Oil and gas companies accelerated their adoption of internet of things (IoT) during 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A survey from Inmarsat reported that 74% of those participating in the survey had deployed at least one IoT project. In the 12 months from the second quarter of 2020, 44% took this step.
Of the 26% that had not yet adopted any IoT projects, all are trialling or planning to try this out within the next two years.
Inmarsat issued a report today, Industrial IoT in the Time of Covid-19, based on interviews with 450 respondents. These came from a range of industries, including electrical utilities, mining, transport and oil and gas. Companies from the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific participated in the survey.
Inmarsat’s market development manager Damian Lewis linked the use of IoT with the demands of oil and gas. Much activity in the sector “takes place in some of the world’s most remote and inhospitable conditions”, he said. Adopting IoT allows “oil and gas businesses have to increase their ability to monitor, manage and automate remotely”.
The results from the oil and gas companies linked the adoption of IoT with challenges posed by COVID-19. 81% of respondents said the intended to accelerate this work.
This included 51% who had already accelerated their adoption of this technology. The rest are planning to move in this direction.
Continuity crunch
Inmarsat said the 51% – those who had already moved into IoT – were less likely to report negative impact from COVID-19 on their operational ability. This, the report said, demonstrates that IoT is linked to business continuity.
Continue reading: https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandgas/351245/oil-companies-iot-covid-19/

Transporting blood samples, Germany
Wingcopter drones recently transported blood samples over a distance of 26 kilometres in the German state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. The drones' flight time was 18 minutes on average, nearly twice as fast as ground-based transport. 
The use of Wingcopter drones could significantly speed up emergency medical care in rural areas which could help save lives, particularly in the event of a blood transfusion being needed at short notice. 
The flights were carried out by Greifswald University Medical Centre, with the aim of establishing permanent flight connections between the medical centre and hospitals in the surrounding area as soon as possible. 
Drones are also to be used to support first responders on site, for example by quickly transporting medication, transfusions, or emergency medical equipment such as defibrillators to the scene of an accident.
Wingcopter is already engaged with the NGO WeRobotics to deliver medical goods to hard-to-reach parts of the world. 
Delivering COVID-19 vaccines, India
Indian drone company Skye Air is running a trial to deliver COVID-19 vaccines in the southern state of Telangana. As part of the 'Medicines in the Sky' project, the drones are delivering the supplies packaged in temperature-controlled boxes within a 12 km range, taking around 18 minutes to arrive. 
With vast remote areas and challenging weather events, it is hoped drones will help the Indian government achieve its target of vaccinating 950 million adults by the end of 2021. 
Skye Air is running the trials with Dunzo Digital, a hyper-local on-demand delivery service startup backed by Google.  India's Ministry of Civil Aviation relaxed rules for drone flights this year, giving the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) conditional exemption from national drone rules.
Disease control, Philippines and Malaysia
In 2013 the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine embarked on a programme to track the progression of malaria in the Philippines and Malaysia
Cotninue reading: https://healthcareglobal.com/technology-and-ai/3-ways-drones-are-impacting-healthcare

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) — known commonly as drones — were originally a tool solely for the military.
Now they’re used regularly for civilian purposes such as photography, monitoring traffic and fighting fires, said Janarthan Sivarajah, senior new business manager, professional liability, with Toronto-based Zensurance.
As with most flying objects, drones are prone to accidents. According to the Canadian Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System, 779 drone incidents were reported between 2014 and 2018. Furthermore, 30% of those incidents were reported within one nautical mile of an airport.
As a result, insurance is a must, whether your clients are flying drones for work or for play.
First, there’s insuring for the physical damage of the UAV itself. “Say it crashes into a building and it’s damaged, lost or stolen,” Sivarajah said. “We can insure the actual drone.”
More important is third-party liability. “That protects you from any bodily injury or property damage from the use of the drone,” he said. For example, injuries can occur from a drone landing (or crashing) into a person’s vehicle — or the person. “If your drone runs out of power and crashes into an individual, [the insurance] will cover the injury, as well as any medical expenses associated with that injury.”
Similar to other insurance types, drone coverage can come with extensions such as invasion of privacy. “If you’re a photographer and flying drones, there’s a chance of invasion of privacy if you take a photo of someone you don’t have a right to.”
There’s also a cyber extension. A photographer using a UAV will have digital assets, Sivarajah said. “If the drone gets stolen, lost or damaged, are they able to recoup the costs for those assets?”
And consider noise liability. “[Say] your drone causes too much noise and your neighbour complains and there’s a lawsuit against that,” he said.
In other words, the nature of the UAV use will determine the right amount of coverage and the type, Sivarajah said.
Continue reading: https://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/insurance/eyes-in-the-sky-coverage-for-drone-usage-1004212694/

The energy sector is rapidly adopting unmanned systems to improve business outcomes and worker safety.  Learn more about how they do it in this week’s Dawn of Drones podcast!
Original article: https://dronelife.com/2021/09/21/energy-drones-and-robotics-this-week-on-dawn-of-drones/

With millions of Internet of Things (IoT) devices from phones to smart home censors flooding the market every year, effective cybersecurity to help mitigate risks to devices is vital. New guidance from The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), IoT Non-Technical Supporting Capability Core Baseline (NISTIR 8259B), is intended to help manufacturers identify the non-technical capabilities they need to support device and system cybersecurity controls and to communicate with customers and third parties effectively. NISTIR 8259B is one of four documents recently released by NIST to help manufacturers and federal agencies manage cybersecurity, which include IoT Device Cybersecurity Guidance for the Federal Government: Establishing IoT Device Cybersecurity Requirements (SP 800-213), Creating a Profile Using the IoT Core Baseline and Non-Technical Baseline (NISTIR 8259C), and Profile Using the IoT Core Baseline and Non-Technical Baseline for the Federal Government (NISTIR 8259D).
The guidance notes that “both device cybersecurity capabilities and non-technical supporting capabilities are vital to customers’ abilities to achieve their needs and goals.” While IoT devices are typically secured through technological capabilities, NISTIR 8259B focuses on the non-technical supporting capabilities that “that manufacturers or third parties take in support of the initial and ongoing security of IoT devices.” The guidance identifies four primary non-technical areas of cybersecurity:

• Documentation, which ensures that customers and third parties have the information they need to ensure their device and its data are secure;
• Information and query reception, which helps businesses respond to questions customers and others may have about a device’s security and operation;
• Information dissemination, which ensures that customers are kept in the loop about any newly discovered security issues or device or related systems updates; and
• Education and awareness, to assist customers and others in understanding how to secure and protect IoT software, hardware, and systems.

Continue reading: https://www.natlawreview.com/article/nist-lays-out-cybersecurity-guidance-non-technical-supporting-capabilities-related

Computers are faster, smaller and more affordable than ever before. More interestingly, they are being integrated into many consumer products, making everything from our beds to wristwatches smarter, Internet of Things-ready and capable of doing automated tasks. These “smart” devices are proliferating faster than you might expect, with smartwatches becoming one of the largest groups of connected devices, according to data from my company.
However, I’ve seen firsthand through my company’s AI cybersecurity platform that many IoT devices are not sufficiently protected against cyberattacks. Some devices lack even the most basic security measures. As a result, IoT-based cyberattacks are becoming more frequent. For example, variations of the Mirai botnet have infected countless consumer IoT devices since 2016.
This is disturbing, knowing that IoT devices are becoming more and more popular. This makes a large part of the domestic population at risk of having their home network security compromised if steps are not taken to secure their IoT devices.
Vulnerable connected devices are also a threat to businesses, especially considering bring-your-own-device campaigns and hybrid work arrangements where employees use their own devices to access corporate networks.
Today, dozens of IoT device categories are vying for their place under the sun, and while some devices that have a history of security issues might not be gaining a lot of popularity, I’ve seen wearables emerge as one of the most popular IoT devices and believe they could become a target for malicious actors.
Overall cybersecurity depends on IoT security.
The Mirai botnet attack had a significant impact on internet usability back in 2016 and showed why vulnerable IoT devices can be a threat to key infrastructure. It should have been a wakeup call for IoT manufacturers and the wider public. Unfortunately, I’ve found that some manufacturers continue making devices with severe security issues, such as open ports or hard-coded root passwords.
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/09/21/what-does-the-consumer-iot-market-tell-us-about-security/?sh=7b49e1005495

The Biden administration on Tuesday unveiled sanctions against a cryptocurrency exchange over its alleged role in enabling illegal payments from ransomware attacks, officials said, part of a broader crackdown on the growing threat.
The Treasury Department accused Suex OTC, S.R.O. of facilitating transactions involving illicit proceeds for at least eight ransomware variants, its first such move against a virtual currency exchange over ransomware activity.
"Exchanges like Suex are critical to attackers' ability to extract profits from ransomware attackers," Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in a call with reporters previewing the announcement on Monday evening. The action "is a signal of our intention to expose and disrupt the illicit infrastructure using these attacks."
Hackers use ransomware to take down systems that control everything from hospital billing to manufacturing. They stop only after receiving hefty payments, typically in cryptocurrency.
This year, ransomware gangs have hit numerous important U.S. companies in large scale hacks. One such attack on pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline led to temporary fuel supply shortages on the U.S. East Coast. Hackers also targeted an Iowa-based agricultural firm, sparking fears of disruptions to grain harvesting in the Midwest.
In 2020 ransomware payments reached over $400 million, more than four times the level in 2019, Anne Neuberger, deputy national security adviser for cyber, told reporters on the call.
The threat has grown so prominent that U.S. President Joe Biden reportedly told Russian President Vladimir Putin during a July meeting that "critical infrastructure" companies should be off limits to ransomware gangs. Such groups often operate from Russia or Ukraine, according to cybersecurity experts and federal prosecutors.
Continue reading: https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/biden-sanctions-cryptocurrency-exchange-over-ransomware-attacks-2021-09-21/

• Private blockchains are typically more efficient than public, however, private blockchains usually substitute speed for decentralization.
• Public blockchain are widely adopted due to the network effect and the ability to instantly provide goods or services to anyone connected to the public infrastructure
• Hybrid blockchains are advantageous as they allow users to control the privacy policies of data while reducing the impact on scalability.
• A a well-designed multichain privacy framework will allow developers to keep most of their existing codebases intact and with a little elbow grease and modifications, identify the privacy components and then bridge these via Liminal  

Blockchain has become a bit of a buzzword in the last few years and for a good reason. This technology has notable ramifications for how a wide variety of industries conduct business. Already there are dozens of examples of companies utilizing blockchain in industries ranging from financial services to supply chain management and energy distribution. However, not all blockchains are created equal; there are some important differences between public blockchains that anyone can use and private ones controlled internally by an organization. For most businesses, there are pros and cons for going either route, but it’s increasingly looking like needing to choose may soon be a thing of the past. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of using blockchain for business solutions, describing the differences between public and private versions of this technology in practice. We’ll also talk about a new type of chain — a hybrid of private and public chains which takes the benefits of both to create a truly versatile platform with no compromises. Lastly, we’ll take a look at the actual use cases for hybrid blockchains and how they could be deployed in real-world situations.
The case for blockchain
Over the last decade, more and more businesses have begun to explore the opportunities afforded by blockchain technology. Thanks to the overall speed and low transaction costs, not to mention the security and immutability, these networks provide multiple benefits in the areas of data management, financial tracking, value transfers, and much more. This is why companies like BMW are already implementing blockchain for a variety of business solutions, including digital car passports and supply chain management.
However, not all blockchains are created equal. Businesses have always required a reasonable degree of privacy as well as control over their networks. Since the popularisation of the internet, and the advance of eCommerce, it’s been essential that companies protect their systems from outside attackers, both to preserve their workflow but also any sensitive information they might be storing. Hence, as blockchain technology becomes integrated into the modern digital workplace, it is only logical that private networks are often seen as preferable for many organizations. 
This is no big surprise — especially given that some of the main selling points of blockchain include a completely transparent ledger containing all data as well as the ability to move value around. And it’s clear why a business wouldn’t want just anyone to be able to access their internal network. This way, the company gets many of the benefits of the novel tech but can remain opaque to most of the world.
Continue reading: https://www.infoq.com/articles/enterprise-private-public-blockchains/

Elizabeth Kolade is a cybersecurity analyst with the Defence Space Administration, Nigeria. She has expertise in incident handling and response, open source intelligence, and cyber diplomacy, and has been involved in the strategy, creation and implementation of security measures and the delivery of cybersecurity awareness across critical organizations. She has embarked on numerous campaigns to promote end-user security education in and outside Nigeria.
Elizabeth is a Fellow of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and has been a part of several multistakeholder engagements on cybersecurity within and beyond Africa. In 2020, Elizabeth was listed as one of the Top 50 Women in Cybersecurity in Africa. She is a long-serving member of the Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN) and remains an avid advocate for the education of women in technology.
Julian Hall (JH): What are the most pressing issues in the cybersecurity sector right now?
Elizabeth Kolade (EK): The rise of ransomware. Ransomware has become somewhat lucrative, as we have witnessed an increased willingness on the part of victims to pay demands. While end-user awareness is increasing, attacks are still on the rise. This may be as a result of the relevant staff not implementing measures to tackle the problems they have faced.
Continue reading: https://www.darkreading.com/physical-security/elizabeth-kolade-on-how-ai-is-a-double-edged-sword-the-challenge-of-harmonizing-cyber-and-physical-security

In his keynote, Brandon Torres Declet, CEO of AgEagle, spoke to solution providers calling upon them to continue to innovate and to end users to invest saying:
“My call to action is, let's not wait. There’s no need to wait anymore to make real investments in drone technology and deploying it at scale. I think we have proven the value, time and time again, and we've done the math and can show the cost savings and value so now's the time to step up and really make those investments.”
Commercial UAV News caught up with Torres Declet after his speech to discuss why this is the time for end users to invest, how the industry can innovate, and other key takeaways from the discussion.
Continue reading: https://www.commercialuavnews.com/forestry/brandon-torres-declet-it-is-time-for-end-users-to-invest-in-drones

The autonomous BVLOS drones market is gaining traction, as the applications of these autonomous BVLOS drones are increasing, in tandem with the increasing need for enhancing efficiency and industrial productivity. Currently, the military segment has the largest market share in the autonomous BVLOS drones market. Autonomous drones are being used for various purposes in the military, like aerial warfare and ISR applications. The revenues have been higher from the military segment, as militaries mostly use large UAVs with higher unit prices. In addition to the existing models of autonomous BVLOS drones, new drones are also being produced.  The use of autonomous BVLOS drones was mainly limited to the military in the past. However, presently, these drones are being vigorously adopted for commercial purposes, for aerial mapping, surveying, and inspection purposes over long distances. In addition, the increasing demand for last-mile drone delivery is boosting the autonomous BVLOS drones market in the civil and commercial sector, which is expected to propel the segment to register a higher CAGR during the forecast period.  According to report from ResearchAndMarkets The autonomous BVLOS drones market is projected to register a CAGR of more than 15% through 2025.  Active stocks in the markets this week include Plymouth Rock Technologies Inc. (OTCQB: PLRTF) (CSE: PRT), Ambarella, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMBA), Raytheon Technologies (NYSE: RTX), General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX).
The report also said that "North America will Continue to Dominate the Autonomous BVLOS Drones Market through 2025.  In 2019, North America held the largest market share in the autonomous BVLOS drones market. The demand from the United States has been the prime reason for the large share of the market. In the United States, autonomous BVLOS drones are being used for many applications. While most of the demand is from the military, progress is being made toward integrating small drones into the airspace and obtaining the necessary regulatory approval of BVLOS flights from the FAA.
Continue reading: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/north-america-continues-to-dominate-the-autonomous-bvlos-drones-market-301381099.html

Snowdonia Aerospace is pleased to announce a new permanent Danger Area around Llanbedr Airfield has been approved by the CAA to support the ongoing development of novel aerospace systems in the UK, including drones-for-good, the next generation of electric air mobility vehicles and space launch and recovery systems.
Following completion of a formal 24-month CAP1616 airspace change process, the new Danger Area (DA), EG D217, is available with immediate effect (September 2021) and provides a unique mix of inshore, offshore, coastal lowland and mountain operational test environments and a corridor connecting to a further 7000 sq. km of additional airspace over Cardigan Bay for extended range, endurance, high altitude, and near-space testing.
None of the areas of the proposed DA areas will be permanently active and will only be activated by Notice to Aviators (NOTAV) when novel aerospace flying activities are scheduled to take place. Activation via NOTAV will be provided 24 hours in advance, the DA will only be active for the minimum time necessary, and Snowdonia Aerospace will provide a Flight Information Service (FIS) and Danger Area Activity Information Service (DAAIS). Airfield contact details will be included in the NOTAV.
Continue reading: https://www.suasnews.com/2021/09/new-drone-danger-area-for-llanbedr/

The number of individual and organizational drone operators is rising nearly every day, and with it the pressure on new users get schooled and skilled on flying their craft. To help with that, the Rocky Mountain Unmanned Systems (RMUS) is offering a range of online courses teaching drone piloting techniques and preparing to pass certification tests.
The RMUS’s array of drone piloting courses spans from basic introductions of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) to specialized tutoring on the capacities and operation of specific enterprise craft. The elements likely to appeal to the broadest number of new users are those getting aspiring pilots fully up to speed – on both technique and regulations – and a matching course for people who will be managing fleets of drones in business activity. The menu of instruction is largely modular, meaning students can add successive educational blocks if they wish as they progress.
New pilots are given intensive, hands-on proficiency UAS training with a particular emphasis on commercial UAS operations, including basic flying, equipment functionality, and full regulation schooling. An introduction module teaching drone piloting runs $49, and is designed to permit students to master safe and efficient flight and pass their Part 107 exam. 
Teaching drone piloting, fleet management to new enterprise users
A more detailed, enterprise-focused option called UAS Foundations teaches a deeper and wider set of skills, including aerial mapping and dealing with various system disruptions or outages. That $249 option also contains the introductory module.
Students who’ll be managing drone fleets are given an overview of how to create, organize, and maintain a UAS program for business purposes. Participants come away with complete, product-specific knowledge of various operating systems, and will be equipped to oversee a UAS platform after completing the course.
On-demand modules delving into use of specific tech payloads or applications are also available, as are focused courses teaching drone piloting of specialized enterprise use of DJI, Autel, and Parrot drones.
Continue reading: https://dronedj.com/2021/09/21/uas-service-provider-teaching-drone-piloting-rules-and-fleet-management-to-new-users/

Encryption is one of the most effective tools to protect data on network-attached storage. Even if cybercriminals gain access to the drives or intercept communications to or from them, encryption makes the data unreadable to anyone who does not have the cryptographic key.
Use NAS encryption to prevent unauthorized individuals from gaining access to confidential data at rest or in motion. The data might include credit card numbers, intellectual property, medical records, personally identifiable information (PII) or other types of confidential data. Also, use encryption to comply with regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA.
Without encryption, data is stored and transmitted as clear text, which can be read by anyone who intercepts communications or gains access to the drives. A NAS device also shares the same LAN as other devices and traffic. These systems include computers, printers, smartphones, tablets and IoT devices.
NAS encryption can be a complex process and, if done incorrectly, can put sensitive data at risk. However, administrators can make their jobs easier by following these seven best practices.

1. Identify what to encrypt
Encrypting and decrypting data can slow performance, sometimes significantly. The extent of the impact depends on the NAS device, how the organization implements encryption and whether the storage unit includes a cryptographic accelerator. In some cases, encryption can also make data reduction techniques less effective.
Encrypt only the data that needs protection or that applicable regulations govern. Prioritize the data based on its requirements for confidentiality. To help prioritize data, consider what the repercussions would be if certain types of data were compromised.
2. Encrypt sensitive data at rest
At-rest data refers to the data stored on the NAS device, as opposed to the data transmitted between endpoints. This doesn't preclude copies of the data from being transmitted, but the core data itself is persisted to the NAS media.
Use NAS encryption to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access, even if a device is stolen. However, ensure that the cryptographic modules used for the encryption and decryption operations have been validated against recognized standards such as the Federal Information Processing Standards developed by NIST.
Continue reading: https://searchstorage.techtarget.com/tip/7-NAS-encryption-best-practices-to-protect-data

On September 14, the Atlantic Council’s empowerME Initiative held a workshop on “Venture Capital Financing: How to Increase Funding for Women-led Ventures,” featuring a fireside chat with Mumzworld Co-Founder CEO Mona Ataya, which was moderated byCareem Pay Head of Strategy & Strategic Partnerships Madiha Sattar. There was also a panel discussion with Atlantic Council empowerME Director and Resident Senior Fellow Amjad Ahmad, RockCreek Managing Director Alifia Doriwala, and Blossom Accelerator Founder and CEO Emon Shakoor, which was moderated by US Development Finance Corporation Global Gender Equity Initiative Head Algene Sajery.
This workshop is part of the Igniting Women’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Saudi Arabia program led by the Atlantic Council’s empowerME Initiative in partnership with the US Mission to Saudi Arabia, the American Chamber of Commerce Saudi Arabia, and Quantum Leaps. The program brings US entrepreneurs, experts, and business leaders together with their Saudi counterparts to build relationships, share knowledge, and develop partnership opportunities via hybrid workshops and networking sessions.
Key takeaways: Women’s entrepreneurship and funding for women-led startups is improving, but more needs to be done

• Mona Ataya pointed to the “seismic shift” in the Gulf Cooperation Council region: more women are entering a diverse array of jobs and jumping on the bandwagon of entrepreneurship. One reason for this, she believes, is that “success breeds success.” Success creates confidence as well as resources that other entrepreneurs can tap into. Moreover, the infrastructure is changing, with more venture capital firms entering the region. Ataya noted that at Mumzworld, 70 percent of the leadership team is made up of women and 60 percent of the employee team is also made up of women.

Continue reading: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/investing-in-women-is-just-good-business-ways-to-increase-funding-for-women-led-ventures-in-the-middle-east/

Did you know? Only 16% of females have had a tech career suggested to them – vs. 33% of males. At Panasonic, we are committed to creating space for women – not just in our organization, but within the larger tech community. The Panasonic Foundation supports young women in fulfilling their potential by investing in programs that prepare them for success in the future.
We believe this type of educational outreach is essential to bridging the gender gap in technology because 97% of girls will lose interest in STEM topics if they are not engaged by the 5th grade according to Educational Consultant Dr. Kenneth Wesson. By providing students with an opportunity to immerse themselves in STEM early in life, they will attain a competitive advantage in the 21st-century job market.
[Nearly 40% of women who earn engineering degrees either quit or never enter the profession.]
Continue reading: https://njbmagazine.com/sponsored/closing-the-gap-working-toward-gender-parity-in-tech/

Expleo’s global head of robotics process automation discusses the growing trends in AI and the importance of encouraging women in STEM.
Rebecca Keenan has had an impressive career already, having become the global head of robotics process automation with Expleo before the age of 30.
Having joined the company as a graduate in 2016, Keenan is now a senior leader responsible for designing and delivering AI and robotics solutions to enterprises across the world.
She spoke to Siliconrepublic.com about her career, diversity in STEM and the trends she’s most excited about in the AI and robotics sector.

‘I highly recommend getting a class of five-year-olds to design robots for you’ – REBECCA KEENAN

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What sparked your interest in STEM?
From a young age, I remember being surrounded by technology and being interested in how it works, and more so what it did for people. I grew up with parents who really allowed and encouraged us as children to experiment with whatever our interests were.
Continue reading: https://www.siliconrepublic.com/people/expleo-rebecca-keenan-robotics-ai

After more than two decades of a career as a woman in STEM, D Sangeeta launched Gotara, a platform to offer professional support and advice to other women in the field, amidst the pandemic. She had noticed that although female participation in STEM education has increased to a gender ratio of 50-50, things tend to go downhill when women join the workforce. 

“Forty percent of women leave their STEM jobs in the first five to seven years - either completely quitting, or going to different fields that pay less,” she tells HerStory.

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The most common reason is believed to be that women reach the age where they want to start a family and focus at home, but Sangeeta saw a different reality as she began interviewing women who were on leave, had quit, or opted for part-time roles. 
She explains, “I found that maybe five percent of those women really, really want to be mothers and nothing else. About 95 percent of these women wanted a sense of belonging and intellectual stimulation, and did not want to leave the workforce. They were either pushed by the work environment, or the home environment.” 
Continue reading: https://yourstory.com/herstory/2021/09/women-in-stem-tech-pandemic-community/amp

Why is there so much confusion within IT Ops teams about data management and data operations (a.k.a. DataOps)? The answer isn't simple. No, database administrators aren't going to make this go away. Yes, it's your problem in IT Ops. You need to learn to operate multiple databases and other data storage systems. To that end, there are four things you need to know to make your life easier.
But first, let's set the table so you have a firm understanding of DataOps and its role in IT Ops.
What it is, why it matters
DataOps is typically a subordinate of cloud operations (CloudOps), which may include cloud and non-cloud systems. And now organizations tightly couple DataOps with machine-learning operations (MLOps). Of course, data must be protected and governed, so you also have security operations and governance operations (SecOps and GovOps, respectively). 
It's little wonder so many operations jobs chase so few candidates. Operations skills in general, and DataOps skills in particular, now top the priority lists of all Global 2000 CIOs. 
Continue reading: https://techbeacon.com/enterprise-it/4-things-it-ops-teams-need-know-about-data-management

Digital society’s lifeblood is data—and governments have lots of data, representing a significant latent source of value for both the public and private sectors.1 If used effectively, and keeping in mind ever-increasing requirements with regard to data protection and data privacy, data can simplify delivery of public services, reduce fraud and human error, and catalyze massive operational efficiencies.
Despite these potential benefits, governments around the world remain largely unable to capture the opportunity. The key reason is that data are typically dispersed across a fragmented landscape of registers (datasets used by government entities for a specific purpose), which are often managed in organizational silos. Data are routinely stored in formats that are hard to process or in places where digital access is impossible. The consequence is that data are not available where needed, progress on digital government is inhibited, and citizens have little transparency on what data the government stores about them or how it is used.
Only a handful of countries have taken significant steps toward addressing these challenges. As other governments consider their options, the experiences of these countries may provide them with valuable guidance and also reveal five actions that can help governments unlock the value that is on their doorsteps.
Continue reading: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-and-social-sector/our-insights/government-data-management-for-the-digital-age

Edge computing is easy to sell but hard to define. More a philosophy than any single architecture, edge and cloud are on a spectrum, with the current cloud service model often dependent on in-browser processing, and even the most edgy deployments reliant on central infrastructure.
The philosophy of edge, as most Reg readers know doubt know, is to push as much processing and compute as close as possible to the points of collection and utilization.
If biology is any guide, edge computing is a good evolutionary strategy. The octopus has a central brain, but each tentacle has the ability to analyze its environment, make decisions and react to events. The human gut looks after itself, with roughly the same processing power as a deer, while both eyes and ears do local processing before passing data back. All these natural systems confer efficiency, robustness and flexibility: attributes that IT edge deployments should also expect.
But those natural analogies also illustrate another of edge's most important aspects – its diversity. 5G is often quoted as the quintessential edge case. It owes most of its potential to being designed around edge principles, moving the decision-making about setting up and managing connections into distributed control systems. The combination of high bandwidth, low latency, traffic management through prioritization, all across moving targets, just can't work unless as much processing as possible takes place as close to the radios (and thus the users) as possible.
Continue reading: https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/21/future_of_edge_computing/

The supply chain is something most people take for granted—until something goes wrong. The pandemic highlighted just how quickly business can grind to a halt if the supply chain is disrupted. Organizations have found that edge computing makes the supply chain run more efficiently, but this move to the edge requires a new approach to supply chain cybersecurity.
Computing on the Edge
Edge computing is becoming a necessity in supply chain management as organizations want the ability to precisely track the status, location and expected arrival time of components and other deliveries.
Because of the ability to better aggregate data, edge computing brings real-time visibility to the supply chain, allowing companies to monitor equipment and operations and make immediate decisions that offer a more effective and efficient delivery of goods.
The increased reliance on internet of things (IoT) and industrial internet of things (IIoT) devices makes edge computing in the supply chain possible, and by 2025, Gartner predicts 75% of enterprises will rely on edge computing. But as the dependence on edge computing rises, so do the security risks.
Continue reading: https://securityboulevard.com/2021/09/securing-the-edge-in-the-supply-chain/

Edge computing is booming. The idea of taking compute out of the data center, and bringing it as close as possible to where data is generated, is seeing lots of traction. Estimates for edge computing growth are in the 40% CAGR, $50 billion area.
Whether it's stand-alone IoT sensors, devices of all kinds, drones, or autonomous vehicles, there's one thing in common. Increasingly, data generated at the edge are used to feed applications powered by machine learning models.
TinyML is a fast-growing field of machine learning technologies and applications that enable machine learning to work at the edge. It includes hardware, algorithms and software capable of performing on-device sensor data analytics at extremely low power, hence enabling a variety of always-on use-cases.
In order for TinyML to work, a confluence of hardware and software is needed, creating an ecosystem built around the notion of frugal energy needs. This is a prerequisite for applications at the edge.
Today Arm, a global semiconductor IP provider known for its focus on ecosystem creation and frugal energy needs for its processors, is announcing a partnership with Neuton, a provider of an automated TinyML platform. Earlier in September, Alif Semiconductors, another Arm partner building AI chips for the edge, released new product lines.
Continue reading: https://www.zdnet.com/article/machine-learning-at-the-edge-a-hardware-and-software-ecosystem/

Over the last decade, we’ve seen a significant shift in the way we consume services and do business. Users expect rapid performance from digital products, whether they’re using web and cloud applications, streaming content, gaming online or using business-critical services.
At the same time, 5G adoption is increasing and driving growth in more complex and mission-critical Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, resulting in a growing number of devices, applications and volume of data. To be successful in this environment, organizations need faster access to data and seamless, high-speed connectivity, regardless of location, making latency and the flow of data increasingly critical.
Getting Started with Edge Computing
An increasing number of businesses and service providers are turning to edge computing as the answer, adopting decentralized strategies which enable data, applications and content to be processed and managed at the network edge. And with the worldwide edge computing market predicted to grow to $250.6 billion by 2024, resellers must act quickly to capitalize on the opportunity. But where should you start?
Continue reading: https://www.channelfutures.com/best-practices/unlocking-the-edge-opportunity-for-channel-organizations

In early 2021, Americans living on the East Coast got a sharp lesson on the growing importance of cybersecurity in the energy industry. A ransomware attack hit the company that operates the Colonial Pipeline—the major infrastructure artery that carries almost half of all liquid fuels from the Gulf Coast to the eastern United States. Knowing that at least some of their computer systems had been compromised, and unable to be certain about the extent of their problems, the company was forced to resort to a brute-force solution: shut down the whole pipeline.
The interruption of fuel delivery had huge consequences. Fuel prices immediately spiked. The President of the United States got involved, trying to assure panicked consumers and businesses that fuel would become available soon. Five days and untold millions of dollars in economic damage later, the company paid a $4.4 million ransom and restored its operations.
It would be a mistake to see this incident as the story of a single pipeline. Across the energy sector, more and more of the physical equipment that makes and moves fuel and electricity across the country and around the world relies on digitally controlled, networked equipment. Systems designed and engineered for analogue operations have been retrofitted. The new wave of low-emissions technologies—from solar to wind to combined-cycle turbines—are inherently digital tech, using automated controls to squeeze every efficiency from their respective energy sources.
Meanwhile, the covid-19 crisis has accelerated a separate trend toward remote operation and ever more sophisticated automation. A huge number of workers have moved from reading dials at a plant to reading screens from their couch. Powerful tools to change how power is made and routed can now be altered by anyone who knows how to log in.
Continue reading: https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/09/21/1036050/securing-the-energy-revolution-and-iot-future/