Open Source to Help Secure Cloud Storage
August 5, 2013
As technology advances quickly, so do security concerns. It stands to reason that new technologies open up new vulnerabilities. But open source is working to combat those challenges in an agile and cost-effective way. Read the latest on the topic in IT World Canada in their story, “Open-Source Project Aims to Secure Cloud Storage.”
The article begins:
“The open source software project named Crypton is working on a solution that would enable developers to easily create encrypted cloud-based collaboration environments. There are very few cloud services that offer effective encryption protection for data storage, according to Crypton. Security has always been the top concern for many enterprise organizations when it comes to cloud services and applications.”
It is reasonable that enterprises are concerned about security when it comes to cloud services and storage. For that reason, many prefer on-site hosting and storage. However, some open source companies, like LucidWorks, build value-added solutions on top of open source software and guarantee security as well as support and training. And while LucidWorks offers on-site hosting as well, those who venture into the Cloud can have the best of both worlds with cost-effective open source software and the support of an industry leader.
Emily Rae Aldridge, August 5, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
Autonomy ArcSight Tackles Security
August 2, 2013
HP Autonomy is chasing the Oracle SES angle: security for search. We took a look at the company’s pages about HAVEn, Autonomy’s latest big data platform. Regarding the security feature, ArcSight Logger, the company promises:
“With HP ArcSight Logger you can improve everything from compliance and risk management to security intelligence to IT operations to efforts that prevent insider and advanced persistent threats. This universal log management solution collects machine data from any log-generating source and unifies the data for searching, indexing, reporting, analysis, and retention. And in the age of BYOD and mobility, it enables you to comprehensively manage an increasing volume of log data from an increasing number of sources.”
More information on HAVEn can be found in the YouTube video, “Brian Weiss Talks HAVEn: Inside Track with HP Autonomy.” At the 1:34 mark, Autonomy VP Weiss briefly describes how ArcSight analyzes the data itself, from not only inside but also outside an enterprise, for security clues. For example, a threatening post in social media might indicate a potential cyber-attack. It is an interesting approach. Can HP make this a high revenue angle?
Cynthia Murrell, August 02, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Cyber Threat Prediction from Recorded Future
August 1, 2013
Interesting. Caffeine Security lets us in on a development from a rising business intelligence firm in, “Recorded Future Announces Cyber Threat Intelligence Application.” The new product is named, reasonably enough, the Cyber Threat Intelligence Application. The brief write-up reports:
“The new app adds a set of real-time trend signals for attackers, TTPs, targets, and hacktivist operations. You can see what’s trending for each of the four categories, brush across entities to see cross-linkages, and drill down on interesting items to dig in and analyze.
“The application presents a real-time dashboard of cyber threats, and allows filtering based upon threat, target, operation, or any other criteria.
“One of the staff from Recorded Future was kind enough to demo the application for me today, and I am very impressed.”
For your chance to be impressed, see the company’s not-quite-two-minute YouTube video. The interface seems clear and intuitive.
Launched in 2009, Recorded Future is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with offices in Arlington, Virginia, and Göteborg, Sweden. Both Google and In-Q-Tel have invested in this innovative company. As the name implies, Recorded Future emphasizes predictive analysis, helping clients anticipate risks and seize opportunities.
Cynthia Murrell, August 01, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
PeopleSoft Offers Advice on Deploying Secure Enterprise Search
July 31, 2013
Oracle’s human resource management division, PeopleSoft, has wrapped the corporation’s Secure Enterprise Search into its PeopleTools platform. Now, their PeopleSoft Technology Blog offers “A Few Tips on Deploying Secure Enterprise Search with PeopleSoft.” The helpful write-up tells us:
“Oracle’s Secure Enterprise Search is part of PeopleSoft now. It is provided as part of the PeopleTools platform as an appliance, and is used with applications starting with release 9.2. Secure Enterprise Search is a rich and powerful search product that can enhance search and navigation in PeopleSoft applications. It also provides useful features like facets and filtering that are common in consumer search engines.
“Several questions have arisen about the deployment of SES and how to administer it and insure optimum performance. People have also asked about what versions are supported on various platforms. To address the most common of these questions, we are posting this list of tips.”
In what promises to be the first in a series of informative posts, writer Matthew Haavisto offers tips on platform support and architecture. The article says a comprehensive red paper on PeopleSoft/SES administration is on its way. In the meantime, check back with the blog for more tips as they emerge.
Launched in 1987, PeopleSoft offered human resource, financial, supply chain, and customer relationship management solutions and other software. The firm counted large corporations, governments, and other organizations among its clients when Oracle snapped it up in 2005.
Cynthia Murrell, July 31, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
The Developer Side of the Efficiency and Security Conversation
July 25, 2013
The ongoing conversation about efficiency in the enterprise can trace roots to several departments. It is a ubiquitous issue that every department has a vested interest in. A recent article, “Enhancing Enterprise Efficiency with IT Operations and Analytics,” discusses addressing productivity and efficiency from the perspective of IT.
The article describes a recent independent review that explained how Tulsa’s Information Technology Department had numerous inefficiencies. These bottlenecks ultimately prevented their department from providing acceptable service.
The article referenced above expounds on the issues mentioned in the review on Tulsa’s IT department:
The department is tasked with overseeing all electronic and communication systems for the municipal government, as well as managing its computing, mobile software and networking needs. Officials discovered that the 141-member agency had been woefully underfunded, inhibiting employees’ ability to monitor important tasks and properly identify potential issues. According to the news outlet, some of the software systems being deployed by the government included a 30-year-old police and courts record management system.
It takes collaboration between the business side and IT and developers to select, implement and deploy the right solution for any particular organization. Developers have the insight into nuanced semantic features in analytics solutions currently on the market; that knowledge is necessary for knowing if the expected use cases will pan out as expected. One solution we have been keeping tabs on is Cogito API, which offers government, intelligence, and corporate security clients oversight by extracting intelligence from data.
Megan Feil, July 25, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
Rainstor Claims Hadoop Secure Even for Large Banks
July 20, 2013
The article titled RainStor Adds Enterprise-Grade Security, Search to Hadoop on ITWorld discusses the database specialist’s answer to the Big Data problem. What problem, you ask? When your clients number among the world’s largest banks, security and speedy search are of paramount importance. The article explains,
“When you put Hadoop into production, especially if you’re a telco or a large investment or retail bank, you suddenly have to think about the sensitivity and importance of the data,” says John Bantleman, CEO of RainStor. “If you lose a webclick, nobody cares. But if you allow unauthorized users access to high-value data … the requirements are just so much more rigorous. You need good authentication. You need to manage encryption keys and have an understanding around how the data is used.”
Rainstor’s data compression technology reduces the storage footprint by up to 97%, and they believe their enterprise-grade security and search for Hadoop will solve past problems. Data encryption, data masking, audit trail and tamper proofing are all new security features. The search aspect was also a priority (another search Hadoop play). Rainstor claims that its search capability performs at speeds 10 to 100 times faster than standard SQL by quickly dividing data into subsets, which analysts can further explore.
Chelsea Kerwin, July 20, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Embedded Security Noted As Additional Benefit of API
July 18, 2013
News of Intel’s acquisition of Mashery is still popping up on our radar. The ReadWrite article “Intel’s Buying Mashery To Get Deeper Inside The Data Center” offers an insightful perspective on why the chip giant went after a seven year old company that specializes in linking together Web-based software and services. In other words, Mashery is an API management service.
The focal point of the article reference circles around the idea that Intel no longer sees the computer as a silicon chip — now, they recognize the CPU as a network.
The article discusses the implications:
The same techniques that connect consumer apps, it turns out, also work well within large businesses. Comcast, for example, uses Mashery’s API management service to allow programmers to access internal systems. That’s a far more sensible way to create internal software than the alternative, which involves doing a lot of one-off integrations at considerable time and expense.
In addition to efficiency, a prime use case for APIs are eliminating any security risks a corporation has. We are seeing smart companies develop solutions such as Cogito API, which offers businesses concerned with avoiding risks the confidence in using a solution already embedded with corporate security measures.
Megan Feil, July 18, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
01Business and Search
July 4, 2013
Take a look at the article about Sinequa. Just run a query in the next few days at www.01net.com. The story presents some interesting information.
Stephen E Arnold, July 5, 2013
Stephen E Arnold, July 4, 2013
Sponsored by Xenky, the portal to ArnoldIT where you can find the world’s largest collection of first-person explanations of enterprise search
Quote to Note: Understanding and Content
June 12, 2013
I read “How a Low Level Insider Could Steal” in the USA Today. Here’s the phrase I circled:
We cannot defend what we don not undertand.
If accurate, does this statement apply to Big Data, whatever that is? If one does not know, how does one search for information?
Stephen E Arnold, June 12, 2013
Sponsored by Xenky
Search and Content Processing Vendor in the Spotlight
June 8, 2013
Once again I have no opinion about allegations regarding data intercepts. Not my business. Here in Harrod’s Creek, I am thrilled to have electric power and a couple of dogs to accompany me on my morning walk in the hollow by the pond filled with mine drainage.
I did read a TPM story commenting about Palantir, a company which has more than $100 million in funding and now has a PR profile higher than the Empire State Building. The write up explains that a company with search, connectors, and some repackaged numerical recipes may be involved with certain US government activities.
Here’s a quote from a quote in the write up:
Apparently, Palantir has a software package called “Prism”: “Prism is a software component that lets you quickly integrate external databases into Palantir.” That sounds like exactly the tool you’d want if you were trying to find patterns in data from multiple companies.
The write up has some links to Palantir documents.
Several thoughts:
First, there are quite a few firms working in the same content processing sector as Palantir. Some of these you may know; for example IBM. Others are probably off your radar and maybe drifting into oblivion like Digital Reasoning. The point is that many organizations looking to make money from search and content processing have turned to government contracts to stay afloat. Why haven’t real journalists and azure chip consultants cranking out pay to play profiles described the business functions of these outfits? Maybe these experts and former English majors are not such smart folks after all. Writing about Microsoft is just easier perhaps>
Second, the fancy math outfits are not confined to Silicon Valley. Nope, there are some pretty clever systems built and operated outside the US. You can find some nifty technology in such surprising places as downtown Paris, a Stockholm suburb, and far off Madrid. Why? There is a global appetite for software and systems which can make sense of Big Data. I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade, but these systems do not vary too much. They use similar math, have similar weaknesses, and similar outputs. The reason? Ah, gentle reader, Big O helps make clear why fancy math systems are pretty much alike as information access systems have been for decades.
Third, the marketers convince the bureaucrats that they have a capability which is bigger, faster, and cheaper. In today’s world this translates to giant server farms and digital Dysons. When the marketers have moved on to sell Teslas, lesser souls are left with the task of making the systems work.
My view is that we are in the midst of the largest single PR event related to search in my lifetime.
Will the discussion of search and content processing improve information access?
Nope.
Will the visibility alter the trajectory of hybrid systems which “understand” content?
Nope.
Will Big Data yield high value insights which the marketers promised?
Nope.
My thought is that there will be more marketing thrills in the search and content processing sector. Stay tuned but don’t use a fancy math system to pick your retirement investment, the winner of today’s Belmont, or do much more than deliver a 1970s type of survey output.
Oh, the Big O. The annoying computational barriers. The need to recycle a dozen or so well known math methods juiced with some visualizations.
The search and content processing bandwagon rolls forward. The cloud of unknowing surrounds information access. What’s new?
Stephen E Arnold, June 8, 2013
Sponsored by Xenky, the ArnoldIT portal.
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