Why every tech pro should learn to code

Coding is one of the hottest skills on the tech market. According to a recent survey from Burning Glass, programming jobs are growing 12 percent faster than the average. According to the survey in 2015 there were seven million job openings that required coding skills.To discover trends around occupations, skills, credentials and salaries, Burning Glass evaluated its database of 26 million unique job postings collected in the U.S. in 2015. The study found that in the "career track" category -- defined as jobs that pay at least $15 per hour -- the positions that required coding skills paid, on average, $22,000 more per year than those that didn't. But interestingly, coding wasn't confined to programming jobs; it emerged as a necessary skill in data analysis, arts and design, engineering, information technology and science. That's why it might be time to learn how to code -- and if you have kids, it's time to get them on the bandwagon too.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Nextdoor: Tool for good or another paranoid cog in the spy machine?

I’ve lived in some really great places as well as some that were not; at one point when I lived in a city that had been crowned most dangerous and had the most number of violent crimes, then I might have welcomed the community-based social networking app Nextdoor.Dubbed a “private social network,” Nextdoor is a gated local community-based social network to share information about what is happening in your neighborhood. Users must prove they are a member of their neighborhood by entering a code received via snail-mail. Then they can access only the information pertaining to their neighborhood. Nextdoor via Google Play Although it launched in 2011, within the last month, Nextdoor has been in the news after even more police departments have joined; a few examples include the Delaware State Police, Louisville Metro Police, St. Joseph Police Department in Missouri, Boynton Beach Police and Leon County Sheriff's Office in Florida.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

GE waves developers onto its huge IoT stage

It takes a village to raise an IoT infrastructure. That’s the way it looks as the major players in the internet of things pair up in one partnership after another, while also reaching out to developers from startups and enterprises. The potential uses of IoT are so diverse, especially in the industrial realm, that specialized knowledge is a key part of the formula. General Electric has more than a century of industrial experience, but its five-year-old GE Digital division hopes to leverage outside expertise in its IoT mission. This week the company is hosting the first developer conference for its GE Predix software platform, where it will announce developer kits to help get the ball rolling on new IoT projects.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

53% off Universal Phone Mount for Bicycle and Motorcycle – Deal Alert

Currently receiving 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon (read reviews), the 'Freedom' Handlebar Phone Holder from Tackform offers comprehensive protection for mounting your smartphone while riding your bike or motorcycle. The patented phone cradle provides full support for holding your phone, while providing full access to your screen and buttons while riding, allowing you: To easily listen to music without headphones for maximum safety while riding Easy and quick access to GPS for map assistance while riding Convenient Fitness Tracking by monitoring health and workout data with your favorite health app while riding Amazon is currently showing a discount of 53% off the original list price of $39.99, allowing you to purchase the holder for just $18.99.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Bandwidth alone won’t solve application performance problems

When applications were exclusively hosted in the corporate data center, remote sites had much lower bandwidth and each required its own WAN optimization device. According to conventional wisdom, if we increase bandwidth, performance will improve. However, without decreasing latency, application performance will continue to suffer—no matter how much bandwidth we throw at the network.Four main things contribute to latency: Propagation delay Serialization delay Queuing delay Processing delay Propagation delayThis is the delay between two endpoints. For example, propagation delay is based on the speed of light measured at 5ms per 1000Km. The one-way propagation delay between a data center in New York and a branch in San Jose would be at least 24ms. This assumes a direct fiber path and no router hops, in which case the propagation delay will be significantly higher. For large carriers, one-way delays average 35-45 msec.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Bandwidth alone won’t solve application performance problems

When applications were exclusively hosted in the corporate data center, remote sites had much lower bandwidth and each required its own WAN optimization device. According to conventional wisdom, if we increase bandwidth, performance will improve. However, without decreasing latency, application performance will continue to suffer—no matter how much bandwidth we throw at the network.Four main things contribute to latency: Propagation delay Serialization delay Queuing delay Processing delay Propagation delayThis is the delay between two endpoints. For example, propagation delay is based on the speed of light measured at 5ms per 1000Km. The one-way propagation delay between a data center in New York and a branch in San Jose would be at least 24ms. This assumes a direct fiber path and no router hops, in which case the propagation delay will be significantly higher. For large carriers, one-way delays average 35-45 msec.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

RCN Business Chooses Versa’s Software-Defined Security

No on-premises equipment is required.

Worth Reading: Solving network documentation with code

A major issue with network documentation is how to properly explain the policies required to enable a service on the network. In the above diagram, I have a basic application traffic flow overlaid on the network infrastructure the traffic must traverse. Six network device types participate in the handling of traffic for this application all requiring some form of policy definition on them. A change in policy may require a change in any number of network devices to support that change. —route-spf

The post Worth Reading: Solving network documentation with code appeared first on 'net work.

Vonage’s cloudy strategy is now clear

Alan Masarek has been CEO of Vonage since November 2014. Since then, the company has undergone a transformation, building on its roots as a home phone replacement company to become a leading provider of cloud communications for business. Vonage jump-started its leadership position as a business communications provider through acquisitions and has been very active acquiring companies to complement the core consumer VoIP offering and early SMB offering the company had when Masarek assumed the role. Masarek’s vision is for Vonage to be the global leader in cloud communications by transforming the way people connect and businesses operate through integrated and contextual communications whenever and however people choose to communicate.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Cyberespionage group Patchwork sets its sights on multiple industries

A cyberespionage group known for targeting diplomatic and government institutions has branched out into many other industries, including aviation, broadcasting, and finance, researchers warn.Known as Patchwork, or Dropping Elephant, the group stands out not only through its use of simple scripts and ready-made attack tools, but also through its interest in Chinese foreign relations.The group's activities were documented earlier this month by researchers from Kaspersky Lab, who noted in their analysis that China's foreign relations efforts appear to represent the main interest of the attackers.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Cyberespionage group Patchwork sets its sights on multiple industries

A cyberespionage group known for targeting diplomatic and government institutions has branched out into many other industries, including aviation, broadcasting, and finance, researchers warn.Known as Patchwork, or Dropping Elephant, the group stands out not only through its use of simple scripts and ready-made attack tools, but also through its interest in Chinese foreign relations.The group's activities were documented earlier this month by researchers from Kaspersky Lab, who noted in their analysis that China's foreign relations efforts appear to represent the main interest of the attackers.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Hackers can pick off, inject wireless keyboard keystrokes from 8 vendors, maybe more

A vulnerability across at least eight brands of wireless keyboards lets hackers read keystrokes from 250 feet away, according to wireless security vendor Bastille.The problem is that the keyboards transmit to their associated PCs without encryption, and it’s just a matter of reverse engineering the signals to figure out how to read what keys are being hit, say Bastille researchers. An attacker could inject keystrokes while the keyboard is idle and the machine is logged in, they say, using a dongle that can be fashioned for less than $100.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Hackers can pick off, inject wireless keyboard keystrokes from 8 vendors, maybe more

A vulnerability across at least eight brands of wireless keyboards lets hackers read keystrokes from 250 feet away, according to wireless security vendor Bastille.The problem is that the keyboards transmit to their associated PCs without encryption, and it’s just a matter of reverse engineering the signals to figure out how to read what keys are being hit, say Bastille researchers. An attacker could inject keystrokes while the keyboard is idle and the machine is logged in, they say, using a dongle that can be fashioned for less than $100.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

This new Outlook feature will organize your inbox for you

Microsoft is finally bringing one of the best features of its Outlook mobile app to the desktop. Users of Outlook on Mac and Windows will start seeing their inbox separated out into two tabs: Focused and Other.As the name implies, the Focused Inbox is supposed to hold all of a user's important emails, while Other contains everything else. Users can train the system by moving email to and from the Focused Inbox, and establishing rules about certain senders and subjects.When new messages come into the Other inbox, a banner will show up at the top of the list of focused messages letting users see how many new messages are in that section of their inbox, along with a select list of senders.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Verizon must pay even if Mozilla walks from Yahoo search deal

Verizon, which today announced its intention to purchase Yahoo for $4.8 billion, will be on the hook to Mozilla for over $1 billion through 2019.According to Yahoo's CEO, Marissa Mayer, Verizon may be liable for partial payments even if Mozilla cuts ties to Yahoo and seeks another search provider.Earlier this month, Recode and the New York Times claimed that the 2014 Yahoo-Mozilla contact gave Mozilla the right to switch to another search provider if Yahoo was sold.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The Anniversary Update’s most exciting features: Windows 10 users weigh in

The Anniversary Update for Windows 10 is just around the corner and it’s packed with all kinds of new features. Microsoft is emphasizing the improved Windows Ink functionality, as well as beefed-up Cortana features. But what are Windows 10 users themselves most excited about?To find out, we scoured forums on the Internet, posted inquiries on social media, and even asked for feedback via email. So here, in no particular order, are the features that have Windows users most pumped. What you see below might surprise you, and it just goes to show that often it’s those nice little touches that improve a user’s experience that get the biggest reaction.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The best hidden features of Windows 10’s Anniversary Update

A year's worth of features within Windows 10Image by Mark HachmanSince Microsoft rolled out Windows 10 at the end of last July, the company has been busy adding features to the code. Cumulatively, these additions and tweaks have produced the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

9 steps for a successful incident response plan

Making a planImage by PexelsDetails matter when developing an incident response (IR) plan. But, even the most successful IR plans can lack critical information, impeding how quickly normal business operations are restored.This quick guide from Cybereason takes a closer look at nine of the often forgotten, but important steps that you should incorporate into your IR plan.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

5 innovative ways to solve unimportant problems

5 innovative ways to solve unimportant problemsImage by Envoy/Pacific ContentAll work and no play not only makes Jack a dull boy, it makes for a pretty disengaged workplace. In Silicon Valley, especially, the competition for talent is cutthroat, and offering fun and innovative projects is a great way to attract and retain elite talent. Digital guest management and visitor sign-in solutions company Envoy's CEO Larry Gadea and his team wanted a way to publicly recognize the efforts of employees. Technology provided the answer: an automated 'sales gong' that would reverberate throughout the office whenever a new subscriber signs up. The solution's built using a Raspberry Pi connected to a series of relays, and the mechanism to ring the gong is written into the main codebase. Any time there's a new subscriber, the system springs into action and rings the gong. The overall effect is more than just to recognize the efforts of salespeople, marketers and developers within the company, Gadea says. It's to remind Envoy's teams of the "bigger picture" and to build on the culture of innovation and teamwork at the company. "We wanted to remind everyone that all the hard work we're doing is making an Continue reading

Health care organizations 114 times more likely to be ransomware victims than financial firms

Health care organizations were 114 times more likely to hit by ransomware infections than financial firms, and 21 times more likely than educational institutions, according to a new research report by Solutionary.The Omaha-based security firm detects millions of attacks a year, according to threat intelligence analyst Terrance DeJesus. But while health care accounts for just 7.4 percent of the company's client base, it saw 88 percent of all ransomware attacks during the first half of this year."These numbers do not count all of the email delivery or exploit kit activity that happens pre-infection and would be attempts to deliver ransomware," he said. "These are confirmed ransomware outbreaks on directly affected systems."To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here