Explore the latest trends and find our updates on all you need to know about what is happening in the world of web and technology.
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Data breach via unauthorized access has inflicted a revenue damage of nearly $3.86 million to the financial condition of companies worldwide. In similar context, the year-wise global average cost of data breach was reportedly about $3.62 in 2017, $3.86 in 2018, and $3.92 in 2019.
The degree of vulnerability to data breach depends largely upon the attack surface that targets the parts of system defenselessly exposed to unamortized users. The point is, we risk vulnerability of data breach because of unawareness of the loopholes lying unattended in the security system.
Therefore, knowledge about any such vulnerability that a defenseless data system poses is the first step to devise some of the corrective measures to neutralize data breach attempts made by malicious spyware.
One of such measures requires deployment of threat intelligence system. The working method of this system is to mitigate the possibility of hacking to a data system and help you conceive informed decisions regarding how to roll out reinforcement measures for securing crucial data. A common understanding behind data vulnerability is the harmful spyware appearing as friendly in the host system.
If we study the anatomy of data breach, we conclude that it is attempted as driven by different motives, as explained in the following image.
A form of cyber-attack known as Remote Code Execution (RCE) enables the hacker to remotely access your device while the malicious programs assume absolute control of your compromised device.
With countless varieties of malignant spyware emerging in a new avatar, the threat to data security on Cloud or in analog systems looms large more than ever.
And Pegasus spyware is the most lingering threat to a data breach in today's highly connected digital world. You will be surprised to know that the modus-operandi of Pegasus is based on the RCE pattern of launching a pernicious attack on vulnerable systems.
An Israeli technology firm known as NSO Group Technologies (NSO) developed Pegasus spyware that one can install on any smartphone running on iOS and Android platforms. The far-reaching danger of this spyware lies in its capability of exploiting all the latest iOS versions, a data breach of great precision.
Imagine the gravity of damage it could render on data privacy of a user's information saved in devices like PC, phones, tablets, and other digitally connected gadgets, once the spyware penetrates the system.
Pegasus is programmatically designed to-
The name Pegasus given to this spyware is originated from a Greek mythological character of the same name. So, basically, it is a Trojan horse computer virus capable of infecting cell phones and compromising their crucial data.
In 2016, Ahmed Mansoor, an Arab human rights defender, received a text message, prompting him to follow a link containing some 'secrets' about torturing of prisoners in the UAE's prisons. Doubtful of the nature of the link, he sent it to the Citizen Lab for investigation and thence it was revealed as a malicious attack masquerading as friendly link in the device of Mansoor.
The team of Citizen Lab, in collaboration with the US-based Lookout, Inc. concluded that the spyware would have jailbroken Mansoor's phone had he opened the link, as doing so would have triggered implantation of the spyware in his phone.
Eventually, the lab reported that the dangerous cyber-attack was linked to the NSO Group.
The presence of Pegasus in India was first reported by The Wire declaring that the phone numbers of more than 40 Indian journalists were on a hacking list of an anonymous agency using Pegasus.
The point is, the use of Pegasus is worldwide and is under the radar for being the "most sophisticated" spyware attack ever on phones.
Pegasus is undoubtedly a rising global threat in an era where data security of people and corporate entities is of paramount importance. The reason Pegasus is a global threat to data privacy is because of seamless working capacity of the spyware qualifying it to become relatively more dangerous than other spyware breaching the data security system of phones.
For instance, with Pegasus spyware, you can remotely and covertly extract data from virtually any mobile devices and of course it rules out any interaction by the target, as it features zero-click installations achievable in different ways, including the over-the-air (OTA) option to infect the recipient device with the spyware.
Although the main victim of Pegasus has been iPhones by targeting Apple's default iMessage app and the Push Notification Service (APNs) protocol, yet its android version is also dangerous and can breach the data of a user's smartphone by impersonating an app downloaded to it and then transmitting itself as push notifications via the device's servers.
Considering the long sordid history of malicious spyware attacks that continue uninterrupted, it's high time certain preventive measures brought in place to ensure security of your data. And its imperative, considering a sophisticated piece of spyware like Pegasus inflict against pernicious pattern of targeted surveillance using zero-day exploits in which the basic operation security of victim device come under absolute control of the spyware.
Data breach through malicious spyware attacks has caused enormous revenue loss to companies from around the world, along with compromising their precious confidential data. Pegasus is the most sophisticated spyware being weaponized by hackers to target defenseless security systems of corporate entities and vulnerable devices of individual users.
Under such circumstances, maintaining tangible steps can help you evade the attack of even a sophisticated piece of spyware like Pegasus from getting your devices infected.
Though the lack of fail-safe measures augments the chance for data breach of your business and devices, adopting proactive measures as suggested above are at least better than resorting to the defeatist views that we are defenseless to Pegasus.
As of now, Pegasus spyware certainly assumes a lingering threat to the data breach with serious consequences, including corruption of database and leaking of private information or theft of intellectual property of businesses.
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Ragnarok is a ransomware gang that came into spotlights when they penetrated unpatched Citrix ADC servers and caused mayhem among the victim organizations. It also launched an attack against Sophos Firewall devices.
The term "ransomware" here stands for a malware or malicious software that employs encryption by infecting a host computer thereby paralyzing users' access to it until a ransom is paid to unlock the hacked system.
The basic working mechanism of Ragnarok is to penetrate a vulnerable target and for this, it uses a variety of exploits. Once the system is breached and the ransomware controls its internal network, the resulting effect of encrypting servers and workstations of the hacked system starts to happen.
Eventually, the ransomware steals the files and threatens the victims to leak confidential data until they pay a ransom. The victim organizations have either to refuse the ransom and see their sensitive data leaked on the web portal or pay the money as a saving grace.
The infamous Ragnarok ransomware cybercriminals appear to have shut down its operations and embraced retirement followed by the release of a universal decryption key for its past victims whose firms were located in Hong Kong, Spain, France, Estonia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Thailand, the US, Malaysia, and Italy.
In fact, the victims of Ragnarok gang were spread across numerous industries ranging from legal services to manufacturing companies.
Most of the leading sources have claimed that the Ragnarok group abruptly terminated its operations and released the tools for the victim organizations to unlock the encrypted files.
First of all, Ragnarok ransomware spreads through phishing emails containing malicious attachments. It may also come through drive-by downloading when a user unintentionally visits a malware-infected website, download the malware and install into the system. When Ragnarok ransomware attacks a system and makes it infected, the victim gets an intimidating message on the screen asking for ransom to decrypt the file or else they will lead the sensitive data on the web portal.
A possible reason indicates to the recent backlash from the US government which branded ransomware a national security threat. That may have caused the ransomware groups to shut down their operations by adopting self-destruction tactics to avoid getting apprehended. Therefore, either they may have succumbed to the government's threat or they might be rebranding and may reemerge under a new name.
The Ragnarok ransomware and its potential threat to the global companies may seem to have come to an abrupt end for now, however, considering the mounting number of cybersecurity threats from all around the world, anything can't be said for sure as to whether threats like Ragnarok ransomware won't remerge.
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The most unique trait of innovation in technology is that anything trendy today can't remain in vogue tomorrow. Point is, emerging technologies are often the replacement of their counterparts that have either gone outdated or have lost their charms to impassive users.
And DTube is one such innovation in streaming technology, a potential alternative to YouTube.
No doubt, video-streaming on YouTube is quite a sublime experience for viewers. Even in an era of digitally dominated streaming sites like Netflix and Amazon Prime, YouTube holds its sway over millions of fans who use the platform to upload and monetize their videos, promote their business, and watch videos for infotainment.
One of the reasons why DTube is different from YouTube is that it is a decentralized video network compared to YouTube that relies heavily on centrally collected videos which the video sites like YouTube send to devices on demand.
Here is the breakdown of what DTube stands for, its working mechanism, but before we discuss them, let's talk about how online video sites typically work.
Most streaming video platforms including YouTube work based on centralized system.
The video content you upload on YouTube is technically uploaded on to its servers. The uploaded video is searchable through the search function of YouTube, which then allows your video content to stream on devices in whatever format it thinks is best.
The thing to understand here is any centralized video network like YouTube offers the same content to all the devices. This is one of the issues found in the centralized services.
The one glaring issue with YouTube is that users don't have any control over the fate of their videos that they upload on the site.
Since the videos are technically saved on to YouTube's servers, as a user or uploader, you can't control if the video is removed from the site due to copyright strike or any issue that YouTube finds is in violation of its regulations.
Basically, it is the prerogative of the site as to what should be allowed on its platform. As a user, you don't have such privileges.
Besides, if you want to monetize your YouTube videos through advertising, you are not entitled to decide what is fair to monetize and what isn't. As a content creator, you may also spot some discrepancies that YouTube maintain, like deleting some YouTube channels overnight.
Therefore, we can say a centralized video site like YouTube could be a bad idea to choose.
Then why are people using YouTube, if this is so bad?
Well, not all the people. Some of them have opted for DTube.
DTube or Decentralized tube is a video platform similar to YouTube developed in the form of an application on top of Steemit - a social media platform based on blockchain.
Being a decentralized video service platform means DTube rules out unfortunate deletion of the data of the content creators. It doesn't allow censoring of video content by any third-party unrelated to the DTube community. It gives monetary reward to users for creating and uploading video content.
As a user, you don't have to depend on adverts to make money from your DTube videos, as the money accrues through cryptocurrency. Videos get ranked based on direct user feedback than by any hidden algorithm.
It means DTube doesn't function under any third-party governing authority as it has no central servers. The content you upload is stored on a blockchain. The thing about blockchain is that it is protected by immutable cryptographic signature known as a hash. It simply means no hacker can penetrate to blockchain system. And therefore, user's data is safe.
The benefits of blockchain-backed DTube are-
One of the best features of DTube is that this video site doesn't have ads. Therefore, users can take pleasure of pure viewing experience without being disrupted with commercial ads/messages.
Since the platform operates based on DTube Coin ($DTC) that's a digital currency, it, therefore, eliminates traditional ads. Your upvotes or downvotes determine the worth of a video.
Videos gaining the rounds receive $DTC and it is paid into the creator's wallet.
The dreadful thing about uploading videos on YouTube is you have no idea when your videos can be removed or hacked. DTube, on other hand, allows you enjoy a full-fledged security of your video properties on its platform.
Since it is operated without any central server, it means users' videos can't be hacked. Whether you post your videos with your identity revealed to public views or under pseudonyms, the fact is there is no chance that your videos will be deleted, hacked or leaked.
The thing about YouTube is that it values your videos on its platform based on the view counts. And accordingly it evaluates the monetary value of your videos. On the other hand, a video uploaded on DTube doesn't have view counts, but a detail of how much has been generated for its uploader.
YouTube does a metadata analysis to recommend videos to its broader audience base at any given time. This means the platform doesn't have any idea who or what will watch the recommended videos.
On the other hand, DTube videos are recommended based on upvotes and user views.
The main thing about technological innovation is that new things emerge which replace or outshine their counterparts. Between YouTube and DTube, we see a tug of war which video site outshine its counterpart.
While YouTube is surely the world's second largest search engine, DTube is an emerging video streaming platform with potentiality to substitute YouTube for content creators who like iron-clad security, safety of their data and community support, etc.
Do you agree that DTube can replace YouTube? Or is it an uphill battle for the video site to be on top?
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Businesses across digital marketing landscape can't manage to ensure longevity of their lifespan if they are not fully aware of what their customers think about them as a brand personality.
Customers persona, therefore, is very essential for any business owner.
It is even more critical in the context of today's intensifying market competition that requires every business to arm itself with better understanding of their customers and target prospects, in terms of their behaviors, interests, likes & dislikes, and things that drive them to make a purchasing decision.
Content marketing has a key role in setting the course of success meant for your digital-driven business.
As a brand, it is expected of you to have a huge volume of data silos consisting of valuable customer information. And you are supposed to understand how to tap into the information, gain deep insights of your customers, and solve their problems by offering them personalized service experience.
This "personalized service experience" is a marketing method carrying an underlying motive of enabling your brand to get under the skin of your customers. A marketing undertone of this method also includes winning you a large base of loyal and trusted customers willing to vouch for your brand to anyone.
In addition, you are also supposed to make out the motive of your competitors as to what they are planning and strategizing to win customers' favor. This approach will help you brainstorm strategies you can use to pan out a unique buyer persona of your brand amidst the growing number of your rivals.
Content marketing is one of the key strategies you can apply in refining your brand persona all across social channels and digital spheres.
Here are four values that content marketing offers for you to understand your customers better and build a brand with unmistakable identity on the digital spheres.
A part of content marketing strategy is developing a customer-oriented marketing approach by incorporating personalized messages, products, content, and more drivers that resonate with the discretion of your customers. Eventually, they get to understand what you are offering is exactly what they have been looking for.
Moreover, content marketing helps you map out a very strategical approach called customer-oriented organization that carries the maxim of improving your brand's relationship with customers by prioritizing their preferences first.
This is the same content marketing strategy that helps your brand improve customer retention rate, an important factor to improve the credibility of your digital establishment among your customers and for target prospects. When customers start to believe that you are giving them special treatment or honoring their preferences by putting their needs first, the likelihood of your brand creating a massive base of loyal customers is bound to happen.
The report indicates that 90% of customers really like the idea of personalization, whereas 80% of the customers expressed their interests in doing business with the brand that maintains a personalized approach.
An important way of understanding your customers is using the insight of their perceptions they cultivate about your brand. Test them and refine the resulting data using advanced targeting capabilities of social channels.
When you tap into the power of social media in target-segmenting of customers, the resulting data helps you optimize segmenting target prospects from people based on the factor of how they respond to your content marketing approaches.
For example, a tool called Audience Insights of Facebook can help you gather significant understanding of your buyer persona, along with crucial data related to their geography, demographics and purchase behavior.
The use of content marketing, in this context, is imperative, in terms of engaging custom audiences of the people with unique content and reach out to new prospects with mutual interests similar to your existing customers.
To make content marketing strategy more useful in retaining customers and reaching out to prospects, use surveys, quizzes and customized customer experiences to amass a huge volume of data reflecting a holistic customers' insights.
At the end of the day, such voluminous data will help your brand segment people based on the type of content they engage with.
Here's how HubSpot portrays some basic information about buyer persona.
A key role of content marketing includes building a network of loyal customers, which is quite an important part of a successful branding. Unlike those brands in pursuit of winning new customers than focusing on existing ones, your focus should be providing brand content enlightening the existing customers, and win their trust, eventually.
For your content marketing to be successful in accomplishing that feat, it has to be consistent, along with a certain degree of personalization. You can use the CRM system to understand your audience and offer customized brand content based on their location, purchasing history, and other information. The data can also help you devise an effectual content campaign centralizing around a customer's interests.
A big reason behind building the trust of customers is how promptly you respond to their grievances, or queries. One of the rules of engagement dictates that 42% of customers want a brand to respond to them on social channel within an hour.
Take a look how Comcast did that.
A major role of content marketing is building a long-lasting user experience for your brand. Brand content in the form of engaging and interactive videos, infographics, blogs, and animation can bring forth a lifetime value of your brand, aside from building a long-lasting user-experience that can turn your core customers into loyal supports of your brand.
An important role of content marketing for your digital brand is helping you understand your customers better. This is an imperative part of building trust and encouraging loyalty of your customers, aside from creating positive persona of your brand in the market.
This becomes even more important, in light of intensifying competition, in which every brand spare no pains in promulgating its presence all over the web world.
In this context, strategies which are well-devised and implemented can empower your content marketing - the resulting effect of which can help you understand your customers better, and outshine your brand presence far and wide on digital spheres.
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The Best mobile app development process is a serious game, and if you don't approach it in the right way, then the hours and dollars you spend will become for naught. From such components as competitive analysis to app store optimization, the infographic should prove useful for any companies or individuals out there hoping the develop the next big, successful app.
29 Sep
2021
3
min read
