Quote for the day:
"The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall." -- Vince Lombardi
Your Recovery Timeline Is a Lie: Why They Fall Apart
Teams assume they can pull snapshots from S3 or recover databases from a
backup tool. What they don’t account for is the reconfiguration time required
to stitch everything back together. ... RTOs need to be redefined through the
lens of operational reality and validated through regular, full-system DR
rehearsals. This is where IaC and automation come in. By codifying all layers
of your infrastructure — not just compute and storage, but IAM, networking,
observability and external dependencies, too — you gain the ability to
version, test and rehearse your recovery plans. Tools like Terraform, Helm,
OpenTofu and Crossplane allow you to build immutable blueprints of your
infrastructure, which can be automatically redeployed in disaster scenarios.
But codification alone isn’t enough. Continuous testing is critical. Just as
CI/CD pipelines validate application changes, DR validation pipelines should
simulate failover scenarios, verify dependency restoration and track real mean
time to recovery (MTTR) metrics over time. ... It’s also time to stop relying
on aspirational RTOs and instead measure actual MTTR. It’s what matters when
things go wrong, indicating how long it really takes to go from incident to
resolution. Unlike RTOs, which are often set arbitrarily, MTTR is a tangible,
trackable indicator of resilience.The Dawn of Unified DataOps—From Fragmentation to Transformation
Data management has traditionally been the responsibility of IT, creating a
disconnect between this function and the business departments that own and
understand the data’s value. This separation has resulted in limited access to
unified data across the organization, including the tools and processes to
leverage it outside of IT. ... Organizations looking to embrace DataOps and
transform their approach to data must start by creating agile DataOps teams
that leverage software-oriented methodologies; investing in data management
solutions that leverage DataOps and data mesh concepts; investing in scalable
automation and integration; and cultivating a data-driven culture. Much like
agile software teams, it’s critical to include product management, domain
experts, test engineers, and data engineers. Approach delivery iteratively,
incrementally delivering MVPs, testing, and improving capabilities and
quality. ... Technology alone won’t solve data challenges. Truly
transformative DataOps strategies align with unified teams that pair business
users and subject matter experts with DataOps professionals, forming a culture
where collaboration, accessibility, and transparency are at the core of
decision making.
Redefining Cyber Value: Why Business Impact Should Lead the Security Conversation
A BVA brings clarity to that timeline. It identifies the exposures most likely
to prolong an incident and estimates the cost of that delay based on both your
industry and organizational profile. It also helps evaluate the return of
preemptive controls. For example, IBM found that companies that deploy
effective automation and AI-based remediation see breach costs drop by as much
as $2.2 million. Some organizations hesitate to act when the value isn't
clearly defined. That delay has a cost. A BVA should include a "cost of doing
nothing" model that estimates the monthly loss a company takes on by leaving
exposures unaddressed. We've found that for a large enterprise, that cost can
exceed half a million dollars. ... There's no question about how well security
teams are doing the work. The issue is that traditional metrics don't always
show what their work means. Patch counts and tool coverage aren't what boards
care about. They want to know what's actually being protected. A BVA helps
connect the dots – showing how day-to-day security efforts help the business
avoid losses, save time, and stay more resilient. It also makes hard
conversations easier. Whether it's justifying a budget, walking the board
through risk, or answering questions from insurers, a BVA gives security
leaders something solid to point to. Fake REAL Ids Have Already Arrived, Here’s How to Protect Your Business
When the REAL ID Act of 2005 was introduced, it promised to strengthen
national security by setting higher standards for state-issued IDs, especially
when it came to air travel, access to federal buildings, and more. Since then,
the roll-out of the REAL ID program has faced delays, but with an impending
enforcement deadline, many are questioning if REAL IDs deliver the level of
security intended. ... While the original aim was to prevent another
9/11-style attack, over 20 years later, the focus has shifted to protecting
against identity theft and illegal immigration. The final deadline to get your
REAL ID is now May 7th, 2025, owing in part to differing opinions and adoption
rates state-by-state which has dragged enforcement on for two decades.
... The delays and staggered adoption has given bad actors the chance to
create templates for fraudulent REAL IDs. Businesses may incorrectly assume
that an ID bearing a REAL ID star symbol are more likely to be legitimate, but
as our data proves, this is not the case. REAL IDs can be faked just as easily
as any other identity document, putting the onus on businesses to implement
robust ID verification methods to ensure they don’t fall victim to ID fraud.
... AI-powered identity verification is one of the only ways to combat the
increasing use of AI-powered criminal tools.
To really adopt AI into your enterprise, we're talking about costs that are
orders of magnitude greater. Companies are turning to FinOps for help dealing
with this. FinOps, a portmanteau of Finance and DevOps, combines financial
management and collaborative, agile IT operations into a discipline to manage
costs. It started as a way to get a handle on cloud pricing. FinOps' first job
is to optimize cloud spending and align cloud costs with business objectives.
... Today, they're adding AI spending to their concerns. According to the
FinOps Foundation, 63% of FinOps practitioners are already being asked to
manage AI costs, a number expected to rise as AI innovation continues to
surge. Mismanagement of these costs can not only erode business value but also
stifle innovation. "FinOps teams are being asked to manage accelerating AI
spend to allocate its cost, forecast its growth, and ultimately show its value
back to the business," said Storment. "But the speed and complexity of the
data make this a moving target, and cost overruns in AI can slow innovation
when not well managed." Besides, Storment added, C-level executives are asking
that painful question: "You're using this AI service and spending too much. Do
you know what it's for?"
How this 'FinOps for AI' certification can help you tackle surging AI costs
To really adopt AI into your enterprise, we're talking about costs that are
orders of magnitude greater. Companies are turning to FinOps for help dealing
with this. FinOps, a portmanteau of Finance and DevOps, combines financial
management and collaborative, agile IT operations into a discipline to manage
costs. It started as a way to get a handle on cloud pricing. FinOps' first job
is to optimize cloud spending and align cloud costs with business objectives.
... Today, they're adding AI spending to their concerns. According to the
FinOps Foundation, 63% of FinOps practitioners are already being asked to
manage AI costs, a number expected to rise as AI innovation continues to
surge. Mismanagement of these costs can not only erode business value but also
stifle innovation. "FinOps teams are being asked to manage accelerating AI
spend to allocate its cost, forecast its growth, and ultimately show its value
back to the business," said Storment. "But the speed and complexity of the
data make this a moving target, and cost overruns in AI can slow innovation
when not well managed." Besides, Storment added, C-level executives are asking
that painful question: "You're using this AI service and spending too much. Do
you know what it's for?" Tackling Business Loneliness
Leaders who intentionally reach out to their employees do more than combat
loneliness; they directly influence performance and business success. "To lead
effectively, you need to lead with care. Because care creates connection.
Connection fuels commitment. And commitment drives results. It's in those
moments of real connection that collective brilliance is unlocked," she
concludes. ... But it's not just women, with many men facing isolation in the
workplace too, especially where a culture of 'put up and shut up' is frequently
seen. Reflected in the high prevalence of suicide in the UK construction
industry, it is essential that toxic cultures are dismantled and all employees
feel valued and part of the team. "Whether they work on site or remotely, full
time or part time, building an inclusive culture helps to ensure people do not
experience prolonged loneliness or lack of connection. When we prioritise
inclusion, everyone benefits," Allen concludes. ... Providing a safe,
non-judgemental space for employees to discuss loneliness, things that are
troubling them, and ways to manage any negative feelings is crucial. "This could
be with a trusted line manager or colleague, but objective support from
professional therapists and counsellors should also be accessible to prevent
loneliness from manifesting into more serious issues," she emphasises.
Revolutionizing Software Development: Agile, Shift-Left, and Cybersecurity Integration
Feeling Reassured by Your Cybersecurity Measures?
Organizations must pursue a data-driven approach that embraces comprehensive NHI management. This approach, combined with robust Secrets Security Management, can ensure that none of your non-human identities become security weak points. Remember, feeling reassured about your cybersecurity measures is not just about having security systems in place, but also about knowing how to manage them effectively. Effective NHI management will be a cornerstone in instilling peace of mind and enhancing security confidence. With these insights into the strategic importance of NHI management in promoting cybersecurity confidence, organizations can take a step closer to feeling reassured by their cybersecurity measures. ... Imagine a simple key, one that turns tumblers in the lock mechanism but isn’t alone in doing so. There are other keys that fit the same lock, and they all have the power to unlock the same door. This is similar to an NHI and its associated secret. There are numerous NHIs that could access the same system or part of a system, granted via their unique ‘Secret’. Now, here’s where it gets a little complex. ... Just as a busy airport needs security checkpoints to screen passengers and verify their credentials, a robust NHI management system is needed to accurately identify and manage all NHIs.How to Capitalize on Software Defined Storage, Securely and Compliantly
Because it fundamentally transforms data infrastructure, SDS is critical for
technology executives to understand and capitalize on. It not only provides
substantial cost savings and predictability and while reducing staff time
required for managing physical hardware; SDS also makes companies much more
agile and flexible in their business operations. For example, launching new
initiatives or products that can start small and quickly scale is much easier
with SDS. As a result, SDS does not just impact IT, it is a critical function
across the enterprise. Software-defined storage in the cloud has brought major
operational and cost benefits for enterprises. First, subscription business
models enable buyers to make much more cost-conscious decisions and avoid
wasting resources and usage. ... In addition, software-defined storage has also
transformed technology management frameworks. SDS has enabled a move to agile
DevOps, which includes real-time analytics resulting in faster iteration, less
downtime and more efficient resource allocation. With real-time dashboards and
alerts, organizations can now track key KPIs such as uptime and performance and
react instantly. IT management can be more proactive by increasing storage or
resource capacity when needed, rather than waiting for a crash to react.
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