Information security & technology news

Dataguise secures data for growing big data market, and gets $13M boost

minion — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 12:23:19 +0000

Dataguise, a company that seeks to secure the corporate data used by big data-crunching technologies such as Hadoop, has raised $13 million in a second round of funding.

The Hadoop framework has become the leading way large organizations analyze their huge amounts of data. A number of Hadoop technology providers, including Cloudera, are helping businesses analyze this data, that can run in the petabytes, and is collected everywhere from their server logs to traffic stats from mobile applications.

However, company security officers have become concerned about the safety of the sometimes sensitive corporate information accessed by the Hadoop process.

DataGuise, a company based in Fremont, Calif., said its technology gives companies an easy to way to determine where and how to secure their sensitive data in Hadoop. In a statement, the company said it does this by processing terabytes of structured and unstructured data in a few hours, and by offering the following features:

Contextual-based data discovery: The Dataguise contextual-based data discovery capability uses a ”neural-like network” approach for highly accurate sensitive data search instead of a simple “rule-based” approach. As a result, information surrounding a given string is correlated and complex inferences are made to determine whether that string is relevant to the search.
Selective encryption: Complementing Dataguise masking technology for configurations where data mining needs to operate on actual data values. DG for Hadoop uses symmetric key based encryption of data and also encrypts the encryption keys themselves for stronger security.
Consistent masking across a single or multiple Hadoop clusters: This capability preserves analytical value of information for trend analysis and aggregations.
Simplified management: DG for Hadoop provides automatic notifications so that security personnel can be alerted by e-mail or SMS when a job is completed or when changes occur.
Compliance audit reports: New reporting that compliance auditors can integrate in their analysis of the company’s overall compliance process and posture.

The company’s second round of financing was led by Toba Capital, with additional capital coming from the investment arm of an unnamed “electronic conglomerate,” the company said in a statement.

Dataguise has now raised at least $20.3 million. Two years ago, it said it had raised $7.3 million in a first round of funding, including $3.25 million from Silicon Valley investor Herb Madan.

The worldwide big data technology and services market will grow at a 31.7 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) – about seven times the rate of the overall information and communication technology (ICT) market, according to IDC’s most recent worldwide Big Data technology and services market forecast. Revenues will reach $23.8 billion in 2016, according to the forecast.

CyanogenMod’s cLock widget makes its way to the Play Store as “Chronus”

minion — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 06:25:22 +0000

If you’re a CyanogenMod user, you’re probably familiar with their cLock widget. The widget that allows you to display the time, basic weather information, and upcoming calendar appointments on your lock screen has made its way to the Play Store under the name “Chronus.” It’s a pretty sleekly designed widget that is a free download.

You can download the widget through the link after the break.

Play Store Download Link

» See more articles by Aditya Thawardas

TalkAndroid Daily Dose for September 27, 2013

minion — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 06:25:00 +0000

With hectic schedules, it can be hard to keep track of everything in your news feed. That’s why we created the TalkAndroid Daily Dose. This is where we recap the day’s hottest stories so you can get yourself up to speed in quick fashion. Happy reading!!

Guides

Best Android privacy apps [September 2013]

Best Android devices currently available under $100 [September 2013]

Apps

CyanogenMod’s cLock widget makes its way to the Play Store as “Chronus”

Amazon upgrades Prime Instant Video with downloading option for offline viewing

Netflix rolls out Super HD to all members

Speedtest.net app for Android updates to version 3.0 with revamped UI

Google

Google’s Open Project mirrors smartphone apps on big screens, but takes it one step further

Google Search 2.8.7 update changes hotword to “OK Google,” now enabled through search results

Phones

HTC Butterfly 2 will be waterproof with Snapdragon 800, coming in January 2014

Did a chicken inspire the LG G2′s Optical Image Stabilization?

Motorola DVX to have at least 4 color options for interchangeable backplates

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 ‘regional SIM lock’ situation not so bad after all

Samsung reminds us that the Galaxy S 4 Gold Editions launched before the iPhone 5S announcement

Tablets

LTE Nexus 7 shows up on Best Buy’s site as ‘coming soon’

Miscellaneous

Apple leads the pack as 2013′s “Most Innovative Company” for 9th consecutive year on BCG’s list

HTC sells back remaining stake in Beats by Dre (25%) for $256 million cash injection

» See more articles by Robert Nazarian

TalkAndroid Daily Dose for September 27, 2013

minion — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 06:24:59 +0000

Guides

Best Android privacy apps [September 2013]

Best Android devices currently available under $100 [September 2013]

Apps

CyanogenMod’s cLock widget makes its way to the Play Store as “Chronus”

Amazon upgrades Prime Instant Video with downloading option for offline viewing

Netflix rolls out Super HD to all members

Speedtest.net app for Android updates to version 3.0 with revamped UI

Google

Google’s Open Project mirrors smartphone apps on big screens, but takes it one step further

Google Search 2.8.7 update changes hotword to “OK Google,” now enabled through search results

Phones

HTC Butterfly 2 will be waterproof with Snapdragon 800, coming in January 2014

Did a chicken inspire the LG G2′s Optical Image Stabilization?

Motorola DVX to have at least 4 color options for interchangeable backplates

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 ‘regional SIM lock’ situation not so bad after all

Samsung reminds us that the Galaxy S 4 Gold Editions launched before the iPhone 5S announcement

Tablets

LTE Nexus 7 shows up on Best Buy’s site as ‘coming soon’

Miscellaneous

Apple leads the pack as 2013′s “Most Innovative Company” for 9th consecutive year on BCG’s list

HTC sells back remaining stake in Beats by Dre (25%) for $256 million cash injection

» See more articles by Robert Nazarian

CM Installer Beta Testers sign-up list open

minion — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 06:24:43 +0000

When CyanogenMod reorganized itself as a new company (Cyanogen Inc.), one of their main goals was to make sure their product was extremely easy to install so that it doesn’t have to be limited only to those that have experience with flashing. That’s why Cyanogen is trying to release a Cyanogen Installer which will let you quickly get the software on your device in no time at all.

To get this project off the ground, Cyanogen has started a beta-testing program for testers willing to try it out. However, this isn’t your basic sign-up list— you have to meet the following criteria to be selected.

A camera to record yourself doing the installation
Have a supported device (maguro, crespo, toro, toroplus, grouper, flo, mako, manta, skyrocket, hercules, i9100, i9300, d2att, d2spr, d2tmo, jfltexx, quincyatt, quincytmo, t0ltetmo, m7ul)
Submit bug reports and feedback

If you meet all of this criteria, go to Koushik Dutta’s Google+ post (source link) to let him know you’re interested.

Source: +Koushik Dutta

» See more articles by Harrison Kaminsky

CM Installer Beta Testers sign-up list open

minion — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 06:24:41 +0000

A camera to record yourself doing the installation
Have a supported device (maguro, crespo, toro, toroplus, grouper, flo, mako, manta, skyrocket, hercules, i9100, i9300, d2att, d2spr, d2tmo, jfltexx, quincyatt, quincytmo, t0ltetmo, m7ul)
Submit bug reports and feedback

If you meet all of this criteria, go to Koushik Dutta’s Google+ post (source link) to let him know you’re interested.

Source: +Koushik Dutta

» See more articles by Harrison Kaminsky

A Nirvanix Post Mortem

minion — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 06:24:27 +0000

A couple of weeks ago the industry was stunned when cloud storage provider Nirvanix sent an email customers advising them that the company would be shutting down in a fortnight – while the consumer space is used to services coming and going, this was an unreservedly enterprise-grade service – and one that had raised $70M in venture funding to boot. Not only were customers told that the company was shutting down, but they also had to find alternative providers in very short order.

As is often the case in situations like this, there were plaintive wails from the naysayers that this is an example of why cloud computing can’t be trusted and why we should all move back to the days of old. Presumably those same naysayers want us to use green-screen monitors, have a crusty old mainframe in the basement and use telex machines for communications… but I digress.

Contrary to what people might tell you, Nirvanix’ admittedly awful turn of events isn’t a death knell for the cloud industry, any more than PRISM is (and more about that subject another time). What it is though, is a reminder that even with a move to the cloud and the attendant ability to focus on core business while third party minions tend to our infrastructure, there are still some requirements on customers to ensure that they, their data, and their organizations future remains secure.

Today some clarity came from Nirvanix, who tore down their website and left a statement telling customers how to get in touch with customer support. The statement helpfully advises customers that they need to actively participate in retrieving their data off Nirvanix servers and, interestingly enough, advises that Nirvanix has an IBM IBM team ready to help customers. Many would say that this is too little, too late. That said, for Nirvanix customers, many of whom are in sheer panic about the terabytes of data they need to shift, any help is useful at this time.

I wrote a post last week setting out a couple of guidelines for organizations to avoid getting into trouble when outsourcing IT. While arguably the advice wouldn’t have helped in this particular case, it’s well worth revisiting and reiterative what it takes to be safe and secure when outsourcing IT to the cloud:

Do Your Homework!

The move to the cloud is an awesome thing – more flexibility, more focus, the chance to abstract non-core operations out to third parties – all the benefits we’ve been talking about for years. But with those very real benefits come some risks. Not risks that mean we shouldn’t use cloud at all, but risks that mean that the due diligence process is more robust than ever before. Things enterprises need to think about during DD include:

Who is this vendor? Are they well funded and secure Will their business exist tomorrow and into the future? How much downstream damage would there be if they vanished into the ether?
What are their SLAs? Is there an escrow agreement which covers the data in the event that they cease operations? Is there an agreed export model in the event that you want out? Is there an agreement in terms of notice periods?
Do they have pre-existing arrangements with other parties that could help in the event that they go out of business

Now in the case of Nirvanix, it’s possible that DD wouldn’t have uncovered issues – they were well funded, a “mature” player and had enterprise SLAs in place. But maybe their customers, given hindsight, would have been wise to negotiate hard for data escrow provisions or some other protections.

Think Hybrid!

I love the cloud – it has changed the world for the better and delivers massive opportunities for organizations. But with it comes some risks – we’re increasingly prepared to trust that our data, stored in third party locations, will always be accessible. But how realistic is this? Perhaps the onus is on us as customers to ensure that there is always a “Plan B”. Maybe we need to think about data storage in a hybrid way. Perhaps by using solutions that backup our data onto either another third party or to our own local storage (and yes, I know that will sound like heresy to some).

Fundamentally, customers need to stop and think about what happens to their data when they only have one storage provider and that storage provider has a major outage, or worse, goes out of business?

Kay Takeaways

The cloud is great. Outsourcing is great. Unreliable services aren’t. The bottom line is that no one cares about your data more than you do – there is no replacement for a robust due diligence process and robust thought about avoiding reliance on any one vendor. Luckily there are many vendors in the marketplace who take the role of intermediaries – brokering service and storage across a number of different providers – judging by the press that one of these vendors, OxygenCloud, has been getting since the Nirvanix news hit, this is a model that more and more organizations are thinking seriously about.

U.S. Carrier HTC One Devices Won’t See Android 4.3 This Month

minion — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 06:24:16 +0000

If you’re the owner of the HTC One on a U.S. carrier hoping that you’d see the Android 4.3 update like HTC USA’s Jason Mackenzie decreed, we have bad news for you. Based on new tweets from the HTC president it looks like HTC is going to miss that deadline by a short amount of time. Even as the Developer Edition is receiving its update, it looks like carrier versions will have to wait a bit longer.

Of course, when it comes to carriers being involved, one should never expect a prompt time frame. However as the above tweet suggests, HTC has carrier SKUs coming. Don’t go thinking that the carriers are holding things up though. According to Jason:

While we’re not sure what he means by supportive, it is our hopes that we’ll get an idea of what to expect in early October. Given the previous turn around times between Google announcing a new version of Android, and how long it takes for OEMs to push it to their devices, waiting for a few weeks longer would be a nice change of pace. As we know, the turn around has been anywhere from six months to a year. Considering that we’re starting to see leaked versions make their way online, we may only have a short time to wait. We’ll keep you posted.

source: Twitter 1, 2

» See more articles by Jack Holt

France to fine Google over privacy laws

minion — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 06:24:08 +0000

France said Friday it will fine Google Inc. up to 300,000 euros ($402,180) for allegedly breaking rules on data privacy.

The French agency that regulates information technology says Google had not satisfactorily responded to the agency’s June decision giving the company three months to be more up front about the data it collects from users.

Regulators also want Google to let users opt out of having their data centralized — for example, when data from online searches, Gmail and YouTube are crunched into a single location.

In a statement Friday, France’s National Commission on Computing and Freedom, known as CNIL, expressed its intent to formally sanction Google, a process that could take months.

“Google responded to CNIL,” the statement said. “Google challenges CNIL’s reasoning notably on the application of the Data Protection Act on its services used by residents of France. The company therefore did not make the requested changes.”

Google maintains it has not violated any laws.

“Our privacy policy respects European law and allows us to create simpler, more effective services. We have engaged fully with CNIL throughout this process and will continue to do so going forward,” Google spokeswoman Nadja Blagojevic told Al Jazeera in an email.

Now it is up to Google — which has no serious competition in the huge European market — to decide whether the relatively small fines are enough of an incentive to rethink its privacy rules.

However, the latest development puts some new pressure on Google, which is smarting from criticism over the fact that it provided customer data to the U.S. government as part of the fight against foreign threats.

The CNIL said five other European countries are taking similar steps in a staggered offensive against Google’s privacy policy since the end of July.

It said Google has largely ignored earlier recommendations from European regulators. Similar actions are underway in Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and the Netherlands.

Al Jazeera’s Massoud Hayoun contributed to this report, with The Associated Press

France to fine Google over privacy laws

minion — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 06:23:55 +0000

France said Friday it will fine Google Inc. up to 300,000 euros ($402,180) for allegedly breaking rules on data privacy.

Regulators also want Google to let users opt out of having their data centralized — for example, when data from online searches, Gmail and YouTube are crunched into a single location.

In a statement Friday, France’s National Commission on Computing and Freedom, known as CNIL, expressed its intent to formally sanction Google, a process that could take months.

Google maintains it has not violated any laws.

Now it is up to Google — which has no serious competition in the huge European market — to decide whether the relatively small fines are enough of an incentive to rethink its privacy rules.

The CNIL said five other European countries are taking similar steps in a staggered offensive against Google’s privacy policy since the end of July.

It said Google has largely ignored earlier recommendations from European regulators. Similar actions are underway in Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and the Netherlands.

Al Jazeera’s Massoud Hayoun contributed to this report, with The Associated Press