IT Executive news

• IDG Contributor Network: No, Microsoft is not locking users out of Lenovo laptops

  21-09-2016 22:53
  
  Lenovo and Microsoft came under fire this week when a Reddit user named BaronHK reported that he was not able to install Linux on Signature Edition Lenovo Yoga 900 ISK2 UltraBook.
  BaronHK wrote:This is related to the ongoing discussion in Lenovo's forum's about why the SSD is locked in a proprietary RAID mode that Linux doesn't understand. Laptops known to be affected include the Yoga 900 ISK2, Yoga 900S, and Yoga 710S, which all have the same issue according to posts I've read on Lenovo's Linu
  
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• New legislation seeks to prevent US voting systems from being hacked

  21-09-2016 22:52
  A U.S. lawmaker has introduced two bills to protect voting systems from hacking, amid fears that Russian cyber spies may be interfering with this year's presidential election.Representative Hank Johnson, a Democrat serving Georgia, is proposing a moratorium on state purchases of electronic voting machines that don't produce a paper trail. His Election Integrity Act, introduced Wednesday, would also prohibit voting systems from being connected to the internet as a way to prevent online tampe
  
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• Oakley and Intel pack a fitness coach into new pair of smart glasses

  21-09-2016 22:30
  
  For wearables to succeed, many people believe technology should be inconspicuous, not popping out and making a fashion statement of its own. Google Glass may have gotten it wrong, and Oakley and Intel may have done it right with the new Radar Pace.At first glance, Oakley's Radar Pace sunglasses look undeniably cool. But hidden inside is technology that turns the sunglasses into a voice-activated coach that answers questions and provides fitness training recommendations. It's like having Sir
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: 4 simple rules for good franchise culture

  21-09-2016 22:29
  
  Company culture isn’t only about choosing between Taco Tuesdays and Casual Fridays — it’s about what your company does and how it does it.
  It might feel as though signing a franchising contract is the kiss of death for company culture, but nothing could be further from the truth. Franchising is a great opportunity to tap into the success of an existing brand, and it doesn’t have to stifle your branch’s culture.
  Below are four simple rules to know if you want to mak
  
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• Samsung releases the world’s fastest gumstick SSD

  21-09-2016 22:21
  
  Samsung today released two of its highest-capacity SSDs for consumers. The drives are based on the M.2 "gumstick" form factor, which is quickly being adopted in the latest ultra-thin notebooks and PCs.
  The new 960 Pro and 960 EVO SSDs are based on the ever-more popular non-volatile memory express (NVMe) specification and Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) Gen.3 x4 lane motherboard interface.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Mobile apps still have long way to go in state governments

  21-09-2016 22:19
  
  A new survey released this week reveals that while a little more than half of state CIOs surveyed consider mobile devices and apps an essential or high priority, relatively few state government apps are mobile ready or are being used by employees and external users on mobile devices.
  The 2016 State CIO Survey: The Adaptable State CIO, released at the annual National Association of State CIO (NASCIO) conference this week in Orlando and produced by NASCIO, accounting/consulting firm Grant Thornto
  
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• Teleporting a photon leads researchers to quantum security

  21-09-2016 21:37
  
  Come on, admit it. You've always wanted to have Scotty beam you up to the USS Enterprise.
  But it's unlikely that you will be teleported anywhere in this lifetime… unless you're a photon.
  And that could mean more secure communications in the foreseeable future.
  A group of physicists announced this week that they have successfully teleported a photon, which is a particle of light, over the span of just more than 3.5 miles in a straight length of fiber optic cable.
  The effort, funded by the
  
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• Oracle Visual Code brings cloud-based app dev to business users

  21-09-2016 21:25
  
  With its Project Visual Code platform, Oracle is taking a swing at Salesforce in cloud-based application development.
  Detailed this week, the platform for low-code development provides a browser-based interface for building standalone applications or extensions to existing applications. Geared to "citizen developers," Visual Code is a direct competitor to the Salesforce Lightning component-based development platform.[ Find out how to get ahead with our career development guide for developers. |
  
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• Can Wi-Fi and LTE-U live together? The tests are ready

  21-09-2016 21:02
  
  The moment of truth has arrived for a hotly contested project to make sure LTE and Wi-Fi can share the same frequencies.On Wednesday, the Wi-Fi Alliance released a test plan for LTE-Unlicensed products, which would bring 4G cellular to unlicensed spectrum bands that Wi-Fi users depend on. The group also said it is qualifying an independent lab where LTE-U vendors can take their equipment for testing.LTE-U could give smartphones and other cellular devices more frequencies to use, potentially brin
  
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• Renewable energy makes up almost one-third of the world's electrical capacity

  21-09-2016 20:45
  
  Nearly one-third of the world's power sources are now made up by renewable energy technologies, accounting for nearly a quarter of its electricity production, according to a new report.
  The report, published by the World Energy Council (WEC), used information from 32 country case studies, representing about 90% of installed wind and solar capacity worldwide.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• BrandPost: Six Big Bets for Digital Transformation

  21-09-2016 20:25
  
  There has never been a more exciting or challenging time to be a CIO. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is here, driven by the rapid introduction of diverse and disruptive technologies, creating enormous opportunities for both new and existing organizations to disrupt business models, products, services, and even entire industries. However, the irony is that established companies are finding that their enormous investments in legacy information systems and scale, which used to provide them with c
  
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• This $139 computer can be a PC or robot and will run Windows 10 desktop

  21-09-2016 20:07
  
  Many Raspberry Pi-like developer boards are available, but most can't run Microsoft's Windows 10 desktop operating system. OS versatility is a strong suit of the new SolidRun Q4 board.SolidRun can run multiple versions of Windows 10. It has the flexibility to be a PC or a board to use to create cool gadgets.The SolidPC Q4 is packed with fast processors, memory, storage, and ports that make it a viable Windows 10 PC. It's cheap at US$139, but here's the bad news: You'll need to buy the Windows 10
  
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• 60% off ZeroLemon ToughJuice USB-C 30000mAh Macbook Compatible Power Bank - Deal Alert

  21-09-2016 19:58
  
  ZeroLemon describes their ToughJuice power bank as the world's toughest external battery pack, with 30000mAh capacity and a rugged anti-shock exterior. With enough juice to get you up and running again and again on a single charge, ToughJuice provides up to ten charges to a smartphone, two charges to a tablet or multiple charges to nearly any other device. It features four USB ports (1 QuickCharge 2.0 port, with legacy 5V/2A support and 3 Ports for 1A charging) but more importantly it
  
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• More than 840,000 Cisco devices are vulnerable to NSA-related exploit

  21-09-2016 19:50
  More than 840,000 Cisco networking devices from around the world are exposed to a vulnerability that's similar to one exploited by a hacking group believed to be linked to the U.S. National Security Agency.The vulnerability was announced by Cisco last week and it affects the IOS, IOS XE, and IOS XR software that powers many of its networking devices. The flaw allows hackers to remotely extract the contents of a device's memory, which can lead to the exposure of sensitive information.The vulnerab
  
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• Microsoft scrubs Windows 7 PCs of upgrade nagware

  21-09-2016 19:25
  
  Microsoft has begun yanking the long-lambasted "Get Windows 10" nag software from Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 PCs, according to a support document.
  The document posted to Microsoft's site Tuesday said that the company was fulfilling a pledge that it would remove the promotional code and content after the free Windows 10 upgrade offer expired at the end of July.
  Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet.com first reported on the removal of the pitches yesterday.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, ple
  
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• How to 'Auto Unlock' your Mac with Apple Watch

  21-09-2016 19:05
  
  Yesterday Apple released the latest version of its desktop OS, macOS Sierra v10.12. The new software features a number of noteworthy enhancements, such as voice-activated Siri commands, support for Apple Pay payments via the Safari browser, a polished Photos app, and many new iOS integrations.But Apple Watch owners will be particularly interested in one new macOS authentication feature. The new "Auto Unlock" option lets you quickly unlock your Mac by simply wearing an unlocked Watch while in ran
  
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• Hackers sell tool to spread malware through torrent files

  21-09-2016 18:57
  
  Be careful with what you torrent. A new tool on the black market is helping hackers distribute malware through torrent files in exchange for a fee.On Tuesday, security researchers at InfoArmor said they discovered the so-called "RAUM" tool in underground forums.It leverages torrenting -- a popular file-sharing method associated with piracy -- to spread the malware. Popular torrent files, especially games, are packaged with malicious coding and then uploaded for unsuspecting users to download.Usi
  
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• Save Big on Select Chromebooks Through 9/26 Only on Amazon - Deal Alert

  21-09-2016 18:39
  
  Amazon has discounts on many popular Chromebook models, and the discounts continue through September 26th. Below is a sample of the savings, and you can click through to this page on Amazon for the full list.ASUS C201 11.6 Inch Chromebook (Rockchip, 4 GB, 16GB SSD, Lotus Gold/Red) $487.35 $199.00
  HP Chromebook 14-ak010nr 14-Inch (Intel Celeron, 2 GB RAM, 16 GB SSD)  $249.99 $215.98
  Samsung Chromebook 3 XE500C13-K02US 4 GB RAM 11.6" Laptop (Black) $229.99 $209.
  
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• Samsung has shipped 500,000 replacement Note 7 units to the U.S.

  21-09-2016 18:32
  
  Samsung has announced it has just finished a shipment of 500,000 units of the Galaxy Note7 to carrier and retail outlets.
  The devices are to be available on Wednesday, September 21, meaning you can finally get a non-exploding model in exchange for the one you own. Those who were issued a temporary device by their carrier should also be eligible to swap it for a Note7.
  Those who have been forced to wait to buy a new Note7 also may be in luck. The Note7 is available on the online store for Verizo
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Managing line-of-business projects

  21-09-2016 18:26
  
  How can you distinguish a green CIO from a seasoned one? That is simple! The newly minted CIO will agree to manage a line-of-business (LOB) project.A colleague recently related this story to me: “When our hospital’s executive team held a meeting to announce they were pursuing a new EMR (electronic medical records) solution, the CIO immediately stood up and said, 'We will gladly provide IT support, guidance and leadership, but this is a line-of-business project and an LOB expert
  
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• How to protect your mission-critical information

  21-09-2016 18:11
  
  Given the vast and increasing volumes of data within organizations today, securing your data can seem an insurmountable task. But you can get your arms around it if you assess the value of your data and focus your attention on protecting your mission-critical information assets — the crown jewels.Yesterday, the nonprofit Information Security Forum (ISF) announced the availability of Protecting the Crown Jewels: How to Secure Mission-Critical Information Assets, the latest in a series of re
  
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• BrandPost: What’s Driving Your Data Center Decisions?

  21-09-2016 18:00
  It should come as no surprise that truly agile organizations place a high value on having a modern data center that can support the latest applications, devices, and resources today’s users need to innovate and collaborate. In fact, 85% of organizations are pursuing a data center modernization strategy.* After all, as the heart of your organization’s operations, that data center—and its ability to support your business needs—informs some of your most important IT investme
  
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• Lenovo laptops refuse to run Linux due to storage woes, not Microsoft evildoing

  21-09-2016 17:52
  
  It looks like Linux lovers have another roadbump to watch out for beyondMicrosoft’s slow tightening of the UEFI Secure Boot screws.
  Lenovo’s forums and the Linux subreddit are ablaze amidst reports of failed Linux installs on theLenovo Yoga 900 13ISK2and Ideapad 710S, as Tech Republic first reported. The howls intensified when an unverified person identifying herself as a “Lenovo Product Expert” answered a question about the issue on the Best Buy website with, “The
  
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• BrandPost: The Way Forward

  21-09-2016 17:50
  The move to become a digital organization is a trend that’s now being felt across almost all organizations in every vertical. The building blocks of digital are technologies such as cloud, mobile, big data, and analytics.What do these have in common? They’re all network-centric, meaning the network plays a key role in the shift to a digital enterprise. The challenge for IT leaders is putting together the components of a next-generation digital network.Sorting through the choices for
  
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• BrandPost: Considering Cloud ERP? Learn from the Manufacturing Pros Who’ve Done It

  21-09-2016 17:41
  
  When it comes to selecting the ERP system that will run your business, you want to talk to someone with experience—specifically, a manufacturing professional grappling with the same challenges you face, and one who has been through the entire process.At Plex Systems, we know a few individuals who fit this bill. Here are a few nuggets of hard-earned wisdom from professionals with titles that range from CIO to plant manager to IT director in both discrete and process manufacturing industries
  
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• Education needs to study up on fighting ransomware

  21-09-2016 17:38
  
  It should surprise no one that ransomware is on the rise, but it may be news that education -- not healthcare -- is outstripping other industries for rate of infection, according to a study by security ratings firm BitSight.
  Organizations in education had the highest rate of infection, with at least one in 10 experiencing ransomware on their networks, according to “The Rising Face of Cyber Crime: Ransomware” report.
  The study looks at businesses in finance, retail, healthcare, energ
  
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• BrandPost: IIoT: Three Surefire Steps to Success

  21-09-2016 17:34
  
  The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is an enormous opportunity for manufacturers. It fuels greater productivity and agility by increasing data communication between systems, people, and processes. For example, machine data sharing enables employees and systems to respond to real-time issues requiring adjustments to calibration. You just need to know how to best leverage the opportunity.Start with the CloudThe first step is connectivity. Cloud, and more specifically manufacturing cloud ERP,
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: 5 reasons why social media is no longer optional

  21-09-2016 17:30
  
  During early strategy discussions, it’s not uncommon for clients to ask us, “What do we do about social?” And rightfully so. With one in three U.S. consumers reporting that social media influences their purchases, opting out of this impactful marketing channel is no longer an option. It’s a must. Even (if not especially) for technology companies.Unfortunately, there’s no “set it and forget” function when it comes to managing your Twitter, LinkedIn, Googl
  
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• How to use Facebook Live for business

  21-09-2016 17:27
  
  Since Facebook Live, Facebook’s live-streaming app, was launched in the summer of 2015, the service has taken off. According to Facebook, videos (live and otherwise) are viewed on the site more than 4 billion times per day. And Facebook now gives priority to Live videos in the news feed.[ Related: Facebook, Snapchat and the future of live video ]So how can businesses, especially small businesses, make use of Facebook’s live-streaming to engage with the platform’s over 1.1 billi
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: macOS Sierra: How to do a clean install

  21-09-2016 16:53
  
  macOS Sierra has finally been released, and Mac users around the world are getting ready to install it on their computers. But the eternal question looms once again: Should you do a clean install or just do an upgrade on your Mac?My advice is to do a clean install if it’s been a long time since you did one. Over time, as you do one upgrade after another of macOS, you might find that your Mac’s performance slips and that it slows down considerably. A clean install can help fix that an
  
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• Samsung's 960 Pro and 960 Evo SSDs marry crazy-fast speeds with roomy capacity

  21-09-2016 16:32
  Samsung is following up its NVMe successes from 2015 with some fresh blazing-fast M.2 SSDs for storage geeks. The company just announced the Samsung 960 Pro and 960 Evo during this year’s Samsung SSD Global Summit.
  As with 2015’s 950 Pro NVMe SSDs, the new 960 series marries stacked V-NAND density with the Non-Volatile Memory express (NVMe) specification. They also use a 4-lane PCIe 3.0 interface, just like the 950 Pro.To read this article in full or to leave a c
  
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• EU plan swaps roaming fees for roaming fudge

  21-09-2016 16:09
  The European Commission has reworked its plan to end mobile phone roaming fees in the face of widespread criticism of its 90-day annual limit.It now plans to abolish all hard limits on roaming, but fudged the details by allowing carriers to block or charge for usage they consider abusive in order to prevent Irish consumers bankrupting Latvian mobile operators.Under the new proposal, mobile subscribers will be able to roam across the European Union year around with no charge -- unless their carri
  
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• ‘Digital laggards’ must harness data or get left behind

  21-09-2016 15:28
  
  Consultants like to warn CIOs that if they don't embrace modern technologies to meet customer demands that they will be left in the dust by more nimble rivals. Such sky-is-falling proclamations have been taken lightly because they've been difficult to back up. However, new research from Harvard Business School (HBS) suggests that a divide is forming between organizations that have accelerated their digital transformations and those that are still figuring out a working digital model.Digital lead
  
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• Google Trips travel app helps enrich your travels

  21-09-2016 15:18
  
  Google Trips, a new trip-planning and travel-guide app for Android and iOS, isn't the TripIt killer it could be. The free app is, however, a worthy download for business and leisure travelers, particularly those who like to map out sightseeing itineraries for their destinations.
  Google Trips and TripIt (for Android, iOS, Windows, BlackBerry and web browsers) both automatically import email confirmations for hotels, airlines, rental cars, restaurants, and more. And they build trip itineraries ba
  
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• Google Trips app helps enrich your travels

  21-09-2016 15:18
  
  Google Trips, a new trip-planning and travel-guide app for Android and iOS, isn't the TripIt killer it could be. The free app is, however, a worthy download for business and leisure travelers, particularly those who like to map out sightseeing itineraries for their destinations.
  Google Trips and TripIt (for Android, iOS, Windows, BlackBerry and web browsers) both automatically import email confirmations for hotels, airlines, rental cars, restaurants, and more. And they build trip itineraries ba
  
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• Google Drive gets machine-learning search features

  21-09-2016 14:47
  
  Google this week debuted new search and natural-language-processing (NLP) features in its Drive cloud storage service. The key NLP features, which Google has invested in for many years, will be familiar to Google Search users. The search bar in Drive now shows suggestions and retrieves files based on commonly used phrases.NLP is a "fancy way of saying 'search like you talk,'" wrote Google Product Manager Josh Smith, in a blog post. "Drive will understand what you mean and give you the option to
  
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• Cisco moves on from Intercloud, will focus on cloud management instead

  21-09-2016 14:03
  
  Cisco this week released new software and services for helping organizations migrate to cloud-based infrastructure, whether it be infrastructure they run themselves or resources from public cloud providers.
  +More on Network World: Cisco CEO: Spin-in technologies aren’t dead at Cisco+
  But as part of this effort Cisco is not pointing customers to one of its own public cloud platforms as it has wound down and pivoted away from its multi-year effort to develop its once-heralded Intercloud.To
  
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• The 10 nastiest social media marketing mishaps of 2016

  21-09-2016 14:00
  
  2016's worst social media marketing mistakesHey, social media marketers. Yes, you. Check your facts. Get another pair of eyes on tweets before you post them. Think about how people beyond your geographic target audience might react. Use a separate smartphone for brand tweets, to avoid posting personal updates to professional social accounts. And never, ever, forget: Social media is the land of trolls.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• How blind skills challenges can close the skills gap

  21-09-2016 13:05
  
  Jessica Janiuk didn't set out to have a career in IT. After earning a degree in communications with a minor in web development, Janiuk started working as a video producer, but quickly found that wasn't the right fit. When offered the opportunity to work on software, Janiuk jumped at the chance, found a professional calling and has thrived in the IT industry for the last few years. But as a trans-woman, Janiuk has experienced more than the usual biases women in tech are subjected to on the journe
  
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• Google's Pixel phones: 7 essential technical upgrades we want to see

  21-09-2016 13:00
  
  Google will, if the persistent rumors are true, forego releasing “Nexus” phones this year in favor of a pair of phones under the “Pixel” banner. Is this just a re-branding, or are there material differences between the two product lineages?
  Well, the Nexus heritage is based on affordable hardware that runs stock Android—phones that have always been aimed at developers and enthusiasts. The Pixel brand, whether it’s the Chromebook Pixel or the Pixel C Android t
  
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• Navigating the muddy waters of enterprise infosec

  21-09-2016 12:53
  
  Executives at Booz Allen Hamilton learned the importance of information security the hard way back in 2011 when the hacker group Anonymous claimed that it had penetrated one of Booz Allen’s servers and had deleted 4GB of source code and released a list of more than 90,000 military email addresses and encrypted passwords.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Apple commits to run off 100% renewable energy

  21-09-2016 12:53
  
  Apple announced that it has committed to running all of its data centers and corporate offices on renewable energy, joining a group of other corporations committed to the same clean energy goal.
  Apple said it has joined RE100, a global initiative by influential businesses committed to using 100% renewable electricity. To date, RE100 has amassed membership from 77 corporations.
  Other RE100 members include Hewlett Packard Enterprise, VMware, Rackspace and Wells Fargo.To read this article in full
  
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• 4 tips for tough conversations with your employees

  21-09-2016 12:43
  
  No one likes when difficult situations at work, but when these issues do arise, it's important that your focus remains on establishing a productive conversation where everyone feels heard.
  "When difficult conversations do arise -- such as discussions about low performance, inconsistent results, frustrated clients -- a leader can confidently assess the current situation against previously defined expectations and a focus on identifying and closing the gap," says Anthony Abbatiello, global lead, D
  
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• Why (and when) outsourcing security makes sense

  21-09-2016 12:42
  
  Phenix Energy Group, an oil pipeline operator and construction company, is preparing to take its IT infrastructure from zero to 60 in a matter of months. To get a years-in-the-making pipeline project off the ground, the company is preparing to grow from a relatively small office environment to a data center setting of 75 servers and 250TB of storage. As a result, security, which hasn’t been a top priority, is suddenly a big deal, according to CIO and COO Bruce Perrin.
  Given the high stake
  
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• How flexible should your infosec model be?

  21-09-2016 12:39
  
  Security is a top priority at the Bank of Labor, but the financial institution updates its formal information security policy only once a year, maybe twice, regardless of what's happening in the ever-changing threat landscape.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Will robots help or harm? It's time for 'big thinking,' AI experts warn

  21-09-2016 12:34
  
  Robots have considerable potential to make human lives better, but only if humans start doing some "big thinking" now about how to ensure that AI's effect is beneficial.That was the view of artificial intelligence experts during a panel discussion on the topic Tuesday at the Heidelberg Laureate Forum in Germany."We've got to take responsibility for the technology we create," said Noel Sharkey, an emeritus professor of AI and robotics at the University of Sheffield as well as chair of the In
  
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• 5 social engineering scams employees still fall for

  21-09-2016 12:32
  
  You’ve trained them. You’ve deployed simulated phishing tests. You’ve reminded your employees countless times with posters and games and emails about avoiding phishing scams. Still, they keep falling for the same ploys they’ve been warned about for years. It’s enough to drive security teams to madness.
  According to Verizon’s 2016 Data Breach Investigation Report, 30 percent of phishing messages were opened by their intended target, and about 12 percent of rec
  
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• Security challenge: Wearing multiple hats in IT

  21-09-2016 12:30
  
  Are you taking on multiple job responsibilities at your company, including some aspects of information security? If so, you’re not alone. At many organizations, IT professionals are being asked to handle a variety of security tasks and functions. For them, wearing multiple hats can create both opportunities and stress.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Is security making the grade? What IT and business pros really think

  21-09-2016 12:29
  
  (Insider Story)
  
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• IT workers brace for outsourcing, layoffs at health insurer

  21-09-2016 12:00
  
  A major health insurer, Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), is planning to outsource part of its information technology operation. The employees don’t have all the details about what’s in store for them, but this may bea large IT layoff.
  Employees were recently informed that 70% of the positions in the IT group, mostly in the area of infrastructure, will be outsourced, according to two IT workers who requested anonymity. Estimates on the number of employees who would be affected
  
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