Spotify ads slipped malware onto PCs and Macs

Spotify's ads crossed from nuisance over to outright nasty this week, after the music service’s advertising started serving up malware to users on Wednesday. The malware was able to automatically launch browser tabs on Windows and Mac PCs, according to complaints that surfaced online.As is typical for this kind of malware, the ads directed users’ browsers to other malware-containing sites in the hopes that someone would be duped into downloading more malicious software. The “malvertising” attack didn’t last long as Spotify was able to quickly correct the problem.“We’ve identified an issue where a small number of users were experiencing a problem with questionable website pop-ups in their default browsers as a result of an isolated issue with an ad on our Free tier,” Spotify said on several threads in its support forums. “We have now identified the source of the problem and have shut it down. We will continue to monitor the situation.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

New Amazon Echo Dot Launches Oct 20, Get Free Ones When You Buy 5 or 10 – Deal Alert

The all new Amazon Echo Dot launch date is right around the corner: October 20th. Echo Dot is a hands-free, voice-controlled device that uses Alexa to play & control music (either on its own, or through a connected speaker/receiver), control smart home devices, provide information, read the news, set alarms, and more. If you’re looking to buy them as gifts, or for different homes or rooms, Amazon will throw in a free one ($50 value) when you buy 5, or two free ones when you buy 10 (a $100 value). To take advantage of this limited time offer, select 6 or 12 in the quantity dropdown and add to your Shopping Cart. Enter promo code DOT6PACK or DOT12PACK at checkout where you will see the discount applied. The new Amazon Echo Dot comes in black, and now also white.  See the new Amazon Echo Dot now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The state of cybersecurity professional careers

I’ve written about and researched the cybersecurity skills shortage for many years. For example, ESG research indicates that 46 percent of organizations claim to have a “problematic shortage” of cybersecurity skills this year—an 18 percent increase from 2015.Of course, I’m not the only one looking into the cybersecurity skills shortage. For example: According to Peninsula Press (a project of the Stanford University Journalism Program), more than 209,000 U.S.-based cybersecurity jobs remained unfilled, and postings are up 74 percent over the past five years. Analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the demand for cybersecurity professionals is expected to grow 53 percent by 2018. So, many researchers agree, then, that we don’t have enough skilled prospects to fill all of the open cybersecurity jobs. OK, but that puts a heck of a lot of burden on the existing cybersecurity workforce. Are they up to the task? Do they have the right training? Are they managing their careers appropriately?To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The State of Cybersecurity Professional Careers

I’ve written about and researched the cybersecurity skills shortage for many years.  For example, ESG research indicates that 46% of organizations claim to have a “problematic shortage” of cybersecurity skills this year – an 18% increase from 2015 (note: I am an ESG employee).Of course, I’m not the only one looking into the cybersecurity skills shortage.  For example: According to Peninsula Press (a project of the Stanford University Journalism Program), more than 209,000 U.S.-based cybersecurity jobs remained unfilled, and postings are up 74 percent over the past five years. Analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the demand for cybersecurity professionals is expected to grow 53 percent by 2018. So many researchers agree then that we don’t have enough skilled prospects to fill all of the open cybersecurity jobs.  Okay but that puts a heck of a lot of burden on the existing cybersecurity workforce.  Are they up to the task?  Do they have the right training?  Are they managing their careers appropriately?To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

VMware vForum Live is Coming to Toronto on 11/9 & Houston on 11/17!

Attention IT professionals – want to discover the benefits of network virtualization, mobility, and cloud? You can at VMware vForum Live! Join our experts in-person for an interactive, all-day event that will take you through technical deep dives of VMware solutions. Sign up today for vForum Live in Toronto on Nov 9th or sign up for vForum Live in Houston on Nov 17th now!

vForum Live is your chance to collaborate with peers, interact with VMware experts and receive actionable advice on how you can simplify your IT and deliver an effective cloud strategy. From keynote speeches presented by the industry’s heaviest hitters to specific VMware solution breakout sessions, you’ll get to hear the latest tips, tricks and insights. Plus, partake in our hands-on SociaLabs in the afternoon to get direct experience working with various solutions under the guidance of a VMware expert.

Here’s a list of VMware technical leaders and industry experts who will be presenting:

  • Chris Wolf, VMware CTO of the Americas – “Delivering Tomorrow’s Agile, Secure and Open Solutions, Today”
  • Kevin Mitnick, internationally-known Global White Hat Hacker – “Art of Deception: How Hackers and Con Artists Manipulate You and What You Can Do About It”
  • Continue reading

Salesforce Einstein aims to democratize AI

Along with virtual reality, artificial intelligence (AI) is perhaps the hottest buzzword in technology these days. AI is turning up everywhere, from chatbots and smart speakers to driverless cars and autonomous everything. And now it’s coming to CRM, courtesy of Salesforce Einstein, which the company says brings machine learning, predictive analytics and natural language processing to the entire Salesforce platform.At the giant Dreamforce conference in San Francisco this week, Salesforce execs from CEO Marc Benioff on down were predictably enthusiastic about the new features. In a 150-minute keynote address accompanied by Will.i.am and an impressive variety of non-profit and other Salesforce customers, Benioff warned attendees that “you know the world has been changing” and noted that the cloud gives you access to the new world of AI technology.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

EU privacy watchdogs have questions about Yahoo’s secret email scanning

European Union privacy watchdogs are concerned by reports that Yahoo has been secretly scanning its users' email at the request of U.S. intelligence services."It goes far beyond what is acceptable," said Johannes Caspar, Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information in Hamburg, Germany.Reuters reported on Tuesday that Yahoo had built a system for U.S. government agencies to search all of its users' incoming emails. Other tech companies were quick to distance themselves, saying they would have challenged any such request in court.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

EU privacy watchdogs have questions about Yahoo’s secret email scanning

European Union privacy watchdogs are concerned by reports that Yahoo has been secretly scanning its users' email at the request of U.S. intelligence services."It goes far beyond what is acceptable," said Johannes Caspar, Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information in Hamburg, Germany.Reuters reported on Tuesday that Yahoo had built a system for U.S. government agencies to search all of its users' incoming emails. Other tech companies were quick to distance themselves, saying they would have challenged any such request in court.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Taking down the internet: possible but how probable?

The hack of the Democratic National Committee this past summer, allegedly by Russia, prompted a political firestorm, but didn’t cause even a ripple in the US economy.But imagine the economic firestorm that would result if online attackers brought the entire internet down, even temporarily.You may not have to imagine it, according to Bruce Schneier, CTO of Resilient Systems, cryptography guru, blogger and international authority on internet security. In a recent post titled, "Someone is Learning How to Take Down the Internet," he wrote that he had been told by multiple sources that, ““someone has been probing the defenses of … some of the major companies that provide the basic infrastructure that makes the Internet work.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Not so startling revelations of how a hacker broke in

Trust no oneImage by PexelsAt the heart of every exploit, the vulnerability always lies in the target’s trust for attacker supplied input. This is true whether the attack is network-based or a hacker is trying to gain physical access to a specific location. To effectively mitigate risk, companies and individuals need to take the necessary precautions to keep data secure. The saying in the cybersecurity consulting industry is “trust, but verify.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

5 steps to avoid burning out your on-call IT staff

Everyone is susceptible to burnout on the job, but if you're an on-call IT worker you are in a unique position. You can't just clock out at the end of the day. When you go home, you are required to be on alert for any emergency incidents, which can make it hard to truly unwind and relax after a long day."This affects work-life balance the most; 'always-on' readiness, not able to relax, an inability to have a downtime, a requirement to provide support during non-business hours and eating into one's private time -- added to the fact that calls can come at any time -- keeps one living on the edge," says Sharon Andrew, PhD, happiness evangelist at Happiest Minds Technologies, an Indian IT firm that focuses on mindfulness at work.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Security vs. privacy: The endless fiery debate continues

The intractable nature of the “privacy vs. security” debate, in a world where the internet is a tool for criminals, spies and terrorists as well as for billions of law-abiding citizens, was on full display during Wednesday’s Cambridge Cyber Summit at MIT.Not surprisingly, it didn’t get resolved.The event, hosted by The Aspen Institute, CNBC and MIT, featured top-level government officials, private-sector experts and activists, who all agreed that there needs to be a “conversation” about how to “balance” the two, and that to achieve it will require more effective cooperation between the public and private sectors.But there was no agreement about where that balance lies. About the best they could do, after some conversation that got chaotic at times, was agree that they should continue the conversation.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Security vs. privacy: The endless fiery debate continues

The intractable nature of the “privacy vs. security” debate, in a world where the internet is a tool for criminals, spies and terrorists as well as for billions of law-abiding citizens, was on full display during Wednesday’s Cambridge Cyber Summit at MIT.Not surprisingly, it didn’t get resolved.The event, hosted by The Aspen Institute, CNBC and MIT, featured top-level government officials, private-sector experts and activists, who all agreed that there needs to be a “conversation” about how to “balance” the two, and that to achieve it will require more effective cooperation between the public and private sectors.But there was no agreement about where that balance lies. About the best they could do, after some conversation that got chaotic at times, was agree that they should continue the conversation.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

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