How old, incomplete, and inaccurate data can hurt businesses


Across the board, from operations to finances to customer satisfaction, the wrong data -- old, incomplete, and inaccurate information -- sets business back. According to MIT, "The cost of bad data is an astonishing 15 percent to 25 percent of revenue for most companies."
The differences between these errant data are important. Also important is understanding that, strictly speaking, there is no "bad data." "Bad" makes data subject to the interpretation of a value judgment. A better, more descriptive term would be "technical debt." This is when engineers begin to indiscriminately start to modify code and introduce new features. Over time, features are layered one on top of another and, if unchecked, teams sacrifice long-term efficiency via a durable, hard-won solution for the sake of easier, short-term approaches that yield a quick solution.
Three-quarters of IT departments face critical skills shortages


A new report from digital learning company Skillsoft finds that 76 percent of IT decision makers worldwide are facing critical skills gaps in their departments -- a 145 percent increase since 2016.
The report looks at the reasons for this and reveals that 38 percent cite the rate of technology change outpacing their existing skills development programs as the primary driver, followed by difficulty in attracting qualified candidates (35 percent) and lack of investment in training resources (32 percent).
Apple Business Essentials launches in Beta


Do businesses use Apple products? Well, iPhone smartphones and iPad tablets without a doubt. Are Mac computers used in the business world though? Not so much. Typically, the only Mac you see in an office belongs to the resident artsy employee that works on designing things. For the most part, Microsoft Windows still reigns supreme in the Enterprise.
With that said, some companies are all-in on Apple hardware, forgoing Windows for computers running macOS instead. True, it is rare, but some businesses do it. And now, if a small business has 500 or fewer employees, Apple is making it easier than ever to manage iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers. Launching today in Beta, Apple Business Essentials is a seemingly elegant solution for setting up and managing Apple devices, but also, the service offers assistance with things like backing up data, security, repairs, and more.
85 percent of businesses adopted new security protocols due to COVID-19


New research from SecureAge Technology finds that 85 percent of US and UK employers have been forced to adopt new cybersecurity measures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to remote work.
Of those that adopted new cybersecurity defenses, both US (41 percent) and UK (38 percent) businesses note that 'technical implementation challenges' are the primary hurdle in getting their new COVID-driven cybersecurity protocols and strategies in place.
How to measure the value of cybersecurity [Q&A]


With high profile cyber attacks and data breaches continuing to make the news, security is at the top of the priority list for businesses.
But how do you know that the resources you put into cybersecurity are providing a good return on the investment? We spoke with Oliver Rochford, security evangelist at Securonix to find out.
Business transformation drives demand for PKI and digital certificates


Thanks to organizational changes brought about by digital transformation, enterprise use of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and digital certificates has never been higher, but the related skills to manage PKI are in historically short supply.
A new report from trusted identity company Entrust, based on research from the Ponemon Institute, finds cloud-based services remain the highest driver of PKI use at 51 percent, the Internet of Things (IoT) remains the second highest growing trend cited by 46 percent of respondents, and consumer mobile comes in third at 39 percent.
New tool helps enterprises find and fix API vulnerabilities


As digital transformation projects roll out, APIs are more critical than ever to build modern applications. But as we reported last week they also create security headaches.
Security testing specialist Veracode is addressing this with the launch of a new scanning tool that enables organizations to find and fix vulnerabilities in APIs.
Cloud adoption continues to rise but costs still a concern


Cloud adoption is still rising across all industries but managing costs and regulatory requirements remain top concerns for organizations worldwide.
A new report from O'Reilly finds that 30 percent of all respondents in almost every industry cite managing cost as the most important initiative their company is undertaking related to public cloud adoption.
How enterprises can ensure sustainability in their IT supply chains [Q&A]


We recently reported on a study showing that IT leaders are willing to pay more for systems and providers that have a commitment to sustainability. And with the COP26 climate conference in full swing there's increased focus on reducing our impact on the planet.
But how can enterprises properly vet their supply chain to ensure the businesses they’re dealing with are adhering to the appropriate standards? We spoke with Martin Thompson, founder of the ITAM Forum -- a body that promotes the IT asset management industry -- to find out.
The importance of a modern approach to information management [Q&A]


Information is now a critical asset for businesses, but it's only of real value if you can manage and access it efficiently.
More and more data now is in an unstructured form too, so has the way we manage information changed, and what do businesses need to do to make the most of it to inform their day-to-day decisions? We spoke to Antti Nivala, founder and CEO of M-Files to find out.
Tackling the problem of Active Directory misconfigurations [Q&A]


Microsoft's Active Directory is used by many businesses as a way of managing identity services and controlling access.
But if it's not configured correctly it can lead to security risks. But how dangerous is this and what can enterprises do to keep themselves safe? We spoke to Andy Robbins, technical product architect at SpecterOps to find out.
Windows 11: Should businesses take the leap of faith?


The cat’s out of the bag. Windows 11 is here, more than six years after the release of its predecessor, Windows 10.
Microsoft has promised Windows 11 will be "the most secure Windows operating system yet" which, if true, will come as a relief for those plagued by ransomware and malware attacks.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Beta -- more features for users, fewer headaches for admins


The launch of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 9 Beta today marks a bit of a change from previous releases. While it has many improvements and enhancements that customers have asked for, there are fewer changes that require admins and IT Ops to learn new ways of doing things.
This means anyone already familiar with RHEL 8 should feel at home. Among new features are enhanced web console performance metrics, kernel live patching via the web console, and streamlined image building.
APIs give enterprises a security headache


Over the last year at least 44 percent of respondents to a new survey faced substantial issues concerning privacy, data leakage, and object property exposure with internal or external-facing APIs.
The study for Cloudentity, based on research carried out by PulseQA, shows that as a result of these issues, 97 percent of enterprises have experienced delays in releases of new applications and service enhancements due to identity and authorization issues with APIs and services.
Protecting your business' legacy systems from ransomware attacks


Despite the significant shift and adoption of new technologies over the past few years, many businesses still rely on legacy infrastructure. Legacy servers are often still in operation because they are far too critical, complex, and expensive to replace. Famous examples include Oracle databases running on Solaris servers, applications using Linux RHEL4, or other industry-specific legacy technology.
Although critical to the business, these legacy systems can increase a company's risk -- gaining access to just one unpatched legacy device can be relatively simple for cybercriminals. Once inside, said criminals will move laterally to gain a deeper foothold inside the network and deploy more significant attacks.
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