environments include:
Cost. Typically, single tenancy costs more than multi-tenant cloud architecture. Each new user requires a new instance, and every one has an associated cost. There is also no cost-sharing for monitoring, deployment, or other services. Furthermore, more maintenance and customizations demand more time and compute resources.
Maintenance. Single tenant SaaS architecture which demands constant upgrades and updates generally requires more maintenance. This can consume extensive time, and the user must manage it.
Efficiency. Single tenant SaaS is often less efficient than multi-tenant SaaS because until it is completely onboarded it cannot make efficient use of resources. The ongoing need to update, practically, means either using an outdated version or permanently dedicating resources to maintenance.
What is Multi-Tenant Architecture?
As described above, a multi-tenant SaaS architecture sees multiple users saving and storing data with a single instance of the software along with its supporting data. Each user has some level of customization possible, but shares the same application and multi-tenant database. Based on this, there are several benefits to a multi-tenant cloud management platform.
Advantages of Multi-Tenant Architecture
Lower Costs. Multi-tenant architecture often costs less than a single tenant structure because it allows for the exchange of applications, resources, databases, and services. Additional users can use the same software, so scaling has fewer implications.
Efficient Resources. Multi-tenant software architecture shares all resources, offering optimum efficiency and the capacity to power multiple users at once, because it is a dynamic environment where users access resources simultaneously.
Lower Maintenance Costs and Fewer User Responsibilities. Typically, users don’t have to pay expensive maintenance costs and other fees to maintain the software as those costs are associated with SaaS subscriptions. Clients retain responsibility for patches, updates, and other software development, but not areas that can be moved to the cloud, such as hosting.
Common Data Centers. Customers use a common infrastructure so there is no need to create a new data center for each new customer.
Increased Computing Capacity. Multitenancy architecture allows for more computing or server capacity within the same infrastructure and data center.
Simplified Data Mining. All data can be accessed from within a single database schema by all customers, making it more accessible.
Streamlined Data Release and Installation. A multi-tenant package only requires installation on one server rather than individual releases of code and data to specific servers and client desktops.
These same advantages for SaaS also translate to application delivery whereby multiple business units (tenants) can share the central capabilities and costs of the ADC between each other, and scale them up or down as required. This prevents over-provisioning which historically has been a challenge for hardware-based ADCs that are not divisible or scalable.
Drawbacks of Multi-Tenant Cloud Architecture
Multi-tenant architecture has its own shortcomings.
Downtime. Because it relies on large, complex databases that require routine hardware and software downtime, multi-tenant architecture may experience more downtime. This can make an organization appear less reliable and cause issues with availability for customers.
Security and Compliance. Certain potential multi-tenant cloud security risks and compliance issues exist. For example, due to regulatory requirements, some companies may not be able to use shared infrastructure to store data, no matter how secure it is. Additionally, although it shouldn’t occur when infrastructure is configured properly by the cloud vendor and it is extremely rare, corrupted data or other security problems from one tenant could spread to other tenants on the same machine.
However, cloud vendors typically invest more than individual businesses can in their security. The right multi-tenant security model greatly mitigates these risks. A multi-tenant firewall provides a dedicated instance for each user, and multi-tenant monitoring software also offers added security. Ultimately, most multi-tenancy systems provide much more security than single tenant systems.
Noisy Neighbors. There may be more noise and in-app disturbances in multi-tenant environments. Shared databases inside a multi-tenant environment can mean hardware and software issues for one tenant impact others. This “noisy neighbor” effect can mean inadequate computing power and reduced performance for other users, or even an outage. However, if the cloud vendor has correctly set up their infrastructure, this should not occur.
Less Customization. Multi-tenant SaaS is less customizable than single tenant SaaS and users cannot totally control environmental quality because services and resources are shared with multiple customers.
How Multi-Tenancy is Implemented?
Various technical principles enable multitenancy in different cloud computing settings.
Public Cloud Computing. Public cloud providers implement multitenancy so that the same tool works to meet each user’s specific needs in a slightly different way. The provider will define multitenancy as a shared software instance that can be altered at runtime using stored tenant metadata so it performs better for each user. Permissions isolate the tenants from each other and they all experience and use the software differently.
Container Architecture/Multi-Tenant Kubernetes. Containers are self-contained, and can ensure consistent application performance regardless of hosting location. Each of the multitenant database containers runs as if it were the host machine’s only system, partitioned from other containers in different user space environments. These characteristics mean that it’s easy to run multiple cloud customer containers on one host machine using the single multitenant container database.
In Kubernetes multitenancy, multiple workloads or applications run side by side, sharing resources between tenants. The control plane and cluster are shared by the applications, workloads, or users.
Serverless Computing/Function-as-a-Service (FaaS). In this model of cloud computing, applications are broken up into smaller portions called functions. Each function runs separately from other functions and only on demand. Serverless functions run on any available machine in the serverless provider’s infrastructure, not on dedicated servers. Serverless providers may be running code from multiple customers on one server simultaneously because users do not have their own discrete physical servers.
Private Cloud Computing. Similar to public cloud computing, multiple tenants or customers share architecture in private cloud computing. The difference is that the multiple tenants are teams within one private organizational cloud, not multiple organizations.
Does VMware NSX Advanced Load Balancer Support Multi-Tenant Solutions?
Yes – the Platform supports multi-tenancy. Within VMware NSX Advanced Load Balancer a tenant, such as a business unit, can manage an isolated group of resources. Each tenant as a full set of controls, monitoring, visibility and reporting across those resources.
In fact, the VMware NSX Advanced Load Balancer platform supports the different forms of tenancy:
- Control plane isolation only — Policies and application configuration are isolated between each tenant. This means there are no shared policies or configurations between tenants. The applications are provisioned using a common set of Service Engine entities, so the engines are shared between tenants even though the policies implemented are unique.
- Control + Data plane isolation — Policies and applications configuration are isolated across tenants. Furthermore, the applications are provisioned on an isolated set of Service Engines, not shared between tenants. This enables full tenancy.
This flexibility, combined with the Platform’s ability to assign users to single or multiple tenants, gives the Platform a high degree of configurability to meet a range of enterprise requirements and situations.
For more on the actual implementation of load balancing, security applications and web application firewalls check out our Application Delivery How-To Videos.
Find out more about how the VMware NSX Advanced Load Balancer platform here. | <urn:uuid:3b10be88-57cb-465f-a57e-a99f5bfbf5b5> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://avinetworks.com/glossary/multi-tenant/ | 2024-09-16T11:58:41Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651697.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20240916112213-20240916142213-00271.warc.gz | en | 0.917718 | 3,009 | 2.546875 | 3 |
The pace at which large language models (LLMs) and other generative AI (genAI) technologies are advancing and being adopted is raising significant ethical concerns among consumers, researchers, and developers. Organizations across sectors and industries are issuing guidance on generative AI ethics, from the American Bar Association (ABA) to the World Health Organization (WHO) and even the Catholic Church.
These ethical concerns generally fall into one or more of the following categories:
- How consumer data – particularly sensitive or personally identifiable information (PII) – is collected and used for genAI.
- The fairness and inclusivity of training datasets, and how to avoid biased inference (decision-making) by an LLM.
- The security of models and their supporting infrastructure, including their ability to withstand tampering (which could affect inference fairness and accuracy) or data extraction (which could expose sensitive consumer information).
- The potential for LLMs to generate illegal, violent, or otherwise harmful content in outputs to end-users.
- Accountability for organizations who either intentionally or unintentionally harm others through the use of generative AI technology.
How to make AI ethical: Strategies and best practices
Using a holistic, multi-layered approach to mitigating ethical risks can improve the potential for success in balancing generative AI ethics with model performance. This includes the practices listed in the table below.
Multi-level Plan for Ethical AI
Best practices |
Implement ethical practices and safeguards during the development and pretraining of the foundation model (e.g., the general-purpose LLM on which other tools are built). |
Use policies to define allowable pretraining data and limit the ingestion of toxic content. |
Mitigate ethical risks during the fine-tuning stage, when training LLMs for specific use cases. |
Cleanse data of PII, toxicity, and bias while using human or AI feedback to fine-tune LLM responses. |
Implement safeguards at the input level, where users and applications create and submit prompts to the model. |
Use prompt filtering and engineering to ensure that inputs comply with LLM content policies. |
Use additional safeguards at the output level, where the model generates responses for end-users. |
Use bias and toxicity detection tools to cleanse outputs more accurately than binary blocklists. |
Provide end-users with context regarding the nature, risks, and limitations of the genAI solution they’re interacting with. |
Notify users that they are interacting with an LLM and that generated results may not be 100% accurate. |
Developing ethical LLMs
Building generative AI models responsibly from the ground up will align more easily with standards for safety, security, and ethics. Developing an LLM to solve a problem that will improve people’s lives, rather than focusing on profits, is a great place to start. It’s also important to define content policies that impose safety limitations on pre-training and fine-tuning data to prevent the ingestion of toxic (i.e., illegal, violent, or harmful) content.
Fine-tuning for safety and ethics
Instead of developing their own LLM, most companies purchase a pre-trained LLM and have their own internal developers fine-tune the models for a specific use case. During the fine-tuning stage, developers can also integrate additional safety and ethical mitigations. These include:
- Cleansing training data of PII and other sensitive or unnecessary information.
- Identifying and removing biases (such as racial, gender, or cultural biases) and toxicity from training data.
- Labeling (a.k.a., annotating) training data according to helpfulness and safety using supervised fine-tuning (SFT).
- Using reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF) or reinforcement learning from AI feedback (RLAIF) to make LLMs more resilient to jailbreaking.
- Pre-programming a model using targeted safety context distillation to associate adversarial prompts with safe responses.
Mitigating input risks
After a generative AI model goes into production, there are risks associated with users and LLM-enabled applications (intentionally or unintentionally) introducing bias, toxicity, and other unethical behavior via input prompts. There are two primary ways to mitigate these risks at the input level.
- Prompt filtering: Screening inputs for toxic language and PII, or hard-coding neutral responses to prompts that include problematic content.
- Prompt engineering: Directly modifying user inputs with contextual information or guidelines to assist the LLM in generating an ethical output.
Mitigating output risks
It’s also important to detect and remove unethical content from outputs generated by LLMs. The easiest method is to use blocklists of words and phrases the model should never use under any circumstances. However, blocklists can be too restrictive, especially for terms that have multiple, context-dependent meanings (e.g., some medical terminology could be interpreted as sexually suggestive).
Another approach involves using bias and toxicity detection tools that work at inference time (i.e., when the model makes decisions and generates content). These tools use a taxonomy of toxicity and bias categories (such as gender discrimination, profanity, or violent language) to label problematic content according to severity with greater accuracy than binary blocklists.
Ensuring transparent user interactions
Generative AI does not have perfect accuracy, so there’s always the potential for false information in LLM outputs. For example, the aforementioned ABA guidance came about partly due to a legal issue in Virginia involving fictitious (also known as hallucinated) case citations used in a lawsuit. Improving model accuracy is, of course, of paramount importance as more sectors of society rely on genAI, but these improvements can’t occur fast enough to address current ethical concerns.
That’s why it’s critical for organizations to be transparent with users about their interactions with AI and the potential risks and limitations of relying on generated information. An example might include notifying users that the customer service agent they’re talking to is an LLM chatbot and should not be relied upon for, say, legal or financial advice.
Generative AI ethics with Granica Screen
Granica Screen is a privacy and safety solution that helps organizations develop and use AI ethically. The Screen “Safe Room for AI” protects tabular and natural language processing (NLP) data and models during training, fine-tuning, inference, and retrieval augmented generation (RAG). It detects sensitive information like PII, bias, and toxicity with state-of-the-art accuracy, and uses multiple masking techniques to allow safe use with generative AI. Granica Screen helps data engineers “shift-left” with data privacy, using an API for integration directly into the data pipelines that support data science and machine learning (DSML) workflows.
To learn more about how to make AI ethical with Granica Screen, contact one of our experts to schedule a demo.
August 27, 2024 | <urn:uuid:8a910dd7-2dcc-4caa-adf1-e1534c0b64cd> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://granica.ai/blog/how-to-make-ai-ethical-grc | 2024-09-16T13:36:51Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651697.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20240916112213-20240916142213-00271.warc.gz | en | 0.908182 | 1,454 | 2.765625 | 3 |
A chart item is a graphical piece of information placed on the chart. There are two main sorts of chart items, entities and links.
An entity is a visual representation of a piece of information. Entities can be used to represent a wide variety of real-world data that occur in your investigations such as people, objects, locations, events, documents and accounts.
Icon | Used to represent a person, object, or place. |
Theme Line | Represents one of the key elements of the investigation, for example a victim, witness, suspect, or location. Theme lines provide a common thread, typically to connect a sequence of events over time. |
Event Frame | Used for a significant occurrence or instance, often at a specific date and time. |
Circle | Any piece of information. Often used for annotation. |
Box | Used to represent organizations or groups of other entities. |
Text Block | Any piece of information. Often used for annotation. |
OLE Object | An object created with another application and incorporated into the chart, for example a spreadsheet, word-processor document, or graphic file. |
Label | Text used to annotate the chart. |
A link is a line between two entities that represents a relationship between them. They can have direction, for example, to show the flow of transactions. They can also have no direction to represent a general association. The line style can be used to reflect the confidence in the relationship.
Links are categorized into types.
All chart items can contain attributes that contain additional information.
An attribute is a marker that is placed below entities or links to indicate additional information or common features. For example, attributes might be used to display the nationality of people on the chart, or the color of vehicles. Symbols can be used to indicate a characteristic, and textual or numeric values.- Analysis attributes
- Analysis attributes are another category of attribute. They are never displayed on your chart and are only used for searching and other analysis. They are listed on the Analysis page of the Chart Item Properties window.
- Automatic attributes
- Some attributes are generated automatically by Analyst's Notebook. They appear in the attribute classes list with a yellow background and can be displayed on the chart. Selection sets are examples of this type of attribute. | <urn:uuid:e14956b3-3340-4751-86ea-88b5a670a922> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://docs.i2group.com/anb/10.0.0/chart_items.html | 2024-09-17T19:38:07Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651829.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917172631-20240917202631-00171.warc.gz | en | 0.900259 | 468 | 3.125 | 3 |
UNB, narrow band or spread spectrum – which works for the IoT?
Lots of things matter to a user, developer or operator of a wireless IoT network – security, QoS, reliability, energy consumption etc. All of these are important but one parameter consistently makes the top of this list – cost. It’s arguably the one that has done more to hold back the realisation of the lofty projections for IoT than any other. And a major contributing factor to this cost has consistently gone unrecognised – network capacity.
The primary costs in a wireless network are obviously associated with the hardware at both ends of the wireless link – the base station and the terminal device. Additional costs such as data processing, storage etc. are not considered here since we’re only comparing the OTA link technology. End device BoM costs for all three technologies are reasonably equivalent, at least the differences are essentially negligible, so we’re not considering these here either.
Network capacity is arguably the most significant parameter to factor into our cost calculation. It determines cell size and consequently the number of base stations in the network. And base station count is the primary factor in a viable total cost of ownership calculation.
Normally we think of network capacity as a measure of the number of end devices connected simultaneously to a single base station so we’ll keep with this convention and see how MAC total throughput, transmission frequency and data payload all factor into capacity calculation below.
Figure 1 shows the MAC throughput for three popular LPWAN technologies – LoRa, Sigfox and Weightless. These numbers pertain to EU regulations. LoRa is a spread spectrum technology, Sigfox uses ultra narrow band and Weightless-P is a narrow band technology.
SIGFOX | LORA | WEIGHTLESS-P | |
MAC throughput bits/s | 1404 | 93 | 4923 |
- Weightless-P adaptive data rate with 10dB margin, PER target 0.1%
- Scheduled up-link capacity is calculated
- Mean data rate determined by throughput for randomly positioned nodes with properly assigned data rate
- Weightless-P: -134dBm sensitivity for 0.625kbps, EU Tx power is 14dBm and US Tx power is 27dBm
- Sigfox and Weightless-P MAC throughput based on urban Hata model (BST antenna height 30m and ED height 0.5m)
- Coverage for Weightless-P is 1.5km for EU and 3.8km for US
- LoRa MAC throughput based on Ingenu white paper but removed over-conservative assumptions on repetition rate
- Capacity loss due to slot granularity is absorbed by assuming 50% protocol overhead and 50% UL half duplex ratio
In any wireless system the data throughput determines the achievable network capacity. Higher data throughput enables larger data packets, more frequent transmissions and a greater number of end points. These fundamental parameters are the key factors in the scalability debate. Increase any one of these and you are stress testing the scalability of the network. Let’s look at a typical scenario.
In the utility metering sector a 15 minute reading interval is the accepted default frequency of uplink transmissions. And a data packet of 200 bytes would be considered normal. What does this mean for Sigfox, LoRa and Weightless?
First up for this example we could discount Sigfox based on the payload limitation of 8 bytes but I’m using this as the basis for comparison of network capacity so let’s keep going. 200 bytes every 15 minutes is 800 bytes/hour or, expressed in bits per second, 1.78 BPS. The MAC throughput divided by the end device data throughput will define for us the number of nodes that can be serviced – this is how data rate and capacity are linked.
Weightless-P can handle 2769 end points per base station with these uplink characteristics. LoRa can manage 52 and Sigfox can accommodate 789 end points.
Impact on cost of ownership
The CAPEX on an IoT base station might be in the region of USD$5k – let’s not get too hung up on the exact numbers. Ancillary equipment might cost USD$4k. Site engineering another USD$7k. In terms of OPEX, site rental around USD$2.5 – 4k per year and backhaul and comms another USD$2.5 – 4k per year. Over a 10 year timespan the lifetime cost of the base station will be in the region of USD$50 – 80k. Bottom line, the BST hardware BoM cost is virtually irrelevant when calculating the total cost of ownership.
Taking the lower end of these figures, USD$50k, we can calculate the cost to cover a typical city. Let’s use San Diego, CA, as our example, with a population of just over 3 million people. The typical San Diego household has 2 people deriving 1.5 million households consuming energy – each with, let’s say, one utility meter.
For a Sigfox network (assuming that Sigfox’ technology was suitable for this use case) servicing 1.5 million households approximately 1500000/789 base stations would be required. That is about 1900 base stations with an approximate cost of USD$9.5 million per year.
For LoRa the same calculation derives 1500000/52. This equates to around 29000 base stations. That’s an equivalent cost of approximately USD$14.4 million per year.
The same calculation for Weightless-P. 1500000/2769 equates to 542 base stations with an approximate, equivalent cost of USD$2.7 million per year.
The difference between these costs needs hardly to be pointed out and the conclusion is clear – network capacity matters. Whilst for some use cases it might be possible to absorb the additional cost of multiple base stations many other applications far more price sensitive and commercially unsustainable. | <urn:uuid:a11126ab-e42e-4738-8661-275f6bd15103> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://iotbusinessnews.com/2016/11/17/52333-choosing-lpwan-technology/ | 2024-09-17T18:23:52Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651829.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917172631-20240917202631-00171.warc.gz | en | 0.912034 | 1,233 | 2.5625 | 3 |
The Future of mRNA Vaccines in Combating Cancer, HIV, and Beyond
Luis Alvarez, CEO of Alvarez Technology Group, recently discussed the groundbreaking potential of mRNA vaccine technologies in revolutionizing the medical field. Born out of the research conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, this new approach might soon enable the development of vaccines for cancer and HIV, among other diseases. Alvarez also emphasized the importance of R&D investments in catalyzing such life-changing innovations, drawing parallels with the invention of the microwave oven, which resulted from R&D money spent during WWII. This article will delve deeper into the potential of mRNA vaccines and their far-reaching implications for modern medicine.
mRNA Vaccine Technologies: An Overview
The rapid development and worldwide distribution of COVID-19 vaccines based on mRNA technology have been instrumental in fighting the pandemic. This novel approach uses small genetic codes to instruct our cells to produce harmless virus fragments. Our immune system generates antibodies capable of recognizing and neutralizing the virus in future encounters.
This new generation of vaccines has proven to be highly effective and faster to develop than traditional vaccines. However, the potential of mRNA technology extends far beyond COVID-19, promising transformative advancements in medicine.
Cancer Vaccines: A New Era of Personalized Treatment
Cancer, a complex and multifaceted disease, occurs when cells mutate and grow uncontrollably. Existing cancer treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery often come with severe side effects and might not always be effective. The idea of using vaccines to prevent or treat cancer has been a long-standing aspiration in the medical community. With the advent of mRNA technology, this aspiration is now within reach.
Customized mRNA vaccines can potentially target cancerous cells more effectively by leveraging the unique genetic signature of an individual’s tumor. These personalized vaccines can stimulate a targeted immune response, teaching the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed. Clinical trials are underway, and if successful, this revolutionary approach could forever change how cancer is treated, ushering in a new era of personalized medicine.
HIV Vaccines: A Promising Approach
HIV has been a significant global health challenge for decades, affecting millions worldwide and remaining incurable. Developing an effective vaccine has proven elusive, primarily due to the virus’s ability to mutate rapidly and evade the immune system. However, mRNA technology could provide the key to unlocking a viable HIV vaccine.
Scientists are now exploring how mRNA vaccines can train the immune system to recognize and attack the virus at its most vulnerable stages. This approach has the potential to generate a robust and long-lasting immune response, overcoming previous hurdles faced in HIV vaccine development. If successful, an HIV vaccine would mark a critical milestone in the fight against this devastating disease, potentially saving millions of lives.
The Broader Potential of mRNA Vaccines
Apart from cancer and HIV, the mRNA vaccine technology could be applied to various other diseases, including influenza, Zika, and even future emerging pathogens. Its versatility and development speed could make it an invaluable tool in responding to new and evolving health threats and improving global health security.
The Impact of R&D Investments
The development of mRNA vaccine technology is a testament to the transformative potential of R&D investments. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of continued funding in advancing medical science and generating practical solutions to global challenges. Alvarez’s analogy to the microwave oven underscores how investments made during times of crisis can lead to unforeseen innovations that benefit society for generations to come.
Continued Research and Collaboration
To maximize the potential of mRNA vaccines, ongoing research, and collaboration among scientists, pharmaceutical companies, and governments are essential. Developing new vaccines requires not only extensive research but also robust testing, regulatory approval, and large-scale production. By working together, stakeholders can accelerate the development and distribution of these groundbreaking vaccines, ensuring that their life-saving benefits are accessible to everyone.
Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy and Disparities
As mRNA vaccines continue to prove their effectiveness, addressing vaccine hesitancy and disparities becomes increasingly important. Ensuring that accurate information about the safety and efficacy of these vaccines reaches the public is crucial in building trust and confidence. Additionally, concerted efforts should be made to reduce disparities in vaccine access, both within countries and on a global scale, to guarantee that all populations benefit from these medical advancements.
The Role of Technology in Enhancing Vaccine Development
Technology has played a vital role in enabling the rapid development of mRNA vaccines. From advancements in genetic sequencing to cutting-edge manufacturing processes, continued investment in technology is key to realizing the full potential of mRNA vaccines. Furthermore, the use of data analytics and artificial intelligence can help streamline the development process, identify new targets for vaccine development, and optimize the effectiveness of current vaccines.
Looking to the Future
The development of mRNA vaccines represents a watershed moment in the history of medicine, with far-reaching implications for how we approach disease prevention and treatment. As research and development continue, it is crucial to invest in education, collaboration, and technology to ensure that the full potential of this groundbreaking approach is realized.
In the coming years, mRNA vaccines could fundamentally change our understanding of infectious diseases and cancer treatment, as well as pave the way for the development of new therapies for a wide range of illnesses. As we look to the future, the possibilities for mRNA vaccines appear to be nothing short of revolutionary. | <urn:uuid:3e86ecdc-3818-484d-b76a-b252d25d5f6a> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.alvareztg.com/mrna-vaccines/ | 2024-09-17T17:56:44Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651829.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917172631-20240917202631-00171.warc.gz | en | 0.930915 | 1,110 | 3.28125 | 3 |
We are all more reliant on the internet and online services than ever before. While this has brought benefits, such as the easy and convenient ways to get things done from the comfort of your home, there are also additional risks that need to be considered. While the rise of online shopping and banking has made life simpler for us, it has also made conducting fraud much easier and in the worst case scenario, a cyber criminal could gain access to your personal finances simply by stealing your username and password.
One of the most common methods cyber criminals use to steal usernames and passwords for bank accounts is phishing attacks, where they’ll send an email or an SMS message claiming to be from a trusted source. The aim of the attack is to trick the victim into clicking on a phishing link , and one of the ways to drive victims towards this is by inflicting emotions of fear or doubt. For example, the message could claim that a transaction or purchase has been made with a request to click the link to investigate further.
Often, the attackers will design a fake version of the bank’s website. If the unlucky victim of the fake message is tricked into entering their username and password, it is then in the hands of the attackers. Many entities are impersonated in this way such as, banks, retailers, government agencies or pretty much anyone else. The aim is to get access to your details by any means and attackers will go to great lengths to do so.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve seen a range of scam campaigns from bogus missed delivery texts to offers of fake vaccine appointments. In addition to using these hooks, cyber criminals will take information from victims’ social media to target them with tailored, convincing-looking scams.
Beyond this threat, there’s also the hackers who aim to infect victims’ devices with banking trojan malware, which monitors the user’s computer or smartphone for activity regarding financial transactions and sends all the relevant information back to the attackers. Attackers will often trick victims into downloading malware, once again with either phishing links or fake and infected versions of popular software, and even malicious apps hidden in popular mobile app stores.
In order to avoid falling victim to cyberattacks that are targeting financial information, the NCSC recommends maintaining good cyber hygiene across online accounts in order to keep them as secure as possible. This approach includes using a strong, separate password for each online account and turning on multi-factor authentication, both will make it much more difficult for attackers to breach accounts.
Users should also be careful about what they click on and limit the personal information they post on public social media accounts, as that information could be exploited to help identify accounts they have or conduct social-engineering attacks.
Banks and other services will often send alerts about suspicious activity on accounts and paying attention to these alerts can help keep accounts secure. However, users should also be wary as cyber criminals build their own versions of these alerts to trick people into providing information. If you have suspicions about alerts like this, it’s a good idea to contact the bank directly by using the contact details on their official website to report them.
In the event it turns out you’ve fallen victim to a phishing email, you should change your passwords immediately, as well as changing the passwords on any accounts that might use the same password. If you’ve lost money as a result of cybercrime, you should report the loss to your bank and also to the police.
As for malicious apps, these can use clever tricks to bypass the security screening designed to keep them out of app stores, often posing as commonly used or high-profile applications. They can remain in app stores for months at a time before being uncovered and removed, although not before being downloaded, in some cases by hundreds of thousands of victims.
Users should be wary when downloading apps. Checking reviews can give an indication if something is wrong. Often, people who’ve lost out to cyber criminals after downloading the app will mention that this has been the case, while reviews could also suggest that the application is fake if it doesn’t work as advertised.
While these basic security recommendations can apply to many online services, a new area of interest for criminals is cryptocurrency. The rise of cryptocurrency, especially high-value cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, means that cyber criminals are increasingly focusing their attention on this new area.
Cryptocurrency is harder to trace than traditional finances and the decentralized nature of the ecosystem means that if your cryptocurrency is stolen, it is unlikely to be returned in the way ‘traditional’ finances can be returned by your bank in the event of your falling victim to fraud. It was reported that $7.7 billion worth of cryptocurrency was stolen in 2021 alone.
Much of the advice for keeping your online bank accounts secure also applies to cryptocurrency: use strong passwords, use multi-factor authentication and be wary of phishing emails and other scams. There are also additional measures that need to be considered.
Many users will opt to keep their cryptocurrency in a crypto exchange, allowing them to easily buy, sell and trade different cryptocurrencies. The rise of cryptocurrency means that many different exchanges have emerged. While relying on a professional service to help store and secure your cryptocurrency might seem like the best option at first, there are also potential risks.
Crypto exchanges are a high-profile target for cyber criminals who want a big pay day and there have been instances of hackers walking away with hundreds of millions of dollar’s worth of cryptocurrency in successful attacks targeting the exchanges themselves.
Much like banking and retail, it’s almost impossible that an organisation can guarantee assets are 100% secure, but there’s a greater chance that an established exchange will have better protocols in place than a newcomer with little background information online.
Cryptocurrency users should also be mindful that one of the best ways to ensure cryptocurrency is securely stored is if they’ve put the appropriate protections in place themselves. An exchange may claim to have special security features to keep users secure, but if the user isn’t able to examine or operate these features themselves, then it might be worth considering a different option.
At the very least, cryptocurrency users who want to store their assets in a crypto exchange should look for one that allows multi-factor authentication and they should also apply multi-factor authentication to the email address tied to the account as an additional barrier. For those who feel that storing their cryptocurrency in an exchange that could be targeted by attackers is too much of a risk, there’s the option of storing cryptocurrency on their own devices.
It could be tempting to keep complex crypto-authentication keys in a document in order that they can be easily accessed, copied and pasted when the need arises. However, this carries risks because if your username and password for your cloud documents are compromised, the key is waiting for the cyber criminal who has accessed your account.
Even if the document is stored offline, there’s the chance it could be accessed if an attacker manages to infect your PC with malware. In this case, using traditional methods could be the best way to keep assets safe: writing the key down and storing it safely in your home. If you buy cryptocurrency, it needs to be stored in a crypto wallet and there are two key forms of wallet. Users can choose to use one or both of them to store their cryptocurrency. Both have advantages and disadvantages.
A hot wallet is a cryptocurrency wallet that’s always connected to the internet, and linked to public and private keys, which an individual can use to easily and conveniently send and receive cryptocurrency. However, the always-on connection to the internet could potentially leave these wallets vulnerable to being hacked.
Cold storage is when cryptocurrency is kept offline, with hardware, physical keys and PINs or passwords used to keep the crypto secure. These hardware wallets are designed to prevent hacking and are only accessible when plugged into your computer.
This second form of wallet is the more secure way to store cryptocurrency, although it is much less convenient since you store a separate physical device, it will ultimately enhance your cybersecurity. Any device with cryptocurrency on it should be stored in a safe place where it can’t be lost or stolen. | <urn:uuid:90a9b9b7-012f-46af-a09e-2e66be3a0216> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.bvainc.com/2022/02/02/how-to-keep-your-bank-details-finances-and-cryptocurrency-more-secure-online/ | 2024-09-19T01:36:58Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651944.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20240918233405-20240919023405-00071.warc.gz | en | 0.955999 | 1,685 | 3.03125 | 3 |
What is Deep Learning?
Deep Learning (sometimes known as deep structured learning or hierarchical learning) is part of Machine Learning. It’s focused on algorithms inspired by the structure and function of the brain called artificial neural networks. The heart of deep learning is using today’s superfast computers and masses of data to actually train large neural networks to act like a brain, which can learn over time.
Why use Deep Learning?
If you are interested in AI or Machine Learning, Deep Learning is a vital part of this. The idea of having a super brain of networks is obviously a contentious, highly complex and nuanced subject but whatever way you look at it, Deep Learning has the potential to radically transform how you use your data and infrastructure to do every aspect of business.
Latest Deep Learning Insights
Which technology trends will be game changing for your business in 2019? Read our predictions, in which we look at everything from how Python is tightening its grip in the world of machine learning, the rise of data-centricity, to new ways to merge BI and Data Science.
It is time to start with data-driven decision making, selling the right products to the right clients, matching resoures better and recognizing trends quicker. Derive value from your data with Predicting Analytics.
AI and ML are disrupting a number of areas, including point of entry, automated backend processes, and knowledge management. A mix of IT and business decision makers were surveyed in their use of data analytics in order to fully understand the variances in perception and actions between these two pivotal decision-maker groups.
Interested in learning more?
Whether you’re looking for more information about our fast, in-memory database, or to discover our latest insights, case studies, video content and blogs and to help guide you into the future of data. | <urn:uuid:676640b2-8682-4f06-9510-cc5d08ae9802> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.exasol.com/glossary-term/deep-learning-definition/ | 2024-09-19T01:01:25Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651944.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20240918233405-20240919023405-00071.warc.gz | en | 0.945927 | 373 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Last Post: January 16, 2012:
That all sounds right, but when you said
[quote]However, if the value of the first octet is 201 or greater, we now shift to the meaning of ?Regulatory Extension Identifier/Regulatory Class/Coverage Class?[/quote]Are we talking about the octet that is immediately after the length? (in this example 55h). If so, are you saying that if that octet was hex C9 or higher (decimal 201), then we wouldn't be talking about a country rule, but the other meanings would take effect? If so, what then happens with the next two octets, 53 and 20?
It's actually an "either/or" situation.
Either ( after ID, Length, Country String ) you have "First Channel etc" ( less than 201 )
You have "Regulatory Extension Identifier" etc
In your trace, we have the case of "First Channel etc". In other words, the data included in the octet of "01" hex is 1 decimal, which is less than 200. The receiver's software looks at that value and says "OK, this value is less than 201 decimal, I'm going to interpret everything that comes after the end of the Country String as First Channel, Number of Channels, Maximum Transmit Power Level"
If the octet had contained ( say ) 201, then it would say to itself "Ah, this value is now equal to or greater than 201 ( equal to in this case ), I'm going to interpret everything that comes after this as Regulatory Extension Identifier, Regulatory Class, Coverage Class"
If someone can send in a trace that shows "Regulatory" info, that would be great.
I understand the concept of its value determining the meanings, just wasn't clear which octet in particular. You say it's the octet that is '01' in the example? I was thinking the '55' octet (in our example). Now we know.
Yes, it's always the first one after the Country Strings. What is not well explained in the docs is that after the Regulatory Class/Coverage info ( if present ), you can still have First Channel Number etc, but refering to the particular subset of info under the Channel Set of the Regulatory Class.
I called someone at the IEEE today to have a chat and they told me some "wonderful" news......all that terminology will be changed in the near future.......I can't wait.
To add to the joy, I had a peek at the next maintenance release of IEEE-802.11.....
It's gone from 1233 pages to 2910 pages.
It's the gift that keeps on giving....
Just noticed something.....all the sections have been renumbered in the new release......awesome.......
Why this stuff is important:
Thank you very much
Your knowledge is very deep, so does your eager to explore, understand and know moreWhat if a STA/AP sent a COUNTRY ELEMENT with the value of the first octet less then 201
so i can't tell their operating class (which is not regulatory domain)?
How will my STA know whats the sender operating class?
shell i send this info for every operating class which contain this channel? or is there another way to get this information? -
Not only is Daves knowledge deep, his search methodology is amazing.
He finds, and gives the links to, things I never would have found.
Thanks again Dave.
When the value of the first octet after the Country String octets is less than 201, you only have "First Channel/Number of Channels/Maximum Transmit Power Level" and you do not have any "Regulatory Extension Identifer/Regulatory Class/Coverage Class" information, and so you do not need to worry about it in that case.
Coverage Class gives useful information on timing issues due to propagation delay in outdoor environments, by the way.
However, if we have the first octet after the Country String equal to or greater than 201 ( it's actually only 201 at present, but that may change in the future ), then you have "Regulatory Extension Identifer/Regulatory Class/Coverage Class" information.
You would need to code to look at the first octet, then have a decision filter to say "Hey, if this value is less than 201, I need to go to a sub-routine that processes everything from that octet on as "First Channel number etc". If it is equal to or greater than 201, I need to go to a subroutine that processes everything from that octet on as "Regulatory Extension Identifier etc".
It's an either/or situation.
In Japan, there is even a metropolitan area where the regulations are different in one physical part of that area from another !!
[quote]In Australia the authority is Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). (This ACMA not to be confused with Aruba's ACMA certification)
Trying to get the technical info required from the website is a nightmare though.
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_1794To be honest, Australia generally tends to just copy other countries like US or Europe, although we don't have a big problem from neighbouring countries, given that it's an island :) [/quote]
Australia followed the lead of other country's when it comes to UNII-2e by allowing its use (minus those primary radar frequencies and therefore minus 2 channels) but despite this occurring several years ago, hardware manufacturers still don't seem to allow its use in the Australian regulatory domain. Frustrating with the forth-coming 802.11ac... we need those god damn extra 9 channels!
Thank you all guys!
I appreciate your kindness and help. | <urn:uuid:5c5f6b2c-c7fd-4e0c-ac76-786ebf03f028> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.cwnp.com/forums/posts?postNum=305318 | 2024-09-20T03:29:35Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652130.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20240920022257-20240920052257-00871.warc.gz | en | 0.949072 | 1,220 | 2.78125 | 3 |
As one of the world’s leading genome research facilities, the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge is contributing to the fight against the Covid 19 pandemic. Its expertise in improving the outcomes of human health using genomic sequencing data, and its history of collaborating with other research organizations across the world, are invaluable to the efforts to learn more about the virus. The Institute today is working on several projects in response to the crisis.
Behind each of the organizations based on the Wellcome Genome Campus is the on-premise data center, which remains fundamental to the cause. Comprising more than 400 racks and consuming 4MW of power, the Institute hosts the largest genomic research data center in Europe. It relies heavily on its on-site infrastructure, not only to process the sequencing data quickly and efficiently, but to ensure that appropriate IT resources and technologies are continuously deployed to satisfy the needs of the science.
All the while, the challenges posed by lockdown restrictions have meant the number of staff members allowed on site have been greatly curtailed. Visibility into the health and status of the power infrastructure and of the data center have therefore become critical for continuity; ensuring the science can continue uninterrupted both on-site and remotely.
Fortunately for the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the data center team continuously works to improve and incorporate rapidly evolving technologies. They include high-density storage systems, Nvidia DGX GPUs and sophisticated data center infrastructure management (DCIM) software systems that leverage AI and data analytics to ensure that downtime, where possible, is avoided at all costs.
From a visibility perspective, the latter offers great benefits, especially where accessibility is concerned. A key feature of the software is the ability to monitor all the data center’s infrastructure from a single console, providing insight into its health status via a secure smartphone application. For data center professionals restricted by lockdown conditions, remote monitoring and management has become an invaluable tool for maintaining mission-critical continuity.
The decision to utilize this technology, however, has not been driven by the pandemic. In fact, the tools were deployed long before that to streamline operational efficiency, provide a holistic view of a highly distributed campus and in time, to improve energy usage. Yet, from a remote access perspective, the conditions have further amplified the need for a greater level of insight from remote locations. Inevitably, it has also brought with it some challenges, personnel have had to adapt to new working methods, yet new digital tools have helped to overcome these issues.
One of the most immediate benefits is the realization that it is still possible to maintain optimum performance despite restricted access to the facility. For example, when on-site, personnel are able to physically check on key pieces of hardware. However, to ensure continuity from a remote location, having access to a virtual representation, which provides real-time system data securely to a smart device, becomes crucial.
In contrast, an increased reliance on software also offers personnel access to greater detail, which yields significant benefits in the long term. In particular, the speed at which decisions can be made and new IT upgrades or equipment installations have increased, thanks not just to the availability of the management software, but through the data and insights it provides.
It enables new technologies to be deployed, connected and monitored quickly within the data center, in some scenarios, weeks can be turned into days or hours, when compared with legacy systems. The DCIM also helps overcome stranded capacity and offers greater choice, in terms of location, for new research applications or AI platforms on campus.
The center needs adequate power to the racks, the right levels of cooling to IT and to securely verify the private network connections. Management ensures there is no disruption to existing research projects or campus IT operations.
This is possible, primarily, through the greater visibility offered through the DCIM platform and its remote monitoring – bringing together multiple disparate systems, with technologies from different manufacturers into a single pane view. Furthermore, the software enables the user to exploit its capabilities and quickly make decisions that deliver rapid results and ROI.
Skilled staff essential
However, the essential lesson learned from the greater reliance on remote monitoring and DCIM has been the importance of high-quality personnel. The need for skilled staff and expert partners is every bit as important as trusting that the technology will perform as planned.
So while the tools and technologies continue to play a major part in the ability to respond rapidly and ensure operational continuity for the organizations focused on finding positive outcomes to the health crisis, there is no doubt that real magic remains in the people who support the effort. Those who dedicate their lives to better understanding human health and disease.
From engineers to scientists and pharmaceutical organizations to trusted technology partners, the dedication of those professionals are really what makes the difference.
And in light of current circumstances, everyone must realize that when all is said and done, there is great value in recognizing the importance of trust, in greater diversity and in each other, safe in the acknowledgement that we are all in this, together.
More in Infrastructure Management
Sponsored From concept to design to operation | <urn:uuid:1eed4a9a-025b-405f-8491-1dea6d841812> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://direct.datacenterdynamics.com/en/opinions/how-data-center-monitoring-is-helping-in-the-health-crisis/ | 2024-09-10T10:45:29Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651241.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910093422-20240910123422-00871.warc.gz | en | 0.954114 | 1,029 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Our circular clustering visualization provides a quick overview of the clusters and the factors that determine those clusters. Further insights into each cluster are also provided. Purity and Confidence values directly indicate the consistency and predictability of a supervised cluster. Cluster statistics provide detailed analytics of the factors determining a cluster. Together, these features provide more ways to identify cluster insights.
These graphs convey information in several ways. First, through the layers provided they display the hierarchical structure of the relationship between factors in data. The width of the cluster is determined by the count of the objects in the cluster. The color of the cluster is the frequency with which the factor appears in the data (this can be changed to represent the weight of the factor in the cluster by changing the Scale setting).
In either viewing method you can view the factors of a cluster by hovering your mouse over a cell. You can click on a cluster to take a detailed look at its member factors and objects. | <urn:uuid:ee0cc591-4c53-490c-af6d-1c2133cb6017> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://support.inrule.com/hc/en-us/articles/4410882820877-Clustering-Insights | 2024-09-10T09:59:27Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651241.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910093422-20240910123422-00871.warc.gz | en | 0.927386 | 192 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Security programs use generic detections that look for broad patterns of code or behavior to identify similar programs or files. If you suspect the file was incorrectly detected, go to: Removal: Suspect a file is incorrectly detected (a False Positive)?.
Based on the settings of your F-Secure security product, it will either move the file to the quarantine where it cannot spread or cause harm, or remove it.
A False Positive is when a file is incorrectly detected as harmful, usually because its code or behavior resembles known harmful programs. A False Positive will usually be fixed in a subsequent database update without any action needed on your part. If you wish, you may also:
Check for the latest database updates
First check if your F-Secure security program is using the latest updates, then try scanning the file again.
Submit a sample
After checking, if you still believe the file is incorrectly detected, you can submit a sample of it for re-analysis.
Note: If the file was moved to quarantine, you need to collect the file from quarantine before you can submit it.
Exclude a file from further scanning
If you are certain that the file is safe and want to continue using it, you can exclude it from further scanning by the F-Secure security product.
Note: You need administrative rights to change the settings.
The following details are general characteristics applicable to many, but not all, variants in the Waledac family.
Waledac spreads in an email attachment. Social engineering tricks are used to tempt the victim. Waledac spam frequently uses holidays and news headlines. For example, a fake Barack Obama websites was used as bait during the US 2008 Presidential Elections. Obama spam was also used during the US Presidential Inauguration.
Waledac is capable of receiving commands from a remote server. Commands include instructions on functions to perform (for example, update malware components or send information from the infected computer).Samples analyzed in the lab also downloaded Rogue antispyware applications. Waledac variants use lists of hardcoded IP addresses to determine where it sends harvested data. More recent variants can also update their lists from the remote command server.
The packers used by Waledac are different depending on the variant. Cryptor is being used as of January, 2009. | <urn:uuid:cfe34f24-5176-4a2a-aeb9-2234dd5ed357> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/trojan-w32-waledac-gen.shtml | 2024-09-10T16:41:52Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651303.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910161250-20240910191250-00071.warc.gz | en | 0.930895 | 470 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Why the older generation is an attractive target for cybercriminals
People aged 55 and over are behaving insecurely online and often become the victim of fraud, according to Kaspersky Lab and B2B International.
The survey questioned 12,546 Internet users across the globe and the results suggest that the older generation is actually a very attractive target for cybercriminals. When they are online, many over-55s shop, bank and communicate with loved ones without effectively protecting themselves, and the things that are most important to them, from cybercriminals.
Using security software
Despite the fact that this age group is more likely to install security software on their computers, they are less likely to protect their mobile devices or amend their behavior online to stay safe. For example, they use high privacy settings on social media and in their Internet browser less than other age groups (30 percent vs. 38 percent).
They are also unlikely to use the security functions that come with their devices (such as ‘find my device’) or VPN – 28 percent and 10 percent respectively compared to 42 percent and 16 percent respectively of users across all ages.
The older generation is using the Internet for many aspects of their lives – increasing their vulnerability to cybercriminals if they continue to go online without taking security precautions. 94 percent of consumers over 55 years old use email regularly. They are also going online to complete day-to-day tasks.
This age group is more likely than others to conduct financial transactions over the Internet, with 90 percent claiming to shop and bank online (compared to an average 84 percent of users across all age groups).
Yet despite all of this, 49 percent of those over 55 years old worry about their vulnerability when purchasing products online and 86 percent do not believe they are a target for cybercriminals. Worryingly, 40 percent have put themselves at risk by sharing financial details in the public domain (compared with 15 percent across all age groups).
Lack of security awareness
The lack of security awareness is causing this generation to be victimized by cybercriminals. According to the report, 20 percent of Internet users overall have older relatives that have encountered malicious software, and 14 percent have older relatives that have fallen for fake prize draws online.
In addition, 13 percent have older relatives that have shared too much personal information about themselves online and 12 percent have older relatives that have become the victim of an online scam, seen inappropriate/explicit content, or communicated with dangerous strangers online.
“On the one hand, it’s great to see that so many over-55s are using the Internet to shop, bank and stay connected with loved ones,” said Andrei Mochola, head of consumer business at Kaspersky Lab. “The report shows clearly that this generation is embracing a connected life, and all of the opportunities that come with it. On the other hand, however, it’s clear that the over-55s are not doing enough to protect themselves properly. Worryingly, they don’t even believe they are a target for cybercriminals, but they are putting themselves in danger time and again.” | <urn:uuid:0b1439ce-3d65-47be-857a-5d9be0b6024f> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2016/10/05/older-generation-online-threats/ | 2024-09-11T21:04:08Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651400.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911183926-20240911213926-00871.warc.gz | en | 0.958512 | 648 | 2.6875 | 3 |
In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, innovation often emerges from the least expected corners. Enter the Raspberry Pi cluster, a remarkable testament to the synergy of miniature computing and collective prowess. This groundbreaking phenomenon marries the charm of Raspberry Pi, a credit card-sized marvel, with the concept of cluster computing, sending ripples through the digital realm.
Genesis of Ingenuity
The inception of this ingeniously orchestrated phenomenon owes its origins to the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s audacious vision. Aiming to democratize computing, they released the Raspberry Pi, a diminutive yet potent computer, in 2012. However, the notion of linking these microcomputers together in a cluster would only surface later, sparking a paradigm shift.
Cultivating Collaborative Clusters
Cluster computing, a technique where multiple computers join forces to execute complex tasks, is the cornerstone of high-performance computing. Raspberry Pi clusters, an embodiment of this principle, shatter conventions. Comprising Raspberry Pi nodes, these clusters stand as a testament to the remarkable power latent in unity.
Mosaic of Applications
The applications of Raspberry Pi clusters are as diverse as they are awe-inspiring. From intricate simulations in scientific research to data analysis of unprecedented scale, these clusters have cast aside the shackles of their size. Rendering animations, simulating neural networks, and even exploring the cosmos through data crunching have become feasible pursuits for enthusiasts and professionals alike.
Architecting the Future
Building a Raspberry Pi cluster necessitates more than just stacking these minuscule marvels together. Crafting a symphony from these nodes requires meticulous planning, networking finesse, and a dash of technical wizardry. Each node must seamlessly communicate, orchestrated to tackle tasks that would otherwise be Herculean for standalone systems.
Yet, no rose garden is devoid of thorns, and the Raspberry Pi cluster realm is no exception. Heat dissipation, bandwidth bottlenecks, and load balancing conundrums loom, challenging even the savviest architects. Crafting an optimal cluster demands not only technical prowess but also the finesse to navigate these challenges.
As the dawn of Raspberry Pi cluster computing breaks, it heralds a new era of accessibility and innovation. Enabling enthusiasts to experiment with high-performance computing without breaking the bank, these clusters also empower educators to kindle the flames of curiosity in young minds. The realm of Internet of Things (IoT) and edge computing stands to benefit immensely, as these clusters usher in efficiency and intelligence at the peripheries of our digital world.
The Tapestry Unfurls
In weaving the tapestry of technology, the Raspberry Pi cluster occupies a unique niche. It is a nod to the democratic nature of innovation, a celebration of collaboration’s symphony, and a testament to the relentless pursuit of pushing boundaries. As these clusters continue to evolve, they stand as a living embodiment of how even the tiniest threads of technology can come together to craft a masterpiece that reshapes the digital landscape. | <urn:uuid:547e0a5e-be46-4467-8147-bb92ba7fb1fa> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://generaltonytoy.com/cluster-computing-raspberry-pi-revolutionizing-unleashing/ | 2024-09-13T02:03:21Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651506.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913002450-20240913032450-00771.warc.gz | en | 0.888101 | 617 | 2.75 | 3 |
Have you ever wondered about how technology has widened the generation gap?” Do you find it challenging to raise kids in the digital era? Use parental control to keep an eye on your kid’s online activities and protect them.
The universal rules of child-raising are still the same, but today’s parents are dealing with an entirely new playing field when it comes to their kids. Things like technological advances and increasingly more expensive supplies have made parenting a very different experience.
Today’s kids get a good part of their exposure to the digital world from quite an early age. As a parent, we must provide the correct guidance and protection as well as ingrain better digital etiquette in them for their safety.
Let us find out how technology has impacted parenting and try to follow the best parenting tips given below.
Top 7 parenting tips for dealing with the internet generation
Monitor their smartphone usage
Monitoring your kid’s smartphone usage does not mean that you should watch over their shoulders all the time.
Instead, ask your children to share their passwords for email, social media, or any of the games they play online. Occasionally, inform your kid that you will be taking a look at their social media pages or email accounts. Overview the messages they’ve sent and received, but do not pry.
Carefully observe for abnormal activity, bullying, or for names you do not recognize. Make sure that your child is with you while you are examining his/her accounts. He can answer the questions you may have. It will help to build a foundation of trust, and they would know that you are not spying on them.
Ask them to use your phone
Even if you monitor your child’s smartphone usage, you can never know if they are deleting emails and conversations before you read or not.
So, when you allow them to use social media for the first time, ask them to add their email address or social media account to your phone. This way, you will be informed about the new messages that they receive.
But, make sure you should not read those messages. You should be aware of what is going on in your child’s digital world.
Discourage sharing personal information online
Children are very trusting by nature. Online predators are experts in making kids believe that they care for them more than their parents. Your child might share personal information online without being aware of the dangers associated with it.
Kids love sharing their experiences, day-to-day activities, information about their holidays on social media. Anyone with malicious intentions can use this information to harm your child.
Tell your children about the importance of keeping private things private.
Put a timer on the Internet
Kids use smartphones to research and complete school assignments too. And we know that they are up even after you go to bed.
In that case, you can apply a timer on the modem. So, at a specified time, the internet will turn off. Kid’s safety apps also help you to schedule your child’s bedtime and cure their smartphone addiction.
Instruct them to avoid meeting strangers online
Pedophiles, cyberbullies, online predators often use anonymous chat rooms or known social media sites to get in touch with unsuspecting kids.’
Educate your child about Internet hazards, such as cyberbullying, online predation, identity theft. Make them aware of the characteristics of cybercriminals. Help them to identify unknown persons’ intentions and ask them to cut ties immediately if they are uncomfortable or unable to understand those intentions.
Build such a strong relationship with your kids that they would never hesitate to share their problems with you.
Talk to your kid
Without understanding what your kids are going through, you cannot guide them. Make yourselves available to your kids, so that they would never feel isolated in a problematic situation. Most importantly, never judge or demean them but instead sympathize with them and show them the correct way.
The Internet is a phenomenal yet threatening place. Make them understand the cons of technology entirely so that they can use their benefits wisely.
Use Bit Guardian Parental Control App
As we have mentioned earlier, parental control apps help you to inspect your child’s smartphone activities. You can block the addictive apps, unwanted calls, apply a screen-time control, prohibit their access to the Play Store.
Using child monitoring apps does not indicate that you do not trust your child. Instead, it suggests that you care too much about them, so you cannot leave them unsupervised.
An American author, psychologist, James Dobson has accurately stated, “children are not casual guests in our home. We have temporarily loaned them for loving them. We are responsible for installing a foundation of values on which they can successfully build their lives.”
Every parent ultimately aims to raise a kid who is confident, kind, and successful. Be a techno-savvy and loving parent; use parental control apps. And follow the best parenting tips that we have shared here to deal with the Internet generation. | <urn:uuid:70ea1e77-9bd5-4602-8d7f-65247a446754> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://blog.bit-guardian.com/useful-parenting-tips-to-deal-with-internet-generation/ | 2024-09-19T07:42:20Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651995.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20240919061514-20240919091514-00271.warc.gz | en | 0.955346 | 1,038 | 2.546875 | 3 |
In today’s internet age, businesses’ increasing reliance on technology to communicate with customers, run their operations, and store sensitive data makes them more susceptible to cybersecurity threats.
Although cyber security threats and cybercrime pose a danger for companies of all sizes, they are especially devastating for SMEs that lack the resources to invest in a strong line of defense against emerging threats and attack vectors. It includes costs often a byproduct of lost productivity, reputational damages, legal fees, and regulatory fines from a devastating publicized attack.
Sophisticated modern-day cybercriminals use a variety of ever-evolving tactics, such as phishing attacks, malware, and social engineering, to gain access to systems, networks, and sensitive data subjecting businesses to fraud, theft, and corporate espionage.
What’s worse is attackers, much like cybersecurity professionals, are constantly dedicated to enhancing their methodologies, tools, and skills to increase the power and capability of their next attack.
We will cover the following:
- The Risks and Consequences of Cyber Threats,
- Common cyber threats to look out for,
- Examples of high-profile cyber attacks and their impact on businesses,
- How to protect your business from Cyber Threats, and
- How Bitsio plays into cybersecurity.
Let’s get into it!
The Risks and Consequences of Cyber Threats
Cyber threats refer to malicious activities carried out by individuals or groups through the use of technology, with the intention of causing harm to individuals, organizations, or even nations. These threats can take many forms, such as cyber-attacks, data breaches, hacking, identity theft, ransomware, phishing, and more. The risks and consequences of cyber threats can be severe and far-reaching, impacting various aspects of our lives, including:
- Financial Loss: Cyber threats can result in significant financial losses for individuals and organizations. Cybercriminals may steal sensitive financial information, conduct fraudulent transactions, or demand ransom payments to unlock encrypted data. The financial costs associated with investigating and mitigating cyber attacks, as well as potential legal liabilities and fines, can be substantial.
- Reputational Damage: Cyber threats can cause reputational damage to individuals, businesses, and even governments. Data breaches and leaks of sensitive information can lead to a loss of trust among customers, partners, and the public. The negative publicity and damage to brand reputation can have long-term consequences, including loss of customers, partners, and business opportunities.
- Loss of Intellectual Property: Cyber threats can result in the theft of intellectual property (IP), such as trade secrets, proprietary information, and research and development data. This can significantly impact a company’s competitive advantage and market position, leading to financial losses and loss of market share.
- Disruption of Operations: Cyber attacks can disrupt critical operations of businesses and governments, causing downtime, loss of productivity, and delays in service delivery. For example, ransomware attacks can encrypt data and render systems or networks inaccessible, leading to business interruptions and financial losses.
- Legal and Regulatory Consequences: Organizations may face legal and regulatory consequences as a result of cyber threats. Data protection and privacy laws, industry regulations, and contractual obligations may require organizations to implement certain security measures to protect sensitive information. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in legal penalties, fines, and lawsuits.
- National Security Risks: Cyber threats can pose significant risks to national security. Cyber attacks targeting critical infrastructure, government systems, or military operations can disrupt essential services, compromise sensitive information, and impact national defense capabilities. This can have severe consequences on a country’s security and sovereignty.
- Psychological and Emotional Consequences: Cyber threats can also have psychological and emotional consequences for individuals. Victims of cyber attacks, such as identity theft or online harassment, may experience stress, anxiety, fear, and other negative emotions. These consequences can affect an individual’s mental well-being and quality of life.
It is crucial to implement robust cybersecurity measures, including regular updates, strong passwords, employee training, and other best practices, to mitigate these risks and protect against cyber threats. Additionally, staying informed about the latest cyber threats and following cybersecurity best practices can help individuals and organizations safeguard against potential cyber-attacks.
Common Cyber Threats to Look out for
To stay protected, you should be aware of the most common types of cyber threats, such as malware, phishing, and ransomware, that can have a lasting effect on your business.
Malware attacks involve an attacker injecting malicious software into an unsuspecting target system or network to harm, disrupt, or gain unauthorized access to steal sensitive information, banking data, and passwords.
It can be viruses, worms, or Trojan horses that spread through email attachments or infected websites.
Once installed on a computer, malware positions itself to steal sensitive data, such as passwords and financial data, and in severe cases, even take control of your entire system.
This potent threat is a social engineering attack where an attacker tries to trick people into giving away their sensitive information by impersonating a stakeholder in the company.
What’s worse is a study found that a resounding 54% of surveyed global MSPs believe that Phishing attacks are the top cybersecurity threat for businesses and the primary delivery method for ransomware attacks.
These attacks can be difficult to spot and contain urgent requests for personal information, such as usernames and passwords, through emails, messages, or other forms of communication from impersonations of reputable organizations.
Ransomware is malware that attacks and encrypts files of a target system. The attacker then demands a hefty ransom for the decryption key through which the business can reaccess its locked data.
It is an advanced attack where the perpetrator impersonates a trusted entity and sends a message containing a malicious link to stakeholders over email, text messages, or social media DMs.
When an employee clicks on the link without realizing its contents, the payload infects the target system. Once infecting the system, it can conduct numerous malicious tasks such as encrypting files, stealing sensitive data, replicating itself across other systems on the network, or even outright data deletion.
It can cause severe reputational, operational, and financial damage to the business, almost always resulting in a loss of consumer trust.
4. Potential Consequences of Cyber Attacks
The impact of cybercrime on businesses can be severe, leading to financial losses, operational stoppage, change in practices, legal liabilities, reputational damages, and compromised intellectual property.
5. Financial Loss
Cybercrime in businesses can result in significant financial loss, with companies having to bare the high costs associated with repairing damage to IT systems, lost productivity, and legal fees.
It doesn’t include the amount you would spend to rebuild your business’s reputation, regain market share, and earn back your customer’s trust. These losses can quickly add up, dramatically impacting the company’s bottom line.
6. Operational Stoppage
A cyber attack can also result in operational stoppage, severely impacting a company’s ability to function. If a business’s IT systems are compromised, it may not be possible to continue operations until the problem is identified and remediated.
7. Change In Practices
In some cases, a cyber attack can result in a change in business practices. For example, if a company’s customer data is compromised, it may need to implement stricter data protection policies to avoid future attacks.
8. Legal Liabilities
Businesses can also face legal liabilities due to cyber attacks. Depending on the type of attack and the data that was compromised, companies may be liable for damages to customers and other parties affected by the attack. These legal liabilities could cost the business millions and should be avoided at all costs.
9. Reputational Damage
One of the most significant consequences of a cyber attack is reputational damage. Suppose a business’s customer data is compromised.
In that case, it can result in a loss of trust among customers and stakeholders, which can have long-lasting effects on the company’s reputation, market position, and profitability.
Numerous businesses that cybercrime impacts often find it a significant challenge to regain their lost reputation.
10. Compromised Intellectual Property
Cyber attacks can also lead to the compromise of a company’s intellectual property. It can include sensitive trade secrets, customer data, and proprietary technology, which can be costly to recover or replace.
Examples of High-Profile Cyber Attacks and their Impact on Businesses
Cyber attacks are not reserved for smaller businesses, as some of the largest corporations in the world have had their share of cyber incursions.
Let us look at the most notable high-profile cyber attacks on large companies in the past.
Linkedin, a company with 800 million users in 2021, was subject to a devastating data breach that included user IDs, full names, gender, email addresses, contact details, physical addresses, links to social media profiles, professional titles, inferred salaries, and geological locations.
The breach occurred in June 2021 when the attackers stole the data of around 700 million users, constituting more than 90% of the company’s user base. The data was then promptly posted for sale on a forum on the dark web.
The infamous Yahoo attack that occurred in 2013 remains to be one of the most high-profile attacks of all time. The attackers managed to compromise around 3 billion user accounts.
At the time, Yahoo was in discussions to be acquired by Verizon, one of the largest communication technology companies in the world.
Although the sale eventually went through, Verizon bought Yahoo at a considerably lower price than the initial agreement before the much publicized data breach.
3. Court Ventures
Court Ventures suffered a significant data breach of around 200 million personal records in 2013, a short while after it was acquired by the credit-monitoring company Experian.
The breach was reportedly purported by a Vietnamese man Hieu Minh Ngo who impersonated a private investigator from Singapore to con Court Ventures to provide him with personal information, including social security and credit card numbers, on US consumers.
The justice department that prosecuted Ngo alleged that he had earned over USD$ 2 million from the ill-gained data. Ngo was found guilty of multiple charges that were filed on his conduct and sentenced to 13 years of incarceration.
In October 2013, Adobe announced they suffered a data breach that compromised the private usernames and encrypted passwords of around 2.9 million accounts. However, this initial estimation was proven false, where approximately 38 million accounts of its active users were compromised.
Additionally, investigators found that the hackers stole parts of the source code to its Acrobat PDF software, ColdFusion web application creation software, and its flagship product, Adobe ‘Photoshop.’
How to Protect your Company from Cybersecurity Threats
There are several steps that companies can take to protect themselves from cyber threats, such as the following.
Conduct Regular Vulnerability Assessments
Vulnerability assessments can help businesses identify weaknesses in their IT systems and address them before a possible exploit.
By conducting regular assessments, companies can stay on top of potential security threats and mitigate the risk of cyber attacks.
It is a well-known fact amongst cyber security professionals and affected businesses that most cyber attacks originate from internal sources. It may be from employee negligence of their credentials, failure to respond to a potential vulnerability, or nefarious reasons.
To protect yourself from such weaknesses, you must educate your staff about cyber threats and how to spot them.
Remember, employee training is vital to achieving a strong security posture. They should also be trained in safe email and internet usage and best practices for data protection.
Incident Response Planning
Incident response planning involves creating a plan for how a business will respond to a cybersecurity incident. The plan should include steps for containing the incident, notifying stakeholders, and recovering from the attack.
By having a plan in place, businesses can reduce the impact of a cyber attack and minimize downtime.
Work with a Cybersecurity Partner
Working with a cybersecurity partner can help you stay ahead of cyber threats. An outsourced cybersecurity expert on your side can provide the professional expertise and innovative resources that your business may not have in-house, such as 24/7 monitoring, threat intelligence, and incident response capabilities.
In conclusion, cyber threats are a serious risk to businesses of all sizes. The repercussions of a cyber attack can be devastating, including financial loss, operational stoppage, legal liabilities, and reputational damage.
However, by taking a proactive approach to cybersecurity, businesses avoid the risk of cyber threats and mitigate the impact of a potential attack.
By conducting regular vulnerability assessments, providing employee training, implementing incident response plans, and working with a cybersecurity partner such as Bitsio, businesses can stay ahead of potential cyber threats and protect their sensitive data and IT systems.
How BitsIO plays into cybersecurity
BitsIO is an elite Splunk implementation partner that follows updated industry protocols to ensure your Splunk environment is implemented correctly and optimized to suit your unique organizational requirements. Our primary goal for your Splunk implementation is to maximize your ROI and enable you to draw robust, actionable intelligence from your machine-generated data to enhance your decision-making.
Our end-to-end Splunk implementation service will guarantee that our Splunk experts will guide you every step of the way, from your initial consultation until the successful setup of a properly architected, fully configured, and secured Splunk environment.
In addition to Splunk, Bitsio offers a range of cybersecurity services, including vulnerability assessments, employee training, and incident response planning. By working with Bitsio, businesses can take a proactive approach to cybersecurity and reduce the risk of cyber attacks.
BitsIO’s Splunk training and support services provide a one-day Kickstart program to allow businesses to get the most out of their Splunk platform. Our stagewise program begins with our experts analyzing your Splunk environment, including its search performance and data ingest.
We then take the necessary steps to ensure you utilize the best searches and time stamp practices. After which, we will create and provide a summary report including our findings on your next steps.
In the final stage, we provide high-priority recommendations on leveraging Splunk to its full potential. This training will be instrumental in helping businesses gain valuable insights into their IT systems and stay ahead of potential security threats.
BitsIO can provide a managed and cost-effective Splunk offering that can permanently rid you of the complexities and risks of a self-managed environment.
Ultimately, we handle all your Splunk components and cloud environment infrastructure to provide real-time visibility into your business’s cybersecurity. Contact us to book your free assessment today. | <urn:uuid:241b9b1d-15ee-4836-acb9-b9efa9bff161> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.bitsioinc.com/cybercrime-impact-on-businesses/ | 2024-09-19T07:15:19Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651995.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20240919061514-20240919091514-00271.warc.gz | en | 0.944584 | 3,055 | 2.90625 | 3 |
One of the most important aspects of data management is ensuring that the data you store, transmit, or receive is safe and secure. That’s why organizations dealing with sensitive data must use encryption systems to keep their data and their customers’ data safe.
What Is Encryption and How Does It Work?
Data encryption is the process of converting data from a readable, plain text format into a scrambled format called cipher text. This protects data from unauthorized access and use.
To read and process encrypted data, it must be decrypted. This is the process of converting cipher text to plain text. Decryption requires a special key that must be kept safe.
Encryption is crucial, as most businesses handle a lot of clients’ personal data both online and on their corporate servers. With data protection laws becoming more stringent due to the rise in cybercrimes, you have no choice but to invest in good data encryption software for your organization.
Encryption Key Generation and Management
An essential aspect of effective data security is encryption key management. This means managing the entire life cycle of cryptographic keys, including generating, distributing, destroying, storing, and backing up keys.
Managing cryptographic keys effectively is also crucial to data protection. Once a key falls into the wrong hands, it can be used to decrypt your encrypted data. It can also weaken the algorithm employed by your encryption systems.
Types of Encryption
There are many different types of encryption you can use. Each is designed according to the level of security needed.
However, most encryption types are based on two types of cryptographic key systems, symmetric and asymmetric.
- Symmetric encryption. A single password is used to encrypt and decrypt data.
- Asymmetric encryption. Two keys are used for encryption and decryption. The first is a public key, which is shared among users and encrypts the data. The second is a private key that decrypts the data. This key is not shared.
Let’s take a deeper look at the most common types of encryption. Most are based on the symmetric and asymmetric encryption methods.
Data Encryption Standard (DES)
Data Encryption Standard (DES) is one of lowest level encryption types. It was established by the U.S. government in 1977. As technology has advanced rapidly, DES has almost become incapable of protecting sensitive data. DES uses the symmetric key system.
As the name suggests, Triple DES (symmetric) runs the standard DES encryption three times. The data encryption software encrypts, decrypts, and encrypts the data again. That’s why it’s called Triple DES. It’s an improvement, in terms of data security, on the DES standard, as the triple encryption strengthens the original DES standard.
RSA encryption is one of the more popular encryption types, as it uses a strong algorithm to encrypt data. Named after three computer scientists—Rivest, Shamir, and Adleman, RSA is popular due to its key length. Longer keys are harder to “break,” making RSA a popular choice for secure data transmission. RSA uses the asymmetric encryption system.
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) has been the U.S. government’s encryption standard since 2002. It has been proven to be six times faster than Triple DES and more secure; thus, its global adoption.
Reasons You Must Use AES-256 Encryption
If you’re looking for a data encryption solution for your organization, you should consider encryption systems that use the AES-256 encryption standard. Here are some of the most common advantages that make it the winning choice:
- A longer key size, which translates to stronger encryption.
- A larger block size, resulting in the capability to encrypt larger files.
- Compatibility with hardware and software implementations.
- Faster and more secure than other encryption types.
Because of these reasons, we base all our encryption systems on the AES-256 standard. That, and our industry leading technology, will give you the Ciphertex® advantage.
So, if you need data security solutions, browse our selection of encryption systems and take your pick. Alternatively, give us a call at 818-773-8989, and we’ll help you pick the best solution for your organization. | <urn:uuid:e49f8631-e225-40fd-b161-b8f45978d3fc> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://ciphertex.com/2022/01/31/what-is-encryption-how-does-encryption-work/ | 2024-09-20T12:35:37Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652278.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20240920122604-20240920152604-00171.warc.gz | en | 0.921924 | 900 | 3.796875 | 4 |
In today’s world, where technology and innovation play a critical role in shaping the future workforce, traditional education systems are evolving to include more hands-on, skill-based learning. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has taken several initiatives to promote experiential learning, including encouraging schools to set up Composite Skill Labs. These labs offer students an integrated learning environment where they can work on projects related to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), fostering creativity, problem-solving, and innovation.
A Composite Skill Lab allows students to experiment, innovate, and develop essential 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, and technological proficiency. Schools looking to establish such a lab need the right mix of tools and technologies to ensure the lab is both functional and engaging for students across different age groups.
Here’s a breakdown of the essential equipment required to set up a Composite Skill Lab for CBSE schools:
1. Robotics Kits
Robotics is a cornerstone of STEM education as it introduces students to automation, programming, and engineering. Robotics kits allow students to design, build, and program robots, helping them understand concepts related to mechanics, electronics, and coding.
- Basic Robotics Kits: Suitable for primary and middle school students, these kits introduce them to the fundamentals of robotics with easy-to-use components and block-based programming platforms.
- Advanced Robotics Kits: For high school students, advanced kits involve more complex designs, sensors, and coding using languages like Python or C++. These kits challenge students to build robots for specific tasks, thereby enhancing their logical and analytical thinking skills.
2. Coding and Programming Platforms
Coding is the language of the future, and a Composite Skill Lab should be equipped with various coding platforms that cater to different skill levels.
- Block-Based Coding Software: Ideal for beginners, these platforms allow students to understand coding logic using drag-and-drop features. Scratch, Blockly, and MIT App Inventor are some of the popular platforms that can be introduced at the elementary and middle school levels.
- Game Development and App Design Tools: Tools like Unity, Unreal Engine, and Thunkable can be integrated to teach students the basics of game development and mobile app creation.
3. 3D Printers and Modeling Software
3D printing is revolutionizing industries by enabling rapid prototyping and custom manufacturing. A Composite Skill Lab should be equipped with 3D printers and software that allow students to design and print objects, helping them understand design thinking and engineering concepts.
- 3D Printers: Entry-level printers with user-friendly interfaces are perfect for introducing students to the basics of 3D printing. Schools can choose from a range of affordable 3D printers that print using PLA or ABS materials.
- 3D Modeling Software: Students should have access to software like TinkerCAD, Blender, or Fusion 360, which allows them to design their own models for 3D printing. This not only enhances their spatial understanding but also fosters creativity and innovation.
4. Electronics and IoT Kits
Electronics is the foundation of most modern technologies, and integrating IoT (Internet of Things) components into the learning process adds another layer of complexity and relevance. Electronics kits in the lab should include basic components like resistors, capacitors, LEDs, and microcontrollers, along with IoT-enabled devices for advanced learning.
- Basic Electronics Kits: These kits allow students to build simple circuits and learn about electronic components like switches, batteries, and motors. Kits like Snap Circuits are great for younger students.
- Microcontrollers (Arduino/Raspberry Pi): These are ideal for middle and high school students to work on real-world projects. With Arduino and Raspberry Pi, students can build projects such as home automation systems, weather stations, or smart agriculture devices using sensors and actuators.
- IoT Modules: Introducing IoT in the lab enables students to work on connected devices and smart systems. Modules like ESP8266, ESP32, and NodeMCU are essential for creating IoT projects that communicate over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
5. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) Kits
As artificial intelligence and machine learning transform industries, exposing students to these technologies is becoming essential. AI and ML kits allow students to understand how machines "learn" from data and how AI can be applied in real-world scenarios.
- AI Kits: These include hardware and software that allow students to create AI-powered systems. Students can experiment with image recognition, speech processing, and natural language understanding using kits like the NVIDIA Jetson Nano or Google AIY kits.
- ML Platforms: Students can be introduced to machine learning platforms such as Teachable Machine (by Google), which simplifies the creation of ML models without needing to write complex code. This helps students understand how data is processed to make decisions.
6. Project-Based Learning Resources and Curriculum Materials
To maximize the impact of a Composite Skill Lab, it’s important to have a well-structured set of project-based learning (PBL) resources that complement the CBSE curriculum. These materials guide students through the process of applying theoretical knowledge to solve real-world problems.
- Pre-Designed Project Kits: These kits offer a hands-on approach to learning by providing step-by-step instructions for building projects. They could include robotics challenges, science experiments, or engineering design tasks.
- Curriculum-Aligned Lesson Plans: STEMROBO and other providers offer lesson plans and teaching guides that align with the CBSE curriculum and NEP 2020 guidelines, ensuring that the activities conducted in the lab are relevant and educational.
7. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) Tools
VR and AR technologies offer immersive learning experiences that help students visualize complex concepts in subjects like science, history, and geography. Setting up VR and AR stations in the lab can enhance the overall learning experience.
- VR Headsets: Devices like the Oculus Rift or Google Cardboard can be used to take students on virtual field trips, explore the human body, or visit historical landmarks in a fully immersive way.
- AR Kits: Augmented reality apps and kits, such as Merge Cube or Quiver, allow students to interact with 3D models, making abstract concepts more tangible.
8. Safety Equipment and Tools
Safety is a key concern in any lab environment, especially one that involves tools, electrical components, and advanced machinery. Schools need to ensure that the Composite Skill Lab is equipped with the necessary safety tools and protocols.
- Safety Glasses and Gloves: To protect students when working with sharp objects, electronics, or 3D printers.
- First Aid Kits: A well-stocked first aid kit should always be available in case of minor accidents or injuries.
- Fire Extinguishers: Especially important when working with electronics and electrical circuits.
9. Flexible Furniture and Storage Solutions
The design of the lab is just as important as the equipment it houses. To create a productive and organized learning environment, schools should invest in flexible furniture that can be easily reconfigured for different activities and projects.
- Modular Desks and Chairs: These allow students to work individually or in groups, making it easy to switch between collaborative projects and independent work.
- Storage Units: The lab should have ample storage space for tools, kits, and project materials. Labelled drawers and shelves help keep the space organized and accessible.
Setting up a Composite Skill Lab in a CBSE school requires careful planning and the right combination of equipment to ensure that students get a rich and immersive learning experience. From robotics kits to AI tools and VR stations, each component plays a crucial role in fostering a hands-on, project-based learning environment.
With these tools, students will not only enhance their academic knowledge but also develop critical 21st-century skills like problem-solving, innovation, and teamwork. By investing in the right equipment and integrating it with the existing CBSE curriculum, schools can empower students to become future-ready, technologically proficient individuals.
More Details visit or contact us : https://www.stemrobo.com/ | <urn:uuid:dd37c5a9-cff1-4319-bc4f-13c66878a3d8> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://globalriskcommunity.com/notes/composite-skill-lab-setup-equipment-for-cbse-schools | 2024-09-09T15:04:50Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651103.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909134831-20240909164831-00271.warc.gz | en | 0.916778 | 1,687 | 4.03125 | 4 |
Innovation is a difficult topic to grasp. Everyone wants to be innovative. Everyone kinda sorta knows what the term “innovation” means. Most project management professionals have no idea how to systematically foster innovation or make it an integral part of the DNA of their projects.
Let’s start with the fundamentals.
Setting The Scene
Innovation refers to the successful conversion of concepts and knowledge into new products, services, or processes that delivers new value to society or the marketplace.
Innovation may arise when a project manager is creatively guiding the team through the solution process or when they are mitigating risks or removing constraints.
To get to an innovative solution, a project manager must embed creativity as a natural part of user and team interaction and or find creative pathways around obstacles and roadblocks.
When faced with a risk that must be avoided or mitigated, a project manager should facilitate the generation of ideas that add value; in order to determine the appropriate risk response strategy, and its associated contingency plan.
Though some project managers instinctively understand and incorporate innovation thinking into their execution, others need a framework to help maximize the likelihood of delivering an innovative solution.
The common thread that runs through all the innovative initiatives, which I have been a part of, are the following four pillars:
- Purpose – the problem that you are solving and insight into who you are solving this problem for.
- Expertise – the knowledge of the domain and the skills needed to successfully execute.
- Environment – the present workflow and future ecosystem conditions that need to be in place.
- Process – the implementation steps needed for long-term adoption.
In this stage, your only concern is with working with your users to get a very clear picture of the problem and its root cause. You are also documenting a profile of the intended users, which includes their current way of doing things and your theory of change. Your goal is to know the dimensions of the problem space so well that you live and breathe the issue.
Once you have a firm grasp of the problem, determine the skills that are needed to create a solution. Be sure to include team members that are new to the domain that will need to learn the space and thus will not be shackled by established and long-held assumptions and norms in the space.
When you are co-creating possible solutions with your users, encourage everyone to take the time and space to share creative possibilities. The final step in this phase is to have your team, which includes your users, prioritize possible solutions for implementation.
With your prioritized solution pathways, perform a sanity check to ensure that each of them match the workflow of your users and that there is a natural insertion point. You should also examine the business, legal and societal ecosystem that the solution will exist in. This helps you to determine if there is policy work to be done, if there are business model or legal constraints to be factored in, and if there are any obvious unintended consequences that you should be sensitive to.
It is implementation time. Develop features in short time periods. Present “the thing” to your users regularly, learn from their feedback, and incorporate their input to improve the solution.
As a project manager, who have to actively solicit ideas that add value throughout the project lifecycle in order to ensure that the desired innovative result is achieved.
Wherever possible, you should utilize tools that encourage your team to be creative and view all aspects of the solution space from multiple perspectives.
Not every project will be innovative.
However, if you follow the advice here then your chances of delivering an innovative project will increase. | <urn:uuid:9db19ad2-0ac0-4397-b633-0c73646cb06a> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://resources.experfy.com/bigdata-cloud/building-innovation-into-project-management/ | 2024-09-09T14:14:14Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651103.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909134831-20240909164831-00271.warc.gz | en | 0.945289 | 741 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Today in Military History – May 31st – Okinawa Hero Earns Medal of Honor
Clarence B. Craft, US Army. He was a rifleman when his platoon spearheaded an attack on Hen Hill, the tactical position on which the entire Naha-Shuri-Yonaburu line of Japanese defense on Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, was hinged. For 12 days our forces had been stalled, and repeated, heavy assaults by 1 battalion and then another had been thrown back by the enemy with serious casualties. With 5 comrades, Pfc. Craft was dispatched in advance of Company G to feel out the enemy resistance. The group had proceeded only a short distance up the slope when rifle and machinegun fire, coupled with a terrific barrage of grenades, wounded 3 and pinned down the others.
Against odds that appeared suicidal, Pfc. Craft launched a remarkable 1-man attack. He stood up in full view of the enemy and began shooting with deadly marksmanship wherever he saw a hostile movement. He steadily advanced up the hill, killing Japanese soldiers with rapid fire, driving others to cover in their strongly disposed trenches, unhesitatingly facing alone the strength that had previously beaten back attacks in battalion strength. He reached the crest of the hill, where he stood silhouetted against the sky while quickly throwing grenades at extremely short range into the enemy positions. His extraordinary assault lifted the pressure from his company for the moment, allowing members of his platoon to comply with his motions to advance and pass him more grenades. With a chain of his comrades supplying him while he stood atop the hill, he furiously hurled a total of 2 cases of grenades into a main trench and other positions on the reverse slope of Hen Hill, meanwhile directing the aim of his fellow soldiers who threw grenades from the slope below him. He left his position, where grenades from both sides were passing over his head and bursting on either slope, to attack the main enemy trench as confusion and panic seized the defenders. Straddling the excavation, he pumped rifle fire into the Japanese at pointblank range, killing many and causing the others to flee down the trench. Pursuing them, he came upon a heavy machinegun which was still creating havoc in the American ranks. With rifle fire and a grenade he wiped out this position. By this time the Japanese were in complete rout and American forces were swarming over the hill. Pfc. Craft continued down the central trench to the mouth of a cave where many of the enemy had taken cover. A satchel charge was brought to him, and he tossed it into the cave. It failed to explode.
With great daring, the intrepid fighter retrieved the charge from the cave, relighted the fuse and threw it back, sealing up the Japs in a tomb. In the local action, against tremendously superior forces heavily armed with rifles, machineguns, mortars, and grenades, Pfc. Craft killed at least 25 of the enemy; but his contribution to the campaign on Okinawa was of much more far-reaching consequence for Hen Hill was the key to the entire defense line, which rapidly crumbled after his utterly fearless and heroic attack. | <urn:uuid:ccde1e67-1d6b-4144-8337-6ff94c6ad154> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://blog.cedsolutions.com/662/today-in-military-history-may-31st-okinawa-hero-earns-medal-of-honor/ | 2024-09-12T01:22:31Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651420.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912011254-20240912041254-00071.warc.gz | en | 0.977324 | 638 | 2.875 | 3 |
Digital Crossroad in Indiana, is hosting a Purdue University agriculture technology project aiming to build robots that can plant and harvest crops remotely - potentially on the Moon or Mars.
The project has won $1 million in federal and private funds, and will use gaming technology to solve tough AI challenges, including how to make robots which can spot the peak of ripeness, working first with tomatoes and then with strawberries. It will use a 4,000 sq ft smart greenhouse on site, built by Digital Crossroad which will be warmed by the data center's waste heat.
The project is mostly funded through a $726,000 Sprint (Scaling Pandemic Resilience Through Innovation and Technology) award, intended to fight the impact of pandemics. The greenhouse is part of a $276,000 in-kind support package from Digital Crossroad.
“We are excited to be awarded an EDA Sprint Challenge grant to support this innovative project,” said Niaz Latif, dean of the College of Technology and interim dean of the College of Engineering and Sciences at Purdue University Northwest (PNW). “This transformative work will create jobs and have a positive economic impact.”
Project Traverse (agTech Robotics, Automation and Virtually Employed Resiliently Scaling Enterprises) is intended to alleviate labor shortages and make US agriculture more efficient, using advanced manufacturing technology and robotics to develop and test remote planting and harvesting of multiple crops.
The smart greenhouse will be adjacent to the second data center building on the campus, which has been converted from a former coal-fired power plant on the Indiana-Illinois border. Redirecting the data center's waste heat into the greenhouse offsets the data center's emissions and provides a renewable source of power.
PNW is leasing the greenhouse, and Traverse will be the first project there. “Project Traverse and the new Digital Crossroad data center in Hammond are great examples of the transformation happening in Northwest Indiana,” said Thomas P. Dakich, managing member, Digital Crossroad.
The project's raison d'etre is to address supply chain disruptions that took place during the coronavirus pandemic, but North West Indiana news source nwi.com says the project could potential help humankind colonize the universe.
"We got the idea from a NASA solicitation on how to make the Moon and Mars habitable," Project Traverse's lead investigator, entrepreneur in residence Mont Handley told nwi.com. "You don't want highly trained astronauts to do the physical work of picking produce in a greenhouse."
As well as designing the robots, Project Traverse will train skilled workers to make and repair remote agriculture systems in the US, said Handley: “Project Traverse will allow the United States to recover from decades of trade imbalance for produce, provide resilient harvests of healthy, nutrient-rich produce to the public during pandemics or other global supply chain disruptions, and offer remote and safe employment to a nimble workforce skilled in remote management of horticulture crop."
In fact, the system may not be as autonomous as the description implies. Choosing the right moment to pick fruit has been a tough problem for AI to solve, so the project plans to have people do it using home gaming systems, potentially creating a new occupation.
"Machine operators would remotely pick tomatoes, strawberries, fruits, and vegetables," said PNW Development Director Don Babcock. "You can grow the vegetable and fruit and harvest them remotely when they're ripe. That's the concept. It's something really unique we're doing in Northwest Indiana we need to amplify."
According to Handley: "It's the democratization of robots, making them as inexpensive as a used pickup truck for small growers who might be growing heirloom produce."
The Sprint Challenge was launched in 2020 to address the economic, health, and safety risks caused by the coronavirus pandemic through entrepreneurship and innovation. | <urn:uuid:06ce4709-3557-46b1-9145-9c6f75c38331> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/indiana-data-center-powers-1m-project-to-build-game-powered-robot-farmers/ | 2024-09-12T02:36:39Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651420.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912011254-20240912041254-00071.warc.gz | en | 0.941242 | 808 | 2.828125 | 3 |
Information Architecture is a way of designing an information structure for any system or any process. And the analogy that I like to use is, if you were going to build a house, you would not just start digging holes and pouring foundations, right, you would hire an architect. And so as we build any of our systems, the architect is going to design your home or your house or your your building or your commercial property, whatever it is, based on your needs. And based on how you're going to use that property, that would be analogous to use cases.
But there's also going to be multiple designs. So there would be a foundation plan, there would be a framing plan, there would be a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning, HVAC plan or be an electrical plan. There's all sorts of different motors, there would be a rendering. And each of those types of plans are analogous to what we build an information architecture. So we build the core structure, the domain model, we build the the metadata, facets and structures, we build the wireframes, we build the user interface. And all of those are there multiple ways of which we build out sets of use cases. So all of those different design components are part of the information architecture, just as if a an architect was going to design a house or home or structure of some sort. So it's really important that we are intentional about our information design, and especially thinking about the consistency of organizing principles such as taxonomies, and metadata, and content models, and product data models, and even customer data models.
So anytime we're building or integrating or re platforming or migrating any type of a system, we need to have a plan and the plan includes everything up to the moving in plan, believe it or not, if you were going to move into a new home after it was all built, you would take the stuff in your old home, you'd label it, you put it in boxes, and you'd label it and you'd say, well, what room is it going to go to? And you bring it into the new home. And sometimes people will do things like take their attic, all the junk in their attic. And do you just move your junk in your attic to use new attic while sometimes, but many times it's an opportunity to clean out the attic right and to get rid of the stuff that you don't need. So it's there's a lot of great analogies to the physical world when we think about information architecture, and all of the related processes.
Ready to discover where your data can take you? Contact us for a consultation. | <urn:uuid:3ea76b4d-c279-408c-abe8-a219c5212bea> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.earley.com/insights/what-is-information-architecture | 2024-09-13T05:45:53Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651507.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913034233-20240913064233-00871.warc.gz | en | 0.966334 | 544 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Edge AI represents the deployment of artificial intelligence algorithms and models in an edge computing environment, which brings computational power and intelligence closer to where decisions are made, in part to offset a continuous communication stream between edge sites and the cloud. Edge AI enables devices at the periphery of the network to process data locally, allowing for real-time decision-making without relying on Internet connections or centralized cloud servers for processing, increasing computational speed, and improving data privacy and security.
Edge AI is the convergence of multiple technologies, including artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), edge computing, and embedded systems, each playing a crucial role in enabling intelligent processing and decision-making at the edge of the network. Edge AI involves using embedded algorithms to monitor a remote system’s activity, as well as processing the data collected by devices such as sensors and other trackers of unstructured data, including temperature, language, faces, motion, images, proximity, and other analog inputs.
These remote systems can take many forms, including sensors, smartphones, IoT devices, drones, cameras, and even vehicles and smart appliances. The data collected from these systems serves as the input for edge AI algorithms, providing valuable information about the state of the system or its surroundings, allowing edge AI systems to respond quickly to changes or anomalies and understand the environment in which they operate. These edge AI applications would be impractical or even impossible to operate in a centralized cloud or enterprise data center environment due to issues related to cost, latency, bandwidth, security, and privacy.
Edge AI encompasses a wide range of use cases, including:
There are two primary paradigms for deploying AI algorithms and models: at the edge or in the cloud. Strategies to integrate systems that span cloud and edge sites are referred to as “cloud-in” or “edge-out”, with both having implications for performance, security, and operations.
Edge AI involves deploying AI on remote devices to enable real-time processing and decision-making at the network edge or in decentralized environments. These systems can largely analyze data locally, without relying on network connectivity or transmitting data to centralized servers, leading to lower latency and faster response times. Edge AI systems also keep sensitive data local, reducing the risk of privacy breaches or security risks associated with transmitting data to the cloud.
Examples of edge AI include autonomous vehicles that use locally deployed AI to analyze sensor data to make real-time driving decisions and smart home devices that use edge AI to process voice commands or monitor premises for intruders.
On the other hand, cloud AI is characterized by deploying AI algorithms and models on centralized cloud servers, allowing for large-scale data processing, training, and inference. Cloud resources bring significant computing capabilities, enabling complex AI tasks such as deep learning training or big data analytics that require massive computational power. Cloud AI solutions can easily scale to accommodate large volumes of data and users, making them suitable for applications with high throughput or resource-intensive requirements.
Recommendation engines such as those used by Amazon or Netflix to offer consumers new or alternative product choices based on extensive user data are examples of large-scale cloud AI systems that require substantial computational resources to function optimally.
Other AI use cases encompass both edge AI and cloud AI to meet specific customer needs. Real life examples include Sentient.io, a Singapore-based AI and data platform provider, which has developed the Sentient Marketplace, a hub of innovative AI services that allows businesses to easily integrate AI into their existing workflows. However, the marketplace’s rapid success presented several complex challenges, including the difficulty of operating and deploying AI services across distributed environments—on-premises, public cloud, private cloud, and at the edge.
When operating across multiple providers at customer sites, individual cloud-provider solutions may offer proprietary Kubernetes distributions, which can prove daunting for organizations that need to leverage these platforms in their respective cloud environments. Also cumbersome was the deployment process for Sentient’s AI models at customer sites, which called for setting up on-premises Kubernetes environments for each edge site, and handling updates and synchronization of new models manually. This resulted in increased operational complexity and inconsistent workflow orchestration and security policies.
Sentient.io partnered with F5 to offer turnkey, enterprise-grade AI “as a service” solutions to customers across a variety of verticals using F5 Distributed Cloud App Stack, an enterprise-ready Kubernetes platform that simplifies deployments across on-prem, cloud, and edge locations. The solution streamlined Sentient’s operations, reducing latency and enabling real-time AI processing at the edge. Delivering inference at the edge eliminates network and bandwidth constraints due to geographical location and ensures immediate delivery of inference to applications in real-time. This shift in model deployment enabled Sentient.io to deliver high performing AI applications to their customers with a faster time to value, optimize resource allocation, reduce overall operational costs, and natively integrate application and API security.
The collaboration also delivered significant cost savings over the previous process of managing multiple cloud platforms manually, which required dedicated teams and incurred substantial resource costs. With F5 Distributed Cloud Services, Sentient simplified operations, cutting costs by optimizing resources and simplifying application management, freeing up resources for other strategic initiativeo confirm.
Accessing edge AI involves deploying a combination of devices, technologies, infrastructure components, and integrations to enable efficient access and utilization of AI capabilities at the network edge. These include:
Also, be aware of the following challenges and limitations to deploying and accessing edge AI.
Protecting data and mitigating security risks in edge AI deployments requires a holistic approach that emphasizes a multi-layered approach to security. While edge AI differs from traditional computing workloads in important ways, such as its ability to learn from data and evolve behavior based on experience, in terms of security requirements edge AI has much in common with more conventional IoT systems and shares many of the same risks, including:
For an in-depth examination of the security risks involved with deploying and managing AI systems based on LLMs, including edge AI applications, review the OWASP Top 10 for Large Language Model Applications, which promotes awareness of their vulnerabilities, suggests remediation strategies, and seeks to improve the security posture of LLM applications.
Because of its placement at the network edge or other remote locations, it’s important to optimize edge AI infrastructure for performance, resource utilization, security, and other considerations. However, optimizing for efficiency and performance for resource-constrained devices can be challenging as minimizing computational, memory, and energy requirements while maintaining acceptable performance often involves trade-offs.
Several strategies exist to optimize computational performance at the edge while limiting energy consumption. Implementing power-saving techniques such as low-power modes, sleep states, or dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) can help reduce energy consumption. Hardware accelerators like GPUs and DPUs can offload computation-intensive tasks from the CPU, improving inference speed. Use techniques such as dynamic batching, adaptive inference, or model sparsity to optimize resource utilization while maintaining performance. Less intensive tasks may be handled by CPU resources, underscoring the importance of resource pooling across highly distributed architectures.
Edge AI devices often have limited computational resources, making it necessary to deploy lightweight AI models optimized for edge devices. This can mean striking a balance between model complexity, accuracy, and inference speed when selecting the most suitable model for device resources and application requirements. Techniques such as model quantization, pruning, and knowledge distillation can help reduce the size of AI models without significant loss in performance.
The "dissolving perimeter" refers to how traditional network boundaries are becoming less defined due to factors such as mobile devices and cloud and edge computing. In the context of edge AI, the dissolving perimeter means that edge AI devices are usually deployed in remote and dynamic network environments at the network edge and operate outside of data center or cloud environments and beyond traditional perimeter-based security measures such as firewalls or intrusion detection systems. As a result, edge AI security has special requirements and must be optimized to protect against threats such as unauthorized access in isolated locations and across complex, distributed environments that make security management and visibility a challenge.
In addition, APIs provide the connective tissue that enables multiple parts of AI applications to exchange data and instructions. The protection of these API connections and the data that runs through them is a critical security challenge that companies must face as they deploy AI-enabled applications, necessitating the deployment of web app and API protection services that dynamically discover and automatically protect endpoints from a variety of risks.
LMMs are artificial intelligence models based on vast amounts of textual data and trained to understand and generate natural language outputs with remarkable, human-like fluency and coherence. LLMs, which are at the heart of generative AI applications, are typically trained from input data and content systematically scraped from the Internet, including online books, posts, websites, and articles. However, this input data is subject to attack by bad actors who intentionally manipulate input data to mislead or compromise the performance of generative AI models, leading to vulnerabilities, biases, unreliable outputs, privacy breaches, and the execution of unauthorized code.
Among the top security risks to LLMs are:
To address these security challenges demands a multi-faceted approach that prevents prompt injections and employs techniques such as prompt sanitization, input validation, and prompt filtering to ensure that the model is not manipulated by maliciously crafted inputs. To counteract DoS attacks, create a layered defense strategy that includes rate limiting, anomaly detection, and behavioral analysis to detect and identify suspicious or malicious network activities. The industry is still evolving to effectively manage these risks, leading to rapid development of LLM proxies, firewalls, gateways, and secure middleware within application stacks.
Edge AI is part of a rapidly evolving set of technologies at the network edge, which is ushering in a new era of intelligent, responsive, and more efficient computing environments. These technologies, at the juncture of processor, networking, software, and security advancement, are unlocking new possibilities for innovation and transformation across industries. These edge computing use cases take advantage of real-time analytics and decision-making at the network edge, allowing organizations to process and analyze data closer to its source and improve response times for latency-sensitive applications or to ensure real-time delivery of content.
Distributing computing resources across the network edge also allows organizations to quickly adapt to changing workload demands and optimize resource utilization to improve overall system performance and efficiency. These possibilities are due in part to the evolution of purpose-built components for edge computing infrastructure, such as edge servers, edge computing platforms and libraries, and AI-on-chip processors that provide the necessary compute, storage, and networking resources to support edge AI applications.
Edge AI has played a pivotal role in driving the infrastructure renaissance at the network edge, and the integration of AI with the IoT continues to drive intelligent decision-making at the edge, propelling revolutionary applications in healthcare, industrial automation, robotics, smart infrastructure, and more.
TinyML is an approach to ML and AI that focuses in part on the creation of lightweight software ML models and algorithms, which are optimized for deployment on resource-constrained edge devices such as microcontrollers and edge AI devices. TinyML-based algorithms are designed to be energy-efficient, and capable of running inference tasks locally without relying on cloud resources.
In addition, compact and powerful processors such as DPUs, which are specialized hardware components designed to offload and accelerate data processing tasks from the CPU, are increasingly used in edge computing and AI/ML workloads, where the efficient processing of large amounts of data is crucial for performance and scalability. This efficiency is especially valuable in edge computing environments where power constraints may limit the use of energy-intensive GPU solutions.
Linking these innovations in an edge-to-cloud-to-data-center continuum is a new generation of networking solutions that enables seamless data processing, analysis, and observability across distributed architectures, including hybrid, multi-cloud, and edge computing resources. These networks will increasingly rely on APIs, which are essential components of edge computing platforms, as they facilitate communication, integration, and automation to enable seamless data exchange and synchronization within distributed computing environments. APIs also enable interoperability between diverse edge devices, systems, and services by delivering standardized interfaces, which also allows dynamic provisioning, management and control of edge resources and services.
In these wide-spanned distributed architectures, data can be securely processed and analyzed at multiple points along the continuum, ranging from edge devices located close to data sources to centralized—or dispersed—cloud servers located in data centers. This edge-to-everywhere continuum allows organizations to securely leverage the strengths of multiple computing environments and to integrate traditional and AI workloads to meet the diverse requirements of modern applications.
F5 is the only solution provider that secures, delivers, and optimizes any app, any API, anywhere, across the continuum of distributed environments, including AI applications at the network edge. AI-based apps are the most modern of modern apps, and while there are specific considerations for systems that employ GenAI, such as LLM risks and distributed inference, these applications are also subject to latency, denial-of-service, software vulnerabilities, and abuse by bad actors using bots and malicious automation.
New AI-driven digital experiences are highly distributed, with a mix of data sources, models, and services that expand across on-premises, cloud, and edge environments, all connected by an expanding network of APIs that add significant security challenges. The protection of these API connections and the data that runs through them is the critical security challenge that companies must face as they deploy more AI-enabled services.
F5 Distributed Cloud Services offers the industry’s most comprehensive, AI-ready API security solution, with API code testing and telemetry analysis to help protect against sophisticated AI-powered threats, while making it easier to secure and manage multi-cloud and edge application environments. F5 Multi-Cloud Networking solutions offer SaaS-based networking with traffic optimization, and security services for public and private clouds and edge deployments through a single console, easing the management burden of cloud-dependent services and multiple third-party vendors. With F5 network solutions, you get accelerated AI deployments, end-to-end policy management, and observability for fully automatable and reliable infrastructure.
In addition, the new F5 AI Data Fabric is a foundation for building innovative solutions that help customers make more informed decisions and take quicker actions. Telemetry from Distributed Cloud Services, BIG-IP, and NGINX combine to deliver unparalleled insights, produce real-time reports, automate actions, and power AI agents.
F5 is also releasing an AI assistant that will change the way customers interact with and manage F5 solutions using a natural language interface. Powered by the F5 AI Data Fabric, the AI assistant will generate data visualizations, identify anomalies, query and generate policy configurations, and apply remediation steps. It will also act as an embedded customer support manager, allowing customers to ask questions and receive recommendations based on model training of entire product knowledge bases.
By powering and protecting your AI-based apps, from the data center to the edge, F5 solutions provide powerful tools that deliver predictable performance and security so you can gain the greatest value from your AI investments. | <urn:uuid:09879ca0-a8ff-4c34-b124-447b4b974431> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.f5.com/es_es/glossary/what-is-edge-ai | 2024-09-14T11:57:46Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651579.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20240914093425-20240914123425-00771.warc.gz | en | 0.923159 | 3,154 | 3.28125 | 3 |
With all the news about data breaches and cyber attacks, it’s no wonder that you might be wondering if your data is really safe. After all, what’s the point of having data protection if your data isn’t actually secure? In this article, we’ll explore the answer to this question and give you some tips on how to keep your data safe.
Data security is the practice of protecting your data from unauthorized access or theft. Data security is important because it helps to protect your confidential information and prevent it from being accessed by people who should not have access to it. There are many ways to secure your data, including password protection, encryption, and physical security.
Data protection is the practice of safeguarding important information from unauthorized access. It is a broad term that can encompass everything from computer security to physical security measures. Data protection is important for both individuals and businesses, as it can help keep sensitive information safe from criminals and other unauthorized individuals. There are a variety of data protection measures that can be taken, and the best approach will vary depending on the type of information being protected and the potential threats.
The importance of both data protection and data security
Data protection and data security are both important considerations when it comes to keeping your information safe. Data protection covers the legal side of things, while data security focuses on the technical aspects. Both are essential to keep your data safe from theft, loss, or unauthorized access.
Data protection is important because it sets out the rules for how data must be handled. This includes specifying who can access the data, how it can be used, and what happens to it when it is no longer needed. Data security is just as important because it ensures that the data is kept safe from unauthorized access or destruction.
There are several ways to protect your data, such as encrypting it or storing it in a secure location. But no matter what measures you take, both data protection and data security are essential for keeping your information safe.
The difference between data protection and data security
Data protection and data security are two terms that are often used interchangeably, but there is a big difference between the two. Data protection is about ensuring that data is accurate and available when needed, while data security is about protecting data from unauthorized access or destruction.
Data protection is a broad term that covers measures to ensure the accuracy, availability, and integrity of data. This can include things like backing up data regularly, encrypting sensitive information, and making sure only authorized personnel to have access to confidential information.
Data security, on the other hand, is all about preventing unauthorized access to or destruction of data. This can include measures like physical security (such as locks and alarms), logical security (such as password protection and firewalls), and personnel security (such as background checks and training).
How to ensure both data protection and data security
Data protection is a critical part of any security strategy. By ensuring that your data is protected, you can help prevent unauthorized access and use. However, data protection alone is not enough to fully protect your information. You also need to implement security measures to help keep your data safe. Some common security measures include encryption, firewalls, and access control lists. Data protection and data security are both important considerations when it comes to protecting your online information. Here are some tips to help you ensure both data protection and data security:
1. Use a secure connection: When transmitting data, always use a secure connection, such as SSL or TLS. This will help to protect your data from being intercepted by third parties.
2. Use strong passwords: Make sure to use strong passwords for all of your online accounts. A strong password should be at least eight characters long and include a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols.
3. encrypt your data: If you are concerned about the security of your data, you can encrypt it using software like TrueCrypt. This will make it difficult for anyone who does not have the key to access your data.
4. Keep your software up to date: Always keep your operating system and other software up to date. Software updates often include security fixes that can help protect your data from being compromised.
Under what circumstances does data protection apply?
Data protection is a term that refers to the set of laws and regulations governing the use and handling of personal data. It covers a wide range of topics, from data storage and destruction to data sharing and security. In most cases, data protection applies when personal data is being collected, used, or shared by organizations.
There are a few exceptions to this general rule. For example, data protection may not apply if the personal data in question is publicly available or if it is being used for research purposes. Additionally, some countries have their own specific data protection laws that may supersede general international regulations.
How does data protection apply to the workplace?
Data protection is a broad term that covers many different aspects of data security. In the workplace, data protection typically refers to the security of employee data, such as personal information, medical records, and financial information. Data protection in the workplace is important for several reasons: first, to protect the privacy of employees; second, to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data; and third, to ensure the integrity of data.
There are a number of ways to protect data in the workplace, including physical security measures, such as locks and security cameras; logical security measures, such as password protection and encryption; and administrative measures, such as employee training and procedures for handling sensitive data. In addition, employers should have a policy in place that outlines how data will be protected and what employees should do if they suspect that their data has been compromised.
Data security Breaches and their Impact
Data security breaches can have a significant impact on individuals, businesses, and even governments. The most famous data security breach in recent years was the Equifax data breach, which exposed the personal information of over 145 million people. However, there have been many other data security breaches that have had serious consequences.
Data security breaches can result in the loss of sensitive information, financial losses, and reputational damage. In some cases, data breaches can even lead to identity theft and fraud. If you are a victim of a data security breach, it is important to take steps to protect yourself and your information.
If you are a business, data security breaches can also have a serious impact on your bottom line. Not only can you lose money from direct financial losses, but you may also face legal liabilities and damages. Data security breaches can also damage your reputation and make it difficult to attract new customers.
To protect against data security breaches, businesses should take measures to secure their data. This includes encrypting data, implementing strong access controls, and regularly backing up data. Individuals can also take steps to protect themselves by being careful about what information they share online and using strong passwords for their accounts.
Data protection and data security are two important concepts when it comes to safeguarding your information. Data protection covers the ways in which your data can be used, while data security focuses on protecting your data from unauthorized access or theft. Both are important for keeping your information safe, so make sure you understand the difference between them. | <urn:uuid:e1983788-f8f4-4d74-96fe-cbd8aeb553d3> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://dtc1.com/category/data-privacy/ | 2024-09-15T17:32:09Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651632.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20240915152239-20240915182239-00671.warc.gz | en | 0.945618 | 1,476 | 3.453125 | 3 |
Materials science is an interdisciplinary field involving the properties of matter and its application to various areas of science and engineering.
It includes elements of applied physics and chemistry, as well as chemical, mechanical, civil and electrical engineering. Materials science focuses on the relationship between the atomic and molecular structure of a material, the properties of the material (such as strength, electrical conductivity or optical properties), and ways in which the material is manufactured or processed into a shape or product.
Quantum technologies will bring new capabilities to the sector as they are adopted in the coming years and decades. Discover how ID Quantique’s infrared single-photon detectors and super-conducting nanowire detectors, coupled with the ID900 Time Controller, can be used to provide greatly improved observations. | <urn:uuid:2459d38b-3f9f-449a-b2ce-9288aafd124a> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.idquantique.com/quantum-sensing/applications/materials-science/ | 2024-09-16T23:07:06Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651714.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20240916212424-20240917002424-00571.warc.gz | en | 0.933753 | 157 | 2.984375 | 3 |
A denial of service (DoS) attack occurs when hackers flood an application, network, or service with traffic, knocking it offline. DoS attacks — and distributed denial of service attacks — threaten businesses everywhere. Keep reading to learn more about these attacks and how to protect against them.
Need to improve your organization’s defenses? Take Control of your cyber risk today.
What are denial of service attacks?
A DoS attack occurs when bad actors and hacktivists intentionally target systems, networks, or internet services with traffic or malicious data requests to throttle network performance, disrupt services and render them inaccessible. Attacks can last anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours to several days at a time — leading to costly service outages, unhappy customers, and reduced profitability.
When an organization is the victim of any type of DoS attack, operations grind to a halt. Since network connectivity is difficult or impossible, customers can’t access cloud services, make payments, or communicate with customer support.
In some cases, hackers employ several different methods in a coordinated campaign. For example, bad actors might launch DoS attacks as a smokescreen to divert attention away from a ransomware attack.
What’s the difference between DoS vs. DDoS?
DoS and DDoS attacks are similar in that they both aim to disrupt service to a target or a group of target hosts. However, they tend to differ in scale and logistics:
A DoS attack occurs when a single device floods a targeted network or service with traffic.
A distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack originates from a network of connected compromised computers or devices, or a botnet, that a bad actor controls.
Since DDoS attacks involve more computing resources, they typically have a bigger impact. At the same time, they’re also harder to trace and mitigate because they have multiple origination points. Unfortunately, DDoS attacks are now a top threat, accounting for 25% of reportable incidents for all companies.
How do denial of service attacks work?
DoS attacks make network resources or machines unavailable to legitimate users for an extended period. Such attacks typically start with early reconnaissance work, with cybercriminals first discovering a target like a website, server, or Internet of Things (IoT) device.
Attack tactics and procedures vary depending on whether an attacker is launching a DoS or DDoS attack. But in general, a DoS attack involves the following tactics:
Overwhelming network or system resources. For example, a threat actor might send tons of malicious traffic packets to a website’s IP address or a single infected packet to a website server, causing it to crash.
Exhausting bandwidth. Attackers may also try to consume a target’s bandwidth. This happens when incoming traffic exceeds the available network capacity and prevents end users from accessing the system.
Exploiting vulnerabilities. Threat actors often look to exploit vulnerabilities in services and applications that enable them to issue large volumes of requests. They may also attempt to infiltrate operating systems or network infrastructure.
Consuming server resources. Hackers may try to consume server resources to make online services inoperable by exhausting system resources, including CPU, memory, or disk space.
DDoS attacks require advanced preparation and more resources. To launch this type of attack, a threat actor must first create or purchase a botnet to gain control over a large number of infected devices. Afterward, hackers deploy malware to establish control over the distributed devices and issue commands to flood target locations with traffic requests.
What are the types of denial of service attacks?
Hackers use several different tactics hackers use to carry out DoS and DDoS attacks. Here are some of the most common types to know about.
1. TCP/IP-based attacks
Most internet-based communication uses the Transmission Control Protocol/IP Protocol (TCP/IP). A TCP/IP-based attack exploits TCP/IP to gain access to systems and then disrupt them. Such attacks include:
SYN floods, where the attacker attempts to overload a target server with SYN packets without completing a handshake, or authentication signal. This causes the target to try and allocate the necessary resources, eventually crashing it.
ICMP flood attacks, which involve using the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) to flood a target system with ICMP packets.
UDP floods, where hackers deploy a flood of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets to a host system to disrupt service. This type of attack commonly targets UDP-based services like voice over internet protocol (VoIP) platforms, online games, and other web applications.
2. Application layer attacks
Application layer DoS attacks — or layer 7 attacks — target the application layer of the network. During these attacks, actors try to exploit the way applications process requests. Examples include:
HTTP floods, which involve overwhelming web servers with tons of HTTP requests, causing the server to deplete its resources.
Slowloris, where hackers target web servers with incomplete connections, depleting the application’s resources by forcing the server to keep connections open while waiting for requests to complete.
DNS amplification, an amplification attack targeting vulnerable Domain Name System (DNS) servers with DNS queries which then reply with larger responses, overwhelming the application and causing it to crash.
3. Resource exhaustion attacks
A resource exhaustion attack drains a system’s resources, like network bandwidth and CPU, preventing the target system from functioning properly:
Ping of death attacks target a network device or computer’s IP stack. For example, an attacker might create oversized Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) Echo Request packets that exceed the IP protocol’s specifications. In turn, the target system struggles to process the packets, which eventually knocks the service offline.
Teardrop attacks target the IP stack’s fragmentation system. An attacker creates an IP packet with fragments that manipulate the host system’s reassembly process. When the target system tries to reassemble the packets, issues like buffer overflow and memory corruption cause the system to become unresponsive and eventually fail.
NTP amplification attacks use vulnerable Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers to send more traffic to target systems. In these attacks, the attacker discovers misconfigured and publicly accessible NTP servers and issues a monlist command to access the previous 600 IP addresses that interacted with the server. Next, the attacker spoofs the source IP, sends a large volume of forged monlist requests to vulnerable NTP servers, and creates a massive volume of amplified NTP responses, which overwhelms the target.
4. Distributed Denial of Service
A DDoS attack may utilize both TCP/IP attacks and application layer attacks to target host systems. Threat actors may also launch volumetric DDoS attacks to overload the target’s bandwidth using these tactics:
Botnet attacks, which involve using a network of compromised devices to target host networks or services.
Reflection/amplification attacks, where hackers use protocols and services to amplify traffic toward a target location.
Denial of service attacks examples
DoS and DDoS attacks are increasing in volume and sophistication, impacting organizations worldwide. Recently, security researchers observed multiple cyberattacks using a Mirai botnet variant which attacks vulnerabilities in Linux servers and devices. This particular variant — IZ1H9 — mainly focuses on DDoS attacks.
As one of the more pervasive methods of attack in today’s threat landscape, many organizations are victimized by various types of DDoS attacks — including industry giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. With that in mind, let’s examine some real-world examples of how bad actors have bypassed cloud security protections to launch DDoS attacks.
In 2020, AWS mitigated a massive 2.3 Tbps DDoS attack that was executed using hijacked CLDAP web servers. This created an internal elevated threat warning that lasted for three days.
Google experienced an even larger threat in 2017, mitigating a 2.54 Tbps DDoS attack. In 2022, the company received a series of HTTPS DDoS attacks peaking at 46 million requests per second. As Google explains, that’s the equivalent of receiving all daily requests made on Wikipedia — in just 10 seconds.
In 2018, GitHub.com was knocked offline for several minutes following a significant volumetric DDoS attack. The attack peaked at 1.35 Tbps. According to GitHub, the attack originated from over 1,000 different autonomous systems across tens of thousands of unique endpoints.
Leading DNS provider Dyn experienced a major DDoS attack in 2016 stemming from the Mirai botnet. The attack caused widespread outages across Dyn’s systems and took down multiple internet platforms across Europe and North America, leading to significant business interruptions and substantial recovery costs.
How to prevent denial of service attacks
With DoS and DDoS attacks becoming increasingly common, businesses and service providers must take preventative action to mitigate risks. Companies that fail to shield their assets from such attacks risk costly outages, data loss, and reputational harm. This section will explore strategies businesses can use to prevent DoS attacks from impacting operations.
Firewalls help protect against low-level DoS and DDoS attacks. These systems can filter incoming and outgoing traffic, block malware, and enforce rate limits and traffic-shaping policies.
While firewalls can thwart some attacks, they don’t offer complete protection. After all, they primarily sit on the network layer, making them vulnerable to application-layer attacks. Additionally, firewalls have bandwidth and processing limitations that can make them less effective during large-scale DDoS attacks.
For the best results, use next-generation firewalls with additional network security features like integrated intrusion protection and advanced threat detection capabilities. Even so, it’s best to use firewalls as part of a layered defense strategy alongside additional cybersecurity technologies.
Implement intrusion prevention systems
Intrusion prevention systems (IPS) monitor network traffic for breach attempts. They can also be useful for protecting against DoS attacks.
For example, a business might use an IPS to study legitimate traffic patterns and identify anomalies that align with DoS attacks, like sudden traffic spikes. An IPS also enables rate limiting and traffic shaping and can dynamically filter rules and manage blocklists for harmful IP addresses and domains.
Unfortunately, an IPS is less effective at preventing large-scale cyber attacks due to bandwidth restrictions and limited visibility. Such systems only inspect network traffic and known attack patterns, making it difficult to detect emerging threats.
Deploy content delivery networks
A content delivery network (CDN) — like Cloudflare — is a geographically distributed network of data centers and servers that deliver web content to intended users. As it turns out, CDNs can also help against DoS attacks. CDNs offer distributed network infrastructure with multiple points of presence. For example, a business might have servers in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and North America. In the event of a DDoS attack, the CDN can distribute traffic across its network and avoid the origin server — preventing the incoming attack from disrupting operations.
CDNs also have advanced features like load balancing, anycast routing, and traffic filtering, providing extra protection.
Conduct regular traffic analysis
One of the best ways to protect against DoS attacks is to conduct regular traffic analysis. This makes it possible to gain a baseline of normal network traffic patterns and discover and respond to abnormal patterns and incoming attacks when they occur.
For example, your business might notice a spike in traffic from an unusual source which may indicate that a botnet is attacking the organization. By understanding where traffic typically comes from, organizations can take immediate action to shield against bad traffic.
Enable rate limiting
Rate limiting involves restricting the amount of incoming traffic for a network resource — e.g., a user, service, or application. By creating rate limits, organizations can set thresholds on incoming requests and prevent threat actors from abusing them. What’s more, rate limiting also prevents threat actors from depleting critical system resources during attacks. | <urn:uuid:f7b4a923-1a8b-4d5f-a460-7eee32c4dd39> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.coalitioninc.com/en-gb/topics/what-are-denial-of-service-attacks | 2024-09-09T17:44:15Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651133.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909170505-20240909200505-00371.warc.gz | en | 0.917405 | 2,480 | 3.46875 | 3 |
As modern IT infrastructure becomes increasingly complex, businesses generate massive amounts of logs compared to the past in real time.
Therefore, streamlining this unstructured log data into a more structured form becomes vital with this growing complexity.
Organizations must collect unstructured log data from various sources, extract meaning from them, and store them in a centralized repository.
That’s where Log Aggregation comes in. Log Aggregation is like gathering all the pieces of a puzzle and placing them together to form a complete picture
Let us take a deep dive into the intricacies of log aggregation, its working, challenges, benefits, and more
What is Log Aggregation?
Log aggregation identifies log sources, collects data, and consolidates the logs at a central location.
From the perspective of modern IT infrastructure, Log aggregation is crucial to bringing structure into unstructured raw log data, enabling logs as a medium for multiple use cases, such as efficient infrastructure and performance monitoring, troubleshooting, analysis, and even identification of security issues.
For instance, an e-commerce platform can use log aggregation to monitor user activity, a financial institution can aggregate logs from firewalls, antivirus software, and other applications to detect potential security breaches, and a SaaS platform can identify potential performance issues by aggregating logs from its web servers, application servers, and databases.
How Log Aggregation Works?
There are several steps involved in aggregating logs into a central repository, which can be described as follows:
1. Identifying Log Sources: Modern Infrastructure has a diverse range of logs. As a first step, it is vital to identify the different sources you need to aggregate the logs for analysis.
2. Collecting Logs: Logs can be collected from various sources, such as applications, databases, network devices, web servers, OSs, and more, using methods such as file ingestion, Syslog, or automated pipelines.
3. Log Parsing & Indexing: After the logs are collected, they must be parsed to gain meaningful insights. Parsing the raw log data helps to transform unstructured data into valuable information. The logs are then indexed to make their log search and retrieval easy.
4. Storing Logs: The parsed logs are then consolidated and stored at a central location to facilitate retrieval and enable further analysis and log management.
You can also use a unified platform such as Motadata AIOps, which can perform all the necessary log aggregation steps and much more by directly accessing log sources, ingesting logs from diverse sources, parsing and aggregating them into a central location for log management & analysis.
Getting Started with Log Aggregation
To reap the benefits of Log Aggregation, it is vital to identify the log sources and set up your environment by choosing the right log aggregation tool. Let us look into how to do that.
Identifying Your Log Sources
As previously discussed, the first step to log aggregation is identifying the log sources crucial to your organization.
The log sources in your infrastructure could be your Servers, Applications, and Networks.
Since there is a diverse range of components in modern-day infrastructure, it is vital to identify all the pieces of the puzzle that make up the crucial logs for your infrastructure.
What are the Tools and Resources Needed for Effective Log Aggregation?
Once you identify the various log files and event logs to be ingested and aggregated, it is important to choose the right log management tool for log collection, aggregation, parsing, storage, and maybe even comprehensive log monitoring and management.
For effective log aggregation, you’ll need the following:
- Log aggregation tools collect, process, and store log data.
- Log storage: A centralized repository to store aggregated logs. This could be a dedicated log management platform or object storage.
- Infrastructure: Network infrastructure to connect log sources to the aggregation tool.
- Personnel: IT professionals with the skills to implement and manage the log aggregation system.
We will now discuss the right tool that serves all the above purposes and provides much more in a unified console.
Why Log Aggregation Matters?
Log Aggregation is more than just a technical necessity. It’s a strategic approach that yields significant benefits:
1. Streamlining and Standardizing Logs:
Log aggregation reduces complexity by streamlining log management, consolidating logs from various sources with different formats, and standardizing them into a common format.
This is crucial because it eliminates differences between different formats, making searching, retrieving, and analyzing logs easier.
2. Enhancing System Performance through Insights:
Aggregated log data enables administrators to gain valuable insights into performance issues and resource utilization in system and application performance.
3. Improving Security Posture:
Log aggregation enables organizations to improve their security posture by actively monitoring and identifying potential threats and malicious activities using their infrastructure logs consolidated from various sources, including Servers, Applications, and Firewalls.
4. Log Management, Monitoring, and Analysis:
Log Aggregation enables a unified approach to log management by enabling platforms to collect, aggregate, store, monitor, and analyze the logs from a centralized location. Effective log management and monitoring enable organizations to make data-driven decisions to support their businesses.
5. Efficient Troubleshooting and Resolving Incidents in Production:
Aggregated logs enable quick identification and resolution of incidents by allowing a holistic view of system operations. Engineers can easily access and analyze the logs to pinpoint the root cause and provide a swift resolution.
By implementing log aggregation, organizations can significantly improve the efficiency, security, and reliability of their IT infrastructure, making it an essential component of modern IT strategies.
Types of Logs for Aggregation
Logs can be categorized into various types, such as system, application logs, security, and network logs. The logs offer different insights based on their type. Let us look into the types of logs below:
- System and Server Logs include valuable information about server and operating system events. They are useful for monitoring OS performance and diagnosing potential hardware issues.
- Application Logs include application-specific events and errors. They are useful for monitoring application performance and behavior and improving user experience.
- Network Logs: These provide details about network traffic patterns and help identify bandwidth and connectivity issues
- Security Logs : provide details about security events. They are crucial for identifying unauthorized user access and security breaches.
Challenges and Considerations
Log Aggregation has its own set of challenges, including managing large volumes of data, dealing with the complexity of the data structures of the diverse range of logs, and ensuring data privacy.
1. Log Volumes:
One significant challenge in log aggregation is managing the large volumes of logs in modern infrastructure. As organizations scale, the sheer volume of log data grows exponentially, making it difficult to collect, store, and analyze it.
2. Log Data Complexity:
Aggregating logs from diverse sources can be challenging. The logs are generated in different formats, which require parsing them to align them in the same format. This can lead to increased overhead for organizations.
3. Log Data Privacy and Security:
Log data can sometimes be sensitive and entail strict regulatory and compliance requirements, as they pose privacy and security concerns. It is vital to ensure that the logs are securely stored, transmitted, and accessed for analysis to ensure data privacy and security.
Best practices for overcoming these challenges
1. Managing Log Data:
Log management tools with data retention policies are important to handle the challenge of large volumes of log data. Regularly archive or delete logs to manage storage costs and performance by configuring an apt retention period.
2. Log Data Standardization:
Use consistent log formats and normalization techniques to simplify the data after log aggregation.
3. Ensuring Log Data security:
Encrypting log data both in transit and at rest to protect sensitive data is vital. Implement strict access controls and an audit trail to monitor log data and ensure compliance requirements.
Choose a scalable aggregation tool that fits the growing organization’s needs. This ensures the infrastructure can handle additional load as the log volume increases.
Choosing the Right Log Aggregation Tool
Imagine a unified platform that solves multiple use cases of log management and provides a comprehensive and efficient approach to managing your log data so that you get the most out of the bucks you spend.
That’s what you are looking for, isn’t it? We’ll discuss that soon, but first, let’s look at what you should expect from the log management tool you choose.
1. Unified Console:
An all-in-one platform for collecting, parsing, analyzing, and visualizing the log data from multiple sources. This ensures simplified monitoring, higher efficiency, comprehensive insights, and more in one place.
2. Out-of-the-Box Log Parsing Support:
The tool should be able to parse the logs belonging to a diverse range of infrastructure, including network devices, applications, and servers from all the major vendors prevalent in the industry.
3. Threat Detection using Logs:
Tools that can detect security threats using ingested logs and send out an alert have an edge over tools that can’t.
4. Log Correlation:
Some tools can detect the correlated events with the help of the ingested logs. This helps to identify the surrounding events that led to the event you are analyzing and also helps to identify the repercussions of the same event effortlessly.
5. Live Log Tailing:
Some tools enable real-time viewing and analyzing the ingested logs. This enables administrators to detect and troubleshoot issues as they occur and view crucial activity in your infrastructure.
6. Comprehensive Log Analytics:
Some tools equip you with an out-of-the-box tool to analyze the logs by creating widgets to visualize the log data and generate meaningful insights.
7. User Interface:
A user-friendly interface is crucial for efficiently analyzing log data. Look for features like intuitive dashboards, customizable alerts, and powerful log search capabilities.
With Motadata AIOps, it’s time to look beyond mere Log Aggregation tools with all the above features and more via its unified console. From Log collection, Dynamic Log parsing, Log Storing, Advanced Log management & analytics to business-driven insights, you can fulfill all your needs at one destination.
Utilizing automatic Out-of-the-box dynamic parsing, Motadata AIOps transforms and standardizes logs from diverse sources to ensure sophisticated and effortless analysis.
Regular threat detection ensures robust security mechanisms. Leverage advanced features such as Log Correlation and live Log Tailing to understand your infrastructure logs comprehensively.
To top it all off, equip yourself with the intuitive Log Explorer to ensure your logs are intelligently categorized for easy search and retrieval.
Create widgets to visualize log data from various sources, including applications, servers, and network devices, to gain critical insights into infrastructure and help relevant teams quickly identify why a performance issue occurred.
Log aggregation is crucial for identifying and diagnosing issues in IT systems, improving security, and enhancing operational efficiency by providing a comprehensive view of system activities.
The key benefits include improved troubleshooting, enhanced security monitoring, faster incident response, better compliance, and more effective resource management.
Log aggregation enhances security by providing real-time insights into system activities, detecting anomalies, and helping to identify potential security threats early. | <urn:uuid:18734a85-bc03-4cd8-84e8-7d1201768a38> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.motadata.com/blog/log-aggregation/ | 2024-09-09T17:49:29Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651133.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909170505-20240909200505-00371.warc.gz | en | 0.91816 | 2,354 | 2.625 | 3 |
The South Carolina State Board of Education announced that it has approved a new science techbook for statewide use as a core instructional resource.
The techbook, produced by Discovery Education, will integrate digital curriculum into the classroom and distance learning. The board of education approved the science techbook for the K-5 and 6-8 grade bands, as well as high school Earth & Space science.
The digital content will be delivered through Discovery Education’s K-12 platform and will include virtual and hands-on investigations, STEM activities, and instructional supports.
According to a press release, teachers will also have access to coordinated digital teacher guides offering unit, concept, and lesson overviews, standards connections, and differentiation activities to inform instructional planning and guide three-dimensional learning. Discovery Education said that teacher editions also provide flexible pacing options, embedded teacher notes, and Pathways for Learning to address diverse learners.
“The phenomena-driven learning experiences the Science Techbook makes possible will help South Carolina’s students develop the skills and gather the knowledge needed for future success,” said Anna Strassner, Discovery Education’s director of Educational Partnership.
The adoption of the new science techbook builds on South Carolina’s commitment to technology in the classroom. Last month the state was recognized as a leader in K-12 computer science education by Code.org’s 2021 State of Computer Science Education report.
“To prepare our children for an ever-changing, 21st-century economy, it is imperative we actively adapt our curriculum to changes in technology, and that is exactly what we have done with computer science education,” said Governor Henry McMaster. “Our early action in recognizing this need will provide our students with the necessary groundwork to thrive at the highest levels both academically and professionally following graduation.” | <urn:uuid:8ab5651b-062b-4d91-8be9-4d2adf84ec2b> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://meritalkslg.com/articles/south-carolina-board-of-education-approves-techbook-for-statewide-use/ | 2024-09-10T23:10:19Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651323.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910224659-20240911014659-00271.warc.gz | en | 0.945299 | 374 | 2.890625 | 3 |
What is an Advanced Persistent Threat?
The type of malware known as ‘Advanced Persistent Threats,’ or APTs, sounds like something out of a sci-fi action movie – reminiscent of the Terminator T-1000. And, like a futuristic movie villain, APTs are far more capable than your run-of-the-mill malware and can gain access without detection and then quietly carry out data theft for months or years at time.
This article will look at what makes an APTs advanced and persistent, discuss who is at risk from these elaborate cyberattacks, and consider what steps you should take to keep your system safe from viruses and malware.
An APT is a prolonged and targeted cyberattack in which a threat actor gains access to a network and remains undetected for a significant period.
Unlike more common cyber threats that seek immediate payoff, such as ransomware or denial of service attacks, APTs are characterized by their stealth and duration. Their primary aim is typically not to damage the systems outright but to stealthily gather valuable information over time.
Key Characteristics of APTs
Unlike most viruses and worms, APTs are usually directed at specific organizations, businesses, or nations. This targeting is often based on the value of the information the attackers seek or the strategic advantage they wish to gain. - Persistent:
Persistence is a hallmark of APTs. Once a network is breached, attackers establish a long-term presence, carefully avoiding detection and maintaining access to the network for extended periods of months or even years. - Sophisticated:
APTs involve complex strategies and advanced techniques. Attackers often use custom-made malware and exploit zero-day vulnerabilities, a type of security hole unknown to software makers and antivirus vendors. It is not unreasonable for APT development to cost millions of dollars, although the cost has come down in recent years. - Stealthy:
The attackers behind APTs go to great lengths to ensure their activities are hidden. They use encryption, mimic normal network traffic, and erase evidence of their presence, making detection and removal particularly challenging.
Comparing APT Attacks with Traditional Cyber Threats
Traditional cyber threats, like viruses or standard hacking attempts, are often opportunistic, aiming for quick disruption or immediate financial gain. The individual hackers and small hacking groups which develop them are essentially digital burglars roaming around looking for easy targets.
In contrast, APTs are more likely to be sponsored by nation-states and their behavior looks more like cyber espionage. The attacks are planned long in advance, the objectives are clearly defined, and the teams which develop them usually seem to have significant resources at their disposal.
Stages of an APT Attack
1. Initial Access:
The first stage involves infiltration of the target network. Attackers often use sophisticated social engineering tactics, like spear-phishing emails, or exploit software vulnerabilities to install malware on a victim’s computer. This initial foothold is usually achieved discreetly to avoid detection.
2. Establishment of a Foothold:
Once inside the network, the attackers establish a secure and reliable foothold. This may involve creating backdoors, installing remote administration tools, or using the victim’s credentials to create new user accounts. The goal here is to ensure continued access to the network, even if the initial entry point is discovered and closed.
3. Expansion of Control:
With a foothold established, attackers explore the network to gain deeper access. They map out the network’s structure, identify valuable data, and escalate their privileges to gain broader access. This phase often involves moving laterally through the network to compromise additional systems and accounts.
4. Data Exfiltration:
The primary motive of most APTs is to extract sensitive information. In this stage, attackers collect data such as trade secrets, intellectual property, or other sensitive data. The exfiltration is typically done slowly and cautiously to avoid bandwidth spikes that might trigger alarms.
5. Maintaining Persistence:
A defining characteristic of APTs is their ability to exist undetected for an extended period of time. Attackers use various techniques to maintain their presence in the network. This includes using command-and-control servers to communicate with compromised systems, regularly updating malware to evade detection, and creating redundant access points to ensure continued access.
Tools and Techniques Used
- Malware: Customized malware is often used in APTs. This malware is typically designed to avoid detection by antivirus software and may include trojans, rootkits, and keyloggers.
- Social Engineering: APT attackers frequently use social engineering techniques to deceive individuals into breaking normal security procedures. Phishing campaigns, especially those tailored to specific individuals (spear phishing), are common. We’ve written an entire blog on the subject which can help you recognize and avoid phishing attacks.
- Exploits: Attackers often utilize exploits, particularly zero-day exploits, to take advantage of unpatched vulnerabilities in software used by the target.
Who is at Risk of an APT Attack?
One piece of good news for individuals and small businesses is that the cybercriminals who deploy APTs prefer to target large corporations and governments. APT groups are usually (but not always) state-sponsored and so their targets are often chosen by the respective government which funds them.
Common targets include:
- Government Agencies:
National, regional, and local government bodies are prime targets for APTs. Attackers may seek classified information, intelligence data, or insights into government policies and strategies. Such attacks could be driven by political, military, or economic motives. - Large Corporations:
Major companies, especially those in industries like finance, technology, defense, and energy, are frequent targets of APTs. Attackers aim to steal trade secrets, disrupt operations, or gain competitive advantages. Intellectual property, financial data, and internal communications are particularly valuable to attackers. - Critical Infrastructure:
Entities that manage critical infrastructure, such as power plants, nuclear storage facilities, water treatment facilities, and transportation systems, are also at risk. Compromising these can have far-reaching consequences, from economic disruption to threats to public safety. - Research Institutions and Universities:
These are targeted primarily for their cutting-edge research and development data. Sectors like pharmaceuticals, engineering, and tech are especially vulnerable to intellectual property theft. - Media and Telecommunications:
These sectors are targeted for their ability to influence public opinion and for access to vast amounts of data and communication channels.
Notable APTs in History
Perhaps the most famous APT, Stuxnet was a highly sophisticated computer worm discovered in 2010. It is widely believed to have been developed by the United States and Israel to target Iran’s nuclear program. Stuxnet specifically targeted programmable logic controllers (PLCs) used in uranium enrichment, causing substantial damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities.
APT28 (Fancy Bear):
Attributed to Russian military intelligence, APT28 has been active since the mid-2000s. It gained notoriety for its alleged involvement in the 2016 US presidential election interference, where it was accused of hacking and leaking emails from the Democratic National Committee.
APT1 (Comment Crew):
Linked to the Chinese military, APT1 has been implicated in numerous cyber espionage campaigns since 2006, targeting a wide range of industries globally, particularly for intellectual property theft.
Associated with North Korea, this group is known for its wide-ranging cyber attacks utilizing APTs, including the 2014 Sony Pictures hack, the WannaCry ransomware outbreak in 2017, and various financial heists.
Discovered in 2009, Operation Aurora was a series of cyber attacks against dozens of companies, including Google, Adobe, and Intel. It was allegedly sponsored by China and primarily aimed at gaining access to and potentially modifying source code repositories.
Uncovered in 2020, this massive cyber espionage campaign targeted the SolarWinds Orion software. Believed to be orchestrated by a Russian state-sponsored group, the attack compromised thousands of businesses including Microsoft, Intel, Cisco, and NVIDIA, and government agencies, including parts of the U.S. federal government, by inserting a vulnerability in the software’s update mechanism.
Initially thought to be a ransomware attack in 2017, NotPetya was later identified as a state-sponsored attack by Russia against Ukraine, which also affected global businesses. It caused significant financial damage to several large corporations, including Maersk and Merck.
How to Protect Yourself Against APTs
It’s important to note here, that APTs have historically targeted governments and corporations – not small businesses or individuals. However, the risk is clearly significant since these APT attacks have successfully circumvented the advanced security measures that mult-national companies and governments have at their disposal.
The best way to stay safe from APTs, and all malware, is to prevent them from getting onto your system in the first place by following cybersecurity best practices.
Use extreme caution with links and attachments in emails
We used to say to only avoid links and attachments from unknown senders. However, it has become increasingly common for attackers to gain unauthorized access to email accounts and then distribute their malware to the sender’s known contacts.
If you have even the slightest doubts about the authenticity of an email, we recommend contacting the sender and confirming its legitimacy. For emails from financial institutions, do not use the link in the email, but log into your account directly from your web browser instead.
Use antivirus software and a firewall
Neither antiviruses nor firewalls are foolproof – but they go a long way towards reducing your network’s attack surface. Essentially they make your computer a smaller, and harder target. Today, both Windows and Macs ship with these security solutions built into their operating systems – however you may need to confirm that they are running.
A hardware based firewall is a good option for an extra layer of defense – and protects all of the devices on your network. Check out our article on hardware firewalls to learn more.
Keep all of your devices and software updated
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: when your computer, phone, or software asks you to update it – do so! More often than not, updates are closing security holes. Failure to update compromises your network security.
Use extreme caution with USB devices and connections
Never plug a found USB-drive into your computer. Attackers have been known to install malware onto drives and then leave them scattered in public places.
Similarly, use caution when charging your cell phone or tablet from publicly available USB charging stations. We recommend bringing your own 120 volt charger and plugging into power outlets.
APTs: More Than Just a Hacker in His Mom’s Basement
Advanced Persistent Threats have more in common with the high-budget Terminator movies than they do with the quick and dirty break-in style of your average hacker. Provided with an ample budget and a clear target by their nation-state sponsors, APT groups spend years perfecting their attack and waiting for the right moment.
While the average person isn’t going to fall victim to these high profile attacks – these risks highlight the importance of prevention in cybersecurity. Keeping your system updated, treating all email attachments and links with skepticism, and using care with USB-devices will go a long way towards keeping you safe. Concerned that your cyber security may have slipped and you’ve already got a virus? Contact a local digital security expert and get your system checked! | <urn:uuid:b4b4766b-beaf-4ff9-9154-ccd30ac2d745> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://bristeeritech.com/it-security-blog/what-is-an-apt/ | 2024-09-14T14:41:04Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651579.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20240914125424-20240914155424-00871.warc.gz | en | 0.945868 | 2,373 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Creator: Columbia University
Category: Software > Computer Software > Educational Software
Tag: approach, network, Object, problem, tracking
Availability: In stock
Price: USD 49.00
The ultimate goal of a computer vision system is to generate a detailed symbolic description of each image shown. This course focuses on the all-important problem of perception. We first describe the problem of tracking objects in complex scenes. We look at two key challenges in this context. The first is the separation of an image into object and background using a technique called change detection. The second is the tracking of one or more objects in a video. Next, we examine the problem of segmenting an image into meaningful regions.
Interested in what the future will bring? Download our 2024 Technology Trends eBook for free.
In particular, we take a bottom-up approach where pixels with similar attributes are grouped together to obtain a region. Finally, we tackle the problem of object recognition. We describe two approaches to the problem. The first directly recognize an object and its pose using the appearance of the object. This method is based on the concept of dimension reduction, which is achieved using principal component analysis. The second approach is to use a neural network to solve the recognition problem as one of learning a mapping from the input (image) to the output (object class, object identity, activity, etc.). We describe how a neural network is constructed and how it is trained using the backpropagation algorithm. | <urn:uuid:92c80597-7711-4c12-82a1-55370e1d4541> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://datafloq.com/course/visual-perception/ | 2024-09-14T15:28:47Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651579.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20240914125424-20240914155424-00871.warc.gz | en | 0.898638 | 298 | 3.265625 | 3 |
Data management plays a crucial role within organizations, encompassing a range of practices from data acquisition and validation to storage, processing, and protection. Ensuring high data quality and robust security is foundational, as high-quality data supports accurate, reliable decision-making, while robust security measures safeguard sensitive data from unauthorized access and breaches. This, in turn, helps maintain an organization’s credibility and operational capacity.
Legal Regulations and Data Governance
Effective data management requires adherence to legal regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which imposes stringent standards for data access and privacy. A significant focus of data management is data governance, which includes a framework of policies, procedures, standards, and metrics for the collection, storage, management, and disposal of data. This framework promotes accountability, aids in regulatory compliance, reduces costs, and mitigates risks.
Data Quality and Real-Time Analytics
The symbiotic relationship between data quality and real-time analytics is another essential aspect of data management. When accurate, high-quality data is available in real-time, it enhances decision-making agility and allows organizations to efficiently adapt to market trends and consumer needs. Real-time analytics enable continuous performance monitoring, allowing for proactive adjustments in strategy, optimizing customer experiences, streamlining internal processes, and boosting operational efficiency.
Key Components of Data Management
Several key components of data management include master data management (MDM), metadata management, and data lifecycle management. MDM focuses on maintaining the accuracy and consistency of critical business data, while metadata management provides the contextual framework necessary for effective data usage. Data lifecycle management oversees data from its creation to disposal, ensuring a structured and efficient approach to handling data throughout its life.
Information governance is also crucial, providing a strategic backbone for data quality, ensuring data accessibility, accuracy, and security across the organization. This is achieved through a comprehensive framework of policies and procedures governing how data is handled.
Advanced strategies such as big data management, data protection, and data stewardship are vital to modern data management practices. Big data management involves handling large volumes of diverse data to extract actionable insights, while data protection aims to safeguard data from unauthorized breaches. Data stewardship ensures responsible data use and maintains data accuracy and accessibility throughout the data lifecycle.
Emerging trends in data management are reshaping the landscape, with the integration of big data and artificial intelligence promoting the development of dynamic and intelligent systems. Decentralized data storage, enhanced by blockchain technology, is becoming popular for its security and transparency. Privacy-preserving techniques such as differential privacy and federated learning are gaining traction in an era where data privacy is increasingly critical.
Cloud computing has transformed data storage and processing, offering scalable and adaptable solutions that enhance organizational data management capabilities. Blockchain technology further strengthens data security by recording data across multiple decentralized locations, improving transparency and traceability.
Predictive analytics is another highlighted trend, offering potential for forecasting trends, understanding customer behavior, and informing strategic decisions. When combined with robust cybersecurity measures and stringent data quality management, predictive analytics can help businesses develop resilient and future-proof data management strategies.
In conclusion, the article underscores the necessity of robust data governance and quality measures, highlighting best practices for data management. These measures include regular audits, validations, and cleansing processes to ensure data integrity. Compliance with data security regulations such as the GDPR and the CCPA is crucial, alongside effective backup and recovery strategies to swiftly restore operations following any data loss events. Effective data management is presented as an indispensable element supporting organizational agility, strategic decision-making, and competitive advantage in an increasingly data-driven world. | <urn:uuid:8999282d-04b3-4138-98d6-edc9b5c71355> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://bicurated.com/data-analytics-and-visualization/mastering-data-management-essential-practices-for-modern-organizations/ | 2024-09-17T02:08:13Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651722.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917004428-20240917034428-00671.warc.gz | en | 0.903979 | 738 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Cryptocurrency continues to grow in popularity each year, which has placed crypto exchanges squarely in the crosshairs of cybercriminals looking to steal currency and data. As such, the security of cryptocurrency accounts has become a major concern for users worldwide. One threat in particular, cryptocurrency account takeover, targets vulnerabilities within cryptocurrency accounts and can lead to significant financial losses for both the user and the enterprise.
Want to brush up on account takeover attacks? Read our ebook, The Economics of Account Takeover Attacks, and get started today!
The Economics of Account Takeover Attacks
What is cryptocurrency account takeover?
Cryptocurrency account takeover refers to the unauthorized access of someone's cryptocurrency exchange account. This online fraud is typically achieved through various methods, such as phishing, social engineering, or malware attacks that allow hackers to obtain login credentials. Once attackers gain control of an account, they can steal funds, initiate unauthorized transactions, or commit other downstream cyberattacks and fraud like identity theft.
The role of bots in account takeovers
Bots and botnets, which can be used to automate many cybercriminal processes, are utilized to take over cryptocurrency accounts by stealing login credentials and compromising security measures such as two-factor authentication or one-time passwords (OTP). Additionally, these automated tools can gain unauthorized access to accounts by conducting social engineering attacks, brute forcing passwords or as part of a credential stuffing attack. The latter is when bots use a variety of username and password combinations until they are able to access an account. Bots can perform multiple login attempts in a short period of time, making it difficult for users to detect fraudulent activity. Cybercriminals can also use bots to steal sensitive information such as private keys, resulting in financial losses for impacted users.
How do cryptocurrency account takeovers happen?
Cryptocurrency account takeover can occur in several ways. Scammers use phishing scams to trick users into revealing their login credentials, often through fake websites or emails that appear legitimate. Malware attacks can also be used to steal login information or take control of a user's device, providing direct access to their cryptocurrency account. IoT devices infected with malware can also be used to form botnets that carry out attacks at scale.
Social engineering is another method where cybercriminals use personal information gathered from social media and other sources to gain unauthorized access to accounts. Users who fail to use strong passwords or enable two-factor authentication are more vulnerable to account takeover due to weak security practices.
Password reuse attacks happen when a user employs the same password across multiple accounts, including cryptocurrency accounts. Cybercriminals are then able to gain access to a user's password through data breaches of other websites and then use that information to infiltrate their cryptocurrency account.
Common signs of a cryptocurrency account takeover
Unusual account activity and IP addresses
Detecting cryptocurrency account takeover is crucial for protecting your digital assets. One way to identify potential takeovers is to monitor for unusual account activity, such as unexpected login attempts or changes to account information. Another effective method is monitoring IP addresses associated with login attempts as multiple attempts from different IP addresses may indicate unauthorized access.
Abnormal transaction patterns
Detecting cryptocurrency account takeover is crucial in preventing fraudulent activity. One way to do this is by identifying abnormal transaction patterns, which can be a red flag for potential account takeover. Keep an eye out for sudden changes in the frequency, amount or destination of transactions.
Login attempts from unrecognized devices and locations
One way to detect a cryptocurrency account takeover is by monitoring login attempts from unrecognized devices and locations. If you notice any suspicious activity on your account, it's important to take immediate action. Implementing multi-factor authentication can add an extra layer of security to your cryptocurrency account, as well as regularly changing passwords and using strong, unique passwords.
How users can prevent cryptocurrency account takeovers
Cryptocurrency account takeover is a serious concern for many investors. However, there are several steps you can take to prevent such attacks. The following common measures will help protect your cryptocurrency from unauthorized access and keep it safe from potential theft by cybercriminals.
Two-factor authentication is a popular option that requires a second form of verification, such as a code sent to your mobile phone or email, before access to your account is granted. Biometric authentication is another effective method that uses unique physical characteristics like fingerprints or facial recognition to verify your identity.
Additionally, using strong passwords and regularly updating them can help increase the security of your account. Keeping your devices and software up-to-date with the latest security patches and updates can also prevent unauthorized access. It's important to be cautious when clicking on links and avoid downloading unknown software that could compromise the security of your account.
Arkose Labs secures businesses from account takeovers
Arkose Labs provides long term solutions against account takeover. By combining its global risk engine with adaptive step-up challenges, Arkose Labs makes it increasingly costly for cybercriminals to orchestrate attacks at scale. Arkose Labs profiles all activity using continuous intelligence and presents targeted friction, in the form of Arkose Matchkey challenges, to suspicious users to ensure that criminal activity is accurately detected.
MatchKey challenges are easy for genuine users to complete, providing legitimate consumers an opportunity to prove their authenticity. However, these challenges prevent cybercriminals from orchestrating large-scale account takeover attacks by dramatically increasing the time and resources required to pass authentication steps at scale.
If you would like to partner with Arkose Labs to keep your business and its users secure from cybercriminals and bot-driven attacks, book a meeting with us today.
Did you know that Arkose Labs also offers a $1M Credential Stuffing Warranty? The efficacy of the platform against automated credential stuffing attacks on logins allows Arkose Labs to be the only vendor to offer a limited warranty that covers losses in the event of a successful attack. Read more here. | <urn:uuid:5e41121e-3704-465e-bbdf-159ed76ca2c5> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.arkoselabs.com/blog/cryptocurrency-account-takeover-ato/ | 2024-09-17T01:45:16Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651722.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917004428-20240917034428-00671.warc.gz | en | 0.936789 | 1,194 | 2.65625 | 3 |
We often talk about Wi-Fi in very binary terms, it’s “good” or “bad”. Our smart phones display four bars to indicate “good” or “bad” Wi-Fi. However, even four bars is not enough to describe a Wi-Fi network.
Wireless signals are not uniform within the space we want to cover. RF signals are reflected off mirrors and tile, and absorbed by drapery, furniture and the human body. Try this experiment: hold your phone very close to your body. Facing an AP in your home, monitor the RSSI signal level as reported by one of many Wi-Fi scanning apps. Then turn around, holding the phone close to your body. Did you notice the RSSI drop? Depending on the scanning tool, it may take 30s to see the difference, so be patient. On my Android phone, I can access raw RSSI data. Holding the phone close to my body results in a 4dB delta and dropped the RF PHY rate from 360 Mbps to 180 Mbps.
With all these variables, we need a range of signals to express the quality of the network. Many popular site survey tools graphically illustrate the signal strength by mapping the signal levels into a colored heat map. There is one flaw that I have often seen replicated when analyzing these heat maps. Very often, the tool will only display shades of green to represent all the colors from the good, the bad and the ugly. This makes it hard to identify the areas of suspect coverage. When everything is a shade of green, the colors run together. Kinda like our friend Simon’s choice of evening wear.
Many survey tools will include a method to set the color range to a user defined range. Let’s now discuss the best “range” to show the signal quality for a Wi-Fi network.
To obtain the highest RF PHY rate and maximum bit density (QAM); a typical 802.11ac radio will require 35dB of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). A lower SNR will cause the RF PHY rate and QAM to drop. Look again at the results from the simple test in my house. A drop of 4dB resulted in a 50% reduction in the RF PHY rate. To be fair, the 50% drop was more likely the result of dropping a MIMO stream when the phone was held close to my body. 802.11ac networks should be designed with a dynamic range about 15dB, or even 10dB if you can. If 35dB will result in the best performance, then 20dB SNR should be the lowest in the environment.
Lower than 20dB and the clients will have slow connections, higher than 35dB will not result better performance. I like to set the color range to 20dB, so that I can “see” where some clients may encounter problems and others will not. Note how the following illustration shows a 20dB SNR color range from great to bad. When viewing this heat map, we can clearly identify that wireless clients will have issues in the lower right corner. At this spot, a laptop may connect fine while a smart phone will not connect or have a slow connection. If designing to a 10dB range, we can say that Blue and Green are Great, Yellow is Ok to fair, and Red is bad.
Isn’t RSSI the standard way to view a RF site survey?
Thus far, we have used SNR to describe the wireless network. Some hotel brands use RSSI levels to establish the brand standard for Wi-Fi. Which one should we use? RSSI and SNR are mathematically related, in that [SNR = RSSI – RF background noise]. The reason we choose SNR is that the same range is used by the radio chipset to measure both the signal and the noise. So long as the two values, signal and noise, are measured using the same chipset, then SNR is a reliable indicator.
RSSI is the received signal strength indicator – but it is a relative, not absolute value. It is relative to whatever the chipset manufacturer chooses to use as the maximum value. That sounds bad. If RSSI is not absolute, then it should be meaningless. Fortunately, common Wi-Fi chipset vendors choose to express RSSI using a dBm scale.
While SNR is a better metric, RSSI can be used. Most site survey radios in a laptop and smart phone cannot measure RF noise. Without the RF noise measurement, all we have to use is RSSI. If your network test relies solely on RSSI measurements, I recommend conducting a few throughput tests at the edge of the expected coverage to validate that sufficient SNR is available for maximum data rates.
Background RF noise is the collective RF signal strength in the particular frequency we are measuring. RF noise can come from non-802.11 devices, or it can come from other 802.11 transmitters using the same frequency. If noise = signal level, then no communication can occur.
A typical enterprise network background noise will be about -90 dBm. In high density networks such as stadiums, hotel ballrooms, and education; the noise floor can rise to -80 dBm. A lightly used enterprise might have these values at the edge of the network: [(-60 RSSI) – (-90 noise) = 30 dB SNR]; whereas a high-density ballroom might have [(-60 RSSI) – (-80 noise) = 20 dB SNR]. Thus, it is vital to know the intended use of the space for Wi-Fi, the density of people and devices, and the types of devices that will connect.
Wow, that really went off the rails. We started out talking about four bars for Wi-Fi signal and ended up with math homework. Let’s just tell our friend Simon three things: let someone else pick your colors, don’t eat sushi at a petrol station, and design your network to 25dB SNR. | <urn:uuid:4ef7cb3e-81e9-4dd1-9615-43074ea28558> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.cambiumnetworks.com/blog/when-it-comes-to-wi-fi-coverage-green-is-not-always-a-good-color/ | 2024-09-17T01:36:11Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651722.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917004428-20240917034428-00671.warc.gz | en | 0.929975 | 1,246 | 2.984375 | 3 |
Zero-trust is a security framework that eliminates the concept of ‘trust’ present in traditional security models. Regardless of the origination of the access request to the data or network, it takes on a “never trust, always verify” approach, and verifies the legitimacy of the request before granting access.
Zero trust architecture (ZTA) was built on the foundational idea of eliminating perimeter-based security to protect resources over the network perimeter. Since the network perimeter is no longer the key component to safeguarding data, a zero-trust strategy evolves toward identifying and authenticating users and devices.
The zero-trust concept can be applied on the file-level whereby the protection is extended directly to the unstructured data to enable file security. This ensures that even when the file is being accessed, shared, or misused, it still remains secure. In other words, the data in the file is protected regardless of where the file goes. | <urn:uuid:5d0f64db-aa84-43ac-a594-533fd78724a1> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.nextlabs.com/how-zero-trust-on-the-file-level-can-strengthen-file-security/ | 2024-09-18T08:44:24Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651886.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20240918064858-20240918094858-00571.warc.gz | en | 0.904203 | 194 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Anti-forensics is a set of precautionary measures a user can perform in order to hide traces of his activity, making investigations on digital media more complicated and time-consuming, and potentially rendering evidence of illegal activities difficult or impossible to obtain. Detecting anti-forensic techniques in use is not always easy and not always possible, as destroying certain types of evidence may leave no traces anywhere in the system. However, since average users have little to average hi-tech knowledge, anti-forensic attempts they perform may be generally ineffective or obviously visible to the expert.
The complexity of LNK files research is that the different shortcuts contains different data. Correspondingly, when you analyze one shortcut type, the contents and amount of data may be different than when analyzing another shortcut type. Besides, in Windows 10 and Windows 11, new fields are present that cannot be found in earlier versions.
During this webinar we will consider a number of anti-forensic efforts, such as: | <urn:uuid:c2b01bc6-a991-4589-a9f2-7d24a2129ab9> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://belkasoft.com/webinar_countering_anti_forensic_efforts | 2024-09-19T13:59:59Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652031.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20240919125821-20240919155821-00471.warc.gz | en | 0.930725 | 198 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Uncovering Password Habits: Are Users’ Password Security Habits Improving? (Infographic)
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We surveyed 1,000 people about their password security habits. Here’s what we found.
Passwords are an integral component of security hygiene, but beyond password strength requirements, it’s largely a user-driven initiative. We surveyed 1,000 internet users to gain some insight into current password habits, how frequently users implement best practices for password hygiene, what methods users rely on to remember the abundance of passwords they manage, and other details that shed some light on the current state of password hygiene.
Check out the infographic below for a summary of our findings and read on for more analysis.
About our Survey
We surveyed a randomly selected group of 1,000 Google users in the United States, from ages 18 and up. Our survey included seven questions:
- How many accounts do you have that require a password?
- How often do you change your passwords?
- Do you ever reuse passwords for different accounts?
- How complex are your passwords?
- What is your most important consideration when creating a new password?
- Do you use two-factor authentication in addition to passwords, where available?
- How do you remember your passwords?
While some of our results confirm that many users’ password habits still need to improve, we also found that many users are adopting best practices for password security. Here’s a look at what we found and how it compares to previous analyses of password security.
Password Overload is Real
Previous data from companies like Dashlane has found that people generally have far too many passwords to remember. In fact, a Dashlane analysis of data from more than 20,000 users in 2015 found that the average user has 90 online accounts. Delving further into the data sample, Dashlane found that in the U.S., there are an average of 130 accounts assigned to a single email address.
Our survey results indicate that password overload is still a very real concern for many users, although there’s an interesting split between the number of people who have far too many passwords to remember and those who manage less than 10 accounts that require passwords. Among 999 responses to this question:
- 29% of respondents aren’t even sure how many accounts they have requiring a password; there are simply too many to count.
- 29.7% of respondents indicate that they have less than 10 accounts requiring a password.
- 13.6% say they have more than 25 accounts that require a password.
- 27.6% report having between 11 and 25 accounts requiring a password.
Most Users Updates their Passwords Frequently
There’s a lot of information out there surrounding the recommended frequency of password changes along with debate around how often is too often when it comes to mandatory password changes. Recent information suggests that too-frequent mandatory password changes could actually have an adverse impact on security. According to Lorrie Cranor, Chief Technologist at the Federal Trade Commission, people who are required to change their passwords too frequently are more likely to choose less-secure passwords to begin with. When it’s time to make a mandatory change, these same users tend to make subtle changes that are easily predictable by attackers rather than create entirely new, strong passwords. But how frequent is too frequent, and how often does the average user change their own passwords?
Our survey results indicate that nearly one-third (31.3%) of respondents change their passwords one to two times per year. Just over one-fifth (22.4%) change their passwords more than five times per year, and 17% change their passwords every few months, or approximately three to four times per year. As long as the latter groups (the nearly 40% of users that reported changing passwords 3 or more times per year) are comfortable with the frequency of their changes and are practicing sound password security habits such as creating complex passwords, avoiding password reuse, and using secure password management practices, we should take this as a positive sign.
Overall, 29.4% of respondents change their passwords rarely or never:
- 10.9% of respondents say they never change their passwords.
- 18.5% change their passwords only when they’ve been notified of a security issue.
About Half of Respondents Reuse Passwords, but Not Always
Most security experts recommend that you maintain unique passwords for all of your accounts, never reusing passwords across profiles or accounts. Why? Simple: If an attacker discovers your password to one account and it happens to be the same password you use on every account, you’ve just given them access to your entire digital life. Some experts say that password reuse is the biggest problem in security today.
Most people realize it’s a bad idea to use the same password across multiple accounts, yet some continue to do it anyway. In our survey, among the 941 responses to this question:
- 49.3% say they do reuse passwords sometimes, but only for unimportant or non-critical accounts.
- 39.9% say they never reuse passwords (promising!).
- 10.8% have only one default password that they use across most or all accounts (bad news).
Users are Savvy About Password Complexity
It’s fairly widely known that simple, easy-to-guess passwords are insecure. Your dog’s name, your spouse’s name, your birthdate, and other words and phrases related to your life that are easily discoverable on your social media profiles are just that – easy for attackers to discover. An increasing number of accounts require certain elements to ensure that passwords achieve a minimum security threshold by adding mandatory complexity. For instance, you’ve probably encountered passwords that require:
- A combination of uppercase and lowercase letters
- Special characters or symbols
- A minimum number of characters
By requiring users to select passwords that include all (or in some cases, a mix of the four) elements results in passwords that are more difficult to crack, enhancing account security for users.
There’s some debate within the IT security community regarding whether password complexity or length is more critical to security. Lengthy passwords have exponentially more possible random character combinations and thus take longer for password-cracking tools to crack. A combination of complexity and length is logically the best way to go about creating strong passwords.
According to our survey results, users are embracing the value of password complexity. Among the 884 responses to this question:
- 55.8% use very complex passwords/passphrases, such as “Ilovef00tball!”.
- 37.8% use somewhat complex passwords, such as “Football1”.
- Only 6.5% rely on passwords that are not at all complex, such as common words or phrases like “football,” “qwerty,” or the tried-and-failed pets’, children’s, or spouses’ names.
The Most Important Password Considerations
As users are becoming savvier about best practices for password security, what are they prioritizing when creating strong passwords? With so many accounts to manage and passwords to remember, it’s no surprise that creating easy-to-remember passwords remains a priority for many users and competes with the need for strong, complex passwords to enhance security.
According to our survey results, 65.3% of the 869 responders to this question say that their most important consideration is security, focusing on creating passwords that are both unique and complex. On the other hand, more than one-third (34.7%) place greater importance on having passwords that are easy to remember.
However, the two are not mutually exclusive. Techvera provides some tips for creating passwords that are both secure and easy to remember, such as using passphrases rather than passwords, using strings of random words in a nonsensical order, or by using random password generators in combination with password managers (to alleviate the need to remember dozens of unique, complex passwords). Additionally, UberGizmo offers some solid advice for creating strong yet easy-to-remember passwords, explaining that while passphrases are powerful memory tools, you should use a unique approach to create a passphrase that’s easy for you to remember, but incredibly difficult for anyone other than you to guess.
The Use of Two-Factor Authentication
Security experts always recommend using two-factor authentication where possible, providing an added layer of security and a roadblock for would-be attackers attempting to crack your password. Again, this is a best practice that more users are aware of today, yet it’s not readily embraced by the majority. Some people consider two-factor authentication to be time-consuming and frustrating, adding another layer of verification for their own use of their accounts.
In our survey, 840 participants responded to this question. The results are a mixed bag; more than twice as many people say they use two-factor authentication where it’s available (47.8%) compared to those who don’t (19.4%). That said, a surprising 32.8% of respondents say they don’t know what two-factor authentication is.
Essentially, two-factor authentication involves two distinct steps (or factors) to verify a user’s identity; typically some combination of the following:
- Something you know (e.g., your password or your username)
- Something you have (e.g., your ATM card, mobile phone, or an access token/badge)
- Something you are (typically verified with biometrics, such as iris scans, fingerprints, or facial recognition)
Think about the ATM example and you’ll realize just how common two-factor authentication really is. Two-factor authentication is inherently more secure; while it may be easy for a attacker to crack your password, replicating your fingerprint or obtaining your physical property can be a much harder feat. While biometrics are less commonly used than other methods of authentication due to technology limitations, the use of biometrics is starting to grow as well. A 2016 survey by TeleSign found that more than half of companies surveyed (54%) had plans to implement biometrics as a security measure.
Password Recall: How Users Remember Their Passwords
With the average person maintaining 90 or more accounts that require passwords, many of which require more complex and lengthier passwords to bolster security, people are forced to find a way to remember all those passwords.
In our survey, 800 respondents answered this question. We found that people are using a number of different tactics in an effort to recall their passwords, including:
- 38.6% write their passwords down on a piece of paper.
- 27.7% use a secure password manager.
- 17.7% reuse the same password for multiple accounts.
- 9.5% keep all their passwords in a file on their computer.
- 6.6% store their passwords in a file in Dropbox or a similar storage repository.
Kaspersky examined this same question in a 2016 survey of more than 12,500 people from 21 countries, with slightly different findings:
- 53% of respondents reported remembering their passwords.
- 22% of respondents reported writing their passwords down in a notepad.
- 11% write passwords on a piece of paper or sticky note that they keep near their computer.
- 11% store their passwords in their web browser.
- 10% document passwords in a file stored on their computer.
- 9% store passwords in their smartphone.
- 7% store their passwords in a specialized software application.
- 6% send themselves an email with their passwords.
- 4% store their passwords in an online service.
- 4% use some other method not described above.
- 7% responded “don’t know.”
PasswordResearch.com also has some data about the ways people remember their passwords, with the results similarly dispersed across tactics. It’s clear that people rely on a multitude of tactics to remember their passwords for the many digital services they access.
So what’s the best way to keep track of all those passwords? According to Brain Krebs of Krebs on Security, “The most secure method for remembering your passwords is to create a list of every Web site for which you have a password and next to each one write your login name and a clue that has meaning only for you. If you forget your password, most Web sites will email it to you (assuming you can remember which email address you signed up with).”
Krebs admits that his view on keeping a written list of passwords has evolved over time, and with the ever-changing security landscape, it’s a safe bet to assume that’s the case for many experts as attackers become increasingly sophisticated. If you do store your passwords in a central list or file, avoid storing them in plain sight or in plain text, suggests Krebs. Apps that manage passwords can be useful, he says, and there are local applications that aren’t stored in the cloud. The key is to create a robust primary password that you won’t forget; if you do forget it, you’re probably out of luck.
More Education on Password Hygiene is Needed
So what’s the key takeaway from these findings? While some results are promising, indicating that people’s knowledge of the need for strong, secure passwords is growing, far too many users continue to rely on outdated and insecure password practices that place their security at risk. Some may not realize how risky their password behaviors are, while others simply opt for the easier route knowing that they’re sacrificing some security for the sake of convenience.
It may seem like a minor issue when it comes to accounts that contain little to no sensitive, personal information, but if you’re reusing the same password across multiple accounts, cracking one of those less-important accounts opens the gates to your digital life. If you’re not yet using robust password practices, it’s time to step up your game. | <urn:uuid:68f93fc4-a642-44d6-8eb5-6c544c675560> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.digitalguardian.com/blog/uncovering-password-habits-are-users%E2%80%99-password-security-habits-improving-infographic | 2024-09-07T10:56:09Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650826.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20240907095856-20240907125856-00735.warc.gz | en | 0.947247 | 2,956 | 2.53125 | 3 |
What Is Gamification and Why Should Your Company Be Using It?
You may have heard about gamification and how it helps improve employee performance. But if not, you’re probably wondering, “What does gamification mean?”
Gamification has become a popular way for business owners and managers to motivate employees and keep them engaged with their tasks. When workers repeat the same mundane tasks over and over, they’re bound to get bored and lose morale.
In this era of remote and hybrid working, where digital chats have replaced deskside and lunch break conversations, the lack of physical connection with peers can result in employee disengagement and reduced productivity.
Gamifying tasks and projects keeps your employees motivated by making their work more fun and engaging. We’ll explore what gamification means, how it benefits organizations, examples of companies that have successfully used gamification for talent development, and how it can work for your organization.
What is gamification?
Gamification is the application of game elements and principles in non-game contexts – such as tasks and learning – to make them fun and engaging.
In the workplace, gamification aims at motivating workers and keeping them engaged. Companies can use gamification in different areas, such as recruitment, training, and everyday work.
Some common game elements implemented in the workplace include:
- Badges to display achievements
- Points as visual identifiers of progress in projects
- Leaderboards that foster friendly competition between teams or departments
- Rewards, such as gift cards and coupons, as recognition for goals achieved
Gamification works by tapping into our natural reward system. When employees achieve a goal or complete a task and receive a reward, their brains release dopamine, a feel-good hormone. When invited to perform the same action again, they’re likely to do it the same way – or even better – in the hope of achieving the same result. They will be more engaged and motivated to perform the task. Overall, this improves their productivity.
Benefits of gamification for talent development
Gamification benefits both the company and its employees. Increased motivation results in more productivity and, thus, improved returns for the organization. And employees will enjoy working and hitting their goals – and furthering their careers.
Here are ways gamification benefits talent development.
Gamification plays a vital role in improving employee engagement at work. Many of us are naturally competitive, so when tasks are presented in a gamified way, workers are lured to complete the challenges and remain engaged throughout the task.
Upon completion, they get the feeling of accomplishment and self-motivation. In a survey, 83% of workers whose training was gamified felt motivated, while 61% of those who received non-gamified training felt unproductive and bored.
And when they achieve their goals, rewarding them for a job well done gives them a sense of belonging, increasing productivity.
Improves teamwork and collaboration
Teams can only succeed through effective collaboration, with no disengagement issues or lack of motivation.
Gamify projects by assigning points to every activity or achievement and tap the power of friendly competition by attaching rewards to points and rewarding the team with the highest score.
Friendly competition brings teams together and improves teamwork. Gamification also enhances collaboration and engagement for remote workers who might feel left out and unrecognized. It also encourages peer recognition between workers to foster good relationships and improve overall productivity.
Examples of gamification in talent development
Cisco’s social media training program
Cisco uses gamification to help employees build and develop their social media skills. The program has three certification levels—Specialist, Strategist, and Master—and four sub-specializations.
Depending on their job position, players learn how to use social media and leverage their skills. For example, HR representatives learn to reach potential candidates on LinkedIn, while sales managers learn to engage and convert customers on Facebook and Twitter.
As participants advance through the levels, they can earn points, perks, and badges. There are also online discussions, team challenges, recognitions, and testimonials.
NTT Data’s leadership training
NTT Data’s Samurai is a leadership development game that assesses employees’ skills through quizzes. Participants are offered customized training in a quest to attain certain levels and overcome specific challenges that teach time management, problem-solving, and negotiating skills, as they scale a virtual Mt. Fuji.
The game helps build collaboration as employees experience different virtual leadership situations. Participants learn to manage others and are awarded points for every level they achieve. They also receive peer recognition, direct feedback, and other rewards, such as Apple iPads.
The results? A 30% reduction in employee turnover, with half of the participants advancing to team leadership roles. Ultimately, the company saved money on recruiting and employee retention.
Kraft Technology Group’s professional development certification
Kraft Technology Group offers IT security, network support, and computer services to businesses to help them operate efficiently through the secure utilization of technology.
Due to the nature of work, training employees about security is a big priority. With help from CrewHu, Kraft developed a metric to evaluate employee performance by paying close attention to whether employees followed professional development requirements and achieved new certifications.
An employee who achieved a new certification for a partnership received CrewHu points they could cash in for prizes, badges, and other rewards. Gamifying the metrics motivated employees to pursue continuing certifications and grow their skills and careers.
Since it started tracking metrics with CrewHu, Kraft has maintained CSATs (customer satisfaction scores) at 99%, grown by 45% year-over-year, and doubled its revenue without adding more employees.
Gamify your metrics with CrewHu
Incorporating gaming elements into everyday tasks increases employee engagement and motivation. The results are a productive workforce, higher customer satisfaction scores (that we’ll help you proudly display), and increased revenues.
CrewHu is a customer satisfaction and employee recognition platform built to help MSPs like Kraft (and you) connect with their employees, recognize good work, and offer excellent customer interactions.
We’ll help you:
- Gamify your metrics
- Collect customer feedback automatically and display it using testimonial widgets
- Recognize your team and reward them for achieving their goals
Book a CrewHu demo today, and let us show you how you can gamify and improve performance to grow your business. | <urn:uuid:6463098c-2e59-46bc-9e46-e3871bccdda0> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.crewhu.com/blog/what-is-gamification | 2024-09-08T15:32:06Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651013.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908150334-20240908180334-00635.warc.gz | en | 0.955946 | 1,322 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Technology has evolved so much over the years, most people and organizations now rely on it daily. Many electronics available today have smart capabilities, which means they can connect to other devices. While this function can simplify some aspects of life, IoT devices may also pose a security risk to a user’s network.
One of these devices is a refrigerator. Unfortunately, many people are unaware that a smart fridge can act as an entry point for cyber attackers. Learn why a smart refrigerator is riskier than you might think.
Smart Refrigerator Could Act as a Gateway to Your Network
The threat of smart fridges being hacked is not new. If any home appliance is compromised, it can act as a gateway for a cybercriminal to access your entire network. This can cause massive headaches. When a hacker has access to all of the devices on the same Wi-Fi network as your smart fridge, they can spread viruses and malware to each of them.
For example, cybercriminals have used smart fridges as an entry point to access a security camera and spy on people in their homes. Such refrigerators are part of the 100,000 devices that were compromised in late 2013. Proofpoint, the security firm that identified the attack, said that over 750,000 spam messages were sent. They also stated that more than 25 percent of the malicious emails came from devices other than a desktop computer or a laptop.
Do Hackers Really Target Smart Refrigerators?
Hackers can target any IoT device, even smart fridges. While the chance of someone hacking a person’s refrigerator is low, it can happen. Usually, cybercriminals focus on other electronic systems, such as security cameras or a network, but any IoT device can be at risk.
Manufacturers may take preventive steps to stop these attacks from happening. One way smart refrigerators or any IoT device can become vulnerable is if its software is outdated. Technology is constantly evolving, which means online threats are also becoming more advanced. That’s why firmware updates are so important — they can fix security weaknesses that have been identified and prepare for new threats.
While the methods a cybercriminal uses to hack an IoT device differ, they usually involve exploiting a security weakness. In 2015, Pen Test Partners did just that at a hacking competition, targeting a Samsung smart refrigerator. While the smart device used SSL security measures, the Pen Test Partners discovered that it failed to verify SSL certificates, making it vulnerable to MITM hacking attacks. They utilized this weakness to gain access to the device.
In addition to other smart features, this home appliance could connect to a user’s Gmail calendar and display their info on the fridge’s interface. However, with the vulnerability the Pen Test Partners identified, cybercriminals could potentially hack the device and monitor it for Gmail login details.
3 Ways To Protect Yourself Against Network Threats and The Risks of IoT Devices
While the chance of a cybercriminal hacking an individual’s smart fridge is low, the possibility does exist. That’s why taking precautions to protect IoT devices and a home network is recommended.
1. Disconnecting Devices From The Internet
One of the best ways someone can protect themselves from any IoT device being compromised — not just a smart fridge — is to disconnect it from the internet and other electronics. Cutting off an entry point will prevent hackers from exploiting a vulnerability in the refrigerator’s security. The home appliance will still function the same way and provide many of the benefits a smart fridge offers, but it won’t be able to be used as an entry point to an entire network.
2. Install The Latest Firmware Updates
If disabling internet access is not an option, keeping IoT devices up to date with the latest firmware is always recommended. These software fixes can remedy vulnerabilities that were identified in the system. However, it is worth noting that users will face concerns about what to do if or when the manufacturer stops sending out firmware updates.
3. Follow Cyber Security Best Practices
One of the best things a user can do is to implement cybersecurity and network best practices at their home or business. For example, encrypting all data on a network or installing anti-virus software to protect it from becoming a security risk.
- Use strong passwords for devices and the wireless network.
- Implement virtual private network (VPN) software.
- Change passwords frequently.
- Keep systems updated.
- Utilize multi-factor authentication.
- Install anti-virus software and firewalls.
The Risk of Using Smart Refrigerators
While smart fridges have many associated benefits, the possibility exists that a hacker could use them as an entry point to a network. That’s why users should get on board with preventive measures to ensure this risk does not become a reality. When people follow best practices, they can rest assured that their IoT devices are well protected. | <urn:uuid:ace57409-c884-4145-a5da-66d500d66863> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.iotforall.com/smart-refrigerators-are-more-risky-than-you-realize | 2024-09-09T22:47:06Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651157.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909201932-20240909231932-00535.warc.gz | en | 0.944089 | 1,004 | 2.6875 | 3 |
On a late summer afternoon, 21 aspiring kindergarteners gathered for an important game of pretend. The kids sat mostly crisscross applesauce on “sit upons” decorated with the letters of the alphabet. Their bright outfits and Crocs screamed lawless summer even as they learned to follow directions at story time. Though their careful attention waned by the end of the hour-long program, they were rewarded with the chance to board a bright yellow school bus and practice how to nonchalantly wave goodbye to tearful parents.
The kids were practicing their elementary school debut at Kindergarten Here We Come! hosted by the Howard County Library System and Howard County Public Schools. The last class is August 24 and it’s the kind of dry run educators say can help children — and their parents — feel more at ease on their first day of “big-kid school.”
1. Visit School Before the First Day
If your child’s school has a playground that you can access, a visit can be a good way to familiarize them with a new environment, said Jimmy Venza, executive director of The Lourie Center for Children’s Social and Emotional Wellness. Even better, if the school is open at any point before the start of the school year, take them for a walk through the hallways and to meet the new adults in their lives.
Kate Ayres, a former kindergarten and current second-grade teacher at Henderson-Hopkins School in East Baltimore, noted that her school does a meet-and-greet with parents ahead of the first day. This allows both parents and children to learn more about what they can expect while getting a feel for the classroom.
2. Establish a Calendar, New Routines
Venza recommended putting up a calendar at home so children can anticipate what’s happening next in their lives. Highlight milestones such as family vacations, the first day of class, and other major school events happening throughout the year.
This can help set expectations and establish routines, such as getting ready in the morning or saying goodbye at drop-off. Once at school, teachers will introduce their own routines, such as sitting on the carpet for story time, putting things away in cubbies, or lining up before walking to the cafeteria.
3. Read All About the First Day Together
At Kindergarten Here We Come!, some of the students recognized Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist Evelyn Gerkin Greenberg, who changed her name from Ms. Evelyn to Ms. G for the class so the kids could practice calling teachers by their last names.
Greenberg read “The Night Before Kindergarten” to the class, encouraging them to read and rhyme alongside her. Venza suggested reading books about going to school with your kindergartener, encouraging them to ask questions, or even asking some yourself. Listen closely to see what your child may be focused on or anxious about.
4. Be Curious Every Single Day
When your child comes home from school, set aside 15 minutes to ask them open-ended questions about their day, Venza said. Be prepared to share in their delight at trying something new or offer support if they’ve experienced something upsetting, such as a classmate who hurt their feelings.
Hopefully, when something stressful happens, children will have an adult available. Malikah Arnaud, who brought her 5-year-old grandson, Amir Peterson, to the library event, was comforted watching Greenberg connect with children when they struggled.
5. Get to Know Their Teacher
Venza suggested putting up a family calendar at home to help children foresee what’s coming up in their lives. By marking important milestones—like family trips, the first day of school, and other significant school events happening throughout the year—children can better understand what to expect.
This practice can set clear expectations and establish good routines, making mornings smoother and easing farewells during drop-off. Additionally, it provides a visual aid for older kids to organize and prepare.
Once children arrive at school, teachers introduce their own set of routines to create a structured learning environment. For instance, students may sit on the carpet for story time, put items in their cubbies, or line up before heading to the cafeteria. These routines help them transition smoothly through different parts of their day and foster a sense of security and order.
Having routines at both home and school can offer children a comforting predictability, aiding their overall development. It builds their confidence and helps them adapt to various settings, making the entire process of growing up a bit more manageable for them and their parents. | <urn:uuid:ca2db3b1-2037-4441-9099-5fa8a320f563> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://educationcurated.com/education-management/how-can-you-and-your-child-prepare-for-the-first-day-of-kindergarten/ | 2024-09-11T02:51:20Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651343.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911020451-20240911050451-00435.warc.gz | en | 0.962108 | 953 | 2.671875 | 3 |
In the world of computer architecture, two primary families dominate the landscape: x86_64 and ARM. Both of these architectures power a vast array of computing devices, from desktop computers to smartphones and beyond. But what exactly is the difference between x86_64 and ARM, and why does it matter?
First, let’s define these two architectures. X86_64 (also known as x64 or AMD64) is a 64-bit architecture that was introduced by AMD in 2003. It is an extension of the original x86 architecture that has been around since the 1970s and is used primarily in personal computers and servers. ARM, on the other hand, is a family of architectures that are used primarily in smartphones, tablets, and other embedded devices. ARM was originally developed by Acorn Computers in the 1980s, but it is now owned by the Japanese company SoftBank.
The most significant difference between x86_64 and ARM is their instruction sets. An instruction set is a set of commands that a processor can execute. These commands are encoded in binary and are specific to each architecture. x86_64 and ARM have very different instruction sets, which means that programs compiled for one architecture cannot run on the other without being recompiled.
Another major difference between x86_64 and ARM is their approach to power consumption. ARM processors are designed to be energy-efficient, making them ideal for use in battery-powered devices like smartphones and tablets but it is increasingly being adopted for server applications especially in Cloud, HPC and Edge Computing . x86_64 processors, on the other hand, are generally more powerful but also consume more power. This makes them better suited for desktop computers and servers, which are typically plugged into a power source.
One of the most significant advantages of ARM over x86_64 is its scalability. ARM processors are available in a wide range of power levels, from tiny microcontrollers to high-performance processors that can rival x86_64 chips in terms of raw power. This scalability makes ARM a popular choice for embedded devices, where power consumption and space are critical considerations.
x86_64, on the other hand, is still the dominant architecture for desktop and server processors. x86_64 processors are generally more powerful than ARM processors, which makes them better suited for heavy workloads like video editing, 3D modeling, and gaming. However, this power comes at the cost of higher power consumption and heat generation, which means that x86_64 processors require more advanced cooling solutions to prevent thermal throttling.
Which architecture to choose from?
This is where ASA Computers comes into rescue, ASA Computers is a provider of high-performance computing solutions and can help customers with both x86_64 and ARM-based systems.
One way ASA Computers can help customers is by providing expert guidance on which architecture is best suited for their specific needs. For example, if a customer needs a high-performance rackmount servers for tasks like video editing, 3D modeling, or gaming, ASA Computers can recommend an x86_64-based solution. On the other hand, if a customer needs a low-power, energy-efficient and the best performance system, ASA Computers can recommend an ARM-based solution.
Overall, ASA Computers can help customers by providing customized, high-performance computing solutions that are tailored to their specific needs. Whether a customer needs an x86_64-based system or an ARM-based system, ASA Computers has the expertise and experience to help them make the right choice and build a solution that meets your requirements. Talk to our experts today and choose the right solution for your IT infrastructure. Book a free consultation. | <urn:uuid:7961ec08-0efe-468d-a2c6-b8f84d75c9e9> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.asacomputers.com/blog/difference-between-x86-64-vs-arm-architecture/ | 2024-09-11T03:47:20Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651343.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911020451-20240911050451-00435.warc.gz | en | 0.957229 | 758 | 4.0625 | 4 |
In the digital age, privacy has become a pressing concern for many users as they navigate the internet. With a vast amount of personal data being collected, understanding how this information is harnessed and your rights over it is more critical than ever. This article aims to demystify the intricacies of online privacy, shed light on the types of cookies and tracking technologies in use, and empower readers with knowledge about their data rights. Join us on this journey to become more privacy-savvy and take control of your digital footprint.
The Role of Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Cookies have evolved beyond being digital placeholders for your web preferences. They form the fabric of a tailored online experience, enabling web services to remember who you are and your website interactions. A website can store cookies on your device for various functions: some are strictly necessary for website functionality, such as remembering your login details or shopping cart contents. Others, known as performance cookies, collect information about your usage patterns to improve your browsing experience and the website’s performance.
But not all cookies have such clear-cut benefits for users. Targeting cookies and tracking technologies like pixels and web beacons construct detailed profiles of your online behavior. They are the key tools that companies use to deliver personalized advertisements and make their content more relevant to you. While these tools can enhance your online experience, they raise questions about privacy and the thin line between useful personalization and intrusive surveillance. Understanding the nuances of these technologies is the first step to managing your online persona.
Your Rights and Control Over Personal Data
The power balance between the user and the digital platform is shifting. You’re no longer an anonymous entity wandering the depths of the web. With regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the right to protect your personal data is increasingly recognized and enforced. These laws offer a framework for consent and ensure that companies disclose their data collection practices. It’s about establishing a clear dialogue between users and data handlers, outlining what data is collected, and for what purpose it is used.
Understanding your data rights is empowering. It’s more than just recognizing that you can request access to the data collected about you—it’s also about having the tools to demand corrections, restrict processing, or completely erase your digital footprint. A key element of exercising these rights relies on awareness and the ability to navigate through a myriad of privacy settings. Adjusting preferences in your browser or on various websites can be an effective means of controlling the data you choose to share, setting boundaries in an environment that constantly seeks to redefine them.
Managing Cookies and Enhancing Online Privacy
Governing your personal data means more than knowing your rights; it’s about actively managing them. Every major web browser offers privacy settings that allow you to control cookie activity. But it’s not a set-it-and-forget-it deal; maintaining privacy calls for regular updates to your settings as both technology and data collection methods evolve. Disabling non-essential cookies may inhibit some web functionality, but it can substantially decrease your visibility to advertisers and data collectors.
Moreover, enhancing online privacy is as much about embracing privacy-focused tools as it is about fostering privacy-conscious habits. Features like incognito modes, tracker blockers, or even virtual private networks (VPNs), add layers of privacy protection, complicating the data collection efforts of eager trackers. While no method is foolproof, employing a combination of tools and best practices provides a robust defense against unwanted data harvesting, ensuring that your online presence remains under your control.
Transparency and Accountability of Data Handlers
As we wade through the digital landscape, the importance of transparency and accountability among data handlers has never been greater. Amidst a sea of personal information, it’s becoming increasingly crucial to discern how this data is utilized and what dominion we possess over it. We’ve embarked on this dialogue to shed light on the complex nature of online privacy. We reveal the various cookies and tracking methods employed by enterprises and endow you with essential insights pertaining to your rights regarding your data. Through this endeavor, we aim to heighten your aptitude for privacy in the digital world and impart the skills necessary to manage your virtual existence with greater authority. Embark with us as we hone our proficiency in privacy protection and take charge of our digital imprints. | <urn:uuid:79e42884-5506-4463-aa80-bc663158956e> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://digitalmarketingcurated.com/seo-smm/navigating-privacy-understanding-your-data-and-cookie-rights/ | 2024-09-10T00:15:05Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651164.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909233606-20240910023606-00635.warc.gz | en | 0.912586 | 905 | 3 | 3 |
A new term has hit the wind, “citizen data scientists.” These data workers are the cheaper, good-enough version of the gold standard, the data scientists. Where does it work, if anyplace at all?
In the business world, this windy new term is just another bauble. Business people will drop it soon enough.
Why? For one thing, we already call these guys business analysts, data analysts, self-service analysts, and other terms. But do data workers need a term at all? Hasn’t data become so commonplace by now that people with pretty good data skills go by the most ordinary name of all, which is no name at all? Isn’t data work among the masses taken for granted in many organizations by now?
“Citizen data scientist” fits in just one good place: the truly democratic “smart city.”
“Smart cities” are usually thought of as top down. The city fathers and mothers use data to ease traffic flow, even out demand on utilities, and other nice things.
Bottom-up “smart” occurs when white-hat hackers use open data to do good things for the city. These are true citizen data scientists. That role is where “citizen” means something. | <urn:uuid:b139d4f2-bdf5-40b1-84cf-02969f2c3235> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://datadoodle.com/bi-industry/the-one-place-citizen-data-scientist-makes-sense/ | 2024-09-11T05:47:12Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651344.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911052223-20240911082223-00535.warc.gz | en | 0.953751 | 272 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is effectively the universal navigation system of the Internet, a digital postal service that provides the necessary routing information for public Internet networks, or autonomous systems (AS) to steer traffic to each other. The big challenge is that, although the Internet functions like a single network, it is really a collection of many different administrative domains working in harmony with each other. Without BGP, the Internet wouldn’t work.
Simply put, each AS is an administrative domain of one or several IP address blocks, also known as prefixes, and BGP is used by an AS to tell the rest of the Internet which addresses can be reached through that particular AS. It also provides other mechanisms to influence the way traffic is routed. Specific metrics can be applied, to control things like cost (for example, when prioritizing certain upstream transit providers) and load balancing. Filtering can also be implemented with BGP, providing AS network administrators with a powerful traffic engineering toolkit.
Border Gateway Protocol (GBP) is used to populate and maintain the global Internet routing table - a telephone book, if you like, for the Internet. This is essentially a route matrix that tells edge routers in a specific AS how to send traffic to a destination (IP address) outside the home network. From this, the best route can be established for traffic to take. Due to the vast number of networks connected, and the sheer number network prefixes involved, the global Internet routing table is very large and currently has more than 500,000 entries.
It is for this reason that the IP address information communicated is aggregated into blocks or prefixes, and the routing table is only updated when a network communicates a significant change in its logical structure - for example, when a new network block is added or removed.
The size and complexity of the Internet routing table means that powerful routing hardware, capable of processing a very large routing table, is a prerequisite for anyone running their own AS. Because the Internet is a common system, all route information must be available to all networks connected to it.
The following diagram illustrates, in very simple terms, the fundamental model of BGP and how it can be applied to manage routing across multiple paths:
In this over-simplified model, the choice is clear – routing via AS2 is the most efficient route, requiring fewer hops than the longer path via AS6.
Owning and operating an AS is a significant administrative and operational undertaking that is usually beneficial for businesses with larger networks and significant traffic volumes. For those that do, there are a number of benefits:
Our high first line resolution rate (77%) is made possible by our team of highly qualified engineers. Arelion has grown organically, without any acquisitions and provides a homogeneous and consistent network experience to our customers. | <urn:uuid:bc318b6d-c837-436c-b698-8d70749fa7ba> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.arelion.com/knowledge-hub/what-is-guides/what-is-bgp | 2024-09-12T12:53:44Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651457.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912110742-20240912140742-00435.warc.gz | en | 0.936839 | 572 | 4.09375 | 4 |
Cybersecurity in the Ballot Box, the Bistro and the Bedroom
October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a time when organizations across America join together to educate the public about cyberthreats like social engineering (especially phishing attacks). This year, it’s also the last full month to decide your vote for the 2020 election. As citizens consider the future of our country, we see the tech giants coming together to prevent election crime, while tech users struggle to keep up with device security. With online fraud on the rise, how do you know your business is protected from a cyberattack, especially when considering advanced techniques like social engineering?
National Cybersecurity Month comes to us from organizations that promote assertiveness, rather than paranoia. We don’t have to be afraid of our connectivity or our devices. On the contrary, we need to embrace them holistically and attentively (and with a little help from the cybersecurity experts).
How to stop social engineering attacks at work and at home
Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart.
Home Connectivity: This week’s cybersecurity awareness theme is “Securing Devices at Home and Work.” When reviewing the year, did you spend time working from home? Did you have children suddenly in Zoom classes, rather than in a traditional classroom? Did you have the resources you need (virus, malware, and ransomware protection) to stay safe online?
Business Technology: Your business couldn’t operate without digital interactions with devices outside of your office walls. Furthermore, your business can’t operate without a dedicated plan for protecting employee and customer data. How do hackers get into your system? Common external penetration methods include baiting, phishing, and spear phishing.
Baiting: Curiosity killed the network
First of all, baiting attacks can begin with hardware or with software. For example, a hacker can leave a corrupted flash drive on your desk, and the attack begins with the physical action of a user plugging it into a laptop and then clicking through files that install malware throughout the system. How to stop this social engineering technique from attacking your business begins with employee cybersecurity awareness training.
October is a perfect month for bringing in external cybersecurity resources to help bolster your team. To begin, we can provide system assessments that surface hacker access points. Then, our engineers can test your users. For example, our security technicians can engineer a scareware drill to make users think they’re clicking to patch, when really they’re getting tricked into a click. If your employees understand the various forms of baiting, then you can prevent a data breach.
Phishing: The one that got away
Did you ever see a prompt to “click here” or “download now” from an email that was obviously fake? In the past, phishing emails were more obvious. A strange font or a missing signature was clue enough. Unfortunately, advanced social engineering technology now lets a cybercriminal twin a real user’s software behaviors.
Because phishing is the most common social engineering tactic, NIST recently developed the Phish Scale, a cybersecurity tool that helps businesses surface network vulnerabilities by assessing cues, click rates, and user interactions in regard to phishing email difficulty levels. This new method of testing phishing attempts assists cybersecurity experts by evaluating spoofed emails through advanced data analysis. CIOs, CISOs, and other technology experts can use this tool to optimize phishing awareness and training programs.
Spear Phishing: In IT together
Often, a phishing email comes to your inbox addressed specifically to you but without personal information as part of its composition. Therefore, signs of imitation are more easily observed. “Click to download” prompts hesitancy if the email comes with a generic invitation.
When an email comes through with more personalized data, like a personal email signature or an attached thread of coworkers, it can trick you into thinking the sender is legit. In this case, a hacker follows the digital footprints of a user and engineers that data to create a personalized phishing attack. Think of this as the Shakespeare of social engineering, and the play is written for you and with you as the inspiration.
When organizations create security strategies in an effort to prevent social engineering attacks, phishing prevention is always a sign of a thorough plan. When considering phishing emails, keep in mind that malware can stay undetected in a system for months before the IT department discovers the penetration. Spear phishing can prompt a sly malware that quickly infects an entire network.
Vote to Stop Cybercrime
At EstesGroup, we know how to stop social engineering attacks from harming your business. Furthermore, we know how to take the worry out of IT (with managed IT). Protecting everything from saved credentials to individual clicks, our cybersecurity experts defend your business while you do the work you love. Do your coworkers need practice in recognizing the fraudulent behaviors fueling social engineering attacks? October is a perfect month to initiate new security policies and procedures, and to test your cybersecurity plan.
EstesGroup is a 2020 National Cybersecurity Awareness Month Champion. We provide the most secure cloud solutions available to businesses. Read more about National Cybersecurity Month at the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) or at the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). | <urn:uuid:29689f63-abc7-41d6-b51b-a061f04b310f> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.estesgrp.com/blog/how-to-stop-social-engineering-attacks/ | 2024-09-13T19:06:54Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651535.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913165920-20240913195920-00335.warc.gz | en | 0.931773 | 1,090 | 2.71875 | 3 |
What is risk posture?
Risk posture collectively refers to the status of overall cybersecurity program implemented by an organization to protect itself from breaches and safeguard its data. This includes the overall management and strategy related to protecting the enterprise’s software and hardware, networks, services, and information.
The key components of the risk posture are:
- The controls and measure in place to protect the enterprise from cyber-attacks
- The ability of the enterprise to manage its defenses
- The readiness and ability to react to and recover from security events.
Understanding and defining the full scope of your risk posture is essential to protecting your business against breaches.
Three steps to building a robust risk posture
- Identify what you are trying to protect by discovering and inventorying all IT assets including systems, applications, devices, data, business processes, and users.
- Identify risks to your assets by monitoring assets for vulnerabilities including the likelihood of breach via a range of attack vectors and the impact if a particular asset were to be breached.
- Document security controls (like firewalls etc.) currently in place that reduce risk to assets.
What is risk posture assessment?
Risk posture assessment (or risk assessment) is the process of identifying, analyzing, and evaluating cyber-risk, in order to secure the enterprise’s software, hardware, network, services, and information. The risk assessment process starts with the following questions:
- Do we have a complete inventory of all of our assets?
- Do we have real-time visibility into our entire attack surface?
- Can we measure our cybersecurity and breach risk in quantifiable terms?
- How comprehensive and effective is our overall cybersecurity infrastructure?
- How effective and resilient are our cybersecurity defenses?
- Can we prioritize our vulnerability management actions based on business criticality and risk?
- How vulnerable are we to potential breaches and attacks?
Each organization’s cyber-risk has many moving parts. That said, understanding and defining the full scope of your cybersecurity posture is essential to risk assessment and management; and effective risk assessment is essential to protecting your business against the high cost of data theft and breaches.
The importance of risk assessment
For the modern enterprise, the attack surface is both hyper-dimensional and massive. The sheer size and complexity of today’s digital landscape makes bringing the organization’s attack surface into focus a truly daunting and at the same time critically important task.
Performing a cybersecurity risk assessment allows you to gather information about your network’s cybersecurity framework, its security controls, its vulnerabilities, and any gaps. Your goal is to determine any exposures or risks that exist across networks, devices, applications, and users. Once identified, you will need to rate how big a risk these problem areas are in terms of your specific business, what you’re currently doing to mitigate the issues you’ve identified, and what still needs to be done.
Consider every touchpoint and everything connected to your network – printers, laptops, cell phones, and smart devices; these are all potential entry points for malicious code or attackers to enter your network.
Risk posture best practices
When thinking about risk posture, the idea is to fully understand the threat landscape, then create a security framework that allows you to be just as smart and agile as your adversaries.
There are a number of ways you can do that, and here are a few emerging industry best practices to consider:
- Start by inventorying all of your IT assets (devices, applications, users), including their relationship to each other.
- Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment across a multitude of attack vectors that pose security risks and prioritize based on business criticality.
- Develop a well-devised plan that covers all elements of the organization’s cyber-risk management infrastructure and also addresses how the business can recover quickly if an incident does occur.
- Continually adjust your risk posture to align with a changing environment, carefully monitoring your attack surface across the ever-evolving cyber landscape.
- Disseminate comprehensive security policies and procedures throughout the organization, making security a part of everyone’s job and the company culture.
- Evaluate the security of your network with attack simulations, then apply the lessons learned to improve your level of resilience.
- Foster internal champions to help drive security efforts forward.
As we’ve seen, cybersecurity presents some unique challenges, not the least of which is the vast attack surface, tens of thousands of IT assets, and hundreds (even thousands) of ways an organization can be breached. Finding weak points with comprehensive and continuous risk posture assessment will help you protect your business from costly intrusions later on. | <urn:uuid:7ff86ba8-94d3-4120-b9e9-46d94ab2f30a> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.balbix.com/insights/risk-posture-and-assessment/ | 2024-09-16T06:21:32Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651676.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20240916044225-20240916074225-00135.warc.gz | en | 0.943437 | 959 | 2.53125 | 3 |
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Reserve Your Seat TodayMany industries depend on their remote water tanks. Ensuring that they remain full and free from leaks requires continual visits. But visits to these distant locations cost money related to employees, fuel, and vehicle wear and tear.
If visits are scheduled around average estimates of water use, they can fail to respond to actual conditions. This results in wasted drive time, without eliminating the chance of tanks going dry or springing leaks. Without eyes on the site, leaks can worsen, and tanks can end up dry for long periods. The solution is remote water tank monitoring.
By installing remote terminal units (RTUs) on-site, companies can monitor water levels from their central offices.
This allows them to respond to problems as soon as they arise, instead of waiting for the next scheduled visit. When they do respond, they'll know what they're dealing with ahead of time, enabling technicians to travel equipped with the right tools for the job.
Water is heavy and difficult to transport. Often, water needs for populations or various industries require more water than is available from the local ecosystem. In other cases, water tanks are necessary to hold contaminated water until it can be treated and safely returned to circulation. As such, water tanks are essential equipment for several critical industries in the U.S. and abroad, including:
Both drinking water and wastewater systems rely on water tanks to fulfill their duties. Public water systems use water tanks to hold water in reserve before it is used or to preposition water for easy use - such as on the top of skyscrapers.
Wastewater systems rely on holding tanks and ponds to treat large amounts of water before releasing it or returning it to circulation.
Agriculture, particularly open-range ranching, often occurs in remote areas. Some, such as the deserts of Arizona, New Mexico, and West Texas, have limited access to water and rely on water tanks to keep livestock adequately hydrated.
Water tanks are also used to irrigate crops in dry seasons. Advanced monitoring functions can be used for digital farming, controlling irrigation at the touch of a button.
Among other uses, gas companies rely on holding tanks and ponds to store fracking fluid before and after use. Keeping a close on holding tanks and ponds prevents environmental contamination, as well as ensuring regulatory compliance.
Mining operations can use large amounts of water to unearth or process minerals. As in oil and gas operations, this water must be kept in holding tanks or ponds before and after it has been used operationally.
Monitoring water prevents leaks and contamination while demonstrating compliance.
Remote monitoring solutions for each industry follow similar patterns, helping protect valuable assets and the environment while preventing fines from regulators. The tools employed are often the same as well: remote terminal units and master stations.
RTUs are multi-capable devices, able to monitor several conditions at once. In addition to watching water levels, RTU sensors can detect:
Monitoring these conditions provides tank owners with substantial insight into the minute-to-minute conditions of their expensive equipment far in the field.
Companies and utilities with more than ten tanks to monitor will find that individual alerts coming from RTUs for each condition at each tank will become more of a nuisance than a benefit.
To monitor large numbers of tanks, companies employ master stations, otherwise known as alarm masters. Master stations provide several benefits, including:
Displaying all tank, environmental, and equipment conditions on a central computer screen
Master stations enable operations to go from single-instance monitoring to monitoring entire networks. On top of aiding water tank monitoring, they can also receive reports from other important equipment and assets used by utilities, agriculture, oil and gas, and mining companies. This cohesive, encompassing network coverage provides significant benefits, preventing breakdowns and improving maintenance results.
Remote water tank monitoring is an indispensable ability for any industry which requires large amounts of water. Combined with remote monitoring of other large assets and infrastructure, it is a critical ability for companies seeking to minimize their maintenance costs and maximize their reliability.
DPS Telecom provides reliable remote monitoring equipment for water tanks and other important assets. Our experts can help you develop your remote monitoring system, and provide important installation insights. Reach out and get a quote today!
Image courtesy Shutterstock | <urn:uuid:2fc6fd54-8447-4615-8261-67bc03a46e6b> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.dpstele.com/insights/2020/02/27/remote-water-tank-monitoring/ | 2024-09-17T13:00:29Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651773.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917104423-20240917134423-00035.warc.gz | en | 0.950221 | 908 | 2.90625 | 3 |
Fiber-optic cable has two propagation modes: multimode and single mode. They perform differently with respect to both attenuation and time dispersion. The single-mode fiber-optic cable provides much better performance with lower attenuation. To understand the difference between these types, you must understand what is meant by "mode of propagation."
Light has a dual nature and can be viewed as either a wave phenomenon or a particle phenomenon that includes photons and solitons. Solitons are special localized waves that exhibit particle-like behavior. For this discussion, let's consider the wave mechanics of light. When the light wave is guided down a fiber-optic cable, it exhibits certain modes. These are variations in the intensity of the light, both over the cable cross section and down the cable length. These modes are actually numbered from lowest to highest. In a very simple sense, each of these modes can be thought of as a ray of light. For a given fiber-optic cable, the number of modes that exist depends on the dimensions of the cable and the variation of the indices of refraction of both core and cladding across the cross section. The various modes include multimode step index, single-mode step index, single-mode dual-step index, and multimode graded index.
Multimode Step Index
Consider the illustration in Figure 3-8. This diagram corresponds to multimode propagation with a refractive index profile that is called step index. As you can see, the diameter of the core is fairly large relative to the cladding. There is also a sharp discontinuity in the index of refraction as you go from core to cladding. As a result, when light enters the fiber-optic cable on the left, it propagates down toward the right in multiple rays or multiple modes. This yields the designation multimode. As indicated, the lowest-order mode travels straight down the center. It travels along the cylindrical axis of the core. The higher modes, represented by rays, bounce back and forth, going down the cable to the left. The higher the mode, the more bounces per unit distance down to the right.
Figure 3-8 Multimode Step Index
The illustration also shows the input pulse and the resulting output pulse. Note that the output pulse is significantly attenuated relative to the input pulse. It also suffers significant time dispersion. The reasons for this are as follows. The higher-order modes, the bouncing rays, tend to leak into the cladding as they propagate down the fiber-optic cable. They lose some of their energy into heat. This results in an attenuated output signal. The input pulse is split among the different rays that travel down the fiber-optic cable. The bouncing rays and the lowest-order mode, traveling down the center axis, are all traversing paths of different lengths from input to output. Consequently, they do not all reach the right end of the fiber-optic cable at the same time. When the output pulse is constructed from these separate ray components, the result is chromatic dispersion.
Fiber-optic cable that exhibits multimode propagation with a step index profile is thereby characterized as having higher attenuation and more time dispersion than the other propagation candidates. However, it is also the least costly and is widely used in the premises environment. It is especially attractive for link lengths up to 5 kilometers. It can be fabricated either from glass, plastic, or PCS. Usually, MMF core diameters are 50 or 62.5 m. Typically, 50-m MMF propagates only 300 modes as compared to 1100 modes for 62.5-m fiber. The 50-m MMF supports 1 Gbps at 850-nm wavelengths for distances up to 1 kilometer versus 275 meters for 62.5-m MMF. Furthermore, 50-m MMF supports 10 Gbps at 850-nm wavelengths for distances up to 300 meters versus 33 meters for 62.5-m MMF. This makes 50-m MMF the fiber of choice for low-cost, high-bandwidth campus and multitenant unit (MTU) applications.
Single-Mode Step Index
Single-mode propagation is illustrated in Figure 3-9. This diagram corresponds to single-mode propagation with a refractive index profile that is called step index. As the figure shows, the diameter of the core is fairly small relative to the cladding. Because of this, when light enters the fiber-optic cable on the left, it propagates down toward the right in just a single ray, a single mode, which is the lowest-order mode. In extremely simple terms, this lowest-order mode is confined to a thin cylinder around the axis of the core. The higher-order modes are absent.
Figure 3-9 Single-Mode Step Index
Consequently, extremely little or no energy is lost to heat through the leakage of the higher modes into the cladding, because they are not present. All energy is confined to this single, lowest-order mode. Because the higher-order mode energy is not lost, attenuation is not significant. Also, because the input signal is confined to a single ray path, that of the lowest-order mode, very little chromatic dispersion occurs. Single-mode propagation exists only above a certain specific wavelength called the cutoff wavelength.
The cutoff wavelength is the smallest operating wavelength when SMFs propagate only the fundamental mode. At this wavelength, the second-order mode becomes lossy and radiates out of the fiber core. As the operating wavelength becomes longer than the cutoff wavelength, the fundamental mode becomes increasingly lossy. The higher the operating wavelength is above the cutoff wavelength, the more power is transmitted through the fiber cladding. As the fundamental mode extends into the cladding material, it becomes increasingly sensitive to bending loss. Comparing the output pulse and the input pulse, note that there is little attenuation and time dispersion. Lower chromatic dispersion results in higher bandwidth. However, single-mode fiber-optic cable is also the most costly in the premises environment. For this reason, it has been used more with metropolitan- and wide-area networks than with premises data communications. Single-mode fiber-optic cable has also been getting increased attention as local-area networks have been extended to greater distances over corporate campuses. The core diameter for this type of fiber-optic cable is exceedingly small, ranging from 8 microns to 10 microns. The standard cladding diameter is 125 microns.
SMF step index fibers are manufactured using the outside vapor deposition (OVD) process. OVD fibers are made of a core and cladding, each with slightly different compositions and refractive indices. The OVD process produces consistent, controlled fiber profiles and geometry. Fiber consistency is important, to produce seamless spliced interconnections using fiber-optic cable from different manufacturers. Single-mode fiber-optic cable is fabricated from silica glass. Because of the thickness of the core, plastic cannot be used to fabricate single-mode fiber-optic cable. Note that not all SMFs use a step index profile. Some SMF variants use a graded index method of construction to optimize performance at a particular wavelength or transmission band.
Single-Mode Dual-Step Index
These fibers are single-mode and have a dual cladding. Depressed-clad fiber is also known as doubly clad fiber. Figure 3-10 corresponds to single-mode propagation with a refractive index profile that is called dual-step index. A depressed-clad fiber has the advantage of very low macrobending losses. It also has two zero-dispersion points and low dispersion over a much wider wavelength range than a singly clad fiber. SMF depressed-clad fibers are manufactured using the inside vapor deposition (IVD) process. The IVD or modified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) process produces what is called depressed-clad fiber because of the shape of its refractive index profile, with the index of the glass adjacent to the core depressed. Each cladding has a refractive index that is lower than that of the core. The inner cladding a the lower refractive index than the outer cladding.
Figure 3-10 Single-Mode Dual-Step Index
Multimode Graded Index
Multimode graded index fiber has a higher refractive index in the core that gradually reduces as it extends from the cylindrical axis outward. The core and cladding are essentially a single graded unit. Consider the illustration in Figure 3-11. This corresponds to multimode propagation with a refractive index profile that is called graded index. Here the variation of the index of refraction is gradual as it extends out from the axis of the core through the core to the cladding. There is no sharp discontinuity in the indices of refraction between core and cladding. The core here is much larger than in the single-mode step index case previously discussed. Multimode propagation exists with a graded index. As illustrated, however, the paths of the higher-order modes are somewhat confined. They appear to follow a series of ellipses. Because the higher-mode paths are confined, the attenuation through them due to leakage is more limited than with a step index. The time dispersion is more limited than with a step index; therefore, attenuation and time dispersion are present, but limited.
In Figure 3-11, the input pulse is shown on the left, and the resulting output pulse is shown on the right. When comparing the output pulse and the input pulse, note that there is some attenuation and time dispersion, but not nearly as much as with multimode step index fiber-optic cable.
Figure 3-11 Multimode Graded Index
Fiber-optic cable that exhibits multimode propagation with a graded index profile is characterized as having levels of attenuation and time-dispersion properties that fall between the other two candidates. Likewise, its cost is somewhere between the other two candidates. Popular graded index fiber-optic cables have core diameters of 50, 62.5, and 85 microns. They have a cladding diameter of 125 micronsthe same as single-mode fiber-optic cables. This type of fiber-optic cable is extremely popular in premise data communications applications. In particular, the 62.5/125 fiber-optic cable is the most popular and most widely used in these applications. Glass is generally used to fabricate multimode graded index fiber-optic cable. | <urn:uuid:2b675da4-7ef9-4c30-803a-a0e91eeec38d> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.ciscopress.com/articles/article.asp?p=170740&seqNum=5 | 2024-09-19T21:40:27Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652067.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20240919194038-20240919224038-00735.warc.gz | en | 0.919377 | 2,168 | 3.453125 | 3 |
Every business today faces a significant risk from network vulnerabilities, which can lead to substantial financial and reputational damage.
A data breach can cost a company an average of $4.45 million in lost business, underscoring the severe impact these incidents can have on an organization’s bottom line.
At the heart of this threat are network security vulnerabilities, which serve as gateways for cyber attackers to exploit and harm an organization’s digital infrastructure.
As Jason Cary, VP of Sales at FTI Services says, “Vigilance in network security is the key to fortifying digital defenses.” |
Understanding the types of vulnerabilities in network security is crucial for developing robust defenses against these threats.
Common Network Vulnerabilities to Look Out for
1. Software Flaws
Software flaws, including outdated software and unpatched vulnerabilities, stand as common network vulnerabilities. Cyber attackers exploit these weaknesses to infiltrate networks, steal data, and cause disruptions. Regular updates and vulnerability scanning are essential to mitigate these risks.
2. Weak Passwords
Weak passwords are a primary security risk, making it easy for malicious actors to gain unauthorized access. In fact, 3 in 10 users have been victims of data breaches due to weak passwords. Strong password policies and encouraging complex, unique passwords can significantly enhance network security.
3. Social Engineering Attacks
Social engineering attacks, such as phishing, manipulate individuals into disclosing sensitive information. Educating employees about these cyber threats and vulnerabilities can help prevent data breaches.
4. Misconfigured Network Devices
Improperly configured routers, switches, and firewalls can introduce severe network security vulnerabilities. Regular audits and adherence to best practices in configuring network devices are crucial to safeguard against these attacks on network security.
5. Insider Threats
Did you know that insider threats cause 60% of data breaches? Insider threats, whether intentional or accidental, pose a significant security challenge. Implementing strict access controls and monitoring user activities can help mitigate these information security vulnerabilities.
6. Zero-day Exploits
Zero-day exploits target unknown or unpatched vulnerabilities. Staying ahead of these cyber vulnerabilities requires a comprehensive security strategy that includes regular updates, penetration tests, and threat intelligence.
7. Outdated Operating Systems
Operating systems that are no longer supported and receive no security updates, making them vulnerable to cyber attackers. Ensuring all systems run on supported versions with the latest security patches is a vital security measure.
8. Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks
Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks occur when a cyber attacker intercepts communication between two parties to steal or manipulate the data being exchanged. This vulnerability exploits insecure or unencrypted network connections, making it vital for organizations to implement secure communication protocols like HTTPS and use VPNs for data transmission.
9. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks
DDoS attacks overwhelm network resources, rendering services unavailable. Protection against these types of network security threats involves robust infrastructure and proactive monitoring to detect and mitigate attacks.
10. IoT Vulnerabilities
The increasing use of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in businesses introduces new network security vulnerabilities. These devices often lack robust security features, making them easy targets for cyber attackers to exploit and gain access to wider network systems.
Ensuring that all IoT devices are securely configured and regularly updated, along with segmenting them from critical network areas, can help mitigate these risks.
More resources you might like: |
Comparative Overview of Essential Network Security Measures
Security Measure | Function | Benefit |
Firewalls | Blocks unauthorized access to networks | Enhances network perimeter security |
Antivirus Software | Detects and removes malware | Protects against viruses, spyware |
Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) | Monitors network traffic for suspicious activity | Early detection of cyber threats |
Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) | Blocks potentially harmful traffic | Actively prevents attack attempts |
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) | Encrypts internet traffic | Secures remote access and data transmission |
Safeguard Your Business Against Network Vulnerabilities with FTI Services
In today’s digital age, understanding and addressing network vulnerabilities is more important than ever. Businesses of all sizes must stay informed about potential security risks and take necessary precautions to protect their information.
While the specifics of network security can be complex, the fundamental goal remains clear: to safeguard data and maintain the integrity of digital infrastructure.
Explore our range of IT services in Ventura: |
By staying vigilant and adopting basic security measures, organizations can make significant strides in preventing cyber threats. For those seeking additional support, consulting with cybersecurity experts like FTI Services can provide further guidance and peace of mind.
Reach out to us for a free consultation and take a decisive step towards securing your digital assets against the evolving landscape of cyber risks. | <urn:uuid:ef1b1aba-5aec-40a7-ac15-85c4e1ab9949> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.ftiservices.com/network-security-threats-and-vulnerabilities/ | 2024-09-19T21:32:14Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652067.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20240919194038-20240919224038-00735.warc.gz | en | 0.895432 | 1,008 | 2.734375 | 3 |
If you use Java, or are considering doing so, you are likely to have heard of the term ‘stream’. What is this? A stream is essentially data that you access in a sequence. Some of the most basic stream classes are Output Stream and Input Stream. The former lets us out data out to somewhere, whilst the latter allows us to bring data in from somewhere. The additional streams essentially add capabilities to the two basic ones that have been mentioned.
In this post we will take a look at some interesting facts in relation to Core Java Technology streams. This covers everything from not requiring lambda expressions, to streaming readers, to streaming random numbers, to streaming random stuff and streaming complex text. So, keep on reading to find out everything you need to know about it…
Streaming Readers – To begin with, Core Java Technology presents you with the option to stream readers. This is ideal because one of the most regular tasks for Java developers is to parse a file line by line. Java is ideal for stream processing because you have an option on java.io.BufferedReader that is lines (). This will turn I/O stream in to a stream of strings.
You Can Stream Random Stuff – You can stream random stuff when using Core Java Technology. Your streams do not need to be limited to collections or fixed lists. You can generate a Supplier lambda or an Iterator lambda that creates the values of the stream. After this you are then able to generate streams with methods on the java.util.steam.StreamSupport class.
You Can Stream Random Numbers – Leading on from the first point, you also have the ability to stream random numbers. When it comes to the java.util.Random, there are three new categories of methods on that class which you can stream. These are as follows doubles (), longs () and intls (). You can then set the total amount of random numbers streamed, seed and the bounds when using overloaded versions of those methods.
Streams Do Not Require Lambda Expressions – Did you know that you don’t actually need Lambda for your streams? You do have the option to go back to anonymous classes. Nevertheless, it is unlikely that most people would want to.
Streaming Complex Text – Last but not least, the fifth fact in relation to streams in Core Java Technology is in regards to streaming complex text. This option is extremely useful for your classpath or the million column CSV files. The following process can be used when the content is not line based on your text processing – use splitAsStream (CharSequence) method on your java.util.regex.Pattern.
To conclude, there are evidently a lot of interesting facts in relation to streams in Core Java Technology, and hopefully this post has enlightened you to some of them. From not requiring lambda expressions to the ability to stream random stuff, and streaming complex text to streaming readers, Java once again has outdone itself when it comes to the possibilities that are available. | <urn:uuid:d6a5df8c-d4c5-47cb-bed5-72ab80fc845d> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.itexchangeweb.com/blog/interesting-facts-about-streams-in-core-java-technology/ | 2024-09-08T23:26:56Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651035.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908213138-20240909003138-00835.warc.gz | en | 0.926092 | 609 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Artificial intelligence has helped the medical field and car industry immensely in the past couple of years. Now, artificial intelligence is being used to help fight against cyber attacks. Along with the growing advancements of technology, there are increasing cyber threats. Cyber security is becoming more and more of an issue every day. Several organizations, from technology companies to social media websites, have been working to stop cyber attacks.With the help of artificial intelligence, organizations can fight back using more than just commercial security systems.
By incorporating artificial intelligence within security systems, individuals and machines can learn from the data collected and use it to their advantage. As cyber security programs continue to develop, artificial intelligence is being woven with machine-learning and Analyst Intuition platforms. These platforms have promising prospects as they are being combined with artificial intelligence and cyber security technology in attempts to prevent hackers from gaining private data and information.
Machine learning is a type of artificial intelligence used mainly to prevent cyber attacks. It is a method of data analysis that uses the application of artificial technology to do so. It allows machines to learn without being explicitly programmed. It focuses on developing computer programs that have the ability to change when exposed to new data. Through the incorporation of algorithms that learn from data, machine learning allows computers to find hidden figures without being specifically programmed where to look.
This means big news for cyber security. As cyber threats evolve with the industry and adjust to get around overprotective mechanisms, security professionals have to focus on the more severe risks first. Artificial intelligence is the key to allowing cyber security systems to carry out human-like tasks and provide first-hand protection.The industry is quickly evolving and with the addition of artificial intelligence, machine-learning can be a step in the right direction towards improved cyber security.
The Automation Wave is an age that marks the progression of technology towards software that has the abilities to identify and remediate incidents. This progression influenced security professionals to look into more pressing issues such as identifying and managing insider threats, device policy and management. With this in mind, a new type of artificial intelligence was developed called AI-Squared.
A rising platform for artificial intelligence technology, AI-Squared is the brainchild of collaborative efforts between MIT and start-up PatternEx. The AI-Squared platform combines Artificial Intelligence and Analyst Intuition. As Hackers continue to attack businesses across the country, AI-Squared offers defense against these threats by analyzing a large amount of data generated by users in search of odd or abnormal activity. The goal of a hacker is often to extract data and sell it to the highest-bidder. As hackers attack, business owners have found that the differentiation between a hacker and an actual user has become harder to spot. That is until the development of AI-Squared.
AI-Squared analyzes large amounts of data and uses a recurrent neural network and machine learning techniques (also known as unsupervised learning) to find anomalies. Once something abnormal is found, a human analyst is then alerted to confirm whether the activity is a hacker or a genuine user. After the intent of the activity is decided, artificial intelligence takes this findings and puts them into the equation for future reference. This security process is called supervised learning.
AI-Squared has created an opportunity that allows cybersecurity experts to rely on machines to alert and protect their company from potential threats. Although AI-Squared currently needs a human analyst to input the information into the machine, it is well on it’s way to being able to function fully on its own.
In the past, it was more difficult for hackers to execute cyber attacks. However, it’s easier now more than ever for hackers to access even the most secure data from the comfort of their couch. Artificial intelligence is the best path towards creating platforms that have the ability to detect potential cyber threats. While traditional, commercial security systems can alert organizations of unusual cyber behaviors, these systems can’t differentiate between a user and a hacker. The incorporation of artificial intelligence through machine learning and AI-Squared works to do just that. With the help of a human analyst, these platforms learn from each breach and are better prepared for the next thre. These platforms are not only extremely useful now, but they also have the potential to determine if future threats are real or not without the assistance of a person.
Rick Delgado is a freelancer tech writer and commentator. He enjoys writing about new technologies and trends, and how they can help us. Rick occasionally writes for several tech companies and industry publications. | <urn:uuid:c97e18fc-5e85-41d2-952d-9817ba5e46c8> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.ccsinet.com/blog/what-to-expect-from-ai-and-cyber-security-roles-in-the-future/ | 2024-09-11T10:52:47Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651383.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911084051-20240911114051-00635.warc.gz | en | 0.955282 | 921 | 3.46875 | 3 |
Data masking, an umbrella term for data anonymization, pseudonymization, redaction, scrubbing, or de-identification, is a method of protecting sensitive data by replacing the original value with a fictitious but realistic equivalent. Data masking is also referred to as data obfuscation.
As IT leaders realize that data is key to building data-driven applications and software as well as unlocking competitive advantage, it's becoming increasingly important to provide secure access to data that flows across an organization to innovate faster and at scale, without compromising privacy and security.
The vast majority of sensitive data in an enterprise exists in non-production environments used for development and testing functions. Non-production environments represent the largest surface area of risk in an enterprise, where there can be up to 12 copies for non-production purposes for every copy of production data that exists. To test adequately, realistic data is essential, but real data is notorious for creating runs considerable data security risks.
Data masking eliminates the risk of personal data exposure in compliance with data privacy regulations. By following PII data masking best practices, companies have the ability to move data fast to those who need it, when they need it.
How are you protecting sensitive data in non-production environments? In our recent State of Data Compliance and Security Report, 66% cited use of static data masking. Discover other masking insights, including how to use masking for data compliance — without making trade-offs for quality or speed!
Join the live webinar on October 2.
Reading from a target and then updating it with masked data, overwriting any sensitive information.
Reading from a source (say production) and writing masked data into a target (usually non-production).
Masking of test data in storage removes any traces like logs or changes in data captures. This data masking process is standard for protecting copies of sensitive data in non-production environments such as development and testing. With static data masking, the masked data meets data compliance requirements when it is irreversible back to the original data. This technique temporarily hides or replaces sensitive data in transit, leaving the original at-rest data intact and unaltered.
This technique is not considered data masking. It generates new data in lieu of existing data, keeping the data structure intact. It's used for scenarios like greenfield application development.
Often companies will build their own data masking scripts to mask small amounts of data for testing applications. This approach can work in a pinch, but doesn’t scale to testing multiple applications or large databases. Scripts are difficult and expensive to build and maintain and don’t offer the benefits of referential integrity across databases. And if the original script builder leaves the company, that knowledge leaves with him or her, which ultimately puts the organization back at square one.
This form of masking temporarily hides or replaces sensitive data in transit and/or in use, leaving the original at-rest data intact and unaltered—and unprotected. The data is masked in the query result rather than in the database itself.
This method scrambles data using mathematical calculations and algorithms. It's best used for securing data that needs to be returned to its original value, e.g., production data or data in motion. Encryption only offers data protection as long as the corresponding encryption keys are safe. A hacker who compromises the right keys is able to decrypt sensitive data, restoring it back to its original state. With data masking, there is no master key and scrambled data cannot be returned to its original values.
Compare data masking vs. data encryption in more detail.
Tokenization is another morphing of encryption which that generates stateful or stateless tokens. Unlike data masking, these can be re-identified.
This technique involves scrambling of characters or numbers, which does not properly secure sensitive data in the same way as data masking.
Ths type of data masking changes data characteristics and takes out any usefulness in data.
The data is changed based on the ranges defined. It can be useful in certain situations, e.g., where transactional data that is non-sensitive needs to be protected for aggregations or analytical purposes.
Data is substituted with another value. The level of difficulty to execute can range quite a bit. It's the correct way to mask when done right.
Moving data within rows in the same column. This can be useful in certain scenarios, but data security is not guaranteed.
This type of data masking requires Changing of all characters to be changed to the same character. Easy to do but data loses its business value.
Application development teams require fresh, full copies of the production database for their software testing. True data masking techniques transform confidential information and preserve the integrity of the data.
For example, George must always be masked to Elliot or a given social security number (SSN) must always be masked to the same SSN. This helps preserve primary and foreign keys in a database needed to evaluate, manipulate and integrate the datasets, along with the relationships within a given data environment as well as across multiple, heterogeneous datasets (e.g., preserving referential integrity when you mask data in an Oracle Database and a SQL Server database).
Your data masking technology solution must give you the ability to generate realistic, but fictitious, business-specific test data, so testing is feasible but provides zero value to thieves and hackers. The resulting masked data values should be usable for non-production use cases. You can't simply mask names into a random string of characters.
The algorithms must be designed such that once data has been masked, you can't back out the original values or reverse engineer the masked data.
The number of data sources continues to grow at an accelerated rate. In order to enable a broad ecosystem and secure data across data sources, your data masking solution needs to work with the wide variety of data sources that businesses depend on and should be customizable.
Masking is not a one-time process. , it Organizations should perform data masking should happen repeatedly as data changes over time. It needs to be fast and automatic while allowing integration with your workflows, such as SDLC or DevOps processes.
Many data masking solutions often add operational overhead and prolongs test cycles for a company. But with an automated approach, teams can easily identify sensitive information such as names, email addresses, and payment information to provide an enterprise-wide view of risk and to pinpoint targets for masking.
With a policy-based approach, your data can be tokenized and reversed or irreversibly masked in accordance with internal standards and privacy regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA. Taken together, these capabilities allow businesses to define, manage, and apply security policies from a single point of control across large, complex data estates in real-time.
The goal of any test data management (TDM) system is shift left testing to reduce defects in production systems and keep the business at optimal performance levels. Having the right TDM strategy is core to a successful DevOps strategy. Companies must be able to decide the best data masking option for them and then use the optimal toolset to extract the maximum business value out of them. They should be able to tweak their release delivery pipelines based on the changes /new features introduced and execute faster cycles. The idea is to limit the effort to the risk being introduced.
Find out why DevOps test data management (TDM) is magic in this eBook. You'll explore how DevOps TDM enables speed, quality, and compliance — without manual provisioning or copying of any resource. And you'll get real-world use cases of test data management in financial services, retail, and human resources.
The whole point of security is to have data confidentiality where the users can be assured of the privacy of the data. Data masking done right can protect the content of data while preserving business value. There are different metrics to measure the masking degree, most common being the K-Anonymity factor, but all considerations of using them should ensure shift left testing in order for data security and compliance to be achieved.
Unlike data encryption measures that can be bypassed through schemes to obtain user credentials, masking irreversibly protects data in downstream environments. Data masking not only ensures that transformed data is still usable in non-production environments, but also entails an irreversible process that prevents original data from being restored through decryption keys or other means.
Consistent data masking while maintaining referential integrity across heterogeneous data sources ensures the security of sensitive data before it is made available for development and testing, or sent to an offsite data center or the public cloud—all without the need for programming expertise.
Delphix Continuous Compliance provides a comprehensive approach to data masking that meets enterprise-class performance, scalability, and security requirements. Delphix enables businesses to successfully protect sensitive data through these key steps:
Identify sensitive information such as names, email addresses, and payment information to provide an enterprise-wide view of risk and to pinpoint targets for masking.
Applies static data masking to transform sensitive data values into fictitious yet realistic equivalents, while still preserving the business value and referential integrity of the data for use cases such as development and testing. Unlike approaches that leverage encryption, static data masking not only ensures that transformed data is still usable in non-production environments, but also entails an irreversible process that prevents original data from being restored through decryption keys or other means.
Extend the solution to meet enterprise security requirements and integrate into critical workflows (e.g. for SDLC use cases or compliance processes).
Taken together, these capabilities allow businesses to define, manage, and apply security policies from a single point of control across large, complex data estates.
If you want to learn more about data masking best practices, learn how Delphix provides an API-first data platform enabling teams to find and mask sensitive data for compliance with privacy regulations. | <urn:uuid:a9617c19-754e-4209-8e43-bdc851d0ea0a> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.delphix.com/glossary/data-masking | 2024-09-13T21:24:51Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651540.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913201909-20240913231909-00435.warc.gz | en | 0.907339 | 2,052 | 3.4375 | 3 |
Computers generate heat when they are turned on. All the electric energy they receive eventually turns into heat: that’s the rules of thermodynamics. And if you pack your IT load in tightly to save space, you have to get rid of that heat, or the whole thing will melt.
That’s a problem. But heat is not a bad thing in itself. We all use heat. It’s been humanity’s friend for millennia longer than the artificial brains we build in racks. We warm ourselves, we cook food, and enjoy the comfort of hot baths and showers.
You can’t avoid producing heat
In the data center, heat is a by-product. It is inevitably produced and it has to be removed. The drive to make data centers more efficient is a movement to get more computing out of a given amount of input energy. This means reducing the amount of heat produced if possible, as well as the amount of energy used in getting rid of it.
Even at the highest levels of efficiency imaginable, there is still heat to be expelled. That’s a problem - but some people want to see that problem as an opportunity. Why not treat that heat as a useful output? Why not harness it? The trouble was, data centers aren’t generally built amongst mass housing. They aren’t near to potential users of heat: so the heat has to be transported,
Most data centers are cooled by air, and air isn’t great for transporting heat. By the time that hot air has been piped somewhere useful, it’s normally cooled down to a useless temperature. There are exceptions, such as the district heating systems available in some countries - for instance, Stockholm has one, which includes an H&M data center among its heat suppliers. But let’s leave those for another time, because there’s another, more radical idea for re-using the heat.
If you can’t take the heat from the data center to the homes and offices where it could be used, why not take the data center into those places?
From theory to reality
Microsoft coined the term “data furnace” in 2011, to describe a networked processor sitting in a home, providing heating and hot water while performing tasks sent to it by a service provider. A network of these systems could become a distributed data center. Its heat energy would be harnessed,
It’s taken a cohort of enthusiastic start ups to begin to put this into practice, Cloud & Heat in Germany puts a rack in the basement of apartment blocks. Qarnot in France puts a heater on the walls of Parisian flats - inside it a processor does financial and image processing work, and the heat gets used in the building.
Edge processing could reconnect data centers with people, feeding our primal need for warmth
In Amsterdam, Nerdalize has a deal with a power utility to install similar units. It’s just completed a successful pilot (see picture above). And back in France, Stimergy is heating a swimming pool while performing HPC calculations. These are small outfits, performing niche jobs. But so called “edge” resources, close to users and devices are necessary.
Edge facilities won’t replace centralized data centers, running efficiently on renewable power. Qarnot’s business model accepts that - the company has had investment from French data center operator Data4 which offers Qarnot processing alongside its own. But it’s a mighty promising field, and it could lead to data centers reconnecting with people, as part of that resource moves into our homes and feeds our primal need: for friendly warmth.
A version of this article appeared on Verne Global’s site | <urn:uuid:b03e20f1-6045-45e2-abfa-283d99629379> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/opinions/turning-heat-into-a-friend/ | 2024-09-15T03:13:55Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651614.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20240915020916-20240915050916-00335.warc.gz | en | 0.948564 | 775 | 3.296875 | 3 |
The logical next step from static routing is dynamic routing. When we talk about dynamic routing, we classify the routing protocols into two main groups.
The distance vector protocols are said to advertise ‘vectors’ of information. That is, a distance and direction. In IP terms, that would be a metric and an interface. The distance vector protocols (relevant for the CCIE) include RIP and EIGRP. Distance vector protocols are often considered to be ‘routing by rumor’. A neighboring router sends a router some information and says “You can get here by coming to me and it’s this far away”.
Link state protocols are a little bit different than distance vector. Link state protocols hear updates for all router’s participating in the same routing protocol instance. That is, each router generates it’s updates as well as forwards updates that it hears from other routers. In this manner, each router knows about the entire routing topology rather than only what it hears from it’s directly connected neighbors. Routers running a link state protocol are able to map the entire network, then run their own calculations to determine the best path to each network. Examples of link state protocols include OSPF and IS-IS.
There are more nuances to each type of routing protocol but I think it’s best to flush those out as we examine each. The major differences between distance vector protocols and link state protocol are important to remember. | <urn:uuid:8587ab1b-81dc-4a32-b672-be0e3822a691> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.dasblinkenlichten.com/routing-dynamic-routing-protocols/ | 2024-09-16T10:30:58Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651682.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20240916080220-20240916110220-00235.warc.gz | en | 0.926167 | 303 | 3.265625 | 3 |
Editor’s Note: As we say good-bye to 2014, we look back at some of our most shared blogs of the year. We covered a wide range of network infrastructure topics and we hope you enjoy revisiting some of these popular posts. This blog first appeared on Sept. 30, 2014.
There is a sea change happening in the global lighting fixture market. The market is rapidly moving to light emitting diodes (LEDs). LEDs are based on semi-conductor technology just like computer processors. They are constantly increasing in brightness, energy efficiency and longevity. Previous generation of LEDs were used for “ambient lighting,” to create moods and enhance areas with different colors; however, they were not used for their light output—until now.
Higher power LEDs now deliver powerful light outputs in addition to having a longer lifespan. For example, a 20-watt LED light tube can replace a 40-watt fluorescent light with the same light intensity brightness or better. Many products will last up to 50,000 hours (almost 6 years); that’s about 50 times longer than a 60-watt incandescent bulb or five times longer than a 40-watt fluorescent tube.
LEDs are not only energy efficient but they provide a number of additional benefits. There are no bulbs and with longer lifespan, there are tremendous advantages in terms of reduced maintenance costs. They give off little heat, meaning LEDs tend to have less of a negative impact on a facility’s HVAC load. They are environmentally-friendly with no mercury or heavy metals, and cost for LED fixtures continue to drop. They are dimmable and controllable in entirely new and efficient ways.
LED lighting offers you the opportunity for a revolutionary approach to how to power, control, and communicate with lights using a low cost, low voltage architecture. Fluorescent fixtures are high voltage devices requiring a high voltage infrastructure with wire, conduit, relays, junction boxes and local ballasts at each fixture. In contrast, LEDs are low voltage devices, meaning they require a low voltage infrastructure that does not require conduit in most jurisdictions, and does away with relays and junction boxes. LEDs enable remote and centralized power conversion, bi-directional high speed communications that are reliable, secure and scalable and that enable fine-grain sensing. Sensing leads to other benefits, such as space monitoring and use.
Intrigued to know more about the different technologies? The CommScope Infrastructure Academy SP7301 course introduces you to lighting terminology, technology and the Redwood System approach to lighting and sensing systems.
Have you considered an intelligent lighting system? | <urn:uuid:70bc047e-631e-4d66-bbbd-c46c92857afa> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.commscope.com/Blog/A-Look-Back-Leading-Lights-with-LEDs/ | 2024-09-17T16:26:15Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651800.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917140525-20240917170525-00135.warc.gz | en | 0.940641 | 538 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Third-party cookies have been in use since Netscape invented them in 1992. Most experts credit them with the incredible growth of the digital advertising industry, which is now worth over $600 billion. As third-party cookie use declines due to privacy concerns and laws like the GDPR, enterprises are looking for alternative ways to maintain customer privacy while maximizing customer data use.
Data clean rooms let organizations share data safely and securely while staying compliant.
What is a Data Clean Room?
Data clean rooms are secure and controlled environments for the safe handling, analysis, and processing of data. They ensure data integrity, privacy, and a “contamination-free” space where data can be retrieved and used without the risk of unauthorized access or breaches, helping address major concerns related to data privacy, security, and regulatory compliance.
A data clean room facilitates collaboration on data-driven projects without users directly sharing sensitive information. Organizations can use the room to pool, analyze, and derive insights from stored data, all while ensuring raw datasets remain invisible and inaccessible to external parties.
A significant application of data clean room technology is clean room data recovery. The process involves retrieving data from damaged or failed storage devices within a controlled environment where air is filtered to eliminate microscopic dust particles and other contaminants that often make their way into hard drives.
How Does a Data Clean Room Work?
Data clean rooms enhance privacy, security, and regulatory compliance in data analysis and collaboration. They operate as intermediary zones where two or more datasets “meet” to be analyzed and computed without ever merging or being exposed to each other.
The first step involves “loading” first-party data to the data clean room, followed by “cleaning,” or the applying of various security and privacy protection measures, such as pseudonymization and restricted data. The final step is “ready to use” or data cleansed reports, which can be analyzed for other activities.
- The process begins when collaborators decide to work together. Each party uploads its dataset into the clean room; however, algorithms, queries, and computations run on the datasets in the clean room ensure that each party’s raw data is not directly shared with any other party.
- As security is paramount, the clean room’s infrastructure is designed to prevent any direct access to raw data; only aggregated results or insights can be viewed. For instance, if two enterprises want to understand a concept like audience overlap, the clean room will indicate a percentage figure but won’t reveal the specific individuals that overlap.
- Different privacy techniques are used to ensure any analysis results cannot be used to infer specifics about an individual.
- Rules and permissions that dictate what type of analysis can be done, by whom, and to what extent are set within the clean room.
Types of Data Cleaning Rooms
There aren’t strictly defined types of data clean rooms, but they can be categorized based on their purpose, functionality, or whoever creates and manages them. Some distinctions between various data clean room solutions include:
- Platform-specific clean rooms. Major tech platforms like Meta (Facebook), Google, and Amazon have developed their own data clean rooms (walled gardens), which allow advertisers to match their data with platform user data.
- Collaborative clean rooms, which allow two or more organizations to work together on data-driven projects. These clean rooms are particularly useful when competitors work together but don’t want to expose trade secrets.
- Cloud-based clean rooms. Many businesses are now leveraging cloud platforms to create data clean rooms. They appreciate the flexibility and scalability the cloud offers, as it easily adapts to varying volumes of data and computational needs.
- Custom in-house clean rooms are often developed by larger enterprises with the resources to tailor them to their specific needs. They’re created and managed on-premises, offering a customized environment that aligns with an organization’s unique data requirements and privacy policies.
- Hybrid clean rooms combine the features of platform-specific and custom in-house clean rooms. They’re often established in collaboration with third-party platforms.
- Clean rooms for data recovery. While not directly related to digital advertising or marketing, clean rooms in data recovery ensure no contaminants harm sensitive storage device components during a recovery process.
Data Clean Room Use Cases
Common use cases for data clean rooms include:
Organizations often possess sensitive information that, if exposed, could violate privacy regulations. A data clean room ensures raw data is processed and anonymized without revealing individual identities. Typical anonymization methods include encryption and hashing.
Enterprises can collaborate on data-driven projects, pooling their data and making joint analyses without revealing the raw data of each party. One of the most well-known analysis use cases for data clean rooms is customer lifetime value (CLV), which lets organizations make user-level analyses of customers across multiple metrics while maintaining user anonymity.
Clean rooms use automated solutions to protect individual user data without sacrificing effective privacy. For example, when enterprises want to merge datasets for better audience targeting, they can use a clean room to view segments of interest without exposing personal user details.
Regulatory compliance, especially in the finance and healthcare sectors, is crucial. A clean room helps institutions share and analyze data while staying compliant with industry, state, and federal regulations.
Other use cases include cross-platform measurement, where brands can use clean rooms to gauge the collective impact of their marketing campaigns, and product research and development, where external data can be analyzed while data security and integrity are left uncompromised. | <urn:uuid:cbddc9f0-ffc2-452b-b9d2-ffe8bf037da2> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.velotix.ai/glossary/data-clean-room/ | 2024-09-17T16:28:36Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651800.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917140525-20240917170525-00135.warc.gz | en | 0.92679 | 1,145 | 2.640625 | 3 |
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Data tracing vs. data tagging
Today's data tagging is opaque. It usually starts with a discovery phase where a tool will crawl throughout various data repositories deemed to be sensitive.
Data tagging overview
Data tagging is an old concept with a multitude of use cases ranging from data classification to data leak prevention. A few of the most important goals are:
- track who accesses sensitive data such as IP and trade secrets
- assure that sensitive data is not exposed to outsiders or exfiltrated by employees
- discover and know where your private or consumer data is located
- meet compliance requirements for reporting who is accessing data both internally and externally (especially for privacy regulations like GDPR, CPA, HIPAA, etc.)
- better understand business process and gain insights into how to optimize them, to assure that data is properly versioned and backed up and that there is an adequate disaster recovery plan to restore it
In the risk assessments that we do at Cyberhaven, we routinely discover that the knowledge that business managers and security teams have regarding the locations of sensitive data is incomplete and inaccurate. It could be that for example, the data is at some point stored in a designated folder on Box, but sooner or later, it gets moved, copied, and shared to many other places within and outside the enterprise, like pollen during the allergy season.
Nearly all data protection plans will look at egress locations (e.g., email, removable media, personal cloud storage, etc.) in order to determine if the exfiltrated data reaching those locations is sensitive or not. But how can you tell if this data is sensitive or not at the egress point? Data tagging could be an answer, in principle …
Today’s data tagging is opaque. It usually starts with a discovery phase where a tool will crawl throughout various data repositories deemed to be sensitive. Then the security team with the data owners will set up policies to recognize these tags on egress. The data owner must assessthe risk of data being shared outside the enterprise. This resembles an industrial process where each component of a car is implanted with an RFID tag and then the robots on the assembly line can track and recognize each part, process it, and pass it on until a full car emerges. Sounds great in theory, so what’s wrong with this approach:
- the way data is handled in a modern enterprise is chaotic and tools need to adapt
- tagging only works with some types of files (e.g., Word docs), so it only covers a small fraction of the way data is exchanged nowadays (social media – like Whatsapp)
- opaque tags can be easily removed when data is processed by users or shared with third parties
- it takes a long time to tag data initially during the discovery phase and then this puts the onus on the users to do subsequently manually tag.
In a modern enterprise, data tagging is usually lagging behind the actual business practices and always playing catch-up.
A bit of history
Data classification tools often tag known file formats like Office and PDF using the file metadata properties available for these file formats. The goal is typically to keep track of this data as it is being used by employees, updated, etc. It’s a basic tool to try to keep things organized, mainly with the end goal of proving compliance for some of the tagged data (e.g., PCI).
DLP went one step further and used the same tagging mechanism as an alternative to content inspection which has proven overly noisy and slow. DLP typically scans files at various egress points, e.g., when emailing an attachment. Thus, instead of scanning the content to look for patterns, DLP used the metadata embedded in the files during the discovery process, in an effort to identify their classification.
Needless to say, using the metadata available in some file formats has poor coverage because it only applies to a few file formats. Moreover, it is more of a hack than a principled implementation: metadata fields are not standardized, so there are many formats, the tags can be cleared by various apps, so this can lead to a high number of false negatives. The high false positives burden security teams already drowning in alerts.
To improve on this, some DLP engines moved to use the Alternative Data Streams (ADS) approach available for NTFS file systems (NTFS: NT file system; sometimes New Technology File System) is the file system that the Windows NT operating system uses for storing and retrieving files on a hard disk) so that tags are in the file system and they are easier to keep track of. ADS looks great in theory, but it is far from being universal. Coverage is limited to a single NTFS instance. In addition, tags are not persistent across network shares or when files are emailed from one user to the other; the same applies for data that traverses cloud services, CRMs, etc. – basically the exact type of workflow that is nowadays the norm for most files.
Now imagine the auto industry pipeline example above moves to use computer visualization algorithms instead of having to embed an RFID tag into all the parts on the assembly line. The robots would just see and recognize the parts based on their shape and would record all the parts they have seen. Data tracing uses a similar principle, which I will discuss below.
Technology like DRM (e.g., Microsoft Azure Information Protection(AIP)) is not the first thing one would bring up as data tracing technology because the benefit is mainly data encryption, however, it can also be used for data tracing: AIP keeps a trace of when authorized users request the decryption key for a document and this log of authorizations can, to some extent be considered as a trace of the data. Other approaches wrap a container around each piece of unstructured data. In order to view a PDF document, you now require a custom runtime, making it even harder for third parties to interact with the data.
Unfortunately, in practice, such technology was always hard to deploy and never became the norm because of reduced coverage. It faces the same challenge as Apple’s Messages app which only works with other iPhones, so I can use it for only 5% of my contacts; for the rest, I have to use WhatsApp.
Cyberhaven’s data tracing technology
I used an industrial pipeline analogy to explain data tagging and traditional data tracing technologies because this is what these technologies expect: an ordered world where each workflow is carefully controlled and planned in advance. In my experience, this never holds for how data is handled in enterprises today. Instead, I have learned to expect a fully distributed system with ever-changing shape and behavior; it’s very similar to the way people interact with each other. Does this ring a bell?
In recent days it brings to mind contact tracing technology: your phone acts like a sensor that records a trace of interactions with other people and alerts you when you have been in contact with people who eventually developed COVID-19 symptoms. This is the contact tracing approach that we have the highest hope for to keep us healthy.
Even though it was developed before the contact tracing technology that has become so important in 2020, the Cyberhaven technology has many similarities with contact tracing at a high level.
Cyberhaven uses sensors in places that maximize the coverage one can obtain by monitoring data behavior in real-time, that is in the places where users create, handle and distribute the data: our endpoints and the SaaS platforms we use to handle the data and collaborate. This brings the following benefits:
- works for any piece of unstructured data
- high coverage of data repositories and data behavior (endpoint-local file, website, email activity, within corporate SaaS, egress destinations and applications)
- does not rely on content analysis for tagging, but can enrich the trace with contextual information
- trace data from source/origin of data up to any egress point
- provides the full trace of the data
- no need to set up tags or configure policies a priori
- reduces false positives
- opportunity to interact with users in real-time for just-in-time security training and prevent accidental disclosures | <urn:uuid:2a8364ce-6349-4e16-b920-2b05d92ead7c> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.cyberhaven.com/engineering-blog/data-tracing-vs-data-tagging | 2024-09-18T22:27:31Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651941.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20240918201359-20240918231359-00035.warc.gz | en | 0.932575 | 1,684 | 2.859375 | 3 |
There are so many “Awareness Days” and “Awareness Months” throughout the year that sometimes I wonder if the “real definitions” and “real issues” are overlooked. Take for example “Campus Safety Awareness Month”, you will no doubt see a lot of campaigns (e-mails, posters, Twitter posts, Facebook posts, and other Social Media posts), but most campaigns will actually miss the real definition and real issues of campus safety and safety awareness.
The definition of safety is: state of being safe; freedom from the occurrence or risk of injury, danger, loss… which means preventing the occurrence of risk or threat…not reacting to or hiding from the risk or threat. Translate that to Campus Safety Awareness and we should actually be focused on awareness of how to prevent the occurrence of risks or threats that can lead to injury or danger or loss in a campus environment.
99.9% of students, faculty, staff, parents, and community members PREFER that risks and threats are PREVENTED on their campus, sadly most of the campaigns you will see during “Campus Safety Awareness Month” will be focused on REACTING to risks and threats on campus. For example, you will see campaigns that focus on:
- Re-Active Shooter Drills (the risk and threat is already on your campus)
- Security Assessments (locked doors, access control, alarms, cameras, etc. for when the risk and threat is already on your campus)
- Crisis and Emergency Communications (testing alerting systems for when the risk and threat is already on your campus and an emergency or crisis is in progress)
- First Responder Drills (the risk and threat is already on your campus if First Responders are deployed)
Because the real meaning and the real definition of campus safety awareness is preventing risks and threats from being on your Campus, are you sending the wrong message to everyone on your Campus?
- Are you telling your Campus you have given up on Preventing?
- Are you telling your Campus “the bad guys have won”?
- Are you scaring your Campus with “Active Shooter Drills” and creating fear and costly liabilities too?
- Are you creating an “unsafe campus climate” for everyone on your Campus by focusing on REACTING to risks and threats, instead of PREVENTING them?
Because the evidence overwhelmingly proves PREVENTING was possible in HUNDREDS of previous incidents, lawsuits, federal investigations, tragedies, and lessons learned, Campus Leaders should be focusing on the real definition and the real issues of Campus Safety Awareness and preventing the occurrence of risks or threats.
What should National Campus Safety Awareness Month look like at your Campus?
- A Campus Climate SURVEY – Awareity is offering a FREE Campus Climate Survey if you contact us, request your survey now!
- A PREVENTING Assessment – Awareity is offering a FREE Preventing Assessment of your Campus’ capabilities to Prevent the occurrence of a risk or threat, request yours now!
- Campus Awareness Campaigns on Identifying and Reporting Concerning Behaviors, Risks, Threats, etc. – Once you request the FREE Campus Climate Survey, Awareity is offering FREE posters you can customize to promote the survey on your campus, contact us to request your survey and posters now!
- First Preventer Drills to ensure your Campus is prepared to prevent the occurrence of a risk or threat on your Campus
BONUS: If you are really interested in the true definition and real issues, you should check out Awareity’s world-changing Butterfly Effect that can help your Campus prevent the occurrence of a risk or threat at your front door.
Awareity is passionate about Campus Safety for ALL types of Campuses – schools, colleges, hospitals, organizations, governments, etc. – and we would love to help you and your Campus focus this year’s National Campus Safety Awareness Month on the real issues and the real goal of Preventing risks and threats on your Campus! | <urn:uuid:ab21f8be-6681-41b5-8abb-5dc8414d7272> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.awareity.com/2016/09/08/national-campus-safety-awareness-month/ | 2024-09-08T01:15:31Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650926.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20240907225010-20240908015010-00135.warc.gz | en | 0.937541 | 845 | 2.75 | 3 |
2FA & MFA: What They Are, Why You Need Them & Best Practices [Updated]
Two-factor (2FA) or multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a kind of security process that validates a user's identity before they are granted access to a website or application. Learn more about 2FA, MFA, and other IT security basics for your business by reading this article.
Editor's note: This post was originally published on December 24, 2020, and has been revised for clarity and comprehensiveness.
Do you reuse your passwords?
If you do, then you're not alone. According to recent data, about 81% of users have reused passwords across several websites.
Let's face it: Creating, all the more, remembering passwords for new account sign-ups can be a hassle. That's why most users make the mistake of reusing their passwords for websites and applications. But the problem with poor password habits is that they can potentially lead to an account compromise. All it takes is one cracked password for threat actors to hack your other online accounts.
For this reason, companies are implementing two-factor (2FA) or multifactor authentication (MFA) across user accounts. MFA makes it harder for cybercriminals to steal your data, drastically reducing the risk of a security breach.
At Intelligent Technical Solutions, MFA is one of the most critical requirements we impose on employees and clients. As a managed service provider, we should know why this matters. We ensure that our customers are compliant with our baseline security standards and their respective industries as well.
In this article, we'll dive into the details of what MFA is and why it's essential for companies. But before that, let's take a closer look at the consequences of not having MFA enabled and the risks of having bad password habits.
The Dangers of Poor Password Hygiene
Passwords remain a weak link in IT security. They are also a primary source of multiple vulnerabilities. Yet despite knowing the risks, people still either use easy-to-guess passwords or recycle a core one for every online account. Consider these statistics:
- According to a survey by Google, two out of three people reuse the same passwords across multiple accounts;
- 51% claimed that they use one password for most of their online accounts;
- 31% of survey participants choose not to use 2FA or don't know how to use it;
- An academic study found that 30% of duplicated passwords can be cracked within just ten guesses;
- A recent survey found that 91% of respondents are aware of the risks of reusing passwords, but 59% claim they still "do it anyway";
Weak passwords can be easily deciphered through brute force attacks. Brute force attacks occur when an attacker attempts to identify the correct password to an account by submitting all possible passwords or passphrase variations.
When a compromised password ends up in the wrong hands, it can be sold in underground marketplaces. Cybercriminals who then get ahold of such passwords can use them to gain unauthorized access to your sensitive data (which, in turn, can be used in phishing attacks) or use them for credential stuffing.
Credential stuffing is a form of cyberattack in which credentials taken from a data breach are used to attempt to log in to other web services. For instance, an attacker with a list of compromised credentials can try to log into a bank or email account, hoping that any credentials have been reused. While the success rate of credential stuffing is relatively low, it can be very profitable for malicious actors.
What is 2FA/MFA?
Also known as dual-factor authentication or two-step verification, two-factor authentication is a kind of security process where users must provide two different authentication factors, i.e., proof of their identity. The idea is that an unauthorized user won't be able to provide the authentication factor, which can be an access code or a biometrics login.
For example, if you log into your bank app using your password, you might receive an additional pin code to key in through your nominated mobile number. Once you enter the pin code, that's the only time you can gain access to your social media account. Otherwise, you won't be able to log in.
There's not much of a difference between MFA and 2FA. The difference between the two is simple: 2FA verifies a user's identity using two factors, while MFA could involve two or more factors. The two terms can be used interchangeably. 2FA and MFA are implemented to protect a user's credential or computer resource.
MFA Best Practices for Companies
With attacks happening left and right, it's pretty evident that organizations should go beyond traditional perimeter defenses to protect their network and resources. Organizations can turn to MFA to secure their environments.
Deploying MFA can be implemented in silos to mitigate security risks and the severity of attacks. Consider all access points in your organization, especially the cloud. Ensure that MFA is enabled for all end and privileged users, VPN, cloud, and on-premise applications, as well as servers.
When requiring MFA, organizations would want to use context for their approach. Instead of requiring users to input secondary credentials all the time, they can be granted access by providing an authentication factor based on contextual information, such as time, location, or device.
Various authentication methods should also be offered to users for a better user experience. There should be a good balance between convenience and security. Finally, it helps to combine MFA solutions with other authentication methods, such as single sign-on (SSO) and least privilege access.
What Comes Next after 2FA/MFA?
Adding 2FA or MFA to your accounts helps build an impenetrable barrier to malicious actors. It adds an extra barrier for them and notifies you when anything might happen. It would be best if you had MFA enabled on your accounts as part of good security hygiene.
While 2FA and MFA are highly secure authentication methods, remember that no single mechanism will keep you entirely safe. Your organization still needs to have a holistic cybersecurity strategy to keep the bad guys out. And it should be one that addresses not only people, skills, and technology but also processes and governance.
Another way you can keep your network and entire infrastructure safe are by working with a managed IT Service provider. A good MSP will help fix any flaws in your system and provide IT support without breaking the bank.
Intelligent Technical Solutions will bring your network settings and configurations—whatever you have on your system—up to our standards. We essentially run a process or script regularly that will scour your system for any irregularities to ensure they are corrected before they cause any issues.
Partner with Intelligent Technological Solutions today to protect your organization from devastating and increasingly advanced cyber attacks. Schedule a free network audit and assessment to determine where you stand with your cybersecurity posture and know-how to further secure your infrastructure. | <urn:uuid:8ae4336f-bed3-4b9d-be16-3dd52db4939c> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.itsasap.com/blog/what-is-2fa-mfa | 2024-09-08T00:34:40Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650926.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20240907225010-20240908015010-00135.warc.gz | en | 0.949632 | 1,444 | 3.109375 | 3 |
What is Right-Sizing in Cloud Computing?
Right-sizing in cloud computing means adjusting cloud resources to fit the specific needs of workloads, applications, or services. It involves identifying over-provisioned or under-utilized resources and resizing them for optimal performance. This process maximizes resource utilization and minimizes costs. By right-sizing, organizations only pay for what they need, optimizing their cloud spending while maintaining performance and scalability.
Cost Optimization: Right-sizing reduces cloud spending by eliminating resource over-provisioning and minimizing underutilized capacity. This leads to significant cost savings.
Performance Improvement: Aligning resources with workload requirements enhances performance and scalability. Applications run efficiently without unnecessary resource allocation.
Scalability: Right-sized resources allow organizations to scale up or down dynamically. This enhances agility and flexibility in the cloud environment.
Efficient Resource Utilization: Optimizing resource allocation ensures efficient use of cloud resources, maximizing the value from cloud investments.
Complexity: Determining the optimal size for cloud resources requires thorough analysis of workload requirements, usage patterns, and performance metrics. This process can be complex and time-consuming.
Resource Management Overhead: Constantly monitoring and adjusting cloud resources to maintain optimal sizing levels requires additional time, effort, and resources.
Risk of Under-Provisioning: Incorrectly sizing resources too small can lead to performance issues, downtime, or service degradation. This poses risks to business operations and user experience.
Tips for Effectively Managing Right-Sizing
Utilize Performance Metrics: Regularly analyze usage and performance data to understand resource utilization. Tools like AWS CloudWatch or Azure Monitor provide insights into CPU, memory, and storage usage.
Implement Automation: Use automation tools to scale resources up or down based on actual demand. Automating scaling reduces the risk of human error and ensures optimal resource provisioning.
Periodic Reviews: Schedule regular reviews of your cloud environment. Assess if the size of your resources still matches your business requirements, especially after significant workload changes or application updates.
Leverage Predictive Analytics: Use predictive analytics to forecast future demands based on historical data. This helps anticipate growth and enables proactive adjustments to resource allocation.
Adopt a Containerized Approach: Containers offer granular control over resources, allowing precise allocation of CPU and memory based on application needs.
Examples of Right-Sizing in AWS
EC2 Instances: Use AWS Trusted Advisor or AWS Compute Optimizer to analyze instance utilization metrics and recommend right-sizing options. For instance, downsizing an EC2 instance from a larger to a smaller type based on CPU and memory utilization patterns.
RDS Instances: Optimize database instance sizes in Amazon RDS based on performance metrics and storage requirements. Resize an RDS instance to match the actual workload and storage needs, reducing costs without compromising performance.
How to Get Started?
- Assess Workloads: Identify current workloads and gather usage data.
- Analyze Patterns: Review usage patterns to identify over-provisioned or under-utilized resources.
- Use AWS Tools: Utilize AWS Trusted Advisor, Compute Optimizer, and Cost Explorer for analysis and recommendations.
- Implement Changes: Resize instances or modify configurations based on recommendations.
- Monitor and Adjust: Continuously monitor performance and adjust configurations as needed.
- Review and Refine: Regularly review and refine right-sizing efforts for ongoing optimization.
By following these steps, organizations can effectively start right-sizing in AWS. This optimizes resource utilization, achieves cost savings, and maintains performance and scalability in cloud environments. | <urn:uuid:a8405e9c-bf42-46ff-b386-9273d147c1b8> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://zesty.co/finops-glossary/right-sizing/ | 2024-09-08T01:15:06Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650926.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20240907225010-20240908015010-00135.warc.gz | en | 0.851572 | 762 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Since the single-payer healthcare system is not only a long-debated issue, but also a presidential campaign discussion topic, with one of the candidates supporting the idea of the US healthcare system restructuring into a single-payer type, it would be useful to shed some light on this concept.
Moreover, the Atlantic conducted a survey on what single-payer healthcare represents for 1,033 adults and found out that while 33% support this system and 29% of the study subjects oppose it, many people don’t know what actually having a single-payer system would imply. The article that mentions the survey results is actually opposing this healthcare system, but the idea that people need to make an educated choice is nevertheless important.
An overview of single-payer healthcare
Single-payer healthcare only refers to healthcare funding, and it implies that the state supports all healthcare costs, replacing various private insurers. In turn, the state has the possibility of contracting services from private organizations and may become a direct employer of healthcare resources.
The state via specialized agencies manages the health fund made out of all collected medical fees and offers healthcare coverage for all contributing citizens. This system has its characteristics, one of them being that the overall coverage cost per person would be lower, since the coverage plan is tailored to fit one and all.
Another characteristic of this type of medical coverage resides in the huge buying power that would be coordinated by the same entity – translate this into the same decisions, same market moves, and coordinated policies. The source quoted for these two system traits is not official (a Reddit discussion) – but still it is worth mentioning that, from this angle, the single-payer healthcare system means that a vast buying power would “leverage negotiation with pharmaceutical companies and hospitals for low rates”.
*The benefits and disadvantages of a single-payer system are one thing, and the entire havoc of scrapping the already existing American healthcare system in favor of a new paradigm is another thing. When criticizing the idea of an American single-payer system, many sources overlap the two, partly because it serves the opposing stance and partly because this double-difficulty reflects the reality. Social systems are not like parts in a machine – stop the machine, take out the old part and insert the new one. The transition from one system to another would be a very complicated process indeed and it would require a strong engagement that would cover the difficulty gaps. Implementing an innovative idea (innovative for the U.S. at least, since other states do have ongoing functional single-payer systems), materializes into a long-time deployment that will comprise a lot of changes and probably a lot of frustration – the kind of gaps only a majority acceptance would help in bridging.
Benefits of the single-payer system:
The American Medical Students Association lists in its 2015 informative material on single-payer healthcare the following benefits:
- The coverage would include all necessary medical healthcare (while the financing would not include interventions deemed unnecessary by the specialized board) and supplementary coverage would be available via private insurance; such a system would enable real health planning;
- While the funding taxes would increase for individual citizens, the employers would pay less for their employees’ benefits, having the possibility of increasing the wages; the individual tax increase will be compensated by “reduction in premiums and out-of-pocket spending”;
- Physicians will be able to remain in private practice or working for private hospitals while having the complementary possibility of 3 reimbursing methods from the NHI program (fee-for-service; salary at healthcare facility or salary within a capitated group);
- The NHI program would negotiate prices for drugs and supplies with the suppliers and manufacturers, being able to obtain a better price due to its bulk purchasing power;
- The single-payer system will save money since administrative costs would be lower; cost control is also easier to maintain in a centralized system;
- Patient benefits include improved healthcare with eligibility starting from the minimal income, and better preventive/primary care; free choice of provider and the portability of health insurance coverage, regardless of their decision to change their place of work;
- Physician benefits would translate into increasing their clinical autonomy once the private insurance companies do not have to pre-approve interventions and review their decisions; lower malpractice premiums since the continuity of care allows patients to choose their physician more willingly and not change their doctor due to changing their insurance company; patient care based on best practices and inherent medical reasons instead of insurance/financial circumstances reasons, as well as a much simplified billing system;
- Advantages for employers/businesses: lower healthcare costs (since this financial system benefits a vast amount of people at a low to medium coverage level, instead of paying for the high coverage peaks of premium insurance); an equalized playing field since all businesses would have to pay an even payroll tax for funding the new system and leveraged contributions further on, eliminating the unbalanced situation of businesses that do not offer healthcare for their employees versus businesses that do, and, finally, an overall improved global competitiveness in the relation with foreign companies that abide by the rules of better, more beneficial healthcare insurance systems.
Disadvantages of single-payer:
- The main disadvantage mentioned by the AMSA paper is the risk of under-funding the new system coming from the part of a hostile government: the single-payer system would be compromised in such a case and all involved entities would have to suffer – the mere idea of single-payer being in consequence compromised;
- Administrative mismanagement, comprising all possible situations, from the personnel being unable to cope with the necessary requirements to corrupt government taking advantage of the taxpayers’ money;
- The inherent dangers that derive from using tax dollar for financing a system, such as supporting possible recession effects (decreased value of the national currency).
Other commonly mentioned cons to single payer include:
- the government control over physicians, research universities and medical equipment manufacturers;
- the possibility of reducing development in the medical field;
- the common disadvantages of a more protective state social system that come from less advantages for the more financially empowered people versus more advantages for the financially challenged individuals;
- extended waiting times in the healthcare process;
- possible doctor shortages if all the population is to benefit from medical services and also derived lower healthcare quality, since the doctors would have to reduce the time dedicated to each patient in order to see all those waiting in line.
As we can see by summarizing the pros and cons to the single-payer healthcare system, the concept is not to be overlooked
Nevertheless, there are a few critical elements to consider:
- SP healthcare involves a big shift at a conceptual level for the American citizens;
- A new such system would absolutely need the majority of the current medical market forces to be on board in order to have real chances;
- There would be unpleasant changes to go through as well;
- It would increase government control and reduce the freedom of choice in its strive to offer coverage to all insured citizens, although supplementary coverage is possible;
- Although the funding mechanisms would be taken over by governmental forces, when in supplies and drugs negotiations the other side remains private – how will the private companies from the healthcare system react to the single-payer system? | <urn:uuid:b1f1d0a2-6f8a-4320-8a8d-7f4a1a1e560b> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://healthcarecurated.com/editorial/gain-a-perspective-on-single-payer-healthcare/ | 2024-09-09T05:48:31Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651072.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909040201-20240909070201-00035.warc.gz | en | 0.962686 | 1,487 | 2.890625 | 3 |
As manufacturers continue to adopt Industry 4.0 and IIoT technology, cybersecurity is becoming more and more critical with each passing day. Successfully protecting a network requires not only constant vigilance but strategies for securing an organization at every level. However, even with the best preparation, there is always a chance of attack. Consider the three laws of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) security:
- Nothing is 100% secure.
- All software can be hacked.
- Every piece of information can be an attack.
Sounds scary, right? Well, driving a car would be scary too if people only focused on what could go wrong. That’s why there are seatbelts, airbags and insurance. Similarly, the goal of network security is to mitigate risk, not eliminate it. With that in mind, here are five best practices users can implement to better secure their network.
1. Enterprise security
When considering cybersecurity at the enterprise level, simplicity is the best policy. Complex solutions will not improve security when applied this broadly. However, in-depth knowledge of the environment — machine models and access, their software versions, normal traffic levels on the network — will help someone gain a better understanding of their system and allow them to quickly recognize any abnormal activity.
2. SCADA network security
For the scope of a SCADA network, make sure to secure each connection, whether it’s a programmable logic controller (PLC) to server, database to server, client to database or cloud to client (the list goes on). It is vital that every connection is protected. This can be accomplished in a number of ways, but they all center around authentication and authorization. Most commonly, authentication comes in the form of usernames and passwords. Additional solutions, such as two-factor authentication, including biometrics, public key infrastructure (PKI), key cards and USB tokens offer yet another layer of protection. Once a user has verified who they are through authentication, authorization determines the privileges they should have in a system. This can be role-based, network-based or a hybrid of both.
3. Network security
The best method for keeping a network protected is using TLS (sometimes called SSL), which encrypts all data over HTTP to prevent session hijacking by securing databases and the gateway. It also encrypts OPC UA and message queuing telemetry transport (MQTT) communication to ensure private data transfer. Auditing is another powerful tool for maintaining security. By running periodic audits, someone can track who did what from where, creating logs, trails and profiles to make sure that whatever happens on the network, it is recorded.
4. Device security
Device security can be split into two categories: protecting workstation computers and servers and protecting PLCs. For computers and servers, this consists of removing unnecessary programs, keeping software up-to-date, setting up firewalls on redundant servers, using only necessary ports and disabling remote access. If remote access is required, make sure to use a virtual private network (VPN) for multi-factor authentication. As far as PLCs are concerned, it is best to use network segmentation — keeping operational technology (OT) data on a separate, private network — using a virtual local area network (VLAN) with encryption and setting up an edge-of-network gateway as a bridge. Another option is implementing unidirectional gateways (AKA data diodes), which allow information to pass from the SCADA network to the information technology (IT) network in only one direction, guaranteeing isolation while maintaining the flow of data.
5. Physical security
It may sound counterintuitive, but physical security is an integral part of cybersecurity. One of the most common forms of attack is to physically hijack a server or workstation. To combat this, people can implement company-wide solutions like guards, badges and video monitoring as well as device control for laptops, phones and USB keys. Beyond that, having effective policies and training will go a long way towards keeping networks safe from bad actors and honest mistakes alike. | <urn:uuid:abbfc70d-9abf-4810-a047-e5919607e833> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.industrialcybersecuritypulse.com/iiot-cloud/five-levels-of-cybersecurity-in-an-automated-network/ | 2024-09-09T04:37:56Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651072.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909040201-20240909070201-00035.warc.gz | en | 0.933251 | 836 | 2.765625 | 3 |
A partnership between public and private entities could be the key to cutting the costs of reskilling the current workforce for the future, according to a new report from the World Economic Forum.
As emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and automation continue to shape the future of work, the concern among many is what impact the innovation will have on the current workforce. Though the White House has advanced initiatives to help reskill current federal employees to fill critical technology skills gaps, retrofitting the entire workforce for new technologies could require retraining hundreds of thousands of workers at a steep cost.
However, the World Economic Forum report posits that by pooling resources from the public and private sectors to reskill their both their workforces, stakeholders from both sides could trim the price tag of training their employees to the point of a net gain.
Citing Department of Labor statistics, the report forecasts that 1.37 million workers could be displaced by emerging technologies in the next decade. Reskilling them could cost $34 billion, or $24,800 per worker.
After crunching numbers, the report finds a sweet spot for how much of the at-risk workforce the federal government should look to reskill: 77 percent, which translates to a $19.9 billion investment. And while those numbers are far from small financial commitments, the report’s authors say the government could achieve a better return on investment from reskilling than simply laying off employees to try and hire new ones.
But by developing a public-private partnership, stakeholders could lower the costs and time of their reskilling efforts to a point where they could gain more results. The lower they manage to make those costs, the more the reskilling efforts ultimately pay for themselves, the report argues, because those workers can help create productivity at a lower cost than having to hire a new workforce.
“From the government perspective, a 10 percent reduction of cost through economies of scale would translate into 70 percent of viable and desirable job transitions having a positive cost-benefit balance, meaning that the reskilling of 81 percent of disrupted workers would ultimately cover its own costs — as opposed to 77 percent without collaborative multi-stakeholder action,” the report said. “While a 30 percent cost and time reduction could see the transition of 90 percent of displaced workers having a positive cost-benefit balance.”
So how would such a partnership work? The report lays out a three-step strategy: Leverage strategic workforce planning, shape the future talent pipeline and optimize talent ecosystem conditions.
First, by developing industrywide skills mapping for the jobs needed, stakeholders could then identify skills gaps, better train management on what skills to recruit and develop targeted reskilling programs.
The report cites several ongoing reskilling efforts in the private sector at companies such as Walmart, Cargill, Lloyds Banking Group and others as examples of strategies that could be implemented.
It also provides industry-specific roadmaps for leaders in the aerospace; aviation, travel and tourism; consumer; financial services; and oil and gas sectors on how to focus their reskilling efforts.
The report is the second volume in the WEF’s series “Towards a Reskilling Revolution” and was conducted with Boston Consulting Group. | <urn:uuid:34cdc72d-e7a9-4169-abba-cd876d0dbcee> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://develop.fedscoop.com/public-private-partnerships-lead-big-reskilling-returns-report-says/ | 2024-09-13T23:39:57Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651540.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913233654-20240914023654-00535.warc.gz | en | 0.957643 | 659 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Nowadays everything is so much dependent on technology. The use of technology in business is helping in gaining more profits and on the other side, cyber threats and breaches are increasing rapidly. It has become imperative to aware the employees about cyber threat and breaches.
To prevent business from cyber breaches, making staff aware of cyber hacks and instilling knowledge of cyber attack is essential. The larger companies are targeted more than small-scale business.
What is the most common type of cybersecurity breaches?
The hackers use various ways to hack a network; some of the breaches remain uncommon. Here are the common types of violations that attackers use for cyber attacks.
- The employees or staff receive fraudulent emails and after clicking on those links they hackers get access to the network
- More than 33% of the breaches have occurred due to viruses, spyware, and malware.
- According to a report the attackers used emails or online ways and pretended to be an organization.
- In business, more breaches occur due to Ransomware attacks
How do you protect your company?
Prevention is the best way to get protected from cyber breaches. The hackers are using Phishing attacks in which they are scamming people to “send details” or “click here” or “click a link”. So to prevent breaches the employees should have enough knowledge of the cyber violations and should not open fraudulent emails and links.
Another way to get protection is to have cyber insurance. Cyber insurance pays for the damage and helps to protect the reputation. The amount received from cyber insurance is more enough to be paid for a security specialist that can fix the breach.
The hackers mostly target the employees to get access to the network. Every employee should be aware of cyber breaches and ways the hackers use. They should have enough knowledge of fraudulent emails and links. Training on cybersecurity should be provided to the employees. Information related to cyber breaches and attacks should be mentioned during meetings. One time training should not be enough as the attackers use various ways to attack, so the cybersecurity team should keep the employee’s update by providing time to time training. | <urn:uuid:9b5830d3-5ff2-4e9a-96b6-9d356ab5fdd2> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.infoguardsecurity.com/cybersecurity-and-how-to-protect-a-company/ | 2024-09-15T06:22:47Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651616.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20240915052902-20240915082902-00435.warc.gz | en | 0.945688 | 432 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Data science is a practice and a whole body of knowledge that allows scientists and practitioners to probe how different systems work. I understand this is not too revealing and probably not what you expected from a post that preaches to demystify data science, but bear with me and by the end of this article, I guarantee that you will have a good grasp of what data science is.
Without further ado, let’s begin. When I was researching this article, I started where I normally start. I ran a quick search on Google for the term “what is data science”. Low and behold, to my surprise I got about 830,000 results. Some were more informative than others. However, the sheer number of results is enough to make someone wonder what is this field that everyone keeps mentioning.
Going deeper into this search here are some of the definitions I found.
According to IBM,
“Data science is a multidisciplinary approach to extracting actionable insights from the large and ever-increasing volumes of data collected and created by today’s organizations. Data science encompasses preparing data for analysis and processing, performing advanced data analysis, and presenting the results to reveal patterns and enable stakeholders to draw informed conclusions.”
Berkeley defines data scientists as data professionals who
“are able to identify relevant questions, collect data from a multitude of different data sources, organize the information, translate results into solutions, and communicate their findings in a way that positively affects business decisions.”
More, David Donoho, professor of Statistics at Stanford, defines data science as “the science of learning from data, with all that this entails.”
Finally, Wikipedia tries to formulate a more encompassing definition of data science from multiple perspectives as
“Data science is an interdisciplinary field that uses scientific methods, processes, algorithms and systems to extract knowledge and insights from many structural and unstructured data.”
Wonderful, right? I am not sure about you, but these definitions don’t do anything to clarify what is data science for me. If anything, they make it even more intriguing and opaque. So, I decided to go a different route, and start from the beginning.
A historical incursion into data science
Data science’s birth starts a few decades ago, possibly centuries when statistics and probability theory were born. That moment marked a turning point in our approach to studying the world around us. We started to understand that things are not all deterministic but rather there is an element of chance in them. From that moment forward, we started to develop methods to extract meaning from practical observations of different phenomena. But, the number of observations was yet relatively small in comparison with the data available today.
Fast forward to about the 1960s and 1970s, when computer science started to be used alongside statistics and database management systems were first introduced. This marked the beginning of the marriage between statistics and computer science. From this moment onwards, people started to collect and store vast amounts of data. Warning! They pale in comparison with the capabilities of current systems, approximately 2.5 quintillion bytes of data created each day .
At this stage, the story splits into two narratives: a commercial and a science-centric story.
The commercial narrative
As data accumulated it led to an explosion of business data and the invention of the term big data analysis (another cryptic term, I know, which I will try to demystify in a different post) in the early 1990s. When these large amounts of data started to pile up, people started to wonder if they could be of any use.
In parallel to the data explosion, other things were happening. Computers were becoming better and cheaper. We were able to process larger amounts of data at lower costs, and the perspectives were looking great.
More, as computers became widely available, more and more people turned their attention towards how to make them do cool things, so the development of new algorithms intensified.
Finally, data collection mechanisms and devices such as sensors, availability and capabilities increased which meant that more sources of information started to become available leading in terms to even more data being collected.
Taken together, these events led businesses to employ statisticians, mathematicians and scientists to try to create value from the massive amounts of data they held. In other words, companies and governments realised that they could make something more out of the data they would store anyway.
From this point, everything is history. The world saw an increasing number of developments and applications centred around the use of mathematics, statistics, and computer science to process and analyse large data sets, from new and improved algorithms to fully automated decision making systems.
The scientific narrative
The idea of data science first appeared in academic circles among statisticians during the 1960s when the famous John Tukey made an open call to reform the rather conservative statistics . He was then concerned with where statistics were headed and pointed to an unrecognised science interested in learning from data. Following this, during the 1980s, John Chambers and Leo Breiman also militated for statisticians to expand their boundaries and focus more on data preparation and presentation versus modelling (Chambers) or prediction versus classical inference (Breiman). Around the same time, Bill Cleveland introduced the name “Data Science” for the newly envisioned field.
This notion of data science as a science stemmed from the idea that academic statistics should focus more on learning from data. According to Donoho, these endeavours resulted in six different activity streams: (1) data exploration and preparation, (2) data representation and transformation, (3) computing with data, (4) data modelling, (5) data visualisation and presentation, (6) science about data science . Let’s have a look at each of these streams.
Data exploration and preparation refers to the effort of exploring the data to sanity-check basic properties and to reveal unexpected features, removing anomalies and artefacts through operations like grouping, smoothing, or subsetting.
Data representation and transformation represents the work required to convert certain types of data into defined mathematical structures which are subsequently used for modelling or analysis. For example, transforming a 2D image into a 1D vector.
Computing with data groups practical and theoretical aspects of computer science, such as programming languages, coding, distributed and cloud computing, or big data technologies.
Data modelling is generally split into two parts. First one can talk about generative models, where one proposes a stochastic model to explain the process generating the observed data and the derived methods for inferring properties about how the data was generated. Second, some methods predict well based on a given data set and can generalise to perform well when new, unseen data are tested. This approach falls under modern machine learning.
Data visualisation and presentation represent theoretical and practical aspects of visualising and making inferences from the data’s visual representations.
Science about data science refers to activities such as identifying, evaluating or documenting different analysis or processing workflows.
Therefore, the scientific narrative stems from a necessity that arose within the academic statistics departments whereby as data became available a few scientists pushed for the development of new methods and techniques to learn and to uncover hidden insights from the data available.
The technical perspective
Data science, as the name entitles, reunites two concepts: data and science.
Let’s talk first about data. The big revolution in the field came about when big data technology became mainstream. Today, data science relies on a myriad of enabling technologies from big data analytics to visualisation tools.
Below I will list the most common technologies enabling data science today. I will not spend too much detail on each one as each deserves to be covered in a series of articles.
● Big data analytics
○ Leverage distributed computing and analytics to investigate data sets that have a large volume, high velocity, and high variety.
○ The data is no longer just a collection of numbers into rows and columns.
Today we collect and analyse all types of data from structured data in spreadsheet-like formats to unstructured data such as images, text, or sound waves.
● Distributed computing
○ A way of computing in which a task is broken down into smaller pieces that can be handled individually. This way of computation can be geographically dispersed. This is made possible by advances in cloud computing which enables low cost, scalable distributed computing technologies.
● Data analytics programmes
○ Once the data processing pipelines are set up, different methods are used to ask questions and/or to probe hypotheses about the behaviour of the system generating the data.
● Other technologies
○ Data infrastructure technologies that affect how data is shared, processed and consumed;
○ Data management technologies which define how structured and unstructured data are handled;
○ Visualisation technologies are critical for effectively communicating results with nonexperts and stakeholders.
The science part of data science refers to what we do with the data. Traditionally, when people looked at data to find answers, they started with a hypothesis. Following this hypothesis, they would decide what and how much data is needed to either confirm or refute it. This approach is driven by the hypothesis and intentionality.
With the advent of big data, there was also a paradigm shift. Today we don’t always start with a hypothesis in mind. Instead, we let the data talk to us, to tell us its story. For this aim, we employ different algorithms, statistical methods or mathematical models to discover the hidden patterns in the data. There is no hypothesis anymore, we just try to find patterns without prior knowledge or experience.
Thus, data science is a combination of everything related to data collection, storage, and processing and science with hypothesis testing or pattern discovery and recognition.
The process perspective
In addition to the historical and technical perspectives, you can also look at data science from a process point of view. One can consider data science as the process of turning raw data into meaningful knowledge or insights. [check book on soft systems for knowledge vs information]
Taking this view, data science can be viewed as a four-step process (1) planning, (2) wrangling, (3) modelling, and (4) applying.
Planning is all about the initial phases of a project. This stage involves goal definition, problem framing, organising resources (tools, office space, and people), coordinating and allocating the work involved, and finally scheduling the project.
Usually, this phase requires a great deal of business knowledge to be transferred from stakeholders to the project team in addition to all the other activities.
Now that you know what you want to achieve, you move to the next phase: the data. During this phase you usually go through multiple iterations of getting data, cleaning data, exploring data, and then refining data.
Here the domain-specific knowledge and business acumen will play a critical role alongside your technical skills to determine what data you need, how and where to get it from, and if the data you have can be used to achieve your goal.
This is the most fun part (at least for me). Here you get to showcase all your creativity and technical skills. During this phase, you create a model (e.g. SVMs, regressions, decision trees, mixed Gaussian models, artificial neural networks, etc) to capture the observed behaviour of the system you are analysing.
Next, you validate the model to find out how good it generalises. In other words, you want to make sure that your model works on new and unseen data. If everything works well, and from my experience, it never does from the first try, but let’s assume for the sake of the argument that it does, then you move on to evaluate the model. Here you want to find out how good it fits the data and what is its ROI to decide on implementing this model in your live system.
Finally, if any of these steps fail, you go back to the drawing board and refine your model until you either find a good model that captures the behaviour of your system or you give up, lose funding, or move to a different project.
You thought you were done? You created a model with decent generalisation and ROI and that’s it? I’m sorry to disappoint you, but your work doesn’t end here.
After you created, validated, and evaluated the model, you need to present it to your stakeholders (managers, clients, etc). Then you deploy it, actually put this model into production to start creating value for the business or clients.
Next, you archive all your assets. You write documentation, comments, and other information required for someone who sees your model for the first time to understand, maintain, or upgrade it.
Finally, you keep monitoring the model. As you monitor and retrain the deployed model, you want to keep an eye on the data coming in, the robustness of the model, and any errors that might appear. If things go haywire, what do you do? I’m sure you guessed it by now, you go back to the drawing board and check all the assumptions you’ve made during the previous steps.
The bare minimum to become a data scientist
In the previous sections, you saw that there are many moving parts and specialised knowledge one might have as required to launch into data science. But, that is not the case. When you first start, you don’t need to know all the tools and technologies available to you. All you need is to have a strong foundation.
That foundation sits on three pillars: (1) mathematics, (2) computer science, (3) domain-specific knowledge. Let’s take a look at them.
I know, daunting. Most people have nightmares about it. However, to become a successful data scientist you can not know maths. When I say this, I don’t mean you need to be a top pure mathematician. Far from it, all you need is a solid understanding of the main concepts in calculus & optimisation, linear algebra, probability theory, and statistics. If you master them, then you will be capable of expanding your knowledge and understand even the most complex algorithms available.
Here things are similar too. As a data scientist, you are more of a hacker. Most of your work will be done on developing algorithms, mathematical models, or prototypes. Thus, you need to be proficient in a programming language (most commonly used are Python and R). More, you have to understand fundamental programming concepts such as data structures, algorithms, or different programming paradigms. Finally, you have to make databases your friends. All the data is stored somewhere, and that is very likely to be a relational or non-relational database. As such, if you want to access and efficiently work data, you can’t go by without being proficient with databases.
This is the toughest part if you ask me. Most of your work will be related to a specific domain, like predicting customer behaviour in telco, creating recommendations for supermarket shoppers, or securing systems from harmful attacks. For you to be successful at analysing those data, discovering insights, or creating models, you will need to understand the nature of the data available. In other words, you need to understand how the system you are analysing works, or at least know how others think it works. This gives you a massive edge when you analyse and model data because you will develop an intuitive understanding of the data. But, you need to also be careful. Although having an intuitive understanding of the system helps you avoid falling into the cognitive bias trap. Thus, to be successful in data science, you need to understand the workings of the system you are scrutinizing, but always be objective about your analysis or the models you are developing.
In conclusion, data science is a field where we use computers, mathematical and statistical tools and techniques to make sense of the world around us. Furthermore, defining data science depends greatly on the point of view. For example, academics might see data science as learning from data, while businesspeople might look at it as big data analytics and the encompassing technologies. More, we saw that data science sits at the union between mathematics, computer science, and domain-specific knowledge. Thus, data science is a looking glass that we hold in our “back pocket” and which we can always take out and point at different processes or systems to get insights into how they work or make predictions about their behaviour.
About the author
Andrei Luchici is an artificial intelligence and machine learning advisor, trainer, and mentor. He is passionate about helping people and companies on their road to AI. Andrei started his career in ML by conducting research into how biological cells migrate in vivo. Right after his PhD, he co-founded a boutique consulting company, Dacian Consulting, where he helps startups and enterprises on their road to AI.
Recently, Andrei co-founded the Center for Intelligent Machines to conduct open research, work on AI innovation projects, advise companies on AI strategy, and design and conduct educational programmes in the field. | <urn:uuid:55a246ad-7ef8-4c4b-9f2c-ca9541c872cf> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://em360tech.com/tech-articles/what-is-data-science | 2024-09-16T12:34:17Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651697.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20240916112213-20240916142213-00335.warc.gz | en | 0.940956 | 3,534 | 2.875 | 3 |
Logistics is essentially the process of moving things (raw materials or completed goods) from one location to another. Transportation and warehousing are the two main activities of logistics.
The operations involve the development, implementation, and maintenance of goods transportation and storage, as well as service and information from the beginning to the conclusion. It is, in essence, an activity that is part of supply chain activities. We can call someone a logistician if they operate in the field of logistics management.
What is logistics management?
Multiple procedures underpin logistics management, ensuring the smooth transfer of commodities, freight, parcels, raw materials, completed inventory, and packages from point of origin to end customers. Depending on an organization's digital maturity, these procedures can be both automated and manual.
Modern and efficient logistics management, which is enabled by technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Predictive Analytics, and the Internet of Things (IoT), among others, enables businesses to discover new revenue streams, increase delivery profitability, and provide delightful customer experiences. Supply Chain Management includes logistics management as a key component.
Other logistics operations include warehousing, protective packing, order fulfillment, stock control, maintaining demand-supply balance, and stock management.
Types of Logistics Management
The logistics management process begins with the gathering of raw materials and ends with the delivery of items to their final destination. Different supply chain procedures are related to various types of logistics.
The following are the primary categories of logistics management:
Managing the Supply Chain
Supply management is the planning, procurement, and coordination of supplies required in a given area at a specific time in order to support production. This logistical planning will also include material storage and transit coordination.
It also entails assessing the level of supply in relation to demand in order to ensure that the process runs smoothly. Supply management must be completed on time, as delays can cause the entire supply chain to be disrupted.
Material Handling and Distribution
This type of transportation usually entails transporting stored materials or goods for further processing or distribution. This type of logistics necessitates a great deal of loading, unloading, tracking, and material inventory management.
This style of management oversees the distribution of goods from a central warehouse to multiple sites, requiring extensive material transportation and the importance of on-time delivery.
Product management in logistics includes the planning, management, and control of a company's many phases of production. It handles the necessary coordination in the manufacturing or assembly process, as well as transportation between factories and warehouses, production management, and adhering to a rigorous timetable. The ability to attain capital efficiency is provided by production logistics.
Management of Customer Service
Customer service management encompasses the techniques, strategies, and technology that businesses employ to manage and analyze customer interactions and data across the customer’s lifetime.
Excellent communication and on-time, damage-free delivery are essential for good customer service management in logistics. This aids in the improvement of customer relationships and the retention of clients.
Returns management, often known as reverse logistics, is the process of handling things that have been returned to the firm. Returns management entails recovering materials and supplies from a manufacturing or assembly process, as well as receiving damaged, unwanted, or unused items from customers.
By inspecting and categorizing returned products properly, one may dramatically decrease losses by restocking inventory with undamaged/unused returned items. (Here)
Major Components of Logistics Management
Through numerous routes of transportation, logistics management encompasses a broad network of suppliers, agents, freight forwarding providers, distributors, packers, and service providers. It's a complicated process with many components that impact how efficiently items are moved.
The following are the key components of logistics management:
Inventory planning ensures that sufficient stock amounts are kept on hand to fulfill consumer demand while reducing storage expenses. Inventory planning aids in the proper fulfillment of orders, the organization of warehouses, greater production, and time and money savings.
The transportation, storage, and receipt of products by a company is referred to as inbound logistics. Effective inbound logistics may aid in the procurement of high-quality items, the reduction of overhead costs, the avoidance of material waste, the expansion of sales, and the reduction of production time. The link between enterprises and suppliers is the foundation of inbound logistics.
The conveyance of finished items from a warehouse or distribution center to clients is referred to as outbound logistics. Warehousing and storage, distribution, transportation, and last-mile delivery are the steps of outbound logistics.
It's an important part of a supplier's entire customer relationship management strategy. Outbound logistics refers to how businesses deliver their products to their final customers.
Management of the Fleet
Fleet management entails the control of vehicles in order to eliminate or reduce the hazards of moving products. It also aids in the improvement of efficiency and production, as well as the reduction of overall transportation and labor expenses.
Fleet management aids in the calculation of logistics service profitability and scalability, as well as the optimization of logistics planning.
The storage of commodities or raw materials in a warehouse is referred to as warehousing. The warehouse's capacity has a significant influence on inventory management.
Without efficient warehouse management, effective logistics management is impossible. Warehouse proximity and capacity are two important factors in determining the effectiveness of logistics operations in a supply chain.
Fulfillment of orders
Customer happiness is greatly influenced by delivery fulfillment. It is the procedure for getting a product from the point of sale to the customer's hands. It also relates to how companies respond to consumers and the actions necessary to attain the 'perfect order index.
Demand planning is the act of studying, evaluating, and anticipating goods demand to guarantee that items and goods that customers want to buy are available. It enables a company to forecast future sales and maintain appropriate inventory levels to satisfy client demands without having excess inventory.
Demand forecasting also aids in gaining market insights and predicting future income creation potential. It assists in the planning of resources to meet demand and supply shortages as they arise.
(Suggested reading: A Complete Guide to Marketing Management)
Benefits of Logistics Management
Businesses need to implement effective logistics management to remain competitive and to ensure their stability. Proper logistics management ensures that businesses can meet both demand and consumer expectations.
Benefits of logistics management
Increasing client satisfaction
Logistics management aids in the delivery of timely and high-quality service. Because delayed deliveries can lead to a dissatisfied consumer, a management approach might continually aim to enhance transportation procedures and prevent any disruptions.
More value may be added to the customer experience by providing improved customer service and a seamless freight handling procedure. Improved customer service may boost your brand's or company's reputation and help you create more revenue.
As a result, well-managed logistics leads to a great consumer experience overall.
Reducing operating costs
When there is a lot of openness and visibility in operations, logistics work well. An effective logistics management strategy may examine historical data and optimize routes to improve efficiency and lower fuel costs.
Logistics management can help you get the most out of your assets, increase company efficiency, and cut expenses.
Companies may use logistics management to acquire a comprehensive picture of their operations, enhance customer interactions, and eliminate the need for surplus inventory. This boosts the company's profitability by increasing the order fulfillment rate.
Companies may reduce operating expenses and assure coordinated supply chain management by using route optimization tools, using the newest technology advancements, and enhancing fleet capacity utilization.
More efficient intermodal operations
Intermodal operations entail transporting commodities from a supplier to a customer via two or more modes, or carriers. For intermodal operations, certain standardized containers are employed, which avoids the dangers of handling products directly.
Better intermodal operations save money, are more environmentally friendly, and are more dependable and safe.
More efficient and productive delivery
Logistics focuses on streamlining processes and increasing efficiency while keeping profit margins intact. Delivery productivity is guaranteed by eliminating resource waste without sacrificing on timely delivery of products.
Logistics management can guarantee that delivery productivity is not harmed by meeting quality requirements, reducing failures, faults, and deviations. (Source)
In conclusion, instead of competing, businesses should focus on collaborating. Collaboration between transportation providers, purchasers, and vendors can help cut costs. A reliable and safe mode of transportation is also critical to a company's success. | <urn:uuid:38e83927-c098-4338-a83b-fe22220500e8> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.analyticssteps.com/blogs/what-logistics-management-types-and-benefits | 2024-09-16T13:49:08Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651697.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20240916112213-20240916142213-00335.warc.gz | en | 0.937432 | 1,713 | 3.65625 | 4 |
Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
A code injection flaw was found in the way capacity and utilization imported control files are processed. A remote, authenticated attacker with access to the capacity and utilization feature could use this flaw to execute arbitrary code as the user CFME runs as.
CWE-94 - Code Injection
Code injection is a type of vulnerability that allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code. This vulnerability fully compromises the machine and can cause a wide variety of security issues, such as unauthorized access to sensitive information, manipulation of data, denial of service attacks etc. Code injection is different from command injection in the fact that it is limited by the functionality of the injected language (e.g. PHP), as opposed to command injection, which leverages existing code to execute commands, usually within the context of a shell. | <urn:uuid:765f44a5-2e67-4226-9438-93dcb0cc8a5e> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://devhub.checkmarx.com/cve-details/cve-2016-5402/ | 2024-09-19T02:14:55Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651944.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20240918233405-20240919023405-00135.warc.gz | en | 0.91304 | 171 | 2.78125 | 3 |
What are the requirements for my internet?
Requirements for bandwidth, packet loss, jitter, and latency settings to produce the best performance.
The rate at which data is carried over the internet from one point to another in a given time period (usually a second).
- Requirement: ≈100kbps up/down for each active call
- Upload: This is what the other person hears. Audio is uploaded in real-time from your phone to our cloud using your internet connection's upload speed. The upload connection is more prone to call quality issues because upload bandwidth is less available on many internet connection types.
- Download: This is what you hear. Audio is downloaded in real-time from our cloud to your phone using your internet connection’s download speed.
- While the bandwidth requirement is minimal, you need to consider how many calls are taking place simultaneously at any given time to ensure call quality is maintained.
- For example, if there were 10 phone calls happening at the same time, your bandwidth requirement would be 1000kbps up/down (10 calls x 100kbps per call). Not only that, consider what other types of internet activity (file transfers, video streaming, internet browsing, etc.) are taking place on every computer or mobile device within your network.
- Each device is fighting for bandwidth so if you don’t have enough available, Quality of Service (QoS) can be implemented to help dedicate bandwidth to phones during periods when internet usage may be saturating your connection.
The average time it takes packets (audio) to travel from Point A (phone) to Point B (our cloud) and back. Many people, including internet service providers (ISP), only consider bandwidth when evaluating internet speeds. However, that is only half the picture. Bandwidth only shows how much internet traffic that can be pushed through; where latency shows how fast that traffic arrives at its destination. Think about driving on the freeway. Bandwidth represents the number of lanes that are available—if you have more lanes, more traffic can be pushed through and the likelihood of a traffic jam is reduced. Latency represents how fast you drive—it doesn’t matter how many lanes there are if other things are slowing you down (inclement weather, gravel, potholes, etc.).
- Requirement: <100ms, use a ping test to analyze latency
Jitter (Packet Delay)
The change in the amount of time it takes for one packet (audio) to move from Point A (phone) to Point B (our cloud). When you are checking your email or casually browsing the web, it doesn’t really matter when packets arrive or if they arrive in order—in most cases you will never notice. But when you are streaming media, like a phone call, this packet precision becomes extremely important. If there is excessive jitter, packets will be dropped and call quality will be affected.
- Requirement: <10ms, jitter close to 0ms is ideal, but it should not exceed 10ms
The percentage of packets (audio) lost while traveling from Point A (phone) to Point B (our cloud). If packets are lost, audio will be dropped and the sound quality will be compromised.
- Requirement: <0.5% | <urn:uuid:a67d45dc-dcee-4762-98f9-14ef6124d26d> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://support.goto.com/meeting/help/what-are-the-requirements-for-my-internet | 2024-09-20T07:32:23Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652138.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20240920054402-20240920084402-00035.warc.gz | en | 0.922362 | 677 | 2.546875 | 3 |
New Climate Change Agreement Good News for UK Data Centers
December 5, 2013Benefits of Conducting a Comprehensive Trademark Search
December 10, 2013A computer malware program known as ZeroAccess has infected millions of systems worldwide since 2012. FBI and Microsoft are teaming up to crack down on attacks.
ZeroAccess botnet is a type of malware program designed to siphon off millions of online advertising dollars by discretely downloading itself onto a computer. The malware materializes through stolen search engine results and tricks users into clicking ads that are really Trojan horse viruses.
According to the FBI’s cyber-crime division, the real victims are unsuspecting consumers who inadvertently pass off the loss to online advertisers who are misinterpreting click through traffic as legitimate leads. According to Mashable, fake clicks affect as many as 48 ads per hour – translating to roughly $2.5 million per month in loses.
How Does ZeroAccess Spread?
Researchers have traced the ZeroAccess botnet back to 2011, when it was originally caught posing as a form of anti-virus software. This snafu ended up infecting 2 million plus operating systems in just a year.
Like many other types of malicious programs, attackers may be paid by third party sources in order to carry out the attacks. One way ZeroAccess affixes itself to a machine is by posing as a legitimate file -infecting unsuspecting users who accidentally download it. Again, this costs advertisers thousands of dollars a day because people are clicking on fraudulent programs simply posing to be something they’re not.
Another way in which the botnet infects users is through pay-per-click (PPC) advertisements. Third party attackers are paid for engineering a rootkit that can install itself on a system. Attackers then mask the botnet as a paid advertisement. But such trickery has not gone unnoticed by the folks at Microsoft – who are working closely with the FBI to crack down on ZeroAccess and other types of harmful Botnets.
What is being done to stop ZeroAccess?
Microsoft has a whole forensics lab dedicated to fighting these sorts of cyber-crime and has invited FBI and other crime fighting organizations from around the world to pool their resources in an effort to fight back and protect innocent civilians and online advertisers.
Through reverse engineering and careful analysis of the malicious code Microsoft’s forensics team has been able to determine how the virus works, how it disguises itself and maybe – just maybe where it has originated from.
Support.Microsoft.com has some great tools to help users determine if their machine has been infected from ZeroAccess or other types of malicious botnets | <urn:uuid:4b47c181-79fd-4eb5-9036-f3d8fffb24cc> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.colocationamerica.com/blog/fbi-microsoft-crack-down-on-zeroaccess-botnet | 2024-09-08T03:15:41Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650958.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908020844-20240908050844-00235.warc.gz | en | 0.949286 | 538 | 3.015625 | 3 |
In the fiercely competitive global market, the ability to produce high-quality products efficiently and cost-effectively can be the difference between success and obsolescence. Design for Manufacturing (DFM) stands as a critical discipline in achieving such a competitive edge, intertwining design and manufacturing considerations from the earliest stages of product development. Through the strategic integration of DFM principles, companies have the opportunity to significantly reduce costs and improve their production processes. Moreover, DFM’s importance is magnified when it is incorporated early on, ensuring that product design is intrinsically aligned with manufacturing capabilities and constraints. As industries worldwide continue to emphasize leaner processes, environmental responsibility, and enhanced customer satisfaction, the role of DFM has never been more crucial.
The Principles of DFM and Its Importance
DFM is grounded in five cornerstone principles: Process, Design, Material, Environment, and Compliance/Testing. Each principle plays a pivotal role in ensuring efficient manufacturing and cost savings, thereby offering a foundational strategy for product development. The “Process” principle dictates the selection of optimal manufacturing processes to meet production goals, considering aspects such as volume, complexity, and required tolerances. The “Design” principle emphasizes the importance of creating designs that are inherently easier and less costly to manufacture, considering factors such as unified wall thicknesses and minimal complex features. Materials are selected based on their compatibility with the manufacturing process and product requirements, taking into account mechanical and thermal properties. The “Environment” principle considers the operational conditions the product will face, ensuring durability and functionality in its intended setting. Lastly, “Compliance/Testing” ensures that the product meets all necessary safety and quality standards, safeguarding against potential regulatory and liability issues.
Balancing Functionality and Manufacturability
Design for Manufacturability (DFM) strikes a critical balance between a product’s ease of manufacture and its functionality. Products that excel in user satisfaction yet are challenging to produce will face hurdles on the path to market success due to high production costs and complexity. Conversely, products that prioritize manufacturability at the expense of functionality won’t meet customer expectations, leading to their downfall.
Effective DFM approaches seek a synergy between these aspects, ultimately creating products that not only delight users but are also produced efficiently and cost-effectively. This is well exemplified by some industry leaders in consumer electronics, which have managed to streamline their manufacturing processes while maintaining high standards for product performance and design. In essence, these companies have set industry standards, demonstrating how seamless integration of product design with manufacturing processes can result in products that are not only widely accepted by consumers but also economically produced, reflecting the true spirit of DFM.
Selecting the Right Manufacturing Process
Choosing a suitable manufacturing process is integral to DFM, where product specifications must be matched with the ideal approach for production. The process selection is influenced by factors such as expected production volumes, the complexity of part geometry, and the tightness of tolerances necessary for the part to function correctly. Injection molding, for instance, is favored for high-volume production of plastic parts with intricate features, while CNC machining is preferred for metal parts that require high precision. Selection dilemmas arise when multiple processes can achieve similar results, necessitating a detailed analysis of cost, scalability, and potential process-related defects.
Design Simplification for Manufacturing Efficiency
Efficiency in manufacturing hinges on design optimization that doesn’t sacrifice quality or function. Streamlining the number of parts in a product, utilizing standard components across a range of items, and creating modular designs are key strategies to boost manufacturing productivity. These approaches not only enhance production but also simplify maintenance. This can lead to significant cuts in production expenses, a more streamlined supply chain, and easier inventory management. Ultimately, these measures lead to a more efficient business operation with a positive impact on the financial health of the company.
By focusing on component standardization, companies can reduce the diversity of parts they need to produce or stock, allowing for bulk purchasing and minimizing production line changes. Modular design, on the other hand, empowers businesses to adapt to customer needs without extensive redesigns, as modules can be easily swapped or upgraded. This agility in the face of changing market demands can create a competitive edge.
Pursuing such integrated approaches in design and manufacturing not only contributes to a leaner operation but also enhances product reliability. With fewer moving parts and well-thought-out designs, there’s less potential for failure, boosting product longevity. A streamlined manufacturing process that emphasizes simplicity and efficiency can thus lead to a win-win situation: reduced costs for the manufacturer and more dependable products for the consumer.
Material Considerations for Optimal DFM
The selection of materials in DFM is a complex task, as materials impact both the manufacturing process and the final product’s performance. Engineers must consider factors such as strength, flexibility, weight, resistance to environmental conditions, and cost. The right material can streamline the manufacturing process and improve the product’s capabilities, whereas the wrong choice can lead to production difficulties and even product failures. Striking a balance between material performance and manufacturing constraints is a delicate process that requires sound technical judgment and careful analysis.
The Critical Role of Collaboration in DFM
For successful design for manufacturability (DFM), it is crucial to foster an interdisciplinary approach. When designers, engineers, and manufacturing specialists come together, they create synergy that helps in refining product designs to be both practical and easily mass-produced. By leveraging the collective knowledge of these experts early in the design process, the risk of expensive mistakes and the need for subsequent redesigns is minimized.
Such collaboration doesn’t stop at the boundaries of the organization. Including suppliers and other external partners in the discussion can lead to valuable insights into the choice of materials, components, and the application of specific production methods. This can greatly benefit the manufacturability of the product and also contribute to its sustainability. Their input often reveals constraints and possibilities within the manufacturing process that could otherwise be overlooked.
This integrated approach not just economizes the production process but also encourages innovation and enhances the overall quality of the product. Understanding the full lifecycle of a product, from development to assembly, and involving key stakeholders from each stage ensures a design that is not only technically and economically viable but also optimized for the market it is intended for. The earlier these interdisciplinary collaborations occur in the product development cycle, the more efficient and cost-effective the final production process will be.
Designing for the Environment and Sustainability
Environmental sustainability has become imperative in product design, and DFM plays a key role in reducing ecological impact. By selecting materials and processes that minimize waste, improve energy efficiency, and are sourced responsibly, manufacturers can lessen the environmental footprint of their products. Designing for various operating environments also ensures that products are robust and durable, reducing the need for frequent replacements and contributing to sustainable consumption practices.
Compliance and Testing in DFM Strategy
A robust design for manufacturability (DFM) strategy is highly dependent on adherence to regulatory standards and implementation of extensive product testing. A product designed with compliance in mind is a product built to meet crucial safety and quality standards—a foundational step for successful market presence. Non-compliance can lead to severe consequences, such as product recalls and tarnishing of the brand’s reputation, which entail significant financial and reputational costs.
Incorporating testing into the design phase is a preemptive measure to uncover and address manufacturability and performance concerns before they escalate. This proactive approach not only reduces the risk of defects but also streamlines the shift from design to production, mitigating the risk of delays and cost overruns. It’s a process that allows for design optimization, minimizing the potential for problems that could impede manufacturing efficiency and product functionality.
By focusing on compliance and testing early in the design process, companies ensure a more predictable path to market. This strategic foresight not only safeguards the product’s integrity but also protects the company’s investment and brand equity. Therefore, it is clear that a design that prioritizes regulatory compliance and rigorous testing is not just an option but a business imperative for ensuring a smooth transition from concept to consumer.
Tolerances and Their Impact on Manufacturing Costs
Appropriate tolerance setting is a critical consideration in DFM, as it directly influences production yield and costs. Excessively tight tolerances can drastically increase manufacturing expenses and lead to higher rejection rates, while overly lax tolerances can result in product failures and customer dissatisfaction. A strategic approach to tolerances involves understanding the manufacturing process capabilities, the material properties, and the product’s functional requirements to establish a cost-effective and reliable production.
Finalizing the Design for Manufacturing
When preparing a product design for manufacturing, it is imperative to fully incorporate Design for Manufacturability (DFM) principles. This stage is not just about refining the design but also about ensuring it aligns with cost, performance criteria, and production schedules. A comprehensive final review is essential, looking through a DFM lens to validate the design’s manufacturability.
In this crucial phase, the objective is to leave no stone unturned. Each aspect of the product design must be dissected and analyzed to determine if it adheres to the best practices for manufacturing. Factors such as the choice of materials, the ease of assembly, the efficiency of production, and the reduction of costs without compromising quality are taken into consideration. This is not a solitary exercise; input from cross-functional teams including design, engineering, and production is critical to illuminate any problematic areas.
The process also involves a series of prototyping and testing to detect and correct any structural weaknesses or design inefficiencies. Only after a thorough investigation and agreement from all the crucial stakeholders that the design meets the predefined targets and quality standards can it advance to the manufacturing phase. The final approval signifies a consensus that the product is not only conceptually sound but also practical and feasible within the given manufacturing constraints.
Case Studies: Success Stories in DFM
The tangible advantages of Design for Manufacturability (DFM) are exemplified in the successful examples of various companies that have seamlessly incorporated it into their design and production stages. Industries as diverse as automotive and consumer electronics have reported significant cost reductions and improvements in manufacturing efficiency due to the strategic application of DFM principles.
These case studies have become invaluable resources for organizations looking to improve their design processes. They demonstrate how adopting DFM can lead to a more streamlined production, optimize resource use, and reduce waste, making it an integral aspect of modern, competitive manufacturing.
Moreover, it’s not just about cost savings; DFM also contributes to product quality and lifecycle enhancements. By considering manufacturing constraints early in the design phase, companies can avoid costly redesigns and rework, leading to faster time-to-market for new products.
As these various businesses continue to share their success stories, DFM’s reputation as an essential element for efficient production and design strategy solidifies further. Others in the industry can look to these examples as a guide for how to effectively implement DFM methodologies, confirming that smart design is a critical factor in the race to achieve market leadership. | <urn:uuid:33c005e2-12e7-4216-9836-c2d7f3ac5fe3> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://manufacturingcurated.com/management/optimizing-product-design-for-efficient-manufacturing/ | 2024-09-09T09:12:03Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651092.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909071529-20240909101529-00135.warc.gz | en | 0.940765 | 2,306 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Europe grapples with electromagnetic compatibility standards for telephony
The European Union`s Electromagnetic Compatibility directive goes into effect on January 1, 1996. Fiber-optic cable, which is neither susceptible to, nor an emitter of, electromagnetic disturbance, is not at issue. However, the directive will affect all the active equipment in telecommunications networks, as well as the cabling.
Under the directive, individual pieces of equipment and entire installations, including cabling, must be tested by an officially recognized laboratory and issued a certificate of conformity. The equipment and the installation must then display the letters "CE" (known as the "CE marking") and indicate the standards to which it complies.
The EMC directive`s impact on prices remains unclear. The additional design considerations and conformity testing will add to the cost of producing certified equipment.
Until the directive goes into effect, national EMC standards apply. These standards, however, vary from country to country. But, once the directive goes into effect, each country must ensure that its national standards conform with the European standards. Enforcement of the standards will remain in the hands of the European Union member states, however.
The manner in which the directive originated differs from previous efforts when the European Parliament in Brussels tried to legislate every detail. The EMC directive falls under what is known as the New Approach. Under this scheme, the Brussels European Parliament votes to adopt a White Paper that incorporates basic criteria of an issue it believes affects the safety of European citizens and the free flow of trade. Once adopted, the text becomes a Directive, which is essentially European law. The European Union then defers to the appropriate standards bodies to develop standards to support the directive.
Cenelec standards body
The official European standards body for the EMC issue is the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization, or Cenelec (see page 31). This standards body works closely with its international counterpart, the International Electrotechnical Commission; and with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, or ETSI. Compliance with standards is voluntary, but it is the best way for manufacturers to ensure they are conforming with the directive.
Cenelec standards that could be used by manufacturers to interpret the directive are cited in the Official Journal. National governments are obliged to harmonize their laws with the official standards. Free trade is ensured, because this harmony eliminates the possibility that one country could set extraordinary standards that would make it difficult for manufacturers to comply and sell their products in such a country.
This is the goal of the EMC directive. However, all the standards that will support the directive are not yet in place, and several special cases need to be defined.
Nevertheless, manufacturers of telecommunications equipment are taking steps to ensure compliance with the directive. The process begins with the initial design of the equipment. At Philips TRT, for example, equipment design engineers are working closely with their quality assurance department. According to Zdenek Picel, who is responsible for transmission equipment development at Philips, "Technicians need the correct interpretation of the requirements--not just in terms of measurement, but in terms of applicability and legal/contractual customer issues."
He explains that fiber-optic-based applications typically have higher operational frequencies, making them more complicated to measure and control. Therefore, the directive requirements have to be taken into account early in the design phase. To comply with these requirements in a cost-effective way, EMC considerations on the component and circuit-board levels are extremely important during the development phase.
However, performance benefits accrue by controlling all electromagnetic disturbances; equipment such as multiplexers, crossconnects and synchronous digital hierarchy line equipment can be stacked without introducing interference conflicts.
Philips has made a multimillion-dollar investment in in-house testing. Picel claims the company can test an entire installation, including the cabling.
Alcatel Bell, which is also involved in testing, has a laboratory in Belgium that can issue to other vendors certificates of conformity with the directive. Jeroen Ijsseldijk, quality manager, says an entire installation must be certified, but some questions regarding what constitutes a system need to be answered. For example, some companies argue that if the power supply is a separate unit, it should be certified separately. Standards will be needed to clarify this issue.
Ijsseldijk points out that original equipment manufacturers and system integrators are responsible for certifying the compliance of the systems they install, even if the various units come from different manufacturers. This compliance issue raises the question of whether a unit of equipment is standalone (in which case it must be CE-marked indicating conformity) or whether the unit is to be integrated into a system (in which case the entire system must carry the CE marking). In the latter case, the individual units may or may not be certified. q
Adele Hars writes from Paris. | <urn:uuid:3c304369-ed09-4c53-83a6-e1ceaf12a028> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.lightwaveonline.com/optical-tech/article/16661790/europe-grapples-with-electromagnetic-compatibility-standards-for-telephony | 2024-09-09T08:37:23Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651092.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909071529-20240909101529-00135.warc.gz | en | 0.951918 | 1,002 | 3.125 | 3 |
It has been almost six years since President Obama handed down an order to close and consolidate government data centers. That proclamation spawned the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative (FDCCI), initially intended to shut down 1,200 facilities and save the government between $5bn and $8bn annually.
As we approach the end of 2015, that initiative has grown by leaps and bounds. The number of data centers now slated to be shut down could be as many as four times the number of data centers that were originally thought to exist throughout the areas of the federal government that are affected by the mandate.
As agencies have struggled to meet the demands of the mandate, the very definition of a data center has changed, while the understanding of the workloads that could potentially be consolidated has also been a moving target.
When asked to put hard numbers into play in 2011, Vivek Kundra, the first chief information officer of the United States, said that by 2015 the federal government needed to reduce its total number of federal data centers by 40 percent. At the time, this represented a target of 800 data centers.
In 2014, the Government Accounting Office report on the success of FDCCI as part of the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) announced that more than 3,300 data centers had been closed, but there were now 11,7000 left that fit the requirements for consolidation or shutdown.
The FDCCI has encountered a wide range of reactions among the government agencies that it affects – from rapid acceptance to a litany of reasons why it can’t be done. So let’s try to understand the successes and failures so far.
By the end of 2011, almost 30 major federal agencies – from the Department of Agriculture to Nasa to the Social Security Administration – had filed their first set of plans for programs they would be initiating to meet the demands of the FDCCI. Much of the effort defined by these initial plans was focused on identifying core data centers and their processes, and looking at virtualization and cloud computing as the primary agents of change in meeting the goals of the program. Due to the somewhat nebulous nature of the definition of a data center, simply closing facilities was unlikely to achieve significant savings to help the government reach its $5bn to $8bn goal.
A clear example of this issue is found in the early successes of the Census Bureau. By mid-2012, the bureau had closed seven of its data centers and virtualized the rest. It saved only $1m, but the results were a clear indicator that consolidations could find and eliminate significant unused capacity in the data centers of federal agencies.
Wider benefits at Defense
By contrast, at the Defense Information Systems Agency, there were wider benefits. The agency closed data centers but also implemented additional projects that delivered savings across the entire Department of Defense (DoD). For instance, the cloud-based DoD Enterprise Email (DEE) system provides secure, cloud-based email across the DoD, giving a common platform that allows 4.5 million geographically and organizationally dispersed users to share information.
The program has now closed or consolidated more data centers than were believed to exist five years ago
With a single entity hosting the cloud service for the various organizations involved, savings are achieved by preventing duplication of effort and providing economies of scale.
The DoD has been able to save tens of millions of dollars via closure and consolidation. Meanwhile, programs such as DEE represent the most visible and effective agency efforts to meet the goals of the FDCCI.
The DoD efforts, most notably in the Department of the Navy, have become the poster child for the program.
In 2012, Rob Wolborsky, then chief technology officer at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, told Federal Computer Week magazine about the Navy’s plans to consolidate 58 data centers in five years. “We have tremendous support from Navy leadership to get this done,” said Wolborsky. “However, this is a major change in the way data centers are doing business, and it will require a huge cultural shift.”
Two years later, the Navy announced the first of its contracts for the consolidation of its data centers. In the Data Center and Application Optimization Program, the Navy planned to make serious inroads into moving all but 25 percent of its data into private facilities, primarily moving unclassified information. At the time, the Navy had also identified 226 data centers within the US that it planned to consolidate down to just 20, making use of private business, DoD consolidation and Navy-run entities.
A year later, the Navy once again reorganized its consolidation program with John Zangardi, the Navy’s deputy assistant secretary for command, control, computers, intelligence, information operations and space, pointing out that while there had been some success in consolidating systems and applications (fewer than 300 of the 7,000 identified two years previously), there was a significant cultural issue with the type of consolidation that faced the Navy’s information technology and data center commands. This was despite this cultural issue being identified as a primary one two years previously.
In the six months since the last reorganization, the Navy has been quiet about any success or failure it has achieved in meeting its FDCCI goals. However, even a major success would likely have been overshadowed by this year’s General Accounting Office report, which found an additional 2,000 data centers that needed to be addressed under the government’s FDCCI program.
FITARA requires high visibility and public accountability for actions being taken to meet the goals of the FDCCI, and it seems that the deeper the government dives into finding financial waste related to data centers, the broader the effort becomes.
We now find that the plans address an original population of more than 15,000 identified data center facilities and the program as having already closed or consolidated more data centers than were believed to have existed five years ago.
And while the potential savings already achieved may soon reach the numbers proposed in 2010, the elephant in the room continues to be ignored: those savings were proposed when it was believed that only one fifth of the total number of data centers found so far existed.
That being the case, shouldn’t the target for savings be multiplied by five?
This article appeared in the December 2015 issue of DatacenterDynamics magazine | <urn:uuid:d62a7b1c-cad8-43f9-8c14-4c5aa9a09aab> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://direct.datacenterdynamics.com/en/analysis/slaying-the-federal-data-center-hydra/ | 2024-09-11T17:45:18Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651390.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911152031-20240911182031-00835.warc.gz | en | 0.968599 | 1,308 | 2.59375 | 3 |
A High-Level overview of CISCO LISP
Recently, there have been a lot of talks around Cisco LISP - location and Identity Separation Protocol. This is a “new” technology aiming to resolve some of the Internet scalability issues and which has been implemented in IOS 15.x. In this blog publication we are going to give a general overview of LISP, pointing out benefits as well as drawbacks of the technology.
Hierarchical Routing and its Problems
Ever since ARPANet launched, routing in packet switched networks (PSNs) has been based on hierarchical network addressing to achieve scalability. The groundbreaking work by Kleinrock and Kamoun named "Hierarchical Routing for Large Networks, Performance Evaluation and Optimization" ([KLEIN]) clearly outlined all ideas of hierarchical routing. The main result of this work is that for a network of arbitrary connected N nodes it is possible to devise a hierarchical clustering scheme where nodes inside a single cluster only have to know routes to the nodes in the same cluster and other clusters, provided that addresses are assigned to the nodes following the hierarchical structure. The routing is assumed to be a classic shortest-path selection process. Under the optimal partitioning scheme, the size of routing table on every router would be of order O(log(N)).
Even though this approach promises compact routing tables if implemented properly, there are three main drawbacks here. Firstly, this approach required strict, topology-based addressing, which was perfect in a static environment but didn't work well with mobile nodes, changing their point of attachment. Secondly, it resulted in suboptimal routes, as every cluster had limited knowledge of the outside topology. The resulting routing paths were longer than shortest paths, or as they say have "stretch" factor above 1 - e.g. a stretch of 2 means that the path is twice as long as optimal shortest path. In addition to these two main issues, hierarchical routing adds the management burden of keeping address space hierarchical, following the network clustering structure.
The modern Internet was built on the same shortest path routing concept using hierarchical addressing for routing scalability (though BGP makes it more complicated than it could have been). This model started showing some signs of instability at the end of the 90s. Dramatic growth of Internet routing tables put a serious burden on the routing systems as a direct result of explosive routing-tables growth. This growth was a result of two main processes: topology-independent addresses that were obtained for Internet multihoming and routing optimization which has been achieved by injecting "longer" or more specific prefixes into Internet routing tables. These processes attempt to overcome limited mobility and suboptimal routing inherent to hierarchical routing. Even though BGP was designed with scalability in mind, carrying modern Internet routing tables in the core networks becomes a huge burden, not only because of the size of RIB and FIB but also because of the network instabilities exposed by poor summarization. There are some approaches to alleviate the problem, such as Virtual Aggregation ([VA-DFZ]) for in-core FIB size reduction or BGP-aware DNS (see [BGP-DNS]) for efficient multihoming based on PA (Provider Aggregatable) addresses, but they do not offer ultimate solution and have not been widely deployed.
What is CISCO LISP
The main problem that causes routing table explosion is inefficient multihoming in topology-aware addressing. With topology-based numbering, a node address represents its relative location in the topology. At the same time, mobility or ability to change attachment to the topology (e.g. multihoming) requires the node address to be more of a node identifier, which does not change with topology re-attachment. The dual function of IPv4 address (or any topology-based address, e.g. IPv6) prevents it from being effectively used in either role, and this fact has been acknowledged for many years. However, business needs do not allow easy transition from a topology-based addressing to any other, more efficient solution, though there have been a lot of those.
What LISP offers is loosening this location/ID duality by creating two parallel IPv4/IPv6 address spaces: one serving to identify locations (RLOCs or routing locators) and another serving to identify endpoint (EID or endpoint identifiers). To separate the two spaces, tunneling is implemented with outer headers using RLOCs and inner headers using EIDs. Effectively, the Internet is partitioned into the "core" based on hierarchical topology-based RLOC addressing and "edge" which uses "mobile" EIDs, with both addresses using the same format. Of course, the use of tunneling implies that EIDs have to be somehow mapped to the closest RLOCs. LISP achieves that by using ITRs (ingress tunnel routers) and ETRs (egress tunnel routers). Both types of routers reside on the "edge" of RLOC Internet and perform encapsulation, decapsulation and mapping functions: ITR receives native packets with EID addressing, finds the corresponding RLOC address of the "optimum" ETR and encapsulates the original packets in RLOC header. The packet is then routed across the network core toward the ETR where it is decapsulated and forwarded based on EID address and potentially using some other routing scheme than used for RLOCs.
In short, LISP creates two parallel namespaces (RLOCs and EIDs) mapped to different topologies (routing and endpoints). The first, underlying topology uses classic IPv4 addressing and the overlay topology may use any other (not necessarily hierarchical) identifiers. So far the EID space is normally based on IPv4 32 bit addresses - this allows for maintaining all applications unchanged. It is important to stress out that in theory EID and RLOC address spaces could be completely different: e.g. EIDs could be MAC addresses while RLOCs could be IPv4 addresses, implementing a sort of Ethernet tunneling. The main LISP workhorse is the mapping layer, which represents a "directory lookup" finding the RLOC "closest" to the destination EID. There could be multiple schemes used for mapping, such as ALT, CORD, NERD, DHT etc. This is probably the most important component of LISP architecture, and hence it desires special attention.
LISP Mapping Layer
The Internet has been dealing with distributed databases for quite some time, starting with DNS and BGP and evolving to Distributed Hash Tables (DHT) used in peer-to-peer overlay networks, such as Chord. You may be surprised to see BGP here, but you should not - with the growth and evolution of the Internet, BGP became more of a universal information distribution protocol than a simple routing solution.
In general, every scheme could be characterized as a Push, Pull or Hybrid model. The Push model works by broadcasting (in some efficient manner) all mapping information to all interested nodes. A good example could be BGP - information such as VPNv4 prefixes, communities and additional attributes is "flooded" to PE routers in SP network. This model presents minimum latency on information retrieval, but requires all interested nodes to store large amounts of state information. Pull models, such as DNS or DHT, distribute information more or less evenly across all participating nodes, and interested nodes need to issue information search requests to locate the mapping. Pull models typically build overlay networks to search for information. Various techniques could be used to improve lookup latency and reliability: e.g. local caching and information duplication in multiple nodes. Pull models are in general more scalable than push, but introduce increased operations delays, sometimes poorly predictable. Finally, Hybrid models attempt to combine the best of Push and Pull by pushing (broadcasting) some condensed information (e.g. discovery hints) to the interested nodes but requiring pull operations to retrieve the actual mappings. Hybrid models are more complex but theoretically offer better performance than pure Pull models.
In addition to the amount of state stored in every participating node, another important scalability factor for the mapping layer is the amount (rate) of changes it may handle. It is obvious that Push models offer rapid propagation of changes (normally in incremental manner) and worse scalability compared to Pull models, due to the fact that changes need to propagate to every interested node. Pull models are not very rapid at propagating changes, as this requires finding the authoritative node and then informing it of the updated information. The use of some performance optimization with the Pull models may further degrade update latency, e.g. it may take some time to expire stale cached information (recall DNS caching). Hybrid models may balance between the two endpoints trading off optimal behavior for extra complexity.
We mentioned multiple mapping models, but mainly going to discuss LISP-ALT (LISP alternative topology), which is being actively tested and supported in the latest IOS releases. The core idea of ATL is to maintain IPv4-based EID address spaces strictly hierarchical and aggregatable and overlay additional MP-BGP mesh (ALT-topology) over existing IPv4 network (RLOC topology). Tunneling techniques such as GRE could be used to implement the overlay topology used to route based on EID, with the tunnel endpoints routed in RLOC space. Since EID space follows a clean hierarchy, EID BGP tables should be small and manageable. Mapping information is not conveyed in overlay BGP mesh, but rather stored in ETRs (or other special devices). The overlay ALT-topology is used to route LISP mapping requests and replies, based on the MP-BGP next-hop values. Effectively, LISP-ALT is a hybrid push and pull model, where an overlay network is used to route LISP requests but the actual LISP mapping information is not propagated in BGP, but rather stored in mapping servers and returned in response to explicit requests. This allows for optimum summarization in EID address space.
In addition to ITR/ETR LIST-ALT also adds the "ALT" routers, which serve the purpose of additional logical endpoints for the ALT space. LISP-ALT topology aims at introducing minimal changes to existing software and, just like LISP technology in general, does not affect network endpoints (hosts) at all. Decoupling RLOC and EID topologies allows for making both of them hierarchical and aggregatable, thus reducing BGP table sizes both in network core and edge. This comes at the expense of additional management burden required to keep EID/RLOC topologies strictly hierarchical. On a positive note, once allocation has been properly done, any changes in physical attachment will not result in EID address space fragmentation - the overlay topology could be simply changed to accommodate for the new connection, without the need of renumbering EID spaces. Additionally, the EID-to-RLOC mapping layer allows for flexible traffic engineering - different RLOCs could be associated with different EID prefixes, even though ALT only propagates aggregated information in BGP.
The idea of separating address spaces and using overlay tunneling is not novel and has been around for years, implemented in MPLS BGP VPNs. In fact, the EID space looks exactly like a VPN implemented by means of VRF and LISP tunnels. The only significant change to this model is the addition of the mapping requests/replies which allow for the use of new unique traffic-engineering capabilities.
Have all problems been solved?
Not completely. Even though in theory the use of LISP-ALT model allows for transitioning to a highly aggregatable EID address space and reducing routing state in both the Internet core and edge domains it requires significant management efforts. This problem boils down to the fact that the same hierarchical routing model is retained with IPv4 LISP-ALT, resulting in the need to carefully manage EID address block allocation and possibly renumbering the Internet core to allow for better aggregation. Other mapping layer implementations, such as LISP-DHT (distributed hash tables) allow for effectively managing non-hierarchical, even flat address space, but have all typical drawbacks of Pull models. Furthermore, the requirement of keeping EID space strictly hierarchical in LISP-ALT seriously impacts "true mobility" implementation, where a single EID could move between its points of attachment. However, the problem of "static" mobility or ISP multihoming/changing is effectively addressed, as the potential points of attachment are known in advance and accounted for in the ALT topology.
Theoretically, the LISP model solves the routing table growth problem, at the expense of added management complexity. LISP offers a non-disruptive transition approach, which does not affect end systems and allows for incremental deployment. Special techniques (proxy ITRs/ETRs not covered in this post) allow for LISP-enabled internet to interoperate with classic Internet during the transition period. But there is a significant problem: for any given organization, unless it is a Tier-1 ISP, there is no direct benefit of transition to LISP. Indeed, the main goal of LISP is to reduce the complexity of ever-growing DFZ tables, which is mainly a problem for core ISPs. For any company that sits at the "edge" of the Internet, the only visible effect of implementing Cisco LISP is increased complexity due to the need of renumbering and implementing an overlay topology. At the same time, the Internet edge is where LISP should be mainly deployed. Just like with IPv6, there is no motivation to transition to the new technology, which makes the prospects of rapid LISP adoption tough.
In addition to the deployment issues, there is a theoretical problem. LISP-ALT architecture implements the same hierarchical routing model for EIDs that has been used in the Internet for years. We already mentioned some of the problems of hierarchical routing earlier in this publication. The main problem is high management burden, required to coordinate and maintain hierarchical address space. Another problem is highly suboptimal routing, which manifests in excessive stretch on the topology exhibiting scale-free (power-law) behavior. Unfortunately, modern Internet seems to be a scale-free graph, which means hierarchical routing is not the best choice (see [COMPACT]). However, dismantling the hierarchical routing model requires a clean-slate redesign of the modern Internet, which is simply unacceptable. And thus, just like with IPv6, the Internet society is stuck in a difficult situation, where each solution is either not very effective or requires major Internet redesign.
The below is the minimum recommended reading for the topics of location and ID separation. The [LISP-IPJ] contains excellent additional bibliography, which is highly recommended for further reading. Notice that there are proposals similar to LISTP, such as ILNP and IRON, which are not covered in this publication but reference below.
[KLEIN] "Hierarchical Routing for Large Networks, Performance Evaluation and Optimization", Computer Networks, Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 155–174, January 1977
[VA-DFZ] "Virtual Aggregation" http://www-europe.cisco.com/web/about/ac123/ac147/archived_issues/ipj_13-1/131_aggregation.html
[BGP-DNS] “BGP DNS” href=http://www.ripe.net/ripe/meetings/ripe-41/presentations/routing-opperman/index.html
[LISP-QA] "LISP Questions and Answers" http://cisco.biz/en/US/prod/collateral/iosswrel/ps6537/ps6554/ps6599/ps10800/qa_c67-582925.html
[LISP-IPJ] "LISP" http://www.ciscosystems.com/web/about/ac123/ac147/archived_issues/ipj_11-1/111_lisp.html
[LIS-CONF] “LISP Configuration Guide” http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/ios/lisp/configuration/guide/LISP_configuration_guide.pdf
[COMPACT] “On compact routing for the Internet” http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.102.5763&rep=rep1&type=pdf
[ILNP] "ILNP Concept of Operations" http://ilnp.cs.st-andrews.ac.uk/docs/id/draft-rja-ilnp-intro-03.txt
[IRON] "The Internet Routing Overlay Network" http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-templin-iron-05
For more expert IT training on the most in-demand technologies, check out INE’s networking solutions. See related blogs below: | <urn:uuid:589e46e9-13d5-4028-a244-bd887bcf8568> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://ine.com/blog/2010-07-05-a-high-level-overview-of-lisp | 2024-09-11T16:51:45Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651390.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20240911152031-20240911182031-00835.warc.gz | en | 0.922868 | 3,614 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Education Technology Services
A simple multi-step process to focus online learning on performance
The COVID-19 pandemic made online platforms one of the most effective tools to teach students from remote locations. With all the benefits it offers, E-learning has become a popular mode of teaching/learning with both students and teachers despite the drawbacks associated with the lack of in-person presence.
Developing any kind of educational course requires a lot of planning, and the process for creating an e-learning course is no different. It involves a lot more than just making the content look good.
Here are ten steps to enhance online learning performance and actively engage your learners
Step#1 Know your Audience
Before you begin creating an online course, make sure to spend time understanding and connecting with your audience. You can use keyword analytics to find and understand the target audience for your online course. This will enable you to develop course material based on their requirements.
Step#2 Define Learning Objectives
Establish the learning objectives of the e-learning course. It is essential to have clarity about the outcomes for learners. An effective course needs to be carefully aligned to the needs of the students from start to finish while fulfilling educational objectives in every step of the program.
Step#3 Generate a Course Plan
A strong course plan is like the roadmap to creating a successful e-learning program for the participants. Work with the subject matter to determine the needed information, illustrations, audio, video, or interactive media. Define everything that you would like to cover in the course and convert all the topics into separate lessons or chapters.
Step#4 Choose the Right Technology
The e-learning industry is awash with innovation and breakthrough procedures. When online learning is delivered through technology-based solutions, it becomes less expensive per end user and ensures better consistency of learning than conventional learning.
Top technologies to leverage for enhanced online learning performance:
Artificial Intelligence:Machine learning (ML), a subset of Artificial Intelligence (AI) helps customise courses or content for the participants and provide a personalised experience. From providing language-based support to improving access for students, AI in e-learning can optimise online learning based on the unique requirements of the learners.
Cloud Services:Cloud technology helps you store more data when compared to private data stored on computer systems. There is no need to install any storage device and the participants can access all related information and content from wherever they are.
Virtual Reality (VR): Virtual Reality helps to simulate an immersive, computer-generated learning environment. Leveraging the power of VR as a learning tool can help learners delve deep into complex subjects and gain a seamless learning experience.
Step#5 Develop Effective Communication Techniques
Irrespective of whether it is text, audio, video presentation, or even animation, everything should be communicated conveniently and effectively. It is beneficial to use tools and technologies that complement each other to improve communication in online training.
There are several word processing packages, HTML editors, and software like Flash and PowerPoint that you can use to enhance the quality of content.
Following are some communication tools that can provide a great experience:
Storyboard content: Storyboarding is an effective tool that helps create an organised sequence of information and allows trainers to explain their concepts and coursework to the participants.
Audio, Web, and Video Conferencing: By utilising audio, and web conferencing, along with video conferencing, you can increase the engagement potential of the course content.
Database and Content Management System: Database and CMS technologies are widely used to store and manage course content, and other records. To be specific and brief, you can customise the interface template according to the requirements of the program.
Step#6 Define the Instructional Design Plan
It is essential to ensure that the content is presented in an appealing and purposeful manner by incorporating established learning principles. A strong instructional design plan defines how the content is presented, and how it is reinforced through a variety of exercises and activities.
Step#7 Develop Engaging Discussion Posts
As a learning aid, discussion posts centred on course content can enable students to learn how to communicate collaboratively and participate in conversations. The best part is that you can create unlimited discussion forums to support the course.
Step#8 Include a Glossary
Do not assume that the participants will understand technical terms or acronyms on their own. It is essential to add a glossary and explain key terms in simple language.
Step#9 Mobile Apps Access and Tablet Computing
Game-based learning, social media, and mobile learning can make the process simple and captivating. With interactive mobile apps and tablet computers, you can make the learning modules fun for participants while ensuring enhanced skills and performance.
Step#10 Include Regular Tests or Quizzes to Assess the Effectiveness
Add questions, quizzes, and other components to make learning an interactive process for participants. You can use an e-learning software solution to create and deliver high-quality and interactive quizzes.
Enhancing Online Learning Performance Through Engaging and Customizable Strategies
These are some steps you can include in e-learning programs to offer a high level of engagement. Techniques such as these can be customised according to the learner’s level of proficiency. Incorporating technology-based solutions and providing 24/7 access, can help participants learn at their own pace and review the content as often as required. All these factors enhance online learning performance and provide a great learning experience.
To further elevate your online learning initiatives, Infosys BPM offers comprehensive Edutech services designed to enhance educational experiences through advanced technology. These services include developing customized e-learning platforms, providing robust data analytics to track learner progress, and integrating AI and automation for personalized learning.
*For organizations on the digital transformation journey, agility is key in responding to a rapidly changing technology and business landscape. Now more than ever, it is crucial to deliver and exceed on organizational expectations with a robust digital mindset backed by innovation. Enabling businesses to sense, learn, respond, and evolve like a living organism, will be imperative for business excellence going forward. A comprehensive, yet modular suite of services is doing exactly that. Equipping organizations with intuitive decision-making automatically at scale, actionable insights based on real-time solutions, anytime/anywhere experience, and in-depth data visibility across functions leading to hyper-productivity, Live Enterprise is building connected organizations that are innovating collaboratively for the future. | <urn:uuid:d38030f8-bbc7-49a2-83f2-0393f076df80> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.infosysbpm.com/blogs/education-technology-services/a-simple-multi-step-process-to-focus-online-learning-on-performance.html | 2024-09-19T05:09:23Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651981.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20240919025412-20240919055412-00235.warc.gz | en | 0.916065 | 1,330 | 3.0625 | 3 |
Vulnerabilities are being discovered every single day. While most of the vulnerabilities are not so serious, there are some that deserve our full attention. Such is the case with the Log4j vulnerability. On December 9th, 2021, the Log4j vulnerability was publicly disclosed following a month of remediation work by the affected vendor. This new vulnerability is in the Apache Log4j library, hence the name. The official name of the vulnerability is CVE-2021-44228 and has received a CVSSv3 score of 10/10 because of its ease of exploitation.
What is the Log4j vulnerability? Who does it affect and why is it being called the most significant vulnerability in the last decade?
What is the Log4j vulnerability?
Log4j is an add-on Apache library. Log4j is very popular among application developers because it is considered one of the easiest and most robust libraries for performing logging – which end-user did what, when, how, where from, etc.
The vulnerability—affecting versions 2.0-beta9 to 2.14.1 of the library—exists in the action the Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI) takes to resolve variables. According to the vulnerability description, affected versions of Log4j contain JNDI features—such as message lookup substitution—that “do not protect against adversary-controlled LDAP [Lightweight Directory Access Protocol] and other JNDI related endpoints.”
The cloud security team at Alibaba discovered the vulnerability in November 2021 and told Apache. They worked together to ensure a fix was available before the public release of the vulnerability details.
FC explains in a blog for Cygenta: “What the Alibaba team discovered is a flaw in the way that Log4j works. The purpose of a logger is to record things; generally, the logger just takes what happens and writes it down. However, what Log4j does is that it uses variables to fill in some data, say the time or date which can be injected into the log command. This use of a variable is something all programming uses, but it must be done carefully especially if it takes in data from an end-user (a possible attacker!).”
CISA noted in their advisory bulletin that “An adversary can exploit this vulnerability by submitting a specially crafted request to a vulnerable system that causes that system to execute arbitrary code. The request allows the adversary to take full control over the system. The adversary can then steal information, launch ransomware, or conduct other malicious activity.”
FC provides a more technical view of the potential attack exploiting the vulnerability:
- The attacker injects JNDI lookup into a field that is likely to be logged e.g. User-Agent.
- The string is passed to Log4j for logging
- Log4j sees the string and queries a malicious LDAP server under attacker control
- The LDAP server responds with malicious code
- Log4j runs the malicious code
Why is this a scary vulnerability?
The Log4j vulnerability is so scary resulting in the internet panicking because the affected library is so prevalent. Log4j has become the most popular logging framework in the Java ecosystem and gets used by millions of applications.
Steam, Apple iCloud, and Minecraft are among the applications affected by the vulnerability. Open-source projects like ElasticSearch, Elastic Logstash, Redis, and the NSA’s Ghidra also use the library. And the list goes on. CISA has published on its GitHub repository a list of the affected vendors. According to Graham Cluley, “In fact, over 250 vendors have already issued security advisories and bulletins about how Log4Shell impacts their products.”
“An attacker can use this vulnerability to construct a special data request packet, which eventually triggers remote code execution. Due to the wide range of impact of this vulnerability, users are advised to investigate related vulnerabilities on time.” reads the blog published by the Alibaba Cloud security team. “After analysis and confirmation by the White Hat Security Research Institute, there are currently many popular systems on the market that are affected. Almost every tech giant is the victim of this Log4j Remote Code Execution vulnerability.”
Within hours of the disclosure, cyber attackers were already making hundreds of thousands of attempts to exploit the critical Log4j vulnerability to spread malware and access networks. “Given the scale of affected devices and exploitability of the bug, it’s highly likely to attract considerable attention from both cybercriminals and nation-state-associated actors,” said Chris Morgan, senior cyber threat intelligence analyst at Digital Shadows. “Organizations are advised to update to version 2.15.0 and place additional vigilance on logs associated with susceptible applications.”
Will this vulnerability impact Critical National Infrastructure?
Cybersecurity researchers have warned that it could have significant implications for operational technology (OT) networks that control industrial systems – and for a long time.
“Given that Log4j has been a ubiquitous logging solution for Enterprise Java development for decades, Log4j has the potential to become a vulnerability that will persist within Industrial Control Systems (ICS) environments for years to come,” said a blog post by cybersecurity researchers at Dragos.
To help their industrial customers, Nozomi Networks has provided an analysis of the vulnerability and has “set up a honeypot to monitor the situation and became aware of all potential global scans and exploitation attempts.”
“Dragos recommends all industrial environments update all affected applications where possible based on vendor guidance immediately and employ monitoring that may catch exploitation and post-exploitation behaviors,” advises Sergio Caltagirone, vice president of threat intelligence at Dragos.
Researchers suggest that applying the Log4j patch can help prevent attackers from taking advantage of the vulnerability – although the ubiquitous nature of Log4j means that in some cases, network operators might not even be aware that it’s something in their environment which they have to think about.
What should organizations do?
CISA has provided a comprehensive list of actions that all organizations must take to mitigate the vulnerability.
- Review Apache’s Log4j Security Vulnerabilities page for additional information and, if appropriate, apply the provided workaround
- Apply available patches immediately. Prioritize patching, starting with mission-critical systems, internet-facing systems, and networked servers. Then prioritize patching other affected information technology and operational technology assets.
- Conduct a security review to determine if there is a security concern or compromise. The log files for any services using affected Log4j versions will contain user-controlled strings.
Log4j vulnerability is just another example of a case where you need to have a robust, ready-for-action team that can handle any unpredictable threats on your premises. If you’re looking to assess or reinforce your security posture, don’t hesitate to contact ITEGRITI. | <urn:uuid:19978ba0-fc7f-44d0-a057-e41b1cb2e8c2> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://itegriti.com/2021/managed-services/making-sense-of-the-log4j-vulnerability/ | 2024-09-08T05:54:31Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650960.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908052321-20240908082321-00335.warc.gz | en | 0.938669 | 1,444 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Rooted in science fiction, artificial intelligence was just recently an end-of-the-world story on machines trying to take over the Earth. Today, while the idea has persisted, its core concept and use are much different, as it is used to help people and businesses. And while it still involves computers making decisions on their own, it would appear that humanity is safe for now. For example, in IT systems, AI looks at a lot of data and gives us helpful insights based on what it finds.
When combined with machine learning, artificial intelligence algorithms can make decisions automatically and do tasks without human intervention. Nowadays, AI is adopted by countless industries at lightning speed, from IT to Tech. But how does machine learning fit into managing computer networks?
As organizations use more interconnected systems, managing these networks becomes much more complex. In our digital era, there’s an increasing need for strong, dependable, and high-performing networks. In the past, managing grids involved setting things up manually, monitoring them, and fixing problems. These tasks were time-consuming, prone to mistakes, and often reactive rather than proactive. This is where automation made a big difference.
Autonomous algorithms are increasingly popular because people want cheap independent systems that can handle the challenges of modern requirements and fast expansion. Let’s dive deeper into the intricacies of how AI is improving network management performance and security through smart mechanization.
From Loop-Back Detection to Self-Healing
AI and machine learning are able to analyze large amounts of data using advanced algorithms. This helps humans understand what is happening on the network, make predictions, and respond to events in real time. This ability to intelligently analyze digital information and gain detailed insight into a system’s performance with no human intervention is the key to their appeal.
The essence of AI, and the reason it is gaining so much attention across the entire IT world, is that it enables intelligent automation of many tasks, saving vast amounts of time while also improving operational effectiveness. This applies to network management, where many of the functions involved in the efficient operation of a network can be automated, dramatically improving network performance, troubleshooting, and security.
One simple example, a network switch function that has been around for a long time, is loop-back detection. It’s a feature on smart-managed and managed switches that have saved network administrators tremendous amounts of time in the event of accidental or intentional network misconfiguration.
A network loop occurs when a cable from one switch port connects back to another port in the same switch or network. Loop-back causes a broadcast storm that brings the network to its knees because network traffic is continuously amplified rather than stopping at its intended destination. With loop-back detection, when this occurs, one of the affected ports is automatically shut down, mitigating the problem. Without loop-back detection, the network administrator has to manually locate and correct the fault that could be anywhere across the entire network.
AI and machine learning help reduce downtime, accommodate preemptive maintenance, and lower operational costs while, at the same time, saving network administrators’ time. AI’s evolving role in this space is making it easier for companies to run their networks more effectively and is bringing us closer to self-healing networks and zero-touch network management.
Leveraging AI to Unlock the Potential of Network Data
Computer networks generate a lot of data, but much of it is not used. AI and machine learning can help manage this data and improve network performance. They can quickly identify and solve common network problems without human intervention, making network operations stronger. These technologies can also automate basic management tasks and notify human administrators when more complex issues arise. For example, in a Wi-Fi network, they can automatically adjust the signal strength to provide continuous coverage if one access point fails.
The Impact of AI On Smart Switch Technology
Smart switches now utilize AI technology to prioritize important network traffic by analyzing Ethernet packets. This ensures that IP video and VoIP packets are given priority without affecting other network data. Specifically, Auto Surveillance VLAN (ASV) technology prioritizes IP video packets for real-time monitoring, while Auto Voice VLAN technology does the same for uninterrupted VoIP calls.
Revolutionizing Grid Flexibility
In modern network setups, there’s a trend towards centralized management, separating management functions from data flow. This shift is seen in the rise of cloud-managed networks and Software Defined Networking (SDN). Integrating AI and machine learning is crucial for fully leveraging these networks, allowing for improved flexibility, simplified management, and moving toward fully automated networking.
Essential Tools for Advanced Network Management
Smart network devices in this setup connect to a server for configuration and updates automatically. This approach makes setting up the devices easier and saves time. It also allows for deploying devices in remote locations without on-site network administrators.
AI tools are increasingly used to improve network monitoring, management, and analytics. They can predict network issues, automate fixes, and provide better insight into daily network performance, current utilization levels, traffic patterns, and network trends. This leads to early detection of changes and proactive optimization of performance.
Automation further assists network security by giving supervisors deeper insight into network behavior. Then the person in charge has an easier time resolving the threat if the AI cannot do it fast enough.
As our grids become more complex to support a wider range of connected devices and operating systems, AI-powered network management becomes crucial. It facilitates streamlining, troubleshooting, and improving network operations. Such development points to a future where autonomous algorithms are essential for the seamless operation of any network.
Automation, Predictive Insights, and Enhanced Security
The integration of AI into even the smallest network management systems offers numerous benefits. Automation improves productivity by plowing through routine tasks while freeing up IT staff to focus on important work. Not to mention it lowers the risk of mistakes that can cause network issues.
Secondly, AI empowers enterprises with proactive monitoring and predictive maintenance. By analyzing large amounts of data promptly, it can recognize potential problems before they happen. This allows network administrators to deal with issues proactively. This capability is particularly valuable in large, complex networks where manual monitoring is simply not feasible.
Last but not least, security is a major area where machine learning is making a big impact. AI-driven threat detection algorithms can identify and respond to cyber threats much faster than traditional methods. These self-governing systems keep learning and adjusting to new contamination, offering a flexible defense against increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.
Additional benefits and advantages of AI in real-time traffic management and dynamic resource allocation include:
Beyond management, AI plays a crucial role in network optimization. AI is really good at analyzing and managing traffic instantly. Traditional ways of managing network traffic are often fixed, following set rules that may not work well for changing network conditions. AI, on the other hand, can analyze traffic patterns on the spot and make adjustments as needed to ensure the best performance.
AI is great at managing resources effectively. Nowadays, networks can get overwhelmed with all the devices and applications using them. AI can adjust resources like bandwidth and processing power based on what the network needs at the time, making sure that important applications get what they need without slowing down the network.
AI can also help networks fix themselves. This means that the system can find and solve problems on its own without requiring humans to help. This is really useful for big networks, where having issues or the network not working well can cause big problems. AI makes decisions on its own, which helps to ensure that these grids stay strong.
Investment, Privacy, and the Necessity of Human Oversight
While it’s easy to see that using AI in network management brings many benefits, don’t expect it to come without some challenges. One major challenge is the difficulty of implementing AI-driven solutions. These systems require a lot of time and resources upfront, and organizations need to make sure they have the right infrastructure and expertise to support AI deployment.
Some ethical considerations must also be mentioned. Since AI systems need a lot of data to work well, that raises concerns about data privacy and security. Organizations need to think about how they collect, store, and use data. They must follow privacy rules and keep their customers’ trust.
Additionally, while AI can automate many aspects of network management, it is not a substitute for human oversight. Human administrators still play a crucial role in guiding AI systems, making strategic decisions, and addressing issues that require human judgment. Collaboration between AI and human experts is essential to ensure that network management systems are both effective and ethical.
The Future of AI in Network Management
Looking ahead, the role of AI in network management is only expected to grow. We will see how emerging trends, such as we count down to 6G and advanced, AI-infused Internet of Things (IoT), will continue to strain networks, which will require more sophisticated automatic methods to alleviate some of that pressure.
Machine learning will be pivotal in placating the looming complexity and scale of these grids. And, as instantaneous optimization becomes a staple rather than an optional network managing upgrade, AI has the capacity to help systems meet the demands of new technologies.
In the next ten years, we should witness the evolution of more sophisticated self-repairing networks, improved AI-driven security protocols, and smoother integration of AI with current network management solutions. These developments will expand the network’s capabilities, rendering them more efficient, secure, and adaptable than ever. | <urn:uuid:69a24f8c-6a60-484a-bc1f-aa604752f9b1> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://networkingcurated.com/editorial/from-science-fiction-to-network-innovation-the-ai-effect/ | 2024-09-08T06:21:44Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650960.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908052321-20240908082321-00335.warc.gz | en | 0.941082 | 1,953 | 3.203125 | 3 |
GENEVA (AP) -- Japan needs to act quickly and ban food sales from areas around the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant if food there has excessive levels of radiation, the World Health Organization said Monday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that radiation in some Japanese milk and vegetables was "significantly higher" than levels Japan allows for consumption, and Japanese authorities are expected to decide by Tuesday on a comprehensive plan to limit food shipments from affected areas.
A spokesman for the Geneva-based U.N. health agency said contaminated food poses a greater long-term risk to residents' health than radioactive particles in the air, which disperse within days. It was the strongest statement yet from the world body on radiation risks to ordinary people, not nuclear workers.
"They're going to have to take some decisions quickly in Japan to shut down and stop food being used completely from zones which they feel might be affected," Gregory Hartl told The Associated Press . "Repeated consumption of certain products is going to intensify risks, as opposed to radiation in the air that happens once and then the first time it rains there's no longer radiation in the air."
The government has already stopped shipments of milk from one area and spinach from another, and said it found contamination on two more vegetables -- canola and chrysanthemum greens -- and in three more prefectures. On Sunday, the Health Ministry also advised a village in Fukushima prefecture not to drink tap water because it contained radioactive iodine. It stressed, however, that the amounts posed no health threat.
Fears that Japanese produce could be dangerously radioactive have already prompted authorities in neighboring China to order tests of food imports from Japan, the Xinhua News Agency reported Monday. Food from Japan makes up a tiny fraction of China's imports, but jitters over possible radiation from the tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear plant have sparked a run on iodized salt in China in the mistaken belief that it protects against radiation contamination.
Hartl said actual health risks depend on the type of food and soil affected, the amount of radiation found, and the amount consumed. But delays that allow heavily contaminated food to reach consumers could pose a serious danger, especially to children, he said.
Scientists believe that the Soviet failure to stop children around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant from drinking milk after the 1986 reactor explosion there led to thousands of cases of thyroid cancer.
Hartl said WHO doesn't have any radiation experts of its own in Japan now and any policy decision must be taken by the Japanese government. But he said the situation was being monitored closely because the risks to human health shift depending on developments.
"A week ago we were more concerned about purely the radiation leakages and possible explosion of the nuclear facility itself, but now other issues are getting more attention including the food safety issue," he said. | <urn:uuid:4f369776-5ac2-4896-8f17-0297d8e93ec3> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.mbtmag.com/global/news/13077307/who-radiation-contamination-in-food-a-big-risk | 2024-09-13T03:01:37Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651506.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913002450-20240913032450-00835.warc.gz | en | 0.96891 | 570 | 2.6875 | 3 |
In the vast realm of the internet, where data flows ceaselessly across networks and continents, the concept of aggregating traffic through an Internet Exchange (IX) emerges as a transformative force. An Internet Exchange acts as a digital crossroads where different networks converge, facilitating the exchange of data with remarkable efficiency. In this blog, we will explore the numerous advantages of aggregating traffic through an Internet Exchange and how it contributes to a faster, more resilient, and cost-effective internet ecosystem.
- Enhanced Connectivity and Reduced Latency: By bringing together multiple networks within a centralized hub, an Internet Exchange minimizes the physical distance that data needs to travel between various networks. This reduction in latency translates into faster and more responsive internet services for end-users. The direct, low-latency connections fostered by an Internet Exchange enhance overall connectivity, ensuring a smoother and more efficient data exchange.
- Improved Network Performance: Aggregating traffic through an Internet Exchange allows networks to bypass the public internet, utilizing private and direct connections instead. This results in improved network performance, reduced congestion, and enhanced reliability. The dedicated paths created within the exchange environment contribute to a more stable and efficient flow of data, minimizing the risk of bottlenecks and packet loss.
- Cost Savings for Network Operators: Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and other network operators can benefit significantly from traffic aggregation through an Internet Exchange in terms of cost savings. The direct connections established within the exchange environment eliminate the need to route traffic through third-party networks, reducing transit costs and operational expenses. This cost-efficient model is particularly advantageous for smaller ISPs and emerging networks.
- Scalability and Flexibility: Internet Exchanges provide a scalable infrastructure that accommodates the evolving needs of network operators. As traffic volumes grow, the exchange framework allows for seamless scaling, ensuring that networks can adapt to increasing demands without compromising on performance or efficiency. The flexibility offered by an Internet Exchange is crucial in the dynamic landscape of today’s digital ecosystem.
- Enhanced Security and Control: Aggregating traffic through an Internet Exchange enhances security by offering a controlled and monitored environment for data exchange. Network operators can implement robust security measures within the exchange, safeguarding against potential threats and unauthorized access. The increased control over data traffic contributes to a more secure and reliable network infrastructure.
- Global Reach and Interconnectivity: Internet Exchanges serve as global hubs that attract diverse networks from around the world. This interconnectivity fosters collaboration and data exchange on an international scale. Networks can leverage the vast reach of an Internet Exchange to establish direct connections with peers globally, enabling a truly interconnected and collaborative internet ecosystem.
In the intricate web of the internet, the aggregation of traffic through an Internet Exchange emerges as a cornerstone for a faster, more efficient, and cost-effective digital experience. The benefits of enhanced connectivity, improved network performance, cost savings, scalability, security, and global interconnectivity underscore the pivotal role that Internet Exchanges play in shaping the future of our interconnected world. As we navigate the digital landscape, the aggregation of traffic through Internet Exchanges stands as a testament to the power of collaboration, efficiency, and innovation in fostering a more resilient and responsive internet ecosystem. | <urn:uuid:1d9531a1-2460-4341-8494-9dba39b8426d> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://fd-ix.com/blog/the-benefits-of-aggregating-traffic-through-an-internet-exchange/ | 2024-09-14T06:37:10Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651559.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20240914061427-20240914091427-00735.warc.gz | en | 0.90366 | 652 | 2.578125 | 3 |
If everything goes to plan, an HPE edge server, Spaceborne Computer-2, will soon be running on the International Space Station, proving that commodity x86 hardware can be used to run mission critical systems on manned space missions.
It may seem like a so-what moment. Computer Weekly has written extensively on the development of computers that put man on the Moon. But this is very different: it represents a stepping stone on a technology path that will eventually lead to a manned Mars mission.
As every datacentre operator knows, no matter how high the mean time between failure figure from the manufacturer is, hardware can and will ultimately fail. That’s on Earth. In space there is the added issue that radiation like cosmic rays, leads to increased error rates in computer memory chips.
With Nasa’s rover Perseverance, finally arriving at the Red Planet, after a seven month trip across the solar system, there is a very real risk that on any future manned mission, astronauts will need to deal with computer hardware failures.
Back on the ISS and HPE has provided an inventory of spare parts. The redundancy of the system means that parts do not have to be replaced immediately. Clearly, unless it is safety critical, fixing computer hardware may not be a top priority for an astronaut. Any failures need to be repaired during routine maintenance windows. And these should, ideally, be kept to a minimum, because an astronaut is not a full time datacentre administrator.
Systems management on the ISS
Typically, systems management is focused on preventative design. This aims to anticipate failures and apply fixes to prevent such a failure before it actually occurs for real.
Taking a leaf out of Nasa’s operating philosophy, managing the Spaceborne Computer-2 is based on the principle of consequential design. “Our consequential design treats all sensors and sensor data equally from a systems management perspective; and does not affect processing performance. Only when a standard reading falls out of range is action potentially taken,” explains Mark Fernandez, principal investigator for Spaceborne Computer-2.
While the environment on the ISS may well be very different to an Earth-bound datacentre, consequential design in datacentre operations raises some interesting questions. Is predicting IT failures the best way to manage complex technology, or should IT administrators work within a framework where they can assess the extent to which any failure will damage the overall system and have an informed conversation with decision makers on the actions that can be taken. | <urn:uuid:96889fa8-a453-4646-895b-8866ee123d03> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.computerweekly.com/blog/Cliff-Sarans-Enterprise-blog/The-consequence-of-IT-failure-on-a-space-mission | 2024-09-20T13:24:09Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652278.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20240920122604-20240920152604-00235.warc.gz | en | 0.92193 | 507 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Botnets are a new reality that seems to have somehow imperceptibly swooped upon us. In fact, the first documented botnet1 – a network of bots – was created as early as 2001. Today some botnets include tens of millions of machines. And these computers perform the tasks they are given in complete ignorance of their owners. What are botnets? How do they work, and why are they dangerous? How not to have anything to do with them? We’ll try to answer these questions in the current article.
What is a Botnet?
Botnet is a program installed on a computer that then, being controlled remotely, uses the host device to perform certain actions on the Internet. Of course, such a program is malicious. It is introduced into the device unbeknownst to the user, acts in secret, and the work it performs is illegal.
A botnet is a network of devices on which a botnet is installed and running. Such a network is constantly growing but continues to be controlled from one center, like a flock of sheep. It’s no wonder the command and control center of such a network is called a “herder.” A botnet is a growing controllable crowd that can be given different tasks and provided with the necessary software to complete them.
Botnets are a new word in hacking since one hacker with a botnet is already an army that makes it possible to take advantage of those system vulnerabilities that appear only under a large number of requests from different sources.
How Botnets Work: Algorithms
- Email spam. Spam can have different purposes. It can be real advertising or fraud messages, and it can also be the distribution of malware. A properly configured botnet can send tens of billions of messages per day. In addition, email spam is a way for new machines to join the botnet.
- Comments – a botnet can be used to rain down comments to keep a post trending or to support one or another political opinion in society. Such bots can track, for example, YouTube videos with certain names and leave pre-written comments under them.
- DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks are massive raids by bots with requests to the server, which crashes due to overload and cannot respond to requests. Such an attack is impossible for a single hacker but possible for a botnet. DDoS attacks are usually carried out against government systems and economic or political competitors.
For example, from the latest news, Ukraine was hit by DDoS attacks from hacked WordPress sites.
- Hacking2 and stealing money from accounts can also be carried out using vulnerabilities exploited by botnets. Certain financial breach mechanisms allow bot-driven thefts on a huge scale. Also, targeted hacking can be carried out with the help of a powerful influx of requests, exposing the flaws in the defenses of the attacked systems.
How do Botnets Infect a Computer?
A botnet penetrates a computer according to a scenario familiar from examples of other malicious programs. Most likely, the user inadvertently opens a file attached to a spam email or clicks on that can be received both by email and in any messenger app. If so, the botnet will most likely be downloaded and installed via scripts embedded in a file or website.
Once the botnet is deployed, it establishes contact with the control and command center and waits for the task. What is especially interesting about bots is that they are universal in their functions. As far as their permission allows, they can perform completely different actions. The botnet can be reprogrammed Signs of becoming a part of a botnet may be the consequences of other malware’s presence, hardware problems, lack of free memory, and whatnot. However, pay attention to these occurrences, especially if you register more than one of them:<
How Can a Computer be Protected from Botnet? | <urn:uuid:c338c01d-aee4-4995-910b-4f106218096d> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/8-signs-your-computer-is-part-of-a-botnet/ | 2024-09-08T10:25:01Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650976.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908083737-20240908113737-00435.warc.gz | en | 0.957699 | 796 | 3.4375 | 3 |
Our “Building and Breaking” series is ideal for those looking to break into cyber security as a career or develop their security testing skills. So whether you’re a software developer looking to build more secure applications, or wanting to become a penetration tester in the future – this course will help you build the key skills needed for your role.
This course covers the methodology for performing effective security testing, an overview of common vulnerabilities and defensive mechanisms, and hands-on labs to let you test your understanding and experiment with common real-world vulnerabilities.
On the day, we’ll start with the OWASP Top 10 and cover key vulnerabilities such as Injection and Cross-site Scripting, before moving on to more complex issues such as filter evasion and business logic issues.
There’s more to effective security testing and secure system development than just knowing about vulnerabilities and their exploitation – we also cover the stages of a penetration test to ensure that your approach to security testing achieves good coverage:
Our bespoke hands-on labs cover common vulnerabilities with a range of difficulties and filters, allowing you to ensure that you’ve understood the fundamentals of a vulnerability before moving on to more challenging examples. We have a range of labs, such as:
Whilst it’s often the least talked about part of security testing – remediation is of course the most important. It doesn’t matter how many vulnerabilities you find if you can’t quickly and effectively explain to the team how they can fix them. For each vulnerability discussed we will discuss a specific remediation, as well as giving examples of hardening options throughout to make applications more resilient to attacks in general.
Whatever the reason you’re hunting security bugs is, you’ll very likely need to share the findings of your hunting with other people. Therefore we’ll also cover effective report writing techniques. Covering how to write reports efficiently so you can spend more time hacking, as well as how to ensure that your report includes the right amount of technical detail within the description, steps to recreate, and remediation sections.
For those looking specifically to break into a penetration testing role, we also include content based around common recruitment techniques and technical assessments used by penetration testing companies to ensure that you’re in the best position to secure your first role.
Raise cybersecurity awareness within your organisation.
Up-skill your technical teams on how to more effectively defend your systems.
Deploy and improve internal protections to defend against attacks.
Our “Building and Breaking” series is ideal for those looking to break into cyber security as a career or develop their security testing skills. So whether you’re a system admin looking to build more secure networks, or wanting to become a penetration tester in the future – this course will ...
Awareness Training can be a key part to reducing the risk of threats such as social engineering and phishing – but many companies struggle to put together effective security awareness training sessions. It’s an understandable problem though, putting together a talk about passwords and emails, but keeping it interesting, is ...
In addition to Cybersecurity Training we also offer Penetration Testing and Cybersecurity Consultancy to offer a comprehensive suite of cybersecurity services.
Penetration Testing is one of the most effective ways to assess your systems security, discover vulnerabilities, and determine the real-world risk of any vulnerabilities that are present.
It goes much further than simply checking for missing software updates or weak passwords. Plus, it’s more effective than simple vulnerability scanning.
From security architecture to security assessment, we offer a wide range of services to ensure the protection of your assets. We use a highly flexible methodology to ensure that our services are fully aligned to your needs, delivered by a bespoke team with the precise skills and depth of experience needed to understand your issues and then effectively deliver the desired outcome. With our security assurance services, you can have peace of mind knowing that your systems and data are well-protected.
© 2024 Akimbo Core Ltd
Play | Cover | Release Label |
Track Title Track Authors |
Page | Buy | Delete | | <urn:uuid:a7ff799c-274d-450a-a3d3-d4f6174e4502> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://akimbocore.com/web-application-cybersecurity-training-building-and-breaking-webapps/ | 2024-09-09T16:10:14Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651103.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20240909134831-20240909164831-00335.warc.gz | en | 0.948709 | 849 | 2.5625 | 3 |
What Is Mobile Security: Threats and Components
Make your mobile phone safe with Keepnet. Learn simple ways to protect your mobile phone from hackers. Start keeping your phone safe today!
Mobile security involves protecting smartphones, tablets, and other portable devices from threats and vulnerabilities. As we rely more on mobile devices for personal and professional activities, mobile security has become increasingly important.
According to Statista, in 2022, 9% of all global cyberattacks targeted mobile devices, with more than 2.2 million attacks reported in December. By the end of 2023, the threats increased, with about 440,000 malicious installation packages found on mobile devices worldwide in Q4. Additionally, more than half of personal mobile devices experienced mobile-specific attacks like smishing and vishing in Q4 2022.
Mobile security helps to protect data integrity, user privacy, and device functionality against risks such as malware, unauthorized access, and data breaches. It combines software solutions, user practices, and corporate policies to create a secure mobile ecosystem.
What is Mobile Security Exactly
Mobile cyber security, it’s the protection of smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices from threats and attacks. It covers everything from securing personal data stored on the devices to protecting the integrity of mobile applications. With the increase in mobile device usage, ensuring the safety of these devices has become essential.
Mobile cyber security involves various methods and technologies designed to protect devices and the networks they connect to from malicious activities and unauthorized access.
Why is Mobile Security Important
The importance of mobile security cannot be overstated. As more people use mobile devices every day, the need to protect them from hackers grows. This makes cyber security mobile phones an important area to focus on, ensuring that personal and work information is safe from theft and misuse. Cyber security for mobile phones is important for several reasons.
First, mobile devices often hold significant personal information, from contacts and emails to financial data and personal photos. This makes them a prime target for cybercriminals looking to exploit this information for financial gain or identity theft.
Furthermore, mobile devices are increasingly used for work-related activities, accessing corporate networks, and managing sensitive business data. Without adequate mobile security measures, these devices become vulnerable entry points for attackers aiming to breach corporate systems. The impact of such security breaches can be severe, ranging from financial losses to damage to the organization's reputation.
The growing sophistication of mobile security threats, such as phishing, malware, ransomware, and cryptojacking, underscores the urgent need for robust mobile cyber security measures. Cyber security for mobile phones is protecting the device itself and safeguarding the data and networks that these devices interact with.
Mobile security is a critical aspect of overall cyber security, protecting individual users and organizations from the potential damages caused by cyber attacks. Ensuring the security of mobile devices is a shared responsibility, requiring users, organizations, and security solution providers to work together to implement effective security measures and practices.
What are the benefits of Mobile Device Security?
Mobile device security is significant in our digitally-driven world. It acts as a shield for our personal devices, which carry valuable information. Here's how it benefits us:
- Comprehensive Protection for Personal and Professional Data: Mobile device security prevents unauthorized access to your private and work-related information such as photos, emails, contacts, and company documents. This keeps your personal details secure and protects business data from competitors and thieves.
- Defense Against Cyber Threats: Effective security measures act as a barrier against a variety of digital dangers, including viruses, malware, and phishing attacks. These measures help to ensure that hackers cannot access or corrupt your sensitive information.
- Increased Confidence in Device Usage: Having robust security measures in place allows you to use your mobile devices more freely and confidently. Whether you're shopping online, accessing bank accounts, or managing work tasks, you can do so without fear of security breaches.
- Protection of Business Information and Assets: For businesses, mobile security is very important for protecting sensitive company data such as client details, financial records, and strategic plans. This helps prevent data breaches and unauthorized access, ensuring business operations continue safely and securely.
- Device Tracker and Erase: Mobile security features can assist in locating your device if it is lost or stolen. If recovery is not possible, these features can remotely lock or wipe the device, ensuring that no one else can access your personal information.Implementing robust security measures on mobile devices is very important. It not only protects individuals but also helps businesses operate safely in our increasingly digital world.
How does Mobile Device Security work?
Mobile device security works by using a combination of software and settings to protect your phone or tablet from threats. When you use security software on your mobile, it scans the apps and files on your device to look for anything harmful, like viruses or spyware. This software can block or remove any threats it finds, keeping your device safe. It even protects you against downloading harmful apps or apps that ask for sensitive permissions to work which may result in hacking.
In addition to scanning for threats, mobile security settings help control who can access your device. You can set up a password, fingerprint, or face recognition to make sure only you can unlock your phone. There are also features that let you track your device if it gets lost, or even wipe its data remotely to prevent someone else from seeing your information. Together, these tools form a strong defense against the risks of using mobile devices in our everyday lives.
Mobile Security Threats
Dealing with threats like phishing, malware, ransomware, and cryptojacking is a major concern for cyber security mobile phones. It is important to have strong protection in place to keep mobile devices safe from these common attacks.
Phishing attacks are among the most common threats to mobile cyber security. These attacks usually come in the form of deceptive emails or messages that trick users into giving away sensitive information, such as passwords or financial details. With mobile phones being used for both personal and professional communication, the risk of falling victim to phishing attempts is higher than ever.
It's essential to be cautious of unsolicited messages and emails, especially those that request personal information.
Malware and Ransomware
Malware and ransomware represent significant threats to cybersecurity on mobile phones. Malware is malicious software designed to harm or exploit any programmable device or network. Ransomware is a type of malware that locks or encrypts the victim's data, demanding payment for its release.
Mobile devices are increasingly targeted by these types of attacks, often through malicious apps or compromised websites. Keeping your operating system and apps updated is an important step in protecting against these threats. However, individuals also need to learn how to identify and protect themselves against these social engineering threats via online education.
Cryptojacking is a new but rapidly growing threat in mobile cyber security. It involves hackers using a mobile device's processing power to mine for cryptocurrencies without the user's consent or knowledge, essentially meaning they're using the device's resources to generate new digital coins. This can lead to decreased device performance and increased battery consumption. Users might not even realize their device is compromised, making it a stealthy and concerning issue.
Connecting to unsecured WiFi networks poses a significant risk to mobile cyber security. These networks, often found in public places like cafes or airports, do not encrypt data. This lack of encryption makes it easier for cybercriminals to intercept the information your device sends and receives, including passwords, emails, and other sensitive data.
The convenience of public WiFi can come at the cost of your privacy and security, making it important to use secured networks or employ a virtual private network (VPN) for better protection.
Outdated Operating Systems
Using mobile devices with outdated operating systems is a considerable security risk. According to the 2016 NowSecure Mobile Security Report, more than three quarters of Android devices used a version of Android that was two or more years old.
Manufacturers regularly release updates that fix bugs and security vulnerabilities. When devices run on outdated software, they miss out on these critical updates, leaving them exposed to exploits and attacks. Cyber security for mobile phones heavily depends on keeping the operating system and all applications up to date to prevent attackers who exploit old vulnerabilities.
Excessive App Permissions
Apps requesting excessive permissions creates another threat to mobile security. Sometimes, applications ask for more access to your device than necessary for their functionality, such as accessing your contacts, location, or even your camera and microphone.
Excessive app permissions can lead to unnecessary data exposure and privacy risks. It's essential to review the permissions requested by apps before installation and to limit these permissions to what is strictly needed for the app to function.
Components of Mobile Security
Mobile security includes various components, each playing an important role in protecting devices from threats. Here are some key components, with a special emphasis on email security and phishing simulation.
Data encryption is a fundamental component of mobile cyber security. It transforms data into a coded format, making it unreadable to anyone without the decryption key. This ensures that even if data is intercepted during transmission or stolen from a device, it remains protected and inaccessible to unauthorized users. Encryption protects sensitive information such as personal details, financial data, and business secrets, both at rest and in transit.
The 2016 NowSecure Mobile Security Report highlights the importance of encryption, revealing that 35% of mobile communications are unencrypted, thereby exposing over a third of transmitted data to security threats. This demonstrates the crucial role of encryption in protecting data from unauthorized access and cyber attacks.
Authentication and Access Control
Authentication and access control are critical security measures that verify the identity of users before granting access to mobile devices and applications. These measures include the use of passwords, PINs, biometric data (such as fingerprints or facial recognition), and two-factor authentication (2FA). Despite these security options, the 2016 NowSecure Mobile Security Report found that 43% of mobile device users do not use a passcode, PIN, or pattern lock. This lack of a basic security measure leaves their devices vulnerable, as without a passcode, unauthorized individuals can easily access data and active applications on a lost or stolen device.
Access control complements authentication by further limiting what authenticated users can see and do, ensuring they only have access to the necessary information and functionalities for their roles. Together, these components play an essential role in preventing unauthorized access and the potential misuse of mobile devices.
Secure App Development
The secure development of mobile applications is critical to preventing security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers. Developers must follow best practices for security, including coding standards that avoid common vulnerabilities, thorough testing, and regular updates.
Despite these efforts, the 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Application Security Testing report reveals that 61% of the applications tested were found to have at least one vulnerability of high or critical severity not covered by the OWASP Top 10, highlighting the ongoing challenge in app security.
Users should be cautious about downloading apps, preferring those from reputable sources, and check permissions requested during installation.
Regular Updates and Patch Management
Keeping mobile operating systems and applications updated is essential for closing security vulnerabilities. Manufacturers and developers release updates to fix vulnerabilities, add new features, and improve overall security. Users should enable automatic updates or regularly check for and install them manually to protect their devices.
Email Security and Phishing Simulation
Email security is a critical component, given that emails are a common vector for phishing attacks and malware distribution. Solutions include spam filters, malicious link detectors, and email scanning tools to identify and block threats.
Phishing simulation, a security awareness training tool, educates users to recognize and respond appropriately to phishing attacks. By simulating realistic phishing emails, users learn to spot and avoid the tactics used by attackers, significantly reducing the risk of successful phishing attacks. Along with phishing emails, SMS phishing (Smishing) and Voice Phishing (Vishing) attacks are very dangerous and common attacks that attackers use to hack personal information or access your phone data. So, it’s also important to use Smishing Simulation and Vishing Simulation to learn how to identify and prevent those attacks.
Each component of mobile security plays an important role in creating a comprehensive defense against the wide range of threats facing mobile devices today. Focusing on email security and phishing simulations can significantly enhance an organization's security posture by addressing one of the most common attack vectors.
What are the different types of Mobile Device Security?
There's a diverse range of security measures for mobile devices, each serving a unique purpose to protect your device against threats:
- Antivirus Apps: These apps continuously scan your mobile device for harmful software like viruses and malware. For example, an antivirus app might alert you when you download a new app that contains hidden malware, or it could automatically quarantine a suspicious file you received via email, preventing it from causing harm.
- Virtual Private Networks (VPNs): A VPN encrypts your internet connection, making your online activities private. This is especially useful when you're using public Wi-Fi, such as at a coffee shop or airport. For instance, if you're sending sensitive work emails while connected to a public network, a VPN would keep that data secure from anyone else on the network who might be trying to intercept it.
- Mobile Device Management (MDM): This system allows businesses to manage and secure their mobile devices remotely. For example, if a company provides phones to its employees, the IT department could use MDM to install necessary apps, manage security settings, and even remotely lock or wipe a phone if it's reported lost or stolen.
- Remote Wipe Capabilities: This feature lets you erase all data on your device remotely if it gets lost or stolen. Imagine you leave your phone in a taxi. With remote wipe, you can protect your private information by erasing everything on the phone—photos, contacts, apps—ensuring that whoever finds it cannot misuse your data.
Using these different types of security helps build a strong, comprehensive defense for your mobile device, protecting you against a wide array of digital risks. This multi-layered approach ensures that your personal and professional information remains secure.
Keepnet’s Email Security Awareness Training
Keepnet stands out for its focus on combating one of the most dangerous cyber threats: phishing. Our email security awareness training is designed to educate users about the dangers of phishing emails and how to recognize them. Here are the few benefits and capabilities of our security awareness training product:
- Simulated Phishing Attacks: Keepnet provides tools to simulate real-world phishing attacks, like Voice phishing, Email phishing, SMS phishing, QR code phishing, MFA phishing, and Callback phishing, giving users practical experience in identifying phishing emails.
- Behaviour Based Training Assignment: This is proactive and personalized approach to cybersecurity education by analyzing users' actions and identifying areas for improvement. When the system detects incorrect or potentially risky behavior, such as clicking on a phishing link or failing to recognize a phishing email, it automatically triggers the delivery of targeted training material directly related to the incident. This method ensures that the training is not only timely but also highly relevant to the specific mistakes or oversights made by the user.
- Interactive Security Awareness Training Modules: These security training modules cover the fundamentals of email security, teaching users about different types of phishing techniques and how to respond to them.
- Continuous Learning: The training is not a one-time event. Keepnet offers continuous education through regular updates and new simulations based on the latest phishing trends.
- Security Awareness Training Marketplace: This is a comprehensive cybersecurity education product, hosting an extensive selection of over 12 security awareness training providers. This diverse range allows users and organizations to browse and choose the training program that best fits their specific needs, learning styles, and security objectives. Whether you're looking for in-depth courses on data protection, interactive simulations for phishing defense, or specialized modules on secure coding practices, Keepnet's marketplace has options to suit various preferences and requirements.
By focusing on security awareness training for employees, Keepnet’s approach addresses the human element of cyber security, empowering individuals with the knowledge and skills to protect themselves and their organizations from email-based threats. This proactive approach to email security awareness is a critical component of a robust mobile security strategy, highlighting the importance of vigilance and education in the fight against cybercrime.
Check out Keepnet's email security awareness training program to see the training contents, which include mobile security training. Learn how to send a training to individuals. | <urn:uuid:fdf985ee-d499-4dfb-90cf-7bd87a0bac13> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://keepnetlabs.com/blog/what-is-mobile-security-threats-and-components | 2024-09-10T21:12:43Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651318.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910192923-20240910222923-00235.warc.gz | en | 0.927961 | 3,394 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Cyberattacks have never been more common, making cybersecurity a top priority for many organizations. With the frequency of these data breaches constantly rising, many government institutions require businesses to comply with certain technical standards. As a response, many businesses are developing cybersecurity policies and investing in cybersecurity services through experienced cybersecurity experts.
IT Security and IT Compliance
Before committing to the proper IT systems for your business, it’s essential to understand the differences between IT security and IT compliance and to know what compliance regulations apply to your business.
In terms of technology, security refers to the protection of your company’s data from cybersecurity threats and attacks, while compliance means that your business is adhering to the regulations of cybersecurity.
Malicious entities are always looking for ways to hack information, steal sensitive data, and do other damage to companies. IT security allows businesses to block these attempts with firewalls and cyber protection services that keep hackers out of your system.
Comparatively, compliance is a necessary part of your business operations, it doesn’t protect against cyberattacks like IT security does. To adequately protect your business from legal ramifications and data breaches alike, it’s essential to be compliant and secure with your information.
Industry-Specific Compliance Regulations
While there are compliance regulations that affect all sectors, like PCI-DSS and there are some regulations that are more industry-specific than others.
Law firms deal with highly confidential information and data breaches can harm human life. Because of that, there are strict rules and regulations for cyber-compliance.
When it comes to the legal sector, the following regulations will apply:
- Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Regulations: regulates those who sell and trade securities, protecting investors to maintain fair and efficient markets.
- The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX): secures the public against corporate fraud and misrepresentation by overseeing financial reports.
The healthcare industry deals with a wide variety of patient information, from medical records, prescriptions, and even genetic makeup. There are many compliance laws governing the healthcare industry, a sampling of the cyber-compliance laws in the healthcare industry includes:
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): regulates the electronic creation, storage, and transmission of protected health information from healthcare organizations and any organization that partners with them.
- Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act (GINA): protects individuals against discrimination based on their genetic information in health coverage and in employment.
The financial sector is full of highly confidential information. Because of this, regulatory agencies hold financial companies to especially high standards. Some may or may not apply to your business needs:
- Gramm-Leach Bliley Act (GLBA): protects personal financial information by requiring financial institutions to disclose what consumer information they share and why.
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): regulates how companies manage personal customer data and ensure businesses can only access data after an individual has explicitly opted in.
- Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC): prevents unauthorized disclosure within a bank’s internal networks and among shared external networks.
- Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction (FACT) Act: requires reasonable written policies and procedures regarding the accuracy and integrity of the consumer information that protects against identity theft
- Patriot Act: requires businesses to properly identify the identity of any person seeking to open an account using verification.
Schools and institutions across the United States face a difficult balance of protecting students’ data while ensuring staff has open access to the tools and information they need.
Here is a list of compliance laws in the education sector:
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA): a federal law that protects the privacy of students’ educational records.
- The Clery Act: requires schools to provide public notice of on-campus crime, report crime statistics, and take steps to prevent crimes.
- Title IX: prohibits sex-based discrimination at institutions receiving federal funds for education programs.
- Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA): stipulates how businesses ought to collect and store the personal data of individuals of children under 13 years of age.
Local governments need to be aware of the complex legal and technical challenges that threaten their success and should keep up compliant with industry regulations to ensure a smooth operation.
Common compliance laws for the government sector include:
- US breach laws: protects consumer privacy that changes from state to state.
- European Union General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR): affects any organization that processes personal information of any EU residents in order to maintain their privacy
- Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (FISMA): developed by NIST, it ensures that information security management processes from federal agencies are integrated with specific planning processes.
Challenges with adhering to industry compliance
One of the most significant challenges following cybersecurity compliance is that each industry is subject to its own specific rules and regulations. If you are an employee or small business owner, you are not likely aware of the differences in rules specific to your business.
Ensuring security and compliance can save your business millions of dollars in potential fines and data breaches which can provide the longevity of your business, which is why it’s important to work with an MSP to find the best compliance integration for your business.Ready to get started? Contact our cybersecurity experts at Innovative Network Solutions Corp to get your business compliant. | <urn:uuid:ee16f656-9d95-4232-ac09-4b84bdf1276f> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.inscnet.com/blog/it-compliance-which-regulations-apply-to-my-business/ | 2024-09-16T22:52:43Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651714.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20240916212424-20240917002424-00635.warc.gz | en | 0.931762 | 1,105 | 2.5625 | 3 |
IP addressing is one of the key lessons of networking. We use IPv4 addresses and IPv6 addresses on our networks for layer 3. There are different ip address types and in this lesson, we will focus on one of these ip address types. Here, we will focus Private ip addresses, in other words, we will learn the details of Private ip address ranges for both IPv4 and IPv6. We will also give private ip address examples for them.
Table of Contents
Private ip addresses are the ip address which are used on only local networks. Private ip ranges cannot be used on Internet. They are local ip addresses which can be used millions of times in different local networks. These addresses do not need to be unique in the world. They are not like unique Public ip addresses. They are the ip addresses assigned to our PC from our local DHCP Server. With NAT, we can use these ip addresses to go through internet. With NAT, private range ip addresses is translated to a public IP assigned by your Internet Service Provider.
When we talk about private ip addresses, we mean IPv4 private ip ranges. But there are also private ip address range for IPv6. And IPv6 private addresses are called IPv6 Unique Local Addresses. Like IPv4 private IP addresses, IPv6 Unique Local Addresses can not be used on Internet too.
There are different private ip address ranges used in networking. These private range addresses are used in local networks. They are not routable on Internet.
There are three IPv4 private ranges for Class A, Class B and Class C ip address ranges. These private ip address ranges are given below:
Class A range has 8 network bits and 24 host bits.
Class B range has 16 network bits and 16 host bits.
Class C range has 24 network bits and 8 host bits.
Like IPv4, IPv6 has also private IP address ranges. They are not routable addresses and so, we can not use these ranges on Internet too. To use these addresses on Internet, you need IPv6 NAT. Unique local addresses are used for local communication.
So, what are IPv6 private address ranges? Here there are two IPv6 private address ranges. These are given below:
FC00::/7 is the reserved IPv6 private address range by IANA.
FD00::/7 is the used IPv6 private range now.
Both. Do not mixed your mind with the question, “which one is Unique Local address range, FC00::/7 or FD00::/7?”. Both of them are private ipv6 address range but one of them is reserved for future use.
IPv6 Unique Local Addresses has 7 fixed bits at the beginning. But 8. Bit can change. This 8. Bit shows that if the address is locally assigned or it is reserved.
Now, let ‘s give some examples to private ip addresses. Firstly, let’s give a couple of example to different IPv4 private ip address ranges. You can increase these private ip address examples.
Now, let’s give private ip address examples for IPv6. In other words, let ‘s write IPv6 Unique local address examples:
169.254.0.1-169.254.255.254 ip range is the ip range used by operating systems to assign ip address automatically. If you have no manual ip address configuration and your DHCP server is unavailable, then operating system assigns an ip address to your device. These ip addressing is called APIPA (Automatic Private IP Addressing). These ip address range is not the ip address range that oyu will use your regular network operation.
To learn your Private IP address, you can check it with different commands on different operating systems.
If you are using Windows, you can use “ipconfig” command to display your private ip address and the other ip parameters.
If you are using Linux, you can use “ifconfig” command to display your private ip address and the other ip parameters.
Lastly, if your device is running MacOS for example if it is an IPhone or IPAD, you can go to settings, then click Wi-Fi. And, click the your network’s name. You will find your private ip address and other ip parameters there.
To learn our public IP address, in other words, to learn our global IP address assigned by your service provider, we will use a well-known website, Whatismyipaddress.
When you open this website, it will give you your Public IPv4 and IPv6 Addresses.
IP addresses are managed by IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) in the world. IANA assigns these number to RIRs (Regional Internet Registries). And RIRs assign these ranges to the Companies or Service Providers. Lastly, service providers give these ip addresses to you. This is for Public IPv4 addresses or IPv6 Global Unicast addresses.
You can use any of IPv6 private ip addresses or IPv6 Unique local addresses in your local network. They are not unique in the world. Any device in the world can use any of these private ip address ranges.
Question 1: Which one is NOT one of the Private IP Address Ranges?
a) 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255
b) 18.104.22.168 to 22.214.171.124
c) 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255
d) 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255
Question 2: Fill in the blanks: Class B range has … network bits and … host bits.
Question 3: What is the range of APIPA?
a) 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255
b) 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255
d) 126.96.36.199 to 188.8.131.52
e) 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255
Question 4: Which ipv4 address classes are used for private ip address range? (Select 3)
a) Class A
b) Class B
c) Class C
d) Class D
e) Class E
Question 5: How many available addresses are there for a Class C Private IP Range?
Answers: 1)b 2)e 3)c 4)a,b,c 5)a | <urn:uuid:e45542f3-6f42-4355-815c-589dfe401b05> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://ipcisco.com/lesson/private-ipv4-address-ranges/ | 2024-09-18T05:15:56Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651836.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20240918032902-20240918062902-00535.warc.gz | en | 0.904209 | 1,351 | 3.359375 | 3 |
How is artificial intelligence changing open source intelligence?
Open source intelligence (OSINT) refers to the gathering of information from publicly available sources, including the Internet. Artificial intelligence has made significant progress in recent years and is likely to have a significant impact on open source intelligence in the future.
1. Automate the data collection process.
Artificial intelligence algorithms can quickly scan large amounts of information and identify relevant data, which will save open source intelligence practitioners time and effort. This increased efficiency will allow open source intelligence practitioners to focus on deeper analysis and interpretation of the information they collect.
2. Improve the accuracy of data collection.
Artificial intelligence algorithms can spot patterns in data that a human observer might not immediately see. They can also cross-reference information from different sources to verify its accuracy. This will increase the reliability of information gathered through open source intelligence and reduce the risk of misinformation.
3. Realize the analysis of larger data sets.
Traditional open source intelligence approaches often rely on human analysis, which can be time-consuming and limited by the amount of information that can be processed. Artificial intelligence algorithms, on the other hand, can analyze huge data sets and identify trends and patterns in real time. This will allow open source intelligence practitioners to gain a more complete picture of the information they collect.
4. Realize real-time monitoring.
Artificial intelligence algorithms scan the internet in real time and alert open source intelligence practitioners to new information as it emerges. This is especially useful for organizations that need to monitor emerging incidents and respond quickly to changing conditions.
5. Make open source intelligence more accessible to more organizations and individuals.
Artificial intelligence algorithms can automate many of the time-consuming and technical aspects of open source intelligence, which will make this information more accessible and usable by organizations and individuals with limited resources.
In conclusion, Artificial intelligence will revolutionize open source intelligence by improving its efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility. As Artificial intelligence technology continues to advance, it could have a profound impact on how open source intelligence is conducted, and organizations and individuals will be able to use this information to make more informed decisions.
銆怬pen Source Intelligence銆戔棌5 Hacking Forums Accessible by Web Browsers
【News】●AI-generated fake image of Pentagon explosion goes viral on Twitter
銆怰esources銆戔棌The 27 most popular AI Tools in 2023
【Open Source Intelligence】●10 core professional competencies for intelligence analysts
【Artificial Intelligence】●Advanced tips for using ChatGPT-4
銆怰esources銆戔棌The Achilles heel of AI startups: no shortage of money, but a lack of training data
銆怤ews銆戔棌Access control giant hit by ransom attack, NATO, Alibaba, Thales and others affected | <urn:uuid:ccdc19f1-220c-48f3-81a6-cbdfed862115> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://knowlesys.com/osint/how_is_artificial_intelligence_changing_open_source_intelligence.html | 2024-09-19T11:46:30Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652028.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20240919093719-20240919123719-00435.warc.gz | en | 0.891175 | 598 | 3.328125 | 3 |
Disaster recovery planning has become an essential element of any well-rounded IT strategy. As we grow more dependent on digital infrastructure and data-centric operations, organizations must gear up for the possible disruptions that both natural and human-made disasters can cause. Crafting a solid disaster recovery plan is crucial for reducing downtime, safeguarding data integrity, and ensuring business operations bounce back swiftly.
Managed service providers (MSPs) play a crucial role in this area, bringing specialized knowledge to develop recovery strategies tailored to specific business needs and regulatory demands. But disaster recovery planning isn’t just about data backup—it’s a comprehensive approach aimed at restoring IT system functionality quickly and securely after a crisis hits.
This process involves not just data replication but also setting precise recovery time goals and establishing detailed procedures to maintain business continuity. It includes everything from assessing potential threats and vulnerabilities to creating, implementing, and consistently testing the recovery plan. Effective communication is vital, too—both within the disaster recovery team and throughout the entire organization—to execute recovery strategies effectively during and after an unexpected event.
- Disaster recovery planning is a critical element for safeguarding business continuity in IT operations.
- MSPs play a key role in formulating and executing customized disaster recovery strategies.
- Regular testing and updating of the disaster recovery plan are vital for effective crisis management.
Understanding Disaster Recovery in IT
A robust disaster recovery plan is crucial for maintaining a resilient IT strategy, ensuring that an organization can effectively respond to and recover from disruptive events.
Defining Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
Disaster recovery (DR) refers to the specific steps an organization takes to resume operations following an incident. At its core, it focuses on restoring IT infrastructure, including data, hardware, and software, that are vital for business functions. The overarching aim is to minimize downtime and data loss.
In contrast, business continuity encompasses a broader scope, addressing the need for an organization to continue operations during and after a disaster. While DR is an integral component of business continuity, it specifically zeroes in on IT system resilience.
- Key Aspects of Disaster Recovery:
- Data Restoration: Implementing effective data backup solutions.
- IT Hardware: Ensuring the availability of necessary hardware to resume operations.
- Software Systems: Recovering access to and functionality of key software applications.
- Business Continuity vs. Disaster Recovery:
- Continuity Planning: Aims at the continuation of critical business operations.
- Disaster Recovery: Focuses on IT systems recovery post-disaster.
The Role of IT in Disaster Recovery
The IT department’s role is pivotal in disaster recovery planning, as they architect and manage the disaster recovery process. IT formulates the disaster recovery plan, which includes clear, actionable steps for restoring IT functionality after a disruptive event. Critical tasks involve data backups, recovery testing, and ensuring that all staff are trained to respond as necessary.
Responsibilities of IT in Disaster Recovery include:
- Designing robust backup strategies to safeguard data integrity.
- Creating clear protocols for disaster declaration and response.
- Implementing redundant systems and networks to mitigate the risk of a single point of failure.
- Regularly testing and updating the disaster recovery plan to ensure it remains effective in the face of evolving threats and technology.
Each entity – data, hardware, software, and personnel – plays an indispensable role in crafting an IT strategy resilient enough to withstand and recover from disasters. With proper disaster recovery planning, an organization can protect its resources and ensure seamless business continuity.
Essential Components of a Disaster Recovery Plan
A comprehensive disaster recovery plan is critical for ensuring a swift recovery of IT operations following an unforeseen event. This section outlines the core elements necessary to establish a solid foundation for any robust IT strategy.
Inventory of IT Assets
The first step in disaster recovery planning is creating a detailed inventory of all IT assets. This encompasses hardware, software, and data. An organization must maintain a current list of these assets along with their configurations and interdependencies. It ensures that nothing critical is overlooked during the recovery process.
- Hardware: Servers, workstations, routers, switches, and other networking equipment.
- Software: Operating systems, applications, and management tools.
- Data: Storage systems, databases, and critical files.
Data Backup Strategies
Data backup is a keystone in disaster recovery. It ensures that the organization can restore its information following a disaster. Strategies should include not only the type of backups, such as full, incremental, or differential, but also the backup schedules and the storage locations, factoring in both onsite and offsite contingencies.
- Onsite Backup: Provides quick access in case of system failures or data corruption.
- Offsite Backup: Essential for recovery in case of physical damage to the primary location due to disasters like fires or floods.
Defining RPO and RTO
The objectives that guide the disaster recovery efforts are crucial:
- Recovery Point Objective (RPO) refers to the maximum acceptable amount of data loss measured in time.
- Recovery Time Objective (RTO) is the targeted duration of time within which a business process must be restored after a disaster to avoid unacceptable consequences.
A thorough analysis is required to establish RPO and RTO targets, which will determine the systems and applications‘ priorities and dictate the necessary resources to meet these objectives.
Identifying and Analyzing Potential Threats
A robust disaster recovery plan begins with a thorough risk assessment, identifying specific potential threats and adapting strategies to mitigate them. This assessment is a crucial component of any IT strategy, ensuring business continuity in the face of disruptions.
Natural Disasters and Regional Risks
Natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes pose significant threats to IT infrastructure. Businesses must consider their geographical location’s regional disasters and historical data when planning for such events. For instance, companies located in the Pacific Ring of Fire should prepare for seismic activities, while those in coastal areas need to plan for hurricanes and flooding.
- Risk assessment: Include regional natural disaster patterns.
- Network connectivity: Establish multiple redundancy plans.
- Pandemic: Incorporate flexible remote work capabilities.
Cybersecurity Threats and Software Failures
Cyberattacks are increasingly sophisticated, targeting businesses of all sizes. Ransomware, phishing, and other malicious exploits can cripple network connectivity, leading to data loss and financial damage. Similarly, software failures can unexpectedly disrupt business operations. Regular updates, strong firewalls, and anti-malware tools are essential for protecting against these threats.
- Potential threats: List common cyber threats and software vulnerabilities.
- Risk assessment: Evaluate security measures and backup procedures.
- Cyberattack and software failure: Craft immediate response strategies.
Regular scenario-based training and simulations can help businesses prepare for and quickly respond to both natural and digital catastrophes, minimizing downtime and ensuring rapid recovery.
Developing Effective Recovery Strategies
Developing effective recovery strategies is pivotal for IT strategy integration with disaster recovery planning. This ensures seamless business continuity, with a focus on systematic backup, failover processes, and a well-defined response plan to manage critical functions during a disaster.
Failover and Redundancy Planning
Failover planning involves setting up systems that automatically switch to a redundant or standby server, system or network upon the failure of the regular setup. Organizations must determine the Recovery Time Objective (RTO) for each critical function to decide the allowable downtime and the necessary level of redundancy. Establishing redundancy across data centers or cloud services ensures data availability and access, minimizing disruptions in service.
Establishing a Structured Response Plan
A structured response plan outlines the actions to take in the event of a disaster. It addresses roles, responsibilities, and backup procedures. The plan should detail the prioritization of tasks to recover vital IT systems, with clear channels of communication and decision-making authority. It is critical to regularly test and update the response plan to account for new risks or changes in the IT infrastructure.
- Critical Response Actions:
- Immediate assessment of the incident.
- Notification of the disaster recovery team.
- Activation of failover systems.
- Plan Maintenance: Regular drills. Updates to reflect IT changes. Continuous improvements based on test results.
Implementing a Robust Communication Plan
A comprehensive communication plan is the linchpin of disaster recovery in IT strategy. It ensures the continuous flow of information among all parties involved during a crisis, maintaining a command over the situation at hand.
Coordinating with Stakeholders
- Identification: The first step is to identify all stakeholders who need to be part of the disaster recovery process. This includes internal management, employees, customers, vendors, and external partners.
- Roles and Responsibilities: Clearly define the roles and responsibilities for each stakeholder. Assign specific individuals to disseminate information to avoid confusion.
- Law Enforcement and Emergency Responders: Establish and maintain contact information for local law enforcement and emergency responders as they are critical to the coordination during a disaster.
Internal and External Communication
- Channels of Communication: Utilize multiple communication channels such as intranet, mass notification systems, and secure mobile messaging to reach different audiences.
- Procedure Documentation: Document standard procedures for both internal and external communications. This should include chain of command, messaging templates, and protocol for sensitivity of information.
- Regular Updates: In a disaster, frequent updates help keep stakeholders informed and engaged, reducing misinformation and panic.
- Training: Conduct regular training sessions so all parties are aware of the communication plan and comfortable with their role within it.
By implementing these strategies, organizations can effectively maintain communication during crises, leading to streamlined disaster recovery planning and execution.
The Importance of Regular Testing and Drills
Incorporating regular testing and drills into an IT strategy ensures that disaster recovery planning is not only theoretical but practical and effective. These exercises validate the recovery process, minimize downtime, and ensure that procedures are current and actionable during disruptive events.
Simulating Disruptive Events
Testing disaster recovery plans by simulating disruptive events is essential for identifying potential weaknesses within an IT infrastructure. By systematically causing failures—such as power outages, cyber attacks, or hardware malfunctions—organizations can assess how their networks and systems withstand these disruptions. Key objectives during simulations include:
- ** response time**: measuring how quickly the IT team can react.
- ** recovery**: evaluating the effectiveness of restoration procedures.
- ** performance**: understanding the impact on operations and identifying the thresholds for acceptable levels of service.
Review and Update Procedures
Post-testing review sessions are crucial for refining disaster recovery plans. These reviews often reveal procedural gaps or outdated steps that need updating. A structured approach to these reviews might include:
- Documenting Findings: Clearly noting what worked and what did not.
- Analyzing Performance: Comparing recovery times against predefined objectives.
- Updating the Plan: Implementing learned improvements into the current procedures.
Continuous improvement helps maintain resilience, ensuring that the disaster recovery plan evolves alongside new threats and changing business requirements.
Leveraging Cloud Services for Disaster Recovery
Incorporating cloud services into disaster recovery planning is a strategic move for safeguarding IT assets. Cloud-based disaster recovery solutions offer flexibility, scalability, and cost-efficiency, reshaping how organizations approach data protection and system recovery.
Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) is a cloud-based model that enables organizations to back up their data and IT infrastructure in a third-party cloud computing environment. DRaaS allows for the replication and hosting of physical or virtual servers to provide failover in the event of a natural or human-induced disaster.
- Key Components of DRaaS:
- Replication: Continuous copying of data to ensure up-to-date recovery points.
- Failover: Automatic switching to a standby database, server or network if the primary system fails.
- Failback: Restoration process to the original or new infrastructure after the disaster is resolved.
Advantages of Cloud-Based Recovery Solutions
- Cloud services allow for easy scaling of resources to meet the growing storage needs without the need for physical data center expansions.
- With a cloud-based solution, companies only pay for the storage and services they use, eliminating the capital expense of maintaining physical servers off-site.
Flexibility and Rapid Recovery:
- Cloud-based disaster recovery ensures flexibility with various options for data backup, from full-scale server replication to incremental backups. Rapid recovery is facilitated by immediate failover capabilities.
Data Protection and Compliance:
- Top-notch security measures are inherent to cloud services, providing enhanced data protection. Compliance with regulations is streamlined as many service providers are compliant with industry standards.
By integrating DRaaS into their IT strategy, organizations can capitalize on a robust approach to disaster recovery, ensuring business continuity with minimal downtime.
Compliance and Regulatory Considerations
Disaster recovery planning is not only a strategic IT initiative but also a compliance mandate. This section delves into why meeting regulatory requirements and adhering to data security laws are critical components of disaster recovery planning.
Meeting Industry-Specific Requirements
Organizations are subjected to a spectrum of industry-specific regulations which dictate the need for disaster recovery strategies. Ensuring compliance involves conducting a thorough Business Impact Analysis to understand the potential consequences of disruptions. Compliance standards often require detailed planning for worst-case scenarios, including complete IT infrastructure outages. Entities like healthcare or financial services, overseen by HIPAA and FINRA respectively, are compelled to follow stringent disaster recovery protocols to protect sensitive data and maintain system integrity. For these sectors, disaster recovery plans are not merely recommendations; they are compulsory, often with detailed prescriptions for data availability and recoverability.
Data Security and Privacy Laws
Disaster recovery planning also intersects significantly with data security and privacy laws. Organizations must ensure that their disaster recovery strategy complies with laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). These laws mandate robust protection of personal data, and as such, recovery plans should include measures that protect data integrity and confidentiality during and after a recovery process. In the event of a data breach or loss, companies must demonstrate due diligence in protecting data to avoid penalties. Proper disaster recovery measures can be critical in maintaining compliance and may also influence insurance premiums and coverage options for cyber-related incidents.
Ensuring Continued Business Operations
To safeguard the resilience of business operations, a robust strategy must combine diligent business continuity planning with measures to reduce financial and reputational damage.
Business Continuity Planning
Business Continuity Planning (BCP) is the strategic outline of procedures that an organization employs to maintain essential functions during and after a disaster. It extends beyond IT to encompass all aspects of business operations, ensuring that critical services remain uninterrupted. A comprehensive BCP includes:
- Risk Assessment: Identify threats and the likelihood of their occurrence.
- Business Impact Analysis (BIA): Determine the potential effects of interruptions on business operations.
- Recovery Strategies: Develop methods to maintain and restore business operations, such as data backups and alternative communication channels.
- Plan Development: Create a documented procedure inclusive of recovery protocols and responsibilities.
Minimizing Financial and Reputational Impact
The financial and reputational implications of operational downtime are significant. Disaster recovery planning directly addresses these areas:
- Prevent Financial Losses: By preparing for rapid systems restoration, organizations reduce the risk of significant revenue gaps and additional recovery expenses.
- Sustain Reputation: Effective disaster recovery planning limits the duration of service disruptions, preserving customer trust and company credibility.
Every organization should recognize the centrality of disaster recovery planning within their IT strategy. Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can provide expertise in crafting and implementing these plans to protect the continuity of business operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crafting a disaster recovery plan is crucial for any IT strategy to ensure minimal disruption during unforeseen events. This section answers common queries regarding the development and execution of these plans.
What are the essential components of a disaster recovery plan?
A comprehensive disaster recovery plan includes an asset inventory, a prioritized list of IT functions, clear recovery objectives, detailed recovery procedures, roles and responsibilities, and communication protocols to ensure transparency and coordination during a disaster.
How does a disaster recovery plan differ from a business continuity plan?
While disaster recovery planning focuses on restoring IT infrastructure and data access, a business continuity plan encompasses a wider scope, aiming to maintain all essential functions of the organization with minimal downtime after a disaster or disruption.
What critical factors should businesses consider when devising a disaster recovery strategy?
Businesses should consider recovery time objectives, recovery point objectives, resource availability, data criticality, communication plans, and regulatory compliance when creating a disaster recovery strategy.
What role do managed service providers play in implementing disaster recovery plans for IT systems?
Managed service providers (MSPs) support the implementation of disaster recovery plans by offering expertise in technologies, tools, and strategies. They work to design, test, and oversee recovery solutions tailored to the specific IT needs of the organization. | <urn:uuid:87e3221a-9014-4190-b6f4-20ba5e6c1da7> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.consultcra.com/disaster-recovery-planning-essential-for-robust-it-strategies-and-msp-support/ | 2024-09-08T13:55:05Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651002.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908115103-20240908145103-00535.warc.gz | en | 0.914548 | 3,533 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Have you ever had a user upload a corporate file to a consumer cloud storage service like Google Drive? Has a user ever tried to forward a work email outside the corporate domain? Has a user ever lost a USB drive with data on it? Has an abnormal amount of data ever been transferred outside your network?
These are all examples of ways to prevent intentional or accidental data loss within your organization.
Who Could Benefit From DLP?
DLP is more often used in industries that face regulation, such as:
However, as SMBs may be less likely to have a formal program, they have become a prime target for hackers.
How Does DLP Work?
DLP typically is a software product that network administrators use to control the transfer of data among users in your organization. This product would aid in denying users the ability to commit any of those examples listed above.
Data exists in three states:
Data in use - Data is being processed by an app or endpoint. DLP can authenticate users and control their access.
Data in motion - Data is being transferred across a network. DLP mitigates the risk that it will be transferred outside via FTP, email, or a number of other methods.
Data at rest - Data is in storage. DLP ensures that only authorized users should be able to access it, and tracks the data if it is leaked or stolen.
Identify sensitive data.
Scan data in motion, in use, and at rest.
Remediate actions such as alerting, prompting, quarantining, blocking, and encrypting.
Report for compliance, auditing, forensics, and incident response purposes.
What Happens If I Don’t Have A DLP Strategy?
About 34% of companies experience a data breach because of an accident, according to Breach Level Index.
That’s because employees often aren’t aware of best practices for cybersecurity. A security awareness program is a crucial factor in helping, but having a DLP strategy is another way to make sure that only the people who should be accessing and transferring data are the ones doing so.
Companies that lose data could see:
Their brand, goodwill, and reputation diminish.
Their value reduced.
Loss of customers.
Accidents happen, but often, they can be prevented.
Mitigate data loss in your organization today by adding a DLP strategy to your cybersecurity plan. | <urn:uuid:166594e7-26d0-43f0-889f-ffa19d06dcdc> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://blog.integrityts.com/data-loss-prevention-employees | 2024-09-10T23:15:58Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651323.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910224659-20240911014659-00335.warc.gz | en | 0.949549 | 498 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Access keys provide a way to quickly use a command by pressing a few keys, no matter where you are in the program. Every command in Office Word 2007 can be accessed by using an access key. You can get to most commands by using two to five keystrokes. To discover and use an access key: [more]
- Press ALT while in MS Word 2007 and the KeyTips will be displayed over each feature that is available in the current view.
The above image was excerpted from Training on Microsoft Office Online. - Press the letter shown in the KeyTip over the feature that you want to use.
- Depending on which letter you press, you may be shown additional KeyTips. For example, if the tab is active and you press I, the tab is displayed, along with the KeyTips for the groups on that tab.
- Continue pressing letters until you press the letter of the command or control that you want to use. In some cases, you must first press the letter of the group that contains the command.
- To cancel the action that you are taking and hide the KeyTips, press ALT. | <urn:uuid:87d7f304-175c-497b-8c17-79c442bce66b> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://conetrix.com/blog/navigating-the-word-2007-ribbon-user-interface | 2024-09-11T01:00:28Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651323.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20240910224659-20240911014659-00335.warc.gz | en | 0.914121 | 232 | 3.28125 | 3 |
This chapter includes the following topics:
- Understanding Transport Protocol Limitations
- Understanding Transmission Control Protocol Fundamentals
- Overcoming Transport Protocol Limitations
- Overcoming Link Capacity Limitations
The previous chapters have discussed how to align network resources with business priority and application requirements, as well as techniques that can be applied within the network and accelerator devices to improve the overall performance of an application over the network. Techniques employed in the network, such as quality of service (QoS), can help align available network capacity with application throughput requirements or adjust queuing and scheduling for a specific application that might be latency sensitive. Application data caching, read-ahead, prediction, and CDN capabilities can help mitigate the unnecessary utilization of bandwidth for redundant object transfers and also mitigate latency by handling the majority of the workload locally or in a more optimized fashion.
You can, however, employ more generic layers of optimization, which can work across multiple applications concurrently. This type of optimization, commonly called WAN optimization, generally refers to functions that are commonly found in accelerator devices (such as standalone appliances or router-integrated modules) that overcome performance limitations caused by transport protocols, packet loss, and capacity limitations.
WAN optimization capabilities make the WAN a more tolerable place for applications to live by removing the vast majority of performance barriers that the WAN creates. For instance, advanced network compression can be applied to improve performance by minimizing the amount of data that needs to traverse the WAN. A secondary benefit of this is that, in many cases, fewer exchanges of data need to occur over the WAN as well, thereby mitigating the latency associated with the number of roundtrip exchanges that would have been necessary. TCP optimization, on the other hand, is commonly used to allow nodes to more efficiently use available resources and minimize the impact of loss and latency in a WAN.
This chapter examines how WAN optimization capabilities overcome performance barriers created by WAN conditions. Keep in mind that, in terms of accelerator products, you can use WAN optimization capabilities in conjunction with other optimization technologies that are application-specific, as described in Chapter 4, "Overcoming Application-Specific Barriers." Furthermore, assuming the architecture of the accelerator is transparent, you can use these optimization technologies in conjunction with network-oriented functions that provide visibility and control.
Understanding Transport Protocol Limitations
What is a transport protocol and how does it create performance limitations? Most people wonder how TCP (or other transport protocols) could ever become a bottleneck, simply because it always seems to just "work." In an internetwork, a layer must exist between applications and the underlying network infrastructure. This layer, called the transport layer, not only helps to ensure that data is moved between nodes, but also helps nodes understand how the network is performing so that they can adapt accordingly.
While the transport layer is an unlikely candidate for application performance woes, it can become a problem, primarily because the transport protocols in broad use today were designed in 1981. Today's application demands and network topologies differ greatly from the networks of the early 1980s. For instance, 300 baud was considered blazing fast at the time that TCP was created. Congestion was largely due to a handful of nodes on a shared network of limited scale rather than the complex, high-speed, hierarchical networks such as the Internet, which is plagued with oversubscription, aggregation, and millions of concurrent users each contending for available bandwidth. Applications in 1981 were commonly text-oriented applications (and largely terminal-oriented), whereas today even the most ill-equipped corporate user can easily move files that are tens upon hundreds of megabytes in size during a single transfer.
Although the network has changed, TCP remains relevant in today's dynamic and ever-changing network environment. TCP has undergone only minor changes in the past 25 years, and those changes are in the form of extensions rather than wholesale rewrites of the protocol. Although there are some more modern transport protocols that have roots in TCP, many are considered developmental projects only and currently have limited deployment in the mainstream.
Another important consideration relative to today's enterprise networking and application environments is the cost and available capacity of LAN technology versus declining WAN technology costs. In effect, network bandwidth capacity has steadily increased over the past 20 years; however, the cost of LAN bandwidth capacity has dropped at a rate that is more dramatic per bit/second than the rate at which the cost of an equivalent amount of WAN bandwidth capacity has dropped.
The ever-increasing disparity between WAN and LAN bandwidth presents challenges in the form of throughput. Applications and access to content have become more enabled for LAN users as LAN bandwidth has increased; however, the same level of access to those applications and content has not become more enabled for WAN users given the far different cost versus bandwidth capacity increase metrics that the WAN has undergone. Put simply, the rate of bandwidth increase found in the WAN is not keeping pace with the LAN, and this creates performance challenges for users who are forced to access information over the WAN. In this way, the LAN has enabled faster access to a much more network-intensive set of data. At the same time, the WAN has not grown to the same degree from a capacity perspective or become achievable from a price perspective to allow the same level of access for nearly the same cost.
WAN optimization techniques (discussed later in this chapter, in the section "Accelerators and Compression") are considered adjacent and complementary to the techniques presented in earlier chapters; that is, they are implemented apart from network optimization (QoS and optimized routing) and application acceleration (caching, CDN, and other optimizations such as read-ahead). For instance, an object-layer application cache can leverage compression technologies during content distribution or pre-position jobs to improve throughput and ensure that the compression history is populated with the relevant content if the transfer of the objects in question takes place over the WAN.
In the opposite direction, a user has a read-write type of relationship with an object that has been opened through an accelerator's object cache, where that object has been validated against the origin server (in the case of a cached file). If that file is saved and written back to the origin server, the compression history and protocol optimizations (such as write-back optimization) can be leveraged to improve the write performance while saving bandwidth.
Compression techniques can be leveraged to minimize the bandwidth consumed and eliminate previously seen repetitive byte patterns. This not only helps to ensure that precious WAN bandwidth is conserved but also serves to improve the performance of the user experience because less bandwidth is needed. Consequently, fewer packet exchanges must occur before the operation completes.
Coupling compression and the application acceleration techniques discussed in previous chapters with optimizations to the transport protocol ensures that the WAN is used efficiently and the user experience is significantly optimized. In many cases, WAN users experience performance levels similar to those experienced when operating in a LAN environment. WAN optimization helps to overcome the constraints of the WAN while maintaining WAN cost metrics, preserving investment, and providing a solution for consolidating distributed server, storage, and application infrastructure.
Put simply, the network is the foundation for an application-fluent infrastructure, and an optimized foundation provides the core for application performance. Transport protocol optimization and compression (that is, WAN optimization) ensure that resources are used effectively and efficiently while overcoming performance barriers at the data transmission layer. Application acceleration works to circumvent application layer performance barriers. These technologies are all independent but can be combined cohesively to form a solution, as shown in Figure 6-1.
Figure 6-1 Application Acceleration and WAN Optimization Hierarchy | <urn:uuid:3e0be2e0-673a-4997-880c-507de64d8352> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.ciscopress.com/articles/article.asp?p=769557&seqNum=2 | 2024-09-12T06:16:37Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651422.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912043139-20240912073139-00235.warc.gz | en | 0.939748 | 1,562 | 2.78125 | 3 |
DNS is a fundamental building block of the Internet. Its responsibility is to locate and translate domain names to its corresponding Internet Protocol Addresses (IPv4 and IPv6). Changes and adaptations in the industry have occurred over time; more top-level domains, registries, and registrars have come into existence, mankind witnessed the “Dot-Com” bubble, and the Internet was adopted by more and more people. Despite all these events, the fundamental theory that governed the translation of a domain to an IP address remained valid and largely unchanged.
The Domain Name System was not primarily designed with security in mind. It was designed to be a scalable, public database which did not restrict access to its data. This exposed a lot of vulnerabilities in the system and led to multiple exploits.
The past few years witnessed an unprecedented increase in the number of DNS related exploits (spoofing, cache poisoning, DNS hijacking). This led to the development of security extensions for DNS called Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC).
DNS Vulnerabilities & Attacks
Most of the vulnerabilities and exploits are a result of the way DNS as a protocol has been implemented.
- DNS Cache Poisoning: Cache poisoning is an attack form that leads to the DNS servers caching false information regarding the Domain-IP mapping; the users are redirected to websites that they did not intend to visit. The poisoned cache information can spread from one server to another and this makes Cache poisoning extremely dangerous. DNS is a distributed system of servers; it does not depend on a single server alone to respond to incoming DNS queries. Caching in DNS happens at multiple levels:
- Our Local machines
- Nameservers for a Domain
- gTLD Servers
Now, what happens if an attacker gains access to one of the servers in the DNS system and changes the information on that server?
The poisoned entry is propagated across servers and may end up getting cached on the end user’s device.
The issue is not hypothetical. In the recent past, there have been multiple real instances. One such incident happened in 2010 when an ISP outside China configured its DNS Servers to fetch information from DNS Servers located in China. “The Great Firewall” of China is known for using Cache poisoning (poisoning its own cache) to redirect users of some websites to incorrect IP addresses. In this case, the ISP cached the response it received from a server in China which was later cached by other servers.
The poisoned cache spread from system to system and ended up blocking access to websites like Facebook, Google, and Twitter for some users in the US and Chile.
- DNS Hijacking: In DNS Hijacking, unlike cache poisoning, the DNS Cache is not altered. Hijackers update the DNS settings for a domain name to point to their own IPs. Once the DNS settings have been updated, the hijacker can redirect the users to his websites. This may also be used for phishing attacks or for making money by redirecting users to the websites which the hijacker wants them to visit.
DNS Hijacking and Cache poisoning/spoofing are two of the most commonly used forms of DNS attacks. There are attacks such as DDoS (Direct Denial of Service) and Amplification attacks which also exist.
Now we all know that DNS was not built with security in mind. We also know that it does not verify any credentials before accepting an answer. So, how do we make DNS more secure and robust with all these vulnerabilities and exploits around?
One of the most important steps that was taken to make DNS secure was the introduction of DNSSEC. In the sections below, we will read more about it and how it works.
DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) adds security to the Domain Name System by enabling the validation of DNS Responses. Correct implementation of DNSSEC makes DNS less vulnerable to a very common type of attack called DNS Spoofing.
DNSSEC uses public key cryptography to digitally sign the DNS records at the authoritative DNS server. Digital signing ensures that the DNS response originated from the stated source and allows us to validate the origin of the DNS record. It guarantees that we, the users of the system, get the correct IP address associated with a Domain name. It adds cryptographic signatures to the existing DNS resource records at the Authoritative DNS Servers.
DNSSEC as a protocol is not encrypted. The keys are used to sign the records and build a chain of trust. However, the packets are not encrypted as DNSSEC does not provide encryption.
DNSSEC works by establishing a chain of trust. This chain starts at the root “.” name servers. A copy of the root’s public key is held by DNSSEC enabled recursive nameservers. The Root servers form a trust with the TLD (Top Level Domain) servers and the TLD servers form a trust with the Authoritative servers of the Domain name.
The following Resource Records were introduced to aid signature validation under DNSSEC:
- RRSIG: Resource Record Signature -> The RRSIG record contains the signed Record. When querying a domain name for the A record on a signed zone, the A record is returned along with the RRSIG record. The RRSIG record contains the copy of signature used to verify it.
- DNSKEY: DNS Public Key -> DNSKEY is a record that holds the public key used to sign a Record or a DNS Zone. DNSKEY are of 2 types:
- Zone Signing Key (ZSK): It is used to sign records in a DNS Zone.
- Key Signing Key (KSK): It is used to sign the Zone Signing Key (ZSK) and create a chain of trust with its upper level.
- DS: Delegation Signer -> A DS record is present in the Parent Zone and it is used to verify the results returned when querying the Child Zone. For example, for the domain name: example.com, the DS record will be present in the .COM Zone.
- NSEC/NSEC3: Next Secure -> NSEC and NSEC3 are used for securely handling NXDOMAINS or Non-Existent Domain names in DNS. They are used to provide a signed response with a NXDOMAIN response stating there is no record.
DNSSEC uses public key cryptography to sign and authenticate DNS resource record sets (RRsets). The public keys are stored in DNSKEY resource records and are used in the DNSSEC authentication process. A zone signs its authoritative RRsets by using a private key and stores the corresponding public key in a DNSKEY Resource Record. A resolver can then use the public key to validate signatures covering the RRsets in the zone, and thus to authenticate them.
Requirements for DNSSEC Implementation
- For DNSSEC implementation, the domain’s parent zone and the parent’s parent zone, all the way up to the ROOT must support DNSSEC. Currently, out of the 1531 TLDs in the ROOT zone, 1386 are signed.
- The Domain Name’s Registrar must allow uploading the DS records to the parent zone.
- The Domain’s Hosting provider must support DNSSEC and the Management interface provided must allow adding DNSKEY, RRSIG, DNSSEC and other DNSSEC related records.
How DNSSEC Works?
DNS Zones can be secured with DNSSEC using a process called “Zone Signing.” For this, DNSSEC should be supported by the Authoritative Nameserver as well as the local resolver which in most of the cases belongs to the ISP.
- When a Zone is DNSSEC signed, the zone’s creator generates a key-value pair. This key-value pair lays the foundation of Public key encryption or asymmetrical encryption. DNS Responses are validated using these digital signatures which are included with DNS Responses. In public key encryption, the private key encrypts the message whereas the public key can be used to decrypt the message. In the Domain Namespace, the DNSKEY record present in the Zone file contains the public key.
- The Resource Records (A, CNAME, AAAA etc.) are digitally signed using the RRSIG record every single time there is an update to the Zone.
- The image above shows how RRSIG record is used to digitally sign the Resource Records like A, CNAME, SOA, NS and AAAA. The DNSKEY record contains the public key.
- For a DNSSEC enabled zone, the RRSIG record is sent back to the resolving server along with the response to the DNS query. When this response including the RRSIG is received by the resolving server, it asks for the public key (that is the DNSKEY record) for decryption.
- As we know by now, the RRSIG record is a digest/Hash of the resource record which is then encrypted. The RRSIG record accompanies any DNS Response for a DNSSEC enabled zone. Once the DNS Response and the corresponding RRSIG record for the response have been received by the resolving server, it needs a public key to decrypt the RRSIG.
- The resolving server creates a Hash of the resource record requested and once it receives the public key, it decrypts the RRSIG or the signature using that key and compares the 2 hashes or digests. A match means a valid signature.
- It is possible for malicious entities to spoof the DNS Response and the RRSIG record along with the public key being used to their own key pair. This can be avoided in DNSSEC using the DS Records or the Delegation Signer Records. We will read more about it in the next section where we will be looking at actual DIG commands to understand how DNSSEC works outside theory
DNSSEC USING DIG COMMANDS
Let’s have a look at some DIG queries to understand how DNSSEC works.
- Let’s use a DNS resolver that doesn’t support DNSSEC to query the NS record of example.com.
Command: dig +short NS example.com
The response we get is:
- Now, let’s run the same query with DNSSEC enabled.
Command: dig +short +dnssec NS example.com
NS 8 2 86400 20170601015854 20170511071922 61845 example.com. iM/F025H0BdVCjRkpt/IQfZRAfFHFGsPqS7fxJ+JwLMqeakpnHBDN3Mf 7U/O+ZoNrVFC+mvdeSJ351OiXymffnoD3X1Wp0J7xj6F33sD/gbEpw1d F8M1MNSTih31U+unIDEzNt0uPCghxfXuh2zLdEr9QmtBGBTPMKV16Pwl ikrV6s4=
As you can see, in this case, we received not just the NS record for the domain: example.com but also the RRSIG (Resource Record Signature). For any DNSSEC signed zone, each record set (RRset) has one or more RRSIG record. RRSIG records basically contain a signature which is generated after signing the result with the private key.
- Now, the next step is to verify if the signature returned is valid. In order to verify the validity of the signature, the DNS Resolver needs to obtain the “DNSKEY” record.
Command: dig +short DNSKEY example.com
In the screenshot above, we dig for the domain’s (example.com) DNSKEY.
- If you have a look at all the records that the resolver has at this stage, you will see that it has the NS records for the domain: example.com, their signature (in the form of RRSIG record) and the public key (DNSKEY record). The question now is whether establishing a trust within the domain’s zone (in this scenario: example.com) is enough? The answer to this question is NO. DNS is a hierarchical system where Zones do not work independently. The mapping of a Domain name to an IP Address involves multiple hierarchies starting from the Root and going all the way down to Authoritative Nameservers for a Domain. It is extremely important in DNSSEC to create a “chain of trust” between the multiple hierarchies.
- In DNSSEC, a chain of trust amongst hierarchies is created using the “Delegation Signer Record,” or DS record. It allows building a chain of trust between the parent zone and a child zone. The DNSKEY record is hashed by the entity managing the Zone and is shared with the parent zone. The parent zone publishes it as a DS Record. The parent zone provides a DS record every single time a resolver is referred to a child zone.
- DS Record serves 2 very important functions:
- It tells the DNS Resolver that the child zone is DNSSEC enabled
- Helps in validating the child zone’s public KSK (Key Signing Key). It is hashed by the Resolver and compared with the DS record from the parent. If they both match, the resolver can assume that the KSK has not been tampered and that all the records present in the child zone can be trusted.
- Any change to the KSK (Key Signing Key) requires the DS Record at the parent zone to be updated.
- For the domain: example.com, the DS record will not be present in example.com’s zone but in the zone file for .COM. The .COM zone also will have a DNSKEY record and the DS record would have been signed using its private key and associated an RRSIG record with it.
- The ROOT zone will also have a DS record signed using its private key, a DNSKEY Record and a RRSIG record.
- This hierarchy of trust and validations that exist between multiple levels of the Domain Name System is called the “Chain of Trust.”
DNSSEC is not a new concept, it was developed in 1994 but whether the cost and resources involved in its implementation are justified is still hotly debated. The Kaminsky bug in 2008 highlighted the importance of security with respect to DNS and created a buzz around “DNSSEC.” More than a couple of decades after its development, we are still arguing about its pros and cons.
In the next part of the blog, we will be looking at the possible applications of DNSSEC: DANE, TLSA Record and will be focusing on how to monitor DNSSEC efficiently using Catchpoint. | <urn:uuid:33c62186-3e8e-4600-853f-1f8a6740709d> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.catchpoint.com/blog/what-is-dnssec | 2024-09-14T17:10:03Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651580.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20240914161327-20240914191327-00035.warc.gz | en | 0.920492 | 3,119 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Companies of all sizes are victimized by clever hackers regularly. Business email compromise (BEC) often occur simply because a smooth criminal posed as a trusted source.
You may have heard of the term “social engineering” before, and that’s essentially what it is: malicious “social engineers” using manipulation, deception and influence to persuade an employee or contractor into unwittingly disclosing secure information— or to perform an action which grants unauthorized access to your information systems.
And social engineering happens more than you think, as one of the top two techniques used by criminals to steal from organizations just like yours. Educate your staff on the real dangers of social engineering by showing them a few examples of how a hacker might strike:
1. Hackers target via phishing emails or phone calls.
One of the most common forms of social engineering is phishing, whereas a hacker attempts to get your employee to click or download a malware-injected attachment to infect a company device— giving the bad guys a doorway in. These crafty emailers often masquerade as important leadership heads, pretending to be a manager or vendor that your staff member can trust. They also often instill a sense of urgency to open a file or perform a specific task, or even use fear to rush the recipients into making a rash judgement call.
But phishing emails aren’t the only practice; some hackers use pretext phone calls, AKA voice phishing (vishing)— calling business extensions and posing as authoritative figures to get your workers to share secrets or insider knowledge that’ll help hackers steal information too. We’ve all received threatening voicemails from people saying you were late on a payment or breaking compliance, eager to get you to call back in a panic and share your personal information (PI).
Whenever your staff finds an email in their mailbox with an attachment, remind them to think before they click. If they receive a suspicious voicemail, research and call the company, to confirm the call was legitimate.
2. Hackers can imitate a contact in your phone and text you.
There’s been buzz around tricky text messages for years: whereas hackers spam phone numbers with intimidating messages that say things like, “$500 was just withdrawn from your bank account, did you do it? If not, call this phone number,” NBC News illustrated as an example.
But hackers have picked up new tactics, now using software to pose as a trusted contact— so that you never really know who you’re messaging behind the screen. In one live keynote, for instance, Kevin Mitnick shows how easy it is to spoof a text from your partner or friend, discreetly asking you to do something (about 50 minutes in).
A criminal can easily attempt this tactic by posing as you to your employees. They simply request an action and specify, “don’t reply right now, I’m in a meeting” or another excuse that’ll buy them just enough time to get what they want before the target notices anything suspicious. Because of this, it’s always best to ask your staff to call and verify any request out of the norm before complying. Instill this sense in your employees, or better yet, create a protocol to double verify any request from an authority figure via text or email.
3. Hackers can find an easy way in if they know a mother’s maiden name.
Have you ever been asked to share your mother’s maiden name during a security screening? This answer was once thought of as a big trip-up for bad guys who stole names and credit card info, stopping them in their tracks.
But today’s elite hackers can access a database with easy search functionality for maiden names. All the bad actor needs to know is a first and last name and a rough estimate of your age to find it. And with the massive amount of personal information on public social media profiles, it’s not too hard to fill in the blanks with PI commonly asked in security inquiries.
As always, requiring multi factor authentication is preferred to avoid false authorization into your account. Some professionals even recommend providing incorrect PI answers when filling out your security questions, and storing your responses somewhere for safe reference, so as to avoid your questions being guessed. Be very cautious of who you share your mother’s maiden name or other personal information with, both online and in person, for this seemingly innocent info could be used to gain entrance into private portals.
4. Hackers can use social engineering tactics in person too, by gaining false entrance or asking to plug in an infected drive or cable.
Hackers aren’t exclusively cyber predators: they can take physical action to gain access into your systems as well. Besides the obvious breakin where the bad guy steals files or devices straight from your office, others can walk right through your door and steal info right before your nose.
Bad actors can use a device to steal employee credentials off proximity access cards. Depending on the strength of their toolset, identify your individual staff member's Card and Site IDs just by standing a few feet or inches away from the person carrying the fob. These clever cyber thieves can then gain access to the building after hours, and plug into a server to steal information.
Or, in other more public settings, the criminals can create a doorway through your security by simply plugging in a malware-infected USB stick or cable into your employee’s computer. All it could take is a simple question, “Hey, can I plug this in to print something?” or, “Do you mind if I charge my phone on this laptop?” to quickly give them remote access to your worker’s desktop and company servers beyond. To avoid this type of social engineering scheme, always remind your staff to think before plugging an unknown device into their computer, and be stern about not allowing unknown drives or cables to be plugged into company devices.
Show Live Examples of Social Engineering Threats
Hackers are always developing new ways to trick innocent people into exposing sensitive information for monetary gain.
Are you confident that your employees would know how to spot a social engineering attempt if it happened to them? If not, why not show them what one looks like in person?
Kevin Mitnick and his Global Ghost Team™ deliver live hacking demonstrations before audiences small and large, revealing exactly how bad actors target people. More importantly, they show you and your team exactly what you can do to prevent it.
Learn more about our presentation, “How Hackers Attack & How to Fight Back” and book the world’s leading authority on social engineering to build better security awareness today. | <urn:uuid:2b8937df-152b-43c2-81b2-9b70b6abaca2> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.mitnicksecurity.com/blog/ways-hackers-use-social-engineering-to-trick-your-employees | 2024-09-14T16:33:03Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651580.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20240914161327-20240914191327-00035.warc.gz | en | 0.940169 | 1,380 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Originally published by New Context.
If you are a watcher of classical movies (or have just been coerced into watching them by someone else), then you may recall viewing a switchboard scene where a row of employees are frantically trying to connect incoming callers to the appropriate department or individual within their organization. Although these situations generally provided some comic relief for the audience, they also highlighted a real-world issue that continues to exist—how to ensure that requests for communication access are properly routed to the intended recipient.
Having a well-defined and accessible point of entry for data communication is a perennial issue that today is played out in the cloud. However, communication in cyberspace today is between computers, or more accurately, between applications running on various computers. For enterprises, SMBs, and other entities operating in this environment, it is imperative to follow API management best practices not only to ensure that appropriate access is granted to authorized users, but also to ensure that attempts at unauthorized entry are thwarted.
The gatekeepers for API access are known as API endpoints. Let’s explore these important access points with special emphasis on how to balance accessibility to and security for your digital resources.
The gatekeeper analogy provides a good API endpoint definition. That is, access to an API cannot be granted without making a request to the endpoint. However, endpoints in themselves are simply locations or addresses, such as URLs, where requests from APIs are made. Conversely, endpoints also are the points from where responses to requests come. This simplicity does not reflect the critical importance of API endpoints to your cloud security architecture, which can best be explained by looking at how they are used.
Why are API endpoints so important? For starters, endpoints provide access to your resources. Without them, APIs could not acquire needed data to perform properly, which may result in the interruption of your normal business operations or real-time losses, perhaps in sales. Additionally, endpoints ensure that APIs which interact with them are functioning correctly. For example, it is mandatory that the right format be used; otherwise, requests should not be honored.
The most important aspect of endpoints is that they are an essential element of your API management security structure, as they provide direct access to resources and must be protected. Fortunately, there are good guidelines to achieve API endpoint security as discussed in the next section.
With the almost exclusive use of REST APIs today, the question of whether endpoints need to be protected is not moot. A more useful question is “How best to secure API endpoints?” Following guidelines that collectively help provide a robust security apparatus that does not stymie operations by limiting access, yet keeps your digital assets safe from cyber threats, is essential.
The guidelines listed above, collectively, provide a framework for strong API endpoint security, which is critical to cloud security. However, maintaining knowledge of the ever-increasing sources of cyber threats and the best solutions and tools to mitigate them is a daunting task for IT teams of any size organization. Therefore, the best way to protect API endpoints and the resources to which they provide access may be to seek guidance from an experienced digital transformation consultant. | <urn:uuid:7da7b450-f076-4615-bbd2-3567da3de95e> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.copado.com/resources/blog/api-endpoint-definition-and-implementation | 2024-09-20T19:56:08Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725701423570.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20240920190822-20240920220822-00435.warc.gz | en | 0.947782 | 644 | 2.78125 | 3 |
Introduction to API
Application programming Interfaces (API) are all over the Internet and they play a significant role in the day-to-day life of end users and we use it even without realizing it. Right from checking weather reports, booking hotels, login to google or social media accounts, choosing online payment methods while shopping on ecommerce sites everywhere APIs are used to create a better experience for us in the digital world.
Although APIs are making our lives easier, developers need to test them before using them on real time data. And at that point in time Postman was introduced, it is used by more than 7 million developers worldwide every month.
In this article we will learn more about the Postman tool, testing APIs with Postman, testing automation and much more.
What is Postman?
There are a number of ways in which APIs can be created, a web API is usually made using the REST (Representational State Transfer) framework. The REST framework sets a set of guidelines which should be followed while developing APIs. API is created to enable other applications to use the services, every stage in API development process involves testing, testing for functionality, handling exceptions, and security.
The Postman tool is much more than a simple API testing tool. Postman tool allows you to organize your API requests into collections and folders that share common values across requests with environment variables, script tests with built-in-node.js based runtime, and automate them with Newman – the command line runner for Postman.
It is a complete testing tool and a complete API development platform having various built-in tools which support every stage in API lifecycle. Postman tool allows to design, mock, debug, automate testing, document, monitor and publish APIs from a single place. Postman can be accessed via native apps for MacOS, Windows and Linux operating systems.
Evolution of Postman
The initial Postman was a Postman chrome App and used along with the Postman interceptor Chrome extension. The Google Postman extension was more widely accepted.
Pros of Postman
- Supports testing on different environments – the local environment is usually configured in a different way than test server, test collection which runs perfectly in test environment, may give issues in actual environment. The Postman tool allows you to store certain information about the different environments that you can use and automatically insert the correct environmental configuration for the test collection which you are running.
- Data Storage – Postman tool allows to store data from previous tests into global variables, and these can be used in a similar fashion as environmental variables. We can either store the response or some portion of the response and use it for calling subsequent APIs.
- Better integration – it is a unique interface which allows easily running a collection of tests right from the command line. Newman’s Postman command line interface (CLI) enables running the tests on systems not having GUI interfaces. It gives the ability to run a collection of tests from within most build tools.
Features of Postman
- Accessibility – is at ease one can login to their account and access files anytime
- Collection usage – it allows users to create collections of API calls
- Combination – collections and environments can be imported with ease or exported to share files
- Establishing environments – multiple environments can be setup to reuse same collection for different environment
- Creation of test cases – multiple test cases can be created to ensure complete test coverage
- Process automation – use of the collection Runner or New man, tests can run in multiple iterations to save time for repeat tests
- Data debugging – Postman console check what data has been retrieved to make debugging simpler
- Continuous integration – development processes can be maintained with continuous integration support
Using Postman to Automate API testing
It has a user-friendly interface which allows it to send API requests. We can create a new request or collection. HTTP requests such as POST, GET, DELETE etc. are listed to be chosen as per the need. In the Request URL tab you are required to enter the endpoint URL and click the Send button to send a request to the intended URL and receive a response.
Authorization is one feature which is required when we deal with a URL which is not open publicly and should have a username, token or password to use. As per the requirement Header with content type as JSON can be set.
Import function allows you to import an existing collection when Runner allows to execute automation tests.
Automated API testing is divided into four steps starting with manual testing of the APIs, then API response is received, based on previous two steps one can write test suites and execute these test suites from different endpoints and gather the results. | <urn:uuid:bdb75ec5-2b4f-43d0-a081-26ebabdae3eb> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://networkinterview.com/postman-api-development-platform/ | 2024-09-07T10:53:06Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700650826.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20240907095856-20240907125856-00799.warc.gz | en | 0.912258 | 960 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Protection Against Spoofing
When the Internet was in its early stages, the source address of a packet itself was considered sufficient to prove that the packet was really sent by this IP address. In early versions of UNIX, there is a whole command suite, the so-called "r-commands," such as rlogin, rcp, rsh, and so on, which rely on the IP address for authentication.
Today, IP address spoofing is an everyday occurrence in various types of attacks, and engineers have learned not to rely on the IP source address.
Since MPLS is a Layer 3 technology, users are concerned about spoofing on the MPLS network, both on the IP level and with the labels used by the MPLS protocols. Questions asked include "Can another VPN user spoof my IP address range to get into my VPN?" and "Can someone spoof VPN labels to intrude into my VPN?"
These questions can be easily answered:
- IP address spoofing— As discussed previously and shown in Figure 3-2, each VPN can use the entire theoretical IP address space, from 0.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255. A certain VPN site or host may indeed spoof IP addresses, but the spoofing will remain local to that VPN. This is, in fact, a strength of MPLS VPNs: the VPN user may use the entire address space, including fake addresses, and the VPN behaves like a physical network with just that VPN user. This is possible because the PE routers keep all packets within the VRF context, such that even fake packets cannot "escape" that VPN context. Therefore, IP address spoofing in a VPN does not affect VPN separation.
- Label spoofing— Within the MPLS core, packets of different VPNs are distinguished by prepending a VPN label to the packet. A malicious VPN user may try to create specifically crafted packets with a fake VPN label and insert those into the MPLS core, trying to get those packets into another VPN. This is also impossible because PEs do not accept labeled packets from CEs. Therefore, such a faked packet would simply be dropped by the PE.
But what if the packet with a spoofed VPN label is inserted within the core? Then this packet may really be routed to a random VPN, assuming the attacker knows (or can guess) some internal details of the MPLS core, such as VPN label numbers and egress PE label numbers.
The assumption made in this chapter is that the MPLS network is an integer (in other words, that the core is secure). This assumption includes the fact that the only interfaces into the network are the PE-CE interfaces. This may seem an unrealistic assumption at first, but in fact, any VPN technology is insecure if someone can insert packets in the core, because it would allow, for example, the insertion of random ATM cells with crafted virtual path and circuit information, and the same effect: getting packets into another VPN.
Therefore, the MPLS core is treated as a zone of trust where packets can only enter on well-known interfaces. See Chapter 1, "MPLS VPN Security: An Overview," for more details on zones of trust and this concept.
Assuming that packets can only enter the MPLS core through defined PE-CE interfaces, spoofing is not possible. RFC 2547, the first version of the standard for BGP/MPLS IP VPNs, describes only IP interfaces into the core, which allows this relatively simple security analysis.
RFC 2547bis, the second version of the standard, however, adds another form of interface—the Inter-AS and Carriers' Carrier architectures—which allow labeled packets entering the core. This changes the security exposure significantly and is therefore discussed in the following two sections in more detail. | <urn:uuid:1d53b34b-d8ba-4898-90b6-f87bbb6adbbf> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.ciscopress.com/articles/article.asp?p=418656&seqNum=4 | 2024-09-08T16:20:54Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651013.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908150334-20240908180334-00699.warc.gz | en | 0.946315 | 780 | 3.1875 | 3 |
If you are new to the VoIP industry you might just be a little overwhelmed with all the different terminology and acronyms used. Here is a guide to navigate the essential terms in our industry.
SIP: Session Initiation Protocol – A signaling protocol which initiates, maintains, manages and terminates real-time VoIP sessions
SIP Trunks: are a digital equivalent of traditional phone lines, utilizing the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) to connect a private branch exchange (PBX) to the internet.
PBX: Private Branch Exchange – a private telephone network used within a company or organization to manage inbound and outbound calls, internal communication, and call routing. It allows users to have more phones than physical phone lines and offers features like call transfers, voicemail, call recording, interactive voice menus (IVRs), and conference calling.
RTP: Real-time Transport Protocol – a standard protocol used for delivering audio and video over IP networks, such as the internet. RTP is designed to provide end-to-end network transport functions suitable for applications transmitting real-time data, such as streaming media, telephony, and video conferencing services. It helps manage the timely delivery of multimedia data by packetizing it and adding sequence numbers and timestamps to enable the correct ordering and synchronization of the content at the receiver’s end
QoS: Quality of Service – a network feature that prioritizes certain types of data traffic to ensure optimal performance for critical applications. It’s crucial for managing bandwidth and improving the user experience in environments with limited resources.
PSTN: Public Switched Telephone Network – the traditional network infrastructure used for landline telephones. It operates on a circuit-switched basis, utilizing copper wires to carry analog voice data
POTS: Plain Old Telephone Service – the traditional, analog voice transmission phone system utilizing the copper wire network established by the telecommunications industry.
UC: Unified Communications – a framework that integrates various communication tools and technologies within a business, aiming to streamline and enhance communication processes. UC encompasses voice and video calling, messaging, conferencing, email, and file sharing, allowing for a more connected, collaborative, and efficient work environment.
UCaaS: Unified Communications as a Service – a delivery model where communication and collaboration tools are hosted by a third-party provider and offered over the internet. This approach combines phone service, video conferencing, messaging, and file sharing into a single cloud-based platform, making it accessible from anywhere with internet access.
DaaS: Device as a Service – a cloud computing offering where a service provider delivers virtual desktops to end-users over the internet
PMS: Property Management Systems – a software platform that helps in managing the day-to-day operations of properties, including reservations, guest check-ins and check-outs, room assignments, billing, and maintenance tasks
TLS: Transport Layer Security – It’s a cryptographic protocol designed to provide secure communication over a computer network. TLS is widely used for internet security, ensuring that data transmitted between web servers and browsers remains private and integral
SRTP: Secure Real-time Transport Protocol – an extension of RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) designed to provide encryption, message authentication, and integrity verification for the data streams in multimedia communications, including VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and video conferencing
ATA: Analog Telephone Adapter – a device that connects traditional analog telephones to a digital or VoIP network. It converts analog voice signals into digital data that can be transmitted over the internet, allowing users to make VoIP calls using their existing telephone hardware.
FXS: Foreign Exchange Service – a port found on analog telephone adapters, PBX systems, and VoIP gateways. It connects to traditional analog devices like telephones or fax machines, enabling them to access a VoIP network
DTMF: Dual Tone Multi Frequency – the signal to the phone company that you generate when you press an ordinary telephone’s touch keys. In the context of VoIP and telecommunications, DTMF tones are used for dialing and for navigating interactive voice response (IVR) menus.
LAN: Local Area Network – a network that connects computers and devices in a limited geographical area such as a home, school, office building, or closely situated buildings.
IVR: Interactive Voice Response – a technology that allows a computer to interact with humans through the use of voice and DTMF tones input via a keypad. In practical terms, IVR systems enable users to navigate a phone system before talking to a live operator by simply speaking or pressing buttons, often used in customer service to direct calls efficiently.
DID: Direct Inward Dialing – a service that allows an organization to allocate individual phone numbers to each person or workstation within its private branch exchange (PBX) system without requiring a separate physical phone line for each connection.
NAT: Network Address Translation – a method used in networking to modify network address information in IP packet headers while in transit across a traffic routing device.
VoLTE: Voice over LTE – a standard for high-speed wireless communication, enabling voice calls over a 4G LTE network instead of the 2G or 3G connections traditionally used by cellular networks.
IMS: IP Multimedia Subsystem – a framework used in telecommunications for delivering IP multimedia services, such as voice, video, and messaging, over IP networks. | <urn:uuid:5252d895-18d2-423b-b23b-ddab756a419a> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.clearlyip.com/2024/04/05/a-guide-to-all-the-important-terms-in-voice-over-internet-protocol/ | 2024-09-12T07:51:31Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651440.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912074814-20240912104814-00399.warc.gz | en | 0.880429 | 1,116 | 2.53125 | 3 |
As more and more high-profile cyberattacks become headline news, businesses across all industries are becoming aware that effective cybersecurity is a necessary part of business operations. Network security is no longer a responsibility confined to the IT department. It has become an organization-wide effort that leads to improved planning and increased protection efforts. In fact, organizations around the world spent an estimated $150 billion on cybersecurity in 2021, an annual growth of 12.4%.
While cybersecurity awareness and spending are moving in the right direction, cybercriminals aren't slowing down in their efforts to breach business networks and access sensitive data. Threat actors evolve with the changing cybersecurity landscape to find new ways around more effective barriers. One of the most effective ways hackers succeed in circumventing security efforts is a new mode of attack. This is where sophisticated social engineering attacks come into play.
Social engineering attacks are those that target people instead of security system vulnerabilities. They are particularly dangerous because their covert nature makes them extremely hard to detect. In 2022, 82% of breaches involved the human element. While this number includes breaches caused by human errors and misuse, it highlights the number of employees that are likely to fall victim to social engineering schemes.
To avoid becoming the victim of social engineering attacks, businesses must know what to expect and how to prevent an attack before it occurs. We've identified the top 5 types of social engineering attacks as phishing, baiting, scareware, pretexting, and impersonation. This guide explores exactly what social engineering attacks are and provides more information about the top 5 types of social engineering attacks and prevention tips for each type.
What Are Social Engineering Attacks?
Social engineering describes a group of cyber attacks that use psychological manipulation to trick users into providing a hacker with an entry point. Instead of using brute force attack methods to seek and exploit system vulnerabilities, these attackers develop a false relationship with users to gain access to the network. The goal of social engineering is to gain the trust of targeted victims. This is usually achieved by masquerading as a trusted company or individual. If the manipulation works, the attacker will then ask the victim to take further action, like sharing passwords, transferring funds, or downloading files that could contain malware.
Social engineering attacks work to exploit human emotions, making them especially dangerous. Since these attacks take different forms and can use a variety of deception techniques, they are difficult to detect. As attackers become more resourceful, a variety of common social engineering attacks have emerged. To keep your business network safe, it's essential to recognize the various types of social engineering attacks and methods to prevent these attacks from reaching success.
Top Five Social Engineering Attacks
Attack Type #1: Phishing
Most people have heard of phishing attacks, but they can be very convincing and difficult to recognize. Phishing attacks are fraudulent communications that appear to come from a trustworthy source. A whopping 96% of phishing messages delivered through email, making it the number one transmission method by far. Modern phishing attacks are increasingly difficult to recognize because they use new technology to masquerade as trusted brands, reliable financial institutions, or communications from within your organization.
A phishing attack begins with a counterfeit email designed to lure a victim. The correspondence is designed to look as though it was sent by a trusted sender and usually relies on fear or urgency for a quick response. The email will likely appear remarkably similar to a legitimate company email with accurate logos and other signatures. Communication is then used to trick the victim into providing confidential personal or company information, downloading an attachment, or visiting a scam website.
Examples of Phishing Attacks
Phishing attacks come in all shapes and sizes. Yet, most of them appear to come from reliable sources that the victim is already familiar with. These are some examples of modern phishing attacks.
- Fake Invoice Scam: Often targeted at finance departments, invoice scams usually feature an email requesting overdue payments for services already rendered. A link is often included in the email to allow the victim to view and pay the bill.
- Account Upgrade: An account upgrade scam features a realistic email from an existing company suggesting an account is about to expire. To add urgency, these emails typically represent necessary accounts like email, financial institutions, or other frequently used accounts. The email will contain company logos and instructions to act immediately to keep the account active.
- PayPal Scams: With 426 million users, PayPal is a vital tool for many people. PayPal scams are emails that include the PayPal logo and a legitimate-looking message suggesting the victim's PayPal account is closing and needs immediate attention.
- Suspicious Activity Scam: This type of phishing scam suggests the target is already likely a victim of an attack. It plays on urgency by notifying the user of suspicious activity in an existing attack.
- Google Docs Scam: An attacker using the Google Docs scam masquerades as someone the victim knows sending a document for download. This can be especially effective if it appears to come from a supervisor or colleague within a company.
- Internal Company Email: These emails often target specific victims and appear to come from a department within the victim's organization. For example, an email with a malicious attachment or link may appear to come from HR or the company supervisor or CEO.
Phishing Prevention Tips
Phishing attacks have increased by 61% in 2022, making them a major concern for businesses across all industries. So, how can you keep your business from falling victim to phishing attacks? Prevention is more effective than attempting to recognize well-crafted phishing attempts.
- Create and enforce firm organization-wide email policies regarding information sharing, links, and downloads.
- Invest in tools and services (like multi-factor authentication and email security) that stop phishing attacks from reaching their intended target.
- Educate employees about evolving phishing scams.
- Adopt a zero-trust workplace environment where verification is always required before taking action.
Attack Type #2: Baiting
Baiting attacks use false promises to entice victims to interact with some type of media. These attacks come in two forms, physical or digital. Physical attacks are the less common of the two and feature the delivery of a USB drive or CD used to pique the victim's interest. The item may be left lying on a desk or common area or delivered directly to the victim. Digital baiting attacks are far more common and can come in the form of pop-ups, emails, or other forms of digital communication. The "bait" used in these attacks may be interesting information, free products, or prize winnings.
Baiting is an efficient method for attackers because it exploits human emotions like excitement, curiosity, and greed. It also eliminates the need for the attacker to communicate directly with the victim. The goal of baiting attacks may be to gain personal information or to introduce malware into a company network.
Examples of Baiting Attacks
Since they are designed to gain the interest of victims, baiting attacks can contain any type of lure that might attract a target. However, baiting attacks are often sent to multiple targets, which can make them easier to identify. These are some common examples of baiting attacks.
- Tempting Offers: The lure of something free is one of the most common types of baiting scams. These come in the form of a pop-up or email promising anything from prize-winning to free downloadable content or discount coupons. For the victim to receive the offer, they will need to share personal information or visit a fake website.
- Malware Infected Devices: Malware-infested physical media like external hard drives and USB flash drives can be delivered in person, by snail mail, or left in common areas. They often have a title promising interesting company information.
- Online Downloads: Many websites exist to offer free downloads for products like music, movies, and games for free. Such websites are illegal and often exist solely to deliver malware.
Baiting Prevention Tips
Baiting attacks are only successful when targeted users take the bait. Tactics that block baiting messages and educate users are best to help organizations avoid such attacks.
- Employees at all levels should be educated frequently about modern baiting attacks. Companies can provide information about common attack types and organization-wide communication techniques to help employees recognize suspicious behavior.
- Set and enforce organization-wide policies defining the use of company devices. Since many baiting attacks target personal desires, prohibiting the use of devices for personal use can limit how frequently employees respond to offers.
- Invest in modern technology and professional services designed to identify and block bait attacks. Artificial intelligence (AI) based software can recognize compromise indicators of many baiting attacks and block messages from reaching targets.
Attack Type #3: Scareware
Most often a precursor to ransomware, scareware combines fear with urgency to encourage a user to click for an immediate resolution. Scareware often comes in the form of a popup that suggests the user's device has a virus or has been compromised with malware. Since the popup appears to come from a legitimate security software provider or the computer's operating system, it's particularly convincing.
Scareware pop-ups typically use urgent language, capitalization, and exclamation marks to add urgency. A timeline may be included to convince the victim to act quickly. If the user clicks on the message, they'll be redirected to a fake website to repair the supposed problem with fake antivirus software. While the download may appear to be effective, it likely contains malware and provides no actual protection or remediation. It's important to note that the close or X buttons on a scareware pop-up are often phony, and can lead to the download of malware if used.
Examples of Scareware
In most cases, scareware uses popups that state a device is infected. The message may appear to come from a well-known cybersecurity provider or a convincing antivirus name. Known scareware programs include:
- The SpyBot
- PC Protector
- Mac Defender
Scareware Prevention Tips
Like most social engineering attacks, scareware depends heavily on the user's response. Avoidance of any interaction with the popup window is crucial to prevent an attack.
- Educate all users to avoid the click reflex. Clicking on a scareware popup can lead to immediate consequences such as redirection to a fake website or a malware-infected download. Instead of clicking on a close or X button within the popup, close the browser window entirely to avoid accidental downloads.
- Use up-to-date software and browsers throughout your company and ensure all network users are familiar with company platforms and security providers.
- Utilize technology like pop-up blockers and URL filters to prevent fake anti-virus messages from reaching users.
- Don't ignore scareware popups. Devise a policy to ensure all scareware attempts are reported, and immediately disconnect affected devices from the internet until proper legitimate scans and procedures can ensure the network is not compromised.
Attack Type #4: Pretexting
During a pretexting attack, an attacker uses a story (or pretext) to convince the target they are a trusted contact. For instance, an attacker will address the target by name, masquerading as a trusted co-worker or service provider. A threat actor may pretend to be an IT professional, HR staff member, or someone from the finance department. To be effective, this type of attack usually requires the hacker to find specific information through phishing, email compromise, or other information-gathering methods.
During the attack, threat actors typically ask victims for information needed to confirm identity or attempt to trick the victim into an action that exploits organizational weaknesses. It's common for attacks to be targeted at C-level executives or employees with more extensive privileges.
Examples of Pretexting
Pretexters use a variety of tactics and techniques to gain the trust of their targets. These attacks can be more difficult to detect since they are directly targeted at a specific victim and include valid company information gleaned from other illegal activities.
- Impersonation: An attacker may pretend to be a coworker, company CEO, client, or vendor to gather information, gain network access, or carry out malicious acts.
- Piggybacking: Hackers interrupt an already active session between a victim and a trusted source to gain access to controlled access channels.
- Tailgating: A physical tailgating attack is one where an attacker gains access to a building or restricted area by following a trusted individual inside. A digital attack is one where a hacker uses stolen information to access a restricted network.
Pretexting Prevention Tips
Successful pretexting usually relies on adequate information to be convincing. This can make these attacks seem particularly believable. In many cases, preventing a pretexting attack will rely on stringent verification methods.
- Educate users on the ways pretexters gather information and what a pretexting attack might look like in your organization.
- Use tools like DMARC and AI-based email analysis to identify and block spoofed email addresses.
- Create and enforce policies describing zero-trust methods for identity verification.
Attack Type #5: Impersonation
An impersonation attack is an attempt to gain unauthorized access to information systems by masquerading as authorized users. Impersonation attacks begin with the gathering of information about the organization and intended targets. Most impersonation attacks are carried out by email or other expected contact methods that commonly occur within the organization. Impersonators gain the trust of an employee, then ask for personal information or require actions like downloading files or transferring funds.
Examples of Impersonation
Impersonation can come in many forms, but email is the most common. While impersonation attacks are sometimes carried out through a compromised email account, there are other ways impersonation attempts can go easily overlooked. These are some of the most common examples of impersonation.
- Cousin Domain Attack: An attacker creates a website that looks nearly identical to a trusted website like the victim's bank or that of a vendor. When the similar link is added to an email, it's easy to miss the difference.
- Impersonation of a Colleague or Company Authority Figure: When an attacker makes contact pretending to be the company CEO or someone in a high-level department, victims might be coerced into providing company information.
- Impersonation of a Vendor: By posing as a third-party vendor, like an IT or cybersecurity professional, a hacker may convince the victim to provide access to the company network. A similar attack can be targeted at financial departments by impersonating a vendor that a company regularly sends payments.
- Forged Sender Attack: When an attacker creates an email with a sender address that appears to come from a known company, such as "email@example.com" it bypasses most email filters because it looks legitimate. This brings the attacker closer to success by reaching the victim.
Impersonation Prevention Tips
Knowledge is power when it comes to recognizing and preventing impersonation attacks. Organizations should provide clear policies surrounding company communication methods so employees always know what to expect. These tips can help your organization avoid falling victim to impersonation attacks.
- Create a formal business email that is more difficult to replicate.
- Educate employees about impersonation attacks and potential red flags.
- Use modern technology like multi-factor authentication and AI-based email analysis.
Phishing, baiting, scareware, pretexting, and impersonation all have one thing in common. They require the victim to trust the attacker and take action based on that trust. These attacks are sophisticated and very convincing, making them some of the most dangerous cyberattacks affecting businesses today. Since social engineering attacks depend on human emotions rather than circumventing security tools, avoiding them requires constant vigilance and the use of highly technical preventive methods. Wondering how you can protect your organization against social engineering attacks? Contact us today to learn more. | <urn:uuid:5111d636-24b9-469e-b5a8-5eb4c4fb0a9e> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.bitlyft.com/resources/how-to-prevent-the-top-five-social-engineering-attacks | 2024-09-17T06:21:54Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651739.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917040428-20240917070428-00899.warc.gz | en | 0.935809 | 3,248 | 2.953125 | 3 |
Top 5 Programming Languages Every Cybersecurity Professional Should Master
In the ever-evolving field of cybersecurity, technical prowess in programming languages is crucial. Whether you’re analyzing malware, automating security tasks, or fortifying systems against potential breaches, knowing the right programming languages can make a significant difference. Below are the top five programming languages that cybersecurity professionals should master to stay ahead of cyber threats.
1. Why is Python a Must-Know for Cybersecurity?
Python is often regarded as the go-to language for cybersecurity professionals due to its simplicity and versatility. Python’s vast library ecosystem allows for rapid development of scripts to automate security tasks, analyze malware, and even perform penetration testing. Libraries such as Scapy, Requests, and Pylibnet make Python incredibly powerful for network programming, web scraping, and data analysis.
For cybersecurity professionals, Python is invaluable for scripting automated tasks, analyzing large datasets for security insights, and even creating custom tools to test system vulnerabilities. Its readable syntax also means that even those new to programming can quickly learn to use Python effectively.
2. How Does Assembly Play a Role in Cybersecurity?
Assembly language is closer to machine code than any other programming language, giving cybersecurity professionals unparalleled control over hardware. Although challenging to learn, Assembly is essential for understanding how software interacts with hardware, which is crucial when performing tasks such as reverse engineering, malware analysis, and vulnerability discovery.
Professionals who are well-versed in Assembly can dissect and analyze malicious software at a very low level, uncovering sophisticated exploits that higher-level languages might miss. This deep understanding can also help in developing exploits and in crafting highly efficient, low-level security tools.
4. Why Should Cybersecurity Pros Learn C and C++?
C and C++ are foundational languages in systems programming, providing the control needed to manage system resources and hardware directly. Many operating systems, embedded systems, and critical infrastructure software are written in C or C++, making these languages indispensable for understanding system-level vulnerabilities and exploits.
Cybersecurity professionals with expertise in C and C++ can analyze and patch vulnerabilities within operating systems and other low-level software, conduct memory forensics, and develop robust security tools. Understanding these languages also provides insights into buffer overflows, a common exploit in software vulnerabilities.
5. How is PowerShell Relevant in Cybersecurity?
PowerShell is a powerful scripting language developed by Microsoft, designed for automating tasks within Windows environments. It’s frequently used by attackers to automate tasks, exploit systems, and maintain persistence within compromised networks, making it crucial for defenders to understand.
Cybersecurity professionals who are adept in PowerShell can automate various security tasks, such as incident response, forensics, and even penetration testing. PowerShell's deep integration with Windows allows for detailed system management and exploitation, which is why it’s a favored tool for both attackers and defenders.
In the battle against cyber threats, programming languages are the weapons of choice for cybersecurity professionals. Each language serves a specific purpose, from automating repetitive tasks with Python to digging deep into system internals with Assembly. Mastering these top five programming languages not only enhances your ability to protect systems but also empowers you to think like an attacker, a critical mindset in effective cybersecurity.
Whether you’re just starting your cybersecurity journey or looking to expand your skill set, investing time in learning these languages will pay dividends in the increasingly complex world of cybersecurity. | <urn:uuid:be6ff9ce-4e1d-4da1-98ca-9c1ebfcb619d> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.commandlink.com/top-5-programming-languages-every-cybersecurity-professional-should-master/ | 2024-09-17T05:28:04Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651739.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20240917040428-20240917070428-00899.warc.gz | en | 0.923222 | 706 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Forty years ago today marks a milestone that jump-started the current Internet.
At noon on Oct. 4, 1983 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Arpanet was split into multiple networks. It was a key event in the Defense Communications Agency’s (DCA) roll-out of the Defense Data Network (DDN) and essentially launched the Internet as we know it today.
The formal Arpanet transition to TCP/IP had already occurred in January 1983, a date often quoted as the birth of the Internet. However, TCP/IP did not segregate military, academic, research, and commercial traffic. All these communities were still operating on the same physical and logical network. The military needed a separate network for its critical traffic. Consequently, the October 4, 1983 split separated the DoD and the non-DoD parts to form the MILNET and a much smaller Arpanet.
On October 4, 1983, Heidi Heiden entered the command at a NOC terminal to execute a carefully engineered script. What was a single list of Arpanet IMPs (packet switches) became multiple lists and we watched the IMPs move from one column to other columns. In the photo, I am explaining to Heidi Heiden the IMPs disappearing from the Arpanet column and populating new network columns. The complex splitting and rejoining was performed seamlessly in just a few minutes.
There were at least two important outcomes from this event.
First, it removed the last barrier for the military to move onto a single military-grade interoperable network. Previously, the DoD operated hundreds of small single-function networks using incompatible vendor-specific and contractor-specific network protocols. At the time of this split the DoD had more than 800 hosts running on separate dedicated-function networks. This event opened the floodgates to a sudden demand for TCP/IP software with an immediate market of 800 hosts and growing.
Second, the new smaller Arpanet unshackled the research community from DoD restrictions. It also spurred the academic community to fund the NSFNET where new network research was again permitted to thrive. The following year, the NSFNET was formed, which eventually replaced the remaining Arpanet.
The Arpanet split, plus the later NSFNET TCP/IP mandate, gave TCP/IP the big market boost it needed.
Yes, the Internet was born in January 1983, but in October of the same year, the medical staff in the delivery room gave that baby a slap which got it screaming for air. The scream said, “feed me TCP/IP!” The rest is history.
There were many people at BBN who worked professionally and tirelessly to pull off this feat. I am grateful and proud to have been a part of the team. | <urn:uuid:8afeef00-0226-4d00-b889-619ef8b8e443> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://www.netforecast.com/news/fortieth-anniversary-of-an-internet-milestone/ | 2024-09-19T18:35:26Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700652055.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20240919162032-20240919192032-00699.warc.gz | en | 0.972469 | 576 | 2.765625 | 3 |
An attack vector is a way or method in which a hacker gains unauthorized access to a network or computer. Hackers deploy attack vectors to collect valuable and sensitive data like login credentials or financial information.
Commonly recognized attack vectors in cybersecurity include phishing attempts, malware, and viruses.
What Is The Difference Between An Attack Vector And An Attack Surface?
The terms “attack vector” and “attack surface” are commonly confused. An attack vector is a method in which a company or individual is attacked by a hacker. For example, a hacker may target a company by sending malware to the employees.
When exposing a company’s cybersecurity vulnerabilities, an attack surface can be considered the total surface area a hacker has to work with. The attack surface is all public and privately exposed vulnerabilities of the company’s networks and human resources.
Imagine a shark hunting a seal. The shark’s bite is the attack vector to kill the seal. The amount of flesh the shark can bite is the attack surface. The shark has a greater chance of success if the attack surface is large.
Who Are At Risk For Attack Vectors?
People often believe that hackers only target large companies or vulnerable individuals. However, this assumption couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Nowadays, hackers recognize bigger businesses often mean more robust cybersecurity defenses. In fact, 43% of cyber attacks targeted small businesses in 2021.
Moreover, hackers don’t just focus on the most “lucrative” industries, like the financial or technology sector. Hackers use attack vectors in all industries but especially companies in the legal, insurance, retail, financial, and healthcare sectors.
Businesses of all sizes are at risk for attack vectors. Unfortunately, not even individuals are not safe. Any company you have given your financial or personal information to could fall victim to an attack vector.
Every person and business should follow standard cybersecurity practices and purchase cybersecurity. Agency, a cybersecurity company, offers cybersecurity plans at both the business/enterprise and individual levels.
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How Do Hackers Implement Attack Vectors?
Hackers carry out cyber attack vectors in a variety of ways, but the general outline goes like this:
- Hackers identify a target. This could be a large corporation, a small mom-and-pop store, or an individual with weak network security.
- Hackers collect information and study their targets to determine the best attack vector. For example, hackers commonly search through the employees listed on a company’s website to target employees responsible for payroll information.
- Hackers will implement the most effective attack vector based on their available data. For example, if a company publicly displays many employee emails, a hacker may send company-wide phishing attempts.
- Once a foothold has been established, hackers install malicious software to steal information and/or damage the efficiency of the network.
What Are Common Attack Vectors?
Phishing is a malicious attempt to gain personal or other valuable information by pretending to be someone else. The phishing attempt often impersonates a fellow coworker, boss, business partner, or government official. Phishing usually comes in the form of an email. If you or your employees fail to recognize a phishing email, they may expose confidential information.
Malware, or malicious software, is designed to damage your devices and gain access to sensitive information. Malware can steal or damage data, change how your device operates, and give hackers access to spy on your activity. Once downloaded, the malware presents a significant danger to your personal information and device.
Hackers design viruses to steal or destroy data depending on their goals. A computer virus is a code that spreads from device to device and replicates itself. Depending on the virus, this cyber attack may harm your computer system’s software and corrupt files and data. Viruses can also be challenging to remove from the devices permanently.
An insider threat is a cyber security risk that is initiated or aided purposefully by someone inside or affiliated with your business. A former employee, contractor, vendor, or partner can be responsible, and the consequences can be disastrous for the longevity of your small business.
Missing Or Weak Encryption
Encryption is the practice of privatizing the information that gets sent between your device and your targeted server. For example, your social security number should be encrypted when you file your taxes online. This encryption ensures that if a hacker intercepts your connection, he cannot understand the actual message.
Unpatched Applications Or Servers
Software developers design all the applications and servers you use. Software developers often update the application or server to “patch” security vulnerabilities. Once this patch is released, users can install it. If these applications’ and servers’ vulnerabilities are not patched up, hackers have an opportunity to use these vulnerabilities to their advantage.
Distributed Denial Of Service
A DDoS attack is a distributed denial-of-service attack that disrupts the regular traffic of a targeted server. This hinders your ability to access your network and connect to websites as you typically would. Hackers may interfere with your internet access to pressure you to pay a ransom.
How To Prevent Attack Vectors
There is no way to completely prevent attack vectors from occurring to you or your business. Still, there are cybersecurity practices you should follow to protect yourself as best as possible.
Use Strong Passwords
Using unique, strong passwords is the simplest yet most overlooked way to protect yourself from attack vectors. A single strong password for all your accounts is not enough since compromised credentials are increasingly common. Popular companies experience data breaches all the time. A strong password does not include personal information and uses a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers.
Use A VPN
A VPN (virtual private network) connection hides your IP address and protects your data by establishing a secure, encrypted connection between your device and the internet. A secure and encrypted connection makes it difficult for malicious actors to conduct DoS and DDoS attacks on you. Read our article on VPNs and everything you could ask about it.
Purchase Comprehensive Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity practices like using strong passwords and a VPN only go so far if you don’t use them harmoniously. Agency, a cybersecurity company, offers comprehensive, business-level cybersecurity that prevents, monitors, and mediates problems if they were to arise. Be protected by a team of cybersecurity experts that monitor and respond against cyber threats 24/7.
Agency’s plan includes:
- Next-Gen Antivirus/EDR
- Active Dark Web Monitoring
- Personal Information Removal
- Personal Cyber Coverage
- ID Theft Coverage
- Active Security Monitoring & Response by US Pros
Cybersecurity attack vectors target every individual and company connected to technology, and it’s advisable to guard yourself and your information against malicious actors. | <urn:uuid:75e571b1-98b9-435b-951f-61740d850ff2> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://blog.getagency.com/personal-cybersecurity/what-is-an-attack-vector/ | 2024-09-08T18:52:01Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651017.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20240908181815-20240908211815-00799.warc.gz | en | 0.920954 | 1,433 | 3.78125 | 4 |
We live in an age where we are constantly surrounded by information, thanks to the phone screens at our fingertips. Instead of gathering around the television for the evening news, we can look up anything, anytime. In fact, around 71% of Americans get at least some of their news input from social media. With so much information out there, it can be difficult to determine what is true and what is false. That’s why it’s important to know how to verify your sources before forming an opinion or falling for clickbait headlines.
How to identify false information online
Just like students choose reputable sources when writing a research paper, so should you when reading information online. Just because it’s on the internet doesn’t mean it’s true! It’s important to fact-check the source and make sure the information is credible—especially before passing it along to someone else. Bad information can travel quickly, like a game of telephone. But how can you make sure that what you’re reading online is true?
Ways you can verify your sources
If you’re uncertain about what you’re reading online, you can verify the sources with a few simple steps. Don’t forget to practice internet privacy during your research.
Use primary sources
The first step to verifying info you find online is to go straight to the source. We all know that news can be skewed based on who is reporting it. While gossip mags are great for entertainment, they aren’t the best source for finding out the facts. So instead of reading about what a celebrity said in an interview in a magazine, find the original interview online. This same concept applies to other forms of news too. If you’re reading a medical journal, you can go to the primary source and read about the clinical trial for yourself.
While you’re checking your sources, watch out for online scams. If you are scammed online, learn what to do with this guide from CenturyLink.
Check other sources
If you can’t find a primary source, you can always turn to other sources. There’s questionable and confusing information everywhere, and sometimes you need to consult multiple sites to come to an informed conclusion. Search the keywords from your original source. Check if any well-known, reliable sources are covering the story you’re looking for.
While you’re searching the web for this information, make sure your internet speed is working for you. Learn how to determine a good internet speed for you and your needs.
Verify the author is reliable
Verifying that the author is a trusted and reliable educator is an important part of fact-checking. For example, if you’re trying to find out which houseplants are safe for pets, you probably shouldn’t blindly trust the first answer that pops up. Instead, go to a website endorsed or run by a trusted veterinary association. There, you will likely find a list of pet-safe plants, as well as the name of the site owners and their credentials.
While not everything you search for is as important as your pet’s safety, it’s still a good idea to pay attention to who wrote the information you’re putting your trust in. By clicking on author bios, you can learn more about the writer.
Beware of confirmation bias
Confirmation bias is when we tend to believe information that confirms our pre-existing beliefs. Don’t worry, we all have it to some extent. Most people are biased in some form or another—reporters, writers, and journalists included. Be aware that the people writing information online may be biased or have an agenda. You may be susceptible to this bias as well. It’s important to acknowledge this so you can embrace new ideas and information.
Watch out for clickbait headlines
We’ve all been tricked by outlandish, eye-catching headlines. Clickbait is meant to grab your attention and draw you into a video or article. However, once you get into the content itself, you’ll probably find that the information is questionable. Learn how to recognize clickbait and take the information with a grain of salt.
If you’re on a sketchy website and you receive an alarming pop-up, be careful! It might be a scareware attack. Learn how to spot and treat scareware attacks.
Living in an always-online world
While the idea of false information online can be alarming, the internet is also be a wonderful space to share ideas, common interests, and stories of hope and positivity. It all depends on how we choose to use it. The most important thing you can do online is stay cautious of scams and use your digital footprint for good. For more on technology and the internet, visit the CenturyLink blog. | <urn:uuid:157eed68-4681-4ad1-ac0e-28c14fe69e3d> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://discover.centurylink.com/how-to-verify-sources-online.html | 2024-09-12T13:29:06Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651457.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20240912110742-20240912140742-00499.warc.gz | en | 0.929348 | 1,007 | 3.0625 | 3 |
Now, boys and girls, tell me what you know about volcanic eruptions?
For example, what types of volcanic eruptions are there? Ah, I see you don’t know. There are actually several types. If you’re interested, check them out here. And how strong can they be? “Very strong!” – that’s the right answer. But scientists wearing lab coats and equipped with microscopes have identified 8 types of volcanic eruptions classified according to magnitude; this is called the Volcanic Explosivity Index.
I especially like the “Description” column in the “Classification” table. It says eruptions can be effusive, gentle, explosive, catastrophic, cataclysmic, paroxysmic, colossal, super-colossal and mega-colossal.
These terms are ideal for adding some diversity into your work slang and an opportunity to flaunt your knowledge: “Vesuvius and Pompeii – that was just a paroxysmic paroxysmic eruption!” (the repeated use of “paroxysmic” is tautologically quite legitimate here).
However, paroxysmic eruptions are not that, well…, paroxysmic in relation to the Earth’s entire ecosystem – they only affect their immediate environment. However, super- and mega-colossal eruptions (levels 7 and 8) are altogether more serious. They can lead to a global dimming of the sun and global cooling for several years. During the history of humankind, this has only happened once – if anyone is interested, you can read about the eruption of the Tambora volcano in Indonesia in 1815.
What am I getting at?
I and my fellow traveler A.B. are travelling southward along New Zealand’s North Island, towards Lake Rotorua. A little bit of Internet research reveals that this lake is the crater of an ancient volcano which made a real bang some 240,000 years ago. Its eruption was (supposedly) 100 times more powerful than that of Vesuvius.
Back then the islands that make up New Zealand weren’t inhabited, so there weren’t any witnesses of that super-colossal bang (luckily for them).
And today, 240,000 years later, A.B. and I have once again made it to the very place where that colossal volcanic bang occurred.
What can I say? Today there’s almost no trace of that ancient event. We visited the very place where the sub-plate mass burst into the atmosphere. No doubt it was a super-catastrophic ashes-magma-sound-and-light show. I’m not sure there were any surviving witnesses of any appreciable organic matter. It appears none of our simian ancestors were around to leave any carvings documenting the event in the local caves, but who knows?
//1. By the way, it can be very cautiously stated that by that time the simian/human model had already transformed into a human/simian one, and reached the level of a prototype release of a light Homo-sapiens-type model. Don’t quote me on that, though.
//2. I really hope that the entire team of developers who worked on the “simian/pseudo-human” project got decent bonuses…and that they’re still have a celebratory drink! I mean, what other explanation can there be for them not getting back to their workplaces and correcting the obvious errors? (Or is there a problem with our observation methodology here?)
//3. I really, really hope that today’s political tumult is not evidence to support statement 2, i.e., that they have finally spent all their bonus money and are now back in a grumpy mood nursing a hangover. Maybe they need some hair of the dog?
OK, that’s enough speculation. We’ve arrived. This is Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand.
Read on: Unpleasant costs of volcanism … | <urn:uuid:f688bb45-f8ea-4eba-86d4-8c4b5d53b523> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://eugene.kaspersky.com/2017/06/page/2/ | 2024-09-13T17:51:20Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651535.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20240913165920-20240913195920-00399.warc.gz | en | 0.954031 | 856 | 3.28125 | 3 |
Q&A: An Introduction to the Scala Programming Language
We explore what the Scala programming language can do for your organization with the language’s inventor.
What is the Scala programming language, how does it work with Java, and what is its role in high-performance computing? We learn from the language’s inventor, Martin Odersky, who is also the chairman and chief architect of Typesafe, which packages Scala, Akka middleware, and developer tools into an open source stack.
Enterprise Strategies: What is Scala?
Martin Odersky: I created Scala as a statically typed programming language to run atop the Java Virtual Machine; Scala smoothly integrates features of object-oriented and functional languages, enabling Java and other programmers to be more productive. Scala is designed to express common programming patterns in a concise, elegant, and type-safe way.
How is Scala different than Java?
Scala is interoperable with Java and runs atop the Java VM, so existing Java code and programmer skills are fully re-usable. However, there are important differences between the two languages: fewer keystrokes to make, type inferencing, function passing, and many other features differentiate Scala from Java.
Scala is statically typed, meaning type checking is performed during compile time as opposed to run time, like Java but with Type Inferencing support. This means that the code is deeply analyzed by the Scala compiler to assess what type a particular value is. In Scala there’s no use of static all together. This is replaced by use of singleton objects. Singleton objects are declared by using the keyword “object” and not “class.
Also, when writing Scala code, the syntax for method declaration is different. Scala uses “=” before the method body, proceeded by the identifier of the method along with the parameter list and return type. Functions are treated like variables and constants.
Another important difference is that Scala supports the use of closures (anonymous functions) which makes longer code simpler and shorter, so many programmers often find writing Scala code easier and more efficient.
How does it help programmers of high-performance computing systems?
Scala is ideal for programmers of high-performance systems because it offers useful solutions for two important challenges -- concurrency and parallelism. For example, because Scala encourages developers to avoid shared mutable state, its much easier to build programs that are reliable while using available computing resources efficiently.
Are there any drawbacks to using Scala versus other programming languages?
One of the great aspects of Scala is that it carries along all of the advantages of the Java language itself while practically blending in important concepts from functional programming. Scala is typically used most often for application development (such as Web applications, business middleware, and mobile applications) and unlike Java itself, is also an excellent fit for lightweight scripting scenarios. Scala is not as good of a fit for systems-level programming, where C or contemporary systems languages such as Go might be more suitable.
What has led to the rise of high performance computing systems?
Traditional businesses are becoming ever more sophisticated in terms of the data they collect and the analysis they perform, while a new breed of Internet-scale applications such as LinkedIn and Twitter grew in popularity. At the same time, trends such as the arrival of massively multicore hardware and cloud computing put new resources at the disposal of technologists. Increasingly, every IT organization and startup faces challenges of the scale that previously would have been considered high-performance or scientific computing.
What kinds of industries would benefit from using Scala for their high-performing computing systems?
We see strong commercial demand and adoption in a few sectors. First, global financial services firms are rapidly adopting Scala and complementary frameworks such as Akka event-driven middleware to build the next generation of technology solutions that can keep up with today's massive scale markets in real time. Separately, we see strong demand from consumer-facing Internet firms that need to design their systems to scale rapidly as they grow -- whether they are new applications such as Twitter or traditional businesses gone online such as the Guardian UK.
What's the best way to train a programmer in Scala? Are there prerequisites -- such as a knowledge of Java -- that would help reduce the amount of training needed?
Our company, Typesafe, has created a standard hands-on training curriculum that gets developers up and running quickly with Scala and Akka. We are working with a growing number of partners to deliver these courses in cities around the world, and increasingly through on-site training at customer's facilities. At the same time, there are a growing number of books (http://typesafe.com/resources/books) about Scala (including my own!) and self-service resources such as Twitter's Scala School (http://twitter.github.com/scala_school/).
While many programmers come to Scala with a Java background, we also see many who have been programming with C#, Ruby, Python, or other functionally inspired languages.
What does Typesafe do?
Jonas Bonér, creator of Akka middleware, and I launched Typesafe in May 2011 to create a modern software platform for the era of multicore hardware and cloud-computing workloads. Typesafe provides an easy-to-use packaging of Scala, Akka, and developer tools via the open source Typesafe Stack, as well as commercial support and maintenance via the Typesafe Subscription. Typesafe also provides training and consulting services to accelerate the commercial adoption of Scala and Akka. | <urn:uuid:148f0616-53ad-429f-b890-f640e25a64fd> | CC-MAIN-2024-38 | https://esj.com/articles/2012/01/23/introduction-to-scala.aspx | 2024-09-16T06:13:15Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-38/segments/1725700651676.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20240916044225-20240916074225-00199.warc.gz | en | 0.94517 | 1,137 | 3.109375 | 3 |
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