Critical infrastructure: Off the web, out of danger?

The debate over the chances of a catastrophic cyber attack taking down a major part of the nation’s critical infrastructure (CI) has been ongoing for a generation.But it hasn’t been settled – in some ways it is more intense now than ever.On one side are those, including high government officials, who warn of a “cyber Pearl Harbor” that could leave swaths of the country in darkness and cold – without electric power – for months.Retired Adm. James Stavridis, dean at Tufts Fletcher School and a former NATO supreme allied commander, used that term just three months ago, saying such an attack would be aimed either at the electrical grid or the financial sector.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Critical infrastructure: Off the web, out of danger?

The debate over the chances of a catastrophic cyber attack taking down a major part of the nation’s critical infrastructure (CI) has been ongoing for a generation.But it hasn’t been settled – in some ways it is more intense now than ever.On one side are those, including high government officials, who warn of a “cyber Pearl Harbor” that could leave swaths of the country in darkness and cold – without electric power – for months.Retired Adm. James Stavridis, dean at Tufts Fletcher School and a former NATO supreme allied commander, used that term just three months ago, saying such an attack would be aimed either at the electrical grid or the financial sector.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The first and only NOS to support LinkedIn’s Open19 project

Today we are excited to announce our support of Open19, a project spearheaded by LinkedIn. Open19 simplifies and standardizes the 19-inch rack form factor and increases interoperability between different vendors’ technology. Built on the principles of openness, Open19 allows many more suppliers to produce servers that will interoperate and will be interchangeable in any rack environment.

We are thrilled to be the first and only network operating system supporting Open19 for two reasons. First, this joint solution offers complete choice throughout the entire stack — increasing interoperability and efficiency. We believe the ease of use of this new technology helps expand the footprint of web-scale networking and makes it even more accessible and relevant.

The second reason is that we are continually dedicated to innovation within the open community, and this is one more way we can support that mission. We believe that disaggregation is not only the future but the present (read more about why we think disaggregation is here to stay). When a company like LinkedIn jumped into the disaggregate ring, we knew we wanted to be a part of it.

What is Open19?

The primary component, Brick Cage, is a passive mechanical cage that fits Continue reading

IDG Contributor Network: Protect your unstructured data with user behavior analytics

The theft of unstructured data is extremely common. It can be very difficult to safeguard emails and files when a lot of people have access. Even the CIA is not immune, judging by the recent exposure of its hacking tools via WikiLeaks. It’s ironic that the CIA’s hacking guides have been hacked, but it just goes to show how difficult it can be to prevent.Carelessly handled unstructured data is an easy target, and it can prove very valuable for hackers. Since unstructured data may not be monitored, attacks and successful exfiltrations often go unnoticed for long periods.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Protect your unstructured data with user behavior analytics

The theft of unstructured data is extremely common. It can be very difficult to safeguard emails and files when a lot of people have access. Even the CIA is not immune, judging by the recent exposure of its hacking tools via WikiLeaks. It’s ironic that the CIA’s hacking guides have been hacked, but it just goes to show how difficult it can be to prevent.Carelessly handled unstructured data is an easy target, and it can prove very valuable for hackers. Since unstructured data may not be monitored, attacks and successful exfiltrations often go unnoticed for long periods.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The Linux Migration: Other Users’ Stories, Part 4

This post is part of a series of posts sharing other users’ stories about their migration to Linux as their primary desktop OS. As I mentioned in part 1 of the series, there seemed to be quite a bit of pent-up interest in using Linux as your primary desktop OS. I thought it might be helpful to readers to hear not just about my migration, but also about others’ migrations. You may also find it interesting/helpful to read part 2 and part 3 of this series for more migration stories.

This time around I’ll share with you some information from Ajay Chenampara about his Linux migration. Note that although these stories are all structured in a “question-and-answer” format, the information is unique—just as each person’s migration and the reasons for the migration are unique.

Q: Why did you switch to Linux?

I have been a long-time Linux user, but I have only really used it as a media server or for casual browsing. Recently, I inherited a 7 year old laptop from my wife, and decided to focus on making it my primary system for writing my blog and for OSS efforts. Plus, I kept hearing about Debian “Jessie” Continue reading

Microsoft Matter Center – Office 365 Legal Industry Case Management Add-in

Microsoft Matter Center is a (free) add-in to Office 365 to support the legal industry in case and content management leveraging the core capabilities of Office 365 and Microsoft Azure.  Microsoft developed this solution back in 2015 and has been updating the solution to fulfill on the ongoing case management needs of law firms leveraging the core functionality of secured and protected content storage, search, and collaboration. Key functionality in Matter Center: Creation of Matters:  From a case management perspective, users of Office 365 can create cases that includes case description, case conflict verification, inclusion of the legal team (internal and external), and the upload and management of documents and emails relative to the case (Office 365 email, OneDrive, search, and SharePoint Online) Ongoing Information Tracking:  Matter Center provides a centralized information tracking mechanism (OneNote) for all individuals working on the case to enter in conversations and share meeting and conversation notes to all members of the team Shared Calendars and Conversations:  Leveraging group calendars and groups, Matter Center provides a centralized method of viewing and managing important filing dates, response timelines, individual and group meetings, deposition schedules, and tracked conversations. Security and Encryption:  Continue reading

Cisco: Not Serious About Network Programmability

"You can't fool me, there ain't no sanity clause!"
Cisco isn't known for providing easy programmatic access to their device configurations, but has recently made some significant strides in this regard.

The REST API plugin for newer ASA hardware is an example of that. It works fairly well, supports a broad swath of device features, is beautifully documented and has an awesome interactive test/dev dashboard. The dashboard even has the ability to spit out example code (java, javascript, python) based on your point/click interaction with it.

It's really slick.

But I Can't Trust It

Here's the problem: It's an un-versioned REST API, and the maintainers don't hesitate to change its behavior between minor releases. Here's what's different between 1.3(2) and 1.3(2)-100:

New Features in ASA REST API 1.3(2)-100

Released: February 16, 2017
As a result of the fix for CSCvb21388, the response type of /api/certificate/details was changed from the CertificateDetails object to a list of CertificateDetails. Scripts utilizing this API will need to be modified accordingly.

So, any code based on earlier documentation is now broken when it calls /api/certificate/details.

This Shouldn't Happen

Don't take my word for it:


Remember than an API is Continue reading

¡Hola, Ecuador! Quito Data Center expands Cloudflare network to 104 cities across 52 countries

CC-BY 2.0 image by Scipio

Located only 15 miles from the Equator, we are excited to announce Cloudflare’s newest data center in the World Heritage City of Quito, Ecuador. This deployment is made possible in partnership with the NAP.EC Internet exchange run by AEPROVI (Asociación de empresas proveedoras de servicios de internet). Our newest data center expands Cloudflare’s growing Latin America network to six cities, joining Buenos Aires (Argentina), Lima (Peru), Medellin (Colombia), Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Valparaiso (Chile). Quito is our 104th deployment globally, with over a dozen additional cities in the works right now.

Ubicado a sólo 15 millas del ecuador, estamos contentos de anunciar el nuevo centro de datos de Cloudflare en la ciudad de Quito, Ecuador. Este se realizó en asociación con el intercambio neutral de Internet de NAP.EC administrado por AEPROVI (Asociación de empresas proveedoras de servicios de internet). Este despliegue amplía la red latinoamericana de Cloudflare a seis ciudades: Buenos Aires (Argentina), Lima (Perú), Medellín (Colombia), Sao Paulo (Brasil) y Valparaíso (Chile). Quito es nuestro 104 despliegue global, con más de una docena de ciudades en desarrollo de expansión en este momento.

Open interconnection

Cloudflare participates at over 150 Internet exchanges Continue reading

How much can a fiber carry? Facebook and Nokia are pushing it

Facebook and Nokia have found a way to push a lot more data through a submarine cable across the Atlantic, which could help the social network keep up with the growth of video and virtual reality.On a 5,500-kilometer (3,400-mile) cable between Ireland and New York, the companies tested a new technique developed at Nokia Bell Labs for increasing the efficiency of fiber-optic cables. They say it comes close to the absolute limit for sending bits over a fiber.Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said VR is the future of social media. If it is, then the networks that link consumers and data centers will have more data than ever to carry. Higher resolution video also is increasing the burden on networks. For example, Netflix recommends subscribers have at least a 5Mbps broadband connection to stream HD video and 25Mbps for Ultra HD (4K) streams.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

How much can a fiber carry? Facebook and Nokia are pushing it

Facebook and Nokia have found a way to push a lot more data through a submarine cable across the Atlantic, which could help the social network keep up with the growth of video and virtual reality.On a 5,500-kilometer (3,400-mile) cable between Ireland and New York, the companies tested a new technique developed at Nokia Bell Labs for increasing the efficiency of fiber-optic cables. They say it comes close to the absolute limit for sending bits over a fiber.Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said VR is the future of social media. If it is, then the networks that link consumers and data centers will have more data than ever to carry. Higher resolution video also is increasing the burden on networks. For example, Netflix recommends subscribers have at least a 5Mbps broadband connection to stream HD video and 25Mbps for Ultra HD (4K) streams.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

What it takes to become an IT security engineer

When Scott Copeland got his associate degree in network administration back in 2004, the community college he attended didn’t offer IT security courses, “but it gave me the foundation to learn more about network security,” he says. His determination and thirst for learning led him to his current job as an IT security engineer at FedEx Services in Memphis, Tenn. download What it takes to become an IT security engineer | PDF download CSO Online Getting started After being laid off in 2008 from his first IT job in tech support and systems administration, friends encouraged Copeland to use his networking talents to get a certification that would boost his career. He studied for three months and earned his Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification in routing and switching. “CCNA was the biggest helper [for my security career path],” says Copeland. “It’s one of the hardest network certifications in the industry.” Also, he notes, “because it ties networking for firewalls and VPN, it has security components to it.” He also scoured daily posts on Reddit, the news aggregation and discussion website, to learn as much as he could about network and IT security, and to keep up with Continue reading

What it takes to become an IT security engineer

When Scott Copeland got his associate degree in network administration back in 2004, the community college he attended didn’t offer IT security courses, “but it gave me the foundation to learn more about network security,” he says. His determination and thirst for learning led him to his current job as an IT security engineer at FedEx Services in Memphis, Tenn.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)

Microsoft completes Windows 10 customized for China’s government

Microsoft has wrapped up work on a version of Windows 10 for China's government and state-owned businesses, and is ready to begin selling the software, a state-run newspaper said today."We have worked extensively to make it secure and controllable. We are now ready to serve the market," Alain Crozier, the CEO of Microsoft's Greater China operation, told China Daily.The modified Windows 10 was the result of a December 2015 deal with China Electronics Technology Group (CETC), a state-backed defense contractor. Microsoft and CETC formed a joint venture, C&M Information Technologies, to license the operating system to government agencies and some state-owned enterprises, including ones that control energy, telecommunications and transportation.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Worth Reading: As if random telephone and email spam weren’t enough

Google’s smart home speakers on Thursday played an unprompted promotion for Walt Disney Co.’s new “Beauty and the Beast” movie, the first sign of how the world’s largest advertising company could shoehorn ads into its growing number of voice interactions with users. Users of Google’s voice-controlled speaker, called Google Home, heard a 17-second promotion for the movie, after asking the devices about the their schedule. “By the way, Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast opens today,” the device said, according to user videos. —Market Watch

The post Worth Reading: As if random telephone and email spam weren’t enough appeared first on 'net work.

Peelytics turns peeing into a way to promote products

Not many companies would want you to pee on their product, but one at Cebit positively encourages it.Peelytics of Heidelberg, Germany, has developed a Bluetooth beacon that detects when someone is urinating on it, and for how long. If that person has a hand free to wake up their smartphone, they can "claim" that micturition as their own using the Peelytics app, and perhaps win a prize if they peed for longest.It's all a game designed to encourage people to improve their aim (keeping restrooms cleaner) and to pay attention to promotional messages while in toilets in bars and clubs -- areas that marketers have already identified as prime placements for advertising.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Acoustic attack lets hackers control smartphone sensor

A newfound vulnerability in smartphones could let hackers remotely control the devices.With the acoustic injection attack, “attackers that deliver high intensity acoustic interference in close proximity” can interfere with a device accelerometer and get the sensor to send “attacker–chosen” data to the smartphone’s processor, say researchers from the University of Michigan and University of South Carolina in a paper.Accelerometers measure changes of speed in a device, and they are used industrially to sense vibration for machinery health. In a smartphone, the accelerometer sensor can be used to detect screen orientation, for example.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

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