Data and Security

The arrival of martech was heralded as the next stage of marketing. These platforms enabled marketers to gather endless reams of data so they could reconfigure their approach and boost their conversions. The theory was that the better businesses got to know their customers, the more appealing they could make their offers. What actually happened […]

The good news is that data breaches appear to be declining in 2018, according to the Risk Based Security Q1 2018 Data Breach QuickView Report. The first three months of 2018 witnessed 686 breaches compared to 1,442 breaches in the same quarter in 2017. The bad news is that numerous breach strategies still work, including malware, phishing, […]

If you scour the internet for your personal data, stop. It’s already out there in the hands of companies, and no number of removal requests will change that. What you should be worried about is whether executives at these companies are asking themselves the right question: What constitutes ethical use of consumer data? What if you […]

More enterprises are investing in mobile applications on platforms preferably iOS. The 2016 enterprise mobile apps report brought out by Adobe reinforces the growing need for enterprises to invest in mobile apps. With Apple constituting a major share of the world smartphone market, iOS tend to be the most preferred platform in enterprise app development. […]

Although FCC Chairman Ajit Pai stated, “I strongly support a free and open internet,” the FCC officially repealed net neutrality on June 11th. The original net neutrality laws protected the internet by referring to it as a common carrier. That meant it fairly provided a service like utilities to everyone. However, repealing net neutrality laws […]

GDPR is coming and many organizations are changing their ways – you must have noticed getting emailed from your favorite websites about their new policies. One of the most sensitive data pipes in every big organization is the CRM (Customer Relationship Management), which contains all of the private information of both the company and their […]

There’s no getting around it: the way marketers and retailers harness the power of big data can be a little on the creepy side. An innocent Google search on a specific subject can often result in you seeing nothing but targeted ads on that subject for the rest of the week wherever you turn.  Yet […]

In 2013, hackers managed to access the AP twitter account and posted a fake tweet implying that there was an explosion in White House and the then President Obama had been injured. Following the Tweet, the stock market went into panic mode with the Dow plunging over 150 points and the S&P 500 shedding $135.6 […]

The big data trend continues, and more and more companies are hopping on the bandwagon. While many organizations assume they need big data’s wisdom, often the “small” operational data they already have will do just fine. Operational data is internal data, such as the data that gives Uber its ability to dispatch cars. Big data, […]

Every time you’ve installed a piece of commercial software, you’ve invariably been presented with what must have appeared to be legal gibberish- a seeming difficult to read, needlessly long, solid block of text that was almost impossible to understand. Most people never bother to read the information presented- quickly scrolling to the bottom of the […]

For a business in digital transition, data architecture is a big decision. Selecting the right model is one of the first and most important choices of any such initiative. But given the breadth of options and confusing terminology, choosing a solution that meets the company’s needs without blowing its budget is no easy task. Two […]

For all of the “isms” supposedly being felled by enlightened Americans, the U.S. economy remains stunningly unfair. Take racism. On one hand, interracial marriages have grown fivefold in the 50 years since Loving v. Virginia, which legalized the practice. On the other, the average median household wealth of African-Americans declined by 75 percent between 1983 […]

The smart city began as a science fiction dream, but it’s very quickly becoming a reality. Municipal infrastructure, integrated with smart technology, will transform the aesthetics, utility, and sustainability of urban landscapes from here on out. To see a smart city in action, just look to Washington, D.C., which has embraced a top-down approach to […]

Companies may be well aware they’re sitting on a gold mine of data, but most of them have no idea how to exploit its value. Case in point: According to research by Forrester, up to 73 percent of corporate data goes unanalyzed. Information is collected, then neglected. That’s as unproductive as living with Superman and […]

In February 2017, the Transformations Autism Treatment Center learned that one of its former behavioral analysts had breached its security. According to his indictment, Jeffrey Luke illegally accessed a TACT Google Drive account and stole protected health information from more than 300 current and former patients. TACT’s cyber breach is especially concerning because Luke had […]

In 2006 Google’s acquired YouTube for $1.65 billion, and Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion in 2012.   Many dismissed these purchases as indulgences of cash-rich tech behemoths, and federal regulators took no action.  But, these acquisitions were far from frivolous.  They shut out potential competitors, strengthening Google’s market dominance in search and Facebook’s in social media. And, now […]

Data has never been more critical to marketing success. Companies are striving to employ the latest analytics to drive improvement in all areas of operations. The good news is that the majority of consumers are willing to provide data, given the right conditions. In fact, a 2018 survey by Acxiom found that 58 percent of […]

The debate about companies’ use of location data has gained a lot of traction this year. However, that shouldn’t make you shy about using it. In the right hands, used the right way, location data is an invaluable tool in any market. Your competition knows this, and the debate isn’t slowing them down, either. According […]

The majority of cyberattacks aren’t large-scale, coordinated efforts to break through tough defenses and acquire valuable data; instead, they’re simple and opportunistic. A “hacker” might stumble upon someone’s password because they left it written on a sticky note, or they might take advantage of an account that was left logged in on a public computer. […]

Disruption is happening everywhere! It is the new world mantra. Everyone is thinking about new things, innovation as we come to know it. We are in an age where new technologies are replacing old ways of doing things; nothing is the same again. From self-driven cars to electric cars, from video marketing to AI-powered service-based […]

Why can’t products be designed with consumer privacy in mind? A recent controversy surrounding FaceApp collecting its users’ images has brought to light several data privacy issues. We only need to look at FB terms and conditions agreement to see that consumers are signing away rights to their personal information. The fact that the designed product, Facebook, […]

Is there a real choice between privacy and safety in surveillance? As artificial intelligence continues to advance, we’ve seen an increased focus on privacy. A 2019 report from the American Civil Liberties Union contains an ominous warning: Artificial intelligence-enabled video surveillance will soon compromise our civil liberties in a dangerous way. Consider a false choice between […]

Employees can be your greatest defense against security threats. These security threats abound because it is our nature to trust many different people with sensitive information. A security threat even has a loophole into our employee logins. There will always be human error, which is something companies must take into account when strategizing security. All […]

Small businesses are the backbone of the economy. They employ the vast majority of Americans, keep communities thriving, and produce the lion’s share of innovations. Small business is the backbone of our way of life; that’s why it’s so troubling that SMBs often underestimate the risk of cyberattacks. Managed Service Provider’s (MSPs) should ask customers […]

Large-scale domain name system hijackings — usually in the form of DNS spoofing or DDoS attacks — have been on a steady rise for years. But the unprecedented number of DNS hijackings in 2019 has prompted the U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre to alert and advise organizations on the threat. Learn how to protect your domain name system […]

Information security leaders and professionals are not clear on the differences between platform-as-a-service and software-as-a-service solutions. We need to offer precise information about these differences — otherwise, we merely end up with the troubling issues. The confusion between PaaS and SaaS can have some serious security implications. Are you making a major security mistake with […]

Speculators are eyeing several firms that could grow into colossal profit makers as the femtech market flourishes. A growing number of employers and insurers encourage employees to use family-planning apps, such as those developed by Ovia Health. In femtech, we see startups changing women’s health technology. In the last few years, there’s been a phenomenal […]

Those who remember the old days without the global network can still recall the feeling of not being available all the time. However, Generation Z will never have that privilege as the Internet has been a part of their lives almost since the day they were born.   The Power of the Internet of Things A […]

Digital parenting has got its importance over the last decade. Today kids and teens are getting used to cell phone devices, social media apps, instant messengers, and the internet. Hackers and unsafe individuals are present in the current hyper-sexualized world. Young people today have been taught and watched closely to protect them against internet issues. […]

Gone are the days when banking was time taking and full of unnecessary hassles. It’s the time when you can perform several significant actions through your smartphone. We are looking at a change in the healthcare and banking industry. Technological disruption has impacted most business domains. Here is how technology is revolutionizing the banking sector […]

Big Data Management can light up patterns and examples that would have generally been undetectable, which at that point makes questions and investigation into how the business functions. At last, the result of such examples, the recognizable proof is frequently the capacity to anticipate when a specific business-relevant occasion is going to occur, and after […]

The Internet of Things (IoT) has gone from a futuristic buzzword to becoming a reality. IoT security has become an industry on to itself. By 2020, Gartner expects there will be 20 billion IoT “things” in use. These IoT “things” do not include smartphones and PCs. They are everyday devices, such as appliances, cars, and […]

One of the most significant common challenges shared by IT executives everywhere is legacy software. Here’s what to do about it. A survey in the 2019 State of IT Report found that 64 percent of companies listed need to upgrade outdated IT infrastructure. Here are some mistakes that can derail a legacy software conversion. Businesses list […]

When it comes to advertising goods and services online, there’s no room to rest on your laurels. It truly does pay to keep moving, thinking, testing, and creating in the dynamic and ever-evolving world of marketing, and it’s pivotal that budgets are invested wisely. There are five itchy reasons why you’re blowing your advertising budget. […]

Cyber attacks are a persistent threat to businesses, particularly among large businesses who suffer the brunt of attempts. In response, 1Password today reveals 1Password Advanced Protection, an expanded suite of security tools for businesses with complex security needs. The 1Password advanced protection has additional security controls you’ll want to protect your company assets. 1Password unveils […]

Imagine you go to a bookstore, and you notice and exciting cover. You pick the book, read the summary at the back, and the rave reviews. The plot seems intriguing enough, but when you check for the writer, it says “ by AI-something.” Would you buy the book, or would you think that was a […]

According to a report by First Orion, phone scam calls jumped by over 25% in the year 2018 alone. The menace of phone scams is growing at a rapid pace. In many cases, people fall for such scams because they are not aware of them. Ignorance of these scams can make you susceptible to them. […]

MIT announced that Fernando Corbato, a pioneer in computer security, has passed away aged 93. Corbato’s death, though it is sad news, provides an opportunity to reflect on the importance of his work, and specifically on one of his revolutionary ideas: the password. Here’s how a nearly forgotten (RIP) physicist shaped your internet access. Paving […]

Blockchain hasn’t been with us that long. True ease of obtaining a piece of this pie and the standard introduction to the product and service of blockchain have only recently become common. But blockchain has already brought a tremendous change in multiple industries. There are at least three nonobvious industries blockchain is likely to affect. […]