How banks are strengthening their cybersecurity posture [Q&A]
Cyberattacks and data breaches affect all kinds of organizations, but banks and financial services firms are at particular risk.
The shift to using mobile devices to carry out financial transactions has changed the threat landscape in recent years too. We spoke to Will LaSala, director of security solutions and security evangelist at OneSpan to find out more about what banks can do to bolster their security.
Microsoft is closing down its Azure Blockchain Service
Microsoft has announced that its Azure Blockchain Service is to close down this fall. The end date for the complete closure is September 10, but the company has already put a stop on new deployments and signups.
No big announcement has been made about the closure of the service which has been around since 2015 when Microsoft partnered with ConsenSys. The decision leaves existing users with just four months to find an alternative home for their ledgers.
10 emerging technologies in 2021
Despite an inarguably terrible year and many concerning events happening around the world -- pandemic notwithstanding -- technology is still advancing at breakneck speeds. That looks to continue well into the coming year, with many fascinating and emergent solutions bubbling to the surface.
Here are 10 emerging technologies everyone should be on the lookout for in 2021:
Cryptocurrency becomes mainstream and new digital standards arrive -- fintech predictions for 2021
In recent years we've seen some significant shifts in the financial sector, with newer businesses using technology to challenge more established players.
Much of this has centered around the use of blockchain, although cryptocurrency still hasn't entered the mainstream. What do experts think we'll see in the fintech space next year?
What is a hard fork and what does it mean for your cryptocurrency holdings?
The technology that underpins cryptocurrencies is not understood by a lot of people, but you don't really need to fully grasp the idea of mining or know what a blockchain is in order to use them.
Whether you are a seasoned user of Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency, you may be aware of an impending hard fork for Bitcoin Cash (BCH). The date for your diary is November 15, but just what is a hard fork, and what are the implications?
38 percent of enterprises plan to adopt blockchain solutions this year
While blockchain has gained lots of interest from businesses in recent years, actual use of the technology remains relatively low.
However, new research from cryptocurrency site InsideBitcoins.com shows that around 38 percent of organizations are planning to integrate blockchain solutions into their operations in 2020.
Mainframes are a critical element for new technologies like AI and blockchain
The death of the mainframe is something that's been widely predicted since the 1990s, but these big guns of the computing world stubbornly refuse to succumb.
New research carried out by Forrester for hybrid services provider Ensono and IT consultancy Wipro shows that 50 percent of organizations will continue with and increase mainframe use in the next two years versus just five percent planning to decrease or remove mainframe activity.
Kaspersky helps enterprises protect blockchain projects
Blockchain is being widely touted as the technology to secure transactions and run large-scale, data-driven projects with more transparency and efficiency.
But projects which work with sensitive data will eventually become integrated with other business-critical systems and when that happens there’s a need to run security check and approvals. This is why Kaspersky is launching a new service that helps enterprises discover and fix security issues and discrepancies in smart-contract business logic while the blockchain project is on its way from internal innovation to part of actual business processes.
Libra Bug Bounty Program seeks to strengthen the security of Facebook's blockchain
Facebook's plans to venture into the world of cryptocurrencies has proved highly controversial, but the social media giant is plowing on regardless. The company and the partners it is working with on Libra have launched a public bug bounty program, offering pay-outs of up to $10,000 per bug.
Announced by the Libra Association, the aim of the Libra Bug Bounty Program is to "strengthen the security of the blockchain". The association wants to track down " security and privacy issues and vulnerabilities".
New enterprise platform secures digital assets in transit
Last month $40 million worth of Bitcoin was stolen in the Binance hack and it's estimated that more than $3 billion has been stolen over the last 18 months due to key theft and stolen credentials.
In order to guard against this type of theft, new company Fireblocks is launching an enterprise platform to protect crypto currency and other digital assets in transit.
How businesses can incorporate blockchain into their everyday activities
The introduction of blockchain technology has made revolutionary changes to finance sectors across the world -- most commonly through the use of cryptocurrency. Now however the platform is increasingly finding new uses by businesses to help enhance and customize the services they are already offering. Those businesses that have already begun to incorporate blockchain into their day-to-day are creating new opportunities for both themselves and the end customer.
Most people will be familiar with blockchain for its use in cryptocurrency as a secure transaction system. By using a blockchain-based platform, businesses can process crypto payments locally or across borders payments as well as making micro-payments, and add expanded options for customers to suit a greater variety of needs. Blockchain also digitally records all processes, which can make supply chain and return/refund processes more streamlined, with payments and refunds being made automatically.
Helping organizations understand the pros and cons of blockchain
Blockchain is often seen as a game-changer for businesses, governments and criminals alike. But, as organizations rush to deploy applications based on blockchain technology, do the potential benefits outweigh the information risks?
The Information Security Forum (ISF) is releasing a new briefing paper aimed at boosting understanding of the technology.
BitTorrent Inc announces BitTorrent Live, a social streaming platform that's not based on BitTorrent
BitTorrent Inc has announced plans to launch a new social media platform for live streaming. It will be called BitTorrent Live and -- at least initially -- it will be centralized rather than decentralized, meaning that it is not based on the BitTorrent protocol or other P2P technology.
The first beta version is expected to launch in the coming quarter, and it will compete with the likes of Facebook Live. BitTorrent Live will enable users to stream content to mobile devices, or broadcast live, and will include social media elements.
Demand for blockchain and security engineers soars
If you want to secure your future in the IT industry then it seems that blockchain and security are the areas you need to be in.
A report from career marketplace Hired shows that in the past year there has been a 517 percent increase in demand for blockchain engineers year on year, and a 132 percent jump for security engineers.
Blockchain startup TRON acquires BitTorrent
BitTorrent Inc says that it has been acquired by TRON, a blockchain startup, to create "the world's largest decentralized ecosystem".
There have been rumors about the acquisition for a few weeks now, but the news has now been confirmed. TRON is thought to have paid $126 million in cash for company, and the two teams will merge and pool their talent resources.
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