26Jul

Faulty Update by CrowdStrike Caused Worldwide Disruptions Across Millions of Windows Supported Computers

Cyber securityLast Friday, July 19, 2024, a faulty update by cyber security company CrowdStrike, caused a global IT system outage that brought down millions of computers worldwide. Touted as the largest IT meltdown to have ever taken place, the incident has since been resolved and prevented from resulting in much greater damage.

In July 18, CrowdStrike pushed an update on its falcon software, but triggered a meltdown that affected around 8.5 million devices running on Windows operating systems. The faulty update caused Windows Systems to crash and unable to reboot, sending a never ending loop of blue screen displays instead. Restart actions only resulted in more blue screen appearances.

What Exactly is Falcon Software?

A falcon software is also known in the cyber security system as an Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) software, which basically functions as an anti-virus mechanism. When installed in a computer, it can collect data from the files and websites opened, as well as from the programs run by the device users. All of which are for the purpose of monitoring and detecting any signs of cyber attacks.

What Exactly was the CrowdStrike Disaster and How Was It Resolved?

In July 19, as part of the dynamic protection mechanism of CrowdStrike’s falcon platform, the cyber security company deployed a content configuration update that would have enabled the Windows sensor to gather readings on potential and new cyber threat techniques. However,
CrowdStrike unknowingly released faulty content configuration updates, which resulted in a Windows system crash.

Unfortunately, computer hosts that were online while running on versions 7 and above of Windows, between 04:09 UTC and 05:27 UTC last July 19 received the faulty updates. Computers and devices that did not go online during those periods as well as Mac and Linux hosts, were not impacted by the global IT meltdown. Devices that were online at the time of the update but running on on older Windows operating systems like Windows 1995, were likewise not affected

Computer program codingThe faulty update was a result of a coding error that CrowdStrike was able to immediately identify as a description error. Through manual intervention, the affected systems were able to recover and receive the corrected software update.

08Jan

The Growing Trend of DevOps Method and Platform in Software Development

software developmentDevOps is one of the latest software development trends that has been drawing attention as a modern development method geared toward eliciting customer satisfaction that leads to brand loyalty.
That is so because DevOps is actually a combination of the terms development and operation, as the method comprises software development practices and Information Technology (IT) operations. DevOps adoption aims to shorten the time it takes to develop and continuously deploy a set of programs that deliver high quality software performance.
Based on a 2018 report published by Statista, the global market size of DevOps platforms is projected to reach $12.85 billion by 2025. Currently, the adoption of this methodology has been seeing an increasing trend and will continue to do so in 2024.

What Exactly is a DevOps Platform

While DevOps is the method of bringing together teams of people to work together as a single collaborative team, a DevOps platform brings the necessary tools together to furnish a single application for exceptional collaboration and transparency in the development process.
A DevOps platform is a solution as it allows teams to iterate and innovate faster because everyone can contribute in the development of software.

A Quick Look the Growing DevOps Adoption Trend

software development and collaborationThe rationale behind DevOps adoption trend is that businesses seek increased efficiency and improved collaboration between software development and IT teams. DevOps platforms create a workplace environment in which people come together to work as a team in conceptualizing and building software. Doing so accelerates delivery by automation and with improved iteration or repetition of mathematical computations.
At the same time, effective collaboration between teams can generate quick feedback on what’s working or what does not. That way, flaws and bugs can be addressed immediately and efficiently.

09Jun

Python : Established as the Most Popular Software Development Language Today

Python, the programming language that’s been taking the computing world by storm, has just released its newest version, the Python 3.9.17, documentation, last June, 2023. Although Python was already around as a software development language since 1994, the stable version released in October 2021 paved the way for its popularity. Aside from being easy to learn for having readable and concise syntax, the language enables developers to devise multi protocol and complex applications; some of which are now the most powerful in the fields of machine learning and data science.

How Python was Established as the Most Popular Language Today

While many contest observations that Python is currently the most widely used software development language, Dutch software quality assurance firm TIOBE, cited examples of how Python has been analyzed as currently, the dominant languages, toppling Java, Java Script and C from their reputation as most widely used languages.

PopularitY of Programming Language (PYPL) Index – TIOBE analysts used Google search in determining the frequency by which language tutorials are searched. The more times that a programming language has been searched, the greater the assumption that it’s the most popular. The results of TIOBE’s analysis revealed that the Python language tutorial was the most searched for, followed by Java and by Java Script in the second and third positions, respectively.

IEEE Spectrum – This is a digital magazine run and edited by an association of engineering professionals known as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. It compiles and publishes peer-reviewed content about science and technology that have potential impact on businesses and the society; using combinations of metrics from various sources, namely: IEEE, Google, Twitter, Reddit, Stack Overflow, CareerBuilder, Hacker News and GitHub. IEEE ranks Python, Java and C as the top 3 popular languages in that particular order.

19Nov

Educational Software : What Tools and Features Do They Offer

It took a pandemic for worldwide educational systems to fully adopt computer technology in managing and carrying out classroom activities online and offline. Basically, reference to educational software includes applications that can help enhance classroom management, and enhance student learning by way of improved student information systems.

Since the disruptions of the past years had impacted nearly all industries, educational software came to include not only tools for improving classroom learning experience. Education programs also comprise applications for teaching new skills to existing workers as well as for onboarding and training fresh employees.

Educational software are now regarded as essential learning tools for just about any purpose as they have features that make communication more efficient and effective.

Google Classroom : An Excellent Example of Education Software

Google Classroom, a Google Apps software that offers numerous tools to help teachers, instructors and mentors stay organized with straightforward teaching processes. Applications allow the production and integration of various teaching materials in assignments.

Google Classroom can also be used for constructing quizzes shared directly to students as part of lessons. Teachers and instructors can also share links and additional information about lessons or about important school or work-related announcements.

Google Classroom can be linked to Google Drive, Google Docs and Google Slide, to make it possible for users to access all classroom and learning materials anywhere, using any device, e.g. smartphone, tablet or laptop.

Teachers and instructors can also give quick feedback since they can immediately perform plagiarism checks, add rubrics or any notations and comments for each project. The only drawback to using Google Classroom is that users cannot password-protect files shared with other users.

12May

UC San Diego Unveils Prototype of Multitasking Wearable Health Sensor

Researchers at the University of California San Diego’s Center for Wearable Sensors, recently unveiled a wearable for monitoring glucose, lactate and alcohol. A prototype of the compact device worn on the skin shows it can multitask in measuring blood sugar levels, detecting excessive alcohol intakes and at the same time, keep track of muscle fatigue continuously all at the same time.

Wearing the device known as “Lab on the Skin”, is reportedly not painful as it is only as small as a stack of 6 quarters. It attaches to the skin by way of a Velcro-like patch of microscopic needles. Each microneedle making up the patch is only about ⅕ of the width of a strand of human hair.

How Does UC’s “Lab on the Skin” Work?

Through the microneedles, the patch senses the biomolecules carried by the fluid surrounding the cells right next to the skin of the upper arm. Although barely penetrating the skin, the wearable is capable of collecting and sending data wirelessly to a proprietary smartphone app.

UC San Diego nanoengineering professor Joseph Wang, who is also the Director of the Wearable Sensors Center, describes the device as one that functions as a complete lab that works through the skin. Capable of continuously and simultaneously recording and measuring several biomarkers, wearers can have a way of monitoring their health condition while performing their day to day activities.

Although there are commercial health monitors already available in the wearables market, they measure only one biomarker. According to the UC San Diego researchers, those devices leave out other information that can help individuals manage their disease more effectively.

A monitor for glucose levels for diabetics is more helpful if it can also detect alcohol levels because alcohol can bring down glucose levels. Monitoring lactate levels on the other hand is also useful during workouts. While physical activities help in regulating glucose levels, monitoring muscle fatigue through lactate levels is also important.

07Jan

A New MIT Course Teaches Computational Techniques for Solving Real-World Problems

A new course teaches interested students how to use and apply computational techniques in real-world problems like placing cell phone towers and landing spacecrafts. The course developed by MIT Schwarzman College for Computing began last fall, as a multi department initiative with the Common Ground for Computing Educations aims to combine other disciplines in coming up with solutions.

The course sets programming on the subject of engineering and computational science, focused on inventive applications of computation, it will take about half a semester to complete.

Most students who applied for the course are currently studying astronautics, math, or aeronautics. Students can take the course during the first or second year, when they have not yet decided on a major, as it can serve as an eye-opener in many fields.

Course Developers Provide Insights about the Goals of the Faculty

According to Professor Applied Mathematics Laurent Demanet, who designed the course in collaboration with David Darmofal, Jerome C. Hunsaker Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the goal of the faculty is to cover the basic aspects of computational science and engineering.

The foundational principles of learning focus on optimization, uncertainty quantification and simulation. These principles are paired with ponderable examples that are relatable to students who are not exactly computer science majors. Built around solid real-life examples, completion of the course provides a sense of knowing how a lot of real-life problems can be solved with the use of computational models.
Lectures under the course tackle fundamental equations relevant to a specific problem; citing as an example Newton’s law of motion in relation to a Mars landing. Students will then express the basic equations in algorithm.

Professor Demanet adds that the skills-based class combines math with computer science and science, to make sure their students will develop skills that can be used everywhere in their future studies and endeavors.

17Sep

Rice Engineers Create Athletic Shirts Capable of Gathering Heart Rate and EKG Data

Engineers at the Rice University’s Brown School of Engineering lab created snug-fit athletic shirts that are capable of monitoring heart rate and EKG data. Carbon nanotube threads woven into the shirt’s fabric gather heart rate data and EKG at the same standards set for chest-strap monitors, and had shown better performance at collecting live electrocardiogram (EKG) measurements during experiments.

Chemical and biomolecular engineer Matteo Pasquali explained that the athletic wear was sewn with nanotube fibers that are just as conductive as metal wires; but better. In addition to being comfortable, the athletic shirts are washable and less likely to break when the wearer is in motion.

Lead author Lauren Taylor mentioned that the shirt has to fit snugly on the wearer but without fear of breaking the nano threads since they used zigzag stitches that enable the fabric to stretch without the fibers breaking. Taylor also said that in future researches, they will be focusing on covering more surface area of the wearer’s skin by utilizing thicker patches of carbon nanotube threads.

While the fibers supply the wearer’s skin with steady electrical contact, they also act as electrodes that allow the shirt to transmit data via Bluetooth, to a nearby smartphone apps or a Holter monitor.

Researchers See the Importance of Nanotube Fibers in Development of Wearables

The Rice researchers believe that the nanotube fibers can have endless applications as they can be attached to LEDs or antennas in clothing. The clothing could also monitor other vital signs, such as force exertion, or respiratory rate, just by changing the fibers; geometry and adding the right electronics.

Pasquali believes that the carbon nanotube threads will become a staple material for wearables as it combines conductivity, biocompatibility, and softness of material. He added that even though the wearable market is still small, it could open opportunities for the development of a new generation of sustainable materials similar to the nano tube carbon threads. Materials that are also derived from hydrocarbons through direct splitting processes.

Study author Lauren Taylor added that other areas of potential applications include health monitors, ballistic protection in military wear, and human-machine interfaces for soft robotics or automobiles. She added that a demonstration performed years ago, proved that carbon nanotube fivers are better than Kevlar at dispersing energy on a per-weight basis.

01Jul

Must-Have MBT Apps Used by Mountain Bike Enthusiasts

Mountain bike enthusiasts hunger for higher levels of biking experience by trekking into dangerous paths that fuel greater excitement in every expedition. While constantly on the lookout for newer models of mountain bikes or MTBs that can further improve their performance, most MTB bikers today also harness applications that can help them manage the challenges of mountain biking with more ease.

The use of apps reduces some elements of danger that tend to diminish the pleasure of mountain biking. While upgrading one’s MBTs is alway a major goal, improving one’s skills in navigating allows MTB riders to optimize the precious hours they spend mountain biking.

Still, while there are numerous mountain biking apps being introduced in the market, some applications have become mainstream tools. After all. mountain bike riders have to rid their mind of certain worries when in the process of attaining new biking goals.

Basic Applications Used by Most Mountain Bikers When Exploring New Trails

Take note that the apps mentioned below are basic tools that a majority of mountain bikers find very useful when faced with the challenges of trekking and navigating through trails.

Reliable Local Weather App – Having a reliable weather app covering the locality of the trail you are currently blazing will keep you forewarned. Every adventurer knows that weather conditions tend to change from one region to the next, and knowing what to expect can be extremely helpful.

Strava -This application is an app that nearly all type of bikers have in their smartphone. Aside from being a freemium application, Strava not only tracks your cycling achievement using GPS data, it also enables sharing of travel info in social network sites.

MTB Project – Discovering new trails is an important aspect of mountain biking adventures, which the MTB Project app makes easier to accomplish. This app compiles and records routes and other helpful information provided by local bikers in the area being explored, particularly in the U.S.

Using the app requires using Google Maps as a provider of directions when exploring an unfamiliar trail for the first time. In case MTB Project does not provide much information about the location you are exploring, look for a similar application covering that particular area.

Google Maps – Every traveler whether on foot or riding a wheeled vehicle, loves Google Maps because it serves a s perfect back up for any journey. Moreover, Google has made improvements, which now includes allowing users to download maps even while offline. Mountain bikers find the Google Earth section the most helpful feature.

Bike Repair – Mountain bikers do not discount the possibility of getting into some mechanical trouble. However, why wait for the mishap to happen if you have firsthand information on what your bike needs to keep it in good shape when tackling all sorts of rough travel. The app contains more than 50 repair guides complete with photos; plus a multitude of different information about bike parts and fittings.

Another thing about this app is that it provides a history of the repairs that your bike has undergone. In a way, it also gives you a reason why it’s high time to look for a replacement before its wear and tear bogs you down.

While there’s a broad assortment of newer models available in the market, we suggest for you to choose from the top models recommended by savvy bikers by way of review sites. All things considered https://www.salitomania.it/bici-mtb/ provides comprehensive information about the 10 best mountain bikes (MTBs) you can find.

25Jun

Understanding XaaS in Today’s Cloud Computing Technology

The term XaaS or Everything-as-a-Service is a cloud computing term that describes various applications and services over the Internet. Originally known as the SaaS or Software-as-a-Service but accessed from site premises, the cloud computing services now includes emerging apps and platform services that can be accessed on-demand via the Internet. Everything-as-a-Service gives customers greater flexibility in tailor-fitting their computing environments in ways that meet their desired experience.

Prior to the introduction of XaaS, businesses had to purchase every SaaS programs they needed to optimize their business processes. Today, they only have to pinpoint what they need and subscribe to a particular platform service. The approach is very handy as they can also businesses can simply add new components any time. As opposed to the time when computing developments required linking together the servers, hardware, software and other components they purchased, XaaS has made cloud computing more simple yet handy.

Examples of Services Offered by XaaS

Unlike SaaS, XaaS offers a broader range of services that include but not limited to IT-as-a-Service, Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Database-as-a-Service, Function-as-a-Service and Security-as-a-Service.

Since applications have become more portable, XaaS enables vendors to form cross-platform arrangements, data integration platforms and streamline connectivity, which makes real-time computing cycles much easier to complete. However, the quality of service depends on reliable Internet connectivity and strong cloud services.

XaaS also lets business organizations manage virtual machines or VMs being hosted remotely in a vendor’s data center when configuring and deploying VMs.

31Mar

ClearURLs Makes a Comeback at Chrome Web Store After a Successful Appeal

ClearURLs, a well-known privacy browser extension was removed by Google from the Chrome store due to some violations that the creator regarded as ridiculous. Nevertheless, Kevin Röbert the developer ClearURLs modified the extension and successfully made an appeal to Google. As of now, the browser extension ClearURLs is still available at the Chrome Web Store for use in other browsers like Microsoft and Firefox.

Robert told The Register he was informed via email by the Chrome team that his work was removed from the store due to lack of an accurate description, keyword spam, and using permissions. Personally, Röbert believed that his extension was removed because it has the potential to disrupt Google’s business model, which helps advertisers in tracking elements via URLs. If Röbert’s presumption is really true, then Google will also try to remove other similar software extensions from the web store that also targets URLs with tracking elements for purposes of altering them.

What Does ClearURLs Do?

Kevin Röbert describes ClearURLs as one that removes tracking elements inside URLs to ensure there is no unwanted tracking individuals browse through the Internet. Röbert said that a lot of websites utilize tracking elements in their URL which enable them to monitor the users’ online activity.

Tracking codes aren’t really necessary for a website to properly work, audience will still vis8t the site even when the tracking elements are removed by the extension. URLs that are very long usually have such elements in them, to which Robert mentioned Amazon URLs as classic examples of long URLs for their products.

31Jan

Edge Computing : Working Outside the Cloud

Cloud computing has become mainstream and is still growing, since more businesses are shifting to ecommerce, whilst harnessing every available cloud solution. Yet an emerging technology known as Edge Computing has recently been trending, promoting many to ask if poses as a better solution Cloud Computing.

According to Nima Negahban, CTO of Kinetica, Edge Computing in simpler words is data analysis that happens live in a device and in real-time. The difference of Cloud Computing and Edge Computing is that the latter is focused on locally processing the data. The former is about processing data on a public cloud or a data center.

Red Hat chief technology strategist E.G Nadhan described Edge Computing as the science of letting Edge Devices do all the work without need to transfer data to a server environment.

Main Distinction of Edge Computing From Cloud Computing

Principal analyst with ABI Research, Ryan Martin, compares cloud and edge computing to the investment structure called hub-and-spoke model. Describing the Cloud as the Hub, while everything not inside the Hub is the edge, enabling organizations to move decision making and analytics closer to the production of data.

Edge Computing was invented to solve the problems of Cloud Computing, which suffers from latency when getting data to datacenter for processing. With the increasing use of devices working on the Internet of Things (IoT), Edge Computing is also projected to grow, as market analyst project it will be worth $6.72 billion by 2022.

After all, this new technology trend is already in wide use, from optimization of streaming video to its use in smart watches, in analyzing traffic flow, in managing drone-enabled crop management, and in monitoring the safety of oil rigs.This trend will not only grow but will create new jobs for people in the industry, particularly software engineers.

07Nov

Drone Technology : Making Tasks Safe to Perform Amidst Pandemic

With the pandemic still ongoing, the use of drones for medical and commercial purposes has made different tasks possible to perform under safe conditions.

While drones were originally used for military purposes, different types of commercial drones or unmanned aerial vehicles are now being used by civilians and outside of military programs. However, drone flying activities are under strict supervision, where in the U.S. the Federal Aviation Authority is in charge. In additions, 44 out of 50 U.S. jurisdictions have enacted that laws that prescribe guideline and rules for restricted safe use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS).

Continuous scientific advancement of drone technology saw to various modifications that enabled the commercial industry to offer drone in various sectors. Some examples of how drones are used today include : supply delivery, making three-dimensional maps, landscape surveying, searching for missing persons, weather forecasting, firefighting, inspection of pipelines, wildlife conservation, filming videos, taking photos, and for agricultural as well as academic purposes. .

Most Recent Innovations in Drone Technology

Drone manufacturers keep upgrading their unmanned aerial systems, often outshining existing versions in many ways of which the most recent are the following:

Intelligent Interface Many of today’s drones can now be controlled using smartphones and mobile applications. Manufacturers have created proprietary application that can be downloaded via the Apple Store for iOS devices or the Google Play Store for Android-supported devices.

Obstacle Avoidance Sensors – This feature is quite significant as a safety solution feature since the UAV has the capability to scan the surrounding environment; whilst creating a three-dimensional map. The drone operator then will be able to identify obstacles to dodge.

No Fly Zone– The latest editions of drones includes a feature where it marks restricted areas listed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This greatly ensures safety as the feature will warn the user if ever the drone gets near into one of “No Fly Zones”

Live Video Relaying of First Person View – The video camera attached to the drones have advanced live streaming capabilities that allows the drone to transmit radio signals to the controller. This gives a unique and at the same time exhilarating experience to the drone pilot as allows the drone to fly higher. Technically however, flying the drone past one’s visibility range, is considered unsafe and the advanced feature will likely require additional restriction.

31Jul

Robot Deliveries Enhance Safety of eCommerce Systems Under New Norm

While eCommerce is now the norm in selling and buying amidst the worsening COVID-19 crisis, robot delivery systems can enhance safety in the exchange of goods. As the most common method of contactless delivery system currently being used by online retailers and food businesses merely involves the dropping and pick-up to and from a specific location, human handling at point of origin is still not eliminated.

Actually autonomous robots have long been in use as carrier devices by airports, hotels and even by major private universities in many urban areas in the U.S. it is now gaining traction as the best method of contactless delivery, because unlike truck drivers and motorcycle delivery riders, the autonomous machines cannot be infected.

In fact, business is booming at Starship Technologies, the major producer of robot delivery machines in the U.S. Not a few restaurants, grocery stores and other retailers of essential products, are now looking to make buying by way of mobile apps a lot easier and safer by way of Starship delivery robots.

Robot delivery service is a combination of mobile applications, policies for implementing safe handling and agreements between entrepreneurs and customers to make the delivery system smarter, safer and efficient.

About Starship’s Delivery Bots

Starship’s delivery bots were initially seen by large companies as novelty features that can enhance the image of their company as a high-tech business entity. They later proved as cost efficient  solutions  for streamlining business processes and in minimizing certain logistics-related costs such as manual labor and fuel.

Described as advanced devices weighing not more than a hundred pounds, Starship delivery bots are designed and equipped to carry food, groceries, and parcels from the business outlet, for direct delivery to the buyer located within a 6-kilometer (4-mile) radius.

Once a robot delivery is underway, its entire journey can be tracked and monitored by way of a related smartphone app. Customers will receive notification about the estimated time of arrival of the robot and the stuff they ordered.

https://youtu.be/UPZwnc_Lk2M

During Starship robot’s journey, the automated device travels at pedestrian speed, whilst capable of navigating its way around people and objects. To ensure the security of the item being delivered, the cargo bay of the device can be mechanically locked and can be opened only by the customer using his or her smartphone app.

Aside from its cost-efficient feature Starship robots are likewise appealing because of their clean and green technological features.

02Apr

Covid-19 Crisis – Tech Vendors Offer Free Tools

Vendors of collaboration and conferencing technologies are offering free use of their tools and services to help organizations in weathering the Covid-19 crisis.

Aside from leading vendors Microsoft, Google, Cisco, Slack, Zoho, Zoom and Logheim, other unified communications software providers such as Atlassian, CafeX, 8×8, GForge, Igloo, LumApps, RingCentral, StarLeaf, Wrike and Facebook’s Workplace. A comprehensive list that include descriptions of the free tools and services offered by these vendors can be gleaned from the website of ComputerWorld.com.

Apparently work-at-home arrangements and tele-conferencing have become the norm ever since governments worldwide mandated travel bans, lockdowns, shelter-in-place and social distancing orders to the general public.

In having awareness that many companies are currently working on reduced resources after investors started selling off their shares, each of the tech companies listed above has something to offer at no cost; including upgrade of packages to make certain types of advanced collaboration and remote conferencing tools accessible to existing and new free users.

Some Examples of Collaboration and Conferencing Tools Being Offered Free of Costs

Igloo Software, a mainstream digital workplace provider offering a “Business Continuity Bundle” to help new and existing customers set up and organize a remote work setup. Igloo’s free use of the bundle is up to July 06, 2020, which includes collaboration hubs for news communication and holding conferences with their respective incident planning teams. The bundle also offers a secure place where company leaders can maintain communication.

LogMeIn recently that its video conferencing software “GoToMeeting” is available for free use for three months. Specifically to educational institutions, health care providers, local government offices and nonprofit organizations.

Unified communications vendor 8×8 for one, even before the Covid-19 crisis, offers a free version of its 8×8 Video Meetings standalone app. Now 8×8 offers full-feature use at no cost; including the company’s recently announced real-time closed captions and transcription tools, and plug-ins that allow users to directly schedule meetings via Google and Outlook calendars.

Cisco, updated its free Webex offer with features that enable users in certain countries to hold teleconferencing with up to 100 participants. Webex customers can now sign-up for a free, 90-day licence to access unlimited usage of the additional features.

Facebook’s Workplace, one of the paid services offered by the social network that typically charges users $4 per month, is offering free use of the platform to emergency-services units and government agencies, for 12 months.

26Dec

Russia Completes Tests Related to Implementation of Its “Internet Sovereignty Law”

In connection with the Russian government’s implementation of the “internet Sovereignty” law, which President Vladimir Putin ratified last May 2019, it was announced early this week that related tests of the RuNet has been completed.

Initial implementation of the law set into motion measures that required Russian telecommunications firms to apply mechanisms that will reroute Internet traffic to the government’s regulatory telecommunications system — a move that ensures no traffic will be routed in and/or out of Russia without the government’s approval.

The recent announcement did not specify details about the tests, aside from mentioning that the set of reviews involved a series of disconnection scenarios. Inasmuch as the “Internet Sovereignty Law” focuses on the segregation of the RuNet from the global Internet connections, completion of that tests signifies that the Russian Intranet system will be able to prevent any hostile cyber-attacks that could be launched by a foreign country. .

Russia’s Digital Communications Minister Aleksei Sokolov explained to reporters that the primary goal of the tests is to ensure that uninterrupted internet service will be available across Russian territories under any circumstances. He added that

”The outcomes of the tests showed that the Internet and communications are operating effectively, which means government agencies are now ready to respond effectively against threats to Russia’s national security.”

About the Russian Government’s RuNet

Historically, the term Runet referred to Russian language Internet covering not only websites falling under the ru.domain in the global Internet system, but also all Russian-language or Russian-oriented websites.

However, with the government’s frequent use of RuNet in referring to the Intranet infrastructure that will carry out the country’s Internet Sovereignty law, the term has become synonymous to the system that will implement Russia’s Internet censorship laws.

The RuNet system also applies to copyrights, corporate and advertising campaigns that make use of Internet connections within Russian territory.

02Oct

The Global Risks Report of 2018 Highlights the Heightening Threats of Cyberattacks as Having Nearly Doubled

The recently released Global Risks Report of 2018, highlighted the growing threats posed by cyber attacks, to heighten awareness on how their existence puts a great financial strain on global business systems.

The report states that cyber attacks have nearly doubled during the past five (5) years. Incidences of cyberattacks have in fact reached a point that can no longer be considered as rare or extraordinary; as they are now ubiquitous in nature.

According to the global report, the financial costs borne by cybersecurity breaches is rising, as demonstrated by the results of the 2017 ransomware attacks. Analysis showed that 64% of all malicious emails accounted during the year were ransomware.

Examples of Cyberattacks that Strategically Targeted Infrastructures of Industry Sectors

The most prominent cyberattacks that transpired in the recent past were perpetuated via ransomwares known as the WannaCry, Petya and NotPetya.

The WannaCry Attack

WannaCry is a ransomware worm believed to have links to the Lazarus Group. a known cybercrime organization with possible ties to the North Korean government. In 2017, the Wannacry worm spread quickly across 300,000 computers in 150 countries after infecting a Windows-supported computer.

The WannaCry worm is capable of encrypting files on a PC’s hard drive to make the system inaccessible to users. After which, perpetrators of the WannacryCry cyberattack demanda ransom payment in the form of bitcoin, in exchange for the decryption of the ransomware’s malicious disabler.

NotPetya Cyber Attacks

The NotPetya ransomware of 2017 mimicked the earlier criminal ransomware Petya that surfaced in 2016. Both types of ransomware are capable of extorting crypto money by encrypting codes that disable a computer’s system

The cyberattackers then sent a message detailing instructions on how to complete a specific bitcoin transaction so the victims can obtain the key that would decrypt the malicious Petya/NotPetya disabler

The 2017 NotPetya cyber attack is touted as the most devastating because the ransomware flooded throughout; affecting websites of multiple Ukrainian organizations that included banks, news publishers, electricity companies, and government ministries. Reports have it that similar attacks took place in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, UK and U.S.

Security experts believe that Ukraine was the main target, as the NotPetya cyberattack was coursed through an update of MeDoc, a Ukrainian tax accounting bundle used by about 90% of domestic firms actively operating in the country. At the time of the attack, MeDoc enjoyed a customer base of about 400,000 users, to which around one (1) million computers in Ukraine was hit by the NotPetya ransomware.

04Aug

Software Solution : An Understanding of When a Program is Distinguished as a Solution

An understanding of what makes a product a software solution has gained importance since not a few software developers and vendors are inclined to calling individual applications or bundle of applications as software solutions.

In the world of Information Technology (IT), applications bundled together as mere combinations, does not quite make it as a software solution. Not unless the provider integrates service to its product suite in order to fully and successfully address a particular problem when dealing with complicated situations while carrying out their business by way of computer technology.

The distinction therefore between a simple application and a combination of applications sold as a single package is that the former is just a “product.” Vendors bundling several applications into one package, are into selling “product suites.”

 

Now if a software vendor adds value to their product by including a mix of customization, implementation,consulting and similar services to their programs, with a commitment to solve a particular problem encountered by a business entity in the computing environment, then that supplier is a Value-Added Reseller (VAR) offering a set of services and software designed to deal with a specific IT problem.

Citing Customer Relationship Management Software Solutions as Example

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is that aspect of a business that deals with an organization’s method of handling and managing varying relationships with different people; be they customers, suppliers, service providers and the like, whose interest or connection to the enterprise is intertwined throughout the lifecycle of its business.

A CRM software solution for this niche is one that furnishes services and solutions from point of inquiry up to point of sales. The solution offered goes beyond furnishing applications for sales and marketing system; but is all encompassing by including programs and services for addressing related human resource issues, handling of customer services and management of the supply chain, all for the purpose of increasing business productivity leading to stability and profitability.

07Jun

Software Testing: Is it Still a Relevant Profession?

Currently, software testing as a career seems to be in peril, as the advent of the Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Delivery (CD) practices in software vending is making independent software testing somewhat irrelevant. The current trend among organizations is to build, test and deploy software with as little cost and in the shortest time possible. The trend is due to the continuously accelerating pace by which businesses demand innovations, making it a must for software solutions providers to reach the market as early as possible.

Shorter delivery cycles though, tend to degrade software quality, which is why more and more organizations are into building Minimum Viable Products or MVPs. In doing so, early users or adopters become the testers of pared down versions of promising software. Through early user feedback, software engineers will have been provided with relevant guides on what to work on as MVP enhancements.

Other software organizations employ automated testing as a way of accelerating release, and at the same time deliver quality software. Automated testing though is ideal for large projects, usually those that initially passed through the manual testing process.

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As a tool, automated testing is pyramidal as it occurs in three levels, from the most basic features that build the foundation of a software, to the Application Program Interface (API) which tells how components of a software are to interact in order to provide the features or services promised by the software …The final test is on the Graphical User Interface (GUI), which enables device users to navigate and interact by way of graphical icons and secondary notations, as alternatives to text or command-base navigations. Here, the length of time needed to test the higher layers is automatically reduced.

The Role Software Testers Must Play in Order to Stay Relevant

One of the misconceptions about choosing software testing as occupation is that the profession will furnish them plenty of opportunities to develop skills in programming. In today’s real world, software organizations require continuous testing as a discipline, by testing early, frequently and after. Delivery at a faster pace makes a company competitive only if quality has been assured.

 

 

In order to stay relevant therefore, software testing as a service must be maintained as one that is akin to performing roles that a programmer inherently undertakes. It is not just about running standard stress, performance, functional and scalability testing processes. Moreover, testing as a service can be provided both manually and automatically and in different web and mobile environments.

As profession, current job descriptions for software testers include, but are not limited to, writing and executing test scripts, assessing codes, designing tests for mitigating risks, troubleshooting for problems, working on multiple projects all at the same time, whilst committing to complete work within project deadlines.

18Apr

Magento Commerce : eCommerce Platform Offering a Host of Online Selling Solutions

When seeking to become part of the growing mobile shopping industry, envision the kind of online shopping store you plan to roll out. Start with establishing your type of ecommerce; whether you intend to sell directly to consumers ( business-to-consumer or B2C) or do online trade with other business entities (business-to-business or B2B).

Next, visualize the kind of selling experience you intend to create for your customers, as doing so will help you decide on the kind of ecommerce platform to use in building your website. No need to hold back on the kind of features and functions you plan to incorporate. Unlike before, there are now open source platforms available to use and modify in ways you want your e-business website to perform.

Have a look at Magento Commerce, an open source ecommerce platform that affords power to create a business website envisioned as unique and a cut above the rest. When it comes to providing customer experience, Magento Commerce offers an array of out-of-the-box features that give programmers unsurpassed ability to customize, integrate with third-party service providers and enhance with a broad selection of business extensions.

Magento Commerce Main Features and Benefits

One’s vision of a unique ecommerce website depends on one’s concept of meaningful customer experience. Yet it all boils down to giving customers opportunity for interacting with product brands by way of rich page content; and from those pages, avenues open to allow seamless shopping experience.

Although such goals are standard, realization is made possible by intelligent and efficient operations. More importantly, as an open source platform, Magento Commerce allows business operators to redefine a website’s concept of seamless shopping, by modifying features and services in ways that keep up with current popular demands and trends.

Magento’s Page Builder

Page Builder is a powerful tool for creating contents that permit customers to view images and videos, product detail pages and other pages for discovering new products. Moreover, the Page Builder tool is capable of displaying products, promotions and pricing preferences, customized based on customer location, order history, gender, wish list choices and more.

Creating content is not confined to standard layout as the Page Builder tool allows flexibility of design without need for codes. More importantly, all content pages furnish a smooth path to product purchase.

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There are several other features afforded by this tool that empower an ecommerce website to create and fashion contents in the most visually appealing and purchase-supportive ways possible.

Shop Anywhere, Everywhere and Anytime Features

This Magento Commerce feature handles mobile shopping aspects that apply to any device. Capabilities include adjusting designs, layouts, images, and menus to fit the screen of touch sensitive devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones.

Furthermore, a mobile ecommerce shopping website can combine B2C and B2B functionalities, adding additional features like requests for quotes, order requisitions, order forms and more.

Shop anywhere feature is made possible as Magento Commerce runs on Amazon Web Service, allowing deployment of websites anywhere except in China and GovCloud. In addition, other B2B ecommerce functionalities include data driven business intelligence, shipping services, inventory management, order management and customer service.

13Mar

Building a Business Website Free of Charge Using Wix Web Building and Hosting Platform

Now more than ever, startup and existing businesses have come to fully grasp the importance of having an Internet presence by way of a website. Running the business on a tight budget is no longer a detriment, since there are web hosting sites that rent out their platform and furnish related services, free of charge. Free services though include only standard features, such as web hosting and development, server maintenance, Internet connectivity, backup, disaster recoveries and some extra elements.

Nonetheless, building a website via free web hosting is a good enough start, since customers can expect to receive reliable hosting services that keep the website up and running. Not all hosting sites though, offer the same range of free services or have the capability to keep a website up and running nearly all the time.

Still, there are certain drawbacks to using a free web hosting platform because the arrangement is not covered by a contract. Certain restrictions or limitations may be imposed, or a number of ads may appear without giving free customers the right to select or to limit displays. At worst, the hosting provider may decide to close shop at short notice, leaving an inexperienced free customer frantic, whilst searching for ways to keep his or her website running without interruption.

Choosing the hosting platform with the likeliest potential to outlast competition may prove important as a criterion. Checking out reviews and recognitions received, is an additional approach to selecting the most reliable free hosting website. In using those criteria, an assessment of available choices will likely point to Wix.

A Cursory Look at Wix as a Viable Web Builder and Host

Wix has gained favorable attention as a compleat website builder and host from both free and subscribing customers. This is attested to by “Finances Online,” a popular business review and directory platform for Business to Business (B2B) SaaS. The review platform conferred the 2018 Q1 “Best Website Builder Software” and the “Best Shopping Cart Software” awards, as well as the final 2018 “Expert’s Choice” and “Great User Experience” awards to Wix.

A website builder that comes with a web-hosting feature, Wix offers a FREE package of basic services and use of its software. The free Wix package includes secure hosting services with up to 500 MB storage and bandwidth, and unlimited web pages that can be accessed by viewers using desktop and/or mobile applications.

Use of Wix’s free web-building tools and web-hosting services is without time limit, with option to upgrade to any of Wix’s premium bundles. The lowest priced bundle is an advertisement-free plan with a Custom Domain Name feature, costing $11 per month.

Wix’s web building software enables users to create a professional-looking website, supported by a Code module for database collection, AI for design customization, and by an open API structure for adding functions deemed necessary by the business. A Wix feature that provides great user experience on the part of the website owner is the SEO optimization facet that helps in improving quality of web page contents. User experience, as far as website viewers are concerned, can be optimized with the use of free-to-download Wiz mobile app.

When looking to enhance a website with third party business solutions, including but not limited to Customer Relationships Management (CRM) apps, the Wiz platform is capable of connecting and integrating seamlessly. Moreover, this award-winning web building and hosting site takes pride in maintaining a team of experienced and responsive professional support providers, whom Wiz platform users can communicate with by phone or email.

23Feb

Desktop Publishing Software – Creating Communication Materials thru Easy and Affordable Method

Software development has advanced in ways that made it possible for entrepreneurs and work-at-home disciples to grow their business with minimal external professional assistance. Certain software applications like desktop publishing and computer-aided design (CAD), enabled businesses to create materials in-house, which eliminated the need to spend additionally for designer expertise and cost of printing services.

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Desktop Publishing Software is in wider use since most businesses start out by creating basic communication and marketing materials like business cards and stationery, brochures, posters and web-based press releases. In fact, even professional designers benefited from this tool as it allowed them to expand and venture into providing online publishing services.

Desktop Publishing Software Made Printing and Publishing Affordable to All

In the mid-80s, printed business materials became less costly with the advent of Aldus Pagemaker and the Mac computer. Still, spending on marketing and advertising materials were limited, as startup businesses had very little resources to use in acquiring and installing such software.

Nonetheless, opportunities started getting better with the introduction of desktop publishing software that required only design and publishing skills upon installation.

Moreover, the availability of online tutorials on how to use and manage a readily usable page layout made desktop publishing a less daunting task.

Online educational courses on the basics of graphic design combined with publishing techniques made desktop publishing software a worthy business investment. Professional graphic designers either gained employment, or ventured into offering printing and publishing services.

Cloud Desktop Publishing

A few years later, the introduction of cloud-based desktop publishing altogether made the application accessible and truly affordable. Simply downloading a desktop publishing software in one’s PC, will give users great opportunity for improving, if not acquiring knowledge on how to arrange and rearrange texts and graphics on readily available page layouts.

Even ordinary households benefited from downloadable software as they can now access tools for creating greeting cards, invitations, resumes, academic work, and personalized stationery. Even if hardly equipped with designing skills, they develop printed outputs at par with professionally-crafted materials.

To date, leading the host of software providers that offer downloadable publishing and typesetting applications as desktop tools are Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress, and Microsoft Publisher.

Free to Download Desktop Publishing Software

The next best alternative to the software provided by those industry giants are the free downloadable desktop publishing programs developed by lesser known independent providers. Making bad designs is no longer a problem, since a user can always make modifications at no extra costs.

30Jan

How and When Do Backlinks Improve Search Page Ranking?

Backlinks remain as the number one ranking factor when Google releases search results on the first page. Although backlinks have been around since the earliest years of Search Engine Optimization initiatives, its importance was briefly forgotten for some time. It was not until Google made it clear years later that keyword density in contents, play second fiddle to backlinks when it comes to search page ranking.

Backlink Impact on Search Page Results

Google’s Page Rank algorithm considers backlinks as the most important element, not the density of keywords found in a web content. When Google “crawlers” search for pages that respond to a query, it also indexes the connecting links existing between a search page-qualifying website and other web domains. Generally, outside links pointing to a particular website, is an indication that other domains have cast their vote of confidence on what that website offers as response to a search query.

Not a few webmasters though, tried to beat the system by using the Comment sections of Top-Level Domains as external sources of inbound links. A hyperlinked comment is supposed to direct readers to their client-website. When indexed by crawlers, the website had increased chances of landing as top search page result. However, the technique later proved ineffective, since Google introduced the Penguin Spam Filter as part of its Core Algorithm.

It then became clear that the backlink aspect is not just about adding the URL of one’s website to multiple web domains. The quality and relevance of the content in which the link was embedded, are among the key factors that make a backlink good.

Content is Still King When It Comes to Backlinking

Now marketing affiliates maintain websites that publish relevant contents as means of promoting their affiliate web domain. They usually add one or two sentences to an article, leading to a “Click Here” prompt, whilst hyperlinked to the site they are promoting. This method used to work, but not long enough to meet Google’s updated criteria for good backlinks.

Multiple outbound links carried by a single website via different contents, but all pointing to a single domain, does not work well either. Mainly because the Penguin Spam Filter looks into the sources of inbound links. If it indexes a single article or website as the lone source of multiple links, then Google’s Penguin will simply devalue such links.

Content, therefore, must be reliable and of quality, in order to naturally attract other websites. If so, another domain may then place an outbound link to send readers to a website from where that quality content camè. This type of activity once carried on by other quality domains, builds a network of good links that can improve search page ranking.

10Jan

Building your Site with Backlinks via Press Release

Press release submission will be able to help you build links and gain exposure for your site.

Distributing press releases online is one of the best ways to boost your search engine rankings and drive visitors to your site. As part of your overall search engine optimization strategy, there are several explanations for why this service may be beneficial: gain visitors from sites which find you through a press release, bring in you way links from well established sources, and get indexed in directories that redistribute news releases.

Webmasters and public relations professionals use news wires – sites that distribute and print press releases. A number of these sites have high page ranking and attract thousands of visitors every day. Journalists utilize news wires to locate content for their following posts. These websites are often treated with a great deal of respect and trust by their subscribers.

A well written press release should get in the front of the eyes of news reporters, bloggers and other industry experts.

Press releases go beyond marketing. Google News along with publish stories which are taken from information wires and other respectable sites regularly collect. The more individuals republish your news release, the more backlinks you’ll get. Using news releases to find out the word has long been an effective method of promoting your products and services.

There are many news sites on the net, and the difference will be made by choosing the right one. It’s wise to combine them up. Do proper research to get those that could work the best for your business and link building plan. Bear in mind that some news websites may check to make sure your release is exceptional, so make sure to publish on those websites first. To be able to find the best outcomes with regard to SEO, use text in your links.

If you write news releases, identify a single key word you wish to rank for.

You can also buy pr links to help your blog post. Place that keyword in the title of the webpage and in the entire body. Be certain that the keyword you pick receives a good number of traffic and is related to your site. The keyword should be included at least once at the”About” section and one to 3 times within the body of the press release. Produce a compelling title that catches people’s attention and encourages them to connect to you. Only distribute newsworthy press releases and also do not link to the identical page.

18Jun

Increase your Website’s Ranking through Link Building

Search engine optimisation is a complex, long-term solution in creating a presence on line. Many small business owners have employed the methods of search engine marketing to become specialists in their businesses, increase earnings, and affect the management of a business. Gains are the cornerstone of powerful link building campaigns, and that explains the reason why it’s very important to think about one’s preparation in the commencement of their advertising and advertising and advertising campaigns.

Link building efforts have to be planned as a way to generate sense. You can’t improve page ranking by irregular usage of one-way hyperlinks; a constant, continuous build ought to be proposed by producing landmarks. Your usage of one-way hyperlinks can ascertain how effective traffic construction could be to your internet enterprise. Consider these thoughts before purchasing your very initial links then advance into purchasing more once you find functionality. Another matter to think about is whether the links correspond to your own company’ mission or intent. Buy one-way hyperlinks that correspond to your own company’ function or assignment. Never put money into one-way hyperlinks which aren’t associated with your business.

Clients, prospects, and salespeople can shun your website should you construct page rank through connection building using not one business related websites. As an example, if you’re a hairdresser, join with hair websites or makers to construct prestige. It’s possible to seek the services of a expert link building company to handle this job on your effort for the best outcomes. As soon as they set the program, request a means to track the advancement of the one time hyperlinks. Monitor the operation of one-way hyperlinks to check and tweak buys. To track these, a backlinks monitor called LinkOkay is beneficial to be used for your website. Your company will pinpoint the particulars of a link building effort to enhance page ranking.

These links are just the very initial step in creating a strong internet presence, it’s also wise to look at the odds of creating a prestige picture for prospects within a matter of months.

Search engine optimisation demands time and lots of tiny companies have turned into fast solutions. At this time you have the chance to employ a company that will make a customized link building effort in a couple of days of assessing your requirements. Are you prepared to earn a stand on your business? Think about the demands of your site so as to show the genuine value of purchasing one-way hyperlinks for your site. Your way of incorporating more hyperlinks can be decided from a page ranking evaluation offered from the link building experts.

Another simple principle of purchasing one-way hyperlinks is assessing the total page ranking of potential websites.

Your link building experts will provide details pertaining to every website they buy a connection for. Nobody has leveled the playing field for small business owners such as these services. You don’t need to maintain your business under average position into number a couple of places on the very first page. Construct a solid internet presence and help save time in creating connections by hiring experts with expertise in your business.