IT Executive news

• As IoT sales surge, consumers still lead the way

  07-02-2017 23:38
  
  The internet of things will have nearly one-third more devices by the end of this year, though many of them won’t exactly be exotic.
  There will be 8.4 billion IoT devices in use at the end of 2017, up 31 percent from the end of 2016, Gartner estimated on Tuesday. That's slightly faster than the growth rate last year. The number will keep growing at about the same pace until 2020, when there will be just over 20 billion devices, the research company says.
  Nearly two-thirds of the connected
  
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• State of the CIO 2017: The new reality

  07-02-2017 23:21
  
  As technology grabs the lead role in modern business, all eyes are on the CIO's ability to lead initiatives that radically transform how companies sell products, reach customers and drive opportunities for new revenue streams. At the same time, the digital era's wholesale dependence on technology means there's little room for the slightest hiccup in operations -- resulting in another mandate on the CIO's agenda.One functional responsibility that CIOs don't expect to spend less time on in the fut
  
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• 27% off HAVIT 3-Fan USB Powered Laptop Cooling Pad - Deal Alert

  07-02-2017 23:05
  
  With a thin body and light weight design, the USB-powered Havit HV-F2056 cooling pad allows you to take it wherever you go and cool your laptop anytime you want. Three ultra-quiet fans create a noise-free environment, and a high-quality multi-directional metal mesh provides your laptop with a wear-resistant and stable laptop carrying surface. A built-in dual-USB hub allows for connecting more USB devices. The cooling pad from HAVIT averages 4.5 out of 5 stars from over 3,500 people on
  
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• Kansas City rolls out online map using traffic, parking data from sensors

  07-02-2017 22:55
  
  One of the trickiest parts of proving the value of emerging smart city technology is showing how city residents could benefit from data being picked up by sensors located on light poles and along streets.
  On Tuesday, officials in Kansas City, Mo., took steps to connect how such real-time data gathered by sensors provides benefits to its citizens.
  City officials unveiled an online interactive map for the public that shows available parking, traffic and KC Streetcar locations in real time with da
  
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• Report: 1 in 50 new U.S. jobs came from solar last year

  07-02-2017 22:51
  
  One out of every 50 new U.S. jobs last year came from the solar industry, with growth in that industry outpacing the overall U.S. economy by 17 times, according to a new report.
  Overall, there were 260,077 solar workers in 2016, representing 2% of all new jobs, according to the Solar Foundation's Solar Jobs Census 2016.Lucas MearianSolarCity workers prepare to install panels on the rear of a home.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Samsung Galaxy S7 hardware will come to the DragonBoard 820c computer

  07-02-2017 22:45
  
  Meet DragonBoard 820c, a supercharged board computer that will make Raspberry Pi 3 look like a turtle.The computer can be used as an Android OS computer and is based on components in premium smartphones like Samsung's Galaxy S7.The board is now listed on the website of Arrow Electronics but isn't commercially available so far. The price isn't yet available. The board has Qualcomm's 820 chip, which is used some premium smartphones today. Qualcomm recently announced the Snapdra
  
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• Trump reviews right of H-1B spouses to work

  07-02-2017 22:21
  
  For H-1B workers, one of the most hated and frustrating parts of working in the U.S. is this:Their spouses were idled, unable to work under law.That changed in 2014, when President Obama signed a regulation that allowed some spouses to get a job. But the future of this rule may be in doubt under the new administration.
  President Donald Trump's administration, which is broadly repealing Obama-era regulations, is reviewing the H-1B spouse rule as well, according to a new court filing.
  The Obama r
  
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• Apple's Plus plan pays off

  07-02-2017 22:10
  
  Features limited to the iPhone 7 Plus helped boost sales of the larger smartphone, but they were not the only reasons why a higher percentage of customers went big last year, analysts said.
  "The nature of the market is also shifting," said Ben Bajarin of Creative Strategies, in a recent interview. As consumers encounter large-screen smartphones with more frequency -- especially ones owned by friends -- there's a bandwagon effect, he explained.
  Although the shift to bigger screens has been stron
  
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  07-02-2017 22:04
  
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• Mac malware, possibly made in Iran, targets U.S. defense industry

  07-02-2017 21:30
  
  Just because you’re using a Mac doesn’t mean you’re safe from hackers. That’s what two security researchers are warning, after finding a Mac-based malware that may be an attempt by Iranian hackers to target the U.S. defense industry.
  The malware, called MacDownloader, was found on a website impersonating the U.S. aerospace firm United Technologies, according to a report from Claudio Guarnieri and Collin Anderson, who are researching Iranian cyberespionage threats.
  The fa
  
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• Twitter fights back, again, against online trolls

  07-02-2017 21:25
  
  Twitter is extending its campaign to curb trolls and abuse on its social network.
  The company announced today that it's making three changes to continue its efforts to give Twitter users more control over what they see on the site and who can use it.
  "Making Twitter a safer place is our primary focus," wrote Ed Ho, Twitter's vice president of engineering, in a blog post. "We stand for freedom of expression and people being able to see all sides of any topic. That's put in jeopardy when abuse an
  
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• Flaw in Intel Atom chip could crash servers, networking gear

  07-02-2017 21:08
  
  A flaw in an old Intel chip could crash servers and networking equipment, and the chipmaker is working to fix the issue.The issue is in the Atom C2000 chips, which started shipping in 2013. The problem was first reported by The Register.In January, Intel added an erratum to the Atom C2000 documentation, stating systems with the chip "may experience [an] inability to boot or may cease operation."To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• BlackBerry offers secure mobile communications platform for developers

  07-02-2017 21:01
  BlackBerry on Tuesday announced a new line of business to provide developers with a secure, cloud-based, mobile communications platform for texting, voice, video and file sharing.
  Developers can insert these capabilities into their existing custom apps and services using the new BBM Enterprise SDK (software developer kit), BlackBerry said.The SDK will be sold as a per-user license on a subscription basis to developers, including those employed atenterprises, and to independent software vendors
  
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• MySpace becomes every hackers’ space with top breach in 2016, report says

  07-02-2017 20:44
  Hackers revived what is largely perceived as a dormant social media site, stealing as many as 427 million customer records in 2016. Forrester reported that there was not another breach even close but it did say that 75 percent of customer records stolen belonged to just five incidents.
  Hackers compromised 1 billion records in that 12-month period, with 95 percent of those belonging to the technology, government and retail industries. The research group explains that the Yahoo figures are not in
  
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• BrandPost: Technology Predictions for 2017: More Value, Less Hype

  07-02-2017 20:23
  
  By Bridget Karlin
  At the CES 2017 show in early January, lots of people were making predictions for the year ahead — everything from drones in the air to self-driving cars on the ground. Various people asked me what I see in my crystal ball as the next big technology game-changers for 2017. While I’m sorry to say I have no crystal ball, I do have a pretty good sense of where smart and connected things are going, having been living and breathing this amazing transformation every day
  
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• Irish court hears case challenging transatlantic data transfers

  07-02-2017 20:22
  
  Max Schrems' 2013 complaint to the Irish data protection commissioner over Facebook's handling of his personal information put him in an unusual position on Tuesday: He's a co-defendant, alongside Facebook, in a case before the High Court of Ireland.The case concerns the standard contract clauses that Facebook and other companies relied on to legalize their export of European Union citizens' personal information to the U.S. for processing in the months after the Safe Harbor agreement was overtur
  
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• Microsoft's custom voice recognition service hits public beta

  07-02-2017 20:16
  
  Companies building applications that leverage speech recognition have a new machine-learning based tool to improve their work. Microsoft is opening the public beta for its Custom Speech Service, the company said Tuesday.The service, formerly known as CRIS, allows customers to train a speech recognition system to work in a specific scenario, allowing it to produce more accurate results. For example, the Custom Speech Service can be trained to provide better results in a noisy airport or set
  
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• Study: 1 in 3 website visitors is an attack bot

  07-02-2017 19:59
  
  For the 5th straight year, impersonator bots were the most active bad bots, making up 24.3 percent of all bot activity. Both cheap and effective, impersonator bots are most commonly used to launch DDoS attacks, including October’s attack against DNS provider Dyn.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Democratic senators push to save net neutrality rules under Trump

  07-02-2017 18:51
  Democratic senators have promised to fight any move by President Donald Trump's administration to gut the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality rules.Any moves by Trump or the Republican-controlled FCC to roll back the 2015 regulations will meet stiff resistance from Democratic lawmakers and digital rights groups, the five senators said during a press conference Tuesday.Millions of U.S. residents called for the FCC to pass strong net neutrality rules that prohibit broadband provider
  
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• 3 ways AI assistants improve enterprise productivity

  07-02-2017 18:48
  
  For today’s knowledge workers, heavy workloads and slow productivity growth is a major challenge. Some products and services emphasize processes and systems such as continuous improvement and removing wasteful steps. Others emphasize the human aspects of productivity — a manager training a junior employee to take over a task, for example. AI assistants offer another approach to the workplace productivity challenge, but are they ready for “prime time” use in the enterprise
  
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• Twitter finally moves to ban serial harassers

  07-02-2017 18:45
  
  Every few months, it seems like Twitter execs swear that the company will do a better job at shutting down abusive trolls. And yet, hate and harassment continue to plague the platform, making it impossible for some high-profile users to remain active. This week, Twitter is making three changes to ramp up its efforts, and they might actually make a huge difference.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Walgreens CIO leaving to launch retail marketing startup

  07-02-2017 18:44
  
  Walgreens Boots Alliance CIO Abhi Dhar, who has been shepherding the company's digital transformation, is leaving the company in March to launch an online marketing startup for the retail sector. Dhar, who will also serve as CEO of the company, says he is currently raising a seed funding round to launch the "stealth" company in two Illinois markets this year."At this point in my life, if I don’t pursue the entrepreneurship path, I fear I never will and will live to regret it,” Dhar t
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Best Linux distros for 2017

  07-02-2017 18:35
  
  Linux has something for (almost) everyone. The goal of this article is to help you find the best Linux distro for whatever job is at hand.
  Let’s get to it.Best live distro: KnoppixKnoppix popularized the concept of the live CD of Linux that lets you run the entire operating system from the media, without installing anything to the hard drive. Knoppix played a big role in the adoption of Linux on the desktop because new users can try it without risking their existing systems. Later, other
  
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• Polish banks on alert after mystery malware found on computers

  07-02-2017 18:28
  
  The discovery of malware on computers and servers of several Polish banks has put the country's financial sector on alert over potential compromises.Polish media reported last week that the IT security teams at many Polish banks have been busy recently searching their systems for a particular strain of malware after several unnamed banks found it on their computers.It's not clear what the malware's end goal is, but in at least one case it was used to exfiltrate data from a bank's computer to an
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Nintex takes workflow services to the cloud

  07-02-2017 18:15
  
  During the past few months, Nintex, the workflow and content automation company, deployed the newest version of its platform, Nintex Workflow Cloud, which now provides workflow as a service. The rollout entailed working with distribution partners and customers to test and migrate parts of their process automation to the cloud. Now, Nintex Workflow Cloud is up and running, giving customers better ways to design workflows for greater operating efficiency.Until recently, the company’s platfor
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: How to switch from macOS to Linux

  07-02-2017 17:37
  
  Not everybody is happy with Apple’s recent Mac hardware updates, and some folks have been thinking about jumping ship and leaving macOS altogether. If you’re one of them, then Linux might be just what the doctor ordered.In this post I've included a number of distributions that might work well as alternatives to macOS. I've also included some helpful links that will ease the transition from macOS to Linux.How to switch from macOS to Linux
  Before we talk about distributions, it's good
  
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• Javelin, Visa offer different takes on whether card fraud is moving online

  07-02-2017 17:00
  
  According to a report released last week by Javelin, card-not-present fraud went up 40 percent this year, but according to a new report from Visa, there has been no increase in online fraud.
  The increase in card-not-present fraud was part of a general increase in fraud, reported Javelin.
  "We've been measuring fraud for over a decade and this past year is very significant because we hit a record high as far as the number of victims of identity fraud," said Al Pascual, research director and head
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: IT future shifts from labor arbitrage to productivity

  07-02-2017 17:00
  
  The labor arbitrage/offshoring model is powerful and relatively simple — compared to investing in productivity for U.S. workers over the past couple of decades. Perhaps your company is like most enterprises in America, having opted for this strategy to achieve cost savings. I believe it’s important to recognize that the arbitrage/offshoring model took companies’ attention away from investing in internal productivity improvements. But there are fewer opportunities now for the la
  
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• 43% off Caller-ID Call Blocker For Robo-calls, Telemarketers and Other Nuisances - Deal Alert

  07-02-2017 16:35
  
  Just hit the big red "block now" button and say goodbye to robocalls, telemarketer calls, solicitor calls, elections calls, junk faxes or anyone else you'd prefer not to hear from. This small and discreet gadget can also block international and private numbers, as well as full area codes. It has a 1,000 number/area code memory with 200 numbers pre-programmed. The popular gadget averages 4.5 out of 5 stars from over 3,350 people on Amazon (73% rate 5 stars -- read recent reviews here), where its
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: OpenSUSE site hacked; quickly restored

  07-02-2017 16:18
  
  As the openSUSE team was enjoying FOSDEM in Brussels, Belgium, one of their sites, news.opensuse.org, was compromised by hackers. The site content was replaced with this code and the Kurdish flag:<html>
  <head>
    <title>openSUSE News: Hacked By MuhmadEmad</title>
    <base
  href="https://news.opensuse.org/2017/02/01/opensuse-cloud-images-are-ripe-for-users/">
  </head>
  <body id="msgFeedSummaryBody" selected="false">
    <p>&l
  
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• 50% off Logitech G602 Gaming Wireless Mouse with 250 Hour Battery Life - Deal Alert

  07-02-2017 15:57
  
  With up to 250 hours of battery life, G602 redefines the laws of wireless gaming. From the pinpoint accuracy of the exclusive Delta Zero sensor technology to the extra high durability primary switches, you can count on G602 to dominate boss after boss.  The Logitech G602 gaming mouse averages 4.3 out of 5 stars from over 2,000 reviewers on Amazon (see reviews), where their typical list price of $79.99 has been reduced to $39.99. See the deal now on Amazon.To read this article in full o
  
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• 60% off YOCOU 5-Channel Cable Management System, 6-piece - Deal Alert

  07-02-2017 15:29
  
  Twisted, tangled cords and wires are an eyesore. Organize your space with this simple 6-piece cable management system that works for power cords, charging cables, USB cords, phone chargers, audio cables, headphones, or any other wire up to 1/4-inch diameter. The cord organizers are made of a soft, flexibile material, will not damage your desk and cables, also you can remove it easily without damage or residue. The bundle includes four 5-channel clips (two black and two white), one single-sl
  
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• Report: IRS-related phishing scams seen running rampant

  07-02-2017 15:12
  
  If this year is anything like last we are in the midst of phishers’ attempts to trick taxpayers, employers and tax preparers into giving up information that will allow attackers to file bogus tax returns and collect IRS refunds, according to PhishLabs’ annual phishing report.
  The latest Phishing Trends and Intelligence Report, which has data about January 2016, says that the IRS phishing sites spotted in that one month totaled more than the IRS phishing attempts seen during all of t
  
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• Ransomware soars in 2016, while malware declines

  07-02-2017 15:03
  
  A global cyberthreat report released Tuesday found that 2016 was a mixed bag: malware was down slightly, but ransomware attacks soared, up 167 times the number recorded in 2015.
  In addition to that huge increase in ransomware, 2016 saw a new line of cybercrime from a large-scale DDoS attack through internet of things devices.The principal case occurred in October when the Mirai botnet attacked unprotected IoT devices, such as internet-ready cameras, resulting in a DDoS attack on Dyn servers.
  Th
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: The dabbawala approach to healthcare delivery

  07-02-2017 15:00
  
  The dabbawalas of Mumbai, India, preserve a tradition that started over a century ago by Mahadeo Havaji Bachche of Pune, India: picking up lunchboxes from houses and delivering them to workplaces. Whether we're talking about delivering lunches or providing medical care, it sounds simple. It’s not.The dabbawala difference
  We look outside our business for answers. Our exploration typically looks for answers within technologically advanced industries. Today, we’ll explore a less advance
  
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• Criminals release fewer new types of malware last year, double down on ransomware

  07-02-2017 15:00
  
  Cybercriminals have been producing fewer new kinds of malware last year -- but that's because they're so busy raking in the money from their ransomware attacks.
  The number of unique malware samples discovered last year was 60 million, down 6.25 percent from last year's 64 million, according to a report released this morning by SonicWall.
  "This is the first time I've seen that the number of unique malware samples actually decreased," said Dmitriy Ayrapetov, director of product management at Soni
  
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• 7 job boards that focus on remote tech jobs

  07-02-2017 14:50
  Job boards that focus on remote tech jobsImage by ThinkstockTelecommuting can be a win-win for businesses and employees: Companies can find talent anywhere in the world, while employees have the opportunity to work anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection. And it's only getting more popular. Gallup reports that in 2015, 37 percent of the workforce reported telecommuting either part- or full-time.That's a 7 percent increase since 2008.
  With more people turning to gig-work, freelance jobs and full-time re
  
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• Prorail tekent bij voor Conclusion

  07-02-2017 14:20
  Spoorwegbeheerder ProRail heeft zijn bestaande contract met ICT-dienstverlener Conclusion verlengd met vier jaar. De overeenkomst omvat de generieke ICT-voorzieningen van ProRail.“ProRail zet met Conclusion de huidige succesvolle samenwerking graag voort. De samenwerking biedt volop kansen om onze Generieke... lees meer
  
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• Why the CSO needs to be involved in active shooter prep

  07-02-2017 14:19
  
  The sad reality of today’s modern world is that companies and employees need to start planning for potential emergency situations. It’s no longer just getting them out of the building in case of a fire or earthquake - today’s emergency planning also needs to account for active shooter and terrorism scenarios. While most of today’s CSOs concentrate on protecting a company’s data, there are still some who need to worry about physical security at their companies.In th
  
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• Dead men may tell no tales, but IoT devices do

  07-02-2017 14:10
  
  Privacy invasions related to the internet of things (IoT) are already becoming reality. In Arkansas, local law enforcement is trying to access the records of an Amazon Echo device as evidence in a murder investigation and has already compiled evidence based on the files of an IoT water heater.There are no meaningful federal privacy laws in the U.S., outside of those that keep medical data, sealed court documents and some government records such as IRS tax returns away from prying eyes. Unless th
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: 4 critical security challenges facing IoT

  07-02-2017 13:39
  
  The internet of things (IoT) is finally here in 2017, and companies like Google and Amazon are rushing to get out and become the main company to become the hub of this revolutionary concept. There have been multiple predictions over the years which declare that there will be at least tens of billions connected devices by 2020, and even objects as mundane as baby monitors or tires could all become part of this interconnected world.But each device which is connected increases privacy and security
  
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• The flaw in applying culture to awareness programs

  07-02-2017 13:36
  
  I appreciate that organizations are beginning to realize that they need to understand their corporate culture in their implementation of awareness programs. It is long overdue. Unfortunately as a concept, it is being grossly misapplied. In short, you don’t want to adhere to culture, you want to improve culture.To utilize culture, you need to understand what a security culture actually is. When I co-wrote Advanced Persistent Security, the best definition that my co-author and I found was th
  
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• How to protect your privacy with a VPN on Android

  07-02-2017 13:00
  
  Using a VPN on Android can help you access content that’s blocked in your region and help maintain your anonymity around the web. There are plenty of apps that offer VPN services for free and as a paid service, but which of them are worth your time?
  I tested six of the most popular VPN all-in-one apps (with Speedtest and the speedof.me HTML5 test) on Android to see how they stack up. You can also go your own way and use Android’s built-in VPN tool. With a few tweaks, you can make it
  
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• 7 musts for any successful BYOD program

  07-02-2017 12:50
  
  A mobile workforceImage by PexelsToday, employee mobility and office BYOD programs are critical for enterprise productivity. Mobile devices add new security challenges, bypassing many of the security controls you have in place. Mobile devices, mobile apps and the networks they use are now essential to satisfy customers, collaborate more effectively with suppliers, and keep employees productive anytime and anywhere.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Certificaten veroorzaken zeer regelmatig storingen

  07-02-2017 12:37
  De beschikbaarheid van kritieke online services wordt in toenemende mate verstoord door problemen met certificaten en sleutels. Het groeiende aantal IP-apparaten, cloud-services, DevOps en het intensievere gebruik van versleuteling zijn hier debet aan. Daarop duidt onderzoek in Europa en de VS van Dimensional Research... lees meer
  
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• Cybersecurity-banenmarkt wordt volwassen

  07-02-2017 12:01
  Het verschil tussen vraag en aanbod van banen in cyberbeveiliging is de afgelopen twee jaar toegenomen in Nederland. Vacatures voor engineers, consultants en directors voor cybersecurity zijn moeilijk te vervullen. Tegelijkertijd is de vraag bij bedrijven afgevlakt. Daarop duidt een data-analyse van vacaturesite... lees meer
  
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• TypeScript 2.2 plays nice with React Native JavaScript

  07-02-2017 12:00
  
  Microsoft's TypeScript language is approaching its 2.2 release with an emphasis on support for React Native, Facebook's JavaScript framework for building native mobile apps.
  The upgrade has moved to a release candidate status, which is commonly the last stage before general availability, and a road map for the language has version 2.2 arriving this month.[ Use JavaScript in your dev shop? InfoWorld looks at 17 JavaScript editors and IDEs and 22 JavaScript frameworks ready for adoption. | Keep u
  
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• If you own a PC with a DVD drive, you may get a $10 settlement

  07-02-2017 12:00
  
  DVD drives may be a thing of the past, but the past could pay you $10 via a proposed settlement from a class-action suit.
  If you purchased a DVD-ROM, DVD-RW or combination drive between April, 2003 and December 31, 2008, a collection of DVD drive manufacturers have tentatively agreed to pay you $10 per drive, whether you purchased the drive as part of a PC or by itself. You’ll simply need to visit the claim site and testify (under penalty of perjury) that you indeed purchased those drives
  
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• Hidden gems: 14 Python libraries too good to overlook

  07-02-2017 12:00
  
  Hidden gems: 14 Python libraries too good to overlookImage by InfoWorldWant a good reason for Python's smashing success as a language? Look no further than its massive collection of libraries, both native and third party. With so many libraries out there, though, it's no surprise some get crowded out and don't quite grab the attention they deserve. Plus, programmers who work exclusively in one domain don't always know about the goodies that may be available to them through libraries created for
  
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• Millennials can thrive by adding mainframe skills

  07-02-2017 11:25
  
  As older IT workers retire, the industry is in danger of losing critical mainframe technology skills. But tapping millennials to fill these critical roles is helping to keep innovation alive.
  "Credit cards, insurance companies, banks, government systems -- for any kind of large batch systems that use transactions like that, the mainframe is still the best at what it does from a processing speed and security perspective. That's why it lives on. And it sustains within large enterprises because the
  
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