Mobile games pose a risk to business

Mobile frustration

Mobile games are increasing in popularity, boosted by augmented reality apps like Pokémon GO. But if individuals are using their devices for BYOD too then these games could present a major security risk.

According to a new study from licensing specialist Flexera Software which tested 60 of the most popular iOS games, 73 percent support location services and tracking. 68 percent support social networking, 58 have calendar access and 54 percent support SMS.

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Network security is getting more difficult to implement

Network security

Network security operations are evolving and becoming more difficult to implement according to a new survey by Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG), sponsored by network visibility specialist Gigamon.

The complexity of network security operations is as difficult, or more difficult, as it was two years ago according to 85 percent of surveyed respondents. This is primarily due to increased traffic, more connected devices on the network and diversity of network and security technologies used to address emerging and known security threats.

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Inadequate storage tools hold back container deployment

writing to disk

The use of containers delivers many benefits including lower costs and greater agility. But the results of a new survey show that a lack of adequate tools to handle storage is holding back deployment.

The survey by data storage company Portworx finds that 55 percent of IT professionals would deploy stateful containers within one year if storage challenges could be resolved.

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Convenience of public Wi-Fi overrides security fears

Wi-Fi

There's an expectation that public Wi-Fi will be available pretty much everywhere we go these days. We access it almost without thinking about it, yet public networks rarely encrypt data leaving users vulnerable.

A new survey of more than 2,000 business users by networking company Xirrus finds that while 91 percent of respondents don't believe public Wi-Fi is secure, but 89 percent use it anyway.

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When is a private cloud cheaper than a public one?

Cloud dollars

According to new research, a private cloud can be much cheaper than using a public cloud service, though only when it's running on a large scale.

The analyst firm 451 Research has released a new report exploring the costs of private, public and hybrid cloud services, revealing that when a private cloud is large enough, it can actually be cheaper than public cloud services. There are, however, upsides and downsides to both approaches.

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Peanut butter budgeting for cyber security -- and why it doesn't work.

Jif!

The economics of cyber security are completely lopsided. There are a seemingly infinite number of cyber security risks out there, with more and more popping up every day. Hackers appear to have unlimited resources, and cybercriminals are literally reinvesting their lucrative profits into new and innovative ways to exploit, extort, and steal from your organization.

But... in order to foil, frustrate, and impede the nefarious schemes of these very well-equipped and well-funded adversaries, we as cyber security professionals are grudgingly allocated a hopelessly limited budget. The meagerness of which we are then asked to stretch ever so thinly across every conceivable threat vector out there in order to assure the business (management, executives, and the board) that, "We’re doing everything possible".

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What you need to know about product lifecycle management

PLM Product lifecycle management

In any kind of production process, whether the end product is a washing machine or a piece of software, there are a number of stages to go through. From the initial idea, through design to manufacturing, service and support, and end of life and disposal, all products go through a similar lifecycle.

Product lifecycle management is about integrating the staff, data, processes and business systems that go to produce a product. This in turn provides a fund of information surrounding the creation of the product which can be used to streamline the development of future products. PLM software allows this to be done cost effectively across the entire lifecycle of a product.

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How incentives are key to driving mobile wallet use

mobile payment

Mobile wallets are gaining in popularity, according to a new survey by loyalty platform Points almost 64 percent of consumers say they've used a mobile wallet in the past year.

However, some consumers are still reluctant to make mobile payments for a variety of reasons. 47 percent are concerned about security and privacy, 45 percent say that credit and debit cards and/or cash are enough, and 20 percent say it’s too complicated.

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Microsoft introduces compliance guidance for Azure Government users

Microsoft Azure

In an attempt to assuage concerns regarding how its cloud software and services designed for government agencies work, Microsoft has released new documentation for potential customers of Azure Government.

Microsoft Azure Government has already earned quite a few certifications acknowledging that it meets the strict requirements of the US federal government. However, for customers that believe this is not enough, the software giant has created its new Azure Blueprint program to help users use its cloud platform in a way that is compliant with government guidelines.

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HP will axe up to 4,000 jobs by 2019

hp logo

HP Inc will cut around 3,000 to 4,000 jobs over the next three years as demand for its PCs and printers has slowed in recent months. The company originally announced the job cuts in February as part of its restructuring program which will see some 3,000 jobs cut by the end of this year.

Dion Weisler, the president and CEO of HP Inc, spoke out regarding how these cuts will affect every department of the company during a conference in New York. He argued that the restructuring plan would work out in the company's favor in the long run.

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A new weapon against terrorism

Handgun Weapon Concealed

San Diego, Calif. The cop convention is in town this weekend, and I have never seen so many men in blue-grey suits or uniformed officers strutting sidearms. Quite possibly the safest-feeling place in San Diego through October 18th is the Convention Center and the areas around it—that is unless you're a lawbreaker or someone as afraid of men and women in uniform as clowns. What the hell is this clown craze anyway? Yeah, that's off-topic.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police holds its 123rd annual conference, which I blasted through (poor choice of words, I know) yesterday for a specific, and interesting product launch: Patriot One's NForce CMR1000; self-described as a "covert primary screening device for the detection of on-body concealed weapons at access points including hallways and doorways of weapons-restricted buildings and facilities". I met with CEO Martin Cronin and Chief Science Advisor Natalia Nikolova.

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How you can save money by storing data in tiers

data tier

Most people in the world of IT understand what a chaotic mess data storage can be and often is. In fact, even the thought of trying to retrieve information that is valuable from these storage locations can cause nothing but frustration and headache.

The truth is, if administrators in the IT world want to get the most out of their storage centers and extend the lifespan of their data, they must get serious about the organization processes. In other words, the act of sorting data is a vital task that must occur in order to preserve precious data and store away the less critical data.

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Microsoft officially releases Windows Server 2016

rack room servers IT

Microsoft has made the release-to-manufacturing (RTM) versions of Windows Server 2016 and System Centre 2016 officially available to enterprise customers.

As revealed at its recent Ignite conference, Windows Server 2016 customers will also receive the commercial version of Docker at no additional cost.

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New endpoint solution protects privileged access credentials

Access management

Credentials for privileged access accounts are a prime target for cyber attackers and they can often be stolen from vulnerable endpoints.

Privileged account management specialist Thycotic is tackling this problem by launching Privilege Manager for Windows, which allows IT admins to implement a wide array of policies and controls that best match their needs.

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Healthcare companies are facing a cyber security crisis

Healthcare data

Many industries have found that the rapid expansion in demand for digital information has outpaced efforts to keep the data secure. This is a particular issue for healthcare organizations which handle confidential records yet have seen some headline breaches in recent years.

UpGuard, the company behind the CSTAR security preparedness score for enterprises, has released a new report which provides fresh data on the security failings of companies in the healthcare industry.

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