IDG Contributor Network: ISPs see big ingress by mobile operators for internet, study finds

A massive drop in the numbers of those using desktop computers is shown among the datasets released by the Commerce Department last month.That data, based on July 2015 figures, is just one facet of the extraordinary data dump.More juicy stuff includes that well over half of households (60 percent) who use the internet at home use "mobile internet service" while in the home.The government numbers come from a massive, 53,000-household Computer and Internet Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS) conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau last year. The large size of the sample means the numbers are representative of the entire population, the department says.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Cyberespionage group abuses Windows hotpatching mechanism for malware stealth

A cyberespionage group active in Asia has been leveraging a Windows feature known as hotpatching in order to better hide its malware from security products.The group, which malware researchers from Microsoft call Platinum, has been active since at least 2009 and has primarily targeted government organizations, defense institutes, intelligence agencies and telecommunications providers in South and Southeast Asia, especially from Malaysia, Indonesia and China.So far the group has used spear phishing -- fraudulent emails that target specific organizations or individuals -- as its main attack method, often combining it with exploits for previously unknown, or zero-day, vulnerabilities that install custom malware. It places great importance on remaining undetected.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Cyberespionage group abuses Windows hotpatching mechanism for malware stealth

A cyberespionage group active in Asia has been leveraging a Windows feature known as hotpatching in order to better hide its malware from security products.The group, which malware researchers from Microsoft call Platinum, has been active since at least 2009 and has primarily targeted government organizations, defense institutes, intelligence agencies and telecommunications providers in South and Southeast Asia, especially from Malaysia, Indonesia and China.So far the group has used spear phishing -- fraudulent emails that target specific organizations or individuals -- as its main attack method, often combining it with exploits for previously unknown, or zero-day, vulnerabilities that install custom malware. It places great importance on remaining undetected.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

A mobile-first strategy improves employee productivity, study finds

A silent killer is running through companies today that most business leaders don’t know exists—employee disengagement.According to a recent Gallup survey, each disengaged employee costs an organization about $3,400 for every $10,000 in annual salary. Another interesting data point is that actively disengaged employees cost the American economy somewhere between $450 billion and $550 billion in productivity annually. This shows that creating more engaged employees needs to be at the top of every business leader’s priority list.Now that the problem is understood, how does an organization create a more engaged workforce? The answer is to become mobile-first. A new global study by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), sponsored by Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, discovered a measurable link between a mobile-first work environment and an increase in employee engagement. This should be no surprise, as the majority of digital officers I have interviewed have correlated mobility to customer engagement, so extending that paradigm to employees is logical.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Blessay: IPv6 was Designed For Different Er

IPv6 is badly designed. Constant updates make us uncertain. Lack of features make us unwilling.

The post Blessay: IPv6 was Designed For Different Er appeared first on EtherealMind.

TETN deploys Noction IRP to improve its commodity internet service

Texas Education Telecommunication Network announced the deployment of Noction Intelligent Routing platform in its Dallas PoP. The main purpose behind implementing Noction’s

The post TETN deploys Noction IRP to improve its commodity internet service appeared first on Noction.

8 Cool Ways To Leverage Wireless Tech

Intel declares independence from the PC

The message has trickled down in speeches, earnings calls, and analyst presentations, but on Tuesday, Intel chief executive Brian Krzanich drew a line in the sand: Intel is not a PC company any more. In what only can be called a manifesto of Intel’s new values, Krzanich described how Intel is transforming itself “from a PC company to a company that powers the cloud and billions of smart, connected computing devices.” To drive the point home, Krzanich noted that the PC is just one among many connected devices.What might be called the “new” Intel will be built upon five pillars, Krzanich said:To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

FBI isn’t code savvy enough to explain iPhone hack to Apple

The FBI claims that being forced to share its iPhone-hacking tool with Apple wouldn’t be worth it–because the government agency doesn’t actually know how it works. This week, the FBI will notify the White House that it doesn’t actually know the underlying code that facilitated hacking into the iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters. Because of this, the FBI claims that it doesn’t make sense to launch an internal government investigation to decide whether to share the information with Apple.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

FBI isn’t code savvy enough to explain iPhone hack to Apple

The FBI claims that being forced to share its iPhone-hacking tool with Apple wouldn’t be worth it–because the government agency doesn’t actually know how it works.This week, the FBI will notify the White House that it doesn’t actually know the underlying code that facilitated hacking into the iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters. Because of this, the FBI claims that it doesn’t make sense to launch an internal government investigation to decide whether to share the information with Apple.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

4 password managers that make online security effortless

There’s a reason “123456” remains the most popular password. We tend to use passwords we can easily recall. And that means they’re easy to hack.A good password manager is the best way to relieve the burden of memorizing complex logins and keep your data secure. These tools encrypt your login info in a virtual vault—either locally or in the cloud—and lock it with a single master password.Considering that the security of sensitive data is at stake, you shouldn’t take choosing a password manager lightly. This guide will tell you what features to look for in a password manager and compare four of the best.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

4 password managers that make online security effortless

There’s a reason “123456” remains the most popular password. We tend to use passwords we can easily recall. And that means they’re easy to hack.A good password manager is the best way to relieve the burden of memorizing complex logins and keep your data secure. These tools encrypt your login info in a virtual vault—either locally or in the cloud—and lock it with a single master password.Considering that the security of sensitive data is at stake, you shouldn’t take choosing a password manager lightly. This guide will tell you what features to look for in a password manager and compare four of the best.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Ubuntu 16.04: A desktop for Linux diehards

Every two years a release of Ubuntu is designated Long-Term Support (LTS). Ubuntu 16.04, code-named Xenial Xerus, is the latest in that line. LTS releases are supported for five years instead of the usual nine months, but they also have less obvious implications. LTS releases are usually geared toward the enterprise, which means they generally include fewer new features and more testing. Both qualities are attractive to risk-averse companies running production software on Ubuntu servers, but provide comparatively little to the desktop user.Installation and setupTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)

10 essential pen-friendly Windows apps

Get your pen readyForget about limiting yourself to typing and touchpads alone. Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book, as well as the legion of touch-enabled Windows laptops now available, are built to do far more than your standard run-of-the-mill notebooks. Whether it’s sketching out illustrations, signing documents on the fly, or jotting down quick notes, embracing the Surface Pen and Windows 10’s deep-rooted inking features truly opens another door to enhanced productivity. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

First look: Microsoft’s Windows 10 Anniversary Update preview

The first big update to Windows 10 will come this summer, a year after the operating system's initial launch, with the release of what Microsoft is calling the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.The update's exact release date hasn't been set yet. Windows 10 was officially released on July 29, 2015 -- but that doesn't mean that the Anniversary Update will hit on the exact date.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

How to keep your small business safe from data breaches and hacks

Cybersecurity – and security breaches – continues to be a hot topic. And small ecommerce businesses, especially ones using an open source platform, are particularly susceptible to hacks and breaches. So what can small ecommerce shops do to protect their sites as well as any sensitive (customer) data? Following are 10 suggestions from ecommerce security experts. [Related: 5 tips for defending against advanced persistent threats ] 1. Educate employees. “Cyberattacks are becoming more and more sophisticated and it's easy to be fooled by emails, links and attachments that look like everyday business requests,” says Norman Guadagno, chief evangelist, Carbonite. “It only takes one click for malware, viruses and ransomware to in infiltrate your system, compromising important business data.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

How to keep your small business safe from data breaches and hacks

Cybersecurity – and security breaches – continues to be a hot topic. And small ecommerce businesses, especially ones using an open source platform, are particularly susceptible to hacks and breaches. So what can small ecommerce shops do to protect their sites as well as any sensitive (customer) data? Following are 10 suggestions from ecommerce security experts.[Related: 5 tips for defending against advanced persistent threats ]1. Educate employees. “Cyberattacks are becoming more and more sophisticated and it's easy to be fooled by emails, links and attachments that look like everyday business requests,” says Norman Guadagno, chief evangelist, Carbonite. “It only takes one click for malware, viruses and ransomware to in infiltrate your system, compromising important business data.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Why Tim Cook is still optimistic after Apple’s growth stalled

So, that was quite a quarter Apple had–and not in a good way. But just after the raw financial results, Apple gets a chance to tell its story, to add “more color” to the proceedings, in an hourlong conference call with financial analysts. Here are the highlights from this quarter’s party line with Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri.Tim Cook: Cockeyed optimist If I had to describe Tim Cook’s attitude during the call, it would be “optimistic.” But only because he referred to his optimism eight different times over the span of an hour. (Maestri added another three on his own.) Then again, when your company just broke a 13-year streak of year-over-year revenue growth, expressing your optimism about the future is probably a smart move.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Has public Wi-Fi outlived its usefulness?

Over the last few years, public restaurants, coffee shops and other places people gather have added the luxury feature of free Wi-Fi. This has turned many a Starbucks into an unofficial office for workers and college students alike who might otherwise not have Internet access. These days, though, that luxury is becoming more and more useless. Many access points installed in a Starbucks, Subway, McDonald's or perhaps public library haven't been updated and are still offering 802.11g performance. Put a dozen users on them and you're back in the days of a 1200 baud modem, if you get anything at all. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: One to watch: GE and Pivotal invest in SnappyData

Investments happen all the time. And usually a modest(!) sub $4 million series A round wouldn't raise much attention. After all, Silicon Valley is built on a high cadence of startup founding, investments and eventual exit out the other end (be it successful or otherwise).But this one is interesting in part because of those investing in the company, and also because of who is involved in the founding of this particular startup.SnappyData is building an in-memory transactional analytics database that is built on top of the Apache Spark open-source initiative. Nothing too exciting there, right? Well, an added twist is that the SnappyData leadership team—Richard Lamb, Jags Ramnarayanan and Sudhir Menon—previously built GemFire into one of most widely adopted in-memory data grid products in the market. Oh, and that little company, GemFire, was eventually acquired by VMware. And for those unaccustomed to the slight incestuousness that occurs in the technology industry, VMware went on to create, and eventually spin out, the Pivotal organization, headline investors today in SnappyData.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here