AI makes security systems more flexible

Advances in machine learning are making security systems easier to train and more flexible in dealing with changing conditions, but not all use cases are benefitting at the same rate.Machine learning, and artificial intelligence, has been getting a lot of attention lately and there's a lot of justified excitement about the technology.One of the side effects is that pretty much everything is now being relabeled as "machine learning," making the term extremely difficult to pin down. Just as the word "cloud" has come to mean pretty much anything that happens online, so "artificial intelligence" is rapidly moving to the point where almost anything involving a computer is getting that label slapped on it.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

7 steps to start a bug bounty program

A new approachImage by ThinkstockVulnerability assessment and identification strategies have evolved to include the concept of crowd sourced security testing through bug bounty programs. While bug bounty programs have been used for over 20 years, widespread adoption by enterprise organizations has just begun to take off within the last few. The bug bounty path, paved by tech giants, is widening, enabling security teams of all sizes to create and manage robust security assessment programs, get ahead of adversaries, and level the cybersecurity playing field. As we are clearly still in the early- to mid-adopter phase of this new market, Paul Ross, senior vice preside of marketing at Bugcrowd, breaks down how to get started with a bug bounty program, and how to prepare your organization for this new approach to vulnerability testing.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

7 steps to start a bug bounty program

A new approachImage by ThinkstockVulnerability assessment and identification strategies have evolved to include the concept of crowd sourced security testing through bug bounty programs. While bug bounty programs have been used for over 20 years, widespread adoption by enterprise organizations has just begun to take off within the last few. The bug bounty path, paved by tech giants, is widening, enabling security teams of all sizes to create and manage robust security assessment programs, get ahead of adversaries, and level the cybersecurity playing field. As we are clearly still in the early- to mid-adopter phase of this new market, Paul Ross, senior vice preside of marketing at Bugcrowd, breaks down how to get started with a bug bounty program, and how to prepare your organization for this new approach to vulnerability testing.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

New Nintendo 3DS price slashed on Black Friday to $100

Much of the early Black Friday 2016 gaming buzz centers around virtual reality systems and big cuts to Xbox One bundles, but Nintendo this week has grabbed headlines with this holiday blockbuster: slashing the price of its New Nintendo 3DS video game system to $100 (okay, $99.99) starting on Nov. 25.Typically, the Nintendo 3DS sells for about $150 and the 3DS.XL for $200. The special $100 price isn't that much more than for the inferior Nintendo 2DS console, which costs about $80. The original Nintendo 3DS, a portable gaming system that provides 3D-like effects without you needing to don dorky glasses, debuted in 2011 for $250, though the price quickly dropped closer to $170.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Overcoming The IT Labor Shortage

IDG Contributor Network: The key to winning the war for tech talent: Look where others aren’t

Following years of higher-than-usual unemployment, hiring has been increasing. In fact, in 2015, the U.S. had as many open jobs as it did in 2001—a staggering 5 million.While the number of openings might sound promising, in reality, top talent remains scarce, and organizations are once again finding themselves battling it out for the best people. In no function is this more apparent than IT—where over half a million of those 5 million open jobs are and a demand that continues to increase.+ Also on Network World: IT hiring: 4 things you're doing wrong (and how to fix them) + Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that 1.3 million IT and cybersecurity jobs will have to be filled by 2022. Many of the open jobs are for roles that didn’t exist a decade ago, such as cloud integration specialists and mobile application developers. And we can’t keep pace. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2020 there will be 1 million more IT jobs than computer science students in the U.S.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Facebook is bringing artsy neural networks to a phone near you

Facebook users will be able to record smartphone videos that ape the style of famous artworks with a new feature unveiled Tuesday. Using a technique called style transfer, the feature takes live video and turns it into something that resembles the work of Van Gogh, Picasso and other artists.That effect is probably familiar to people who have used the app Prisma, which uses similar techniques to change the look of photos. Prisma's app can't perform live filtering, and some filters require a connection to the internet. Facebook's system can work offline and render live.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

New Webinar Series: Network Automation Use Cases

In June 2016 I got an interesting idea: let’s create a webinar series with numerous guest speakers that would describe several widely-used network automation use cases.

It took me almost half a year to get there, but finally the first session is scheduled for November 22nd.

SAP aims to simplify innovation with update to HANA in-memory database

SAP wants businesses struggling to keep up with the pace of innovation in its HANA in-memory database to relax as it readies a new version, to be known as HANA 2.Since introducing HANA in 2010, SAP has been releasing updates twice a year, providing customers with new capabilities but also pushing them to keep their software current to benefit from continuing support.The new version gives businesses two reasons to relax, according to Marie Goodell, vice president of product marketing at SAP.HANA 2 is designed to simplify things for the IT department, reducing the effort it takes to keep the lights on so that businesses can spend more time working on new, next-generation applications that take advantage of new types of data, she said. Even if they choose to keep upgrading, that should involve less work going forward.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

China’s vague cybersecurity law has foreign businesses guessing

The most disturbing thing for foreign businesses facing China's new cybersecurity law may just be how vague and broad it is. Under the new law, adopted on Monday and taking effect next June, it's possible that any major company working in the country might be subject to "security reviews" from the Chinese government. Any company involved in telecommunications, information services, finance or any sector "where the loss of data can harm the country's security" is subject to a possible review. But what these security reviews actually entail isn't clear in the law.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

China’s vague cybersecurity law has foreign businesses guessing

The most disturbing thing for foreign businesses facing China's new cybersecurity law may just be how vague and broad it is. Under the new law, adopted on Monday and taking effect next June, it's possible that any major company working in the country might be subject to "security reviews" from the Chinese government. Any company involved in telecommunications, information services, finance or any sector "where the loss of data can harm the country's security" is subject to a possible review. But what these security reviews actually entail isn't clear in the law.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Rift.io Releases Commercial MANO Software Based on OSM

It’s based on the recently released OSM open source code.

Google Home: the good, the bad, and the potential

Google Home was released to consumers earlier this month, but some journalists got a chance to test out Google's favorite personal assistant before it hit store shelves.So what did they think? Most agreed that Google Home was generally smarter than the Amazon Echo, in part because it's connected to Google's omniscient search engine. In addition, many liked Google Home's rather responsive microphone, though having to say "OK Google" every time you wanted to interact with the device could get tiresome.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Carriers are going virtual to give enterprises more freedom

Starting carrier services like routing and security is getting faster and easier thanks to a new way of deploying them that doesn’t require specialized equipment at customer’s sites.The new approach, called virtualized business services, lets various carrier services run on standard infrastructure at either customer sites or service-provider facilities. Because the services are virtual, companies can order and change them quickly, and they won’t get locked into whatever capabilities come with a particular device.On Monday, Orange Business Services launched its virtualized network services program, called Easy Go Network. It joins AT&T, Verizon and other operators that are selling or developing such programs. Easy Go Network is available as a month-to-month subscription and its launch follows a year-long customer trial. Orange Business Services claims more than 3,000 multinational organizations as customers.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Carriers are going virtual to give enterprises more freedom

Starting carrier services like routing and security is getting faster and easier thanks to a new way of deploying them that doesn’t require specialized equipment at customer’s sites.The new approach, called virtualized business services, lets various carrier services run on standard infrastructure at either customer sites or service-provider facilities. Because the services are virtual, companies can order and change them quickly, and they won’t get locked into whatever capabilities come with a particular device.On Monday, Orange Business Services launched its virtualized network services program, called Easy Go Network. It joins AT&T, Verizon and other operators that are selling or developing such programs. Easy Go Network is available as a month-to-month subscription and its launch follows a year-long customer trial. Orange Business Services claims more than 3,000 multinational organizations as customers.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Carriers are going virtual to give enterprises more freedom

Starting carrier services like routing and security is getting faster and easier thanks to a new way of deploying them that doesn’t require specialized equipment at customer’s sites.The new approach, called virtualized business services, lets various carrier services run on standard infrastructure at either customer sites or service-provider facilities. Because the services are virtual, companies can order and change them quickly, and they won’t get locked into whatever capabilities come with a particular device.On Monday, Orange Business Services launched its virtualized network services program, called Easy Go Network. It joins AT&T, Verizon and other operators that are selling or developing such programs. Easy Go Network is available as a month-to-month subscription and its launch follows a year-long customer trial. Orange Business Services claims more than 3,000 multinational organizations as customers.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

68% off Anker Astro E1 Ultra Compact High Speed Portable Charger – Deal Alert

This inexpensive smartphone charger from Anker is the size of a candy bar, and has enough juice to recharge any smartphone, including the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, at least 1-2 times over. It's discounted 68% to just $16, making it a good stocking-stuffer idea. The Astro E1 currently averages 4.5 out of 5 stars from over 4,300 people on Amazon (84% rate 5 stars: See reviews), and it's listed there as a #1 best-seller. See the attractively priced Anker Astro E1 charger now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

$13 million: That’s an early termination fee

Let’s call it a tiny little consolation prize for anyone who’s ever had to pay a carrier early-termination fee: U.S. Cellular had to pony up $13 million last quarter to buy its way out of a stadium naming rights agreement with the Chicago White Sox.From a Chicago Tribune report: Mortgage provider Guaranteed Rate recently bought the naming rights, and the ballpark's name officially changed earlier this week to Guaranteed Rate Field, from U.S. Cellular Field. The stadium originally was called Comiskey Park until U.S. Cellular bought the naming rights in 2003 in a deal that had been scheduled to run through 2028.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: New Relic delivers its infrastructure monitoring—and with that provides a broad platform

There’s an interesting thing happening in the IT monitoring space that is a reflection on broader trends happening in enterprise IT.Whereas in the past there was a fairly distinct line between application monitoring and infrastructure monitoring, that line is rapidly reducing. And the former application monitoring vendors are moving into the infrastructure space, while vendors that were focused on monitoring the status of servers and the like are increasingly giving the application side of the house more attention.+ Also on Network World: New Relic aims to be your dashboard of the future + The trend is, of course, a direct response to the DevOps movement—the idea that developers and operations teams need to work more closely (or, at the ultimate level, be essentially the same people). DevOps as an approach enables organizations to move faster, reduce their deployment times, innovate and reduce the risks involved in experimentation.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Young tech entrepreneurs inspired by hearts, minds, stomachs, and not necessarily in that order

There's nothing quite like an empty stomach to get the old creative juices flowing, as participants at last week's Babson College Rocket Pitch event explained during their 3-minute pitches before peers, investors and assorted people like myself.(I captured a handful of the presentations via Facebook Live, as seen in the saved video at the bottom of this post, for your viewing enjoyment...)To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here