The power of prime numbers in computing
Another interesting area where primes pop up in coding is creating hash functions. In a hash function, the primary job is to take an input and transform it into a number that stands in its place. The number is a reduction of the overall input, and this fact makes it useful for many things like checksums and structures like hashtables. Hashing for a hashtable (the hash function for the object being placed into the collection; i.e., Java’s hashCode) uses a modulo of a constant, and that constant is recommended to be a prime. In that case, using a prime for the constant can help reduce the likelihood of collisions. That’s because the primeness of the number makes for a more even distribution of modulus, because there are fewer common denominators with the hashtable’s function. For the same reason, a prime on the hashtable “bucket count” helps prevent asymmetric collisions. In essence, using primes on the hashing constant and bucket count helps to ensure a good random distribution of items in buckets by reducing the likelihood of significant relationships between the two. ... Now let’s flip things around a bit and look at how coding helps us handle and understand one of the classic problems of math: discovering primeness. An ancient algorithm was described by Eratosthenes, working in the 3rd century BC.
New research reveals AI adoption on rise, but challenges remain in data governance and ROI realisation
Commenting on the survey, Noshin Kagalwalla, Vice President & Managing
Director, SAS India, said: “Indian companies are undoubtedly making progress in
AI adoption, but significant work remains. The challenge lies not only in
deploying AI but also in a way that it is trustworthy, scalable, and aligned
with long-term business objectives. Strategic investments in data governance and
AI infrastructure will be crucial to driving sustainable AI performance across
industries in India.” “The disparity in target outcomes between AI Leaders and
AI Followers demonstrates a lack of clear strategy and roadmap. Where AI
Followers are focused on short-term, productivity-based results, AI Leaders have
moved beyond these to more complex functional and industry use cases,” said
Shukri Dabaghi, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific and EMEA Emerging at SAS.
“As businesses look to capitalise on the transformative potential of AI, it’s
important for business leaders to learn from the differences between an AI
Leader and an AI Follower. Avoiding a ‘gold rush’ way of thinking ensures
long-term transformation is built on trustworthy AI and capabilities in data,
processes and skills,” said Mr. Dabaghi.
Dulling the impact of AI-fueled cyber threats with AI
Organizations that wish to curb the burgeoning impact of AI on their cyber risks
need to be particularly vigilant while taking advantage of the abilities of AI
to stem this tide of attacks. With AI capable of analyzing vast amounts of data,
it can detect anomalies across their operations, such as spikes in network
traffic, unusual user activities, and even suspicious mail. This approach also
reduces the time taken for companies to respond to attacks. Automation, too, can
be applied to processes such as cyber threat hunting and vulnerability
assessments while rapidly mitigating potential damage in the event of a
cyberattack. Moreover, AI can reduce false positives more effectively than
rule-based security systems. Contextualizing patterns and identifying potential
threats can minimize alert fatigue and optimize the use of resources.
Organizations can even take pre-emptive steps to stop future attacks before they
happen with AI’s predictive capabilities. AI can also personalize training for
employees more vulnerable to social engineering attacks. Then there’s
reinforcement learning, a type of machine learning model that trains algorithms
to make effective cybersecurity decisions.
6 Essential Components of a Successful Security ‘Rewards Program’ for Software Developers
To effectively gauge developers’ security capabilities, evaluations should
extend beyond training and skill assessments to analyze their behavior during
code production. With these benchmarks in place, consider the following
questions: How many mistakes are developers still making? Are they learning from
their mistakes and fixing security bugs? Are they coaching peers to develop
codes securely? Do they conduct peer review pull reviews for security flaws? ...
We understand that developer teams are under pressure to produce better code
faster. As a result, they may view security as a barrier to innovation, leading
them to take shortcuts or ignore vulnerabilities entirely. To evaluate the
current security culture and the mentorship provided to developers, it is
important to assess not only whether they are coaching their peers but also the
depth and effectiveness of their guidance and how it impacts their own security
practices. By establishing a baseline to verify developers’ secure coding skills
and measurement, security teams will get a clear sense of how well they are
producing secure code from the beginning.
Angular’s Approach to Partial Hydration
Janiuk noted there was a lot of confusion about what hydration actually means,
so she began by defining it. “It is a server-side rendering initial load
optimization for web apps,” she told the audience. She then walked through what
actually happens during hydration. “We’ve got a little happy web server here,
and that web server has your application on it,” she said. “That web server is
like, ‘Great, I’m going to render that out,’ but what it actually just does is
it generates some DOM nodes.” The DOM nodes end up being just a string that is
passed off to the client browser, which render the HTML, she continued. ... The
hydration process is essentially causing the browser to load the application.
“It’s the meshing together of the DOM that was rendered by your web server and
the application waking up and identifying what that DOM is — that’s the process
of hydration, remeshing together your application code with the DOM,” she said.
Rather than fully hydrate the application immediately, partial hydration allows
developers to identify portions of their application — maybe a footer or
something that a user will not immediately need to see — and rather than ship
all of the JavaScript in the app, it “hydrates” only the parts that are needed
immediately.
Overconfidence in Cybersecurity: A Hidden Risk
Overconfidence in cybersecurity is a serious and often overlooked risk. Too many
companies believe that investing in the latest tools and hiring top talent
guarantees safety. But it doesn't. Without constantly adapting your strategy,
even the best technology won’t protect you. The greatest danger might not come
from hackers, but from your own false sense of security. It’s easy to think that
spending millions on sophisticated tools will keep threats at bay. The more
rigid your approach, the more exposed you become. Cyber threats evolve
constantly -- if you don’t keep up, you’re inviting risk. ... As threats grow to
be more sophisticated, companies are doubling down on technology to defend
themselves. The more you rely on tools without oversight, the more exposed you
become. Don’t assume you’re safe just because you’ve invested heavily in
security. By streamlining, auditing, and focusing on the human element, you can
avoid the pitfalls of overconfidence. In cybersecurity, confidence should come
from having the right processes and people -- not just the latest tools. By
following these steps and learning from cases like Uber, you’ll strengthen your
defenses and avoid the dangers of overconfidence. It’s not about having more
tech -- it’s about using it effectively.
4 Key Reasons to Build a Data Culture
Building a data culture within an organization fosters numerous benefits that
can significantly enhance organizational development. A data-driven
environment encourages informed decision-making by leveraging accurate and
timely information. This leads to more strategic planning and problem-solving,
as decisions are based on empirical evidence rather than intuition or
anecdotal experiences. Consequently, this reduces risks and increases the
likelihood of successful outcomes. ... By leveraging data analytics, companies
can extract valuable insights from vast amounts of raw data, enabling them to
make informed decisions that drive growth and efficiency. Business
intelligence (BI) goes a step further by transforming these insights into
actionable strategies that align with the company’s objectives. ... Leveraging
a robust data culture for strategic planning and performance improvement is
pivotal in today’s competitive landscape. By fostering a culture where data is
integral to decision-making processes, businesses can systematically analyze
trends, forecast outcomes, and identify potential challenges before they
escalate.
Exploring the Transformative Potential of AI in Cybersecurity
AI-powered systems can monitor network traffic in real-time, automatically
identifying and prioritizing potential threats. These systems can correlate
data from multiple sources, providing a holistic view of the security
landscape and enabling faster, more informed decision-making. AI can automate
the process of threat intelligence gathering and analysis. By continuously
scanning the dark web, hacker forums and other sources, AI systems can provide
up-to-date intelligence on emerging threats, attack techniques, and
vulnerabilities. This real-time intelligence allows security teams to
proactively update defenses and patch vulnerabilities before they can be
exploited. Perhaps the most exciting potential of AI in cybersecurity lies in
its predictive capabilities. By analyzing historical data and current trends,
AI systems can forecast potential future attacks and vulnerabilities. ...
While the potential of AI in cybersecurity is immense, it’s not without
challenges. AI systems are only as good as the data they’re trained on, and
ensuring the quality and diversity of training data is crucial. There’s also
the risk of adversarial AI, where attackers use AI to evade detection or
launch more sophisticated attacks.
Connected Vehicles and Data Privacy & Sovereignty in the Global South
In addition to data privacy, the rise of connected vehicles raises concerns
about data sovereignty. Data sovereignty refers to the handling and control of
data in line with a country's legal frameworks, practices, cultural norms, and
laws, including those related to data protection, competition, and national
security. It may involve ensuring that countries retain “control” over their
residents’ and government data; consequently, relevant policies may include
conditions on data transfers and restrictions on reliance on foreign
technology that could lead to data being stored overseas. The presence of
foreign-connected vehicles roaming a country’s streets raises digital
sovereignty concerns. Many experts and scholars push back on equating digital
sovereignty with other threats to a nation’s sovereignty. For example, Chander
and Sun argue that European concerns regarding the dominance of large
platforms are “misplaced.” “It is like arguing that because people drive
Toyota cars on U.S. roads, we no longer control our streets. As long as the
cars are regulated by local law, the fact that they might be built abroad
should not undermine sovereignty,” they contend. However, with connected
vehicles now widespread, has this dynamic shifted?
What Are Hierarchical Security Practices in DevOps?
Adopting hierarchical security practices in DevOps brings several benefits. By
integrating security checks at every stage, organizations can ensure a
smoother release process and enhance reliability. This approach also
encourages collaboration by making security a shared responsibility across
development, testing, and operations teams, breaking down silos and fostering
a culture of security mindfulness. However, there are challenges to consider.
Implementing security measures across all levels demands careful coordination,
especially for larger or distributed teams. The initial phase of adopting
these practices may slow development as teams adjust to new tools and
protocols. Moreover, hierarchical security is resource-intensive, requiring
time, training, and investment in appropriate tools. Beyond the technical
aspects, there is also a cultural shift required — team members must embrace
security as an integral part of their roles, which can sometimes meet
resistance. Organizations need to balance these benefits and challenges
carefully, tailoring their hierarchical security approach to fit their
specific needs, goals, and resources.
Quote for the day:
"The secret of getting things done is
to act!" -- Dante Alighieri
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