The life of an ethical hacker [Q&A]
We often hear the term 'ethical hacker', but what exactly does this involve and is it something you can actually make a career out of?
We spoke to Jim O'Gorman president of online penetration testing training provider Offensive Security to find out what being an ethical hacker is all about and what skills you need if you want to become one.
OpsRamp brings AI and machine learning to IT operations
IT operations is an area that often involves analyzing and reacting to a series of events and that makes it a strong candidate for automation.
Operations platform specialist OpsRamp has recognized this with the launch of OpsQ, an intelligent event management, alert correlation, and remediation solution for hybrid enterprises.
Enterprise security teams struggle to balance budgets against demands
Businesses are increasingly moving more of their operations to the cloud and this leads to a greater focus on securing these workloads.
Cloud infrastructure security company Threat Stack has released a new report created by Vanson Bourne which shows 54 percent of businesses are worried that they will soon outgrow their security solutions.
New AI tool helps streamline outsourcing of mundane tasks
In many organizations, time and productivity is lost by staff by working on repetitive tasks that would be better suited for outsourcing, rather than focusing on the knowledge-based work that they are employed to do.
This is a problem that shouldn't be underestimated, Harvard Business Review reckons that knowledge workers spend up to 41 percent of their time on tasks that could be competently carried out by others.
Webroot launches VPN to protect Wi-Fi users
Many people rely on connecting to Wi-Fi networks when they are out and about, but using public hotspots does present a significant security risk.
The best way to protect yourself is to use a VPN and cybersecurity company Webroot is launching its own in the form of Webroot WiFi Security, to provide security and privacy for users who connect to WiFi networks using Windows, Mac, and Android operating systems.
Cybersecurity faces a worldwide shortage of almost 3 million staff
New research from (ISC)² -- the world's largest non-profit association of cybersecurity professionals -- reveals a worldwide skills gap of 2.9 million.
The Asia-Pacific region is experiencing the highest shortage, at 2.14 million, in part thanks to its growing economies and new cybersecurity and data privacy legislation being enacted throughout the region. North America has the next highest gap at 498,000, while EMEA and Latin America contribute 142,000 and 136,000 to the staffing shortfall, respectively.
Financial firms not keeping up with electronic communication risks
In a world of evolving technologies and shifting demographics within the workforce, and within firms' customer bases, organizations need to rethink their approach to the adoption and oversight of electronic communications.
But a new study from data archiving specialist Smarsh shows that financial organizations are not keeping pace with their retention and supervision efforts -- particularly with a growing, younger workforce that relies on expanding, mobile-friendly channels, such as social media and text messaging.
Big businesses take the lead in machine learning
Data science and machine learning professionals within larger organizations are feeling significantly more satisfied with their progress than those in smaller organizations, according to a new study.
The report from machine learning specialist Algorithmia shows that those in organizations with 2,500+ employees are 80 percent more likely to be 'satisfied' or 'very satisfied' with their progress as compared to professionals in companies of 500 employees or less.
Complexity is an obstacle to effective security tools
Although IT operations personnel often help influence the selection of cyber security tools, nearly two out of three say complexity is one of the biggest hindrances in their effectiveness.
The study by privileged access management company Thycotic shows complexity in deployment is cited by30 percent and complexity in daily use by 34 percent.
Digital transformation increases risk of cyberattacks
The drive to digital transformation is exposing companies to higher and more costly cyber risks according to a new study of over 1,300 businesses.
The study from research firm ESI ThoughtLab, together with a cross-industry coalition of organizations, including HP, KnowBe4, Opus and others, shows that cyber risks rise dramatically as companies embrace new technologies, adopt open platforms, and tap into the ecosystems of partners and suppliers.
Enterprises still face roadblocks to using analytics
Business and IT decision makers are becoming increasingly frustrated by the complexity, bottlenecks and uncertainty of today's enterprise analytics, according to a survey of senior leaders at enterprise-sized organizations from around the world.
The study by research firm Vanson Bourne for data intelligence company Teradata finds significant roadblocks for enterprises looking to use intelligence across the organization.
New technology helps businesses to assess cyber risks
In a world of digital transformation projects that increasingly mean more links to suppliers and partners, it can be hard for companies to assess the risk presented by opening up their data to third-parties.
To address this problem RiskRecon is launching new asset valuation algorithms that automatically determine the inherent risk value of any internet facing system.
Cyberattacks shift their focus onto business in third quarter
After a relatively quiet first half of the year, cyberattacks have come back with a bang in the third quarter according to the latest report from Malwarebytes.
Businesses seem to have become the main focus of attacks, experiencing more cybercriminal activity this quarter, with detections up by 55 percent, while consumer detections increased by only four percent over the last quarter.
UK government launches guidance to help secure IoT devices
There are expected to be more than 420 million internet connected devices in use across the UK within the next three years and if poorly secured these can leave people exposed to security issues and even large scale cyberattacks.
To address this, a new voluntary Code of Practice is being launched by the UK government to help manufacturers boost the security of internet-connected devices such as smartwatches, virtual assistants and toys.
Businesses risk penalties by not wiping data from old equipment
New research from IT procurement company Probrand shows that 68 percent of UK businesses have failed to wipe the data from IT equipment before disposal, leaving them open to fines under GDPR if data is exposed.
In addition 70 percent admit to not having an official process or protocol for disposing of obsolete IT equipment.
Ian's Bio
Ian spent almost 20 years working with computers before he discovered that writing about them was easier than fixing them. Since then he's written for a number of computer magazines and is a former editor of PC Utilities. Follow him on Mastodon
© 1998-2026 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.