IDG Contributor Network: How mainframes prevent data breaches

2016 was a strange year marked by everything from election surprises to a seemingly endless spate of celebrity deaths. But when historians look back at this mirum anno—weird year—it may end up being known as the year of the data breach. Of course, this sort of thing isn’t restricted to 2016, but its impact on the world was hard to ignore. Among government organizations, the IRS and FBI suffered data breaches, and corporate victims included LinkedIn, Target, Verizon and Yahoo. Literally millions of people had their private information exposed to black hats, thieves and other ne’er-do-wells of the digital world. This epidemic of data theft calls upon security experts to get serious about creating new solutions.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: How mainframes prevent data breaches

2016 was a strange year marked by everything from election surprises to a seemingly endless spate of celebrity deaths. But when historians look back at this mirum anno—weird year—it may end up being known as the year of the data breach. Of course, this sort of thing isn’t restricted to 2016, but its impact on the world was hard to ignore. Among government organizations, the IRS and FBI suffered data breaches, and corporate victims included LinkedIn, Target, Verizon and Yahoo. Literally millions of people had their private information exposed to black hats, thieves and other ne’er-do-wells of the digital world. This epidemic of data theft calls upon security experts to get serious about creating new solutions.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Writing Tools: 2017

From time to time, folks ask me about how I write so much, or rather “how do you get so much done???” The reality is I tend to be very focused on tools and process. As I just revisited my tools over the new year, particularly when looking at a lot of new material that needs to be written, I thought it might be helpful to someone, perhaps, to write a post about what I’m using as the year turns over. Right now, I use—

• Word
• OneNote
• Zotero
• Notepad++
• Smartedit
• CorelDRAW
• Acrobat Standard

I know I’m “old fashioned” in this tool set; I don’t do fancy markdown, markup, marksideways, or any of that stuff. I don’t swear by a platform (I don’t have a dog in the the Apple versus Microsoft fight), etc. But this set of tools has been modified, thought, and rethought across the last 20 years and the writing of millions of words of text contained in hundreds of papers, 11 books, many hours of classroom time, etc. I have been through periods when I really focused on finding some cool new tool to write with, maybe trying to “get rid of distractions,” or whatever else. Continue reading

Allot Communications Brings In a New CEO

Andrei Elefant will stick around as chief strategy officer.

T-Mobile CTO Says Modern Core Makes SDN Less Urgent

But SDN will be key for 5G advances like network slicing.

Review: Microsoft Windows Defender comes up short

Microsoft’s latest version of its anti-malware tool, Windows Defender, is a frustrating product to evaluate. Yes, it is perhaps the best antivirus tool to come from Microsoft, with a series of noteworthy improvements. Yes, it provides good enough protection for your family’s PCs. And yes, it could be your PC’s sole antivirus utility, if you are willing to accept its limitations.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)

Review: Microsoft Windows Defender comes up short

Microsoft’s latest version of its anti-malware tool, Windows Defender, is a frustrating product to evaluate. Yes, it is perhaps the best antivirus tool to come from Microsoft, with a series of noteworthy improvements. Yes, it provides good enough protection for your family’s PCs. And yes, it could be your PC’s sole antivirus utility, if you are willing to accept its limitations.However, once you examine the product in more detail, you will see why we cannot recommend it for enterprise use. And that is the frustration of this product: Microsoft is trying to do the right thing and offers a tempting feast, but ultimately offers an incomplete meal that is tough to digest.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)

The loss of net neutrality: Say goodbye to a free and open internet

First: I’m not a lawyer. Net neutrality—the principle that no online traffic has priority over other traffic, not even for pay—might go away. If it does, big money will be behind its demise. The end of network neutrality will create many lasting problems, including these specific issues: 1. The lawyers win  Every conceivable new theory about how one organization should have priority will ensue, and the courts will be clogged deciding the outcome. Today, the principle is simple: all traffic gets the same priority, and multimedia can have isochronous priority, but it’s not guaranteed. + Also on Network World: How Trump will attack the FCC's net neutrality rules + Without net neutrality, we will enter an era where ISPs, telcos, carriers and interconnects will all demand that THEIR traffic has priority, and yours does not—unless you pay. Let the litigation begin, and the courts glow in the dark in an attempt to sort out what theories of law now hold sway. Insert wallet, here. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Security Data Growth Drives SOAPA (Security Operations and Analytics Platform Architecture)

Happy new year cybersecurity community!  Hope you are well rested, it’s bound to be an eventful year ahead.Way back when at the end of November 2016, I posted a blog about an evolutionary trend I see happening around cybersecurity analytics and operations technology.  Historically, large enterprises have relied on SIEM products to anchor their SOCs.  This will continue but I see SIEM becoming part of a more global cybersecurity software architecture called SOAPA (i.e. security operations and analytics platform architecture). SOAPA uses middleware (i.e. message queueing, transaction processing, etc.), APIs, and industry standards like CybOX, STIX, and TAXII to connect disparate cybersecurity analytics and operations tools and data sources like EDR, network security analytics, UBA/machine learning analytics systems, vulnerability scanners, security asset management, anti-malware sandboxes/cloud services, incident response platforms, and threat intelligence into a cohesive software architecture.  In this way, disparate analytics tools can be used collectively to gain more context out of the data while accelerating processes and cybersecurity operations.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Security Data Growth Drives SOAPA (Security Operations and Analytics Platform Architecture)

Happy new year cybersecurity community!  Hope you are well rested, it’s bound to be an eventful year ahead.Way back when at the end of November 2016, I posted a blog about an evolutionary trend I see happening around cybersecurity analytics and operations technology.  Historically, large enterprises have relied on SIEM products to anchor their SOCs.  This will continue but I see SIEM becoming part of a more global cybersecurity software architecture called SOAPA (i.e. security operations and analytics platform architecture). SOAPA uses middleware (i.e. message queueing, transaction processing, etc.), APIs, and industry standards like CybOX, STIX, and TAXII to connect disparate cybersecurity analytics and operations tools and data sources like EDR, network security analytics, UBA/machine learning analytics systems, vulnerability scanners, security asset management, anti-malware sandboxes/cloud services, incident response platforms, and threat intelligence into a cohesive software architecture.  In this way, disparate analytics tools can be used collectively to gain more context out of the data while accelerating processes and cybersecurity operations.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Security data growth drives SOAPA

Happy new year, cybersecurity community! I hope you are well rested; it’s bound to be an eventful year.Way back when at the end of November 2016, I wrote a blog post about an evolutionary trend I see happening around cybersecurity analytics and operations technology. Historically, large enterprises have relied on SIEM products to anchor their security operations centers (SOCs). This will continue, but I see SIEM becoming part of a more global cybersecurity software architecture called SOAPA (security operations and analytics platform architecture). To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Security data growth drives SOAPA

Happy new year, cybersecurity community! I hope you are well rested; it’s bound to be an eventful year.Way back when at the end of November 2016, I wrote a blog post about an evolutionary trend I see happening around cybersecurity analytics and operations technology. Historically, large enterprises have relied on SIEM products to anchor their security operations centers (SOCs). This will continue, but I see SIEM becoming part of a more global cybersecurity software architecture called SOAPA (security operations and analytics platform architecture). To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Acer’s Chromebook 11 N7 is tough as nails, but runs on old tech

Do you have the nasty habit of knocking your laptop around? Meet Acer's tough-as-nails Chromebook 11 N7, designed to withstand a serious beating.The Chromebook 11 N7 has an 11.6-inch screen and is fortified with layers of protection to withstand drops. Acer has been so meticulous in ruggedizing the laptop that it's even difficult to remove key caps from the keyboard -- whether by accident or on purpose.Why did Acer construct such a Chromebook? It's targeted at educational institutions that issue laptops to students, who may be clumsy with PCs. The Chromebook 11 N7 is certainly more durable than the iPad, which has been given to students and can crack easily if mishandled.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

LeEco’s smart bicycles with Android OS will be hard to steal

Conventional bicycles are undergoing a radical technological makeover that could change the way people ride and protect their bikes. LeEco isn't reinventing the wheel with its new Smart Road and Smart Mountain bikes, but infusing them with dazzling technology derived from smartphones and self-driving cars. The bicycles have navigation, fitness and communication features, and even technology to track a stolen bike. These new features are more than just bells and whistles -- they could be a blueprint of how future bikes could look. Transportation is the next big technology frontier, and LeEco's bikes are cool and smart. The LeEco smart bikes will be available in the U.S. in the second quarter. A company spokeswoman said prices will be announced at a later date.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

12 things you’ll get in PCs with Intel’s new Kaby Lake chips

Amazingly thin Windows 10 laptops and tablets will soon become available with Intel's new Kaby Lake chips, which were announced at CES. These chips, called 7th Generation Core, will extend laptop battery life to new highs, and bring new capabilities like 4K video. You'll also enjoy VR by connecting headsets to Kaby Lake laptops or tablets. There's a lot more to Kaby Lake, and here's what you can expect from PCs: Thinner and lighter laptops Laptops and tablets with Kaby Lake are so thin and light that their weight in a backpack is not noticeable, unless it's a fully loaded gaming PC. Samsung's new 13.3-inch Notebook 9 weighs an amazing 816 grams, but offers only seven hours of battery life. Low-power Kaby Lake chips will also be in laptops and 2-in-1 devices from Lenovo, HP, Acer and Dell that weigh 1 to 1.5 kilograms.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Dell protects Alienware, shoves low-end gaming into Inspiron 7000

Merging gaming PCs into low-end brands failed for PC makers like HP, but Dell is giving it a shot. Dell is moving budget gaming PCs into the consumer Inspiron brand as it positions the premium Alienware PCs for a leap into the 4K and virtual reality era. At CES, Dell introduced new Inspiron 7000 gaming laptops, which have the look and feel of Alienware PCs. With a starting price of US$799, the Inspiron 7000 models aren't as feature-packed as the new Alienware 13, 15, and 17 laptops, which were also announced at the show and will ship this month. The Inspiron 7000 models -- which comes with 14- or 15.6-inch screens -- have processing and graphics punch with high-end Intel Core i7 H-series Kaby Lake CPUs and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 GPUs. It's the first Inspiron gaming laptop and the fastest in that brand.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Intel’s new NUC mini-desktops get Kaby Lake, Optane and Thunderbolt 3

A lot of cool technologies are coming to Intel's latest NUCs, which are powerful mini-desktops that now boast the company's latest Kaby Lake chips. A NUC  packs all components tightly in a small PC that is light enough to be held  in one hand. These mini-PCs are easily customizable and considered desktop replacements. Some of the new NUCs have Thunderbolt 3 ports, Intel Iris Plus graphics for 4K video, and are ready for Intel's superfast Optane storage. Intel has announced three new "tall" NUCs with 7th Generation Core i3, i5 and i7 chips, and two "short" NUCs with Core i3 and i5 chips. The "tall NUCs" are slightly larger and more powerful than the short NUCs.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Ransomware on smart TVs is here and removing it can be a pain

It took a year from proof of concept to in-the-wild attack, but ransomware for Android-based smart TVs is now here. As one victim discovered this Christmas, figuring out how to clean such an infection can be quite difficult. Ransomware for Android phones has already been around for several years and security experts have warned in the past that it's only a matter of time until such malicious programs start affecting smart TVs, especially since some of them also run Android. In November 2015, a Symantec researcher named Candid Wueest even went as far as to infect his own TV with an Android ransomware application to highlight the threat. While that infection was just a demonstration, this Christmas, the owner of an LG Electronics TV experienced the real deal.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Ransomware on smart TVs is here and removing it can be a pain

It took a year from proof of concept to in-the-wild attack, but ransomware for Android-based smart TVs is now here. As one victim discovered this Christmas, figuring out how to clean such an infection can be quite difficult. Ransomware for Android phones has already been around for several years and security experts have warned in the past that it's only a matter of time until such malicious programs start affecting smart TVs, especially since some of them also run Android. In November 2015, a Symantec researcher named Candid Wueest even went as far as to infect his own TV with an Android ransomware application to highlight the threat. While that infection was just a demonstration, this Christmas, the owner of an LG Electronics TV experienced the real deal.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Worth Reading: Smile vector

Smile Vector is a Twitter bot that can make any celebrity smile. It scrapes the web for pictures of faces, and then it morphs their expressions using a deep-learning-powered neural network. Its results aren’t perfect, but they’re created completely automatically, and it’s just a small hint of what’s to come as artificial intelligence opens a new world of image, audio, and video fakery. Imagine a version of Photoshop that can edit an image as easily as you can edit a Word document — will we ever trust our own eyes again? —The Verge

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