Failure to patch known ImageMagick flaw for months costs Facebook $40k

It's not common for a security-conscious internet company to leave a well-known vulnerability unpatched for months, but it happens. Facebook paid a US$40,000 reward to a researcher after he warned the company that its servers were vulnerable to an exploit called ImageTragick.ImageTragick is the name given by the security community to a critical vulnerability that was found in the ImageMagick image processing tool back in May.ImageMagick is a command-line tool that can resize, convert and optimize images in many formats. Web server libraries like PHP’s imagick, Ruby’s rmagick and paperclip, and Node.js’s imagemagick, used by millions of websites, are based on it.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Worth Reading: Could zombie toasters DDoS my serverless?

With serverless, there is essentially no limit on the number of requests you could be handling — the service scales up automatically and almost instantaneously for every concurrent request. This is great if your product suddenly becomes successful, as you don’t really need to plan for additional scale; it is all handled for you automatically without even the need to think about an autoscaling set-up. But what if your service isn’t suddenly rising up the popularity charts, and is simply the victim of a coordinated attack by a botnet? You’re being charged by the function call. Could the unlimited cost of all those function calls take you out of business? —The New Stack

The post Worth Reading: Could zombie toasters DDoS my serverless? appeared first on 'net work.

Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 Service Providers

Tier 1,Tier 2 and Tier 3 Service Providers What is tier in the first place ? If you are dealing with Service Provider networks, you hear this term a lot. But how we define Tier 1,Tier 2 and Tier 3 Service Providers ? What should be their infrastructure to be seen as Tier 1 for example […]

The post Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 Service Providers appeared first on Cisco Network Design and Architecture | CCDE Bootcamp | orhanergun.net.

US alleges systemic employment discrimination at Oracle

The U.S. government says Oracle routinely and systemically pays white men more than women and minorities and that it favors Asian candidates over others in product development and technical roles.The allegations are contained in a lawsuit filed by the Department of Labor that represents the results of a two-year investigation into hiring practices at the Silicon Valley company.The investigation was triggered by a regular compliance review by the government. As a federal contractor, Oracle is prohibited from engaging in discrimination based on race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.As a result, Oracle stands to lose millions of dollars in federal contracts if the Labor Department can prove its case and the company doesn't change its ways.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Modern warfare: Death-dealing drones and … illegal parking?

A cloud of 3D-printed drones big enough to bring down the latest U.S. stealth fighter, the F35, was just one of the combat scenarios evoked in a discussion of the future of warfare at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday.Much of the discussion focused on the changes computers are bringing to the battlefield, including artificial intelligence and autonomous systems -- but also the way the battlefield is coming to computing, with cyberwar, and social media psyops an ever more real prospect.Former U.S. Navy fighter pilot Mary Cummings, now director of the Humans and Autonomy Lab at Duke University, delivered the first strike."The barrier to entry to drone technology is so low that everyone can have one, and if the Chinese go out and print a million copies of a drone, a very small drone, and put those up against an F35 and they go into the engine, you basically obviate what is a very expensive platform," she said.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Modern warfare: Death-dealing drones and … illegal parking?

A cloud of 3D-printed drones big enough to bring down the latest U.S. stealth fighter, the F35, was just one of the combat scenarios evoked in a discussion of the future of warfare at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday.Much of the discussion focused on the changes computers are bringing to the battlefield, including artificial intelligence and autonomous systems -- but also the way the battlefield is coming to computing, with cyberwar, and social media psyops an ever more real prospect.Former U.S. Navy fighter pilot Mary Cummings, now director of the Humans and Autonomy Lab at Duke University, delivered the first strike."The barrier to entry to drone technology is so low that everyone can have one, and if the Chinese go out and print a million copies of a drone, a very small drone, and put those up against an F35 and they go into the engine, you basically obviate what is a very expensive platform," she said.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: 3 tips to improve threat detection and incident response

No matter the height or thickness of any wall you might try to build, the unfortunate reality is someone will most likely be able to breach it. It’s really just a matter of when and how.Just as you close your doors and windows when you leave the house, you need  preventative security measures in place to protect your systems. However, these measures themselves are not enough. If you assume the bad guys will find a way to breach your protective walls, it makes more sense to focus on threat detection and incident response as ways to mitigate damage when the inevitable breach occurs.3 security controls to improve threat detection The following three security controls are surefire ways to strengthen the detective capabilities of your system.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: 3 tips to improve threat detection and incident response

No matter the height or thickness of any wall you might try to build, the unfortunate reality is someone will most likely be able to breach it. It’s really just a matter of when and how.Just as you close your doors and windows when you leave the house, you need  preventative security measures in place to protect your systems. However, these measures themselves are not enough. If you assume the bad guys will find a way to breach your protective walls, it makes more sense to focus on threat detection and incident response as ways to mitigate damage when the inevitable breach occurs.3 security controls to improve threat detection The following three security controls are surefire ways to strengthen the detective capabilities of your system.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Gigamon Stock Down On Poor Earnings Pre-Announcement

The weak revenues come from deferred product bookings from large customers.

The state of the IT contractor job market in 2017

In 2017, strong demand for IT talent will continue in several roles and industries. Understanding how to wring business value from vast stores of data, knowing how to protect that data from increasingly sophisticated threats and navigating the murky waters of freelancing will characterize the tech job market.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)

On the ‘net: Rockstar SE with Terry Kim

I was recently interviewed on Rockstar SEby Terry Kim—it’s a worthwhile listen!

Russ White has over 30 years of experience in network engineering; A Distinguished Architect during his time at Cisco, holds the highest certification Cisco has to offer as a CCAr and holds CCDE #1. He’s also a Published author, worldwide speaker at many tech conferences, and has over 40+ patents. This guy is a legend in the field of networking folks. In this episode we discuss SDN, Fog Computing, Disaggregation, and what network engineers should focus on for the future and more! You don’t want to miss this one!

The post On the ‘net: Rockstar SE with Terry Kim appeared first on 'net work.

Microsoft buys Simplygon to simplify rendering VR and AR models

Microsoft is betting that less is more in 3D design, with the acquisition of the Swedish developer of a 3D data optimization system, Simplygon.Simplygon takes 3D models in a number of formats, and reduces the volume of data used to describe them by taking out some of the detail -- somewhat like reducing the size of a JPEG image file by increasing the level of compression while leaving the resolution unchanged.That means the models can be rendered more rapidly or using less powerful hardware, something that will help Microsoft with the "3D for everyone" vision it outlined last October at the launch of Windows 10 Creators Update.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

How to get fired in 2017: Have a security breach

There are many reasons why IT professionals can be fired, but six out of the top nine are related to security, said a survey released this morning.For example, having a tech investment that leads to a security breach was considered a fireable offense by 39 percent of organizations, according to Osterman Research, which conducted the survey.A data breach that becomes public was a fireable offense for 38 percent of companies.Other fireable offenses included failing to modernize a security program, data breaches with unknown causes, data breaches that do not become public, and the failure of a security product or program investment.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

How to get fired in 2017: Have a security breach

There are many reasons why IT professionals can be fired, but six out of the top nine are related to security, said a survey released this morning.For example, having a tech investment that leads to a security breach was considered a fireable offense by 39 percent of organizations, according to Osterman Research, which conducted the survey.A data breach that becomes public was a fireable offense for 38 percent of companies.Other fireable offenses included failing to modernize a security program, data breaches with unknown causes, data breaches that do not become public, and the failure of a security product or program investment.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

23% off TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp, (Dimmable, Touch Control, 5 Color Modes, USB Charging Port) – Deal Alert

The TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp is adjustable and dimmable for multiple brightness settings, making them ideal for home and office use. Say goodbye to old incandescent light and faintly illuminated working space, and say hello to this elegantly designed, modern looking and energy-efficient source. Designed to blend naturally into any scene and provide flicker-free and ghost-free lighting that is pleasant and comfortable to your eyes. Even after long hours of use, your eyes will feel less fatigue than with traditional types of lighting. With a slight touch from your finger tips, you can switch through 7 brightness level to fine tune your illumination.  This light also allows you to plug in your eReader, tablet, or smartphone into the built-in USB port.  With nearly 3,000 reviews on Amazon, it averages 4.8 out of 5 stars (read reviews). Its typical list price of $29.95 has been reduced by 23% to $22.99. See the discounted TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Snowden allowed to stay in Russia longer

U.S. National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden will be allowed to stay in Russia for "another couple of years," according to a spokeswoman for the government there. The Russian government has extended the residence permit for Snowden, the former NSA contractor charged with espionage for leaking details of U.S. surveillance operations, said Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry. Zakharova announced the extension on her Facebook page late Tuesday. Zakharova's post came in response to a column by Michael Morell, the former deputy director of the U.S. CIA, who said Russia can return Snowden to the U.S. as a "perfect inauguration gift" to President-elect Donald Trump.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Snowden allowed to stay in Russia longer

U.S. National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden will be allowed to stay in Russia for "another couple of years," according to a spokeswoman for the government there. The Russian government has extended the residence permit for Snowden, the former NSA contractor charged with espionage for leaking details of U.S. surveillance operations, said Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry. Zakharova announced the extension on her Facebook page late Tuesday. Zakharova's post came in response to a column by Michael Morell, the former deputy director of the U.S. CIA, who said Russia can return Snowden to the U.S. as a "perfect inauguration gift" to President-elect Donald Trump.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Here come the Super Bowl 2017 techie ads

As one of those Super Bowl watchers who prefers the football over the commercials, I try my best to get the ads out of the way before the big game, which this year will be played in Houston on Sunday, Feb. 6.Here's a running list of Super Bowl 51 commercials from technology companies -- I'll leave it up to you to decide whether brands are getting their $5 million worth. So far, it looks like tech companies will take a back seat to beer, candy and other brands, in terms of the number of advertisers, on Super Bowl Sunday.MORE: Techiest commercials from Super Bowl 50, in 2016To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

What The Cloud Model Means For Enterprise Tech

Musing: ITC rejects de facto standard defense (337-TA-944, Cisco v. Arista) | Essential Patent Blog

Detailed but accessible legal review of Cisco vs Arista case. Dated July 2016 so it doesn’t cover the latest developments but provides a lot of insight into the legal.

My current view on this issue:

1. Cisco is validating Arista as a serious, viable competitor. On balance, Arista gets more out of this than Cisco does and doing a nice job of being the under dog.
2. Rumours suggest that its personal matter to attack Arsita for some executives and not a business matter.
3. Customers perceive Cisco as wasting time and energy on legal matters instead of innovating new products or improving product quality.
4. Customers money is being wasted on lawyers instead of solutions.

In December 2015, Cisco Systems, Inc. (Cisco) filed a complaint alleging that certain network devices (switches) imported by Arista Networks, Inc. (Arista) infringed several Cisco patents directed to computer networks.  Arista raised several equitable defenses based, in part, on allegations that Cisco submitted a request for comments document RFC 5517 to IETF and promoted RFC 5517 to the public generally as an “informal standard” for private virtual local area networks (PVLANs) for which Cisco would not assert its patents or would license on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) Continue reading