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MongoDB: Riding The Data Wave – Seeking Alpha

January 19, 2020 | Author: admin

MongoDB (MDB) is a database software company which is benefiting from the growth in unstructured data and leading the growth in non-relational databases. Despite MongoDB's recent rise in share price, its current valuation is modest given its strong position in a large and attractive market.

There has been an explosion in the growth of data in recent years with this growth being dominated by unstructured data. Unstructured data is currently growing at a rate of 26.8% annually compared to structured data which is growing at rate of 19.6% annually.

Figure 1: Growth in Data

(source: m-files)

Unstructured data refers to any data which despite possibly having internal structure is not structured via pre-defined data models or schema. Unstructured data includes formats like audio, video and social media postings and is often stored in non-relational database like NoSQL. Structured data is suitable for storage in a traditional database (rows and columns) and is normally stored in relational databases.

Mature analytics tools exist for structured data, but analytics tools for mining unstructured data are nascent. Improved data analytics tools for unstructured data will help to increase the value of this data and encourage companies to ensure they are collecting and storing as much of it as possible. Unstructured data analytics tools are designed to analyze information that doesn't have a pre-defined model and include tools like natural language processing.

Table 1: Structured Data Versus Unstructured Data

(source: Adapted by author from igneous)

Unstructured data is typically stored in NoSQL databases which can take a variety of forms, including:

Unstructured data can also be stored in multimodel databases which incorporate multiple database structures in the one package.

Figure 2: Multimodel Database

(source: Created by author)

Some of the potential advantages of NoSQL databases include:

Common use-cases for NoSQL databases include web-scale, IoT, mobile applications, DevOps, social networking, shopping carts and recommendation engines.

Relational databases have historically dominated the database market, but they were not built to handle the volume, variety and velocity of data being generated today nor were they built to take advantage of the commodity storage and processing power available today. Common applications of relational databases include ERP, CRM and ecommerce. Relational databases are tabular, highly dependent on pre-defined data definitions and usually scale vertically (a single server has to host the entire database to ensure acceptable performance). As a result, relational databases can be expensive, difficult to scale and have a relatively small number of failure points. The solution to support rapidly growing applications is to scale horizontally, by adding servers instead of concentrating more capacity in a single server. Organizations are now turning to scale-out architectures using open software technologies, commodity servers and cloud computing instead of large monolithic servers and storage infrastructure.

Figure 3: Data Structure and Database Type

(source: Created by author)

According to IDC, the worldwide database software market, which it refers to as structured data management software, was $44.6 billion in 2016 and is expected to grow to $61.3 billion in 2020, representing an 8% compound annual growth rate. Despite the rapid growth in unstructured data and the increasing importance of non-relational databases, IDC forecasts that relational databases will still account for 80% of the total operational database market in 2022.

Database management systems (DBMS) cloud services were 23.3% of the DBMS market in 2018, excluding DBMS licenses hosted in the cloud. In 2017 cloud DBMS accounted for 68% of the DBMS market growth with Amazon Web Services (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT) accounting for 75% of the growth.

MongoDB provides document databases using open source software and is one of the leading providers of NoSQL databases to address the requirements of unstructured data. MongoDB's software was downloaded 30 million times between 2009 and 2017 with 10 million downloads in 2017 and is frequently used for mobile apps, content management, real-time analytics and applications involving the Internet of Things, but can be a good choice for any application where there is no clear schema definition.

Figure 4: MongoDB downloads

(source: MongoDB)

MongoDB has a number of offerings, including:

Figure 5: MongoDB Platform

(source: MongoDB)

Functionality of the software includes:

MongoDB's platform offers high performance, horizontal scalability, flexible data schema and reliability through advanced security features and fault-tolerance. These features are helping to attract users of relational databases with approximately 30% of MongoDB's new business in 2017 resulting from the migration of applications from relational databases.

MongoDB generates revenue through term licenses and hosted as-a-service solutions. Most contracts are 1 year in length invoiced upfront with revenue recognized ratably over the term of the contract although a growing number of customers are entering multiyear subscriptions. Revenue from hosted as-a-service solutions is primarily generated on a usage basis and is billed either in arrears or paid up front. Services revenue is comprised of consulting and training services which generally result in losses and are primarily used to drive customer retention and expansion.

MongoDB's open source business model has allowed the company to scale rapidly and they now have over 16,800 customers, including half of the Global Fortune 100 in 2017. Their open source business model uses the community version as a pipeline for potential future subscribers and relies on customers converting to a paid model once they require premium support and tools.

Figure 6: Prominent MongoDB Customers

(source: Created by author using data from MongoDB)

MongoDB's growth is driven largely by its ability to expand revenue from existing customers. This is shown by the expansion of Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) overtime, where ARR is defined as the subscription revenue contractually expected from customers over the following 12 months assuming no increases or reductions in their subscriptions. ARR excludes MongoDB Atlas, professional services and other self-service products. The fiscal year 2013 cohort increased their initial ARR from $5.3 million to $22.1 million in fiscal year 2017, representing a multiple of 4.1x.

Figure 7: MongoDB Cohort ARR

(source: MongoDB)

Although MongoDB continues to incur significant operating losses the contribution margin of new customers quickly becomes positive, indicating that as MongoDB's growth rate slows the company will become profitable. Contribution margin is defined as the ARR of subscription commitments from the customer cohort at the end of a period less the associated cost of subscription revenue and estimated allocated sales and marketing expense.

Figure 8: MongoDB 2015 Cohort Contribution Margin

(source: MongoDB)

MongoDB continues to achieve rapid revenue growth driven by an increasing number of customers and increased revenue per customer. Revenue growth has shown little sign of decline which is not surprising given the size of MongoDB's market opportunity. Revenue per customer is modest and MongoDB still has significant potential to expand the number of Global Fortune 100 customers.

Figure 9: MongoDB Revenue

(source: Created by author using data from MongoDB)

Figure 10: MongoDB Customer Numbers

(source: Created by author using data from MongoDB)

MongoDB's revenue growth has been higher than other listed database vendors since 2017 as a result of their expanding customer base and growing revenue per customer. The rise of cloud computing and non-relational databases has a large impact on relational database vendors with DBMS growth now dominated by cloud computing vendors and non-relational database vendors.

Figure 11: Database Vendor Revenue

(source: Created by author using data from company reports)

MongoDB's revenue growth is relatively high for its size when compared to other database vendors, but is likely to begin to decline in coming years.

Figure 12: Database Vendor Revenue Growth

(source: Created by author using data from company reports)

MongoDB's revenue is dominated by subscription revenue and this percentage has been increasing over time. This relatively stable source of income holds MongoDB in good stead for the future, particularly if customers can be converted to longer-term contracts.

Figure 13: MongoDB Subscription Revenue

(source: Created by author using data from MongoDB)

MongoDB generates reasonable gross profit margins for an enterprise software company from its subscription services, although these have begun to decline in recent periods. Likely as the result of the introduction of the entry level Atlas offering in 2016 and possibly also as a result of increasing competition.

Figure 14: MongoDB Gross Profit Margin

(source: Created by author using data from MongoDB)

MongoDB has exhibited a large amount of operating leverage in the past and is now approaching positive operating profitability. This is largely the result of declining sales and marketing and research and development costs relative to revenue. This trend is likely to continue as MongoDB expands, particularly as growth begins to decline and the burden of attracting new customers eases.

Figure 15: MongoDB Operating Profit Margin

(source: Created by author using data from MongoDB)

Figure 16: MongoDB Operating Expenses

(source: Created by author using data from MongoDB)

Although MongoDB's operating profitability is still negative it is in line with other database vendors and should become positive within the next few years. This is supported by the positive contribution margin of MongoDB's customers after their first year.

Figure 17: Database Vendor Operating Profit Margins

(source: Created by author using data from company reports)

MongoDB is yet to achieve consistently positive free cash flows, although appears to be on track as the business scales. This should be expected based on the high margin nature of the business and the low capital requirements. Current negative free cash flow is largely a result of expenditures in support of future growth in the form of sales and marketing and research and development.

Figure 18: MongoDB Free Cash Flow

(source: Created by author using data from MongoDB)

Competitors in the database vendor market can be broken into incumbents, cloud platforms and challengers. Incumbents are the current dominant players in the market, like Oracle (ORCL), who offer relational databases. Cloud platforms are cloud computing vendors like Amazon and Microsoft that also offer database software and services. Challengers are pure play database vendors who offer a range of non-relational database software and services.

Table 2: Database Vendors

(source: Created by author)

Incumbents

Incumbents offer proven technology with large set of features which may be important for mission critical transactional applications. This gives incumbents a strong position, particularly as relational databases are expected to continue to retain the lion's share of the database market in coming years. Incumbent players that lack a strong infrastructure-as-a-service platform though are poorly positioned to capture new applications and likely to be losers in the long run. This trend is evidenced by Teradata's (TDC) struggles since the advent of cloud computing and non-relational databases.

Cloud Platforms

Cloud service providers are able to offer a suite of SaaS solutions in addition to cloud computing, creating a compelling value proposition for customers. In exchange for reducing the number of vendors required and gaining access to applications designed to run together, database customers run the risk of being locked into a cloud vendor and paying significantly more for services which could potentially be inferior.

Challengers

Dedicated database vendors can offer best in breed technology, low costs and multi-cloud portability which helps to prevent cloud vendor lock-in.

The DBMS is typically broken into operational and analytical markets. The operational DBMS market refers to databases that are tied to a live application whereas the analytical market refers to the processing and analyzing of data imported from various sources.

Figure 19: Database Market Competitive Landscape

(source: Created by author)

Gartner assesses MongoDB as a challenger in the operational database systems market due primarily to a lack of completeness of vision. The leaders are generally large companies which offer a broader range of database types in addition to cloud computing services. MongoDB's ability to succeed against these companies will be dependent on them being able to offer best in class services and/or lower cost services.

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Computing at the edge – ComputerWeekly.com

January 19, 2020 | Author: admin

Edge computing has grown over the past several years to become one of the most important current trends in IT. It is increasingly viewed as a part of digital transformation, and linked with other trends such as the internet of things (IoT), analytics and cloud computing. But, as with those trends, there is no precise definition and often much hype about what edge computing is.

A simple definition of edge computing is that it involves some processing and decision-making taking place at the edge of the network, rather than everything being centralised in the datacentre or the cloud. This goes against the widely held notion that all IT functions will eventually be cloud-hosted, and some have even suggested that edge computing will replace the cloud.

Instead, both cloud and edge computing will co-exist, since they address different requirements. According to analyst firm IDC, the two approaches are complementary and interact in a smart and intelligent way. In a report called The technology impacts of edge computing in Europe, the firm forecast that in 2020, more than 50% of cloud deployments by European organisations will include edge computing and that 20% of endpoint devices and systems will execute artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms.

One of the factors driving edge computing is the IoT, which is bringing a whole host of new connected devices to networks. These devices need to be managed, but more importantly many of them are designed to generate streams of data to be analysed for operational reasons or for insights that could lead to more efficient ways of working.

Some use cases of edge computing include industrial automation, autonomous vehicles, smart homes, automated systems aboard oil and gas rigs, and 5G network infrastructure.

The latter is a good example, not only because 5G is expected to play a key role in many IoT deployments thanks to its ability to support a much greater number of connected devices per cell base station, but because the sheer processing power required for operating 5G networks means that cell base stations are becoming more like miniature datacentres.

While centralising all processing in the cloud might seem like the more efficient thing to do, that idea runs into problems when it comes to latency the delay in transmitting data across the network and in getting a response back.

This means data often needs to be processed and acted on at the point where it is being generated. In a smart factory, for example, sensors monitoring machinery might detect a serious fault condition that requires an instant remedial response.

The volumes of data generated by some applications are also growing rapidly. For example, some test autonomous vehicles have been found to generate as much as 8-10TB (terabytes) of data per day. In many cases, transmitting everything to the cloud may not be a viable option, according to Seagates executive vice-president and head of operations, Jeff Nygaard.

Its not free to move data through a pipe from endpoint to edge to cloud; it costs money to send data through that pipeline. The idea that you should really only be moving data if you need to move the data based on how youve architected, and how you get value out of the data is something you should be thinking about, said Nygaard, speaking in a panel discussion on edge computing.

For reasons such as these, it makes sense in many situations to analyse data as it is generated at the edge, and this has led to a requirement for more powerful hardware capable of running analytics on all that data. This means edge systems have expanded from relatively simple edge gateway devices managing a bunch of sensors, to include full-blown servers and even micro-datacentres.

This fits with analyst firm Ovums view, outlined in its report Defining the market for edge and edge cloud. Ovum sees a near edge based on traditional servers, storage or hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) devices, with an outer edge made up of gateway devices, the latter either fully managed or immutable so that they are simply replaced if and when upgrades are required.

Micro-datacentres are enclosures containing one or more datacentre racks, which can be filled up with servers, storage and network kit, plus power and cooling systems. In other words, they can house the kind of IT equipment that would normally be found in a rack in a normal datacentre, but can be installed in a factory or on an oil rig, or anywhere where a decent amount of compute power is required.

These are available from suppliers such as Schneider Electric and Rittal, but also from major IT suppliers such as HPE and Dell EMC, which are naturally keen to sell such enclosures ready configured with their own servers, storage and networking.

But it is also important to recognise that whether data is processed at the edge or in the cloud will depend on the application, and the two are not mutually exclusive. Edge computing allows for data to be filtered and processed before being sent to the cloud, for example, while the cloud may also serve as a central site for collating data for further analysis from multiple edge sites.

In addition to analytics, edge systems are increasingly going to be called on to carry out demanding tasks such as visual recognition, inspecting items on a factory production line for defects, for example. These tasks often rely on AI techniques such as machine learning or deep learning models to deliver results speedily, and this means hardware accelerators such as graphics processing units (GPUs) or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) may be required.

In fact, GPU maker Nvidia unveiled an edge platform last year that combines its GPU products with a software stack incorporating Kubernetes, a container runtime and containerised AI frameworks, designed to run on standard server hardware.

The EGX platform is described by Nvidia as bringing the power of accelerated AI computing to the edge with an easy-to-deploy cloud-native software stack. EGX partners include HPE, Dell EMC, Fujitsu, Cisco and Supermicro.

New applications and services are also driving the development of edge computing. Demand for high-bandwidth streamed video, for example, is leading service providers to cache content locally at datacentres located closer to customers.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced in December 2019 that it is planning to build a series of hyper-local datacentre hubs close to major cities for exactly this reason. These hubs, dubbed Local Zones by AWS, are intended to attract businesses with latency-sensitive workloads and will be housed in small-scale datacentres rather than the companys large regional facilities.

Of course, there are potential issues with edge computing. Having numerous sites collecting and analysing data means more sites that need to be configured and monitored, all of which adds complexity. And the distributed nature of edge computing means that technicians are not always likely to be available onsite if and when a failure occurs.

Edge computing also has implications for networks. As more computing happens at the edge, network bandwidth will have to adapt to this shift in emphasis. According to IDC, edge computing directly increases the importance of networks, especially delocalised networks. Edge computing will also require innovation in how networks are analysed, managed and orchestrated.

Security is an obvious issue for all IT infrastructure, but with edge systems potentially running unattended in remote sites, physical security of the hardware is as much a concern as the potential for a cyber attack. It also means that access control and protection of data both at rest and in transit become even more important.

Management issues may include the need to deliver secure application updates to the edge hardware, plus the ability to remotely diagnose and fix any issues that may develop.

According to Ovum, operational management is more likely to be an extension of the existing operational management market, rather than specific products for edge computing. Likewise, it expects orchestration at the edge to effectively form part of an expansion of the multicloud management market, which, according to Ovums forecasts will be worth $11bn by 2022.

Key takeaways on edge computing are that it is not going to replace cloud, but in some instances can be thought of as bringing cloud computing closer to where data is being generated. It is intended to support new and emerging workloads that may be latency sensitive, require a lot of compute power, or involve such large data volumes that sending everything back to the cloud is impractical. All of this brings new challenges, but also potential rewards for organisations that can get it right.

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Cloud ‘land grab’ to descend on SA this year – ITWeb

January 19, 2020 | Author: admin

Cloud computing will accelerate the continents digital transformation.

Rivals Microsoft, Oracle and Huawei are readying for cloud battles in 2020.

ITWeb interviewed the companies about their plans to drive cloud computing solutions in SA this year.

Last year saw US-based software giant Microsoft open two data centre regions in SA, becoming the first global provider to deliver cloud services from data centres on the African continent.

In March last year, Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei also started offering its cloud services in SA. The company is leasing a data centre in Johannesburg from a partner from where it is deploying localised public cloud services based on local industry policies, customer requirements and partner conditions.

US-based enterprise software company Oracle in September last year also announced plans to launch data centres in SA.

Similarly, fellow US-based company Amazon Web Services is expected to open data centres in SA this year.

Johannes Kanis, cloud and enterprise business group lead at Microsoft SA, says over the last 10months, the extent of the appetite for cloud in SA has meant the company has one of the fastest-growing Microsoft data centre regions globally.

He points out that significant organisations, like Nedbank, Standard Bank and Altron, have already migrated components of their IT infrastructure into the cloud.

In October 2019, the State IT Agency and Microsoft SA announced details of a memorandum of understanding that paves the way for government adoption of public cloud services, which drives government's ability to accelerate its digital transformation journey, Kanis notes.

We anticipate that the need for and interest in cloud-based services will drive more innovation from customers and partners, and will continue to spur the continents digital transformation.

According to Kanis, Gartner research from last year indicates SA is expected to be the fourth fastest-growing major IT market in the world, and this strong performance is largely driven by companies embracing cloud.

On competition in the local cloud market, Kanis comments: We compete with hyperscaler providers all over the world and are proud to be the first global provider to launch two cloud data centres on the continent. Our goal was to bring the technology closer to African businesses and organisations, offer enterprise-grade reliability and performance combined with data residency in South Africa.

For Niral Patel, MD of Oracle SA, the opportunities cloud creates are real and present today, providing the building blocks for companies to pioneer ground-breaking innovations and disrupt entire industries.

Were seeing financial services use AI [artificial intelligence] for automatic forecasting without human intervention, to smart manufacturing utilising real-time IOT [Internet of things] data for equipment optimisations.

The opportunities are endless, not only for our business, but for our partners and customers. The pending data centre that will reach our shores this year will enable our customers to address cost-efficiencies, providing the ability to innovate quickly, creating large-scale agility while benefiting from the utmost levels of security.

Niral Patel, MD of Oracle SA.

Unlike other cloud providers, Oracle is committed to offer a second region for disaster recovery in every country where we launch Oracle Cloud Infrastructure services, a strategy thats aligned with our customers needs. With these dual regions, customers can deploy both production and disaster recovery capacity within the country, to meet business continuity and compliance requirements, says Patel.

He adds that while competitors were building their data centres, Oracle was building its cloud applications from the ground up.

We partner with customers to tackle their most complex business problems, run their operations, and achieve the best possible outcomes. Customers are fast embracing and upgrading to Autonomous Database, a self-driving software that uses machine learning to enable unprecedented availability, high performance and security at a much lower cost. By using machine learning, the self-driving self-healing self-learning database is being used by customers in the cloud to see new ways of getting more value from more secure data more quickly.

Rui Houwei, president of Huawei Cloud Africa, notes that over the past 10months, Huawei Cloud has experienced rapid growth in the African market, notably in SA, and already has more than 300 customers.

Likewise, he says, government agencies, telecom carriers and enterprises from a wide range of industries have made use of Huawei Cloud services to enjoy previously unforeseen levels of success in the market.

Last year, Huawei also launched its Partner Programme 2.0, an initiative that offers crucial support for partners, with regard to online and onsite training, market expansion, marketing activities and technical understanding.

Rui Houwei, president of Huawei Cloud Africa.

In SA alone, Huawei Cloud has established partnerships with over 50 partners, spanning diverse industries, including telecoms, finance, manufacturing, education, retail and logistics, as well as the public sector. Such wide-ranging collaboration is likely to result in unique and broadly-shared benefits across the ecosystem, says Houwei.

Jon Tullett, senior research manager for cloud/IT services at IDC, believes there will be a cloud land grab just as with fibre providers in SA.

However, he notes adoption of cloud computing may be slower than expected, as moving workloads to the cloud can take a long time.

The other challenge SA will face regarding cloud adoption this year will be the skills shortage, says Tullett. Cloud computing skills are in short supply and they are very expensive.

Nonetheless, he notes there is increased interest and confidence in the cloud among South African organisations, including government.

As an example, he said the South African Reserve Bank issued a directive in 2018 and guidance notes on cloud computing and the offshoring of data by banks. The directive is applicable to all banks, controlling companies, branches of foreign institutions and auditors of banks or controlling companies. The directive was effective from 1 October 2018.

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Supermicro Expands Oracle Relationship with Best in Class Server Solutions – HPCwire

January 19, 2020 | Author: admin

SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 17, 2020 Super Micro Computer, Inc. (SMCI), a Gold-level member of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN), has expanded its relationship by testing and certifying an extensive range of servers with Oracle Linux and Oracle VM Server for x86 (Oracle VM), addressing customer requirements for cloud and virtualization and enterprise database applications. Supermicro has immediate availability of multiple servers, including 1U/2U Ultra, BigTwin, 2U TwinPro, FatTwin, and 4-way and 8-way MP servers. They are available in various configurations, including 1U, 2U blades, and are qualified to run Oracle Linux 7.6, Oracle Linux 7.7, and Oracle VM 3.4.

The work we performed with the Oracle software stack helps ensure that Oracle and Supermicro customers can extract the best performance and best TCO value from our pre-tested and validated servers across all their Oracle workloads, says Raju Penumatcha, senior vice president and chief product officer, Supermicro. We look forward to furthering collaboration with Oracle, as we expect to roll out additional, leading-edge servers and solutions designed and optimized for Oracle in the coming months.

These certified systems take advantage of Supermicros superior system designs and high-performance 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors. Also, by leveraging Intel Optane DC persistent memory users can support larger datasets and higher availability with database restarts. The systems enable users to derive outstanding performance and value from their Oracle database and applications with up to 28 cores and 2933MHz memory speed. New and existing customers are taking full advantage of Supermicros enterprise-class servers, leveraging their resource-saving architecture to power their mission-critical Oracle software-based solutions for the most demanding cloud and hybrid Oracle workloads.

Supermicros launch of certified solutions with Oracle Linux and Oracle VM across their server lines highlights the value and demand that mutual customers are experiencing from the combined solutions, said Robert Shimp, product management group vice president, Oracle Linux and Virtualization at Oracle. Oracle and Supermicros collaboration focuses on helping customers to achieve great performance for their data center, cloud, and enterprise deployments.

Certification testing on Supermicro hardware was completed using Oracle Linux with the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel and Oracle VM. All certified servers have completed rigorous testing guidelines as part of Oracles Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) program for Oracle Linux and Oracle VM.

For more information on Supermicros Solutions Portfolio that have achieved Oracle HCL certification, visit: https://www.supermicro.com/support/resources/OS/OS_Certification_Intel.cfm?mlg=0

About Oracle PartnerNetwork

Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) is Oracles partner program that provides partners with a differentiated advantage to develop, sell and implement Oracle solutions. OPN offers resources to train and support specialized knowledge of Oracles products and solutions and has evolved to recognize Oracles growing product portfolio, partner base, and business opportunity. Key to the latest enhancements to OPN is the ability for partners to be recognized and rewarded for their investment in Oracle Cloud. Partners engaging with Oracle will be able to differentiate their Oracle Cloud expertise and success with customers through the OPN Cloud program an innovative program that complements existing OPN program levels with tiers of recognition and progressive benefits for partners working with Oracle Cloud. To find out more visit:http://www.oracle.com/partners

About Super Micro Computer, Inc.

Supermicro (SMCI), the leading innovator in high-performance, high-efficiency server technology is a premier provider of advanced server Building Block Solutions for Data Center, Cloud Computing, Enterprise IT, Hadoop/Big Data, HPC and Embedded Systems worldwide. Supermicro is committed to protecting the environment through its We Keep IT Green initiative and provides customers with the most energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly solutions available on the market.

Source: Super Micro Computer, Inc.

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Blockchain crowned as hottest skill in 2020 ahead of AI and cloud computing – Geekymint.com

January 19, 2020 | Author: admin

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The revolutionary Blockchain has been termed as the most sought after Hard Skill in the technology sector for the year 2020 by LinkedIn

Meaning that while the world is still debating over the idea of cryptocurrencies especially Bitcoin, the underlying technology behind it is slowly on the verge of being universally accepted.

According to a LinkedIn blog published back in the previous week blockchain beat technologies like artificial intelligence, UX design, and cloud computing to be crowned as the most in-demand skill in the United Kingdom, United States, France, Australia, and Germany.

As per the LinkedIn post, Blockchain has emerged as a solution to businesses seeking answers to problems from the once shadowy world of cryptocurrency. Meaning that you do not have to be in financial services to be seeking new hires who specialize in or have worked in putting blockchain to use.

The company owned by Microsoft then went on to explain the benefits for recruiters of having an added edge by having knowledge of the underlying technology behind Bitcoin, blockchain technology.

As per seen on the LinkedIn post, [], Companies seem to be saying that the potential [of blockchain] is worth the gamble, Blockchain has become a line of business for a whos who of the corporate world IBM, Oracle, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft (LinkedIns parent company), Amazon, and American Express, to name just a few.

LinkedIn then went on to explain the difference between hard and soft skills.

Skills related mostly to specialized knowledge and technical abilities are Hard skills as they are more focused on an employees aptitude for executing specific tasks. According to LinkedIn for software developers, proficiency in the C++ programming language would be termed as a hard skill.

How an employee behaves, their cognitive skills, how they think or how an employee performs the above-mentioned tasks are all examples of soft skills.

To individuals who are looking for some inspiration before exploring what Blockchain has to offer, LinkedIn published an article which recommends learning the programming language used to write Ethereum smart contracts, Solidity to blockchain enthusiasts.

Back in the previous year, as per reports, job site Indeed had witnessed huge demands for blockchain employees, however, people applying for blockchain jobs were on the decline.

There still remains a big question mark over the aspect of making money through investing or trading cryptocurrency in 2020, however, learning about blockchain and working with the revolutionary technology can definitely be a good career path to look forward too.

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Review: SecureDrive BT, the encrypted external SSD you can unlock with Face ID – 9to5Mac

January 19, 2020 | Author: admin

If youre looking for a secure external drive that meets both US military and government security standards, there are a number of encrypted external SSD options around. I reviewed one approach a couple of years ago, the iStorage diskAshur 2, which has a built-in PIN pad for entering a seven- to 15-digit code to unlock the drive.

The SecureDrive BT is a similar idea, but instead of a PIN pad, you unlock it via Bluetooth. Specifically, when you plug the drive into your Mac, you can use Face ID on your iPhone to unlock it

The drive is available in both spinning metal and SSD variants, in capacities ranging from 250 GB to 8 TB. Pricing for SSDs ranges from $262 (250GB) to $3,309 (8TB). I tested the 1TB SSD model at $458.80.

The drive can be used with Mac, Windows, and Linux, and the companion app is available on both iOS and Android.

The drive looks much like any other external drive. It has a blue anodized aluminum body with black plastic endcaps. On the front is a Secure Drive Bluetooth name, and on the back a somewhat unsightly mix of barcode, website, and various standards compliance logos.

One thing to watch for: SecureDrive tells me its available with both USB-A and USB-C cables. The drive I got had a USB-A cable, so needed an adapter to connect it to my MacBook Pro.

SecureDrive BT uses the same AES256-bit XTS hardware encryption as the iStorage drive. Often referred to as military-grade encryption, this is certified by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) as standard P1619 and is indeed approved for US military use.

The encrypted external SSD is also FIPS 140-3 certified. This is the Federal Information Processing Standards certification, which allows it to be used for the storage of US government Top Secret documents.

Inside, the chips are encased in epoxy resin, meaning its not possible to extract the SSD chips from the rest of the hardware.

The app lets you set a password in the 7- to 15-character range, and you can then choose to toggle on Face ID, Apple Watch unlock, or both. The drive offers remote-wipe capabilities, and can be set to automatically wipe if 10 incorrect passwords are entered.

Other security features available:

Incidentally, Apples FileVault also offers the same AES256-bit XTS standard, but defaults to the weaker 128-bit version for performance reasons. Disk Utility does, however, give you the option of formatting with full 256-bit AES.

Running Blackmagic, I saw write speeds of around 310MB/s, and read speeds of around 325MB/s.

These are, of course, low numbers compared to the very fast external SSDs available now, and there are two reasons for that. First, the interface is USB 3.1. Second, the AES256-bit XTS encryption does significantly slow things down, which is the reason Apple defaults to 128-bit with FileVault.

The bottom line here is that youre probably not going to want to use this as a working drive for demanding applications like video editing though it will cope with HD video.

Thats not to say its aslow drive in SSD form, but its still about half to two-thirds the speed of an equivalent unencrypted drive.

Mostly, though, this is a drive youre going to use to store commercially sensitive documents, like product designs, in-progress apps, marketing materials for unannounced products, customer databases, and similar.

Once the SecureDrive BT is unlocked, it works just like any other drive. So the in use section of the review is really about the unlocking experience and here theres good news and bad.

The bad news is that its a little less convenient than a drive with a keypad. To unlock it, you have to open the companion app and tap the drive name. At that point, Face ID will unlock it. But if you keep the app on your homescreen, unlocking is about as fast as using a keypad.

The good news is that youre trading off a slight inconvenience for more security. A keypad limits you to a numeric passcode; with this drive, you can have an alphanumeric password, including all special characters.

Plus, its not obvious that its a secure drive. If someone sees a drive with a keypad used in public, it draws attention to itself. This one, however, looks no different to any other external drive, and using your phone isnt going to be associated with unlocking the drive. So its the more discreet option, as well as the more secure. SecureDrive does make a keypad version, too, if you prefer that.

As I said about the diskAshur 2, whether or not the SecureDrive BT is right for you really depends on whether you have a need for the security:

The real question is whether you need this level of security. For the average consumer, its overkill, but I could definitely see some professional users appreciating it. Carrying around external drives with commercially sensitive materials on them is always a little nerve-wracking. There have been all kinds of reports of drives being left in embarrassing places like bars and trains.

For a startup, the peace of mind could well be worth the relatively small premium youre paying for heavy-duty security. For professional freelancers, it could even be turned into a selling point for clients. So if you need an external SSD and could use the reassurance this one brings, it could be very good value.

If you do need the security, or can use it as a selling tool, then the drive justifies itself. If you dont, you can get faster performance at a significantly lower price in unencrypted form. For example, the equivalent Western Digital My Passport 1TB SSD is about 50% faster and has a list price of $340 against just over $500 for the SecureDrive BT (and the WD drive is available for much less on Amazon). So, if you need this, it will be worth the price; if you dont, it wont.

The Secure Drive BT encrypted external SSD is available from Amazon in both spinning metal and SSD variants, in capacities ranging from 250GB to 8TB. I tested the 1TB SSD model at $458.80. The equivalent spinning metal version costs $238.

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EncryptOnClick is a freeware tool that can encrypt files and folders – Ghacks Technology News

January 19, 2020 | Author: admin

EncryptOnClick is a freeware tool that you can use to encrypt files and folders. The application offers an extra layer of security to protect data and uses military grade 256-bit AES encryption for protection.

The program's interface is very simple as it displays a handful of buttons only. It lists two encrypt actions and decrypt actions which can be run on files or folders.

Let's encrypt some files. Click on the File button and it will open an "Encrypt Password" window. You are prompted to enter a password and confirm it. Optionally, you can add a comment thought I didn't see any being displayed while decrypting the files.

Important: Don't forget the password, as there is no way to recover it.

Before clicking on the Ok button, decide if you wish to encrypt the filenames and enable the option, or skip it. This depends on how you're using the data, and how sensitive it is. If you select to encrypt the filename, it is modified so that it is no longer possible to get information just by looking at it.

Warning: If you are just testing the program, make sure to check the box next to the "Do not delete file after encrypting" option.

Hit Ok and the encryption process will begin. The time it takes for this depends on the size of the files that you're encrypting. The files are saved in the EOC format (named after the program). Okay, so if we remove the EOC from the name, will the file be readable? Of course not. You may have noticed that the encrypted file is smaller than the source file's size, that's because EncryptOnClick compresses the files while encrypting them. This is quite handy in case you want to email the files to your contact. When the file is decrypted, it will be restored to its original state and size.

Note: If you select the "Folders" option, the program will encrypt the files inside the folder, not the folder itself.

There are two ways to decrypt the contents. Either use the program and select the Decrypt option (Files or Folders), or just try opening the files (if the program is installed) and it should ask for the password. Once again, remember to check the "Do not delete file after decrypting" option, else the encrypted copy will be deleted. Regardless of the option, the uncompressed file will be saved in the same folder, so it's not a real loss.

The program doesn't have a portable archive ready to download, but you can create a portable version by copying three files from the installation directory: EncryptOnClick.exe, EncryptOnClick.exe.manifest and XceedZip.dll to a memory stick and use it anywhere. I tested this as well, and it works perfectly.

Do I need EncryptOnClick installed to open the files? Yes, according to the documentation, or WinZip 9 or above. The portable version works fine too. Since I'm a 7-Zip user, I wanted to check if it can decrypt it, and I can confirm that it works. This screenshot is from a friend's computer whom I sent the encrypted file to, he was able to open it with 7z.

Note: You can rename the extension of the encrypted files to anything you want, you can still decrypt it. It can be a good way to prevent others from opening your files.

EncryptOnClick can be very useful for protecting financial documents, personal data, pictures, etc. The simplicity of the program makes it suitable for people of all skill levels.

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Trump and Comey Are United Against Encrypted Communications – Reason

January 19, 2020 | Author: admin

For all the public sparring between the two inflated egos known as Donald Trump and James Comey, the president and the former FBI director have some important commonalities. For starters, they both hate it when the common people keep secrets from the ruling class of which they represent competing factions.

The point of agreement between the two political antagonists became clear on January 14, when President Trump complained that Apple executives "refuse to unlock phones used by killers, drug dealers and other violent criminal elements." Some of us poked at our ears, wondering if we were hearing echoes. After all, not so long ago, as head of the FBI, Comey tried to force Apple to unlock encrypted cell phones and raged that Apple, Google, and other companies "market something expressly to allow people to place themselves beyond the law."

Trump agreed with Comey back then, too, by the way; in 2016, he called for a boycott of Apple until such time as the company helped the FBI break iPhone security.

Apparently, not as much divides these two men as they like to let on.

In public, Trump calls Comey a "disgrace" and Comey fires back at a man he calls a "strange and slightly sad old guy." Butaside from the fact that they're both correct about each other's flawsthat's intramural combat between power addicts over who should wield the power. That the public should be poked, prodded, and intruded upon is a given for Comey and Trump. And it's a sentiment that binds so many of our would-be lords and masters in public office.

The shared nature of official nosiness becomes clear when you remember last November's bipartisan vote to extend the Patriot Act, a measure that the Electronic Frontier Foundation says "broadly expands law enforcement's surveillance and investigative powers and represents one of the most significant threats to civil liberties, privacy, and democratic traditions in US history." Even as Democrats debated impeaching Donald Trumpa move they later approvedthey overwhelmingly joined with the Trump administration to support the surveillance bill's extension.

Trans-partisan hand-holding on surveillance state measures is certainly nothing new among the political class. The Patriot Act originally passed during the presidency of Republican President George W. Bush, but with plenty of cross-aisle support.

"I drafted a terrorism bill after the Oklahoma City bombing," senator and current leading Democratic presidential wannabe Joe Biden boasted to The New Republic after the Patriot Act's passage. "And the bill John Ashcroft sent up was my bill."

Biden's anti-privacy efforts extend back so far that he inspired Phil Zimmermann to complete the development of PGP encryption software.

Later, as vice president, Biden threatened countries that considered offering asylum to surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), another leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, frets that the data encrypted communications will "allow companies to hide from 'government spying'such as text messages and chatroom transcriptshave proven to be 'key evidence' in previous regulatory and compliance cases."

It seems Trump and Comey are in good company on the issue. Well, good-ishfor a certain D.C.-centric value of the word.

"Lawmakers are giving big tech firms an ultimatum: Give police access to encrypted communications or we'll force you," The Washington Post reported last month.

"It ain't complicated for me," Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told representatives from Facebook and Apple at a Capitol Hill hearing in December. "You're going to find a way to do this or we're going to do it for you."

"You all have got to get your act together or we will gladly get your act together for you," said Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), who also sits on the judiciary committee.

Ranking Democratic member Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), meanwhile, said she is "determined to see that there is a way that phones can be unlocked when major crimes are committed," whether tech companies like it or not.

And so on. Trump and Comey's frenemy act opposing communications privacy for people who don't draw government paychecks is the rule, not the exception.

Sure, there are some surveillance skeptics and privacy advocates among the political class. But they're rare, and except for a very few civil liberties-oriented and government-skeptic types who are usually on the outs with the real powerbrokers, they're awfully unreliable on the issue.

The problem is that the Trumps, Comeys, Grahams, Bidens, Feinsteins, Blackburns, and Warrens of the world largely agree that the government that defines their lives and gives them importance should be vastly powerful. The rationales they come up with depend on the specific priorities of the politician in question, the cultural moment, and the audience, but they're forever arguing in favor of an intrusive state from which we can keep no secrets.

"It had become clear, to me at least, that the repeated evocations of terror by the political class were not a response to any specific threat or concern but a cynical attempt to turn terror into a permanent danger that required permanent vigilance enforced by unquestionable authority," whistleblower Edward Snowden wrote of his growing awareness of what lay behind the surveillance state in Permanent Record, his 2019 memoir.

Substitute "violent criminal elements" or "criminal action by Wall Street" or "child abusers" or any other justification politicians might come up with if you wish, but it all leads in the same direction. Ultimately, the members of the political class may fight tooth and nail, but it's not over whether Leviathan should paw through our communications. They just disagree over who should be in charge of the pawing.

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Police Scotland to roll out encryption bypass technology – Glasgow Live

January 19, 2020 | Author: admin

Technology that allows police officers to gather data from digital devices without the need for a password is to be rolled out from next week.

Police Scotland confirmed on Tuesday that the so-called cyber kiosks - digital triage devices - will be given to officers on January 20.

The kiosks are laptop-sized machines that enable the user to override encryption on devices such as mobile phones and tablets.

Technology was due to be deployed earlier but the roll-out was hit by delays as MSPs called for greater clarity over the legal framework for their use.

A total of 14 kiosks have already been bought by Police Scotland and will be located across all policing divisions.

It is expected all of the kiosks will be operational before May 1.

Police Scotland believe having the kiosks will allow lines of inquiry to be progressed at a faster pace, with officers being able to return mobile devices to their owners when they are having to assess them for potential evidence.

Officers will only examine the device of an individual when there is a legal basis and it is "necessary, justified and proportionate" to the crime under investigation.

They will not be enabled to store data from any devices and when an examination is complete all data will be securely deleted.

Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said having the ability to quickly assess which devices either do or do not contain evidence on them will minimise the intrusion into people's lives.

"We are committed to providing the best possible service to victims and witnesses of crime," he said.

"This means we must keep pace with society. People of all ages now lead a significant part of their lives online and this is reflected in how we investigate crime and the evidence we present to courts.

"Many online offences disproportionately affect the most vulnerable people in our society, such as children at risk of sexual abuse, and our priority is to protect those people."

He added: "Increases in the involvement of digital devices in investigations and the ever-expanding capabilities of these devices mean that demand on digital forensic examinations is higher than ever.

"Current limitations, however, mean the devices of victims, witnesses and suspects can be taken for months at a time, even if it later transpires that there is no worthwhile evidence on them.

"By quickly identifying devices which do and do not contain evidence, we can minimise the intrusion on people's lives and provide a better service to the public."

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Encryption battle reignited as US govt at loggerheads with Apple – Times Now

January 19, 2020 | Author: admin

(Representational photo)  |  Photo Credit: IANS

Apple and the US government are at loggerheads for the second time in four years over unlocking iPhones connected to a mass shooting, reviving debate over law enforcement access to encrypted devices.

Attorney General Bill Barr said Monday that Apple failed to provide "substantive assistance" in unlocking two iPhones in the investigation into the December shooting deaths of three US sailors at a Florida naval station, which he called an "act of terrorism."

Apple disputed Barr's claim, while arguing against the idea of "backdoors" for law enforcement to access its encrypted smartphones.

"We reject the characterization that Apple has not provided substantive assistance in the Pensacola investigation," the company said in a statement.

"Our responses to their many requests since the attack have been timely, thorough and are ongoing."

Late on Tuesday, President Donald Trump weighed in on Twitter, saying the government was helping Apple on trade issues "yet they refuse to unlock phones used by killers, drug dealers and other violent criminal elements."

"They will have to step up to the plate and help our great Country, NOW!" he added.

The standoff highlighted the debate between law enforcement and the tech sector about encryption -- a key way to protect the privacy of digital communications, but which can also make investigations difficult, even with a court order.

The latest battle is similar to the dispute between Apple and the US Justice Department after the December 2015 mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, when the iPhone maker rejected a request to develop software to break into the shooter's iPhone.

That fight ended in 2016 when the government paid an outside party a reported $1 million for a tool that circumvented Apple's iPhone encryption.

Barr last year called on Facebook to allow authorities to circumvent encryption to fight extremism, child pornography and other crimes. The social network has said it would move ahead with strong encryption for its messaging applications.

Digital rights activists argue that any privileged access for law enforcement would weaken security and make it easier for hackers and authoritarian governments to intercept messages.

"We have always maintained there is no such thing as a backdoor just for the good guys," Apple's statement said.

"Backdoors can also be exploited by those who threaten our national security and the data security of our customers."

Apple and others argue that digital "breadcrumbs" make it increasingly easy to track people, even without breaking into personal devices.

The government's latest demand "is dangerous and unconstitutional, and would weaken the security of millions of iPhones," Jennifer Granick of the American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement.

"Strong encryption enables religious minorities facing genocide, like the Uighurs in China, and journalists investigating powerful drug cartels in Mexico, to communicate safely."

Granick added that Apple cannot allow the FBI access to encrypted communications "without also providing it to authoritarian foreign governments and weakening our defenses against criminals and hackers."

Kurt Opsahl of the Electronic Frontier Foundation echoed that sentiment, saying Apple "is right to provide strong security" for its devices.

"The AG (attorney general) requesting Apple re-engineer its phones to break that security is a poor security trade-off, and imperils millions of innocent people around the globe," Opsahl tweeted.

James Lewis of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, said he believes it's possible to allow law enforcement access without sacrificing encryption.

"You're not weakening encryption, you're making it so it's not end-to-end," Lewis told AFP.

"It means that there's a third party who can look at it under appropriate authority."

But Lewis said he does not expect either side to come out a winner in the battle, and that US officials will likely find another outside party to crack the two iPhones belonging to the shooter, Royal Saudi Air Force 2nd Lieutenant Mohammed Saeed Alshamran, who died in the attack.

"It's a repeat of the movie we saw in San Bernardino," he said.

"It's going to be harder because Apple probably fixed the trick that worked in San Bernardino."

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