Tag Archives: IT

Amidst Waves of Data Breaches, U.S. Gov Advised Agencies: Implement Zero Trust Architecture

October 19, 2024 The Silo Leave a comment

It’s been nearly two years since arguments and questions kept rising following the FAA outage that happened on January 11^th, 2023, which resulted in the complete closure of the U.S. Airspace and most of the airspace here in Canada.

Although the FAA later confirmed that the outage was, in fact, caused by a contractor who unintentionally damaged a data file related to the Notices to Air Missions (NOTAM) system, the authenticity of the fact is still debated.

The FAA initially urged airlines to ground domestic departures following the system glitch Credit: Reuters

“The FAA said it was due to one corrupted file – who believes this? Are there no safeguards against one file being corrupted, bringing everything down? Billions of Dollars are being spent on cybersecurity, yet this is going on – are there any other files that could be corrupted?” questions Walt Szablowski, Founder and Executive Chairman of Eracent, a company that specializes in providing IT and cybersecurity solutions to large organizations such as the USPS, Visa, U.S. Airforce, British Ministry of Defense — and dozens of Fortune 500 companies.

There has been a string of cybersecurity breaches across some high-profile organizations.

Last year, on January 19^th, T-Mobile disclosed that a cyberattacker stole personal data pertaining to 37 million customers, December 2022 saw a trove of data on over 200 million Twitter users circulated among hackers. In November 2022, a hacker posted a dataset to BreachForums containing up-to-date personal information of 487 million WhatsApp users from 84 countries.

The Ponemon Institute in its 2021 Cost of a Data Breach Report analyzed data from 537 organizations around the world that had suffered a data breach. Note all of the following figures are in US dollars. They found that healthcare ($9.23 million ), financial ($5.72 million), pharmaceutical ($5.04 million), technology ($4.88 million), and energy organizations ($4.65 million) suffered the costliest data breaches.

The average total cost of a data breach was estimated to be $3.86 million in 2020, while it increased to $4.24 million in 2021.

“In the software business, 90% of the money is thrown away on software that doesn’t work as intended or as promised,” argues Szablowski. “Due to the uncontrollable waves of costly network and data breaches, the U.S. Federal Government is mandating the implementation of the Zero Trust Architecture.“

Eracent’s ClearArmor Zero Trust Resource Planning (ZTRP) consolidates and transforms the concept of Zero Trust Architecture into a complete implementation within an organization.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image-4.png

“Relying on the latest technology will not work if organizations do not evolve their thinking. Tools and technology alone are not the answer. Organizations must design a cybersecurity system that fits and supports each organization’s unique requirements,” concludes Szablowski. For the Silo, Karla Jo Helms.

Sci-Tech

SETI Search For Space Aliens Increases Odds With Your Computer

March 9, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

I graduated from the University of California at Berkeley 4 years ago with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I received two job offers, one from SETI to work on high performance signal processing and the other from industry.

One does not simply walk away from SETI, so I had the pleasure of joining the Berkeley SETI Research Center (BSRC) team this past June. I received a warm welcome and was promptly sent to West Virginia to help install a new SETI system at the Green Bank Telescope.

There was a steep learning curve, but I was fascinated by BSRC’s work and couldn’t wait to actually understand what was going on.

As it turns out, our group is looking to expand its computing power, providing the ability to look at more star systems with habitable planets, expand the involvement of volunteers and acquire larger volumes of data; in short, broaden the search and increase our chances of intercepting a signal. Now I’m working on setting up new servers, network hardware, and signal-processing systems at Green Bank. We’re hoping to get data flowing and recording soon, and make it available for the interested public.

From the 19th-century idea of drawing a giant Pythagorean triangle in the Siberian tundra to signal extraterrestrials, to our current collection of servers storing and analyzing data, it is not hard to see how much progress has already been made.

Running SETI software on your home computer looks like this.

Funding from the Breakthrough Initiatives is spawning new projects that would not have been otherwise possible. SETI@home is planning to work with Breakthrough Listen to collect and distribute data from the Green Bank and Parkes telescopes. However, in order to sustain the whole SETI@home effort we could still use support from our devoted SETI@home contributors.

Recently, I spent a day at the Bay Area Science Festival talking to kids and their adults. I was fascinated by just how stoked kids are about SETI. Some came with prepared questions and showed incredible curiosity and intelligence. The BSRC team is hoping to inspire kids to pursue science careers and I think searching for life beyond Earth is a great way to get them interested and involved. I hope you continue your support for this fascinating endeavor, and keep your eyes on the stars. For the Berkeley SETI Research Center team, Zuhra Abdurashidova.

Supplemental- via nemesis maturity YouTube channel

Wow Signal – Scientists say that if the signal came from extraterrestrials, they are likely to be an extremely advanced civilization, as the signal would have required a 2.2-gigawatt transmitter, vastly more powerful than any on Earth.

The signal bore the expected hallmarks of non-terrestrial and non-Solar System origin.

One summer night in 1977, Jerry Ehman, a volunteer for SETI, or the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, may have become the first man ever to receive an intentional message from an alien world. Ehman was scanning radio waves from deep space, hoping to randomly come across a signal that bore the hallmarks of one that might be sent by intelligent aliens, when he saw his measurements spike.

The signal lasted for 72 seconds, the longest period of time it could possibly be measured by the array that Ehman was using. It was loud and appeared to have been transmitted from a place no human has gone before: in the constellation Sagittarius near a star called Tau Sagittarii, 122 light-years away.

All attempts to locate the signal again have failed, leading to much controversy and mystery about its origins and its meaning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wow!_signal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tau_Sagi…

http://www.bigear.org/wowmenu.htm

Sci-Tech

How F1 Cars Move Around The World For Races

November 28, 2019 The Silo Leave a comment

This year’s 2019 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi GP is almost here! Have you ever wondered how the cars make it to the race? It’s a logistical miracle. Custom containers. Hydraulic platforms. Modified cargo jet airliners and much, much more. If you’re a fan of F1 races you may have wondered how your favorite team manages to travel all around the globe in order to make it to the circuit safely on time. Some teams save money by using cargo ships and traveling via sea. Sometimes, they are required to complete this entire process from start to finish in only 48 hours!

Take a look at this nifty infographic from our friends at storagecentres.co.uk to learn more and have another level of appreciation for this incredible sport.

Sci-Tech

Dubai DJ Sets Underwater Broadcast Record

June 2, 2017 The Silo Leave a comment

The crew at Channel 4 FM in Dubai responded when the marketing team thought it might be fun to do a live 5-10 minute broadcast segment from the Ambassador’s Lagoon outside the iconic Atlantis the Palm Resort, more or less as a publicity stunt to promote this exotic location. We’re not talking poolside, mind you, but broadcasting from within the pool – an underwater broadcast from a pool that hosts a variety of sea life!

This might have been interesting enough, though such an aquatic broadcast had been done before, but the plan soon evolved into something more when Station Producer Lucas Poole (ironic, right?) suggested that Stu Tolan, host of the Celebrate Mornings breakfast show, attempt to break the record for longest underwater broadcast.

Mobile Rack featuring Telos Z/IP ONE used for underwater broadcastChannel 4 learned that this would mean staying on air and underwater for nearly five hours – no small amount of time to broadcast live while wearing scuba gear! The team was up for it, and preparations began to break the record. But would the tech hold up for such a stunt? Channel 4 IT and Broadcast Manager Muhammed Rafeeque says there were a number of challenges, and the engineering team initially didn’t feel prepared for the record-breaking broadcast.

“We were informed that one of the requirements to set the record was that the broadcast crew could not disconnect from the studio for more than two minutes, so we would need to ensure a stable link from the site of the broadcast to the main broadcast studio at all times,” Muhammed explains. In addition, the broadcast hosts would need to remain in communication with a representative from the Guinness Book of World Records, outside the pool, at all times. Muhammed continues, “These requirements presented some challenges for the technical crew to ensure these lines of communication would remain stable throughout the broadcast, and that any delays in communications or getting callers on the air would be minimal.”

Complicating things further, the resort could not provide a stable internet connection because it is reserved for guests, so the only access would be via cables. As such, a good bit of equipment would need to be hauled to the broadcast site so everything would be at the ready.

As a solution, Muhammed says the team used a router, which connected to a Telos Z/IP ONE, and then to the main broadcast studio. The studio features 100% Livewire infrastructure, so getting the audio feed into the studio would be easy using the Z/IP ONE, especially with sufficient backups. Muhammed assigned two Z/IP ONEs to the studio, so if one failed, the second one would take over and the broadcast could remain live. “For this broadcast it was all about convenience, quality, and low latency,” he points out.

“For this broadcast it was all about convenience, quality, and low latency.”

—Muhammed Rafeeque, IT and Broadcast Manager, Channel 4 FM

All the coordination paid off, and on May 13th, Stu and the Channel 4 Celebrate Mornings went live from underwater! Everything went smoothly, and presenters Saif, Vicky, Helen, and Kolter, Program Director Tom Ferguson, and news reporters on hand to interview the team, joined Stu underwater at various intervals during the show, while co-presenter Eve presented poolside.

With the help of the engineering staff—Ramesh, Chandana, Chaminda, Ibrahim, Mannan, and Shahid Kazmi—and the marketing team of CEO / Group Program Director and AlMurad Group CBO Talal Murad, and assistants Neeil and Yogesh, the broadcast came off without a hitch.

In the end, the record was not only broken, but shattered, as the broadcast went well beyond the five hour mark, giving future underwater broadcast hopefuls a high bar to shoot for. Check out the video highlights and the photo album.

Mr. Abdullah Murad, Chairman Al Murad group, parent company to Channel 4, phoned Stu to congratulate him once the record was officially broken, and the Guinness Book of World Records representative on hand certified the record presented Stu with the honor at the end of the broadcast.

It certainly wasn’t your everyday broadcast, but at a place like Atlantis the Palm, “A World Away from the Everyday” is the norm. The Telos Alliance is proud to have played a small part in this unique event, and help the Channel 4 team achieve a slice of radio broadcast history. For the Silo, Dave Sarkies.

Sci-Tech

Digital Serbia Partnership Launches To Set Serbia As Digital Innovation Hub

May 29, 2017 The Silo Leave a comment

“Digital Serbia” is the non-profit private partnership initiative launched by Ringier Axel Springer Serbia and leading tech companies. Its mission is to focus on improving the framework and ecosystem required to enable tech entrepreneurship and digital innovation in both industry and education in Serbia. The founding members of the initiative are Infostud, Microsoft, Nordeus, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Ringier Axel Springer, Seven Bridges, Startit, Telekom Srbija and Telenor.

“Digital Serbia” has been established as an association, bringing leading technology, IT and telecommunication companies together to drive digital innovation for Serbia and for its people. The Steering Committee of “Digital Serbia” will be made up of representatives of the founding companies. The Committee will be headed by Branko Milutinović, CEO and co-founder of Nordeus.

All of the association’s activities will be directed towards setting up an improved framework and investment climate to encourage technological entrepreneurship, innovations in the Serbian IT industry and a better level of digital literacy and education in the digital economy. Companies who want to participate in the realization of this goal, and to contribute to Digital Serbia, are invited to join.

“Digital Serbia” has been launched following the success of “digitalswitzerland”, and builds on the efforts of digital hubs such as London, Tel Aviv and Berlin, which joined the digital tech and innovation bandwagon early on.

Jelena Drakulić-Petrović, General Manager of Ringier Axel Springer Serbia and founder and initiator of the Digital Serbia Initiative: “Technological development brings unprecedented change at a high speed. Innovation in business and education helps to increase productivity. It allows for new solutions in the development of products and services. As a media company, we believe in the importance of enhancing digital innovative strength in Serbia, as this will be the driver that helps to create new jobs and grow our business. With “Digital Serbia”, we are seeking to unlock the vast potential we envisage for the Serbian economy and its people.”

Branko Milutinović, CEO and co-founder of Nordeus: “Thanks to digitalization, success can now be boiled down to its essence: creativity, know-how and professionalism. This is our opportunity. Together, we will work hard so Serbian innovations and success stories may develop from a stronger foundation and gain more attention. That’s why our decision to invest in digital education and tech entrepreneurship is so important to the future of our entire community.”

“Digital Serbia” will provide basic information and support to innovative companies, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises in the IT sector, on how to operate in these areas, and will provide assistance to companies and society in establishing contacts through various forums and fairs. In addition, “Digital Serbia” will actively participate in identifying and addressing legal restrictions that slow down the development of e-Business in Serbia, and will provide active support for technology startups.
The website www.dsi.rs has been launched with detailed information about the initiative.

Also building on the success of “digitalswitzerland” is the initiative “Digital Poland”, which will be launched on June 1, 2017 in Krakow during the Impact Conference (www.impactcee.com). The initiative will be supporting digitization for the economy, supporting education and the legal system around issues relating to digitization and innovation, and helping companies in Poland to transition from offline to online. For the Silo, Fouzia Hussain.

About “digitalswitzerland”

digitalswitzerland is a joint partnership between businesses, public authorities and the scientific community, which wants to shape Switzerland as the leading international hub for digital innovation. digitalswitzerland is already active in a wide range of fields such as knowledge transfer, education, start-up ecosystems, and political framework conditions. The association includes more than 70 of the most renowned companies and organizations as well as innovative locations throughout Switzerland. The initiative was launched in 2015 by Marc Walder, CEO of Ringier AG. More info can be found at www.digitalswitzerland.com

About Ringier Axel Springer Media AG

Ringier Axel Springer Media AG was founded in 2010 by the Swiss Ringier AG and the German Axel Springer SE. The company operates in the growth markets of Poland, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with a broad range of media services, comprising more than 165 digital and print offerings. The company’s registered offices are in Zurich and it employs a total of about 3100 employees.

Gaming

DreamHack Austin 2016 Featured ZOWIE Official eSports Monitors

May 9, 2016 The Silo Leave a comment

COSTA MESA, Calif. — May, 2016 — BenQ America Corp., a globally renowned LED and gaming monitor expert, recently announced that ZOWIE, the company’s eSports brand, would be the official monitor sponsor of DreamHack Austin 2016. Making its first-ever stop in North America as part of the DreamHack ZOWIE Open World Tour, the event took place May 6-8 at the Austin Convention Center. Pro gamers competed using the XL Series eSports monitors for all PC gaming tournaments. Additionally, ZOWIE extended its partnership to supply its RL eSports console monitors for the Capcom Pro Tour’s Street Fighter V and Pokkén Tournament matches.

The North American eSports market has seen phenomenal growth, attracting millions of gamers and online viewers. Committed to eSports, ZOWIE is pleased to partner with DreamHack to deliver the ultimate pro gaming experience with its XL and RL monitor lines.

“BenQ ZOWIE is created for eSports and only eSports. We believe that gaming is all about the experience, whether it’s PC or console eSports. Our relentless pursuit to provide the most professional experience drives us to craft eSports products, including the XL and RL monitors, that are based on a deep understanding of the sport and fine-tuned to meet the pros’ specific usage scenarios,” said Lars Yoder, president of BenQ America. “With our XL and RL monitors, professional players will have the high performance they expect for competition.”

ZOWIE EC2-eVo Gaming Mouse

DreamHack Austin 2016 attendees were able to test-drive the full range of ZOWIE products at booth 135. The complete ZOWIE lineup includes the XL and RL series monitors, SR and TF mousepads, as well as the EC, ZA, FK, and newly released FK1+ mice series. ZOWIE mice fit every particular gaming style with options for right- and left-handed players in addition to ambidextrous ones. As a sneak peek, visitors also had an opportunity to experience the soon-to-be-released ZOWIE VITAL audio system, an intuitive, driverless device that provides convenient adjustments to improve both sound and audio communication for games.

ZOWIE also conducted its own Counter-Strike: Global Offensive death match tournament at its booth three times per day each day — noon, 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. — to give players a chance to win a custom ZOWIE G-SR mousepad.

Follow @DreamHackOpen and @DreamHack on Twitter and stay tuned to @ZOWIEbyBenQ for other deals.

About ZOWIE
Introduced in late 2008, ZOWIE is a brand dedicated to the development of the best competitive gaming products to improve eSports athletes’ combat performance. In 2015, the ZOWIE brand was acquired by BenQ Corp. to aggressively lead the company’s eSports product line with products that deliver true competitive advantages. More information is available at ZOWIE.BenQ.com/.

About BenQ America Corp.
The BenQ digital lifestyle brand stands for “Bringing Enjoyment and Quality to Life,” fusing lifestyle with technology, enjoyment with productivity and aesthetic design with purpose-built engineering. It is this mantra that has made BenQ the No. 1-selling projector brand powered by TI DLP® technology in The Americas(1). BenQ America Corp. offers an extensive line of visual display and presentation solutions that incorporate the very latest technologies. The company delivers a broad range of Colorific™ projectors, ZOWIE eSports gear and monitors, interactive large-format displays, mobile audio products, cloud consumer products and lifestyle lighting for any application and market — education, home, gaming, enterprise, government, house of worship, digital signage, A/V and IT — with cutting-edge models that lead the industry in performance, reliability, environmental sustainability and aesthetics. Whether it’s interactive digital whiteboards for classrooms, full HD 3D projectors for home theaters, short-throw projectors for boardrooms, interactive flat-panel displays for digital signage or LED backlight monitors for professional gaming, BenQ continues to defy the limits of digital displays. The company’s products are available across North America through leading value-added distributors, resellers and retailers.

More information is available at www.BenQ.us.

(1) Based upon Q1’15 – Q3’15 data from the Quarterly Projector Shipment and Forecast Report from PMA Research

About BenQ Corporation
Founded on the corporate vision of “Bringing Enjoyment and Quality to Life,” BenQ Corporation is a world-leading human technology and solutions provider aiming to elevate and enrich every aspect of consumers’ lives. To realize this vision, the company focuses on the aspects that matter most to people today — lifestyle, business, healthcare and education — with the hope of providing people with the means to live better, increase efficiency, feel healthier and enhance learning. Such means include a delightful broad portfolio of people-driven products and embedded technologies spanning digital projectors, monitors, interactive large-format displays, audio products, cloud consumer products, mobile communications and lifestyle lighting. Because it matters.

Gaming

BenQ releases Curved 35-Inch Immersive Gaming Display

August 10, 2015 The Silo Leave a comment

COSTA MESA, Calif. — BenQ America Corp., an internationally renowned digital lifestyle solutions provider and professional gaming monitor pioneer, today introduced the company’s all-new XR3501 curved gaming display. Designed to provide a more immersive gaming experience, the 35-inch panel brings gamers a dramatic 2,000R curvature — the highest of any LCD monitor — as well as a lightning-fast 144-Hz refresh rate, ultra-wide 21:9 aspect ratio, and BenQ’s RevolutionEyes™ technology — allowing gamers to experience enhanced visual comfort, a larger viewing area, and seamless peripheral views for a more authentic sense of engagement with today’s dynamic content.

35-Inch PC Display Featuring 2,000R Curvature and 144-Hz Refresh Rate Adds a New Level of Entertainment.

“BenQ’s new XR3501 monitor is set to transform gaming into a faster, wider, and more engaging all-around experience,” said J.Y. Hu, Vice President, Business Line Management at BenQ America Corp. “Featuring a 2-meter curvature, a fast-action refresh rate, and a 2560×1080 resolution, the panel provides breathtaking visuals that surround users with edge-to-edge excitement. Players will experience their favorite games in an entirely new way while features such as Black eQualizer, RevolutionEyes technology, and PIP will definitely put them ahead of the pack.”

BenQ’s XR3501 monitor has been designed for casual gamers looking for a more enveloping gaming experience. With over 20 options for color vibrance, the VA panel provides higher color reproduction with better viewing angles, which proves vital when using such a large curved screen by adding an extra layer of color optimization. Users can also adjust color levels directly via OSD or DisplayPilot for complete color control. Using Black eQualizer, the panel brightens darker scenes within games without over-exposing white levels — giving gamers the advantage of seeing details more clearly than their competitors, while picture in picture allows multiple sources to be connected and viewed on the monitor.

With a focus on “Eye-Care” and visual comfort, the XR3501 is equipped with BenQ’s RevolutionEyes technology. Featuring ZeroFlicker™, the monitor eliminates flickering at all brightness levels, reducing visual strain to provide a more comfortable viewing experience. When combined with the device’s built-in Low Blue Light modes, the monitor also successfully filters the exposure of emitted blue spectrum light — effectively reducing eye fatigue and elevating gaming performance to provide exceptional visual comfort, even during long hours of gaming or dynamic content viewing.

BenQ’s curved XR3501 monitor is now shipping across North America at an MSRP of USD$999. Details on BenQ’s full line of gaming monitors can be found at http://gaming.benq.com.

About BenQ America Corp.
The BenQ digital lifestyle brand stands for “Bringing Enjoyment ‘N’ Quality to Life,” fusing lifestyle with technology, enjoyment with productivity, and aesthetic design with purpose-built engineering. It is this mantra that has made BenQ the No. 1-selling projector brand powered by TI DLP^® technology in The Americas⁽¹⁾. BenQ America Corp. offers an extensive line of visual display and presentation solutions that incorporate the very latest technologies. The company delivers a broad range of Colorific™ projectors, RevolutionEyes™ monitors, interactive large-format displays, mobile audio products, cloud consumer products, and lifestyle lighting for any application and market — education, home, gaming, enterprise, government, house of worship, digital signage, A/V, and IT — with cutting-edge models that lead the industry in performance, reliability, environmental sustainability, and aesthetics. Whether it’s interactive digital whiteboards for classrooms, full HD 3D projectors for home theaters, short-throw projectors for boardrooms, interactive flat-panel displays for digital signage, or LED-backlight monitors for professional gaming, BenQ continues to defy the limits of digital displays. The company’s products are available across North America through leading value-added distributors, resellers, and retailers.

⁽¹⁾ Based upon Q1’15 Quarterly Projector Shipment and Forecast Report from PMA Research

About BenQ Corporation
Founded on the corporate vision of “Bringing Enjoyment ‘N’ Quality to Life”, BenQ Corporation is a world-leading human technology and solutions provider aiming to elevate and enrich every aspect of consumers’ lives. To realize this vision, the company focuses on the aspects that matter most to people today — lifestyle, business, healthcare, and education — with the hope of providing people with the means to live better, increase efficiency, feel healthier, and enhance learning.

Such means include a delightful broad portfolio of people-driven products and embedded technologies spanning digital projectors, monitors, interactive large-format displays, audio products, cloud consumer products, mobile communications, and lifestyle lighting. Because it matters.

About BenQ Group
The BenQ Group is a $22+ billion powerhouse comprised of nearly 20 independent companies operating in over 30 countries across numerous industries with a combined workforce of over 100,000 employees. Each Group member is a recognized leader in its own field, contributing to the BenQ Group’s vast resources, broad R&D, and distinct strategic strengths. By leveraging each company’s vertical specialization to create true scale across horizontal markets, the BenQ Group controls a highly efficient value chain with the unrivaled ability to deliver critical components and world-class solutions in the following industries: TFT-LCD, green energy, fine chemicals and advanced materials, lighting, IC design, precision components, system integration, branded business, and service. The Group is committed to profitable and sustainable businesses that share its long-standing vision of Bringing Enjoyment ‘N’ Quality to Life. The BenQ Group companies are: BenQ Corporation, AU Optronics Corporation (world’s top manufacturer of large-size TFT-LCD panels), Qisda Corporation, Darfon Electronics Corporation, BenQ ESCO Corp., BenQ Materials Corp., BenQ Guru Corp., BenQ Medical Center, BenQ Medical Technology Corp., BenQ AB DentCare Corp., Daxin Materials Corp., Dazzo Technology Corp., Forhouse Corp., Lextar Electronics Corp., LILY Medical Corp., and Raydium Semiconductor Corp.

All trademarks and registered trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

There has been a string of cybersecurity breaches across some high-profile organizations.

There was a steep learning curve, but I was fascinated by BSRC’s work and couldn’t wait to actually understand what was going on.

From the 19th-century idea of drawing a giant Pythagorean triangle in the Siberian tundra to signal extraterrestrials, to our current collection of servers storing and analyzing data, it is not hard to see how much progress has already been made.

All attempts to locate the signal again have failed, leading to much controversy and mystery about its origins and its meaning.

Canada's 'biggest little blogspace'