Category: Technology

distributions: premium, elite

Categories
Business Computers & Software Services Technology U.K

The Role of Cloud Data Lakehouses in Machine Learning and Deep Learning

Before one can understand the role of cloud data lakehouses in machine learning and deep learning, one needs to know what machine learning and deep learning actually are.

Anyone vaguely interested in artificial intelligence (AI) might have come across these two terms before. Contrary to some confusion, these terms aren’t interchangeable (despite both having something to do with learning). For anyone interested, here’s an article that discusses the difference between machine learning and deep learning.

It’ll clarify why structured, unstructured, and semi-structured data are all so important in artificial intelligence.

What’s the Difference Between Machine Learning & Deep Learning?

To understand how ML and deep learning differ, people first need to understand what these two types of learning are.

What Is Machine Learning?

Machine learning is the process of teaching computers to make decisions and predictions based on a bunch of rules. These include simple if-then logic, using mathematical equations, and neural network architecture.

The algorithms used to teach computers through ML generally rely on structured data.

What Is Deep Learning?

Deep learning is a process of teaching computers in a manner similar to how humans learn. Instead of using structured data with structured rules, this process uses unstructured data. Obviously, this type of learning takes longer and requires specialised AI learning processors.

Deep learning is used for AI that has to mimic human-like decision-making processes; eg., Natural Language Processing (NLP), software for self-driving vehicles, and image recognition software.

So, to summarise, machine learning is a structured learning model that takes less time, whilst deep learning is a more organic learning system, which takes longer, is more complicated, and requires complex hardware.

Machine learning is useful for solving simpler, linear problems, like classification, regression, dimensionality reduction, and clustering.

Deep learning, on the other hand, is used for solving more complex problems, where human-like thinking and processing might be required. These include image and speech recognition, AI game bots, NLP, and autonomous systems.

Structured Data vs. Unstructured Data vs. Semi-Structured Data

So, now that we know what machine learning and deep learning are, let’s move on to structured and unstructured data. As we just saw, both have a role in the development of AI. Here is the difference between the two.

Structured Data

Structured data, as the name suggests, is, well… structured. It follows a standard format and can be worked on directly. If you’ve ever worked with an Excel spreadsheet, with the information neatly organised in cells and tables, you’ve encountered structured data.

Such data is easy to store, access, and process, because it’s all so well organised.

Unstructured Data

Unlike structured data, unstructured data cannot be organised as easily. It doesn’t follow a standard format and each item in the database could have different properties. Examples of unstructured data include images, video files, audio files, social media posts, or behavioural data.

Since this data is so varied, it cannot be organised into neat little compartments. As a result, it needs more storage space and it can be slightly difficult to retrieve.

Semi-Structured Data

This type of data, whilst largely unstructured, does have some organisational logic to it. In fact, some people argue that there is no true unstructured data. Even an image will have some meta-data included, which can be used to retrieve it.

However, unlike structured data, semi-structured data too requires more storage.

This brings us to cloud data lakehouses.

What Is a Cloud Data Lakehouse?

When you want to store clean, organised structured data, you use data warehouses. These are ideal for business intelligence data. 

On the other hand, if you want to store unstructured data and semi-structured data, you want data lakes. These types of data can’t be housed in neat, logical data warehouses.

But, having two types of storage for structured and unstructured data means you cannot derive benefits from both. That’s where a data lakehouse enters the picture.

A data lakehouse combines the logical, analytical storage of a warehouse with the flexibility of a data lake—ideal for an artificial intelligence model which uses both deep learning and machine learning.

Whilst a data warehouse is simple in structure, the data lakehouse architecture is largely dependent on your business’s needs. You might need an expert, like Agile Solutions, to help you design a bespoke solution.

However, having a cloud data lakehouse can be an important resource if you want to make the most of the data—both structured and unstructured—that your company owns.

Categories
Energy & Environment Public Affairs Technology Travel World

COP 27: ICAO Marks Sustainable Aviation Fuels as the Future of Net-Zero Aviation

At the side event at COP 27 last November, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) professed its Long Term Aspirational Goal (LTAG) for reducing the aviation sector’s contribution to climate change, reported Lexology.

“Achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 will require substantial and sustained investment and financing over the coming decades. We must furthermore assure reliable and affordable support and capacity-building for the many developing countries and States with particular needs, who will be depending on it to help play their part,” said ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano. “An important part of my message to you here today is that the work to begin addressing these objectives for our sector has already started.” 

LTAG for International Aviation 

LTAG is a succession of the pledges advocated at the inaugural meeting of the International Aviation Climate Ambition Coalition launched at COP 26, which emphasises cooperative international actions to significantly decouple GHG emissions from flights. 

LTAG aims to comply with the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping global warming well below 1.5°C.

Part of this effort is to help the aviation sector hit the Net-Zero target by 2050 and foster mass adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), aligning with CORSIA—ICAO’s carbon offsetting and reduction scheme.

“ICAO is fully cognizant of its global responsibilities toward the sustainable future of the international aviation sector, and of the planet. We also remain deeply cognizant of the critical importance of international air connectivity to the civil societies and economies of Small Island Developing States, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Least Developed Countries,” remarked the Council President.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Extracted from sustainable feedstocks and waste products, SAF is a biofuel used to power aircraft.

It can be in blended or unblended form. SAF holds the potential to provide identical or sometimes better performance than conventional fossil-based aviation fuel but with a fraction of its carbon footprint, helping decarbonise the aviation industry.

Even though aviation is considered the bedrock of the world economy, it accounts for almost 3% of the total volume of carbon dioxide annually infiltrating the Earth’s atmosphere. 

That said, cutting carbon emissions from aviation has now become dire.

Although hydrogen- and electric-powered aircraft hold great potential to cut GHG emissions, they are still a long way off from being commercially viable. 

A bridge between hydrogen- or electric-powered aeroplanes and today’s petroleum-based aircraft, SAF’s lower carbon intensity makes it a realistic solution for decreasing aviation GHG.

SAF can cut GHS emissions by up to 80% over the fuel lifecycle and can be used to power the aircraft engine as a direct replacement (drop-in) for fossil-based aviation fuel.

Since 20211, SAF has been used to take more than 450,000 flights to the skies.

Early this month, Airbus powered both engines of its single-aisle aircraft—A321neo—with 100% SAF.

Currently, up to 50% SAF can be blended with petroleum-based jet fuel in commercial flights. 

SAF Production: The Global Outlook

Despite being able to decarbonise aviation significantly, global SAF production is still minuscule. Roughly 26.4 million gallons of SAF are being produced annually, constituting only 0.1% of all jet fuel.

Soaring costs due to limited supply hinders the rapid uptake of SAFs in the aviation industry.

However, these low production numbers are prompting the world’s policymakers to develop plans for scaling up new production methods and facilitating the commercialisation of SAF.

The global SAF market is poised to rise to $6.26 billion by 2030—up from $72.1 million in 2020. 

Again, with the increasing bio-content in jet fuels aggravating microbial contamination, checking its impacts has become dire.

That said, investing in high-end aviation fuel testing kits such as FUELSTAT® is a sensible business decision when it comes to periodic testing of SAF fuels. As a result, microbial growth can be tracked down at the earliest phases and before critical safety or operational disruptions incur heavy financial losses.

Industry Leaders Looking to Facilitate SAF Production

At COP 27, industry leaders underscored the need for a strong regulatory framework to enable the evolution to emissions-free flight while ensuring the safe deployment of SAF into the fuel supply system.

“As aviation continues to explore and adopt the incredible new technological innovations arising today in aeronautics and renewable energy propulsion, ICAO also recognizes how imperative it is to start putting in place the right policies, legal frameworks, and modernised infrastructure to enable this evolution to emissions-free flight,” said ICAO President.

As part of its effort to offer a framework and bespoke assistance to States in different phases of SAF production and deployment, ICAO launched the ICAO Assistance, Capacity-building and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (ACT-SAF) program in June 2022.

However, at COP 27, industry leaders unanimously agreed that boosting the production of commercially usable SAF and replacing conventional fuel with it would need substantial funding. 

Should that funding be raised and only 10% of conventional jet fuel get replaced by SAF, it will reduce 60 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

Categories
Business Computers & Software Technology U.K U.S

Microsoft Introduces Closed Captions in PowerPoint Live for Teams Meetings; Presentations Expected to be More Accessible

blank

Microsoft has reportedly rolled out the coveted Closed Caption feature in PowerPoint Live for Microsoft Teams meetings. 

Announcing the release on March 6th, 2023, Microsoft said that with this new feature, users seeking to make their presentations more accessible to a larger audience can add closed captions to any video file embedded in a PowerPoint slide. 

The new feature is currently available in PowerPoint for Mac and Windows operating systems, reported Commercial INTEGRATOR. 

Details of the Closed Caption Feature

Microsoft expects this new feature in Microsoft Teams to help people with language barriers or hearing impairments to participate in the meetings. Participants with issues in processing auditory information, or attending a meeting from a loud place can also benefit from the feature.  

Now, while in a Microsoft Team meeting, they won’t face difficulties comprehending the audio components of the video content embedded in a PowerPoint presentation being shared via PowerPoint Live. 

“Closed captions make PowerPoint presentations more accessible and benefit everyone who watches videos, especially those watching videos in their non-native language, people learning to read, and individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing,” said Microsoft in one of its Tech Community posts.

Additionally, meeting attendees can also activate or deactivate captions for any video project containing a closed captions file.

Once activated, attendees can find the Closed Caption feature at the bottom of their PowerPoint slides. Microsoft confirms the new addition, when turned on by a specific meeting attendee in the Teams, will not distract others.

Adding Closed Captions

In its Tech Community post, Microsoft has broken down the process of adding closed captions to video content included in a PowerPoint presentation:

  1. Open the required PowerPoint slide with the video content
  2. Select the video and click Insert Captions from the Playback tab
  3. Choose the WebVTT file or files to be added to the selected video content from the Insert Captions dialog box
  4. Click Insert Caption to add closed captions

When this PowerPoint presentation with closed captions is shared using PowerPoint Live in Microsoft Teams, the Closed Caption feature will automatically appear for all meeting attendees. 

To turn on closed captions, attendees need to:

  1. Press the Closed Captions options on the video player in the PowerPoint Live presentation
  2. Pick the language from the dropdown list

“Once turned on, the video closed captions will appear at the bottom of the slide for only the individual attendee, empowering each attendee to choose the closed captions setting that’s best for them without distracting other attendees who may prefer to have closed captions turned off,” explained Microsoft in the Tech Community post. “When no closed captions are available for a video, the closed captions button will be unavailable for participants to select.”

Turbocharge Your PowerPoint Presentation

With more than 500 million users worldwide, Microsoft PowerPoint seems like the obvious choice for many when it comes to creating business presentations.

However, with so much clicking, formatting, and manual calculations, creating a professional-looking presentation in PowerPoint becomes a time-intensive, cumbersome task. 

For users looking to create a great-looking presentation with stunning charts, using a high-end PowerPoint add-in like think-cell is a sensible decision.

A high-quality add-in fully integrates into Microsoft office 365 and helps users impress the audience while significantly saving them time.

Wrapping Up

Microsoft stated that the Closed Caption feature is “just a beginning.” The company is committed to delivering proactive and pleasant Teams meeting experience to attendees with hearing impairments.

Categories
Computers & Software Technology U.K U.S

Atlassian Patches Critical Severity Authentication Vulnerability in Jira Software; Admins are Urged to Upgrade Their Installations

blank

Atlassian has reportedly released multiple fixes to patch a critical severity authentication vulnerability in its powerful ITSM tool—Jira Service Management Server and Data Center.

Jira Service Management Server and Jira Service Management Data Center run on top of Jira Core and enable future-focused enterprises to connect Dev, IT Ops, and business teams to boost productivity.

Breaking Down the Vulnerability

The broken authentication issue was detected in version 5.3.0, thus affecting all subsequent Jira software versions—from 5.3.0 to 5.3.1 and 5.4.0 to 5.5.0. 

Publishing an advisory, Atlassian underscored the flaw as a ‘critical severity’ authentication flaw based on the company’s specific severity code. Tracked as CVE-2023-22501, this authentication bug is rated with a CVSS score of 9.4 by the company. 

This authentication bug, if unpatched, could be exploited by threat actors to impersonate authentic users and in specific cases, infiltrate Jira Service Management instances, according to Infosecurity Magazine (reported by PERTI).

“With write access to a User Directory and outgoing email enabled on a Jira Service Management instance, an attacker could gain access to sign-up tokens sent to users with accounts that have never been logged into,” the company explained in its advisory.

“Access to these tokens can be obtained in two cases: If the attacker is included on Jira issues or requests with these users, or if the attacker is forwarded or otherwise gains access to emails containing a ‘View Request’ link from these users,” Atlassian explained.

Once the vulnerability is exploited and followed by a password change, no email notifying the change is sent to the account owner, which makes the detection of the account compromisation really tough. 

In the advisory, Atlassian warned users that the bot accounts are more likely to fall prey to attackers.

Until most recently, this authentication bypass issue has not been exploited maliciously in the wild. 

Atlassian Urges Admins to Upgrade Their Jira Software

As part of its effort to help admins address the vulnerability, Atlassian, in the above-mentioned directory, has declared the release of patches for Jira versions 5.3.3, 5.4.2, 5.5.1, 5.6.0, and later. 

The productivity software giant has urged admins to upgrade to the latest fixed versions of the software to mitigate the authentication flaw before attackers can hold sway over their accounts. 

However, for users who cannot upgrade their installations immediately, Atlassian has offered a temporary workaround solution. Atlassian has provided users with a JAR file that can be used to manually update the “service desk-variable-substitution-plugin.” 

Admins opting for the latest upgrades can get notified of which accounts had been compromised since deploying the older version.

However, upgrading a software instance is highly disruptive and involves intricate steps. For businesses seeking a smooth upgrade to the latest Jira versions, investing in a high-end Atlassian consultancy service like Automation Consultants is a sensible decision. 

By executing periodic security audits of Atlassian products like Jira, Bitbucket, and Confluence, a class-leading consultancy service with Atlassian experts can help teams evaluate the security posture of their Atlassian stack.

Atlassian suggests admins force a password reset on all potentially compromised accounts, for which confirming their email addresses is imperative. 

The company recommends users disconnect and shut down the breached server upon detecting a vulnerability in order to limit its extent. 

The company confirmed Jira services hosted on Atlassian Cloud via the atlassian.net domain were not impacted by the vulnerability. 

Categories
Computers & Software Manufacturing & Industry Technology U.S

Luminate Capital Partners Makes Strategic Growth Investment in Ease, Inc.

blank

SAN CLEMENTE and SAN FRANCISCO – March 14, 2023 – Luminate Capital Partners, a private equity firm focused on enterprise software, announced last week a majority-stake growth investment in Ease, Inc. (“Ease”), a leader in manufacturing plant floor audit software.  

Luminate’s investment will help Ease expand its leadership position in the manufacturing software sector by accelerating new product development, innovation, and other key growth initiatives.  

The EASE plant floor audit SaaS platform is purpose-built to serve the manufacturing industry. EASE harnesses the plant floor data, provides deep insights into manufacturing processes, and delivers immediate ROI for customers via higher productivity, improved quality and safety, and lower costs and defects. EASE is used in more than 40 countries and 20+ languages to conduct millions of audits every year and is trusted by hundreds of global enterprise customers from automotive to aerospace, electronics, medical devices, food & beverage, packaging and more. 

“Manufacturers are just embarking on their digital transformation journey and EASE is right at the center. We are transforming business critical audit processes and providing actionable insights in real time for all types of manufacturing,” said Eric Stoop, CEO of Ease. “Ease is proud to be able to work hand in hand with manufacturers to drive efficiency, increase quality and employee safety, and reduce risk. We are excited to start this next chapter with Luminate and leverage their extensive experience in scaling and driving growth through product expansion and innovation.” 

Dave Ulrich, Partner at Luminate, said, “Ease is addressing a large global opportunity. Their innovative platform helps manufacturers simplify how they administer, conduct, and respond to plant floor audits, a process still often done manually on paper. Ease’s platform delivers significant value to customers today and we believe through additional product investment there’s opportunity to offer even more.” 

“Ease has seen impressive growth in recent years,” added Chris Murphy, Operating Partner at Luminate. “We are excited to partner with the team to support their continued growth and success.” 

In connection with the investment, Hollie Haynes, Chris Murphy, and Dave Ulrich will join Eric Stoop on Ease’s Board of Directors. Spotlight Equity Partners, Ease’s previous majority shareholder, will retain a minority stake.  

Suken Shah, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Spotlight said, “We have been impressed with the entire Luminate team and believe they are a great partner for Ease going forward. We look forward to collaborating with them to build on the company’s strong momentum.” 

Lincoln International provided M&A advisory services to the shareholders of Ease and legal advice was provided by McDermott Will & Emery. 

Kirkland & Ellis was legal advisor to Luminate.  

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.  

About Ease 

Ease’s multi-tenant SaaS solution is built for manufacturers of all sizes. The solution automates manual and time-consuming plant floor audits, inspections, and data collection to digitize a historically manual, paper-based approach. Leading manufacturers in 40+ countries around the world, including Dana, Eaton, and 3M, trust Ease to automate plant floor audits and keep pace with manufacturing requirements. Founded in 1986, Ease is headquartered in San Clemente, California. For more information, please visit www.ease.io.

About Luminate Capital 

Luminate Capital Partners is a private equity firm investing in growth software companies, based in San Francisco. Luminate’s portfolio of market leaders has included Axonify, Conexiom, Compliance & Risks, StarCompliance, Quantivate, Thought Industries and Suralink. For more information, please visit www.luminatecapital.com.  

About Spotlight Equity Partners 

Spotlight Equity Partners is a private equity firm investing in enterprise software companies. Spotlight’s current portfolio of software companies includes ScaleGrid, Pharos, Nicus, cFive, SirsiDynix, and Identity Automation. For more information, please visit www.spotlightequity.com.  

Media Contact:  

For Ease: 

Andrea Walter 

Chief Marketing Officer 

Ease 

andrea.walter@ease.io 

For Luminate:

Chris Tofalli 

Chris Tofalli Public Relations, LLC

chris@tofallipr.com

Categories
Automotive Technology Travel U.S World

Say Goodbye to JFK Parking Hassles with ParkingAccess!

blank

ParkingAccess is a website that offers a comprehensive guide to parking at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York. The website has a team of expert writers who produce high-quality editorial and sensational content around JFK parking.

One of the reasons why ParkingAccess is so great concerning JFK parking is its deep understanding of the needs and concerns of travelers who use JFK. The website provides valuable information such as the locations of parking facilities, rates, and amenities. They also offer insider tips on how to save money and time when parking at JFK.

In addition to providing practical information, ParkingAccess also produces high-quality editorial content that is informative and engaging. Their articles cover a wide range of topics such as airport security, travel safety, and parking trends. Their writers are experts in the travel industry and provide valuable insights and advice for travelers.

One of the things that sets ParkingAccess apart from other websites is their ability to produce sensational content that captures readers’ attention. They use creative headlines and engaging visuals to inspire readers and motivate them. Their articles are also well-researched and have a unique perspective on travel-related topics.

Another great thing about ParkingAccess is their commitment to providing accurate and up-to-date information. They regularly update their website to reflect changes in parking rates and availability at JFK. They also provide real-time information on parking availability and wait times so that travelers can plan and avoid unnecessary stress.

ParkingAccess is also very user-friendly and easy to navigate. Their website is designed to be intuitive and responsive, making it easy for travelers to find the place they need quickly and easily. They also offer a range of tools and resources, such as a parking calculator and a parking map, to help travelers plan their trip.

In conclusion, ParkingAccess is a fantastic resource for travelers looking for information on parking at JFK. Their expert writers produce high-quality editorial and sensational content that is informative, engaging, and up-to-date. They deeply understand the needs and concerns of travelers who use JFK and provide practical information and insider tips to help make their trip as smooth and stress-free as possible. If you plan a trip to JFK, check out ParkingAccess for all your parking needs.

Categories
Fitness Health & Medicine Pharmaceuticals & Biotech Science Technology

Cyborgcare Launches as the Ultimate Online Marketplace for Health and Wellness Enthusiasts

blank

Israel, Tel Aviv: Cyborgcare, the ultimate online marketplace for cyborg technology products, smart medical devices, gadgets, and wearables. Our platform offers a comprehensive selection of over 500 items designed to improve your health and wellbeing, covering everything from skin, body, hair, eyes, teeth, and nails to medical equipment for fitness centers, beauty salons, clinics, and hospitals.

We understand that keeping up with the latest advancements in cyborg technology can be overwhelming, which is why we’ve created a transparent and user-friendly ecosystem that empowers you to explore and purchase the products you need with ease. Our platform offers an intuitive shopping experience with a wide range of categories and filters to help you find the right products for your unique needs.

At Cyborgcare, we’re dedicated to providing you with qualified online support. Our team of experts is here to answer your questions, offer product recommendations, and help you make informed decisions about your health and wellbeing. Whether you’re new to the world of cyborg technology or an experienced biohacker, our support team is here to help you every step of the way.

We also provide a directory of local services, doctors, consultants, and technicians. Our platform helps you connect with local experts who can provide personalized guidance and support for your biohacking lifestyle. From finding a qualified technician to install your smart medical device to booking a consultation with a top-rated doctor, our directory is a valuable resource for anyone interested in improving their health and wellbeing with the latest technology.

Cyborgcare is committed to promoting a biohacking lifestyle that helps people stay healthy, confident, and happy. Our mission is to empower you with the tools and resources you need to achieve your health and wellness goals. We’re excited to announce that worldwide sales and distribution will be coming soon, so stay tuned for updates and be sure to check out our website to explore our products and services.

Categories
Energy & Environment Financial Market Technology World

Offshore Oil and Gas Sector Set for a Tremendous Comeback; $214B of New Project Investments Lined Up

blank

With project investment worth $214B or above lined up, the global offshore oil and gas (O&G) industry is poised to get a massive boost in the next two years.

The annual greenfield investment is predicted to hit a decade-high record in 2023 and 2024, said OILPRICE.com citing Rystad Energy research.

The Comeback Is Happening Now

Offshore production projects are forecasted to comprise roughly 68% of all approved traditional hydrocarbon-based projects during the projection period 2023-24—up from 40% during 2015-2018. 

This expected activity increase is buoyed by strong oil prices and rig demand. As of March 07, 2023, WTI crude oil values $77.76 per barrel, which is high enough to prompt operators to boost production activities, and that should continue into next year. 

Additionally, the cost of imported fossil fuels has spiralled upward since 2022 as supply chain challenges have been exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

The Ukraine conflict is anticipated to propel the development of relatively high-CAPEX offshore (both platform and subsea-based) O&G projects, with a range of regions like Europe shunning Russian fossil fuels and seeking ways to ramp up energy production from alternative sources.

The result: offshore schemes will constitute almost 50% of the total projects expected to get sanctioned globally between 2023 and 2024, which was only 29% during 2015-18.

Experts expect these new projects to be the key factor in driving the expansion of the offshore system market, with supply chain investment to witness an upturn of 16% between 2023 and 2024, a record-high year-on-year increase of around USD 21B in the last ten years. 

Other Key Players Stimulating Subsea Production Activities

As global demand for fossil fuel continues to pick up, casting about carbon-free energy sources has now become a major concern. The world is set to undergo an energy transition as it slides away from fossil fuels to less carbon-intensive energy sources.

As one of the least carbon-intensive hydrocarbon extraction techniques, offshore O&G production offers the industry a solid footing for significantly decoupling carbon dioxide emissions from the production process.

“Offshore oil and gas production isn’t going anywhere, and the sector matters now, possibly more than ever. As one of the lower carbon-intensive methods of extracting hydrocarbons, offshore operators and service companies should expect a windfall in the coming years as global superpowers try to reduce their carbon footprint while advancing the energy transition,” stated Audun Martinsen, head of supply chain research with Rystad Energy.

Citing Rystad Energy, Offshore predicts the subsea production sector to reign in the offshore industry, with a substantial number of subsea trees up for grabs in the upcoming years.

With subsea oil production boosting, ensuring high-end reservoir monitoring has become the key concern today. 

For subsea production operators looking to increase production while minimising OPEX across a subsea well lifecycle, investing in a permanent reservoir monitoring system like Silixa is a sensible decision. 

By enabling intervention-free operations and delivering a high-seismic signal-to-noise ratio for seismic surveys with fewer shots, a high-end reservoir monitoring system significantly saves on operation time and cost. 

Offshore Sector Comeback: The Global Outlook

An uptick in high-impact drilling activity in offshore Namibia, the Gulf of Mexico, South America, and the Eastern Mediterranean is the key player in accelerating the development of the subsea oil production sector.

Case in point: The highly stable high-impact drilling has helped resource discovery soar to 9.2B barrels of oil equivalent (boe) in 2022—up from 7.4B boe in 2021, according to Westwood.

On the other hand, the proportion of discovered wells with the potential to turn into commercial development rose to 36% in 2022 from 29% in 2021.

Again, with 47 production licences awarded to a total of 25 oil companies by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy in January 2023, the country is heading for an oil production surge. 

While Norway is fast becoming the key player in helping Europe reduce its reliance on Russian energy imports, uncertainties spurred by the Energy Profits Levy are still looming over the UK.

However, offshore development spending in the UK is predicted to increase 30% in 2023 to a total of $7 billion.

The Middle Eastern offshore sector will steadily expand, if not booms, while South American spending is projected to plunge in 2025.

Wrapping Up

With the world trying to deal with the current energy crisis, more emphasis is placed on capitalising on the subsea reservoirs as affordable and safe energy sources. 

Categories
Business Computers & Software Technology U.K U.S

Some Cybersecurity Trends in 2023 that Business Owners Should Be Aware Of

blank

Cybersecurity is important. I think we can all agree about that. And, it’s forever evolving, because just as we figure out a response to a cyber threat, hackers go and find a new way of attacking.

The latest in cyber threat evolution was using AI to create malware. But, that’s not all there is to it. That’s why maintaining cybersecurity is not a one-time exercise. One needs to work hard to keep up.

And, as with anything that is ongoing, one can expect to see patterns and trends.

So, what are the cybersecurity trends we can expect to see in 2023?

AI and ML For Cybersecurity

As AI and machine learning (ML) become more sophisticated, threat actors are using these technologies to avoid detection.

The preferred method of hackers is not high-tech hacking exercises, as shown in movies. What they do almost 71% of the time is steal valid credentials and then use those to force their way into accounts.

For example, they steal an email address used to register an account on an online platform. Then, they try to brute-force their way into that account using commonly used passwords. 

If they succeed in cracking the password, they’d use that email/password combination on other websites. 

(That’s why you shouldn’t use the same password for different accounts.)

Now, unless they buy a stolen list of email addresses, most hackers use social engineering attacks to get people’s credentials.

With the help of AI, they are creating not just more refined malware but also phishing emails that are more personalised.

So, whilst businesses are using AI to detect cyber attacks, they end up being reactionary rather than proactive. By the time they “teach” AI how to identify a new threat, hackers have moved on to another method.

Fortunately, just as AI can be used to craft better (for lack of a better word) attacks, it can also be used to prevent them.

One of the things AI does better than you or I is speedy analysis. Where we might take us hours or days to go through data and get anything meaningful out of it, AI can do it in minutes.

As a result, its predictive analytics capabilities could be used to infer and predict threats. Once the threats have been identified, it’s easier to mitigate them with fewer resources.

Patching Open Source Code Vulnerabilities

Open source code can be very handy. But, it is also very likely to have vulnerabilities. Synopsys researchers have reported that almost 84% of open source code bases had at least one vulnerability in their Open Source Security and Risk Analysis (OSSRA) report.

The problem with weaknesses in the code is that they can be exploited by threat actors. The way to deal with them is by using penetration testing to find exploitable flaws and patching them.

(You can also make use of cloud penetration testing services from reliable service providers like DigitalXRAID. The company has also launched a first-of-its-kind cybersecurity platform.)

Simple, right?

Unfortunately, the report also found that 91% of the patches weren’t implemented. Maybe the devsecops team didn’t have enough time or resources. 

Maybe they didn’t think the benefits weren’t worth risking the unintended consequences.

Or, maybe they just weren’t aware that there was an updated version of the code available.

Either way, these vulnerabilities exist and can be exploited.

To avoid that, and to potentially keep the open code they’ve used updated, businesses might need to keep a software bill of materials (SBOM). According to the report, this will include any open source code they’ve used, its licenses, versions, and patch statuses.

This practice would be very handy in making sure any open source code used by your business is not putting you at risk.

Training Employees on the Dangers of Phishing Attacks

Sometimes, when something works, there is no real need to change it up. That seems to be the case with phishing.

Phishing is a form of social engineering attack where a legit-looking email is designed to get the victim to click on a link. That, then, redirects them to a page where their info is stolen.

Apparently, hackers most often like to use (or abuse, rather) Microsoft, Amazon, DocuSign, Google, DHL, and Adobe. However, don’t be surprised to see emails from banks in your inbox as well.

Again, the best way to combat this challenge is the old-fashioned “train your employees” method. Human error is inevitable, but training people to identify emails that might be dodgy can help a lot.

As can limiting their access.

So, there you have it. Here are some ways you can keep your business safe from cyber-attacks in 2023.

Categories
Employment Services Society & Culture Technology U.S

Better Careers Guide Revolutionizes Online Recruitment with User-Friendly Platform and Vast Talent Pool

blank

Daytona Beach, FL: Better Careers Guide is a premier online recruitment platform that has been designed to provide job seekers and recruiters with the best possible recruitment experience. With a user-friendly and efficient platform, Better Careers Guide aims to make it easy for candidates and recruiters to find and fill job vacancies.

One of the key benefits of Better Careers Guide is that it provides the quickest routes for both applying for jobs and posting job requirements. This means that job seekers can easily find and apply for jobs, and recruiters can quickly post job vacancies and receive applications from potential candidates.

Better Careers Guide provides access to tens-of-thousands of current job requirements through a powerful search engine. This makes it easy for job seekers to find the right job that matches their skills and qualifications. Additionally, for recruiters, this means that they can tap into a vast pool of talented and skilled candidates.

When recruiters advertise their job on Better Careers Guide, their job advertisement will have a potential reach of over 60 million candidates worldwide. This is because the platform distributes job advertisements to other similar job boards within the network, ensuring that job vacancies receive maximum exposure.

“Our aim is to create the ultimate destination for job seekers and recruiters, providing a seamless online recruitment experience for all,” said a spokesperson for Better Careers Guide. “We understand that finding the right job or the right candidate can be a challenging and time-consuming process, and that’s why we’ve created a platform that makes it easy and efficient for all users.”

Better Careers Guide is committed to providing exceptional customer service and support to both job seekers and recruiters. The platform is continuously evolving and improving to meet the changing needs of the job market, ensuring that it remains a trusted and reliable destination for recruitment.

For more information about Better Careers Guide, or to get in touch with the team, please visit their website. Whether you’re a job seeker or a recruiter, Better Careers Guide is the ultimate destination for all your recruitment needs.