Leeper sees a growing area where data becomes a central component of intelligent business strategies and robust IT systems.

Artificial intelligence

Leeper begins his analysis by considering the rate of change and take up of artificial intelligence in the sector: “As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to weave into the fabric of modern business, the year 2024 is likely to witness a surge in the demand for enhanced data insight and mobility.”

This increase in the use of AI will become bound up with company strategy, Lepper foresees: “Companies will need to gain insight into their data to strategically feed AI and machine learning platforms, ensuring the most valuable and relevant information is utilized for analysis. This granular data insight will become a cornerstone for businesses as they navigate the complexities of AI integration.”

Data mobility

A key change will be data mobility, as Leeper predicts: “The mobility of data will emerge as a critical factor, with the need to efficiently transfer large and numerous datasets to AI systems for in-depth analysis and model refinement. The era of AI adoption will not just be about possessing vast amounts of data but about unlocking its true value through meticulous selection and agile movement.

Flash storage

Another area of change is with storage. Leeper sees: “The trajectory of storage technology is also poised for a significant shift as the year 2024 approaches, with declining flash prices driving a broad-scale transition towards all-flash object storage systems. This shift is expected to result in superior system performance, catering adeptly to the voracious data appetites and rapid access demands of AI-driven operations.”

This brings with it some integration challenges: “As flash storage becomes more financially accessible, its integration into object storage infrastructures is likely to become the norm, offering the swift performance that traditional HDD-based object storage and scalability that NAS systems lack. This evolution will be particularly beneficial for handling the large datasets integral to AI workloads, which necessitate rapid throughput and scalability. Consequently, a data mobility wave may be seen, with datasets and workloads being transferred from outdated and sluggish storage architectures to cutting-edge all-flash object storage solutions. Such a move is anticipated not just for its speed but for its ability to meet the expanding data and performance requisites of burgeoning AI initiatives.”

Data management

In terms of managing data, Leeper considers: “Also importantly, in 2024, the landscape of data management will undergo a profound transformation as the relentless accumulation of data heightens the necessity for robust management solutions. According to Gartner’s projections, by 2027, it is expected that no less than 40 percent of organizations will have implemented data storage management solutions to classify, garner insights, and optimize their data assets, a significant leap from the 15 pecent benchmark set in early 2023. This trend is likely to be propelled by the relentless expansion of data volumes, outpacing the rate at which companies can expand their IT workforce, thus elevating the indispensability of automation for data management at scale.”

Other changes with data control include: “2024 is set to be a pivotal time for data management, with a shift towards API-centric architectures for meshed applications gaining traction. As customers increasingly demand that data management vendors offer API access to their functionalities, we are likely to see a mesh of interconnected applications seamlessly communicating with one another. Imagine ITSM (IT Service Management) and/or ITOM (IT Operations Management) software triggering actions in other applications via API calls in response to tickets — this interconnectedness will become commonplace. The trend towards API-first strategies will likely accelerate, driven by the desire to embed data management more integrally within the broader IT ecosystem.”

This means, says Leeper: “The development of self-service applications will flourish, enabling automated workflows and facilitating access to data management services without the need for manual oversight. This move towards a more integrated, automated IT environment is not just anticipated; it is imminent, reflecting a broader shift towards efficiency and interconnectivity within the technological landscape.”

Risk management

Lepper’s final area is with risk management, an ever present concern for businesses: “Finally, as we look toward 2024, we predict that an intensified focus on risk management will become a strategic imperative for companies worldwide. Governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) practices are anticipated to receive heightened attention as companies grapple with the complexities of managing access to data, aging data, orphaned data, and illegal/unwanted data, recognizing these as potential vulnerabilities. Moreover, immutable object storage and offline archival storage will continue to be essential tools in addressing the diverse risk management and data lifecycle needs within the market.”

The post IT needs to focus on ‘intelligent business strategies’ throughout 2024 appeared first on Digital Journal.

Sinha also considers the impact of greater security measures upon the ability of businesses and consumers to interact in the digital world. Sinha is concerned that the increasing adoption of cybersecurity tools will exacerbate the end-user experience.

Will these events unfold as Sinha predicts? The expert explains more to Digital Journal.

Organizations will seek out cloud-native VDI over legacy virtual desktops

Sinha explains: “For the past two decades, organizations heavily leaned on vendors – like Citrix and VMware – for virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). However, both these companies have announced that they will focus on a small (less than 10 percent) fraction of their overall customer base going forward. While these traditional vendors worked well when the workplace was a single location, they are no longer capable of fully servicing the new hybrid and multi-cloud era. In 2024, we can expect a significant increase in enterprises opting for modern, cloud-native VDI solutions that work anytime and anywhere versus their costly and complex legacy VDI.”

There are related issues, which Sinha explains: “The shift comes at a time when any type of downtime can cost organizations billions of dollars. Cloud-native VDI will become the dominant desktop virtualization platform and organizations will find themselves saving considerable time and money that was otherwise spent deploying and maintaining legacy infrastructure.”

As to what this means, Sinha  says: “IT teams will be able to spend more time doing work that matters, while employees will be far more productive and satisfied with their desktop, turning IT from a traditional necessary cost into a profit centre.”

Cybersecurity tools and the end-user experience

As to the impact of cybersecurity, Sinha foresees: “Zero-day patches, security tool updates, application updates, driver updates, and more, are compromising the user experience every day. Nearly 75 percent of CISOs say that employees in their organization are frustrated with current security policies that are taking a toll on their productivity. As companies continue implementing these layered security protocols to safeguard their systems, users will increasingly encounter friction in their daily work interactions.”

This growing user dissatisfaction could, notes Sinha “pose a significant risk to organizations’ employee retention, and as we move into 2024, we will see workers be more reluctant to tolerate cumbersome software updates, patches, and security measures that hinder their ability to work efficiently. Organizations will need to take a holistic approach that does not compromise security nor the end-user experience to keep their employees happy. This requires tools that help them monitor end-user satisfaction and productivity, and understand the impact of frequent, disruptive updates on their users.”

Hybrid multi-cloud architecture will be the new “datacenter”

With the final prediction, Sinha  says: “Multi-cloud adoption has accelerated in the past few years. In early 2023, a survey suggested that 98 percent of companies on the public cloud already have plans to switch to a multi-cloud infrastructure. At the same time, organizations have also been increasingly relying on hybrid cloud architecture for flexibility and cost-saving purposes in the hybrid work era.”

In the coming year, Sinha adds: “we will see an influx of companies opting for hybrid and multi-cloud strategies. The difference with the previous years is evident, as they will aim to seamlessly combine these two approaches. Companies will be enjoying the best of both worlds: the flexibility and scalability of multi-cloud architecture coupled with sovereignty and control over their data and applications offered by the hybrid cloud – in-country, across regions, or around the world.”

The post From VDI to multi-cloud architecture: 2024’s business tech predictions appeared first on Digital Journal.

The study was conducted by InvestinGoal.com. The organisation analysed the consistency, reliability, and average returns of all sectors, relating to the U.S. investment landscape. The outcome has been provided to Digital Journal for review.

For the IT sector, coming top, this sector comprises the category of stocks relating to the research, development, or distribution of technologically based goods and services. Moreover, the minimum return in the last decade was found to be  minus 28.2 percent in 2013, while the maximum was 50.3 percent in 2019.

With the consumer discretionary sector, this includes businesses that sell non-essential products and services that consumers may avoid without any major consequences to their well-being. The maximum return was 43.1 percent in 2013.

The top ten is:

The healthcare sector is third with an average return of 13.4 percent. It includes businesses engaged in providing medical services, producing medical devices or medications, offering medical insurance, or aiding in the overall delivery of healthcare to individuals.

Further down on the list, the industrials sector comes fourth with 13.2 percent average returns. The top five closes with the financial sector, which includes firms and institutions that provide financial services to commercial and retail customers, with an average return of 12.3 percent.

On the other side of the list, the communication services sector is the worst to invest in based solely on average returns from 2010 to 2022, which has been 8.4 percent and the energy sector is second to last on the list with a return of only 10.2 percent.

The post Where to put your money? IT remains the best sector to invest in for 2023 appeared first on Digital Journal.

With this in mind, executives from Datadobi and Folio Photonics explain to Digital Journal about the importance of recognizing and appreciating the contributions of system administrators.

According to Manu Heirbaut, Vice President of Engineering, at Datadobi the event is about extending appreciation to those roles and activities that largely remain hidden from view. As Heirbaut says: “SysAdmin Day reminds us of the significance of those working tirelessly to provide IT services to their respective organizations around the globe.”

In terms of the valuable tasks performed: “System Administrators deserve recognition for their efforts to maintain organizational infrastructure for everyone, and we must be mindful of their importance not only on SysAdmin Day but every day.”

In terms of building a foundation for the future, Heirbaut states: “We can do this by investing in their craft and providing them with tools to automate tasks and address financial, sustainability, and organizational challenges associated with systems, improving the value of unstructured data. These unstructured data solutions can improve SysAdmins’ jobs and streamline business processes to make their work even more efficient.”

The second commentator is Steve Santamaria, CEO, of Folio Photonics. Santamaria concentrates on the mental agility involved in undertaking the IT role: “Sysadmins are the unsung heroes of the business world, whose importance cannot be overstated. They are the masterminds behind the scenes, tirelessly working to keep technology systems running smoothly and seamlessly. Without their expertise, businesses would face constant disruptions, downtimes, and vulnerabilities.”

Focusing on the tasks performed, Santamaria extends his assessment: “These dedicated professionals ensure the reliability and availability of critical systems, enabling employees to work efficiently and without hindrance. They are the guardians of data security, implementing robust measures to protect sensitive information from ever-evolving cyber threats.”

There are other important duties, which Santamaria outlines: “Sysadmins also play a crucial role in disaster recovery planning, ensuring that organizations can swiftly recover from unforeseen incidents and maintain uninterrupted operations. Their tireless efforts in integrating new technologies, troubleshooting technical issues, and providing prompt support to end-users ensure that businesses stay at the forefront of innovation and maximize productivity. Sysadmins possess a wealth of knowledge and expertise, continuously adapting to new technologies and industry best practices to keep businesses ahead of the curve.”

Sysadmins are often vital to the success of organizations. From protecting sensitive data in healthcare to ensuring secure financial transactions, their activities maintain the integrity and efficiency of IT systems.

The post IT workers: Time to reassess their contribution? appeared first on Digital Journal.

To mark System Administrator Appreciation Day, which is held on July 28, 2023, this article takes a look at some of the types of roles undertaken. This event was created by Ted Kekatos, a system administrator, in 1999. Kekatos wanted to establish a special day to recognize the hard work and dedication of system administrators who play a crucial role in keeping computer systems running smoothly.

Since then, SysAdmin Day has been celebrated on the last Friday of July each year to honour and appreciate the contributions of these IT professionals, as Manu Heirbaut, Vice President of Engineering, Datadobi has explained to Digital Journal.

To repeat the opening question: What do system administrators do? Here goes:

Healthcare

In the healthcare industry, sysadmins ensure the seamless operation of critical systems, such as electronic health record (EHR) systems and patient management systems. They are responsible for maintaining data security and privacy to protect sensitive patient information. For instance, sysadmins implement access controls and encryption measures to safeguard electronic medical records from unauthorized access or breaches.

Financial

Sysadmins in the financial sector oversee and maintain complex IT infrastructures that support banking systems, trading platforms, and financial databases. They ensure high availability, data integrity, and security of financial transactions. For example, sysadmins implement robust firewalls and intrusion detection systems to protect against cyber threats and ensure compliance with industry regulations like PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard).

Manufacturing

 In the manufacturing industry, sysadmins manage and optimize production systems, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and manufacturing execution systems (MES). They ensure smooth operations, monitor equipment performance, and troubleshoot any technical issues that may arise. Sysadmins also oversee data backups and disaster recovery plans to minimize production downtime and data loss.

Retail

Sysadmins in the retail sector support various IT systems, including point-of-sale (POS) systems, inventory management systems, and e-commerce platforms. They ensure these systems are available, secure, and integrated to provide a seamless customer experience. For instance, sysadmins maintain secure payment gateways and implement data encryption protocols to protect customer financial information during online transactions.

Hospitality

 In the hospitality industry, sysadmins manage hotel property management systems (PMS), reservation systems, and guest-facing technology. They ensure reliable connectivity, efficient data exchange between systems, and data security. Sysadmins also play a crucial role in managing Wi-Fi networks and ensuring guest privacy and cybersecurity.

Human Resources

Sysadmins support HR departments by managing and securing employee data systems, including HRIS (Human Resources Information System) and payroll systems. They handle user access controls, data backups, and system integrations to streamline HR processes and protect sensitive employee information. Sysadmins also ensure compliance with data privacy regulations, such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).

The post Want to be a system administrator? The lowdown on the roles and responsibilities appeared first on Digital Journal.

This is the view of Mark Clark, VP Sales EMEA North, Onapsis, who explains to Digital Journal that the proliferation of digital tools within the healthcare sector has also led to the rise of one of the other biggest threats to the industry – misinformation and disinformation campaigns and identity theft. This has further given rise to concerns over data breaches in the industry, and the proliferation of vaccine and medical conspiracy theories.

According to Clark: “Studies have found that there was a broad agreement among researchers, health professionals, and policymakers on the urgent need to combat health misinformation. Although the magnitude of the problem was unknown, studies have found that these campaigns mostly centred around vaccines, noncommunicable diseases, and pandemics. Misinformation and disinformation were very common across most social media platforms and the spread of false health-related content has been shown to inflict mental, social, political, and economic distress on patients and their families.”

Despite this, Clark is concerned that “the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns only served to further increase health misinformation and disinformation campaigns across the world, polarising the discussions around these topics even more, while eroding trust in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.”

The impact of this trust deficit becomes evident in different areas of research. One study reveals that nearly 80 percent of adults have encountered at least one of eight false statements about the COVID-19 pandemic. The study further found that belief in COVID-19 misinformation was directly correlated with both vaccination status and partisanship.

Clark notes how: “Lisa Singh, a professor of computer science and research professor at the Massive Data Institute at Georgetown University, agrees with these findings, saying people accepted misinformation that was familiar to them and their backgrounds, and that aligned with their politics and beliefs. “

Singh explained it further by saying there is a greater likelihood of someone believing it when it was shared or promoted by a source they trusted – like a political figure or some other prominent figure. But without a doubt, the biggest catalyst in the misinformation and disinformation campaigns was the role of social media.

Clark draws the findings together: “The polarisation described in these studies was further evident in the trust that Democrat and Republican voters placed in different news sources. It found that this was directly linked with trust in COVID-19 information as well, with more Republicans relying on social media for information instead of trusted news. This manifested in many of the more reactionary responses to the pandemic, leading to the avoidance of vaccines, refusal to wear masks, and other behaviours that contribute to the further spread of the virus.”

There are solutions to combat this problem and to provide consistent, credible, and reliable healthcare information to patients. These goals, however, can’t be achieved if companies fall victim to cyberattacks and data breaches.

Here Clark observes: “Cyberattacks not only undermine the reputation of healthcare providers but also instil concerns among consumers regarding the security of their sensitive health data. Consequently, the credibility of organisations suffers as well. To confront this and prevent the erosion of trust within the healthcare industry and providers, it was imperative to establish robust cybersecurity measures to protect data.”

With the form of attack, Clark expands on the risks: “While phishing attacks and ransomware are common across the digital world, man-in-the-middle attacks, where cybercriminals inject themselves in conversations or data transfers to steal patient and provider information, and attacks on vulnerable networks are on the increase.”

In terms of suitable responses, Clark puts forward: “Organisations must prioritise investments in cybersecurity across the entire value chain to uphold and ensure the integrity of healthcare information and prevent data breaches while combating the spread of misinformation. This can be done by upskilling personnel to ensure they have the right expertise or knowledge to recognize phishing emails for example.”

He adds: “Besides practising proper digital hygiene, such as creating and using strong passwords, employees should be trained on proper data usage and management. Healthcare providers such as hospitals and clinics should control and monitor any suspicious or malicious activity while implementing strict access rights.”

Other steps that should be taken include the use of advanced cryptography for data encryption transmission and storage, and the use of bring-your-own-key (BYOK) techniques. Mobile phones, apps, and other Internet-of-Things devices have become standard practice for healthcare providers and administrators, but, as Clark notes, they also introduce more vulnerabilities.

Clark’s final recommendation is: “By using multi-factor authentication, application data encryption, and remote locking of lost and stolen devices, the healthcare sector can further protect patient data. Having a proactive approach to privacy and information protection remains one of the best things any internet user can do to protect against data breaches.”

The post Why disinformation is putting healthcare at significant risk appeared first on Digital Journal.

By analysing user search behaviour online, the company investigated which passwords people worldwide are likely to forget the most and how this trend differs among eight analysed countries.

Tomas Smalakys, chief technology officer (CTO) at NordPass, explains that people sometimes abandon accounts when they fail to reset the credentials. Consequently, this can be challenging for Internet users with different IT knowledge to reset passwords as the process is different for most accounts.

To address this, Smalakys has prepared a step-by-step guidance on resetting passwords for popular service providers. Here, there are ways to avoid password reset. Smalakys suggests to Digital Journal readers relying on the following practices:

Adopt a password manager

This technological solution allows securely storing and managing passwords in an end-to-end encrypted app. When joining an account online, the credentials are auto-filled automatically, so internet users do not have to remember the password or go through the trouble of resetting it.

Give passkeys a try

Google and other tech giants have recently announced passkey support for all users. Since passwords for Google accounts are often forgotten, passkey support allows internet users to join relevant accounts using no passwords. Passkey technology is currently considered the most secure method of online personal authentication.

Keep track of the accounts you have

Abandoned accounts are dangerous because their passwords become outdated and, therefore, easily hackable. Deleting unused accounts and knowing the number of active ones is important.

The post Good IT systems management: How can you avoid password reset? appeared first on Digital Journal.

The study comes from cyber security firm CloudTech24, who analysed the latest data available from the U.K. government’s National Fraud & Cyber Crime Reporting Centre. This was with a view to assess which areas had reported the lowest levels of cybercrime for every 10,000 people in the past 12 months.

The most commonly reported types of cybercrime include the hacking of personal information and the hacking of social media or email accounts.

Coming in second place is the Gwent area, which reported 208 cybercrimes in the study, equivalent to around 3.48 reports per 10,000 people when accounted for population. Approximately half of these reports were for hacking social media and email accounts.

The Durham area was in third place, with 230 cybercrime reports were received in the last 13 months by Durham police, which equates to around 3.59 reports per 10,000 people.

Taking fourth place on the list is the Devon and Cornwall area, with Devon and Cornwall Police receiving 647 cybercrime reports during the time of the study, equivalent to 3.62 reports per 10,000 people. Most reports also came in for social media and email account hacking.

Rounding out the top five is the Northumbria area, where in the last 13 months, there were 534 cybercrime reports or 3.63 reports per 10,000 people. Social media and email account hacking were the most common reports, followed by computer malware cases, then the hacking of personal information.

The top ten ‘safest’ areas are:

In contrast, the Greater Manchester area was found to have the highest levels of cybercrime, with 6.33 reports per 10,000 people.

The post Safest areas for cybercrime in the U.K. revealed appeared first on Digital Journal.

The domain and hosting provider Fasthosts have provided Digital Journal with some best practices for data back-ups.

What does backing up mean?

A backup is a digital copy of data that can be restored in case something goes wrong with the live version. What the backup includes depends on data identification and the size of the database.

When should you back up?

We recommend you always have a recent backup of your website, ideally at least daily or weekly. Obviously, that will change depending on how frequently you update your website, but the longer you leave it, the more work you’re likely to lose if something happens.

It also depends on the site – smaller, static websites should be fine without regular backups. However, online stores, blogs and bigger websites need consistent backups. It is good practice to back-up the entire website before making any significant changes to it, moving it to a new host, or changing your site’s domain.

What needs backing up

There are two parts of a website that need backing up – its web files and its database. Website files are the files stored in the main directory sometimes known as ‘public_html’ or ‘htdocs’. They include core files, images, code files and static web pages, plus plugins and themes if you use a content management system (CMS).

The database stores site data not included in the site files, like user info, application data and CMS data including posts, shop content, and comments. For the majority of sites, a full backup requires you to back up both the website files and the database.

Types of backups

• Full backup – A full backup is a complete copy of all data in a single instance.
• Differential backup – A differential backup will include any changes since the last full backup, even if the changes have already been included in a previous differential backup.
• Incremental backup – An incremental backup will include any changes or new content since the last full or incremental backup.

Consider what to back up

Backups will not always need to contain all of your data, especially if you have multiple backups going daily and weekly. If the data you’re backing up is not regularly changed or is completely static, then you can get by with periodic full backups

If you are making changes more often, then you might consider incremental or differential backups, both of which are partial backups of data including changes since previous backups. Implementing these methods can allow you to save space and time.

Automate and schedule backups

In some systems, irregular and/or manual backups can be enough, but where possible, you should implement automatic and scheduled backups. This means you’re less likely to run into issues as a result of human error and will have consistent backups.

Have multiple backups

Having a single backup is a great start. However, especially when backups are automated, this can result in issues in the original content being copied across into the sole backup – leaving you with nothing to restore from. How many backups, how often you make backups and how long you can keep them will vary based on how often you make changes and how critical the backup is.

Backup to multiple locations

When backing up data, at the very least it should be in a different location to any original/live content. If the backup and original are stored in the same place then both could be lost if there were any issues. You may consider keeping one backup on a local system and one off-site backup such as using a remote server or online storage provider.

The post Business data: Best practices for data security appeared first on Digital Journal.

The domain and hosting provider Fasthosts have provided Digital Journal with some best practices for data back-ups.

What does backing up mean?

A backup is a digital copy of data that can be restored in case something goes wrong with the live version. What the backup includes depends on data identification and the size of the database.

When should you back up?

It is recommended each firm always has a recent backup of your website, ideally at least daily or weekly. Obviously that will change depending on how frequently you update your website, but the longer you leave it, the more work you’re likely to lose if something happens.

It also depends on the site – smaller, static websites should be fine without regular backups. However, online stores, blogs and bigger websites need consistent backups. It is good practice to back-up the entire website before making any significant changes to it, moving it to a new host, or changing your site’s domain.

What needs backing up

There are two parts of a website that need backing up – its web files and its database. Website files are the files stored in the main directory sometimes known as ‘public_html’ or ‘htdocs’. They include core files, images, code files and static web pages, plus plugins and themes if you use a content management system (CMS).

The database stores site data not included in the site files, like user info, application data and CMS data including posts, shop content, and comments. For the majority of sites, a full backup requires you to back up both the website files and the database.

Types of backups

• Full backup – A full backup is a complete copy of all data in a single instance.
• Differential backup – A differential backup will include any changes since the last full backup, even if the changes have already been included in a previous differential backup.
• Incremental backup – An incremental backup will include any changes or new content since the last full or incremental backup.

Consider what to back up

Backups will not always need to contain all of your data, especially if you have multiple backups going daily and weekly. If the data you’re backing up is not regularly changed or is completely static, then you can get by with periodic full backups

If you are making changes more often, then you might consider incremental or differential backups, both of which are partial backups of data including changes since previous backups. Implementing these methods can allow you to save space and time.

Automate and schedule backups

In some systems, irregular and/or manual backups can be enough, but where possible, you should implement automatic and scheduled backups. This means you’re less likely to run into issues as a result of human error and will have consistent backups.

Have multiple backups

Having a single backup is a great start. However, especially when backups are automated, this can result in issues in the original content being copied across into the sole backup – leaving you with nothing to restore from. How many backups, how often you make backups and how long you can keep them will vary based on how often you make changes and how critical the backup is.

Backup to multiple locations

When backing up data, at the very least it should be in a different location to any original/live content. If the backup and original are stored in the same place then both could be lost if there were any issues. You may consider keeping one backup on a local system and one off-site backup such as using a remote server or online storage provider.

The post Business matters: Best practices for data security appeared first on Digital Journal.