Amazon makes it cheaper to build and host Alexa skills
Thousands of Alexa developers can now build and host most Alexa skills for free using Amazon Web Services (AWS), thanks to a newly released Amazon program.
Previously, developers have had at their disposal the AWS Free Tier, offering a million AWS Lambda requests and a total of 750 hours of Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) -- monthly, for free. However, exceeding these limits also meant monthly fees.
Cyber security spending to reach $90bn in 2017
This year, the cyber-security focus is shifting from prevention only, into detection and response territory. This is according to a new Gartner report, which also says cyber-security spending will hit the $90 billion mark this year.
That’s actually a 7.6 percent increase year-on-year. Spending will keep on growing, Gartner says, up to $113 billion in 2020.
What hacking RSA access points teaches us about enterprise VPNs
News that multiple access points at the RSA security show may have been hacked made for great headlines, and that’s about it. The attack poses little actual risk to most corporate users, but it does underscore the importance the cloud can play in corporate VPNs.
Security researchers at Pwnie Express discovered the attack when scanning the conference floor. They found a rogue access point posing as a known, trusted network -- what’s called an EvilAP attack. In an EvilAP attack, the attacker impersonates a known wireless network by intercepting the SSID a user’s device discloses when searching for a WLAN. The attack is available from several hacking tools, including KARMA.
Workplace collaboration survey finds employees want a more interactive approach to solving business problems
Advanced technology and flexible work environments have changed the face of the workplace in recent years. Businesses that seek to empower teams with collaborative tools and environments are not only proving to be more productive, but are better attracting and retaining talent, too.
We at Oblong Industries recently set out to better understand how business people feel about the state of their current workplace collaboration and technology. We developed and conducted a survey of attendees at the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) conference in mid-February, one of the largest AV and systems integration shows in the world with over 73,000 attendees this year. The survey found that most employees want a more interactive approach to solving business problems. Respondents also revealed challenges with existing meeting room collaboration tools but saw potential for greater engagement and productivity through more immersive technology.
UK cloud adoption rises five percent
The overall cloud adoption rate in the UK now stands at 88 percent, according to a new report by the Cloud Industry Forum. The report also states that there has been a five percent increase year-on-year, and an 83 percent increase since 2010, when the first stats were taken.
What’s also interesting in this report is that two thirds (67 percent) of users expect to increase their cloud service adoption over the coming year. A "vast majority," the report claims, will maintain a hybrid IT estate for some time.
Most businesses consider artificial intelligence essential to being competitive
A new report by Tata Consultancy Services has shown just how profound of an effect artificial intelligence already has, and will have, on businesses everywhere.
The "Getting Smarter by the Day: How AI is Elevating the Performance of Global Companies" study says 84 percent of companies worldwide see AI as "essential" to being competitive. Another half (50 percent) see the technology as "transformative."
Tech giants support Google's fight against FBI in foreign data storage case
Following a ruling by a Pennsylvania court that Google would have to turn over emails stored overseas, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Cisco have come together to file an amicus brief in support of the company.
Filing an amicus brief is a way in which companies or people not directly involved in a case can show their interest in it to a court. In this situation, it is in the best interest of the companies that filed the brief that US law enforcement remains unable to access customer data that is currently stored outside of the US.
Cyber espionage is the biggest security threat for businesses
European and US businesses see cyber espionage as the biggest threat to their security, according to a new report by Trend Micro. The report says that organizations in the West are under "increasing pressure" from groups looking to get their hands on some sensitive data.
In relations to the accusations that the Russians have been interfering with US elections, there’s an interesting stat: a large percentage of countries with recent, or upcoming polls, say they had been subjected to cyber espionage attacks in the last 12 months.
Nearly half of UK's tech workers looking for a new job
Just above half (58 percent) of UK workers believe it’s possible for them to get their dream job, according to a new report by Hired. The interesting thing about this stat is that the global average is significantly higher -- 70 per cent.
The similar statistic is with people that already believe they have their dream job -- globally, 44 percent of them think so, compared to 35 percent in the UK. And it gets worse.
How artificial intelligence will impact M&As and CLMs
Three months into 2017 and we continue to encounter stories and predictions about how artificial intelligence (AI) will fundamentally change a variety of industries on an almost day-to-day basis. While it’s receiving significant attention, the challenge is explaining what this type of technology could do to improve certain functions and jobs. Implementing systems to make dynamic and complex decisions as a way to displace humans is way off from mainstream adoption and the lack of articulating that concept effectively is typical of any hype cycle.
As we continue into the year, we will start to see the hype wear off and broader adoption of AI-based solutions within organizations, particularly in data analysis and deriving insight from that data. Let’s look at the trends we can expect over the coming months.
In-game advertising should be fun
The issue of ad blocking once again resurfaced at the 2017 Mobile World Congress. Leading network provider, O2 announced that it is looking to give users the ability to block ads if they feel "plagued by advertising." This follows on from similar threats at the 2016 MWC from Three Mobile -- another leading network provider in the UK. Although there have been no legislative changes or work regarding ad blocking, the debate is very much in the headlines and in the public domain.
Ad blocking uptake has slowed, but brands should not be resting on their laurels just yet. According to statistics from Campaign magazine, during 2017, 41.1 percent of millennials will use ad-blockers, versus 26.9 percent of Generation X and 13.9 percent of baby boomers. The increase in mobile phone usage will force marketers to think more carefully about exactly how they will reach these people, so that users do not feel interrupted, specifically during mobile gaming. Consumers are so used to advertising on television and radio, but mobile is a very different medium. Ultimately, advertisers need to be less invasive and more creative in their approach to reach their target audience.
How strong endpoint security can prevent cyberattacks
Businesses with dispersed and on-the-move employees are struggling to strike a difficult balance between the benefits of remote working and the security risks it creates. Security software designed to protect data at risk is nullified if it can be removed. To achieve their own stringent security aims while satisfying the demands of increasingly tight and punitive regulation, companies need a more persistent security solution.
Many organizations consider it to be only a matter of time before they fall victim to a cyberattack. PwC's 2016 Economic Crime Survey revealed that over half of responding UK organizations consider it likely they’ll suffer from cybercrime in the next two years. The prevalence of cybercrime makes detection and response capabilities critical in business today.
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Lessons that founders must learn from the CloudPets breach
As a founder and innovator, you can't help but love the cloud. It's easy to use, it lets you get projects started quicker, and helps deploy them faster, too. But, as quickly as you can innovate and go to market with the cloud, you can also fail -- particularly if you don't pay attention to the small details and implement security from the get go.
I can only imagine what happened to the team at CloudPets, who recently suffered a major breach. This breach now has CEOs questioning what would happen if they were in the same boat.
Cyber security spending highest for financial institutions
Banks and other financial institutions spend three times the amount non-financial organizations are spending on cyber security, a new report by Kaspersky Lab has shown.
According to the Financial Institutions Security Risks research from Kaspersky Lab and B2B International, cyber security is a high priority for financial institutions, as they're coming under increased pressure from the government, top management and customers.
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