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    22Dec, 2023
    Indian tech giant HCL investigating ransomware attack

    Indian information technology company HCL Technologies reported a ransomware attack to regulators on Wednesday and said that it is investigating the incident.

    In a filing with the National Stock Exchange of India, the company said it “has become aware of a ransomware incident in an isolated cloud environment for one of its projects.”

    “There has been no impact observed due to this incident on the overall HCLTech network. Cybersecurity and data protection is a top priority for HCLTech,” the company’s secretary Manish Anand said.

    “A detailed investigation is underway in consultation with relevant stakeholders to assess the root cause and take remedial action as necessary. This is for your information and records.”

    HCL Technologies, based in Noida, is one of the largest tech companies in the world with more than 225,000 employees spread across 52 countries. The company reported revenues of $13 billion for fiscal 2023. HCL Technologies shares fell 3.24% on Wednesday.

    This is the latest ransomware attack in 2023 to target a major Indian corporation. The country’s largest drugmaker, Sun Pharmaceuticals, confirmed a ransomware attack in regulatory filings in March, warning that the incident involved the theft of company data and personal information.

    Tata Power reported a cyberattack in October 2022 that affected its billion-dollar power business. Tata did not call the incident a ransomware attack but reported that it was forced to “restore” systems and segment the affected networks in order to protect other parts of their business.

    In April, India’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) said that reported ransomware attacks on organizations in the country increased 53% throughout 2022.

    “IT & [Information Technology Enabled Services] was majorly impacted sector followed by Finance and Manufacturing. Ransomware players targeted critical infrastructure organizations and disrupted critical services in order to pressurize and extract ransom payments,” they said.

    Resource : https://therecord.media/hcl-india-ransomware-attack?&web_view=true

    1Jun, 2023
    Security Technologies

    Introduction to Security Technologies

    The following article, Security Technologies, provides you with an outline of the most common technologies used in security. We all aware of the pace with which the internet is growing. For everything that we had to travel or to stay in long queues for longer, the Internet had made them easy for us, and now almost all of the things are available at our fingertips. In simple words, we can say that it is not easy to imagine a single day without the internet. It is known to everyone that everything had two sides: pros and cons, and the same applies to the Internet as well. With the fast increase in Internet usage, the attacks happening in organizations have also been increased. For contemporary business or organizations, a new challenge has been evolved that protects their body from cyber attacks. Here we will be discussing the technologies that are available to protect the organizations from cyber attacks so that the flow of their operations remains smooth.

    1. Data Loss Prevention

    Data Loss Prevention may be defined as the technology concerned with validating if the data sent out from the organization is sensitive enough to hinder the business. Usually, the data are sent through emails and under this technology, the mails have been monitored to ensure that it is not carrying the confidential data out from the organization. By virtue of this technology, all the emails and their attachments are monitored closely to ensure that all the data sent outside the organization are appropriate and not something confidential.

    2. Intrusion Detection System

    An intrusion Detection System(IDS) can be defined as the technology which monitors all the traffic that enters the organization to ensure that those are not malicious. It can also be considered a tool responsible for checking the traffic and raising the alert if the traffic is found malicious or appears to be originated from the untrusted source. This technology is mainly concerned with giving a close view of the traffic to ensure that it is something that the organization should allow to get in.

    3. Intrusion Prevention System

    Intrusion Prevention System(IPS) may be defined as the technology or tool that takes action against the traffic that is labelled malicious by the IDS. Usually, the IPS drops the packet entering into the system once it is considered untrusted. It is the main protection point that makes sure that malicious traffic should not enter into the organization’s network. It is IPS that makes sure that all the traffic that enters the system should comply with the policies that are defined by the organizations so that it should not affect the working of the systems in any way.

    4. Security Incident and Event Management

    It is also known as SIEM. It is mainly concerned with invoking the alert once anything unusual is found on the organization’s network. Several tools can be integrated into SIEM to make sure that anything that is malicious must generate the alert so that the security team could take action against it and keep the internal environment protected. It also keeps track of the logs that are generated while ensuring the security of the network. It can also be considered as the central system that has other tools attached to it. All the tools work as peers that protect the network in their own way.

    5. Firewall

    The firewall works as the first layer of protection of any system or network. There are various types of Firewalls based on their role. In order to protect the internet, network firewalls are used, while in order to protect the web application, there are web application firewalls. This technology has been developed to ensure that the internal network is protected from unusual traffic, and nothing malicious could make it to the internal network. The technology ensures that the ports should be open only for the appropriate communication, and the untrusted data should not hit the system anyhow. The firewall could either allow the traffic to enter or could configure the port filtration to make sure that all the traffic passes through it must be useful for the service running on any particular port,

    6. Antivirus

    Antivirus is another technology used in cybersecurity. As its name states, it protects the system from the virus. The virus is nothing but the malicious code that makes the host or network to take unexpected actions. It is deployed in the network and can also be used as endpoint protection. All the devices connected to the network can have an antivirus installed in them to protect themselves from virus attacks. In order to detect whether the particular file is a virus, the antivirus used the signatures present in the repository of that antivirus. The latest antivirus has the capability to leverage the anomalies to detect the virus and take action against it.

    Resource : https://www.educba.com/security-technologies/

    29May, 2023
    How to turn on Google’s new AI Search Generative Experience

    For some users, Google has completely overhauled Search with AI, pushing what it calls the “Search Generative Experience.” While the experience is limited, some users have the option to turn it on now. Here’s how to turn on Search Generative Experience – SGE – and Google with AI.

    It’s easy to assume most people are used to the Google Search experience we’ve known and appreciated for years on end. While the foundation stays the same, things are starting to shift a little bit, with a Google experience that is bolstered by smarter, more contextual, and more dynamic results.

    Using the progress Google has made with AI up to this point, the company is overhauling Search with several new AI features and tools under the Search Generative Experience umbrella. That includes new AI-powered snapshots, which showcase quick, contextual results for your query or prompt. Rather than rattling off links, Google Search will develop a summary in answer to the question utilizing multiple sources – shown off to the right.

    On top of that, the SGE is meant to facilitate conversations. In effect, this means you can keep asking follow-up questions and get more information as the questions come up. This feature is a breath of fresh air in comparison to standard AI-free Search, which requires additional and alternatively worded searches. Rather than starting over, simply ask for a quick follow-up and get information that’s relevant to the entire conversation.

    Since the program is in its baby stages, there are a couple of criteria that need to be met before users can turn the feature on in Search. Users need to have signed up for Labs and be a Google One Premium (2+ TB) subscriber. These limitations are temporary, but that’s how it stands at the time of writing. Even if you’re not a subscriber, sign up for the free Labs anyway because that restriction might fall eventually.

    We have a full guide on signing up for the SGE Lab, and it takes only a couple of minutes.

    Once you’re signed up for Labs, complete the following:

    1. In Google Search – mobile or web – look for the Labs icon. Click or tap it.
    2. Look for the SGE card. Tap or click the toggle so it’s set to “on.”
    3. Hit I agree.

    Once you do that, you have access to Google’s new AI Generative Search Experience. Our breakdown of the current state of the feature is a helpful guide to using it, though the best approach is to ask natural questions that you wouldn’t normally be able to Google with much success.

    If you’re not a Google One subscriber, don’t worry. The SGE feature will likely be on its way to others who have signed up for the Lab in preview, though it might take a little time.

    Resource : https://9to5google.com/2023/05/26/turn-on-google-search-ai/

    14Feb, 2023
    Skyview Networks Suffers Security Incident

    An unauthorized person or group gained access to internal systems used by Skyview Networks this week, disrupting the delivery of the CBS World News Roundup and other programming to radio affiliates on Monday.

    The issue was confirmed in an email sent to Radio Ink by Steve Jones, the president and CEO of Skyview, who said the company “experienced unauthorized access to its IT environment, resulting in interrupted technical services.”

    “Skyview activated its comprehensive incident response plan,” Jones affirmed. “We have initiated advanced monitoring and threat detection across our systems and data. We have also involved industry-leading forensic experts to help us contain and investigate the incident. These efforts are fully underway.”

    Jones said specific information about the cyberattack could not be disclosed at this time, because the investigation and response are still ongoing. “Our highest priority is the security and protection of all data, and we are cooperating with authorities on this matter,” he affirmed.

    Stations were notified about the issue Monday morning when CBS News Radio sent a bulletin urging them to replace the slot where CBS World News Round would normally air with local programming, according to a copy of the message obtained by Radio Ink. Some stations were eventually able to obtain CBS News Radio spots, including the hourly bulletins, through other means while Skyview worked on the issue.

    The problem lasted well into the evening, with stations unable to get access to some of Skyview’s other programming, including XYZ with Erik Zachary. Web portals used by stations to access spots and programming were down throughout the day, and equipment used by radio affiliates to obtain Skyview content experienced severe problems when reset, according to numerous station officials.

    In a memo sent to affiliates on Tuesday and obtained by Radio Ink, Skyview warned stations not to reboot their XDS receivers while the company continues to investigate the issue.

    Jones said Skyview apologized for the disruption caused to client stations, and that the company will “provide our business clients with service updates and request that, as you receive this information, you treat it with sensitivity as we pursue a successful resolution.”

    Resource : https://radioink.com/2023/02/01/skyview-networks-suffers-security-incident/

    18Jan, 2023
    Five trends Indian e-commerce industry can expect in 2023

    Internet and mobile phone are the front face of the e-commerce industry, and it has seen an extravagant rise in businesses and consumerism across the country. Every year, India is becoming more internet- and smartphone-friendly, and in 2020 the country had the world’s largest internet population with over 740 million users. As per an estimation, it can increase the usage of mobile phones, and 1.5 million people will use the internet by 2040. In the last two years, India’s e-commerce market has grown exponentially and is flourishing every coming year.

    It is believed that the e-commerce of India will touch the market with 60 billion, which means there is a lot of scope for growth and constructive remodelling. Analyzing and catching up with the e-commerce trend is one way to secure the stability of e-commerce businesses.

    We have concluded five trends that will be taking place in the market in the year 2023:

    1. Technology and business growth

    In the last few years, India has evolved and accepted technology with broad arms. Our tech-friendly environment has been evident with speedy changes in gadgets, software, and virtual reality, and in a few years, we have covered the path from no internet to 5G in no time. Today, businesses are undergoing an evolution fueled by technology that may be the pillar of modern retailing. Virtual Reality (VR) is one technology that can give e-commerce businesses a new life. It is one of the trends that is foreseen to attract more customers to invest in e-commerce platforms.

    1. E-Commerce growth via social media

    Social media is the future for shopping and selling goods and services. In the coming time, it can become one of the leading and only sources where people will shop from. Social media platforms serve as a brand digital store through social commerce, allowing customers to conduct their whole purchasing experience, from product research and discovery to payment, everything on social media. With perfect functionality in the social media apps, such as giving recommendations, customer reviews, and ratings, businesses can mark a massive profit with this e-commerce trend in the coming years.

    1. Showrooming

    Customer satisfaction is a must, be it online or offline shopping. And to flourish the e-commerce growth, businesses can build experience stores that consumers can visit to see the products before shopping online. This e-commerce trend can make the customer brand attached, and the visual convenience will be at a high peak. It is beneficial as customers can take discounts and trust the services offered by the business platform after visiting the showrooms or stores.

    1. Shop online and collect offline

    This e-commerce trend has been sustaining in the game for a while now. Consumers who use the click-and-collect service option can also benefit from having no or very few additional delivery costs. Businesses benefit from the customer experience, sales of additional products, and effective return handling. Consider this trend as seamless buying and extreme growth in the e-commerce sector, and businesses can see wonders happening.

    1. Quick deliveries

    Quick e-commerce states how consumers can expect delivery in 6 hours or a day after ordering any good. This trend can put India in the leading markets of e-commerce with other growing countries such as China, etc. Quick deliveries can lead to more orders resulting in the overall growth of an e-commerce business. Perfecting the aspect of convenience is one crucial booster to spreading business online. This trend can strengthen the face of many e-commerce businesses if their logistics are quicker than their competitive companies.

    It is foreseen that with these trends, Indian e-commerce is anchored to get highlighted in the media positively and grow swiftly.

    Resource : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/five-trends-indian-e-commerce-industry-can-expect-in-2023/

    3May, 2021
    5 Technology Trends You Need to Know to Work in Any Industry

    If you’ve been following the news on exciting tech trends like artificial intelligence, then you’re probably aware that emerging technologies are changing the way we work and interact with others. In fact, with things like machine learning and touch commerce becoming increasingly popular across every industry from banking to healthcare, technology is revolutionizing the way we do business and making high-tech approaches an integral part of our lives. 

    Here are the top five technology trends you need to know to work in any industry. 

    1. Internet of Things (IOT) 

    One of the biggest tech trends to emerge in recent years is the Internet of Things. Simply put, the Internet of Things (abbreviated IOT) is the idea that all technological devices can be connected to the internet and to each other in an attempt to create the perfect marriage between the physical and digital worlds. How will this impact you? It depends on your industry. For example, for those who work in marketing, advertising, media or business management, IOT could provide a wealth of information on how consumers engage with products by tracking their interactions with digital devices. In turn, this data could be used to optimize marketing campaigns and user experiences. 

    How it’s affecting industries: The really cool thing about IOT is that it’s not only changing the way we do business but also the business models we use to do it. For example, pay-per-use models are becoming increasingly popular across all industries as new customer data becomes available. 

    2. Machine learning 

    Another exciting emerging technology is machine learning, which is essentially a computer’s ability to learn on its own by analyzing data and tracking repeating patterns. For example, social media platforms use machine learning to get a better understanding of how you’re connected with those in your social network. They do this by analyzing your likes, shares and comments and then prioritizing content from your closest connections, serving you that content first. 

    How it’s affecting industries: In addition to shaping your day-to-day interactions with friends on social media, machine learning is also changing the way companies do business with customers. Companies like Google are using machine learning on mobile devices which can continue learning even when offline. The result? Machine learning is reshaping the way businesses interact with their customers in a big way by helping them anticipate and meet customer needs more easily. 

    3. Virtual reality (VR) 

    Remember watching movies about virtual reality and thinking how cool it would be if it was actually like that in real life? Well, it’s about to be. Although VR has been around since the 1950s, until recently the technology wasn’t able to deliver the fully immersive digital experience users have been craving. That’s about to change with recent improvements to both hardware and programming, and the effects are going to be felt across almost every industry from retail to education. 

    How it’s affecting industries: Virtual reality has been a popular component of video games for several years and this trend is continuing to expand. In addition to video games, VR is likely to affect companies across the board as they adopt the technology to help them engage customers more effectively and optimize their sales and marketing efforts. It’s also a potentially useful tool for learning and is increasingly being adopted by educational organizations. 

    4. Touch commerce 

    Being able to buy anything you want with the touch of a finger may have seemed like a fantasy a few years ago, but it’s now a reality. Merging touchscreen technology with one-click shopping, touch commerce allows consumers to buy products easily from their phones. After linking their payment information to a general account and enabling the feature, customers are able to buy everything from clothes to furniture with just a fingerprint. 

    How it’s affecting industries: This is one of the biggest things to hit eCommerce in recent years with purchases of this type expected to increase by 150% this year alone and retailers in almost every industry anticipating an increase in sales directly related to this new technology. 

    5. Cognitive Technology 

    Cognitive technology is in the same vein as machine learning and virtual reality except that it’s a broader concept. For example, the cognitive technology umbrella includes things like natural language processing (NLP) and speech recognition. Combined, these different technologies are able to automate and optimize a lot of tasks that were previously done by people, including certain aspects of accounting and analytics. 

    How it’s affecting industries: Although cognitive technologies have a broad range of applications, one of the industry sectors most affected by this trend initially will be the software sector. Automated analysis of user data and experiences will be particularly useful for software companies hoping to scale. 

    With emerging technologies changing professional industries including banking, eCommerce, healthcare and education, staying up to date on the latest trends will give you a better understanding of your chosen industry and make you a more competitive candidate. Best of all, this knowledge might open up new doors within your field and others. 

    Source : https://www.wayup.com/guide/1-5-technology-trends-need-know-work-industry/