And There You Have IT!

Web applications are under siege as hackers work around the clock to identify weak spots and steal data. Last year’s Equifax data breach put a spotlight on web-application vulnerabilities, which can be used to target any organization with an internet presence. Cyber attackers have embraced the use of automation to scan applications for vulnerabilities. Protecting against application-layer techniques such as SQL injection (SQLi), cross-site scripting (XSS), cross-site request forgery (CSRF) and distributed denial of service (DDoS) is imperative, but automated attacks can overwhelm existing security solutions. ​​​​​​ Listen to this episode to learn: How to maintain awareness of evolving web application issues and trends Tips for advancing patch management and vulnerability assessment processes Solutions that leverage DDoS defenses, bot mitigation, artificial intelligence (AI) and API endpoint protection to combat automated attacks Techniques for protecting apps in multi-cloud infrastructures Best practices for ensuring security checks and controls are applied automatically and transparently throughout the software development lifecycle.

Last year, the impacts of the WannaCry, NotPetya, and Equifax cyber attacks were closely followed by the stunning disclosure of the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities, increasing the sense of urgency around cybersecurity and driving spending higher than ever before. Despite increased spending on security products and services, the number of data breaches continues to rise. Funding doesn’t guarantee successful security. Organizations often waste valuable resources on practices that fail to protect against evolving threats, and continue to prop up password security. Listen to this episode to learn: Why the latest version of the CIS Controls has removed all references to passwords How multi-factor authentication (MFA) can make access hard for hackers, but easy for users The advantage of risk-based authentication mechanisms How to identify the authentication solution that is best for your organization Best practices for avoiding MFA implementation pitfalls​​​​​​

Data deluge can be discouraging, but a good data strategy is all about gaining value from  all of your data —  no matter the format. Traditionally, data was held in structured databases, but in today’s digital age, organizations are accessing unstructured data from numerous sources and often in large amounts. Sources such as web clickstreams, text messages, social media inputs, text documents, videos and medical imaging. Management of this unstructured big data can be an undertaking, but once reviewed and analyzed properly, it will provide actionable business insights. The more data accessed and analyzed, the more knowledge about the business will be revealed, providing a clearer picture of how to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. However, making sense of all the unstructured data requires a great deal of planning before attempting to monetize it. When an organization takes the time to understand this data, it will gain insights that can help make better business decisions and transform the way it operates, boosting both its data intelligence and the bottom line. Listen to this episode to learn: The questions organizations should ask to address unstructured data challenges How the answers can lead you to a data management strategy How to prepare your company for digital transformation How to develop insights and bring value to your business

It’s the best of times, it’s the worst of times; it’s the age of new converged technologies, it’s the age of tightening IT budgets. Figuring out how to minimize the data center footprint, protecting data, driving down costs without sacrificing performance or resiliency; the largest initiative IT administrators are undertaking today is setting up infrastructure to help support business outcomes. This drive comes from the outstanding business need to turn ideas into value faster than the competition. In this podcast, we discuss how IT organizations can keep core legacy systems up and running while integrating new technologies to support business goals. Listen to this episode to learn: The advantages of hyper-connected enterprise The difference between hyperconverged systems and composable infrastructure How bringing together compute, storage and networking into a single platform can boost business How to choose the right mix of converged technologies for you

While many organizations are making a calculated leap to hybrid IT, some are stumbling upon the hybrid design by chance. In a recent survey conducted by Forrester, two-thirds of the organizations ended up with hybrid IT by accident. Additionally, only 33 percent of the businesses had designed a comprehensive hybrid IT strategy from the ground up. The other interviewees reported having to triage an organic model, or that their current plans are spinning out of control. Trying to transform your company’s infrastructure without the correct strategy and technical expertise can severely disrupt your business. It can lead to an unmanageable and risky mix of workload-specific hardware platforms and shadow IT that could tie your organization in knots. Listen to this episode to learn: Best practices for hybrid IT implementation Advantages and disadvantages of hybrid IT Tips for leveraging the latest hybrid IT tools How to find the right mix of traditional, on-prem environments, along with private and public clouds