Page 2,206«..1020..2,2052,2062,2072,208..2,2202,230..»

Underneath the Ice: Undersea Cables, the Arctic Circle, and International Security – The Arctic Institute

March 30, 2022 | Author: admin

Iceberg in Greenlandic waters in June 2016. Photo: United States Department of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs

Undersea cables have grown in popularity and usage in recent years, with some 380 underwater cables in operation around the world, spanning a length of over 1.2 million kilometers (745,645 miles).1)Griffiths J. (2019). The global internet is powered by vast undersea cables. But theyre vulnerable. CNN, 26 July, https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/25/asia/internet-undersea-cables-intl-hnk/index.html, accessed 17 January 2022

These cables are heavily important to the Wests national and international defense and security initiatives given the amount of business conducted through them and the services they can provide to many industries. This is illuminated by the fact that Alphabet (the parent company of Google), Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta (formerly Facebook) have all become involved in undersea cable development and are on track to become primary financiers and owners of the web of undersea internet cables connecting the richest and most bandwidth-hungry countries, according to analysts and undersea cable engineers. Yet most of these cables rest along the shores of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, connecting North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.2)Mims C. (2022) Google, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft Weave a Fiber-Optic Web of Power. The Wall Street Journal, 15 October, https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-amazon-meta-and-microsoft-weave-a-fiber-optic-web-of-power-11642222824, accessed 17 January 2022

Many undersea cables are starting to advance farther north, entering the region of the Arctic circle. This past December, the US-based telecommunications company Far North Digital joined with the Finnish company Cinia to develop a 16,500 kilometer submarine internet cable [under the sea]connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean through the perilous Arctic Archipelago.3)Khalili J. (2021) New submarine cable will blast data between Japan and Europe through Arctic waters. TechRadar, 22 December, https://www.techradar.com/news/new-submarine-cable-will-blast-data-between-japan-and-europe-through-arctic-waters, accessed 17 January 2022 In August, Reuters reported that the Russian state-owned telecommunications company Morsviasputnik had begun laying its first undersea fibre optic communications cable over Russias long northern coast from the village of Teriberka, on the Barents Sea, to the far eastern port of Vladivostok to supply stable internet in Arctic port towns as well as the Kamchatka peninsula and Sakhalin.4)Stolyarov G. (2021) Russia starts operation to lay undersea fibre optic cable through Arctic. Reuters, 26 August, https://www.reuters.com/technology/russia-starts-operation-lay-undersea-fibre-optic-cable-through-arctic-2021-08-06/, accessed 17 January 2022 China has also been expanding into the Arctic Circle, developing their cyber, trade, and economic capacities.5)Khorrami N. (2020) Data Hunting in Subzero Temperatures: The Arctic as a New Frontier in Beijings Push for Digitial Connectivity. The Arctic Institute, 04 August, https://www.thearcticinstitute.org/data-hunting-subzero-temperatures-arctic-new-frontier-beijing-push-digital-connectivity/, accessed 18 January

There is an increased measure of data usage coming through undersea cables, which includes sensitive and important data, and utilizes poor security measures to secure these lines from foreign actors. With this large national security threat, the U.S. and international organizations need to take action.

It is clear that many in the public see the Arctic Circle as a frozen, icy tundra when, in actuality, the region is quite imperative to international security and business. According to Scientific American climate change and an accelerating loss of Arctic sea ice during summer months have opened the possibility of northern cable routes while many nations would favor less U.S.-centric cable routes and additional backup lines to avoid U.S. surveillance and disruptions in service.6)Hsu J. (2016) An Internet Cable Will Soon Cross the Arctic Circle. Scientific American, 01 June, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/an-internet-cable-will-soon-cross-the-arctic-circle/, accessed 17 January From an economic and political perspective, there is clearly a desire from non-Western nations to circumvent the United States and acquire their own methods of telecommunications contact.

The Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) has found that threats from foreign powers (like Russia) can come in the form of cutting off military or government communications in the early stages of a conflict, eliminating internet access for a targeted population, sabotaging an economic competitor, or causing economic disruption for geopolitical purposes alongside tapping [these cables] to record, copy, and steal data, which would be later collected and analyzed for espionage. CSIS commentary also found that Russia could be able to stage cyberattacks against these data pipelines which could disrupt or divert data traffic, or even execute a kill click deleting the wavelengths used to transmit data.7)Morcos P. & Colin Wall (2021) Invisible and Vital: Undersea Cables and Transatlantic Security. CSIS, 11 June, https://www.csis.org/analysis/invisible-and-vital-undersea-cables-and-transatlantic-security, accessed 19 January

Already, Russia has been heavily involved in developing their abilities to tap undersea cables and have also been accused of playing a role in the outage of the furthest north undersea fiberoptic cable located between mainland Norway and the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean.8)Newdick T. (2022) Undersea Cable Connecting Norway With Arctic Station Has Been Mysteriously Severed. The Drive, 10 January, https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/43828/undersea-cable-connecting-norway-with-arctic-satellite-station-has-been-mysteriously-severed, accessed 17 January 2022

Publicly, it is unknown exactly how effective foreign powers are at tapping Western undersea cables, the amount of damage this can inflict upon a nation necessitates the United States take steps to protect themselves from these problems. A recent 2021 report by the Atlantic Council highlighted this issue, stating, authoritarian governments, especially in Beijing, are reshaping the Internets physical layout through companies that control Internet infrastructure, to route data more favorably, to route data more favorably, gain better control of internet chokepoints, and potentially gain espionage advantage while also describing how private companies and industry as a whole are becoming more aware of these network security risks.9)Sherman J. (2021) Cyber defense across ocean floor: The geopolitics of submarine cable security. Atlantic Council, 13 September, https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/report/cyber-defense-across-the-ocean-floor-the-geopolitics-of-submarine-cable-security/#introduction, accessed 17 January 2022

These efforts at defense may come in the form of international law and policy, and joint efforts at stopping intrusions.

Simply put, the U.S. government needs to take immediate and intense action. Writing for DefenseNews, Nadia Schadlow, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and former Deputy National Security Advisor for strategy, and Brayden Helwig, an intern with DefenseNews, are that, First, the U.S. government should take more responsibility for repairing undersea infrastructureClassifying cable repairs as matters of national security and developing a public-private operational plan that includes a division of resources to repair them is one step toward reducing the response time to a disruption or an attack in addition to creating tax incentives for private industry to secure cable landing stations, while investing in technologies that detect and deny undersea espionage.10)Schadlow N & Brayden Helwig (2020) Protecting undersea cables must be made a national security priority. DefenseNews, 01 July, https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2020/07/01/protecting-undersea-cables-must-be-made-a-national-security-priority/, accessed 17 January 2022

Tactics like what has been described by Schadlow and Helwig would assist in better protecting the United States from cyberattacks and undersea threats by foreign actors, while also helping the international community by assisting the private sector, which controls most of these cables.

From an international perspective, there is a great need for more legal statutes governing undersea cables and the threats posed to these systems, as their jurisdiction in somewhat of a gray area. Garrett Hinck, a PhD student at Columbia University, wrote about this in 2017 for the Lawfare blog. Hinck finds that with regards to underwater cable law, despite the existence of both the 1884 Convention on the Protection of Submarine Cables and the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea there is very little that governs the usage of undersea cables in wartime or when damaged. He writes that, relatively little attentionhas focused on the legal frameworks that govern the networks of glass and steel that form the literal backbone of our internetIn practice, the lack of legal disputes involving attacks on cables leaves their legality uncertain.11)Hinck G. (2017) Cutting the Cord: The Legal Regime Protecting Undersea Cables. Lawfare, 21 November, https://www.lawfareblog.com/cutting-cord-legal-regime-protecting-undersea-cables, accessed 19 January 2021

Establishing a clear and official set of international guidelines for how undersea cables operate within wartime or in regards to international threats by both state and non-state actors is imperative to better securing them from threats, not only those of national security importance, but also those of human security importance.

In terms of joint cooperation, this can come across primarily in the form of government-private sector collaboration and interstate cooperation. CSIS, in their brief of undersea cable security, advocated for the U.S. government to conduct bilateral confidential dialogues with its main European partners, in particular, the United Kingdom and France, to exchange information on their threat perspective and analysis, their respective cable projects, and the national measures implemented to protect them while NATO should work on a collective assessment of both the potential vulnerabilities to undersea cables in the Euro-Atlantic region and the implications of disruptions for allied operations.12)Morcos P. & Colin Wall (2021) Invisible and Vital: Undersea Cables and Transatlantic Security. CSIS, 11 June, https://www.csis.org/analysis/invisible-and-vital-undersea-cables-and-transatlantic-security, accessed 19 January

From a private sector-government standpoint, Schadlow and Helwig in their article for DefenseNews also argue for private industry tax incentives to secure cable landing stations, while investing in technologies that detect and deny undersea espionage.13)Schadlow N & Brayden Helwig (2020) Protecting undersea cables must be made a national security priority. DefenseNews, 01 July, https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2020/07/01/protecting-undersea-cables-must-be-made-a-national-security-priority/, accessed 17 January 2022 Pierre Morcos and Colin Wall, writing a commentary for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, note, national governments should also ensure that operating companies implement the highest standards. As a first step, allies should encourage operators to adhere to voluntary guidelines, most notably those provided by the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC), an industry forum for cable owners and some governments that develops standard procedures If voluntary standards fail to incentivize companies to invest adequately in cybersecurity, allies should consider defining mandatory requirements, as recently decided in the United States for oil and gas pipelines following the ransomware attack against Colonial Pipeline.14)Morcos P. & Colin Wall (2021) Invisible and Vital: Undersea Cables and Transatlantic Security. CSIS, 11 June, https://www.csis.org/analysis/invisible-and-vital-undersea-cables-and-transatlantic-security, accessed 19 January

These forms of defense against state actors would greatly bolster the overall national security framework of the West. They would allow companies, global powers, and international organizations to deter hostile state actors like Russia and China while improving global security. Furthermore, they would allow for clarity going forward in terms of the open sea, the Arctic Circle, and international law while also preserving the Arctic Circle for purely business and scientific development as opposed to military action.

The Arctic Circle is a key resource for wealth, having an abundance of oil and gas in addition to being valuable territory for fishing and scientific exploration. With undersea cables, they provide economically beneficial routes for faster data accumulation while allowing for an increased ability to share information, conduct business deals, and communication between governments and the private sector. Undersea cables require protection from hostile state actors and non-state actors who see these cables as a way to advance their own geopolitical goals. By strengthening international law, having governments join with the private sector and other friendly governments, and making a stronger cybersecurity program, the Arctic Circles undersea cables will be more effectively protected from harm and allow for a peaceful sharing of information.

Alan Cunningham is a graduate of Norwich University and the University of Texas at Austin, attaining an MA in International Relations, a BA in History and a BS in Radio-Television-Film respectively. He plans to join the U.S. Navy as an Officer in 2022 and has worked in both the fields of finance and journalism, focusing on international/national security, military affairs, and foreign policy. He has been published in the Jurist, Security Magazine, ModernDiplomacy, and The Diplomat among others.

See more here:
Underneath the Ice: Undersea Cables, the Arctic Circle, and International Security - The Arctic Institute

Read More..
Posted in Internet Security | Leave a Comment

Here’s how to keep your laptop secure with the best antivirus software – Interesting Engineering

March 30, 2022 | Author: admin

The majority of us keep our crucial data stored on our laptops: our financial records, future goals, an entire photo album, and a video library, sales statistics for the firm that we work for, and so on. What you don't want is for someone else to obtain unauthorized access to it, or, more crucially, to all of the data contained within it. For that, there are a few simple steps to take and the finest software out there to keep your data secure in the background. To help you achieve the ultimate security for your digital data, we listed the best software, and a few steps to take to keep your data safe.

Firstly, lets see what you can do without additional software help.

1. Require a password when logging inJust to make sure to keep people away from easily accessing your important data, you should set a password that is hard to guess. Even hard to remember,if possible.

2. Use a password-protected screen saverYou also need to make sure that when you leave your computer on and alone, your screen saver that requires a password is there to protect you.

3. Encrypt your hard driveTo prevent any thief, remove your hard drive and read the files directly; andmake sure to encrypt your hard drivein order to protect your data from any sort of physical attacks.

4. Backup your dataFrom any type of cyber attack or getting your laptop stolen, you need to back up your files to protect what you hold dear. You can prefer a local backup or cloud backup for that.

5. Keep your system and software up to date

Another great thing to do is to keep your laptop malware-free is to not download random files from not-so-trusted websites and to keep your software up to date.

6. Add webcam cover

A webcam cover can protect your privacy as hackers might turn on your camera to spy on you and violate your privacy.

7. Use a virtual private network

VPNs are no news for us but there is still a majority that is not using these services. The VPN can encrypt the traffic between you and the VPN server making it impossible for people on the same network to track what you are doing.

After you are done with these steps, the only thing left to do is to protect your laptop from harmful software and any type of viruses that can mess up all the data and systems you have.

And for that, here are the best antivirus software for you.

McAfee simplifies internet security so you can safely bank, shop, browse, and connect. From any device, you may use powerful tools like Dark Web Monitoring and an automatic Secure VPN, and you'll get a consistent experience that meets you anywhere. McAfee Secure VPN is now fully automated and incorporated into McAfee Online Protection, eliminating the need to download a separate app and making it easier than ever to safeguard your personal information while traveling. You may protect your credit card and personal information from prying eyes by encrypting your internet traffic. Secure VPN protects your privacy when you make payments, manage investments, or simply browse the web.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus shields Windows PCs from a wide range of online threats. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus delivers you the most advanced technologies to forecast, prevent, detect, and remediate the latest cyber threats with automatic updates and upgrades.

Antivirus Plus provides network-based security, prevents the exploitation of system vulnerabilities, and detects and blocks assaults on your devices, all while keeping your sensitive data safe. It protects PCs in real-time against all types of viruses and ransomware, as well as phishing and online fraud while buying and browsing. It also includes a Secure VPN for total online security.

Avast Business Antivirus Pro provides all of the features of Avast Antivirus, as well as additional data security features. Avast antivirus integrates four real-time shields to provide comprehensive protection against today's threats: File Shield, Web Shield, Email Shield, and Behavioral Shield. SecureLine VPN ensures a secure connection on any network, whether it's your home network or public Wi-Fi. It encrypts all data, anonymizes browsing, secures uploads and downloads, and hides emails, logins, messages, and credit card information. You can keep your computer working smoothly while keeping your data secure. Avast checks your browsers for negatively rated addons, extensions, search engines, and toolbars, allowing you to swiftly disable or delete them.

Avast Business Antivirus is the world's fastest antivirus, with the world's largest threat detection network at its core. Threats change all the time, and due to Avast's machine learning and the world's largest threat detection network, our security keeps up with them, swiftly detecting new threats and keeping you secure. It can effortlessly safeguard your device from the latest risks by closely monitoring the behavior of all running apps and stepping in to stop a program immediately. With real-time updates given by the world's largest sensor network, its anti-spam service is always running to keep your inbox clean. It accelerates the scanning process by integrating scans for malware, software updates, network issues, new features, and performance concerns, and it displays the results along with tools and suggestions for resolving them.

Webroot Internet Security is a cloud-based security solution that protects your computer against the newest viruses, phishing scams, and cyber attacks without slowing it down or interfering with other apps or software.

It constantly evaluates and classifies billions of programs, files, webpages, and other items so you can safely bank, shop, and surf the web. Webroot takes seconds to install, and its rollback technology restores infected devices to their original state. Webroot searches the internet in real-time to protect you from phishing, ransomware, and other malicious attempts to steal your money and personal information. You may also take advantage of automatic updates to the most recent product versions, which means you won't have to bother about installing upgrades.

Norton 360 Deluxe includes 50GB of safe PC cloud backup and Secure VPN for your devices, as well as complete virus protection for up to 5 PCs, Macs, Android, or iOS devices. Password Manager, Parental Controls, SafeCam, which alerts you and prohibits illegal access to your PC's webcam, and Dark Web Monitoring, which monitors and notifies you if it detects your personal information on the dark web, are among the extra features. Norton 360 includes bank-grade encryption to help keep your information such as passwords and bank data secure and private while browsing anonymously and securely over public Wi-Fi.

AVG Ultimate is a comprehensive collection of AVG's antivirus, tuneup, anti-tracking, and VPN software. You may either enhance one device or secure and optimize up to ten with Ultimate's multi-device solution. It guards against ransomware, spyware, and other malware, as well as hackers, with powerful real-time security. To improve the speed and performance of your device, AVG Ultimate can help you free up disk space, identify and remove hidden duplicate files, and eliminate low-quality photos. You may also disguise your online activities from hackers, spies, your ISP, advertising, and even the government by using the quick and simple VPN and automated anti-track features.

Interesting Engineering is a participant of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and various other affiliate programs, and as such there might be affiliate links to the products in this article. By clicking the links and shopping at partner sites, you do not only get the materials you need but also are supporting our website.

The rest is here:
Here's how to keep your laptop secure with the best antivirus software - Interesting Engineering

Read More..
Posted in Internet Security | Leave a Comment

The folly of an atmanirbhar internet – The Indian Express

March 30, 2022 | Author: admin

Flabbergasted. There is no other word for how I felt reading a recent interview with the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The honourable minister objected to the silencing of Russian state media by Big Tech, bemoaning the weaponisation of digital platforms. Apparently, he has no objections to the weaponisation taking place in the form of thermobaric rockets raining down on innocent Ukrainians, while the Russian state media rains down lies upon its people. It is bad enough that India must equivocate and look away from Vladimir Putins murderous assault on Ukraine; we have all heard the reasons arms supplies, hydrocarbons and Raj Kapoor that bind Russia and India. Surely, this isnt the most appropriate of times to point to the economic and digital sanctions on Russia and use this global crisis to tout a pet project of atmanirbhar or sovereign internet for India, as Chandrashekhar is doing.

The minister may want to do his homework on the content peddled on Russias version of the sovereign internet to appreciate the farce that it can rapidly become. Putin has used his propaganda engine to create a fantasy about what is going on next door. The Kremlin-controlled media have orchestrated a narrative about genocide against the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine and reports of Russian soldiers being welcomed as liberators by grateful Ukrainians. No images of the ruins of Mariupol or of millions of refugees are shared with Russian viewers. Terms such as war or invasion, are criminalised. Independent media have been taken off the air along with Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

How far does the minister propose India ought to go to stand up for its sovereign internet? Will it be just about establishing regulations governing data localisation, building cyber security defences along with data protection and governance or does he have plans to orchestrate a parallel internet along the lines of China, North Korea and, now, Russia and other digital outcasts? He is reported to have also expressed great confidence in Indias ability to carry on if it were ever cut off from other key networks such as the SWIFT service used to execute international banking transactions if, as he says, India ever found itself in a position similar to Russia. There seems to be something profoundly wrong in making contingency plans in case todays India becomes tomorrows Russia.

Already, there are too many worrying parallels between Russias and Indias attempts to shake free of the US Big Techs hegemony. This is ironic given that the granddaddy of hegemons, Google, was co-founded by a Moscow-born and is presently led by a Madurai-born. In February of this year, as the invasion of Ukraine commenced, Russian authorities issued warnings to Google and other major platforms to comply with a so-called landing law requiring each to set up legal entities in Russia with employees in-country. These employees would be subject to fines and arrest if they did not comply with the governments orders to take down any content the government deemed unworthy of public consumption.

Now, where might we have seen this landing law playbook used before? India, of course, where a similar mandate had been put in place in February 2021, requiring the major platforms to have several officials in India to address the governments complaints: A chief compliance officer, a nodal contact person and a resident grievance officer, along with an office with an Indian address. Platforms were given three months to comply and the chief compliance officer would be criminally liable for content on the platform.

Besides the shared fondness for enforcing local office addresses, Russia and India also seem to have in common a predilection for singling out one of the major platforms for special treatment: Twitter. Even before it along with several other platforms was banned altogether this month, the Russian government had started slowing access to Twitter about a year before. The excuse? The Russian regulator, Roskomnadzor, had accused Twitter of failing to remove content relating to illegal drug use, child pornography and encouraging teen suicide.

Likewise, in India, Twitter felt the heat of the states attention last year. In May 2021, its offices in New Delhi were raided by a police squad normally focused on investigating terrorism and organised crime. No doubt, posts about the farmers protests had something to do with the visit by the police. The government had demanded the blocking of 500 accounts, including those of journalists, activists, opposition leaders and of JazzyB, a rapper. Twitter did so, and then eventually reversed course only to be slapped with a non-compliance notice.

My guess is that Twitter makes for an ideal target in both countries. It is not that widely used, so blocking it or slowing it down does not necessarily provoke public outrage. It is used by the elite, precisely the kind of annoying people the government would prefer to silence. It is a prominent platform, so any action taken on Twitter sends a signal to the other digital platforms to fall in line or else.

It is time for Indias path to diverge from that of Russias. As things stand, India must walk a tightrope: Not condemning Russia while not condoning its atrocities; acknowledging the agony of Ukraine, while averting its eyes from the unfolding disaster; remaining a bystander to history or risking being trapped as White House spokesperson Jen Psaki put it on the wrong side of history. It is inspiring to see if ones version of the internet permits it ordinary Ukrainians picking up arms for the first time in their lives to defend their cities, to protect what is left of their lives and livelihoods and to keep an open internet running in their country.

This is one chance that Chandrashekhar and other senior government officials in India have to be unequivocal about three principles:

First, democracies must stand by the idea that media that spreads disinformation in order to keep an unjustified war going must be curbed.

Second, Atmanirbhar Internet is an oxymoron; the internet, by definition, is a globally connected digital common. Knowledge relies on the freedom of expression and the freedom to draw upon others.

Third, if India must really push for self-reliance, it might be better off making plans to break free of its disproportionate reliance on Russian weapons and hydrocarbons. It might also help India freely express what it feels for Ukraine and its people, and equivocate less about how it feels about Russia.

This column first appeared in the print edition on March 30, 2022 under the title Atmanirbhar internet. The writer is Dean of Global Business at The Fletcher School at Tufts University

Go here to see the original:
The folly of an atmanirbhar internet - The Indian Express

Read More..
Posted in Internet Security | Leave a Comment

GTT Forges Partnership With Arc Solutions for Enhanced Connectivity in the Middle East – GlobeNewswire

March 30, 2022 | Author: admin

MCLEAN, Va., March 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GTT Communications, Inc., a leading global cloud networking provider to multinational clients, has announced its partnership with Arc Solutions, a provider of integrated network solutions in the Middle East, to consolidate and expand GTTs service reach across the Middle East. Underpinning the partnership is a network-to-network interconnect (NNI) between GTTs global Tier 1 network and Arc Solutions Middle East network at the Datamena facility in Dubai.

The new partnership creates better economies of scale for GTTs enterprise service offering in the Middle East, which includes internet services and managed SD-WAN, leveraging Arc Solutions point-of-presence locations in UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Pakistan. With this enhanced service footprint, GTTs enterprise customers can lower their total cost of ownership with service requirements in the region, gain improved network visibility and realize more consistent performance.

We are continuously seeking opportunities to expand the reach of our global IP network to meet demand while we also focus on ways to operate it more efficiently to benefit our customers, stated Don MacNeil, GTT COO. Our network and data center provider partners are an important element of our value proposition, and we are pleased to partner with Arc Solutions to strengthen our service offering in the Middle East region, which includes secure internet and software-defined wide area networking solutions.

We are excited to partner with GTT, combining our expanding Middle East footprint with one of the worlds largest Tier 1 IP networks, stated Mahesh Jaishankar, CEO at Arc Solutions. The positive synergy of our global ISP partnerships brings substantial value to customers that are seeking a service provider with strong coverage in the Middle East as well as the rest of the world.

According to industry research firm TeleGeography, international internet traffic to the Middle East has tripled between 2017 and 2021.1

About GTT

GTT provides secure global connectivity, improving network performance and agility for your people, places, applications and clouds. We operate a global Tier 1 internet network and provide a comprehensive suite of cloud networking and managed solutions that utilize advanced software-defined networking and security technologies. We serve thousands of businesses with a portfolio that includes SD-WAN and other WAN services, internet, security and voice services. Our customers benefit from a customer-first service experience underpinned by our commitment to operational excellence. For more information on GTT, please visit http://www.gtt.net.

About Arc

Arc is a provider of integrated network solutions that simplify connectivity to networks, data centers, cloud and interconnect platforms across the Middle East. We put customers and partners in control of their connectivity and enable them to seamlessly and rapidly deploy connectivity solutions to serve their end customers. Our purpose-built regional network and our interconnections to a large and expanding portfolio of partners and suppliers are designed so that we can quickly build the right solution for our customers. As an independent provider with backing from two of the most trusted telcos in the region, Batelco and EITC (du), Arc is led by a team of experts with a track record of success in serving regional and global businesses in the Middle East. Our vision is a highly interconnected Middle Eastern market that accelerates how network-centric businesses optimize, grow and innovate in connectivity and digital services. For more information, visit http://www.arcsolutions.me.

GTT Media Inquiries:Ed Stevenson, LEWIS+44-207-802-2626gttuk@teamlewis.com

GTT Investor Relations:Charlie Lucas, GTTVP of Financeinvestorrelations@gtt.net

1 Based on peak traffic. Global Internet Geography Report. TeleGeography. 2021.

Read more here:
GTT Forges Partnership With Arc Solutions for Enhanced Connectivity in the Middle East - GlobeNewswire

Read More..
Posted in Internet Security | Leave a Comment

How pulling out of Russia’s internet could further isolate its citizens – Big Think

March 30, 2022 | Author: admin

Since the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the nations internet has become increasingly detached from the rest of the world. This shift is being driven by both western tech firms ending their services in Russia and by the Kremlin itself, which has been tightening its grip over the information its citizens can access.

Recently, NATO has increasingly accused Russia of cyberattacks and misinformation campaigns, with threats of retaliation if they continue. As a result, the Kremlin has perceived an increasing urgency to guard its internet against servers outside of its control.An isolated Russian internet may sound like a drastic and damaging step, but it is one that the country has been anticipating for some time.

As early as 2010, Russia launched its own operating system in an effort to reduce its dependence on Microsoft products. In 2017, the nation announced plans to create its own Domain Name System (DNS), which acts as a phonebook for cataloguing internet domain names. DNS root servers are currently overseen by 12 different organizations, but none are based in Russia. Even further, the Kremlin had begun to force tech companies like Facebook and Google to store data on Russian citizens inside Russia, for easy access by state officials.

Subscribe for counterintuitive, surprising, and impactful stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday

In 2019, President Vladimir Putin signed into law a plan to create an independent Russian internet space called RuNet. Under this plan, internet providers would be forced to reroute traffic to state-approved exchange points, which are managed by telecom watchdog Roskomnadzor. This would allow the Russian internet to continue operating even if their servers were cut off from the rest of the world.

The plan didnt come to fruition immediately, and was further delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. But between June and July 2021, Russia conducted a test of a fully isolated RuNet, involving all major telecoms firms in the country. From the outside, it wasnt immediately clear how long this disconnection lasted, or if it had any significant impact on internet traffic. Still, the Kremlin deemed the experiment a success.

Under the legislation signed by Putin, Roskomnadzor was given sweeping controls over how Russias citizens can use the internet. Immediately, critics became concerned that a completely isolated RuNet would allow the Kremlin to massively ramp up its efforts in surveillance and censorship.

At the time, it wasnt clear whether Russia was actually planning to isolate its internet in the near future. But since the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, that may have now changed. Over the past few weeks, the Kremlin has blocked access to Facebook, Twitter, and international news sites, on which Russian internet users could read and share information not approved by the Kremlin.

While this has generated a surge in demand for VPN apps, Roskomnadzor has ordered Google to remove tens of thousands of VPN-related search results, making it far more difficult for internet users to circumvent these barriers.

The dismantling of Russians access to information hasnt been triggered entirely by Russia itself. As western nations move to place the harshest possible sanctions on Russia, its citizens are seeing a steady decline in online services such as Facebook, Twitter, global news sites, and streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Some western internet providers, including the US-based Cogent, are even cutting off their Russian customers entirely.

In contrast, some organizations, including the digital security company Cloudfare, maintain the view that ending services for Russian customers will only make it harder for them to access outside information. This may only accelerate the ability of Russias government to isolate and control its internet further.

Ultimately, the situation places western tech firms in an extremely difficult position, with no clear solution for now. On one side, pulling out of Russias internet could diminish its ability to unleash cyberattacks and misinformation campaigns. On the other, the move could accelerate the isolation of RuNet, and strengthen the Kremlins control. For Russias citizens, this can only make it far more difficult to access the resources they need to oppose their governments actions.

Here is the original post:
How pulling out of Russia's internet could further isolate its citizens - Big Think

Read More..
Posted in Internet Security | Leave a Comment

5 types of cybersecurity tools every admin should know – TechRepublic

March 30, 2022 | Author: admin

Image: Adobe Stock

Security of networks and systems is something every business and administrator should take very seriously. After all, without solid security policies, plans and tactics in place, it wont be long before youre recovering from a disaster that could leave your data exposed to neer-do-wells (or worse).

Anyone in this industry fully understands that its only a matter of time before a company has to deal with a security breach. But anything and everything you can do to mitigate such a situation should be considered a must. To that end, what tools should your admins know about to keep your company, systems, users and data safe?

SEE: Google Chrome: Security and UI tips you need to know (TechRepublic Premium)

I have a shortlist of five types of tools your admins must know (and use) to keep tabs on your desktops, servers and networks. With this list, you should be able to piece together a toolkit thats perfectly suited to help fill out a solid foundation of security for your company.

With that said, lets get on with the list.

Pentesting tools (a.k.a. penetration testing tools) are an absolute must for gauging the security of your systems. These tools mimic various types of attacks on your devices to see if they can break through the defenses youve set up. These tests will reveal vulnerabilities you otherwise might not have ever known about. If your company doesnt already employ a pentester (otherwise known as an ethical hacker) this is a position you should definitely consider bringing in. Why? Because admins might not have time to learn the ins and outs of pentesting, nor might they have the time to run these types of tasks regularly.

There are quite a large number of pentesting tools (such as Metasploit, John the Ripper, Hashcat, Hydra, Burp Suite, Zed Attack Proxy, sqlmap and aircrack-ng), however, your best bet might be to use a full-blown operating system geared specifically for penetration testing (such as Kali Linux), which will include most of the pentesting tools youll need for successful vulnerability tests.

Although a good pentesting distribution will include most of what you need to do vulnerability assessment, you might not have someone on staff with the knowledge or skills to use those tools. In that case, you could turn to a security auditor/vulnerability assessment tool. Where pentesting allows your admins to run very specific tests against your systems, these tools are more general and will run wide, sweeping tests against your operating systems and installed applications for vulnerabilities.

One of the benefits of auditor/assessment tools is that many of them will report back to you with ways you can resolve the issues at hand. Some auditor/vulnerability tools will even display what CVE vulnerabilities it has found (which will allow you to do further research into how the issue(s) can be resolved. A shortlist of security auditor/vulnerability assessment tools include Nikto2, Netsparker, OpenVAS, W3AF, OpenSCAP, SolarWinds Network Vulnerability Detection, Tripwire IP360, Nessus Professional, Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer, Acunetix, ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus and Intruder.

For those whove never scanned a network, youd be absolutely shocked to see how much traffic is coming and going on your network. Most of that traffic is probably legit but not all of it. How do you tell which is which? One way is by using a network scanner. These tools make it possible for you to not only view all of your network traffic but also track specific packets, watch only certain machines, or source/destination IP addresses.

A network scanner is an absolute must for any security administrator looking to keep their network as secure as possible. Although these tools wont suggest fixes or reveal software vulnerabilities, they do a great job of helping security pros track down systems that have been targeted by hackers and (sometimes) can help lead you to the source of the hacking. Some of the best network scanners include Wireshark, nmap, Site24x7 Network Monitor, PRTG Network Monitor, Angry IP Scanner, IP Scanner by Spiceworks.

SEE: Best Encryption Software 2022 (TechRepublic)

A firewall should be considered an absolute must. With a firewall on your network, you can block specific traffic (coming or going), blacklist certain IP addresses or domains and generally prevent unwanted traffic/packets from entering your systems. Of course, most operating systems include their own firewalls but some of those are either too complicated or not powerful enough to meet the growing needs of your company. Should you find that to be the case, you might consider deploying a firewall device, built specifically to protect your network.

Although these devices can be costly, the results they deliver are often worth the spend. For enterprise businesses, a firewall becomes even more important (especially with sensitive company/client data housed within your network). The best firewall devices on the market include Cisco ASA, Fortinet FortiGate, Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation PA Series, Cisco Meraki MX and Zscaler Internet Access.

Intrusion detection is exactly what it sounds likea tool to alert admins when an intruder has been detected within a network or system. Many of these types of tools go beyond simple alerts and will automatically lock out suspect IP addresses (for instance, after X number of failed login attempts).

Intrusion detection systems monitor network traffic for suspicious activity and act according to how theyve been configured. These automatic systems are a great first line of defense against hackers, but shouldnt be considered the be-all-end-all for your security. Deploy an IDS and let it do its thing, but understand that every piece of software is fallible (ergo, youll want to employ other forms of security). However, having a good intrusion detection system working for you is an absolute must as the first line of defense. Some of the best IDSs include CrowdStrike Falcon, Snort, Fail2Ban, AIDE, OpenWIPS-NG, Samhain and Security Onion.

Read the original post:
5 types of cybersecurity tools every admin should know - TechRepublic

Read More..
Posted in Internet Security | Leave a Comment

Internet Security Market Size, Share, Trend Projected to Deliver Greater Revenues during the Forecast Period 2021-2030 Business Merseyside – Business…

March 30, 2022 | Author: admin

Internet threats have evolved as a global problem and have spread across various geographies. The main objective of Internet security solutions is to protect the systems and networks against cyber-attacks. Increasing number of advanced network threats, such as virus, spam, malware, and others, have led the Internet security solution providers to develop advanced products.

Increasing usage of Internet across every sector has increased the vulnerability of virus attacks, spams and others, which could severely impact system functionality and business operations. Several sectors, such as finance, infrastructure, transportation, telecommunication, and defense and research institutes, have become the prime targets of the cyber-attacks. Internet security solutions protect computing systems to ensure flawless execution of operations and prevent damage and loss that might arise from any kind of cyber-attack.

Request To Download Sample of This Strategic Report:-https://reportocean.com/industry-verticals/sample-request?report_id=30974

Market Statistics:

The file offers market sizing and forecast throughout 5 primary currencies USD, EUR GBP, JPY, and AUD. It helps corporation leaders make higher choices when foreign money change records are available with ease. In this report, the years 2020 and 2021 are regarded as historic years, 2020 as the base year, 2021 as the estimated year, and years from 2022 to 2030 are viewed as the forecast period.

This report presents a detailed view on the world Internet security market. The market growth is driven by several factors, such as cloud-based business operations, increase in the number of online financial transactions, and growing use of Internet due to wireless availability and enhanced connectivity. The presence of pirated software and lack of awareness about utilizing Internet security features among the consumers, act as the key restraining factors.

However, the market is expected to witness constant growth with increasing number of Internet applications, such as e-commerce and e-governance and growing awareness and for efficient security solutions. Additionally, increasing adoption of managed security solutions offered by various companies would foster the growth of Internet security market. The major companies operating in this market include IBM, Intel, Symantec, and HP among others. These top players have primarily adopted product launch, product enhancement, and acquisition strategies in order to enhance their market share in world Internet security market.

Get a Request Sample Report with Table of Contents:https://reportocean.com/industry-verticals/sample-request?report_id=30974

The world Internet security market is segmented into product & services, technology, application, and geography. Based upon product & services, the market is further segmented into hardware, software, and services. The application segment highlights the importance and usage of Internet security solutions in BFSI, retail, telecom & IT, manufacturing, and education, among others. Furthermore, Internet security market is segmented on the basis of technology, which includes authentication, access control, content filtering, and cryptography. In addition, the report segments the world Internet security market based on different regions, which include North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and LAMEA.

KEY BENEFITS

The report provides an overview of the international markets, with special reference to market trends, market structure, driving factors, scope, opportunities and the challenges in the Internet security marketPorters Five Forces model is used to analyze the potency of buyers and suppliers and the competitive structure of the marketThe segmental study of the global market provides a comprehensive overview of various security technologies along with their applications across different geographiesThe report identifies major drivers, opportunities, and restraints, which boost the market and provides an impact analysis for the forecast periodValue chain analysis provides a systematic study of the key intermediaries involved, which could assist the stakeholders in formulating appropriate strategies

According to Statista, as of 2021 data, the United States held over ~36% of the global market share for information and communication technology (ICT). With a market share of 16%, the EU ranked second, followed by 12%, China ranked third. In addition, according to forecasts, the ICT market will reach more than US$ 6 trillion in 2021 and almost US$ 7 trillion by 2027. In todays society, continuous growth is another reminder of how ubiquitous and crucial technology has become. Over the next few years, traditional tech spending will be driven mainly by big data and analytics, mobile, social, and cloud computing.

Get a Request Sample Report:https://reportocean.com/industry-verticals/sample-request?report_id=30974

This report analyses the global primary production, consumption, and fastest-growing countries in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) market. Also included in the report are prominent and prominent players in the global Information and Communications Technology Market (ICT).

INTERNET SECURITY MARKET KEY SEGMENTS

The world Internet security market is segmented into product & services, technology, application, and geography.

Market by Product & Service

HardwareSoftwareServices

Market by Technology

Authentication technologyAccess control technologyContent filteringCryptography

Market by Application

BFSIRetailTelecom & ITGovernmentManufacturingEducationAerospace, defense, & intelligenceOthers

Request full Report-https://reportocean.com/industry-verticals/sample-request?report_id=30974

Market by Geography

North AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificLAMEA (Latin America, Middle East and Africa)

Key Players

International Business Machine (IBM) CorporationHewlett Packard (HP) CompanyMicrosoft CorporationCISCO Systems, Inc.Google IncorporationIntel Corporation (McAfee, Inc.)Symantec CorporationTrend MicroKaspersky LabDell (SonicWall, Inc.)

What is the goal of the report?

The market report presents the estimated size of the ICT market at the end of the forecast period. The report also examines historical and current market sizes.

During the forecast period, the report analyses the growth rate, market size, and market valuation.

The report presents current trends in the industry and the future potential of the North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa markets.

The report offers a comprehensive view of the market based on geographic scope, market segmentation, and key player financial performance.

Inquire or Share Your Questions If Any Before the Purchasing This Report https://reportocean.com/industry-verticals/sample-request?report_id=30974

Focuses Covered in the Report:

The focuses examined in the report are the significant market players who are associated with the market like market players, unrefined substance providers, gear providers, end clients, brokers, merchants, etc.

The full profile of the organizations is cited. Furthermore, the limit, creation, cost, income, cost, gross and gross edge, deals volume, deals income, utilization, development rate, import, send out, offer, future systems and innovative improvements they are completing are additionally remembered for the report. This report investigated 8-year information history and figures.

The development variables of the market are talked about exhaustively where the different end clients of the market are clarified exhaustively.

Data and data by market player, by district, by type, by application, etc, and altered searches can be added in view of explicit necessities.

The report contains the SWOT investigation of the market. At long last, the report contains the finishing up part which incorporates the assessments of the modern specialists.

Targets of Market Report:

Characterize, depict and conjecture 2030, by type, application, end client and district.

Give venture outside climate examination and PESTEL investigation.

Give systems to organization to manage the effect of COVID-19.

Give market dynamic investigation, including market driving variables, market advancement requirements.

Give market passage technique examination to new players or players who are prepared to enter the market, including market section definition, client investigation, circulation model, item informing and situating, and cost system investigation.

Stay aware of global market drifts and give examination of the effect of the COVID-19 plague on significant districts of the world.

Examine the market chances of partners and give market pioneers subtleties of the serious scene.

The report conveys an exhaustive investigation of the relative multitude of portions and offers data with respect to the main districts on the lookout. This report additionally states import/send out utilization, organic market Figures, cost, industry share, strategy, value, income, and gross edges.

Access full Report Description, TOC, Table of Figure, Chart, etc. @https://reportocean.com/industry-verticals/sample-request?report_id=30974

About Report Ocean:We are the best market research reports provider in the industry. Report Ocean believes in providing quality reports to clients to meet the top line and bottom line goals which will boost your market share in todays competitive environment. Report Ocean is a one-stop solution for individuals, organizations, and industries that are looking for innovative market research reports.

Get in Touch with Us:Report Ocean:Email:sales@reportocean.comAddress: 500 N Michigan Ave, Suite 600, Chicago, Illinois 60611 UNITED STATESTel:+1 888 212 3539 (US TOLL FREE)Website:https://www.reportocean.com

See the original post here:
Internet Security Market Size, Share, Trend Projected to Deliver Greater Revenues during the Forecast Period 2021-2030 Business Merseyside - Business...

Read More..
Posted in Internet Security | Leave a Comment

IonQ Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021 Results – Quantum Computing Report

March 29, 2022 | Author: admin

IonQ Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021 Results

IonQ announced its fourth quarter and full year 2021 financial results with significant increases from earlier periods and also significant increases from their own earlier forecasts. Fourth quarter 2021 revenue was $1.6 million compared to a third quarter revenue of $234 thousand with full year revenue at $2.1 million. IonQ also reported contracts bookings in 2021 at $16.7 million compared with the previous 2021 estimate of $15 million they made in November. Ionqs EBITDA (Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) loss was $28.3 million with a total net loss of $106.2 million. The net loss was dominated by a Change in Fair value of Warrant Liabilities of $63.3 million and Offering Costs Associated with Warrants of $4.3 million. These are non-cash expenses and are expected to be non-recurring. R&D expenditures in 2021 roughly doubled in 2021 at $20.2 million from the previous amount of $10.2 million in 2020.

The company forecasts significant growth in 2022 with revenues between $10.2 million and $10.7 million, and EBITDA loss of around $55 million, and contract bookings between $20 and $24 million. The contract books can extend over several years, which explains why they would be higher than the revenues, particularly in a growing business. The company also warned that the revenue and earnings could be lumpy due to large individual bookings or shipments. This is not uncommon, and we have seen this before in results from classical computing companies that ship expensive supercomputers.

The company highlighted several of their commercial and technical achievements in 2021, most of which we have previously reported on in the Quantum Computing Report. However, there were a few new items that we thought were noteworthy. First, they indicated they are discussing with potential customers the sales of full systems for on-premise installations. This would provide them with additional revenues beyond selling time over the cloud on one of their machines. Although closing of any of these deals is not assured, if it did happen it would augment revenue starting in 2023. IonQ also indicated they are setting up a manufacturing group to allow them to build up machines in higher volume. And finally, they announced they are setting up a team in Seattle, Washington to increase their technical capabilities and take advantage of talent that is available in the Pacific Northwest. Among other activities, this group will be researching the use of photonics to connect multiple ion trap processors together.

You can view IonQs press release announcing their financial results and business update here. And you can find the 10-K Report they have filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission here.

March 28, 2022

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

See the article here:
IonQ Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021 Results - Quantum Computing Report

Read More..
Posted in Quantum Computing | Leave a Comment

How Kronos Could Help the US Win the Fusion and Quantum Computing Race With China – Newswire

March 29, 2022 | Author: admin

Press Release-Mar 28, 2022 07:00 CST

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2022 (Newswire.com) - Major world governments are increasingly focusing on fusion energy research as a potential foundation for gaining the economic and military advantage in the twenty-first century, and perhaps beyond. In this emerging arena of supercharged competition, the quantum computing systems, algorithms, and tokamak design plans developed by Kronos Fusion Energy Defense Systems could be a key factor in winning a significant edge for the USA over its economic and political rival, China.

Fusion energy, known theoretically since 1920, promises potentially near-limitless energy generation, free from polluting or radioactive byproducts. With rising petroleum costs and the looming specter of global warming, developing workable fusion technology is more urgent than ever. The first country to make breakthroughs to practical fusion will become the world's energy leader, giving its decisive advantage in commerce, defense, and space exploration that could last for generations.

With immense government backing and funding, most recently reinforced in China's 14th Five-Year Plan, Chinese scientists seemingly lead the world with the $900 million Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). The EAST recently set records by maintaining stable plasma at 120 million degrees for more than 1.5 minutes. China budgeted hundreds of millions more to operate and upgrade the EAST reactor, while funding the training of over 1,000 new fusion physicists.

China's vigorous fusion program is committed to developing its quantum computing resources. Centered on the recently founded Chinese National Laboratory for Quantum Information Sciences, the program has received billions of dollars in funding. China currently holds 2.5 times more patents in deep learning than America, as well as a cornerstone of advanced quantum computing, while aggressively pursuing further developments. Chinese premier Xi Jinping even describes these technological sectors as the "main battleground" between the USA and China.

Currently, the edge in these economically and strategically vital technologies arguably belong to the PRC. However, Kronos offers the potential to redress this balance by bringing together quantum computing and fusion energy into a single powerful project. Harnessing the ability of quantum devices, neural networks, and machine learning to crunch immense quantities of data, while testing a multidimensional array of thousands of problems, learning and adapting in real-time, the potent simulations Kronos has developed should enable building fusion tokamaks 4,000% more effective than current reactors.

Kronos believes the lightning-fast development and analysis cycle provided by its algorithms will empower the U.S. to leapfrog twenty years ahead of China in fusion energy generation. Its quantum computing systems will not only enable developing precise, efficient fusion reactor designs, compact fusion engines for spacecraft, and other fusion technology, but demonstrate the viability of quantum learning as a breakthrough tool of economic and scientific success. Kronos' cutting-edge "proof-of-concept" will potentially attract robust public and private investment to the wider quantum research sector, putting the USA on course to achieve superiority not only in tokamak design but also in quantum computing research.

PR Contact: Erin Pendleton - pr@kronosfusionenergy.com

Source: Kronos Fusion Energy

Original post:
How Kronos Could Help the US Win the Fusion and Quantum Computing Race With China - Newswire

Read More..
Posted in Quantum Computing | Leave a Comment

Think big, start small, scale fast to enter the metaverse – Mint

March 29, 2022 | Author: admin

Three years ago, when you spoke about the world being on the cusp of a major business transformation with AI, you had pointed out that that many companies were experiencing AI stagnation due to the lack of right data, lack of right talent, and the wrong mindset, among other things. To what extent has the scenario improved now?

We saw Covid being an accelerator of tech adoption. According to our research, before Covid, digital leaders who were adopting new technologies like Cloud AI faster outpaced others by a factor of 2x. When we did that same research after Covid, we found that these digital leaders who comprise the top 10%, had widened the gap to 5x. We saw another category of LeapFrog(gers)--another 15% of companies that were rapidly innovating to adapt new technologies like AI. Roughly 63% of companies started adopting AI for the first time during Covid, which drove a lot of innovation. That said, there's another round of research that I'm going to publish shortly, specifically on the adoption rate of AI. What that will show is that only about 10% of organizations are really adopting AI at scale. It's a relatively small number and the rest are doing pilot deployments. So, there's still a lot of room to cover.

Is the trend in India any different from other parts of the world?

The work we're doing in India supports what I just said, which means there is a lot of acceleration and a lot more of AI happening now.

What's Accenture's vision of the metaverse, which you have christened as the Metaverse Continuum in your Tech Vision 2022 report?

There are all sorts of definitions of the metaverse, and some of them are crazy--about alternative worlds and realities and things. A lot of these definitions are very consumer focused. What we're doing with the metaverse continuum is talking about a definition that's very grounded in business. We do believe the metaverse will impact every part of every business, and companies need to start acting now. We should talk what's happening with the future of the internet, which you referred to as Web3, which is enabling this new capability and looking to create worlds that bridge the virtual and real. That's where NFTs (non-fungible tokens) come in place. That's where the VR/AR (virtual reality and augmented reality) come in and (enhance) experiences. And it's here that the continuum becomes important. We say Metaverse Continuum because we believe it's not just about the consumer--it's about the worker, and it's about extensive continuum of the roles we play as people across the enterprise. It's a continuum from not just the virtual, but also the real.

As an example, we will work with a client or a worker who uses a digital twin (replica of a physical asset) to understand the workings of a manufacturing plant. They can put on their Augmented Reality (AR) headsets and play around with the equipment to change the way they need. Then they can go back to the real world. The bridging of the real and virtual is a key definition since most think just virtual when they define the metaverse.

The technology will get better. But not all eight billion people in the world can afford this. We need it to be inclusive. So, our ability to create 2D experiences that allow access to some of these 3D worlds is critical. Hence, the continuum of 2d to 3d is important. The good news is that the technology is moving in that direction.

We've been talking about the way you use artificial intelligence to create the experiences in the metaverse to do digital twins to create digital humans like we're doing for museums when we create intelligent guides. A lot of people think the metaverse is just about gaming and headsets, and I think that's going to mislead people into missing the opportunity. I caution companies that you might have missed Web1 like when Amazon disrupted e-commerce, or Web2 when Airbnb disrupted lodging or Uber disrupted transportation, or Facebook, social. But now's your opportunity to define the rules. If you don't, you're going to wake up in worlds (metaverse and Web3) that are defined by someone, and for someone else. That's not going to be a good place to be.

But people and businesses talk about the metaverse and Web3 in the same breath, giving the impression that these are interchangeable terms. What does Accenture think?

Sometimes Web3 is used in almost a political context by some in the crypto community. I'm not using Web3 in that sense. Web3 is the new set of capabilities that are enabling in, one sense, the Internet of place--shared virtual spaces to collaborate, and the internet of ownership--the ability to use blockchain and other technologies to invert the way that ownership works and create unique, differentiated protected digital identities for objects and products that people use.

In your Tech Vision 2022 report, you speak about the four building blocks of the the metaverse continuum -- WebMe, Programme World, The Unreal, and Computing the Impossible. Can you please explain these in brief?

The first one, WebMe, is where we explore how the internet is being reimagined. It's really about the metaverse and future the internet--Web3. The second trend called Programmable World talks about our world being personalized. This one does fold into our metaverse continuum definition. It projects how the convergence of the internet of things (IoT), sensors, digital twins, 5G, ambient computing, augmented reality, smart materials, and more are paving the way for businesses to reshape how they interact with the physical world. You can program smart materials with haptic sensing, for instance, so that a worker can sense if s/he gets close something hot and know not to touch it. This enhances the experience. During Covid, they programmed a messenger RNA to create a vaccine. And it was done by a drug discovery studio that was powered by convolutional neural networks, artificial intelligence, and the cloud. So, it's this fusion of science and the world to allow us to program the world--in this case, a, a vaccine in a very different way.

The third trend--The Unreal--is one of my favorite trends because it's talking about making synthetic objects, and the new issues we have to deal with. Here's just one small example of tremendous innovations coming from a biotech world of synthetic biology, which is allowing us to grow the equivalent of plastics right now. But there's also a dark side to this trend, which is about deepfakes. The other associated with the Unreal trend is synthetic data. We're talking about this tremendous amount of Unreal data you're managing--data about your digital twin of your manufacturing plant, your aircraft, or whatever. Most of the data that you use to train AI as you go forward is going to be synthetic data. One of the analyst firms just did a report saying that by 2030, 80% of the data managed by companies will be synthetic data, not real data because of these trends. The ability to match the unreal in a responsible manner becomes very important because the data itself is generated by AI and is not real data.

The fourth trend is about what happens in the post-Silicon era. We're talking about quantum computing and bio computing--new forms of computing. Quantum computing is getting interesting, and you need to pay attention to it. The US government just passed an executive order mandating every federal agency to be quantum ready with quantum safe encryption. Quantum cryptography is something that companies need to start paying attention to because it's just a matter of time before quantum computers can break RSA-based encryption. Once that happens, it creates a Y2K like moment for everybody to upgrade the cryptography and the security systems they have. This is not the buzzword right now, but it may become so in two to five years. That's why we call this trend Computing the Impossible.

Coming back to the metaverse, companies will also require an AI-type of architecture. What will the elements of this architecture comprise?

We have a reference architecture for the metaverse. There are a couple principles underlying it. One is we believe in an open metaverse and interoperability as a key tenant of it. We are also putting a lot of effort and time into what we call 'Responsible Metaverse', which has two big focus areas--trust and sustainability. On the trust side, we've done a lot of work. The risks, and the need to focus on responsibility, are higher in the metaverse (than in AI) because of the high level of concern. There are concerns around deepfakes, inclusion, and equal opportunity in the metaverse. We believe in pursuing a multi-stakeholder approach (like we did with AI) to work with other companies and organizations. It's a trusted metaverse that gets to handle data and privacy in the right way. Sustainability, too, is a big issue with the metaverse because 3d experiences and the multiple devices consume a lot of energy and resources. If you look at NFTs and cryptocurrencies, they use proof of work mining systems that consume too much energy.

Given all these complexities, what should be the approach of enterprises that are seeking to adopt Web3 and having a presence in the metaverse?

I think the challenge for every company is that every new technology adds on but doesn't eliminate something from the past. With the metaverse, you need to think big because you need to embed, envision the possibilities. But then, start small in a focused way to understand how to apply it. Companies must build an architecture that can scale fast because you will need to move your business fast. So, think big, start small, scale fast is the approach I would recommend from a company perspective.

We made a big entry into our own enterprise metaverse called the Nth Floor. It refers to the virtual environments we have created to bring Accenture people together to meet, collaborate and learn. So, 150,000 of our employees will be onboarded with a virtual reality headset over the next year. (Accenture has created digital twins of many of its physical offices--from Bangalore in India to Madrid in Spain and San Francisco in the US to provide familiar environments for its people to meet, collaborate and network.)

The results we're getting are tremendous. We did this not just to put a toy in people's hands, but we studied the neuroscience around learning and engagement which shows how there's 20-30% improved retention of concepts in an immersive environment. We're seeing that in practice as we apply it and measure it ourselves. People are engaging in new ways. They're sharing experiences that they wouldn't have before.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters

* Enter a valid email

* Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.

Download the App to get 14 days of unlimited access to Mint Premium absolutely free!

See the original post here:
Think big, start small, scale fast to enter the metaverse - Mint

Read More..
Posted in Quantum Computing | Leave a Comment