Mainframes become more important to enterprises but staff shortages pose problems
The mainframe is becoming more important to large enterprises, with the percentage of organizations running at least half their business-critical applications on these platforms expected to increase next year.
But the loss of skilled mainframe staff, and the failure to subsequently fill these positions, poses significant threats to application quality, velocity and efficiency.
Facebook reveals the steps it will take to avoid the next big data breach
After it was revealed that private data belonging to 50 million Facebook users was shared with data analytics company Cambridge Analytica, there has been much talk about what went wrong and how something similar can be avoided in the future. Mark Zuckerberg issued a non-apology, but Facebook has also indicated some of the things it will be doing in the wake of the fiasco.
Zuckerberg says that back in 2014, steps were taken to restrict the access apps have to data, and the social network also plans -- in the name of transparency -- to inform everyone who has been, or may have been, affected by the data breach. New tools are also on the way to give users greater control over apps, and to prevent abuse of Facebook and the data it holds.
Mark Zuckerberg's failure to apologize about the Cambridge Analytica privacy breach is despicable
After five days of complete silence, Mark Zuckerberg finally decided to face the music and talk about the Cambridge Analytica debacle which has seen the private information of more than 50 million Facebook users harvested by the data analytics company
Yesterday, the Facebook founder condescended to issue a statement about the privacy breach, and also appeared in a CNN interview. He was, of course, quick to point out that his company has already cleaned up its act and would be doing a lot more, including auditing apps and developers. So far, so face-saving. One thing he rather forgot about, however, was saying sorry to the hordes of people affected by the matter.
Mark Zuckerberg to publicly shame himself over Cambridge Analytica scandal on CNN tonight
Facebook is a pretty terrible experience. Yeah, as a social network, I guess it does its job of connecting friends, family, and colleagues, but its non-chronological interface makes it damn-near impossible to make sense of things. Not to mention, it is a privacy nightmare, expecting users to opt-out of data-slurping features using confusing settings. Don't even get me started on its spread of fake news. Ultimately, it is not user-friendly, and the company seems content with letting it remain that way.
The Cambridge Analytica scandal merely highlights things "conspiracy theorists" have long screamed about -- with Facebook, you are the product. While people were fairly accepting of trading their details for advertising, nobody expected that their Facebook use could impact the outcome of a presidential election! Hell, Donald Trump was arguably handed the election by a combination of Russian meddling and this Cambridge Analytica data misuse. After days of deafening silence, today, billionaire Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg finally admits his company's failures. Taking it a step further, he will face a public shaming tonight on CNN.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17627 for Skip Ahead
Microsoft is busy putting the finishing touches to the Windows 10 Spring Creators Update, aka Redstone 4, but it’s already hard at work on the follow up. Redstone 5 will introduce a number of major features including Sets and Cloud Clipboard, but as we discovered a week ago, when Build 17623 rolled out, it could well contain a nasty surprise too.
Microsoft is currently forcing Windows Mail users on the Skip Ahead ring to open links in Edge, even if they prefer to use another browser. Predictably, this proved to be an unpopular move and it will be interesting to see if Microsoft really does listen to Insider feedback and kills this change in a future build.
Netflix bug bounty program offers top rewards of $15,000
As much as we'd like to think otherwise, no software is free of security issues. That's why it's important for tech companies to play an active role in finding and fixing as many bugs as possible before they're exploited. Implementing a bug bounty program can be very effective, as the product is exposed to various testing mindsets and approaches which can uncover some nasty surprises.
Netflix, which has over 100 million users across the globe, today introduces its first bug bounty program that's open to the public, with rewards that can reach $15,000 for the most-valuable findings that security researchers report.
10 efficient tools every marketing team needs in 2018
If you work in marketing, you'll no doubt know that there are a dozen tools for every task you might conceivably want to undertake.
However, this article contains the most essential, efficient, and useful tools that are going to help you with all your marketing activities. If you’re looking to start up and get it right, these tools will be of help in developing a successful marketing strategy.
Download Windows Server 2019 preview ahead of the launch later this year
Microsoft has revealed details about the upcoming Windows Server 2019. Due for release later in the year, there's a preview available for download right now, giving users the chance to try out the new features, including Linux and Kubernetes support.
Announcing the availability of the build to Windows Insiders, Dona Sarkar said that Microsoft is "pleased to release the first build of the Windows Server 2019 Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) release that contains both the Desktop Experience as well as Server Core in all 18 server languages, as well as the first build of the next Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel release."
AMD admits to new batch of critical processor flaws and promises fixes
AMD has confirmed that some of its processors contain vulnerabilities after they were found by CTS Labs researchers. In all, 13 critical flaws were found, including RyzenFall, MasterKey, Fallout and Chimera. They affect a range of AMD products.
The flaws are not dissimilar to the previous Meltdown/Spectre vulnerabilities, and CTS Labs gave AMD just 24 hours' notice before going public. The chipmaker says that patches are on the way, and tries to suggest that the vulnerabilities are not a cause for major concern.
Kaspersky Lab plans Swiss data center to quell fears about Russian connections
The US has repeatedly voiced concerns about Kaspersky Labs, expressing distrust of the Russian company. So concerned is the Trump administration about possible ties to the Russian government, that Kaspersky software is banned from official computers.
This is clearly something that the company is not happy with, and it has already launched a lawsuit against the US government. In a bid to silence those who say that data is being fed to the Kremlin, Kaspersky is planning to open a data center in Switzerland.
The nine biggest threats organizations face in the next two years
The foundations of the digital world are set to be shaken in the next two years according to the findings of a new report from the Information Security Forum (ISF).
The Threat Horizon 2020 report highlights nine major threats, broken down into three themes, that organizations can expect to face by 2020 as a result of developments in technology.
New developer tool aids deployment of AI applications
There's increasing demand for AI and machine learning solutions from businesses, but often a shortage of skills is holding back implementation.
Cloud computing specialist Paperspace is launching a new tool called Gradient to allow developers to tap into a dedicated cloud of AI solutions for building, training and deploying machine learning applications.
Mozilla launches a petition asking Facebook to do more for user privacy
In the fallout from the Cambridge Analytica debacle, Facebook has been roundly criticized for not only its handling of the situation, but also its attitude to privacy in general. The criticism comes not only from users, but also politicians and technology firms. The latest company to speak out is Mozilla.
After it was revealed that the personal data of 50 million Facebook users was shared without consent, Mozilla is calling on the social network to ensure that user privacy is protected by default, particularly when it comes to apps.
Facebook, Cambridge Analytica and our personal data
Facebook shares are taking it on the chin today as the Cambridge Analytica story unfolds and we learn just how insecure our Facebook data has been. The mainstream press has -- as usual -- understood only parts of what’s happening here. It’s actually worse than the press is saying. So I am going to take a hack at it here. Understand this isn’t an area where I am an expert, either, but having spent 40+ years writing about Silicon Valley, I’ve picked up some tidbits along the way that will probably give better perspective than what you’ve been reading elsewhere.
Much of this is old news. There are hundreds -- possibly thousands -- of companies that rely on Facebook data accessed through an Application Programming Interface (API) called the Graph API. These data are poorly protected and even more poorly policed. So the first parts of this story to dispel are the ideas that the personality test data obtained by Cambridge Analytica were in any way unusual or that keeping those data after their sell-by date was, either. That doesn’t necessarily make the original researcher without blame, but the Cambridge folks could have very easily found the same data elsewhere or even generated it themselves. It’s not that hard to do. And Facebook doesn’t have a way to make you throw it away (or even know that you haven’t), either.
Don't want to #DeleteFacebook? Opt out of Platform API sharing instead -- here's how
Following the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal, you can't have failed to notice there’s a backlash against Facebook at the moment, with the #DeleteFacebook movement gathering serious momentum. Even WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton, who sold his app to Facebook for $19 billion in 2014, appeared to back it with a tweet in which he declared "It is time. #deletefacebook".
Unless you don’t use it very often, deleting Facebook is a major step, and one that many people will think is taking things too far. But if you do want to take greater control over your privacy settings you might want to consider opting out of Facebook’s Platform API sharing to prevent future data harvesting.
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