You’ve probably already heard about how scammers are using QR codes to “clickjack” smartphone users, but just in case you haven’t let’s refresh. “Clickjacking”, otherwise known as a User Interface Redress Attack, is one of the malicious ways that criminals are trying to use access points (like QR code scanning) to gain access to a user’s device or data.  It is primarily a browser security issue which exploits vulnerabilities or perhaps tricks the user into clicking on something that will produce an unintended effect.

But let’s not get on the “QR codes are dangerous” bandwagon; keep in mind, clickjacking operations are carried out in many other ways too.  For instance, if you’ve ever opened an official looking email, only to be redirected to an unfamiliar site, then you were almost a victim of clickjacking (unless you actually clicked on something, which would be bad to say the least).  A quick tip: always check the sender’s email address whenever you’re in doubt about the authenticity of that “official-looking email”.   Other examples of clickjacking include:

• Using Adobe Flash to trick users into enabling their webcam and/or microphone.
• Pushing users to make all of their personal data and information publicly accessible.
• Twitter “Phishing”
• “Likejacking” via Facebook.
• …and many others..

Needless to say, QR code-based Clickjacking (in particular) is very nefarious and is something that authorities and security specialist firms are dealing with even as we speak.  The ease with which a criminal can simply slap an official-looking QR code sticker somewhere, sometimes over the top of those pasted by legitimate business owners, is considerable.  But that doesn’t mean that you should avoid QR codes at all costs.  In fact, as one might expect, there are certain approaches or methods that people can use to protect themselves against these types of malicious attacks.

One of the most sensible and immediately accessible is preventative software.  Yes, there are software developers who specialize in creating programs and apps which are able to offer clickjacking protection.  Notable companies in this area include NoScript and Comitari.  Additionally, some users have reported that they were able to thwart potential security breaches by simply keeping their OS, flash and other components up-to-date.

There are even options which have emerged on the server-side of the equation which allow web site owners and admins to combat clickjacking.  For example, by utilizing “framekiller” (which is essentially a piece of JavaScript code that prevents frame-based webpage display) a person can prevent malicious attacks by disabling the frame-based portion of the attack itself. However, it should be noted that some criminals have wised up to this approach and have started using framekiller killer scripts. Not to worry however, as there are other methods of stopping them in their tracks for those who are more technically capable.

So, to quickly recap; make sure that you have your OS and/or browser up-to-date as well as any major programs and applications like Flash.  Also, always double check anything you scan or click on for authenticity whenever possible.  This includes not only QR codes that you run across on the street, which might be pasted on the side of a telephone pole, but also those which look legitimate and official.  Remember, if you see one code pasted on top of another one (as if someone simply placed a sticker on top of an ad, for instance) that is red flag and most likely a clickjacking attempt.  Do some research and determine which preventative programs are right for you, your OS, browser, and device as well.

QR code technology is actually a very convenient and wonderful way to instantly share virtually anything with anyone and we must not let the more unethical and immoral among us hijack it.  Until a major institution devises a way to shut down these criminals with a permanent solution, we’ll just have to learn to protect ourselves while attempting to educate others.   Heck, if someone was intuitive enough and had the foresight to start a specific social media campaign designed to create a database of attacks, vulnerabilities and even up to including a list of those who participate in this type of criminal activity (with evidence), we could (collectively) eliminate a very large percentage of clickjacking attempts (hint, hint).

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If you’re keeping up with news and developments in the world of big data, you’re probably already familiar with many of the common problems or hurdles which we are facing.  From computing limitations and complex, shifting data to exponential growth and a lack of “intelligent” systems capable of breaking down mammoth pools of information, there are plenty of pressing issues when it comes to big data.   Well, now it seems that an entirely new approach to dealing with big data is slowly emerging (although it’s still in a very formative state), we’re of course talking about the use of A.I. or Artificial Intelligence.

Utilizing A.I. doesn’t mean to imply that the machines will simply take over and begin organizing and analyzing big data without human intervention though.  Rest assured, we a long way away from autonomous artificial intelligence that has the capability to apply advanced reasoning.  However (or, perhaps in the mean time), it appears that there might be another potential use for certain types of cognitive computing, which would be cooperative assistance.

Given that machines are generally better at processing large volumes of data utilizing strict algorithms, and humans are more suited toward logic, reasoning and problem solving, it only makes sense for these two components to merge.  Just think of it this way, the A.I. does all of the parsing and segregation only stopping occasionally for human input and direction.  In other words, it would allow big data technicians to accurately process and analyze much larger reams of data while at the same time only having to focus on the truly important aspects, or on specific problems.

Perhaps the only thing standing in the way of this type of development is the lack of architectures and systems designed for this very purpose.  For example, IBM has already announced that we have entered what they have deemed the “cognitive systems era”; which is an era in which analytics and management are moving closer and closer toward storage and data itself.  In other words, we are moving closer toward a time where the concept of big data storage and analysis are virtually inseparable.

Arguably, it would be extremely beneficial to involve artificial intelligence systems into the big data field in a major way, especially given the cold, hard reality of increasing data aggregation.  Simply put, without the help of thinking machines, we might not be able to match pace with the extreme amount of data that’s continuously piling up.  Also, given that big data is being heralded as the “new oil or plastic” by tech gurus and commentators, it only makes sense to pursue some advanced methods for extracting value from these potential assets.

The main roadblocks to implementing and devising A.I. capable of helping us to carry out such tasks are many.  For instance, a machine wouldn’t just have to deal with the issues inherent to large data sets themselves (like a complete lack of organization), it would also have to learn to contend with other unexpected variables, some of them malicious in nature.  Humans make mistakes, they also occasionally create malevolent programs and viruses designed to wreak random havoc, the machines would have to learn to identify these variables in addition to run-of-the-mill file corruption and glitches in order to become truly useful big data tech assistants.

While scientists are busy trying to teach machines how to process information like the human brain does, some researchers are opting to focus on complex algorithmic sequences which perform certain tasks extremely well.  One of the more interesting goals is to produce software that might be capable of carrying on conversations with human beings, for use in either advanced research or creative problem solving.  Once again however, there are problems and limitations which are preventing us from initializing such an endeavor, power consumption being one of them.

Nevertheless, it’s quite easy to see how A.I.-based assistants might be able to help big data technicians break down and analyze big data in the coming years; after all, virtually all the elements needed to make it a reality are here already or are under development.  Moreover, if the concept ever truly takes hold, these artificial intelligence systems will in effect, learn from their mistakes (and their controller’s) which will only increase their total individual value.

What this might mean is, after a certain period of time, it’s within reason to assume that certain types (of A.I.) will develop advanced protocols for extracting value from big data.  If, or once this happens, it would be incredibly easy to copy this A.I. for use across the entire big data industry and beyond.  Furthermore, once a solid model that can be used for analyzing big data is widely available, there will be a greater number of participants utilizing the technology, which in turn means an even larger number of refined approaches may also emerge.

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Web analytics serve a very wide variety of purposes in today’s world of business, and it’s not just the big boys who are using these tools either.  Organizations of all shapes and sizes are looking to web analytics for answers to some of their most pressing problems, whether they are related to marketing or the effectiveness of teams or departments.

It is effective because most web analytics operations are carried out covertly (without alerting or informing users of what’s taking place behind the scenes), and thusly, they are able to gain greater insight into the minds of consumers and web users. Regardless, the purpose is to improve one’s understanding of web traffic and perhaps even improve web design in the process.

As far as IT is concerned, web analytics are extremely valuable tools which can be used to aid in developing better marketing strategies for a business.  In other words, for those IT departments who have staff on hand with direct training and/or experience with web analytics, it might be possible to significantly influence decision-making on the business end of the spectrum.   A lot of major companies are clearly aware of this and have been taking steps to ensure that they have specific teams within their IT establishment that are capable of delivering data which can be used to draw conclusions that might point toward better, or more-informed decision making.

Anyway, here is a list of what might be considered the top 5 free web analytics tools for generalized IT use:

Google analytics
Any list of analytics tools that doesn’t include something from Google is a bad list.  Right from the beginning, Google has been offering what is arguably the most valuable web analytics suite on the market to its customers for free.  Furthermore, Google analytics is widely considered to be one of the simplest services to use, and touts usage by over 50% of the world’s most influential and popular websites.  In short, no list of great web analytics is complete without Google.

Compete
While compete.com’s services are not all completely free, they do offer some great tools for accumulating useful information about traffic volume and so forth.  For those businesses that are ready to increase their budgets for web analytics however, they also offer a service that is able to identify your most eventful and influential keywords.

Facebook Insights
It could very well be said that Facebook is a company that built its value from their ability to capitalize on insights garnered from the use of web analytics.  So it should really come as no surprise that they would have one of the better free web analytics tools out there available for users to freely implement.  Given that this handy tool allows you to directly tap into real Facebook stats (and Facebook itself remains one of the most popular social media avenues), it’s clear to see where the value is and why it might be useful in the context of business.

Yahoo web analytics
Like Google, Yahoo is another company that’s built their empire around search algorithms, new technologies and strategic alliances with other companies.  Their web analytics offerings could possibly be even more useful that Google’s for certain types of users who like to get creative in their methods.  There is even a feature that let’s users gain access to real-time data, which would be extremely useful for those who are always in the process of creating new pages / sites and testing others for progress.

Twitalyzer
Twitter has exploded in popularity in recent times and clearly, they are doing more than a few things right when it comes to social media.  Since Twitter is now basically influencing the web in its entirety, it only makes sense (for businesses that are savvy enough to actually use Twitter) for organizations to use it as a resource.  Twitalyzer.com allows you to gain much greater insights as to the widespread effect that your account is having throughout the “Twittersphere”.

Hopefully, the aforementioned 5 web analytics tools will allow you and your company to not only keep tabs on your progress throughout the web at large as well as in various social media venues.  The overall effectiveness of your entire web-based operation might hinge on the ability of your IT department to provide solid intelligence gathered via web analytics.  After all, why make an uniformed decision when you can make an informed one, right?

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Since Agile-based development has emerged we’ve seen an increased demand for sweeping changes in the IT culture itself.  As you are no doubt already aware, a recurrent problem with most IT operations is that significant problems can often emerge from simply altering one line of code (or, making minute adjustments on the development side of the fence).  Ideally, you’d want to be able to simply make any necessary changes, test it for functionality, and move on with your life and career.  However, this isn’t how things tend to turn out, is it?

Often times, these small alterations will create serious problems and keep a large number of employees engaged for weeks at a time.  In some of the more extreme examples, all of those on the development end are fighting amongst themselves for solutions while taking flak from management and those on the operational side of things.  Meanwhile, those in operations are also bearing the brunt of their managers while they’re also trying to deal with unruly customers and the development team as well.  Needless to say, this isn’t a situation that any IT operation or business wants to find themselves in.  Perhaps a better question to ask is how can this be avoided?

Ideally, if everything that left the development team’s hands were absolutely perfect, then these issues wouldn’t exist.  However, due to the fact that nearly everything is always in a constant state of flux or change, such a goal is virtually impossible.  This is because the needs of customers and clients can often change without warning; also, current components often needed to be upgraded and new technologies are being integrated all the time.  In short, for any development team to achieve “continual perfection”, they’d need to be omniscient (or, “all knowing”).

Of course, it is impossible for anyone to be able to perfectly predict future changes, which brings us to the notion of increased cooperation, which is what DevOps essentially is.  To put it simply, DevOps is all about bringing those on the development side of any operation into direct contact and collaboration with those on the operational side of the equation.  It just makes perfect sense; rather than having developers guess which features customers or operators might need, or relying on impractical tests which don’t indicate functionality in the real world, DevOps breaks down the silos and brings everyone together to deal with problems as a group.

Does this mean that everyone is crazy about DevOps?  Of course not; some people (as you well know) are opposed to change and others simply don’t grasp the concept of why they need to hear considerations from those who don’t know how to perform their duties.  But when you look at the positive impact that DevOps has already had on IT culture, it’s difficult to turn away from it.

Exploring DevOps

What is DevOps really all about?  Look no further than the acronym, CAMS:

• Culture – In this instance, culture refers to the routines, processes and general methods / atmosphere that inform the IT community.
• Automation – Once you’ve built a solid culture, the components need to run projects often come together in the form of automation.  What’s important here?  Release management, configuration management, provisioning, monitoring, systems integration, control, and orchestration are all important facets of Automation.
• Measurement – The only way you can really know about the effects of any particular action you have to measure, correct?  It is through near-constant measuring that those in DevOps are able to gain more instantaneous access to critical data indicating whether or not their actions are successful or not.
• Sharing – If DevOps is to be truly successful, then sharing and communication among all involved parties is a must (as is trust).

In all reality, DevOps should be able to better align the abilities of IT with broader business goals as well as help reduce the threat of potential risks (structural and financial).  Likewise, DevOps couldn’t have come onto the scene at a better time, given that state of the global economy, that is.  For larger businesses in particular, it is often the threat of unforeseen risks which pose significant threat to short and long-term business goals.  For example, just think about how many times you’ve read a financial / tech headline involving losses at a major company; notice how not paying attention minor details during a new product release can often cause an entire corporation’s stock price to dip down.

Is DevOps the future of IT?  On paper, it certainly seems that way; however it’s really impossible to tell what the future holds. The entire IT industry could greatly benefit from a shift away from isolation; likewise the culture itself would certainly become more energized through increased collaboration, don’t you agree?  In a way, the increased adoption of DevOps is a choice that the entire IT industry will have to make for itself.  Regardless of what direction is ultimately taken, DevOps is certainly one of the more promising propositions to come along in quite a while; let’s hope things work out for the best.

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