It’s a space mission of firsts. First -- a flock of eight, 4lb tissue box-sized satellites will be launched into space in a proof-of-concept mission that will show how multiple, yet affordable nanosatellites can handle astrophysics duties or perform planetary science investigations, such as placing a network of satellites around an asteroid, Earth’s moon, or another planet.+More on Network World: Gartner: Risk, relentless data center demand, open source and other tech trends IT needs to know+To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
NASA says the Halloween flyby of a 1,300-foot-wide asteroid will offer professional and non-skilled sky watchers an up-close – by celestial criteria – look at a pretty large piece of space rubble.+More on Network World: How to protect Earth from asteroid destruction+The asteroid, 2015 TB145 will fly past Earth at a safe distance slightly farther than the moon's orbit on Oct. 31 at 10:01 a.m. PDT (1:01 p.m. EDT). According to the catalog of near-Earth objects (NEOs) kept by the Minor Planet Center, this is the closest currently known approach by an object this large until asteroid 1999 AN10, at about 2,600 feet in size, approaches at about 1 lunar distance (238,000 miles from Earth) in August 2027, NASA stated in a release.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
There is a serious and growing gap between men and women when it comes to choosing a cybersecurity career – then again there’s also a serious disinterest in the field altogether from millennials.+More on Network World: What’s hot in driverless cars?+Those were the chief findings of a global study issued by Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) this week that noted: In the U.S., 74% of young women and 57% of young men said schools did not offer the skills that are needed to pursue a degree in computer sciences.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
DoT
Saying portable electronic smoking devices such as e-cigarettes, e-cigars, e-pipes or personal vaporizers are basically a fire threat the Department of Transportation in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration today ruled that the devices will no longer be allowed in checked luggage on commercial aircraft(they still can be carried in carry-on bags but cannot be charging).
+More on Network World: 21 more crazy and scary things the TSA has found on travelers+To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Despite aggressive law enforcement and Federal Trade Commission actions to battle it, the scourge known as the “Tech Support Scam” is growing – with older individuals a rising target.The tech support scam basically involves tricking people into believing their computer has problems, and then charging them hundreds of dollars for unnecessary, worthless, and in some cases destructive applications such as malware, spyware, adware, keystroke loggers, and other harmful applications.+More on Network World: What’s hot in driverless cars?+To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
It isn’t hard for just about anyone to change or alter an image these days -- and that can be a problem.It’s an issue researchers at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency want top put to rest with a new program called Media Forensics or MediFor, which looks to build an algorithmic-based platform that can detect image manipulation.+More on Network World: Gartner: Get onboard the algorithm train!“The forensic tools used today lack robustness and scalability and address only some aspects of media authentication; an end‐to‐end platform to perform a complete and automated forensic analysis does not exist. Although there are a few applications for image manipulation detection in the commercial sector, they are typically limited to a yes/no decision about the source being an “original” asset, obtained directly from an imaging device. As a result, media authentication is typically performed manually using a variety of ad hoc methods that are often more art than science, and forensics analysts rely heavily on their own background and experience,” DARPA stated.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Who's drivingImage by REUTERS/Edgar SuThe development of self-driving and autonomous cars seems to be all the rage in the automotive community these days. Certainly lots of work remains to be done around safety and communications technologies but there is a heavy push to make car drones a reality. Here we take a look at some of the most recent developments.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
As tax identity theft and fraud continue to spiral upwards, the IRS and key industry players are trying to develop new technolgies and techniques to slow the swindle juggernaught down.The IRS this week updated the community about what work has been done by its collarborative group of chief executive officers and private sector firms such as H&R Block and Intuit since March when it formed the group to bolster protections against identity theft refund fraud for the 2016 tax season.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
As car-makers build more tech-savvy autos, their ability to communicate and interact with smart infrastructure to prevent accidents or warn of impending road hazards faces number of challenges that may hinder its deployment.+More on Network World: Car crash prevention technologies face huge challenges+Watchdogs at the Government Accountability Office this week said while the Department of Transportation will over the next five years spend $100 million via its Connected Vehicle pilot program that deploys Vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) technologies in real-world settings – many challenges with the technologies remain.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
As car-makers build more tech-savvy autos, their ability to communicate and interact with smart infrastructure to prevent accidents or warn of impending road hazards faces number of challenges that may hinder its deployment.+More on Network World: Car crash prevention technologies face huge challenges+Watchdogs at the Government Accountability Office this week said while the Department of Transportation will over the next five years spend $100 million via its Connected Vehicle pilot program that deploys Vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) technologies in real-world settings – many challenges with the technologies remain.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Getting the innumerable wireless networks the military and some commercial enterprises to communicate just doesn’t work in many cases, creating serious communications and security problems for warfighters and others interacting with those networks.+More on Network World Gartner: IT should simplify security to fight inescapable hackers+Researchers at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency are looking for ways to change that problem with a new program called Dynamic Network Adaptation for Mission Optimization (DyNAMO).To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Getting the innumerable wireless networks the military and some commercial enterprises to communicate just doesn’t work in many cases, creating serious communications and security problems for warfighters and others interacting with those networks.+More on Network World Gartner: IT should simplify security to fight inescapable hackers+Researchers at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency are looking for ways to change that problem with a new program called Dynamic Network Adaptation for Mission Optimization (DyNAMO).To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The FBI and US Department of Justice today said they disrupted the activities and arrested the administrator of the botnet known as “Bugat,” “Cridex” or “Dridex,” which authorities said pilfered over $10 million.More on Network World: Gartner: Risk, relentless data center demand, open source and other tech trends IT needs to knowThe FBI called Bugat a sophisticated malware package designed to steal banking and other credentials from infected computers and is generally distributed through phishing. The software typically can upload files from an infected computer and download executable files to the victim’s system. Collected information id sent to the criminal’s system. Bugat is specifically designed to defeat antivirus and other protective measures employed by victims.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
It’s a description right out of a James Bond or Mission: Impossible script: Create a flock of unmanned aircraft that can be dropped from a larger mothership to take on a mission, then actually vanish once the mission is carried out.
+More on Network World: World’s craziest Halloween coffins+
Engineers at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency envision the disappearing drones as ideal for a number of missions, including the delivery of humanitarian or military aid to people or military personnel in rough terrain or hard-to reach-places.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
ORLANDO --It’s not a surprise to most in IT that the info/tech world is fraught with risk, change, and disruption but most of the time all of those issues aren’t laid out in front of them in nice, neat fashion like they are at Gartner Symposium/ITxpo.There are a number of key themes echoing around the Symposium this week many having to do the smart algorithms and how that kind of technology is going to change the world forever. Another is the move to an all-digital world – a trend well underway and mostly understood by most large companies.+More on Network World: Gartner: Top 10 strategic predictions that could shake up IT+To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
ORLANDO --It’s not a surprise to most in IT that the info/tech world is fraught with risk, change, and disruption but most of the time all of those issues aren’t laid out in front of them in nice, neat fashion like they are at Gartner Symposium/ITxpo.There are a number of key themes echoing around the Symposium this week many having to do the smart algorithms and how that kind of technology is going to change the world forever. Another is the move to an all-digital world – a trend well underway and mostly understood by most large companies.+More on Network World: Gartner: Top 10 strategic predictions that could shake up IT+To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
ORLANDO-- The robots decidedly have it. They will help run businesses, make decisions for you and maybe even be your boss.
Those were just some of the predictions put forth by Gartner vice president Daryl Plummer at the consultancy’s always interesting prediction of future IT technology directions.
+More on Network World: Gartner: IT should simplify security to fight inescapable hackers+
“Robots are beginning to rise – don’t think Terminator robots – but smart robots that will have the ability to learn things better, faster,” PlummerTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
ORLANDO -- On some level it may seem incongruous to many IT organizations but as security challenges mount, enterprises should take a look at their protection systems and look to simplify them -- not make the more complicated -- to battle hackers.+More on Network World: Gartner: Get onboard the algorithm train!+The Risk and Security officer in many enterprises today is mostly concerned with old technology risks. They’ve become obsessed with external hacks, chasing the impossible goal of perfect protection. However, 65% of CEOs say their risk management approach is falling behind, said Peter Sondergaard senior vice president of research withGartner at the consultancy’s Symposium/IT Expo this week.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
ORLANDO -- Algorithms are hot and will be a major driver in the future of IT and business. That was the driving thought from the opening keynote session at this week’s Gartner Symposium/IT Expo.In five years 1 million new devices will come online every hour and these devices will create billions of new relationships. These relationships are not driven solely by data but algorithms, said Peter Sondergaard senior vice president of research withGartner.+More on Network World: Gartner: Top 10 Technology Trends for 2015 IT can’t ignore+To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
NASA this week picked five possible contenders for a relatively low-cost robotic mission to space.The five candidates from a batch of 27 –include Venus, near-Earth object and asteroid operations – will ultimately be whittled down to one or two that will cost approximately $500 million, not including launch vehicle or post-launch operations, NASA stated.+More on Network World: 13 awesome and scary things in near Earth space+Each investigation team will receive $3 million to conduct concept design studies and analyses for NASA’s Discovery Program. After a detailed review and evaluation of each experiment, NASA will make the final selections by September 2016 for continued development leading up to launch possibly by 2020, NASA stated.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Michael Cooney