Quote for the day:
"People may forget what you say, but they won't forget how you made them feel." -- Mary Kay Ash
Rethinking Firewall and Proxy Management for Enterprise Agility
Firewall and proxy management follows a simple rule: block all ports by default
and allow only essential traffic. Recognizing that developers understand their
applications best, why not empower them to manage firewall and proxy changes as
part of a “shift security left” strategy? In practice, however, tight deadlines
often lead developers to implement overly broad connectivity – opening up to the
complete internet – with plans to refine later. Temporary fixes, if left
unchecked, can evolve into serious vulnerabilities. Every security specialist
understands what happens in practice. When deadlines are tight, developers may
be tempted to take shortcuts. Instead of figuring out the exact needed IP range,
they open connectivity to the entire internet with the intention of fixing this
later. ... Periodically auditing firewall and proxy rule sets is essential to
maintaining security, but it is not a substitute for a robust approval process.
Firewalls and proxies are exposed to external threats, and attackers might
exploit misconfigurations before periodic audits catch them. Blocking insecure
connections on a firewall when the application is already live requires
re-architecting the solution, which is costly and time-consuming. Thus,
preventing risky changes must be the priority.
Multicloud: Tips for getting it right
It’s obvious that a multicloud strategy — regardless of what it actually looks
like — will further increase complexity. This is simply because each cloud
platform works with its own management tools, security protocols and performance
metrics. Anyone who wants to integrate multicloud into their IT landscape needs
a robust management system that can handle the specific requirements of the
different environments while ensuring an overview and control across all
platforms. This is necessary not only for reasons of handling and performance
but also to be as free as possible when choosing the optimal provider for the
respective application scenario. This requires cross-platform technologies and
tools. The large hyperscalers do provide interfaces for data exchange with other
platforms as standard. ... In general, anyone pursuing a multicloud strategy
should take steps in advance to ensure that complexity does not lead to chaos
but to more efficient IT processes. Security is one of the main issues. And it
is twofold: on the one hand, the networked services must be protected in
themselves and within their respective platforms. On the other hand, the entire
construct with its various architectures and systems must be secure. It is well
known that the interfaces are potential gateways for unwelcome “guests”.
FinOps and AI: A Winning Strategy for Cost-Efficient Growth
FinOps is a management approach focused on shared responsibility for cloud
computing infrastructure and related costs. ... Companies are attempting to
drink from the AI firehose, and unfortunately, they’re creating AI strategies
in real-time as they rush to drive revenue and staff productivity. Ideally,
you want a foundation in place before using AI in operations. This should
include an emphasis on cost management, resource allocation, and keeping tabs
on ROI. This is also the focus of FinOps, which can prevent errors and improve
processes to further AI adoption. ... To begin, companies should create a
budget and forecast the AI projects they want to take on. This planning is a
pillar of FinOps and should accurately assess the total cost of initiatives,
emphasizing resource allocation (including staffing) and eliminating billing
overruns. Cost optimization can also help identify opportunities and reduce
expenses. The new focus on AI services in the cloud could drive scalability
and cost efficiency as they are much more sensitive to overruns and
inefficient usage. Even if organizations are not implementing AI into end-user
workloads, there is still an opportunity to craft internal systems utilizing
AI to help identify operational efficiencies and implement cost controls on
existing infrastructure.
3 Signs Your Startup Needs a CTO — But Not As a Full-Time Hire
CTO as a service provides businesses with access to experienced technical
leadership without the commitment of a full-time hire. This model allows
startups to leverage specialized expertise on an as-needed basis. ... An
on-demand expert can bridge this gap by offering leadership that goes beyond
programming. This model provides access to strategic guidance on technology
choices, project architecture and team dynamics. During a growth phase,
mistakes in management won't be forgiven. ... Hiring a full-time CTO can
strain tight budgets, diverting funds from critical areas like product
development and market expansion. However, with the CTO as a service model,
companies can access top-tier expertise tailored to their financial
capabilities. This flexibility allows startups to engage a tech strategist on
a project basis, paying only for the high-quality leadership they need when
they need it (and if needed). ... Engaging outsourced expertise offers a
viable solution, providing a fresh perspective on existing challenges at a
cost that remains accessible, even amid resource constraints. This strategic
move allows businesses to tap into a wealth of external knowledge, leveraging
insights gained from diverse industry experiences. Such an external viewpoint
can be invaluable, especially when navigating complex technical hurdles,
ensuring that projects not only survive but thrive.
How to Turn Developer Team Friction Into a Positive Force
Developer team friction, while often seen as a negative trait, can actually
become a positive force under certain conditions, McGinnis says. "Friction can
enhance problem-solving abilities by highlighting weaknesses in current
processes or solutions," he explains. "It prompts the team to address these
issues, thereby improving their overall problem-solving skills." Team friction
often occurs when a developer passionately advocates a new approach or
solution. ... Friction can easily spiral out of control when retrospectives
and feedback focus on individuals instead of addressing issues and problems
jointly as a team. "Staying solution-oriented and helping each other achieve
collective success for the sake of the team, should always be the No. 1
priority," Miears says. "Make it a safe space." As a leader it's important to
empower every team member to speak up, Beck advises. Each team member has a
different and unique perspective. "For instance, you could have one brilliant
engineer who rarely speaks up, but when they do it’s important that people
listen," he says. "At other times, you may have an outspoken member on your
team who will speak on every issue and argue for their point, regardless of
the situation."
Enterprise Architecture in the Digital Age: Navigating Challenges and Unleashing Transformative Potential
EA is about crafting a comprehensive, composable, and agile
architecture-aligned blueprint that synchronizes an organization’s business
processes, workforce, and technology with its strategic vision. Rooted in
frameworks like TOGAF, it transcends IT, embedding itself into the very heart
of a business. ... In this digital age, EA’s role is more critical than ever.
It’s not just about maintaining systems; it’s about equipping
organizations—whether agile startups or sprawling, successful enterprises—for
the disruptions driven by rapid technological evolution and innovation. ... As
we navigate inevitable future complexities, Enterprise Architecture stands as
a critical differentiator between organizations that merely survive digital
disruption and those that harness it for competitive advantage. The most
successful implementations of EA share common characteristics: they integrate
technical depth with business acumen, maintain adaptable governance
frameworks, and continuously measure impact through concrete metrics. These
aren’t abstract benefits—they represent tangible business outcomes that
directly impact market position and financial performance. Looking forward, EA
will increasingly focus on orchestrating complex ecosystems rather than simply
mapping them.
Generative AI Drives Emphasis on Unstructured Data Security
As organizations pivot their focus, the demand for vendors specializing in
security solutions, such as data classification, encryption and access
control, tailored to unstructured data is expected to increase. This increased
demand reflects the necessity for robust and adaptable security measures that
can effectively protect the vast and varied types of unstructured data
organizations now manage. In tandem with this shift, the rising significance
of unstructured data in driving business value and innovation compels
organizations to develop expertise in unstructured data security. ...
Organizations should prioritize investment in security controls specifically
designed for unstructured data. This includes tools with advanced capabilities
such as rapid data classification, entitlement management and unclassified
data redaction. Solutions that offer prompt engineering and output filtering
can also further enhance data security measures. ... Building a knowledgeable
team is crucial for managing unstructured data security. Organizations should
invest in staffing, training and development to cultivate expertise in this
area. This involves hiring data security professionals with specialized skills
and providing ongoing education to ensure they are equipped to handle the
unique challenges associated with unstructured data.
Quantum Pulses Could Help Preserve Qubit Stability, Researchers Report
The researchers used a model of two independent qubits, each interacting with
its own environment through a process called pure dephasing. This form of
decoherence arises from random fluctuations in the qubit’s surroundings, which
gradually disrupt its quantum state. The study analyzed how different
configurations of PDD pulses — applying them to one qubit versus both —
affected the system’s evolution. By employing mathematical models that
calculate the quantum speed limit based on changes in quantum coherence, the
team measured the impact of periodic pulses on the system’s stability. When
pulses were applied to both qubits, they observed a near-complete suppression
of dephasing, while applying pulses to just one qubit provided partial
protection. Importantly, the researchers investigated the effects of different
pulse frequencies and durations to determine the optimal conditions for
coherence preservation. ... While the study presents promising results, the
effectiveness of PDD depends on the ability to deliver precise, high-frequency
pulses. Practical quantum computing systems must contend with hardware
limitations, such as pulse imperfections and operational noise, which could
reduce the technique’s efficiency.
Disaster Recovery Plan for DevOps
While developing your disaster recovery Plan for your DevOps stack, it’s worth
considering the challenges DevOps face in this view. DevOps ecosystems
always have complex architecture, like interconnected pipelines and
environments (e., GitHub and Jira integration). Thus, a single failure,
whether due to a corrupted artifact or a ransomware attack, can cascade
through the entire system. Moreover, the rapid development of DevOps creates
constant changes, which can complicate data consistency and integrity checks
during the recovery process. Another issue is data retention policies. SaaS
tools often impose limited retention periods – usually, they vary from 30 to
365 days. ... your backup solution should allow you to:Automate your backups,
by scheduling them with the most appropriate interval between backup copies,
so that no data is lost in the event of failure,
Provide long-term or
even unlimited retention, which will help you to restore data from any point
in time. Apply the 3-2-1 backup rule and ensure replication between all the
storages, so that in case one of the backup locations fails, you can run your
backup from another one. Ransomware protection, which includes AES encryption
with your own encryption key, immutable backups, restore and DR
capabilities
The state of ransomware: Fragmented but still potent despite takedowns
“Law enforcement takedowns have disrupted major groups like LockBit but newly
formed groups quickly emerge akin to a good old-fashioned game of
whack-a-mole,” said Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at ESET. “Double
and triple extortion, including data leaks and DDoS threats, are now extremely
common, and ransomware-as-a-service models make attacks even easier to launch,
even by inexperienced criminals.” Moore added: “Law enforcement agencies have
struggled over the years to take control of this growing situation as it is
costly and resource heavy to even attempt to take down a major criminal
network.” ... Meanwhile, enterprises are taking proactive measures to defend
against ransomware attacks. These include implementing zero trust
architectures, enhancing endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions, and
conducting regular exercises to improve incident response readiness. Anna
Chung, principal researcher at Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42, told CSO that
advanced tools such as next-gen firewalls, immutable backups, and cloud
redundancies, while keeping systems regularly patched, can help defend against
cyberattacks. Greater use of gen AI technologies by attackers is likely to
bring further challenges, Chung warned.
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