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Best Practices in Cloud Computing – The National Law Review

In our last blog post, we discussed the risks associated with cloud technology. Here, we will examine the best practices in cloud risk mitigation.

Due Diligence. Perhaps the most important step in implementing cloud technology is choosing the best service provider to fit your companys needs. Choosing a provider involves many different business considerations, and is not a decision that should be made by any one department or individual. Cloud implementation teams that include members from IT, legal, business and finance, and risk and procurement are best suited to tackle the complexities of these services. A cloud implementation team should create a request for proposal (RFP) that details the needs of the business. This document should be sent to service providers as part of a competitive bidding process. Background checks should be performed on each service provider to evaluate their financial stability, compliance with applicable law, security infrastructure and policies, customer reviews, and solvency.

A Negotiated Services Agreement. Many businesses assume that along with the transfer of their data, they have also transferred their risk to the cloud provider, but absent a clear agreement that shifts liability to the provider, this is untrue. The ideal cloud service provider should be willing to negotiate the conditions of your service level agreement (SLA) to fit your business needs. Vital components of any SLA include: a disaster recovery plan, allocation of liability, data encryption policy, limits on system downtime, termination policy, and indemnification for breach or interruption. Setting out the costs of implementation, maintenance, and ongoing cost for personnel and software at this point in the negotiation will ensure the financial longevity of a business cloud use. Once you have narrowed down your potential providers, a demonstration or an evaluation period can offer substantial insight into the providers capabilities. It is also important to consider: term-of-use commitments, fee increases, data ownership rights, audit rights, and transition services.

Insurance. Businesses should confirm that their own insurance policies cover cyber-related events; if they do not, obtaining a separate cyber insurance policy is a best practice. Such policies should clearly state the scope (e.g. geographic or otherwise) of coverage and define critical terms like computer system and network. Deductibles, claim limits, and indemnification exclusions should also be carefully considered. Just as in your SLA, it is critical to understand who bears the risk of a data breach under your insurance policy.

Getting Help. The degree of security necessary for any cloud service will depend on the nature of the information that will be held in the cloud. Many companies who deal in sensitive information or are in a heavily-regulated industry choose to employ cloud brokers to guide them through the RFP process and outside counsel to assist in the detailed negotiation of the Service Agreement.

Polsinelli PC, Polsinelli LLP in California

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Why you might trust a quantum computer with secretseven over … – Phys.Org

It may be possible to control a quantum computer over the internet without revealing what you are calculating, thanks to the many possible ways that information can flow through a computation. That's the conclusion of researchers in Singapore and Australia who studied the measurement-based model of quantum computing, reported 11 July in the open-access journal Physical Review X. Credit: Timothy Yeo / Centre for Quantum Technologies, National University of Singapore

Here's the scenario: you have sensitive data and a problem that only a quantum computer can solve. You have no quantum devices yourself. You could buy time on a quantum computer, but you don't want to give away your secrets. What can you do?

Writing in Physical Review X on 11 July, researchers in Singapore and Australia propose a way you could use a quantum computer securely, even over the internet. The technique could hide both your data and program from the computer itself. Their work counters earlier hints that such a feat is impossible.

The scenario is not far-fetched. Quantum computers promise new routes to solving problems in cryptography, modelling and machine learning, exciting government and industry. Such problems may involve confidential data or be commercially sensitive.

Technology giants are already investing in building such computersand making them available to users. For example, IBM announced on 17 May this year that it is making a quantum computer with 16 quantum bits accessible to the public for free on the cloud, as well as a 17-qubit prototype commercial processor.

Seventeen qubits are not enough to outperform the world's current supercomputers, but as quantum computers gain qubits, they are expected to exceed the capabilities of any machine we have today. That should drive demand for access.

"We're looking at what's possible if you're someone just interacting with a quantum computer across the internet from your laptop. We find that it's possible to hide some interesting computations," says Joseph Fitzsimons, a Principal Investigator at the Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT) at the National University of Singapore and Associate Professor at Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), who led the work.

Quantum computers work by processing bits of information stored in quantum states. Unlike the binary bits found in our regular (i.e., classical) computers, each a 0 or 1, qubits can be in superpositions of 0 and 1. The qubits can also be entangled, which is believed to be crucial to a quantum computer's power.

The scheme designed by Fitzsimons and his colleagues brings secrecy to a form of quantum computing driven by measurements.

In this scheme, the quantum computer is prepared by putting all its qubits into a special type of entangled state. Then the computation is carried out by measuring the qubits one by one. The user provides step-wise instructions for each measurement: the steps encode both the input data and the program.

Researchers have shown previously that users who can make or measure qubits to convey instructions to the quantum computer could disguise their computation. The new paper extends that power to users who can only send classical bits - i.e. most of us, for now.

This is surprising because some computer science theorems imply that encrypted quantum computation is impossible when only classical communication is available.

The hope for security comes from the quantum computer not knowing which steps of the measurement sequence do what. The quantum computer can't tell which qubits were used for inputs, which for operations and which for outputs.

"It's extremely exciting. You can use this unique feature of the measurement-based model of quantum computingthe way information flows through the stateas a crypto tool to hide information from the server," says team member Tommaso Demarie of CQT and SUTD.

Although the owner of the quantum computer could try to reverse engineer the sequence of measurements performed, ambiguity about the role of each step leads to many possible interpretations of what calculation was done. The true calculation is hidden among the many, like a needle in a haystack.

The set of interpretations grows rapidly with the number of qubits. "The set of all possible computations is exponentially large - that's one of the things we prove in the paperand therefore the chance of guessing the real computation is exponentially small," says Fitzsimons. One question remains: could meaningful computations be so rare among all the possible ones that the guessing gets easier? That's what the researchers need to check next.

Nicolas Menicucci at the Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, and Atul Mantri at SUTD, are coauthors on the work.

"Quantum computers became famous in the '90s with the discovery that they could break some classical cryptography schemesbut maybe quantum computing will instead be known for making the future of cloud computing secure," says Mantri.

Explore further: Refrigerator for quantum computers discovered

More information: Atul Mantri et al, Flow Ambiguity: A Path Towards Classically Driven Blind Quantum Computation, Physical Review X (2017). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevX.7.031004

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REcoin is a new Ethereum-based cryptocurrency

Ethereum cryptocurrency code is used, which means the following options:

The technology of blockchain proved itself as perhaps the safest way of keeping records of transactions performed within a certain society, each member of which owns a copy of the database distributed among members of the given society.

Blockchain - a chain built from the formed blocks with records of all transactions. A copy of the Blockchain chain or its part is simultaneously stored on multiple computers and synchronized according to the formal rules for constructing the chain of blocks. The information in the blocks is not encrypted and is available in clear form, but is protected from cryptographic changes through hash chains. Thus, the Blockchain database is distributed (decentralized) and cryptographically protected (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockchain).

The possibility of mining, which gives the use of the methodology of protection against false data and fraud PoW, is by far the most widespread and reliable crypto currency in the environment.

A proof of work is a piece of data which is difficult (costly, time-consuming) to produce but easy for others to verify and which satisfies certain requirements. Producing a proof of work can be a random process with low probability so that a lot of trial and error is required on average before a valid proof of work is generated (https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Proof_of_work).

The minimum unit is 10^-4, 0,0001 RCN.

The conclusion of the block will occur every 20.5s (Similar to the Ethereum software environment, https://bitinfocharts.com/ru/ethereum/ ). The block volume limit is 12 KBytes.

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How Exactly Do You Get Rich of the Hot New Cryptocurrency? – Gizmodo

With the meteoric rise in popularity of Ethereum, cryptocurrencies and blockchains are back in the news again. Graphics card prices have soared with the promise that those who have the computers and know-how to do some serious mining can take home huge sums in a Bitcoin-like gold rush to snatch up as much virtual currency as possible. But how easy is it to make your fortune in cryptocurrency? And is it worth your while getting started?

For the uninitiated, mining for currencies like Bitcoin and Ether means devoting a huge amount of computer processing power to doing accounting sums for the platforms behind them, helping to verify the accuracy of the public blockchain ledgers.

Youre essentially getting rewarded for keeping the books for these platforms, which weve explained in more detail here, and the rise of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and others has led to a flood of amateur enthusiasts jumping into the mining businessthe idea of having your computer whirring away making you free money sounds almost too good to be true.

And in reality, it almost isyou can get rich from cryptocurrencies, but you need to put in plenty of work, and have luck on your side. Youre more likely to get a windfall due to market pressures than the quality of your mining rig, which is why its only worth a shot for the most committed and the most adventurous.

Mining for cryptocoin requires some free software tools and a dedicated rig. Turn the clock back several years and you could get away with a powerful home PC and make a few bucks. These days you can waste a weekend and a months wages on building a machine with four graphics cards purring away in a row and still not make a profit.

GPUs are now established as the mining processors of choice in most situationsgraphics cards are even built for and marketed towards miners nowbasically because theyre better at doing lots of laborious, repetitive tasks, whereas CPUs are better suited to switching between many tasks quickly.

The trouble is, the serious players have got whole farms of these computers, and unless youve got a warehouse and some life savings to spare, youre going to be lagging a long way behind. Youre up against huge foreign operations running off cheap electricity and hardware bought wholesale.

Even if you do get yourself a rig set up and find a currency with a bit of a profit margin, youre still putting yourself at the whims of the cryptocurrency marketsmining can start or stop becoming profitably depending on a currencys current value.

There are several profit calculators on the web that will tell you how much computing power and electricity you need to make a certain amount of cash, so you can see exactly how much (or more likely, how little) you could make. Take Bitcoin, for example, which is now just about impossible to mine profitably for average users at homeyoud need thousands of GPUs running before youd get close to getting more back in Bitcoin than youd be paying for electricity.

You can fork out thousands of dollars on specialized kit, if you want to, but even then youre only going to be raking in a handful of dollars a day with Bitcoin. That of course can go up or down as the currency value fluctuates, and whats profitable one day might not be the next if your chosen cryptocurrency dips in value, or gets some bad media coveragethats where the slice of luck we mentioned earlier comes in.

Other options, like Feathercoin and Ether, have a better profit potential than Bitcoin right now, with the caveats weve already mentioned: If youre serious about your mining then you need to keep a very close eye on the market trends, because the situation can change on a weekly or even daily basis. A single Litecoin, another cryptocurrency, has swung from costing you between $10 and $55 this year alone.

For instance, a huge $64m Ether heist carried out last year was severe enough to cause a fork in the Ethereum platform it runs on top of, and a halving in price of Ether itselfif youve got a powerful, expensive, cryptocurrency mining operation going on in your basement then thats a serious hit on your profits through factors completely out of your control. Sure, a swing the other way can make you relatively rich, but its a risk, and the upward trend wont necessarily continue.

Many modern-day miners join a mining pool, combining resources with other users and getting a share of the profits, but the same risks remain. Fork out a few thousand on a mining rig, take the time to study the market trends, go through the process of setting up the programs, join up with a mining pool, and yes you canif the prices stay buoyant and youve picked your cryptocurrency wiselymake a few thousand dollars a year. Whether or not its worth the risk and investment is up to you.

And if your investment isnt already precarious enough, remember the scene is constantly changing: In the near future Ethereum is set to switch from its existing Proof of Work (PoW) system for extending the blockchain to a new Proof of State (PoS) system which is easier to scale and less energy intensive.

Without going too far into the technical details, it essentially makes the mining process more like earning interest on money youve already got: Racks of graphics cards wont be able to generate wealth as they did in the past, which is bad news for miners looking for a profit even if its good news for your electricity bill. Instead, earning money will rely on staking (investing) rather than mining.

In other words, if youre already halfway through building your Ethereum mining machine you might want to pick a new cryptocurrency... at least until the ground rules change on that one too. (Remember what we said about the constant state of flux?) And thats really the only way to squeeze any profit out of cryptocurrency mining operationskeep moving as fast as the market does, and switch up the currencies you target as conditions change.

As soon as one cryptocurrency becomes profitable to mine, as weve seen with Bitcoin and Ethereum, everyone wants a piece of the action and making money gradually gets harder. Its then time to get in early on another currency. In short, if you want to get rich (or at least make a profit), you need to pick and keep picking the right cryptocurrencies, have a serious amount of graphics processing power in hand, hope that your chosen currencies stay secure and keep increasing in value, and put in a lot of time and effort.

Its not impossible, but we can think of easier ways to make a buck. If youre determined to jump in and get involved in cryptocurrency mining, if only for the educational and geek appeal rather than to make any money, your best bet is to immerse yourself in one of the many mining forums out there, which will give you the inside track on the latest news and market trends.

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Here’s How Entrepreneurs Are Making Cryptocurrency Mainstream And Starting A Revolution – Inc.com

Less than a year ago the average human did not know what Cryptocurrency was. The market was limited mostly to a techy crowd of developers and very early adopters, considering Bitcoin was the only major currency on the block back then. But thanks to a number of really smart entrepreneurs, rising prices, and a powerful community, everything is changing and crypto is going mainstream.

Ethereum, Stratis, Sia, AntShares/NEO, TenX and others are leading the charge of the technological revolution that is blockchain. Cryptocurrency based crowdfunding know as Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) are also a major player in the revolution. Blockchain startups like TenX have raised $80 million dollars in a matter of literal minutes to solve a big challenge for Cryptocurrency holders, actually spending the currency in the real world.

Entire governments like China are considering utilizing a national digital currency. Even the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, met with the founder of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin. All of this good press and positive outlook has caused many billions of dollars to be added to the market in the last 7 months.

The excitement about the Cryptocurrency market has attracted a lot of entrepreneurs that are looking to disrupt big industries through Blockchain technology.

I think of Blockchain disruption as creating disrupters to the disrupters. This new wave of Blockchain startups, such as Sia, are looking to disrupt companies like Dropbox and Amazon AWS. If they are even remotely successful we are looking at many 10s if not 100s of billions of dollars being added to the overall Cryptocurrency market as they continue to grow.

Another example of entrepreneurship at its finest is TenX. They are literally solving the biggest spending issue in Cryptocurrency, actually making the tokens spendable in the real world. They are using debit/credit cards that physically store Cryptocurrency then instantly convert them into Fiat (USD, EUR, YEN, etc.)

Stratis is considered a sleeper Cryptocurrency because of its relative low price compared to its technological advancement. It's a BaaS (Blockchain as a Service) platform that aims to provide enterprise level Blockchains and services to companies like Microsoft. AntShares/NEO is also considered a sleeper Cryptocurrency by many.

Entrepreneurs are making Cryptocurrency mainstream by solving problems ranging from making Cryptocurrency spendable in the real world all the way up to disrupting the largest companies on the planet and offering Blockchain services to the Microsoft's of the world.

The Cryptocurrency market can seem volatile compared to traditional markets. There is more up and down movement, but the general trend line is a strong uptrend. A lot of people believe Ethereum alone will be worth $1,000+ a token in the next year or two. That will drive the prices of many other currency up a lot.

Bitcoin, the oldest of popular Cryptocurrencies and current market leader in terms of market cap but not technology, is facing a potential split on or around August 1st. There are a number of possible scenarios, including breaking Bitcoin into two separate coins. This could cause what is referred to as The Flippening to occur and for Ethereum to rapidly gain in price and for Bitcoin to fall off it's 1st place market share.

If (and most likely when) this event does happen, Ethereum could be more of the market indicator than Bitcoin currently is. Meaning, if Ethereum goes up everything else tends to go up which is moreso the case for Bitcoin recently as it tends to control the market.

The market as a whole though has shown particularly strong in recent weeks. Ethereum was worth as much as $420 a token and as little as the $180 range in the last few weeks. But, the strength of the market really shined when the $180 "drop" happened and it quickly re-tested $200 multiple times and showed that $200 was the current floor price. This creates a sense of security in the market and helps people believe in it more long term when they see these quick rebounds from "drops" in price.

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BlackRock Strategy: Cryptocurrency Speculation Doesn’t Present Systematic Risk – PYMNTS.com

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BlackRock Global Chief Investment Strategist Richard Turnill argued Tuesday (July 11) that loose monetary policy has resulted in a huge run up in cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin, but it doesnt pose a risk to the financial system.

According to a report in Reuters, Turnill said bitcoin price movements could be influenced by easy monetary policies that were instituted by central banks following on the heels of the global financial crisis that started in 2007 and lasted until 2009. The gains in cryptocurrencies could also be a sign the market could be in a bubble.

I look at the charts, and to me that looks pretty scary, Turnill said at a media briefing in New York covered by the newswire. He and his BlackRock colleagues have been telling clients to remain invested in global stocks despite the risk and despite warnings from some strategists that prices are too high. As to the speculations, hes not concerned about the broader implications from the wild movements in the digital currencies.

Theres no evidence that if that price went to zero tomorrow that thered be any broader financial implication over time, but to me it is [an] example of where youre getting some big price movements in the market.

BlackRock isnt the only one to warn about a bubble in cryptocurrencies. Those same concerns have hurt Ethereums price this week. According to a news report, the digital currency has been having a tough go of it lately, falling more than 45 percent since hitting a record high of $400 in mid-June.

There is talk that the cryptocurrency market is reaching a bubble after Mark Cuban said bitcoin, the Ethereum competitor, was already in bubble mode. I think its in a bubble. I just dont know when or how much it corrects, Cuban recently tweeted, noted the report. When everyone is bragging about how easy they are making $=bubble.

Following those speculations, came a statement from Jeffrey Kleintop, Charles Schwabs chief global investment strategist, who, according to the report, also suggested bitcoins price was in a bubble and in one not seen before.

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Chamber Of Digital Commerce Implores FASB To Examine GAAP Standards For Cryptocurrency – ETHNews

Newscryptocurrencies and tokens

In early June, the Chamber of Digital Commerce submitted a letter to request that the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) consider a project to address digital currencies. The FASB will conduct preliminary research and discuss digital currency at a public board meeting.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) will perform pre-agenda research on accounting standards for digital currency, and plans to discuss the topic at a public board meeting, on a date to be announced.Based on the presented research, the Board will decide whether to add digital currency accounting to its technical agenda and create an official project. The open meeting will be available on the FASBs YouTube channel.

The FASB is the primary organization that establishes and improves generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in the United States. The private, non-profit organizations input on digital currency accounting standards could help shape cryptocurrencys nebulous regulatory environment.

In early June, the Chamber of Digital Commerce petitioned the FASB, appealing for a project to address the accounting for digital currencies. Perianne Boring, president of the Chamber of Digital Commerce, authored the letter.

There is currently no authoritative literature under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP), which specifically addresses the accounting for digital assets, including digital currencies. Although use and acceptance of digital currencies as a method of payment are not yet widespread, the increasing volume of transactions using digital currencies indicates the current need to develop accounting guidance addressing the recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of digital currencies and related transactions.

Boring notedfour potential methods for cryptocurrency accounting: Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 305 Cash and Cash Equivalents, ASC 825 Financial Instruments, ASC 350 Intangibles Goodwill and Other, and ASC 330 Inventory. For a myriad of reasons, she explainedthat digital currency does not fit neatly into any one of these existing classifications. Instead, Boring suggestedthe creation of a new-subtopic altogether.

Digital currencies are unique and unlike any other asset currently addressed in U.S. GAAP. Developing a new sub-topic would allow the standard setter to provide guidance that best represents the economic characteristics of digital currencies.

Authoritative accounting guidance should promote greater investor confidence as well as cryptocurrency research & development. At present, the FASB is also assessing whether to overhaul accounting standards for intangible assets. Its possible that cryptocurrency could receive some attention under this consideration.

For now, the Chamber of Digital Commerce has highlighted a mission critical issue while continuing to raise awareness about blockchain technology.

Matthew is a writer with a passion for emerging technology. Prior to joining ETHNews, he interned for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as well as the OECD. He graduated cum laude from Georgetown University where he studied international economics. In his spare time, Matthew loves playing basketball and listening to podcasts. He currently lives in Los Angeles.

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Little-Known Cryptocurrency Hedge Fund Seeks $200 Million in SEC Filing – CoinDesk

A little-known, newly established hedge fund is seeking to raise $200m to invest in cryptocurrencies,according to regulatory filings.

The bid byCryptocurrency Fund LPto raise the moneywas revealed in a Form D submission to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), dated July 10. The funding effort has a minimum contributionthreshold of $100,000 fromaccredited investors, who have at least $5m net worth.

The filing represents the latest bid to attract large-scale investors to funds built around cryptocurrency markets. In recent weeks, several existing investors in the space have moved to build similar efforts, including a$100m bid to build an ICO-focused fund that has raised roughly a third of that amount to date.

Yetin the case of Cryptocurrency Fund LP, the big-ticket fundraise objective stands in contrast to the relatively scarce amount of availableinformation about the company.

Public records show that the filing was submitted by CEO Pavlo Savchuk, withthe venture itself being registeredin Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 26. An associated firm, Cryptocurrency Capital LLC, lists Timofii Melnyk and Oleksii Yeharmin asprincipals. Cryptocurrency Fund LP has also made few statements to the public about its investment plans.

The companypublished a short post aboutblockchain assetson Medium, dated the same day that the fund was registered in Nevada. Its website further states that a white paper related to the initiative can be downloaded, but in a phone interview, Savchuk told CoinDesk that it's not publicly available because of pending regulatory approval.

The CEOsubsequentlysaid that, besides filing with the SEC, the fundis also obligated to obtain a license from the National Futures Associates, a self-regulatory organization for the futures industry. Until then, they are not allowed legally to present offering policies to any potential investors, he added.

Savchuk, according to hisLinkedIn profile,worked as a foreign trade manager for Ukraine-based Gresa Group, which makes renewable energy production equipment, between 2013 and 2015. He further served as a securities trader for New York-based T3 Trading Group between March and May of this year, his profile states.

Mystery man image via Shutterstock

The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is an independent media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. Have breaking news or a story tip to send to our journalists? Contact us at [emailprotected].

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China’s Central Bank Testing Prototype Cryptocurrency – Crowdfund Insider

Over a month ago, speculation abounded on whether China was developing its very own cryptocurrency to essentially digitize RMB. Now we know quite certainly that the Central Bank of China has developed and is currently testing a cryptocoin.

Although there have been no official statements from China, according to several reports online, the Peoples Bank of China has been slowly testing its cryptocurrency through mock transactions between commercial banks within the country. The plan would be to eventually launch the digital currency alongside Chinas primary currency RMB (aka yuan). Some of the key benefits of having a fiat cryptocurrency for China include: making it easier forpeople in more rural areas that dont have access to traditional banks toreceive financialservices which would in turn lower transaction costs; greater oversight over other digital currencies like Bitcoin and Ether; as well as the reduction of corruption, fraud, and counterfeiting.Yao Qian, the Deputy Director of the Science and Technology Department at Chinas central bank recently authored an extensive report detailing many of the ways China could benefit from digital currencies.

One of the fears highlighted by some experts is the fact that by having a central digital currency, commercial banks could be undermined and lose customers. Chinas goal, though, is to integrate the digital currency into the existing banking system by allowing commercial banks to operate cryptocoinwallets for the central coin. The mock transactions between commercial banks would be a good place to test the planned integration.

Cryptocurrencies have been making headlines recently; mostly on account of the extreme volatilityinvolving the price of coins like Bitcoin and Ether as well as the many Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) that have raised ridiculousamounts of money within a few hours and even minutes. With much of the news focused on only one aspect of the cryptocoin market, its easy to lose sight of the technologys many other uses. The central idea behind cryptocurrencies is decentralization; allowing people anywhere in the world to transact instantly with zero transaction costs.

The fact that a country as large as China is developing and prototyping a cryptocoin, even though it will likely be controlled and restricted by the central government, speaks volumes to the technologyspotential. China is not the only one getting involved, however. Last month, Singapore made headlines as well when it announced it had successfully digitized its currency. Canada, England, and Russia are also experimenting with cryptocurrencies. Hopefully, more countries will follow suit.

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PKWARE Integrates Intelligent Data Discovery With Enterprise Encryption Platform – PR Newswire (press release)

According to a 2017 report, 2.5 million terabytes of data are generated every dayand the ways that employees share and store data continues to multiply. As the amount of data continues to explode, and as the number of non-corporate-controlled places to store data expand, companies are faced with a daunting challenge: How do we find and protect sensitive information?

"Today, data can exist simultaneously in multiple locations across an enterprise," said Matt Little, chief product officer at PKWARE. "Because data is crossing traditional boundaries, both on premise and in the cloud, many organizations do not have visibility into where sensitive information is stored, leaving data unprotected and vulnerable to internal and external threats. Smartcrypt Data Discovery allows customers to not only find their sensitive data, but protect that information wherever it's used, shared or stored."

Smartcrypt Data Discovery findssensitive information credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, personal account numbers and customer-specified data and can also encrypt it using Smartcrypt's persistent data-centric encryption. It is the simplest, most integrated way for organizations to identify their sensitive information and strongly protect it against theft or misuse.

"Organizations of all sizes are recognizing that many traditional security tools are no longer enough to protect sensitive data from breaches," said Garrett Bekker, Principal Analyst, Information Security Practice, 451 Research."Encryption is a powerful tool to protect sensitive data, but organizations generally face big challenges both finding sensitive data and also determining what data to encrypt and what not to encrypt. Combining encryption with data discovery is a logical way to help organizations protect their data without the costs and overhead associated with using encryption indiscriminately."

Smartcrypt Data Discovery uses the existing Smartcrypt agent which continuously monitors desktops, laptops, file servers and other storage locations for sensitive information. Each time a file is added or modified, Smartcrypt initiates a scan based on the organization's policies. If the data fits one of the defined patterns, the system can apply remediation via encryption, reporting or other custom actions. The discovery and encryption process is transparent to end users and the organization maintains complete control.

PKWARE's Smartcrypt Data Discovery is now available. For more information, click here.

About PKWAREPKWARE is a trusted leader in global business data protection. For 30 years PKWARE has focused not just on networks and devices, but on the data itself. Building on our compression expertise with the latest encryption technology, PKWARE protects data for over 30,000 enterprise customers and 200 government agencies. Our software-defined solutions provide cost-effective and easy-to-implement protection that is transparent to end users and simple for IT to administer and control.

Media ContactJosh Swarz +1 (646) 428-0650 pkware@allisonpr.com

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PKWARE Integrates Intelligent Data Discovery With Enterprise Encryption Platform - PR Newswire (press release)

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