by Teknita Team | May 30, 2023 | Uncategorized
Data analytics is the process of collecting, processing, and analyzing large volumes of data to discover patterns, trends, and insights that can help businesses make informed and effective decisions. Data analytics can help businesses improve their performance, optimize their processes, enhance their customer experience, and drive their growth.
But how can businesses use data analytics to make better decisions? Here are some steps to follow:
1. Define your business goals and questions.
Before you start analyzing data, you need to know what you want to achieve and what you want to learn from the data. For example, do you want to increase your sales, reduce your costs, improve your customer satisfaction, or launch a new product? What are the specific questions you want to answer with the data? For example, who are your most profitable customers, what are the best channels to reach them, what are the factors that influence their purchase behavior, or what are the features that they value most in your product?
2. Identify and collect relevant data sources.
Once you have defined your goals and questions, you need to find and gather the data that can help you answer them. Depending on your business domain and objectives, you may need different types of data, such as transactional data, customer data, operational data, social media data, web analytics data, or external data. You also need to ensure that the data is accurate, complete, consistent, and reliable.
3. Analyze and visualize the data.
After you have collected the data, you need to apply various methods and tools to analyze and visualize it. You may use descriptive analytics to summarize and explore the data, inferential analytics to test hypotheses and draw conclusions from the data, predictive analytics to forecast future outcomes based on the data, or prescriptive analytics to recommend optimal actions based on the data. You may also use various techniques such as statistics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, or natural language processing to extract insights from the data. You may also use various tools such as spreadsheets, databases, business intelligence software, dashboards, or charts to organize and present the data in a clear and understandable way.
4. Interpret and communicate the results.
After you have analyzed and visualized the data, you need to interpret and communicate the results to your stakeholders. You need to explain what the data means, how it relates to your goals and questions, what are the key findings and insights from the data, what are the limitations and assumptions of the analysis, and what are the implications and recommendations for action based on the data. You also need to tailor your communication style and format to your audience’s needs and preferences.
5. Act on the insights and monitor the outcomes.
Finally, after you have communicated the results of your analysis, you need to act on the insights and monitor the outcomes of your actions. You need to implement the actions that are suggested by the data analysis, such as launching a new marketing campaign, improving a product feature, or changing a business process. You also need to measure and track the impact of your actions on your business goals and performance indicators using relevant metrics and feedback mechanisms.
By following these steps, you can use data analytics to make better business decisions that can help you achieve your business goals and gain a competitive edge in your market.
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by Teknita Team | Apr 28, 2023 | Security
Google has recently announced six new features for its Chrome browser that aim to enhance the security and privacy of enterprise users. These features include data loss prevention (DLP), protections against malware and phishing, and the ability to enable zero-trust access to the search engine.
Data loss prevention (DLP)
DLP is a set of policies and tools that help prevent unauthorized access, use, or transfer of sensitive data. Google has added three new DLP features for Chrome that extend beyond its existing DLP capabilities:
- Context-aware DLP: This feature allows administrators to customize their DLP rules based on the security posture of the device being used. For example, admins can allow users to download sensitive documents if they are accessing them from a corporate device that is up to date on security patches or has endpoint protection software installed. However, the feature will block users from downloading sensitive documents on personal devices or devices that do not meet the security criteria.
- URL filtering: This feature allows administrators to block or warn users about visiting websites, or categories of websites, that breach the organization’s acceptable use policies. For example, admins can restrict access to popular file sharing websites, while still allowing file sharing via the corporate file-sharing site.
- DLP for print: This feature allows administrators to stop users from printing files that contain confidential data.
Extension security
Extensions are small programs that add functionality to the browser. However, some extensions may pose risks to users or request permissions that are not aligned with the organization’s policies. Google has added two new features for Chrome that help assess and manage extension security:
- Extension risk assessment platforms: Google has integrated two browser extension risk assessment platforms, CRXcavator and Spin.AI Risk Assessment, into Chrome Browser Cloud Management. These platforms provide risk scores for extensions based on various factors such as permissions, code quality, privacy practices, and more. Administrators can view the risk scores of the extensions being used in their browser environment and take appropriate actions.
- Browser security event notifications: Google has added two new browser security event notifications for Chrome that alert IT and security teams when an extension is installed or when a browser crashes. These notifications can help jumpstart investigations and identify potential threats or vulnerabilities.
Zero-trust access
Zero-trust access is a security model that assumes no trust between users and resources, and requires verification for every request. Google has enabled zero-trust access for Chrome through BeyondCorp Enterprise, its zero-trust solution. BeyondCorp Enterprise provides continuous authentication and authorization for users and devices accessing web applications and services. It also offers protection against malware and phishing attacks by isolating risky web sessions in a secure sandbox.
Google’s new features for Chrome are designed to help enterprise users work securely and productively on the web. By implementing advanced DLP and gaining more visibility into extension security and critical security events, organizations can reduce the risk of data loss and take a more proactive approach to cybersecurity.
You can read more about Secure Enterprise Browsing here.
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by Teknita Team | Apr 25, 2023 | Uncategorized
Disasters can strike at any time, whether it’s a natural disaster, a cyberattack, or a human error. When your critical systems go down, you can lose revenue, productivity, and customer trust. That’s why you need a reliable disaster recovery (DR) solution that can help you restore your operations as quickly as possible.
But traditional DR solutions can be costly and complex to manage. You need to maintain a secondary site with redundant hardware, data center space, and staff. You also need to ensure that your data and applications are always up-to-date and ready to failover in case of an emergency.
That’s where cloud-based DR solutions come in. Cloud-based DR solutions use software to replicate your workloads, data, and system settings to the cloud. In the event of a disaster, you can spin up your cloud-based replicas as a secondary production site and keep your business running until your primary site is back online.
One of the best cloud-based DR solutions available today is Carbonite® Recover for Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Carbonite® Recover is a disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) solution that reduces the risk of unplanned downtime by securely replicating your critical systems to the Google Cloud Platform. With Carbonite® Recover, you can benefit from:
- Recovery times measured in minutes and recovery points measured in seconds, reducing the risks of lost productivity and revenue
- Easy deployment and management of your DR solution through a single console
- Cost savings by eliminating the need for a physical secondary site and paying only for what you use in the cloud
- Confidence in your data protection strategy with non-disruptive, self-service tests, failover reports, and professional services support
Carbonite® Recover works with any physical, virtual, or cloud-based system and supports various platforms such as Microsoft Windows, Linux, VMware, Hyper-V, and more. You can also choose from different replication modes such as continuous replication for near-zero data loss or scheduled replication for less critical systems.
With Carbonite® Recover for GCP, you can leverage the scale, availability, and security of Google’s cloud infrastructure. You can also take advantage of Google’s global network of regions and zones to ensure optimal performance and compliance.
You can read more about Carbonite® Recover with Google™ Cloud Platform here.
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by Teknita Team | Apr 20, 2023 | Uncategorized
Cloud computing is one of the most transformative technologies of our time, enabling businesses and individuals to access computing resources on demand, over the internet, without having to invest in or manage their own infrastructure. According to a report by Gartner, the global public cloud services market is expected to grow 23.1% in 2023, reaching $332.3 billion, up from $270 billion in 2022.
But what exactly is cloud computing and why is it so popular? And what are the trends and challenges that will shape its future? In this blog post, we will explore these questions and more.
What is cloud computing?
Cloud computing is the on-demand availability of computing resources as services over the internet. It eliminates the need for enterprises to procure, configure, or manage resources themselves, and they only pay for what they use. There are three types of cloud computing service models:
- Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) offers compute and storage services, such as virtual machines, containers, databases, and networks.
- Platform as a service (PaaS) offers a develop-and-deploy environment to build cloud apps, such as web servers, middleware, and development tools.
- Software as a service (SaaS) delivers apps as services, such as email, CRM, and collaboration tools.
Cloud computing also has different deployment models, depending on where the resources are located and who can access them:
- Public cloud is run by third-party cloud service providers, such as Google Cloud , Microsoft Azure , or IBM Cloud , who own and manage the infrastructure and offer services to anyone over the internet.
- Private cloud is run by a single organization for its own use, either on-premises or hosted by a third-party provider.
- Hybrid cloud is a combination of public and private clouds, connected by a common platform or network, that allows data and applications to move between them.
Why is cloud computing so popular?
Cloud computing offers many benefits for businesses and individuals, such as:
- Cost: Cloud computing eliminates the capital expense of buying hardware and software and setting up and running on-site data centers. It also reduces the operational costs of maintenance, security, and upgrades. Users only pay for the resources they consume, which can be scaled up or down according to demand.
- Speed: Cloud computing services are provided self-service and on-demand, so users can provision resources in minutes with just a few clicks. This enables faster innovation and delivery of products and services.
- Scalability: Cloud computing services can scale elastically to meet changing needs and workloads. Users can access more or less resources from anywhere in the world, without worrying about capacity planning or performance issues.
- Productivity: Cloud computing frees up IT staff from managing complex infrastructure and allows them to focus on more strategic tasks. It also simplifies collaboration and communication among teams and partners by enabling access to shared data and applications from any device.
- Reliability: Cloud computing ensures data backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity by replicating data across multiple redundant sites on the cloud provider’s network. It also offers high availability and fault tolerance by automatically distributing workloads across different servers.
- Security: Cloud computing providers offer a range of policies, technologies, and controls that protect data, applications, and infrastructure from potential threats. They also comply with various standards and regulations that govern data privacy and security.
What are the trends and challenges that will shape the future of cloud computing?
Cloud computing is constantly evolving to meet the needs and expectations of users. Some of the trends and challenges that will influence its future are:
- Edge computing: Edge computing is a distributed computing paradigm that brings computation and data storage closer to the location where it is needed, to improve response times and save bandwidth. It enables low-latency applications such as IoT devices , autonomous vehicles , smart cities , gaming , AR/VR , etc. Edge computing complements cloud computing by providing local processing power while leveraging the cloud for centralized management and analytics.
- Artificial intelligence (AI) : AI is the ability of machines to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence , such as reasoning , learning , decision making , etc. AI enables cloud computing to deliver more intelligent , personalized , and efficient services , such as voice assistants , chatbots , recommendation systems , image recognition , etc. AI also helps optimize cloud operations by automating tasks such as resource allocation , load balancing , security monitoring , etc.
- Multi-cloud : Multi-cloud is the use of multiple cloud providers or services for different workloads or purposes. It helps leverage the latest technologies and capabilities from different cloud providers to create innovative solutions and gain a competitive edge, reduce your dependency on a single cloud provider and avoid vendor lock-in and mitigate the risks of downtime, data loss, security breaches, or compliance issues by distributing your workloads across multiple cloud environments and providers.
- Cloud computing will move to the forefront of enterprise technology over the next decade, backed by strong executive support. Globally, 47% of survey participants said that the majority of their companies’ IT infrastructures already use public or private cloud computing. When asked about predictions for 2029, that number jumped 30 percentage points.
- Cloud computing will enable more innovation and collaboration across industries and regions. The report found that 88% of respondents believe that cloud computing will make it easier for companies to innovate and collaborate with others, while 86% think that cloud computing will help create a more level playing field for businesses of all sizes.
- Cloud computing will require more skills and expertise from IT professionals. As cloud computing becomes more complex and diverse, IT professionals will need to acquire new skills and knowledge to manage and optimize cloud environments. The report identified four key skill areas for the future of cloud computing: security, data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML).
- Cloud computing will face more challenges in terms of security, privacy, and regulation. As cloud computing becomes more pervasive and powerful, it also raises more concerns about data protection, cyberattacks, and compliance with different laws and regulations. The report found that 81% of respondents consider security as the most important factor when choosing a cloud provider, while 76% cite privacy as a key concern.
- Cloud computing will embrace more hybrid and multi-cloud models. Hybrid clouds combine public and private clouds to offer more flexibility and scalability, while multi-clouds use multiple cloud providers to leverage their strengths and avoid vendor lock-in. The report found that 58% of respondents use or plan to use hybrid clouds, while 54% use or plan to use multi-clouds.
In summary, these trends and challenges are likely to have a significant impact on the future of cloud computing. By staying informed and proactive, we can position ourselves to take advantage of the opportunities and mitigate the risks associated with this exciting technology.
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by Teknita Team | Apr 18, 2023 | Uncategorized
The IT industry is constantly evolving and changing, with new developments, innovations, and challenges every day. Here are some of the latest IT news stories that you should know about:
Google’s vision for a connected future with Android and ChromeOS
Google is working on bringing Android and ChromeOS closer together than ever, creating a seamless experience across devices and platforms. Google’s vision is to use the cloud as the glue that connects everything, from smartphones to laptops to smart speakers. Google wants to make it easy for users to access their data, apps, and services from any device, anywhere, anytime. Google also wants to leverage its AI and machine learning capabilities to provide personalized and contextual assistance to users, such as suggesting actions, reminders, or content based on their needs and preferences.
However, Google’s ambitious plan also raises some questions and challenges, such as how to balance privacy and security with convenience and functionality, how to deal with compatibility and fragmentation issues across different devices and versions of Android and ChromeOS, and how to compete with other tech giants like Apple and Microsoft that have their own ecosystems and strategies.
Nearly four in five employers struggle to fill job roles, a 17-year high
The IT sector is facing a talent shortage crisis, as nearly 80% of employers report difficulty finding qualified candidates for their open positions. This is the highest level since 2006, according to a survey by ManpowerGroup. The survey also found that IT skills are among the most in-demand across all industries, especially cybersecurity, cloud computing, data analysis, and software development.
The talent gap is caused by several factors, such as the rapid pace of technological change that requires constant upskilling and reskilling of workers, the lack of diversity and inclusion in the IT workforce that limits the pool of potential candidates, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted education and training opportunities for many people, and the mismatch between the expectations and preferences of employers and job seekers.
To address this challenge, employers need to adopt more flexible and innovative hiring strategies, such as offering remote work options, providing training and career development programs, partnering with educational institutions and community organizations, and creating a more diverse and inclusive culture.
EU privacy regulators to create task force to investigate ChatGPT
ChatGPT is a popular chatbot service that uses artificial intelligence to generate realistic and engaging conversations with users. ChatGPT claims to be able to talk about anything with anyone, from casual chit-chat to deep philosophical discussions. However, ChatGPT has also raised some serious concerns about its compliance with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which sets strict rules for how personal data is collected, processed, and stored.
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB), which is composed of data privacy regulators from all EU member states, has decided to create a task force to investigate ChatGPT’s practices and potential violations of GDPR. The task force will examine issues such as how ChatGPT obtains consent from users to collect their data, how ChatGPT ensures the security and accuracy of the data it stores and uses, how ChatGPT respects the rights of users to access, correct, or delete their data, and how ChatGPT handles sensitive or special categories of data such as biometric or health information.
The EDPB’s investigation could result in fines or sanctions for ChatGPT if it is found to breach GDPR rules. ChatGPT could also face legal action from individual users or consumer groups who may claim damages for any harm caused by ChatGPT’s use of their data.
Cisco to offer Webex air-gapped cloud system for security, defense work
Cisco is planning to launch a new version of its Webex cloud collaboration platform that will provide an extra layer of security for companies working on national security and defense projects. The new Webex air-gapped cloud system will isolate the data and communications of these companies from the rest of the Webex network and the internet at large. This will prevent any unauthorized access or interference from external actors or malicious insiders.
The Webex air-gapped cloud system will be hosted in Cisco’s own data centers in the US and will comply with the highest standards of security certification required by the US government. The system will also offer end-to-end encryption for all data in transit and at rest. The system will support all Webex features such as video conferencing, messaging, file sharing, whiteboarding, polling, transcription, translation, and more.
Intel arc GPUs get another major performance-boosting driver, up to 63% improvement across games
Intel is gearing up for the launch of its first discrete gaming graphics cards, codenamed Arc, later this year. To prepare for this, Intel has been releasing frequent driver updates for its existing integrated graphics solutions, which share the same architecture and features as Arc. The latest driver update, version 30.0.100.9955, brings significant performance improvements for a number of popular games, such as Cyberpunk 2077, Doom Eternal, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Red Dead Redemption 2.
According to Intel’s own benchmarks, the driver update can boost the frame rates by up to 63% on some games, depending on the resolution and settings. For example, Cyberpunk 2077 can run at 28.8 frames per second (fps) on low settings at 1080p resolution on an Intel Iris Xe Max GPU with the new driver, compared to 17.6 fps with the previous driver. Similarly, Doom Eternal can run at 56.9 fps on medium settings at 1080p resolution on an Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 GPU with the new driver, compared to 36.1 fps with the previous driver.
The driver update also adds support for new features such as DirectX 12 Agility SDK, which enables faster adoption of new DirectX 12 features by developers and gamers; Adaptive-Sync for HDMI displays, which synchronizes the refresh rate of the display and the GPU to reduce screen tearing and stuttering; and HDR tone mapping for SDR displays, which enhances the contrast and color range of HDR content on non-HDR displays.
How to overcome noise in quantum computations
Quantum computing is a promising technology that could revolutionize various fields such as cryptography, artificial intelligence, and drug discovery. However, quantum computing also faces a major challenge: noise. Noise refers to any unwanted disturbance or interference that affects the quantum state of a qubit, the basic unit of quantum information. Noise can cause errors and reduce the accuracy and reliability of quantum computations.
Scientists from the University of Sydney have made significant progress in quantum computing by deriving a formula that predicts the effects of environmental noise on quantum systems. The formula, called the Lindbladian master equation, describes how noise affects the evolution of a quantum system over time. The formula can help researchers design better quantum error correction schemes and optimize quantum algorithms for noisy environments.
The formula is based on a mathematical framework called Lindblad theory, which was developed by Swedish physicist Göran Lindblad in the 1970s. However, applying Lindblad theory to realistic quantum systems was difficult and computationally expensive until now. The scientists used a technique called perturbation theory to simplify and approximate the Lindbladian master equation for various types of noise models. The scientists tested their formula on a two-qubit system and found that it matched well with experimental data.
The scientists hope that their formula will enable more efficient and robust quantum computing in the future.
That’s all for this month’s IT news roundup.
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