Why Microsoft is going all-in on AI

Microsoft is betting on artificial intelligence (AI) with the creation at the end of September of a new AI and Research Group. This newly formed group brings together Microsoft's research organization and more than 5,000 computer scientists and engineers focused on AI and is now the fourth major division in the company, on par with the Windows, Office and Cloud divisions.The job of the AI and Research Group will be to work on four overarching initiatives: Harnessing AI through agents such as Cortana, the company's digital personal assistant Infusing AI into Skype, Office 365 and every other Microsoft application Making cognitive capabilities such as vision and speech and machine analytics available to external developers Using Azure to build a powerful AI supercomputer in the cloud to provide "AI as a Service” [ Get ready for the bot revolution]To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Two Network Functions Virtualization Infrastructure Platforms Demonstrate Predictable Performance and Continuous Improvement

A white paper from Intel and HPE addresses the under-the-hood critical requirements to help CSPs evaluate NFV platforms, deploy new solutions faster and reap optimal benefits from NFV investment.

The scary state of the cybersecurity profession

Most discussions about cybersecurity tend to go right to technology, and these days they usually start with the words “next generation” as in next-generation firewalls, IPS, endpoint security, etc. I get it, since innovative technology is sexy, but it’s important to realize that skilled cybersecurity professionals anchor cybersecurity best practices.  We depend on actual people to configure controls, sort through data minutiae to detect problems, and remediate issues in a timely manner.+ Also on Network World: Recruiting and retaining cybersecurity talent + Since these folks protect all our digital assets daily, it’s only natural that we’d be curious as to how they are doing. To measure these feelings, ESG teamed up with the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) and conducted a survey of 437 global cybersecurity professionals. This project resulted in a recently published research report. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The scary state of the cybersecurity profession

Most discussions about cybersecurity tend to go right to technology, and these days they usually start with the words “next generation” as in next-generation firewalls, IPS, endpoint security, etc. I get it, since innovative technology is sexy, but it’s important to realize that skilled cybersecurity professionals anchor cybersecurity best practices.  We depend on actual people to configure controls, sort through data minutiae to detect problems, and remediate issues in a timely manner.+ Also on Network World: Recruiting and retaining cybersecurity talent + Since these folks protect all our digital assets daily, it’s only natural that we’d be curious as to how they are doing. To measure these feelings, ESG teamed up with the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) and conducted a survey of 437 global cybersecurity professionals. This project resulted in a recently published research report. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Nutanix Muscles Into Enterprise Networking Territory

Today: compute & storage. Tomorrow: the network!

The Quest for Container Networking Interoperability

As providers of container networking platforms jostle for position, the industry is eagerly awaiting the emergence of container networking interoperability.

The best PC hardware we’re using now and why we love it

We heart this hardwareWe love all our gear, from our desktop PCs to every last one of our high-tech gadgets, but some pieces of kit hold a very special place in our hearts. It can’t be helped. A component either fulfills its performance promise so spectacularly, or it perfectly satisfies a particular need, or we’re just plain attached to it out of well-worn habit.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The best PC hardware we’re using now and why we love it

We heart this hardwareWe love all our gear, from our desktop PCs to every last one of our high-tech gadgets, but some pieces of kit hold a very special place in our hearts. It can’t be helped. A component either fulfills its performance promise so spectacularly, or it perfectly satisfies a particular need, or we’re just plain attached to it out of well-worn habit.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Review: Microsoft takes on TensorFlow

Like Google, Microsoft has been differentiating its products by adding machine learning features. In the case of Cortana, those features are speech recognition and language parsing. In the case of Bing, speech recognition and language parsing are joined by image recognition. Google’s underlying machine learning technology is TensorFlow. Microsoft’s is the Cognitive Toolkit. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)

Los Angeles: Warm weather, movie stars — and 100 million monthly cyber attacks

Los Angeles is famous for its warm weather and movie stars. But what may not be as well known is that it's also one of the largest targets for cyber attacks in the world.The city's infrastructure in highways, water and power -- and all the data behind it -- supports 4 million residents in the nation's second largest city. The city also collects data about Los Angeles International Airport as well as about the largest shipping port in the western hemisphere, where 43% of imported goods enter the U.S. The city government is even responsible for data related to elections, including yesterday's national election.It's not difficult to see the enormity of the city's security challenge, which includes protecting the personal data of city workers and residents.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Los Angeles: Warm weather, movie stars — and 100 million monthly cyber attacks

Los Angeles is famous for its warm weather and movie stars. But what may not be as well known is that it's also one of the largest targets for cyber attacks in the world.The city's infrastructure in highways, water and power -- and all the data behind it -- supports 4 million residents in the nation's second largest city. The city also collects data about Los Angeles International Airport as well as about the largest shipping port in the western hemisphere, where 43% of imported goods enter the U.S. The city government is even responsible for data related to elections, including yesterday's national election.It's not difficult to see the enormity of the city's security challenge, which includes protecting the personal data of city workers and residents.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

10 Interview Questions Networking Pros Should Expect

Deploying Network Virtualization In The Enterprise

Robots present a cyber risk

The prospect of an army of robots marching in unison to launch an attack on an unsuspecting city belongs in the realm of science fiction—as do most images of menacing autonomous machines wreaking all kinds of havoc on civilization.That’s not to say robotics is free from security and safety threats, however. In fact, experts say the growing use of robots by companies such as manufacturers, retailers, healthcare institutions and other businesses can present a number of cyber risks.There are two primary issues related to security and robotics, says Michael Overly, a partner and information security attorney at law firm Foley & Lardner.First, these machines are generally integral to assembly line operations and other similar activities, Overly says. “An attack could literally bring a manufacturing or assembly plant to its knees,” he says. “We have seen this very outcome in a ransomware attack targeted at robotic assemblers in a plant in Mexico.” In that case, the ransomware locked up the specifications files from which the robots drew their operating parameters, he says.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Robots present a cyber risk

The prospect of an army of robots marching in unison to launch an attack on an unsuspecting city belongs in the realm of science fiction—as do most images of menacing autonomous machines wreaking all kinds of havoc on civilization.That’s not to say robotics is free from security and safety threats, however. In fact, experts say the growing use of robots by companies such as manufacturers, retailers, healthcare institutions and other businesses can present a number of cyber risks.There are two primary issues related to security and robotics, says Michael Overly, a partner and information security attorney at law firm Foley & Lardner.First, these machines are generally integral to assembly line operations and other similar activities, Overly says. “An attack could literally bring a manufacturing or assembly plant to its knees,” he says. “We have seen this very outcome in a ransomware attack targeted at robotic assemblers in a plant in Mexico.” In that case, the ransomware locked up the specifications files from which the robots drew their operating parameters, he says.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Trump tapped the viral anger over H-1B use

President-elect Donald Trump realized early in his campaign that U.S. IT workers were angry over training foreign visa-holding replacements. He knew this anger was volcanic.Trump is the first major U.S. presidential candidate in this race -- or any previous presidential race -- to focus on the use of the H-1B visa to displace IT workers. He asked former Disney IT employees, upset over having to train foreign replacements, to speak at his rallies."The fact is that Americans are losing their jobs to foreigners," said Dena Moore, a former Disney IT worker at a Trump rally in Alabama in February. "I believe Mr. Trump is for Americans first."To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

10 hardest-to-find tech skills

Rumors of Moore's Law's demise have been slightly exaggerated. Advances in computing power, data analytics, the cloud and other technologies just keep marching on -- albeit a bit slower. But as enterprises become more data-driven, it's not the hardware or the infrastructure that's at issue. It's the fact that tech pros with skills relating to organizing, analyzing and securing that data are increasingly harder to find.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

5 secrets to creating the best project management resume

Your resume is an extension of you professionally, and to some extent personally, and because you only have one chance to create that best first impression on paper, make sure it counts in a big way. Before you actually get an interview, an employer has to value your resume enough to want to pick up the phone. Here are a few secrets to the making of an eye-catching project management resume that will get employers calling.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)

There’s a war on for cybersecurity talent

Filling cybersecurity jobs is getting so hard managers need to think outside the box if they hope to fill critical positions, experts say.That means redefining jobs, training human resources departments to screen resumes differently, seeking latent talent already inside the organization, and hiring bright, motivated people who can grow into critical roles, according to an expert panel speaking at the recent Advanced Cyber Security Center conference in Boston.+More on Network World: Phishing scheme crimps El Paso for $3.2 million+To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

There’s a war on for cybersecurity talent

Filling cybersecurity jobs is getting so hard managers need to think outside the box if they hope to fill critical positions, experts say.That means redefining jobs, training human resources departments to screen resumes differently, seeking latent talent already inside the organization, and hiring bright, motivated people who can grow into critical roles, according to an expert panel speaking at the recent Advanced Cyber Security Center conference in Boston.+More on Network World: Phishing scheme crimps El Paso for $3.2 million+To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here