Startup Seceon has joined a growing number of firms focused on quickly analyzing behaviors on corporate networks to identify and prioritize threats that ought to be dealt with, cutting down on the manual work required to spot and stop attacks.In addition to identifying intrusions, the company’s Open Threat Management (OTM) platform can also automatically block suspect behaviors using scripts to other devices on the network.The company competes against a number of others including Damballa, LightCyber and Vectra as well as vendors with broader portfolios such as Carbon Black, Black Ensilo, Fireeye, Guidance, Promisec, Resolution1 Security, and Tanium.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Analytics seems to be like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow—hugely valuable but generally difficult (or impossible) to reach. It was always too hard, too slow, too expensive and too technical to be used on a widespread basis.Then things started to change. The rise of APIs meant that getting data into and out of core solutions became easier. The advent of cloud computing meant that standing up infrastructure on a short-term basis was easier, and a bunch of new approaches helped to make things far easier. One of the biggest proponents of this new way of driving analytics out to the business users is SAP, who is pushing hard for its HANA in-memory analytics service.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
HTC announced the HTC 10 premium smartphone today—its entry into the extreme competition for best smartphone on the planet. The device belongs to a category that makes no compromises in exterior presentation and interior performance. Trade-offs are a luxury enjoyed by makers of commodity smartphone models that pragmatic consumers buy.HTC earned its reputation by designing exquisite phones that others in the industry, including Apple, had to follow and sometimes copy. Most notably the iPhone 6 and 6s product lines look like HTC designs. Powered by a Qualcomm 820 SoC, the HTC 10 will be one of the fastest phones available. However, raw speed is its least-important feature because almost every smartphone is fast, to such an extent that the performance increase of the newest phones compared to last year’s is barely perceptible.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
At least according to Google Chrome AutocompleteHaving long found Google Chrome’s Autocomplete feature useful, the thought was to have a little fun by combining its predictive capabilities with journalism’s “Most Powerful (Whatever)” list format by typing into the search box “Most powerful a” … “Most powerful b” … and on through the alphabet to “Most powerful z.” The results, primarily a byproduct of the public’s frequency of searching on those terms, are a mixture of what you might expect and some real head-scratchers. (Note: The slide images were created by one of our designers using a newly downloaded version of Chrome, so your mileage may vary.)To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Open source cloud computing platform OpenStack has a new semi-annual version of its code out this month and one symbolically important aspect is a deepened partnership with Google’s public cloud.+MORE AT NETWORK WORLD: Status check on OpenStack: The open source cloud has arrived | Why Google hasn’t taken off in the cloud yet +In a blog post, Google announced that the Mitaka release of OpenStack includes a native option to backup OpenStack Cinder storage volumes to its public cloud.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Up-front disclaimer: I have several issues with earbuds, aka “in-ear earphones” – those things that you stick inside (or just on the outside of) your ear when you want to listen to music. For the most part, people experience earbuds when they buy their first smartphone or music player, and many don’t realize that you can graduate to less sucky devices to hear your music better. The first big issue for me – comfort. Put these in your ears for any length of time longer than two minutes, and the outside of your ear starts to get sore. Next comes fit – most of the time the earbuds won’t fit correctly and will slip off, forcing you to jam the earbud further inside your ear canal, which can’t be a good thing for comfort or the health of the ear. Third – with some people there’s a bunch of gunk both inside and outside their ears, and these things tend to get grimy pretty quickly (there’s a reason why earbud companies never ask me to return their review samples).To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
In the Star Trek episode, The City on The Edge of Forever, Spock found himself in a primitive setting with the task of building a radio to contact the Enterprise.Edith Keeler came in and saw Spock and asked him what he was doing. Spock sarcastically answered, “I am endeavoring, ma’am, to construct a mnemonic memory circuit using stone knives and bearskins.”The normally emotionless Spock was clearly frustrated with working with tools that weren’t designed to solve the problem he was facing. I’m sure security professionals today face the same level of frustration. It’s been well documented on this site and other publications that we are rushing headlong into the digital business era. However, security professionals are working with tools designed for an era long gone. Traditional security devices do a great job of protecting the perimeter of the business, but they don’t help protect against insider attacks, persistent threats or any of the challenges associated with security a digital organization.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Mobile apps have become a cornerstone in the enterprise as a way to connect business leaders, clients and employees. A major contributing factor to this shift, according to Adam Fingerman, cofounder and chief experience officer of ArcTouch Mobile & Connected Experiences is our reliance on our mobile devices; there's even a name for this phenomenon, "nomophobia." This reliance on technology has fundamentally affected businesses that have adopted a "if you can't beat them, join them" attitude about mobile devices. But a problem arises when a business thinks it can just create an app and expect employees to use it. People are accustomed to using apps that are finely tailored to their user experience, easy to use and fun. Business apps should be no exception -- if you want them adopted by your staff.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Interview questions to ask remote workersImage by PexelsInterviewing remote workers is much different than hiring for a traditional, on-site position. In addition to the usual questions about knowledge, hard skills and experience, interviewing candidates for a remote position must take into account commitment, communication skills, conflict resolution, motivation and technology prowess. "There are some differences to look for when you're hiring remote workers. You need to emphasize constant communication, availability and collaboration skills, as well as the ability to work independently, to solve problems and resolve conflicts and be able to gauge productivity," says Madhav Bhandari, head of growth at cloud productivity management and time tracking software company Hubstaff. Here are 10 interview questions for remote workers that will help you find the perfect fit.1. What's your remote work experience?Image by PexelsTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Two Italian architects have designed a data center that challenges how the structures are built. Instead of constructing a flat, sprawling complex, they are proposing a data center that reaches skyscraper heights.At this stage, the data center designed by Marco Merletti, who works in Paris, and Valeria Mercuri, who is in Rome, is just an idea. But it's gotten recognition. The pair, who are both 28, recently received third place honors in the annual Skyscraper Competition held by architecture and design journal eVolo.From a visual perspective, the circular, futuristic-looking "Data Tower," as Merletti and Mercuri call it, almost seems like something out of Star Trek. But it incorporates sustainable technology for efficiently cooling hundreds of thousands of servers, while increasing reliance on automation. Its ideas are grounded in existing technologies.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The Enterprise edition of any Windows version is aimed directly and more or less exclusively at businesses and other organizations of some considerable scale. It isn’t normally available for retail purchase (though you can find some retailers online willing to sell single copies). Usually, Windows 10 Enterprise must be acquired through some kind of licensing agreement with Microsoft or one of its partners, such as through the company’s Volume Licensing Service Center.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
Fifty-four zero-day vulnerabilities were discovered last year, according to a report released this morning by Symantec, more than double that of 2014, and the number of mega-breaches of more than 10 million records also hit a record high.In fact, the number of newly-discovered vulnerabilities stayed between eight and 15 a year since 2006, then jumped to 23 in 2013 and 24 in 2014, leading researchers to hope that it had reached a new plateau.Instead, last year's 125 percent increase in zero-days was a sign of the increasing professionalization of the industry.INSIDER: Traditional anti-virus is dead: Long live the new and improved AV "People figured out that they could make money by finding zero-day vulnerabilities and selling them to attackers," said Kevin Haley, director of security response at Symantec. "So there became a marketplace, and these things started to have value, and people started to hunt for them."To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Understanding how to buy bitcoins and pay ransomware authors for decryption keys is hard enough, yet some cybercriminals now expect their victims to do it in under an hour if they want all of their files back.A new ransomware program dubbed Jigsaw encrypts users' files and then begins to progressively delete them until the victim pays the equivalent of $150 in Bitcoin cryptocurrency.The ransomware deletes one file after the first hour has passed and then increases the number of files it deletes in every 60-minutes cycle. If no payment has been made within 72 hours, all remaining files will be deleted.MORE ON NETWORK WORLD: 6 simple tricks for protecting your passwords "Try anything funny and the computer has several safety measures to delete your files," the program's creators warn in their ransom message that's accompanied by a picture of the Jigsaw killer's mask from the horror film series Saw.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Faced with few options, companies are increasingly giving in to cybercriminals who hold their data hostage and demand payment for its return, while law enforcement officials struggle to catch the nearly invisible perpetrators.The risks to organizations have become so severe that many simply pay their attackers to make them go away -- a strategy that may only embolden the crooks.It's a case of asymmetric electronic warfare. Ransomware, which encrypts files until a victim pays to have them unlocked, can be devastating to an organization. Barring an up-to-date backup, little can be done aside from paying the attackers to provide the decryption keys.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Box is trying to make it easier for companies outside the U.S. to comply with regulatory requirements on where their data is stored with a new feature that lets them pick a variety of new countries in which they can house their data.Starting next month, companies will be able to pay for a new Box Zones feature that will let them store data in Germany, Ireland, Japan and Singapore, while using Box's content and management services as though they had kept that information in the company's U.S. datacenters.That's important for companies that have to meet data sovereignty requirements in order to comply with their country's laws. Depending on the specific requirement, they may be prevented from storing some or all of their data in another country, which would until now have precluded them from working with Box.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The Windows Blue Screen of Death isn't known for being particularly descriptive, but Microsoft may be looking to change that in a future version of Windows 10. A Reddit user posted a picture last week that shows a new version of the dreaded blue screen, one with a QR code and a link where users can get more information about the error that caused their computer to crash. Right now, the code and the link take users to a webpage that discusses generic fixes for errors that might cause a crash. In the future, though, Microsoft could provide a QR code that leads to more specific information about what caused the computer freeze up.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
SoftBank's Pepper robot may still be the better-known contender, but a new humanoid device from Hitachi aims to be the in-store sales rep of the future.Called EMIEW3, the roughly 3-foot-tall unit can determine when customers need help and then approach them autonomously, Hitachi said on Friday. Using what it calls "remote brain" technology, the company developed the robot with customer service in mind for use in stores and other public venues.EMIEW3 is actually the latest iteration in a series following Hitachi's introduction of the original EMIEW back in 2005. EMIEW2, announced in 2007, featured capabilities such as the ability to move at a brisk human walking pace and to distinguish the human voice from background noise.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Microsoft last week promoted Windows 10's November 2015 upgrade to the Current Branch for Business release track, the first time since the operating system's debut it has approved a build for corporate customers."The Windows 10 version 1511 feature update (build 10586), released in November 2015, has been officially declared as Current Branch for Business (CBB), ready for organizations to begin deploying broadly," said Michael Niehaus, a director of product marketing, in a post to a company blog Friday.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The free ride is over for new Google Fiber subscribers in Kansas, as Google drops the free “Basic Internet” option from its plans.Google has offered the free plan since Fiber first launched in July 2012. Compared to Google’s $70 per month Gigabit Internet offering, the free plan was considerably slower, with just 5 Mbps download speeds and 1 Mbps upload speeds. It also required a hefty $300 construction fee, which Google waived for paying customers who signed on for at least a year of service.According to Recode, that plan is now going away for new subscribers, suggesting that existing customers can hang onto their service for now. Google still offers free Basic Internet plans in Austin, Texas, and Provo, Utah, and is collaborating with the U.S. government on free broadband connections for public housing residents.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Most startups don’t have the budget, or the need, for enterprise software – or an elaborate website. But as your business grows, adding products or services, as well as customers and employees, it makes sense to invest in technology to help manage that growth. Does that mean you need to invest in an ERP or supply chain management system? Probably not. At least not right away. But these six cloud services, all targeted at SMBs, can make scaling your small ecommerce or bricks-and-mortar business a lot easier.[ Related: 7 ways small businesses can leverage customer data ]To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here