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In this world, security has become even more important for any personal or corporate user.
The focus of this article is the Denial of Service (DoS) attack, what it is, and what can be done to mitigate the attack from affecting normal operations.
So what is a DoS attack?
It is simply an attack that happens towards an intended target which can affect any type of service. Typically this is done at a specific server or at a specific company.
“Ultimately, DDoS protection is a moving target and tracking the best ways of dealing with it will change as the attack types change.”
- Sean Wilkins
This type of attack is done through the use of malicious Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol, and Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) traffic.
Now in today’s large bandwidth networks it is not that effective to launch an attack on a company only using one location as it is much easier to trace and is hard to obtain enough bandwidth in order to affect the target.
This is how the Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack came about; as the name states a DDoS attack is distributed over a number of different physical locations.
These types of attacks are typically launched from computer robots (bots) which are exploited computers which have an Internet connection.
These bots are then directed by central controllers to do the tasks assigned. These tasks vary but can include initiating a DDoS attack on a specified target.
Now when the combined bandwidth of thousands of bots comes into play, any company can have their Internet connectivity partially or completely blocked.
So what are the solutions to this problem?
You could make it so that machines aren’t vulnerable to exploitation, but this is like asking that water not be wet. Vulnerabilities can be limited, but ultimately it relies on the education of the users.
Because the traffic originators can’t be easily controlled, a method must be used in order to mitigate the effect of the attack and gather as much information as possible from it in order to locate the exploited machines and their controllers.
Typically, the methods used to mitigate the attack are “blackhole” routing and access control lists.
What happens with “blackhole” routing is that a provider routes all traffic from a given source or destination network to a non-existing network, which effectively drops all traffic to or from the source or destination.
This is typically deployed by Internet Service Providers (ISP) in order to limit the affect of an attack on the other customers on their network.
In the case of a DDoS attack blocking one source is not going to fix the problem as there can be thousands of sources, so it tends to be used based on the destination address or network.
The problem with this technique is that it essentially does what the attacker is trying to do by bringing down the target network.
Now the other technique that has been used is the use of access control lists.
These are lists which are configured on the routing equipment which can be used to control which traffic is allowed in and out of a given network element, be it a router or switch (layer 3 enabled) or both.
Now the main problem with these is they are typically static and must be configured during an attack to be at all successful, but even then the sheer number of sources to be blocked makes it not very effective.
There are a number of solutions out there which have been introduced in order to best deal with DDoS attacks.
The two that seem the most popular are DDoS mitigation through anomaly detection and Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) traffic flow filtering.
The way that anomaly protection works is that it looks for signs of a specific attack (not just DDoS attacks).
If the system believes that an attack may be happening it automatically reroutes the traffic to a secondary appliance which is used to verify the findings and screen the attack traffic before allowing the valid traffic into the network.
BGP traffic flow filtering is essentially an extension of the “blackhole” and ACL ideas but with additional intelligence.
When a provider notices an attack, it is able to track the attack down to the specific source and destination address or network as well as the specific protocols and ports which are being used.
This information is then relayed to the provider (or providers) BGP routers which in turn only “blackhole” the traffic with these specific characteristics.
This technology does rely on a large BGP infrastructure which supports traffic flow filtering, the standard which has been developed for this is written in RFC 5575 – Dissemination of Flow Specification Rules.
Ultimately, DDoS protection is a moving target and tracking the best ways of dealing with it will change as the attack types change.
At this time these solutions should be able to mitigate a large number of the current attacks and limit the number of future attacks.
The second part of this is the continued education of the computer user; to completely give up on the end user is not a fruitful option as any computer secured is one less that is exploited. | <urn:uuid:553c0a3e-2a8a-46a3-ab61-b56c575a3559> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.enterprisenetworkingplanet.com/security/dos-attacks-and-continuity-of-operations/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335059.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20220928020513-20220928050513-00550.warc.gz | en | 0.951454 | 1,057 | 3.4375 | 3 |
Despite concerns about AI and robots, adverse consequences of technological advances are still seen as a comparatively lower risk
Two of the top five most likely global risks are cyber risks, according to the Global Risk Report 2018, released yesterday by World Economic Forum. Risks of cyberattacks and data fraud or theft are seen by WEF members as the third and fourth most likely risks in 2018, next only to two environmental risks, extreme weather events and natural disasters.
The events of 2017 have also led to cyberattacks being seen as the 6th most impactful perceived global risk in 2018. This is the highest rank for a technological risk in the list of most impactful risks since the beginning of the publication of the report in 2012. This means cyberattacks are seen to impacting the earth more than food crises, biodiversity loss, large scale involuntary migration (refugee crisis) and spread of infectious diseases.
As in previous years, this year’s report also draws on WEF’s annual Global Risks Perceptions Survey (GRPS), which is completed by around 1,000 members of its multi-stakeholder communities.
According to the GRPS, cyber threats are growing in prominence, with large-scale cyberattacks now ranked third in terms of likelihood, while rising cyber-dependency is ranked as the second most significant driver shaping the global risks landscape over the next 10 years.
“Although in previous years respondents to the GRPS have tended to be optimistic about technological risks, this year concerns jumped, and cyberattacks and massive data fraud both appear in the list of the top five global risks by perceived likelihood,” observed the report.
The fear is real, illustrates the report
Cyber breaches recorded by businesses have almost doubled in five years, from 68 per business in 2012 to 130 per business in 2017, according to Accenture 2017 Cost of Cyber Crime Study. Having been choked off by law enforcement successes in 2010–2012, “dark net” markets for malware goods and services have seen a resurgence, noted an IBM report in March 2017.
In 2016 alone, 357 million new malware variants were released and “banking trojans” designed to steal account login details could be purchased for as little as USD 500, says the report quoting Symantec ITR. In addition, cybercriminals have an exponentially increasing number of potential targets, because the use of cloud services continues to accelerate and the Internet of Things is expected to expand from an estimated 8.4 billion devices in 2017 to a projected 20.4 billion in 2020, according to Gartner.
“What would once have been considered large-scale cyberattacks are now becoming normal,” the report notes.
In 2016, companies revealed breaches of more than 4 billion data records, more than the combined total for the previous two years, according to an IBM whitepaper quoted by the report. Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks using 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) were once exceptional but have now become commonplace, jumping in frequency by 140% in 2016 alone, says Akamai report. And attackers have become more persistent—in 2017 the average DDoS target was likely to be hit 32 times over a three-month period, according to the Akamai report.
The financial costs of cyberattacks are rising. A 2017 study of 254 companies across seven countries put the annual cost of responding to cyberattacks at GBP 11.7 million per company, a year-on-year increase of 27.4%, according to Accenture. The cost of cybercrime to businesses over the next five years is expected to be USD 8 trillion, according to a Juniper research.
Ransomware attacks accounted for 64% of all malicious emails sent between July and September last year. Notable examples included the WannaCry attack, which affected 300,000 computers across 150 countries, and Petya and NotPetya, which caused huge corporate losses.
Beyond its financial cost, the WannaCry attack disrupted critical and strategic infrastructure across the world, including government ministries, railways, banks, telecommunications providers, energy companies, car manufacturers and hospitals. It illustrated a growing trend of using cyberattacks to target critical infrastructure and strategic industrial sectors, raising fears that, in a worst- case scenario, attackers could trigger a breakdown in the systems that keep societies functioning. Many of these attacks are thought to be state sponsored. WannaCry’s ultimate impact was relatively low, largely because a “kill switch” was discovered, but it highlighted the vulnerability of a wide range of infrastructure organizations and installations to disruption or damage.
Since the 2015 attack on Ukraine’s power grid—which temporarily shut down 30 substations, interrupting power supply to 230,000 people— evidence has been mounting of further attempts to target critical infrastructure. In 2016, for example, an attack on the SWIFT messaging network led to the theft of USD 81 million from the central bank of Bangladesh. The European Aviation Safety Agency has stated that aviation systems are subject to an average of 1,000 attacks each month. Last year saw reports of attempts to use spear-phishing attacks (stealing data or installing malware using individually targeted email scams) against companies operating nuclear power plants in the United States.
“Most attacks on critical and strategic systems have not succeeded—but the combination of isolated successes with a growing list of attempted attacks suggests that risks are increasing. And the world’s increasing interconnectedness and pace heightens our vulnerability to attacks that cause not only isolated and temporary disruptions, but radical and irreversible systemic shocks,” says the report.
In addition to cyberattacks, other technology risk identified by the report include critical information infrastructure breakdown, which is seen to have more possible impact than fiscal crises and social instability and adverse consequence of technological advances, which still ranks low in terms of both impact and likelihood but with AI and robotics developing fast, it could emerge as a bigger risk in the years to come.
(Part of the text here is rephrased from the WEF Global Risk Report) | <urn:uuid:e5f1b037-c2bc-41d5-97ac-a22f26031e4c> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.cioandleader.com/article/2018/01/18/two-five-most-likely-risks-2018-are-cyber-risks-wef-global-risk-report | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335350.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220929100506-20220929130506-00550.warc.gz | en | 0.958794 | 1,243 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Big data analytics (BDA) is the systematic extraction and analysis of random data sets into meaningful information. In early 2020, the total internet data was 44 zettabytes, while as per the World Economic Forum, around 463 exabytes of data would be generated daily by 2025.
Using specialized storage, processing applications, and skills to analyze such massive magnitudes of data, we can gain insights, which, in turn, would enable us to innovate for digital-driven business.
With the emergence of big data analysis, enterprises are integrating their existing corporate data with the non-conventionally acquired big data, thus facilitating advanced predictive business analytics.
Types and Sources of Big Data Used in Analytics
While raw data is characteristically unorganized, big data can be typically classified into types according to its form: Structured and Unstructured. While the former resides within assigned fields in a file system, the latter does not follow predefined fields or structures. Usually, unstructured data is textual. Again, based on the sources, Big Data can be divided into certain broad categories:
- Conventional Data: Being predominantly structured, this data type is traditionally categorized under the ledger system. Broadly, it includes transactional data from Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and online stores, as well as customer data from Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems.
- Social Data: Specifically useful for Business Intelligence (BI), social data is mostly unstructured and often misleading for conventional software. Consequently, most enterprises refrain from using it for big data analysis projects. This data type includes metadata related to social media interactions (location, preferences, etc.) and data generated on other platforms (customer feedback, search engine trends, etc.).
- Sensor Data: As Machine Generated Data (MGD), this data type is collected by internet-enabled monitoring and reporting sensors. Typically presented as structured data, it’s useful for predictive analysis, compliance and fault detection, and for improving user experience. Finance, healthcare, and the manufacturing industries are among the leading users of sensor data.
Where is Big Data Analytics used in the Enterprise
According to Forbes and Dresner Advisory Services, big data had been integrated into the regular processes of various enterprises from a meager 17% in 2015 to a whopping 59% in 2018, amounting to a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 36%. With industries like telecommunication, insurance, and advertising reaping the most benefits from the adoption of this technology, financial services, technological services, and the healthcare sector name big data as essential to their services. 80% of all enterprises agree big data is predominant in their company and is involved in everything from product distribution to sales and marketing.
The following three features of big data analytics have been adopted and used most readily by enterprises: Customer/Social Analysis, Forecasting, Product development, and Finance.
The first two uses of big data and analytics indicate the growing trend of enterprises turning to a customer-centric approach. This approach is relied on to gain visibility and insight into customer behavior, which is, in turn, used to support improved customer satisfaction. The marketing and sales departments are leveraging big data to help with planning marketing strategies, identifying trends in strategy performance. Data analytics can also help product development teams improve products and improve manufacturing processes.
Typically, forecasting is critical for finance departments for purposes of estimation and projection of future revenue and expenses that will lend to a solid base to financial plans and budgets.
Big data and analytics are used in the following processes:
- Efficient product distribution: Big data analysis can increase the efficacy of product distribution starting right from the warehouse and loading docks to shipping and distribution. Big data streamlines the process and makes it more time-saving and labor-saving. For example, a robust big data analysis project, if implemented correctly, can enable efficient loading of products on trucks according to the sequence in which they will be delivered.
- Customer-centric model: Big data analysis identifies customer behavior and trends which enables enterprises to oblige customers with personalized marketing. Sales information, feedback threads, text analytics, and social media sites are all valuable sources of big data that strengthens the customer-centric model.
- Enhancing business operations: Customer feedback, search engine trends, financial data, etc., all help enterprises achieve the advantage. Forecasting, as well as real-time monitoring in manufacturing, are of immense value to enhancing operations.
Why you Need BDA in the Enterprise
As can be inferred from the previous section on the uses of big data analysis, the necessity of big data can be said to culminate in an insightful, meticulous, and, therefore valuable knowledge of the business. It inevitably leads to a capable workforce, guarantees customer and employee loyalty, increases productivity, and gives scope to innovation.
The necessity of big data lies in the benefits it comes with. To highlight its necessity, in the paragraphs below are examples of the combined usage of big data and analytics, and their benefits in various enterprises:
- Health industry: Big data analytics in the healthcare sector is proving to be of crucial value. It allows access to both health-related and non-health data to support forecasts of future healthcare needs for any given demographics. Storing the vast range and magnitude of health data — medical history, biomedical data, diagnostics data, and so on — as Electronic Health Records (EHR), facilitates big data analysis for prompt healthcare services and innovations. Further, it can also help in epidemic monitoring, predictive geriatric healthcare, and resource optimization for reduced costs.
- Manufacturing: According to IBM, the manufacturing industries employ big data and analysis to seize market opportunities by leveraging both operational and strategic business data. Prompting customer-centric outcomes, improving operations, and optimizing finance and management, are some of the crucial outcomes of big data analysis, varying according to specific business needs. Moreover, while 52% of manufacturers are using visual sensor data for real-time tracking, the manufacturing industry as a whole is more enthused about adopting technologies to handle unstructured data, especially for aspects like supply chain management.
The Final Word on Big Data Analysis in Enterprises
While helping enterprises to keep with the ever-changing consumer landscape, and the rising demand for personalization, the combined power of big data and analytics unveils unprecedented economic value.
A robust big data analysis project enables the Enterprise to leverage the inexhaustible big data repository. However, it’s crucial that business administrators implement big data analytics only as per their specific needs and demands.
Big Data Analytics in Enterprise
Big data analytics (BDA) is the systematic extraction and analysis of random data sets into meaningful information. Using specialized storage, processing applications, and skills to analyze such massive magnitudes of data, we can gain insights, which, in turn, would enable us to innovate for digital-driven business. With the emergence of big data analysis, enterprises are integrating their existing corporate data with the non-conventionally acquired big data, thus facilitating advanced predictive business analytics. Types and Sources of Big Data Used in Analytics: Conventional Data, Social Data, Sensor Data. Big data and analytics are used in the following processes: 1. Efficient product distribution. 2. Customer-centric model. 3. Enhancing business operations. A robust big data analysis project enables the Enterprise to leverage the inexhaustible big data repository. However, it’s crucial that business administrators implement big data analytics only as per their specific needs and demands. | <urn:uuid:42617a60-b42f-4718-aab7-115873edd380> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://itchronicles.com/enterprise/big-data-analytics-in-the-enterprise/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337244.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20221002021540-20221002051540-00550.warc.gz | en | 0.903969 | 1,526 | 3.046875 | 3 |
The Internet of Things is on the cusp of making our lives easier as consumers and business professionals, but are these devices also making us more likely to be targeted by hackers?
Information security is a huge topic of conversation right now, and it’s about to get even bigger. Edward Snowden’s leaks on government surveillance and huge data breaches at Target, JPMorgan, TalkTalk and others made the subject front-page news, and that is likely to continue given the proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT).
IoT devices, forecast to grow to 50 billion units by 2020, offer consumers and businesses huge amounts of convenience and benefit, but to hackers too they are also a goldmine. This is because such devices represent another piece of hardware or software that can be compromised – and ultimately lead to stolen data or money.
The early signs of IoT security are not encouraging; researchers have already managed to hack everything from Google’s Nest to an internet-connected doll and Canon printer, while significant and exploitable software vulnerabilities have also been found in Wi-Fi light bulbs, smartwatches and Internet-connected baby monitors. There have been questions too on how this affects businesses, if the likes of Nest and Hive are connecting to enterprise Wi-Fi networks.
Security experts have been quick to voice their fears over IoT, with many pointing the finger at device manufacturers.
A recent study of 7,000 IT professionals by cyber-security association ISACA found that 75 percent thought IoT device manufacturers were not implementing sufficient security measures devices, while a further 73 per cent said existing security standards were inadequate.
Speaking to Internet of Business shortly after these results were published, BH Consulting managing director Brian Honan joined the chorus of discontent.
“IoT makes our lives easier and better in many regards, but unfortunately you also have to take into account that, in the rush to get these devices to market, [manufacturers] forget about security.
“We’re seeing IoT devices, from kettles and light bulbs to a range of different products, that are insecure out-of-the-box; they have weak security, default passwords…and can allow people with malicious intent to control those devices for their own needs.
“We also have issue on privacy as lot of these devices can take a lot of information, which is being used by companies to improve services. But if that information falls into wrong hands, that will impact on privacy.”
Ken Munro is CEO and founder of penetration testing outfit PenTest Partners, which has found numerous IoT device vulnerabilities over the last year, and he agrees with Honan that security must be baked-in to products from the start, especially given the fast acceleration of IoT devices.
“The reason I love IoT as a security researcher is that there’s enormous attack surface,” Munro told IoB, adding that attackers can leverage everything from device and mobile application flaws to API and server infrastructure vulnerabilities in order to attack IoT users.
He said that rolling such devices out across staff and customers is simply accentuating that risk.
“Everyone has got access to everything with IoT, and this means that you need firmware, OS, mobile app and coding experts…You need to know how to put apps together with wireless or GSM technology. There’s a massive expansion skillset required in order to adopt IoT.”
“We’re seeing crazy acceleration of IoT devices available, primarily because there’s money to be made, but I think we’re going to see standards starting to become available”. Munro is working on standards at the IoT Security Foundation, and says GSMA are working on something similar for mobile communications.
Munro adds vendors are too often focused on getting goods to market rather than if the device is secure. Some, he says, simply hope to patch the OTA or ‘hope the problems go away’.
Munro, who praised Fitbit for bolstering its own security team at the start of the year, says that IoT flaws, which usually reside in app source code or resolve around weak passwords and unsecured Wi-Fi, can enable attackers to take control of devices locally or remotely. The latter could ultimately lead to larger-scale attacks, such as turning off heating or surveilling a property to see when it not occupied.
Other experts, meanwhile, have cited patch management as a major issue given billions of IoT devices forecast to ship, and say that more elaborate IoT attacks could lead to driverless cars becoming mobile bombs, or connected devices sending malware via botnets or through spam emails.
But benefits outweigh the negatives
Shipping company Maersk reportedly has one of the largest deployments of industrial IoT, using IoT to ensure refrigerated containers all maintain the correct temperature.
Speaking at a recent conference, UK CIO Andy Jones outlined the benefits of the deployment, saying that the firm is now able to monitor goods in real-time via IP-enabled sensors, whereas it previously took engineers two days to check and report on these conditions.
The readings from these sensors are continually fed into Maersk’s monitoring systems via satellite, and any problems at sea can be identified immediately.
Jones says the problem arises where IoT systems are connected to something physical, like braking or airbag systems of vehicles or the heating and cooling systems of buildings. The security challenges are many, not only because of the difficulty in keeping devices and software patched, but also because the internet protocol (IP) used by IoT devices is inherently insecure.
“Combine this with the fact the internet does not have any form of service level agreement, that there are millions of devices in the hands of unsophisticated users, and that the internet is accessible worldwide, and you have the perfect storm,” he said.
Alan Woodward, computing professor at the University of Surrey, added in an interview with IoB: “My big concern from a security perspective…is that IoT is set up using embedded computing, which is notorious for cheap, open-source, off the shelf bits of software and hardware.”
He has concerns over cheap devices and weak patch management, saying on the latter that updating the firmware on embedded IoT systems is ‘extremely difficult’ and ‘problematic’.
“I think IoT has far more potential than ever mainstream computing for being compromised. The Internet of Things is classic area where people are having to relearn all lesson taken 25 years to learn in computing.”
What businesses can do
Munro urges CIOs and other IoT decision makers to be proactive in auditing and managing devices, even it means ‘walking the floors’ to find out what devices are connecting to enterprise networks.
The CIO, he says, must think “really seriously” what data could be compromised if system breach, what hackers access to, and if segregated [on the network]. carry out risk assessment.
Jones is optimistic of the future, but advises isolating IoT devices on risk. “Any risk assessment should include the criminal mindset and learn from past analogies,” he said. Woodward urges for companies to roll-out IoT policies of use, so users clearly know their data can be wiped and devices managed. | <urn:uuid:52a5f68e-327e-4b4e-8913-f995509d7c7a> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://internetofbusiness.com/how-secure-is-the-internet-of-things/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337415.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20221003101805-20221003131805-00550.warc.gz | en | 0.954207 | 1,510 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Just recently, the inimitable Greg Ferro took an interesting look at DHCP and explained in a blog post:
“During a recent discussion on DHCP I realised that this process is a near perfect expression of intent.”
The process he’s referring to is DHCP, and notice that he went beyond identifying the DHCP process as an example of automation but also as a “near perfect expression of intent.”
I disagree with Greg’s conclusion, and here’s why.
DHCP is the automated process of assigning an IP address to a computer. There’s no human intervention other than setting up the DHCP components in the first place. Once the DHCP server, address pools, options, helpers, etc are all set up, it just works automatically.
So I do agree with Greg that DHCP is an automated workflow. An end-user doesn’t have to manually configure an IP address on their laptop, and a network admin doesn’t have to manually map an IP address to every computer in their network. The machines know what to do, and they just do it.
The problem with Greg’s argument is that intent based networking is much more than automation, whether that be simple scripts or sophisticated machine-to-machine orchestration. Yes, automation is part of IBN, but it’s only one leg of the table.
Intent based networking has three main components that exist in a closed loop:
- Network abstraction
- Continuous validation
- Autonomous remediation
The DHCP process certainly automates the discover, offer, request, and acknowledge process. And to me, network automation and network abstraction pretty much go hand-in-hand.
A DHCP server abstracts parts of the network like IP address pools, VLAN tags, and DHCP options. Each of these components exist on their own, but when a computer connects to a port, the automated workflow calls on these objects in a prescribed way to assign an IP address to a device. Greg does identify one of the pillars of IBN – network abstraction.
But we’re missing the other two components. As we use it today, DHCP doesn’t provide any continuous validation to make sure computers have the correct IP address. And DHCP doesn’t take any steps to autonomously correct the network when a computer receives an incorrect IP address or DHCP option.
There’s no mechanism to detect if the actual intention of the operator, or in other words, the intent of the operator to assign an address from a particular subnet, is being carried out correctly. There’s no closed loop of automation, validation, and remediation.
Now I’ll grant that autonomous remediation is a work-in-progress. Sasha Ratkovic, co-founder of Apstra, calls this Level 3 intent based networking, and though I know some IBN vendors are working on it, autonomous remediation isn’t here just yet.
So what does this mean?
Though DHCP abstracts several components of the network, it lacks the other core components of IBN. Therefore it’s incorrect to say that intent networking is nothing new because DHCP is nothing new.
Think of it this way: it would be a stretch to say that in the annals of human history, cars are nothing new because we’ve always had the wheel. In the same way I think it’s a stretch to say intent based networking is nothing new because we’ve always had DHCP. | <urn:uuid:a6e1ec4e-4e23-4b37-ba31-af1b7d33964e> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://networkphil.com/2020/05/12/blog-response-dhcp-is-not-intent-based-networking/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337415.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20221003101805-20221003131805-00550.warc.gz | en | 0.934051 | 733 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Cyber attacks are becoming increasingly dangerous and more prevalent throughout the world. To make matters worse, cybercriminals are improving their knowledge and getting smarter. Someone can hack into your system, then wipe all traces of the attack from your server. You could have no idea who attacked you or the true nature of the attack and how much damage was caused.
This is why network forensics is crucial to any cybersecurity plan.
If you have the knowledge and understanding of network forensics you can use it to combat cyber attacks within your organization. It’s a particular skill that dives into network and application protocols. Today, we’ll explain how you can use network forensics to combat cyber-attacks.
What is network forensics?
The technical definition of network forensics refers to the investigation of network traffic patterns and data captured between computing devices.
By investigating these things, you can figure out the source of an attack and how serious it is. When a criminal hacks into a server and leaves certain information behind, network forensics can identify the source of the attack and figure out what was stolen and why.
A network forensic investigator must have expert knowledge on all the different protocols present in a system. This includes web protocols, email protocols, and so on. By knowing what these protocols are supposed to look like in their regular form, it allows a network forensics expert to single out any anomalies that are linked to an attack.
Examine the Two Main Sources
When an attack happens, a network forensic investigator has to look at two main sources:
- Full-packet data capture
- Log files
These sources are taken from all the different devices that were affected by the attack. This includes proxy servers, routers, web servers, and so on.
Full-Packet Data Capture
Full-packet data capture provides the benefit of getting as much information as possible. It’s usually a method of data capture that’s reserved for incidents like cyber-attacks. It takes a lot of time to capture all of the data, and requires lots of storage space to keep it. However, the advantage is that you see the full meaning and value of the data being transferred. So, you understand what was taken from the server and why. It’s vital that you choose the ideal packet capture network tap point so you can get as much traffic from all the devices in the network that were affected. If you can’t find the best tap, then you may need to use more than one point.
Log files provide a more condensed set of information than full-packet capture. Virtually all modern network devices can store data into log files all the time. You can get log files from things like proxy servers, firewalls, intrusion detection systems, web servers, etc. All of these files contain vital information about network activity. Plus, with log files,it’s easier to store the data and all the collection points are already put in place.
Consequently, you can analyze the log files to figure out a source that might be somewhat suspicious. For example, the files may show you that your server started communicating with another server in Russia or the Far East. This isn’t normal behavior, so it points you to the location of the attack. Similarly, log files help you see suspicious activity between applications. Again, an example of this is your web browser communicating on a port that it doesn’t usually use.
Use the right tools for Network Forensics
There are plenty of software tools to help with network forensics. These tools allow you to carry out data analysis with minimal stress and effort. The good news is that a lot of these software tools are free, but only a handful come with a GUI. In most cases, the free network forensic tools only run on Linux and only provide command-line interfaces.
Do your research and search around for the best ones out there right now – it may even be worth paying for them to ensure you get the best outcomes.
Bitlyft can help you figure out the best applications for your particular security system. Our FREE ASSESSMENT is a great place to start.
How to get the most out of network forensics
Here are three things you can do to ensure that network forensic investigations run smoothly:
- Implement a process
- Create a plan
- Find the best talent
Implement a process
A network forensic expert can’t do their job if they don’t have access to key sources. Make sure you have a process in place where your devices capture and store log files for the investigators to use when necessary.
Create a plan
Every company needs a plan to cope with any cyber incidents. Create one so everyone knows the steps to take following an attack. This allows your network forensic investigators to get to work right away and limit the damages.
Find the best talent
Not everyone can be a network forensic investigator. A seasoned investigator will be able to assess all the log files and capture files and understand protocols. Get the best talent – be it in-house or outsourced – to ensure than you have expert network forensic investigators on the job.
The bottom line is that network forensics will help you stop cyberattacks and find out their source. Not only that, but you learn the extent of the damage and what was stolen from you. It’s a complex field of knowledge, but one that will serve your organization very well. Plus, the information you gain from the forensic analysis can be used to prevent the same attacks in the future.
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Data Security Knowledge Base
What is Data Forensics?
Data forensics, also know as computer forensics, refers to the study or investigation of digital data and how it is created and used. Data forensics is a broad term, as data forensics encompasses identifying, preserving, recovering, analyzing, and presenting attributes of digital information. In regards to data recovery, data forensics can be conducted on mobile devices, computers, servers, and any other storage device. Data forensics can also be used in instances involving the tracking of phone calls, texts, or emails traveling through a network. Digital forensics professionals may use decryption, reverse engineering, advanced system searches, and other high-level analysis in their data forensics process.
Two types of data are typically collected in data forensics. This first type of data collected in data forensics is called persistent data. Persistent data is data that is permanently stored on a drive, making it easier to find. The other type of data collected in data forensics is called volatile data. Volatile data is impermanent elusive data, which makes this type of data more difficult to recover and analyze.
The History of Data Forensics
As personal computers became increasingly accessible throughout the 1980s and cybercrime emerged as an issue, data forensics was developed as a way to recover and investigate digital evidence to be used in court. Today, investigators use data forensics for crimes including fraud, espionage, cyberstalking, data theft, violent crimes, and more. Computer forensic evidence is held to the same standards as physical evidence in court. This means that data forensics must produce evidence that is authentic, admissible, and reliably obtained.
The Data Forensics Process
The data forensics process has 4 stages: acquisition, examination, analysis, and reporting. There are also various techniques used in data forensic investigations. One of these techniques is cross-drive analysis, which links information discovered on multiple hard drives. A second technique used in data forensic investigations is called live analysis. Live analysis examines computers’ operating systems using custom forensics to extract evidence in real time. Recovery of deleted files is a third technique common to data forensic investigations.
Data Forensics Tools and Software
There are many different types of data forensics software available that provide their own data forensics tools for recovering or extracting deleted data. There are also many open source and commercial data forensics tools for data forensic investigations. Security software such as endpoint detection and response and data loss prevention software typically provide monitoring and logging tools for data forensics as part of a broader data security solution.
Challenges Facing Data Forensics
There are technical, legal, and administrative challenges facing data forensics. Technical factors impacting data forensics include difficulty with encryption, consumption of device storage space, and anti-forensics methods. Anti-forensics refers to efforts to circumvent data forensics tools, whether by process or software.
Legal challenges can also arise in data forensics and can confuse or mislead an investigation. An example of this would be attribution issues stemming from a malicious program such as a trojan. Trojans are malware that disguise themselves as a harmless file or application. Since trojans and other malware are capable of executing malicious activities without the user’s knowledge, it can be difficult to pinpoint whether cybercrimes were deliberately committed by a user or if they were executed by malware.
From an administrative standpoint, the main challenge facing data forensics involves accepted standards and governance of data forensic practices. Although there are a wide variety of accepted standards for data forensics, there is a lack of standardization. In regards to data forensics governance, there is currently no regulatory body that overlooks data forensic professionals to ensure they are competent and qualified.
Data Security Knowledge Base
Data Protection 101
Learn more about the fundamentals of data and information security in our Data Protection 101 Series
Welcome to Data Protection 101, our series on the fundamentals of data security. In this series you will find information on a wide array of topics that any security professional should be familiar with. This series is created to expand your knowledge, providing you with definitions, background information, examples, and best practices for the most important subject matter regarding data security.
Here are the links to all of the topics we have covered in this series:
- What is Cloud Account Hijacking?
- Cryptography in the Cloud: Securing Cloud Data with Encryption
- What is an Advanced Persistent Threat? APT Definition
- What is a Phishing Attack? Defining and Identifying Different Types of Phishing Attacks
- What is Insider Data Theft? Data Theft Definition, Statistics and Prevention Tips
- What is Device Control? A Device Control Definition
- What is Email Encryption?
- What is Data Exfiltration?
- What is ITAR Compliance?
- What is HIPAA Compliance?
- What is PCI Compliance?
- What is SOX Compliance?
- What is Application Control?
- What Is Data Encryption?
- What is Data Loss Prevention (DLP)? A Definition of Data Loss Prevention
- What is Application Whitelisting? An Application Whitelisting Definition
- What is an Insider Threat? An Insider Threat Definition
- What is Data Classification? A Data Classification Definition
- What is Endpoint Detection and Response? A Definition of Endpoint Detection & Response
- What is Data Integrity? Data Protection 101
- What is Endpoint Security? Data Protection 101
- What is Data Governance? Data Protection 101
- What is Endpoint Protection? Data Protection 101
Data Security Knowledge Base
What is Incident Response?
Incident response can be defined as a method for responding to a security breach or attack. The intended outcome of incident response is to minimize damage while also reducing recovery time and costs. An incident response plan is a step-by-step process that is carried out after a security incident occurs. As a result, an incident response plan must specifically define the terms of what the organization considers to be a security incident – this definition will vary from organization to organization. Examples of security incidents that can require incident response include attempts at gaining unauthorized access to data or systems, disruption or denial of service attacks, malware infections, and unauthorized use of systems to manipulate data. In addition, unauthorized changes to a system’s hardware, firmware, or software can also be considered a security incident requiring response.
What is a Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT)?
Computer security incident response teams are groups that analyze reports of security breaches and manage the incident response process. Computer security incident response teams can be formally established or can be put together when an incident arises. Of course, the more organized an incident response team is prior to an incident, the more efficient their response can be; the same goes for incident response plans themselves.
There are many different types of computer security incident response teams. Internal computer security incident response teams are composed to serve a parent organization such as the government or a corporation. National computer security incident response teams provide incident response services to an entire country. External computer security incident response teams provide paid incident response services when needed. Other types of computer security incident response teams include coordination centers, analysis centers, vendor teams, and incident response providers. Aside from computer security incident response teams, there are also various cyber incident response and data incident response software/tools available for organizations to use.
Benefits of Incident Response Plans
An effective incident response plan improves the decision making of the organization. Having standardized procedures for incident response allows for decisions to be made quickly and effectively, which is critical following an attack or compromise. Effective incident response plans also improve internal and external coordination. Internal coordination is improved because incident response planning aligns all of an organization’s business functions around critical security issues. Externally, incident response plans help to maintain relationships with third parties, which can be critical to the organization’s success in addressing a security incident.
Incident response plans establish distinct roles and responsibilities across the organization. This makes the organization’s internal response activities flow much more fluently and efficiently. Moreover, incident response plans enable organizations to act immediately after an incident is noticed and limit the damage from incidents that occur.
Shortcomings of Incident Response Plans
Although incident response plans bring the benefits of strategic and coordinated threat response, if not properly designed or implemented, incident response plans can be ineffective. Additionally, incident response plans that are outdated or too generic will not serve companies well when a security incident occurs. Another shortfall organizations can face in incident response planning is when a plan is developed following a siloed approach – that is, the incident response plan is too concentrated within a small portion of the company, leaving other business units in the dark. Exclusive incident response plans may be an option to defend against highly targeted attacks, but they also leave organizations susceptible to incidents that affect other business units. Finally, incident response plans can easily become ineffective when organizations fail to allocate human resources effectively to align stakeholders with their appropriate roles in security incident response.
Ultimately, in order to be effective, incident response must be well-planned and updated continuously to address new threats and risks facing the organization as well as new laws regarding cyber security. When developed and executed properly, cyber security incident response brings countless benefits to the victim organization – including damage control, reduced mitigation costs, improved response times, and minimized brand damage.
Data Security Knowledge Base
Intrusion Prevention System
What is an Intrusion Prevention System?
An intrusion prevention system (IPS) is a tool that is used to sniff out malicious activity occurring over a network and/or system. Intrusion prevention systems can also be referred to as intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS). Intrusion prevention systems function by finding malicious activity, recording and reporting information about the malicious activity, and trying to block/stop the activity from occurring.
Intrusion prevention systems expand on the capabilities of intrusion detection systems (IDS), which serve the fundamental purpose of monitoring network and system traffic. What makes intrusion prevention systems more advanced than intrusion detection systems is that IPS are located in-line (directly in the path in which the source and destination communicate) and have the capability to prevent or block the malicious activity that is occurring.
How do Intrusion Prevention Systems Work?
Intrusion prevention systems are usually located behind a firewall to function as another filter for malicious activity. Since intrusion prevention systems are located in-line, IPS are capable of analyzing and taking automated actions on all network traffic flows. Those actions can include alerting administrators, dropping dangerous packets, halting traffic coming from the source address(es) of malicious activity, and restarting connections. It is important to note that an effective intrusion prevention system must be efficient to avoid hindering network performance. In addition, intrusion prevention systems must work quickly and accurately in order to catch malicious activity in real time and avoid false positives.
How do Intrusion Prevention Systems Detect Malicious Activity?
Intrusion prevention systems have various ways of detecting malicious activity, however the two predominant methods are signature-based detection and statistical anomaly-based detection. The signature-based detection method used by intrusion prevention systems involves a dictionary of uniquely identifiable signatures located in the code of each exploit. There are two types of signature-based detection methods for intrusion prevention systems as well: exploit-facing and vulnerability-facing. Exploit-facing methods detect malicious activity based on common attack patterns, whereas vulnerability-facing methods attempt to detect malicious activity by identifying specific vulnerabilities. On the other hand, intrusion prevention systems that rely on statistical anomaly-based detection randomly sample network traffic and then compare the samples to a predetermined baseline performance level.
Intrusion Prevention System Comparison
There are four common types of intrusion prevention systems. The first type of intrusion prevention system is called a network-based intrusion prevention system (NIPS). This type of intrusion prevention system has the ability to monitor the whole network and look for suspicious traffic by reviewing protocol activity. In contrast, wireless intrusion prevention systems (WIPS) only monitor wireless networks for suspicious activity by reviewing wireless networking protocols. A third type of intrusion prevention system is called network behavior analysis (NBA). Network behavior analysis looks at network traffic in an effort to locate threats that cause unusual traffic flows, including distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks and policy violations. The last common type of intrusion prevention system is host-based intrusion prevention systems (HIPS). A host-based intrusion prevention systems is an installed software package that looks into suspicious activity that occurs within a single host.
Best Intrusion Prevention System
The intrusion prevention system market has a very wide product offering. This makes choosing the best intrusion prevention system a quite difficult task. In an effort to reduce the complexity of choosing the best intrusion prevention system for you, it essential to set a budget, define the requirements that your new system will need to fulfill, and do your research on the different intrusion prevention systems on the market. Keep in mind that an intrusion prevention system is a standalone technology and not a comprehensive security solution. While an IPS can be a valuable technology for detecting malicious activity on networks, an effective security program should leverage additional technologies and resources for data protection, endpoint security, incident response, and more.
Data Security Knowledge Base
What is Data Encryption?
Encryption is a data security technique that converts electronic data in to ciphertext so that it can only be understood after being decoded (decrypted) by authorized parties. The goal of encryption is to provide protection to sensitive digital data that is stored on a computer or transmitted across networks. Today, encryption algorithms are widely used as a key component of data security for IT systems and communications.
Data encryption can be used to secure data that is located on media, in storage, or in transit. Data encryption is a popular approach to protecting data that resides on any type of digital media storage device such as USB devices and hard drives. Data encryption temporarily decrypts the data when it is being used and then encrypts it again when the user is finished.
Data encryption is used to inhibit outsiders from reading, modifying, or duplicating encrypted data. Encrypted data can still be viewed in a file listing, but prohibits unauthorized persons from reading file contents. Even if stolen, encrypted data remains unreadable unless it can be decrypted. An important aspect of data encryption to keep in mind is that data encryption doesn’t protect files from being deleted. Therefore, it is recommended that all encrypted data is backed up, and that data encryption be employed as one facet of a defense-in-depth security strategy.
Without email encryption, employees can accidently or purposely leak sensitive information by sharing it via email. When dealing with regulatory compliance, a remote workforce, and project outsourcing, email encryption allows for a secure way to share information. Email encryption usually uses public-key cryptography. This is where the user has a public key that other anyone canuse to encrypt email messages, but only a unique private key can be used to decrypt the messages they receive. Symmetric key encryption, also known as private key encryption, is a less popularmethod that uses the same, unique key for both encryption and decryption.
Encryption software encodes computer data so that it only can be retrieved using a specific key. There are various types of encryption software for both business and personal use. There are many encryption tools for personal use that are open source and free to use, while enterprise-grade encryption software is typically sold by software security vendors. Additionally, most encryption software programs provide different versions and features in an effort to better fit the encryption needs of the user.
With all the different choices available, choosing the right encryption software can be difficult. When deciding on what encryption software is right for you or your company there are some things to consider. For personal use, free open source encryption software is usually enough to take care of the user’s encryption needs. However, for businesses, especially those with employees or third parties that communicate frequently from multiple locations, enterpsie-grade encryption software choices might be necessary. It is important to do your research when comparing data encryption software tools. There are many online sources for encryption software reviews that break down the software product, compare price points, and provide customer testimonials.
Encryption Security Threats
The main issue with encryption is the threat of an attack by a hacker. The most basic method hackers use to gain access to encrypted information is brute force, or simply trying every possible key until the right one is entered. Since the length of the key reflects the number of possible keys, the longer the key, the more difficult it is for the hacker to discover the right decryption key. A second method of breaching encrypted information is called a side-channel attack, where the attacker finds an error in the encryption system’s design or execution. There are also many decryption or cracking technologies available that can help hackers decrypt sensitive information much more efficiently.
Data Security Knowledge Base
What is a Phishing Attack?
A phishing attack is a tool used by cybercriminals to gain sensitive information including passwords, usernames, and credit card information. Phishing attacks occur through mediums such as social web sites, auction sites, banks, and email, where the attacker reaches out to unsuspecting victims asking them for the information they are seeking. To carry out a phishing attack, attackers disguise themselves as valid electronic communication entities in an effort to gain the victims’ trust.
Phishing attacks are an example of social engineering, which can be defined as the psychological manipulation of an individual that leads them to perform certain actions or provide confidential information. With the continued popularity of social media sites and email services, the threat for phishing attacks continues to grow. Attackers use the messaging and email capabilities of theses mediums to execute their phishing attacks.
Phishing Attack Examples
Phishing attacks first began occurring in 1996 and since then have impacted millions people from all over the world. A notable phishing attack took place in 2013, where the credit card information of 110 million Target customers was stolen via a phished subcontractor account. Another large scale phishing attack seemed eminent in 2014 when the home improvement chain, Home Depot, was stripped of the personal and credit card data of over 100 million customers. The exposed data, including email addresses and other personal information, was put up online for sale on hacking websites – leaving millions of Home Depot customers vulnerable to targeted phishing attacks.
Phishing Attack Detection and Prevention for Users
Phishing attacks are usually carried out through email spoofing and instant messaging. Email spoofing is the act of creating email messages that contain a forged or spoofed sender address. These emails and messages will either prompt the victim to confirm confidential information or link them to a fraudulent website that attempts to make the victim leak sensitive information. People can also become a victim of a phishing attack by clicking on a pop-up window and being redirected to a fake website where they provide personal information.
There are various ways to detect and prevent against email phishing attacks. First off, to avoid a phishing attack you should be sure to use caution when checking your email. Phishing attacks that use emails to lure victims are often from an unrecognized sender or are impersonalized. In addition, phishing emails sometimes use scare tactics or a sense of urgency in an attempt to get the person to act on impulse. Another safeguard against phishing attacks is to set spam filters to high. Even though might catch some legitimate emails, the more spam emails you are able to catch, the safer you are from phishing attacks. Furthermore, anti-virus software will assist in detecting and removing common malware from your computer.
To avoid a phishing attack when sharing information over the internet, the most important thing to do is to make sure you are on a legitimate website. Phishing attacks can involve victims being directed to a site that looks very similar to their intended destination, but are in fact fake. The best way to tell if a website is legitimate is by looking at the URL. When on the internet, make sure URL reads “https,” where the “s” at the end stands for secure. Moreover, when clicking on links or browsing the web, check the URL text carefully to ensure that you’re not viewing spoofed version of the website with a similar URL.
A last measure for avoiding phishing attacks is to configure privacy settings social media and watch who you talk to on social networking sites. Attackers often use social media sites to gain information that they can use in phishing attacks, such as where people work, their habits, and their family members and friends. Additionally, attackers can use this information to start a conversation with you, pretending they know who you are. Lastly, make sure to configure privacy settings to limit the amount of personal information you provide on social media.
Phishing Attack Detection and Prevention for Businesses
Detecting and preventing phishing attacks can be challenging for businesses. Organizations’ success in defending against phishing attacks requires a combination of employee education, coordinated policies for data security and incident response, and selecting the right data security technologies to detect and stop phishing attacks – such as endpoint detection and response solutions, data loss prevention software, and anti-virus/anti-malware technology, among others.
Data Security Knowledge Base
Application Control: Eliminate Application Risk While Conducting Business
Each new application your organization or employees install puts your company’s data at greater risk. That data holds tremendous value today – not only to your organization, but also to cyber criminals and malicious hackers. Applications can introduce exploitable security vulnerabilities to your environment, giving malicious parties additional attack vectors and potential ingress points. In addition to the risk of adding new security vulnerabilities, applications can also produce high volumes of data – some of which will require additional protection. As a result, many organizations today rely on application control solutions to manage application activity and control application risk by blocking unauthorized applications.
The Evolving Approach to Application Control: From Application Whitelisting and Blacklisting to Integrated Application Control Solutions
Application control techniques have changed significantly over the years. Traditionally, organizations handled application control through standalone security solutions such as application whitelisting, blacklisting, and greylisting software. This approach is simple - when an application attempts to run, it is checked against a list of approved or blocked applications and allowed to execute only if the list permits. However, many standalone application control solutions have developed a bad reputation for blocking legitimate application usage and hindering business processes as a result. Furthermore, point application control solutions too often fail to integrate with other security solutions, robbing security teams of valuable analytics and the ability to correlate threat intelligence across tools, technology layers, or attack vectors.
In recent years, many security teams have shifted from viewing application control as a standalone technology or to treating it as an integrated security process. More advanced solutions to application control leverage activity monitoring and context awareness to dynamically manage application risks, not simply with a list-based "block or allow" approach, but instead with flexible, automated controls that account for contextual factors such as the types of applications, users, and data involved in an attempted action. Other features of advanced application control tools include:
- Application Monitoring & Visibility: Monitoring of all application activity is a critical component of application control technology, as it provides object-level visibility into all of the applications running in your business environment as well as how those applications are putting data at risk.
- Context-Based Application Controls: Contextual awareness can allow or block application activity based on a variety of factors, including application vendor, process, MD5, data class, and user type.
- To-and-from Data Flow Control: Data flow control goes beyond traditional "block or allow" application control methods to allow applications to run while restricting their access only to the data they require to run securely. In doing so, to-and-from data flow control bolsters application control capabilities by preventing the unauthorized transfer of sensitive data by authorized applications or users.
Extending Application Control to Web and Cloud Applications
Your organization and employees depend on web and cloud applications for communication, collaboration, storage, and more. While these applications can make your business more efficient and productive, they also open your networks to data loss, malware infections, and increased application risk. As a result, many advanced application control solutions offer extended capabilities to secure web application usage and protect sensitive data in the cloud.
Web and cloud application control solutions serve two main purposes: ensuring that only authorized data can be accessed by or uploaded to web/cloud applications and preventing infected files from being downloaded by web/cloud applications. In order to meet these requirements, web and cloud application control solutions:
- Provide continuous monitoring and visibility for all data interactions with web and cloud storage applications
- Enable granular file movement control based on browser and OS events involving web applications such as SharePoint, Dropbox, Gmail, and more
- Automatically classify and protect data extracted from web applications
- Deliver forensic application event logs for more effective alerting, reporting, and policy creation
- Automatically encrypt sensitive data prior to egress
Data Security Knowledge Base
Big Data Security
Big Data Has Big Potential, But Also Data Security Concerns
Enterprises are embracing big data like never before, using powerful analytics to drive decision-making, identify opportunities, and boost performance. But with the massive increase in data usage and consumption comes a whole set of big data security concerns. Ultimately, big data adoption comes down to one question for many enterprises: how can you leverage big data’s potential while effectively mitigating big data security risks?
Regulated Enterprises Face Additional Big Data Security Issues
Concerns surrounding the storage, management, transmission, mining, and analyzing of data are an even bigger issue when regulations come into play. A key example is the HIPAA privacy guidelines for healthcare providers, contractors, and other business associates who may come into contact with, use, or even be responsible for storing sensitive healthcare data.
One of the biggest challenges facing enterprises is the sense of loss of control over data that comes with utilizing cloud storage providers and third-party data management and analytics solutions. The impact of this is significant, as many regulations hold enterprises accountable for the security of data that may not be in their direct control.
Trends like BYOD Further Complicate Big Data Security
Add in trends like Bring-Your-Own Device (BYOD) and the rise in the use of third-party applications, and big data security issues quickly move to the forefront of top enterprise concerns. A December 2013 article from CSO Online states that many of the big data capabilities that exist today emerged unintentionally, eventually finding their place in the enterprise environment.
“Because security is not inherent, enterprises and vendors have to retrofit these systems with security,” notes CSO Online. But retrofitting big data security solutions on a system-by-system basis is not only not cost-effective, it makes the enterprise security process as a whole inefficient and unnecessarily complicated.
Big Data Security Risks Include Applications, Users, Devices, and More
Big data relies heavily on the cloud, but it’s not the cloud alone that creates big data security risks. Applications, particularly third-party applications of unknown pedigree, can easily introduce risks into enterprise networks when their security measures aren’t up to the same standards as established enterprise protocols and data governance policies.
Devices introduce yet another layer of big data security concerns, with workers embracing mobility and taking advantage of the cloud to work anywhere, at any time. With BYOD, a multitude of devices may be used to connect to the enterprise network and handle data at any time, so effective big data security for business must address endpoint security with this in mind.
Additionally there’s the issue of users. Particularly in regulated industries, securing privileged user access must be a top priority for enterprises. Certain users must be permitted access to highly sensitive data in certain business processes, but avoiding potential misuse of data can be tricky. Securing privileged user access requires well-defined security policies and controls that permit access to data and systems required by specific employee roles while preventing privileged user access to sensitive data where access isn’t necessary – a practice commonly referred to as the “principle of least privilege.”
These are just a few of the many facets of big data security that come into play in the modern enterprise climate.
A Multi-Faceted Approach to Big Data Security
Big data security requires a multi-faceted approach. When it comes to enterprises handling vast amounts of data, both proprietary and obtained via third-party sources, big data security risks become a real concern. A comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to big data security encompasses:
- Visibility into all data access and interactions
- Data classification
- Data event correlation
- Application control
- Device control and encryption
- Web application and cloud storage control
- Trusted network awareness
- Access and privileged user control
Many enterprises have slowly – sometimes rapidly – accumulated a series of point solutions, each addressing a single component of the full big data security picture. While this approach can address standalone security concerns, the best approach to big data security integrates these capabilities into a unified system capable of sharing and correlating security alerts, threat intelligence, and other activity in real time – an approach not unlike the concept of big data itself.
Data Security Knowledge Base
Insider Threat: Protect your Data with Digital Guardian
According to the 2013 U.S. State of Cybercrime Survey, 53% of respondents say damage caused by insider attacks is more severe than damage from outsider attacks. Insider threats include theft of proprietary information, unauthorized access to or use of information/systems/networks, theft of intellectual property, unintentional exposure of private sensitive data such as customer and financial records, and other data breaches and theft. Digital Guardian is the only company that protects data from insider and outsider threats with a single platform.
Insider Threats Are Not Limited to Corporations and Enterprises
Insider threats are a serious concern at the government level, particularly for the U.S. government. In October 2011, President Obama issued Executive Order 13587, establishing the National Insider Threat Task Force (NITTF), under joint leadership of the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence to “…prevent, deter and detect compromises of classified information by malicious insiders.” Furthermore, the President’s memo on insider threats, called “National Insider Threat Policy and Minimum Standards for Executive Branch Insider Threat Programs,” was released in November 2012. Whistleblowers, information leakers, and fraud and abuse exposers all fall under the U.S. government’s insider threat umbrella. The NITTF assists government agencies in developing and implementing their insider threat programs, but protecting against insider threats is still a challenge for businesses.
Digital Guardian Classifies and Protects Data At Every Level
Digital Guardian works to prevent data loss and protect your data from insider threats, even at the government level. From the moment it is deployed, Digital Guardian starts identifying and protecting your most sensitive data. The platform automatically tags and classifies your sensitive data to stop anything proprietary from leaving your company or agency. It’s sophisticated enough to block and control only the behaviors that pose threats to your organization based on the user, event, and data type. Its unique contextual awareness and noninvasive approach minimize risk while your employees go about their business as usual.
The Need to Protect Company Data from Insider Threats
Chances are, your data is distributed to a wide network of employees, partners, and contractors. All of those users create, manipulate, and share data at rates never seen before. Your data moves on and off the corporate network, on corporate and personal devices, and now in the cloud. Independent contractors and freelancers work outside the office – and off your corporate network – meaning your network defenses are left behind and your data is put at risk every moment of the day. So, how are you protecting sensitive data from insider threats?
Digital Guardian Data Loss Prevention: Insider Threat Protection Implementation
Reduce insider threat risks and maximize your data protection capabilities with Digital Guardian Data Loss Prevention. Digital Guardian DLP was built to defend against insider threats, delivering full visibility into all data access and usage while applying controls to enforce data protection policies and prevent sensitive data loss. Its data protection capabilities include automatic data classification, device and email encryption, privileged user control, application control, malware protection, and more.
In order to defend against today’s insider threats Digital Guardian delivers:
- Comprehensive data discovery, classification, and monitoring to identify where sensitive data is located, how it moves through the organization, and where risks lie
- Security policy implementation and enforcement to prevent risky activity without disrupting business practices
- Advanced analystics and correlation to identify potential risks in real time
- Forensic-grade reporting to log all data activity and facilitate incident response
Digital Guardian Is Your Best Defense Against Insider and Outsider Threats
Digital Guardian offers the most advanced data protection platform. It is the only single platform to secure against both insider and outsider threats, safeguarding millions of endpoints against malicious or inadvertent data loss by insiders as well as cyber attacks and advanced threats. Proven to run silently for the world’s top IP holders, Digital Guardian has zero impact on even the most performance-sensitive devices. Get unprecedented data visibility and control at the endpoint with Digital Guardian, your best defense against insider threats.
Data Security Knowledge Base
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
Comprehensive Endpoint Detection and Response with a Single Endpoint Solution from Digital Guardian
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) is an emerging technology. The term defines a category of tools and solutions that focus on detecting, investigating, and mitigating suspicious activities and issues on hosts and endpoints. Originally dubbed Endpoint Threat Detection and Response (ETDR), the term is now more commonly referred to as Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR).
A rapidly growing field, there are numerous software tools focused on endpoint detection and response as well as tools and solutions with broader offerings that include endpoint detection and response as a core or supplemental capability. Digital Guardian is recognized by industry analysts as a leading provider of endpoint detection and response solutions.
Why Endpoint Detection and Response Matters
Advanced persistent threats and customized targeted malware attack toolkits are intentionally bypassing traditional signature-based antivirus solutions. Endpoint detection and response solutions supplement traditional signature-based technologies for richer behavior-based anomaly detection and visibility across endpoints.
Endpoint detection and response tools offer greater visibility into endpoint data that’s relevant for detecting and mitigating advanced threats, limiting sensitive data loss, and reducing the risk of devastating data breaches occurring on endpoints. Endpoint detection and response tools are complimentary to a variety of other security measures and solutions as well, including data loss prevention (DLP) solutions, security information and event management (SIEM), network forensics tools (NFT), and advanced threat defense (ATD) appliances.
An Exploding Sector in Enterprise Security
Digital Guardian’s kernel-level security technology provides deep endpoint visibility to enable real-time detection and response of endpoint threats. Thanks to its heritage in data loss prevention, Digital Guardian's EDR solution can be supplemented with DLP capabilities including device control, data classification, and encryption, as well as the ability to block known malicious applications and unknown applications from copying, accessing, or transmitting sensitive data. Additionally, Digital Guardian’s endpoint security technology provides visibility into a variety of events, including:
- Application access and activity
- Operating system activity
- All data interactions (creation, modification, transmission, duplication, etc.)
- User access to sensitive data Memory usage
But Digital Guardian’s endpoint protection capabilities don’t end there. Digital Guardian’s endpoint detection and response functionality is also capable of malware discovery, correlation, and IOC detection. Digital Guardian can be configured to perform policy-based prevention and containment activities on individual hosts and it also supports both static and dynamic malware investigations and reporting.
Why Digital Guardian Endpoint Protection is the Ideal Solution for Endpoint Detection and Response
Digital Guardian’s widespread capabilities both for endpoint detection and response as well as broader data protection make the platform a far-reaching solution for modern enterprises. A single endpoint platform protects laptops, desktops, servers, and virtual environments, with support for a variety of operating systems. With multiple deployment options (on-premise, managed services, or hybrid msp), Digital Guardian’s versatile and comprehensive platform is an ideal solution for protecting enterprises’ sensitive data from an ever-expanding threat landscape.
Digital Guardian is the only endpoint security solution offering complete visibility into both insider and outsider threats across all endpoint devices. This data can be correlated with other security event streams via HP ArcSight in order to detect today’s most advanced attacks in real-time.
Endpoints Are Frequent Entry Points for Advanced Persistent Threats and Targeted Attacks
Endpoints are often entry points for advanced persistent threats (APT) and targeted attacks. In fact, 40 percent of security professionals say their endpoints have been an entry point for an APT or targeted attack within the past 12 months, making endpoint visibility critical in the modern threat landscape.
Only Digital Guardian offers comprehensive endpoint detection and response with a single solution that protects against both insider and outsider threats. A data-centric approach combining deep data visibility and knowledge of process-level malicious behaviors, Digital Guardian provides comprehensive protection against the loss of sensitive data.
As enterprise networks are changing in terms of where employees are located, where data is located, and from which locations it can be accessed, detecting threats at endpoints is an essential component of information security. By detecting, understanding, and stopping threats before sensitive data is compromised, Digital Guardian provides the most advanced endpoint detection and response solution available. Digital Guardian’s autonomous agent protects your endpoints wherever they may be, whether on a corporate network, third-party network, or not connected to a network at all.
Data Security Knowledge Base
Better Data Classification for Better Data Security
Modern businesses are handling vast amounts of data, with the volume of data managed, controlled, or used by any business growing exponentially in just a short time. As enterprises struggle to keep the pace of business that consumers or competitors demand, they continuously strive to better manage and protect their data, making it more readily accessible and available without compromising security. Digital Guardian data classification provides a solution to these challenges and is a foundational element to your entire data security program.
Why Data Classification is Foundational in the Modern Business Climate
In order to make sense of the ever-increasing volume of data, businesses must gain an understanding of what data requires protection and the appropriate level of protection. The data classification process involves first discovering data, regardless of where it resides, then determining appropriate categories, identifying various levels of sensitivity, and outlining policies and procedures that allow employees and others who come in contact with the organization’s data to operate within the framework of compliance.
Historically regarded as a challenging process, data discovery and classification provides insights on the types of data within your organization, data sensitivity, where data is stored, and how it’s accessed and protected. However, modern approaches to data classification have made the process scalable and achievable for all organizations.
Data classification is increasingly important for enterprises that must maintain strict compliance with regulatory requirements, such as the ability to retrieve data within specified timeframes to document compliance. Data classification is not merely a security solution (although it’s a critically important one), but it also makes an organization’s data more organized and streamlines the process for employees and other users to quickly find the correct information. In the event of a breach, classification can also guide incident response efforts by providing detail on what level of information was externally exposed.
Data Classification Puts the Focus Where It Matters
Data classification ensures that your focus is always on the data that matters most. Coupled with other security measures such as data loss prevention and endpoint detection and response, data classification enables you to prioritize threat alerts and identified risks based on those targeting your most sensitive and valuable information.
Digital Guardian Streamlines Data Classification
Digital Guardian automatically identifies, classifies, and tracks sensitive data from the moment it is created, modified, or transmitted. Instead of waiting to complete a lengthy, data classification project, Digital Guardian enables enterprises to achieve meaningful and scalable data protection immediately.
Traditional data classification processes can’t keep pace with the lightning speed at which enterprise data is growing today. Classification simply must occur as rapidly as data is being created, accessed, and shared within an organization. Otherwise, the process is for naught, as sensitive data can be easily missed.
Digital Guardian discovers and classifies data on endpoints, databases, file shares, and in the cloud to reflect today’s diverse data storage reality. Digital Guardian is the only data classification solution that’s both automatic and persistent, triggered at the endpoint the moment an action is taken on a file (e.g. creation, modification, duplication). Scheduled scans of file shares, cloud, and databases provide the enterprise-wide visibility to document compliance.
It’s also both content- and context-aware, so you’re not left with a partial picture of your data. Digital Guardian’s deep visibility to all data interactions enables you to know precisely who created what data, where it came from, how they created it, and why. Digital Guardian protects all of your data, regardless of whether it lives within or outside of your corporate network. What’s more, it can be configured for automatic classification and/or classification by user control, giving you complete and total control over your enterprise data classification process from the start.
Digital Guardian’s Data Classification Solution is Deployed Across Your User Base with Full Visibility and Control
Unlike other traditional classification solutions, Digital Guardian’s data classification solution is easily deployed across your entire user base. It’s the only endpoint security agent that’s compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac; our appliances deploy quickly for the network, cloud, and database classification needed.
Data discovery and classification goes far beyond organization; it provides visibility into where your most sensitive data is located, as well as who has access to it, how it’s utilized, in what circumstances it is at risk, and potential ways it can be protected.
Digital Guardian’s comprehensive data classification solution meets requirements for regulatory compliance by identifying sensitive data such as electronic health records (as required by HIPAA), cardholder data (as required by PCI), confidential or proprietary design documents (as required by ITAR), and other structured and unstructured data. With automated data discovery and classification, you can support complete compliance efforts by never missing sensitive data or inadvertently allowing it to escape your control.
Digital Guardian doesn’t stop with data classification. An integrated security platform, Digital Guardian not only handles data discovery and classification, but protects the enterprise from every angle, defending against both insider and outsider threats. No other solution is capable of meeting the vast array of security requirements for modern enterprises from a single platform.
Data Security Knowledge Base
Data Leak Protection
Digital Guardian’s Comprehensive Data Leakage Prevention Solution Meets the Real-Time Demands of Modern Enterprises
Every enterprise has sensitive data that must be secured. In fact, the volume of data that exists worldwide is doubling approximately every two years. While both consumers and businesses contribute to this exponential growth, there’s no question that enterprises are facing a mounting challenge when it comes to protecting their sensitive data.
Explosive Data Growth Has Benefits, But Also Implications
According to a TechDay report on EMC’s Digital Universe study, the world’s data is expected to multiply ten-fold between 2013 and 2020. Jeremy Burton, EMC Information Infrastructure President of Products and Marketing, told TechDay that businesses are embracing the potential of this “social and mobile phenomenon.” This adoption enables organizations to make better use of the data they already have as well as generate and analyze new streams of data for deeper and more actionable insights.
But, Burton points out, this trend also comes with some daunting implications, particularly in the area of IT. “IT departments must press the restart button to find new ways to innovate around existing infrastructure while positioning themselves to dive into a future of third platform computing,” says Burton. The result is an evolved, shifting data landscape that’s more prone to data leakage adequate data leak protection measures.
Data Leakage Poses Significant Risks for Enterprises
Whether your enterprise works with customer payment information and order histories, personal health information (PHI), trade secrets, intellectual property, or even something as simple as login credentials, your company has data that can have serious ramifications if leaked. What’s more, data today is frequently on the move, and new technologies such as cloud computing and virtual data centers make pinpointing the precise location of data at rest a tricky task. If you’re in a regulated industry, such as healthcare, you’re faced with a slew of regulatory requirements you must also comply with related to the way your company stores, sends, and uses constituent data. Without data leakage protection your company is at risk for serious consequences ranging from brand reputation damage to financial disaster and stiff penalties from regulatory agencies.
The Cloud Makes Data Leakage Protection Increasingly Complex
As enterprises turn to the cloud and virtualization to streamline business processes and make services and applications readily accessible, data leak prevention is no longer as simple as setting up firewalls and creating employee confidentiality policies.
- Rely on web-based applications to create, transmit, manipulate, and use data.
- Use a multitude of devices to access company networks and third-party applications.
- Store data in virtual data centers.
The security perimeter is no longer limited to a specific set of physical devices and endpoints; it’s in a state of constant flux.
Data leak protection in the modern enterprise environment is no longer merely a matter of blocking outside intruders from accessing your networks. Data leak protection today requires both the location and classification of data as well as continuous data monitoring – whether it is at rest, in motion, or in use. This requires comprehensive data leak protection solutions that are up to the task.
Most Data Leakage Prevention Tools Focus on a Single Component of the Equation
There are plenty of data leakage prevention tools, but most focus on just one facet of data protection. You can find tools to protect local machines and endpoints, for instance, or tools that analyze the security of web applications against existing security policies and protocols. But few competitive tools provide the same level of comprehensive data leakage prevention that Digital Guardian offers.
Digital Guardian is the only platform that’s constantly aware of not only data, but users and events, providing transformative data visibility and intelligent controls to protect your company’s most sensitive information from all threats, regardless of source. Digital Guardian remains flexible as endpoints constantly change, adapting in real time to provide the most comprehensive data leak prevention possible.
Only Digital Guardian accounts for every conceivable methodology for insider and outsider attacks while providing complete visibility and iron-clad data leakage protection.
Digital Guardian’s data leak prevention software encompasses the following use cases:
- Monitoring and reporting for all data events
- Application control
- Device control and encryption
- Automatic data classification
- Email control and encryption
- Malware protection
- Trusted network awareness
- Privileged user control
- Web application and cloud storage control
Data leakage prevention simply doesn’t get more comprehensive than this.
Want to learn more? Download our Visibility Study Datasheet now to discover how Digital Guardian’s data leak prevention solution provides deep visibility in online, offline, physical, or virtual environments for complete data leakage prevention. | <urn:uuid:03e092e8-f766-47e6-9b37-e977229e53ee> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://digitalguardian.com/resources/analyst-reports?field_resource_type_value=data-security | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337723.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20221006025949-20221006055949-00550.warc.gz | en | 0.919581 | 9,884 | 3.78125 | 4 |
Scientists demo quantum network prototype
German researchers use atoms, photons and fibre optic cables to create quantum network.
An elementary computer network using the principles of quantum physics has been demonstrated by a group of German scientists.
Boffins at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics created a simple quantum network by joining two atoms with a fibre optic cable. A single photon was used to pass data between the two ends.
While quantum effects have been used in cryptography, using entangled pairs of photons to exchange cryptography keys, this new research shows how two quantum states can be used to create a computer network.
They achieved this using a single rubidium atom trapped in a reflective optical cavity. One atom is at each end of the network and these are connected via an optical fibre. Each rubidium atom is able to store a quantum state called a qubit.
When this atom emits a photon, the state of the atom is encoded in the photon's polarisation. At the other end of the fibre, the atom takes on this polarised state. This means that atoms can be used to store data in the form of qubits while photons transmit data.
However, while the atomic and photonic qubits were proposed fifteen years ago, getting these particles to interact with each other has been difficult.
Stephan Ritter of the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, told Scientific American the problem was that "if you want to use single atoms and single photons, as we do, they hardly interact."
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Managing customer conversations at scale with the WhatsApp Business PlatformFree Download | <urn:uuid:c7561684-0963-4cce-a673-61adf20809f4> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.itpro.com/640063/scientists-demo-quantum-network-prototype | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030338073.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20221007112411-20221007142411-00550.warc.gz | en | 0.902992 | 394 | 3.71875 | 4 |
The Internet of Things is all around us – think of the virtual assistant in your living room or a sensor that turns on the lights when you enter an empty conference room at work. These small internet-connected devices raise the level of security threats in ways your traditional enterprise has yet to see. As you roll out more IoT devices, it’s time to add IoT threat modeling – a structured approach to identifying, quantifying, and addressing IoT security risks to your cybersecurity strategy.
Know How Your IoT Devices Affect Other Systems
A common threat modeling mistake according to CSO is not knowing how your IoT devices affect other systems, making this exercise all the more important for maintaining the security and compliance of your enterprise IoT devices. Some common IoT device components that are threat surfaces you should account for in your threat model include:
· Device memory;
· Device firmware;
· Physical interfaces;
· Device network services;
· Local data storage;
· Device web interface; and
· Update mechanisms.
You also need to look past the devices in your models to include:
· Access control;
· Ecosystem communications;
· Administrative interfaces;
· Cloud web interfaces;
· Vendor application programming interfaces (APIs);
· Third-party back-end APIs; and
· Mobile apps.
ThreatModeler provides an interesting IoT threat modeling example using Virgin Atlantic. It takes the extra step in the example to stress the importance of including both data and devices in your IoT threat model.
Create Architecture Diagrams
Start with an architecture diagram of the IoT devices you’re rolling out. The goal of the diagram is to show the major components and trust boundaries of the IoT device, according to Denim Group. You can use standard diagramming tools to create the diagram. If you’re rolling out multiple IoT device types, look for ways to create diagram standards and templates to ensure consistency.
Creating the architecture diagram needs to become part of your standard best practices for rolling out IoT devices. It’s a task that you can, of course, task to the IT staff rolling out the devices. It can also be a task that you assign to technical writers and service desk staff who have the appropriate diagramming skills. Your cybersecurity team should be at the top of the reviewer’s list for these diagrams.
Make IoT Threat Modeling Iterative and Collaborative
IoT threat modeling should never be a one-and-done project. The security threats that the IoT can introduce into an enterprise demand more than that. The diagrams and other documentation you produce for your IoT devices should serve as tools for collaboration between the teams that support your IoT initiatives. Tools such as Lucidchart and Microsoft Visio Online can enable teams collaborate on IoT threat modeling diagrams online so that they can update and revise the IoT threat models continuously as they learn more about IoT and adapt infrastructure and security to meet the new security challenges these devices represent.
Smart Home Technology and the IoT Threat Models
According to Statista, the smart home market size by 2022 will be $53.5 billion. However, we’ve yet to add IoT threat modeling to “the home game” to help consumers secure their home networks against IoT-related attacks. It’s only a matter of time until some home networking or security vendor seizes on this market need and devises a subscription-based solution to improve IoT security on consumer networks.
IoT Threats and Your Enterprise
Moving to IoT threat modeling should be a cross-functional team exercise that you make part of your overall IoT development and management processes and frameworks. If your enterprise isn’t there yet, IoT threat modeling is the first step in growing your IoT security and integrating it into your overall cybersecurity strategy. | <urn:uuid:fb42cb51-297a-4fa6-91e1-2f12452eb211> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://resources.experfy.com/iot/iot-threat-modeling-made-easy/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030334942.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20220926211042-20220927001042-00750.warc.gz | en | 0.900322 | 771 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Better security is a necessity as we move towards a connected age, where our cars, homes, and money are all connected and controlled by computers and IoT devices. The stakes are much higher, as hackers will be able to attack not just our bank accounts but our cars and homes. Connected consumer and business products have begun flooding the market, but security has been an afterthought. The world now has to figure out how to secure these connected things.
Are you worried about...
- your baby camera getting hacked?
- someone tampering with your smart speakers?
- your phone being controlled by hackers?
Or just want to know what all the connected things are doing? And ultimately need something simple and powerful to protect your home network?
Firewalla is a network layer security device
Inside a tiny Firewalla box lies sophisticated functions to inspect and control your network traffic. It provides layers of protection using:
- Rule-based filtering
- IDS (intrusion detection system)
- IPS (intrusion prevention system)
- Intelligent behavior analytics
- And built-in VPN services (server and client) for secure communications.
Everything is packaged in a tiny 2in x 2in box, and managed by a modern easy-to-use app on the smartphone.
The rules module inside Firewalla filters incoming and outgoing packets at the IP/port level. A rule is defined as an action ("block", and the soon to be supported "allow") against a list of ip addresses (can be individual host, domain, network and region) with ports. There are different types of list:
- Cloud-based lists: lists maintained in the cloud to drop packets coming from known sources of malicious hosts or ads (if Ad Block is turned on)
- Static lists: rules configured by the user
- Dynamic lists: block lists based on commonly used categories such as gaming, video, etc. They come with a default set of targets, but gets updated dynamically based on your network usage.
Firewalla monitors your network and alerts you when it detects malicious activities & vulnerabilities. Here are some examples of what it can do:
- Detect new devices connecting to your network and disable them if needed.
- Detect if a phishing or malware link is clicked on a PC/Tablet/Phone.
- Detect if strangers are watching or hacking your security camera, baby camera, or any connected device.
- Detect if your phone is infected with malware, preventing hackers from using your phone for nefarious purposes like cryptocurrency mining.
- Detect if apps are performing malicious activities in the background without your knowledge.
- Scan your network (like open ports) to detect security vulnerabilities and risks early.
- and much more ...
Firewalla is not just a passive device when it comes to monitoring the bad guys. Our unique cloud-based behavior analytics engine utilizes deep insight at the network flow level and actively monitor and detect suspicious connections 24/7. Suspicious connections are categorized into different levels. For the ones that are very sure to be "bad", Firewalla will automatically block the connection. Otherwise, an alert is raised and the user is given the choice to decide whether to block or not.
Active protect is not just happening at home. When you are on the road or in coffee shops, if you surf by connecting to the Firewalla VPN server at home, you will be automatically protected as well.
Intelligent Behavior Analysis
Firewalla consists of the box, the app, and the intelligent cloud. Firewalla's intelligent core constantly analyzes your behavior and sends you alarms when it detects activity that’s out of the ordinary. These algorithms offer you an extra level of protection that you can control.
Here’s an example of how it works. learn more about Abnormal Upload Alarms
If you are a technology person, here is exactly how we make cybersecurity work. This video is unedited from our internal tech talk
We’re committed to continuously improving our algorithms to make cyber security measures as capable and straightforward as possible.
To learn more about Firewalla, check out our manual pages | <urn:uuid:9fb59ae9-aada-433e-9552-220c8cec1893> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://help.firewalla.com/hc/en-us/articles/360026357333 | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335124.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20220928051515-20220928081515-00750.warc.gz | en | 0.918731 | 865 | 2.5625 | 3 |
App Tiers Affected:
F5 Labs attack series education articles help you understand common attacks, how they work, and how to defend against them.
A Domain Name System (DNS) amplification attack is just one of many types of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. As with all DDoS attacks, the goal of attackers is to keep users from accessing a networked system, service, website, application, or other resource by making it slow to respond or disabling it entirely.1 Most DDoS attacks are volumetric in that they bombard a victim’s network with more traffic than it can handle. Think of it like bumper-to-bumper, stand-still traffic on a six-lane freeway near a stadium when a concert or sporting event ends. Thousands of cars crowding the freeway all at once completely impair the normal flow of traffic.
A DNS amplification attack uses different techniques to accomplish the same end goal of denying service. Instead of thousands of cars flooding the freeway at one time, imagine six wide-load trucks traveling side by side along that same six-lane freeway. The flow of traffic is completely impaired—not by a sudden onslaught of thousands of cars but by several vehicles so large that normal traffic can’t flow through. So, while most DDoS attacks work by overwhelming a system with a huge quantity of average-sized packets, a DNS amplification attack uses larger packets to achieve the same result. No analogy is perfect, however, and there are a few more wrinkles to the DNS amplification story, so let’s look more closely at the details of this attack.
In a DNS amplification attack, malicious actors take advantage of the normal operation of the Domain Name System (DNS)—the “address book” of the Internet—using it as a weapon against a targeted victim’s website. The goal is to flood the website with fake DNS lookup requests that consume network bandwidth to the point that the site fails.
To understand how the attack works, let’s revisit at a high level how DNS works. When a user types www.example.com into their browser, DNS is the Internet service that accepts that request, finds the IP address assigned to that domain name, and sends it back to the browser so the client can connect to that website.
There’s a specific process for finding that address, beginning with the user’s device checking its local cache; if not found, then querying the assigned Internet Service Provider’s (ISP’s) DNS servers (resolvers); if not found, then proceeding through a hierarchy of DNS resolvers across the Internet until the IP address is found. Internally, a corporate network typically only resolves DNS requests for its own employees, but the Internet is full of “open,” publicly accessible DNS resolvers that will resolve DNS requests for anyone—including attackers. Using these open resolvers, attackers can send many fake requests without raising any red flags.
So, what’s next for attackers? Amplification. Remember, their goal is to turn relatively small DNS requests into huge responses. A typical DNS request (just a few lines of text) is very small—usually in the tens of bytes—and returns a response that’s only slightly larger. As shown in Figure 1, a genuine (non-malicious) DNS response might have an amplification factor of 1.5 or less.
To achieve their goal, attackers craft DNS requests in a way that substantially amplifies the size of the response. One way to do this is by requesting not just the IP address for a site like www.example.com, but information about the entire domain (for example, using DNS requests for the record type “ANY”), so the response might include details about subdomains, backup servers, mail servers, aliases, and more. Suddenly, a 10-byte DNS request could generate a response that’s 10, 20, even 50 times larger.
But, what’s still wrong with this picture? The DNS responses are being sent back to the attacker, not to the intended victim. This is where the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) lends attackers a helping hand.1
If you think about the trillions of DNS requests that are made every day across the Internet, DNS exchanges need to happen at lightning-fast speed. DNS relies on UDP for this. It’s fast because its primary job is to relay messages back and forth between sources and destinations; it doesn’t do other tasks like guaranteeing delivery or validating data. It’s also fast because it’s a connectionless protocol, meaning it doesn’t keep track of “conversations,” so it has no way of knowing if the source IP address in a request is valid.
So, in their DNS requests, attackers forge (spoof) the source IP address to that of the victim’s. This strategy both hides the attacker’s identity and ensures that all responses from the DNS resolver will be sent to the victim’s system instead of the attacker's. In this way, the DNS resolvers are acting as reflectors, “returning” responses to a victim that never requested anything.
To use a different analogy, think about someone pranking a victim by posting a fake help wanted ad on multiple websites and listing the intended victim’s email address in the contact information. If the ad service doesn’t verify the requester’s information, the victim, who never placed the ad, will soon be inundated with unwanted email responses. An “amplified” version would ask interested parties not just to respond but to attach résumés, photos, job and character references, high school and college transcripts, background check information, and so on. The “response” emails would be enormous.
Of course, to be successful, an attacker still needs to send multiple DNS queries and likely will use multiple DNS resolvers to carry out this attack. An advantage of this type of attack is that it doesn’t require a lot of resources on the attacker’s part—a botnet isn’t necessary (although an attacker could certainly use one). With a relatively small amount of effort and resources, an attacker can craft DNS requests that will bombard a victim’s site with enough traffic to significantly impair its performance or shut it down completely.
One wrinkle in the wide-load trucks-on-the-freeway analogy is that at a certain size, UDP packets are too large to transmit without being broken up. So, while the attacker is successful in significantly amplifying the DNS responses, when the packets reach a certain size, they will get fragmented into smaller ones. Either way, the net result of the attack is still the same—the victim’s system will still be overloaded because it must handle all of those fragmented packets and reassemble them. The other equally significant point is that the attack still requires relatively few resources on the attacker’s part.
While DNS amplification attacks are relatively easy to detect (because the victim is suddenly flooded with traffic from a single spoofed IP address), the identity of the attacker is nearly impossible to discern for the same reason—because the source IP address is spoofed. These attacks are easy for attackers to carry out because there are so many publicly accessible DNS resolvers on the Internet (some estimate millions at any given time), and the attacker’s true identity remains hidden. Because of this, these attacks are growing in popularity and unfortunately, any website or Internet-accessible service could be a potential target.
Although DNS amplification attacks result in denial of service, they cannot be defended against in the same way as traditional DDoS attacks—for instance, by blocking specific source IP addresses—because the source traffic appears to be legitimate, coming from valid, publicly accessible DNS resolvers. (Blocking all traffic from open resolvers could potentially block some legitimate requests.) Organizations can, however, take steps to help defend against such attacks.
First, organizations should ensure that all clients—from servers to IoT devices—use local internal DNS servers that are configured to only handle DNS requests from within the organization. Ultimately, no DNS traffic should ever leave the organization’s network that hasn’t originated from these internal servers.
Many attacks, such as DDoS, are possible because enterprise firewalls allow traffic destined for the Internet to use spoofed source IP addresses. Normally, when sending traffic to another system, an internal (networked) device (laptop, printer, server, etc.) would have an internal source IP address, that is, one that matches that of the internal network. In the case of compromised devices, however, an attacker might send traffic using a public IP address as the spoofed source. Poorly configured perimeter firewalls can allow this traffic to pass to the Internet unchecked. Organizations should ensure that all traffic that originates from their network, bound for the Internet, has a source IP address that actually belongs to the internal network.
Any DNS responses that come into an organization’s networks should be destined for the DNS servers that handle outbound requests, and never to any other endpoints. That way, the organization can block any DNS responses that aren’t destined for those DNS servers. Using a DNS-aware firewall can help, too, by allowing only return traffic back into the network from requests that were actually sent to the organization’s own local DNS servers. In other words, there must be a matching DNS request for every response received, otherwise the traffic will be blocked.
Organizations can also use DNS Anycast, which distributes the volume of DNS traffic across servers in many locations, effectively load balancing DNS traffic so that no single server is ever overloaded.
In addition to the above, if the amount of incoming traffic is saturating the network connection, organizations should work closely with their ISPs to block traffic upstream. While ISP solutions are often the cheapest, they are typically the least flexible. For that reason, many organizations choose to use a third-party DDoS protection (scrubbing) service, which increases the chances of an attack being stopped before it hits the organization’s network.
For an overview of other types of DDoS attacks and how to protect against them, see What is a DDoS Attack?
The following technical/preventative security controls are recommended to protect against DNS amplification attacks. | <urn:uuid:bbc0c7fd-03db-4dda-b03a-cf93fb80f9f7> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.f5.com/labs/articles/education/what-is-a-dns-amplification-attack- | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337421.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20221003133425-20221003163425-00750.warc.gz | en | 0.939258 | 2,170 | 3.0625 | 3 |
What is sustainability all about?
Sustainability is simply the risk-based forward strategic thinking where we plan on meeting the needs of the present without affecting the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Three main themes have always been the focus of sustainability: people (social interaction), planet (solar energy, biodiversity and nutrient cycling) and economic profits. Therefore, environmental sustainability plans are implemented to ensure we conserve available natural resources and protect global ecosystems to support health and wellbeing, now and in the future.
As stated by WHO (2021) the global population exposed to air pollution levels which puts them at increased risk for diseases not limited to heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, and pneumonia was put at 99%. Furthermore, according to the Vision 2030 of Sustainable Development Goals of UN, Going Green is an integral part of the sustainability action involving guiding principles to provide the deepest view on how businesses can impact our planet and build a better life for future generations.
Environmental sustainability is geared towards impacting all key components affecting the air, water, and land management by engaging the relevant environmental regulatory compliance and risk reduction mechanisms to ensure the availability of Earth’s essentials. These essentials as defined in Sustainable Development Goals include renewable energy, clean water supply, and food security.
Using ISO 14001 as a framework to address environmental sustainability
As discussed by Morelli (2011), if it can be agreed that a sustainable environment is a necessary prerequisite to a sustainable socio-economic system, then simultaneously the actions we implement to avoid threats to and foster environmental sustainability should affect this system.
Environmental Management System (EMS) based on ISO 14001 which is a set of interacting processes and practices becomes a ready global tool that can be assessed by organizations to enable them to reduce their environmental impacts while addressing their need to increase operating efficiency. To meet the environmental sustainability plans, ISO 14001 can act as a viable tool to ensure any organization establishes, implements, monitors and continually improves by taking actions where necessary on environmental performances. Thus, striking an equilibrium between the needs of present people, planet, and making profits without compromising those of the future generations.
ISO 14001 provides needed framework based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act methodology, which an organization can use to protect the environment and respond to changing environmental conditions in balance with socio-economic needs. Organizations that have implemented an Environmental Management System based on ISO 14001 or other relevant environmental frameworks have put in place environmental policy that can ensure that they have an enhanced environmental performance, fulfilled compliance obligations, and achieve their own set environmental objectives. Areas related to energy conservation, operational control and accountability can be addressed by implementing an EMS based on ISO 14001:2015 in any organization.
How will ISO 14001 impact on environmental sustainability?
Organizations will continue to review and evaluate their EMS to identify opportunities for implementing and improving their set environmental objectives and targets. By addressing regulatory requirements, a systematic and cost-effective proactive bias is created to help organizations reduce the risk of non-compliance, reduce issues related to health and safety of their workers and public.
In addition, several other issues can be addressed by implementing ISO 14001, including but not limited to:
- Adequate conservation of energy;
- Availability of clean water;
- Applicable use of resources;
- Top notch operational control;
- Monitoring of environmental pollution;
- Improper waste management;
- Global Climate change;
- Degradation of ecosystems;
- Loss of biodiversity.
Simple steps which will lead to improvement of an EMS
Implementing EMS based on ISO 14001, ensures an organization continuous improvement of its environmental performance by continual review of their set environmental goals. After setup of an environmental policy, some simple steps which are not exhaustive, can lead to continual improvement of the EMS. These include:
- Carrying out risk assessment of their environmental impacts and compliance obligations;
- Setting out environmental objectives and targets;
- Putting in place plans to address these environmental impacts, compliance obligations, objectives, and targets;
- Continued monitoring, measuring, reviewing, and evaluating the achievement of set objectives.
Benefits of a sustainable environment addressed by ISO 14001
Evidence of sustainable environment will become visible as a result of more organizations implementing an EMS based on ISO 14001. These benefits can translate to:
- Improvement in environmental performance;
- Meeting compliance obligations;
- Reduced environmental impacts and risks;
- Control of pollution, degradation, and other environmental menaces;
- Opening of competitive markets;
- Cost effectiveness and efficiency in doing business;
- Profile and brand visibility;
- Creation of environmental awareness.
In conclusion, implementing Environmental Management System (EMS) is one of the sustainability tools that can help conserve natural resources and further protect the planet’s ecosystems now and for the future generations. If more organizations decide to get certified with ISO 14001 then the environment will benefit from its application to ensure that it is protected.
- ISO 14001:2015 Environmental management systems — Requirements with guidance for use. [online] Available at: <https://www.iso.org/standard/60857.html> [Accessed 10 December 2021].
- Morelli, J. 2011. Environmental Sustainability: A Definition for Environmental Professionals. Journal of Environmental Sustainability, 1(1). DOI: 10.14448/jes.01.0002
- SDR. 2021. Sustainable Development Report. [online] Available at: <https://www.sustainabledevelopment.report/reports/sustainable-development-report-2021/> [Accessed 10 December 2021]
- WHO. 2021. Air pollution [online] Available at: <https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/theme-details/GHO/air-pollution> [Accessed 10 December 2021].
ADEYEMI BUSAYO JOSEPH is currently a Senior Standards Officer with Standards Organisation of Nigeria. He possesses more than ten years experience coordinating and monitoring quality, environmental, and health and safety related issues. He is a certified ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 22000, ISO 45001 & ISO 22301 Management Systems Lead Auditor, Trainer, and Implementer. He has delivered several audits, trainings and awareness sessions related to Quality, Environmental, Occupational Health and Safety, Business Continuity Management Systems standards, among others, for Standards Organisation of Nigeria, MSECB, QFS, DRI Nigeria and other clients.
On behalf of MSECB he has delivered several audit mandates including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 22000, ISO 45001 & ISO 22301 both in Nigeria and Ghana.
Busayo has top notched communication skill and is able to thrive in a fast paced environment with his expertise, technical experiences, and analytical problem-solving skills.
*This document may be reproduced or transmitted for the purpose of informing current or potential MSECB partners, auditors or potential client organizations wanting to obtain a MSECB Certification, on the condition that the reproduction or transmission includes the following notice: “Copyright © MSECB 2021. All rights reserved.” Reproductions or transmissions for any other purpose require the prior written permission. | <urn:uuid:d59279e1-e504-47ad-9295-20ea58f8f01b> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://msecb.com/iso-14001-environmental-management-system-and-its-impact-on-sustainability/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337731.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20221006061224-20221006091224-00750.warc.gz | en | 0.914765 | 1,501 | 3.671875 | 4 |
How to check link safety: signs of dangerous URLs
Check link safety to detect potentially dangerous URLs in emails, messaging apps, SMS messages, and social media. You can hover over links or use external tools to see destination previews. In other cases, you might need an URL checker to determine if it features unsafe content.
Overall, dangerous links have many security concerns, like secretly installing malware or stealing data. Thus, the tips we mention will help you become well-versed in identifying dangerous URLs.
Why should you check link safety before clicking?
You should check link safety before clicking on URLs. It is best to be cautious as the consequences of interacting with dubious links can be far from pleasant.
A malicious URL is a clickable link leading to a dangerous or fraudulent website. It can put your device, network, and personal information at risk.
Here are some of the scenarios and dangers associated with suspicious links:
- Malicious links can aim to infect your device. Drive-by downloads mean your device could catch malware and viruses from visiting a website. You won’t need to interact with buttons or other content. Such attacks exploit known vulnerabilities to distribute malware. However, your actions on a suspicious website can also trigger downloads of spyware, keyloggers, adware, etc.
- Phishing links can hope to capture personal data. Some links could seem relatively safe, like an e-commerce store offering various goods. However, it could be a front for capturing users’ credentials and financial information.
- Fraudulent links can lead to low-quality or fake services. A suspicious service could claim to offer its assets for free. However, you still need to provide your bank account details. Over time, you might notice small charges secretly made to your account.
What types of malicious URLs are there?
Suspicious links can come in multiple forms:
- Text hyperlinks. Anchor texts can hint at one destination, such as See tax report or See order details. Without inspecting the link, you could end up on a dangerous site.
- Image hyperlinks. Images can also act as links. Users might assume that clicking on them will show images in original sizes. However, it could also lead to phishing websites.
- Naked links. Such links use their URLs as anchor texts. Since they reveal the destination immediately, it is a less common strategy.
- Shortened links. These URLs obfuscate their actual destination. It is the most widespread strategy for distributing dangerous links.
- Buttons as links. Such suspicious URLs are common in emails or pop-ups.
You can find these suspicious URLs in various places online, but the most common include the following:
- In emails, phishing campaigns send out messages containing dubious links. Buttons, hyperlinks, and shortened links are the most common here.
- SMS messages can belong to smishing campaigns that distribute misleading texts from unknown sources. Shortened links are likely to be the most popular.
- Social media posts can contain suspicious links, likely shortened ones.
How to check link safety
Steps to check link safety do not require tech-savvy skills. Anyone can inspect the URL in question to see whether it is legitimate. However, mobile users will have more difficulty checking link safety.
See short link destination
Link shortening is common, especially on Twitter that supports a limited number of characters per post. However, checking short link safety before clicking on it is crucial.
How to check whether a shortened link is secure? Here are some ways:
- URL shortening services offer a preview. TinyURL, Bit.ly, or Goo.gl all offer options for reviewing links in a secure environment. For TinyURL, add the word preview between the http:// and the tinyurl. For Bit.ly and Goo.gl, add + sign at the end of the link.
- Use sites for checking link safety that can display the full URL for a shortened link.
Even if posts originate from reliable sources, like Twitter accounts you have followed for years, take the time to inspect URLs. Account takeovers are more common than you think, exposing massive audiences to dangerous links.
Recent news explained how Mike Winklemann, a digital artist known as Beeple, had his Twitter account hacked. Criminals posted multiple tweets in his name, adding links that instantly drained Ethereum from victims’ wallets.
Even if your favorite artists or YouTubers post about giveaways or new merch, think twice before believing these posts.
Hovering over a link might not be effective
You can hover your cursor over the link to see its true destination. This technique works best with embedded links. Thus, you can see the actual URL without interacting or using external tools.
However, hovering over links is no longer enough. According to ZDNET, criminals have improved their strategies to bypass such security precautions.
For instance, users might see domains related to legitimate services when they hover over links. This attack abuses open redirects, which means a series of redirects happen after users click on links. In the malicious campaign reported by ZDNET, redirects lead to Google reCAPTCHA, followed by a fraudulent Office 365 login page.
Therefore, you can hover over links but do not solely rely on this technique to check link safety.
Try link safety checker tools
Google Safe Browsing site status is one source to check URL safety. However, many link safety checkers exist, many of them free.
They aim to analyze links and detect security issues like malware distribution, unsecured connections, etc. VirusTotal is another option, which can inspect URLs, IP addresses, or file safety.
What if you already clicked on a dangerous link?
Phishing links are dangerous by design. Users could have triggered automatic downloads or revealed personal information. Thus, it is crucial to check the security status of your device and data.
- Keep track of data you might have revealed to the suspicious source. For instance, if you exposed Office 365 credentials, change them as soon as possible.
- Run a scan with antivirus software. An antivirus program should detect if the dangerous link had triggered a malicious download.
- Contact your bank if you have revealed your financial information, like your bank account number and CVV. Consult the services about the ways to deal with the potential breach.
General tips for checking link safety
Check each link for safety whenever you consider opening an URL.
- If a link looks suspicious, do not click it. Access the service through its official URL, not random buttons, images, or links.
- Odd characters in links could suggest URL encoding used to mask destinations. Punycode is common for fake websites.
- If an URL features HTTP instead of HTTPS, it should discourage you from revealing any personal information via it.
- Use a tool to block potentially dangerous websites from loading. Atlas VPN includes a Tracker Blocker feature. It blocks pop-up ads and suspicious websites.
- See whether data linked to your accounts, like email, is secure. Atlas VPN bolsters data security with an advanced Data Breach Monitor. It analyzes databases of breached information for data linked to your email accounts. | <urn:uuid:2cfc6d10-7b76-41ba-99be-1ad49f2741b3> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://atlasvpn.com/blog/how-to-check-link-safety-signs-of-dangerous-urls | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030338213.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20221007143842-20221007173842-00750.warc.gz | en | 0.902367 | 1,483 | 2.546875 | 3 |
7 Device Settings to Change this Data Privacy Day
Thursday, January 28th is Data Privacy Day, the official global initiative that aims to provoke dialogue and empower people and companies to take action. Millions of people have no idea how much of their personal information is being collected, stored & shared. This Data Privacy Day, INE is encouraging people to take time to review some specific privacy settings in order to safeguard their cybersecurity.
1-REVIEW PRIVACY POLICIES
These are written in complicated legalese jargon and designed to make your eyes glaze over. 74% of people don’t read privacy policies before accepting them, and 81% of people feel they have no control over when their data is collected.* Take a few minutes to review the privacy policies of the apps you use. Click here for a comprehensive list of links compiled by the NCSA.
2-DUMP THE DATA … PERMANENTLY!
Your personal data is a gold mine for hackers. The European Commission values personal data in 2020 at nearly $1.2 trillion. Check old smartphones and hard drives to make sure you have permanently deleted sensitive information including emails, voicemails, text messages, documents & files. Many PC recyclers offer data destruction services to ensure your data can’t be recovered.
The average data breach costs $3.9 million. To combat the risk, many companies offer cyber security awareness training to their employees as a benefit to protect the business and employees. Take advantage of that! INE offers a comprehensive training platform to businesses for free. check to see if your employer offers a training program. If not, ask for one.
4-TURN ON ERASE-DATA FUNCTION
Many smartphones have a feature that will erase your data after a certain number of failed password attempts. This may sound scary, but in reality could protect your personal information from being stolen. Log on to your phone’s Settings menu and toggle this option “ON” for maximum protection.
5-USE STRONG PASSWORDS
This may seem like a no-brainer, but a recent Harris Poll found 2 in three people recycle the same password across multiple accounts. Using a password manager to generate strong, unique passwords is a smart way to establish safe security practices.
6-TURN ON TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION (2FA)
This feature adds another layer of security to your online accounts. Examples of this include a fingerprint scan, bank security fob, personal identification number (PIN) or answer to a “secret question.” The extra boost of security makes it that much more difficult for hackers to access your information.
7-CLEAR YOUR CLOUD
Long after you quit using an online service, your personal data is often still stored in the Cloud. Take a quick inventory of old accounts. Make sure the accounts themselves are closed, and you may also need to get in touch with customer support to ensure your closed account has been permanently deleted.
Want to learn more about safeguarding your privacy and keeping hackers at bay? INE's Cyber Security training offers hundreds of hours of on-demand content covering all areas of information security. Get started today! | <urn:uuid:dce43a7e-7541-49e4-ae25-623136fb2920> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://ine.com/blog/7-device-settings-to-change-this-data-privacy-day | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030338213.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20221007143842-20221007173842-00750.warc.gz | en | 0.928253 | 665 | 2.65625 | 3 |
IoT Security Testing
The Internet of Things is the profusion of small, inexpensive, power efficient sensors and devices that make environments safer, smarter, and more responsive. But these devices will also create enormous challenges in configuration and especially in protecting them from hacking and abuse. Faculty and graduate students at Colorado State University are working closely with CableLabs scientists to develop, prototype, and validate new ways to discover and protect against security holes. These insights will color a breadth of standards across cable and other industries, as well as comprehensive new testing services that Kyrio will be able to make available to the ecosystem.
Core Security Architecture
CableLabs has been working closely with researchers at CSU to develop new ways to identify, measure and mitigate cyber attacks. Two projects in particular have shown great promise. BGPMon uses real time network data provided by the Oregon Route Views Project to indicate and alert when BGP routes may be hijacked, and to identify unusual international traffic route detours. BGPMon has been of interest to cable operators. NetBrane applies multiple strategies to mitigate distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. It combines big data, high speed packet inspection (100Gpbs) and a software defined network to create agile response to rapidly evolving DDoS events. | <urn:uuid:51479f6e-9efd-45a7-9a9f-e2c547857f94> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.cablelabs.com/university-partnerships | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030338213.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20221007143842-20221007173842-00750.warc.gz | en | 0.917526 | 259 | 2.578125 | 3 |
There is a lot of FUD surrounding malware these days. The latest research tells us that there are now over 70000 new pieces of malware released every day. Unfortunately it’s your preconceptions about malware that’s putting you at the most risk for infection for a cyber transmitted disease.
- It won’t happen to me. Sadly, malware can happen to anyone. And it doesn’t discriminate against operating systems. So if you think you are immune because you have a Mac, think again.
- I only did it once. One click is all that is needed to pick up a malicious virus. While e-mail attachments are still a potential source of infection, there are many other ways for malware to get into your computer. Infected web pages, and infected ads are a more common way to catch a virus. Think twice before you click.
- If I had been infected, I would know right? Wrong. Not all malicious attacks show symptoms right away. Modern malware writers are clever. They code their viruses to make sure that they work unnoticed in the background.
- I only visit clean sites. Just because you aren’t surfing pornographic content doesn’t mean you don’t have to worry. Surprisingly most serious adult sites are professionally run and secured and current with patches. Increasing incidents are coming from perfectly legit sites.
- The protection I use is 100% safe. Nothing is 100% safe, but the best way to ensure complete endpoint protection is to use multiple layers of defense. Make sure you pick a solution that has application whitelisting capabilities. Also, because anti-virus programs are reactive, meaning they respond to only known threats, it won’t catch zero day threats. Also, be careful of free anti-virus—they are often missing features like firewalls or anti-spam filters. | <urn:uuid:a2e7f72e-3bd4-4076-bb2a-cd1a5a950cfe> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.faronics.com/news/blog/5-myths-of-cyber-transmitted-diseases | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335254.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20220928113848-20220928143848-00150.warc.gz | en | 0.95149 | 383 | 2.515625 | 3 |
CWDM - Cost-Effective Alternative to Expand Network Capacity
Fiber optic cabling is highly favorable in the telecommunication world. However, deploying fiber cabling for each individual service can be cost prohibitive, thus Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) technology shines out as an optimal choice - it combines multiple signals onto a single fiber strand by using several wavelengths (frequencies) of light - each frequency carrying a different type of data, enabling cost-efficient upgrade of network capacity. WDM has two variations: Coarse WDM (CWDM) and Dense WDM (DWDM), in which CWDM is well suited to the needs of enterprise networks and metropolitan short distance transmission.
CWDM Technology - Alternative for Increasing Transmission Capacity
CWDM was standardized by the ITU-T G.694.2 based on a grid or wavelength separation of 20 nm in the range of 1270-1610 nm. It is able to carry up to 18 CWDM wavelength over one pair of fiber. Each signal is assigned to a different wavelength of light. Each wavelength does not affect another wavelength, so the signals do not interfere. Each channel is usually transparent to the speed and type of data, so any mix of SAN, WAN, Voice and Video services can be transported simultaneously over a single fiber or fiber pair.
Figure 1: CWDM System
CWDM is a cost-effective solution to provide a capacity boost in the access network. It can address traffic growth demands without overbuilding the infrastructure. For example, a typical 8-channel CWDM system offers 8 times the amount of bandwidth that can be achieved using a SONET/SDH system for a given transmission line speed with the same optical fibers. It is a perfect alternative for carriers who are looking to increase the capacity of their installed optical network without replacing existing equipment with higher bit rate transmission equipment, and without installing new fibers.
Key CWDM Network Component: CWDM Mux Demux
A Mux is commonly known as a multiplexer which combines multiple wavelength channels on a single fiber, and a Demux separates them again at the other end. A Mux/Demux set-up is especially useful to increase the end-to-end capacity of a deployed fiber. The Mux is typically located in the central office, and the Demux unit located in either a cabinet or splice closure from which the fibers go to their destination in a star-shaped topology.
Figure 2: CWDM Mux Demux
Dual-Fiber CWDM Mux Demux
Dual-fiber CWDM Mux Demux is a passive device multiplexing and demultiplexing the wavelengths for expanding network capacity, which must work in pairs for bidirectional transmission over dual fiber. It enables up to 18 channels for transmitting and receiving 18 kinds of signals, with the wavelengths from 1270 nm to 1610 nm. The CWDM transceiver inserted into the fiber optic Mux port should have the same wavelength as that of Mux port to finish the signal transmission.
Figure 3: Dual-Fiber CWDM Mux Demux
Single-Fiber CWDM Mux Demux
Single-fiber CWDM Mux Demux should also be used in pairs. One multiplexes the several signals, transmits them through a single fiber together, while another one at the opposite side of the fiber demultiplexes the integrated signals. Considering that the single-fiber CWDM Mux Demux transmitting and receiving the integrated signals through the same fiber, the wavelengths for RX and TX of the same port on the single-fiber CWDM Mux Demux should be different. The working principle of single-fiber CWDM Mux Demux is more complicated, compared to the dual-fiber one.
As shown in the figure below, the transmission from the left to right uses 1470 nm, 1510 nm, 1550 nm and 1590 nm to multiplex the signals, transmit them through the single fiber, and using the same four wavelengths to demultiplex the signals, while the opposite transmission carries signals with 1490 nm, 1530 nm, 1570 nm and 1610 nm over the same fiber. As for the wavelength of the transceiver, it should use the same wavelength as TX of the port on the CWDM Mux Demux. For example, when the port of a single-fiber CWDM Mux Demux has 1470 nm for TX and 1490 nm for RX, then a 1470nm CWDM transceiver should be used for TX and 1490 nm CWDM transceiver for RX.
Figure 4: Single-Fiber CWDM Mux Demux
CWDM is applied primarily in two broad areas: metro and access network, performing two functions - one is to use each optical channel to carry a distinct input signal at a individual rate, another is to use CWDM to break down a high-speed signal into slower components that can be transmitted more economically, such as some 10G transceivers.
CWDM in Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
Metropolitan area network (MAN) refers to the network that covers the city and its suburbs, providing integrated transmission platform for metropolitan areas. CWDM networks enable wavelength services to be provisioned over a large metro area, with the functional and economic benefits of full logical mesh connectivity, wavelength re-use and low end-to-end latency. These features are applicable to the Inter-Office (CO-CO) and Fiber to the Building (FTTB) segments of the metro network. The low latency benefits of CWDM are especially attractive in ESCON and FICON/Fibre Channel based SAN applications. The less space, low power and cost benefits of CWDM also enable its deployment in the Outside Plant (OSP) or Remote Terminal (RT) segments of the metro market.
Figure 5: CWDM in Metropolitan Area Network
CWDM in LAN and SAN Connection
CWDM has abundant network topology, such as point-to-point, ring, mesh, etc. The ring network can provide self-healing protection: the style of restoring includes link breaking protection and node failure separation. CWDM rings and point-to-point links are well suited for interconnecting geographically dispersed LAN (local area network) and SAN (storage area network). Corporations can benefit from CWDM by integrating multiple Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel links over a single optical fiber for point-to-point applications or for ring applications.
CWDM Integrated in 10 Gigabit Ethernet
With the benefits of low implementation cost, robustly, simplicity of installation and maintenance, Ethernet has been used intensively in the metro/access system now. As the bandwidth increases, higher data rate 10 Gigabit Ethernet was put forward. Ethernet integrating with CWDM is one of the best implementing methods. In one of 10 Gigabit Ethernet standards in the IEEE 802.3ae is a four-channel, 1300nm CWDM solution. However, if CWDM were based on 10 channels of 1 Gbps, then 200 nm of the wavelength spectrum would be used. Compared with TDM (transmission time division multiplexing), 10G CWDM technology may have a higher initial cost, but it can offer better scalability and flexibility than TDM.
CWDM in PON (Passive Optical Network)
PON is a point-to-multipoint optical network that uses existing fiber. It is the economical way to deliver bandwidth to the last mile. Its cost savings come from using passive devices in the form of couplers and splitters, rather than higher-cost active electronics. PON expands the number of endpoints and increases the capacity of the fiber. But PON is limited in the amount of bandwidth it can support. As CWDM can multiple the bandwidths cost-effectively, when combining them together, each additional lambda becomes a virtual point-to-point connection from a central office to an end user. If one end user in the original PON deployment grows to the point where he needs his own fiber, adding CWDM to the PON fiber creates a virtual fiber for that user. Once the traffic is switched to the assigned lambda, the bandwidth taken from the PON is now available for other end users. So the access system can maximize fiber efficiency.
Figure 6: CWDM in PON
CWDM VS. DWDM
CWDM is able to transport up to 16 wavelengths with a channel spacing of 20 nm in the spectrum grid from 1270 nm to 1610 nm. While DWDM can carry 40, 80 or up to 160 wavelengths with a narrower spacing of 0.8 nm, 0.4 nm or 0.2 nm from the wavelengths of 1525 nm to 1565 nm (C band) or 1570 nm to 1610 nm (L band).
Figure 7: CWDM Wavelength Grid
DWDM multiplexing system is capable of having a longer haul transmission by keeping the wavelengths tightly packed. It can transmit more data over a larger run of cable with less interference than CWDM system. CWDM system cannot transmit data over long distance as the wavelengths are not amplified. Usually, CWDM can transmit data up to 100 miles (160 km).
CWDM system uses the uncooled laser while DWDM system uses the cooling laser. Laser cooling refers to a number of techniques in which atomic and molecular samples are cooled down to near absolute zero through the interaction with one or more laser fields. Cooling laser adopts temperature tuning that ensures better performance, higher safety and longer life span of DWDM system. But it also consumes more power than the electronic tuning uncooled laser used by CWDM system.
The DWDM price is typically four or five times higher than that of the CWDM counterparts. The higher cost of DWDM is attributed to the factors related to the lasers. The manufacturing wavelength tolerance of a DWDM laser die compared to a CWDM die is a key factor. Typical wavelength tolerances for DWDM lasers are on the order of ±0.1 nm, while tolerances for CWDM laser die are ±2-3 nm. Lower die yields also drive up the costs of DWDM lasers relative to CWDM lasers. Moreover, packaging DWDM laser die for temperature stabilization with a Peltier cooler and thermister in a butterfly package is more expensive than the uncooled CWDM coaxial laser packing.
Figure 8: Cost Comparison of CWDM and DWDM Technology
CWDM offers lower price-points as compared with DWDM and hence is extremely amenable to many cost-sensitive access and enterprise applications. In addition, CWDM is very simple in terms of network design, implementation, and operation. CWDM works with few parameters that need optimization by the user, while DWDM systems require complex calculations of balance of power per channel, which is further complicated when channels are added and removed or when it is used in DWDM networks ring, especially when systems incorporate optical amplifiers. The following table shows the comparison of CWDM and DWDM:
|Full form||Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing, WDM system having less than 8 active wavelengths per optical fiber||Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing, WDM system having more than 8 active wavelengths per optical fiber|
|Characteristic||Defined by wavelengths||Defined by frequencies|
|Distance||short range communication||long range communication|
|Frequencies||uses wide range frequencies||uses narrow range frequencies|
|Wavelength spacing||more||less, hence can pack 40+ channels compare to CWDM in the same frequency range|
|Amplification||light signal is not amplified here||light signal amplification can be used here|
The Future of WDM Technology
According to the Dell’Oro Group, the wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) market revenue is forecasted to reach $14 billion by 2021 driven by the demand for 100+ Gbps coherent wavelengths. Enterprise direct purchasing for data center interconnect (DCI) will deeply influence the WDM market. DCI using WDM equipment is forecast to be a $2.4 B market by 2021. From these statistics, WDM equipment will have a good market in the near future. More recently, two new paradigmatic revolutions have made their way into the optical communication market: ROADM (Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexing) and Coherent Optical Systems. While these optical technologies are the perfect solutions to satisfy the growing demand for bandwidth, they also provide radical cost reduction in information transmission market.
CWDM is an attractive solution for carriers who need to upgrade their networks to accommodate current or future traffic needs while minimizing the use of valuable fiber strands. CWDM’s ability to accommodate Ethernet on a single fiber enables converged circuit networks at the edge, and at high demand access sites. With traffic demands continuing to rise, the popularity of CWDM with carriers in the access and metro networks will be akin to the popularity of DWDM in the long haul and ultra-long haul networks. In the near future, CWDM will continue to evolve into specialized applications. Combination transport and optical routers or switches are being developed now. Add-on CWDM cards are being included in more transport devices as low cost options. Suppliers are continuing to drive down costs and increase capacity. | <urn:uuid:36e9b016-c061-4245-9f76-24f226147418> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://community.fs.com/blog/cwdm-cost-effective-alternative-to-expand-network-capacity.html | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337537.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20221005042446-20221005072446-00150.warc.gz | en | 0.917954 | 2,884 | 2.609375 | 3 |
It has been a given that there are a lot of things that networks and workstations would be vulnerable to. At the top of the list are harmful files and sudden intrusions that are obviously up to no good. While resorting to firewalls may be seen as something that would prevent such attacks, intrusion detection systems cater more towards the inner system igniters, usually providing warnings prior to required action on the part of network administrators on the issue at hand.
Also, IDS monitors the behavior of the internal system since attacks of any sort may occur from files that can be initiated at any time or have already passed through the firewall for some reason beyond the set security policies.
It is a good practice to always check the network communications and identify possible security breaches. While intrusion detection systems can be able to apprehend abnormal processes, the presence of such intrusions within the internal system only proves that system and network security should be re-evaluated for stricter measures.
[tags]intrusion detection systems, network security, operating systems[/tags] | <urn:uuid:a8c2875b-0b4a-4c20-95aa-175db95d0370> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.it-security-blog.com/tag/intrusion-detection-systems/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337836.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20221006124156-20221006154156-00150.warc.gz | en | 0.937813 | 213 | 2.703125 | 3 |
The entire telephone number used to phone a subscriber on a telephone system consists of the basic telephone number and a number in a telephone number block. If the telephone number block is single digit, the direct dial numbers can be 0 - 9. The entire telephone number can then be for example:
The direct dial number 0 of often used as a direct number to the switchboard. Single digit telephone number blocks allow up to ten successive direct dial numbers. Likewise, two-digit blocks can address up to 100 terminals, and three-digit blocks up to 1,000 terminals. The telephone numbers in an assigned telephone number block can be managed and used within the telephone system completely at your own responsibility.
The telephone number block is typically ordered from the telephone service provider. Here it is important to order an adequately sized telephone number block straight away. This ensures consecutive direct dial numbers can be continued in future expansions.
Just as in ISDN system connections, telephone number blocks can also be used in Voice-over-IP telephony (VoIP telephony). VoIP system connections are much more flexible than conventional telephone connections. After all, telephone number blocks can be assigned to an SIP trunk with a simple configuration. The hardware or lines typically do not need to be upgraded for a larger number of telephone numbers. "Fixed Mobile Convergence" (FMC) functions even allow assigning mobile terminals a fixed-line number from the telephone number block. When porting fixed-line numbers to Voice-over-IP providers it is important to note the prefix portion of the telephone number must remain assigned to the company’s registered office and is not arbitrary. | <urn:uuid:68105666-2393-4e3a-9fa0-aac3a2357b1a> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.nfon.com/en/get-started/cloud-telephony/lexicon/knowledge-base-detail/telephone-number-block | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030338280.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20221007210452-20221008000452-00150.warc.gz | en | 0.896668 | 345 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Saturday, September 24, 2022
Published 2 Years Ago on Saturday, Jan 23 2021 By Mounir Jamil
With tech putting its best foot forward when it comes to battling the pandemic, the fight for widespread vaccination is another battlefront that has also commenced and is in it’s prime right now.
For the battle of widespread immunizations, U.K. National Health Services (NHS) have taped blockchain tech as part of their arsenal against COVID-19. The NHS will be using the same underlying system for cryptocurrencies like the infamous Bitcoin and popular Ether in monitoring supply and cold storage of two hospitals in the UK.
Out of the three vaccines in circulation right now, the one that is codeveloped by U.S pharma-mammoth Pfizer and its German partner BioNtech has some serious storage issues.
It must be stored at temperatures of -70 degrees Celsius (-94 degrees Fahrenheit) – certainly not your typical winter temperature, these temperatures are below freezing.
Once the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is out of its storage unit and begins to thaw, it is only effective for another five days at 2-8 degrees Celsius.
All these factors render as major issues that blockchain tech manages to successfully address. And it is no surprise to see another use of blockchain in the health tech segment.
The two hospitals, in Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick in central England have teamed up with Hedera Hashgraph which bring their blockchain networks to the table. Noteworthy to mention is the powerful companies that back Hedera, amongst which are: Boeing, IBM, LG, and Google.
The other partner is asset-monitoring company Everyware that will provide the software needed to constantly track the vaccine’s temperature around the clock.
The solution is powered by Hedera’s blockchain system and Everyware’s sensors while the NHS deploys a distributed ledger to better accurately track the cold-storage equipment that holds the vaccines.
Distributed ledgers act as decentralized and synchronized digital systems for sharing data, and are popular for their large immunity to problems that may be introduced by human error.
This tech jargon further illustrates how the intricacies of blockchain technology can be hard to grasp even for tech enthusiasts, but the growing practicality and prevalence of this technology is plain to see.
With sources indicating that worldwide spending on blockchain solutions projected to grow to an estimated $15.9 billion by 2023 we are bound to see a plethora of new technologies and developments that will certainly allow for a more connected and smarter tomorrow.
The fastest-growing waste stream in America, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is electronic garbage, yet only a small portion of it is collected. As a result, the global production of e-waste may reach 50 million metric tons per year. Sustainably manufactured green phone have, as a result, risen in popularity. When you purchase […]
Stay tuned with our weekly newsletter on all telecom and tech related news.
© Copyright 2022, All Rights Reserved | <urn:uuid:81b9fd56-1ad1-4fa1-a714-d4bab20a6f59> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://insidetelecom.com/uk-hospitals-explore-blockchain-tech-remedies/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030331677.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220924151538-20220924181538-00351.warc.gz | en | 0.938529 | 648 | 2.53125 | 3 |
The CIA triad defined
Have you heard of the CIA Triad? Are you still confused about exactly what it is? If so, you aren't alone. Here you can find more information about the CIA Triad, what it does and the role it plays.
The CIA Triad is a well-known, venerable model for the development of security policies used in identifying problem areas, along with necessary solutions in the arena of information security.
The Central Intelligence Agency
When you hear CIA, the first thing you likely think is Central Intelligence Agency, which is an independent U.S. government agency that is responsible for providing national security intelligence to policymakers in the U.S. However, what many people don't realize is that the CIA Triad actually stands for something else.
CIA - Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability.
The CIA Triad is actually a security model that has been developed to help people think about various parts of IT security.
CIA triad broken down
It's crucial in today's world for people to protect their sensitive, private information from unauthorized access.
Protecting confidentiality is dependent on being able to define and enforce certain access levels for information. In some cases, doing this involves separating information into various collections that are organized by who needs access to the information and how sensitive that information actually is - i.e. the amount of damage suffered if the confidentiality was breached.
Some of the most common means used to manage confidentiality include access control lists, volume and file encryption, and Unix file permissions.
Data integrity is what the "I" in CIA Triad stands for. This is an essential component of the CIA Triad and designed to protect data from deletion or modification from any unauthorized party, and it ensures that when an authorized person makes a change that should not have been made the damage can be reversed.
This is the final component of the CIA Triad and refers to the actual availability of your data. Authentication mechanisms, access channels and systems all have to work properly for the information they protect and ensure it's available when it is needed.
High availability systems are the computing resources that have architectures that are specifically designed to improve availability. Based on the specific HA system design, this may target hardware failures, upgrades or power outages to help improve availability, or it may manage several network connections to route around various network outages.
Understanding the CIA triad
Chances are you have noticed a trend here - the CIA Triad is all about information. While this is considered the core factor of the majority of IT security, it promotes a limited view of the security that ignores other important factors. For example, even though availability may serve to make sure you don't lose access to resources needed to provide information when it is needed, thinking about information security in itself doesn't guarantee that someone else hasn't used your hardware resources without authorization.
It's important to understand what the CIA Triad is, how it is used to plan and also to implement a quality security policy while understanding the various principles behind it. It's also important to understand the limitations it presents. When you are informed, you can utilize the CIA Triad for what it has to offer and avoid the consequences that may come along by not understanding it. | <urn:uuid:403454ec-ee86-4b3e-8ce4-d66279d18ef3> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.forcepoint.com/cyber-edu/cia-triad | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030331677.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220924151538-20220924181538-00351.warc.gz | en | 0.948394 | 675 | 2.671875 | 3 |
"When wireless is perfectly applied, the whole earth will be converted into a huge brain, which in fact it is, all things being particles of a real and rhythmic whole.”
The very first constituent of the IoT was an Internet-connected toaster, way back in 1990. It was a simple IP-enabled device that could be turned on and off remotely. This was the humble beginning of what is now a massive linked network of over 26 billion objects.
Early computing units were far too large to be embedded in everyday devices, and smaller computers didn’t have the power necessary to run an advanced operating system until relatively recently. However, IoT still didn’t have a name until 1999, when Kevin Ashton came up with the phrase Internet of Things.
Gradually, computing power grew, OS hardware requirements dropped, and the physical size of CPUs shrank. At the same time, wireless technology developed enough to connect a whole new frontier of products to the Internet under a vastly wider range of physical circumstances. The miniaturization and mass-production of sensors made it possible for items smaller than your thumbnail to pick up and transmit raw data cheaply and reliably.
The Internet of Things provides acting endpoints as well as the data collection and relay infrastructure, but that data still needs to be processed to be of use. It’s a little like the human body: the “things” are the appendages of the body that do stuff, and the “Internet” is the combination of our senses and the nervous system that link it all up so that information is quickly shared between the different parts of the whole. It’s a brilliant design, to be sure, but without a brain backing it up, it’s a dog that won’t hunt. Which is why network computing and IoT go hand-in-hand.
In a networked computing model, data is collected from network edges and then centrally processed before being disseminated back out to relevant nodes and workflows throughout the network. Advances in big data modeling and machine learning techniques accelerate this processing and make the whole system that much stronger. Now companies and researchers can gather a huge amount of data and mine it for insights in practically real time. You can use those insights to refine and power more efficient business practices, better social models, or new concepts and products.
Today, you’ll find IoT-enabled devices in every area of your life – from thermostats to fridges to security systems to cars and even to shopping carts. IoT is what allows you to turn on the air-conditioning at home while you’re still on the bus, and your lights to turn off automatically when no one is home. It’s estimated that by 2020, 250 objects will connect to the Internet every second, and that the IoT market will be worth $520 billion by 2021.
The Arrival of IoMT
As the Internet of Things grew bigger, it birthed self-contained sub-networks to serve different niches. The Industrial Internet of Things, for example, tightly aligned with the Industry 4.0 movement, harnesses machine sensors, big data, and automation to increase manufacturing output, make processes more efficient, reduce downtime, and extend asset lifespans. For another example, there’s the Internet of Energy, which leverages sensor-based data feedback throughout the smart grid and high energy consuming environments to improve and automate energy services and applications.
Similarly, healthcare has seen the rise of its own IoT ecosystem, comprised of an interconnected web of medical devices and technologies to improve the speed and quality of care while bettering data collection and management. This is the Internet of Medical Things, or IoMT. The Internet of Medical Things is the subset IoT technologies that exist within healthcare ecosystems. Put otherwise, IoMT refers to the mesh of connected medical devices deployed within hospital networks.
These medical devices are used to support clinical operations, medication management, remote healthcare, on-patient or in-patient monitoring and diagnostics. IoMT includes everything from a networked infusion pump to nursing workstations and smart insulin monitors. Business Insider estimates that there are around 430 million connected medical devices already in deployment worldwide, with the number continuing to rise. The IoMT market is predicted to reach $400 billion by 2022.
The Impact of IoT
It’s to be expected that healthcare will follow the path already trodden by other industries. Among other things, using big data and machine learning, businesses can predict demand with more accuracy. Their digitized supply chain can respond to that demand more quickly and dynamically and holding costs can be kept to a minimum.
At the same time, items are becoming more personalized in every industry, from car parts to clothing. For example, 3D printing means car parts can be printed on the spot for each customer. It’s no longer necessary for garages to stock multiple items, or for customers to wait for days for a part to be delivered from a distant factory.
To take another example, clothing can be ordered according to each customer’s specifications and produced almost instantly by a shorter, more agile, decentralized supply chain. This allows retailers to maintain small stocks, mostly for purposes of reference, instead of maintaining an inventory large enough to cover every size, shade, and style.
IoT promises to similarly transform healthcare through the Internet of Medical Things. With IoMT, healthcare providers can make faster, more accurate diagnoses, deliver personalized treatment regimens, and optimize standards of care. Insulin pumps, for example, can automatically deliver medication to diabetics based on ongoing, passive data collection and programmatic logic. Applying the same model more generally, outpatient care can be dramatically expanded – reducing patient costs and relieving capacity strains on hospital resources. Physicians would still be looped in as needed in the form of remote oversight, periodic checkups, and automated alert settings. The possibilities are truly enormous.
IoMT also powers smart health portals, which allow patients to consult their healthcare providers, book appointments, make payments, and check test results. When these portals connect with data provided by biosensors, doctors gain a clearer understanding of the patient’s interconnected health, so they can make better and faster diagnoses.
The Evolution of Technologies
It’s important to point out that this explosion in Internet of Things technologies and applications does not exist in a vacuum; it’s been shaped by developments in other technologies and business practices and is shaping them right back. Accordingly, some historical context is in order to help put it all into perspective.
Let’s start with the progression of technology developments and then move to look at business practices.
- The Machine Age, spanning the first half of the 20th century, saw society transformed by machinery – with design and technology advancements yielding and increasing a range of capabilities and efficiencies. Remarkably, it was early in this period that Nikolai Tesla predicted an IoT future. The Machine Age reached its peak shortly after the Second World War.
- Succeeding the Machine Age was the Digital Revolution, which starting in the late 1950s saw the mass production and adoption of digital logic circuits, making way for the proliferation of computer technology, and later mobile and Internet technologies.
- Then, beginning in the late 1970s, came the Information Age, which is less a distinct period than it is the next phase of the Digital Revolution. The defining characteristic of this stage is the shift to economies and technologies driven by “information productivity” rather than “mechanical productivity.”
- More recently, beginning in the mid-2000s, we transitioned into a third phase of the Digital Revolution. This phase is defined by Digital Transformation and powered by advances in big data, automation, virtualization, connectivity, system decentralization, and AI. As a society, we are still exploring the full potential of stage.
We’ve come a long way since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, and that progress isn’t about to stop. The Internet of Things and its subset Internet of niches are reshaping the technological landscape.
Better tools and more advanced technology have brought smart devices that can measure data, send reports, and communicate independently. AI and machine learning tools can analyze the information that these devices collect, resulting in IoT and branching off to form IoMT.
Of course, technology only accounts for a third of the equation – the rest boils down to a mix of people and processes; which is where I expect we’ll be seeing the biggest changes to come regarding healthcare. Riding a wave of concurrent trends a hundred years in the making, healthcare is about to totally transform. | <urn:uuid:94217755-8fc5-451a-bfce-c79254a0224f> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://blog.cybermdx.com/the-internet-of-medical-things-iomt-punctuates-a-century-of-progress | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335257.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20220928145118-20220928175118-00351.warc.gz | en | 0.930649 | 1,781 | 3.421875 | 3 |
An ounce of prevention through Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) is worth a pound of cure
We all have witnessed the notorious cyber-attacks like WannaCry and NotPetya/ExPetr.1 These high profile attacks have resulted in large disruptions, forcing businesses to halt their operations that may cost them billions of dollars.
According to Accenture, 43% of cyberattacks are targeted towards small businesses. Yet, only 14% are capable of defending against these malicious attacks.2
Obviously, a comprehensive security service will incur additional expenses. However, according to Hiscox, these cyber-attacks can cost your business on average $200,000 regardless of the scale of your business.2
Regardless of the size and scope, your business is greatly vulnerable to cyber-attacks. It is not a matter of if, but it is a matter of when you will be the next target of the hackers’ “hit list”. When it happens, your business may suffer unfathomable consequences.
Stay Free from Cyber Attacks
Now knowing your vulnerability, how can you prevent such malicious cyber activities from occurring? The most ideal and unsurpassable method is through Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT). So, you might wonder what this long piece of jargon is about and how and how it is going to protect your business.
This blog article will provide you with some valuable information on:
1. A better comprehension on VAPT
2. How VAPT is executed
3. How VAPT will improve your IT security
What is Vulnerability Assessment & Penetration Testing (VAPT)? 3
To put it in the simplest terms, Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) is a comprehensive and extensive testing process. Its goal is to identify security flaws in your network, application or program.
As the name implies, there are two separate components to perform VAPT. Both Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Assessment execute two completely different types of security tests:
What is Vulnerability Assessment?
By pure definition, the word “Vulnerability” means being exposed to the possibility of getting attacked or harmed. Similarly, a Vulnerability Assessment will provide you with a list of possible security vulnerabilities in your company’s network.
Vulnerabilities can be the result of weak passwords, software errors, wrong software settings, computer virus, or other forms of malicious script or SQL injections.4
Vulnerability Assessment is performed using a non-intrusive approach. With the amalgamation of manual and automated scans, this will enable you to identify security flaws that may be exploited during a cyber-attack.
Here is an example to give you a better grasp on what is a vulnerability and an exploit: If an intruder could bypass the security guard at the front gate by entering the building through a backdoor – this is a vulnerability. If he/she actually get into the building – this is an exploit. It is important to understand the difference between these two words as we will be using it frequently in this blog.
What is Penetration Testing? 3
On the contrary, Penetration Testing employs an intrusive approach. Why would we say it is intrusive? Well, penetration testers would actually attempt to exploit identified vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access into your IT infrastructure. In a way, it emulates a “real attack” to your IT network.
Upon successfully performing a penetration test, this would allow you to determine how robust your organisation is when it comes to defending your IT network.
The following information will help you understand how these tests are performed for your business.
How are Vulnerability Assessments Performed? 5
As mentioned previously, manual and automated testing tools are utilised to scan your IT infrastructure and environment for known vulnerabilities. During the assessment process, it involves three periodic steps: Assessment, Identifying Exposures and Addressing Exposures. Let’s look at each phase briefly:
Assessment includes information gathering, defining the parameters and informing the appropriate personnel in your company on the procedure of the assessment.
2. Identify Exposures
This step includes reviewing the results from the previous assessment (the first step) and rectify the vulnerabilities by forming alternative actionable solutions for your network.
3. Address Exposures
At the final step, an investigation is carried out to determine if there are pregnable services in your IT infrastructure. If such vulnerabilities transpire and if the services are not critical to your business, they should be disabled.
Once these security weaknesses are reaffirmed from the investigation, your company will be informed of any lingering and unpatched vulnerabilities. These need to be rectified and patched by your company to mitigate the risk of a cyber-attack.
How are Penetration Tests Performed? 5
Now that you understand how Vulnerability Assessments are performed, the following 5 steps will briefly describe how a Penetration Test is carried out on your IT infrastructure:
1. Planning & Preparation
The very first step will involve developing clear objectives and scope of the penetration test. The details will include the time, duration and potential impact to your business operations during the penetration test.
2. Information Gathering and Analysis
At this step, a list of potential targets will be formed to be evaluated during the vulnerability assessment. These targets identified are established based on the accessible systems within your IT framework.
3. Vulnerability Detection
Similar to a Vulnerability Assessment, to identify vulnerabilities in your network, penetration testers will utilize manual and automated tools.
4. Penetration Attempt
After performing the third step (Vulnerability Detection), penetration testers would identify suitable targets to begin an intrusive attack to test the system’s defences. All these tests are performed at the within a particular time frame that you have agreed upon.
5. Reporting and Cleaning
Last but not least, a report will be summarised and submitted to you. They include: The Penetration Testing Process; Vulnerability Analysis; Commentary of Vulnerabilities Identified.
You could be worried that these exploitation attempts during tests could affect your IT systems. Do not fret.
To ensure that your accustomed business operations are not affected, the final step will require a complete mandatory clean-up of your systems during the penetration test.
We are sure on what we have shared above have overloaded you with information that could be difficult to digest. Not to worry, here is a quick summary about Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT):5
Vulnerability Assessment (VA)
Identify exploitable security vulnerabilities in your IT network.
Perform actual staged attacks and exploit all vulnerabilities in your IT network.
Type of Reports Provided:
A list of vulnerabilities that will require patches. The vulnerabilities are sequenced based on its criticality.
A specific and detailed list of information regarding the data compromised and vulnerabilities exploited.
Steps to Perform VA/PT:
Benefits of VAPT6
We do understand if your company were to invest its money and resources in cybersecurity solutions, there need to be a substantial benefit.
If the above information did not convince completely on why you should fund and conduct such IT security tests yet, consider the following three major benefits that VAPT will bring to your business:
1. Extensive application and data security:
Your business will have the confidence that your internal and external systems, software and applications will be meticulously validated for vulnerabilities.
In addition, VAPT assists your business in constructing more secure applications, improving data security and protecting your intellectual property.
2. Improved compliance standards:
You would have heard of PCI-DSS, ISO/IEC 27002 and other security standards that your company have to oblige due to certain regulations. If you are not in compliance with them, expensive fines could be incurred to your company.
To make this process easier for you, VAPT testing identifies if your IT infrastructure is in compliance with the industry standards and government regulations.
3. Security is built into the process during development:
VAPT provides an efficient and practical method to build secure software, application or program. The primary reason for this is that security is part of the development process.
In the event that your IT network gets compromised, it will require expensive fixes and patches after a vulnerability has been exploited by an attacker. – Wasting unnecessary time, money and resources.
4. Simplify your IT network security
While reading through this blog, you must be wondering, understandably so, how you can manage such complicated cybersecurity solutions. You can see how complex it is to perform VAPT itself.
Here is another issue. If you are always being bombarded with various IT security services and needing to purchase them from different vendors, this becomes a continuous hassle and cost. At Netpluz Asia, we simplify this for you with our managed Security Operations Centre (SOC).
As the popular saying goes, “Prevention is better than cure”. Our SOC can deliver industry-leading tools, technology and expertise to secure your valuable digital assets around the clock at a fraction of the cost. If you wish to find out more about our Managed Security Services, please click here.
Currently, most enterprises are well equipped with sophisticated and highly efficient security apparatus and software. Hackers are constantly looking for new vulnerabilities to hack into your systems. As a result, cybersecurity has become the most crucial component of any company’s infrastructure.
Vulnerability Assessment is one of the first steps in improving your IT security within your business. When it is executed together with Penetration Testing the two combined operations will create a strong deterrent to cyber-attacks that target your company. Identifying security loopholes and possible damages they can pose are important factors you need to pay attention to when protecting your network from malicious attacks.
This is why many companies have been taking care of their digital assets through VAPT testing. It is an obvious fact that IT security services would incur additional costs for your company, but it is less costly than having your network system partially or fully compromised.
If you wish to find out more information on how you can protect and defend your IT business network through Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT), you can visit us at Netpluz 24/7. Alternatively, you may book an appointment by submitting your information here for a free consultation.
Author: Shaun Nisal Peiris
1 Snow, John, et al. “Top 5 Most Notorious Cyberattacks.” Daily English Global Blogkasperskycom, https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/five-most-notorious-cyberattacks/24506/.
2 Scott Steinberg, special to CNBC.com. “Cyberattacks Now Cost Companies $200,000 on Average, Putting Many out of Business.” CNBC, CNBC, 13 Nov. 2019, https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/13/cyberattacks-cost-small-companies-200k-putting-many-out-of-business.html.
3 “Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing.” Veracode, 22 Oct. 2019, https://www.veracode.com/security/vulnerability-assessment-and-penetration-testing.
4 Infosec, Cyberops. “What Is VAPT and Why Would Your Organization Need VAPT?” Medium, Medium, 15 May 2019, https://medium.com/@cyberops/what-is-vapt-and-why-would-your-organization-need-vapt-444a684c8933.
5 “Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing.” Cyber Security Agency, https://www.csa.gov.sg/gosafeonline/go-safe-for-business/smes/vulnerability-assessment-and-penetration-testing.
6 Prole, Ken. “Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT).” Code Dx, 15 Feb. 2019, https://codedx.com/blog/the-perfect-union-vulnerability-assessment-and-penetration-testing-vapt/. | <urn:uuid:f81d4d88-622a-4b67-8743-357505555b8f> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.netpluz.asia/boost-your-security-with-vulnerability-assessment-penetration-testing/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337595.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20221005073953-20221005103953-00351.warc.gz | en | 0.926188 | 2,629 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Data management is a collection of concepts and practices used to manage data produced in organizations. Data management has grown more complex while the notion that data as a valuable resource to be refined has grown in popularity. In many cases, enterprise business operations without data analytics are simply not a feasible strategy to remain competitive.
A general view of data management shows it to have two layers: a technical layer, where the actual processing of raw data occurs by computer processes associated with data collection, transformation, and analytics, many of which can be automated; and a non-technical layer, where non-technical personnel are engaging more and more with data to draw insights that assist in their everyday tasks.
Data management as a discipline has many sub-categories, and in many cases requires their own specialization.
These subcategories address the forces and factors that influence an organization’s data management strategy:
Data Architecture — Data architecture addresses which data is collected and stored.
Data Modeling and Design — Data modeling and design addresses the technical structuring of a data model and designing databases that fit data to that model.
Database and Storage Management — Database and data storage management address the active management, maintenance, and assurance of database infrastructure.
Data Security — Data security addresses guarding data assets against bad actors who can steal, change, and destroy data.
Reference and Master Data — Reference and master data addresses the consistency and continuity of disparate data sources across the organization.
Data Integration and Interoperability — Data integration and interoperability addresses the technical movement and transformation of data from multiple sources in a unified view.
Document and Content Management — Document and content management addresses the cataloging and managing of information held in various business documents.
Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence — Data warehousing and business intelligence addresses data mining, data analytics, and data warehousing.
Metadata — Metadata addresses the discovery and management of data about other larger data sets.
Data Quality — Data quality addresses the distillation of raw data into usable forms.
Data management vs. data governance
Data management is the practice of collecting, storing, analyzing, and using data securely, efficiently, and cost-effectively. From a consumer protection standpoint, data governance refers to the efforts of businesses that collect and use data to remain compliant with regulations that protect the personally identifiable information of consumers. From a political point of view, data governance becomes both a national and international point of concern in protecting citizen information.
The GDPR is a European Union act, and so U.S. companies will need to adhere to it when collecting and using data from EU residents.
The GDPR, which came into effect in 2018, regulates data controllers and processors, and protects personal data of residents, essentially any information that can be used to identify a person. While this legislation doesn’t extend beyond protecting EU residents, but does apply to foreign companies interacting with EU residents, the GDPR has provided a roadmap for many other countries and regions to protect personal information.
The CCPA is similar to the GDPR, but is more specific in what data is linked to personal information, for example, information at a household or device level. A second significant distinction is those who are regulated. The CCPA is more narrow in who meets its regulation requirements. For example, a for-profit entity must meet one of three requirements to be regulated.
Benefits of data management
There are many facets of data management, as defined by its subcategories, however, the overarching benefit is to increase control and visibility into data assets within an organization. Without any form of data management, companies flounder in operations and growth, falling behind in competitiveness, and eventually out of the market. Modern data management systems, though, are ready made for many organizational cases, and provide several benefits that branch from improved data control.
Improved Data Quality and Accuracy — Impurity is a characteristic of most natural resources, one that data emulates. Using effective data management helps to clean and distill raw data and improve quality, ensuring that analysis can begin with the most accurate and usable data.
Reduced Time and Cost — Companies burn resources managing their data, and burn time and money trying to overcome the blindspots that quality data insights may have foreseen. Modern data management software reclaims time and costs in collecting, managing, protecting and analyzing data. The insights drawn from data analysis bolster other processes and systems, improving performance and efficiency, and improving the effectiveness of time and dollars spent.
Eliminated Data Redundancy — Redundant data introduces risks and weaknesses into an organization’s data system, typically in the form of data inconsistencies. Data inconsistency occurs during data operations, like the insertion, deletion, or adjustments to data entries, that result in anomalies that degrade data integrity.
Guaranteed Data Compliance — Regulation of personally identifiable information has made data compliance a top priority for many businesses. Failure to comply can be met with penalties as well as reputational damage to the brand. Data management equipped with data governance functionality can help track and guarantee data compliance and protect the business.
Informed Business Decisions — A key design principle in data management software is the unification of disparate data and information for analytics. By bringing the management of data and data sources under central monitoring and control, organizations are provided a holistic view up-to-date views of their data usable in real-time operations.
Single Source of Truth — All the features of data management come together to provide a single source of truth (SSOT) for the company. SSOT architecture is structured in such a way that every data point is managed and controlled from a central point, and data then can become normalized, or made canonical. Changes made to this canonical version of data, then ripple throughout the entire data system, providing the latest version to every connected business system.
Types of data management
Data management systems are inherently domain specific. In many cases, an organization will maintain multiple data management systems each serving a specific domain of their business. Having multiple systems leads to data siloing, which can result in less data transparency as data is locked up in these silos, however, by exploiting data siloing data architects may better protect certain sensitive data.
The following array of data management examples illustrates the need for master data management practices and system integrations.
Product Data Management (PDM) — PDM software is designed to manage the design and engineering process data for developers through a unified dashboard. Product data information can include product specs, version control, change orders, bills of materials, vendors/suppliers, schematics, etc. PDM can and often does integrate with product information management (PIM) systems.
Product Information Management (PIM) — PIM is a complementary data set to what is typically tracked in product data management systems. Whereas, PDM tracks data about the product, its development and manufacturing, PIM systems use select portions of that data in marketing operations, such as delivering product marketing materials to websites, advertising channels, marketplaces, social media, and partner platforms.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) — CRMs are data management systems designed to store and organize customer data including personal data, sales leads, sales conversions, revenue data, offers and subscriptions, renewals, etc. Sophisticated CRMs can also track relationships with clients, communications, historical information, and employ data analysis to study buying patterns and other large data sets that pertain to sales and marketing.
Master Data Management (MDM) — Master data management addresses the growing number of data management systems found under one roof, and the ensuing data inconsistencies inherent in aligning different data sources. MDMs act as an umbrella management system that provides the tools and processes to unified disparate data and eliminate inconsistencies.
Cloud data management
Cloud data management combines the advantages of cloud services with the power to manage data across cloud platforms. Cloud advantages include resource scaling, disaster recovery, anytime anywhere access, backup and long-term storage, and cost controls. Cost controls are particularly beneficial for business, either small or enterprise, and grant both of them the ability to pay for resources as needed. Typically cloud providers will be responsible for maintenance in the cloud relieving those worries from businesses.
In other instances, organizations can integrate their own resources.
Multi-environment compatibility is another important capability of most cloud data management vendors. Data can be shared and integrated across private and public clouds, providing access to on-premise storage.
Master data management
Master data management (MDM) is a solution intent on bridging the gaps between multiple domain specific data management applications within an organization. Today, businesses small to enterprise can use tens to hundreds of these types of data applications with little common ground between them to make easy meaningful connections. MDM platforms do the work of tying these applications together.
Essentially, MDMs do this by describing core entities in a business, data that other data management applications can draw upon, knowing that it is the master record and the most relevant and accurate. While core entities are chosen specifically for the business profile, some of the most commonly described entities are customers, prospects, suppliers, products, locations, etc. A master record of these core entities ensures accurate data throughout every system.
Data management best practices
Data management requires a thorough look at the data requirements of a specific domain. However, general best practices, like the ones below, can help circumvent potential challenges.
Establish a data discovery layer — A data discovery layer enables the searchability of all data sets.
Streamline data science tasks — Data transformation overhead should be streamlined as much as possible to ensure real-time data analysis.
·Automate and use AI — Automation and AI can help teams proactively monitor database queries and optimize indexes. Automation emancipates team schedules and enhances efficiencies.
Leverage data discovery to maintain compliance — Data discovery enables teams to maintain up-to-date compliance with multiple jurisdictions. As regulations increase globally, this auditing task will become more vital.
Use converged databases — Converged databases allow native support of multiple disparate data types and platforms.
Align your database platform with business needs — The main goal of analyzing data together is to see a larger picture of the business. Speed, accuracy, and reach need to match those of the business. Enterprises may need split second analysis, while smaller businesses not as much.
Use a common query layer — Like converged databases, using a common query layer enables data scientists, and others, to access data from any source without needing to know its location.
Why is data management important?
Data management is the foundational step in effective data analysis. Organizations implement data management techniques when they view data as an asset to the business and an opportunity to find actionable insights. To this end, proper data management is important for several reasons:
Visibility into organizational data
Data analysis and business insights
Reliability supported by established processes and policies
Data security and protection
Scalability as data accumulates
Data management platforms
Data management platforms (DMP) are integrated solutions which can combine functionalities of other data applications and storage. In essence, a data platform collects, organizes, and connects various data sources. These data sources can range widely depending on the domain.
In retail marketing, this may mean combining mobile, online, and offline sources to build customer profiles and automate remarketing initiatives. In manufacturing, this may mean combining layers of IIoT technologies with ERP and PDM systems to automate whole factories. In most cases, data platforms solve an enterprise systemic problem, namely the multiplication of data systems within the company creating data silos that hinder innovation and cause inefficiencies.
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Colorado State University is a leading university with world-class research in infectious disease, atmospheric science, veterinary medicine, clean energy technologies, and environmental science. The university has a long history of advanced technology, and its data center also has a storied history: the original CSU data center dates back to the 1960s with IBM supercomputers that were protected 24/7/365 by an armed guard.
The water-cooled system was replaced with airside-cooled computers in the 1970s, and that system remained in place in large part well into the new millennium. However, as crucial campus infrastructure elements became dependent on the data center, school officials needed to expand and upgrade the system.
“The data center, serves as a hub for all CSU campuses, and it is definitely a mission-critical facility because of the university infrastructure it serves,” explained Gene Ellis, mechanical engineer for CSU Campus Facilities Management.
The roughly 3,600-square-foot (sq ft) data center is located in the unassuming Engineering Building, which was built in the 1950s. Specifically, the facility sits in the basement of the Mathematics Wing, and it was in dire need of an upgrade.
“Everything, including the floor, was worn out. The room was at end of its serviceable life. We had kept the HVAC system and the floor limping along, but we also needed more capacity and it was time,” said Ellis.
MAGAZINE ARTICLE PROVIDES KEY TIP
However, since the university couldn’t afford to shut the data center down, Ellis and his staff brainstormed and researched underfloor piping systems that would be flameless, fumeless, and release zero particulates into the air. He had coincidentally seen an article in an industry trade magazine about a German manufactured polypropylene-random (PP-R) pipe system called Aquatherm and considered that as an option.
Ellis contacted Aquatherm’s local manufacturer’s representative, Priest-Zimmerman, Inc. (Denver), received some information including a detailed catalog, and talked the PP-R system over with Chuck Fox, CSU’s Remodels and Construction Services Plumbing supervisor. Since they have considerable experience with high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which, like Aquatherm, is connected via heat-fusion welding, both were relatively comfortable with the concept.
“Also, the product line is pretty famous in Europe, and it is high quality. But while it looked good on paper, it wasn’t until Chuck started working with it and gave it his seal of approval that I was fully onboard with it,” recalled Ellis.
Fox worked with Priest-Zimmerman, a specification-driven PHVAC, waterworks, and industrial manufacturer's representative serving six western states and the local office of Ferguson Enterprises, the local Aquatherm distributor, to sort out the logistics, set up training, and arrange procurement of the necessary fusion welding equipment.
NO SHUT DOWNS ALLOWED
“The number one reason we opted to use PP-R on this project was the application inside the room. We couldn’t shut down the system and needed a product that could go under the floor, be reliable, and that didn’t require soldering or welding,” said Ellis. He added that a second benefit Aquatherm offered was that PP-R’s natural insulation value delivered considerable space savings.
“It didn’t require a lot of insulation. We put a vapor wrap on the pipe, just to be conservative. But the floor is not very deep so saving those two to four inches of space was critical,” he said. Additionally, Aquatherm’s warranty helped sell both Ellis and Fox on the system. When installed by Aquatherm-trained and certified technicians, the pipe and fittings carry a 10-year, multimillion-dollar warranty covering product liability, personal injury, and property damage.
Early in 2010, eight CSU in-house maintenance staff plumbers and assistants were trained onsite by Aquatherm, Ferguson, and Priest-Zimmerman. According to Fox, the training was effective: the staff quickly and easily mastered the process.
They began tearing out the existing steel piping and flooring and installed Aquatherm Climatherm, which is designed specifically for HVAC applications, for all the condensate and chilled water supply lines to the cooling units. Eight-inch Climatherm was used for the mains, and butterfly branches with stubs were installed in several areas for future expansion.
Aquatherm was installed under the entirety of the computer room floor. In the “air-cooled” section of the room, supply and re-return piping connects to seven Liebert chilled-water computer room air conditioning (CRAC) units. A distribution system was also installed under the future high-density computing area, which will serve in-row cooling units. Aquatherm was also used in the equipment yard outside, connecting the room to two Carrier Aquasnap chillers. The chilled water mains were up to 8-in. in size, with branch distribution lines down to 2-in.
TRICKS TO BE LEARNED
Fox explained that while the installers were quickly comfortable with Aquatherm’s heat-fusion connection process, there was a learning curve.
“Once you learn all the tricks, it goes even easier. For instance, when you are using the fabrication machines [welding jigs], you can hand push the 4 in. [pipe together], but we didn’t get a fabrication machine until the end of the job, and that is key for connecting the smaller pipe.”
“You do have to be creative with the welding machines sometimes, like taking it off of the stand and things like that, which shows that there is some craft to working with fusion welding and especially with butt fusion,” Fox added. Butt fusion is the welding process used for Aquatherm pipe sizes over 4-in. diameter, and it turns the pipe and fitting into a single material—creating long-lasting, monolithic connections that eliminate potential leak paths. While CSU purchased the fusion welding equipment necessary for 4-in. and smaller pipe, it rented the butt-fusion equipment from Ferguson.
Even allowing for the learning curve, Ellis and Fox were sold on using Aquatherm. “I love the product. It does not leak if you put it together right, it just will not leak,” Fox said.
NO CRANE NECESSARY
Aquatherm is also considerably lighter than steel. “We would have needed a crane for 8-in. steel, and the crane would have been very difficult to maneuver into some of those spaces, and we’d have had to open up the roof to get it into the building,” Fox said.
“When we renovated the computer room there were no shutdowns. We moved in the equipment, and working in stages, Chuck prefabricated and put in 30- and 40-foot sections as we went. The facility was operational the whole time,” explained Ellis. Someone on the project team likened the difficulty of the project to “completely rebuilding a 747 during a trans-Atlantic flight,” which Ellis called an apt assessment.
The system runs a 30 percent glycol mixture (plus water treatment chemicals) at between 45°F to 55°F fluid temperature and maintains a 75°F airside environment in the facility. While Climatherm’s inherent R-1 insulation value was helpful on this job, a vapor wrap was applied in the plenum spaces to ensure the supply piping would not sweat. Left uncovered in the plenum for a short while, the PP-R pipe “does condense a bit on the bottom side, but it’s not condensing like copper or steel would,” explained Fox. In non-plenum under-floor spaces, the piping was left uncovered.
TYING INTO CAMPUS COOLING
While the pipe system was a large part of the retrofit, the new HVAC system was also a huge consideration. The new system features 400 tons of cooling capacity. The primary source of cooling is the campus chilled water utility via a flat plate heat exchanger.
The utility plants operate at an average of less than 0.7 kilowatt (kW)/ton during the cooling season, with free cooling during winter months at around 0.3 kW/ton. Two Carrier 30 Series air-cooled chillers provide on-site back-up cooling, and seven Liebert chilled water CRAC units with VFD provide 140 tons of cooling to the airside portion of the room.
The remaining 260 tons is dedicated to the high-density area, which will begin to see load soon. One cooling system failure occurred during start-up, and since then, CSU has had 18 months of uninterrupted operation.
With the new HVAC system, a new floor, and new piping, the CSU data center now has considerable— roughly 10 times—more capacity, but just as importantly, it is well positioned for sustained growth over the next decade, including the planned high-density area. The system delivers 400 tons of total cooling capacity, with a power density of roughly 200 W/sq ft in the air-cooled area and roughly 1,000 W/sq ft in the high density area. It also has a 1.4 MW build-out computing capacity.
“The system is running great with zero leaks, and it is more efficient even though we have more capacity, which is ideal,” Ellis said. The data center installation went so well that campus officials have already deployed Aquatherm pipe systems on the cooling and heating water at a nearby early childhood development building, a chilled water main at another building, and on other projects. | <urn:uuid:82ea938d-9e9a-408e-9626-c8bd86973f4f> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.missioncriticalmagazine.com/articles/85284-csu-staff-re-pipes-data-center-while-remaining-operational | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030333455.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20220924182740-20220924212740-00551.warc.gz | en | 0.966868 | 2,080 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Azure used to ‘learn’ when epilepsy patients will have a seizure
Seizures are fickle things, given there is always limited to no warning and never a convenient time.
In the UK alone an estimated 600,000 people suffer from epilepsy with around 87 new diagnoses made every day. This results in a bulky annual price tag of around £2 billion for the National Health Service.
However, as we gain new advances in technology the possibility of being able to actively sense and predict when a seizure is coming is becoming a very real possibility. Data has become a critical part of our lives and now the data centers could also save our lives too.
MyCareCentric Epilepsy has launched a ‘pioneering project' to explore this idea, using Microsoft products to monitor health and record data like sleep patterns, exercise, heart rate and temperature.
This information will be then collated with a log of when seizures occur and a patient's personal medical records to effectively build up a profile, with the goal for Microsoft Azure to ‘learn' when someone is about to have seizure and warn them in advance.
“Wearable technologies have massive potential to transform the way healthcare is delivered,” says University of Kent research team head Dr Christos Efstratiou.
“Coupled with advanced activity tracking algorithms, we are able to now monitor patients on a day to day basis. This will allow clinicians to better assess the effectiveness of medications, and enhance personalised care.
Microsoft health and life sciences director Suzy Foster says she is hopeful Azure will be able to provide for these patients.
“This pioneering project has the potential to redefine the delivery of epilepsy care,” Foster says.
“It is so exciting to see how the latest developments in technology are being used to improve individuals' treatment and quality of life. We are looking forward to the next phase, where our partners use their technology and market presence to roll out applications for other conditions and disease groups.
Wearables, machine learning, clinical records, and data analysis are some of the technologies part of the MyCareCentric Epilepsy project to share information with patients and medical professionals in real-time. Clinicians can access the findings, which could potentially also include video and audio recordings if a patient gives their consent, 24 hours a day online or via a smartphone app.
With Azure, the group hopes to develop the system to alert medial staff, family and friends when a patient has a seizure, and allow professionals to use the app to provide advice to the person affected.
MyCareCentric Epilepsy was co-funded by Innovate UK and is currently being tested by Poole Hospital and the Dorset Epilepsy Service.
“The novel visualization tools enable us to see critical details at a glance, releasing more time to care. And by using wearables, monitoring and notification technology – combined with secure communication to clinical systems – we are providing patients with an electronically-enabled safety net,” says Dorset Epilepsy Service consultant neurologist and clinical lead Dr Rupert Page.
“This level of direct engagement helps clinicians monitor and understand the nature of someone's epilepsy and seizures and respond immediately with alterations to drugs, for example. This has significant quality of life benefits for the patient, and cost benefits to the health service by reducing outpatient and emergency department visits, preventing hospital admissions and cutting medication bills. | <urn:uuid:adf00f55-6ebc-4b3a-b78d-48f0718942fb> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://datacenternews.asia/story/azure-used-to-learn-when-epilepsy-patients-will-have-a-seizure | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030334644.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20220926020051-20220926050051-00551.warc.gz | en | 0.935606 | 704 | 2.5625 | 3 |
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What Is Machine Learning?
Machine learning is the iterative process a computer uses to identify patterns in a dataset given specific constraints. It involves “teaching” a computer to explore environments and acquire new skills without explicitly programming it to do so.
Machine learning is one of the foundations of artificial intelligence, which is the science of making a system or machine exhibit human intelligence. Machine learning enables artificial intelligence.
Another term often discussed with machine learning is deep learning. Deep learning is an evolution of machine learning. Deep learning uses an artificial neural network to drive machine learning algorithms without human guidance.
Why Is Machine Learning Important?Machine learning is important in business because it can analyze bigger and more complex data while delivering faster, more accurate results at larger scales. This helps organizations quickly identify profitable opportunities and potential risks.
The Machine Learning Life Cycle
The steps needed to build a machine learning model are:
- Select and prepare data
- Select a machine learning algorithm to use
- Train the algorithm on the data to create a custom model
- Validate the resulting model’s performance on testing (a.k.a. “holdout”) data
- Use model on new data (a.k.a. “scoring”)
Machine learning models should also be monitored and optimized over time to continue to drive the most powerful and accurate business outcomes.
Machine Learning MethodsThere are three main categories of machine learning: supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement.
Machine Learning Use Cases
Machine learning can be leveraged by many organizations and has so many industry-specific applications. Some examples include:
- Workforce trends and forecasting
- Recruiting optimization
- Capacity prediction
Consumer Packaged Goods
- Product lifecycle management
- Stock optimization
- Demand forecasting
- Supplier optimization
- Inventory planning and replenishment
- Risk analysis and monitoring
- Clinical and population health management
- Medical imaging insights
- Patient risk identification
Office of Finance
- Planning budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow analysis
- Revenue forecasting
- Fighting fraud, waste, and abuse
- Root cause analysis
- Ticket triage
- Anomaly detection
- Merchandise supply planning
Machine Learning and Analytic Process Automation
For a machine learning model to be successful, the data being used to train the model needs to be thoroughly and thoughtfully prepared and analyzed. If this foundational process can be automated in any way, it can get a business from data input to insights more quickly, saving time and money in the process.
Automation of entire analytics processes is key to success and keeps companies agile. Machine learning can help organizations deliver transformative outcomes more quickly, and analytic process automation makes it even faster.
How to Get Started with Machine Learning
Alteryx Analytic Process Automation Platform™ fully integrates the complete analytics workflow. In addition to data preparation and other features, it allows for automated, fully-guided machine learning and modeling, as well as “expert-mode” options, to drive faster results.
Data access, preparation, modeling, monitoring and model tuning, and sharing of analytic results all happen in the same place, on one easy-to-use platform. Get started by signing up for a free trial of the platform today. | <urn:uuid:7fde280e-731f-45ac-a108-a03f4cbc00d5> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.alteryx.com/glossary/machine-learning | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335004.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20220927100008-20220927130008-00551.warc.gz | en | 0.886035 | 728 | 3.625 | 4 |
How are Mobile Apps Different from Websites
The spread of mobility has resulted in a proliferation of mobile apps. However, are apps superfluous when there are already highly intuitive, responsive websites which deliver the goods admiringly well?
On the face of it, mobile apps and websites seem as two sides of the same coin, but scratch beyond the surface, several differences emerge.
A mobile website is technically a shrunken-down version of a normal website, consisting of a series of linked browser-based HTML pages, and accessed over the Internet through the browser. A mobile app, on the other hand, is generally developed specifically for a mobile OS and configuration, and downloaded directly to the device.
Mobile website pages are indexed by search engines, and as such easily found. It is also easy to list a link to mobile websites in directories, and share such links through blogs, websites, and even in print media.
The visibility of apps is largely restricted to app stores. The apps cannot easily be pushed in directories, or the links shared easily. However, once installed, the app icon remains in the mobile screen always, and users may access it even offline. Also, once the initial trouble of getting users to download an app is done, the user is unlikely to go elsewhere.
UX and Design
Websites designed for mobile devices are generally different in appearance and UX, compared to conventional websites. Such websites often have larger icons and buttons to suit the touch-screen interface and improve UX. Incorporating responsive design ensures the web pages scale up or down, to be optimized for any sized device.
Mobile websites rely heavily on browsers to perform even the most elementary functions. For instance, it depends on browser features like ‘back button,’ ‘refresh button,’ and ‘address bar’ to work, with little scope to customize such basic features. The efficiency and seamless functioning of a mobile website depend on an up-to-date browser.
A mobile app is free of browser constraints and may be designed with elaborate and customized functions, co-opting ‘tap,’ ‘swipe,’ ‘drag,’ ‘pinch,’ ‘hold,’ and other advanced gestures. Such gestures may be leveraged for innovative functionality, and to perform tasks better. For instance, moving to the next page is much easier with a swipe than by having to press the back button.
Mobile websites display text content, data, images, and video, just like any websites, but generally, have a limited range of options compared to a conventional website. Nevertheless, mobile websites are often cluttered with dense content, popups, ads, and other content of varying nature. Apps, in contrast, are designed to facilitate a specific function, process or workflow. The best apps are highly focused help users achieve something which cannot be fulfilled easily or seamlessly through the website. Some web developers try to give mobile websites the look and feel of an app, but often end up over-optimizing the website, complete with over-designed layouts.
Mobile websites are getting increasingly better at accessing functions such as click-to-call, SMS and GPS, hitherto considered the forte of apps. However, apps are still a better bet to access device functionality in a reliable way, especially the camera and the processing power of the device. Apps also facilitate a much deeper engagement.
Both apps and websites can be used to deliver the same content or functionality to users. However, both are best suited for specific purposes.
A mobile website, which offers ready access, scores over an app, which have to be downloaded first before the user can access the contents, when the intention is to offer ready content to a wide audience. However, for interactive situations, and use-cases involving complex calculations and reporting, and manipulated data, charts, and reports, apps are better suited than websites.
Apps are better to drive engagement. As long as the user takes the trouble to download the app, the odds are the user would open the app before trying to access anything else for the same purpose.
It is far easier to update content in a mobile website, where changes to the back-end make it applicable to anyone who accesses the website. In contrast, to make changes in apps, the developer has to roll out updates for each app and push the same to the users. The changes apply only when users download the updated version of the app.
However, what the app lacks in flexibility to update content, it compensates in personalization. App also offers scope for greater personalization. Unlike websites, apps allow users to set preferences and be served customized content. Apps have the capability to observe and track user engagement, also leverage the device’s location capabilities, to provide users with custom recommendations and updates. One of the biggest advantages of mobile apps is the ability to send push notifications. Push notifications deliver click-through rates of about 40%.
Cost – Performance Conundrum
Apps generally cost more to develop and maintain compared to websites, for the simple reason a new version of the app has to be developed and maintained for each OS or platform. The mobile app development process has to be repeated for each platform. In contrast, a single instance website runs across all devices.
Again, apps compensate through superior performance. Well-designed apps perform actions much quicker than mobile websites. Apps store data locally on the device, whereas websites have to pull in data from remote web servers. Apps, by virtue of its high customization features, take proactive actions on users’ behalf, further speeding up things.
A mobile website and a native app are not necessarily mutually exclusive. What works best for any enterprise depends on several factors, such as the preference of target audiences, whether there is a critical mass of subscribers, budget on hand, intended purpose and required features. Many functions, especially marketing related, require both a mobile website and a mobile app. Generally, the mobile website is the first step in developing a web presence, and apps follow.
Ultimately, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Mobile users spend 86% of their time on mobile apps and just 14% of the time on mobile websites. However, while an app offers several big advantages, the advantages realize only when the mobile app development is done the right way. Do not take chances with your app development process, and fritter away both your competitive advantage and investment. Get in touch with us to leverage our highly talented, resourceful, and experienced teams, who are adept in delivering cutting-edge mobile solutions. | <urn:uuid:0eabeae9-5a29-401e-b93f-6a7bb65f2fb5> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.fingent.com/blog/how-are-mobile-apps-different-from-websites/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335424.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20220930020521-20220930050521-00551.warc.gz | en | 0.937381 | 1,363 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Cloud computing can be described as the on-demand delivery of IT services similar to that of electricity in a household with a flip of a switch! It is the ease of use, agility, and availability that makes Cloud computing a convenient and innovative solution. Multi-cloud, private cloud, and hybrid are the new normal for organizations, adding more complexity to securing enterprise customers. The pandemic has accelerated this digital transformation through increased usage of cloud, SaaS, mobile devices, and IoT.
A major consequence of the sporadic increase in the usage of Cloud services is the increase in Cyber-attacks, making security an important tenet of cloud services. Cloud security follows similar principles as that of on-prem security with the exclusion of additional costs to maintain physical devices. Companies can now shift their focus to the security tools and processes that overlook and protect the flow of information through a company’s resources. With the increase in the number of devices per person, security staff is now tasked with monitoring a much larger attack surface than ever before. In short, alerts are coming at them from everywhere and at a very high rate! According to the Global Risk Report 2020¹, Cyberattacks are the fifth top-rated risk and have become the new norm across private and public sectors. The advent of IoT has led to a consistent increase in this risky industry and the attacks are expected to only double by 2025.
Given that the attacks are surging, security teams should be better prepared now than ever before. The basic course of action to resolve a security attack consists of three steps – investigate the issue, compare it against your organization’s threat intelligence to determine its validity, and decide on a course of action to finally resolve the issue. Most of the work in the realm of investigating and resolving the issue is manual and is done on potentially thousands of alerts and often with incomplete data points. With the continuous increase in the overall volume of attacks, it is practically impossible to keep up with the manual efforts. Organizations need to develop a smarter way to tackle security attacks. One of the most effective ways would be by leveraging AI and automation technologies. AI-backed solutions can learn what normal behavior looks like to identify anomalous behavior.
While most organizations leveraging the benefits of the Cloud will appreciate an automated solution to Cyber-attacks, it is important to analyze the organization’s requirement for an automated security solution. The overall increase in the incidents along with the influx of data from multiple devices can make it challenging for organizations to focus on the signs that they might need some level of automation. Organizations focusing on improving the security structure should look for signs that indicate the need for security automation in the organization. If your organization is experiencing one or more of the following, you might need a better security solution.
Occurrence of a breach. The number of breaches has only increased this year. Per a recent article² published in Fortune, the total number of breaches so far in the year has surpassed the total for 2020 by 17%!
Slower response to incidents. With the ever-increasing volume of data, security analysts can only investigate and respond to a fraction of the alerts that they receive. The tedious task of going through the huge volume of data only makes responding in real-time a challenge and it rarely happens.
False positives. This is a true challenge because the true result is only revealed once you investigate and dive deep. False positives ultimately result in diverting the focus of security analysts away from other important areas such as addressing real threats.
Efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Working on false positives or spending long hours on repetitive tasks greatly reduces efficiency.
If your organization has experienced one or more of the above, you need to strengthen your security solution with Infoblox. Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense is an industry-leading solution that addresses your security concerns through advanced analytics based on machine learning, highly accurate and aggregated threat intelligence, and automation to detect and prevent a broad range of threats. BloxOne Threat Defense operates at the DNS level to see threats that other solutions do not and stops attacks earlier in the threat lifecycle. BloxOne Threat defense leverages critical data needed to accurately identify real threats that need attention vs false positives or duplicate alerts. With access to precise user ID, network location, and device details, you can identify the exact users, device types, history, endpoint details, and the extent of breach for quick and accurate risk assessment. Save your team hours of investigation and analysis by switching to BloxOne Threat Defense. Contact us today to learn more. | <urn:uuid:1e3871ab-e365-4cf3-a356-6eb1d832ee4e> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://blogs.infoblox.com/security/are-you-confident-of-your-cloud-security-posture/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335286.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20220928212030-20220929002030-00751.warc.gz | en | 0.946388 | 922 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Businesses are just starting to realize both the promise and the risk of the Internet of Things (IoT). Some companies are being cautious and careful, but many are embracing the functionality enthusiastically and placing themselves in danger in the process.
It's important to note that the risk from IoT devices varies from company to company. Some have more risk because their IoT systems are connected directly to sensitive systems that can be compromised if there's a problem. Others have IoT systems isolated from business systems but don't realize that compromised IoT devices could still be used to attack others, causing reputation and trust damage.
Right now, businesses are largely in "wait and see" mode. They're not sure how and when to deploy IoT because most of the risks seem both unknown and substantial. There is no one device or type of device that is most at risk, however. For example, hacking an IoT device that stores sensitive data or is linked to an alarm system will have serious and immediate consequences, of course, but just getting onto the network is severe enough, even if that's through an unsuspecting light bulb or coffee machine. The connected nature of these products can create unintentional ports to other sensitive and critical systems, data, and devices. Once attackers have access to the network, they can steal data or damage systems. This is the real objective, regardless of how they get there.
To put it mathematically, the number of IoT devices being deployed multiplied by the insecurity of those devices multiplied by how hard it is to update them equals some idea of part of the risk that will be presented by IoT devices. The current bandwidth of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) botnet attacks now exceeds 0.6 to 1 Tbit/s and the industry (in particular, network service providers) are struggling to adapt to the new bandwidth.
Advice for Securing IoT Devices: Know Thy System
The first step in securing IoT devices should be to deeply understand any system that's being considered for deployment. It really comes down to those devices that interact most with business systems and do so in a way that is not well understood by the security team and the business. The key part of protecting IoT systems of this type is understanding what they are, how they connect, and what their capabilities are.
Many IoT systems have a local Web server, a mobile application, listening network ports, and cloud connectivity. Using them normally often involves dozens of connections to third parties.
These are the issues that businesses need to examine and understand as they roll out IoT. They must first and foremost understand exactly what that IoT system is and all of what it can do. And it's not easy to tell this by listening to the marketing for the product, which can just add more confusion
Securing IoT devices generally requires an architecture review to fully grasp the various components of an IoT product's ecosystem and how it works, which should be followed by a security review of that architecture. The main risk to businesses from IoT — not fully understood at present — involves rolling out products connected to other business and operational technology systems. There's a concept in security called “Know thy system,” and it has never applied more than with IoT.
Too much of the present focus on risk involves prevention. At some point, we have to look at the other side of the risk equation (that is, risk = probability x impact) and focus on reducing the impact instead of trying to reduce probability.
DDoS botnet attacks are not the only way that IoT might behave badly. We could see attacks on confidentiality through server-side request forgery-based attacks in which criminals will attempt to steal money and data from a vulnerable server, and we'll see possible disruptions of integrity through modification of transaction or polling data. So all three points of the "CIA triad" — confidentiality, integrity, and availability — are really in play, it's just that DDoS is the most obvious and topical at the moment.
The bottom line is: you can't properly defend what you don't fully understand. I expect to hear much more about the possible downside of IoT. DDoS is just the beginning. | <urn:uuid:6e6c06fa-f604-4f88-8c63-8064d5417a3c> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.darkreading.com/iot/balancing-the-risk-promise-of-the-internet-of-things | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030336674.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20221001132802-20221001162802-00751.warc.gz | en | 0.965009 | 843 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Identity theft is one of the most virulent and destructive forms of cybercrime activity in the United States. Victims of this type of crime can suffer from damaged credit reports, tax fraud, and chronic anxiety or stress.
If an identity thief uses your personal information to claim medical benefits or prescription drugs, your healthcare provider could end up giving you the wrong pills or medication. You might also lose the ability to file for taxes and request refunds.
For your own emotional, financial, and social security, it’s critical that you’re aware of the warning signs that your identity has been stolen. Once you know which signs to look for, you can take suitable steps to limit the damage caused by this identity theft.
What is Identity Theft and How Does it Happen?
When a criminal commits identity theft, they are stealing your personal or financial information. If they take your personal information, they’ll have access to critical data that serves to identify you as an individual, like your Social Security Number (SSN), email address, cell phone number, full name and title, home address, and date of birth.
If a cyber criminal retrieves your financial data, they’ll have access to your account details, credit card numbers, and even your specific login information for your online banking.
There are many ways in which criminals and organizations can steal your identity and data. Here are a few of the major ones to look out for.
Getting your wallet stolen
If your wallet falls into the wrong hands, thieves can use your credit card numbers to buy items online or to forge a fake card based on your stolen financial data.
Clicking on phishing links
Phishing scams work by an individual or criminal collective impersonating a business or organization you may already use and emailing or texting you a link or attachment to click on.
If you open this attachment or click this link, you’ll unwittingly install malware, ransomware, or spyware onto your phone, tablet, or laptop. These forms of computer viruses can scour your device for financial and private data. They can also send out more phishing links to your business and personal contacts.
Giving out important personal and financial data on a public site
When you give out crucial bits of personal and financial data on public websites, identity thieves can harvest this information and use it to impersonate you, damage your credit report, and claim medical benefits in your name.
Using a weak password for every login
If you use a predictable, short, and common password for your online banking log in, social media pages, and email account, it’s more likely that identity thieves can guess these keywords or phrases and gain access to your sensitive information.
Warning Signs that Your Identity has been Stolen
Identity theft is a serious crime that affects nearly 10 million American citizens every year. Victims of stolen identity often have to deal with a destroyed credit report, debt, rejected medical claims, and, in extreme cases, an unexpected criminal record.
Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to limit the effects of identity fraud. However, before you can take these steps, you should be aware of how to spot identity theft in the first place. Here are some crucial warning signs that your identity might have been stolen.
Anonymous or unexplained withdrawals from your bank account
Make sure you check your account balance regularly to see if there are any unauthorized or unexplained withdrawals. If someone has stolen your credit card number and financial details, they may spend a lot of your money in a short space of time. This is because certain credit cards will stop working if there’s a suspicion that fraudulent activity is taking place, so the criminal knows that they don’t have much time.
If you spot a flurry of unauthorized large payments on easily returnable items like electronics and jewelry from your bank account, this is a surefire sign that a cybercriminal has stolen your financial identity.
Some thieves may be more careful with their transactions so as not to alert you to the fact that they have your personal and financial data. That’s why it’s so important that you check your transaction history carefully and regularly. Look for out-of-state activity, unexplained ATM withdrawals, and gift card purchases.
Read More: Lifelock Review – Is it Worth the Cost?
You can’t find your bills or mail
Identity thieves can break into your mailbox or search through your trash can to get their hands on useful pieces of documentation like your income statements, bank statements, and electricity or internet bills. They can use this data to start up new subscriptions under your name or upgrade your existing accounts to suit their purposes.
If you start getting billed for a service or streaming platform that you never signed up for, this could be a sign of identity theft. Also, if you can’t find any of your monthly bills for services you do use, this might be because a criminal has stolen them.
Your phone loses service
If you notice that your cell phone loses service for no apparent reason, this could mean that an identity thief has taken over your cellular network account and upgraded to a premium phone service without your knowledge.
You’re not allowed to file taxes
Government identity theft is a particularly severe form of cyber fraud. If you’re a victim of this crime, you’ll find that you can’t file your taxes with your state or federal government. That’s because criminals can use your SSN and other essential pieces of personal data to file these taxes before you get a chance to. They do this to claim a tax refund, or reimbursement, from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or state.
Your health records are inaccurate and your medical claim is revoked
Some thieves use your stolen identity to claim medical benefits, prescription drugs, and other healthcare services in your name. This means that your doctor receives inaccurate data about your health conditions and may be unable to treat you properly as a result. It also means you’ll end up paying for a stranger’s healthcare and treatment.
Identity theft affects millions of Americans every year, so it’s crucial that you check your bank account details, transaction history, and medical records regularly so you can tell immediately if someone has stolen your identity or data. If you think your identity has been stolen, follow the Federal Trade Commission’s step-by-step guide to prevent further damage and recover lost funds.
Last Updated on | <urn:uuid:455120d1-bff6-41bc-bde0-5af19a4f512c> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.homesecurityheroes.com/warning-signs-identity-stolen/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030336674.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20221001132802-20221001162802-00751.warc.gz | en | 0.92423 | 1,332 | 2.875 | 3 |
Google has just connected the state of California with Chile via an underground cable in its latest effort to upgrade and improve on its existing cloud computing infrastructure.
Starting in Los Angeles, the ‘Curie’ cable, as Google calls it, is 10,000 kilometres long, and goes all the way down to Valparaiso, a city port just west of the capital Santiago.
The new link would “provide advantages and opportunities for millions of Internet users” in Chile, said the Chilean Minister of Transport and Telecommunications Gloria Hutt in a statement announcing the link.
According to a Reuters report (opens in new tab), Chile is working on deploying a fibre-optic network throughout the country. At the same time, it’s also working on connecting physically with Asia, via a subsea line.
Google, on the other hand, has a data centre in Santiago. It has been investing a lot in technology infrastructure, including underwater cables. Besides Chile, the US is connected to Denmark, Ireland and Asia.
In July last year, it was reported that the company started building its undersea cable towards France. This one is going from Virginia Beach in the US, to France’s Atlantic coast. This one is named “Dunant” and is expected to be completed sometime next year.
There are also cables connecting Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Brazil, Uruguay and others.
Image Credit: Asif Islam / Shutterstock | <urn:uuid:eff334aa-3e26-4fe7-a34a-23f4d2784ec0> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.itproportal.com/news/google-now-connected-to-chile-via-undersea-cable/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337360.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20221002212623-20221003002623-00751.warc.gz | en | 0.954526 | 299 | 2.515625 | 3 |
New legislation in Europe aimed at regulating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) could cost the region’s economy US$36 billion (or €31 billion) over the next five years, a report from the Center for Data Innovation concludes.
The European Commission published a draft of its proposed Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA) in April 2021. If adopted, the AIA will be the world’s most restrictive regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, according to the report. It will not only limit AI development and use in Europe but impose significant costs on EU businesses and consumers.
“The AIA is likely to spark a chilling effect on investments into AI in Europe, due to the Act’s legal complexity and the compliance costs it engenders,” the report says. “This will damage Europe’s digital transformation before it is even properly underway.”
The Center for Data Innovation argues that a small or mid-sized enterprise with a turnover of €10 million would face compliance costs of up to €400,000 if it deployed a high-risk AI system. Such systems are defined by the commission as those that could affect people’s fundamental rights or safety. It is estimated that the AIA will cost the European economy €31 billion over the next five years and reduce AI investments by almost 20%.
“That designation sweeps in a broad swath of potential applications — from critical infrastructure to educational and vocational training — subjecting them to a battery of requirements before companies can bring them to market,” the center said.
Increasing AI expenses and impacts on businesses
It is reported that AI adoption will become more expensive for businesses, skilled workers will become less available and companies will lack the resources to comply with the AIA. That, in turn, will “further dampen the vitality of Europe’s digital ecosystem,” the report says.
“The Commission has repeatedly asserted that the draft AI legislation will support growth and innovation in Europe’s digital economy, but a realistic economic analysis suggests that argument is disingenuous at best,” said Ben Mueller, senior policy analyst at the Center for Data Innovation and author of the report.
He added: “The rosy outlook is largely based on opinions and shibboleths rather than logic and market data.”
The EU’s Digital Decade target foresees 75% of European businesses using AI by 2030, a ten-fold increase from current adoption levels. Given the costs of the AIA, the report suggests it is hard to see how this is achievable for European businesses that want to invest in AI in a “high risk” sector. | <urn:uuid:5344baff-dc51-4016-af93-701808d1bff3> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://aimagazine.com/ai-strategy/proposed-eu-ai-law-could-cost-economy-eu31bn-study-says | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337480.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20221004054641-20221004084641-00751.warc.gz | en | 0.9453 | 552 | 2.59375 | 3 |
A gentle introduction to human activity recognition
The technological advancements have set in motion a bundle of unequaled wonders to ease our lives. Image detection, computer vision, and facial recognition are all instances of trailblazing algorithms that also brought about human activity recognition. The latter is yet another tech boon rooted in the area of machine learning research.
Although its potential is yet to be discovered, it has proved useful in different fields, including sports training, security, entertainment, ambient-assisted living, and health monitoring and management.
Human pose estimation, in particular, has gained a lot of traction because of its usefulness and versatility. According to numerous studies, reliable posture labels in hospital environments can augment research and help better monitor patient clinical journeys.
On that note, let’s look into human activity recognition using image processing. We’ll also look under the tech hood of this phenomenon and how it amplifies human pose estimation.
But first, fundamentals
Before diving into the technology jungles, let’s address the obvious: What is human activity recognition and why is it important?
Human activity recognition or HAR is the process of interpreting human motion using computer and machine vision technology. Human motion can be interpreted as activities, gestures, or behaviors which are recorded by sensors. The movement data is then translated into action commands for computers to execute and analyze human activity recognition code.
What’s the big deal then? Well, just like any other AI-based subset, pose tracking promotes automation. That is, activity tracking allows both prediction and analysis of human behavior, thus unlocking unseen benefits and eliminating manual input.
Human activity recognition from video allows autonomous vehicles to sense and predict pedestrian behavior much more thoroughly – promoting more consistent driving. You can even use it to train a new employee to correctly perform a task or practice your moves when dancing or working out. Moreover, this technology can be used in many different use cases like gaming controllers, human-robot interactions, and even virtual reality scenarios. We’ll dwell on some of the most popular applications later in the article.
How does deep learning human activity recognition work?
Technically wise, computer vision human activity recognition remains a challenging domain. The complexity of activity detection and the number of inhabitants present in the analysis are the main issues.
First, the complexity of human pose estimation was approached through traditional techniques. The latter included Hidden Markov Models and Support Vector Machine techniques. However, they were unable to capture complex movements with a sequence of micro-activities. That is why researchers tapped into a recent shift in machine learning techniques and data mining. This made deep learning a predominant technology to tackle the challenge of activity detection.
The input of HAR models is the reading of the raw sensor human activity recognition dataset and the output is the prediction of the user’s motion activities. Here’s what goes in between.
All HAR systems can be grouped into two categories. The first relies on sensor-based activity recognition. It means that a human should place wearable sensors on their body for the system to collect data.
The second approach is vision-based, i.e. human activity recognition from video or images. In this case, the system gathers data with a camera to identify activities. Human activity recognition with smartphones is also a widespread data source.
In both cases, the obtained data is processed with algorithms that then generate a series of numbers that describe each human activity in machine language.
Therefore, the step-by-step process of human activity recognition follows the steps below:
Based on the movements, the algorithms produce predictions or insights for further analysis. Professional athletes, for example, use HAR systems to improve their performance. They can even be found in the Series 4 Apple Watch to identify falls. Thus, if the device detects a hard fall, it can help connect you to emergency services if needed.
Deep learning models for human activity recognition
Activity classification is essentially a time series problem. Time-series classification is a type of supervised machine learning. It’s used to predict future values from past data using statistical techniques, and it can be used for forecasting and offloading sensor data.
As of today, neural networks have proven to be the most effective in performing activity recognition. In particular, two approaches, including Convolutional Neural Network Models and Recurrent Neural Network Models, are the most widely used for this task.
So how does human activity recognition work using these models? Let’s see.
Recurrent Neural Network Models
Recurrent neural network (RNN) models are powerful sequence models that can handle time-series data with ease. The main differentiator of these models is that they are based on predefined parameters. Thus, they feed on input data with fixed dimensions and output the result, which is also fixed.
The advantage of RNNs is that they provide sequences with variable lengths for both input and output. This makes them a perfect option for discerning movements.
Here’s how recurrent neural networks work to classify the activity:
- First, the system vectorizes the video files and calculates descriptors (they are needed to describe elementary characteristics of the activity).
- The system then forms a visual bag of words to present the data for further classification.
- Descriptors are then fed into the input layer.
- RNN layers then analyze and classify the data.
- The system outputs the result.
We can demonstrate this model by the following classifier schema:
RNNs are quite popular for the task of activity recognition. Thus, University of Michigan researchers have presented an algorithm that will help autonomous cars recognize the direction and predict pedestrian movements.
By collecting camera and GPS data, the developers created a dataset and trained a recurrent neural network to predict human movements with an accuracy of 10 cm. The model is called Bio-LSTM. It is a recurrent neural network with LSTM that can predict the location and 3D posture of a pedestrian based on the previous frame.
Convolutional Neural Network Models
Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are a special type of neural network that has proven effective at processing visual data. CNNs have been implemented in image recognition, automatic number plate reading, and self-driving car software. Convolutional neural networks gained huge popularity thanks to their resilience to changes in scale, rotation, distortion, and other kinds of changes in data.
Let’s demonstrate how this model works. Last year a group of US scientists presented a 3D CNN algorithm that can reconstruct the three-dimensional pose of an animal with high accuracy. Unlike most current approaches, this method does not require markers to be attached to animals. It means that this application will be convenient for observing animals not only in laboratories but also in the wild.
To train the neural network, scientists assembled a dataset of seven million frames of synchronized video and labels with anatomical landmarks of rats from several angles. The step-by-step process follows the below milestones:
That was a brief explanation of the main deep learning models for human activity recognition. Now let’s go over one of the most prominent examples of artificial intelligence solutions – pose estimation.
What is human pose estimation?
Human activity recognition is the hotbed for many applications. Some of the most run-after ones include biometric signature, advanced computing, health, and fitness monitoring, and eldercare.
One of the main challenges in the field of activity recognition is estimating human poses. This has traditionally been done by using a hand-crafted model that requires careful initialization and parameter estimation, but thanks to recent advances in deep learning it’s now possible to use neural networks for pose tracking.
While the spike in published studies and articles happened during 2017-2019, this area of research grows each day. As such, pose estimation is a computer vision problem that aims to estimate the 3D pose of an object from a single image. It can be used, for example, to allow virtual characters to present objects in the correct orientation and position when they interact with users.
The pose itself refers to the position and orientation of an object in space. A person’s pose could be represented as a point (head pose) and two vectors (upper limbs), together with the body center.
Pose estimation for business is hard since it relies on a huge knowledge base, including geometric relationships, appearance, material properties, lighting conditions, and others.
This discipline traditionally falls into two kinds of estimation based on the number of dimensions. Thus, 2D pose estimation identifies the location of key points in 2D space relative to input data. For each keypoint, the model calculates an A and B coordinate. The goal of 2D pose estimation is to obtain the camera matrix and its inverse, which can be used as input for applications such as 3D modeling, 3D visualization, augmented reality, etc. By adding a C-dimension, 3D posture estimation transforms an object in a 2D image into a 3D object.
3D pose tracking allows developers to estimate more accurate dimensional positioning of an object. However, it’s trickier than 2D since algorithms have to factor in a slew of conditions, including background, light, and others.
Types of human pose estimation models
The modeling of the human body is the most important aspect of human pose estimation.
The three most common types of human body models include skeleton-based models, contour-based models, and volume-based models.
- Skeleton-based or kinematic models – skeleton-based pose estimation methods are different from other methods because they do not rely on object segmentation. Instead, these methods use a set of image features that encode positional relationships between parts of the body (e.g. skeletal joint connectivity information) and use the data for 2D and 3D estimation.
- Contour-based or planar models – provide a detailed 2D representation of natural body shape. The model captures the contour and rough width of the body, torso, and limbs. This helps the model to accurately represent a variety of human shapes and poses.
- Volume-based model – this model estimates the 3D structure of an object from one or more 2D images. It consists of various geometric shapes, such as cylinders, conics, and triangulated meshes. The output is then used for deep learning-based 3D human pose estimation.
Furthermore, there are two primary approaches to assessing poses. These are bottom-up models and a top-down approach. The former starts by identifying the body joint first and building a unique pose, while the latter runs a detection module to get human candidates and then locates human key points.
The bottom-up approach delivers a perfect ratio of estimation accuracy and computational cost. It is invariant to the number of human candidates in the image. At the same time, a top-down approach divides the task into easier subtasks, i.e., object detection and single-person pose estimation.
Head pose estimation
Pose tracking can also be applied to a specific part of our bodies. Thus, head pose estimation is the process of extracting head pose information from visual stimuli. It involves predicting the three-dimensional orientation of the head in a 2D image, which can be used for face recognition, emotion recognition, and gesture recognition.
This task usually comes down to identifying the head’s Euler angles – yaw, pitch, and roll. If the algorithm gives an accurate prediction of these three, it’ll find out which direction the human head will be facing.
Head pose tracking is an inherently hard task for computer vision. Even though several strategies have been developed over the years to solve this problem, it is still a research topic, especially in unconstrained situations.
Other specific tasks for pose estimation include video pose tracking, animal pose estimation, and car detection. Each of these applications comes with a unique set of constraints. The latter may stem from limited labeled data (for animals) or pose occlusions (for videos).
Importance of human pose estimation
Prior to pose tracking, machines perceived humans as square, thus overlooking human body language. Intelligent pose estimation allows computers to obtain a higher level of reasoning. It’s also one of the fundamental components of markerless motion capture (MoCap) technology. Character animation and clinical examination of gait disorders are just a few of the possibilities for MoCap technology.
However, only real-time human recognition can help us accrue a wealth of benefits. Putting an estimate on how many people are in a room – just by looking at their silhouettes – can be very useful in understanding the intricacies of human activity. Being able to track people reliably across time and space has applications in law enforcement, health care, sports performance, workplace ergonomics – the list goes on.
Let’s take Waymo self-driving cars. These autonomous vehicles are inherently safe to be deployed on roads. However, Waymos tend to get hit by human drivers due to the unexpected stop caused by a pedestrian crossing the street. But with pose estimation, Waymos will be able to avoid fender-benders by better predicting pedestrian behavior.
Let’s assess the viability of deep learning human activity recognition by looking at other real-life applications.
Human activity recognition using image processing: applications
Pose estimation is an important prerequisite for human behavior understanding. Therefore, its techniques found many applications in surveillance, gaming, animation, and others. And as human activity recognition using smartphones projects become popular, it’s even easier to use them as an alternative for HAR (provided they are equipped with a rich set of sensors). Let’s see how this fact has promoted en-masse applications.
Human-like androids used to be a sci-fi concept. Today, we already have androids like Hanson Robotics’ Sophia and Tesla Bots. However, the process of inventing a humanoid is complex (to say the least). 3D pose estimation is essentially designed to help computers gain a high-level understanding of human behavior. Using the pose estimation API, a robot can perform tasks more accurately, especially if it also can understand the 3D poses, actions, and emotions of people.
When a robot recognizes the 3D position of a person prone to falling, for example, it can take appropriate action. Furthermore, if helper robots can sense 3D human poses, they can better socially connect with human users. Another popular application of pose tracking is training robots to learn certain crafts.
Abnormal activity recognition is another area of research. Nowadays, video surveillance is of great significance for public safety. To maintain public security, governments tend to install CCTV cameras to monitor crowd activity. However, while cameras produce a great amount of visual data, we need an intelligent and automatic system to recognize violent or suspicious behavior. And this is where motion tracking comes in.
Based on the position of key points, the system can generate alerts in real-time when a potential assault is in progress. The identification of people with hands up or laying down can also be related to an alarming situation as some studies suggest.
Sports performance analysis
Tracking the position of human joints can be used to track a variety of sports performance metrics which are extremely useful for athletes and coaches. Kinematic pose rectification, for example, can be used for instant training feedback and quantitative assessment of an athlete’s performance. Also, motion assessment can be used to evaluate and educate amateurs in swimming, Tai Chi, and soccer.
For AI-powered fitness, pose tracking can help guide end-users through a number of workouts. This will help ensure compliance with the safety rules and real-time feedback for at-home workouts.
Applications of 3D human body poses have also been made to human health. Thus, this technology can be potentially used in telehealth. For example, a doctor will be able to perform a quantitative motor assessment directly in a patient’s home. Recognition of atypical behavior is also important for autism detection since early detection is important to make the person’s life better. Overall, motion tracking can identify the mental states of people as well as their emotional wellbeing.
Fashion and retail
Virtual try-on is a new way to bring fashion e-commerce into the 21st century. Rather than buying online and hoping for the best, users can see how a garment will look on their own body before making a purchase. This technology is not only useful for people with disabilities who have difficulty dressing or purchasing clothing, but it can also help consumers make better purchases in general. 3D pose estimation is the backbone for virtual try-on by rotating the item synchronously to face angles or body shape.
The bottom line
Computer vision human activity recognition is an exciting area of research. It is set to revolutionize multiple industries, including healthcare, sports, and entertainment. But while the prospects seem bright, 3D pose estimation still remains a challenging task. A lack of in-the-wild 3D datasets, large searching state space for each joint or occluded joints can hamper the speed and accuracy of motion identification.
Nevertheless, deep neural networks have substantially increased the output by automatically learning features from raw data, making motion tracking a promising application.
For more info on human activity recognition and video analytics, please take a look at our blog. | <urn:uuid:588d0516-090e-419e-8a28-c212972c121e> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://indatalabs.com/blog/human-activity-recognition | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337480.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20221004054641-20221004084641-00751.warc.gz | en | 0.918894 | 3,571 | 3.171875 | 3 |
Normally the Insulation Resistance value should be around 1 M ohm. However this problem is usually caused by the way this test is carried out. The usual method for carrying out by such a test is shorting out phase and neutral and measuring them against earth. However when doing so you are connecting all the internal resistors in parallel which causes a low reading of resistance. If the test is done using a high voltage, 500V DC, the unit will also allow excess Voltage to flow to Earth (Ground) to protect the load but this will show as a drop in resistance for measurement applications. Most European Regulations e.g. IEE 16. edition, section 10.3.3, require all electronic components to be disconnected before carrying out such tests. The surge protection in our UPS’s is achieved by using MOV’s which have a certain let through Voltage.
Please note that using 500V DC to carry out this test, may damage the UPS and such damage will not be covered by APC warranty. In our factory we carry out such a test using 2000V but with the critical electronics disconnected from earth. This is further explained in the attached document. | <urn:uuid:35863c6d-251c-4640-aeeb-84e353a652f3> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.apc.com/lt/en/faqs/FA158687/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337480.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20221004054641-20221004084641-00751.warc.gz | en | 0.9531 | 237 | 2.75 | 3 |
Have your credentials been hacked and dumped into haveibeenpwned?
Do you use one of the worst 2018 passwords?
Is your bank account password the same one than the one you used for that old website you registered years ago?
Increase password theft
Surely you have read the news, 773 million passwords hacked and made public under the name Collection#1, followed by Collection#2-5 with 2.2 billion passwords.
And this is just one example of the 54,700,000 results that Google shows if you search for “password data breach”. Data breaches here, there and everywhere…
Conclusion? Cybersecurity is increasingly important and passwords nowadays are WEAK. Even if you have a good password, full of ampersands and asterisks, it is still VERY WEAK.
The solution is Multi-factor authentication
According to Wikipedia: “Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is an authentication method in which a computer user is granted access only after successfully presenting two or more pieces of evidence (or factors) to an authentication mechanism: knowledge (something the user and only the user knows), possession (something the user and only the user has), and inherence (something the user and only the user is).”
Two-factor authentication (also known as 2FA) is a type, or subset, of multi-factor authentication. It is a method of confirming users’ claimed identities by using a combination of two different factors: 1) something they know, 2) something they have, or 3) something they are.
The most common example of 2FA (that you have already used for sure) is password + SMS received as a token on the phone.
Here you have a visual explanation:
With this simple method, as the “hacker” that stole your password doesn’t have access to your phone, he will not be able to enter your account, highly improving the security of your account with very little effort.
Most of the popular applications nowadays support this method (e.g. Google, Facebook, Instagram.)
P.S. Let me remind you that passwords still have to be strong to prevent hackers from easily stealing all of your data! Remember:
- Long passwords
- Complex passwords (capitals, numbers, symbols)
- Passwords not related to your name, birthday, pet’s name etc.
- Change your passwords frequently (90 days as a recommendation)
- Do not repeat your passwords
- DO NOT WRITE DOWN YOUR PASSWORD ON A POST-IT PLEASE!!
Author: Guillermo Sanchez | <urn:uuid:b0d15e30-69e0-4f60-9ebf-ba05281d6667> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.a2secure.com/en/blog/multifactor-yourself/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030334514.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20220925035541-20220925065541-00151.warc.gz | en | 0.921634 | 541 | 2.96875 | 3 |
People who play video games are more likely to be aggressive due to frustrating game mechanics rather than actual violence, a new study reports.
The Oxford research institute, which published the research, carried out a range of tests involving modded versions of Valve's ever-popular Half Life 2 (opens in new tab).
Related: Oracle co-founder 'disturbed' by kids playing video games (opens in new tab)
Participants were faced with a non-violent version of the game where shooting was replaced by tagging enemies who would then disappear.
Some testers were given games modded in such a way that the controls were unintuitive or frustrating, which in turn increased their aggression.
"We focused on the motives of people who play electronic games and found players have a psychological need to come out on top when playing," said Dr Przybylski, according to the BBC (opens in new tab).
"If players feel thwarted by the controls or the design of the game, they can wind up feeling aggressive.
Video games trades body, Tiga, welcomed the study, pointing to it as an encouraging example of psychology taking a more nuanced approach to video games and violence.
Read more: The Last of Us: Best video game ever? (opens in new tab)
Another study involved two groups playing the non-violent and vanilla versions of Half-Life 2 respectively. On some occasions, however, players were not given a tutorial on what to do.
No matter the type of game, violent or non-violent, the players became annoyed when finding it difficult to progress.
"This need to master the game was far more significant than whether the game contained violent material," added Dr. Przybylski. | <urn:uuid:8d87d11e-54f2-4a63-873f-b5013f8890ee> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.itproportal.com/2014/04/09/study-video-games-cause-aggression-but-only-if-you-are-stupid/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030334514.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20220925035541-20220925065541-00151.warc.gz | en | 0.972824 | 352 | 2.671875 | 3 |
The McCollough Effect - An On-line Science Exhibit
IntroductionTake a look at the following grid. It should appear as black stripes on a white background.
Click here and gaze at the two colored grids for a few of minutes. There's no need to stare at a single point on a grid.
If you look at the black-and-white grid again, you should notice a green haze around the horizontal lines, and a magenta haze around the vertical lines. The intensity of this effect varies between individuals. If you don't see this, go gaze at the colored grids for a while longer.
I know what you are thinking: this is a simple afterimage effect. If you think so, walk away from your terminal until you think the after image should be gone. Go home and try it in the morning. Then take a look. Or better, simply rotate the image. Well, maybe that isn't so simple with a CRT, but you could rotate your head.
The EffectIt is called the McCollough Effect, and was originally described by Celeste McCollough in a paper in Science in 1965. It has been the focus of on-going investigation ever since.
The effect typically lasts for hours, or even overnight. The duration can be changed by the consumption of coffee and other psychoactive drugs. One paper found that it is stronger in extroverts than introverts, and might be a reliable test for extroversion.
The precise cause of the effect is unknown, and currently under investigation. It is not a simple case of fatigued neurons: there are neurotransmitters involved and appear to be responsible for the long-lasting nature of the effect. It probably takes place in the V1 processing stage of visual information. This is the first image processing after the signal leaves the retina in the eye. The edge detection circuits somehow become associated with the color. At this stage the processing is monocular: the images from the two eyes have not been combined.
The LabYou can perform experiments on the McCollough effect right here at your terminal. Here are a few questions you might try to answer. I've supplied some images that might help.
- Does it work with other colors? Green and magenta are complimentary colors. What about others? Does color saturation change the result?
- Does the size of the grid matter? Here is a fat color grid and a thin black-and-white grid.
- How long does the effect last? Is it stronger in some people than others? Does age or sex change the strength of the effect?
- Can you cancel the original grid with opposite grids?
- If you cover one eye while inducing the effect, will the other eye see the effect?
- Does room lighting affect the experiment?
Lab ToolsHere are some lab tools. You can probably think of others: even the brightness knob on your screen may have an effect.
- Horizontal green and vertical magenta.
- Vertical medium green, vertical dark green, horizontal medium magenta, horizontal dark magenta.
- Vertical blue, cyan, yellow, red.
- Horizontal blue, cyan, yellow, red.
Further Reading.References are available upon request.
LinksCheck out http://www.uq.edu.au/nuq/jack/rivalry.html.
If you have questions or comments, please feel free to send me email.
Back to Bill Cheswick's home page. | <urn:uuid:908c80f4-e4f5-4638-90f8-3d7d4339b648> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | http://farmweb.cheswick.com/ches/projects/me/index.html | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030334871.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20220926113251-20220926143251-00151.warc.gz | en | 0.929986 | 713 | 3.0625 | 3 |
Social engineering is a tactic that’s been around since before those snake oil salesmen in the old west traveled from town to town with their wagons selling scam cures.
While the scams being used these days tend to be more sophisticated and varied, the basics of social engineering remain the same. This term describes deceitful and manipulative tactics used to get a person to do something you want them to do.
In today’s digital world, that can mean things like:
- Hand over login credentials that they believe they’re inputting into a legitimate form
- Click a link to a phishing site that downloads malware
- Send sensitive company or personal information to a scammer they think is someone else
- Purchase bogus products or send money to a fake charity
- Open an innocent-looking file attachment that contains malware
Companies can and should put cybersecurity systems in place to help combat phishing and other social engineering attacks. However, user training is particularly important because of the very human element involved in social engineering.
In these types of attacks, the attacker isn’t trying to trick a system or computer into doing something, it’s trying to trick a human being… one of your employees. And they will use very sophisticated ways to do this.
Spotting Social Engineering Tricks
How can employees stay on their toes and be aware? It’s important that your team knows how to spot social engineering when they run across it online or coming into their phone or PC through email or SMS.
Here are some of the top tricks that attackers use.
Baiting will offer something to the user that attracts them to a particular file or link. A good example of baiting is when a phishing email purports to be from someone your company has never done business with and includes the promise of a “large purchase order” attached.
Many people would immediately want to open that file to see how big the order was. They’d be reeled in by the bait that the attacker used to get them to open a malicious file.
Scammers will often impersonate a company or person by using the company or individual’s email address in the “from” line of a message. This is pretexting. It’s when the attacker creates a false sense of trust in a message (DM, SMS, Email, or Phone call).
For example, an attacker could have looked up employees in your organization on LinkedIn and then texted you stating that this is (name of co-worker) and they just got a new phone and need the password to get into a company system. An unsuspecting employee might not question this and send the password over to the scammer.
Phishing is how many attackers will approach users to deploy social engineering attacks. Although phishing is more a delivery method for these other tactics, we wanted to include it because it’s the main delivery method and it’s important for users to understand that phishing can come in many different ways.
The most traditional way that phishing is deployed is through email. Another way is through SMS (text message). This method is becoming increasingly popular, and many users aren’t aware yet to be on the lookout for phishing via text.
Social media phishing is another type of phishing. Scammers will purchase ads on services like Facebook or Instagram. They can also get bolder and reach out to you via a direct message (DM), getting you to trust them before they spring their trap.
Quid Pro Quo
Quid pro quo is a similar tactic to baiting, but it will generally be something considered an equal trade-off. For example, you might see a free mobile app on a website for filtering images and when you download it, it will ask you for certain device access – such as access to your contacts. It may also require you to input some personal data to download the app.
You might feel the trade-off is worth it for the free app and comply. But that app could easily be a trojan that is hiding spyware or banking malware inside. It’s important to always stick to legitimate apps stores and research apps thoroughly before downloading.
Tailgating is a tactic that is in-person rather than online. It’s when an unauthorized person gains entry to a building or restricted area or device by pretending to have forgotten their access card or for another reason.
One common example of tailgating is when a criminal pretends to be making a delivery of some type. They may follow an employee into a building explaining that they need to deliver something important.
An employee going about their day may think nothing of it. But that criminal could then access sensitive systems or potentially place a listening device or hacking device of some type somewhere in the building that enables them to access digital systems remotely.
Work with C Solutions to Ensure Your Employees Are Well Trained On Social Engineering
C Solutions can provide engaging security awareness training for the team at your Orlando area business to improve their phishing and social engineering detection skills and reduce your risk of a breach.
Schedule a free consultation today! Call 407-536-8381 or reach us online. | <urn:uuid:32a5ced9-f618-40a7-a5ac-7b6de6d35479> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://csolutionsit.com/top-social-engineering-tricks/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030334871.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20220926113251-20220926143251-00151.warc.gz | en | 0.950259 | 1,083 | 3.015625 | 3 |
Lets go thorough ITU 7.11 or PCM
The original standard for converting analog voice to a digital signal is called pulse-code modulation (PCM).
PCM defines that an incoming analog voice signal should be sampled 8000 times per second by the analog-to-digital (A/D) converter( according to Nyquist’s theorem states that you need twice the number of samples as the highest frequency . As before mentioned the required bandwidth of human’s voice is 4000Hz so 4000×2=8000 samples are needed). A/D converters that are used specifically for processing voice are called codecs (meaning encoder/decoder). For each sample, the codec measures the frequency, amplitude, and phase of the analog signal. PCM defines a table of possible values for frequency/amplitude/phase. The codec finds the table entry that most closely matches the measured values. Along with each entry is an 8-bit binary code, which tells the codec what bits to use to represent that single sample. So PCM, sampling at 8000 times per second finds the best match of frequency /amplitude/phase in the table, finds the matching 8-bit code, and sends those 8 bits as a digital signal. Therefore bit rate can be easily calculated | <urn:uuid:bb6ac6ad-88db-4880-ba61-69aa686afbb3> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.erlang.com/reply/65369/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335304.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20220929034214-20220929064214-00151.warc.gz | en | 0.855392 | 274 | 3.8125 | 4 |
Understanding LDAP Authentication
Introduced in 8.7
Updated in 8.7.2
LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) authentication enables you to use the existing LDAP server as a consolidated data source for user data. It streamlines the login process and automates administrative tasks: you can save time on creating user accounts and assigning their roles.
The mechanism uses the read-only LDAP service account credentials to retrieve the username from the LDAP server. The password that the user enters in the browser to the web application is contained entirely in the HTTPS session. The application only requests for information to the domain controller over the LDAPS, and then updates its internal database accordingly. No changes are made to the internal LDAP server by the instance. If the user exists in the Active Directory, the application sends a request to the database, looking for the matching user account. When the requested user is found, the authentication occurs.
The authentication mechanism works as follows:
A user opens a web application (the Web App, Mobile App, or the Self Service Portal) in a web browser and enters the credentials: login and password.
The browser sends the credentials to the application over HTTPS.
The application sends a request for information to the domain controller over LDAPS. The app searches for the corresponding domain record in the Alloy Navigator Express by the entered domain name.
If the domain record exists, the application looks up for the user account in the specified directory service container.
If the user account is found in the Active Directory, the application queries the Alloy Navigator Express database to see whether that user has an Alloy account.
- If a matching account exists and is active, the authentication occurs and the web application lets the user in.
INFO: For instructions on enabling LDAP authentication, see Enabling LDAP Authentication. | <urn:uuid:3325c344-2e8e-4101-a216-8acccb1e8bbb> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://docs.alloysoftware.com/alloynavigatorexpress/docs/adminguide/adminguide/integration-with-active-directory/understanding-authentication-mechanism.htm | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337398.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20221003035124-20221003065124-00151.warc.gz | en | 0.840125 | 373 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Building a Culture of Continuous Learning in the Digital Era
In the story of Arjuna and Ekalavya from the Indian mythological epic Mahabharata, Ekalavya is the quintessential learner; when he is rejected by Guru Dronacharya, he installs a statue of his Guru and goes on to learn and excel in archery. Long before virtual learning became a reality in the age we live in - Ekalavya proved that anyone can learn any time, anywhere using any device – what is needed is the ignition of passion to learn and excel.
We are in a time of rapid technological transformation. The ‘Consumerization of IT’ ushered in by the five Digital forces, Social, Mobile, Big Data & Analytics, Cloud, and AI & Robotics, have changed the way we work, interact and learn. What began initially as a technological change, has swiftly transformed into a sociological change that has had an impact on almost all aspects of our lives and work. These Digital technologies are in fact revolutionizing the very nature of business processes of enterprises globally, leading them to adopt new business models.
While the technology landscape in the pre-digital era was simple and limited to web technologies, Mainframe, C++, etc., learning was essentially proprietary in nature and restricted to formal, class room training. However, in the post-Digital era - the explosion of technology has revolutionized learning. Web technology has now become increasingly more complex and continuously evolving - impacting the way we interact with the world around us and the way we learn. The fundamental technologies behind the Digital world can never be definitive because they are evolving every day and learning has to be continuous in the ultra-competitive world of apps and digital services - learning design and deployment have be rich, personalized and persuasive – available anytime, anywhere and on any device. In this scenario, the IT Services industry faces the unique challenge of skilling employees working in different geographies in technology areas that are fast changing and diverse. As the speed of change in new technology areas is growing shorter, employees need to be trained at a faster pace. This calls for a complete re-imagination of the way employees learn and operate in the new world.
The need of the hour therefore, is to create a Learning Management System that is an integrated ecosystem of content, experience, collaborative spaces, different kinds of classrooms and leverage technology to deliver business aligned targeted learning and deliver outcomes in the real time, with a focus on:
1. Access –In a time when learning is democratized - moving away from physical learning spaces to enable anytime, anywhere and any device learning.
2. Varied Content – A content ecosystem that keeps the content engaging, fresh and relevant at any point.
3. Delivery – Where all programs are digitally delivered to a global audience with a rich mix of technology and domain skills.
4. Infrastructure –That enables global collaborative up-killing with virtual labs and connected classrooms - that provide personalized, immersive learning experiences.
5. Continuous Innovation - Invest in ongoing innovation and incubate solutions that can result in disruptive transformation for the industry and customers.
Leveraging the experience and expertise of Subject Matter Experts with invaluable contextual knowledge of the customer’s products, services and processes is important in making learning relevant. In large organizations, one of the biggest challenges may be converting this contextual knowledge into shareable digital format. Enabling the 5As of learning - Anyone to learn Anytime Anywhere using Any content delivered on Any device will be the key differentiator in translating the contextual knowledge to reach a larger audience, thereby enabling speed, scale and spread of competency building. While digital learning can be the key driver of the learning strategy, instructor led classroom training for behavior science programs, experiential technology learning using labs and activity based learning enhance learning retention and enrich learner’s experience.
To enable learning across large organizations therefore, it is important to:
• Understand resistance and drive inclusive change by reaching out to all stakeholders
• Engage learners by providing multiple accessibility platforms and engaging learners on enterprise social learning platforms in addition to mobile learning.
• Create short learning modules – these are more effective and acceptable to employees
• Design content in such a way that learners identify opportunities to apply learning to real situations
• Learning initiatives should have strong, visible support from management
• Put rewards and recognitions in place to help reinforce new behaviours and motivate people to change
In conclusion, with the digital re-imagination of industries from Banking to travel and Healthcare, it is important that enterprise learning solutions adapt technology driven solutions to create a culture of continuous learning. Learning policies need to keep in mind the evolving learning requirements and address issues of accessibility and adaption to technology based learning solutions to stay relevant, Most importantly, it is important to integrate deeply embedded learning solutions into every stage of the employee lifecycle to help build a successful learning organization. | <urn:uuid:01a6865c-4223-4425-a7a4-9f4dda10d8df> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://learning-management-system.ciotechoutlook.com/cxoinsight/building-a-culture-of-continuous-learning-in-the-digital-era--nid-3575-cid-87.html | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337398.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20221003035124-20221003065124-00151.warc.gz | en | 0.931708 | 997 | 2.65625 | 3 |
As the software used to identify people by their facial features improves and becomes more effective, there will come a time when the technology is a common tool for security. With this outcome likely to come in the near future, there will be a discussion of how this technology will affect our everyday lives and our society. One major tech company has now voiced an opinion on the matter, with Microsoft calling on Congress to consider regulations for the software.
Last Friday, Microsoft President Brad Smith wrote on the topic on Microsoft’s official blog. In the post, Smith called for Congress to form a bipartisan expert commission to inform on the need for regulation of facial recognition software. Smith warned of the possible abuses of the technology, including threats to privacy, free speech, and freedom of association.
Another issue raised by Smith will be an over-reliance on a faulty technology. In the post, Smith wrote “Without a thoughtful approach, public authorities may rely on flawed or biased technological approaches to decide who to track, investigate or even arrest for a crime.” There are indeed precedents for this fear, including using faulty technology to identify suspects including lie detectors and early DNA testing.
In the blog post, Smith raises several questions he wants to be asked by a Congressional committee. Among the questions were:
-What types of legal measures can prevent use of facial recognition for racial profiling and other violations of rights while still permitting the beneficial uses of the technology?
-Should the law require that retailers post visible notice of their use of facial recognition technology in public spaces?
-Should we ensure that individuals have the right to know what photos have been collected and stored that have been identified with their names and faces?
At this time Congress has made no indication of forming a committee regarding the topic, but as facial recognition software becomes more popular and the issue grows, one can expect to see Congress attempt to answer these questions in the future. | <urn:uuid:493262b1-f92b-42dc-8c16-51a2be475aff> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.dcsny.com/technology-blog/microsoft-regulation-of-facial-recognition/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337971.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20221007045521-20221007075521-00151.warc.gz | en | 0.953887 | 388 | 2.578125 | 3 |
There’s no doubt that technology has become vital in today’s business world. The digital space has expanded significantly as more organizations leverage entirely remote and hybrid work structures, enabling successful online business.
But as digital activities increase, so does threat actors’ desire to take advantage of the vulnerabilities and opportunities. This has brought about new advancements in digital crime and computer security threats. Businesses of all sizes have had to bear the impacts of vast cybercrimes, including economic costs, reputational damage, and legal consequences.
Cybercriminals are becoming more strategic and innovative, and the only way around the constantly evolving threats is to implement a strong cybersecurity culture. Savvy organizations throughout the United States are now turning to cybersecurity training as part of their organizational culture.
Why Cybersecurity Training is Vital
Cybersecurity awareness coaching educates workers about the state of the digital security landscape. The programs use diverse learning methods to raise awareness of the available threats, reduce cyber risks, and enforce robust security compliance. All these are crucial for the following reasons:
Cyber Threats Are Getting Worse by The Day
Cybercriminals have become more intelligent, leveraging advanced approaches and tools to target victims’ systems and data. Moreover, it’s now harder to diagnose breaches.
On average, an organization may take about 228 days to identify a data security breach as it occurs and an additional 80 days to mitigate it. This shows how critical it is to implement a robust cybersecurity training program to keep staff prepared to contain any threats. While business insurance aids mitigation, the resultant downtime can be extremely costly.
Companies may also be at loggerheads with the law after data breaches because they’re obliged to take due diligence to secure sensitive client data. They could face potential legal intervention and fines.
Compliance Requirements Are Gradually Focusing On Staff Coaching
Compliance like PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council) and HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) have rules emphasizing worker training. They acknowledge the importance of educating employees in all departments about cyber hygiene and best practices. The requirements also include letting every staff member understand their obligations.
Moreover, regulations like CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) and GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) also have similar directives. Companies risk hefty fines and damaged reputations without comprehensive awareness training on all these.
Most Workers Don’t Understand the Risks
Your workers are the primary targets for cybercriminals planning to breach critical systems in your business. Instead of trying to access a secure system or network externally, it’s now easier for them to impersonate authorized organization members. This allows them to inflict damage from within anonymously.
Unfortunately, most workers still don’t even see the importance of cybersecurity training. Even worse, up to 22 percent of employees feel they’re not obliged to secure their employers’ systems and data.
The Immense Dangers of Human Error
The latest IBM Cyber Security Intelligence Index mentions that up to 95 percent of breaches result from human error, yet firewalls can’t offer adequate protection from phishing emails. Even your cutting-edge data security solutions won’t matter if employees can’t identify cyberattacks and respond appropriately.
It’s easier for threat actors to create a phishing email than investigate zero-day vulnerabilities for months. If your workers aren’t ready, your organization isn’t either. Therefore, a comprehensive training program will raise awareness on threat susceptibility, which benefits your company in the following ways:
- Enhancing your resilience against threats
- Shifting employee mindset and enabling behavior change
- Generating buy-in and commitment to cybersecurity initiatives
- Improving audit results critical in regulatory compliance
- Limiting human error and mitigating risks
What Makes for A Successful Cybersecurity Training Program?
So what does it take to deploy successful employee training? What are the key elements that you should include in the program?
Well, different approaches work for specific companies, and what might be effective in your business may not be feasible for the other. However, several core cybersecurity elements stand out, including:
Secure Network Connections Passwords and Access Privileges
Network security is the gatekeeper that grants access to authorized users while also detecting and preventing unauthorized access. It also secures your system against any activity focused on infiltrating the network to compromise or harm data. As such, it’s among the vital contributors to a strong cybersecurity culture and must be considered when creating an employee training program.
Your employees should be knowledgeable of the following critical network security fundamentals:
- Physical security
- Access controls
Phishing and Social Engineering
Fraudsters and hackers use these tricks to trick employees into divulging critical company data or unknowingly performing actions that grant unauthorized access to systems. Since infection relies on human interaction, your staff teams must be ahead of these cunning threat actors. So your training should cover the following techniques:
- Spear Phishing
Many organizations are prioritizing mobile initiatives to boost operations and productivity. But the different devices accessing your networks and systems from remote locations come with endpoint security risks. As custodians of these devices, employees must learn the leading risk factors and threats, including:
- Data leakage through malicious applications
- Internet of Things devices
- Lost or stolen devices
- Unsecured public WIFI
- Outdated operating systems
Cybersecurity Threat Reaction
An incident response plan helps mitigate the breach and recover from any losses and damages and is also a PCI-DSS requirement. As such, there’s every reason to enlighten your staff on the best practices after a cybersecurity incident.
The plan should address a suspected breach at different stages. Typically, your training program should cover the following threat reaction phases:
- Risk preparation
- Threat identification
- Breach containment
- Eradication of threat
- Learned lessons
Cybersecurity Experts Are Ready to Help
With data breaches, cyberattacks, and sensitive data leakages on the rise, governments and organizations must place more efforts on cybersecurity through effective strategies and training initiatives. But it’s not easy to nurture a strong cybersecurity culture, especially if tech isn’t your specialty.
Fortunately, Cyber Sainik’s security services and solutions offer a level playing field for organizations of every size and sector, and we’re ready to help you enhance your cybersecurity posture. Our cybersecurity team is ready to help you achieve end-to-end system and network security. So schedule a free consultation today. | <urn:uuid:f1576198-24dc-44f7-8e36-fec772592aa3> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://cybersainik.com/the-importance-of-staff-training-in-building-a-strong-cybersecurity-culture/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030334912.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20220926144455-20220926174455-00351.warc.gz | en | 0.921541 | 1,382 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Gone are the days when students would clamber for their turn on the single classroom computer. Now, school districts have been searching for ways to make technology more widespread among the student body. The Associated Press wrote a story on schools in Indianapolis that have been seeing a lot of success adopting tablets, a trend that has been spreading across many U.S school districts.
Cathedral High School has integrated about 900 Apple iPads for underclassmen at the school, with hundreds more expected to be introduced soon, according to the AP. By 2016, the school is hoping to go book-free. Tablets can both improve learning outcomes and help schools go green, as the move to digital technology instead of paper allows schools to save money and reduce their environmental footprint.
There are now 2,500 iPads across the district, mainly thanks to technology grants. The AP reports that Indianapolis Public Schools started adopting tablets in 2010 and students have been training on these devices since. The technology has empowered students in a variety of ways, and some administrators think that students’ facility with computers has changed the student-teacher in fruitful ways.
“Students are now part of the learning process for teachers,” Rolly Landeros, Cathedral’s CIO, told the news source. “Instead of teachers being afraid to ask for help, we now have students helping teachers be successful in the classroom.”
Education Bulletin Board said there are some pretty big advantages when it comes to incorporating tablets into the classroom, including better apps for learning, interactivity and portability for students. Obviously, tablets are much easier to carry than a sack full of back-breaking books. With e-books, students have a whole new world open to them instead of having to settle for out-of-date school textbook options.
“Digital books can provide sensory-rich, interactive and immersive reading experiences,” the news source said. “Plus, they offer portability and convenience, particularly with the ability to take and easily sync notes in the cloud. E-books can help college students save hundreds of dollars on textbooks. As a result, several schools and colleges are trying out programs to replace traditional textbooks with e-books.”
Have you seen tablets work in the classroom? What do you think of this technology as a long-term education solution? Let us know! | <urn:uuid:a7f54183-5e31-4836-88c7-a58055636f4f> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.faronics.com/news/blog/schools-embracing-tablets-other-technology | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335326.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20220929065206-20220929095206-00351.warc.gz | en | 0.967659 | 482 | 3.078125 | 3 |
The concept of Zero Trust is often explained with the analogy of a castle. Surprisingly, going back to the medieval age can also explain some other cybersecurity concepts. Cloud Security, for example. Not only that, there are actually two kinds of cloud security, and both can be explained using the analogy of a medieval city or village. Let’s do the time warp (again).
First, though, the famous quote that needs to stand at the beginning of every explanation of something related with the cloud. “It’s not a cloud, it’s just someone else’s computer”. Obviously, in this context this quote is completely out of context.
Secondly, I mentioned that there are two kinds of cloud security. Both can be defined by very different questions. The first one – to take the quote from above – by the question: “Why should someone else’s computer be more secure than mine?” Let’s answer this question first, shall we? Hence – imagine a medieval city.
Until the invention of firearms, more specifically canons, big walls with moats and drawbridges were used to protect cities and villages from intruders. And rightly so. The walls could be manned with archers for defense, the towers built into the corners of the wall provided a good lookout so attackers could be spotted early. Compare that to individual houses, which usually don’t have any of these measures – or only a few and inferior at that, too.
Ensuring Data Protection
Transfer that concept to the cloud and you will see the similarities immediately. Of course, a city full of houses is a much more attractive target than a single house, therefore drawing more attackers. Nevertheless, the fee you and every other houseowner pays to the cloud provider will, figuratively speaking, buy all these archers, weapons and walls. Something you cannot expect to afford, let alone staff, if you’re just defending your house.
The second usage of the term cloud security usually refers to ensuring the safety of the data to the cloud. Actually, a solution to ensure this was usually called a “cloud security access broker (CASB)”, but apparently this was too much of a niche, which is why Gartner coined a new term “SASE” which gives companies providing such a solution the feeling they’re not operating in a small niche. Maybe the true background was that they could not find enough CASBs to justify an entire market, so they pulled VPN and network security providers into it, you never know.
In any case, the concept can also be explained by the medieval city. We’ve just established that the cloud provider can be compared to a medieval city. The problem is that employees still need to enter that medieval city, and as a company you want to make sure that they are not carrying something malicious into the city or something secret out of it. Hence, you have guards searching the employees at the entrance of the cloud (CASBs), plus you ensure that employees only have access to certain areas of the city (Zero Trust). In addition, your streets are secured by more guards (network security) and only specific streets can be used to enter the city in the first place (VPN). And even when an employee owns a house in the city (e.g. they also have a dropbox account, as the company they work for does), that “cloud security” ensures that they would have to leave the city first before they can enter their own house or at least are guarded on the way from the company mansion to their own house.
It’s not a cloud
As you can see, the medieval city goes a long way explaining cloud security. Even beyond security, it can explain different “variants” of the cloud. You might have heard of the distinction between a public and a private cloud for example. Don’t know what that is? Well, a public cloud in this scenario is where one provider builds (and owns) all the houses, which are standardized, i.e. every house looks essentially the same. As a customer (or tenant) of the house, you don’t really need to take care of anything, just live in it. In a private cloud, you will “just” get a place in the city and essentially build your house yourself. You still have all the benefits of the city (walls, public services, etc.), though.
I’m sure there are other cloud concepts which could be mapped to the analogy of that medieval city. In any case, if you do have to explain cloud security to anyone, be that during a presentation or at a cocktail party, you can start with the quote: “It’s not a cloud, it’s a medieval city.”
Patrick Boch has been working in the IT industry since 1999. He has been dealing with the topic of cybersecurity for several years now, with a focus on SAP and ERP security.
In recent years, Patrick Boch has published various books and articles as an expert, especially on the subject of SAP security. With his extensive knowledge and experience in the areas of SAP compliance and security, Patrick Boch has served as product manager for several companies in the IT security sector since 2013. Patrick is Co-Founder and Editor of Cyber Protection Magazine. | <urn:uuid:d2cb6269-ae97-4ade-bf2c-abbfe75b3fe8> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://cyberprotection-magazine.com/how-a-medieval-city-can-explain-cloud-security | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335491.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20220930145518-20220930175518-00351.warc.gz | en | 0.969006 | 1,114 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Passwords, simply aren’t as secure as they once were. If someone gets your password, it may be the case that they will then have access to most of your online accounts. This is why two-factor authentication will protect you against many nasty cyber-attacks.
What is Two-Factor Authentication?
Two-Factor authentication is simple to use, and it adds an extra layer of protection to your basic login procedure. Single-factor authentication protocols only use one username and password. By contrast, two-factor authentication requires the user to have more than one credential to gain access to their account.
How Does It Work?
Using two-factor authentication is actually easier than it might appear. It just requires your password and your phone. After you enter your password, you will get a security code sent to your mobile device. You will then need to enter the pass code to gain access to your account.
If journalist Mat Honan could go back in time and turn on two-factor authentication, he certainly would! In 2012, Honan was subject to an epic hacking episode. Honan said:
“In the space of one hour, my entire digital life was destroyed. First my Google account was taken over, then deleted. Next my Twitter account was compromised, and used as a platform to broadcast racist and homophobic messages. And worst of all, my AppleID account was broken into, and my hackers used it to remotely erase all of the data on my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook.”
After Honan’s experience, he realized, “Had I used two-factor authentication for my Google account, it’s possible that none of this would have happened, because their ultimate goal was always to take over my Twitter account and wreak havoc. Lulz.”
Where can you use Two-Fact Authentication?
Google/Gmail: Google sends you a 6-digit passcode to your phone. You can also download the Google Authenticator app here for Android, iOS, and BlackBerry.
Apple: Apple sends you a 4-digit code to your phone. You can also enable the Find My iPhone app that will notify you when you attempt to log in from a new machine.
Facebook/Twitter: Both Facebook and Twitter send you a 6-digit code to your phone when you attempt to log in from a new machine.
PayPal: With Online Shopping at its peak, PayPal is definitely something you should set up two-step authentication on. PayPal sends you a 6-digit code to your phone.
Microsoft Accounts: Microsoft sends you a 7-digit code to your phone or alternative email address. The Microsoft two-step authentication is crucial as it will protect all aspects of your account such as Sky Drive (Personal Documents, Photos etc.) and Outlook emails.
If you want to keep your personal data and money safe, then be sure to check all your online accounts that support two-factor authentication and enable the function immediately. This will help you avoid any cyber-attacks like poor Mat Honan experienced! | <urn:uuid:4aaee978-67f6-44f6-b00e-7c587713a1c5> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://informationsecuritybuzz.com/articles/two-factor-authentication/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337404.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20221003070342-20221003100342-00351.warc.gz | en | 0.931219 | 625 | 3.0625 | 3 |
Vulnerability scanning is a process where an automated tool is used to scan IT networks, applications, devices, and other internal or external assets of an organization for known potential security loopholes and vulnerabilities. At the end of every vulnerability scan, you receive a report that documents the vulnerabilities that were found along with risk scores for each vulnerability and in some cases security recommendations.
Classification of vulnerabilities in terms of severity
The impact and exploitability of a vulnerability is calculated by taking multiple factors into account – the ease of access, authentication, its spread, the availability of mitigation, etc. Then exploitability and impact is concatenated to assign a severity score between 0.0 and 10.0 for each vulnerability. This is called the CVSS score (Common vulnerability scoring system). The vulnerabilities can be classified into high, medium, and low severity categories depending on their CVSS score.
The CVSS score of a vulnerability is calculated based on three different metric groups – base, tempora and environmental. Firstly the CVSS base score is determined by assessing intrinsic properties of a vulnerability that do not change with time or the user’s environment.
The base score is then modified by taking temporal metrics into account that represent such characteristics of a vulnerability that change over time. Finally, the characteristics specific to a user’s environment are considered to get the environmental score. All these scores are applied to calculate the overall CVSS score.
Vulnerabilities with a score between 7 and 10 are considered highly severe. Vulnerabilities scoring 4 to 6.9 fall into the medium severity category and those with a score between 0 and 3.9 are put in the low severity category. These scores allow the developers, and security experts to prioritize the vulnerabilities according to their severity so that the most critical ones are mitigated first.
Let us look at some easily detectable vulnerabilities which can be potentially disastrous for your software, if left unchecked.
Most found vulnerabilities and security risks in software
There are awareness-building projects and communities like the OWASP and NIST that document the most critical vulnerabilities at a given time. They publish lists of vulnerabilities that pose the most critical and pervasive threats. These lists are usually followed while checking scanning systems for vulnerabilities.
Let us talk about the top five vulnerabilities from OWASP top 10: 2021
#1 Broken Access Control
Access control refers to the application of constraints on who can perform a certain action or access certain information. In the case of web applications, access control is usually maintained through authentication and session management.
Authentication ensures that the identity of the entity requesting access is true. Session management identifies the HTTP requests made by the user. Access control ensures that the entity is authorized to perform the operation or access the information requested.
Designing Access Control is a crucial part of software development and broken access control can allow a person to perform unauthorized action or access data that they’re not supposed to access.
#2 Cryptographic Failures
Cryptographic failure is a generalized phrase that describes a situation where sensitive data can be accessed without authorization. It refers to a condition where the data in transit, or at rest, is not secured through encryption.
When your data is in transmission from users to systems or the other way round, it should ideally be secured with transport layer security (TLS). If the data is at rest in your devices, it has to be encrypted too. If data is encrypted it is not searchable, which is not good for its utility. Hence, a lot of databases are always online making security a challenge. Successful cryptography comes to the rescue and ensures access control by employing cyphers along with initialization vectors.
Now, let’s say you ignore initialization vectors (an arbitrary number required alongside a secret key to encrypt data) or reuse them, it increases the chances of information leak. It would be an example of failed cryptography.
Injection has been on the list of critical vulnerabilities for a long time now. SQL injection (SQLi) and cross site scripting (XSS) are some of the most popular modes of injection attacks. So, here’s how it works.
An attacker makes a malicious code input to the target program. An interpreter processes the code as part of the command or query. That in turn alters the execution of the program.
An attacker can use an SQL statement to interfere with the preexisting parameters that control the exchange of data between a web application and its database. As such, the attacker can gain administrative access to the database.
#4 Insecure Design
Insecure design points at those vulnerabilities which come into existence in software owing to the lack of security implementations during its development. For instance, the lack of input validation can make way for injection attacks. Implementing security in the software development life cycle can be a challenge as it demands a completely different perspective – threat modelling.
You can discover such vulnerabilities through vulnerability scanning, however remediating them in a production site is a bit more difficult than preventing them during the SDLC.
#5 Security Misconfiguration
Security misconfigurations are caused by inaccurate configuration or complete abandonment of security controls. For instance, if a developer writes flexible firewall rules and creates network shares for convenience in a development phase and does not restore the original settings, it remains as a security misconfiguration. Similarly, an administrator may authorize configuration changes for troubleshooting or some other purpose, then forget to reset them.
These things do happen, and honestly, it is not very difficult to end up with a bunch of security miscofigurations given the intricacy of network configuration used today and the state of flux applications are always in.
The practice should be to review your security posture continually and frequent vulnerability scanning and penetration testing is a good way to do that. There are different types of vulnerability scanners that you can use for different situations.
Learn about Website Vulnerability Testing
Types of Vulnerability Scanners
Network based scanners are used to uncover anomalies on your IT network like open ports, unauthorized remote access servers, and vulnerable applications that may be active on the network. One can use host based scanners to scan servers and workstations. Other than that there are wireless scanners, application scanners, and database scanners.
A vulnerability scanner can be authenticated in which case it can scan behind login pages. For instance, Astra Security has a login recorder extension which keeps the scanner authenticated even if the session times out. It allows the automated scanner to scan logged in pages while not requiring the user to authenticate the session repeatedly.
An unauthenticated scanner can only perform vulnerability scans from the outside.
How does a vulnerability scanner detect a vulnerability?
By now you are familiar with a bunch of vulnerabilities. You have understood how they occur and how they can impact your systems negatively. It is time to learn how a vulnerability scanner detects a vulnerability.
A vulnerability scanner is an automated tool that checks a network, or an application for known vulnerabilities by referencing a database of details about various attack vectors (attack signatures). It is somewhat comparable to diagnosing a patient by symptoms.
Once the scan is done, a report is created that documents the vulnerabilities and assigns risk scores to them. The report may or may not include remediation guidance for the developers. After the report is produced, the developers can take a shift-left approach to find the code bugs, configuration errors, or other factors that contributed to the vulnerabilities and remediate the issues.
How is vulnerability scanning different from pentesting?
Both vulnerability scanning and penetration testing are important procedures to understand the security posture and resilience of an organization – its network, applications, and devices. They have some fundamental differences.
Vulnerability scanning detects vulnerabilities and provides you with risk scores for those vulnerabilities so as to help you prioritize the critical vulnerabilities over the less severe ones while fixing them. It is usually an automated procedure which is very fast and not intrusive.
Vulnerability scanning doesn’t exploit the identified security loopholes to assess how much damage it could cost. That is where penetration testing comes in. It involves security experts employing hacker-like strategies to safely exploit certain vulnerabilities to answer questions like how easily it was exploitable, how much access the said vulnerability could grant a malicious actor, whether it could allow someone to access sensitive data.
Penetration testing attempts a more in-depth analysis of the security situation than vulnerability scanning. Whether you should conduct penetration testing on top of vulnerability assessment depends on multiple factors. If your business deals with a lot of sensitive and valuable data and if your industry vertical is governed by stern security regulations, you may want to opt for both.
Why you should conduct frequent vulnerability scans
You need a vulnerability management regime that fits the DevOps environment. It has to be fast, continuous, and accurate. Automated vulnerability scanning with a great vulnerability scanner is your best bet. Here’s what you achieve by conducting frequent scans.
A machine learning driven vulnerability scanner gets better at scanning your system with every use. Hence, the reports are increasingly accurate with a decreasing number of false positives. And you do not have to wait for weeks to get the vulnerability report.
You can automate the vulnerability scanner so as to run a scan whenever there is a code update. Each new edition of an application invites new vulnerabilities. Hence, running an automated scan with every update can be a lifesaver.
Stay compliant and build trust
A lot of industries mandate security audits and vulnerability reports are a huge part of those exercises. So, it plays a significant role in compliance. Moreover, if you stay ahead of security threats, it is easier to build trust and ensure that clients are not spooked away by potential data security threats in your organization.
How to pick a Vulnerability Scanner for your organization?
There are a lot of vulnerability scanners in the market with overlapping features. It is difficult to judge a vulnerability scanner by how many tests it conducts or how fast it reports. Those are all important qualities but present in a lot of good scanners.
When it comes to vulnerability scanning, the user experience can be improved a lot with small additional features.
For instance, if a vulnerability scanner can scan behind login without repeated authentication, it saves you a lot of time and effort. Another recent feature launched by Astra Security called Pentest Compliance, helps you visualize in real time which compliance regulations you are passing or failing according to your security stature.
Features like these make a lot of difference when you are trying to make security a continuous part of your development drives.
The best vulnerability scanning tool – Astra Pentest
Vulnerability scanning is usually an automated process where you just determine the scope of the scan and the rest is done by the tool. That means choosing the right tool for the purpose is important. The automated vulnerability scanner by Astra Security sets the global benchmark in this respect.
The intelligent vulnerability scanner by Astra conducts 3000+ tests to detect a wide range of vulnerabilities including but not limited to those listed by OWASP, SANS, and NIST.
Astra Security has set the bar high by making the entire process incredibly user friendly. Take for instance, the login recorder which allows the automated scanner to scan behind the login pages without requiring the site owners to authorize it repeatedly.
Your vulnerability scanning experience with Astra is controlled through an interactive dashboard where you can visualize the vulnerability analysis and remediation status. The security experts at Astra also ensure that your vulnerability report does not have false positives.
The Pentest Compliance feature launched by Astra also shows you the what all compliance regulations you meet or fail to meet according to the state of vulnerabilities found in your system during the scan.
In fact, you can integrate platforms like GitHub to make your remediation effort independent from the dashboard. You use the most competent vulnerability scanning and pentest tool to detect vulnerabilities in your system without losing any time reinventing the workflow.
Vulnerability scanning is an automated tool based procedure, hence, the importance of choosing the right tool cannot be emphasized enough. The importance of converging DevOps with DevSecOps also needs some extra stress in the context of vulnerability management. It is always easier and less expensive to find and deal with vulnerabilities during the software development life cycle. In fact, you should partner up with a pentesting company that is comfortable with both static analysis of code and dynamic analysis of the application in production. It always helps if your vulnerability scanning report comes with zero false positives.
What is the cost of vulnerability scanning?
The monthly cost of vulnerability scanning for web applications is between $99 and $399. Check out our pricing.
How much time does it take to conduct vulnerability assessment and penetration testing?
It usually takes 4-7 days to complete the process. After which you can fix the issues identified in the test and run a rescan. The rescan takes half the time needed for the initial test. Get a security audit with 1250+ tests, right now!
How often should I conduct vulnerability scans?
The industry best practice is to run vulnerability scans at least once a quarter. However some verticals may require more frequent scans. Scan your website now!
Can I have continuous scans for new product versions?
Yes, you can integrate CI/CD platforms with Astra Pentest suite, thus enabling continuous scans for product updates. | <urn:uuid:1401421d-3c53-4f91-9805-8b49d8d40e99> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.getastra.com/blog/security-audit/vulnerability-scanning/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337516.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20221004152839-20221004182839-00351.warc.gz | en | 0.930052 | 2,724 | 2.953125 | 3 |
Designing a robust video surveillance system is often full of traps and pitfalls that can leave an integrator frustrated with both performance and overall functionality of the surveillance system. While engineers typically design the VMS platform in a simplified network infrastructure, real-life deployments are anything but simple.
Based on the scale, expected growth, and level of availability systems integrators are facing decisions surrounding network segmentation. Creating Virtual Local Area Networks, or VLANs is not a new concept to the industry. For years integrators have been trying to decide when to segment surveillance networks, thus walking a fine line between increased complexity and improved system performance.
What is Network Segmentation?
As the name suggests, network segmentation is the practice of dividing a computer up into smaller segments, and by doing so, you separate systems and applications from each other. If there are systems that have no interaction with each other, there is no need for them to be on the same network. If they are, it just makes it easier for a hacker to gain access to everything if the perimeter defenses are breached. Network segmentation can also help to boost performance. With fewer hosts on each subnet, local traffic is minimized. It can also improve monitoring capabilities and helps IT teams identify suspicious behavior.
Network Segmentation Benefits
- Reduced congestion: Improved performance is achieved, because on a segmented network there are fewer hosts per subnetwork, thus minimizing local traffic
- Improved security:
- Broadcasts will be contained to local network. Internal network structure will not be visible from outside.
- There is a reduced attack surface available to pivot in if one of the hosts on the network segment is compromised. Common attack vectors such as LLMNR and NetBIOS poisoning can be partially alleviated by proper network segmentation as they only work on the local network. For this reason it is recommended to segment the various areas of a network by usage. A basic example would be to split up web servers, databases servers and standard user machines each into their own segment.
- By creating network segments containing only the resources specific to the consumers that you authorise access to, you are creating an environment of least privilege
- Containing network problems: Limiting the effect of local failures on other parts of network
- Controlling visitor access: Visitor access to the network can be controlled by implementing VLANs to segregate the network
The effects of network segmentation on IP Camera Performance
In the early days of networking, IP packets flooded throughout the network, and individual network nodes were responsible for determining if the traffic matched its own physical address and should be gathered in and processed.
Aside from the obvious security concerns, there were performance issues to consider as well. As the number of devices on a network increased, there was an exponential increase in the amount of network traffic processed by those devices, leading to a decline in functionality and performance.
Remember, even if the traffic was not intended for your own physical address, it would still be handled.
Localized broadcast, unknown, and multicast (BUM) traffic generated by the devices will be sent to all network switch ports, in turn being handled by all devices within the VLAN, making communication quite inefficient.
The increase in traffic can lead to an elevation of processing on the CPU of the IP-Camera. As the CPU resource utilization increases, the camera can become less responsive, leading to latent PTZ control, degraded video, or complete loss of communication with the camera.
Often integrators complain about the performance or stability of the VMS platform they are using. They complain about cameras becoming unresponsive, dropping offline, and experiencing degraded video quality. In almost every case, the blame falls toward the VMS vendor or the IP-camera manufacturer, when nothing could be further from the truth.
After months of frustration and open technical support tickets, there is little to no resolution of the issue. The fact is, there are too many cameras on the same network to conduct efficient communications.
A quick segmentation of the network reduces the traffic within the broadcast domain and lowers the stress on the network sub-system. In turn, the CPU elevation at the IP-cameras will dissipate, and performance will stabilize.
In the end, it had nothing to do with either the VMS platform, or the IP-camera, but the underlying logical network infrastructure.
With the introduction of Layer 3 Switching capabilities within the switch chipset (ASIC), the routing decisions can be made in hardware without performance loss and maintain line-rate speed. The benefits of defining or administratively scoping the broadcast domain, far outweigh the overhead of ASIC based routing.
Network Management Is Key
During network congestion periods, Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities in network switches prioritize and reserve network capacity for missioncritical video. Assigning a high priority to video traffic guarantees its timely delivery. Logically separating different types of traffic on a network is another way to optimize video delivery and increase network security. Virtual LANs (VLANs) divide an IP network into different logical segments. You can use a VLAN to separate video traffic from other data such as IP phones and business applications. Video traffic that is on its own VLAN is easy to manage and prioritize.
We defined scopes of the Broadcast Domains Define Failure Boundaries in the Network
Any broadcast storm (flooding of traffic or loop in the network) would result in a complete loss of functionality. Every VLAN you define on a network can be viewed as a containment point for broadcast, unknown, and multicast (BUM) traffic.
In simplest terms, a VLAN can be viewed as a bulkhead on a ship. If there is a breach to the hull of a ship, the bulkheads are put in place to compartmentalize or limit the area that can intake water.
By compartmentalizing the areas of the ship with bulkheads, breaches to the hull are proven to be far less fatal, and the ship stays afloat. Imagine a ship with no bulkheads, a small breach to the hull near the bow would lead to a perpetual intake of water throughout the entire ship until it can no longer stay afloat.
When you implement a single VLAN on your network, you are building a ship with no bulkheads, no safety, no traffic containment. When things go wrong on the network, a loop is induced, excessive broadcast traffic is generated, or network flooding occurs, and it can become catastrophic.
Too often in the physical security world, simplicity is achieved at the cost of functionality. It is tempting to take the switch and cameras out of the box and just plug them in.
But are you really saving money? If you have to roll trucks to the site over the next year trying to resolve video issues that are network related, you might just end up losing money.
While deciding how to segment the network might require some thought and planning, the benefits in both performance and traffic containment are well worth the efforts. As the size and complexity of the surveillance network increase, it is imperative to build an underlying network infrastructure that can support both the growth and anticipated performance. | <urn:uuid:5644054d-28aa-4f0d-9cef-01b74fe4ac93> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.arxys.com/network-segmentation-for-video-surveillance-systems/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337680.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20221005234659-20221006024659-00351.warc.gz | en | 0.939732 | 1,455 | 2.640625 | 3 |
The original Raspberry Pi, the single chip computer that launched countless DIY tech projects, has received a price cut.
The single board computer has proven hugely popular since its release in 2012, with sales figures now in excess of five million.
The unexpected popularity of the Raspberry Pi has led to a number of competitors springing up, including Microsoft’s Sharks Cove and Intel’s Galileo. More recently, a Kickstarter campaign has promised to provide customers with a fully functioning Linux computer for just $9. Developed by US startup Next Thing Co., CHIP and the growing number of other competitors could be behind the price cut.
Consumers will now be able to purchase the Raspberry Pi Model B+ for just $25 or £16, with the Raspberry Pi Foundation citing a more optimised production model as the reason for the reduction. This means that computing enthusiasts have a variety of options available to them depending on their budget and respective projects. The Model A+ now costs $20, the B+ $25 and the most recent release, the Raspberry Pi 2 is available for $35.
Although, the manufacturers of the Raspberry Pi are sure to be aware of cheaper alternatives, they are unlikely to be too concerned given the success of their own offering. Originally expected to see limited use as a way of teaching coding in schools, the Raspberry Pi has gone on to become the fastest selling British computer ever.
The price drop for the Model B+ version is likely to provide sales figures with a further boost, but the manufacturers have explained that it may take a few days for the reduction to come into effect. | <urn:uuid:dc3598bc-fd08-4928-a7f5-ec6d52b63f99> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.itproportal.com/2015/05/14/raspberry-pi-b-gets-price-cut/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337680.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20221005234659-20221006024659-00351.warc.gz | en | 0.957716 | 324 | 2.546875 | 3 |
From the device you’re reading this on to the clothes you are wearing – the chances are they were imported. And there’s a very high probability that they came to the UK on the back of a ship.
The UK is the fourth highest importer of goods in the world. In 2020, UK ports were visited by 82,300 goods vessels, carrying 439 million tonnes of freight. Among the top imports are cars, electrical equipment and clothing.
And while shipping is one of the most fuel-efficient ways of carrying cargo, the amount of pollution that comes from these ocean-going giants is immense.
International shipping is responsible for roughly the same amount of CO2 and the same amount of all greenhouse gases as Germany. CO2 emissions have surged over the last decade as cargo volumes have continued to increase globally. Ships carry more than 80% of global trade by volume.
Fine particulate matter from shipping has been linked to an estimated 60,000 premature deaths worldwide annually. And it is estimated marine CO2 emissions could account for 17% of human emissions in 2050 if left unchecked.
The solution may be rocket science. Or, more accurately, rocket fuel.
Clean energy solutions provider Unitrove is leading the drive to clean up the global maritime sector by delivering the world’s first liquid hydrogen bunkering facility for fuelling zero-emission ships, which was recently showcased at the UN COP26 climate change conference in November.
Having already successfully delivered the UK’s first liquefied natural gas bunkering facility at Teesport in May 2015, Steven Lua, CEO of Unitrove now wants to enable clean, affordable, reliable, and sustainable fuelling options for ships at every port in the world.
Liquid hydrogen has played an important role in space exploration since NASA’s Apollo program. The Saturn rockets used it for their secondary stage engines and later, the NASA space shuttle used it to power its three main rocket engines.
“Engines on the world’s biggest ships can be as tall as a four-storey house, as wide as three London buses, and weigh more than 350 large elephants,” says Steven Lua, CEO of Unitrove. “As you might imagine, a lot of fuel is required to power engines of that size and that, in turn, creates a lot of CO2.
“It’s easy for people to forget about the issues that the shipping sector brings because it’s not in the public eye and it requires international collaboration to solve. When people think about reducing their carbon footprint, they will look at their own personal travel habits or focus on recycling and reducing waste, but rarely does anyone think about the goods they are buying and how they got into the country.
“Shipping will always be at the centre of the global consumer market, so if we can’t reduce the number of ships on the world’s oceans, we have to think about how we can clean them up.
“Using liquid hydrogen as a commercial fuel is a relatively unexplored option, but it has great potential. It has long been used to safely and successfully send rockets into space. The technology is mature, but the markets for its use are not.
“We already see very early signs of light-duty vessels being battery-driven or powered by compressed gaseous hydrogen, but liquid hydrogen will allow us to serve the heavier portion of the shipping fleet where we hope to have a much larger impact.
“The average lifespan of a large ship is anywhere between 20 to 40 years, meaning any ship procured today could potentially still be operating well beyond 2050. And there’s currently no drive for clean-fuel ships because there’s no clean-fuel bunkering infrastructure – it’s practically non-existent.
“Without zero-emission fuelling infrastructure, there will be no drive for zero-emission ships. In terms of infrastructure, there’s nothing significant in place today, and we are here to change that.” | <urn:uuid:38a3825c-0aa8-48bd-88e3-c1abc29ce68b> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://itsupplychain.com/the-environmental-cost-of-your-everyday-items/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030334528.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20220925101046-20220925131046-00551.warc.gz | en | 0.95844 | 836 | 3.125 | 3 |
Debunking the Myths of Shared Networks: The Point-to-Multipoint Effect
“I don’t want to have to share a pipe. The problem with ‘cable’ is shared pipes. If my neighbor is doing a bunch of stuff over the network, I get impacted too. With fiber I get speed and no shared pipes.”
--- Entrepreneur in a focus group
The notion that subscribers connected to residential fiber networks do not “share pipes” is often misunderstood. For residential fiber networks, sharing pipes is one of the main reasons fiber to the home (FTTH) is even remotely cost-effective for service providers to deploy. But what is most surprising is the following: deploying shared network solutions has led to a more rapid increase in residential broadband speeds than otherwise would have been the case with non-shared access network solutions. I like to call this the Point-to-Multipoint Effect. In the process, sharing pipes has allowed broadband speed growth to surpass the predicted 50% compounded annual growth rate commonly known as Nielsen’s Law of Internet Bandwidth. Read on to learn more…
First, a couple of definitions:
- A (non-shared) point-to-point (P2P) network topology is one in which there is a single dedicated connection between two endpoints. In the case of access networks, one endpoint is typically located at the hub or central office, or could be located at a remote distribution point. The other endpoint is a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem, for example, or a simple Ethernet switch, located on the customer premise. In P2P networks, the peak capacity of a link is used exclusively by only the two endpoints.
- A (shared) point-to-multipoint (P2MP) network topology is one in which there is a single downstream transmitter and multiple access termination devices that all selectively listen to the same downstream data stream. A key characteristic with P2MP networks is the peak capacity of the network is shared between all connected endpoints. Two examples of P2MP networks are HFC and passive optical networking (PON), shown in the figure below (showing downstream transmission).
Two examples of (shared) point-to-multipoint networks: HFC and PON
The PON solution represents the most prevalent residential fiber solution in the world, primarily due to lower costs compared to P2P fiber solutions. To illustrate the sharing, referring to the diagram above, if 10G-EPON is the technology choice, each optical network unit (ONU) connected to the network transmits upstream at ~10 Gbps, but they don’t transmit simultaneously. Instead, an ONU must be scheduled by the OLT for upstream transmission to avoid collisions with other ONUs. In essence, the scheduling of ONUs results in the sharing of the 10 Gbps peak capacity. Consequently, there is a whole lotta pipe sharing going on in PON solutions.
Do shared networks necessarily perform better or worse than non-shared networks? It depends on how performance is measured, but in one key area, residential broadband speeds, shared networks have significantly outperformed non-shared networks by a substantial amount.
A recent blog discussed Nielsen’s Law of Internet Bandwidth and how the cable industry was preparing to meet future broadband speeds with 100G-EPON. When Mr. Nielsen made his initial prediction in 1998, residential broadband access was dominated by dialup and ISDN connections, which are both P2P solutions. Indeed, for approximately the first 14 years since that initial 300 bits per second dialup connection in 1982/1983, the progression of available peak service tier bit rates followed the 50% annual growth rate prediction.
**various sources compiled by CableLabs
The release of the first DOCSIS® specifications by CableLabs in 1996 essentially represented the dawn of P2MP solutions, i.e. shared, for residential Internet connectivity. According to the data in the chart above, the tremendous rate of technology advancements resulting from the shared DOCSIS/HFC network solution, and later with the development of shared PON technologies, coupled with the relative cost-effectiveness of these solutions, has far exceeded other P2P technologies for residential broadband. While the initial growth prediction in 1998 was a 50% annual growth rate, the Point-to-Multipoint Effect increased the growth rate closer to 70% for residential Internet connectivity. The Point-to-Multipoint Effect indicates that sharing pipes for residential connectivity has provided a solution that has actually allowed residential high speed data rates to increase at a faster pace! This “sharing” trend is expected to continue with the development of Full Duplex DOCSIS and 100G-EPON, making the introduction of new services possible. Thus, just like our parents always told us, it is good to share.
In his role as Vice President Wired Technologies at CableLabs, Curtis Knittle leads the activities which focus on cable operator integration of optical technologies in access networks. Curtis is also Chair of the 100G-EPON (IEEE 802.3ca) Task Force. | <urn:uuid:3632488c-a586-4938-b296-2cbdc2b0322e> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.cablelabs.com/blog/debunking-myths-shared-networks-point-multipoint-effect | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030334915.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20220926175816-20220926205816-00551.warc.gz | en | 0.941762 | 1,068 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Did you realize something? When analysts and media write about artificial intelligence (AI), most of them unfortunately only talk about machine learning. In doing so, they mention AI and machine learning in the same breath and thus equal AI with one single technology. This is wrong and a concerning progress.
In particular, it is confusing the market during a time when 58 percent of organizations worldwide (according to Forrester) are still researching AI. However, AI is more than just machine learning and consists of several different components that provide intelligent solutions.
Machine learning is not equal to AI
First of all, machines do not understand. This is by far the biggest misconception while discussing AI, in particular in the context of virtual private assistants like Amazon Alexa or Apple Siri. Machines match data to predefined data patterns of understanding. Thus, understanding is a question of the size of a data pool, because the more data is matched to something we can understand the more “understanding” a machine seems to have.
The biggest issue is that AI research has been an oscillating system between several techniques. Whenever one does not do “the job completely,” people get frustrated and turn to another one. And right now, the market is of the opinion that organizations do have tons of data that can be utilized together with machine learning algorithms. And since some machine learning use cases succeeded, machine learning is hyped by the media.
However, machine learning just helps to identify patterns within data sets and thus tries to make predictions based on existing data. It is most important to check the plausibility and correctness of the results since you can always find something in endless sets of data. And that’s also one of the drawbacks if you consider machine learning as a single concept. Machine learning needs lots of sample data or data in general to learn and be able to find valuable information respectively results in patterns. […] | <urn:uuid:b6968844-8d68-4a80-a72c-47c76f79c571> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://swisscognitive.ch/2017/12/30/pattern-matching-is-not-enough/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335059.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20220928020513-20220928050513-00551.warc.gz | en | 0.957461 | 383 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Designers will sometimes receive unexpected rounding/results for calculations involving decimals. See some examples below:
Observed: 92000 - (7000.27 + 73000.27 + 2000.33 + 9999.13) = -1.455192e-011Expected: 92000 - (7000.27 + 73000.27 + 2000.33 + 9999.13) = 0
Observed: round(123/240*100,1) = 15.2Expected: round(123/240*100,1) = 15.3 since the result is actually 15.25
Observed: fixed(8192.80*100,0,true()) = 819279Expected: fixed(8192.80*100,0,true()) = 819280
Observed: text(1.9999999999999, "0.00") = 2.00Expected: text(1.9999999999999, "0.00") = 1.99
Observed: a!textField(value:12.236319) = 12.23632Expected: a!textField(value:12.236319) = 12.236319
This is not a bug with Appian, but it is rather a limitation of the IEEE 754 standard. The Appian Data Type 'Number (Decimal)' is stored as double precision floating-point decimal, which is a 64-bit IEEE 754 floating point. There is no such thing as perfect precision with double floating point numbers since base 10 numbers are being represented as base 2 numbers.
Depending on the calculation, there could be various workarounds to attempt.
If you are seeing unexpected rounding with the round() function, try rounding with more digits of precision or try using the roundup() or rounddown() functions. For the above example,
round(123/240*100,6) = 15.25roundup(123/240*100,1) = 15.3
If a decimal calculation using the fixed() function is providing unexpected results, try using round() in conjunction with fixed(). For the above example,
fixed(round(8192.80*100),0,true()) = 819280
If the text() function seems to incorrectly round a number, try using less digits after the decimal point. For the above example,
text(1.9999, "0.00") = 1.99
If the Text Component is rounding a decimal rule input, try wrapping the fixed() function to indicate the desired number of digits after the decimal to be maintained. For the above example,
a!textField(value: fixed(12.236319,6) = 12.236319
There is a Decimal (Floating Point) Component that can be used.
This article applies to all versions of Appian.
Last Reviewed: December 2017
© 2022 Appian. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:2de1adb3-de7f-4d72-be1e-3e182615c019> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://community.appian.com/support/w/kb/707/kb-1426-unexpected-results-on-decimal-calculations-and-rounding | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335350.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220929100506-20220929130506-00551.warc.gz | en | 0.787799 | 618 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Ransomware attacks are on the rise this year, crippling cities and organizations that unfortunately fall victim to hackers.
In short, ransomware is malicious software that locks and encrypts computer systems and data. Once a system is infected, hackers gain control and lock out users from their own networks.
Just like in a kidnapping scenario, a ransom is demanded. Thus the bad actors threaten to shut down the hacked organization's critical infrastructure, blocking the victims from accessing files. They can go as far as destroying the victims' network and databases. The motivator is simple - extortion for money.
While these incidents will continue to occur, the best way an organization can be proactive in mitigating cyber risk is having a strong cybersecurity posture and a well-informed staff on cyber hygiene best practices. It's often said among information security professionals, the weakest link is the human being.
Many ransomware attacks are caused by phishing emails, which are messages infected with malicious links and/or documents. Typically, an individual in the organization mistakenly clicks on such a link or opens up an infected document, enabling hackers to enter the network. Then, well, all havoc breaks loose.
Once hackers are inside the victims networks, they may lurk around for months before making themselves known. Why? They spend time looking for sensitive data to make sure they can lock up the organization's most valuable information.
Last year, security firm Emsisoft reported that 205,280 organizations claimed to have lost files because of ransomware attacks. And, from what's been reported, the number of incidents has gone up 41 percent from the previous year. It's safe to conclude that not all incidents are known or reported.
Demand for payment now runs on average of $84,116 and can costs can be in the millions, not including the consequential damages from business disruption.
According to Cybersecurity Ventures, ransomware cybercrime will cost $20 billion in damages worldwide by 2021.
In this blog post, we'll outline some of the biggest recent ransomware attacks.
Hospitals, healthcare providers fighting hackers amid the pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has become fertile breeding ground for cybercriminals to do their dirty work. With front-line healthcare providers overwhelmed treating COVID patients, threat actors are aggressively targeting healthcare professionals.
In mid-May, the FBI and Homeland Security issued a warning that Chinese hackers were trying to steal coronavirus vaccination and treatment research information from businesses, healthcare providers, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies. Interpol, Google and Microsoft also have concluded the shady activity as being aggressively on the rise.
Since 2016, it is estimated that nearly 6.6 million patients were impacted by ransomware attacks. As healthcare providers networks went under attack, patients' treatment and appointments ended up on hold and/or canceled. For some, the matter is life or death. And it's only gotten worse, as Interpol has stated.
In a previous blog post, we discussed how hospitals can protect themselves from ransomware. You can read it by clicking here.
Celebrity law firm hit, breached, documents leaked
In May of this year, law firm Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks which represents Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna and other celebrities got hit with a $21 million ransom. The hacker group REvil allegedly have stolen 756 gigabytes of files, containing confidential information of the firm's famous clientele.
At the time of this writing, the New York-based law firm has refused to make a payment. So on May 14, the hackers leaked legal documents pertaining to Lady Gaga.
A sizable amount, the 2.4-gigabyte documents include the entertainer's project contracts, confidentiality agreements and beyond. After doing so, the hackers doubled the ransom to $42 million.
A spokesperson on behalf of the law firm stated, "The leaking of our clients’ documents is a despicable and illegal attack by these foreign cyberterrorists who make their living attempting to extort high-profile U.S. companies, government entities, entertainers, politicians, and others. We have been informed by the experts and the FBI that negotiating with or paying ransom to terrorists is a violation of federal criminal law. Even when enormous ransoms have been paid, the criminals often leak the documents anyway.”
The group of cybercriminals are now threatening to leak documents of President Trump, which they claim to have in hand. “There’s an election race going on, and we found a ton of dirty laundry,” the hackers wrote in a response. “Mr. Trump, if you want to stay president, poke a sharp stick at the guys, otherwise you may forget this ambition forever.
This is a developing story, and it's been reported that President Trump is not connected to the Grubman law firm.
MSP hit hard, no entity is immune to threats
In mid-April, IT managed services provider, Cognizant, got hit with ransomware. The international company employs 300,000 employees and boasts nearly $15 billion in revenue.
"Cognizant can confirm that a security incident involving our internal systems, and causing service disruptions for some of our clients, is the result of a Maze ransomware attack," the juggernaut stated on its website.
As the U.S.-based Cognizant continues to restore its networks, the company is facing a loss of $50 to $70 million in damages over the next three months. Additional associated monetary loss is anticipated.
New Orleans, Chaos in The Big Easy
In a high-profile municipality case, one of the most visited cities in the southern U.S. was victimized by hackers.
In response, the mayor of the City of New Orleans declared a state of emergency. The attack occurred on Friday, Dec. 13, 2019 (perfect date for a nightmare, eh?), according to NOLA Ready.
While a ransom was never paid, the eight months-long recovery efforts to restore the city's network resulted in a cool $7.2 million in damages.
The common thread described in the aforementioned incidents is that cybercriminals are ruthless. No organization is immune to threats. There are ways of being proactive against threats by promoting a cybersecurity culture at your organization. Training staff on what a phishing email looks like and how to avoid being a victim.
Few are prepared to negotiate with hackers once they take over your computer systems. Breach Coach Sanjay Deo knows exactly what to do. He's handled nightmarish conversations with cybercriminals, helping countless organizations over the years regain control.
In a new webinar Negotiating With Hackers, he speaks candidly about his experience, offers lessons learned, and negotiation tips.
Negotiating With Hackers occurs live on Thursday, May 21, 2020.
Register for the webinar by clicking on this link, which will take you to BrightTalk. | <urn:uuid:3ad3ee00-04fb-4724-ae71-e6c3565c1330> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://blog.24by7security.com/ransomware-the-biggest-recent-attacks | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335504.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20220930181143-20220930211143-00551.warc.gz | en | 0.950335 | 1,414 | 2.75 | 3 |
The traditional meaning of Dark Fiber is unused or in other words “Dark” network infrastructure. ‘Dark Fiber’ is especially well-known term in-network providers and operators. Unused strands of Fiber is leased to customers to create their own privately-operated optical fibre network. This is different from the leasing of bandwidth. In other words, It is in contrast to purchasing bandwidth or leased line on an existing network. The Dark Fiber network is under total control (Layer 3 Routing) of the client rather than the network provider.
Related- Introduction to Network Router
The benefits which can be reaped from it are –
- High performance
- Secured network flow and separation from other traffic
- Superfast speeds
- Low and Fixed cost
- Reliable medium
- Full control of the fibre-optic network.
Uses of Dark Fiber
A very good use case of Dark-Fiber is when an existing Head Office or Data Centre wants to expand its scope beyond one building. A new building of this company has been set up and is within a few kilometres of the existing HO/DC. This is where Dark-Fiber is considered the best fit solution – both the existing and new Building will be connected over Dark Fibre (Leased from Service Provider) with no routing participation by the Service Provider Network. Customer will have full control of the routing domain and its management.
Dark Fiber has earned more preference, thanks to advanced Fiber optic technologies like DWDM. DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) makes use of different wavelengths to transport multiple data signals over the same optical fibre. This allows transferring a higher amount of data over the same Dark Fiber. Also, notable is that telecom space experienced a steep rise in companies joining the field and laying their own fibre, which happened in the 1990s and 2000s. A lot of dark fibre exists today across geographical locations.
To summarize, it is rational to share that Dark Fiber is there to stay for a very long time and a concept in use nowadays. Dark Fiber supports the business objective of organizations and henceforth de facto WAN solution in the IT world. | <urn:uuid:25e7abe4-58fd-4eb2-8d77-11918922d554> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://ipwithease.com/what-is-dark-fiber/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335124.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20220928051515-20220928081515-00751.warc.gz | en | 0.937408 | 445 | 2.890625 | 3 |
Since the Air Force’s inception as a separate military branch in 1947, the service’s planes have been designed, tested, and built in primarily a physical environment. Now, a new process is being used – digital engineering.
“Digital engineering enables companies to design, build, and test aircrafts, satellites, and weapon systems completely online,” said Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett, speaking at the Virtual Air, Space & Cyber Conference hosted by the Air Force Association on Sept. 14.
Barrett said the benefits of the process include no waste of materials, testing in a variety of conditions, and a work product that comes in the form of a digital file no larger than an email attachment. She announced the creation of a new designation for digitally engineered aircrafts – the E-series.
“The first E-designator is awarded to an aircraft that was designed, built, and tested using digital engineering, the E-T-7, the Red Hawk,” Barrett said.
The T-7A Red Hawk is a plane produced by Boeing, which pays tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen with a red tail. The non-digitally engineered training plane was unveiled by the Air Force nearly a year ago.
Barrett said the digital process lowers development costs, reduces barriers to entry, and collapses development timetables. “By expanding testing scenarios, final products are safer and more effective when they are deployed,” she said.
“The E-T-7 is just the first of our vision of a long line of e-planes and e-sats [satellites],” she said. | <urn:uuid:2cb30c7b-776c-4f4c-b3d9-aa433d726668> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://origin.meritalk.com/articles/air-force-secretary-unveils-digital-engineering-designation/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335124.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20220928051515-20220928081515-00751.warc.gz | en | 0.952319 | 343 | 2.53125 | 3 |
The power grid is central to our everyday life and the economy. Disruptions to its systems can have devastating effects.
Despite the fact that consistent electric power has been a basic human need for more than a century; more than ever, the grid faces a growing onslaught of threats.
TechNewsWorld spoke with experts in the field about the critical nature of the grid — and what can be done to reinforce the backbone of society’s infrastructure.
“Electricity is an essential commodity that drives daily life, business, and essential services, including other critical infrastructure such as security systems, communications, gas delivery systems, and even transportation, with the escalating rate of adoption of electric vehicles,” Hala Ballouz, president of Electric Power Engineers, told TechNewsWorld.
Further, she added, “Electricity use by residents and businesses changes by the second, and by the milliseconds for some of the devices used by these end-consumers. The power grid performs the critical and complex job of balancing the energy generated with fluctuating consumer energy needs.”
The power grid, because of its complexity, requires complicated systems in place to protect it.
“Any threat or disruption of the grid can create a disturbance to this system, which may result in a failure to deliver reliable electricity supply to homes, businesses, and other critical infrastructure,” explained Ballouz. “The system must always be able to instantly handle constantly changing operating conditions, including managing outages in the infrastructure of the power grid’s critical delivery system,” she advised.
The digital nature of the modern world has made the grid even more central to our way of life. Disruptions to the power infrastructure create dire, potentially life-threating, situations.
“As the world becomes more digitized, reliable electricity is increasingly important,” Mike Edmonds, chief commercial officer for S&C Electric Company, told TechNewsWorld. “Whether customers are experiencing a sunny day or are in the middle of a severe storm, they expect their power to remain on.
“While metrics and regulatory standards encourage utilities to provide a high level of reliable power to their customers, those metrics often result in a disconnect between utility standards and what the customer is actually experiencing.”
The power grid faces a variety of threats, both natural and human-made. Any system to protect the grid requires considering all of these possible hazards.
“Central threats to the power grid include physical threats, such as weather events — fires, floods, prolonged cold snaps, and hurricanes — that may directly damage grid infrastructure or disrupt fuel and resource supplies, as well as escalating cybersecurity threats,” said Ballouz.
“Cyberattacks may come in the form of a hard attack — cyber-physical — such as when a hacker gets access to manipulate a device; or a soft attack, such as when a hacker manipulates metered data, which results in erroneous decision making by the operator in response to falsified information.
These major threats are generally high-impact, low-frequency events. They may not occur that often, but when they do they can cause significant economic damage and loss of life,” she warned.
With climate change, weather events are becoming increasingly severe — and posing an increasingly significant threat to the grid.
“Natural events and man-made threats can have severe impact on the power grid,” Steven Naumann, chief technical advisor for Protect Our Power, explained to TechNewsWorld.
“Most people are familiar with severe storms such as Superstorm Sandy causing outages throughout the Northeast; Hurricane Maria resulting in a total blackout of Puerto Rico; the extreme cold weather that affected the grid in Texas in February 2021; and extreme heat that has affected California due to wildfires.
“In addition,” he pointed out that “space weather in the form of solar storms can affect the power grid.”
The effects of climate change are, themselves, multifaceted and unpredictable.
“Increased heat from climate change reduces the efficiency of thermal generators and power lines, more frequent and more intense storms can also damage the power grid,” Ric O’Connell, executive director of GridLab, told TechNewsWorld. “Forest fires and their smoke also threaten power lines.”
Nearly every component of the power grid is an attractive and potentially lucrative target for bad actors who can exploit its relatively easy access and the substantial impact of a disruption.
“The two major types of man-made threats are physical and cyberattacks on the electric grid,” said Naumann. “Presently, cyberattacks are the most worrisome, especially if initiated by nation-states such as Russia, China, Iran or North Korea.”
One key to protecting the power grid is to make it more difficult to take down, so that it can withstand a variety of threats.
“To build a more reliable and more resilient grid, utilities can take many approaches,” explained Edmonds. “One of the most effective is to install smart devices that allow for increased grid segmentation, which means that, when an outage occurs, it will affect the fewest number of customers possible.
“Segmenting with smart devices that can automatically test for faults, restore power, and reroute the grid decreases the impact of outages on utilities and their customers.”
Building subterranean utility systems and implementing new technologies are also strategies that can be used to strengthen and protect the grid.
“Other tactics include undergrounding utility systems, which allows for meshed networks, and replacing conventional fuse technology with automatic re-energizing technology,” explained Edmonds. “Both approaches can prevent temporary faults from becoming sustained outages.”
The increasingly complex grid requires complex threat-mitigation strategies that advance along with the grid itself.
“Problems in electric systems can spread and escalate very quickly if proper safeguards are not in place,” noted Ballouz. “The electric industry has developed a network of defensive operating strategies for maintaining reliability, based on the assumption that equipment can and will fail unexpectedly on occasion.
“This principle is expressed by the requirement that the system must be operated to ensure that it will remain in a secure condition following the unexpected loss of the most important generator or transmission facility.”
Cooperation between entities is another requirement for a strong and resilient power grid.
“Recovery from major impact threats requires collaboration between all the stakeholders in a system that is designed to swiftly recover from the event,” said Ballouz. “While designing such systems in the past has focused on grid-scale equipment, which is a necessary priority, it is no longer sufficient.
“With a growing number of active participants and technologies at the grid edge, it is important to focus now on carefully defining the architecture of this evolving system, as well as the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder both from the economic and reliability aspects.”
Given all the threats and vulnerabilities that exist today, it’s vital for everyone to work together to protect an ever-more-complex, and therefore ever-more-endangered, system.
“Utilities and the government need to work together to protect against the evolving threats and increase the resiliency of the electric grid,” advised Naumann.
“Resilience includes not only measures to stop an attack but investments to minimize the negative impact of any successful attack and the ability to rapidly recover from the effects of any attack,” he continued.
“Of course, this means as the threats evolve, investment, training, processes, and drills must continue to adapt, and utilities and government must then act on lessons learned.” | <urn:uuid:18eea0a3-4a6f-4fd9-a558-d6b1d54ea686> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.linuxinsider.com/story/protecting-the-power-grid-building-resiliency-into-essential-systems-87248.html?cat_id=58 | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335124.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20220928051515-20220928081515-00751.warc.gz | en | 0.945751 | 1,624 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Akershus University Hospital provides health care to approximately 500,000 inhabitants around Oslo. The hospital’s main tasks are patient care, research, and both patient and medical staff education. The hospital also provides health care and services within the areas of mental health and substance abuse.
The hospital’s image diagnostic department wanted to improve the use of CT examinations in emergencies. CT scans can be life-saving in critical circumstances, but the radiation can also be potentially harmful. It is important for the hospital to prevent overuse of scans. Akershus University Hospital wanted to make sure of that the number of CT examinations conducted would be in balance with the probability of positive gains in relation to the potential harmful effects.
The starting point was to identify and utilize the opportunities that new technology, such as IBM Watson Explorer, can provide in terms of further treatment suggestions, patient safety and improvement, and learning in health care, based on reviews and experiences that are embodied in electronic medical journals.
After discussion with Capgemini, the goal of the project was to find out how often CT scans of children are undertaken during emergency situations, then identify the amount of findings within each patient category. The information appears in text format and there is no other way to obtain this information. In order to analyze these large amounts of data, Capgemini and Akershus University Hospital decided to carry out an analysis project with the help of IBM Watson technology. By using IBM Watson Explorer, Capgemini would collect information from the radiology reports that are part of the patient journal. This would be performed through a combination of machine-learning and advanced techniques of natural language processing.
It was decided that Capgemini would adapt the technology to the Norwegian language, and Akershus University Hospital would contribute to the project by training Watson to understand medical words and phrases. In this project, more than 5,000 anonymous CT-examinations would form the unstructured data being analyzed. The alternative would have been a manual analysis of a limited amount of random selection patients.
The project was prepared, scaled and implemented over a period of seven weeks during the summer 2016. Akershus University Hospital was responsible for the medical competence and clinical ICT technical expertise, while Capgemini was responsible for the IBM Watson implementation and the overall project management tasks.
The initial findings confirmed that the hospital’s CT scanning of children was justified with the benefits outweighing any potential negative effects. Vital medical information, previously not available for such detailed analysis, can now be used for quality assurance and optimization of indications and procedures for CT-scanning in critical situations.
The hospital and their image diagnostic department are now better positioned to serve the needs of their patients.
The Collaborative Approach
The Collaborative Business Experience is central to the Capgemini philosophy and a pillar of their service delivery. Thanks to close collaboration between clinical expertise from Akershus University Hospital and consultants from Capgemini, IBM Watson was trained to read and extract data from radiology reports. This required strong communication skills and close interaction between medical – and IT experts. | <urn:uuid:b09dd993-a185-4299-a4e4-ff4f8d6ae449> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.capgemini.com/dk-en/client-story/akershus-university-hospital-optimizes-the-use-of-ct-examinations/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030334596.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220925193816-20220925223816-00151.warc.gz | en | 0.955379 | 633 | 2.578125 | 3 |
In this page, you’ll learn everything you need to know about Docker architecture:
To master Docker you need to start with a clear understanding of its architecture, and how each component of the Docker system interacts with the others. Let’s look at Docker and its architecture and its various components in detail. Let us first compare containers to their closest cousin – Virtual Machines.
Containers vs. Virtual Machines
When compared to Virtual machines, the Docker platform moves up the abstraction of resources from the hardware level to the Operating System level. This allows for the realization of the various benefits of Containers e.g. application portability, infrastructure separation, and self-contained microservices. In other words, while Virtual Machines abstract the entire hardware server, Containers abstract the Operating System kernel. This is a whole different approach to virtualization and results in much faster and more lightweight instances .
The main advantages of Docker are:
- Resource Efficiency: Process level isolation and usage of the container host’s kernel is more efficient when compared to virtualizing an entire hardware server.
- Portability: All the dependencies for an application are bundled in the container. This means they can be easily moved between development, test, and production environments.
- Continuous Deployment and Testing: The ability to have consistent environments and flexibility with patching has made Docker a great choice for teams that want to move from waterfall to the modern DevOps approach to software delivery.
The Docker Engine
First, let us look take a look at Docker Engine and its components so we have a basic idea of how the system works. Docker Engine allows you to develop, assemble, ship, and run applications using the following components:
- Docker Daemon: A persistent background process that manages Docker images, containers, networks, and storage volumes. The Docker daemon constantly listens for Docker API requests and processes them.
- Docker Engine REST API: An API used by applications to interact with the Docker daemon; it can be accessed by an HTTP client.
- Docker CLI: A command line interface client for interacting with the Docker daemon. It greatly simplifies how you manage container instances and is one of the key reasons why developers love using Docker.
Now that we see how the different components of the Docker Engine are used, let us dive a little deeper into the architecture.
Docker is available for implementation across a wide range of platforms:
- Desktop: Mac OS, Windows 10.
- Server: Various Linux distributions and Windows Server 2016.
- Cloud: Amazon Web Services, Google Compute Platform, Microsoft Azure, IBM Cloud, and more.
The Docker architecture uses a client-server model and comprises of the Docker Client, Docker Host, Network and Storage components, and the Docker Registry / Hub. Let’s look at each of these in some detail.
The Docker client enables users to interact with Docker. The Docker client can reside on the same host as the daemon or connect to a daemon on a remote host. A docker client can communicate with more than one daemon. The Docker client provides a command line interface (CLI) that allows you to issue build, run, and stop application commands to a Docker daemon.
The main purpose of the Docker Client is to provide a means to direct the pull of images from a registry and to have it run on a Docker host. Common commands issued by a client are:
The Docker host provides a complete environment to execute and run applications. It comprises of the Docker daemon, Images, Containers, Networks, and Storage. As previously mentioned, the daemon is responsible for all container-related actions and receives commands via the CLI or the REST API. It can also communicate with other daemons to manage its services. The Docker daemon pulls and builds container images as requested by the client. Once it pulls a requested image, it builds a working model for the container by utilizing a set of instructions known as a build file. The build file can also include instructions for the daemon to pre-load other components prior to running the container, or instructions to be sent to the local command line once the container is built.
Various objects are used in the assembling of your application. The main requisite Docker objects are:
Images are a read-only binary template used to build containers. Images also contain metadata that describe the container’s capabilities and needs. Images are used to store and ship applications. An image can be used on its own to build a container or customized to add additional elements to extend the current configuration. Container images can be shared across teams within an enterprise using a private container registry, or shared with the world using a public registry like Docker Hub. Images are a core part of the Docker experience as they enable collaboration between developers in a way that was not possible before.
Containers are encapsulated environments in which you run applications. The container is defined by the image and any additional configuration options provided on starting the container, including and not limited to the network connections and storage options. Containers only have access to resources that are defined in the image, unless additional access is defined when building the image into a container. You can also create a new image based on the current state of a container. Since containers are much smaller than VMs, they can be spun up in a matter of seconds, and result in much better server density.
Docker implements networking in an application-driven manner and provides various options while maintaining enough abstraction for application developers. There are basically two types of networks available – the default Docker network and user-defined networks. By default, you get three different networks on the installation of Docker – none, bridge, and host. The none and host networks are part of the network stack in Docker. The bridge network automatically creates a gateway and IP subnet and all containers that belong to this network can talk to each other via IP addressing. This network is not commonly used as it does not scale well and has constraints in terms of network usability and service discovery.
The other type of networks is user-defined networks. Administrators can configure multiple user-defined networks. There are three types:
- Bridge network: Similar to the default bridge network, a user-defined Bridge network differs in that there is no need for port forwarding for containers within the network to communicate with each other. The other difference is that it has full support for automatic network discovery.
- Overlay network: An Overlay network is used when you need containers on separate hosts to be able to communicate with each other, as in the case of a distributed network. However, a caveat is that swarm mode must be enabled for a cluster of Docker engines, known as a swarm, to be able to join the same group.
- Macvlan network: When using Bridge and Overlay networks a bridge resides between the container and the host. A Macvlan network removes this bridge, providing the benefit of exposing container resources to external networks without dealing with port forwarding. This is realized by using MAC addresses instead of IP addresses.
You can store data within the writable layer of a container but it requires a storage driver. Being non-persistent, it perishes whenever the container is not running. Moreover, it is not easy to transfer this data. In terms of persistent storage, Docker offers four options:
- Data Volumes: Data Volumes provide the ability to create persistent storage, with the ability to rename volumes, list volumes, and also list the container that is associated with the volume. Data Volumes sit on the host file system, outside the containers copy on write mechanism and are fairly efficient.
- Data Volume Container: A Data Volume Container is an alternative approach wherein a dedicated container hosts a volume and to mount that volume to other containers. In this case, the volume container is independent of the application container and therefore can be shared across more than one container.
- Directory Mounts: Another option is to mount a host’s local directory into a container. In the previously mentioned cases, the volumes would have to be within the Docker volumes folder, whereas when it comes to Directory Mounts any directory on the Host machine can be used as a source for the volume.
- Storage Plugins: Storage Plugins provide the ability to connect to external storage platforms. These plugins map storage from the host to an external source like a storage array or an appliance. A list of storage plugins can be found on Docker’s Plugin page.
There are storage plugins from various companies to automate the storage provisioning process. For example,
- HPE 3PAR
- EMC (ScaleIO, XtremIO, VMAX, Isilon)
There are also plugins that support public cloud providers like:
- Azure File Storage
- Google Compute Platform.
Docker registries are services that provide locations from where you can store and download images. In other words, a Docker registry contains Docker repositories that host one or more Docker Images. Public Registries include Docker Hub and Docker Cloud and private Registries can also be used. Common commands when working with registries include:
Service Discovery allows containers to find out about the environment they are in and find other services offered by other containers.
It is an important factor when trying to build scalable and flexible applications.
Now that we have seen the various components of the Docker architecture and how they work together, we can begin to understand the rise in popularity of Docker containers, DevOps uptake and microservices. We can also see how Docker helps simplify infrastructure management by making underlying instances lighter, faster, and more resilient. Additionally, Docker separates the application layer from the infrastructure layer and brings much-needed portability, collaboration, and control over the software delivery chain. Docker is architected for modern DevOps teams, and understanding its architecture will help you get the most out of your containerized applications.
Docker Hub is the main public registry operated by Docker Inc. There are now many other registries like Quay.io, Artifactory, and Google Container Registry. | <urn:uuid:4f6d41f6-e2b4-400a-a85b-944ff36fe0cb> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.aquasec.com/cloud-native-academy/docker-container/docker-architecture/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335530.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20221001035148-20221001065148-00151.warc.gz | en | 0.905708 | 2,114 | 2.84375 | 3 |
A team of scientists has achieved what might prove to be a breakthrough in quantum computing.
The group has managed to partially suppress quantum decoherence, one of the major obstacles to quantum computing, by using crystalline molecular magnets.
Decoherence, which is a much-debated topic, is believed to be the loss of information from a system into the environment that fixes a system into one state.
By doing so, decoherence negates quantum states, which exist because of the entanglement of multiple electrons and molecules.
Think of it this way: A fishing net, where all the strands are linked to each other by knots, is like a quantum state. Separating out a strand by cutting the knots binding it to other strands is what happens when decoherence sets in.
The Decoherence Experiment and Quantum Computing
Quantum computing uses quantum bits, or qubits, to encode information. A qubit is a unit of quantum information. Unlike standard electronic bits, which have to be either a one or a zero, a qubit can be either a zero, a one or a superposition of both.
Decoherence fixes the qubit as either a zero or a one.
The theory of decoherence studies concrete, spontaneous interactions between a system and its environment that lead to suppression of interference.
There are two types of decoherence — intrinsic decoherence, caused by the parts of the qubit system, and extrinsic decoherence, caused by imperfections in the system.
The experiment used molecular magnets. These suppress extrinsic decoherence because of their purity. Extrinsic decoherence was reduced to the point where it was no longer observable, said Susumu Takahashi, assistant professor in the department of chemistry at the University of Southern California.
This suppression let the scientists calculate intrinsic decoherence so they can figure out what the optimum conditions are for building a quantum computer, Takahashi explained.
In the experiments, the qubits lasted about 700 nanoseconds. However, the theory postulated by the team predicts that they will last about 500 microseconds, Takahashi told TechNewsWorld.
Superconducting qubits last less than one microsecond, which indicates the team’s theory is on the right track, Takahashi remarked.
More on the Experiment
The use of crystalline molecular magnets let the team build qubits out of many quantum particles rather than one quantum object.
“This is a mesoscopic system,” Takahashi said. “We are observing a collective motion of spins — a so-called magnon — rather than a single spin. So, our qubit consists of many spins.”
Mesoscopic physics is a sub-discipline of condensed matter physics which deals with materials between the size of a quantity of atoms, such as a molecule, and materials measuring micrometers.
A mesoscopic object is subject to the rules of quantum mechanics.
A magnon is a collective excitation of the spin structure of the electrons in a crystal lattice. It can be viewed as a quantize spin wave in quantum mechanics.
The magnets consist of a cluster of eight Fe (iron) ions, Takashi said.
Takahashi conducted his research as a project scientist in the Institute of Terahertz Science and Technology and the Department of Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Research for the article was performed in collaboration with Phil Stamp and Igor Tupitsyn of the University of British Columbia, Johan van Tol of Florida State University, and Chris Beedle and David Hendrickson of the University of California, San Diego.
The work was supported by the National Science Foundation, the W. M. Keck Foundation, the Pacific Institute of Theoretical Physics at the University of British Columbia, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and the University of Southern California.
Takahashi has been at USC since 2010. | <urn:uuid:f5c7ebda-f68b-4c84-bc78-207fa47b57b9> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/scientists-untangle-tough-quantum-computing-knot-72922.html | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337432.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20221003200326-20221003230326-00151.warc.gz | en | 0.910554 | 832 | 3.78125 | 4 |
Over the past few years, cyber-attacks have become something which the general public is increasingly aware of. However, a perception still exists, certainly outside the IT industry, that cyber-attacks are just something that happen on the Internet. It’s difficult to relate to and equate the impact of cybercrime on its victims – whether it’s an individual who has fallen foul of an online scam or a company that has been forced to pay a ransom to restore its systems. For this reason, it doesn’t always seem that cybercrime is viewed or treated like a ‘real’ crime.
While we acknowledge that cybercrime is an actual crime, for some it might be difficult to get onboard with. The thought of being totally outraged by a hacker taking down a multinational corporation could seem a bit farfetched. This is possibly because of the stereotypes about cybercriminals being painted as disgruntled computer science whizz-kids with nothing better to do than ‘stick it to the man.’ Consider that the majority of cyber-attacks are the work of huge, organised and wealthy crime syndicates. They are highly sophisticated operations with the aim of stealing money from the business that pays your salary and the government that collects your taxes. Does that sound like a crime?
Are we guilty of victim blaming?
The fact is that cybercrime is an actual crime and businesses that fall foul of it are victims. They have suffered a crime committed against them. However, the level of sympathy towards organisations that get breached is very different to what we would give to an individual. If someone tells you they’ve been hacked, had personal information compromised and money stolen, your natural reaction probably isn’t to say it’s their fault. However, cyber breaches are a source of lasting reputational damage to businesses. We tend to assume they did something wrong or acted carelessly. As somebody who has worked in the data protection industry for over 32 years, I would tend to agree with this. The vast majority of cyber incidents are avoidable and the result of organisations failing to follow best practice, poor digital hygiene and/or outdated or unpatched software.
However, is there any other type of crime that focuses almost exclusively on blaming the victim and so little on bringing the criminals to justice? Businesses are viewed as the guilty party rather than victims and it is accepted that the criminals are unpunishable due to the lack of an agreed global legal framework and justice system. If a criminal from another country travels to the USA, for example and commits a crime against a business on American soil, there is an entire diplomatic process to ensure this person is brought to justice and the victim is compensated. This simply isn’t the case when it comes to ransomware.
International and intercontinental co-operation is the only way to create an environment where the risks are higher than the rewards for cyber-attackers. The scourge of ransomware accelerated during the pandemic, increasing the appetite of government and business leaders to break the geopolitical impasse that has enabled cybercriminals to run riot. But it won’t be easy and a workable holistic solution is still years away.
In the absence of a justice system that completely protects us from the bad guys, basic human survival instinct demands that we learn to defend ourselves. In the context of cybersecurity, that means focusing on a few fundamentals. Firstly, every enterprise needs a dedicated IT security lead in place with access to business leadership and the authority to lead the security initiative. For smaller businesses, you absolutely need to have a resource with designated responsibility for cybersecurity and specialising in data protection. Secondly, businesses need to practice impeccable digital hygiene. This includes mandatory training for all employees so that they recognise potential attacks, understand who to report them to and understand why this is important. The more people buy-in to the need for good digital hygiene, the more alert and willing to take the blinkers off they become.
Finally, never ever pay the ransom. Organisations who pay ransoms feed the ‘easy pay day’ perception that means cybercriminals keep doing it. As soon as businesses stop paying ransoms, we’ll see a reduction in the popularity of ransomware as an extortion technique. While businesses who suffer cyber-attacks are indeed victims, they are responsible for protecting any data that they use, process and store. Paying off cybercriminals to get systems back online is an unsustainable defence strategy. As governments become more active in seeking to prevent the spread of ransomware, we may see businesses who do so investigated and reprimanded by independent regulators.
Clearly, dealing with the relentless and mass scale of cybercriminal activity against businesses and individuals will be an international effort across both the public and private sector. While it is important that cybercrime is properly ‘criminalised’ and that the perpetrators are brought to justice, businesses must understand the responsibility they have to their customers and employees to protect any data within their jurisdiction. This can only be done by implementing a Modern Data Protection strategy that combines effective front-line cybersecurity defences with a comprehensive approach to data backup and disaster recovery.
For more information, visit: www.veeam.com
By: Dave Russell, VP, Enterprise Strategy, Veeam | <urn:uuid:f037a7a9-87ed-4926-9c29-856bf2fa975f> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://internationalsecurityjournal.com/raising-risk-for-cyber-attackers/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030331677.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220924151538-20220924181538-00352.warc.gz | en | 0.961301 | 1,078 | 2.953125 | 3 |
With most business and communications conducted online, file servers have become increasingly important, especially for small business networks. As the office filing cabinet was to the 90s, so is the file server to the digital age.
A file server is a centralized location where information is kept and can be shared. It does not have to be a separate physical computer, although it can be. File servers can also take the form of a digitized network system, and may be accessible via the internet.
File Server Definition
A file server can be seen as a kind of database that hosts files and allows permitted devices to them. It also can save works in progress, and work as a backup for important information. The difference between a true file server and a database, however, is that a database only deals with structured data that is accessible via search. A file server suits a broader range of needs.
How Does a File Server Work?
All file servers should allow access to multiple users at once, as a centralized location. Permission management, file locking, and conflict resolution are all built-in to most file servers to avoid files being overwritten, deleted, or improperly accessed.
Depending on the kind of file server, they may function differently for your organization. Some common kinds of file servers include:
Cloud storage is an increasingly popular trend in file storage, editing, and access. Google Drive, iCloud, and Dropbox are three well-known names in cloud storage. Their simplicity and ability to automatically sync and secure files makes them common choices for smaller businesses. However, their size limitations may make them less of an option for larger businesses, or organizations who rely on video or larger files.
Network-Attached Storage (NAS)
Network-Attached Storage (NAS) includes both storage and networking capabilities. NAS is a hardware device available in desktop size, as well as larger petabyte capacity. NAS is routed through your local area network (LAN) and connected to servers via an ethernet connection, which allows you to reach client and company computers.
Document Management System (DMS)
As the name implies, DMS is dedicated to document storage. Microsoft SharePoint is one common example readily compatible with documents created in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe-based pdfs. DMS file servers are less well-suited to video and image storage needs.
File Server Security
A file server is only as effective as its security. Because of its central access capabilities, file servers are popular targets for phishing attacks, ransomware, and other kinds of cybercrime. The failure of a file server can also be devastating for businesses who rely on access to this centralized storage system to operate.
One of the best ways to secure your file server is to always backup data. Even the most secure file servers can still be impacted by data breaches, ransomware, or even natural disasters. File servers that are connected to the internet, such as cloud-based services, are especially vulnerable to attack.
File servers may require a login before accessing data, in order to ensure security. It’s also possible to only grant access to specific IP addresses or MAC addresses. Alternatively, cloud storage options can require an FTP login before allowing downloading access to files shared over the internet.
Who Needs a File Server and Why?
Maintaining a file server traditionally came with several pros and cons. Some of the benefits of having a file server are:
- Avoiding misuse or overuse of email: Oftentimes sensitive information is shared via email, especially without access to a centralized file service system. This can lead to data breaches and leave your files more vulnerable to being hacked or compromised.
- Centralize storage: Email sharing is not only one of the least secure methods, but it also can be difficult to organize. File servers, by contrast, keep sensitive material all in one secure, sorted, encrypted place.
- Provide remote access: With more employees working remotely than ever before, investing in a file server can simplify access to important documents and streamline workflow.
The downsides to having a file server might include:
- Maintenance needs: With any software comes an increased need for maintenance. Routine checkups and updates can help keep your file server more secure.
- Limited scalability: Depending on what kind of file server you choose, it may have data limitations, which can be a problem when expanding.
- Bottlenecking: Depending on the size of your network’s needs, file servers can experience bottlenecking when there are too many access requests put in at once.
However, the recent expansion of cloud-based file servers can help alleviate many of these concerns. Many businesses have begun to migrate content once stored on physical file servers into cloud storage as employees work from home, and need to access documents on non-traditional platforms such as iPads and smartphones. As the options for file servers expand, businesses of all sizes are able to access storage and sharing options that best suit their specific needs. | <urn:uuid:a24e3e16-39d9-416b-9bba-641912e830cf> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://news.networktigers.com/opinion/file-server-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-work/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030331677.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220924151538-20220924181538-00352.warc.gz | en | 0.938744 | 1,018 | 3.265625 | 3 |
Part 1 of this series sketches the history of journalism in the U.S. from the pre-Revolutionary era to the present day.Part 2 recalls the emergence of the Internet and the growth of the long tail of online advertising. Part 3 delves into the rise of social media.
Ask someone about the future of journalism, and it’s likely that most people will point to something like E-Ink or perhaps the Amazon Kindle — high-fidelity readers that use millions of embedded, magnetically sensitive spheres which can show a black, white or in-between state to create dynamically refreshing text content. Such readers no doubt have a great deal of potential (along with a number of other display technologies), but while it’s entirely possible that future newspapers will be displayed on such readers, they will also be displayed on laptops and netbooks, on cellphones, on car heads-up displays, the refrigerator, specialized glasses, and ultimately even our shirt-sleeves.
This highlights the real future of journalism — it is increasingly ubiquitous, increasingly participatory, and increasingly germane. Ubiquity is a function of search; participatory is a function of social media; while increasingly germane has to do with a relatively new concept that’s been of largely academic interest in the last few years, but is increasingly entering into common usage — the semantic Web.
What Is Community?
Semantics is one of the more obscure (and philosophical) branches of linguistics, and in the acaddemic sense, semantics is largely preoccupied with the concepts of meaningfulness and relevancy. As such, it tends to be seen as too technical or abstract to be of use to most people. However, in point of fact, semantics (and especially computational semantics) is going to become increasingly central to the way that people work with information systems of all sorts, and most especially news.
One of the most profound changes that the Internet has introduced is the idea that we are transitioning from communities of place to communities of interest. A community of place is geographical — your house, your neighborhood, your city, your region, your state or province, your country, your continent, your hemisphere, your world. For most of recorded history, the degree of relevance of any given thing was inversely proportional to the distance away that thing was. Not surprisingly, your allegiances likewise followed the same relationship. The king may have had more overall power, but in most cases the local lord had far more power over you, and in a struggle between your lord and your king, there was seldom any question of where your true loyalty lay.
Newspapers are very much artifacts of this idea of community of place. A paper is typically associated with a city, or in many cases, with a specific community within that city. A newspaper’s National section may contain news about the country, but in most cases even that news is cherry picked for those pieces of information that may affect the newspaper’s region. The Sports, Business and Lifestyle sections focused on the most proximate sports teams, the doings of the businesses that had a presence in the region, and human interest stories that dealt primarily with the local culture or environment. There are a few exceptions (USA Today comes to mind) but even here its notable that most of their content is still segmented by geography — the USA Today that you pick up in Seattle will have very different news beyond the front page content than the same issue in Atlanta.
In communities of interest, on the other hand, the basis for the community is a particular theme, topic or cause — such as the community surrounding a given computer language, sports team or political ideology. Such communities of interest have, of course, been around for some time, but the difficulty in coordinating communication between members of a given community has typically kept the size of such organizations small and its influence limited. With the rise of the Internet, this is changing.
An interesting case in point is an organization such as Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners. As the name would imply, the Mariners are located in Seattle, and as such its fan base tends to be drawn largely from the Puget Sound — with one notable exception. Because the team features two very popular Japanese ball players (Ichiro Suzuki and Kenji Johjima) and the first Asian American coach (Don Wakamatsu), the Mariners have a large and vibrant fan base in Japan, despite appearing only once a year for exhibition games. This latter community is one of interest.
The Web has accelerated a shift that has been underway for a while: As it has become easier for people to communicate with one another across different social media, it has also made it easier for people to find others who have similar interests, coordinate activities, share information, and often to buy and sell within interest-based markets, regardless of where on Earth these people may actually live.
Most social media sites are built around the concept of community interest. Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and countless others provide a centralized place for a person to project a particular representation of themselves (an avatar) to the rest of the world, while at the same time acting as windows into interest groups of one form or another. Over time, the more a person becomes involved in a particular media space, the more they invest of themselves in that space, and the more that they shape their particular information sphere.
This filtering process was formerly one of the functions that a news editor performed, determining which particular content would be passed to the readers or viewers within that particular community. The editor as generalist is disappearing; instead, they are being replaced by moderators who act primarily to insure that the inbound content from contributors does not stray too radically from the role of the interest group.
It can be argued that even that function is disappearing, as users of many media services are increasingly able to enable or disable particular channels or news providers. This is the filtering mechanism that is core to Twitter, for instance. You can choose to follow people who other people in your interest circle recommend, and you can also choose to “unfollow” people who provide comparatively little value of interest to you personally. The effect of this over time is the development of a filter “envelope” that provides references to content that is most interesting to you, with comparatively little noise (i.e., the signal-to-noise ratio goes up dramatically). While this may have been an unintended side effect of the original architecture, it is surprisingly effectively.
Put another way, such services let you create your own “newspaper” incrementally, without necessarily choosing to explicitly choose given interest groups or categorizations. This process of increasingly transparent categorization is one of the hallmarks of the current age of journalism; the categorization becomes a function of the likes and dislikes of the reader rather than the editor. Add into this the fact that the reader also is able to effectively “vote” on their favorite news provider (where this information is increasingly at the level of a given writer rather than of an entire news organization), and what emerges is a powerful medium for shaping the news in ways appropriate to the user.
One argument that’s been raised about this particular filtering and categorization mechanism is that over time, it tends to lock a person into a narrow view of the world, one where alternate ideas are not presented as often and majority viewpoints become self-reinforcing. There’s some validity in that criticism, though it can also be argued that having a human editor in the question provides no guarantee that the content involved will be any more free of bias toward a particular mindset or viewpoint.
Yet consider the counterpoint to this: As such self-filtering becomes the norm, the reader needs to take on more responsibility in seeking out alternate viewpoints. Indeed, this raises the concept of the “responsible information consumer,” in which the information profiles that a person sets up (either directly or indirectly) reflect a more thoughtful approach to understanding the world.
The amount of information on the Internet is reaching a point of inconceivability — the information space is growing faster than any one person, even a voracious reader of this information, could ever take in. It is this fact as much as any that is causing the profession of journalism to collapse — once you remove the requirement that only “formally recognized” journalists can produce content and only “formally recognized” editors can determine what constitutes news, then the amount of content can grow without limit. Through social media tools like Twitter, through blogs, through other similar media, the editorial function becomes a preferential one — “this link is interesting to me … if you have a similar profile to mine, you will likely find the content at the other end of this link interesting too.”
Most of these filters act at the document level, but current developments in Semantic Web technology are likely to start performing a fair amount of the analysis at the sub-document level. Document enrichment, encoding terms, people, events, places and things within documents through the use of specialized markup, makes it possible to analyze a document and determine what it’s “about” even if the document doesn’t necessarily use specific terms in that topic.
At a minimum, such semantic analysis makes it easier to create compelling abstracts of articles without human intervention — a remarkably difficult task for humans to accomplish, let alone computers. Yet in conjunction with specific Semantic Web technologies such as RDF, RDFa, OWL, Sparql and other sometimes cryptic acronyms, this also makes it possible for systems to read through collections of blogs, articles and other Web content and make inferences that may not necessarily be obvious to people.
Such an inference engine opens up both possibilities and raises some disturbing issues. One benefit of such a tool is that it makes it possible to perform better prognostications and forecasts (financial and resource allocation, especially), and be able to better determine when there is questionable activity taking place in business, government or elsewhere. The danger here is in failing to recognize that user-generated content does not necessarily just represent true facts, but also contains opinions, distortions, analyses and biased content.
Kurt Cagle is the managing editor for XMLToday.org.Follow Kurt Cagle on Twitter. | <urn:uuid:b144b8b1-4680-4903-bce5-a199dc331a54> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/the-rise-and-fall-of-traditional-journalism-part-4-67270.html | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030331677.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220924151538-20220924181538-00352.warc.gz | en | 0.950587 | 2,136 | 2.578125 | 3 |
App Tiers Affected:
Update, June 22, 2022: In light of the root cause analysis published by Cloudflare for their recent outage1, we thought we'd refresh this article since it remains relevant.
Much as was the case with Facebook back in October 2021, the downtime was the result of a misconfiguration of BGP – in the case of Cloudflare, modifications to BGP communities, and in the Facebook case, an errant command which dropped BGP advertisements.
October 4th, 2021, Facebook properties experienced a six-hour outage. This outage extended to the Facebook-related properties including WhatsApp, Instagram, and Oculus VR. Given the magnitude of this event, we thought it would be good to dig a little bit deeper into some of the Internet technologies that we rely on.
It's Always DNS
As we’ve said before, DNS is a single point of failure for Internet systems. DNS (Domain Name System) maps names, such as facebook.com, to IP addresses, allowing users to easily refer to sites by name. DNS, in effect, provides translation between names and IP addresses, like an address book. When a site’s DNS servers are down, this lookup cannot happen, and people will be unable to reach your site. Keeping your DNS servers up, operational, and secure is a critical piece of site reliability.
Except when it’s BGP
Underneath that, there’s another technology that is at least as critical as DNS. This is a routing protocol (one of many) called BGP, Border Gateway Protocol. BGP is the protocol that allows Autonomous Systems (collections of large networks controlled by a single entity) to let other Autonomous Systems know how to reach the networks they control. It doesn't do the routing directly, but rather is the protocol that shares information between routers. Having received this information, routers can make decisions about where to forward data.
Why Is BGP Important?
As an example, one might type “f5.com” into a web browser. This causes your computer to perform a DNS lookup, and the local DNS server your computer uses will hopefully return an IP address of 18.104.22.168. That’s the address book part.
Now, however, your computer must be able to send traffic to that IP address. It's important to note that routing decisions are made on a hop-by-hop basis. Each router your data passes through will decide what the next step of the route should be by looking at the destination IP address and consulting its routing table to determine the next place to forward the data.
If the router participates in BGP, this routing table is constructed from the announcements it has received from other BGP enabled routers. This will include information on what networks can be reached by which routers. It will also have information about how close that route is to the destination. Close in this case doesn't mean the number of routers the data will have to go through, but rather the number of Autonomous Systems that the data will traverse. There is a complex algorithm used to determine which of the possible routes is best. Best can mean a lot of things too, as factors such as egress policies and transit agreements between ISPs are considered as well.
If it turns out that Router A’s routing table shows two routers that it can forward the data to reach 22.214.171.124, it will pick one of the two, based on those metrics. Similar routing decisions are made by each router that receives the data, either forwarding it to another router, or determining that it is directly connected to the 126.96.36.199/16 network and delivering the data to the final destination. The same process will be performed in reverse to route the traffic back through another series of routers, and then to the client.
There are a lot of advantages to this scheme. As long as an eventual final destination router for the traffic is available (and most companies with large Internet presences have many such routers), our data should (eventually) end up there. As the information required to serve a site is broken down into many packets, they may even take different routes.
This is a feature – if some intermediate router goes down, the packets that compose our request or response can be re-routed to avoid the issue. This is great, as long as the routing tables are consistent and have good information in them. After all, the Internet was originally designed to route around nuclear strikes.
Can You Supply an Enlightening Metaphor?
Consider the following metaphor: you want to get to your friend’s house, but you’ve never been there. You look up their address. (That’s like the DNS part). Now you need to figure out how to get there, so you go to the nearest intersection and ask someone which way you should go. They tell you to turn left. You go along that road until you reach another intersection, and ask again. This person tells you to go right.
You continue this process until you reach your destination. It's possible that someone will tell you "Normally, I'd say go over the bridge, but the bridge is out, so go left here and ask at the next intersection." Or they may say "going left is more direct, but going right and getting on the highway is actually faster."
The route you take won't always be the most direct way to get there, nor even necessarily the fastest, but it will help you avoid road blocks, collapsed bridges, and washed-out roads. You will, assuming that everyone you ask has good info, get to where you're going.
The means by which that good info is communicated is BGP. If BGP is providing incorrect information, or no information at all about how to get where you want to go, bad things can happen.
Is BGP Bulletproof?
In a word, no. It's very robust, and scales well, which is a critical feature when you're trying to interconnect billions of hosts. But problems can occur.
A route announcement can omit routes it should be providing - – meaning that the associated network simply disappears from the Internet. No one knows how to get there and the traffic destined for that network will be dropped.
This is sometimes done intentionally, and it’s called blackholing a route, and it’s typically done to block connections to or from a given network. It's used in a variety of cases – for example, to block DDoS traffic from a hostile network, or in some circumstances, to remove an entire country from the Internet during a time of civil crisis. The result is the network traffic is simply deleted, often with no notification back to the sender. The network being blackholed will receive no traffic, and will effectively be cut off from the (digital) world.
A route can be announced incorrectly as well. A misconfiguration on the part of an Autonomous System can make it appear as if it can route traffic to networks it does not control. Done intentionally, this is called BGP hijacking, and while there are defenses against this, it has happened many times, causing large amounts of traffic to be routed to very strange places, perhaps as an attempt to capture and inspect the traffic for purposes of espionage.
Accidents are far more common; a network operator or automated system misconfigures something. The necessary route either disappears entirely, or the misconfiguration ends up creating a routing loop (where traffic is forwarded back and forth between two routers endlessly), or it sends the traffic to a router that doesn’t know anything about the route, which then drops it.
Based on what’s been said so far, it’s likely that the Facebook outage may have been caused by a BGP misconfiguration. We understand that a large number of BGP updates happened at Facebook shortly before the outage.2, 3 To be clear: at this stage, this is all speculation, and we’ll have to wait until Facebook decides to say what really went on, and why, but in the absence of more information, it appears that those updates were at least part of the problem. We are grateful that an organization as conspicuous as Facebook provided us with such a great example to spread the word about this lesser-known but critically important part of the Internet's plumbing, and how it helps us get all of those cat videos to our browsers in one (eventual) piece. | <urn:uuid:5ae6370c-eaf8-464b-af78-668b3a77f108> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.f5.com/labs/articles/cisotociso/bgp-dns-and-the-fragility-of-our-critical-systems | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030331677.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220924151538-20220924181538-00352.warc.gz | en | 0.961639 | 1,759 | 2.890625 | 3 |
The Loire River
The Loire is at the heart of France, its land and culture. The Loire is the longest river in France. It runs 1,012 kilometres to its mouth at Saint Nazaire, draining over 20% of France's land area into the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic Ocean. Its lower valley from Orléans to Nantes is the home of much of French culture, especially its language. The Académie Française considers the form of the French language spoken in the lower Loire valley to be the standard.
How do you speak French correctly?
They way they do along the Loire.
The Académie Française is a French government council founded in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII. It acts as an official authority on the vocabulary, grammar, and use of the language. Part of this is a struggle against encroachments of English. It recommends that the English words like computer and software not be used, as French already had ordinateur and logiciel for those concepts before the technology became popular outside academia.
Let's get started.
Start ❯ The Loire, Saumur, and History | <urn:uuid:bb46108b-2d98-400a-9afa-c3ec962d2cd2> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://cromwell-intl.com/travel/france/loire-valley/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030334620.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20220925225000-20220926015000-00352.warc.gz | en | 0.938471 | 250 | 3.03125 | 3 |
By: U. Yadav
Technological advances endanger cybersecurity. Indeed, the latest developments in defense practitioners’ defensive techniques feel a sense of loss. In addition, the intensity and amount of cyber threats have escalated as defensive strategies and technologies operate in a never-ending loop. Security researchers provide excellent tools to protect insecure information and systems against cybercriminals by integrating the power of artificial intelligence with cryptography . It delivered instant insights after introducing such engineering, resulting in slower reaction times. Protecting a piece of information is quite complicated than before. There is no guarantee that the data or information is authenticated and breach-proof by upgrading existing cybersecurity technologies and applying any applicable protection layer. But the role of security practitioners will be eased by robust funding for advanced technologies .
The advancement of information technology can enable a machine to behave and reason like just a human being. Intelligence is a unique feature of software development that necessitates a computer that responds and functions in the same way as a conscious imagination. The comparison of human perception is one of the main aspects of AI technology. The computer is responsible for identifying sensation and voice as characteristics that may be inserted into the system that utilizes a typical living scenario without human intervention. On the other hand, AI technology is the analysis of intellectual skills’ entities that reflects the state of the environment and effectively accomplishes their purpose. The bulk of programs in the computer industry were designed to serve specific objectives based on the problem’s structure and the use of distinguishing characteristics obtained from human elements’ inherent existence.
Defense from Cyber Threats Using Artificial Intelligence:
Several strategies have already been suggested that use the Artificial Intelligence approach to detect or categorize cyber-attacks, including malicious software, network attacks, scamming, and spamming assaults, fight sophisticated significant threats; and detect domains produced by domains creation techniques. We describe the details regarding classification of cyber-attacks into several classes such as malicious software detection, network intrusion detection, phishing and defacement detection, and others, including significant sophisticated threats and identifying malicious domain assault threats. The main areas of using AI for cybersecurity are described in Figure 1.
AI technology is a term used to describe a group of individuals who use problem-solving strategies to improve comprehend high-level activities in the functioning of conscious aspects, choice, and the psychological process. In contrast to general brains, AI technology is an intellect generated by machines [3, 2].
Employing different techniques and strategies to guarantee that technologies are secured against risks and attacks and offer individuals adequate and precise operations exposes cyber security. As a result, the information security discussed in this article encompasses both external and internal risks. Such attacks would have a significant impact on the structures’ normal operating conditions, so cyber security’s primary objective is to preserve chances as often as potential, as well as to satisfy the expectation of identification in front of an incident that occurred, trying to handle during an unfortunate incident, and recovering after such a regrettable incident efficiently and accurately.
To begin with, combining various Intelligence approaches in a defensive strategy might still be a promising research area. For example, incorporating microbial computing with machine learning and deep learning techniques yields good results in detecting attacks for monitoring the network infiltration. As a result, while the variety of microbiological methods used in security has still been restricted, combining different approaches is a promising area of research. Secondly, the connection between organizational intelligence and robots in cyber security should be investigated. The bots will accomplish the work independently in this human-machine approach, with humans just being able to oversee and interfere whenever needed.
Open research Issues and challenges:
- AI-based techniques in a defense solution
- Human intellect and machines for cyber defense
- Intelligent Antivirus software for security
- Algorithmic developments and applications of machine learning and data mining for Big Data.
- M H Jarrahi Artificial intelligence and the future of work: human-AI symbiosis in organizational decision making Business Horizons, issue 4, p. 577 – 586 Posted: 2018
- Rahul Reddy Nadikattu “Implementation of New Ways of Artificial Intelligence” in Sports Journal of Xidian University, Volume 14, Issue 5, 2020, Page No: 5983 – 5997 15 Pages · Posted: 10 Jun 2020.
- Amberkar A, Awasarmol P, Deshmukh G, Dave P (2018) Speech recognition using recurrent neural networks. In: 2018 international conference on current trends towards converging technologies (ICCTCT), pp 1–4.
- Bao H, He H, Liu Z, Liu Z (2019) Research on information security situation awareness system based on big data and artificial intelligence technology. In: 2019 international conference on robots intelligent system (ICRIS), pp 318–322
Cite this article:
U. Yadav (2021) Intelligent Advancement Technology in Cyber Security, Insights2Techinfo, pp. 1 | <urn:uuid:7e890ef4-dc1b-457d-80e8-f2057ca4339b> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://insights2techinfo.com/intelligent-advancement-technology-in-cyber-security/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030334992.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20220927064738-20220927094738-00352.warc.gz | en | 0.910288 | 1,008 | 3.609375 | 4 |
Phishing attacks are all too common and can make a company lose millions of dollars. To protect against this scam, a company must have the right protocols and software in place.
What is a phishing attack?
A phishing attack is a social engineering attack, where an attacker mimics a trusted company or person to steal private information such as login or financial data. These attacks usually come as an email, text message or phone call.
What is the goal of a phishing attack?
Phishing attacks are designed to steal information either through fake login links that impersonate real websites, or from malicious attachments that install malware or ransomware on your computer. According to a recent study, 91% of breaches are caused by phishing attacks.
Most modern networks and computers have sufficient security settings and firewalls that make it extremely difficult for anyone to break in from the outside. Attackers know this and utilize these attacks to have someone who is already inside the network unknowingly execute malicious code that makes gaining access to the victim’s network much easier.
Outside of stealing information, some attacks may attempt to hold your files hostage using ransomware. This attack is usually hidden inside an email attachment that encrypts all the files on a machine or network when opened. The victim then has to pay the attacker for the encryption key in order to gain access to their files.
Identifying a phishing attack
Email scams take advantage of the trust a person or organization has with a recipient by attempting to make the message appear to be coming from a reputable source. Attackers know that email scams are a numbers game, so they will use any techniques at their disposal to increase their open rate when sending to thousands of addresses. Here are a few of the most telltale signs of a phishing email.
Watch out for lookalike domains.
Scammers will purchase domain names that contain slight misspellings of real businesses to trick more recipients into getting scammed. For example, an attacker may register an email address as [email protected] when trying to impersonate Microsoft to steal user credentials.
This same technique is also sometimes used in the name field of the message. When scammers can’t register a similar domain, they sometimes utilize the name field to convey authority. For example, an attacker may create an email address under [email protected] and then proceed to tell people their account has been compromised as a part of their scam. In reality, the domain name authorizedalerts.com has nothing to do with Chase but may look legitimate to some recipients when combined with a fake name in front of it.
Is there a sense of urgency to take action?
Scam emails are designed to get recipients to click links that compromise their machines or enter their credentials into fake websites as fast as possible. They use urgency to drive victims into taking action quickly, so their scam won’t be discovered until it’s too late.
Some of the most common tactics used today are fake overdue invoices, account recovery notifications, and fake shipping updates claiming your package was lost. If you ever feel panicked due to an email, slow down and look to see exactly where it’s from or contact your IT department if you’re still unsure.
Be wary of links in emails.
Attackers will go to great lengths to impersonate a real website and can practically clone the way the website looks. Attackers use links to get you over to their fake sites so that you’ll enter your information.
Even links that appear to be legitimate might be fake. For example, a link in an email that appears to go to realbank.com/login, can contain a hyperlink inside of it that goes to realbank.securexlogin.com.
The securexlogin.com site used a subdomain with the name of the real bank to trick more people. This strategy combined with a clone of the real bank page can fool unsuspecting users into entering their banking information.
This is known as link spoofing, and it can be difficult to detect. Recipients can hover their mouse over the link to see where it goes in most email browsers before clicking. This still isn’t foolproof, as previewing the link destination doesn’t reveal if there are any redirects that may occur on that page. Having proper phishing defense in place can help protect against link spoofing.
Watch for misspellings.
Massive email scam campaigns are often carried out from non-English speaking countries. While they may try their best to construct the message, many times there will be grammatical or punctuation errors in the body. Watch out for both misspellings as well as odd word choices that don’t fit naturally together. While misspellings aren’t proof a message is fake, it should certainly raise alarms for the recipient to do more research on where the email is coming from.
What is a spear phishing attack?
While most malicious emails are indiscriminate and sent in bulk, spear phishing is much more targeted and planned out. Spear phishing utilizes industry and company knowledge combined with targeted outreach to appear as legitimate as possible. Since these campaigns require the most amount of effort, usually enterprises and larger organizations find themselves to be the target for these types of attacks.
Information like company hierarchy, names, email addresses, phone numbers, email signatures, and stolen documents are used in these types of attacks to make the email appear as legitimate as possible.
Spear phishing campaigns also wish to steal information for a financial gain or competitive advantage. Due to the amount of research put into these attacks, payloads are usually especially stealthy and are designed to remain inside a network for long periods of time undetected to steal as much information as possible.
Spear phishing is usually the first entry point an advanced persistent threat will use to gain a foothold inside an organization's network.
Protecting against phishing attacks.
Protecting against email attacks isn’t as easy as installing an antivirus software and calling it a day. Phishing messages are constantly evolving and require proactive monitoring, staff training, and proper server configuration in order to fully defend against them. Here’s a few steps you can take to prevent phishing attacks.
Implement proper email security configuration.
Server administrations should have access to their DNS servers where proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records can be configured. Together these three records help defend against spam as well as attacks that attempt to utilize spoofed addresses.
SPF (Sender Policy Framework) restricts who can send messages from your domain and prevents email spoofing.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) ensures the integrity of your message while in transit, making sure the email hasn’t been compromised or tampered with during the sending process.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance) gives organizations options on how to handle messages that were not authenticated with either SPF or DKIM.
Keep staff informed and on alert.
Implementing a solid educational program across an organization can help drastically reduce the number of phishing emails opened. Helping staff identify and report phishing emails is a key part of prevention even when other security measures are in place.
Enable two factor authentication (2FA).
Two factor authentication provides an extra layer of protection that combines login credentials with something physical such as a smartphone or authenticator app. Even if a message is opened and credentials are entered into it, the attacker will not be able to access the site if 2FA is enabled.
Have an incident response plan.
Having a detailed phishing response plan can help mitigate and oftentimes completely prevent an attack. Agari Phishing Response automatically prioritizes incidents and automates the triage and investigative work as soon as an attack is detected.
How do I report a phishing attack?
If you have fallen victim to an email scam or have been sent a phishing email, here are a few simple steps you can use to report it:
If you have received a malicious email, you can forward it directly to the FTC at [email protected]. If the message was a text message you can forward it to SPAM (7726). and then report the attack by visiting http://ftc.gov/complaint.
The Agari advantage
Agari offers a turnkey solution to combat phishing attacks through automatic phishing response, remediation, and containment. The system utilizes both signature-based security as well as behavioral analysis to stop malicious files and bad actors at the same time.
If you’re looking to learn how to keep your business safe from email-based attacks, see how Agari Phishing Defense works in action and sign up for our newsletter for the latest in email security. | <urn:uuid:2a53df20-9b50-4c39-aedd-7fb35628bbab> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.agari.com/blog/what-is-a-phishing-attack-types-defenses-prevention | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337595.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20221005073953-20221005103953-00352.warc.gz | en | 0.940087 | 1,801 | 3.484375 | 3 |
Your hard drive might not be the flashiest or most exciting aspect of your favorite tech device, but it’s arguably the most important. Even in an age of cloud storage, this key component underscores everything you do on your computer. Despite this, many people never bother to consider the quality of the hard drives that power their everyday digital interactions.
If you’ve previously stuck with the status quo for your hard drive, it’s time to consider upgrading. While the traditional hard disk drive (HDD) was once sufficient for most functions, it’s often ill-equipped to handle the increased demands of today’s gamers, graphic designers, and small business owners.
Thankfully, an excellent alternative is available: the solid-state drive (SSD). This solution is more expensive, so it’s easy to see why some people are unwilling to upgrade. However, once you know how it works and which benefits it provides, you’ll be eager to make the switch.
HDD vs. SSD: What’s the Difference?
While both HDDs and SSDs serve the basic function of storing data, how (and how effectively) they accomplish this varies. HDDs involve a combination of read/write heads and mechanical platters. The head moves quickly from one area of each disk to another.
With SSDs, there are no moving parts – hence the name “solid-state.” A grid of electrical cells is used to transfer data back and forth, similar to how a standard USB thumb drive works. These grids essentially use blocks of blank information to write data to the drive and access it when needed.
Why SSDs Are the Better Option
The basic structure of SSDs allows them to function far more efficiently than their HDD predecessors. This makes them a better option in a variety of contexts. Examples include:
PC games featuring massive levels or maps will load much faster with an SSD. Since developers now use in-game texture streaming technology, an SSD will result in far fewer instances of textures and objects popping into place.
It’s downright frustrating to finish a time-consuming video editing project, only to watch as it takes ages to save to a traditional HDD. Thankfully, this source of annoyance is non-existent with an SSD. Plus, solid-state drives make it easier and faster to open projects that contain several elements.
When You Need Longer Battery Life
On average, a laptop outfitted with an SSD will last 45 minutes longer than one with a standard hard drive. Since SSDs consume less power, they are less of a drain on the battery.
In a Fast-Paced Business Environment
Demanding bosses or coworkers who require swift responses can make life difficult when you’re dealing with an HDD. Why not draw on the quick access abilities of an SSD? What’s more, these devices are less prone to failure. As such, you’ll rest easy knowing that major work projects aren’t at risk of dying alongside the hard drives on which they’re stored.
While an SSD seems like a natural fit for gamers and entrepreneurs, it can be a great investment for almost anyone. Even casual computer users can benefit from this crucial update.
How to Upgrade to an SSD
Hard drive upgrades make it possible to transform your laptop or desktop computer without investing in a brand new device. However, the process can be confusing for many people.
Follow these steps to get started with your SSD:
- Invest in a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) to USB transfer cable. This will allow you to migrate data from one hard drive to the other. Simply plug the SATA end into the new SSD drive and the USB end into your laptop.
- Avoid reinstallation with cloning. Some hard drive manufacturers offer cloning software, but it’s also freely available online. Popular options include NovaBACKUP PC and Macrium Reflect.
- Open the laptop and replace the old drive with the new SSD. Every computer is different, so you may need to tinker or ask an expert for help. Generally, however, it’s easy to unscrew the laptop, remove the battery, and swap out the old drive with the new one.
If you find all of this confusing, remember: you don’t need to go it alone. The experts at your local computer repair and upgrade company can help you choose and implement the right storage solution for your device.
How NerdsToGo Can Help with Your HDD Upgrade
Are you ready to move beyond your old hard disk drive and discover the exciting new world of SSDs? Our certified Nerds would love to streamline this transition. We’ll provide helpful insight into today’s best options. We can also take care of the upgrade process, so you can enjoy all of the benefits without dealing with the hassle of adjusting your storage solution.
In addition to helping with HDD upgrades, we provide a variety of small business IT services designed to improve efficiency and security. Contact us today to learn how our Nerds can help you with key technology at work or home! | <urn:uuid:764ac900-fc20-4b44-9504-337ac287d04f> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.nerdstogo.com/blog/2020/december/the-benefits-of-upgrading-a-hard-disk-drive-to-a/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337595.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20221005073953-20221005103953-00352.warc.gz | en | 0.918956 | 1,060 | 2.546875 | 3 |
New research from the Urban Institute found that minorities were likely underrepresented in the population count, leaving some states with a windfall of federal funding while others came up short.
The 2020 census may have undercounted the U.S. population by more than 1.6 million people, drastically affecting the distribution of federal funding across the country, according to new research from the Urban Institute.
The census, researchers noted, is always an imperfect and inexact process that undercounts certain populations, particularly minorities. Their goal, then, was not to determine “whether accuracy was achieved, but its utility for specific purposes such as apportionment and allocation of federal resources,” according to the report.
Robert Santos, one of the report’s advisers and the chief methodologist for the Urban Institute, is President Biden’s nominee to head the U.S. Census Bureau.
The left-leaning think tank estimated the accuracy of the census by conducting a hypothetical full population count, then comparing the results with official census data. That “microsimulation” allowed researchers to better understand the various factors that can influence the accuracy of the census “and corresponding implications for political representation and allocation of federal resources.”
According to the results, the overall U.S. population was likely undercounted by about .5%, or roughly 1.7 million people. The degree of underrepresentation varied widely between demographics, researchers found, and across state lines. For example, Black people were undercounted by 2.45%, the highest in the country, followed by Latinx people (2.17%) and Pacific Islanders (1.52%). By contrast, “the data show that 0.39 percent of the white population was net overcounted,” the report says.
There are a number of explanations for the discrepancy, researchers noted, including the demographic shifts in the United States between the last census in 2010 and the count in 2020. Historically, the report said, “households with a non-Hispanic/Latinx white head of household have had higher percentages of overcounts and lower percentages of being missed by the census” compared to other ethnicities.
“For these reasons, we expect greater racial/ethnic diversity likely contributed to a larger net undercount for the overall U.S. population,” researchers concluded.
Children under the age of 5 were likely undercounted by 4.86%, higher than the rate in 2010, and a national decrease in homeownership contributed to an uptick in the undercount rate for renters, which nearly doubled in the last 10 years, from 1.1% in 2010 to 2.13% last year. That rate was much higher—3.36%—for households with noncitizens, the report found.
Crises Impact Count
The report, released this week, is one of a host of studies examining the 2020 census, a massive undertaking that occurred against the backdrop of multiple crises that threatened its accuracy. There was the pandemic, announced officially in the United States on March 13, 2020, “a day after the 2020 Census began mailing information to households to participate,” the report said. The spread of Covid-19 led to the deployment of an online response tool, but likely also limited participation among already hard-to-count populations due to delayed field operations and hiring.
“Indications exist that enumerating apartment dwellers became harder in 2020, in part because of the pandemic, further contributing to concerns about coverage,” researchers wrote. “Then the pandemic affected living arrangements, complicated in-person follow-up counts, and delayed post-enumeration data cleaning and other processes.”
The census also became political, the report noted. Researchers estimated that that process began as far back as 2017, when the Trump administration came into power and fundamentally shifted the nature of the conversation on immigration, including via executive orders that banned travel from Muslim-majority countries and attempted to dissolve the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program.
“This rhetoric contributed to unprecedented confidentiality concerns, particularly among immigrants and people of color,” the report said.
A proposal by the Trump administration to add a citizenship question to the census “could have also heightened growing fears and suppressed household participation,” particularly among Hispanic populations and both documented and undocumented immigrants, the report said. The Supreme Court eventually blocked the addition of the question, but officials continued to discuss using administrative records to determine citizenship status, which likely led to a chilling effect among multiple populations.
“For these reasons, many experts assume that some households likely did not participate and noncitizens were missing from household rosters, even when households responded, because of fear and government distrust,” the report said.
States With Biggest Discrepancies
Geographically, Mississippi had the highest rate of undercounting (1.3%), followed by Texas (1.28%). By contrast, Minnesota’s population was likely overcounted by .76%. Even those seemingly small numbers can have big implications, researchers noted.
“Because Texas has such a large population, this means that 377,187 residents in the true population of Texas were not counted in the 2020 census,” they wrote. “Framed in different terms, this means that more than one-fifth of all people not counted in the 2020 census resided in Texas.”
The discrepancies translate to large differences in funding allocations for each state. Texas, for example, would have received more than $247 million in additional Medicaid reimbursements if every one of its residents had been counted, while Minnesota stands to gain an extra $156 million due to some of its residents being counted more than once.
There are also implications for congressional representation, the report said—if the national population had been counted accurately, Minnesota would drop from eight to seven representatives, while New York would gain one, for a total of 27.
The Urban Institute report comes months ahead of the expected release of what’s known as a modified race file, a data analysis from the U.S. Census Bureau that reassigns people who identified only as “some other race” into Black and non-Black categories. The agency will also release results from a post-enumeration survey, a standard sampling designed to assess the accuracy of the count, sometime next year.
In 2010, the post-enumeration survey estimated that the census count was within 0.1%of the actual population.
In a statement, the bureau reiterated its “ongoing commitment to producing data that depict an accurate portrait of America, including its underserved communities.”
“We understand firsthand how important this data is,” Ron Jarmin, the agency’s acting director, wrote on his blog on Nov. 2. “We use it ourselves to better reach hard-to-count populations during the census as part of our goal to count everyone once, only once and in the right place.”
Kate Elizabeth Queram is a senior reporter for Route Fifty and is based in Washington, D.C. | <urn:uuid:6990415d-cb4c-4202-8bb5-a3c7b3465b36> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.nextgov.com/analytics-data/2021/11/2020-census-may-have-missed-more-16m-residents/186576/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337595.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20221005073953-20221005103953-00352.warc.gz | en | 0.969975 | 1,467 | 2.828125 | 3 |
In recent years, the use of containers to pack and deliver our applications has become increasingly present in development processes. Therefore, it is important to understand how we can guarantee the security of our containers and, consequently, of your applications. But we don’t want to take too much of your time talking again about some relevant points for this article, we suggest to access our blog and search for our other articles related to containers.
It is not rare to hear that, by using Docker, we are making our systems even more secure and, directly, making our whole process secure. Ah, it is worth mentioning that here the word system has a more generic meaning that determines a set of small components to form a whole.
With the use of Docker, we are able to make our entire process – and our systems – more secure. However, that’s not why we have to believe that everything is solved only by using containers in the Docker. It’s not uncommon to hear from people in the development and security market that Docker containers are just applications running in a sandbox environment, and this leads them to believe that when using containers, their host systems will be protected.
Of course, if you are running the Docker on a controlled system and using the best security practices, your concerns will be much less – but some care is still needed. What worries us is that we often see professionals understanding that running containers is a simpler way to run a virtual machine and that there is no direct connection between running the container and your host system. In general, containers are more insecure than virtual machines.
If you believe that containers should be treated like any other service, and for instance, you were running an Apache server on a container, you would probably adopt the same care with the container as with the service itself, right? And basically you would start to:
- Eliminate container privileges that are not strictly necessary;
- Avoid running the services as system root whenever possible;
- Look at the container root as you would at your system root.
That to say the least!
And what we’ve been orienting is that they treat the execution of containers and their privileged processes in the same way and with the same care as they treat privileged processes outside of a container.
So, basically, don’t run random container images on your system. This behavior reminds us a lot about running third-party libraries and components without proper validation, without proper care, just because it seems to us to have a secure source.
Also, for the more experienced, it reminds us of the beginning of Linux use. That is, when sysadmins heard about a new service in Linux and just looked for these packages – often in unreliable repositories – but still installed them and, following the guidelines, ran them with higher privileges. Not good, huh?
The same is happening now with the containers. After all, everyone believes they don’t need to validate or even doubt what’s packed inside it.
For those of you who never had the curiosity to read Docker’s documentation, I bring here a very interesting piece:
“Containers are lightweight because they don’t need the extra load of a hypervisor, but run directly within the host machine’s kernel”.
If you’ve been thoughtful, you’ll notice the part where the documentation makes it very clear that “they run directly in the host machine’s kernel” ! Did you notice? Containers have direct access to the kernel of their host system. That alone should make anyone aware of the extreme care when working with containers.
So, what could go wrong?
Well, if you’ve used a Linux distribution, you know that we have repositories that are maintained by the company, like Red Hat or even Ubuntu. And you know that others that are maintained by a community of developers, that can be very strenuous, but they can also let some things pass.
Here for example, if you use a distribution like Red Hat, you know that the company offers administrators and their users a trusted repository where they can download software from Security Updates to fix vulnerabilities. So here’s our first tip: run only trusted containers!
As a basic concept, don’t rely on container technology, the technology that solves your security problems will not protect your host.
Then, what is the problem?
To understand what the problem is, we have to understand one of the fundamental concepts behind container technology.
Containers are basically processes being executed in isolated ways. For example, it is as if we were running a service inside a sandbox.
This isolation, roughly speaking, is done through the use of namespaces, and in linux, not everything has its namespaces.
Currently, Docker technology uses only 5 namespaces :Process, Network, Mount, Hostname, Shared Memory. Just for you to understand, on a virtual machine system, your application is not directly in contact with the system kernel, it doesn’t have direct access to file systems like /sys and /sys/fs, /proc/*, which is the case of container systems that can have this kind of access.
Ok but, the question continues: what is the problem ?
Well, if we look at a VM(Virtual Machines) structure to be able to subvert the process execution and reach higher kernel privilege levels, the attacker will need to compromise a series of layers between the system, the virtual machine and finally the host. In the case of container execution, this access is already direct, you see? Here is a list of some kernel subsystems that do not have a namespace:
- file systems under /sys
- /proc/sys, /proc/sysrq-trigger, /proc/irq, /proc/bus
This means that if you manage to compromise the container and it is running with the wrong privileges, access to these subsystems will be guaranteed more easily.
So, answering the question on this topic, the problem is that we have seen many container users who are not setting them up correctly. And this can lead to serious system compromise problems.
What we put here does not make container technology impossible or suggest that you need to abandon it. What we want is to alert you to the need for a better understanding of how the technology works and how it can be better be used to deliver all the benefits.
We understand and believe that the best is the understanding of the technology we are using, and how to configure this technology in the best possible way.
So we want to throw some light on this issue and say that looking at host security can be a big step forward in ensuring the security of the entire system.
Also, try to understand how the container can be better created and configured to ensure a more secure execution.
We hope to see you in another article. | <urn:uuid:d0c9eed2-7270-480f-8d2c-1506412c7c81> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://blog.convisoappsec.com/en/is-your-container-really-secure/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030333455.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20220924182740-20220924212740-00552.warc.gz | en | 0.947165 | 1,427 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Industrial IoT (IIoT) is a subset of the Internet of Things (IoT) revolution that refers to the application of IoT principles, technology, and approaches, specifically in industry, manufacturing, energy and similar sectors. For all industries, IIoT ultimately aims first at gathering and analyzing data from factory sensors and devices, and then secondly to make intelligent responses based on data-driven insights. Automated real-time responses can be implemented to significantly streamline performance.
IIoT concepts are similar to other IoT concepts, in particular the networking together of numerous small devices, sensors, instruments, and actuators, to create the “internet of things”, a convergence of networking and device technology. However, IIoT differs from common IoT examples like smart homes, in both the degree and scale of technologies that are connected. Smart home sensors can monitor temperature, and send mobile device notifications in emergencies. Comparatively, in larger industrial settings, IIoT may orchestrate the operations and interactions of tens of thousands of devices, sensors, and robots. This difference requires more complex implementation methods, including using IIoT platforms, sophisticated device management software, and custom integrated automation tools.
How is IIOT used in manufacturing?
Industrial internet of things empower manufacturers to leverage streaming data from all their connected devices and use powerful analytics to operate smarter.
IIoT connected devices create a platform to be able to rapidly roll out new features. IIoT grants the ability to remotely monitor, manage, and analyze device data. From a product perspective, this allows designers to understand how products are being used, and engaged with, delivering incredible insight into new product features, and importantly product shortcomings. From a marketing perspective, this insight can be turned into innovative offers, bundles, and value-adding opportunities.
Real-time performance monitoring is key to optimizing manufacturing processes. Traditionally, KPIs are used to baseline performance, and analytics can determine when deviations are detected from normal operations. Newer approaches now exist, like creating a virtual model of a physical asset to simulate its performance, known as Digital Twins.
IIoT enables the integration of digital supply networks by connecting systems between suppliers, distributors, and eventually customers. Technologies like RFID, which enables item-level tracking throughout the supply chain, help extend the capabilities of IIoT.
Predictive analytics uses the help of AI to process the massive volume of IIoT data and deliver forecasts that can ensure optimal maintenance thereby extending the lifetime of devices. In business scenarios, like expedited shipping, data from delivery vehicles can be used to forecast safety maintenance and keep vehicles roadworthy.
What is a smart factory?
Smart factories are a modernized concept of manufacturing where automation and network connectivity have become enabling technologies that have greatly streamlined workflows. In these dynamic environments many technologies converge, Internet of Things provides a communication backbone for sensors, actuators, and bots to both transmit data, but also receive instructions to make adjustments to the environment automatically. Behind these decisions is AI and machine learning, and potentially a whole array of other systems connected to the smart factory via the internet, such as others in the supply chain who rely on that factory’s output.
IIOT applications for smart factories
Generally, smart factories are highly digitized manufacturing operations employing automation and extended features. Smart factories are also context aware. Network communications gather data from devices and the environment as part of a more autonomous and adaptable response to the entire system as changes occur.
A slew of supporting systems help make the smart factory capable of autonomy. Two main systems bring together the physical factory world with a virtual simulated world creating an Industrial IoT.
Cyber-physical systems — Cyber-physical systems are robots, process control systems, any device that integrates the physical world into the virtual. This means a convergence of physical, computational, and network processes. CSPs supply the material for creating virtual copies of physical processes for digital twins and other predictive analytics.
IoT systems — IoT is about connectivity, in particular connecting smart objects and devices such as sensors and automated controllers, extending their function. IoT systems interlink CPSs.
IIoT is about connecting industrial assets and control systems with information systems, people, and business processes. Based on IIoT information, smart manufacturing seeks to dynamically respond to changes in the supply chain through fully integrated manufacturing systems and processes.
Advantages of IIOT in manufacturing
The predecessor to IIoT systems is the distributed control system (DCS), which distributes localized autonomous controls throughout a factory. The significant advantage that IIoT has over DCSs is the integration of cloud computing to further refine and optimize process controls, offering a higher degree of automation. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) carries with it several advantages:
Real-Time Monitoring — IIoT systems are designed for real-time monitoring of all aspects of the system, and remotely.
Predictive Analytics — IIoT systems rely on innovative analytical systems to make adjustments to operations based on real-time demand, make optimizations, and predict when failures will occur so they can be addressed preventatively.
Asset/Resource Optimization — Data analytics on asset and resource usage helps to inform the accuracy of lifecycle management. Because lifecycles can be better understood and predicted, more control is gained over production uptime.
Remote Diagnosis — Remote access and control are key administrative features of IIoT manufacturing.
Unified Controls and Decentralized Autonomy — IIoT systems provide decentralized device autonomy to improve localized operations, but also a unified control dashboard so that full control is always retained.
IIOT in manufacturing use cases
Asset Tracking — Modern businesses rely on asset tracking technology to ensure optimal supply chains. IIoT devices and sensors coupled with RFID technology provides the ideal scenario for increasing machine to machine communications and reducing human interaction with assets, equipment, and inventory. Because IIoT can interact with item-level RFID tracking, production flows can be easily mapped, and accounted for, and laying the grounds for optimization.
Fleet Management — Transportation and logistics companies can benefit from IIoT enabled vehicle fleets. Fleet management software can minimize risks, improve productivity, and increase vehicle ROI while reducing costs. Real-time vehicle tracking, combined algorithmically with traffic data, can help teams manage their time with better efficiency. And data from vehicle sensors can be extrapolated into predictive preventative maintenance.
Smart Factories — A smart factory integrates all aspects of a factory into a unified operational ecosystem. IIoT is used to enable the factory, fleets, and equipment for real-time tracking. A manufacturing execution system (MES) can work in conjunction with IIoT, adding another layer of decision making. The MES combines data from IIoT with its own contextual data, like customer details, orders, products, recipes, billings, etc., to present a complete picture of operations. With this insight, employees can then make final informed decisions about operations.
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There are more ways to build an IT infrastructure these days than with just on-site servers and storage devices. An option that many businesses choose is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). A hosted IT infrastructure provides the same computing resources (CPU, RAM, long-term storage, and bandwidth) as a traditional server. At the same time, a hosted IT infrastructure is more cost-efficient and convenient because it doesn’t require businesses to purchase any on-site servers or hire any on-site IT personnel and can be accessed from anywhere via the Internet.
In addition, a hosted desktop infrastructure is also a suitable replacement to an on-site IT infrastructure. Hosted desktops are web-based computing environments that appear and perform exactly like Windows desktop operating systems. It isn’t common to view them as a form of IT infrastructure—most people classify them as a category unto themselves (Desktop as a Service or DaaS) or as a platform or application further down the cloud “stack” from IaaS. Nevertheless, a hosted desktop infrastructure has all the essential features of an IT infrastructure, including:
–Application hosting. The primary purpose of an IT infrastructure is to host applications. Most companies prefer the efficiency and centralization of hosted applications over having each employee install the applications on his or her own device. Similarly, the applications in a hosted desktop infrastructure are centralized, multi-user solutions that are accessible from any of the HDI’s hosted desktops.
–File storage. To support the output of their hosted applications, IT infrastructures need the ability to store documents and data. Another reason that IT infrastructures have to be able to store files is that many businesses use their infrastructures as a central database. Fortunately, there are multiple ways that a hosted desktop infrastructure lets its users store their files: first, they can store their data in the private folders of their assigned desktops; second, each hosted desktop infrastructure has a common folder where documents and data can be shared; and third, file storage platforms such as document management and project management systems can be integrated with a hosted desktop infrastructure.
–Flexibility. IT infrastructures support all files and applications. Infrastructures aren’t limited to hosting one application at a time, either; using a single virtualized server or several virtualized servers, they can host multiple applications at once. For their part, hosted desktop infrastructures can also support any file or application and can install and give users access to as many applications as they want.
Though a hosted desktop infrastructure has many of the same useful features as an on-site IT infrastructure, it’s also more cost-efficient, accessible, and dynamic due to these unique features:
-Doesn’t require any on-site servers or storage devices
-Has a familiar, easy-to-use interface
-Can be accessed from anywhere, at any time
-Has a centralized architecture
To make the switch from an on-site IT infrastructure to a hosted desktop infrastructure today, contact an IronOrbit sales representative. All of our hosted desktop infrastructures come with 24x7x365 technical support, Atomic Speed Technology, Orbital Security and automated backups. In addition, our hosted solutions cost only a low, flat monthly fee. Sign up here for a 30 day free trial of the best-performing and most secure and reliable hosted desktop infrastructure. | <urn:uuid:a9b682b7-6e0f-4608-a59c-0ed7f0bdcf4a> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.ironorbit.com/blog/2013/04/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030333455.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20220924182740-20220924212740-00552.warc.gz | en | 0.94326 | 709 | 2.5625 | 3 |
LIKE, in some cases, uses an index, while in others, it does not. The most common uses of LIKE are LIKE ‘%somevalue%’ or LIKE ‘somevalue%’ (where the % is only at the end of the search string). Only one of these cases uses the index—the case where the value is first, LIKE ‘somevalue%’.
Let’s examine this using a set of examples. First, create an index on the SCOTT.EMP table for the ENAME column so you can use an index when looking up employee names. This allows you to see when the index is used with a LIKE and when it is not.
Now let’s examine what happens when using LIKE with ‘%somevalue%’:
Now let’s put the value first, before the ‘%’:
Notice that when the ‘%’ appears first, the index is not used, but when you put the value first, Oracle is able to utilize the index. | <urn:uuid:d7c75a45-5280-43c5-80ef-4c05d193ee80> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://logicalread.com/oracle-11g-like-to-suppress-index-mc02/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335276.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220928180732-20220928210732-00552.warc.gz | en | 0.85001 | 221 | 3.34375 | 3 |
Saturday, October 1, 2022
Published 2 Years Ago on Friday, Dec 11 2020 By Mounir Jamil
The pandemic’s hand has stretched far and beyond all financial markets, leaving no stone unturned.
Covid-19 has had a direct impact on the status of financial markets worldwide, affecting everything from traditional banking systems all the way down to the crypto world – and our attention today will be oriented towards DeFi.
For those not yet familiar with the concept of DeFi, it is short for “decentralizing finance” whereby its essence entails cutting out the middleman, or in this case, corporate or financial intermediaries in attempts of freeing up costs, resources, and time.
DeFi is an umbrella term geared towards disrupting the financial intermediaries – in a good way.
The concept is based on blockchain, the technology that has enabled digital currency like bitcoin, Ethereum, ripple, and others. In a nutshell, blockchain technology allows several different entities to hold a copy of a history of transactions.
In layman terms, blockchain is not controlled by a single, central source. Central sources and human gatekeepers frequently show us how they ultimately limit the speed and sophistication of transactions while giving users less direct control over their money.
DeFi proves its value by building on the use of blockchain technology because it widens the scope of blockchain use from a simple value transfer into more complex financial uses. Furthermore, the technology allows several entities to hold a copy of a history of transactions, meaning it isn’t controlled by a single, central source.
Most DeFi applications are built on top of Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency platform.
Ethereum differentiates itself from Bitcoin in that it is easier in use to build decentralized applications that extend beyond simple transactions.
This proves to be important because centralized systems and human gatekeepers can limit the speed and sophistication of transactions while offering users less direct control over their money. DeFi is distinct because it expands the use of blockchain from simple value transfer to more complex financial use cases.
Following announcements that handling cash is risky during the pandemic, as paper money itself can be a carrier of Covid-19, intangible (digital) assets became more desirable.
This plight for liquidation was marked in the early days of the pandemic, as people realized they would be needing more digital dollars and less hard cash while they quarantined amid the lockdown.
Given crypto crime is on a steady streak achieving its highest year to date, we can expect several attacks to be hitting the DeFi scene.
Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are already seeing huge adoption by businesses big and small. Its ability to enhance marketing tactics, customer service, business strategy, market analytics, preventive maintenance, autonomous vehicles, video surveillance, medical, and much more. Making AI technology invaluable across all sectors. Here are the fastest advancing AI trends to watch for in 2022. Small […]
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© Copyright 2022, All Rights Reserved | <urn:uuid:b658b84f-fcdf-4139-981e-83f5aa227454> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://insidetelecom.com/defi-101-and-pandemic-effects/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335609.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20221001101652-20221001131652-00552.warc.gz | en | 0.92149 | 644 | 2.578125 | 3 |
As full-time distance learning heads into the 11th month for many, teachers and parents are increasingly challenged to find innovative ways to keep students engaged while attending class from home. While video conferencing platforms provide an effective solution for allowing students and teachers to connect remotely, they also have a rich set of capabilities that can be used to make virtual learning fun and interactive. BlueJeans Meetings is easy to use and delivers a broad set of features to create an effective learning environment. Here are some tips and recommendations that teachers and parents can use to keep students engaged during online learning.
When learning in a physical classroom setting, students typically have a central focal point they concentrate on – the teacher. With virtual learning, concentrating can become nearly impossible. The most effective way to minimize distractions and foster better concentration is to designate a study room or area within your home where distance learning takes place. Replacing toys and electronic gadgets with books and other educational material is a great way to create an inviting learning space. Additionally, an overly stimulating background can hinder other participants’ experience. Encourage students to use solid, still backgrounds for online lessons that will help keep everyone focused on the lesson. Virtual backgrounds can add significant value while still making things fun. For team projects, students can get creative and transform their backdrops to match their work!
Collaborating with peers and instructors is a fundamental aspect of learning. In this virtual learning environment, students are missing out on crucial social interactions with their friends and faculty – hallway chats, before and after class quips, even in-lesson side-bars. Encouraging students to continually engage and build new relationships in distance learning can help compensate for some of these lost interactions. Group or private chats can be used during lessons and workshops to inspire creative discussions.
Take a Break
Sometimes, the process of virtual learning can become overwhelming as students sit in one place, class after class, staring at their computer screens. While the uninterrupted, focused learning time is important, it is just as essential to balance it with sufficient breaks. Ensure students are incorporating enough small breaks throughout the day to recharge and to help reduce screen stress.
As a wise woman once said, ‘In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. Find the fun, and snap! The job’s a game’. As education moves to the virtual domain, it is essential for teachers to adjust their approach accordingly. Adding an element of fun to the learning environment can go a long way in boosting student morale and active participation. Almost any lesson can be gamified. Adding a theme to the lesson based on a movie or show, earning points for active participation in virtual classroom, or receiving badges for team performances are some ways instructors can gamify their lesson plans. Teachers might consider using BlueJeans Smart Meetings to arm their students with a tool to mark specific moments that are particularly relevant during a class, and reward the ones that identify all of the “Easter eggs” appropriately. Similarly, parents can transform a plain weekly homework assignment into a fun game to ensure students are excited while continuing to learn and grow.
Virtual Escape Rooms
Similar to gamification, escape rooms present an opportunity to transform a virtual learning environment into a fun and engaging activity. The idea of a virtual escape room is simple and works best if multiple groups are competing against each other. Students must complete a task to retrieve or gather information needed to ‘escape the room’. The first student team to escape the digital room wins. Instructors can use Breakout Sessions in BlueJeans at the end of a lesson to randomly split students into different groups. BlueJeans Meetings allows instructors to create up to 75 breakout rooms. Each group receives a puzzle to solve based on what was discussed in the classroom and are able to escape the breakout room upon completion. Virtual escape rooms can be both challenging and fun for students and ensures collaboration in the virtual learning environment.
Digital Show and Tell
Visual explanations, diagrams, on-the-fly sketches, notes and annotation driven by students are other ways for instructors to keep students engaged. Students can use screen sharing in small group settings to showcase their work, engage with their peers, and also get feedback from a larger audience.
Institutions, teachers, and students around the world have transitioned to virtual learning since the global pandemic hit last year. This transition to virtual learning has provided an opportunity for institutions to enhance the learning experience through digital platforms to make them more accessible, interactive, and engaging. | <urn:uuid:b7883c04-9a74-4791-8050-03900cfdf897> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.bluejeans.com/blog/virtual-learning-tips-ensuring-your-child-active-participant | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335609.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20221001101652-20221001131652-00552.warc.gz | en | 0.937579 | 934 | 2.734375 | 3 |
As millions of children across the country return to classrooms for the start of another school year, there is no better time than now for families to brush up on internet safety. The explosion of connected devices over the past several years has opened up tremendous opportunities in education, with the pandemic also accelerating the critical need for internet connectivity in the home. But with this continual growth in digital learning and internet usage also comes greater societal responsibility to ensure that the youngest population stays safe online.
Fortunately, the cable industry has long understood this issue and plays an important role in advocating for a safer digital world for kids. America's broadband leaders, including Charter, Comcast, Cox, Mediacom, Midco, and GCI offer a myriad of resources and services for parents to assist them in monitoring their children's online activities, and tools on how to teach their kids how to navigate the internet wisely and cautiously.
Online Parental Controls
Whether children go online for school, homework, enrichment, or to connect with their peers, cable operators provide families with a variety of online parental controls to use as they see fit, and according to their needs and preferences. These include a mix of the following:
- Multiple user profiles to allow parents to customize controls according to the needs of each family member
- Filtering options that give children access to certain material and sites approved by the parents, and which block specific sites and keyword searches selected by the parents
- Time limits on screen time for select family members
- Supervised chats that allow parents to monitor the instant messaging and online conversations of their children
Media Literacy and Cybersecurity Training
Cable operators also offer online libraries and video tutorials targeted at spreading awareness about the risks that come with social media usage and from browsing harmful websites, including cyberbullying, online predatory behavior, identity theft, and privacy concerns. These resources not only help to educate families about these dangers, but they also teach kids how to present themselves responsibly and ethically online, and how to best protect their online reputation.
Cable operators partner with national nonprofits, including Common Sense Media, ConnectSafely.org, Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI), the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and thousands of local organizations, to further expand their ability to offer media literacy and digital ethics classes through after school programs, libraries, and community establishments.
Additionally, with all of the games and apps available today at their fingertips, children are more susceptible to downloading viruses and malware. That's why cable operators offer free anti-virus software and a suite of security products to reduce the risk of infections. On their websites, they also offer a plethora of tips on how to prevent oneself from being the victim of cybersecurity attacks such as ransomware, spyware, botnets, spam, and phishing.
The cable industry strives to empower parents to take an active role in the digital lives of their children, and to continue to educate and inform families about best internet safety practices through its wide array of partnerships with youth organizations dedicated to digital skills and safety, and through its services and products designed to create safer digital environments for all. For a comprehensive library of these tips and tools offered by cable operators and their partners, visit famfriendly.com. | <urn:uuid:93b10ff9-f8e8-418d-8fc2-abeb01be993d> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.ncta.com/whats-new/empowering-families-create-safer-internet-environments-for-kids | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337473.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20221004023206-20221004053206-00552.warc.gz | en | 0.951275 | 652 | 2.875 | 3 |
Incident Response is the activities that address the short-term, direct effects of an incident and may also support short-term recovery. Incident Response in cybersecurity work is where a team responds to a crisis or urgent situations within their entity to mitigate immediate and potential threats to business operations. Incident Response plans should include various phases of prescribed activities including Incident (1) Identification, (2) Containment, (3) Eradication, (4) Recovery, and (5) Revision.
Incident response plans should be written and tested. They must place the protection of human lives above any other activity. For example: If an Ambulance Dispatch system is compromised by hackers but otherwise performing its functional duties, the first law of Incident Response – protection of human life – means you cannot necessarily move to Containment and Eradication phases until a suitable replacement service is stood up to prevent a potential loss of life.
Related Term: Recovery
Source: Workforce Framework | <urn:uuid:3b8fbf4a-1d26-4a73-9851-9136c26ae8b7> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://cyberhoot.com/cybrary/incident-reponse/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337855.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20221006191305-20221006221305-00552.warc.gz | en | 0.935654 | 194 | 3.328125 | 3 |
What is a Business Process?
Web Services Business Process Execution Language (WS-BPEL) is an XML based programming language used to describe high level business processes.
What do you mean by business process?
A business process describes the interaction between two businesses or two sectors of the same business. For example, in its simplest form, company A is purchasing something from company B. In a Web services environment, this interaction can be described so thoroughly that company B can provide a Web service containing account information and company A can use the Web service with almost no compatibility issues to complete the transaction. BPEL makes it easier to work with services-based processes.
A BPEL process can be synchronous or asynchronous.
- Synchronous — A synchronous BPEL process is one which you call and wait for the reply before proceeding further. Very simply this means that you wait for the process to finish before moving on to another task. This type of process is used in real-time processing of services.
- Asynchronous — Asynchronous processes lets you move on to another task before it finishes. Asynchronous processes are usually used for longer-lasting processes and synchronous for processes that return a result in a relatively short time. If a BPEL process uses asynchronous Web services, the process itself is usually also asynchronous.
Tell me about Web services
Web services can be implemented using one of these methods; SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) or RESTful (REpresentational State Transfer).
SOAP Web services
Web services are platform independent. SOAP Web services are described using a WSDL (Web Services Description Language) and so can be used on any computer and with any operating system because everyone is using the same language. They are also designed to be "distributed"; this means that it doesn't matter where the Web service is running or where you are when you communicate with it. The WSDL looks the same, only the address of the Web service changes.
A WSDL document describes exactly how to interact with the Web service, but it doesn't force a specific implementation. This is how compatibility problems between two Web services are significantly reduced.
REST Web services
REST services are an alternative to SOAP and make Web services easier to build and more lightweight. REST services use HTTP methods and each unique URL represents an object. The HTTP methods supported are GET (to get the contents of the object), and then POST, PUT, and DELETE which you can use to modify the object.
How does BPEL work with Web services?
You use BPEL to create services that use other services by providing tools that make it easier to define complex workflows and processes when working with services. | <urn:uuid:d620b907-83f4-47bc-8c56-be503840c628> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.microfocus.com/documentation/verastream-process-designer/r6-sp2/user-guide/what-is-a-business-process/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337855.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20221006191305-20221006221305-00552.warc.gz | en | 0.925808 | 562 | 2.9375 | 3 |
According to the CISA, ransomware attacks are one of the fastest-growing cyber threats today. In fact, shifting from just one year to the next, ransomware incidents increased 62% in 2021 in comparison to 2020 — accounting for 10% of global data breaches. In February 2022 alone, the CISA reported that it is aware of ransomware incidents against 14 of the 16 U.S. critical infrastructure sectors. The question is what’s leading to all these ransomware attacks? How can we prevent them from happening at all?
We know that user error is a catalyst for cybercriminals to be able to carry out these ransomware attacks. Whether it be by accidentally clicking on a phishing email or using insecure browsing sessions, user error can lead to ransomware. The bad news is ransomware is on the rise. The good news is there are ways to prevent these attacks from happening with the right technology.
Continue reading to dive deep into the correlation between user error and ransomware attacks and discover solutions to mitigate your overall risk posture.
How Does User Error Lead to Ransomware Attacks?
Before diving into the solutions to prevent ransomware attacks brought in by user error, it’s important to discuss how user error can lead to an attack. Stanford University reports that approximately 88% percent of all data breaches are caused by an employee mistake or human error. TechTarget also states that “More often than not, it’s users clicking on something that they shouldn’t that can lead to [a ransomware] infection.”
There are many examples of user error that can open the gates for cybercriminals to steal data and hold it for ransom. We’ve listed just a few below:
- Clicking on malicious links
- Responding to spam or phishing emails
- Working in compromised sites and browsers
Take a look at our Delivery & Exploit Kill Chain for Ransomware below.
This diagram depicts the potential pathways cybercriminals can exploit vulnerable (and high-risk) users to steal sensitive data and information via ransomware exploit. Typically, an attack is delivered via a link or an executable with an enticing reason to download it. Once the victim clicks on the malicious software, the user’s machine runs the ransomware exploit. It’s during this process that these criminals identify and encrypt key data from the user’s systems. At this point, the attacker has full control of the victim’s machine and won’t unlock it or share the decryption key until the ransom payment is received.
There are multiple attack vectors shown above, so it’s understandable why organizations struggle to mitigate user error. Thus, it’s no longer a luxury, but a necessity, to implement the right technology to:
- Prioritize your organization’s risk posture across all departments
- Predict which users are at the highest risk of letting in an attack
- Unlock prevention strategies to mitigate all types of cyberattacks
How Enterprises Are Preventing Ransomware Caused by Human Error
By implementing the right tools and technology, you can help minimize the likelihood of a ransomware attack on your organization. A recent Proofpoint survey found that:
- More than 60% of respondents are investing in technology to prevent ransomware
- 58% have purchased cyber insurance
However, we know that the best solution to preventing ransomware is by leveraging user error and risk mitigation technology. With the right software, you can gain:
- Visibility and control over your attack surface
- Data that highlights the biggest risks in your organization
- A deeper understanding of who in your organization is most likely to fall for a ransomware attack
Take, for example, the Elevate Security Platform. Elevate Security helps security teams disrupt the likelihood of ransomware downloads while keeping all necessary user controls and permissions updated automatically. Check out the compelling story of how a Fortune 500 company in the financial industry with a large, global workforce that included a mix of full-time, contract and subcontractor roles, used Elevate Security to identify and respond to high-risk users. Upon implementing our platform, this Fortune 500 company achieved:
- An 82% reduction in malware/ransomware and account takeover incidents
- A 55% improvement in risky security decisions being made
- A 47% increase in the detection of attacks targeting employees
5 Strategies to Mitigate User Error with Elevate Security
Based on our years of experience, we’ve developed our platform to prevent ransomware attacks for our clients by implementing the following 5 key functions.
The initial functionality necessary to mitigate user error is enhanced visibility into individual risk profiles. Generating user risk profiles for every user in your extended enterprise is essential to determine their likelihood of falling victim to a ransomware attack. With intensified visibility, you can identify the 6% of your users causing 90% of your security incidents.
2. Control Orchestration
Understanding user risk is the first step in preventing ransomware. The next is to establish the automated workflow of controls that are appropriate for targeted individuals. Depending on the user’s risk score, controls can be tightened or loosened automatically. Elevate Security handles this by pushing updates to email, web gateways, and endpoint security tools as needed.
3. Employee Feedback & Executive Communication
Keeping employees informed and in the loop on their own personal risk posture is critical. With automated notifications, you can inform your riskiest users about how to recognize unsafe links and downloads. This way, users are empowered to stay on their toes and be on the lookout for potential security incidents.
4. Decision Support
It can be difficult determining which controls and permissions should or shouldn’t be restricted for a certain high-risk individual — especially when productivity is on the line. With effective user risk mitigation technology like Elevate Security, your incident response team and security analysts will receive expert insights into each individual’s human risk to make well-informed and defensible decisions.
5. Continuous Improvement
The end goal is not to control every move and decision high-risk users make, it’s to mitigate their likelihood of falling for a ransomware attack over time. With our solution, you can re-evaluate your data loss posture continuously. Now, you’ll be better able to understand the effectiveness of your investment.
In the past few years, ransomware attacks have only gotten worse and more sophisticated, with their frequency increasing by 715%. Plus, ransomware payouts have more than doubled from an average of $115,000 to $312,500. These attacks are an unfortunate reality for all enterprises — but there are things you can do to avoid becoming a victim.
Take the Elevate Security Platform for a test drive — schedule a demo to get started. | <urn:uuid:ba1afc7b-9fa4-46f7-9c5d-dabf022aa3ee> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://elevatesecurity.com/user-error-leads-to-ransomware-heres-how-to-prevent-an-attack/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030333541.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220924213650-20220925003650-00752.warc.gz | en | 0.922436 | 1,377 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Data management is extremely important for every organization, especially the large scale companies wherein the amount of data is huge. Thus, the manual storage and management of the data is next to impossible. However, due to the technological advancement, the SQL platform came into use. The SQL facilitated business owners to have the ability of not only storing data but also accessing it, irrespective of the place, via the use of a remote connection. The SQL platform truly changed the way of managing data which was not possible in other servers.
SQL Query Export led to the ease of data management with the efficiency of administrators to change the data as and when necessary. Since this system makes use of several platforms, businesses had the freedom to access data from anywhere. Large organizations had huge amount of data related to their finances, transactions, clients and so on. Storing the data became extremely crucial to facilitate in the future. However, there were instances when the server or database crashed, leading to the faliure of accessing the much needed data. This was solved by the SQL database system.
Let's take a look at the various advantages which led to the popularity of this data storage and management system.
- The SQL platform is quite easy to install and requires human assistance only when there is a necessity of uploading the data or performing any alteration. Also, due to its flexibility in being implemented in any environment, this tool became quite popular among various organizations.
- Incorporation of efficient platforms is what made it flexible to be used in various environments. From HTTPS and HTTP to Windows Web clients, SQL shared a common working method for all these systems.
- Data theft was a common problem when it comes to servers. Over the time, pre installed servers started to lose their efficiency of storing the data. Also, in situations where the database crashes, businesses couldn't get back their data. But the new data management system allowed businesses to retrieve back the lost data.
- The present data base management system is not particularly connected to any definite access. Being connected to the internet, businesses had the liberty of accessing the data from anywhere across the world as long as they are connected to their servers.
With these advantages, the SQL had allowed businesses to successfully store and manage their data. Also, the export data from sql server can let businesses to take quick decisions without having to wait for the data to be manually sent. If you own a business, then incorporating the SQL based data management system is the best possible option for having better possibilities of executing the decisions for a better business. | <urn:uuid:d4d7e27d-3702-4ae9-8333-0577826dcd7f> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.mytechlogy.com/IT-blogs/9851/sql-database-export-a-new-way-of-data-management/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030333541.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220924213650-20220925003650-00752.warc.gz | en | 0.963006 | 512 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Indian researchers from the city of Bangalore (Bengaluru) in Karnataka-India have found in a new study that niacinamide or Vitamin B3 (niacin) can be used to enhance a natural occurring antiviral in humans called cathelicidin (LL37) to destroy the membrane of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, thus inhibiting its replication.
The study findings were published on a preprint server and are currently being peer reviewed. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.26.505399v1
SARS-CoV-2 infects host cells by binding of its spike protein to the Ace2 receptor on the cell membrane1. The importance of this interaction underlies the strategy of many vaccines to target Spike protein and thus prevent infection2. While exogenous Ace2 expression is sufficient to render cells competent for SARS-Cov-2 infection3, tissue expression of Ace2 is not always an indicator of viral tropism4.
A case in point is the skin that expresses Ace2 in the epidermis in-vivo5, and keratinocytes in-vitro (Fig S1A) but nevertheless is not considered as a primary route of infection6. In support of this, exposure of human epidermal keratinocytes to SARS-CoV-2 does not result in a productive infection (Fig S1B).
Thus, although epidermal keratinocytes are competent for SARS-CoV-2 infection, they may possess an endogenous defence mechanism to inhibit viral infection. The skin possesses a basal defence mechanism endowed by the constitutive secretion of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs)7.
In particular, the human AMP cathelicidin (LL37) has been shown to target various classes of viruses8,9, including respiratory viruses10. Skin keratinocytes exhibit a higher basal level of LL37 secretion than lung epithelial cells (Fig S1C), which could be one of the factors leading to their lower infectivity by SARS-CoV-2 (Fig S1B).
To ascertain whether LL37 is effective against SARS-CoV-2, we incubated the virus with this AMP and assessed its ability to infect an intestinal epithelial cell (Caco2) as a reporter. We observed a dose-dependent decrease in viral gene expression upon treatment with LL37 (Fig 1A).
This LL37 mediated effect was also observed in other SARS-CoV-2 variants (alpha, kappa, delta, and omicron) (Fig 1B). These observations were confirmed by tissue-culture infectious dose (TCID50) assays (Fig S1D). Previous work has suggested that LL37 can interact with the spike protein and the ACE2 receptor and possibly occlude the interaction surface between them
11. However, LL37 has also been shown to interact with, and aggregate on membranes12. Hence, we hypothesized that LL37 may inhibit viral infection in a Spike/Ace2 independent manner. We thus compared the neutralising capacity of LL37 against viruses of different tropism, namely VSV-G and S1 pseudotyped lentivirus particles. We observed comparable reduction in transduction when both pseudotyped lentivirus particles were treated with increasing amounts of LL37 (Fig S1E).
pathogens13. Enveloped viruses such as coronavirus that assemble virions by budding off from the endoplasmic reticulum membrane have a negatively charged membrane due to a higher content of phosphatidylserine (PS)14,15. To mimic the membrane composition of a generic coronavirus, we prepared three different vesicles in which PS composition was varied according to the published range of ER-derived virions15 (Fig S1F). We observed that increasing the percentage of PS resulted in an increase in the negative surface charge on the vesicles (Fig S1F), which was neutralized by the presence of LL37 (Fig S1G).
These results suggest that the positively charged peptide can coat the outer leaflet of the bilayer by electrostatic interactions. To determine the consequence of the interaction of LL37 with the vesicles, we assayed whether membrane integrity was compromised. Using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) based membrane disruption assay (schematically shown in Fig S1H), we observed reduction in FRET (fluorescence recovery at 530nm) when vesicles were treated with LL37 (Fig. 1C).
These results indicate that LL37 is more effective in interacting with and disrupting membranes with a higher negative charge (Fig S1F). Previous reports have also indicated that disruption of vesicle membranes by positively charged polymers leads to vesicle clumping16. We therefore investigated whether disruption of the pseudoviruses and SARS-CoV-2 by LL37 would result in their aggregation leading to increase in particle size as measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS). Consistent with the reported effect of cationic polymers on negatively charged membranes, we observed an increase in particle size of SARS-CoV-2 (Fig 1D) as well as pseudotyped virus (VSV-G and Spike) (Fig S1I) upon treatment with LL37.
Disease severity of several viral respiratory infections has been inversely correlated with LL37 levels 17. Since it has been shown that salivary burden of SARS-CoV-2 correlates with disease severity in patients 18, we compared the levels of secreted LL37 in the saliva of SARS-CoV-2 infected and uninfected individuals (patient information in (Fig S1J). Symptomatic individuals had on average ~3-fold less LL37 than uninfected individuals (Fig 1E). Interestingly, asymptomatic positive patients had equivalent levels of LL37 as uninfected individuals. These results suggest that lower LL37 levels may potentially render individuals more susceptible to a symptomatic infection.
Figure 1. Antiviral activity of LL37 against SARS-CoV-2 variants (A) Effect of increasing LL37 concentrations on SARS-CoV-2 neutralization (qRT-PCR) (n=3) (B) Effect of LL37 on the infectivity
of various SARS-CoV-2 variants (qRT-PCR) (n=3) (C) Membrane disruption assay using virus like vesicles, mimicking viral membrane and PS concentration (FRET) (n=3) (D) Particle size analysis of SARS-CoV-2 in the presence of LL37 (DLS) (n=3) (E) Measurement of LL37 in various patient cohorts (ELISA) (A total of 41 individuals were subdivided into negative (16), positive symptomatic (13), and positive asymptomatic (12) cohorts) [Statistical analysis was done using one-way ANOVA (A,D), two-way ANOVA (B,C), and Kruskal Wallis test (non-parametric ANOVA) (E), *p≤0.05, **p≤0.001, ***p≤0.0001]
Since lower levels of LL37 are associated with the symptomatic COVID-19 patient group (Fig 1E), we speculated that increasing the level of LL37 or enhancing the activity of the existing LL37 might serve as a potential means of combating SARS- CoV-2 infection. One method of enhancing the activity of LL37 is to decrease its inherent self-aggregation12 and thereby increase its bioavailability. A common approach to prevent aggregation is through the use of a hydrotrope such as niacinamide (vitamin B3). It is a generally regarded as safe (GRAS) substance used to increase the solubility, and therefore the activity, of various drugs19. Indeed, we observed that LL37 supplemented with niacinamide exhibited an enhanced potency against infection by different variants of SARS-CoV-2 (Fig 2A, S2A).
To understand the mechanism of LL37 interaction with lipid membranes in the presence of niacinamide, we used atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Our simulations support the hydrotropic solubilisation of LL37 by an aqueous solution of niacinamide. We found that niacinamide transiently associated with mainly the hydrophobic and non-polar residues of LL37 (Fig S2B) by both aromatic- π and van der Waals interactions. These predominantly included phenylalanine (Phe5, Phe6, Phe17 and Phe27) and isoleucine (Ile20 and Ile24) residues (Fig 2B), which mediates LL-37’s self-aggregation and reduced activity20. Our simulations suggest that encapsulating of aggregation prone residues of LL37 by niacinamide would likely improve the bioavailability of the peptide.
In addition, we employed molecular dynamics simulation to investigate the early steps of LL37 adsorption on viral envelope-like membranes in the presence of niacinamide. These simulations demonstrate the lipid acyl chains and headgroups interacting with the LL37 peptide (Fig 2C top image). In accordance with previous literature21, these interactions pull the peptide into the membrane resulting in local thinning in the bilayer and ultimately a dramatic destabilization of membrane (Fig
2C bottom, Fig S2C), with a concomitant destabilization of lipid ordering (Fig S2D). This configuration meant that the charged amino acid residues of LL37 faced the solvent and were free to interact with niacinamide (S2E). Additionally, this simulation predicts that niacinamide also penetrates into the membrane (Fig 2D) and may synergize with LL37 to disrupt the membrane. Thus, we conclude that niacinamide has dual activities: (i) hydrotropically increase the aqueous solubility of LL37, thereby rendering it more bioavailable and; (ii) cooperate with the peptide to destabilize membrane.
To validate these computational results, we performed a FRET-based membrane disruption assay using artificial viral membranes (as described in Fig S1F, H) in the presence of LL37 and niacinamide. Consistent with simulation predictions, we observed that membrane disruption of liposomes by LL37 was enhanced in combination with niacinamide (Fig 2E), while niacinamide by itself was not antiviral. To test whether the effect of niacinamide can be reproduced with naturally produced AMPs, we analyzed its effect on AMPs that are highly secreted in saliva22 and from the skin7.
We found that human saliva exhibits antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, which can be potentiated upon supplementation with niacinamide (Fig 2F). Likewise, we also observed that skin scrubs supplemented with niacinamide exhibited antiviral activity (Fig. S2C).
Our body naturally synthesizes niacinamide, but interestingly, the biosynthetic pathways and precursor leading to niacinamide production are downregulated in symptomatic COVID-19 patients23. Thus, exogenous supplementation of niacinamide in symptomatic patients may potentiate the activity of naturally produced AMPs from the body’s epithelia.
Figure 2. Effect of niacinamide on the antiviral activity of LL37 (A) Viral gene expression at different concentrations of LL37 in the presence of niacinamide (qRT-PCR) (n=3) (B) Contribution of each residue of LL37 towards interaction with niacianamide from MD simulations (mean of 3 independent simulations, errors propagated from each replicate). Residues contributing > 1 kJ/mol are labelled (C) The LL37 peptide gets deeply embedded in the membrane in 200 ns (top). Representative membrane thickness averaged over the last 20 ns of MD simulations in absence and presence of the LL37 peptide (bottom left and right respectively). Color scale indicates membrane thickness in nm. (D) Representative snapshot (left) of niacinamide penetrating deeper than water into the hydrophobic core of the membrane (LL37, black peptide; lipid acyl chains, grey lines; niacinamide, space filling; water, orange) which is quantified on the right, averaging the molecular density (membrane, black; niacinamide, green; water, orange) over the entire 200 ns trajectory (5 replicates, mean ± SD) (E) Membrane disruption assay on addition of LL37 and niacinamide (FRET) (n=3) (F) Effect of niacinamide addition to saliva on SARS-CoV-2 neutralisation (TCID50) (n=4) [Statistical analysis was done using student t-test for (A), two-way ANOVA for (E), and one-way ANOVA for (F), *p≤0.05, **p≤0.001, ***p≤0.0001]
The variants that exhibit increased transmissibility and disease severity are reported to contain mutations in the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein24. Given their key role in mediating viral entry into the host cell, many vaccines have been developed with antigens derived from the spike protein, and mutations pose a serious problem with vaccine escape25. In addition, the heavy glycan coating of the spike proteins can be a mechanism of camouflaging them from the immune system26. One approach to circumvent these problems is to target the viral envelope that originates from the host cell and is thus conserved among the different variants. Altogether, we show that the AMP LL37 has the potential to neutralise the SARS-CoV-2 viral infection by targeting its envelope and niacinamide further enhances this antiviral activity of the peptide. Our data on the symptomatic patient samples further substantiate this hypothesis and argues for an approach that would entail enhancing the efficacy of antimicrobial peptides for protection against viral infections. Therefore, either exogenous administration of the AMP with niacinamide or other strategies to boost the endogenous production of the peptide in combination with niacinamide could be a potent method to not only block viral transmission, but may be an effective therapy to limit viral load and disease severity of a patient post infection. | <urn:uuid:c4129c6a-7ad3-405c-b2b2-0b763b21a254> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://debuglies.com/2022/08/29/vitamin-b3-enhance-cathelicidin-helping-to-inhibit-sars-cov-2/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030334802.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20220926051040-20220926081040-00752.warc.gz | en | 0.909933 | 3,046 | 2.734375 | 3 |
The rapid expansion of fiber optic networks, including data services measured by data volume or bandwidth, shows that fiber optic transmission technology is and will continue to be a significant part of future networking systems. Network designers are becoming increasingly comfortable with fiber solutions, since the use of which allows for more flexible network architecture and other advantages, such as EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) resilience and data security. Optical transceiver plays an really important role in these fiber connections. And while designing fiber optic transceivers, three aspects need to be considered: environmental situation, electrical condition and optical performance.
What Is a Optical Transceiver?
The optical transceiver is a self-contained component that transmits and receives signals. Usually, it is inserted in devices such as routers or network interface cards which provide one or more transceiver module slot. The transmitter takes an electrical input and converts it to an optical output from a laser diode or LED. The light from the transmitter is coupled into the fiber with a connector and is transmitted through the fiber optic cable plant. Then the light from the end of the fiber is coupled to a receiver where a detector converts the light into an electrical signal which is then conditioned properly for use by the receiving equipment. There are a full range of optical transceivers available in telecommunication market, like SFP transceiver, SFP+ transceiver (eg. SFP-10G-SR shown below), 40G QSFP+, 100G CFP, etc.
Optical Transceiver Designing Considerations
It’s true that fiber links can handle higher data rates over longer distances than copper solutions, which drive the even wider use of optical transceivers. While designing fiber optic transceivers, the following aspects should be taken into consideration.
- Environmental Situation
One challenge comes to the outside weather—especially severe weather at elevated or exposed heights. The components must operate over extreme environmental conditions, over a wider temperature range. The second environmental issue related to the optical transceiver design is the host board environment which contains the system power dissipation and thermal dissipation characteristics.
A major advantage of the fiber optic transceiver is the relatively low electrical power requirements. However, this low power does not exactly mean that the thermal design can be ignored when assembling a host configuration. Sufficient ventilation or airflow should be included to help dissipate thermal energy that is drawn off the module. Part of this requirement is addressed by the standardized SFP cage which is mounted on the host board and also serves as a conduit for thermal energy. Case temperature reported by the Digital Monitor Interface (DMI), when the host operates at its maximum design temperature, is the ultimate test of the effectiveness of the overall system thermal design.
- Electrical Condition
Essentially, the fiber transceiver is an electrical device. In order to maintain error free performance for the data passing through the module, the power supply to the module must be stable and noise-free. What’s more, the power supply driving the transceiver must be appropriately filtered. The typical filters have been specified in the Multisource Agreements (MSAs) which have guided the original designs for these transceivers. One such design in the SFF-8431 specification is shown below.
- Optical Performance
Optical performance is measured as Bit Error Rate, or BER. The problem facing designing optical transceiver lie in the case that the optical parameters for the transmitter and receiver have to be controlled, so that any possible degradation of the optical signal while traveling along the fibers will not cause poor BER performance. The primary parameter of relevance is the BER of the complete link. That is, the start of the link is the source of the electrical signals which drive the transmitter, and at the end, the electrical signal is received and interpreted by the circuitry in the host by the receiver. For those communication links which use optical transceivers, the primary goal is to guarantee BER performance at different link distances, and to ensure broad interoperability with third party transceivers from different vendors.
Fiber technology is becoming maturer, leading to the wider use of optical transceivers. With the three aspects mentioned above in mind, designing fiber optic transceivers should be easier. FS.COM supplies many transceivers which are fully compatible with major brands, including HP compatible transceivers (eg. J4858C). | <urn:uuid:70418d0b-87b5-40f4-bf0a-2b6c59db6e92> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.fiber-optic-components.com/tag/fiber-optic-transceiver | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030334802.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20220926051040-20220926081040-00752.warc.gz | en | 0.921636 | 893 | 3.21875 | 3 |
Key compression is a technique that can be applied to the keys of an indexed file. There are four types of compression available:
You can specify key compression using the KEYCOMPRESS option in the File Handler configuration file. Use the following integers to indicate which type of compression you want:
You can add these numbers together to specify a combination of compression types (with the exception of trailing nulls and trailing spaces which are mutually exclusive).
Alternatively, you can use the KEYCOMPRESS Compiler directive when compiling the program.
The key compression used by a file is determined by the last processed KEYCOMPRESS directive when the SELECT statement for the file is processed so you can set key compression for an individual file by using a line of the form:
immediately before its SELECT statement in your program. You can turn it off again by specifying $SET NOKEYCOMPRESS before any other files are processed. | <urn:uuid:b2db1065-70ec-4a66-b720-2ea7321cca54> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.microfocus.com/documentation/visual-cobol/vc50/EclUNIX/BKFHFHCOMPU005.html | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030334802.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20220926051040-20220926081040-00752.warc.gz | en | 0.846496 | 191 | 2.5625 | 3 |
The IoT Security Risks and Benefits of IT Convergence
Over the past few years, one of the major IT trends has been that of system convergence.
This trend is not just in relation to converged systems or hyperconverged systems, although that is certainly a part of it. Convergence points to a much larger trend that might be better described as “system standardization.”
This standardization takes many different forms. For example, many software vendors now make their applications cross-platform so that they can work on a variety of operating systems. Similarly, code libraries are seeing greater adoption than ever before, meaning that countless devices are being built with code from those libraries. Further, cloud computing platforms require this kind of system standardization to enable applications to be scalable, secure and interoperable in the .
As systems continue to converge, the convergence will inevitably introduce security challenges, but it will also create new opportunities.
The IoT Security Risks Posed by Convergence
The primary security challenge that is posed by widespread IT convergence is that vulnerabilities can be exploited at a much greater scale than ever before. Consider how bad actors have used the previously mentioned examples of convergence to increase the scale of their attacks.
Conventional wisdom has long held that if an application contains an exploitable vulnerability, an attacker could conceivably use that vulnerability to take control of a system that runs that application.
But what happens when application vendors begin releasing their applications on multiple platforms? It is at least plausible that an application-level vulnerability could potentially allow a malicious actor to successfully wage a multifront attack against every platform on which the application is designed to run. Of course the ability to conduct such an attack would depend greatly on the nature of the vulnerability.
The same concept also applies to the increasing use of code libraries. If a library includes an exploitable vulnerability, the vulnerability will presumably exist in any system that uses that particular code library.
This was the nature of the Ripple20, which affected an array of systems, from boutique vendors to Fortune 500 companies.
Earlier this year, vulnerabilities were discovered in the Trek Inc. TCP/IP library. These vulnerabilities, which came to be collectively known as Ripple20 left hundreds of millions of IoT devices vulnerable to attack. These devices included consumer products and industrial sensors, medical equipment, and more. In essence, a poorly written, but widely used code library left untold millions of devices vulnerable to attack.
Of course IoT devices can undermine an organization’s security, even if a device does not incorporate a software library that is known to be problematic.
Because IoT devices tend to create vast amounts of data, devices are often linked to cloud storage. Depending on how an organization’s cloud resources are configured, an attacker who has gained access to cloud storage via an IoT device may be able to use the successful attack as a stepping stone for compromising additional cloud resources that have nothing to do with the organization’s IoT devices.
Convergence Presents IoT Security Benefits
Although convergence undoubtedly introduces significant security risks, it also presents new opportunities to improve IoT security. As previously mentioned, convergence (at least from the standpoint of this article) is closely tied to standardization. In the case of the Ripple20 vulnerability for instance, countless vendors had adopted an industry-standard TCP/IP library.
While standardization poses certain risks, it also reduces complexity and it causes the systems that depend on those standardized resources to behave in a predictable way. Predictability is extremely beneficial from an IoT security standpoint, both in the virtual world and in the physical world.
If a variety of IoT devices all use a common TCP/IP stack for example, then those devices should behave in a similar way on the network. This opens the door to allowing a machine learning algorithm to learn what is normal for those devices. As such, even a small deviation from the norm (something humans would likely not notice) could be detected by a security tool that has learned devices’ normal behavior patterns.
Another way in which this type of convergence has the opportunity to improve security is that the resulting standardization enables security professionals to direct their attention to the areas that are likely to make the most difference.
Consider the previous example, in which a variety of devices share a software library. Because that software library is so widely used, there is incentive for the security community to do everything that it can to discover vulnerabilities that exist. This will ultimately help the vendor that created the library to further harden it against attack.
Additionally, convergence may ultimately make it easier for an organization to collectively manage its IoT devices. This type of centralized management can be especially beneficial from a security standpoint because it allows an organization to positively identify its devices (and to spot rogue devices), and to apply patches to devices in a more timely manner.
Over time, IT convergence may create a world in which IT components, and IoT systems, are largely modular, and designed to interact with one another. In fact, It systems are already doing this to some extent with software libraries, and with containers hosting microservices. This modularity will undoubtedly lead to increased standardization of components and will also make applications more resistant to attack. | <urn:uuid:1221be52-6fbe-4f08-b306-227aef47cefd> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.iotworldtoday.com/2021/02/08/the-iot-security-risks-and-benefits-of-it-convergence/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335034.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220927131111-20220927161111-00752.warc.gz | en | 0.950444 | 1,051 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Dealing in a business means dealing with data. The entire business world is dependent on any form of data. Data is present in every form, including sales figures or stock trends, implicating that a good part of the business involves dealing with data. This is more important because data is frequently used in the digital world, and the maximum work is performed online.
As and when a business develops, the data saturation level also grows. This means that there is much more data collection than ever before, implying that one cannot ignore any business issue. However, it is important to note that not all data is valuable. Saturating unwanted or the least important data is one of the significant issues a company faces.
What is bad data?
Bad data can be defined as an unstructured form of data that includes quality issues such as inaccurate, inconsistent, incomplete, and duplicated information. But here, inaccuracy does not mean that the data is false—true data can also be bad data.
Bad data is even considered as an inherent characteristic of data that is collected in its raw form. For instance, social media data is unstructured data that needs to be processed before being used for analyzing or business intelligence.
Missing crucial elements, data that is irrelevant to the objectives for which to be utilized, duplicated data, improperly produced data, and so on are all examples of bad data. Businesses’ use of faulty data can substantially impact their success, and it can be disastrous in certain situations.
Organizations need to remain alert about their data collection and management practices. These can be just as important as the actual product or service marketed to the public.
Why is bad data bad for any organization?
Spending time fixing minor problems like spellings and typos can harm businesses in a wide variety of ways. The following areas show how it can affect businesses –
Creating flawed insights –
One of the leading causes of flawed insights is duplicated data. For example, a company may assume that there are 100 active users, as data duplication takes place over time in multiple data sources; there might be chances that the company has 63 active users wherein the remaining 37 are duplicates. Imagining this data at an exponentially higher level with millions of rows of data is likely to draw an inaccurate conclusion from the data.
Complicates migration of projects –
When an organization tries to move its data from one platform to another, there might be a case where the new platform has a different set of data governance and standardization rules.
The new system may have a different data storing method. In such situations, it becomes difficult to move and map data accurately. So before migrating data, the company should first give it a thorough check to remove any inconsistency.
Directly impacts organizations’ efficiency –
Data is the core operating system of any organization. Quality of data directly impacts organizational efficiency. A company’s processes, people, and goals are all affected when the data is inappropriate.
Consider an example of a marketing team from an organization where the team makes a costly mistake after sending emails to the wrong target audience. The situation would have been under control if the team had access to clean and accurate data.
Data acts as a core part of any organization – at times when the quality cannot be trusted, and resulting actions are incorrect, it may lead to loss of the organization.
Obstructs digital transformation –
Poor data quality has severe impacts on processes, the environment, and people. It eventually affects digital transformation goals. At times, there might be a situation where companies might face obstruction that needs to halt a project to fix a data quality problem. Handling such cases consumes a lot of time and effort, resulting in transformation delay and the slowdown of company processes.
Along with these major problems, poor data quality has become a significant reason behind a dozen other minor issues. Business leaders usually ignore these issues until they become a major bottleneck for companies to deal with.
Continued growth and business expansion lead to changes in data collection needs, and the sort of data relevant to them evolves with time.
Bad data will always be there and will keep growing with time. It is important for organizations to architect systems that effectively handle data errors. Building up proper structure will help eliminate unexpected downtime, prevent data loss and avoid operational delays.
For an organization to remain data-driven and prepare for the information era, it is essential to implement a data quality framework fast. This will help to overcome the consequences of the bad data.
For more information visit our latest whitepapers on data security and other related technology here. | <urn:uuid:16ef6e8e-8b74-4b8e-9414-59425c62017b> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.itsecuritydemand.com/insights/security/why-bad-data-should-be-a-point-of-concern/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335034.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220927131111-20220927161111-00752.warc.gz | en | 0.942454 | 946 | 2.78125 | 3 |
A few readers might smile as they peruse this piece, with a cup of coffee cradled in their hands. Coffee provides not only antioxidants but also healthy ways to remain alert, focused, and stay motivated. Numerous sources hail the coffeemaker in the workplace break room as the catalyst for stronger teamwork, such as this BusinessInsider article or this humorous Chicago Tribune article that demands for coffee and nap time in the workplace. This beverage, whether iced, dripped, or steamed, does not motivate only people—it also drives our economy. According to Global Exchange, coffee is the second most valuable traded commodity in the world right behind petroleum; it is also America's largest food import, as more than 2.7 billion pounds are brought into the country each year. Ever since the beloved bean began circulating through Europe in the seventeenth century, it has made a profound impact on people worldwide.
While some may experience inspiration consuming a cup, others may be exposed to extreme working conditions creating it. While some may receive exorbitant pay as the middleman, others might be child laborers who are exploited daily. Today, we zoom into the fine lines of the bean, and how businesses and consumers can support ethical coffee.
First, a quick FAQ guide:
Where does coffee come from, and how does it get to the US?
Multiple varieties of coffee beans—small, large, inorganic, or ethical—are grown on plantations and farms, in parts of Africa and Central America. Producing coffee involves three parties: the workers; the middleman, known as "the coyote"; and the buyers, or the coffee brands. Workers receive mere cents per day to grow the coffee, often forcing their children to earn the extra cents necessary for survival. The middleman sells the coffee to the buyers at a price that exploits the workers.
What is ethical coffee?
According to CoffeeCology, ethical coffee is defined by two parts: fair working conditions and wages for those who produce the coffee, as well as responsible and sustainable farming practices that protect the surrounding environment and ecosystems.
What is organic coffee?
In organic coffee production, trees or whole forests are not destroyed, pesticides that harm native animals are not used, and local waterways are not contaminated.
Propelled by growing media attention, many coffee brands are now striving to ensure their coffees are ethically produced. In May 2015, the Guardian had found that seven out of thirteen coffee brands are now ethically accredited. Even when searching "ethical coffee" on the Internet, numerous coffee brands demonstrate why their coffee is the best choice for the farmer and the consumer.
But now, controversy stirs regarding what these accreditation's exactly entail. Another Guardian article explains why "fairtrade," now more of a buzzword, does not necessarily mean that the coffee bean being sold was produced in a symbiotic way for everyone involved.
Ethical Consumer and similar organizations help guide consumers in selecting the most ethical coffee at the right price, with standards that are tuned to the safety of the people, the environment, and the future of the farm. With research, alertness, consciousness, and a moral compass tuned to the benefits of ethical practices, businesses can provide coffee that help ensure the well-being of everyone involved. | <urn:uuid:4b2e3a0d-8b0b-4bc7-933a-30d56a4554fe> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.givainc.com/blog/index.cfm/2016/2/26/businesses-brew-coffee-of-care | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335286.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20220928212030-20220929002030-00752.warc.gz | en | 0.958091 | 671 | 3 | 3 |
Traditional SD-WAN solves the issues of WAN connectivity by creating virtual networks, or overlays, on top of the current transport network. Overlay-based SD-WAN however comes with a dependency on tunnels. While the use of tunnels can make the creation of overlays easier, tunnels bring with them a number of costs. In some applications, such as VoIP, tunnel overhead consumes as much as 40% to 100% additional packet bandwidth1, resulting in poor bandwidth efficiency, increased latency, packet drops and worst of all, poor customer experience.
Overlay-based SD-WAN creates a network transport that is heavyweight and less optimized; fragmentation is introduced; and scalability and security are negatively impacted. 128T Session Smart routers offer a tunnel-free SD-WAN solution, which is more native, lightweight and scalable, to implement than overlay-based SD-WAN.
A tunnel, as defined according to RFC 1853, encapsulates original IP payload with a new IP header. The original IP header is maintained while a new one is added.
The advantage of a tunnel is to bridge portions of the network that have disjointed capabilities and policies. This encapsulation of traffic, when it reaches its destination, needs to be decapsulated, leaving the original IP header with its payload.
Although there are many kinds of tunnels, all have one thing in common: they add additional bytes to existing IP packets.
GRE (defined in RFC 2784) is very popular in the SD-WAN industry. GRE Overhead = 8 (GRE bytes) + 20 (IP GRE Header) = 24 Bytes. Therefore, GRE adds 24 additional bytes to the packet size.
IPsec with GRE: IPsec (defined in RFC 6071) is a very popular way of creating encrypted tunnels in SD-WAN. IPsec enables authentication and encryption of IP packets. IPsec uses two main protocols, Authentication Header (AH) and Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP). These protocols authenticate (AH) and encrypt plus authenticate (ESP), respectively.
IPsec can be used in conjunction with GRE or VXLAN tunneling protocols. This means GRE header is added first, followed by the IPsec header. IPsec Overhead: 20 (IPsec Header) + 8 (ESP Header) + 8 (Init. Vector) + 2 (ESP Trailer) + 12 (ESP Auth.) = 50 Bytes Therefore, a total of 50 bytes are added additionally to MTU. This is in addition to the 24 bytes added by GRE.
Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN): Although VXLAN (defined in RFC 7348) is very popular in the data center world, it has found its way into the SD-WAN industry. Because VXLAN is a layer 2 encapsulation, it encapsulates the entire Ethernet frame. VXLAN Overhead = 20 (Outer IP Header) + 8 (Outer UDP) + 8 (VXLAN Header) + 14 (Inner Ethernet Header) = 50 Bytes, which is 50 bytes extra as compared to the native IP packet.
When an application uses a smaller packet size, adding tunnel overhead results in a very inefficient utilization of bandwidth. This is true about common applications, such as VoIP that uses a packet size of 60 bytes when utilizing G.729 codec. For the impact of tunnel on VoIP, consider the case of a GRE tunnel:
- IP Packet = 60 bytes (as required for G.729 codec)
- Additional bytes for GRE = 24 Bytes
- Percentage of additional bytes needed = 24/60 = 40%
This means 40% additional bytes are required to carry IP packets that are otherwise not needed if the packet is sent natively. This kind of calculation can be repeated for IPsec (with GRE) and VXLAN. The impact of the additional bytes can be clearly seen. The worse case scenario is IPsec with GRE. That is nearly 123% overhead.
SD-WAN is commonly deployed on internet links, and if it is a low bandwidth link or if the link suffers from congestion, which if often the case, this will lead to performance degradation of the application.
Packet size increase has a negative impact not only on bandwidth usage but also affects the transmission and queuing delay, thus affecting jitter and overall packet delay and the customer’s experience.
The problem of tunnels is only exaggerated in cloud deployments. The economic benefits of SVR in the cloud are realized even more.
One of the biggest downsides to tunnels is that of the bandwidth overhead, but there are also security, quality of service, and scaling issues as well. You can read about other issues with tunnels and overhead here.
128T Session Smart tunnel-free SD-WAN makes the network more scalable, bandwidth efficient, eliminating fragmentation and delivering better security when compared to the traditional tunnel-based SD-WAN. When tunnel-free SD-WAN is combined with session awareness, the network becomes dynamic and stateful. This results in an intelligent distributed fabric that goes beyond the stateless L2 and L3 connectivity provided by other SD-WAN solutions. By removing the overhead burden from transport and the need to process such overheads from CPE, the SD-WAN network becomes simple. SD-WAN CPE becomes more scalable and less costly, resulting in potential capex savings.
Secure Vector Routing Savings Comparison Tool
The GUI of the 128T offers a comparison tool to contrast different tunneling techniques and their bandwidth overhead with that of SVR directly on the traffic traversing the 128T in its environment.
Clicking on the line graph will show the data points over time for your traffic, indicating how much overall bandwidth is used. Optionally, you can view the overhead as a percentage of the payload to get a better understanding of tunneling costs.
The tool can not account for differences in configured MTU within the network. If tunnel encapsulation introduces fragmentation, the bandwidth savings are greater as each fragmented packet incurs additional encapsulation overhead. | <urn:uuid:2a650326-21e4-4919-9c68-e9058f69962d> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://docs.128technology.com/docs/about_svr_savings/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335444.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20220930051717-20220930081717-00752.warc.gz | en | 0.922717 | 1,255 | 2.78125 | 3 |
Make to learn
Put the design in design research. Design is giving form to your ideas, which allows you to quickly learn, reflect, and iterate. By testing your ideas, you provide forward motion through the Loop and create momentum within the team.
What is the lowest fidelity that communicates intent and can elicit feedback from your users? Depending on your goals and the stage in the project, this can range from a low-fidelity paper prototype to a high-fidelity interactive prototype. Invite your users to make with your team.
At the end of the day, a real person will use what you make. Consider their needs, their environment, and the not-so-obvious impact of your ideas. How many people might it affect, and would it be a positive or negative outcome for those individuals?
Start with the end in mind. How will your users measure success? Make sure to address both utility and emotion when you build. Start with the basic metrics of usable, useful, and desirable. Consistently measure your product or service’s experiences. Build upon these metrics to ensure your user experiences are continually improving.
Test early and often. There are low-impact methods of making and testing as a team, such as an A/B testing, a service prototype, or a pilot. Perfect is the enemy of done. In order to test your experience in its true context, you have to ultimately release the offering. | <urn:uuid:81e3472e-5df4-4f1f-8d2f-ceb2c8b447b2> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.ibm.com/design/research/guiding-principles/make-to-learn/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030336674.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20221001132802-20221001162802-00752.warc.gz | en | 0.950266 | 294 | 2.546875 | 3 |
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SSL. TLS. SHA-1. SHA-2. Or, how about a SHA2 certificate?
If you’re even a little bit exposed to the world of SSL/TLS certificates, you must’ve realized that it’s full of weird acronyms that mean nothing that they sound like. Today, we’re going to talk about one such acronym that puzzles many. Yes, we’re going to talk about SHA2 and how it’s used in the security implemented by SSL certificates.
SHA is the acronym for “secure hashing algorithm.” SHA, frequently written SHA-2, is a family of hashing algorithms. SHA1 (usually written SHA-1), the first algorithm of this family, was designed by the National Security Agency (NSA) and published as a federal standard in 1995 by the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST). The standards accepted by NIST are accepted by most of the industry globally. As such, SHA-1 quickly became an internet standard, replacing insecure algorithms such as MD-5. SHA-1 was eventually replaced by SHA-2, which we’ll get to more in a bit.
So, you likely understand what “secure” and “algorithm” mean. So, let’s talk about the term that you may not be as familiar with — hash. After that, we’ll circle back to talking about SHA2 and what we mean when someone talks about a SHA2 certificate or SHA2 security certificate.
A hash is the result of a hash function, a mathematical algorithm that turns simple forms of data (text, picture, video, audio, etc.) into an unreadable format that looks like what you might imagine the code of a nuclear weapon would be.
Do you know how does a hash value looks like? Well, here’s an example:
This is literally a hash of the word “hash.”
Now, there are good hash functions and bad hash functions. A good hash function yields a unique result for each piece of input. So, if there’s even the slightest of change in the input, it’ll be reflected in the output. If we capitalize the letter h in “hash” and run it through a hash function, this is what the hash of the word “Hash” would look like:
Now, this, obviously, looks nothing like the hash of the word “hash,” right? So that’s a sign of good hash function. Bad hash functions, on the other hand, don’t return different output for every input. If a hash function gives the same return for two different outputs, it’s considered broken and can’t be used.
Hashes are used by computers to identify, compare, or run calculations against files, content, and strings of data.
You might be aware that SSL/TLS certificates are issued by certificate authorities (CAs). When issuing a certificate, a certificate authority digitally signs the certificate. It’s worth noting that a certificate authority signs the hash of a digital certificate as it’s easier to sign the hash compared to signing an actual certificate. It acts as a cryptographic proof that the certificate hasn’t been modified since it was issued.
If anyone alters the certificate file by even a bit, it will cause the entire hash to change and, in turn, it would cause the signature to change. Also, if you change just a letter in a document of thousands of gigabytes, it would result in an entirely different hash. So, if an attacker wants to alter an SSL certificate to make it look fraudulent, he/she must produce the exact same hash as the original certificate. This, of course, is impossible for good hash functions. And as a result, the digital signature of a CA will be different, and the browsers would deem them invalid and show an error.
Therefore, it won’t be an exaggeration to say that hash functions form a foundation of the entire public key infrastructure. Even the slightest weakness could cause distrust in the whole industry, and that’s why having strong hash functions is the first thing that you need for public key infrastructure (PKI).
Over time, theoretical attacks against SHA-1 started, and it prompted NIST to create its successor, SHA-2. SHA-2 became an internet standard in 2002, and this was the time when SHA-1 was broken in theory, but nobody had broken it in practice. Therefore, the use of SSL certificates that used the SHA-1 hashing algorithm continued.
In 2017, thanks to joint efforts of the Cryptology Group at Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) — the national research institute for mathematics and computer science in the Netherlands — and the Google’s Research Security, Privacy and Anti-Abuse Group, a successful collision attack was carried out against SHA-1. But that’s not when SHA-1 was deprecated — it wasn’t until 2015 that all major browsers deprecated SHA-1.
SHA-2 came out as the successor and became a worldwide internet cryptographic standard. It differs from its SHA-1 predecessor in terms of its construction. In other words, the techniques used for producing hashes in both algorithms differ.
Another thing that differentiates SHA-1 and SHA-2 is their bit length. SHA-1 is a 160-bit hash and therefore, all the hashes it creates are of 160-bit length. As we mentioned earlier, SHA-2 is a family of hashes and comes in various lengths, including 224-, 256-, 384-, and 512-bit digests.
So, if you come across the terms such as “SHA-2,” “SHA-256,” or “SHA-256 bit,” they actually mean the same thing. The number at the end reflects the hash sizes. Amongst them, SHA-256 is the most extensively used hashing algorithm, and every new SSL certificate is a “SHA2 certificate” (or a SHA2 security certificate, if you’d prefer, although they’re really just called SSL certificates) in the sense that it uses the SHA-2 hashing algorithm.
All the SSL/TLS certificates used in the world have SHA-2 at its core. Until now, no significant weakness has been discovered in SHA-2. However, it’s mathematically related to SHA-1, and that’s why many experts believe that it will last around the same time as its predecessor. But there’s no need to be concerned as NIST has already approved SHA-3. A great thing about SHA-3 is that, unlike SHA-2, it doesn’t share the mathematical characteristics of SHA-1. Therefore, it’s considered to be more secure and is expected to last longer than its predecessors.
Get SSL certificates that authenticate your identity and secure your site with prices that start as low as $7.02 per year! | <urn:uuid:39edbb04-fc75-4a21-a4ca-49f9b2bc52ba> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://comodosslstore.com/resources/sha2-ssl-tls-certificates-all-you-need-to-know/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337360.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20221002212623-20221003002623-00752.warc.gz | en | 0.933295 | 1,567 | 3.40625 | 3 |
In enterprise network, network switch is always an indispensable component. Thus locating right switches in your three-layer architecture is the first step to set up a reliable hierarchical internetworking model. As we know, there are normal access/edge layer switch, aggregation/distribution layer switch and core layer switch. In my last post – What Is Distribution Switch and Why Do We Need it? – the role of distribution switch functioning multiple switch aggregation and inter-VLAN routing has been illustrated. Today we will introduce core switch and what’s the difference between core switch vs normal switch.
What Is Core Switch?
Core switch occupies in the topside layer of the enterprise networking (core layer), which functions as backbone switch for LAN access and centralizes multiple aggregation to the core. Since other 2 lower layers rely upon it, core layer switch must be a highly redundant and powerful layer 3 switch to ensure efficient high-speed and reliable data transmission. One feature on its hardware is that core switch is often a fiber switch to match with high-speed fiber optic cables and fiber optic transceiver modules. In the core layer, switching is ending and routing is beginning. Core switch is also equipped with layer 3 routing features, thus it kills two birds with one stone.
Core switch normal port speed is at least 10Gbps to handle high traffic on the uplink. Say FS S5900-24S 24 Port 10GE SFP+ stackable managed switch. This fully managed fiber 10GbE switch supports a wide range of layer2/3, inter-VLAN routing, MPLS, QoS and many other high-end functionality, natural fit for core layer networking. The switch stacking technology allows you to control the single stack to expand network capacity.
Figure 1: FS S5900-24S 24 port 10GbE fiber switch is a routing Ethernet core switch with high-performance, high-security, and switch stacking technology, expanding your network to 418Gbps.
What Is Normal Switch?
What we mentioned normal switch is often an edge switch/access switch in the access layer of enterprise network. Or in cases where network topology is not involved such as small office and home environment, normal switches may be used solely to connect end devices. Such access switch in the market often comes with copper switch with a few SFP/SFP+ port. Say S2800-24T4F fanless gigabit managed 24 port switch with 4 combo SFP slots. This quiet energy-saving access switch with abundant ports is ideal for SMBs, labs, schools and other places requiring silent operation. To provide PoE for your PDs, gigabit PoE switch is also widely used as access switch for IP surveillance cameras, VoIP phones and WAPs.
Figure 2: FS recommends S2800-24T4F 24 port gigabit switch for your access layer to ensure quiet and reliable operation.
Core Switch vs Edge Switch: What Is the Difference?
- Network Layer Location
Core switch is a powerful backbone switch in the central of the network core layer, which centralizes multiple aggregation switches to the core and implements LAN routing. Normal edge switch is in access layer to directly connect multiple end devices.
- Hardware and Software Feature
What makes a best core switch? A core witch often comes with optimized hardware and software design. A remarkable feature is owning redundancy in configurations such as ports, power and PSU. A core backbone switch is also a layer 3 switch with internal firewall capability as part of its routing functionality. A normal edge switch usually doesn’t require such high demands. Actually it may even not a managed switch in simple end user connection.
Figure 3: Deploying FS 10G fiber switch as core switch, gigabit PoE switches for PDs and gigabit 48 port switches as access switches.
Core switch is a fatal component in enterprise network core layer, which functions both switching and routing. Compared core switch vs edge switch, core layer switch owns advanced features in hardware and software to cater for high-end applications. Though core switch price is higher than a normal switch, deploying best core switches in the core layer is a must to ensure a reliable backbone. FS provides cost-effective core switch and enterprise network solutions for different applications. Any other information to know, you can visit our official website and blog. | <urn:uuid:cc109681-4786-41dd-8345-0f136cc9bce3> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.fiber-optic-cable-sale.com/tag/core-switch | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337360.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20221002212623-20221003002623-00752.warc.gz | en | 0.8881 | 883 | 2.515625 | 3 |
As the world evolves, so does cyber security. With emerging technologies like Kubernetes, there is a need to be aware of the risks involved with using these tools. If not managed properly, they can cause serious damage to your organization’s cyber security posture.
With recent incidents of data breaches and cyberattacks, companies have put more investments in cyber security solutions. In fact, the global cyber security market will reach $478.68 billion by 2030, experiencing a growth rate of 9.5% from 2021 to 2030.
According to Statista, phishing and such frauds were the major cybercrimes in the United States in 2020. Such cybercrimes pose a threat to the cybersecurity of your device when you go online. Using residential proxies and other proxies is the best way to deal with cyberfrauds and cybersecurity issues.
Proxy servers play a vital role in enhancing the cybersecurity of internet-enabled devices. By masking the IP address of your device, they prevent data tracking from your device. Read on to know what a proxy server is and how proxies help enhance your cybersecurity.
Most modern-day businesses rely upon technology, including the internet, mobile devices, and computers. Unfortunately, such reliance comes with significant technological risks.
Organizations face numerous technology risks when their software, hardware, and online apps are compromised by equipment failure or cyber-attacks. In today’s business environment, data breaches happen in businesses of all sizes.
Cloud technology is one of the most popular and effective ways to store data and information. Businesses are moving to the cloud at an alarming rate. Although there are many benefits to this, such as scalability, easy access to the data, and automation, some risks also need to be considered. This is because hackers have developed sophisticated ways to exploit vulnerabilities in the cloud.
Healthcare ransomware attacks have become a pressing issue in healthcare. So, here are some tips that can help you prevent these attacks from affecting your organization:
Train Employees On Phishing And Data Risks
Employees must be trained to identify phishing attacks and report them to IT. Employees should be taught what a ‘typical’ phishing email looks like, with the goal being to help them recognize the many different ways in which a cybercriminal may try to trick them into clicking on an attachment or link.
Cybersecurity is a high-demand, rapidly expanding area with a high need for competent personnel. It offers high median incomes, employment possibilities in a wide range of industries, and a fast-paced work environment for those who choose this career path.
Even if you’re intrigued by the prospect of safeguarding organizations’ digital assets and intelligence from security breaches, you should conduct thorough research into the field to determine whether you’re a good fit for the position. Learn more about typical cybersecurity jobs and the skills required for cybersecurity careers.
Cybercriminals are constantly becoming more sophisticated, and making use of a huge range of different techniques and tactics. Worse, it is getting more common.
Phishing emails are still a constant source of problems, as are ransomware attacks and data breaches are still unfortunately common. But, despite this wide range of cyber attacks, you might be surprised to learn that nearly half of all cybercrime’s financial loss comes as a result of Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks. Indeed, a shocking 42% of all cybercrime loss was recently attributed to BEC.
Evidently, global businesses need to take BEC attacks very seriously. So, here we take a look at how BEC attacks are performed and what businesses of all sizes can do to minimize their risk of falling victim.
No matter which sector of society you’re involved with, for sure, technology has already invaded that space in your life. Nowadays, various organizations turn to a technology solution to streamline their operations.
Cloud technology enables organizations to store their data on remote servers. Anytime and anywhere, you can simply access these files and do your job. Such flexibility and scalability empower organizations to continue operating even when their members are miles apart. If you don’t have a cloud infrastructure yet, you can ask for Oracle cloud consulting pricing and other cloud servicing companies.
Technology has connected the business world like never before. Businesses can scale and grow immensely in a short period and serve their clients and customers in ways we never thought possible.
Such hyperconnectivity has opened new doors to a more integrated and seamless world. However, that door can swing both ways.
With businesses going digital, they also expose themselves to cybersecurity vulnerabilities. In specific, supply chain attacks have been growing in prevalence in the past year and have become worrisome. Such attacks can trigger a chain reaction— one attack on a single supplier can compromise a network of businesses and providers.
That said, you must safeguard your supply chain from cyber-attacks. Here are some strategies to follow.
The BFIS (Banking, Finance, Insurance, Securities) is a critical infrastructure sector that greatly depends on IT systems, which makes it especially vulnerable to cybercrime. While analyzing security incidents within the domain in 2018-2021, Costella identified 6,472 breaches and data leakages, with more than 3.3 million records exfiltrated from 20 companies of Fortune 500. The amount of leaked data has increased six-fold over the last two years, pushing financial businesses to intensify the protections. Currently, the finserv sector spends $18,5 annually per company to combat cybercrime, which is 40% higher than in any other industry, says the Ninth Annual Cost of Cybercrime Study by Accenture. | <urn:uuid:9e956301-27a4-49ee-8ac0-f8354e28f0f4> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.cyberdb.co/category/attacks/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337480.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20221004054641-20221004084641-00752.warc.gz | en | 0.946671 | 1,185 | 2.796875 | 3 |
This is part of my Real Internet of Things (tRIOT) Series—an extension of my book The Real Internet of Things—about my perspectives on the future of technology and its intersection with society.
In The Real Internet of Things I wrote a chapter about Realtime Data and how there will be countless ways to acquire it.
Then at CES a couple weeks ago I saw a motion towards that concept with sensors of all types being placed everywhere. Cars, homes, workplaces, etc. And there were countless systems for gathering the data in order to do something interesting with it as well.
In my model there are three basic components to the Information Architecture:
Realtime Data –> Algorithms –> Presentation
- Realtime Data is all about the current state of the world as seen is as many contexts and from as many perspectives as possible.
- Algorithms are what make sense of that world state data.
- And the Presentation phase takes the algorithmic output and converts it into a usable form for others, which could be humans or could be machines.
We’ve heard lots about various sensor types over the years, although we aren’t yet trained to think of them as sensors yet. A great example is the camera.
This is a point that Benedict Evans makes well, when he talks about how there’s a fundamental difference between a human looking through a lens and getting a snapshot, vs. a computer taking in light constantly.
It’s remarkable when you realize this applies to lots of different kinds of sensors, paired with their legacy names:
- Light (cameras)
- Sound (microphones)
- Air pressure
- Chemical detectors
- Radioactivity detectors
And now, wireless.
Fundamentally these things have much in common. Light sensors are just passive receivers of EM radiation, after all. LIDAR is something similar, except it’s an active system where you’re carefully measuring the time between send and receive.
But a team at MIT has done something similar with wireless that shows how deep this rabbit hole is about to become.
They’re bouncing wireless signal, similar to the Wifi that you’re familiar with, off of objects and then measuring how quickly they come back. Fair enough. Sounds like Sonar. Or LIDAR, or anything else that’s echo-based.
But the accuracy is staggering.
They’re not just identifying objects. They’re able to scan a person and tell you what they’re feeling. The system can detect emotions.
- The system is so precise that it can detect minute fluctuations in location, all the way up to facial expressions and heartbeats. And this is from across the room.
- They feed that data into machine learning algorithms that tell you what the person is likely feeling based on training data.
Think about that.
But don’t just think about what that one project is doing, with a few people at a university. Think about the implications.
This is one sensor type—an active wireless signal—hooked up to a machine learning system that likely doesn’t have that much data in it. And they can already detect human emotions.
Imagine what happens when entire public areas are being scanned / parsed by ALL THE SENSORS.
- Light (passive)
- Sound (microphones, directional and omni)
- LIDAR (active)
- Wireless (active)
- SONAR (active)
…but all that data is being fed directly into machine learning algorithms that have exabytes of training data.
I knew what I was going to write before I wrote it, but I’m still knocked silly by the implications here. And no, I’m not talking about abuse and dystopias. There’s plenty of time for that. Let’s just stay focused on the functionality.
What can you know with this combination of [ Sensor + Algorithm + Training Data ] ?
It’s exhilarating and scary to even capture this list, and I’m just capturing a few main points.
- You’ll know the current mood and emotional state for everyone moving through the area (walking gait, facial expressions, gesturing, tone of voice, etc.)
- You’ll be able to identify relationships between people (proximity to each other, voice patterns, language use)
- You’ll know if someone is communicating with someone else covertly (the algorithms will see nods and winks and glances that we would not)
- You’ll be able to tell the current state of relationships between people (this couple is fighting, that couple is courting, this person hates that person, etc.)
- You’ll have some indication of whether someone is moving with intent to harm someone else, either immediately or possibly in the future.
- Using Unsupervised Learning you’ll find cluster matches with all sorts of stuff, e.g, even if you don’t know what to look for, the system will tell you that X person is 99.4% matching characteristics of someone who blew up a bus 24 hours later nearby.
The humans won’t know what the computer saw, and the neural net might not be able to explain it either, but it might be a good idea to ask that person some questions.
And ultimately what are we talking about here? What’s the Grail for all machine learning?
Imagine Grand Central Station with an AR display over everyone’s head showing a percentage chance that they’re going to engage in violent terrorist behavior within 72 hours.
There’s a whole sea of “Not Likely” floating over people’s heads, through the AR police visors worn by the officers in the station.
Then they spot a group of three people walking together and over their heads it says, “Moderate.” And suddenly a line forms between them and someone across the room who has a red, “Likely” above his head.
And now the officers swoop in.
Faster than you think
This isn’t science fiction. Not really. It’s still a ways out, but not nearly as far as most think. What’s crazy is that you could be running hundreds of algorithms simultaneously, using many of the different sensor types.
You could do one based only on language spoken combined with the way they walk. Or the clothing style combined with body language. Who knows which correlations will yield the most.
And it won’t just be security. Think about the marketing angle. Or the social engineering angle.
You can find gullible people. People who are givers. People who have money. Lonely people. Overconfident people.
It will be a veritable treasure of human insight, all of which will be mapped directly to goals and recommendations by software. Software for con-people. Marketers. Spys. Law enforcement. Single people. Whatever.
The more we know about human behavior, which will quickly become an unbelievable amount due to machine learning, the more we’ll be able to extract from even small snippets of time, and even from a few sensor types.
24/7 access to dozens of sensors? Oh. My. God.
- We need to be re-thinking input devices.
- It’s not about cameras and microphones. It’s about light and sound (and all the other input types).
- Then start making a list of all the sensors that are possible.
- Put active technologies like LIDAR, SONAR, Wireless on the list.
- Realize that this data, when fed to ML algorithms, is going to create an explosion of human behavior insight.
- This insight will be put to use for the penultimate use case, which is prediction.
- It’ll be combined with purpose-built solutions that match target to opportunist.
This combination of sensors, algorithms, and human behavior knowledge is going to be one of the most important technological developments of our time, and it is going to merge seamlessly into the Internet of Things.
Exhilarating. Terrifying. Inevitable.
- If you can think of other use cases please let me know and I’ll add them here. | <urn:uuid:b00e2038-e6a6-49d6-b095-89806337bcbf> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://danielmiessler.com/podcast/predicting-human-behavior-by-combining-public-sensor-data-with-machine-learning/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337631.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20221005140739-20221005170739-00752.warc.gz | en | 0.942711 | 1,798 | 2.796875 | 3 |
The Internet of Things – everyday objects connected to the Web – currently seems like an inescapable future.
There is a market for such things and devices, but given the consumers’ increasing awareness of the security and privacy dangers of the digital age, the future of the market is by no means certain – or perhaps it is?
In a recent survey, youth marketing group Voxburner polled 1,244 16-to-24-year-olds in the UK, and 67 percent said they are most worried about whether an internet-connected product is secure – this compared to the 45 percent who are concerned about whether it’s reliable, 43 percent about whether it’s expensive, and 22 percent about whether it’s easy to use.
Most (75 percent) of the pollees say that when thinking about the Internet of Things they are “excited,” while only 9 percent feel “threatened”.
Nevertheless, 32 percent are “very concerned” about the security of the data they share with these new types of technology, and 55 percent “a little concerned – so the worry is definitely there.
Still, most of the pollees (64 percent) say that the benefits outweigh risks when it comes to giving away more personal data about themselves.
“I certainly do have concerns [about data privacy] and in some cases I will avoid whatever I am doing if I am not willing to share my information with the company,” says !8-year-old Claire. “However, in some circumstances I do make the trade off in hopes that the company will be responsible and I will get a decent deal for my sacrifice.”
But while some, like 24-year-old Sean, say that “the internet can be useful, but does not always need to be connected to everything,” the majority (75 percent) would be influenced positively by the presence of internet connectivity when buying a home device .
“Think carefully if internet really would improve the functionality and experience or whether it’s just internet for internet’s sake,” he notes, and says that protecting his privacy is his top consideration.
When it comes to wearable tech, most of the polled youngsters are still skeptical about it, and say they will wait a couple of years, and for others to try it first. What currently interests them the most are smartwatches and fitness trackers, the Google Glass.
But 98 percent are sure that given enough time – 5 years at the most – technologies like “the Internet of Things’ and wearable tech will be common in mainstream society. | <urn:uuid:ce3b6344-4313-43ed-bb67-abe0aa7001d2> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2014/04/25/iot-is-inevitable-but-security-and-privacy-is-a-top-concern/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337631.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20221005140739-20221005170739-00752.warc.gz | en | 0.950729 | 545 | 2.53125 | 3 |
A finite state machine (FSM), also known as finite state automation, is a computational model that can be implemented in hardware or software to model and simulate sequential logic.
This computing model is based on a hypothetical machine with one or more states. Only one single state of this machine may be operational at any given moment. The machine must change states to execute various operations according to inputs.
Finite-state automata were first developed by Von Neumann and Morgenstern’s automata theory. The Turing Machine is also a member of the family of data structures in this field.
States and transitions are the most fundamental components of a state machine. A state is a system’s condition influenced by past inputs and responds to future inputs. The first state is assigned as the initial state; this is when the machine’s execution begins. A state transition specifies which input causes one state to change to another. States, as well as transitions and outputs, are created following the state machine type.
The term machine may be misleading because computer scientists rarely simulate physical machines. Imagine a simple state machine with two states: Off and On. The initial state is On; it is activated when the state machine is run. The active state is switched from On to Off when the input button is pushed.
Table of Contents
Origins of finite state machines
There are two types of finite state machine origins in automata theory. One of them is called the Moore machine, named after its creator Edward Moore, first introduced in 1956. The structure of a Moore machine is similar to that of a Turing machine, but there are some differences. States exist in Moore machines, as well as transitions. The output is solely determined by the current state rather than any input. George H. Mealy created the other type of finite state machines, known as Mealy machines, in 1955. Unlike Moore machines, Meal machines generate outputs only on state changes, not during states.
Basics of Automata Theory
Automata theory is a cutting-edge field of study in computer science. In the 20th century, mathematicians began developing theoretical and physical machines that imitated human behavior, such as calculating faster and more accurately.
The word automaton, derived from “automation” and “automatic”, refers to processes that automatically execute to create specific procedures. Automata theory, in a nutshell, focuses on the logic of computation as it applies to simple machines known as automata. Computer scientists can utilize automata to understand how computers compute functions and solve issues and what it means for a function to be defined as computable or a question to be described as decidable.
A finite automaton is the simplest type of automata for calculation. It can only compute fundamental functions; therefore, it isn’t an adequate computing model. Furthermore, because a finite-state machine cannot generalize computations, it has limited power.
Types of finite state machines
Deterministic finite state machines, often known as deterministic finite automata, and non-deterministic finite state machines, also known as non-deterministic finite automata, are the two types of finite state machines. Although there are minor variations in how state machines are represented graphically, the concepts behind them are all derived from the same computational ideas.
Deterministic finite automata recognize or accept regular languages. A language is regular if a deterministic finite automaton accepts it. Finite state machines are generally learned using languages composed of binary strings that follow a specified structure. Binary strings can be used to create both regular and non-regular languages.
A finite-state machine (FSM) and the Turing machine are two distinct types of computers that operate entirely differently. A typical example of this distinction is as follows:
Consider the modern CPU. A machine’s bits can be in only two states (0 or 1) since they are all binary. As a result, the number of possible states is limited. Furthermore, while evaluating the components of a computer that a CPU interfaces with, there are just a finite number of potential inputs from the computer’s mouse and keyboard. The conclusion that a CPU may be modeled as a finite-state machine is supported because it acts like other machines, such as a switch and oscillator.
Now, let’s take a computer as an example. A computer has an infinite number of interactions, each of which can be in only two states (0 or 1). It’s difficult to simulate a computer within the confines of a finite-state machine. However, higher-level, infinite, and more powerful automata could accomplish this task.
Difference between deterministic and non-deterministic finite automata
The phrase DFA refers to a Deterministic Finite Automaton. A Finite Automata is considered deterministic if, for every input symbol, there is only one resultant state, i.e., one transition. In the case of NFA (Nondeterministic Finite Automaton), a Finite Automata is considered non-deterministic if there are multiple possible transitions from one state on the same input.
Real-world examples of finite state machines
Although the theoretical explanations may sound unfamiliar, we come across many examples of finite state machines every day without realizing it. For example, traffic lights change to one of the red, yellow, and green states at certain time intervals. On the other hand, safe vaults will switch from locked state to unlocked state when correct combinations are entered, while incorrect combinations will cause them to revert to the locked state. | <urn:uuid:e23b65cc-34b7-474c-836a-b04a22983cab> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://dataconomy.com/2022/03/what-is-a-finite-state-machine/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335058.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20220927194248-20220927224248-00152.warc.gz | en | 0.926403 | 1,148 | 3.96875 | 4 |
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are researching a computer chips that are capable of self assembly.
According to PC World, the scientists are currently developing a manufacturing template that causes the polymers to automatically fall in place to create an integrated circuit. The goal is to allow manufacturers to reduce the costs involved in etching complex designs on smaller chips.
MIT has stated that the technique could be used soon and that some companies are already expressing an interest in the technique.
“We want to do something that people would want to be able to use,” said Professor of materials science and engineering at MIT, Caroline Ross. | <urn:uuid:5dc4e012-a2f3-4313-aaf6-fb7235f49dab> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.pcr-online.biz/2010/03/18/self-assembling-chips-under-development/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335304.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20220929034214-20220929064214-00152.warc.gz | en | 0.961288 | 126 | 3.453125 | 3 |
The U.S. Army is looking to equip military dogs with augmented reality (AR) goggles to help keep human soldiers out of harm’s way.
In the field, military working dogs are used to scout areas for explosives devices and hazardous materials and assist in rescue operations, but giving the dogs commands can put soldiers in harm’s way. To change that, the Army is using funding from the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to develop AR dog goggles. The project, which is managed by the Army Research Office (ARO), will use technology developed by Seattle-based Command Sight. The goggles will allow soldiers to give the dogs directional commands while staying remote and out of sight.
Command Sight Founder A.J. Peper said initial feedback from his proof of concept was, “the system could fundamentally change how military canines are deployed in the future.”
Peper explained that the goggles are designed to give each dog a visual indicator that lets soldiers point the dog to a specific spot and lets the dog react to the visual cue in the goggles. In a press release, the Army said the soldier can see everything the dog sees to provide it commands through the glasses.
“Augmented reality works differently for dogs than for humans,” said Dr. Stephen Lee, an ARO senior scientist. “AR will be used to provide dogs with commands and cues; it’s not for the dog to interact with it like a human does. This new technology offers us a critical tool to better communicate with military working dogs.”
Currently, the prototype is wired and requires keeping the dog on a leash. But, for the next phase of development, researchers are working to make the technology wireless.
“We are still in the beginning research stages of applying this technology to dogs, but the results from our initial research are extremely promising,” Peper said. “Much of the research to date has been conducted with my rottweiler, Mater. His ability to generalize from other training to working through the AR goggles has been incredible. We still have a way to go from a basic science and development perspective before it will be ready for the wear and tear our military dogs will place on the units.”
The technology uses goggles that military dogs have already been wearing for protection in inclement weather and aerial deployments. Peper looked to use a technology the dogs were already comfortable with because it makes adoption of the AR tech easier for both canines and humans.
By leveraging a product the dogs are already used to wearing, Peper said it makes the technology adoption easier for both the dogs and the handler.
The Army reported that the Command Sight team has completed Phase I of the SBIR and was asked to continue to Phase II. The Department of Defense Rapid Reaction Technology Office is providing funding for Phase II of development. With the funding, Command Sight will work with Navy Special Forces to build prototypes to test on the Navy’s military working dogs. The Army explained that each dog involved in the testing received a 3D scan to get dimensional data to understand where to place optics and electrical components. Once they have developed a wireless prototype, Command Sight will gather additional user feedback and revise the project for manufacturing.
“We’re excited about getting this into the hands of the Soldier, hopefully in just a few years,” Peper said. | <urn:uuid:2802c178-35e0-46cc-939e-9d7d93925442> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://origin.meritalk.com/articles/u-s-army-looks-to-augmented-reality-dog-goggles-to-protect-soldiers/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030336921.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20221001195125-20221001225125-00152.warc.gz | en | 0.955712 | 700 | 2.53125 | 3 |
What is IOT?
The ability to access devices through a smartphone or through a computer is called IoT. It started in the early 1980s when Carnegie Mellon University students developed the first internet-connected device. “It was a Coke vending machine that would tell the programmers if the soda was cold enough for them to want to make the trip from their desks to the machine.”
Other IoT devices, for example, your refrigerator can adjust the temperature accordingly and similarly with the air conditioner, it will set the temperature accordingly with the outside temperature. Moreover, IoT devices are mini computers, connected to the Internet and are vulnerable to malware and hacking. However there are many benefits of using IoT in our daily lives making our lives more convenient. For example, smart voice assistants listen to commands from users and perform those tasks, security devices monitoring in your home to turn on and off lights and to protect your home, etc. How does the Internet of Things (IoT) work though?
IoT has four distinct components given below
The first step is to collect data from the environment by the devices or the sensors in order to analyze the environment behavior. It could be temperature reading. For example, a mobile phone is a device not a sensor but it has multiple sensors including GPS, camera and accelerator.
After collecting the data from the environment, the data is sent to the cloud through a variety of methods including Wifi, Bluetooth, low-power wide-area networks, cellular satellite etc. The device chooses the best methods to transfer based on the versions and the environment and they accomplish the second task by sending data to the cloud.
- Data processing
When the data gets into the cloud, software makes analyzes and performs based on the data received. For example, it could be checking if the temperature reading is within an acceptable range or to identify objects by using computer vision on video. However in this step, it does not make any extra decisions, such as, if the temperature is too hot or if there is an intruder in your house.
- User Interface
After the data processing component, the user interface plays an important role by getting an alert of the high temperature or intruder in a house via email, text, notifications, etc. Also, with the help of an app or website, users can actively check the updates on the temperature. With the advanced growth of the technology to fulfill people’s demand and to make it more convenient, users can remotely adjust the temperature of the house via an app on the phone. Moreover, some actions are done automatically like the vacuum robot.
How can you protect your IoT from being hacked?
After understanding how the IoT works, we can tell that hackers will mess up with the data that is to be sent to the cloud to perform some activities. According to the Symantec 2017 Internet Security Threat Report, IoT devices are being attacked on an average of every two minutes. “Cybercriminals have already hacked unsecured IoT devices to use their processing power in large-scale cyberattacks.” Since the IoT is connected to the network, the best ways to protect the device from the attacker is to make sure that your router is secure. A Wi-Fi router is the front door to your online world. Also, make sure to turn off bluetooth if you are not using it and always make sure to update the new version and software. | <urn:uuid:bc0efb15-8e04-4404-ab63-2710d47fb5d6> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.lifars.com/2020/07/how-the-internet-of-things-iot-works/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335059.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220927225413-20220928015413-00352.warc.gz | en | 0.940157 | 703 | 3.65625 | 4 |
Back-to-school season brings many changes: new places, new routines, new friends…and new cyber security risks. As supplies are purchased and bags are packed, it’s important to commit cyber security facts and tips to memory.
- In the first three months of 2015, the phishing alert system was activated more than 50 million times on computers that use Kaspersky Lab security software
Phishing attacks — fraudulent email messages designed to trick users into downloading dangerous attachments, clicking malicious links, and/or revealing sensitive financial, personal, or business data — are a significant and frequent threat to all email users. The Kaspersky Lab figures, which were shared in Securelist’s first spam and phishing report of 2015, represent just one anti-virus and Internet safety software platform (Norton and McAfee are other big players).
Email safety tip: Don’t think phishing can’t happen to you; even the most savvy computer users have trouble identifying these kinds of messages, which are becoming increasingly sophisticated. The best thing you can do to protect yourself is to think before you act on any unsolicited messages. Fraudsters like to create a sense of urgency using scare tactics, amazing offers, and other traps that will prompt you to click or download right away.
Before you interact with a message, consider the ramifications of what could happen to your data and/or your computer if the email is a scam. You don’t want to put your information into the hands of hackers or scam artists. (This article about the risks associated with phishing contains additional pieces of advice.)
- More than 85 million personal and business records were compromised in 2014 in the U.S. alone
U.S. breach totals are compiled by the Identity Theft Resource Center, and their 2014 category summary indicated that approximately 1.2 million financial and banking records, 1.2 million educational records, and 8 million healthcare records were among the 85 million breached last year in the U.S. If you have had your credit card data or other personal information stolen in a data breach, you know the incredible hassle associated with the aftermath.
Personal data safety tip: Take charge of protecting your data; your actions play a big role in maintaining cyber security. Be careful how much of your information you put out there and when and where you share it. This is a particularly important tip for college-age students, who begin to build their personal credit, but it’s something any student and parent should be aware of. Stores, websites, and social media posts often ask consumers to provide personal information in exchange for special offers; be selective and protective in these situations. And, parents, be sure to talk to your children about privacy and appropriate sharing.
With regard to credit card security, it’s important to maintain as much control over your accounts as possible. Limiting the cards you use is a good first step (designate a single card for online purchases, for example). You must also be very cautious of where you (and your kids) use debit cards since they pull funds directly from attached bank accounts.
Should your personal data be compromised in a data breach, take advantage of any credit monitoring services offered and be diligent about identifying and addressing any anomalies on your accounts or in your credit reports. (You can find some additional post-breach advice here.)
- 35% of college admissions officers and 93% of corporate recruiters check social media profiles to learn more about candidates
Students should be made aware that the photos, observations, and activities they post on social media can have an impact far beyond their circles of online friends and followers. According to a Kaplan Test Prep 2014 survey, 35% of college admissions officers view applicants’ social media profiles to learn more about them, and 16% reported that their findings had a negative impact on a candidate’s likelihood of acceptance. The numbers only go up with prospective employers: the 2014 Jobvite Job Seeker Nation Study revealed that 93% of recruiters check candidates’ social profiles, and 42% of those recruiters have reconsidered an applicant based on what they’ve found.
Social media safety tip: The safest rule of thumb is to assume that everything posted on social media is public and permanent. Deleted items aren’t necessarily gone, and you shouldn’t be fooled by platforms like Snapchat, where posts supposedly “disappear” after 10 seconds. Any post on any social app can live for eternity and be shared with anyone — regardless of privacy settings and regardless of whether the post was deleted. Screen captures and copy/paste functions can give items a life beyond the limits you think you’ve set.
The bottom line is that all social media users should think carefully about what they post online, no matter where or how they share it. Students in particular should be cautious of the personas they create for themselves because of the potential future ramifications. [su_box title=”Gretel Egan Content Manager for Wombat Security” style=”noise” box_color=”#336588″]Gretel Egan is the Content Manager for Wombat Security, the leading provider of cyber security education software that changes employee behavior. Their SaaS-based cyber security education solution includes a platform of integrated broad assessments, as well as a library of simulated attacks and brief interactive training modules. Wombat’s solutions help organizations reduce successful phishing attacks and malware infections up to 90%. Wombat is helping Fortune 1000 and Global 2000 customers in industry segments such as finance, technology, banking, higher education, retail, and consumer packaged goods to strengthen their cyber security defenses.[/su_box] | <urn:uuid:f9ad887e-b0e7-4da9-ab7c-2f9ad2561ad8> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://informationsecuritybuzz.com/articles/parents-and-students-should-know-about-cyber-security-facts-and-tips/ | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335491.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20220930145518-20220930175518-00352.warc.gz | en | 0.934335 | 1,174 | 2.75 | 3 |
The plethora of security standards and technologies being used to secure the internet of things (IoT) today could make it difficult for a global IoT standard to emerge, according to the Internet Society.
Speaking to Computer Weekly on the sidelines of the ConnectechAsia conference in Singapore this week, Olaf Kolkman, chief internet officer at the Internet Society, attributed the lack of a global IoT security standard to differing security requirements across industries.
“There are so many different verticals using IoT, with each of them having different safety and security standards,” said Kolkman. “A connected device like a smoke detector, for example, has different security properties from that of a medical device.”
Complicating matters is the fact that technology suppliers have a vested interest in advocating the use of certain technologies to secure IoT devices.
Mastercard, for instance, has suggested using tokenisation services to enable specific uses and transactions in IoT applications, while others like Gemalto have touted the use of blockchain technology to make IoT devices smarter in responding to security threats independently without the need for a central authority.
Despite the cacophony of approaches towards IoT security, Kolkman noted that most are underpinned by common IT security principles. “If you look at the different IoT security frameworks, there seems to be consensus on things like upgradability and data stewardship – even if there’s no global standard that describes it all,” he said.
These principles are reflected in a set of enterprise IoT security recommendations released by the Internet Society this week. Among them is the need for companies to closely follow the lifecycle of IoT devices, which should be decommissioned once they are no longer updatable or secure.
Meanwhile, the Internet Society’s Internet Engineering Task Force is also working on IoT standards in areas including authentication and authorisation, cryptography for IoT use cases and device lifecycle management.
With cyber security at the top of most national security agendas today, Kolkman said the Internet Society has reached out to policy makers to provide recommendations about what they can do, such as setting minimum standards of IoT security and accountability.
“We advise them to work with stakeholders, such as the Consumer Technology Association, to come up with solutions and certifications that have buy-in from government and industry,” he said, adding that liability laws will also ensure all players in the IoT market have skin in the game.
Read more about IoT security
- Wireless devices and smart technologies are increasingly being brought into the workplace, and pose a growing risk to company data.
- The UK government has announced plans to develop a new code of practice to improve the security of connected internet of things devices.
- The security failings in today’s internet-connected devices will only become more pervasive unless action is taken immediately, according to industry experts.
Kolkman said policy-makers could also lead by example by buying more secure devices. This will provide incentives for IoT suppliers to build better security into their products, especially low-cost devices that often do not justify heavy investments in security.
“Devices that are cheap and long-lived are contrary to good security posture, especially in a growing market like the IoT. The economics work against the security,” said Kolkman.
According to Ecosystm, a Singapore-based technology research and advisory firm, global IoT spending will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.9% from 2017 to 2022, reaching a value of US$367bn.
The Asia-Pacific region is expected to become the global centre for IoT solutions, accounting for almost half of worldwide IoT spending by 2022. | <urn:uuid:d1289b6b-32ed-4f42-ab5e-bd89f35f4ce2> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252443777/Global-IoT-security-standard-remains-elusive | null | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337404.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20221003070342-20221003100342-00352.warc.gz | en | 0.949645 | 753 | 2.59375 | 3 |
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