Blog Roll 2016
It’s that time of year when we gift and re-gift, just like this text from last year. And the perfect opportunity to re-post, re-purpose and re-use all my 2016 entries. After 12 years at F5, I had a bit of a transition in 2016, joining the amazing DevCentral team in February as a Sr. Solution Developer. You may have noticed a much more technical bent since then…hopefully. We completed our 101 Certification Exam this year and will be shooting for the 201 next quarter. We started highlighting our community with Featured Member spotlight articles and I finally started contributing to the awesome LightBoard Lessons series. I also had ACDF surgery this year, which is why November is so light. Thanks to the team for all their support this year. You guys are the best! If you missed any of the 53 attempts including 7 videos, here they are wrapped in one simple entry. I read somewhere that lists in articles are good. I broke it out by month to see what was happening at the time and let's be honest, pure self-promotion. I truly appreciate the reading and watching throughout 2016. Have a Safe and Happy New Year! January You Are the Device in 2016 Five Information Security New Year's Resolutions Meet the Sensors Internet of Insider Threats Backseat Drivers, Your Wish Has Come True February The New, Old Kid in Town Five Ways #IamF5 OK 2016 Monkey, Whatcha Got? Wearing Emotions on Your Sleeve...Literally Would You Put Corporate Applications in the Cloud? RSA Security Octagon: What's the Best Way to Secure Applications? March The Roadblock for Malicious Traffic Hello Infiltrators - Our Doors are Wide Open Jumping on the Rails of the Technical Train Time It Takes the Fingers to Remember a New Password? About 3 days Get Smart with IP Intelligence April The Land of the Partially Connected Plugging Data Leaks Let the Training Begin! You’re Getting Under My (e)-Skin The Dangerous Game of DNS You Never Know When... May The Visible Data of the Invisible User DevCentral at Agility 2016 - The Preview Video June Are People Programmable? The Double Whammy of Scripting Control It All with iControl Your Applications Deserve iApps Orchestrate Your Infrastructure July Q/A with Yann Desmarest - DevCentral's Featured Member for July The Road to F5 Certification Is 2016 Half Empty or Half Full? DevCentral at F5 Agility 2016 August Q/A with SpringCM's Joel Newton - DevCentral's Featured Member for August I Am an Application Delivery Fundamentalist! I'm Sorry Sir, You're Obsolete The Intruders of Things Time to Get Prepping for the F5 Certification 201 Exam September Q/A with Secure-24's Josh Becigneul - DevCentral's Featured Member for September 750th Blog Spectacular - Lessons of the LightBoard Don’t Take the Impostor’s Bait Lightboard Lessons: DNS Scalability & Security Lock Down Your Login Lightboard Lessons: Secure & Optimize VDI October Q/A with ExITeam’s Security Engineer Stanislas Piron - DevCentral's Featured Member for October F5 Access for Your Chromebook Lightboard Lessons: BIG-IP in Hybrid Environments Your SSL Secrets Uncovered November Q/A with Rackspace Network Architect Vijay Emarose - DevCentral's Featured Member for November December Managing Your Vulnerabilities The Top 10, Top 10 Predictions for 2017 F5 DevCentral Asks, ‘How Can We Help in 2017?’ Lightboard Lessons: SSO to Legacy Web Applications And a couple special holiday themed entries from years past. e-card Malware X marks the Games ps Related Blog Roll 2015 Blog Roll 2014 Blog Roll 2013 Blog Roll 2012 Blog Roll 2011251Views0likes0CommentsIs 2016 Half Empty or Half Full?
Updating passwords is a huge trend in 2016 With 2016 crossing the half way point, let's take a look at some technology trends thus far. Breaches: Well, many databases are half empty due to the continued rash of intrusions while the crooks are half full with our personal information. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), there have been 522 breaches thus far in 2016 exposing almost 13,000,000 records. Many are health care providers as our medical information is becoming the gold mine of stolen info. Not really surprising since the health care wearable market is set to explode in the coming years. Many of those wearables will be transmitting our health data back to providers. There were also a bunch of very recognizable names getting blasted in the media: IRS, Snapchat, Wendy’s and LinkedIn. And the best advice we got? Don’t use the same password across multiple sites. Updating passwords is a huge trend in 2016. Cloud Computing: According to IDC, public cloud IaaS revenues are on pace to more than triple by 2020. From $12.6 billion in 2015 to $43.6 billion in 2020. The public cloud IaaS market grew 51% in 2015 but will slightly slow after 2017 as enterprises get past the wonder and move more towards cloud optimization rather than simply testing the waters. IDC also noted that four out of five IT organizations will be committed to hybrid architectures by 2018. While hybrid is the new normal remember, The Cloud is Still just a Datacenter Somewhere. Cloud seems to be more than half full and this comes at a time when ISO compliance in the cloud is becoming even more important. DNS: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, DNS is one of the most important components of a functioning internet. With that, it presents unique challenges to organizations. Recently, Infoblox released its Q1 2016 Security Assessment Report and off the bat said, ‘In the first quarter of 2016, 519 files capturing DNS traffic were uploaded by 235 customers and prospects for security assessments by Infoblox. The results: 83% of all files uploaded showed evidence of suspicious activity (429 files).’ They list the specific threats from botnets to protocol anomalies to Zeus and DDoS. A 2014 vulnerability, Heartbleed, still appears around 11% of the time. DevOps is even in the DNS game. In half full news, VeriSign filed two patent applications describing the use of various DNS components to manage IoT devices. One is for systems and methods for establishing ownership and delegation of IoT devices using DNS services and the other is for systems and methods for registering, managing, and communicating with IoT devices using DNS processes. Find that half full smart mug...by name! IoT: What can I say? The cup runneth over. Wearables are expected to close in on 215 million units shipped by 2020 with 102 million this year alone. I think that number is conservative with smart eyewear, watches and clothing grabbing consumer’s attention. Then there’s the whole realm of industrial solutions like smart tractors, HVAC systems and other sensors tied to smart offices, factories and cities. In fact, utilities are among the largest IoT spenders and will be the third-largest industry by expenditure in IoT products and services. Over $69 billion has already been spent worldwide, according to the IDC Energy Insights/Ericsson report. And we haven’t even touched on all the smart appliances, robots and media devices finding spots our homes. Get ready for Big Data regulations as more of our personal (and bodily) data gets pushed to the cloud. And we’re talking a lot of data. Mobile: We are mobile, our devices are mobile and the applications we access are mobile. Mobility, in all its iterations, is a huge enabler and concern for enterprises and it'll only get worse as we start wearing our connected clothing to the office. The Digital Dress Code has emerged. With 5G on the way, mobile is certainly half full and there is no empting it now. Of course, F5 has solutions to address many of these challenges whether you’re boiling over or bone dry. Our security solutions, including Silverline, can protect against malicious attacks; no matter the cloud - private, public or hybrid - our Cloud solutions can get you there and back; BIG-IP DNS, particularly DNS Express, can handle the incredible name request boom as more ‘things’ get connected; and speaking of things, your data center will need to be agile enough to handle all the nouns requesting access; and check out how TCP Fast Open can optimize your mobile communications. That's what I got so far and I'm sure 2016's second half will bring more amazement, questions and wonders. We'll do our year-end reviews and predictions for 2017 as we all lament, where did the Year of the Monkey go? There's that old notion that if you see a glass half full, you're an optimist and if you see it half empty you are a pessimist. I think you need to understand what state the glass itself was before the question. Was it empty and filled half way or was it full and poured out? There's your answer! ps314Views0likes0CommentsOK 2016 Monkey, Whatcha Got?
The Year of the (Fire) Monkey is upon us and the curious, playful, smart, opportunistic and sometimes mischievous character could influence events throughout 2016. Whether you were born under the symbol or not, Monkeys thrive on challenges and 2016 is sure to bring some obstacles during the year. 2015 (Year of the Sheep) brought us a rash of high profile breaches, a bunch of new IoT devices and wearables, continued, bigger clouds and innovative attacks on vulnerable infrastructures along with the continuous deluge of big data. This is sure to continue as our digital, software-defined lives connect and intersect with the things around us. Organizations will need to extend their risk management focus to areas outside their control like the cloud and social channels but also consider the human element in all this. The new threats and heightened risk may put some companies in peril due to the lack of knowledgeable security IT personnel available. Mobility, both the state of being and the devices we use, will continue to grow and be an immense enabler and/or inhibitor for organizations. Mobile is not only the new shiny phone you got over the holidays but also all the IoT gadgets looking for a place in our home, offices and bodies…along with how we interact with them as humans. Cutting the cord will mean more than subscribing to some streaming media service but the way of the wireless life. You are now the device, controller and data generator. With that, security challenges like authentication, privacy, malware/data protection, compliance and the management of those services will be paramount. And as our lives – personal and professional – continue to be chronicled on the internet, thieves, nation states and activists will continue to be one step ahead probing data and looking for that golden slab of info. Making money, causing disruptions or outright take downs through online attacks are big motivations for those seeking notoriety or simply a big score. But it’s not always from the crook or spy half a globe away. Insider threats, malicious or not, have made the traditional perimeter almost useless. So while trends like cloud, mobility, IoT and big data will consume IT departments, securing those trends and how they map to business objectives will be the monkey on organizations back for 2016. Let’s try to be intelligent, dignified, clever, optimistic, confident, agile and curious about our challenges or the arrogant, deceptive, reckless and manipulative bad guys will get the best of us. The 2016 Monkey is here, and we’ll need to handle it with grace. ps Related: Chinese New Year 2016: Facts, Dates, And Ancient Traditions 5 information security trends that will dominate 2016 Defending Data Report 2015 Infographic Cybersecurity Skills Gap Making Companies Vulnerable To Major Attacks Samsung Builds Smart Home Tech into Its 2016 TVs The weird and wacky of 2015: strange security and privacy stories Technorati Tags: 2016,f5,mobility,iot,security,silva,monkey This article originally appeared 1-7-16 on F5.com Connect with Peter: Connect with F5:325Views0likes0CommentsFive Information Security New Year's Resolutions
Shot this late last year for Information Security Buzz. What are five information security new year's resolutions for improving cyber security in 2016 and why? ps Related: New Year's Resolutions for the Security Minded Blueprint: 2016 is the Year SDN Finds its Home, and its Name is NFV 10 Cloud Security Predictions for 2016 2016 security predictions: Partnerships, encryption and behavior tracking Technorati Tags: 2016,resolutions,security,infosec,silva,f5 Connect with Peter: Connect with F5:261Views0likes0CommentsThe Top 10, Top 10 Predictions for 2016
The time of year when crystal balls get a viewing and many pundits put out their annual predictions for the coming year. Rather than thinking up my own, I figured I’d regurgitate what many others are expecting to happen. 7 Future Predictions for the Internet of Things – IoT is one of the hottest terms and trends. From connected cars, homes, businesses and more, connected devices are becoming more prevalent in our lives. Stable Kernel looks at the future economic growth, development of smart cities, wearables, privacy challenges and how voice commands will become the norm. Top 10 Humanoid Robots Designed To Match Human Capabilities And Emotions – While once a dream of The Jetsons, companion robots in the home will become as common as pets, even if the pet is a robot. WT VOX explores whether robots could fully replace humans by 2045 as some predict and takes a look at the top 10 that are starting to match human capability. The top security threats of 2016 – ZDNet digs into McAfee's 2016 cybersecurity threat report covering areas like hardware, ransomware, cloud services, connected cars and the warehouses of stolen data. From the Ashley Madison hack, to Jeeps taken off-road and the TalkTalk breach, digital infiltration is now a daily occurrence and no one is immune. Forrester’s top 10 predictions for business in 2016 — and what they mean for tech – Computerworld summarizes Forrester’s top 10 predictions and how 2016 will be the year that the companies that thrive will be those advancing down the customer obsession path. They look at critical business issues like loyalty, analytics, personalization and how privacy will become a value to which customers will respond. You need to live a customer-obsessed operating model to survive. IBM predicts tech world of 2016 – At number 5, IBM has published its 6th annual Five in Five - where it predicts five innovations that will change all of our lives in the next five years, with mind-reading machines apparently set to be interpreting our thoughts by 2016. From generating our own energy to no more passwords to almost everyone having some sort of mobile technology, IBM Labs is exploring these emerging technologies. DDoS Predictions for 2016, IBM Insights – Also from Big Blue, they are sharing insight into new types of DDoS attacks that are to be expected during the coming year. DDoS is no longer a nagging problem but a bona fide technique to disable a company’s resources. BitTorrent, malicious JavaScript and Temporal Lensing DDoS (pdf) attacks are all explained. As I’ve mentioned before, there have always been protesters and activists - some write letters, some picket on the sidewalk, some throw rocks and with the advent of the internet, now you can protest (and more) by creating digital havoc. 5 IT industry predictions for 2016 from Forrester and IDC – CIO.com hits on the 2016 predictions of IDC and Forrester, two of the largest analyst firms. In their distillation, there could be a bleak future for legacy vendors since according to IDC, ‘by 2020, more than 30 percent of the IT vendors will not exist as we know them today.’ There will also be some cloud consolidation, big data gets even bigger and traditional enterprises will turn into software companies. Software developers will become a scarce commodity. IDC Software Licensing and Pricing Predictions 2016: Top 10 Predictions – And speaking of software, Amy Konary of IDC writes about focus areas like the growth of subscription and outcomes-based pricing, the real cost of licensing complexity, usage models in IoT, the business model impacts of the convergence of cloud, mobile, social, and big data technologies. 10+1 Commandments For Companies Developing Wearable Health Trackers – Many of us will be getting a wearable or two this holiday season so ScienceRoll rolled up it’s 10+1 commandments every company developing wearable health trackers should follow. Practical value, online communities, long live batteries and gamification are what user’s desire. We know you want to make money but focus on helping people live a healthier life. In-depth: Top 10 Internet of Things companies to watch – We started with IoT and figured I’d caboose this with another. RCRWireless digs in to the top players in both Industrial IoT and Consumer IoT. Many of the names are familiar: Cisco, IBM, ATT, Google, GE, Samsung and a few others are already hedging their future on all these connected nouns. See what these organizations are doing both internally and externally to embrace IoT and take advantage of this proposed multi-trillion dollar market opportunity. And if you want to see if any of the previous year’s predictions came true, here ya go: The Top 10, Top 10 Predictions for 2015 The Top 10, Top 10 Predictions for 2014 The Top 10, Top 10 2013 Predictions The Top 10, Top Predictions for 2012 ps Technorati Tags: 2016,predictions,future,technology,security,cloud,iot,silva,wearables,f5,top10 Connect with Peter: Connect with F5:542Views0likes0Comments