Verizon’s planned acquisition of Yahoo will take longer than expected and won’t close until this year’s second quarter, the internet company said on Monday.The $4.8 billion deal was originally slated to close in the first quarter, but that was before Yahoo reported two massive data breaches that analysts say may scrap the entire deal.Although Yahoo continues to work to close the acquisition, there’s still work required to meet closing the deal's closing conditions, the company said in an earnings statement, without elaborating.Verizon has suggested that the data breaches, and the resulting blow to Yahoo’s reputation, might cause it to halt or renegotiate the deal.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
UC Berkeley on Monday launched a five-year research collaborative dubbed RISELab that will focus on enabling apps and machines that can interact with the environment around them securely and in real-time.The RISELab (Real-time Intelligence with Secure Execution) is backed by a slew of big name tech and financial firms: Amazon Web Services, Ant Financial, Capital One, Ericsson, GE Digital, Google, Huawei, Intel, IBM, Microsoft and VMWare. MORE: 7 really cool networking & IT research projectsTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
When it comes to our annual look at what wacky things the TSA pulls out of travelers’ carryon luggage, every year the crazy seems to get a little crazier and the scary, well you know where we are going with this.Interestingly the TSA finds some amusement or amazement in these finding as it now posts its own Top 10 Most Unusual Finds which outlines the most “dangerous and often times wacky items” it has kept off commercial airliners.To start, we need to look at guns. The number of guns that traverse or try to traverse the skies in the United States continues to grow at an astounding rate. There was a 28% increase in firearm discoveries from 2015’s total of 2,653. The TSA says that in 2016, 3,391 firearms were discovered in carry-ons --averaging more than nine firearms per day.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Google has hinted that it is interested in bringing "smart tools" to users of board computers like Raspberry Pi 3 and Intel's Edison.The company has launched a market research survey of the maker community, and the front page of the site states: "We at Google are interested in creating smart tools for makers, and want to hear from you about what would be most helpful."The survey includes queries on preferred maker boards, proficiency in hardware and software, and projects users may want to pursue.Google did not respond to request for comment.But in a blog entry, Raspberry Pi noted that the smart tools will be available sometime this year.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
America’s largest tech companies face a growing backlash over the potentially negative impacts of their strategic decisions and innovations. For example, companies like Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft are investing in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and product roadmaps that will replace millions of jobs during the coming years. Experts in marketing, technology and social awareness say it’s time for technology providers to assume greater responsibility for the personal pain that comes along with the collective gain.Emerging technology is at almost perpetual odds with the status quo, but U.S. society is coming to realize that dynamic can lead to job losses, unfair treatment of social services and a stain on civic engagement. The power and influence that some tech companies command is being reevaluated in light of the myriad ways people are being disenfranchised in some way by their actions.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
China is going after unauthorized internet connections, including tools known as VPNs (virtual private networks) that can bypass China’s efforts to control the web.The crackdown is part of 14-month campaign from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology that's meant to clean up the country’s internet service provider marketUnless authorized, internet service providers are forbidden from operating any “cross-border” channel business, including VPNs, the ministry said in a Sunday notice. The announcement is a bit of rarity. The country has usually withheld from openly campaigning against VPN use, even as government censors have intermittently tried to squelch access to them in the past. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Microsoft last week resurrected its free Windows 10 upgrade, but aimed the deal at small- and mid-sized businesses that had passed on the earlier offer."They're extending the free upgrade to this segment of customers to help them get to Windows 10," said Wes Miller, an analyst at Directions on Microsoft who specializes in the technology company's complex licensing rules and practices.Like the 12-month upgrade deal that ended last August, the new offer applies to personal computers running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1. But the new program is limited to a select group of customers. Only businesses that have signed up for one of the Windows Enterprise subscription plans can take advantage of the free upgrade.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Cloud technology is becoming a “staple” in the enterprise -- 70% have at least one application in the cloud – and may become the “default option” for software deployment by 2020. That makes it even more important that systems administrators can monitor, manage and optimize data-processing workloads in the cloud.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
MongoDB wasn’t the first database hit by ransomware, just a rich target for attacks. Now, ElasticSearch and Hadoop have become ransomware targets. They won’t be the last. Were these three database products insanely simple to secure? Yes. Were they secured by their installers? Statistics and BitCoin sales would indicate otherwise. And no, they won’t be the last. Every hour of every day, websites get pounded with probes. A few are for actual research. When the probe is a fake logon, like the dozens of hourly WordPress admin fails I get on my various websites, you have some idea that the sender isn’t friendly.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
It's a sad fact of life in IT nowadays that some form of preparation for dealing with malware is part and parcel of what systems and network administrators must do. This goes above and beyond normal due diligence in warding off malware. It includes a proper appreciation of the work and risks involved in handling malware infections, and acquiring a toolkit of repair and cleanup tools to complement protective measures involved in exercising due diligence. It should also include at least two forms of insurance – one literal, the other metaphorical – that can help avert or cover an organization against costs and liabilities that malware could otherwise force the organization to incur.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
The YETI Hopper 20 ice-for-days portable cooler and is tough as nails so it can be hauled anywhere you want to take it. It features a DryHide Shell and nearly indestructible straps will stand up to an abundance of abuse in the field. It's HydroLok Zipper is completely leakproof, eliminating spills and locking in cold. It can hold 18 cans, a limit of rainbow trout, or 20 pounds of ice. The YETI Hopper 20 is currently selling at the discounted price of $225, a good deal considering its $299.95 list price. See this high-end portable cooler now on Amazon. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The SanDisk Connect wireless stick is a flash drive with a unique twist -- you can access it wirelessly. Whether it's in your pants pocket, in your bag, or on the picnic table at your campsite, the Connect wireless stick lets you stream media or move files wirelessly with up to three computers, phones or tablets simultaneously. Connections are made via built-in wifi (think "hotspot"), so no external wireless or internet services are needed. A USB connection is also available, if desired. Storage on this model is a generous 200GB. Reviewers on Amazon report at least 8-10 hours of battery life on one charge. This model is currently discounted 34%, from $119.99 down to $78.95. See it now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
As the the leader of Deloitte’s analytics practice, Paul Roma directs the company's analytics offerings across all businesses, so he sees companies struggling with a range of issues. Network World Editor in Chief John Dix recently talked to Roma about everything from what analytics problems companies are facing (Hint: the swamp reference above), to tools that help extract more value (cognitive analytics and machine learning), and even the executive management roles that are evolving (the title doesn’t matter much, but ownership of the problem does). Deloitte
Paul Roma, Chief Analytics Officer, DeloitteTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
There is nothing like attending a face-to-face event for career networking and knowledge gathering, and we don’t have to tell you how helpful it can be to get a hands-on demo of a new tool or to have your questions answered by experts.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
Cybersecurity and staffing upgrades at the Internal Revenue Service appear to be in store, assuming Steven Mnuchin is confirmed as Treasury Secretary in the new Trump Administration.Mnuchin, a former CIO and executive vice president for Goldman Sachs, told senators in a five-hour confirmation hearing on Thursday that he is "very concerned about the lack of first-rate technology at the IRS" as well as staff cuts in recent years. Mnuchin is expected to be confirmed, and would likely work with Trump to pick the next IRS director.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Fears that accelerating automation is going to eat its lion's share of jobs continue to plague corporate sectors. However, new research from McKinsey Global Institute may talk folks afflicted with automation phobias down from the ledge.The research group says that although half of today’s work activities could be automated, it may not happen until 2055. Or 2035. Or even 2075. Where the statistic falls along the S curve depends on various factors, such as breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and economic conditions, says Michael Chui, a McKinsey Global Institute partner and an author of the report. Chuiand other researchers analyzed 800 occupations and 2,000 job tasks.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Spanish police have arrested a Russian programmer suspected of developing the Neverquest banking Trojan, a malware targeting financial institutions across the world.The 32-year-old Russian citizen known as Lisov SV was arrested at the Barcelona airport, Spain's law enforcement agency Guardia Civil said on Friday.The FBI had been working with Spanish authorities to track down the suspect through an international arrest warrant, according to a statement from the agency. The FBI, however, declined to comment on the man's arrest.Neverquest is designed to steal username and password information from banking customers. Once it infects a PC, the malware can do this by injecting fake online forms into legitimate banking websites to log any information typed in. It can also take screenshots and video from the PC's desktop and steal any passwords stored locally.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The news that sprawling networking company Avaya has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy is being greeted with nonchalance by at least some of its customers, for whom the saga of the firm’s financial troubles has been a reality for some time.Avaya’s a big company with several focus areas – some lines, like networking products, are performing well. Others, including unified communications and phone systems, are not, and it’s these that have dragged the company into Chapter 11.+MORE FROM NETWORK WORLD: Avaya says bankruptcy is a step toward software and services + Verizon, volunteer firefighters make peace; T-Mobile’s Legere can stand downTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The fate of Avaya has finally been determined. It’s not being broken up, shut down or having parts stripped off it in a fire sale. Instead, Avaya filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to help shed the $6 billion debt load that is weighing the company down.The question for the company now is what happens next? Obviously the business will be restructured. I believe the management team will keep the call center and UC businesses intact, as they go together like “rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong.” But what happens to the networking business? Post restructuring the networking division might be a more attractive asset to buy because many of the things weighing it down, such as pensions and debt, won’t be an issue. Avaya could sell it, then use the money to make an acquisition that could bolster its UC and CC business.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
ZeroLemon describes their ToughJuice power bank as the world's toughest external battery pack, with 30000mAh capacity and a rugged anti-shock exterior. With enough juice to get you up and running again and again on a single charge, ToughJuice provides up to ten charges to a smartphone, two charges to a tablet or multiple charges to nearly any other device. It features four USB ports (1 QuickCharge 2.0 port, with legacy 5V/2A support and 3 Ports for 1A charging) but more importantly it features USB-C/Type-C Compatibility: the USB-C/Type-C port makes the battery pack compatible with the new MacBook, charging at 5V/2.5A and other USB-C powered devices. The device averages 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon from over 200 people (read reviews), and its list price is currently discounted to $69.99. See the discounted ZeroLemon ToughJuice power bank now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here