Category: Telecom

DDoS Attack on NATO Websites Affects Turkey-Syria Rescue Efforts

Post author By geekytech
Post date February 27, 2023

On the 12th of February 2023, some of NATO’s websites were temporarily disrupted due to a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. The group that claimed responsibility for carrying out these attacks is Killnet, a Russian hacktivist group.

Apparently, the group had announced its intention to carry out such an attack in its encrypted channel on messaging service Telegram. It also appears to have been soliciting donations in the form of cryptocurrency to fund its activities.

According to the report by Computer Weekly, NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg assured reporters that the alliance had put together additional defence measures.

He also said, “The majority of Nato [sic] websites are functioning as normal. Some Nato websites are still experiencing availability issues, but our technical teams are working to restore full access.”

Since it appears that NATO’s classified networks were not affected, it’s likely that the attack was to disrupt the search and rescue mission in Syria and Turkey. That’s because reports suggest the networks affected are used by NATO’s strategic airlift capabilities (SAC).

SAC found that, during one of its search and rescue missions in south-eastern Turkey, it was unable to communicate with one of the C-17s in flight due to the disruption in service. Fortunately, it managed to stay in contact throughout even though communications were down.

A Well-Timed Cyber Attack

This is not Killnet’s first attack. It has been responsible for other DDoS attacks, with healthcare taking a lot of damage.

It is interesting to note that the DDoS attack on the NATO websites took place on a Sunday. Weekend and holiday attacks have become a trend, with cybercriminals relying on the skeleton security crew and lack of staff to hide the breach for longer.

DigitalXRAID discussed this phenomenon in a recent article about its 24/7 SOC service. From delivery companies (Yodel) to insurance companies (AON), no one is safe from weekend-timed attacks.

The reason why cybercriminals attack over the weekend or during holidays is, as I said earlier, due to the lack of personnel.

The later an attack is detected, the more time the threat actors have to go deeper into the network. They can gather more information and, potentially use the information found to carry out more attacks.

For that reason, quick detection is imperative. Note that the NATO websites attack was detected really quickly and they still had some availability issues. If they hadn’t detected the attack quickly enough, the recovery time could potentially have been longer.

Ongoing Detection for Better Protection

According to DigitalXRAID, having a 24/7 Security Operations Centre (SOC) can make all the difference when threat actors attack. Your SOC would constantly monitor for any suspicious activity, catching cyberattacks before they become cyber incidents.

However, the problem is that most companies can’t afford to hire an in-house SOC team. In fact, if (ISC)2 is to be believed, the cybersecurity profession needs to grow by 3.4 million people in order to close the workforce gap.

In that case, it might be worth outsourcing your cybersecurity to experts who have the expertise and resources to give you better security from cyber threats.

Companies like DigitalXRAID could help keep your business safe from online threats, whether it is your ongoing services or cloud migration.

Have a think. See if you want to invest in ongoing cybersecurity for your business.

Media & Communications Technology Telecom U.K U.S

How Will Artificial Intelligence Change the Way We Optimise Websites?

Post author By geekytech
Post date February 8, 2023

A short while ago, there was a news story about how Google was panicking about ChatGPT, OpenAI’s “chatty” chatbot.

ChatGPT is an AI-powered tool which has access to information on the internet—all the way up till 2021. If you ask it a question, it will give you the answer.

Of course, the answer might not be completely accurate or original. It does rely on potentially old information and only what’s available online, after all.

However, what worried Google is the fact that it gives an answer and not a list of pages. A complete, coherent answer.

The Google “Code Red”

Google CEO, Sundar Pichai, declared a “code red” over the threat. And, the company’s founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who had not been involved in the running of the company, were now attending meetings with executives.

The goal was to push out the company’s own AI capabilities to combat the threat of the chatbot.

So, on the 7th of February 2023, Google launched Bard, an AI-powered chatbot that would compete against ChatGPT.

What’s more, Bard has a slight edge over ChatGPT. It can draw information from the internet whilst ChatGPT currently only has the information it was “fed”.

End of story, right?

Nope.

The launch of Bard (and the ever-growing popularity of ChatGPT) leads to the question: Will AI kill SEO?

AI Chatbots and Digital Marketing

Digital marketing, currently, has been focused on search engine optimisation (SEO). This term encompasses all the activities you undertake to make your website and web pages rank high on search engines.

Whether by yourself (if you have the technical knowledge) or with the help of companies like Geeky Tech, you try to make your online presence attractive to both Google and users.

You need to appeal to search engines because they determine if—and where—your web page shows up when users search for a relevant query.

However, chatbots that look up your questions and distil an answer from various sources might change the way people search online.

The New Way of Searching

Instead of typing out their search queries and then looking for the answer in the hundreds and thousands of pages that show up, users would be able to use chatbots to give them the answer right off the bat, in natural language.

Suddenly, Google SERPs—Search Engine Result Pages—would no longer be relevant.

Why go through thousands of results when you could use AI to give you a complete answer? Which it would have found after scouring through all the web pages you were expected to scour? Which it could do in a fraction of the time it would have taken you?

Do you see my point?

My point is, chatbots might change the way we search for information online.

In fact, Google’s competitor, Bing, is already in the process of integrating ChatGPT into its search page, complete with the chat feature. So, you can have a conversation with the bot, complete with follow-up questions.

(Remember, Microsoft invested $10B in OpenAI recently? I touched upon it in the article where I discussed ChatGPT being used to write malware.)

With these AI-powered entities answering user queries like a person would, traditional SERPs might be on their way to becoming obsolete.

So, with no more SEO, what will digital marketers do?

No, they won’t lose their jobs. They’ll simply have to move from SEO to AEO.

What Is AEO?

AEO, or Answer Engine Optimisation, is actually a part of SEO which focuses on providing answers to search queries instead of, you know, just making the page optimised for search robots.

It’s not a new concept, either.

AEO became a part of SEO jargon when mobile voice search started becoming big. People would verbally ask the search engine on their phones a question. And, instead of giving a written answer, which one would need to read, the helpful Google lady would read out the answer.

Since voice search was growing rapidly, and was expected to be the primary way people would search in the near future, AEO became a hot topic.

At the same time, there was also position 0 on the SERPs—the much-coveted featured snippet. Ask a question and find the answer on the search page directly, right at the top.

Trying to “win” that spot required AEO.

Again, it is still a component of SEO, but AEO has a different focus. Instead of appealing to search robots, it aims to answer questions real people are asking.

SEO is all about taking a keyword and optimising a page for it. AEO looks at the whats and whys of the question—the search intent. Then, it tries to answer with that intent in mind, succinctly and knowledgeably.

People-Friendly Content for AEO

So, how does this come back to chatbots and search engines?

If people start using search differently, then, in order to keep up, marketers would need to make sure they are answering people’s questions. It will no longer be enough to satisfy crawlers—they would need to be people-friendly as well.

In conclusion, I think we are living in very interesting times. AI-powered chatbots will change the landscape of search and search engine optimisation. And, it is up to us—digital marketers and SEO specialists—to adapt to it.

I, for one, am very excited to see how content changes to keep up with AI.

Business Computers & Software Media & Communications Technology Telecom

Business publishes new report on the usefulness and efficiency of in-person vs online meetings using Meetn, Zoom, and other platforms

Post author By joelosborne
Post date July 15, 2022

The publication firm WFHV (Work From Home Virtually) (workfromhomeopp.com) recently conducted research on the pros and cons of working virtually. The firm has released a report based on its research. The report speaks about the impact of online meetings on businesses and also discusses the effect of online meetings on users’ carbon footprint.

It reports that online meetings are easy to schedule, are less disruptive as compared to face-to-face meetings, and virtual meetings help in saving travel time and fuel cost. Another discovered benefit is that online meetings improve the physical and mental health of participants due to less stress related to less travel and traffic. Busy working professionals often suffer from lack of nutrition, stress, and lack of sleep due to frequent travel.

The report also states that online meetings help users interact with a higher number of people. Even people in a foreign country can be contacted at ease. Online meeting platforms such as Zoom, Meetn, and many others are already taking advantage of multi-time zone meetings, allowing people to connect when convenient. As predicted and stated in the research, one of the biggest drawbacks to online meetings is that users cannot read the body language of others attending the meeting.

The WFHV report states that online meeting have helped to reduce users’ carbon footprint to a large extent. WFHV has reported that face-to-face meeting release 3 million kg of carbon dioxide. On the other hand, virtual meeting released only 1% of those emissions. This is mainly due to the in-person meetings demand for air travel and air-conditioned rooms. The report indicates that virtual meetings can reduce the carbon emissions by as much as 94%.

Also included in the report is the concern for the quality of internet connection when attending an online meeting. Despite companies using high end and high-speed internet connections, the quality of connection also depends on other factors like weather conditions, distance, and electricity.

The report further states that the benefits of online meeting depends largely on the size of the team, or the number of people attending the meeting. If the size of the team is small, then online meetings are more beneficial than in-person meetings. On the other hand, if the size of the team is large, then it can be wise to go with face-to-face meetings.

As also reported, online meetings can reduce expenses. Companies can avoid travelling costs and the time spent to travel, while meeting online can be done at a moment’s notice.

Virtual meetings increased exponentially during the pandemic and have now become routine for many organizations.

Business Media & Communications Non Profit Telecom

Virtual meeting platform, Meetn, takes on major brands as they compete for the attention of non-profit groups

Post author By joelosborne
Post date July 12, 2022

Meetn introduces their online meeting platform, as an alternative to Zoom and the other major meeting apps, for the everyday user who simply needs the meeting to run without complication. This is especially true for church meetings and other religious and non-profit groups who need to meet virtually but do not have the technical skills or manpower to properly use the other major brands.

The options to hold church meetings online increase as meeting platforms, like Meetn, adapt and configure their apps to religious and non-profit institutional use, as indicated by lower price points and available features.

While organizations already use Zoom, Facebook, and other free and low-cost video media to meet together, as written by author Heather Barker from WFHV, businesses like Meetn have seen the struggle those organizations have and are releasing their feature-packed online meeting platform to broadening the choice for end-users. Choosing to work hard to build a lasting, tested, and simple-to-use meeting platform is securing Meetn as a true competitor for church-goers.

Along with Meetn becoming a competitor in the non-profit space, it has real potential to gather a larger audience as church meeting attendees are frequently engaged in for-profit work in their daily lives, resulting in the word being spread to countless numbers of potential users.

While some users of virtual meeting platforms are becoming tired of online meetings, for others it is still a new and unique experience. This is often the case for church meetings and many non-profit groups which cannot afford the higher costs of the big meeting brands, resulting in less virtual meetings taking place in those cases. This is where Meetn’s platform will fill the gap by creating a flexible, affordable, and easy-to-use meeting app for all uses.

Due to Meetn’s feature-rich options; allowing for any group size, offering a secure connection, and customized options, Meetn is the platform that users will use to host church meetings and conferences.

Meetn has been allowing some users early access to their platform to test it out and to run full meetings to put the system to work. It has stood the test and the new release is well underway.

Computers & Software Employment Human Resources Technology Telecom

MD Tech Invites Future Tech Titans to its Tech School Open House.

Post author By Themoyouknow
Post date May 30, 2021

WHEN: Saturday, June 12, 10 a.m., to 3 p.m.

WHERE: 100 Exploration Way, Hampton, Virginia 23666

MD Tech, a leader in IT training and mentoring, is hosting an open house for anyone interested in a rewarding and successful career in information technology.

The event is at a MD Tech’s learning center in Hampton, Virginia, and features food, refreshments and a prize giveaway for visitors in attendance.

The open house will provide opportunities to tour MD Tech’s state-of-the-art learning center and speak with trainers about the company’s student-focused teaching philosophy and hands-on training, which has two learning tracks:

• Career-path training in IT help desk, cyber security and junior network engineering

• Certification training in Security Plus, CASP, Microsoft, CCNA, ITILV4, and more

“MD Tech’s goals is to provide students with a learning environment that will lead them to a life-long career in the dynamic field of information technology,” said Lance Durante, president and CEO at MD Tech. “An open house is the best way to share our unique training with potential students and showcase the exciting career opportunities in IT.”

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports that computer and IT jobs will grow 11 percent through 2029, a higher rate than all other occupations. The median salary for jobs in this sector was $91,250 in May 2020, which was more than double the median annual wage for all occupations.

MD Tech’s students can take advantage of online, in-house and onsite classes and get additional assistance with resume preparation and interview skills. Also, the company offers special programs for students with autism.

“MD Tech is working with nonprofits and parents of autistic students to help with training and job placement. With tech salaries starting at about $45, 000, we can help individuals in social services find meaningful careers that could lead to earning more than $100,000,” said Mr. Durante.

About MD Technical School, Inc.

MD Technical School is a SCHEV approved Virginia-based Company providing, IT Training and Testing changing lives one at a time.

We focus on providing students with a learning environment that will lead them to a career in information technology. Our goal is to provide students with an environment that will make learning fun and exciting. Our 100 percent hands-on training helps students speak, implement and manage technology with marked results in just a few weeks. We provide IT training for Cyber Security, Networking, Helpdesk, CASP, Security Plus, and CCNA. Our training has two focuses “Career Path” and “Certifications.” In our Career Path training, we offer Helpdesk, Cyber Security and Jr. Network Engineering. IT Certification Training courses follow-up Career Path Training and include Security Plus, CASP, Microsoft, CCNA and more. The combination of the two forms of training increases each students’ the ability to obtain full-time employment with government and commercial companies. Learn more at mdtechnicalschool.com

Arts & Entertainment Celebrity Leisure Activities Professional Services Telecom

The Mogul Channel has been launched to provide a space for individuals and thought leaders to share TV content that is educational, uplifting, and inspiring.

Post author By Themoyouknow
Post date April 6, 2021

The Mogul Channel has been launched to provide a space for individuals and thought leaders to share TV content that is educational, uplifting, and inspiring.

Find out more at https://www.themogulchannel.com

The new platform marks a significant career change for Tameka Chapman, the entrepreneur behind the launch. She previously spent 15 years working in law before creating Mogul Media and The Mogul Channel during the global health crisis.

Aside from providing a space for education, uplifting messages of hope, and inspirational content, The Mogul Channel has created an opportunity for ambitious entrepreneurs to create their own TV show.

Tameka embraces a mogul mindset and encourages others to do the same. Through her platform and channel, she aims to help individuals break free of the restrictive labels they have been given, so they can reach their full potential.

She aims to help individuals leave behind a legacy they can be proud of. Casting calls are constantly added to the channel website. At present, there are open calls for authors to submit their books for consideration for Tameka’s Golden Book Club.

Entrepreneurs are encouraged to contact the team – they have the option to discuss their journey and the impact they are making on the world. In addition, individuals who overcame negative thinking patterns and cycles are invited to discuss their path to self-belief.

Virtual courses and master classes are periodically added to the website. Each course takes place over a set period and will help individuals to achieve specific goals or outcomes. For instance, the ‘Release the Mogul in me’ course takes place over five weeks and helps attendees to understand their true value.

A representative said: “Right now is the time for you to make the decision that will change the trajectory of your business, life, and legacy. If you are ready to take your business to the next level, view our show information packet on our website.”

To find out more about The Mogul Channel, interested parties are invited to visit this link https://www.themogulchannel.com

Marketing & Sales Media & Communications Public Affairs Services Telecom

The Mo You Know, a Fayetteville-based marketing agency, has updated its marketing packages to help businesses grow by increasing exposure on high-authority digital platforms.

Post author By Themoyouknow
Post date April 6, 2021

The Mo You Know, a marketing and media consulting company located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, has updated its media marketing services to help businesses boost their exposure and acquire more customers. The Mo You Know provides a variety of services to help build brands and introduce new audiences to small businesses.

More information can be found at https://themoyouknow.info

The company’s media services include The Mo You Know Social Media Takeover package, The Mo You Know Media Mania package, and The Mo You Know Media Poolaza package.

Media exposure is imperative for the growth of a business because it increases brand awareness, improves search engine rankings, improves conversion rates, and improves brand loyalty. Social media marketing also leads to better customer satisfaction since personalized interaction will make the customer feel valued and important.

The Mo You Know Social Media Takeover package will take the stress out of having to manage multiple social media pages and accounts. It includes a kick-off meeting, profile set up, initial set up of Facebook business profile, content curation and posting, Facebook group management, connection growth, follower growth, and one strategy session per month.

The Mo You Know Media Mania package will pitch businesses to various outlets including TV, radio, and video shows. The package includes a kick-off meeting, preparation for media checklist, preparation interview questions checklist, media pitch submissions, media pitch follow-ups, management of booking inquiries, and two strategy sessions per month. The Mo You Know Media Poolaza is a combination of the two previously mentioned services.

Company founder, ShaDonna McPhaul, is a combat veteran with 20 years of loyal service to the United States Air Force. She was also an ESPN radio show host and is a best-selling author. She merged her compassion and entrepreneurial spirit to create The Mo You Know. Her vision for the company is to be the means to provide small businesses more exposure to their target audiences.

A spokesperson for the company said: “The Mo You Know was established to help people get more visibility through traditional media, social media, and personal connections.”

Interested parties can find more information on The Mo You Know’s media service packages by visiting https://themoyouknow.info