UK companies pay more attention to cyber security
We reported a few weeks ago on research showing that cloud security was becoming a concern outside the IT department and having an impact on the boardroom.
Now a new study in the UK by Tom Neaves, Managing Consultant at security specialist Trustwave backs this up, showing that cyber security is increasingly becoming a corporate issue.
I added a PowerColor AMD Radeon R7 250 2GB GDDR5 to my AMD AM1 desktop
Last year, I declared that AMD's AM1 platform was one of my favorite things of 2014. It's not hard to see why; it is inexpensive, uses very little electricity and offers ample performance for the average home user. For example, my desktop uses a GIGABYTE GA-AM1M-S2H motherboard that retails for $35, while the Athlon 5350 Kabini Quad-Core 2.05GHz APU is $65. In other words, for about $100 you can start building a really nice computer.
While the Athlon 5350 supports 4K, the motherboard only has HDMI, which can be problematic with some monitors (even with adapters). Plus, a portion of the system RAM is used for the integrated video. This is particularly tough on an AM1 PC, as it only supports single channel memory. In my testing, the best performance is with a single stick, which maxes at 8GB. With that said, I wanted to try adding a discrete card to my desktop, so Windows can utilize the full 8GB. My requirements? I wanted an AMD card, it had to do 4K, had to have DisplayPort and had to be low-profile to fit my Micro ATX case. Enter the PowerColor AMD Radeon R7 250 2GB GDDR5.
Relying on Windows 10 security is risky for business
Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 10, unveiled earlier this month, places a fresh emphasis on corporate security. But there are already industry rumblings that over-reliance on Microsoft’s new security features could be dangerous.
Windows 10 is designed to run across the types of devices common to most business users: PCs, laptops, tablets and smart phones. In order to safeguard users’ privileged data, the new OS uses a two-factor authentication system utilizing biometric ID in the form of a finger or thumb print. Users can enroll a single device, such as a smart phone, which will effectively become their mobile credential. It will enable them to sign-in into all of their PC’s, networks, and web services as long as their smart phone is nearby.
Check and manage Win7+ and Mac security with OPSWAT GEARS
How secure is your computer? Finding out can take a little work. You might have to check your antivirus, firewall, backup program, maybe the Windows Action Center and various other system settings.
OPSWAT GEARS is a free utility which tries to do everything you need from a single interface. It works on individual PCs (Windows 7+) or Macs, and can also be used to check and manage security on up to 25 network computers (switching to the paid version removes that restriction).
Nest talks numbers on money and energy the thermostat can save
The programmable thermostat concept isn't new, but today's versions are becoming increasingly smarter. Now it's not just programmed, but actually learns from your habits and it can even integrate with other things in your home -- the Internet of Things. There is, perhaps, no better example than Nest, which has become quite popular with the tech crowd.
But what is the real advantage in all of this? Saving energy, and therefore money. Now Nest is reveling the numbers it has been collecting. In an effort to continuously improve its offering, the company keeps tabs on what is going on.
What's the point of AdBlock Plus if Google, Microsoft and Amazon can pay to bypass it?
Ads are pretty much universally hated; in the list of lovable things in the world, ads rank pretty far down. On TV, in movie theaters, in magazines and online, ads are forced upon us and are impossible to avoid. Except that's not true online. Ad-blocking software can be used to filter out the stuff you don’t want to see, making for a happier web browsing experience.
However, it turns out that installing an ad-blocking tool like, ooh... I dunno... AdBlock Plus... is not enough to prevent the appearance of unwanted advertisements. Some time ago we learned about the whitelist operated by AdBlock Plus and now the Financial Times reports that big companies like Google, Microsoft and Amazon have paid to be included on the list so their ads are no longer blocked.
Surprise! Adobe Flash has a security flaw on Windows, Mac and Linux
Well, it's been a week since we've heard about a security vulnerability in Adobe Flash -- that's like a lifetime in terms of this program. While the application is slowly receding, it's far from dead and that means users have reason for worry. Of course, using Flash at all is a general concern -- it's a highly targeted platform for attackers.
Now Adobe is issuing it's latest warning, this one for "drive-by attacks". The flaw is technically known as CVE-2015-0313, though that moniker does little good for the end-user. What people really need to know is that the problem has been found to be used on the web.
SanDisk announces 'automotive grade' flash storage for your car
As more and more concerns about distracted driving are popping up in the media, it feels like more and more products are being developed that can cause said distraction. Texting and driving for instance, is a very dangerous behavior, but I see it happening all the time. Surely no message is more important than your life or someone else's.
With all of that said, technology does not have to be a distraction in the car. Actually, if implemented correctly, technology should enhance the focus of drivers and lead to fewer fatalities and accidents. Today, SanDisk announces new storage products designed specifically for your car. The company calls the products "automotive grade", but what does that really mean?
How the cloud boosts business security
One of the most interesting aspects of the "Cloud Computing in 2015" infographic produced by QuoteColo is this: 94 percent of business managers state that security has improved after adopting cloud applications.
While reading this stat on an infographic is comforting, we want to explore the statistic more to discover why and how cloud applications have made businesses more secure. But before we can get into why cloud applications have made businesses more secure, we need to talk about the false illusion of porous cloud security.
How to remove the build number watermark from Windows 10's desktop
Hundreds of thousands of people around the world are currently running Windows 10 Technical Preview ahead of the official launch. While it's fun to try out a pre-release of the upcoming operating system it does mean having to put up with a few problems here and there, as well as the occasional niggle.
One thing that irks many Technical Preview users is the fact that the current build number is emblazoned on the desktop. It doesn’t really get in the way, but it looks kind of ugly. If you'd like to get rid of this unsightly watermark, there's no need to tinker with the registry or hack files by hand -- there's a nifty tool that will take care of it for you.
IBM announces new cloud-based identity protection
Many of the things we do online require an ID and password, but typically whilst this makes things easier for the site it doesn't always do a lot to protect the user, who may be revealing more information than they need.
For example you may have to reveal your full date of birth and address to a video streaming service in order to verify your age and region, running a risk that the information may fall into the wrong hands.
6 technologies featured at CES that could disrupt businesses in 2015
Every year in Las Vegas, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is the ultimate place to see what’s new in technology. CES showcases new innovative and next generation technologies -- It’s a global platform for innovation where cutting edge technologies are revealed to the world. And this year’s show didn’t disappoint. Smart homes, ever advanced wearable devices, wireless home entertainment systems and even personally owned drones all had top billing at the show.
However, whilst the gadget geeks there were clearly bursting with excitement, the network administrators/IT Professionals/IT Managers I’ve spoken to seem to be scared witless as reality dawns on the practicalities of all of this. Issues such as bandwidth hogging, security vulnerabilities and the headache of ensuring compliance were the main areas of concern voiced to me at the show. Here follows the six technologies emerging from CES with the most potential to disrupt the business and network:
The ease of upgrading to Windows 10 all but guarantees its success
People don’t like change. Well, people don't like change for the sake of change -- if it ain't broke, don't fix it, and all that. But people also don’t like things to stay the same. People are fickle buggers, when you come to think of it, and this is one of the reasons Windows 8 proved to be such a disaster. Windows 10, on the other hand, is almost guaranteed to be a runaway success.
Uptake of the preview builds has already been impressive, but the ease with which it's going to be possible to make the upgrade -- be it from Windows 7 to Windows 10, or from a preview build to the RTM release -- is going to be key to the operating system's success. Why? As well as being fickle, people are suckers for 'easy'; Microsoft has made upgrading to Windows 10 RTM as easy as possible.
Raspberry Pi 2 arrives -- will run Windows 10!
The original Raspberry Pi Model B launched back in 2012, and got a big update in the form of the B+ last year. However, the core of the device -- the Broadcom BCM2835 application processor -- has stayed the same in all that time.
Given how much technology changes and improves in just the space of a single year, the Raspberry Pi was long overdue for a processor refresh, and today the Foundation launches the new and improved Raspberry Pi 2.
UK supermarkets need to be ready for the next wave of IT change
From farm to fork, there is no doubting that technology plays an integral role in the way supermarket chains interact with their suppliers, partners and customers. Since the first, secure, online purchase 20 years ago, retailers have come a long way in their use of technology to provide an efficient service and meet the ever increasing demands and expectations of their customers.
Today’s shopper expects to be able to use a number of mediums to interact with a retailer and make a purchase decision -- be it browse in-store or online, make a "click and collect" order to pick up at their convenience or have their weekly shop delivered to their home. All of this needs to happen seamlessly, with any breaks in the chain or inability to interact with a retailer subject to immediate criticism via social media channels or emails. It is therefore imperative that any new technology application or upgrade is set up for success with seamless integration and operation from the start. For, despite the opportunities which can be realized through technology, it can also give supermarkets nowhere to hide if it all goes wrong.
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