Cloud Hosting

BOSTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tech Goes Home (TGH), a Massachusetts nonprofit dedicated to ending digital inequity, and NETSCOUT SYSTEMS, INC., (NASDAQ: NTCT), a leading provider of service assurance, security, and business analytics, are partnering to provide digital devices, internet access, and digital skills training to more than 160 households in Roxbury. Through a generous grant, NETSCOUT is sponsoring virtual Tech Goes Home courses at Roxbury partner sites Boston Central Adult High School and Vine Street Community Center.

Each course, rooted in TGHs learning model, is run by TGH instructors and NETSCOUT volunteers, and provides learners with a free computer, an online course that teaches essential digital skills, and if needed, free internet service for a year. TGH courses cover digital skills needed to apply for jobs, manage finances online, participate in telehealth appointments, access community resources, and more.

As a former longtime Roxbury resident, I understand the needs of many local community members and the value that NETSCOUT can provide, said Tracy Steele, vice president, global services operations, NETSCOUT. NETSCOUT employees jumped at the opportunity to volunteer for the Tech Goes Home courses and are delighted to support this amazing program and the resources it provides to the Roxbury community.

Over the past several months, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed and exacerbated the existing digital inequities that have left thousands of families throughout Greater Boston without the internet connectivity, devices, or digital skills necessary to access critical resources like education, work, and healthcare from home. Through the new partnership with NETSCOUT, Tech Goes Home is able to expand carefully-curated course offerings in the Roxbury community at a time when the ability to connect virtually is more important than ever.

The communities we serve are facing unprecedented challenges as a result of COVID-19, said Dan Noyes, Co-CEO of Tech Goes Home. So many students, adults, and families are without the tools they need to participate in virtual activities like remote work and learning, healthcare, and connecting with each other. Further, demand for our programs has never been higher. With NETSCOUTs support and incredible volunteers, we have already been able to empower dozens of families with access to the essential opportunities provided by the online world.

About Tech Goes Home:

In the face of deep digital inequity, Tech Goes Home empowers communities to access and use digital tools to overcome systemic barriers and advance lives. Simply put, we bring computers, internet, and training to those without so students can do homework, adults can find jobs and manage finances, seniors can connect with loved ones, and all can access telehealth.

About NETSCOUT:

NETSCOUT SYSTEMS, INC. (NASDAQ: NTCT) helps assure digital business services against disruptions in availability, performance, and security. Our market and technology leadership stems from combining our patented smart data technology with smart analytics. We provide real-time, pervasive visibility, and insights customers need to accelerate, and secure their digital transformation. Our approach transforms the way organizations plan, deliver, integrate, test, and deploy services and applications. Our nGenius service assurance solutions provide real-time, contextual analysis of service, network, and application performance. Arbor Smart DDoS Protection by NETSCOUT products help protect against attacks that threaten availability, and advanced threats that infiltrate networks to steal critical business assets. To learn more about improving service, network, and application performance in physical or virtual data centers, or in the cloud, and how NETSCOUTs performance and security solutions powered by service intelligence can help you move forward with confidence, visit http://www.netscout.com or follow @NETSCOUT on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Continued here:
Massachusetts Nonprofit Tech Goes Home and NETSCOUT Team Up to Expand Digital Access in Greater Boston Community - Business Wire

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) today announced the addition of a leading internet-connected camera brand Arlo Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: ARLO) to the expanding ecosystem of Revenue EDGE solutions. Calix will offer the revenue-generating Arlo connected camera solution as part of EDGE Suites so communications service providers (CSP) can deliver industry-leading video monitoring and do-it-yourself (DIY) security to their subscribers. This new offering will be fully integrated into the Calix Cloud platform, meaning CSPs can quickly go to market with almost zero integration (as the new service is pre-integrated into Calix Support Cloud) and achieve the highest level of sales success through the power of real-time behavioral data with Calix Marketing Cloud. The Arlo offering is particularly exciting for CSPs that have invested in fiber networks as it allows subscribers to add a powerful service that leverages the upload potential of a symmetrical fiber offering.

Arlo is a pioneer in the industry and provides wireless connected cameras, floodlights, and video doorbells to help consumers secure people and their property. By leveraging connected camera capabilities from Arlo through the EDGE Suites, CSPs can expand their services via a fully managed experience that leverages the existing EDGE Suite offerings (such as ProtectIQ) for device security. With the addition of the Arlo offering to the Revenue EDGE solution, a CSP will be able to:

Arlos mission is to provide peace of mind and our strategic partnership with Calix will enable even wider distribution to the communities serviced by their strong network of CSPs, said Matt McRae, CEO of Arlo. Our solutions featuring award-winning devices and the SmartCloud platform provide best-in-class smart security solutions to their customers that already trust Calix and the CSPs to deliver connected and secure Wi-Fi solutions."

EDGE Suites, which are managed through the CommandIQ app, allow subscribers to control the in-home experience while ensuring CSPs easily differentiate the experiences and deliver valuable, custom services to the palm of their subscribers. The Revenue EDGE Partner Ecosytem is built on the foundation of the first two EDGE Suites, ProtectIQ and ExperienceIQ. The addition of Arlo marks a significant expansion of the community.

During the pandemic weve seen an explosion in the need for symmetrical fiber broadband to support multiple connected devices as people work and learn from home, says Michael Weening, EVP and chief operating officer for Calix. By adding Arlo to the Revenue EDGE Partner Ecosystem, were enabling our customers to tap yet another service that expands their relationship with the subscriber while demonstrating the power of their fiber broadband network. In fact, our customer WCTEL has used this strategy to delight subscribers and realize 31 percent year-over-year revenue growth. The Calix Marketing Cloud will enable CSPs to use real-time behavioral analytics to segment their broadband subscribers into those who are likely to buy and those who will not, ensuring the maximum ROI on their marketing dollar and the highest possible sales success. By partnering with the Calix Marketing Cloud Customer Success team and leveraging the brand elevating EDGE Enablement program, any CSP can launch powerful, targeted campaigns that drive upsell in days, while CommandIQ and Calix Support Cloud deliver the ultimate managed experience. That is the true power of the Revenue EDGE solution and we are very excited to bring Arlo and our CSP partners together to win in the market.

Learn more about Arlo and the Calix Revenue EDGE Partner Ecosystem as well as other EDGE Suites offerings.

About Calix

Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) Innovative communications service providers rely on Calix platforms to help them master and monetize the complex infrastructure between their subscribers and the cloud. Calix is the leading global provider of the cloud and software platforms, systems, and services required to deliver the unified access network and smart premises of tomorrow. Our platforms and services help our customers build next generation networks by embracing a DevOps operating model, optimize the subscriber experience by leveraging big data analytics and turn the complexity of the smart, connected home and business into new revenue streams.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are based upon management's current expectations and are inherently uncertain. Forward-looking statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this release, and we assume no obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking statement to reflect any event or circumstance after the date of this release, except as required by law. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from current expectations based on risks and uncertainties affecting Calix's business. The reader is cautioned not to rely on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Additional information on potential factors that could affect Calix's results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC and available at http://www.sec.gov.

Visit link:
Calix Partners With Arlo, a Leading Internet-Connected Camera Brand, Expanding the CSP's Ability to Offer the Ultimate Home Experience With the...

You might be used to having an internet connection wherever you go. And not just cellular data: free internet is available at most restaurants, hotels, airports, and coffee shops.

Still, just because its available and free doesnt mean you should be using it. At least not without taking a few precautions. Unless, of course, you want a stranger to hack your smartphone and access all of your files.

Hacking into someones smartphone isnt as complex as you might think. One doesnt have to be a seasoned hacker, typing zeros and ones on a black screen from their basement. Nowadays, free software available online automates most of the work for them.

And while you might be thinking Im not a worthy target, hackers think the opposite. Since hacking is no longer especially hard or time-consuming, getting information from smartphones is profitable for many black-hat hackers.

Even if you dont have your bank information on your smartphone, your internet browsing data in itself is valuable.

So, how do they do it?

There are many ways hackers can infiltrate an open network and take advantage of peoples blind trust.

By far, the easiest way for cybercriminals to intercept your data isthrough an internet connection that they and their target are using. For example, that free Wi-Fi you just connected to.

Since most free Wi-Fi connections havepoor encryption, a hacker can exploit one of the weak points and access your smartphone or laptop. That way, they can see everything youre searching for and looking at, and possibly steal sensitive information that they could use against you later.

Another well-known method is when hackers impersonate a router, pretending to be a trustworthy network. If they succeed, they can reroute all of your internet traffic through their device and view it. It also lets them alter it, showing you things that arent actually on the website.

While that might seem like a harmless and funny prank to some people, hackers can use the same method to steal your passwords and personal and credit card information.

Even if you intentionally avoidsubmitting passwords or your credit card details while using an open network, hackers can still get your information. Now that they've got into your device, they can easily inject malware or spyware to collect your data wherever you go.

One place you might not expect an attack from is your homes network. After all, its password protected. But hackers have many ways of getting pastthese.

One way is using a brute-force attack: this involves specialized software trying countless combinations of passwords until they find the right one.

To protect against this, you password needs to be long, full of special characters, and frequently changed. Otherwise,you could easily fall victim to this type of attack. In fact, you're the ultimate target.

Another way they can get your password is by using social engineering. Yes, they can simply ask you for your password, andif theyre good enough and youre none the wiseryou might end up giving it out.

There's no need to swear off public Wi-Fi for good or abandon technology when it comes to finances and keeping private information. There are a few simple security measures you could implement today to stay safe online.

Here's how to protect your devices while using an open networkalthough these are good practices, no matter the type of internet connection!

If your device automatically connects to any open network you come in range of, thenyou need to disable it immediately.

Related: How to Prevent Your Devices From Auto-Connecting to Networks

If you don't, your smartphone could connect to a random network when youre walking down the street and you wouldnt even know.

One of the simplest things you could do is get a VPN and use it as often as possible. There are even free VPNs that are safe to use. That's particularly important when youre using an open network; if the router isnt properly encrypting your data, your VPN will.

Not to mention, most VPNs have a scan feature that sends out an alert when you encounter something malicious.Somealso offer a kill switch that disconnects you from the internet if your VPN app crashes. That ensures that youre never out there unprotected.

The only thing you need to do is toget into the habit of turning it onbefore you connect to the internet.

Ifyou find yourself needing to use public Wi-Fi but dont have access to a VPN, then its best to stick to HTTPS websites. Those websites tightly encrypt the traffic between the two of you. That makesdata much harder for a hacker to hijack.

Related: What Is a Website Security Certificate?

To make sure you always use secure websites, keep an eye out for the extra s in the URL or the padlock symbol that most browsers show. But if you want everything automated, there are browser extensions that notify you before you enter an unsecured website. Chrome browser does this automatically too.

If you do go into an unsecured website, dont download anything or input any passwords or private information.

If youre not very tech-savvy and think you might easily fall for a phishing scheme or download something harmful, get an antivirus for your smartphone. Antivirus software can detect incoming attacks and malware and intercept them for you. Itd also send you an alert, letting you know that what youre doing isnt safe.

Here's what you need to remember when it comes to online security: follow your instincts and stay skeptical.

Hackers are always on the lookout for new ways to hack devices and inject malware. You could be a victim to a method of attack that no one warned you about.

So, if youre on a website and something aboutjust doesn't feel right (like ifit looks old, has a lot of typos, or is insisting you sign up for something every 20 seconds), leave. You can visit it again with better security if youre still curious about it.

Image Credit: Bernard Hermant/Unsplash.

Is your internet connection secure? Here's what you need to know to stay safe and secure on any network you connect to.

Anina is a freelance technology and internet security writer at MakeUseOf. She started writing in cybersecurity 3 years ago in hopes of making it more accessible to the average person. Keen on learning new things and a huge astronomy nerd.

Join our newsletter for tech tips, reviews, free ebooks, and exclusive deals!

Please confirm your email address in the email we just sent you.

More here:
How Easy Is It to Hack a Smartphone on an Open Network? - MakeUseOf