Windows Update issues may be at root of February’s patch delay

Microsoft was closed-mouthed yesterday about why it postponed the month's security updates, but a patch expert argued that it was probably due to one of more problems with the company's update service infrastructure, not a single flawed fix."Something is broken in the infrastructure, in Windows Update or the [Microsoft Update] Catalog, is my guess," said Chris Goettl, product manager at patch management vendor Ivanti, formerly Shavlik.Goettl contended that a back-end snafu was the most likely cause for the unprecedented delay, which Microsoft announced yesterday, because other potential causes made less sense.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IT leaders say it’s hard to keep the cloud safe

IT managers are finding it difficult to keep their applications and data safe in the cloud, and many are slowing cloud adoption because of it.That was one of the findings of an Intel cloud security report that surveyed 2,000 IT professionals in different countries and industries last fall.The issue isn't with the cloud itself, since trust outnumbers distrust for public clouds by more than two to one, according to Intel's survey.IT professionals told Intel that shadow IT and a shortage of cybersecurity skills are causing the most problems.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IT leaders say it’s hard to keep the cloud safe

IT managers are finding it difficult to keep their applications and data safe in the cloud, and many are slowing cloud adoption because of it.That was one of the findings of an Intel cloud security report that surveyed 2,000 IT professionals in different countries and industries last fall.The issue isn't with the cloud itself, since trust outnumbers distrust for public clouds by more than two to one, according to Intel's survey.IT professionals told Intel that shadow IT and a shortage of cybersecurity skills are causing the most problems.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Microsoft quietly prolongs life of original Windows 10

Microsoft earlier this month quietly extended the life of Windows 10's debut edition, the version launched in July 2015.Rather than end support for Windows 10 v. 1507 -- Microsoft labels the OS by year and month -- in March, as announced last year, the company will issue the version's final security updates in May, probably May 9, that month's Patch Tuesday.[ Further reading: Support family and friends with Windows 10’s new Quick Assist app ] The new date was posted as a revision to a mid-January blog post by Nathan Mercer, a senior product marketing manager for Microsoft. In the original entry, Mercer had tapped March 26 as the end of 1507 "servicing," a company synonym for updating and patching.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The 7 security threats to technology that scare experts the most

What happens if a bad actor turns off your heat in the middle of winter, then demands $1,000 to turn it back on? Or even holds a small city’s power for ransom? Those kinds of attacks to personal, corporate, and infrastructure technology were among the top concerns for security experts from the SANS Institute, who spoke Wednesday during the RSA conference in San Francisco.+ MORE FROM RSA: Hot products at RSA 2017 +Some of these threats target consumers directly, but even the ones that target corporations could eventually “filter down” to consumers, though the effects might not be felt for some time.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The 7 security threats to technology that scare experts the most

What happens if a bad actor turns off your heat in the middle of winter, then demands $1,000 to turn it back on? Or even holds a small city’s power for ransom? Those kinds of attacks to personal, corporate, and infrastructure technology were among the top concerns for security experts from the SANS Institute, who spoke Wednesday during the RSA conference in San Francisco.+ MORE FROM RSA: Hot products at RSA 2017 +Some of these threats target consumers directly, but even the ones that target corporations could eventually “filter down” to consumers, though the effects might not be felt for some time.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

5G progress at Ericsson could help enterprises work worldwide

The Swedish network giant Ericsson will have a lot of prospective 5G equipment to show to gearheads at Mobile World Congress later this month, but the future cloud capabilities it demonstrates may be just as important for a subscriber’s experience.In addition to fast broadband speeds, Ericsson’s technologies for next-generation networks will be able to guarantee enterprises the same type of service around the world and shift applications to the edge of a network to shrink transmission delays, the company said in an MWC preview on Wednesday.Those concepts aren’t brand new, but building the back-end infrastructure to support them – much of it defined by software – is part of the ongoing move toward true 5G deployments coming around the end of this decade.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

5G progress at Ericsson could help enterprises work worldwide

The Swedish network giant Ericsson will have a lot of prospective 5G equipment to show to gearheads at Mobile World Congress later this month, but the future cloud capabilities it demonstrates may be just as important for a subscriber’s experience.In addition to fast broadband speeds, Ericsson’s technologies for next-generation networks will be able to guarantee enterprises the same type of service around the world and shift applications to the edge of a network to shrink transmission delays, the company said in an MWC preview on Wednesday.Those concepts aren’t brand new, but building the back-end infrastructure to support them – much of it defined by software – is part of the ongoing move toward true 5G deployments coming around the end of this decade.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The 17 most useless gadgets of all time

All too often the latest gadget is a solution looking for a problem that doesn't exist. You won't believe (we still can't believe) the piece of utter rubbish at number one in our list of the most useless gadgets of all time.We've listed the products in only a rough order (although our #1 most useless product is an absolute belter), and we've given each a uselessnes score out of 5 in which 1 could be conceivably of some use, and 5 is a chocolate tea pot. And, yes, we are more than happy to say that the Apple Watch makes the list - you are of course entitled to disagree.Most useless products of all time #17: Gear 2 Face facts, Samsung fans. Samsung has a unique way of reacting when a new product category appears (or when Apple hints that it might make a new category device). It floods the market with products of various flavours, sees what works and then concentrates only on the winners. And so it is with smartwatches.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Behold the awesome office of the future

The office of the futureImage by JAKO5D via PixabayThe workplace environment known as “the office” has gone through a good deal of change over the years. Consider the timeline of props: Typewriters. Switchboards. File cabinets. Mimeographs. Desktop computers. Fax machines. Cubicles. Exercise desks. Nap stations. The coffee maker seems to have endured. And, of course, the stapler.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Should security pros get special H-1B visa consideration?

New U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions may disagree about whether there is a shortage of skilled IT workers in America, as he has asserted at hearings over the past two years, but talk to most CISOs and they will confirm that when it comes to cybersecurity talent in particular, the skills shortage is very real.“There’s no doubt about it,” says John Masserini, CISO at equity derivatives marketMIAX Options in Princeton, N.J. “We’ve had two positions open for three months now,” a security operations center analyst and a security engineer position. The company’s location between two major metro areas – New York City and Philadelphia – makes the competition for cybersecurity talent especially tough, he says. Meanwhile, the firm’s security workload keeps growing. “I already know that by the end of this year I’m going to have a couple more openings,” he says.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)

Should security pros get special H-1B visa consideration?

New U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions may disagree about whether there is a shortage of skilled IT workers in America, as he has asserted at hearings over the past two years, but talk to most CISOs and they will confirm that when it comes to cybersecurity talent in particular, the skills shortage is very real.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)

7 ways MDM threatens employee privacy

Controlling BYODImage by PexelsFor years, organizations have turned to Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions with the hope of wrapping their arms around BYOD. MDM is a technology that enables organizations to control every aspect of a mobile device, from permitted apps to outbound communications. But with that complete control comes the potential for abuse.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

7 ways MDM threatens employee privacy

Controlling BYODImage by PexelsFor years, organizations have turned to Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions with the hope of wrapping their arms around BYOD. MDM is a technology that enables organizations to control every aspect of a mobile device, from permitted apps to outbound communications. But with that complete control comes the potential for abuse.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Why happy developers equal happy customers

In today's digital, technology-driven marketplace, a company's greatest competitive advantage is its ability to offer an incredible customer experience. But delivering that starts in what, on first blush, seems like an unlikely place: with your software development teams."We've all been there, right? You're trying to do your job, get work done and the software you're using isn't working right. Or it has a glitch or a bug that you have to work around. Or it doesn't have quite the right set of features for your needs, though it might be close. It makes everything more frustrating, more difficult, and then you're not working efficiently or effectively," says Greg Law, CEO and co-founder of software quality startup Undo.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

HR and IT combine efforts on workforce analytics

Human resources is, by definition, all about managing people — historically considered the softer side of business. But companies are increasingly tying staffing decisions directly to specific business problems, strategies and goals, an approach popularized in part by tech companies such as Google. And to do that, they need data — lots of data.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)

How to use your smartphone to get politically active

A new presidential administration usually fires up political passions from those on the winning and losing sides of the recent election.Bitter and cynical partisanship is sadly the norm, but it isn’t very constructive. Genuine civic engagement, however, can both empower you and encourage others to lobby and engage with your government about issues that matter.MORE ON NETWORK WORLD: How to use public Wi-Fi hotspots safely The big question for anyone considering doing something as simple as contacting an elected official or lobbying for or against a bill is knowing where to start. It’s another of those questions your Android smartphone can help you answer, although you don’t want to end up on 200 mailing lists that do nothing but ask for donations.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Tips for negotiating with cyber extortionists

Paying ransom to a cyber extortionist holding enterprise data hostage might seem like a poor idea in principle but sometimes it might the best, or even only, option for extricating your organization from a crisis.Seventy percent of businesses hit in ransomware attacks have paid to resolve the problem, half of them over $10,000 and 20 percent over $40,000, a recent IBM survey of 600 corporate executives showed. Nearly six in 10 indicated they would be willing to pay a ransom to recover data.If your organization happens to be among those willing to consider a ransom payment, it is a good idea to devise a strategy for negotiating with the attackers before the need for it actually arises.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)

Tips for negotiating with cyber extortionists

Paying ransom to a cyber extortionist holding enterprise data hostage might seem like a poor idea in principle but sometimes it might the best, or even only, option for extricating your organization from a crisis.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)

5G Is Promising, But Challenging