Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » octobre 29, 2014

BetaNews.Com (16 non lus)

Samaritans Radar puts Twitter users on suicide watch

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 11:37pm CET par Mark Wilson

We all go through difficult times, and it can often be hard to cope with what life throws at us. Whether you're going through a particularly tricky patch and feeling low, or you're struggling with depression, it can be helpful to know that there are people you can talk to. But reaching out to people can be hard and it often falls to friends to notice signs of someone in trouble so they can be there when required.

Everyone would like to think they would notice when a friend starts to post worrying messages online, but the sheer volume of content we all consume each day means that it is easy to miss something important. Suicide prevention charity, Samaritans, has launched a new online venture, Samaritans Radar, which monitors the Twitter feeds of those who sign up, looking out for "potentially worrying tweets".

The UK charity explains that the service has been set up because people often use social media to express their innermost feelings, "sometimes in the hope that someone will reach out". Activate the service for your account and it will monitor the tweets of people you follow:

The app contains a special algorithm that looks for specific keywords and phrases that may indicate that someone is struggling to cope. Samaritans Radar then sends you an email if it thinks someone you follow might need some support. If this is the case, Samaritans Radar will offer you guidance on what to do next.

It's a fairly simple idea, but Samaritans Radar looks out for phrases such as "tired of being alone", "hate myself", "depressed", and other undisclosed terms. While the service is well-intentioned, there will be privacy concerns for many people. To try to allay such fears, Samaritans says "Samaritans Radar is activated discreetly and all alerts are sent to you alone -- never to your Twitter friends". This may not be enough to quieten the concerns of those who feel their feeds are now open to additional monitoring.
Feedly kills URL shortener to improve speed, security, and privacy

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 10:47pm CET par Mark Wilson

Back in January feedly -- the RSS reader that tried to fill the gap left by the death of Google Reader -- introduced a URL shortener. At the time it was billed as a "captur[ing] analytics about how people are engaging with the content you are sharing". Ten months later, the news service realized that this could be seen as being overly intrusive and has killed the tool.

The original blog post that heralded the launch of feedly.com/e has been updated to reflect the fact that the shortener is no more. "With hindsight this was a bad idea. We focused too much on feedly's growth versus doing what is right for users and for the Web. Sorry".

The change in direction comes as part of an update to feedly's web and mobile apps. A new blog post goes into a little more detail about the reasons for the change of heart. The company explains that the move is important for transparency, making it clear to users what they are going to see when they click a link.

It is the right thing to do for users, because people who receive those links in emails, SMSs and social media posts will be able to tell by looking at the URL where it leads and who created the content.

This is a move that will almost certainly be well-received by not only advocates of privacy, but also the security-conscious. However, if the boost to security and privacy are not enough, feedly sweetens things even further by pointing out that the move will "shave a few hundred milliseconds from the experience of loading the links".

Photo credit: Pavel Ignatov / Shutterstock
How to defeat network zombies this Halloween

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 7:14pm CET par Austin O'Malley

Zombies are a staple of the horror film industry despite being absurdly ill-equipped to play the role of a predatory force unleashing Armageddon on the human race. They're embarrassingly slow and brainless, for starters. They have terrible personal hygiene, can't operate machinery of any kind, they can't drive and they even don't know how to use a computer or a smartphone. As if that wasn't bad enough, no one has properly explained why some people they kill become zombies and others are completely gobbled up.

Network zombies, on the other hand, are an all too real menace for the modern-day IT administrator. They are smarter than the average zombie, impossible to predict because they appear randomly without warning and dangerous because they cause downtime and lost productivity. Without the right approach, they are nearly impossible to locate and kill.

Network zombies are real

The process required to detect and eliminate network zombies is far more challenging than the swift headshot that eradicates their human counterparts. Network zombies are much harder to track down and kill because they often appear, wreak havoc and disappear. There's no trail of abandoned vehicles and half-eaten bodies to follow.

The only trace evidence is captured in event logs that are often buried in large volumes of hard to connect data. The root cause can be hidden almost anywhere because most business applications are complex entities that interact with multiple resources, such as databases, web servers, directory services and the network itself. That complexity forces the administrator through a slow, labor-intensive investigative process that can delay other daily tasks and projects.

Without a clear view of the zombie, the system administrator is forced to review event logs from every part of the application environment, analyzing long lists of events in multiple logs item by item to find an outstanding event, error condition, or combination of conditions that correlate to the timeframe in which users began to complain. The process can take many hours, if not weeks.

Hunting for zombies doesn't have to be hard -- using the tools you have

The greatest challenge in hunting zombies is where to begin. Is the zombie in an application, database or web server? Or is it a network issue? Without a valid starting point, there is no way to select the right diagnostic path and conduct an efficient hunt.

Effective Application Performance Monitoring (APM) can overcome this impasse by linking all application dependencies. Most organizations have a tool already in place to do this, but it is often underused or even overlooked as a tool for battling zombies. If used well, targeted, real-time monitoring puts administrators on the right diagnostic path, while clear graphic displays make it easy to follow that path to find the zombies causing the problems.

The APM uses application profiles to locate and identify zombies. Application profiles define how an application is monitored and what actions should be taken when an application or one of its components fails. The most useful APMs also define complex relationships and dependencies – from simple n-tier applications to large server farms to complete IT services.

In a SQL server farm, an application profile can be created to monitor each SQL server instance for zombies. Individual profiles can then be embedded into a higher-level profile to monitor the entire SQL server farm. Once the server farm profile is created, it can be embedded into an even higher-level profile that encompasses the entire service it is part of, such as CRM.

Replicating this process for each IT service component creates a comprehensive service profile to hunt and trap network zombies. The profile ensures the administrator can view the status of the entire service or drill down to any component within that service, to a specific instance or component of an application.

The resulting comprehensive service monitoring profile is the foundation for fast, accurate zombie eradication. Completing a service profile generally takes less than two hours but after that small investment in time, the process of hunting zombies can be collapsed from hours, days and weeks of time into a straightforward process that takes just minutes. If you multiply this by the number of zombie complaints an administrator receives, the amount of time saved could be considerable.

Expanding APM capabilities to the network can also help an administrator to identify the root cause of a network zombie attack easily.

Greater protection against the zombie menace

Once zombies have been caught, system administrators can use an APM to create multi-step action zombie traps to address future invasions more quickly. Traps can include event logging, real-time alerts and PowerShell self-healing scripts such as reboot and service restart. Setting zombie trap policies can be assigned at the service, application and component level. Dependency-aware application profiles enable coordinated multi-tier zombie traps to ensure optimal performance of complex applications and IT services.

An APM tool can streamline the process of hunting and trapping zombies, whether they reside in a device or in the network itself, from many hours of exhausting work into a few highly-productive minutes.

Now there's a weapon people confronted with shuffling zombies in a horror film might wish they had at their disposal.

Austin O'Malley is chief product officer at Ipswitch.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Breach detection market expected to exceed $1.3 billion by 2018

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 5:28pm CET par Ian Barker

Security breaches have become a major worry for businesses in the last two years and that's reflected in strong growth of the market for breach detection products.

A new market intelligence brief by NSS Labs looks at the rapid rise of breach detection systems (BDS). In 2013 the BDS market was worth over $289 million dollars, up 99 percent over the previous year.

The market is expected to continue growing at an annual rate of 36.9 percent to reach $1.39 billion by 2018. Given that BDS is an emerging market with few products that have been around for more than three years this is an impressive jump.

The study finds that lack of mature solutions along with inconsistent marketing is, however, causing considerable confusion around the necessity, effectiveness and best practices for deployment of these products. The high price of many on-premises solutions is also inhibiting adoption.

Another barrier is that BDS solutions are complex in their own right and require a level of security expertise that is currently hard to find. As a result many vendors are deploying cloud-based or managed offerings to offset the high costs and complexities of BDS. NSS Labs predicts that hybrid solutions could become the primary vehicle for BDS deployments in the future.

Current BDS offerings are deployed primarily as hardware appliances, but many vendors are also introducing virtual appliances, software as a service and the endpoint as part of the product suite.

The report notes that, "The immediate challenges for the BDS market are twofold: Vendors must demonstrate that these expensive solutions do in fact provide increased security (i.e, they will discover threats that all other devices in the security stack have missed), and end users must be trained in how to deploy these devices and manage their output".

To address the training issue some vendors are offering services built around these solutions or are integrating breach detection into their existing security products.

NSS Labs concludes that there's no best approach to BDS, it's more important to determine what works best for a particular business. More details on the report are available on the NSS labs site.

Image Credit: Sergey Nivens / Shutterstock
Apple Pay rival CurrentC hacked -- email addresses stolen

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 5:24pm CET par Wayne Williams

Yesterday, Ed Oswald wrote a story about the retailer-backed payment network CurrentC, describing it as a threat to iPhone and Android users alike. In the article he spoke about the security of the system, saying "CurrentC is overly complicated, and just leaves too many opportunities for something to go wrong, or a hacker to make their way in".

He turns out to have been spot on, as today MCX admits its service has already been hacked, with email addresses of participants in the pilot program and other interested individuals being stolen. Hardly the most auspicious of starts. The following email was sent to those affected:

Thank you for your interest in CurrentC. You are receiving this message because you are either a participant in our pilot program or requested information about CurrentC. Within the last 36 hours, we learned that unauthorized third parties obtained the e-mail addresses of some of you. Based on investigations conducted by MCX security personnel, only these e-mail addresses were involved and no other information.

In an abundance of caution, we wanted to make you aware of this incident and urge you not to open links or attachments from unknown third parties. Also know that neither CurrentC nor Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX) will ever send you emails asking for your financial account, social security number or other personally identifiable information. So if you are ever asked for this information in an email, you can be confident it is not from us and you should not respond.

MCX is continuing to investigate this situation and will provide updates as necessary. We take the security of your information extremely seriously, apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your support of CurrentC.

The CurrentC mobile app itself wasn’t breached, but a hack this early on hardly inspires confidence and will come as a major blow to the payment network's credibility. MCX's claim that it takes "the security of your information extremely seriously" seems laughable when made in a message admitting to having failed to secure the email addresses of supporters of the service.
How mobile users think and behave online

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 4:11pm CET par Daniel Weisbeck

The lines between business and personal mobile use are blurring as the way consumers use their devices becomes increasingly diverse. This is leading mobile users everywhere toward an always-connected existence, dominated by mobile devices, and where brands must work even harder to meet their visitors' needs.

With this in mind, Netbiscuits recently conducted a survey of more than 6,000 consumers from six countries, asking them for their insights and thoughts around mobile web usage and behavior. Here, Netbiscuits CEO Daniel Weisbeck recaps the top ten findings from the UK, US, Germany, China, India and Brazil.

Work to do for Apple Pay and the mobile payments revolution

While we expect Apple to drive mobile payments through their ecosystem, currently 48 percent of global survey respondents said that they had never heard of NFC, rising to as high as 69 percent in the UK.

Brand loyalty is dying on the mobile web

The surge of online, particularly mobile, has opened up consumer choice to such a point that is has rendered brand loyalty a virtually redundant concept. In fact, 91 percent of consumers will turn to a rival brand if a mobile site is inadequate. Many will never return.

This trend was particularly prevalent amongst the 18-34 generation, with the older age ranges displaying more patience and loyalty. So, as the next generation emerge, what will become of brand loyalty?

Report says 96 percent of consumers want more from the mobile web

Mobile consumers are trying to do more complex things with the web than in last year's survey and this is leading to some dissatisfaction. Brands need to work harder, especially as 91 percent of consumers will turn to a rival brand if a mobile site is inadequate.

Millennial generation see privacy as a 'non-issue'

While not blasé, the 18-34 age range showed much more willingness to hand over private information if it improved their online experience. Globally, 79 percent say they will share their location in order to receive additional services.

However, there is caution for brands not to overstep the mark as 48 percent of 18 to 24 year olds have deleted an app because they feel it is too.

FOMO Culture Sees Explosion of Mobile Multitaskers

Globally we saw that mobile phones are used consistently throughout the day, even when computers are at hand, while 34 percent surf the mobile web while still in bed.

14 percent are connected to the mobile web while in the bathroom and 22 percent will be using their own mobile device while at work to take care of tasks, such as paying bills

It's clear we have now entered the Age of super multitasking. While watching TV, 35 percent of consumers will perform a number of other tasks on the web, including search, watching videos, booking holidays and shopping.

Can in-store technology fuel a retail renaissance for struggling stores?

The death of the high street has been long predicted, however, consumers have not given up on retail, with 16% of mobile web shoppers are shopping on the mobile web while physically out looking around stores.

A majority (63 percent) of survey respondents said that they would be happy to receive offers and information on their device related to the shop (or even the shop aisle) that they were in

And, in the true style of 'The Matrix,' more people said that they agreed that would be happy with personalized adverts as they entered or walked round a store (42 percent said yes, compared to 29 percent for no).

People will promote or punish brands

80 percent of respondents identified that they have recommended a brand based on the mobile web experience. 29 percent said that they do this often or very often

25 to 34 year olds are most likely to leave feedback and recommendations via a mobile device about a product or service. The same age group is most likely to make recommendations to friends and family based on their mobile web experience

90 percent of respondents in this age group agreed that they recommend a brand based on its mobile website and 38 percent do this often or very often.

However, as we learned, the 18 to 34 age group is also the least tolerant and generally perceive their experience to be worse

Wearables not as strong in cynical Europe

Asian markets are more favorable than their European counterparts, while Brazil has the most positive attitude towards smart glasses and second most positive attitude to the idea of using smart watches to surf websites

Overall, on a global scale, people found the concept of smart glasses intrusive, no more so than in Germany, where 47 percent said that they felt this was the case, while only 11 percent disagreed with that statement

Equally, even if the design were improved so that they looked more like real glasses, only 15 percent of German users would be convinced by this

The strangest result was in India, where most agreed that the concept is intrusive, however, 58 percent would wear Google Glass if they looked more like real glasses

44 percent of mobile web users in India say that they feel uncomfortable talking to devices, a sentiment felt even more strongly in the UK and Germany. The USA differed here. It was the only country where a larger proportion of respondents disagreed that talking to devices made them feel uncomfortable

How trustworthy are stereotypes on the global mobile web?

Overall, both men and women are almost equally likely to say that they are shopping while connected to the mobile web. Adult entertainment is more than twice as popular amongst men than it is amongst women. The same is true for betting

In terms of betting, the largest group is found in China, where 17 percent of total respondents said that they had used the mobile web for this purpose, compared to 13 percent in the UK and 9 percent in the USA.

In India, betting is lowest at only 5 percent of respondents. This is also where most people use the mobile web to follow religion, with one in five saying that they use the mobile web for

Apps at risk from deletion if it asks too much of consumers

Globally, 91 percent of people said that they have deleted an app because it is intrusive or wants too much information, with 40 percent of users saying that they do this often or very often. Users in the United States were least sensitive on this issue.

On the mobile web, 44 percent say that they regularly delete cookies or browsing history from their devices

Strangely, Germans are least likely to be deleting cookies and browsing history. However, despite this, Germans are hugely sensitive about information being used to improve experiences, such as personalized product recommendations

The full report is available to download for free from the Netbiscuits website.

Image Credit: William Perugini/Shutterstock

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Europeans love iPhone 6, 6 Plus not so much

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 3:49pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Europeans are a conservative bunch when it comes to the form factor of their beloved iPhones, as most of those who purchase one of Apple's new handsets opt for the smaller model. In fact, iPhone 6 is so popular among consumers on the old continent that it outsells the iPhone 6 Plus phablet by a whopping five to one.

The difference in sales is to be expected, given that phablets are still somewhat part of a niche today, and the majority of those who buy iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus -- that would be existing iPhone users -- are more accustomed to less intimidating dimensions, like those of iPhone 6. However, Apple is right to jump on the phablet bandwagon, considering how big of a role such devices are expected to play in smartphone sales just a few years down the road, and the hit iPhone's market share is taking from Android handsets.

The finding about European's preference for smaller iPhone 6 over iPhone 6 Plus is part of a new report that was just issued by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, which also reveals that the new iPhones are in very high demand in Europe. That shouldn't surprise anyone.

After all, first weekend sales were 10 million units, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have received rave reviews, their displays are finally larger as demanded by consumers, and Europe is home to some of the largest mature markets in the world, where quite a few folks can afford to purchase the pricey iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. It is a killer combo for strong iPhone sales.

"In Great Britain, where the new iPhone models started shipping on 19 September, Apple saw its sales share up by 1.7 percent compared with the same period last year, taking share of iOS to 31 percent", says Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Dominic Sunnebo. "Across the major European markets, where the new iPhone models were made available between the 19 and 26 September, initial sales of the new iPhone models have overwhelmingly been from existing iPhone owners (87 percent)". The report focuses on five European markets, namely France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK.

In the quarter ending September 2014, in Europe, iPhones had a market share of 15.4 percent, only surpassed by Android handsets with 73.9 percent. Windows Phone came in third place, with 9.2 percent market share. Meanwhile, in US, iPhone's market share dropped, by three percentage points year-over-year, thanks to the success of smartphones like LG G3 and Motorola Moto X. However, the report still claims that "it is clear that demand for the iPhone 6 has been very healthy".
How video conferencing helps businesses cut costs

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 1:07pm CET par Jack Bennett

While successful businesses vary wildly in how they operate, one aspect seems to be shared -- an established communication system, both internally and externally. Through this communication infrastructure, high-level leaders can stay connected with corporate leaders, managers, and lower-level employees, allowing for precise instructions, procedures, and overall progress, to be effectively communicated and comprehended by all parties involved.

The problem most businesses encounter is maintaining that line of communication. This is especially true for larger companies with establishments in various locales.

Enter…Video Conferencing

Most businesses, especially larger ones, often encounter some sort of flaw in their communication systems. Business leaders are often dealing with major, long-term operations, ultimately resulting in a lack of physical communication (verbal, face-to-face, etc.). For a business to function optimally, every leader and worker must know precisely what their responsibilities are. However, when physical communication is hindered, certain facial clues and bodily gestures -- both crucial for adequate comprehension -- are not seen.

Over the years, the rise in technology (primarily smartphones) has led to a phenomenal increase in video conferencing technology, either through calls or instant messaging (IM) chats. While the percentage of individual use of video and phone conference services like Polycom is on the rise, businesses have also caught on, finding that the adoption of video conferencing can not only reduce costs, but improve the versatility of their communications infrastructure as well.

Aside from the obvious cost improvements, video conferencing also allows for everyone, regardless of setting, to communicate with one another. In all reality though, the benefits associated with video conferencing are abundant. Some of these benefits include:

1.) Rapid Outreach

Arguably one of the greatest benefits of video conferencing is the speed at which vital information can be communicated. Since most businesses have competitors, the simple aspect of being able to communicate important details (goals, sales quotas, deadlines, etc.) can be the stepping stone needed to get out ahead of the pack, so to speak. Another fantastic benefit is the ability to hold virtual meetings. What this means is that leaders, managers, associates, and employees can basically talk amongst one another from any location.

2.) Optimized Business Operations

For the most part, the bulk of communication within a business occurs through email because it is fast and convenient. However, emails can easily become misconstrued and interpreted wrong, likely resulting in a lack of communication. With video conferencing, however, because the communication is taking place face-to-face, business leaders can make sure their managers completely understand what is being asked of them. This in turn, can be translated effectively to employees. Not only that, but video conferencing also allows for any misunderstandings or questions to be adjusted immediately.

3.) An Eco-Friendly Improvement

Lately, the trend with most businesses is reducing their carbon footprint in order to alleviate some of the negative effects that might be afflicted on the surrounding environment. While it may not seem like it at first, video conferencing can actually help reduce this carbon footprint simply by reducing the amount of travel needed to facilitate business. Business executives are often on the move, traveling from place to place. This usually means taking a car or plane, which produce harmful emissions into the environment. However, the adoption of video conferencing can eliminate a significant amount of travel by allowing executives to communicate virtually.

As you can see, besides reducing costs, establishing a video conferencing system within a business can result in a multitude of benefits. Ultimately, a business needs to be able to adapt and respond to various stimuli, both internally and externally. Video conferencing helps bridge the communication gap.

Image Credit: Andrey_Popov / Shutterstock
Tor user? Your computer could be infected with malware

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 12:22pm CET par Paul Cooper

Authorities are advising all users of the Tor network to check their computers for malware after it emerged that a Russian hacker has been using the network to spread a powerful virus.

Tor, which began as a secret project from the US Naval Research Laboratory, works by piling up layers of encryption over data, nested like the layers of an onion, which gave the network its original name, The Onion Router (TOR).

Tor encrypts data, including the destination IP address, multiple times and sends it through a virtual circuit made up of successive, randomly selected relays. Each relay decrypts a layer of encryption to reveal only the next relay in the circuit.

The final relay decrypts the innermost layer of encryption and sends the original data to its destination without revealing, or even knowing, the source IP address.

However, it has emerged that one of these exit nodes had been modified to alter any program downloaded over the network. This allowed the attacker to put his own executable code in such programs, and potentially take control of victims' computers.

Due to the altered node, any Windows executable downloaded over the network was wrapped in malware, and worryingly even files downloaded over Windows Update were affected.

The American National Security Agency (NSA) has made considerable efforts in the past to crack the encryption protocols behind Tor, but to limited success. Instead, they've just banked on tracking everyone who uses it, or even searched about it on Google.

Anyone who thinks they might have been infected should take security precautions and check out our guide on what to do if you think your email account has been hacked.

Have you been affected by the Tor hack? If so, let us know in the comments section below.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Oppo R5 is the thinnest smartphone around at only 4.85mm thick

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 11:30am CET par Mihaita Bamburic

No one can deny that making handsets thinner and thinner is a persistent trend in the mobile device market. Rarely do we see a new, prominent smartphone or tablet being thicker than its predecessor. Manufacturers love to be able to tout during announcements and in ads just how insanely slim their new products are, like this is a feature that us, consumers, are dying to get. (Sadly, sometimes that may be the only thing that such handsets have got going for them.)

Still, if you are one of those who prefer insanely-thin smartphones, Oppo has just the thing for you. The Chinese manufacturer just unveiled "the slimmest phone in the world", called R5, measuring just 4.85 mm thick. To give you an idea of just how thin it is, it shames Apple's new iPhone 6, which comes in at 6.9 mm thick.

So what else does R5 have going for it? Well, it is made of "hand polished steel", so it should feel really good in the hand. The build material is designed to absorb heat well, so the device does not overheat or become uncomfortable to hold. Focus should be very fast, and there is support for focusing after the fact. It is ready for low-light photography. It can take 50 MP photos through stitching. Charging for half an hour will top 75 percent of the battery, while a five-minute charge will allow a two-hour phone call.

Here are the main specs: 5.2-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1,080 by 1,920; 1.5 GHz, 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor; 2 GB of RAM; 2,000 mAh battery; 13 MP main Sony camera with f/2.0 aperture and 4K video recording; 5 MP front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture; 16 GB of internal storage; 4G LTE; Wi-Fi 802.11ac; it runs the Android 4.4 KitKat-based ColorOS 2.0. It measures 148.9 x 74.5 × 4.85 mm and weighs 155 grams.

While there is no word yet on when R5 hits store shelves, Oppo revealed that it costs $499 off-contract.

Alongside R5, Oppo also unveiled N3. Its highlight is the 206 degree, 16 MP motorized swiveling camera on top of the display, which should make it a great choice for selfie lovers. It packs a 5.5-inch display with the same resolution as R5, and is powered by a 2.3 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, as the other main differences compared to R5. It's bigger, obviously, and heavier, at 161.2 × 77 × 8.7 mm and 192 grams.

Off-contract price is $649. It will be available in up to 20 markets across the globe by year's end.
Bring your own security approach protects Azure cloud apps

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 11:15am CET par Ian Barker

Securing applications in the cloud can prove a difficult challenge for businesses. Any solution needs to balance protection against accessibility and not harm performance.

Java security specialist Waratek has used the Microsoft TechEd Europe conference in Barcelona to announce an innovative bring your own security (BYOS) approach to the problem called Waratek Locker.

It's a secure container that provides Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP) for Java applications deployed on the Azure cloud platform. Waratek Locker provides transparent protection against business logic and network layer threats regardless of where an application is hosted and without the need to make any code changes.

The product works within the Java virtual machine allowing it to provide security monitoring, policy enforcement and attack blocking. It can guard cloud applications from exploits that target vulnerabilities in third party libraries and malicious activity including SQL injection, abnormal file manipulation or unexpected network connections.

Applications deployed in Waratek Locker are protected by a rule-based engine. This can be remotely managed by administrators and it comes pre-configured with rules to restrict application access to only required files and network functions, and to block SQL injection attacks.

"Microsoft Azure is a powerful platform for deploying enterprise applications in the cloud that includes industry leading infrastructure level security," says Brian Maccaba, CEO of Waratek. "With Waratek Locker we enable organizations to bring their own application security controls to Azure in one easy to deploy and manage container. It is truly portable enterprise class security for the cloud".

You can find out more and get a free trial on the Waratek website. The company has also made a free tool available for writing custom security rules.

Photo Credit: Slavoljub Pantelic / Shutterstock
FireFTP is a great FTP/ SFTP client for Firefox

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 11:02am CET par Mike Williams

First proposed in its basic form more than 40 years ago, File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is an archaic networking technology which should have been ditched long ago.

Remarkably, though, it’s still useful in some areas -- when accessing your own web server, maybe -- and as a result there’s still a strong demand for FTP clients. Normally this might involve installing something like FileZilla; it’s fast, reliable, packed with features, and a great choice for heavy-duty FTP users.

But if you’re looking for something simpler, Firefox add-on FireFTP could be a very good choice.

Launch it from the Tools > Web Developer menu (you can add it to your toolbar if you prefer) and FireFTP displays a very familiar FTP client-type interface; local file browser on the left, remote server on the right, status pane below, and "account creation" tools to save the details of your favorite sites. (Good news if you’re a FileZilla user: FireFTP can import your existing stored sites in a few seconds.)

Once you’ve connected, files can be transferred between local and remote folders by browsing to them, and dragging and dropping.

There are built-in sync tools to compare and synchronise individual folders, or entire local and remote folder trees.

Despite "only" being a browser add-on, FireFTP also has all the other essentials you’d expect from an FTP client. There’s automatic resume for broken transfers, full SSL/TLS/SFTP support, CHMOD and full file properties, remote editing, FXP and more.

This is all very easy to use, but if you’re an FTP newcomer -- or just run into some odd problem or bug -- then you might still have questions occasionally. Fortunately the developer understands this, and the FireFTP site has a lot of detailed help available.

The program still can’t compete with FileZilla or other high-end FTP clients, of course, but FireFTP is more than powerful enough for many applications. If your FTP needs are straightforward, go take a look.
Keyless cars being targeted by high-tech thieves in London

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 8:57am CET par Jamie Hinks

Thefts of cars that use keyless fobs to gain access are on the rise after criminals gained the ability to hack into the car’s onboard computer and it is causing some luxury car owners to be refused insurance.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers [SMMT] reports that organized crime syndicates have been able to bypass the onboard security by using software only meant for mechanics and start vehicles using the ignition button present in many high end models, such as Range Rovers and BMWs.

"The criminal act of stealing vehicles through the re-programming of remote-entry keys is an on-going industry-wide problem," said Jaguar Land Rover, according to the BBC. "Our line-up continues to meet the insurance industry requirements as tested and agreed with relevant insurance bodies. Nevertheless we are taking this issue very seriously and our engineering teams are actively working in collaboration with insurance bodies and police forces to solve this continuously evolving problem".

It has come to a head with one Range Rover Evoque driver telling The Times that they were refused cover due to the fact the car couldn’t be parked in a garage or secured location.

On the whole car theft is down with figures from the UK Office for National Statistics showing that thefts are dropped from 318,000 in 2002 to 77,500 in 2013 though London has seen a spike and many of those vehicles stolen use this new technology.

One security expert, on the other hand, is still somewhat baffled by what the nature of the problem actually is but are calling for all new technologies of this ilk to be completely secured before released into the wild.

"What is unclear at this time is whether this is related to a software/hardware vulnerability or another weakness in their system" Vicente Diaz, Principal Security Researcher, Global Research and Analysis Team at Kaspersky, told us.

"This is a timely reminder of how fast times and technology are moving; how cars are implementing more and more technology for different systems and how attackers are actively looking for ways of bypassing security mechanisms implemented, for their own gain. This means, more than ever, that security should be a priority in any new systems or designs, rather than the afterthought it often is," Diaz added.

Image Credit: Flickr (Ming-Yen Hsu)

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Woof! Woof! Puppy Linux reaches version 6.0 -- fetch it now!

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 2:58am CET par Brian Fagioli

Linux is pretty darn awesome when used on super-powerful machines. However, where the kernel really shines is when operating systems leverage it for less powerful computers. In other words, Linux can breathe new life into old computers thanks to lightweight distributions.

One of the most infamous lightweight distros is Puppy Linux. Aw, puppies are cute, right? Sure they are, but so too is the operating system that bears the name. You see, it loads from a CD/DVD or flash drives, but it runs from system RAM, making it quite fast (and secure). Today, Puppy Linux achieves 6.0 release, and you can download it now.

"Since I retired from developing Puppy Linux early in 2014, keen members of the Puppy-community forked my Woof Puppy-builder, naming it woof-CE. Since then, 01micko has been active with a Puppy built from Slackware packages, named "Slacko Puppy", latest is 5.7 with a new release expected soon. The guys have also been working on another pup, built from Ubuntu Trusty Tahr binary packages, under the leadership of Phil Broughton (666philb in the Puppy Forum), and this has now reached release status. It is named 'Tahrpup' and is version 6.0", says Barry Kauler, creator of Puppy Linux.

The now-retired creator further explains, "Tahrpup is an official release of Puppy Linux for those who would like the package manager to have compatibility with the large collection of packages in the Ubuntu repository, and able to install and use most of them. Some default package choices, such as VLC, UI and system operations, are different from the Slacko Puppy build, which may be other reasons users might choose Tahrpup".

If you are interested in reviving an old computer or just playing around with Linux, you can download the ISO here. Since you do not have to commit to a hard drive, it makes great way to try Linux for beginners. However, privacy-focused users may like it for this reason too, as it is a good way to hide your tracks.

Do you use Puppy Linux? Tell me in the comments.
Logitech announces Keys-To-Go Bluetooth keyboard, refreshes cases for iPad Air 2

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 2:38am CET par Brian Fagioli

Some people are fans of movies or books; me? I love computer peripherals. Yeah, its crazy, but PCI cards, keyboards and mice really get my motor running. With that said, I particularly appreciate quality and value. In other words, I like solid build quality and reasonable prices.

It is for these reasons that I am am a Logitech fan. Yes, there are other companies that make awesome keyboards and mice too, such as Microsoft, but Logitech tends to have a more diverse product offering. Today, the company announces the all-new Keys-To-Go Bluetooth keyboard, which takes a rather unique design approach to mobile typing. True, a small keyboard is not innovative, but the svelte nature of the design is something to behold.

"The Logitech Keys-To-Go is a standalone ultra-portable Bluetooth keyboard that is thin, light and durable, making it the perfect partner for on-the-go typing. At just 6.1 mm thick and 180 grams, it’s simple to tuck into your purse, briefcase or coat pocket without taking up precious space or weighing you down, and is compatible with the entire iPad lineup. What's more, the rechargeable battery can last up to three months on a single charge, so its ready to type whenever (and wherever!) inspiration strikes", says Logitech.

You can see the keyboard in use in the video below.

It is incredibly thin, which makes throwing it in a backpack or pocket-book ideal. What's really cool though, is that it is spill-resistant. If you are in the middle of a marathon writing session at Starbucks, and you spill coffee on it, don't panic; just wipe it off.

Logitech is marketing this for the iPad; however, it should work with any operating system that supports Bluetooth, including Android. That said, the layout appears optimized for iOS, so it may not be all roses.

Speaking of the iPad, Apple recently released the all-new iPad Air 2, which is unfortunately thinner than its predecessor. I say "unfortunately", because it is now incompatible with existing iPad Air cases. No worries, Logitech is refreshing a couple of its keyboard cases for the all-new Apple tablet.

Logitech explains, "if you're looking for a keyboard that can provide your brand new iPad Air 2 with added protection, we've updated two of our most popular protective iPad cases with integrated keyboards, the Logitech Type+ and the Logitech Ultrathin".

If you are interested in any of these 3 products, the good news is, you do not have to wait long. All 3 will be available in November. The Keys-To-Go will be a reasonable $69, while the Ultrathin is $89 and the Type+ is $99, respectively.
Google wants to get sloppy Android fans off the couch and into shape, releases Fit app

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 2:35am CET par Brian Fagioli

You haven't exercised in a while. It's OK, we know. We can see you getting winded when playing Wii. Who can blame you? I mean, nowadays, there is such incredible technology, that it is hard to be impressed by real life. It is easier to sit on the couch with your precious Nexus 7 watching Law and Order than going for a walk. Hell, maybe you are a Brony and you watch My Little Pony; whatever, it is your life. No judgement. Well, a little judgement -- you are fat and need to get in shape. Your parents are worried about you.

Don't worry, Google is going to motivate you. No, the company is not going to dangle an Inbox invite on a string in front of you and have you chase it around the yard, although that would probably work. Today, the company releases an app called "Fit" that is aimed at getting you off the couch and moving. Sure, it is ironic that technology is being used to motivate sedentary Android fans, since technology has contributed to their lazy ways. But hey, whatever works, right?

"When it comes to improving our fitness, every little effort counts. That's why we've created Google Fit – a fitness app that helps you to start tracking your activity effortlessly and become more active, aware and motivated. Google Fit uses sensors already built in to your Android phone to automatically detect walking, biking and running. And you can set and monitor your fitness goals based on your activity levels. It’s a great tool to discover how active you are and check in on your progress as you work on your fitness goals. In fact, you can check in just about anywhere, including your phone, the web, tablet and Android Wear devices", says Sabrina Ellis, Director, Product Management, Android .

Ellis further explains, "you can also connect your favorite fitness devices and apps like Strava, Withings, Runtastic, Runkeeper and Noom Coach to Google Fit and we'll surface all of the relevant data in one spot, giving you a clear and complete view of your fitness. No need to check one app to see your weight and another to review a run -- with Google Fit, that data will all be surfaced in one, simple place".

Google deserves major props for focusing on activity and exercise. If you think about it, the company is looking out for the well-being of its users, and that is damn cool.

Sadly, I have something to confess -- I am out of shape. It's true, I know it is hard to believe. Coincidentally, I am also an Android fan, who has an Android Wear watch. Starting tomorrow, I will be starting a diet and leveraging Google Fit to help me track my fitness goals in an effort to lose weight and be healthy. Will it work? Who knows, but at least Google has empowered me with a new tool.

Of course, I will listen to the following song as I exercise:

Will you try Google Fit? Tell me in the comments.

Photo Credit: kurhan / Shutterstock