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Although FCC Chairman Ajit Pai stated, “I strongly support a free and open internet,” the FCC officially repealed net neutrality on June 11th.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

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. […]

Today’s cities are living entities. They develop, grow and become more complex over time. Yet, many of their most pressing issues, such as the need for utility improvements and monitoring crime, remain the same. Like never before, city officials have the capabilities to implement analytics technology. But surveillance will be at the heart of smart […]

In the past decade or so, there has been a drastic shift in the way society consumes information, mainly due to the boom in smartphones and tablets. Many companies didn’t realize the potential of digital marketing and how it would affect everyday life. In days past, companies created templated and static websites with simplified box layouts and […]

Security threats to businesses have always been there -now it only shifted from physical to cyberspace. So, today’s business world revolves around “data,” which adds intrinsic value to both businesses and consumers. Since business operations have become smarter with technology, so does the manipulation. Enhanced technology changes the very nature of business. Manipulation in the […]

Cross-functional teams utilize a group of people with different sets of expertise to work towards a common goal. When it comes to data science, thinking differently, and having contrasting angles of analysis is essential to delivering well-rounded business insights. Create cross-functional data science teams for optimal success. A data science cross-functional team may incorporate data […]

Downtime for an enterprise is the same as getting knocked out cold. The downtime is the inability to access essential data for extended periods is like getting an arm or a leg chopped off for an enterprise. Enterprise system downtime can cost millions in losses and lead to reputation damage, loss of business, and a […]

System and organization control reports are a vital part of businesses’ risk management programs. SOCs are market-driven reports that businesses worldwide rely on to assess risk. These reports use the latest accounting standard, SSAE 18 (which supersedes previously cited standards, including SSAE 16, AT-101, and SAS 70). Learn to implement SOC reporting in your business. Although SOC […]

Data breach, the bane of many security experts. Anybody can fall victim to a data breach at any time. The damage is usually extensive and expensive if not utterly debilitating. Breaches are a cancer that never knows remission and a significant cause of concern in the connected world of today. What is a data breach […]

One of the popular ReadWrite posts discussed the 6 emerging cyber threats to look out for in 2019. These threats call for more robust security tools and strategies to protect our data. Also, the rapid rate of advancement in cyber threats deems it necessary that we constantly adapt to developments in the cyber world. Browser […]

Our planet supports a multitude of ecosystems like forests, coral reefs, rivers, and lakes that are crucial for human life. These ecosystems maintain complex relationships among many different types of organisms that produce breathable air and enhance water resources for our use. Human activity damages these ecosystems causing unpredictable changes that affect climate. IoT has […]

Companies that fail to anticipate cyber threats court disaster in the form of brand-damaging breaches, fines, and lawsuits.

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 […]