Worth Reading: An opaque alternative to oblivious cloud analytics

Even as encryption methods and security procedures have improved, the data is still at risk of being attacked through such vulnerabilities as access pattern leakage through memory or the network. It’s the threat of an attack via access pattern leakage that a group of researchers from UC Berkeley wanted to address when they developed an “oblivious” distributed data analytics platform that leverages the hardware enclave technology available in Intel’s Software Guard Extensions (SGX). The sensitive nature of much of the data that is being collected and analyzed in the cloud – from medical and financial data to user information like emails and shopping histories – makes it an attractive target for cyber-criminals, so the need to protect the data in such cloud environments is growing. —The Next Platform

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MIT selling 8 million coveted IPv4 addresses; Amazon a buyer

MIT is selling half of its 16 million valuable IPv4 addresses – an increasingly scarce stash it has held since the birth of the Internet. While details of the sale have not been made public, at least some of those addresses have already been transferred to Amazon.MIT says it will use the proceeds of the sale to finance its own IPv6 network upgrades and “support activities focused on the future of the Internet and the global cyber-infrastructure.”From an announcement by Next Generation MITnet. Fourteen million of these IPv4 addresses have not been used, and we have concluded that at least eight million are excess and can be sold without impacting our current or future needs, up to the point when IPv6 becomes universal and address scarcity is no longer an issue. The Institute holds a block of 20 times 10^30 (20 nonillion) IPv6 addresses.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

MIT selling 8 million coveted IPv4 addresses; Amazon a buyer

MIT is selling half of its 16 million valuable IPv4 addresses – an increasingly scarce stash it has held since the birth of the Internet. While details of the sale have not been made public, at least some of those addresses have already been transferred to Amazon.MIT says it will use the proceeds of the sale to finance its own IPv6 network upgrades and “support activities focused on the future of the Internet and the global cyber-infrastructure.”From an announcement by Next Generation MITnet. Fourteen million of these IPv4 addresses have not been used, and we have concluded that at least eight million are excess and can be sold without impacting our current or future needs, up to the point when IPv6 becomes universal and address scarcity is no longer an issue. The Institute holds a block of 20 times 10^30 (20 nonillion) IPv6 addresses.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

MIT selling 8 million coveted IPv4 addresses; Amazon a buyer

MIT is selling half of its 16 million valuable IPv4 addresses – an increasingly scarce stash it has held since the birth of the Internet. While details of the sale have not been made public, at least some of those addresses have already been transferred to Amazon.MIT says it will use the proceeds of the sale to finance its own IPv6 network upgrades and “support activities focused on the future of the Internet and the global cyber-infrastructure.”From an announcement by Next Generation MITnet. Fourteen million of these IPv4 addresses have not been used, and we have concluded that at least eight million are excess and can be sold without impacting our current or future needs, up to the point when IPv6 becomes universal and address scarcity is no longer an issue. The Institute holds a block of 20 times 10^30 (20 nonillion) IPv6 addresses.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Is your company spending on the right security technologies?

Investing in security technologies is a given for most companies today, and with stories of breaches and hacks making headlines every week, the importance of these tools has risen to prominence.While there’s no shortage of security technologies to choose from, the big question that remains is: How does a company choose the right security investments? Many organizations struggle to implement the right tools to manage and mitigate risk, and getting all of these solutions to actually work together often presents an even bigger challenge.With that in mind, here are three considerations that can help companies make the right decisions when it comes to investing in security technology:To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Is your company spending on the right security technologies?

Investing in security technologies is a given for most companies today, and with stories of breaches and hacks making headlines every week, the importance of these tools has risen to prominence.While there’s no shortage of security technologies to choose from, the big question that remains is: How does a company choose the right security investments? Many organizations struggle to implement the right tools to manage and mitigate risk, and getting all of these solutions to actually work together often presents an even bigger challenge.With that in mind, here are three considerations that can help companies make the right decisions when it comes to investing in security technology:To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Why banks should stay well clear of blockchain

If the financial services industry is banking on blockchain as the basis for new service innovation, it will be sorely disappointed. Blockchain's design principles are completely at odds with those of the industry, and the technology is fraught with flaws that could be catastrophic for financial institutions.I’ll come on to why in a moment. Clearly, there is a lot of hype and momentum around blockchain. WANdisco sees this first hand: We’re increasingly being approached by banks that think this is the kind of thing we do (it isn’t). And why are they interested? Because senior directors and investors have heard the buzz and concluded that this is something they need—that if they don’t seize the opportunity, they’ll miss out. They’re wrong. Banks need blockchain like a hole in the head.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Why banks should stay well clear of blockchain

If the financial services industry is banking on blockchain as the basis for new service innovation, it will be sorely disappointed. Blockchain's design principles are completely at odds with those of the industry, and the technology is fraught with flaws that could be catastrophic for financial institutions.I’ll come on to why in a moment. Clearly, there is a lot of hype and momentum around blockchain. WANdisco sees this first hand: We’re increasingly being approached by banks that think this is the kind of thing we do (it isn’t). And why are they interested? Because senior directors and investors have heard the buzz and concluded that this is something they need—that if they don’t seize the opportunity, they’ll miss out. They’re wrong. Banks need blockchain like a hole in the head.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Cybersecurity skills shortage threatens the mid-market

Each year, respondents ESG's annual global survey of IT and cybersecurity professionals are asked to identify the area where their organizations have a problematic shortage of skills. For the sixth year in a row, cybersecurity skills topped the list—this year, 45% of the 641 respondents said their organization has a problematic shortage of cybersecurity skills. Now, the cybersecurity skill shortage isn’t picky; it impacts all organizations across industries, organizational size, geography, etc. Nevertheless, global cybersecurity may be especially problematic for organizations in the mid-market, from 100 to 999 employees.Keep in mind that the skills shortage isn’t limited to headcount. Rather, it also includes skills deficiencies—situations where security staff members don’t have the right skills to address the dynamic and sophisticated threat landscape. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Cybersecurity skills shortage threatens the mid-market

Each year, respondents ESG's annual global survey of IT and cybersecurity professionals are asked to identify the area where their organizations have a problematic shortage of skills. For the sixth year in a row, cybersecurity skills topped the list—this year, 45% of the 641 respondents said their organization has a problematic shortage of cybersecurity skills. Now, the cybersecurity skill shortage isn’t picky; it impacts all organizations across industries, organizational size, geography, etc. Nevertheless, global cybersecurity may be especially problematic for organizations in the mid-market, from 100 to 999 employees.Keep in mind that the skills shortage isn’t limited to headcount. Rather, it also includes skills deficiencies—situations where security staff members don’t have the right skills to address the dynamic and sophisticated threat landscape. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Steam Link Is 18% Off – Mirror Your Gaming Setup to TV at 1080p – Deal Alert

The Steam Link allows existing Steam gamers to expand the range of their current gaming set up via their home network. Just connect your Steam PC or Steam Machine to your home network, plug into a TV, and stream your games to the Link at 1080p. Video and audio data is sent from your computer to the Steam Link, while your controller input is sent back in real time. Virtually every game that your computer runs can be played on your TV. Steam Controller, Xbox One USB wired, Xbox 360 USB wired, Xbox 360 wireless, PS4, PS3 wired and Wii-U Pro controllers are compatible, as are many third-party Xbox controllers. Steam Link's typical price is $50, but right now you can get it on Amazon for just $41. See the significantly discounted Steam Link on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The AMD Effect might be back—and that’s a good thing

In the early part of this century, Intel had become fat, dumb and lazy, not to mention complacent. Competitors such as AMD, Cyrix and VIA had been vanquished, and Intel stood alone on the x86 market. Its product offerings were a confusing mess of code names and features that confused even a propellerhead like me. Then AMD made its move. It introduced the Athlon, a dual-core, 64-bit x86 processor with the memory controller on the CPU. Intel pooh-poohed all of this. It had a 64-bit strategy called Itanium. No one needed 64 bits anyway.+ Also on Network World: Ryzen CPUs explained: Everything you need to know about AMD's disruptive multicore chips + Intel would eat its words. Once Microsoft and the Linux community introduced 64-bit versions of their operating systems, Athlon and its server equivalent Opteron would take off like a shot. Not because of performance, but because they shattered the 4GB memory limit of 32-bit processors. Now you could have servers with 8GB, 16GB or more, if you could afford it, and the age of server consolidation and virtualization had begun.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

4G vs LTE: What’s the difference?

4G, LTE, LTE-A, carrier aggregation. It's all tech nonsense if you don't understand what the jargon means. Here we explain the differences between 4G and LTE so you're better equipped to choose not only the best phone, but also the best tariff.These days, there are a lot of decisions to make when getting a new phone. Along with deciding which handset is best for you, you might also have to choose a new tariff, and that's a complex business in itself.4G is the big buzzword you'll hear or see, but what exactly is 4G? Is it the same as LTE? In a word, no, but phone manufacturers and mobile operators love to use them interchangeably, and further muddy the waters with dumbed-down marketing materials.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Linux, PCs and Trump’s ‘Buy American’ problem

Some PCs are assembled in the U.S., but not many. This includes those from Lenovo, the China-based firm that runs a factory in North Carolina. Apple operates a Mac Pro assembly plant in Austin, but makes many of its other products overseas.Lenovo and Apple may have an edge in selling PCs to the U.S., under President Donald Trump's recently signed "Hire American, Buy American" executive order signed this week, say analysts.All PCs are made with components sourced globally, but vendors that assemble products in the U.S. may gain preference. Trump's executive order doesn't spell out how "buying American" will work for IT suppliers -- if it happens at all.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

What’s in the fine print of your disaster recovery vendor agreement?

Sign on the bottom lineImage by ThinkstockDisaster-recovery solutions require several complex, moving parts coordinated between your production site and the recovery site. Service-level agreements are ultimately the most accurate way to determine where responsibility is held for disaster-recovery process and execution. It’s important to have SLA documentation around these critical aspects of recovery so that customers have commitments from their vendor. It’s also important that a service provider’s agreements contain service-credit backed SLAs for additional accountability. When considering DRaaS vendors, ask your potential partner how far they are willing to go in protecting your business and your data, and if these promises will be reimbursable if not met. Bluelock's Brandon Jeffress reviews what is essential to be in an ironclad SLA.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

What’s in the fine print of your disaster recovery vendor agreement?

Sign on the bottom lineImage by ThinkstockDisaster-recovery solutions require several complex, moving parts coordinated between your production site and the recovery site. Service-level agreements are ultimately the most accurate way to determine where responsibility is held for disaster-recovery process and execution. It’s important to have SLA documentation around these critical aspects of recovery so that customers have commitments from their vendor. It’s also important that a service provider’s agreements contain service-credit backed SLAs for additional accountability. When considering DRaaS vendors, ask your potential partner how far they are willing to go in protecting your business and your data, and if these promises will be reimbursable if not met. Bluelock's Brandon Jeffress reviews what is essential to be in an ironclad SLA.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Apple’s Mac Pro gets crushed on features by new HP Zbook laptops

Apple's Mac Pro has been ignored for so long that even Windows 10 mobile workstations are catching up on features and performance.Take HP's latest Zbook laptop workstations , which were announced on Friday. These heavy built laptops -- which is why they are called mobile workstations -- have comparable memory and storage capacity technology to the Mac Pro, but excel in other areas.The laptops feature Thunderbolt 3 ports, DDR4 memory, Intel's latest Kaby Lake-based Core and Xeon processors, and the latest GPUs from Nvidia and AMD.By comparison the Mac Pro has Thunderbolt 2 ports, an old AMD GPU, DDR3 memory and Intel Xeon processors based on the Ivy Bridge architecture, which were released in 2013.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

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