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11 Fast-Growing Tech Occupations and How to Prepare for Them – Dice Insights

Tech unemployment remains low, and employers everywhere are on the hunt for technologists with all kinds of specializations. With that in mind, which technology occupations have seen the most growth over the past year?

Dices H1 Tech Job Reportlists the tech occupations that have dominated 2022 (so far) in terms of job-posting volume. As the following list makes clear, no matter what the organization or industry, theres always a driving need for technologists who can build and maintain the websites, databases, and tech stacks that keep everything running:

How much do some of these occupations pay? How can you break into them, and what kind of training and certifications do you need? Lets dig in!

First things first: software engineers and developers will remain in demand for quite some time to come. According to Lightcast (formerly Emsi Burning Glass), which collects and analyzes millions of job postings from across the country, the median software developer salary stands at $98,728 per year, rising even more with the right mix of experience and skills. (For comparisons sake,the latest Dice Tech Salary Reportplaced the average technologist salary at $104,566, up 6.9 percent between 2020 and 2021.)

Here are some of the specialized skills that pop up most frequently in software engineer and developer job postings; by mastering these skills, you have a higher likelihood of standing out during the job interview process:

Depending on your specialization, obtaining certain kinds of certifications might be a good idea. For example, if youre a cloud-focused developer who often works with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure, earning certifications in those platforms can help assure recruiters and hiring managers that you have the necessary skills to succeed in a particular role.

An effective software developer/engineer resume will also break down previous projects and how you used your skills to help your former employers succeed in their strategic goals. Remember, all resumes should be results-oriented: what did you deliver for those past organizations?

Business analysts have a difficult task: digesting and analyzing massive amounts of company and industry data for crucial insights. If youre interested in a business analyst career, its important to master analytics tools and skillsand then effectively convey your mastery of those skills via your resume and other application materials.

Business analyst interviews often feature questions about your past projects, your potential for cultural fit, and whether you can solve the potential employers analytics challenges (which may involve some technical questions). If you succeed, the potential rewards are vast: According to Lightcast, the median business analyst salary sits at $113,000 per yearand thats before you consider perks and benefits such as stock options, which can radically increase total compensation.

Data analysts often tackle very tactical analytics problems for organizations. As a result, you must tailor a data analyst resume to show youve had a significant impact on your organizations key projects. As part of that, you must master analytics and database tools and skillsand perfect your soft skills such as empathy and communication, since youll be communicating results to stakeholders.

Data analysts can earn a median salary of $73,067, according to Lightcast, which doesnt seem like a lotbut as with so many other tech roles, that number rises with skills and experience. A senior data analyst can expect to earn $93,000 per year, according to Glassdoor. Skills that can help a data analyst land a job and boost their salary include:

During a data analyst job interview, youll most likely need to demonstrate you can use these skills successfully to complete projects and deliver results on time.

Data scientists arent the same thing as data analysts; for starters, data scientists are usually tasked with tackling more strategic data questions. A couple of researchers also named data science the sexiest job of the 21st century, and who are we to argue with that?

There are multiple signs that data science will continue as an in-demand occupation for quite some time to come. According to areport by DevSkiller, data science was the fastest-growing tech skill throughout 2021, surpassing Python, PHP, and cybersecurity. HackerEarths 2021 Developer Survey found thatdata sciencewas the domain that is most coveted by both students and professional developers, with 24.4 percent of respondents showing interestwell ahead of Blockchain (in second) and cybersecurity (third). Combine that with data from Dices latest Job Report, and its clear this is an occupation with a very long runway.

The perfect data scientist resume should include awide range of data science skillsandqualities, as well asyou guessed itsoft skills. In addition to crunching tons of data for insights, data scientists must communicate their results in easy-to-understand ways to multiple stakeholders, including executives who might not grasp the intricacies of the craft. If you succeed in mastering data scientist skills, the potential salary is massiveespecially in some of the traditional tech hubs such as Silicon Valley.

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Take 10 With a Triton: Meet Angela Song, a Lover of Dogs, Data Analytics and Disneyland – University of California San Diego

Name: Angela Song

Position: Senior Director of the Office of Operational Strategic Initiatives (OSI); Leader of the OSI Tritonlytics Team

Years at UC San Diego: 20 years in January 2023

What she does at UC San Diego: As the senior director of OSI, Song helps spearhead strategic initiatives focused on continuously improving UC San Diegos operational efficiencies and strengthening the universitys commitment to a service- and people-oriented culture. Shes been with OSI since the beginning. When Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla created the office in 2013, Song was one of three individuals selected from the Business and Financial Services (BFS) department to work with one of UC San Diegos external partners, McKinsey Consulting, on creating the universitys inaugural strategic plan.

Before OSI, Song served as the director of Administration and Metrics in Business and Financial Servicesa position she held since joining UC San Diego in 2003. She received her doctorate in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from UC Berkeley and her background in social science, data analysis, surveys and strategy management led to her role managing and overseeing internal performance metrics and campuswide surveys. Now, the surveys Song helped createincluding the Staff@Work Survey which opened Aug. 16, the Student Satisfaction Survey and the Academics@UCSD surveyare key metrics of the Chancellor's strategic plans.

Song also leads the Tritonlytics team, an OSI working group that aims to transform raw data into valuable insights and accelerate action. Her expertise is a key reason that Tritonlytics impact extends far beyond UC San Diego; the group assists other institutions nationwide in designing, administering and analyzing large-scale quantitative and qualitative surveys. Coast to coast, over 15 universities across four university systems participate in Tritonlytics higher education benchmarking program, which analyzes customer service, staff/faculty engagement and campus climate.

What she loves about UC San Diego: Song was inspired by how quickly and collectively the campus jumped into action in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Return to Learn is everything I love about UC San Diego; we collaborated, partnered, shared expertise and put aside our egos and titles to step upand step back, when necessaryso that our campus could do more than just survive, Song said. We were able to thrive during a global pandemic and let research and learning continue safely.

Even in the virtual era, Song felt the care and connections between staff, students and faculty at the university were strong. Many other campuses grew paralyzed; Song is proud of how our campus took the pandemic in stride.

UC San Diego shone as a beacon of hope that helped others to follow our lead, said Song. Not only do we do things right, we do the right things too.

Best advice received: Be grateful for everything, she shared with a smile. Sometimes our greatest blessings are in disguise.

Something unique in your workspace: Song is known around the OSI office as an avid dog lover. Her ten-year-old retired greyhound, Bali, and her five-year-old whippet, Hobbes, are never more than a few feet away from her desk.

Theyre always watching me and waiting for me to take a break so I can take them on a W-A-L-K-I-E, she shared with a laugh, spelling the word so her nearby pups wouldnt hear.

Favorite spot on campus: Its hard not to be a sunset lover, and Song is no exception. Near Scripps Pier, a few benches dot a patch of grass that looks out over the ocean. When she can, Song loves to catch a sunset there.

Something most people don't know about her: Where we spend our free time is an indicator of what were passionate about, she said. Her passions have led her to work with several non-profit organizations. As an elected board member of the Network for Change and Continuous Innovation, she helps higher education institutions across the country be transformative and agile lifelong models of learning. Song also serves as a board member of the Greater San Diego Whippet Association and volunteers with the Greyhound Adoption Center.

If she had one day to do anything she wanted: I would go to Disneyland! she said, grinning. I havent been to visit since the new Star Wars Land openedI cant wait to go!

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Boosting mortgage processes with data-driven ways of working – Consultancy.eu

The use of data science can offer mortgage providers major opportunities to enhance their services and operations. Chris van Winden and Mando Rotman from IG&H outline three use cases of adopting more data driven ways of working.

The ambassadors of mortgage providers are financial advisors, who are in continuous contact with customers. By using data to analyse how advisors operate, significant improvements can be made in processes and outcomes.

In one concrete example, IG&H helped a mortgage client in the Netherlands analyse the end-to-end value chain of advisors, from the types of customers they serve to the advice they give and how they follow up. Leveraging data, we managed to help the client improve results and embed a cycle of continuous improvement.

Using machine learning for instance can significantly reduce the workload for employees and allow standard loan applications to be evaluated much faster. This in turn frees up human capacity, which means that mortgage providers can allocate more time towards serving their customers.

In one client example, IG&H worked with a client to automate the mortgage application process with the help of intelligent, self-learning algorithms. Prior to the roll out of machine learning, all cases were assessed manually. With the help of the models, only 25% of cases are currently reviewed manually by specialists.

Proactive management of existing customers requires using data to anticipate needs and providing tailored messaging. Intelligent models such as artificial intelligence can help predict and advise on how to approach customers in an optimal way.

Data can also help with assessing customer segments, and predicting their needs and behaviours.

Meanwhile, a technological solution such as a chatbot can improve customer service. From a clients perspective, a chatbot is always available 24/7, enabling customer to ask questions when it is most convenient for them. While still in their infancy, well designed AI-chatbots can provide a good level of service to potential or existing customers. As a bonus, the chatbot can provide valuable insights through its interactions with customers.

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New land valuation tool uses big data to inform urban planning and investment – UNSW Newsroom

A new commercial partnership between UNSW, PEXA and Frontier SI is launching a data-driven toolkit that rapidly calculates property valuations to inform urban development. The toolkit, hosted by the new venture Slate Analytics, allows users to visualise diverse infrastructure and planning scenarios and their effect on surrounding property values. It will facilitate data-driven solutions to support better city planning.

The digital toolkit, called the Rapid Analytics Interactive Scenario Explorer (RAISE), uses big data, artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to calculate property valuations across Australias residential property market. Its interactive, what-if scenario capability represents an industry-first for planning support systems.

RAISE provides a cyber-secure, scalable and commercially viable solution that reduces the risks and costs associated with land value analysis, he says.

This new commercial partnership brings together PEXAs expertise in data and digital property settlements, and Frontier SIs specialisation in spatial mapping and geodesy with UNSWs leading research on data science and the future of our cities to deliver a world-class platform, Pettit said.

Read more: Why cycling lanes should be on the fast track for cities

Scott Butterworth, ChiefData and Analytics Officer atPEXA, says: With its evidence-driven scenario modelling, RAISE will revolutionise the way we approach urban planning and development. It could also prove highly beneficial to Australias lending community,potentially expediting the mortgage approvals process on behalf of Australian homebuyers.PEXA is delighted to be leading this venture, delivering on real-world needs.

The digital toolkit is the result of a longstanding research partnership between Frontier SI and UNSW CFRC.

Graeme Kernich, CEO FrontierSI says,Through Slate Analytics, FrontierSI and UNSW has realised its vision to bring cutting-edge AI into the property valuation products and services space. The investment by PEXA will be critical to furthering this vision and expanding the impact that this capability will have for Australia and beyond.

The venture builds on previous research with UNSWs CFRC, Frontier SI, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Liverpool City Council, the NSW Office of the Valuer General and property data management company Omnilink, that was funded by an Australian Government Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) grant.

A new commercial partnership between UNSW, PEXA and Frontier SI is launching a data-driven toolkit that rapidly calculates property valuations to inform urban development.

The toolkit cleans, links and embeds diverse geospatial and property data from trusted government databases and industry partners, including from such sources as the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Geoscape, Valuer Generals data and transport, education and crime statistic agencies.

It includes aproperty market dashboard developed in response to COVID-19 that provides a daily snapshot of how the property market is performing in comparison to prior to the pandemic. It has an interactive map of Australia, identifying COVID case numbers based on data from state departments of health.

The dashboard provides graphs and charts of key property market metrics, including median property prices, auction clearance rates, the house value index and the performance of the ASX 200 real estate sector, to assist government, industry and communities in understanding the impacts COVID-19 is having on the property market.

The toolkit was used in recent research evaluating the proposed high-speed rail network on the east coast of Australia. It revealed that land value growth around the high-speed stations, estimated to increase by up to $140 billion, could be used to fund the network.

A significant portion of this could be dedicated to funding its construction and supporting the creation of liveable and vibrant cities and regions, Prof. Pettit says.

Read more: UNSW launches Cities Institute to help future-proof our cities

One of its aims is to improve users understanding of land economics, in particular, the influence that infrastructure provision and other key variables play in land values, Prof. Pettit says.

The tool considers structural attributes, such as the buildings quality, age and size; neighbourhood attributes, such as crime levels and socio-economic profile; and accessibility, such as the nearest transport connections, jobs centres and services.

It is accessed through a web browser allowing multiple users in diverse locations to compare and analyse different scenarios. Users can alter key assumptions within the tool, such as access to transport, schools, hospitals and zoning plans, and map their effect on property values.

For example, users can drag and drop new train stations into urban areas and predict the anticipated increase in value (value uplift) on surrounding properties associated with the accessibility benefits of improved transport infrastructure.

New and improved transport including new stations, faster trips, more frequent trips, upgraded services or higher volume services can connect residents to jobs and services and also connect businesses to labour, supplier and customer markets, Prof. Pettit says. As such, there is an expectation that residents and businesses will pay a premium for property serviced by this infrastructure.

The toolkit was used in recent research evaluating the proposed high-speed rail network on the east coast of Australia. Image: Shutterstock

Governments are interested in measuring value uplift to determine the viability of using value capture (taxing this uplift) to fund current or future transport infrastructure projects through policies, such as developer charges, stamp duty,land tax and betterment tax, he says.

Value capture is, in essence, a tax on the increase in land values associated with new or upgraded infrastructure, and these taxes can be used to offset infrastructure costs and fund supporting initiatives, such as new parks or increased affordable housing stocks.

There has been renewed national policy interest in value capture in Australia in the debate around the National Settlement Strategy as well as the national Smart Cities Plan (2016) and the Greater Metropolitan Sydney Planning Strategy (2018), and internationally, he says.

The expense involved in engaging specialist valuation consultants means that fewer options are typically explored by planners and decision-makers, and effective value capture mechanisms are seldom employed in Australian infrastructure planning, he says.

UNSW will retain a stake in the new venture, supporting it through ongoing research and development.

The tool makes an important contribution to building more equitable and productive future cities, helping planners, councils and governments maximise investments to get the best outcomes, including better public transport, additional green space and more affordable housing stock for the whole community, Prof. Pettitsays.

Read more:Family-friendly apartments are key to a compact city

RAISE was co-designed through a series of workshops with research partners, state government-based valuers and local government urban planners to ensure its functionality and user experience aligned with end-user expectations.

The workshops evaluated rapid prototypes to optimise the design according to its data inputs, modelling and scenario formulation and visualisation, interface and workflow. Feedback shaped further development, extending the tools base functionality, model and data integration, and collaborative features through a series of iterations.

For example, feedback from stakeholders in the co-design workshops prompted the introduction of school-quality indicators into the modelling, Prof. Pettit says. Properties in catchments of schools performing well, as measured by NAPLAN results, were found to be valued higher.

The need for digital technologies, such as data-driven scenario tools, will continue to grow with rapid urbanisation and global population growth,however, the inherent complexity of big data as well as the diverse players and conflicting agendas mean the tools work best in tandem with expert knowledge, he says.

These tools and technologies work hand in hand collaboratively with planners and those key decision-makers who shape the future of the city Were all striving towards more liveable cities, more sustainable cities, more resilient, productive [and] inclusive cities. The tools are used to support those sorts of big-picture challenges.

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Correlation One Partners with OneTen to Drive Economic Prosperity for Black Talent in the Data Field – PR Newswire

Correlation One forms strategic partnership with nation's leading coalition committed to hiring and advancing Black Americans without four-year degrees into family-sustaining jobs

NEW YORK, Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Correlation One today announced that it has joined forces with OneTen, a coalition designed to close the opportunity gap for Black talent in the United States by working with America's leading executives, companies, and talent developers to hire and advance one million Black Americans without four-year degrees into family-sustaining roles over the next 10 years. This strategic partnership will allow Correlation One to share and shape best practices for sourcing, developing, and hiring Black talent.

The strategic partnership will help advance Black Americans without four-year degrees into lucrative data careers.

As an endorsed OneTen talent developer, Correlation Oneis committed to increasing the hiring of Black talent without four-year college degrees into family-sustaining jobs by improving their hiring, retention, upskilling, and advancement practices to support a more diverse workforce and advance economic prosperity for all. As a OneTen coalition member and award-winning data skills training provider, Correlation One will train emerging data analysts and engineers and connect them with employers through a distinctive "last mile to jobs" approach.

"As part of OneTen's growing portfolio of career development providers bridging the gap between rising Black talent and top employers, we're proud to lend a hand in the advancement of Black Americans' financial and professional goals," said Sham Mustafa, Correlation One Co-Founder and Co-CEO. "At the same time, we know that by diversifying their data talent, our forward-thinking Employer Partners can leverage a wider range of capabilities and viewpoints to advance business goals."

Offered 100% free to learners from groups historically underrepresented in the data field, Correlation One training programs have received more than 150,000 applications and trained over 7,000 students. Over 60% of the trainees are Black a strikingly significant number given that Black professionals comprise only 7.3% of U.S. data analysts. The U.S. Bureauof Labor Statistics anticipates strong job growth within the data field at a rate of 27.9% through 2026, with employers willing to pay well for emerging talent.However, significant and pervasive structural barriers remain in place for rising data talent to acquire the technical skills necessary to secure professional positions in the lucrative, growing data economy.

While the job market continues to grow amid rising inflation and a looming recession, the racial wealth gap in America remains wide. This is largely due to the lack of access to quality, well-paying jobs that do not require college degrees: 79% of jobs paying more than $50,000 require a four-year college degree, which automatically excludes the 76% of Black Americans over age 25 with relevant experience who don't have baccalaureate degrees. With Black professionals representing less than 8% of the technology workforce, harnessing multi-stakeholder partnerships is vital to spearheading diversity and fostering pathways to success.

"Connecting Black talent through the kind of data skills training and upskilling Correlation One offers is critical to addressing the growing needs in today's data economy," said Maurice Jones, OneTen CEO. "We're thrilled to partner with Correlation One - to unlock workforce opportunities for Black talent in the data-driven jobs of the future and implement the skills that will enable Black talent to achieve generational wealth."

About Correlation One

Correlation One is a technology company whose mission is to create equal access to the data-driven jobs of tomorrow and believes that data literacy is the most important skill for the future of work. The company makes data fluency a competitive edge through global data science competitions, rigorous data skills assessments, and enterprise-focused data science education. Correlation One's solutions are used by some of the most elite employers all around the world in finance, technology, healthcare, insurance, consulting, and governmental agencies. Since launching in 2015, Correlation One has built an expert community of 250,000+ data scientists and 600+ partnerships with leading universities and data science organizations in the US, UK, Canada, China, and Latin America.

About OneTen

OneTen is a coalition of leading chief executives and their companies who are coming together to upskill, hire and promote one million Black individuals who do not yet have a four-year degree into family-sustaining jobs with opportunities for advancement over the next 10 years. OneTen connects employers with talent developers including leading nonprofits and other skill-credentialing organizations who support development of diverse talent. By creating more equitable and inclusive workforces, we believe we can reach our full potential as a nation of united citizens. OneTen recognizes the unique potential in everyone every individual, every business, every community to change the arc of America's story with Black talent. Join us at OneTen.org, where one can be the difference.

Media Contacts:Pamela Price[emailprotected]

SOURCE Correlation One

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CIBO Named AgTech Data Analytics Solution of the Year in 2022 AgTech Breakthrough Awards Program – PR Web

MINNEAPOLIS (PRWEB) August 25, 2022

CIBO, the science-based software company that provides the food and ag value chain with a complete platform to drive regenerative agriculture & carbon programs, is proud to announce winning AgTech Data Analytics Solution of the Year in 2022s AgTech Breakthrough Awards. Conducted by AgTech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies, and products in the global AgTech market today, CIBO Technologies received the top spot from more than 1,600 nominations from around the world.

CIBOs scaled software platform helps CIBO partners develop, deploy, and manage grower sustainability programs. The platform combines advanced ecosystem modeling, computer vision, MVR capabilities, and a universal programs engine to power programs and streamline grower enrollment.

This recognition from AgTech Breakthrough encourages us on our mission to help food and ag companies scale their regenerative agriculture initiatives, said Dan Ryan, CIBO CEO.

The programs delivered by the CIBO platform provide visibility, quantification, and practice validation into the carbon intensity of yields, the carbon footprint of farming practices on operations, the regenerative potential of land, and the CO2e sequestration achieved across entire supply sheds and supply chains.

CIBO's tools and scaled technology platform provides growers with the tools they need to adopt and scale regenerative practices on their farms," said Bryan Vaughn, Managing Director of AgTech Breakthrough Awards. "These practices have far-reaching impacts on the agriculture industry and beyond. We're thrilled to name CIBO the AgTech Data Analytics Solution of the Year."

For more information about CIBO, please contact Rachel Morrison.

# # #

About CIBOFounded by Flagship Pioneering in 2015, CIBO applies advanced software to deliver a deep understanding of agricultural systems to help to mitigate climate change, advance food system resilience, and improve grower outcomes. CIBO is a 2021 Fast Company World Changing Ideas Awards finalist, was named 2021 AgTech Breakthrough AI-based AgTech Company of the Year, and now the 2022 AgTech Breakthrough Data Analytics Solution of the Year. Learn more at cibotechnologies.com.

About AgTech BreakthroughPart of Tech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence and recognition platform for global technology innovation and leadership, the AgTech Breakthrough Awards program is devoted to honoring excellence in agricultural technologies, services, companies and products. The AgTech Breakthrough Awards program provides a forum for public recognition around the achievements of AgTech companies and solutions in categories including farm management, indoor farming, automation, IoT and robotics, food quality, analytics and more. For more information visit AgTechBreakthrough.com.

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PERU AND THE UNITED STATES ADVANCE CRITICAL INTERNET SECURITY AND CONNECTIVITY GOAL – US Embassy in Peru – USEmbassy.gov

During a three-day workshop, regulatory and technological approaches to reduce the digital gap, mainly in rural areas, were shared.

The Embassy in partnership with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MTC) and the U.S. Trade Law Development Program organized a workshop to discuss regulatory approaches to bridge the digital gap and implement networks of resilient wireless communications for 5G technology.

Held from August 22 to 24, the workshop brought together government and private sector leaders from the United States, Peru, Australia, Bolivia, and Ecuador to discuss their efforts to advance broadband connectivity and bridge the digital gap. Interested parties also discussed the benefits of a diverse and competitive market in the transition to 5G and the importance of open and interoperable telecommunications networks.

The Deputy Minister of Communications of the Ministry of Transports and Communications, Vctor lvarez Herrera, mentioned that broadband Internet is the fundamental basis for the development of information and communication technologies, as well as the transformation towards a digital society and economy.

In that sense, he added that the governments approach is to promote greater coverage, especially rural, to close the digital gap, thus generating a positive socioeconomic impact in the country.

For his part, the Embassys Counselor for Economic Affairs, John Barrett, stated that connecting Peruvians and more people in the region who live in rural areas to the Internet will make a real difference in their lives: improving their health and education, providing greater opportunities for entrepreneurial and small business development, and ultimately unlocking the true potential of our economies.

Under the auspices of the Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership (DCCP), the workshop advanced the conversation on the effective use of the universal service fund, best practices in broadband regulation, and expanding 5G provider security and the diversity of providers.

The Rural Broadband Connectivity Workshop boosted Perus efforts to reform legal frameworks to encourage the deployment of secure and interoperable 5G networks. The workshop also encouraged regional and global cooperation in a critical sector to drive economic growth in the region and beyond. This event also laid the groundwork for future collaboration between governments on network security and provider diversity, which are critical components for the universal deployment of broadband services.

Funding for this commitment was made possible by the DCCP, a multi-year approach by the U.S. government to foster an open and competitive internet, secure 5G networks, and promote safe and responsible business opportunities in countries around the world.

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Google grows the ambit of Internet security; includes everyone from children to the LGBTQIA+ community – The Financial Express

Google rolled out a series of cybersecurity programs, under the second edition of its annual Safer With Google event, which announced the launch of a program for around 1,00,000 developers, information technology (IT) and start-up professionals across the country. Moreover, it unveiled a multilingual user awareness campaign, supported by Minsitry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) and Digital India Corporation, to encourage internet users adopt practices for safer digital transactions, and the first-ever digital safety-focused grants of two million dollars (approximately Rs 16 crore) from Google.org in India to non-profit organisations including Collective Good Foundation, Point Of View, and HelpAge India, to enable groups such as women, micro entrepreneurs, seniors, and LGBTQIA+ community leverage the opportunity of Internet.

According to Sanjay Gupta, vice-president and country head, Google India, as India aims towards becoming a digitally-enabled economy, it is critical that the opportunity of connectivity does not come at the price of online safety. We aim to strengthen our efforts towards immediate imperatives with the support of government, while partnering with the user, the industry, and the social sector. I look forward to launching an outreach for Indias developer ecosystem, and building their capacity in placing cybersecurity at the core of their contribution to the digital economy, he added.

As part of the program, Google revealed that it will be launching a child safety technology toolkit in three Indian languages such as Bengali, Hindi and Tamil, for inviting collaboration with Indian NGOs and organisations. Moreover, it will be giving digital safety training to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) board teachers across the country.

Our aim is to protect our users online safety through an approach, which is also responsive to Indias digital momentum. The focus is on strengthening our defenses against these, through safety enhancements in our products, adapting our policies to prevent misuse of our platforms, and identifying and weeding out threats at the root cause. As we go forward, we antcipate to double-down on these efforts, joining forces with industry bodies, regulators, civil society organizations, and law enforcement agencies to share our technology, insights, and experience, Saikat Mitra, senior director and head of trust and safety, Google APAC, said.

Also Read: Holdings shifted to exchanges by ETH wales prior to Merge

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What to Do When Ransomware Meets the Internet of Medical Things – Security Boulevard

Vedere Labs recently developed a proof-of-concept (PoC) ransomware for IoT (R4IoT) using as an example attack scenario a hospital network containing IoT devices such as IP cameras, IT workstations and OT in the form of building automation controllers. The goal of R4IoT was to:

This type of attack exploits an increased IoT attack surface and adds a new layer of extortion to common ransomware threats by targeting IoT and OT. We developed the concept based on threat intelligence we collected about the direction that ransomware actors could soon be moving to and the intent of helping organizations prepare for it. In the technical report accompanying the PoC, we describe in detail readily available detection and response actions for an R4IoT attack that serve as a playbook for organizations looking to defend against both current and future threats.

While novel, the R4IoT threat applies to almost every industry and organization nowadays. However, we chose a hospital for our attack scenario because of the diversity of IT, OT, IoT and Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices that healthcare delivery organization (HDO) bioengineers and SOC teams must manage. In this blog post, we explore why healthcare organizations would be a perfect target for an R4IoT-like attack, what that attack might look like and, most importantly, what you can do to avoid becoming a victim.

Healthcare was either the most or second-most affected vertical in Vedere Labs recent vulnerability research. That is true whether we look at vulnerabilities we found and disclosed on TCP/IP stacks (Project Memoria), IoT remote management platforms (Access:7) or OT equipment (OT:ICEFALL).

As mentioned above, that distinction is mainly due to the diversity of devices in HDOs. These complex institutions host a broad range of devices that are increasingly interconnected, frequently run legacy software and are often poorly segmented. IT devices process and exchange sensitive data, such as patient health records and financial information. OT and IoT devices are used for diverse functions such as building automation and patient entertainment. Unique to healthcare is the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) connected medical devices essential to clinical care that can generate and exchange patient data with other devices.

These new connected technologies improve efficiency and quality of care. They also introduce new security risks. Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in the number and sophistication of cyberattacks on hospitals. So far, these attacks have been mainly ransomware targeting IT systems. But the increased connectivity and associated vulnerabilities are not restricted to IT devices.

Ransomware attacks on HDOs increased 94% from 2021 to 2022, with 41% of these attacks targeting U.S. institutions. More important than the increase of attacks is their growing sophistication. Three points stand out from recent activity:

Although these characteristics are similar to trends we have observed in other industries and organizations, they point to a changing ransomware landscape where attackers are constantly looking for new ways to gain access to and impact their targets.

The original R4IoT attack, shown in Figure 1, leverages internet-exposed IoT devices (such as IP cameras) for initial access and their connection to corporate assets (such as network video recording and other workstations) for lateral movement. Once the attacker reaches a machine that can communicate with a building automation controller, that device is taken offline by exploiting DoS vulnerabilities.

Figure 1 The original R4IoT scenario

Building automation devices are used in hospitals to control functions such as physical access control, fire alarm systems, lighting and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning). These functions are not directly connected to patients, but they are critical to delivering patient care.

HVAC systems, for instance, maintain temperature, humidity and air quality throughout a hospital per regulations. Changing some of these parameters can have disastrous consequences: reduced ventilation can increase the spread of airborne diseases such as influenza and COVID-19, and drastic changes in temperature can render operating rooms unusable or spoil biological samples.

So clearly, by taking building automation systems offline, the original R4IoT attack could impact HDOs well beyond data encryption. However, that original scenario stopped short of what singles out healthcare as a target: the clinical network hosting connected medical devices or IoMT, which all too often lacks appropriate segmentation and hosts vulnerable devices. Examples include:

Figure 2 shows a scenario like the original R4IoT, but instead of leveraging a workstation to attack building automation devices, the attacker leverages a doctors workstation to take offline connected medical devices on the clinical network. This obviously has an even greater effect on patient care, since some of these devices are critical to monitor a patients condition, sustain life support, or in some cases enable surgeries and other urgent procedures.

Figure 2 An R4IoT scenario targeting infusion pumps, imaging devices and patient monitors

Several variations of R4IoT attacks are possible in HDOs. Another example would be the attacker gaining access via vulnerable internet-connected patient telemetry devices, moving laterally to an unpatched nurses workstation connected to that telemetry device, then moving to a server hosting patient records, where communication with command-and-control servers is established, and finally attacking either the building automation system or other connected medical devices as in previous scenarios.

There are multiple ways to mitigate the impact of ransomware for IoT and minimize the risk of this threat. Here are three mitigation steps based on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework that could be applied to ransomware attacks:

Implementing the right mitigation requires extensive visibility and enhanced control of all assets in a network. Forescout Continuum Platform helps to achieve that via:

Figure 3 shows several possible mitigation actions enabled by Forescout against R4IoT, such as visibility of vulnerable assets, detection and stopping of malicious communications.Figure 3 Possible mitigations against R4IoT

As a concrete example, Figure 4 shows eyeInspect raising an alert for an RDP brute forcing attack from the IP camera to the NVR workstation, which is the first malicious action the attacker takes after gaining a foothold, to be able to move laterally to the corporate network. Figure 5 then shows an eyeSight policy to block the IP camera on the network switch once the malicious RDP brute forcing is detected. This effectively severs the attackers connection to the network, thus preventing the rest of the attack from ever taking place.

Figure 4 An eyeInspect alert for the RDP bruteforcing attack from the IP camera to the NVR workstation

Figure 5 An eyeSight policy to block the IP camera on the network switch once the malicious RDP brute forcing is detected

Sophisticated ransomware attacks can take healthcare organizations out of action for weeks or even months, as we saw beginning in 2020 with a series of high-profile Ryuk attacks on hospitals. Take this deep dive into defenses based on Ryuk that you can implement now.

The post What to Do When Ransomware Meets the Internet of Medical Things appeared first on Forescout.

*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from Forescout authored by Vedere Labs. Read the original post at: https://www.forescout.com/blog/what-to-do-when-ransomware-meets-the-internet-of-medical-things/

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Endpoint Protection / Anti-Virus Products Tested for Malware Protection – PR Newswire

Six out of the eight products achieved an 'A' rating or higher for blocking malware attacks. Reports are provided to the community for free.

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CyberRatings.org, the non-profit entity dedicated to providing transparency on cybersecurity product efficacy, has published results of its Q2 2022 Endpoint Protection Comparative Test.

Focused on endpoint products that feature anti-virus protection, the products tested were Avast Free Antivirus, AVG AntiVirus Free, ESET Internet Security, McAfee Total Protection, Norton 360, Microsoft Defender, Sophos Home Premium and Trend Micro Maximum Security.

Endpoint Protection / AV products were tested for how much and how quickly they block a malware attack.

"The bad guys are getting bolder and malware / ransomware campaigns continue to get more sophisticated," said Vikram Phatak, CEO of CyberRatings.org. "Most infections occur in the first few hours after a new campaign is launched. The time it takes for a security product to block the attack matters a lot," adds Phatak. "That is why we tested not only how much malware a product blocks, but how quickly it blocks an attack."

Over 40,000 live tests were performed on each product, providing a 0.49% margin of error. Trend Micro Maximum Security offered the most protection, blocking 97.97% of malware. Sophos Home Premium provided the second-highest protection, blocking 97.47%, followed by Microsoft Defender at 97.13%. Sophos was the quickest to add protection for previously unblocked malware, closely followed by Trend Micro.

With more businesses embracing remote work, a user's protection is likely limited to the web browser and their endpoint protection product. Therefore, it's important to be informed about which products are performing as advertised.

The Comparative Test Reports provide metrics for products blocking malware over time, average time a product added protection and average time it took a product to add protection.

The test was funded by CyberRatings.org and no vendor paid to be in or out of the test. As a service to the community, CyberRatings.org is providing these reports for free.

The following endpoint protection/anti-virus products were tested:

Additional Resources

About CyberRatings.org

CyberRatings.org is a non-profit 501(c)6 entity dedicated to quantifying cyber risk and providing transparency on cybersecurity product efficacy through testing and ratings programs. To become a member,visitwww.cyberratings.org

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Endpoint Protection / Anti-Virus Products Tested for Malware Protection - PR Newswire

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