#integrated computer services management

[techdriveplay]

What Should You Know About Edge Computing?

As technology continues to evolve, so do the ways in which data is processed, stored, and managed. One of the most transformative innovations in this space is edge computing. But what should you know about edge computing? This technology shifts data processing closer to the source, reducing latency and improving efficiency, particularly in environments where immediate action or analysis is…

[jcmarchi]

Understanding On-Premise Data Lakehouse Architecture

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/understanding-on-premise-data-lakehouse-architecture/

Understanding On-Premise Data Lakehouse Architecture

In today’s data-driven banking landscape, the ability to efficiently manage and analyze vast amounts of data is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge. The data lakehouse presents a revolutionary concept that’s reshaping how we approach data management in the financial sector. This innovative architecture combines the best features of data warehouses and data lakes. It provides a unified platform for storing, processing, and analyzing both structured and unstructured data, making it an invaluable asset for banks looking to leverage their data for strategic decision-making.

The journey to data lakehouses has been evolutionary in nature. Traditional data warehouses have long been the backbone of banking analytics, offering structured data storage and fast query performance. However, with the recent explosion of unstructured data from sources including social media, customer interactions, and IoT devices, data lakes emerged as a contemporary solution to store vast amounts of raw data.

The data lakehouse represents the next step in this evolution, bridging the gap between data warehouses and data lakes. For banks like Akbank, this means we can now enjoy the benefits of both worlds – the structure and performance of data warehouses, and the flexibility and scalability of data lakes.

Hybrid Architecture

At its core, a data lakehouse integrates the strengths of data lakes and data warehouses. This hybrid approach allows banks to store massive amounts of raw data while still maintaining the ability to perform fast, complex queries typical of data warehouses.

Unified Data Platform

One of the most significant advantages of a data lakehouse is its ability to combine structured and unstructured data in a single platform. For banks, this means we can analyze traditional transactional data alongside unstructured data from customer interactions, providing a more comprehensive view of our business and customers.

Key Features and Benefits

Data lakehouses offer several key benefits that are particularly valuable in the banking sector.

Scalability

As our data volumes grow, the lakehouse architecture can easily scale to accommodate this growth. This is crucial in banking, where we’re constantly accumulating vast amounts of transactional and customer data. The lakehouse allows us to expand our storage and processing capabilities without disrupting our existing operations.

Flexibility

We can store and analyze various data types, from transaction records to customer emails. This flexibility is invaluable in today’s banking environment, where unstructured data from social media, customer service interactions, and other sources can provide rich insights when combined with traditional structured data.

Real-time Analytics

This is crucial for fraud detection, risk assessment, and personalized customer experiences. In banking, the ability to analyze data in real-time can mean the difference between stopping a fraudulent transaction and losing millions. It also allows us to offer personalized services and make split-second decisions on loan approvals or investment recommendations.

Cost-Effectiveness

By consolidating our data infrastructure, we can reduce overall costs. Instead of maintaining separate systems for data warehousing and big data analytics, a data lakehouse allows us to combine these functions. This not only reduces hardware and software costs but also simplifies our IT infrastructure, leading to lower maintenance and operational costs.

Data Governance

Enhanced ability to implement robust data governance practices, crucial in our highly regulated industry. The unified nature of a data lakehouse makes it easier to apply consistent data quality, security, and privacy measures across all our data. This is particularly important in banking, where we must comply with stringent regulations like GDPR, PSD2, and various national banking regulations.

On-Premise Data Lakehouse Architecture

An on-premise data lakehouse is a data lakehouse architecture implemented within an organization’s own data centers, rather than in the cloud. For many banks, including Akbank, choosing an on-premise solution is often driven by regulatory requirements, data sovereignty concerns, and the need for complete control over our data infrastructure.

Core Components

An on-premise data lakehouse typically consists of four core components:

Data storage layer

Data processing layer

Metadata management

Security and governance

Each of these components plays a crucial role in creating a robust, efficient, and secure data management system.

Data Storage Layer

The storage layer is the foundation of an on-premise data lakehouse. We use a combination of Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) and object storage solutions to manage our vast data repositories. For structured data, like customer account information and transaction records, we leverage Apache Iceberg. This open table format provides excellent performance for querying and updating large datasets. For our more dynamic data, such as real-time transaction logs, we use Apache Hudi, which allows for upserts and incremental processing.

Data Processing Layer

The data processing layer is where the magic happens. We employ a combination of batch and real-time processing to handle our diverse data needs.

For ETL processes, we use Informatica PowerCenter, which allows us to integrate data from various sources across the bank. We’ve also started incorporating dbt (data build tool) for transforming data in our data warehouse.

Apache Spark plays a crucial role in our big data processing, allowing us to perform complex analytics on large datasets. For real-time processing, particularly for fraud detection and real-time customer insights, we use Apache Flink.

Query and Analytics

To enable our data scientists and analysts to derive insights from our data lakehouse, we’ve implemented Trino for interactive querying. This allows for fast SQL queries across our entire data lake, regardless of where the data is stored.

Metadata Management

Effective metadata management is crucial for maintaining order in our data lakehouse. We use Apache Hive metastore in conjunction with Apache Iceberg to catalog and index our data. We’ve also implemented Amundsen, LinkedIn’s open-source metadata engine, to help our data team discover and understand the data available in our lakehouse.

Security and Governance

In the banking sector, security and governance are paramount. We use Apache Ranger for access control and data privacy, ensuring that sensitive customer data is only accessible to authorized personnel. For data lineage and auditing, we’ve implemented Apache Atlas, which helps us track the flow of data through our systems and comply with regulatory requirements.

Infrastructure Requirements

Implementing an on-premise data lakehouse requires significant infrastructure investment. At Akbank, we’ve had to upgrade our hardware to handle the increased storage and processing demands. This included high-performance servers, robust networking equipment, and scalable storage solutions.

Integration with Existing Systems

One of our key challenges was integrating the data lakehouse with our existing systems. We developed a phased migration strategy, gradually moving data and processes from our legacy systems to the new architecture. This approach allowed us to maintain business continuity while transitioning to the new system.

Performance and Scalability

Ensuring high performance as our data grows has been a key focus. We’ve implemented data partitioning strategies and optimized our query engines to maintain fast query response times even as our data volumes increase.

In our journey to implement an on-premise data lakehouse, we’ve faced several challenges:

Data integration issues, particularly with legacy systems

Maintaining performance as data volumes grow

Ensuring data quality across diverse data sources

Training our team on new technologies and processes

Best Practices

Here are some best practices we’ve adopted:

Implement strong data governance from the start

Invest in data quality tools and processes

Provide comprehensive training for your team

Start with a pilot project before full-scale implementation

Regularly review and optimize your architecture

Looking ahead, we see several exciting trends in the data lakehouse space:

Increased adoption of AI and machine learning for data management and analytics

Greater integration of edge computing with data lakehouses

Enhanced automation in data governance and quality management

Continued evolution of open-source technologies supporting data lakehouse architectures

The on-premise data lakehouse represents a significant leap forward in data management for the banking sector. At Akbank, it has allowed us to unify our data infrastructure, enhance our analytical capabilities, and maintain the highest standards of data security and governance.

As we continue to navigate the ever-changing landscape of banking technology, the data lakehouse will undoubtedly play a crucial role in our ability to leverage data for strategic advantage. For banks looking to stay competitive in the digital age, seriously considering a data lakehouse architecture – whether on-premise or in the cloud – is no longer optional, it’s imperative.

[techforce-services]

Leveraging Salesforce for Effective Enrollment Management

Enrollment management is an essential element for both non-profit as well as for-profit educational institutions that cover the entire student life cycle from prospective students to alumni. If done right, this process allows institutions to recruit, enroll and retain students while offering them the additional resources to perform well. Salesforce is a preeminent customer relationship management (CRM) platform that acts as a powerful enabler for your recruitment and enrollment transformation through its robust offering of tools and integrations. Using Salesforce integration with CRM, ETL, and other third-party applications streamlines enrollment processes and communication to ensure that students are engaged effectively, thereby contributing to enhanced student outcomes in educational institutions.

Why Enrollment Management is So Critical for these Marquee Academic Institutions

Good enrollment management is the linchpin of a healthy student count that leads to financial stability. From go-to-market and application processing to admissions, there are several phases involved. There are simply so many moving parts to consider during each stage that it requires precision care in coordination and management to ensure a student experience that feels less like silos and more seamless while achieving institutional goals. Student enrollment management is riddled with challenges such as:

Retaining & Engaging Prospective Students: The rise in competition means institutions must stand out from the crowd and engage with prospective students effectively.

Reduce Application Burdens: By making applications processes simpler and automating them, we can both lessen administrative work and deliver a better experience for applicants.

Bespoke Communication: Effective communication veers towards a personalized approach that helps in nurturing prospective students at each stage of the enrollment journey.

Data Management: To make the right decisions and measure progress, it is important that you have the capability to efficiently manage & analyze data.

Salesforce Integration for Enrollment Management

Salesforce Integration is an intermediate platform utilizing which educational institutions could connect their several platforms and systems with the Salesforce CRM platform. This integration is essential to form a unified ecosystem, where the data-driven participation of online and direct channels can work in harmony, giving 360-degree visibility at every stage of the admissions process.

Salesforce Integration Present Benefits

Single Source Data Management: Salesforce integration with student information systems (SIS), marketing platforms, and application management systems allows data consolidation from multi-source into one true source. This centralized system does away with data silos and gathers information in one location that can be accessed quickly, making multiple and separate databases obsolete—offering a 360-degree view of what each student’s prospect-to-enrolling journey looks like.

Amplified Marketing and Outreach: With marketing automation embedded into Salesforce, it is easier for an institution to run marketing campaigns targeting groups of students. Through data about prospective students' interests and behaviors, institutions can send custom-made marketing messages to appeal to their audience. The specificity of this targeting makes for a more engaging and efficient recruitment initiative.

Automated Application Processing: When an organization integrates with Salesforce, it can automate its application processes and save time on manual work. Workflows can be established by institutions to send applications off to different parties, keep track of the progress of an application, and notify the applicant of their status. This automation streamlines and accelerates the application process and in turn provides a better experience for applicants as well as for the staff involved.

Adaptable Messaging: By integrating with Salesforce, it can create messages that speak directly to prospects. Personalized automated emails, SMS, and notifications to individual students (based on their interactions and preferences) This personalized touch helps to ensure more successful communications with prospective enrollees.

Leverage Analytics and Reporting to Optimize Enrollments: Use Salesforce reporting and analytics to drive data-driven decisions about enrollment trends, applicant behavior, and campaign performance. This data-driven perspective illuminates trends and informs strategic planning for improved enrollment outcomes, empowering institutions to continuously make informed decisions.

Salesforce Managed Services

Salesforce Managed Services refer to the ongoing management, optimization, and support of Salesforce solutions provided by a service provider that focuses on these tasks. Educational institutions are more often demanding such services to be able to support better, wider usage and improvements of Salesforce implementations for the needs that change over time.

Benefits of Salesforce Managed Services

Licensed: Managed service providers bring in domain knowledge and best practices around using Salesforce. This enables institutions to benefit from deep sector expertise and experience in deploying custom solutions to solve unique enrollment problems. This mastery helps in using the Salesforce platform in its best way.

Ongoing System Optimization: The maintenance and access to the latest features available with routine Salesforce system audits, performance tuning, new functionality, and enhancements. The proactive approach ensures that the CRM platform remains in lockstep with organizational goals while evolving to meet new needs. Prevents problems in advance by making optimizations regularly and keeps the system working smoothly.

Scalability and Flexibility: As institutions grow and evolve their enrollment needs, Salesforce Managed Services deliver a level of scalability and flexibility needed to accommodate those changes. Managed services help you bring in new systems, integrate with others, widen the scope of your capabilities, and operate at a different scale without experiencing significant transitions.

Outsourced Management: Because specialty providers only manage Salesforce, costs can be significantly less than having an in-house team maintain the system. Additionally, because managed services make a team of experts available to your institution and pool of resources, without the overhead costs associated with staff or training, it is an inexpensive solution for institutions of all sizes.

Strong Security and Compliance: Managed service providers employ a variety of different security protections to keep sensitive student data safe while ensuring potential regulations are met, maintaining the integrity of your institution. In the same vein, which is particularly important in schools and universities, education institutions need to know that all of their data and private information are safe.

Real-World Examples of Salesforce Integration and Managed Services

Highly Targeted Recruitment Campaigns: Universities that have integrated Salesforce with marketing automation tools can launch targeted recruitment campaigns. This ability for institutions to utilize first-party data on prospective student interest and behavior to deliver highly engaging, personalized marketing messages is a huge factor in building engagement and increasing application rates.

Automated the Admission Procedures: Integrated Salesforce with the university planning system, helping institutes to minimize their manual efforts and increased the admin speed to cater countless application processes. The use of automated workflows ensures that applications go to the right reviewers, are trackable for progress, and have quick notification processes to keep applicants informed while fostering a more satisfying experience for everyone.

Improved Onboarding Experience: Salesforce integration with student information systems and communication tools can now offer an integrated and improved onboarding experience for institutions. Several new student resources such as a personalized welcome message, orientation schedule, and important resource information are automatically sent out to students so that they have all the tools to hit the ground running.

Insight: Educational leadership during COVID — by utilizing Salesforce analytics tools, we received invaluable data regarding changes in enrollment trends & applicant behaviors (Comprehensive Data Analysis). In response to these revelations, they became pivotal in governance for change, empowering institutions to discover actionable improvement opportunities that ultimately benefited overall enrollment and strategic planning.

Enhanced Student Retention: Colleges that are tracking student behavior and performance in Salesforce have found early indicators of struggling students and been able to provide proactive support. Different data sources are integrated into the system to provide customized assistance that reduces the student attrition rate and increases student success.

Conclusion

Salesforce Managed Services and integration are modernizing enrollment management in educational institutions. These solutions enable more powerful marketing and outreach, simpler application experiences, and tailored outreach to potential students by creating an integrated, data-driven ecosystem. With the increasing demands on enrollment management, the expansive CRM capabilities of Salesforce will be essential in supporting long-term strategy. And when integrated with and supported over time, the means of automated workflows can serve as the change agent that helps institutions improve their enrollment management operations and transform their ability to attract, retain, and deliver a unique student experience.

[ultragamerz]

The Rise of AI in Crypto: A Look at Top Projects by Ecosystem

New Post has been published on https://www.ultragamerz.com/the-rise-of-ai-in-crypto-a-look-at-top-projects-by-ecosystem/

The Rise of AI in Crypto: A Look at Top Projects by Ecosystem

The Rise of AI in Crypto: A Look at Hyped Projects by Ecosystem

The intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency is a bustling landscape teeming with innovative ideas. AI projects are utilizing blockchain technology to create decentralized marketplaces for data, training models, and AI computation. This article explores some of the most hyped projects within the AI in crypto space, categorized by their primary ecosystem, and explores potential future players in the L1 blockchain space.

Ethereum-Based AI Projects:

Fetch.ai (FET): Focuses on building a decentralized machine learning network powered by autonomous economic agents.

Ocean Protocol (OCEAN): Creates a decentralized marketplace for data sharing.

SingularityNET (AGI): Aims to be a global marketplace for AI services and tools.

Numerai (NMR): Specializes in building a decentralized hedge fund powered by artificial intelligence.

iExec RLC (RLC): Provides a decentralized cloud computing platform for running AI applications.

Cortex (CORT): Focuses on building an open-source, interoperable AI ecosystem.

Enigma (ENG): Offers a privacy-preserving computation platform for AI.

Imgnai (XIMG): Focuses on AI-powered image and video recognition applications.

SBR (SBR): Aims to build a decentralized marketplace for AI-powered medical data.

ALI (ALI): Creates a decentralized platform for AI-driven asset management.

Jub (JUB): Offers a secure enclave solution for AI training on confidential data.

Naka (NAKA): Provides a decentralized platform for AI-powered prediction markets.

Cosmos-Based AI Project:

Injective Protocol (INJ): Creates a decentralized derivatives exchange powered by AI and machine learning.

Own Blockchain Projects:

DeepBrain Chain (DBC): Develops a blockchain infrastructure specifically designed for AI applications.

Deepcoin (DEP): Focuses on AI-powered financial services and risk management.

Solana-Based AI Projects:

Serum (SRM): Provides a decentralized exchange with on-chain order book management, leveraging AI for efficient market making.

Pyth Network (PYTH): Offers a decentralized oracle network specifically designed for providing reliable data feeds for AI applications.

Other Blockchain Projects:

Arweave (AR): (Own Blockchain) Creates a permanent decentralized storage solution for AI data and models.

Audius (AUDIO): (Ethereum) Builds a decentralized music streaming platform powered by AI for music discovery and curation.

Potential AI Players on Other L1 Blockchains:

While the space is still evolving, some L1 blockchains are exploring AI integration through ongoing development or community projects. Here are a few potential future players to watch:

Cardano (ADA): The Cardano community recently voted to allocate funding for AI projects, and SingularityNET (AGI) has expressed interest in integrating with Cardano. A hypothetical “Cardano AI (CAI)” coin is also a possibility in the future.

Important Note:

While the coins listed above represent some of the hyped AI projects in crypto, it’s crucial to conduct thorough research before investing in any cryptocurrency. The AI in crypto space is still evolving, and many projects remain in their early stages of development. Consider the project’s team, technology roadmap, and community engagement before making any investment decisions.

The Future of AI in Crypto:

The integration of AI and blockchain holds immense potential for the future of data management, machine learning development, and financial services. As these technologies converge, we can expect to see further innovation and disruption across various industries. However, navigating the hype and identifying truly groundbreaking projects requires careful research and a cautious investment approach.

[mobiloitteindia]

What are Cloud Migration Services and Integrated Solutions: The Key to a Successful Cloud Transformation

The digital transformation era has heralded a major shift in how businesses operate and manage their IT infrastructure. Cloud computing has emerged as a game-changer, offering the promise of reduced costs, increased agility, and improved scalability. However, the journey to the cloud isn’t without its challenges. Cloud migration is a pivotal step in this transformation, and it can be a complex and daunting process for many businesses. Fortunately, cloud migration services and integrated solutions are here to simplify the transition and ensure a successful shift to the cloud.

Understanding Cloud Migration Services:

Cloud migration services are the guiding hands that help businesses move their applications, data, and infrastructure from on-premises systems to the cloud. They offer comprehensive support at every stage of the migration process, including:

Assessment: This initial step involves a thorough evaluation of your current IT environment to identify which applications and data are best suited for cloud migration. It’s a critical phase to determine what should be moved and what should stay.

Planning: A well-defined cloud migration plan is vital. It outlines the steps involved, the timeline, and the necessary resources for a smooth transition.

Platform Selection: The choice of cloud platform and services can significantly impact your cloud strategy. It’s essential to select the right ones that align with your business needs and budget.

Migration and Validation: Migrating applications and data to the cloud is a delicate process. Once migrated, rigorous testing and validation are necessary to ensure everything works seamlessly in the cloud environment.

Ongoing Support: Just like traditional IT systems, cloud-based systems need continuous support and maintenance. A reliable support plan is essential for the long-term health of your cloud-based infrastructure.

Benefits of Cloud Migration Services:

Using cloud migration services offers several advantages, including:

Cost Reduction: Cloud migration services optimize your cloud usage and further reduce cloud-related costs, such as hardware, software, and maintenance.

Increased Agility: Cloud computing allows businesses to respond quickly to market changes. Migration services enable you to deploy new applications and services swiftly.

Improved Scalability: The ability to scale IT resources as needed is a core benefit of the cloud. Cloud migration services help you develop a strategy that aligns with your scaling requirements.

Enhanced Security: Cloud providers offer robust security features to safeguard your data. Migration services help you implement these features and ensure your data is protected.

Integrated Cloud Solutions:

Integrated cloud solutions go beyond basic migration services. They encompass a holistic approach that includes migration services, cloud management tools, and cloud-based applications. The advantages of integrated solutions are:

Streamlined Migration: Integrated solutions simplify the migration process and reduce the complexity of managing cloud-based systems.

Centralized Management: With cloud management tools, you can efficiently oversee your cloud resources, making it easier to maintain and optimize your cloud environment.

Choosing a Cloud Migration Service Provider:

When selecting a cloud migration service provider, consider the following:

Experience: Choose a provider with experience in migrating your specific applications and data.

Reputation: Research and ensure the provider has a good reputation and a track record of successful migrations.

Detailed Proposal: Request a detailed proposal outlining services, timelines, and costs.

Security and Compliance: Inquire about the provider’s security measures and compliance protocols.

Tips for a Successful Cloud Migration:

Here are key tips for a successful cloud migration:

Thorough Planning: Careful planning, including assessment and a well-structured migration plan, is the foundation of a successful cloud migration.

Platform and Service Selection: Choose cloud platforms and services that align with your specific business needs and budget.

Testing and Validation: Rigorously test and validate your migrated applications and data to ensure everything functions correctly.

Ongoing Support: Establish a support and maintenance plan to ensure the continued success of your cloud-based systems.

Conclusion:

Cloud migration is a transformative journey that, when done right, can bring tremendous benefits to businesses. Cloud migration services and integrated solutions are the keys to a successful transition, reducing costs, improving agility, enhancing scalability, and fortifying security. If you’re considering moving your business to the cloud, don’t underestimate the value of these services. Choose a reputable provider, plan meticulously, and ensure ongoing support, and you’ll be well on your way to a successful cloud transformation.

[industrydesignservices]

Optimize the data & business insights acquired from your connected devices by swiftly expanding the apps with Teksun’s IoT Cloud Integration. Connect with us today with these services and all programmable modules at www.teksun.com

[kbvresearch]

Unlocking the Benefits of Cloud-Based Data Management

As opposed to on-premises data management, which uses local servers for storage, processing, and analysis, cloud-based data management makes use of remote servers accessible via the internet. Service providers in the cloud typically provide infrastructure and software on a pay-as-you-go basis. The data in a cloud-based data management system is kept and processed by the service provider on their…

[copperbadge]

I have a lot of feelings about the use of AI in Everything These Days, but they're not particularly strong feelings, like I've got other shit going on. That said, when I use a desktop computer, every single file I use in Google Drive now has a constant irritating popup on the right-hand side asking me how Gemini AI Can Help Me. You can't, Gemini. You are in the way. I'm not even mad there's an AI there, I'm mad there's a constantly recurring popup taking up space and attention on my screen.

Here's the problem, however: even Gemini doesn't know how to disable Gemini. I did my own research and then finally, with a deep appreciation of the irony of this, I asked it how to turn it off. It said in any google drive file go to Help > Gemini and there will be an option to turn it off. Guess what isn't a menu item under Help?

I've had a look around at web tutorials for removing or blocking it, but they are either out of date or for the Gemini personal assistant, which I already don't have, and thus cannot turn off. Gemini for Drive is an integrated "service" within Google Drive, which I guess means I'm going to have to look into moving off Google Drive.

So, does anyone have references for a service as seamless and accessible as Google Drive? I need document, spreadsheet, slideshow, and storage, but I don't have any fancy widgets installed or anything. I do technically own Microsoft Office so I suppose I could use that but I've never found its cloud function to actually, uh, function. I could use OneNote for documents if things get desperate but OneNote is very limited overall. I want to be able to open and edit files, including on an Android phone, and I'd prefer if I didn't have to receive a security code in my text messages every time I log in. I also will likely need to be able to give non-users access, but I suppose I could kludge that in Drive as long as I only have to deal with it short-term.

Any thoughts, friends? If I find a good functional replacement I'm happy to post about it once I've tested it.

Also, saying this because I love you guys but if I don't spell it out I will get a bunch of comments about it: If you yourself have managed to banish Gemini from your Drive account including from popping up in individual files, I'm interested! Please share. If you have not actually implemented a solution yourself, rest assured, anything you find I have already tried and it does not work.

[qwikskills]

Unleashing the Power of Salesforce: An Introduction to the World's Leading CRM Platform

Salesforce is a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) platform that is transforming the way businesses and organizations engage with their customers. With a wide range of features and capabilities, Salesforce is the world's leading CRM platform and is used by businesses of all sizes and industries.

One of the key benefits of Salesforce is that it is highly customizable. This means that you can configure the platform to meet the specific needs of your business or organization. Whether you need to manage your sales process, automate your customer service operations, or streamline your marketing campaigns, Salesforce has you covered.

Another benefit of Salesforce is that it is highly scalable. This means that you can start with a basic configuration and add more capabilities as your business grows. This makes it easy to grow your use of Salesforce over time and take advantage of its full range of features and capabilities.

In addition, Salesforce has a thriving ecosystem of partners and developers who are creating a wide range of integrations and applications that extend the capabilities of the platform. This means that you can easily add new capabilities and integrate Salesforce with other tools and systems that you are using.

In conclusion, Salesforce is a powerful platform that is transforming the way businesses and organizations engage with their customers. With its wide range of features and capabilities, and its highly customizable and scalable nature, Salesforce is the ideal platform for businesses of all sizes and industries. So, if you're looking to take your customer engagement to the next level, consider unleashing the power of Salesforce.

[amalgamasreal]

So I don't know how people on this app feel about the shit-house that is TikTok but in the US right now the ban they're trying to implement on it is a complete red herring and it needs to be stopped.

They are quite literally trying to implement Patriot Act 2.0 with the RESTRICT Act and using TikTok and China to scare the American public into buying into it wholesale when this shit will change the face of the internet. Here are some excerpts from what the bill would cover on the Infrastructure side:

SEC. 5. Considerations.

(a) Priority information and communications technology areas.—In carrying out sections 3 and 4, the Secretary shall prioritize evaluation of— (1) information and communications technology products or services used by a party to a covered transaction in a sector designated as critical infrastructure in Policy Directive 21 (February 12, 2013; relating to critical infrastructure security and resilience);

(2) software, hardware, or any other product or service integral to telecommunications products and services, including— (A) wireless local area networks;

(B) mobile networks;

(C) satellite payloads;

(D) satellite operations and control;

(E) cable access points;

(F) wireline access points;

(G) core networking systems;

(H) long-, short-, and back-haul networks; or

(I) edge computer platforms;

(3) any software, hardware, or any other product or service integral to data hosting or computing service that uses, processes, or retains, or is expected to use, process, or retain, sensitive personal data with respect to greater than 1,000,000 persons in the United States at any point during the year period preceding the date on which the covered transaction is referred to the Secretary for review or the Secretary initiates review of the covered transaction, including— (A) internet hosting services;

(B) cloud-based or distributed computing and data storage;

(C) machine learning, predictive analytics, and data science products and services, including those involving the provision of services to assist a party utilize, manage, or maintain open-source software;

(D) managed services; and

(E) content delivery services;

(4) internet- or network-enabled sensors, webcams, end-point surveillance or monitoring devices, modems and home networking devices if greater than 1,000,000 units have been sold to persons in the United States at any point during the year period preceding the date on which the covered transaction is referred to the Secretary for review or the Secretary initiates review of the covered transaction;

(5) unmanned vehicles, including drones and other aerials systems, autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles, or any other product or service integral to the provision, maintenance, or management of such products or services;

(6) software designed or used primarily for connecting with and communicating via the internet that is in use by greater than 1,000,000 persons in the United States at any point during the year period preceding the date on which the covered transaction is referred to the Secretary for review or the Secretary initiates review of the covered transaction, including— (A) desktop applications;

(B) mobile applications;

(C) gaming applications;

(D) payment applications; or

(E) web-based applications; or

(7) information and communications technology products and services integral to— (A) artificial intelligence and machine learning;

(B) quantum key distribution;

(C) quantum communications;

(D) quantum computing;

(E) post-quantum cryptography;

(F) autonomous systems;

(G) advanced robotics;

(H) biotechnology;

(I) synthetic biology;

(J) computational biology; and

(K) e-commerce technology and services, including any electronic techniques for accomplishing business transactions, online retail, internet-enabled logistics, internet-enabled payment technology, and online marketplaces.

(b) Considerations relating to undue and unacceptable risks.—In determining whether a covered transaction poses an undue or unacceptable risk under section 3(a) or 4(a), the Secretary— (1) shall, as the Secretary determines appropriate and in consultation with appropriate agency heads, consider, where available— (A) any removal or exclusion order issued by the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Defense, or the Director of National Intelligence pursuant to recommendations of the Federal Acquisition Security Council pursuant to section 1323 of title 41, United States Code;

(B) any order or license revocation issued by the Federal Communications Commission with respect to a transacting party, or any consent decree imposed by the Federal Trade Commission with respect to a transacting party;

(C) any relevant provision of the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation and the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and the respective supplements to those regulations;

(D) any actual or potential threats to the execution of a national critical function identified by the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency;

(E) the nature, degree, and likelihood of consequence to the public and private sectors of the United States that would occur if vulnerabilities of the information and communications technologies services supply chain were to be exploited; and

(F) any other source of information that the Secretary determines appropriate; and

(2) may consider, where available, any relevant threat assessment or report prepared by the Director of National Intelligence completed or conducted at the request of the Secretary.

Look at that, does that look like it just covers the one app? NO! This would cover EVERYTHING that so much as LOOKS at the internet from the point this bill goes live.

It gets worse though, you wanna see what the penalties are?

(b) Civil penalties.—The Secretary may impose the following civil penalties on a person for each violation by that person of this Act or any regulation, order, direction, mitigation measure, prohibition, or other authorization issued under this Act: (1) A fine of not more than $250,000 or an amount that is twice the value of the transaction that is the basis of the violation with respect to which the penalty is imposed, whichever is greater. (2) Revocation of any mitigation measure or authorization issued under this Act to the person. (c) Criminal penalties.— (1) IN GENERAL.—A person who willfully commits, willfully attempts to commit, or willfully conspires to commit, or aids or abets in the commission of an unlawful act described in subsection (a) shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than $1,000,000, or if a natural person, may be imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both. (2) CIVIL FORFEITURE.— (A) FORFEITURE.— (i) IN GENERAL.—Any property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, used or intended to be used, in any manner, to commit or facilitate a violation or attempted violation described in paragraph (1) shall be subject to forfeiture to the United States. (ii) PROCEEDS.—Any property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, constituting or traceable to the gross proceeds taken, obtained, or retained, in connection with or as a result of a violation or attempted violation described in paragraph (1) shall be subject to forfeiture to the United States. (B) PROCEDURE.—Seizures and forfeitures under this subsection shall be governed by the provisions of chapter 46 of title 18, United States Code, relating to civil forfeitures, except that such duties as are imposed on the Secretary of Treasury under the customs laws described in section 981(d) of title 18, United States Code, shall be performed by such officers, agents, and other persons as may be designated for that purpose by the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General. (3) CRIMINAL FORFEITURE.— (A) FORFEITURE.—Any person who is convicted under paragraph (1) shall, in addition to any other penalty, forfeit to the United States— (i) any property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, used or intended to be used, in any manner, to commit or facilitate the violation or attempted violation of paragraph (1); and (ii) any property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, constituting or traceable to the gross proceeds taken, obtained, or retained, in connection with or as a result of the violation. (B) PROCEDURE.—The criminal forfeiture of property under this paragraph, including any seizure and disposition of the property, and any related judicial proceeding, shall be governed by the provisions of section 413 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 853), except subsections (a) and (d) of that section.

You read that right, you could be fined up to A MILLION FUCKING DOLLARS for knowingly violating the restrict act, so all those people telling you to "just use a VPN" to keep using TikTok? Guess what? That falls under the criminal guidelines of this bill and they're giving you some horrible fucking advice.

Also, VPN's as a whole, if this bill passes, will take a goddamn nose dive in this country because they are another thing that will be covered in this bill.

They chose the perfect name for it, RESTRICT, because that's what it's going to do to our freedoms in this so called "land of the free".

Please, if you are a United States citizen of voting age reach out to your legislature and tell them you do not want this to pass and you will vote against them in the next primary if it does. This is a make or break moment for you if you're younger. Do not allow your generation to suffer a second Patriot Act like those of us that unfortunately allowed for the first one to happen.

And if you support this, I can only assume you're delusional or a paid shill, either way I hope you rot in whatever hell you believe in.

[cyberstudious]

An Introduction to Cybersecurity

I created this post for the Studyblr Masterpost Jam, check out the tag for more cool masterposts from folks in the studyblr community!

What is cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity is all about securing technology and processes - making sure that the software, hardware, and networks that run the world do exactly what they need to do and can't be abused by bad actors.

The CIA triad is a concept used to explain the three goals of cybersecurity. The pieces are:

Confidentiality: ensuring that information is kept secret, so it can only be viewed by the people who are allowed to do so. This involves encrypting data, requiring authentication before viewing data, and more.

Integrity: ensuring that information is trustworthy and cannot be tampered with. For example, this involves making sure that no one changes the contents of the file you're trying to download or intercepts your text messages.

Availability: ensuring that the services you need are there when you need them. Blocking every single person from accessing a piece of valuable information would be secure, but completely unusable, so we have to think about availability. This can also mean blocking DDoS attacks or fixing flaws in software that cause crashes or service issues.

What are some specializations within cybersecurity? What do cybersecurity professionals do?

incident response

digital forensics (often combined with incident response in the acronym DFIR)

reverse engineering

cryptography

governance/compliance/risk management

penetration testing/ethical hacking

vulnerability research/bug bounty

threat intelligence

cloud security

industrial/IoT security, often called Operational Technology (OT)

security engineering/writing code for cybersecurity tools (this is what I do!)

and more!

Where do cybersecurity professionals work?

I view the industry in three big chunks: vendors, everyday companies (for lack of a better term), and government. It's more complicated than that, but it helps.

Vendors make and sell security tools or services to other companies. Some examples are Crowdstrike, Cisco, Microsoft, Palo Alto, EY, etc. Vendors can be giant multinational corporations or small startups. Security tools can include software and hardware, while services can include consulting, technical support, or incident response or digital forensics services. Some companies are Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs), which means that they serve as the security team for many other (often small) businesses.

Everyday companies include everyone from giant companies like Coca-Cola to the mom and pop shop down the street. Every company is a tech company now, and someone has to be in charge of securing things. Some businesses will have their own internal security teams that respond to incidents. Many companies buy tools provided by vendors like the ones above, and someone has to manage them. Small companies with small tech departments might dump all cybersecurity responsibilities on the IT team (or outsource things to a MSSP), or larger ones may have a dedicated security staff.

Government cybersecurity work can involve a lot of things, from securing the local water supply to working for the big three letter agencies. In the U.S. at least, there are also a lot of government contractors, who are their own individual companies but the vast majority of what they do is for the government. MITRE is one example, and the federal research labs and some university-affiliated labs are an extension of this. Government work and military contractor work are where geopolitics and ethics come into play most clearly, so just… be mindful.

What do academics in cybersecurity research?

A wide variety of things! You can get a good idea by browsing the papers from the ACM's Computer and Communications Security Conference. Some of the big research areas that I'm aware of are:

cryptography & post-quantum cryptography

machine learning model security & alignment

formal proofs of a program & programming language security

security & privacy

security of network protocols

vulnerability research & developing new attack vectors

Cybersecurity seems niche at first, but it actually covers a huge range of topics all across technology and policy. It's vital to running the world today, and I'm obviously biased but I think it's a fascinating topic to learn about. I'll be posting a new cybersecurity masterpost each day this week as a part of the #StudyblrMasterpostJam, so keep an eye out for tomorrow's post! In the meantime, check out the tag and see what other folks are posting about :D

[commodorez]

What kind of work can be done on a commodore 64 or those other old computers? The tech back then was extremely limited but I keep seeing portable IBMs and such for office guys.

I asked a handful of friends for good examples, and while this isn't an exhaustive list, it should give you a taste.

I'll lean into the Commodore 64 as a baseline for what era to hone in one, let's take a look at 1982 +/-5 years.

A C64 can do home finances, spreadsheets, word processing, some math programming, and all sorts of other other basic productivity work. Games were the big thing you bought a C64 for, but we're not talking about games here -- we're talking about work. I bought one that someone used to write and maintain a local user group newsletter on both a C64C and C128D for years, printing labels and letters with their own home equipment, mailing floppies full of software around, that sorta thing.

IBM PCs eventually became capable of handling computer aided design (CAD) work, along with a bunch of other standard productivity software. The famous AutoCAD was mostly used on this platform, but it began life on S-100 based systems from the 1970s.

Spreadsheets were a really big deal for some platforms. Visicalc was the killer app that the Apple II can credit its initial success with. Many other platforms had clones of Visicalc (and eventually ports) because it was groundbreaking to do that sort of list-based mathematical work so quickly, and so error-free. I can't forget to mention Lotus 1-2-3 on the IBM PC compatibles, a staple of offices for a long time before Microsoft Office dominance.

CP/M machines like Kaypro luggables were an inexpensive way of making a "portable" productivity box, handling some of the lighter tasks mentioned above (as they had no graphics functionality).

The TRS-80 Model 100 was able to do alot of computing (mostly word processing) on nothing but a few AA batteries. They were a staple of field correspondence for newspaper journalists because they had an integrated modem. They're little slabs of computer, but they're awesomely portable, and great for writing on the go. Everyone you hear going nuts over cyberdecks gets that because of the Model 100.

Centurion minicomputers were mostly doing finances and general ledger work for oil companies out of Texas, but were used for all sorts of other comparable work. They were multi-user systems, running several terminals and atleast one printer on one central database. These were not high-performance machines, but entire offices were built around them.

Tandy, Panasonic, Sharp, and other brands of pocket computers were used for things like portable math, credit, loan, etc. calculation for car dealerships. Aircraft calculations, replacing slide rules were one other application available on cassette. These went beyond what a standard pocket calculator could do without a whole lot of extra work.

Even something like the IBM 5340 with an incredibly limited amount of RAM but it could handle tracking a general ledger, accounts receivable, inventory management, storing service orders for your company. Small bank branches uses them because they had peripherals that could handle automatic reading of the magnetic ink used on checks. Boring stuff, but important stuff.

I haven't even mentioned Digital Equipment Corporation, Data General, or a dozen other manufacturers.

I'm curious which portable IBM you were referring to initially.

All of these examples are limited by today's standards, but these were considered standard or even top of the line machines at the time. If you write software to take advantage of the hardware you have, however limited, you can do a surprising amount of work on a computer of that era.

[systlin]

how does one get a job telling people they can't come into a building? is there something i need to put on my resume (very contrary, good at sitting, etc) to make hiring managers find me more appealing for the role?

So my actual day job is as a security officer; I'm the supervisor for my shift.

Telling people to go away has been an integral career skill for me. Telling angry people who are screaming to leave and not come back is a job skill. The best part of my job is that it is an express part of my job to NOT BE NICE TO RUDE ASSHOLES.

Now, tbh being a contrary asshole won't make you automatically good at the job. You still have to get along with your co workers, the clients at the site you work, ect. And for access control, a good deal of it is perfectly innocuous service providers or deliveries who have all the proper permissions and training and you just make polite small talk with them as you contact their site contact and direct them back to wherever they're going.

When I applied for the job....fuck, was it 8 years ago? No, fuck, 9...when I applied for the job nine years back, the things I put on my application that caught the hiring manager's eyes were

Customer Service skills

Willing to work nights and weekends (we don't get weekends or holidays off; sites are usually manned 24/7/365. Schedules vary, but I work 12 hour shifts and that works out to 3 days on/3 off, 4 days on/4 off. I do often work holidays. Holiday pay is higher.

Multitasking skills

Can keep calm in chaotic situations

Not easily intimidated

Basic computer skills. This last one is huge. You would be amazed how many people I've had to coach step by step through saving a word document during training.

MOST of the time, I am perfectly nice and pleasant. I've received regular commendations and bonuses from the security companies I've worked for because so many people comment on how nice and helpful the security lady was. Most people who show up at sites have a job to do there and want to do it and get paid, same as me.

HOWEVER, despite that at least weekly I deal with an asshole. My shift lets me. My boss jokes that it's like rolling a pumpkin full of ground beef into a lion enclosure. Best part of my job. I once worked retail, and telling asshole dudes to get off company property before I have them removed and/or banned from every other location of the huge multinational company I am stationed at is SO excellent.

Now. The important thing to remember as well about security is that yes, a lot of it is sitting for hours watching cameras or doing rounds through the same place over and over. It can be monotonous and boring.

HOWEVER, then sometimes you get a call like "PLEASE SEND HELP THE ENGINE IS ON FIRE" from a driver getting loaded in the plant. The plant which is filled with explody shit and human lives. This happened last Thursday. That, friend, is where I earn my pay.

I did my job. Sounded alarm, notified fire team, locked down the plant to keep anyone else out, ran accountability to make sure everyone in the plant had checked into shelter areas, all that stuff. Fire was out in 5 minutes. But you have to be able to not panic in that moment when you get that call, because otherwise everything can go to shit VERY fast.

So. Hope this helps!

[ralfmaximus]

Here's the complete list of DHS flagged search terms. Don't use any of these on social media to avoid having the 3-letter agencies express interest in your activities!

DHS & Other Agencies

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Coast Guard (USCG)

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

Border Patrol

Secret Service (USSS)

National Operations Center (NOC)

Homeland Defense

Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Agent

Task Force

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

Fusion Center

Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)

Secure Border Initiative (SBI)

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS)

Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS)

Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

Air Marshal

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

National Guard

Red Cross

United Nations (UN)

Domestic Security

Assassination

Attack

Domestic security

Drill

Exercise

Cops

Law enforcement

Authorities

Disaster assistance

Disaster management

DNDO (Domestic Nuclear Detection Office)

National preparedness

Mitigation

Prevention

Response

Recovery

Dirty Bomb

Domestic nuclear detection

Emergency management

Emergency response

First responder

Homeland security

Maritime domain awareness (MDA)

National preparedness initiative

Militia

Shooting

Shots fired

Evacuation

Deaths

Hostage

Explosion (explosive)

Police

Disaster medical assistance team (DMAT)

Organized crime

Gangs

National security

State of emergency

Security

Breach

Threat

Standoff

SWAT

Screening

Lockdown

Bomb (squad or threat)

Crash

Looting

Riot

Emergency Landing

Pipe bomb

Incident

Facility

HAZMAT & Nuclear

Hazmat

Nuclear

Chemical Spill

Suspicious package/device

Toxic

National laboratory

Nuclear facility

Nuclear threat

Cloud

Plume

Radiation

Radioactive

Leak

Biological infection (or event)

Chemical

Chemical burn

Biological

Epidemic

Hazardous

Hazardous material incident

Industrial spill

Infection

Powder (white)

Gas

Spillover

Anthrax

Blister agent

Exposure

Burn

Nerve agent

Ricin

Sarin

North Korea

Health Concern + H1N1

Outbreak

Contamination

Exposure

Virus

Evacuation

Bacteria

Recall

Ebola

Food Poisoning

Foot and Mouth (FMD)

H5N1

Avian

Flu

Salmonella

Small Pox

Plague

Human to human

Human to ANIMAL

Influenza

Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Drug Administration (FDA)

Public Health

Toxic

Agro Terror

Tuberculosis (TB)

Agriculture

Listeria

Symptoms

Mutation

Resistant

Antiviral

Wave

Pandemic

Infection

Water/air borne

Sick

Swine

Pork

Strain

Quarantine

H1N1

Vaccine

Tamiflu

Norvo Virus

Epidemic

World Health Organization (WHO and components)

Viral Hemorrhagic Fever

E. Coli

Infrastructure Security

Infrastructure security

Airport

CIKR (Critical Infrastructure & Key Resources)

AMTRAK

Collapse

Computer infrastructure

Communications infrastructure

Telecommunications

Critical infrastructure

National infrastructure

Metro

WMATA

Airplane (and derivatives)

Chemical fire

Subway

BART

MARTA

Port Authority

NBIC (National Biosurveillance Integration Center)

Transportation security

Grid

Power

Smart

Body scanner

Electric

Failure or outage

Black out

Brown out

Port

Dock

Bridge

Canceled

Delays

Service disruption

Power lines

Southwest Border Violence

Drug cartel

Violence

Gang

Drug

Narcotics

Cocaine

Marijuana

Heroin

Border

Mexico

Cartel

Southwest

Juarez

Sinaloa

Tijuana

Torreon

Yuma

Tucson

Decapitated

U.S. Consulate

Consular

El Paso

Fort Hancock

San Diego

Ciudad Juarez

Nogales

Sonora

Colombia

Mara salvatrucha

MS13 or MS-13

Drug war

Mexican army

Methamphetamine

Cartel de Golfo

Gulf Cartel

La Familia

Reynose

Nuevo Leon

Narcos

Narco banners (Spanish equivalents)

Los Zetas

Shootout

Execution

Gunfight

Trafficking

Kidnap

Calderon

Reyosa

Bust

Tamaulipas

Meth Lab

Drug trade

Illegal immigrants

Smuggling (smugglers)

Matamoros

Michoacana

Guzman

Arellano-Felix

Beltran-Leyva

Barrio Azteca

Artistics Assassins

Mexicles

New Federation

Terrorism

Terrorism

Al Queda (all spellings)

Terror

Attack

Iraq

Afghanistan

Iran

Pakistan

Agro

Environmental terrorist

Eco terrorism

Conventional weapon

Target

Weapons grade

Dirty bomb

Enriched

Nuclear

Chemical weapon

Biological weapon

Ammonium nitrate

Improvised explosive device

IED (Improvised Explosive Device)

Abu Sayyaf

Hamas

FARC (Armed Revolutionary Forces Colombia)

IRA (Irish Republican Army)

ETA (Euskadi ta Askatasuna)

Basque Separatists

Hezbollah

Tamil Tiger

PLF (Palestine Liberation Front)

PLO (Palestine Libration Organization)

Car bomb

Jihad

Taliban

Weapons cache

Suicide bomber

Suicide attack

Suspicious substance

AQAP (Al Qaeda Arabian Peninsula)

AQIM (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb)

TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan)

Yemen

Pirates

Extremism

Somalia

Nigeria

Radicals

Al-Shabaab

Home grown

Plot

Nationalist

Recruitment

Fundamentalism

Islamist

Weather/Disaster/Emergency

Emergency

Hurricane

Tornado

Twister

Tsunami

Earthquake

Tremor

Flood

Storm

Crest

Temblor

Extreme weather

Forest fire

Brush fire

Ice

Stranded/Stuck

Help

Hail

Wildfire

Tsunami Warning Center

Magnitude

Avalanche

Typhoon

Shelter-in-place

Disaster

Snow

Blizzard

Sleet

Mud slide or Mudslide

Erosion

Power outage

Brown out

Warning

Watch

Lightening

Aid

Relief

Closure

Interstate

Burst

Emergency Broadcast System

Cyber Security

Cyber security

Botnet

DDOS (dedicated denial of service)

Denial of service

Malware

Virus

Trojan

Keylogger

Cyber Command

2600

Spammer

Phishing

Rootkit

Phreaking

Cain and abel

Brute forcing

Mysql injection

Cyber attack

Cyber terror

Hacker

China

Conficker

Worm

Scammers

Social media

SOCIAL MEDIA?!

[akwyz]

Next level for Siemens Industrial Edge: New cloud service, more devices, and low-code integration

🚀 Siemens Industrial Edge elevates #EdgeComputing in the industry! Now with a cloud-based management system, more devices, and low-code integration via Mendix on Edge. Revealed at #SPS2023 it's a giant leap towards bridging IT & operational tech.

New hardware and software available for Siemens’ Industrial Edge ecosystem Industrial Edge Management System now cloud-based As-a-Service  Low code for Industrial Edge: Simplifying edge app programming with Mendix on Edge Market launch at this year’s SPS trade show in Nuremberg as part of Siemens Xcelerator Industrial companies are increasingly relying on what’s known as edge computing in…