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Although FCC Chairman Ajit Pai stated, “I strongly support a free and open internet,” the FCC officially repealed net neutrality on June 11th.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. […]

Frequent fliers will expose themselves to more facial recognition opportunities than almost any other demographic. Here’s how they can remain vigilant.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) houses massive amounts of data on thousands of veterans all over the country. Furthermore, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is considered the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States. So when it comes to the topic of cybersecurity in the VA, there’s a lot at stake. Is enough […]

No one knows precisely what the future will bring, but some people seem to have their finger on the pulse of tomorrow more than others. These individuals’ ability to see what’s coming next makes them high-demand for tech conferences and events all over the world. Futurist speakers keep their eye on technology, stay ahead of […]

The internet’s instant access to information is crucial for education, spreading ideas and activism. This makes it a significant threat to authoritarian governments, leading many countries to strictly censor websites, content, and communication. But, which countries have the strictest internet censorship? Platforms like Twitter and Facebook were central to the uprisings of 2011’s Arab Spring, […]

Blockchain is the technology behind cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, but it can do so much more than just digital payments. There are currently applications being developed to use blockchain for many more activities than previously thought possible. We are heading past Bitcoin to making money from blockchain — and the whole system. On the blockchain, documents […]

The modern workplace is increasingly characterized by remote and contingent workers, BYOD policies, and the need for 24/7 access to data. My position as the CEO of USWired has given me a firsthand look at both the positive impact the cloud can have on businesses and the barriers to its adoption. We’ve seen a growing demand for cloud-hosted […]

So you are the new victim of nefarious hackers. I know that you are nervous and worried and that’s natural. But, be calm; this is not the end of the world. Hacking is quite common, and so is the recovery of hacked websites. You will be successful in getting your site recovered. But, here are […]

After years of hype around AI and machine learning, skepticism, and a focus on practical applications of the technology are now taking center stage. In the security industry, this was abundantly clear at the recent RSA Conference where 45,000 people and a thousand vendors descended on San Francisco to discuss industry challenges and debate over […]

We are all, in one way or another, the offspring of the technological era. We depend on our jobs for our very livelihood. Moreover, the fear of losing our jobs due to the continuous advancements in technology grips a great many people. With the continuous evolution in the field of IoT (Internet of Things), where […]

Some years ago, employee monitoring wasn’t as popular as it is today. Surely, there were specific means of monitoring like punch cards. Today it seems we have punch cards, times a billion — on steroids. As technology is developing, so are the ways to monitor employees. Companies can now monitor emails, calls, website and app […]

In the modern age, where knowledge is global and necessary, and technological advancement is evident, it is essential to decipher the value that Big Data holds for us. Big data is all that information that can be encoded based on classification, patterns, various structures, and recurring human behavior. Big data can be structured as well […]

With constant technological evolution making it increasingly challenging to keep prying hands and eyes out of one’s online business, it is hardly surprising that the race towards VPN software has mounted up over the years. This works just as well for marketers as the market has witnessed an influx of VPN apps, all claiming the […]

Artificial intelligence(AI) and machine learning (ML) are the most viral topics discussed in this age. It has been a big controversy among scientists today, and their benefits to humankind cannot be overemphasized. We need to watch for and understand the potential “holy shit” threats surrounding AI and ML. Who could have imagined that one day […]

The Internet of Things market is forecasted to hit $520 billion in the next two years. According to International Data Corporation (IDC), IoT will account for at least 10 percent of the total digital universe — which will explode to 40 trillion GB of data by 2020. We’re talking 40 trillion GB of IoT data […]

Cybercrimes are not abating any time soon. Hackers who have become tech-savvier are always on the prowl launching attacks with renewed vigor. They are not leaving out anybody, individuals, governments, charity organizations, as well as big and small businesses, are all targeted. You will want to reposition your brand against cybercrimes through VPNs. Six suggestions […]

Cybersecurity is of increasing importance to enterprise and public leaders. In their efforts to mitigate cybercrime, organizations are increasingly leveraging data to protect sensitive information. Now, the world’s computer scientists are levering big data technology to stay ahead of hackers. But, the key will be to improve global cybersecurity. Statistical research, among other data science […]

Data breaches make the news all the time, but only when they affect major companies like Equifax or Marriott. Focusing on the highest-profile attacks makes sense because they also have the most victims. However, this selective coverage paints a distorted portrait of our current cybersecurity landscape. You will want to know how to upgrade your cyber […]

A recent study reports that US broadband households own more than 10 connected devices. What will happen when they start talking and working together?  Will your home become aware? Finding out how all these connected devices will work together is still an unknown — and a top priority. The industry is focused on improving and […]

A handful of technologies have dominated industry and media conversations as of late. You’d have to be living under a rock to have missed the hype around things like AI/ML, IoT, AR/VR – and more recently – blockchain. Blockchain garnered mass attention during the meteoric rise (and subsequent fall) of the cryptocurrency markets in late […]

With the recent trends towards automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence as it appears that just the application of AI can not transform the enterprise computing as now, it has the power to change project management as well. A well-known core concept with AI systems is that their predictions are only as amazing as their […]