Servers are an integral part of any workplace. It promotes easier collaboration among workers by efficiently handling massive data. Servers also ensure a smooth workflow between various stakeholders in a company. Thus, it is very important to keep certain things in mind before buying a server. Primarily, the important factors are interoperability, compatibility across hardware and drivers, storage capacity and ease of maintenance through hot-swappable components, etc. However, with so many technological advancements and government regulations regarding data security across the world, automation and security are the two most important factors. &nbsp;<h2>Why Automation?</h2>In simple words, designating a computer to do what a human would do is called automation. This reduces workload. For ex-Server provisioning is a process through which a server is set up to be used in a network based on required resources. For a long time, these processes have been handled manually. Employees were designated to look after servers – installing necessary drivers, maintaining hardware, and configuring settings. Storage, in those servers, was predominantly a hardware affair. The more storage you need, the more components you need to order, and so on. This was time taking and not very economical. This is where automation and virtual infrastructure comes in. A lot of the cumbersome physical process has become software-based. Commonly called cloud computing, this integration of software into the running of a system is technically Infrastructure as Code(IaC). It works by managing and provisioning infrastructure through code instead of through manual processes. The system then works as programmed without needing repeated intervention. Things like the need for a sudden increase of storage can be managed by automatically allocating more space in the cloud rather than waiting for a physical drive to arrive. However, everything has its advantages and disadvantages. Let us look at them:<h3>Advantages</h3>· Employees can focus on more important work and make impactful decisions for the company.· Company can focus more on service delivery or R&amp;D rather than tending to physical needs of IT Infrastructure.· Reducing human error means more reliability.· Easier administration. &nbsp;<h3>Disadvantages</h3>· Building a robust cloud computing infrastructure needs a lot of expenditure, time, and energy.· The scope of automation is limited to what it is programmed to do. Unlike AI, it can't solve sudden problems. (Although AI and ML integration is possible, it is a different topic altogether) &nbsp;<h2>What about Security?</h2>Security in the context of server buying refers to all the applications and background processes involved in protecting your digital data. This is called cybersecurity, and for a long time, it has been based on third-party software solutions. The demand for integrated security solutions has developed over time. Advanced threats and government regulations have mostly contributed to the demand. Many countries have even made laws for companies to hire data security officers to ensure compliance with local IT laws. This happened amidst a global increase in incidents of data leaks and cyber-attacks. Moreover, cybercriminals have become more sophisticated and are harder to trace day by day. According to Accenture's "State of Cybersecurity Resilience 2021" report, cyber attacks have increased by 31% in the year 2020-21 itself! Thus, businesses are looking toward a more integrated solution for security rather than a software-end approach. This is called shifting security to the left, i.e., to make security proactive, reactive, and a part of the infrastructure. Network security infrastructure should be based on a Zero Trust approach- assuming that every interaction starts from an untrusted source. Traditional methods can't keep pace with the rapid technological advancement. As other systems and processes are adapting and advancing, so should cybersecurity. &nbsp;<h2>Security automation?</h2>Simply put, designating a computer to perform security processes is called security automation. Red Hat describes it as "Security automation is the use of technology that performs tasks with a reduced human assistance to integrate security processes, applications, and infrastructure."Manual vigilance of cybersecurity becomes more and more complex as networks increase. A human error here can have devastating consequences. Moreover, human response is much slower than a computer. However, a programmed code that can automate remediation of issues, errors in resource configuration, and inconsistent policy application can do it much more efficiently, leading to fewer vulnerabilities in a system. This also helps in avoiding unplanned expenditure and smooth governance.Security processes that can be automated are threat prevention, threat detection, response, and remediation. Early detection leading to the prevention of threats can reportedly save a company 1.22 million USD. When done manually, remediation processes are time-consuming and subject to trial and error. Automation helps greatly. &nbsp;<h2>Conclusion</h2>Server automation provides a cleaner architecture through robust software management. Cloud computing is easier to set up and is more reliable, devoid of human errors. Moreover, the software allows various interfaces and tools to provide instant feedback mechanisms and implement better policies. Companies can also ensure the best quality of service delivery as automation makes testing and rollback easier. Thus, a business can only launch a product after it has been thoroughly tested. From what we read above, changing times need more adaptive solutions. Security and automation are two of the most important things to remember while buying a server. The benefits of security automation far outweigh the disadvantage.

Swarnendu Acharjee

As more servers enter the automated digital ecosystem, many organizations realize the need to adhere to a security and vigilance program – it is uncertain how future companies will react.

What is Security Automation? | Techfastly

Why New Server Buying Is Fuelled by Automation and Security?

<h2>Look out for the trends in cybersecurity</h2>With the advancement of digital transformation and technologies like IoT, AI, Cloud, etc., the world is more connected than ever. Internet connectivity has become a major part of our day-to-day tasks ranging from business deals to entertainment. The rise in the number of hacking events and data breaches are a concern and often forces one to think about the price we might have to pay for this seamless connectivity with the world? As we enter this new decade, it is estimated that hacking would occur every 14 seconds; we must be prepared to protect our data and business. Let?s have a look at the trends of cybersecurity in 2020 and how to overcome it.1. Cloud-based SecurityAssuming cloud storage secure, most of the organizations are using them to perform their daily business and storing data and files. As more and more organizations are moving towards the use of cloud, data leakage, data loss, data privacy, and security are a growing concern. Cloud providers are implementing more security protocols, although the organizations must invest in Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB?s) to ensure data safety.2. PhishingEmails remain the first choice for phishing attacks, although there is a rise in similar attacks through text messages and voice calls. In 2019, the rate of these attacks had increased by 290 percent. It has become one of the sophisticated ways for cyber attackers. There is a need for organizations to implement Continuous Monitoring Systems apart for the regular anti-spam and anti-virus tools to keep a close eye on these attacks.3. Mobile DevicesThe number of mobile users has increased tremendously in recent years years, and so has the data stored in them. Mobile devices would be the number one option for hackers to attack. The attempted attacks may steal your personal or business data, credentials, and funds through a mobile app, social media platforms, or emails. We may see an increase in authentication technologies like multi-factor authentication or biometric.4. 5G and IoT5G networks are already in talk. The high-speed mobile networks will eventually make us stay connected to mobile data rather than a WiFi router, making the data more vulnerable to IoT attacks. 5G architecture is complex, and there are chances for hackers to gain access to the network and stealing the data. For security reasons, we believe it would require a combination of traditional methods and the upcoming protocols.5. AI and Machine LearningAI advances have helped develop deep learning algorithms making it easy to detect the attacks. Most of the security solutions are based on AI and ML algorithms to identify the attacks timely and reduce human error. Though, the same technology does attract hackers to figure out a weak spot and attack the network.

Techfastly Team

Protect Your Organization From The Cyber-attacks

<div>Let us go back to history. Remember how humans used to exchange goods for goods? If someone needed flour, they used to exchange rice for it. That was the primitive style of buying and selling goods. Then with time, we got introduced to gold and silver coins, and it moved forward to currency. Every nation introduced its official currency, which was then used for buying or selling things. As time progressed and digitization started revolutionizing everything, it did the same to the traditional payment exchange styles. Various platforms like Paypal, Gpay, and other UPI payment systems were introduced to make payment more effortless. &nbsp;But then digitization took the world by storm when the first digital currency was launched. They were a collection of binary data that were created for the user to exchange as a digital currency. This digital currency was named cryptocurrency.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;With time crypto began to soar in the digital market. The exchange of crypto started increasing its value. Various cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, dogecoins, e.t.c came into the market, and their prices kept soaring and falling according to the market status.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;But, nowadays, a large population is using crypto as a mode of exchange and currency. So, like all other modes of currency, crypto, too, needs to be secure. The users need to be vigilant about how to keep their currency safe.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;In this article, we are going to talk about some tricks using which one can keep their crypto assets safe.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<h4 style="margin: 0cm; line-height: normal;">The Crypto World of Security</h4>With institutional interest in crypto increasing, corporate treasurers evaluating bitcoin allocations, and high-valued digital assets such as NFTs entering the market, the demand for digital asset protection has never been higher. Regardless of why a company decides to expose itself to digital assets, one component stays constant: safeguarding the private keys is essential.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Let us look at six ways through which we can protect our crypto assets.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<h4 style="margin: 0cm; line-height: normal;">5 Ways to Protect your Crypto Assets</h4><o:p></o:p> <h5 style="margin: 0cm; line-height: normal;">1. Do Not Keep Private Keys in Your Own Hands&nbsp;</h5>The code that acts as the key to accessing a crypto wallet should never be in charge of a single individual or a single big wallet. It should also not be in the hands of a business that has proper firewalls between custody, trading, and liquidity services or combines corporate assets with customer money. An increasing number of companies are now implementing adequate firewalls, have significant resources, and have the technical expertise required to manage associated risks.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Remember that with many types of crypto, once you lose it, it's gone—and recovering it is quite tricky.<o:p></o:p> <h5 style="margin: 0cm; line-height: normal;">2.&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribute Assets Across Multiple Digital Wallets</h5>Assume you are a hedge firm with $100 million in crypto tied to customer assets. It would be best if you never put all of your $100 million in a single online wallet. If someone was able to hack or breach that one wallet, they would have access to all your funds.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;If fraud happens, distributing funds over many wallets is a simple method to mitigate the severity of the loss. It is best to keep the size of anyone's wallet to a minimum and work with your custodian to establish the appropriate structure during onboarding. As you expand, revisit those assumptions frequently and consider incorporating governance best practices into your entire compliance and risk management strategy.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;This is analogous to creating several bank accounts and distributing your assets. This is especially crucial for cryptocurrencies because of their digital form, which makes them vulnerable to hackers, resulting in substantial losses.<o:p></o:p> <h5 style="margin: 0cm; line-height: normal;">3.&nbsp;Make use of both cold and hot wallets.</h5>Continuing with the hedge fund example, imagine you oversee $100 million and wish to make some trades. You don't need the whole account amount in the more liquid hot wallet unless you're planning to trade $100 million in a single day.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Depending on your approach and size, you may be trading 1%, 3%, or 5% of your portfolio. It is a safer approach to safeguard digital assets if most of them do not change and can be held offline in a cold wallet.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;This is analogous to having a checking and savings account, where you maintain the amount you need for daily usage in your checking account and the surplus in a savings account with fewer transactional features.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<h5 style="margin: 0cm; line-height: normal;">4.&nbsp;Engage Specialty Vendors to Assist in Asset Protection</h5>Hedge funds and individuals in charge of customer crypto should think about employing a vendor who has the specific controls, knowledge, staff, infrastructure, and financial standing to safeguard their assets.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Several vendors have developed that specialize in delivering ongoing anti-money laundering (AML) and know your customer (KYC) checks, as well as other compliance and administrative services, so you may focus on your main business. <h5 style="margin: 0cm; line-height: normal;">5.&nbsp;Speak with a Specialist Insurance Broker</h5>Following some fundamental best practices will not only help you avoid disastrous results, but it can also serve as one of the most crucial competitive advantages you can contribute to this quickly developing environment.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;When dealing with a disruptive sector, you need to be paired with insurance and risk management advice that is particularly customized to your unique business, which a competent broker provides. If something goes wrong, they may also educate you on the claims procedure.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Furthermore, working with a broker who understands the confluence of technology and financial services can identify areas of risk that you may not be aware of.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;<h4 style="margin: 0cm; line-height: normal;">Conclusion</h4>These are some tricks that can be used to protect your crypto assets. When you are investing online, that too in digital money, you need to be assured of its safety. In an era of cyberattacks, security needs to be the prime concern of digital currency holders. Once you are assured of the safety and protection of your crypto assets, you can keep on investing and ruling the line like no one else.&nbsp;</div>

Utsav Mishra

5 Effective Ways to Protect Your Crypto Assets

<h3 id="introduction"> Introduction</h3>With each passing day, technology is moving ahead. Every day we see new applications of the existing things or get the news about new technologies being created. We often ignore the news of emerging technologies until it's for our good. If we start from the day when Graham Bell said hello for the first time to the discovery of touch screens and smartphones, we will realize that the constant efforts in the field of technology have never stopped. The same is the case today; from human robots to Quantum computers, technology is moving ahead day by day. Two such integral parts of technology in today's world are IoT and blockchain. In this article, we will talk about them and how they work efficiently in the field of security when combined.<h3 id="what-is-blockchain">What is Blockchain?</h3>Blockchain is a cutting-edge database technology that underpins almost all cryptocurrencies. Blockchain makes it exceedingly difficult to hack or cheat the system by spreading identical copies of a database across an entire network. While bitcoin is now the most prominent use for blockchain, the technology has the potential to serve a wide range of services.The term blockchain isn't a coincidence: The digital ledger is sometimes referred to as a "chain" comprising discrete "blocks" of data. A new "block" is produced and joined to the "chain" as new data is regularly added to the network. This entails all nodes updating their blockchain ledgers to the same version.Why blockchain is regarded as highly safe is due to how these new blocks are produced. Before a new block can be added to the ledger, a majority of nodes must check and validate the authenticity of the new data. They could include verifying that new transactions in a block aren't fraudulent or that the same currencies haven't been spent on more than one transaction.<h3 id="what-is-iot">What is IoT? </h3>The Internet of Things (IoT) is a term that describes the process of linking everyday physical items to the internet, ranging from lightbulbs to medical equipment to wearables, smart gadgets, and even smart cities.Any physical device system that receives and transmits data via wireless networks with little human involvement is referred to as the Internet of Things (IoT). This is feasible because of the incorporation of computing devices into a wide range of items.IoT and blockchain both cover a wide range of areas. From being used in our homes to the business sector, both are expanding rapidly. If we combine both of these technologies, we will come to know that blockchain in IoT amplifies the security system and puts maximum security questions at rest.<h3 id="when-iot-meets-blockchain">When IoT Meets Blockchain</h3>The Internet of Things (IoT) has substantially increased its reach over the last several decades, connecting a wide range of devices and networks in homes, offices, transportation systems, and even whole cities. Through its encrypted and distributed ledger meant to generate tamper-proof and real-time data, the decade-old blockchain, on the other hand, is expected to transform business structures. With the IoT and blockchain functioning together, the latter should be able to provide a verifiable and secure recording method for the former's devices and operations.Every deletion or change of data is recorded in a distributed ledger as which blockchain works, and as additional entries, or blocks, are added to it, a longer chain of events is produced. A digital signature is attached to each transaction, which cannot be altered or erased. Because of its decentralised nature, blockchain, whether in a smart home or a smart factory, may theoretically prevent a susceptible device from sending misleading information and disrupting the network environment.The combination of blockchain and IoT is intended to alleviate the issue of supervision as well. For example, in enterprises, transactions involving numerous sources may be managed through an immutable and transparent record that tracks data and physical items across the supply chain.In light of recent high-profile IoT security problems, blockchain has the potential to minimize the danger of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that affect numerous devices at the same time: A failure in one device should not influence the others.<h3 id="blockchain-and-iot-for-security">Blockchain and IoT For Security</h3>Blockchain, a decentralized distributed ledger, is a game-changing technology that might help solve IoT security issues. A blockchain-based approach to IoT networks might address many of the issues with the existing paradigm while also increasing security.Blockchain provides the following weapons, which makes it an undefeatable form of technology when it comes to IoT cyber threats-DecentralizationData is kept on many nodes all around the world in a blockchain ledger, eliminating the single point of failure. Before any data is added to the network, it must be approved and verified by all nodes. As a result, no modification is permitted unless all network participants agree. This method is known as peer-to-peer communication, and it is designed to keep malevolent actors out of blockchain transactions. Because there is no single server, there is no risk of a man-in-the-middle attack, in which hackers intercept data transferred between a server and a device.Public Access Blockchain is open, which means that anybody in the network may access it. The shared history of stored blocks and transactions is visible to all network members, but viewing the information requires a private key. This provides total transparency to all processes while still keeping data secure. It is difficult to alter information after it has been saved on a blockchain.Data securityBlockchain secures data using powerful encryption methods, making it more private. This is done largely to ensure that financial transactions are risk-free. IoT devices may use the blockchain paradigm to send and receive messages in the same manner that financial transactions do to enable secure data exchange between linked items.<h3 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h3>The combination of IoT and Blockchain can serve as a life-saving option for many sectors, intimidated by the IoT security threats. The use of blockchain in IoT security allows for direct information exchange between connected devices rather than communicating via a centralized network, reducing IoT susceptibility to cyber threats. The future for security by the means of IoT and blockchain is much brighter and shinier than them alone. We can even today, find some amazing examples of the same, like the use of them in the pharmaceutical sector or the transportation and energy sector.

IoT and Blockchain for Security

The coronavirus pandemic has forced governments worldwide to implement movement and civil liberties restrictions to control the virus's spread. This has resulted in the development and rolling out of new technologies-contact tracing apps-to streamline the safe lifting of these restrictions and aid in the automation of the labor-intensive processes that are very critical in containing the pandemic.But what exactly are these apps?Covid-19 contact tracing apps are mobile software applications primarily used for digital contact tracing during the coronavirus pandemic by surveillance and response teams. Generally, they usually identify the individuals who might have come in contact with an infected person.Many apps have currently been proposed and developed, with some regions receiving official government support. Also, several frameworks for designing contact tracing apps have been developed. Still, there have been concerns about these apps' privacy, specifically on the systems that primarily deal with tracking the users' geographical location.These digital Covid-19 tracing applications are designed to track the user's location or proximity between individuals who have installed the app and active on their mobile phones.<h2 id="the-technology-behind-contact-tracing-apps">The Technology Behind Contact Tracing Apps</h2>Rapid contact tracing and notification of potentially infected individuals are among the most critical measures established in the fight against coronavirus disease. Several states and companies have adopted the technology of developing and using digital tools in tracing contacts. So, there are different applications for tracing proximity that employs various technologies such as geolocation and Bluetooth.This technology is beneficial over the traditional contact tracing strategies in that it's quick, can reach masses, and specificity.A less intrusive alternative that involves using Bluetooth signals has been developed to log the users' proximity to other mobile phones. Apple and Google recently announced a joint integration of functionality to support the development of such Bluetooth based applications directly into their iOS and Android operating systems. This will assign anonymous and unique identification codes for the contacts close to an individual's mobile device. If a person tests positive for coronavirus, the application downloads the history of these codes for public health authorities to break the chain of transmission by notifying the close contacts.Apart from containing and mitigating Covid-19, digital strategies complement and augment traditional approaches to global health programs.<h2 id="ethical-concerns">Ethical Concerns</h2>The development of the Covid-19 tracing applications has caused concerns around the users' rights, privacy, and governmental authority. International bodies such as the United Nations, ICCPR (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights), and European Convention on Human Rights have established the principles to be considered when checking the ethical principles of these covid-19 contact tracing applications. They include proportionality, time boundedness, necessity, and scientific validity.It's also critical to be open about the emerging technologies, models, and data uses even if it involves discussing the works in progress, preliminary ideas, or uncertainty. The ethical insights surrounding Covid-19 contact tracing are dominated by the desire to incorporate privacy and security because they are vital to maintaining trust and usage.Rolling out new applications without considering their social and ethical implications can be unsafe, useless, and costly. For instance, the Bluetooth signals that usually show the proximity of two people's mobile devices aren't an absolute indicator of infection risk. The two individuals might be in the same area but physically separated by a barrier such as a wall. Unjustified panic could arise from reports of high levels of false positives from the app. In contrast, the minimal protection against the false negatives could cause a false sense of safety in other individuals hence increasing the risk of getting infected.The main issue about Covid-19 tracing apps surrounds their privacy! Do they breach users' privacy?Google and Apple teamed up to build a software called Exposure Notifications that made many individuals hope that digital contact tracing will drastically take off. The system usually has numerous privacy experts because it features periodically erased data, uses Bluetooth, and saves records in individuals' phones instead of a central database. Decentralized data is known to be safer, but the Google-Apple solution still has some risks from a privacy perspective. The apps' information is voluntarily shared with third parties posing a serious security concern.For instance, Utah developed the app-Health Together-which used Bluetooth and GPS data to augment individual contact tracing, but the GPS location tracking feature was eventually shut down from mistrust and low uptake. The app still tracks proximity but ended up a haphazard app that can't identify the pandemic hotspots but still tracks some data.North Dakota's contact tracing app also uses location data but was found to be sharing data with Google advertising system and Foursquare. Although the company that designed the app updated its privacy policies, North Dakota and Utah's applications share location data with the state public health department, which is deemed invasive and makes the apps vulnerable to misuse by law enforcement or exploitation by hackers.Precautionary measures need to be responsibly exercised despite the promise of digital inventions for global health. All the governing authorities must make sure that the policy framework involves strong privacy protection for the users. On the other hand, national or international laws should ensure that the collected data in public health interests aren't used for surveillance or retaliatory purposes.The world is working around the clock and across various fonts to end the pandemic. The mobile network operators play a critical role in providing secure and robust connectivity for people, government response, and business continuity.Mass data, AI, and digital technology have arrived in full force at the global health sector to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. While the national governments continue to support the technological move, these digital apps serve as alert systems for enabling quick contact tracing, notifications, and mass reach to the populations.Covid-19 contact tracing apps are great tools for minimizing the infection rates resulting in less impact on the economy than the lockdown approaches. The traditional contact tracing methods are usually labor-intensive and ambiguous to scale up, but many digital Covid-19 tracing tools are being invented and used.

Geoffrey M.

Covid-19 Tracing Apps

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