Mind the gap: Addressing the cybersecurity talent shortage through network automation
Modern network infrastructure and security teams are tasked with managing extremely diverse ecosystems full of products that each require a specialized skill set to operate, optimize, and secure. While network operations teams look to automate repetitive but fundamental tasks across their teams, less than 35 percent of enterprise network activities are automated today. Based on this surprisingly low number, math tells me that there is tremendous upside.
Amidst the ongoing talent shortage and great resignation in IT and security industries, network automation continues to be a seriously overlooked solution that can help mitigate the impact of turnover and skills gaps by enabling staff to execute consistently and effectively, regardless of seniority or experience. Network automation tools are becoming essential to easing burnout among network and systems engineers who are dealing with a complex network environment.
Challenging misconceptions around a career as a developer
Technology is experiencing a talent shortage, with developers in high demand -- the tech resignation rate rose by 4.5 percent in 2021 according to Harvard Business Review. For some employers, this shortage is driving investment into existing talent or prompting the growth of talent from scratch. But many startups lack the staffing levels or time to train people, and they are competing against tech giants for experienced staff. In these cases, finding and hiring the right people can make all the difference.
Finding the right people means keeping a hawk-like focus on the skills and attributes the business actually needs and looking for talent wherever it can be found. There are many misconceptions about what makes a good software developer and a successful career path. By examining these misconceptions, a business can identify the individuals that will build their winning teams. The key here is not just the individuals, but also building the team. Software developers are not well-known for their soft skills but here’s the catch: who are the software developers with the most successful track records? Those individuals who have emotional intelligence and communication skills in equal proportion to their smarts.
ERP integration: Connecting systems for full visibility and increased profitability
Keeping up with the technology curve is a vital part of staying competitive for any business in any field. Digital transformation, for example, is no longer optional -- and enterprise resource planning (ERP) is among the most crucial aspects of digital transformation.
In short, an ERP system consolidates an enterprise’s day-to-day processes, allowing for centralized management and visibility. Resolving administrative bottlenecks and increasing agility with ERP gives a competitive edge that no company can afford to ignore.
What can be done about the digital trust deficit?
Data breaches are everywhere. They’ve become so common-place that according to a new Imperva research report, more than a quarter of us (27 percent) don’t even bother changing our passwords even if we know they’ve been compromised.
For many, insecurity has become the default -- something that we just have to live with. The idea that hackers could steal our data, our money, even our identity is the cost we accept in order to live in the digital world. If we want to use services like online banking or social media, we have no choice but to give up our data in exchange.
Empowering office workers
The 'Great Resignation' phenomenon has snowballed in the UK, with almost three-quarters of a million UK workers choosing to change jobs in Q2 2021. High employee turnover is usually a consequence of businesses not providing their workers with the right training, benefits, development opportunities, and job satisfaction. Poly's research confirmed this, with over half (58 percent) of organizations seeing a higher turnover in staff over the course of the pandemic. Now that employees who used to exclusively work in an office have had a taste of what they expect from their workplace in terms of hybrid working opportunities, employers face an enormous challenge: retaining and recruiting talent.
What steps should employees take to ensure that their workforce remains satisfied and motivated when there is no guaranteed blueprint to overcome the challenges of high turnover?
Addressing the tech skills gaps starts at school: How improving accessibility to coding will make a big difference
A recent report by the UK government suggested that strengthening and supporting digital ecosystems could add another £41.5bn to the economy by 2025 and support 678,000 new jobs. Supporting data skills and coding throughout education should be a key part of the school curriculum for young people in order to address the skills gap in the long term.
Theoretically, coding is more accessible than ever before. Nowadays, all that’s needed is a computer and a connection to the internet; these are both now more common than they’ve ever been.
PSTN/ISDN switch-off: What businesses need to know
When it comes to comms, the pace of change is increasing and with a shift to remote working and study, the need to be flexible and fast is more important than ever. In 2015, BT announced that its PSTN/ISDN lines will be turned off in 2025. Given the rapid evolution in the way we communicate, now is as good a time as any to be prepared for this.
The decision to switch off has been made largely due to both technologies becoming outdated and unable to handle the volume, speed and quality of data in today’s increasingly digital world. But what do you need to know, and how can one prepare?
The future of face-to-face meetings in a virtual world
As things are returning to normal it’s clear that businesses are keen to find their footing when it comes to defining the workplace. While the UK Government has urged Civil Servants to return to office working, others are embracing remote working on a part or full-time basis.
Recent data from the Office for National Statistics shows that the UK is getting back into the office once again. As of February, this year, there has been a decline in the percentage of people working from home -- 15 percent compared with 26 percent in January 2022. And there has been an uptake of people traveling to work over the same time period. On the other hand, the cost of living crisis is also having an impact as a survey of 1,000 UK workers revealed people were apprehensive over the associated costs of working from an office.
Bespoke machine learning is a must to tackle FaaS underworld
When it comes to fraud, you can never be too careful. Especially when you hear about the brass neck of some criminal gangs that are increasingly adopting the persona of legitimate businesses to peddle stolen credit card details and other financial information.
Fraud-as-a-service (FaaS), as it’s known, has become an industry in itself, with criminals able to provide a one-stop-shop for scammers to rip-off customers and businesses. These organized fraud rings -- often manned by career professionals who know how to bypass rules-based systems -- are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
The importance of responsible AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) is growing and shows no signs of stopping -- almost. In 2020, IDC estimated global spending on the technology would more than double by 2024 to hit $110 billion. Investors feel the same enthusiasm. CB Insights reported venture capital for AI startups in Q3 2021 reached a record $17.9 billion. Yet, even in the bright light of such success, a shadow is being cast. Even as AI is exploding, trust has leveled out, and that could eventually stall its progress and acceptance if we are not careful.
Given how widely AI is being deployed, many organizations are content to look the other way; so long as there’s value, no need to ask questions. But what about transparency and responsibility? If a company can’t trust its own algorithm, why will consumers? Case in point is the Apple Card launch in 2019 in which a noticeable difference in credit lines offered to men vs. women was revealed. Turns out, a faulty AI design failed to have gender input. Further, Apple hadn’t been following the algorithm closely for bias. That’s how launches and reputations are undermined.
Prioritizing levels of risk in your cybersecurity assessment
Cybersecurity is one of the most pressing issues for businesses. For the first time, it has been identified by security professionals as the single biggest risk to an organization. Cybersecurity risks come in many forms but, while businesses need to protect against all threats, some are more urgent than others.
Prioritizing the levels of risk associated with cybersecurity incidents will help you protect your business from the most pressing threats first. For example, if you have an unsupported operating system (OS) on your PCs, they are very likely to get breached, whereas your up-to-date systems pose less risk. But how do you determine the biggest risks in your business? Read on to find out how.
Security alert: Fake Windows exploits the InfoSec community with a Cobalt Strike
On May 19th, 2022, researchers identified two Proof-of-Concept exploits (malicious software) hosted by the popular software development hosting provider, GitHub. The software targeted members of the InfoSec community in an attack known as a Cobalt Strike.
The two files were disguised as Windows vulnerabilities fixed by Microsoft in April 2022. It is unknown how many people may have executed the malicious files and if any systems were compromised, but it is likely that the files will be tested in a sandbox environment so that any potential impact will be limited.
What does the end of third-party cookies mean for consumers?
If all goes according to plan, Google will phase out third-party cookies by the end of 2023.
These cookies, which brands use to track consumers’ browsing habits across the web, have long been controversial. Recently, the developers of major browsers have begun to block them entirely, preventing websites from saving third-party cookies on users’ systems. The end of these cookies may have big implications for privacy on the web.
How the metaverse could impact employee mental health
We’re spending more time online than ever before in both our professional and personal lives. This could be set to increase even further with the introduction of the metaverse.
A much-hyped concept, the metaverse is, in simple terms, a virtual world for gaming, socializing, and even interacting with businesses. Meta calls it "the next evolution of social connection", with tech businesses scrambling to create virtual spaces for users. But what impact will these new digital spaces have on people in their working lives?
Interoperability and basic data are key to future of Smart Hospitals
In June 2021, the UK government announced a plan to transform how data is used across the health and care sectors. The goal is to give patients control of their health data and enable staff to save more lives through improved care and treatment.
One aspect of this strategy is the development of Smart Hospitals, which will use digital interoperability to redesign traditional hospital processes, systems, and infrastructures. The NHS is currently being urged to invest in Smart Hospitals -- both when building new hospitals, and when upgrading existing facilities with smart infrastructure.
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