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Australia follows US and bans all Kaspersky antivirus on government devices

TechRadar News - Tue, 02/25/2025 - 05:20
  • Kaspersky products have been banned on Australian government devices
  • Australia government cites national security concerns
  • Kaspersky has always denied ties with the Russian government

Kaspersky antivirus and security software will no longer be permitted on Australian government devices, with the nation's government citing national security concerns as being behind the ban.

“After considering threat and risk analysis, I have determined that the use of Kaspersky Lab, Inc. products and web services by Australian Government entities poses an unacceptable security risk to Australian Government, networks and data, arising from threats of foreign interference, espionage and sabotage,” said Department of Home Affairs secretary Stephanie Foster.

Australian public organizations now must identify and remove all existing instances of Kaspersky products, and will no longer be allowed to install any security software from the firm.

Geopolitical motivations

The news follows recent decisions by the US government to also ban sales of Kaspersky security software over concerns the firm may be passing sensitive information over to the Kremlin - an accusation Kaspersky has always adamantly denied.

Kaspersky has repeatedly invited third party and independent assessments of its data services and engineering practices, and has reassured partners and customers of the security of its products and services - and strenuously denied any ties to the Russian Government.

“Kaspersky is disappointed with the decision of the Department of Home Affairs of Australia to stop and prevent the use of Kaspersky products and web services on Australian Government systems and devices,” the company told TechRadar Pro.

“Kaspersky believes that the decision stems from the current geopolitical climate and was not supported by any technical assessment of the company’s products, which the company has been continuously advocating for. The fact that the directive was issued without any warning or opportunity for engagement to address the Australian Government’s concerns highlights its political nature.”

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Categories: Technology

Balatro is now available on Xbox Game Pass and its latest free update adds Assassin's Creed, Fallout, and Civilization crossovers

TechRadar News - Tue, 02/25/2025 - 05:15
  • LocalThunk has released a new Balatro: Friends of Jimbo update
  • The latest collaboration update adds card skins themed after Assassin's Creed, Civilization 7, Fallout, and more.
  • The award-winning poker roguelike is also now available on Xbox Game Pass

LocalThunk has unveiled the latest Balatro update for its Friends of Jimbo collaboration pack, which adds even more crossovers to the game.

The announcement comes from the latest ID@Xbox showcase, where the developer released the teaser trailer for Balatro Jimbo Pack 4, while also shadow-dropping the award-winning, poker roguelike on Xbox Game Pass.

From the trailer, we know that the free update adds new card skins themed after Assassin's Creed, Civilization 7, Fallout, Dead by Daylight, Rust, Slay the Princess, Bugsnax, and Critical Role.

All cards featured in the collaboration pack will have artwork based on fan-favorite characters from their respective games, like Fallout's Vault Boy and Dead by Daylight's The Trapper.

For the Assassin's Creed, in particular, players can expect to collect skins for some of the series' most iconic characters. These include Ezio Auditore da Firenze as the King of Spades card, Jacob Frye as the Jack of Spades, as well as Fujibayashi Naoe as the Queen of Spades, one of the playable protagonists from the upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows.

This latest patch is the fourth update to Balatro's Friends of Jimbo collaboration pack. It was first released in August 2024 and added decks inspired by The Witcher, Vampire Survivors, Dave The Diver, and Among Us.

The crossover later saw card skins based on Cyberpunk 2077, Shovel Knight, Don't Starve, Divinity: Original Sin 2, Stardew Valley, Warframe, and more. It's unclear if LocalThunk has plans for even more updates, so we'll have to see what cards the sole developer has up his sleeve.

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Categories: Technology

Google Cloud introduces quantum-safe digital signatures

TechRadar News - Tue, 02/25/2025 - 05:05
  • Google Cloud now offers PQC algorithms for digital signatures
  • The move comes as part of Google Cloud quantum-safe roadmap
  • The feature is available in preview now, with more PQC changes to come

Google Cloud has taken an additional step to secure its platform from the threat posed by quantum computing to public-key cryptography by announcing the availability of quantum-safe digital signatures in preview in the Google Cloud Key Management Service (KMS).

Theoretically, quantum computers will be able to crack most modern encryption algorithms in a matter of hours, but the viability of such a system is still at least a decade away by most expert estimates.

This does present threats today, however, with cybercriminals stealing vulnerable encrypted data today in order to decrypt it when ‘Q-Day’, or the day when the availability of cryptographically-relevant quantum computers arrives. This has necessitated the development of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) to secure data against ‘harvest-now-decrypt-later’ attacks.

Securing the future of digital signatures

Quantum-safe digital signatures are just one step in Google Cloud’s roadmap towards a fully PQC platform.

For digital signatures specifically, quantum brings the threat of forgery and tampering, with Google Cloud highlighting that working to resolve these threats now will help build a more resilient infrastructure and inspire other platforms to do the same.

Google Cloud has also revealed in the announcement that to help enforce transparency and code-auditability, the quantum-related software implementations will be available as part of Google’s open-source cryptographic libraries BoringCrypto and Tink.

This update to digital signatures specifically implements the ML-DSA-65 and SLH-DSA-SHA2-128S PQC algorithms in line with NIST standards. Google Cloud will also be implementing new PQC algorithms and techniques into its Hardware Security Modules (HSM).

Google Cloud customers will be able to use the latest PQC algorithms in Cloud KMS and provide feedback on their implementation, and suggestions on other specific cryptographic requirements. Essentially, the use of Cloud KMS’s latest algorithms acts as a testbed for building and expanding the availability of PQC across the Google Cloud platform.

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Categories: Technology

This Russian Tech Bro Helped Steal $93 Million and Landed in US Prison. Then Putin Called

WIRED Top Stories - Tue, 02/25/2025 - 05:00
In the epic US-Russian prisoner swap last summer, Vladimir Putin brought home an assassin, spies, and another prized ally: the man behind one of the biggest insider trading cases of all time.
Categories: Technology

Attention, Kindle owners –today is your last chance to download backups of your ebooks

TechRadar News - Tue, 02/25/2025 - 04:49
  • The Kindle's Download & Transfer via USB feature is going away soon
  • The feature will be disabled on February 26
  • You'll need a pre-2024 Kindle for this to work

Last week we got the news that Amazon was killing off an older but very useful tool called Download & Transfer via USB, which lets you download your ebook purchases to a computer. It's set to disappear tomorrow – Wednesday, February 26 – so today's your last chance to get copies of your ebooks.

Amazon hasn't gone into any detail about why the feature is going away, but it's most likely related to piracy. The Download & Transfer via USB option is one of the more commonly used ways to rip Digital Rights Management (DRM) protections off ebooks and distribute them to anyone.

The most recent generation of Kindles actually removed this feature and locked ebooks to the newer KFX format – much harder to crack – so if your first Kindle was a 2024 Kindle (like the 12th-gen Amazon Kindle Paperwhite) you never had the option to download your ebooks to a computer anyway.

For those of you with any older Kindle model registered, now's your last chance to download your ebooks as files on your computer to keep them backed up. You will still of course be able to transfer all your titles wirelessly to your ereader, and use the Kindle desktop apps for Windows and macOS as before.

How to get your ebooks

You can find all your purchased ebooks on the Amazon website (Image credit: Future)

You can find your ebook downloads by opening up the Amazon website in your region, signing into your account, then hovering the cursor above Account & Lists up in the top-right corner of the screen.

Click Manage Your Content and Devices, then choose Books from the options that appear. You'll see all the ebooks you've ever purchased from Amazon, together with details of the Kindle devices they're synced to.

Select More actions next to the ebook you want to download, then Download & transfer via USB. As long as at least one pre-2024 Kindle is linked to your Amazon account, you'll be able to choose a registered ereader and get the download in AZW3 format.

There's no bulk download option, unfortunately, so you'll need to do these steps for each ebook. When they're on your computer, you can transfer them over a USB connection to a Kindle, or open them up with a program such as Calibre.

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Categories: Technology

Major Russian IT service provider hit with cyberattack

TechRadar News - Tue, 02/25/2025 - 04:48
  • Russian NCIRCC warns about a cyber-attack against major IT firms
  • LANTER and LAN ATMservice seem to have been hit.
  • The culprits or the goals were not disclosed

Two major Russian IT companies have suffered a major cyberattack, putting many financial and credit institutions in the country at risk.

In a security bulletin, the country’s National Computer Incident Response & Coordination Center Incidents (NCIRCC) said LANTER, a Russian company specializing in payment solutions and POS terminal integration, and LAN, whose ATMservice provides ATM and self-service terminal solutions, including maintenance and software development, had been hit. Both are operating under the LANIT Group.

In the bulletin, NCIRCC said that on February 21, FinCERT (Financial Sector Computer Emergency Response Team - a division of the Bank of Russia responsible for cybersecurity in the financial sector) notified credit and financial institutions of the possible compromise of the two organizations.

Monitoring for compromise

“NCIRCC recommends that all organizations change passwords and keys to access their systems operated in LANIT data centers as soon as possible,” the bulletin says.

Furthermore, NCIRCC said that companies granting LANIT Group’s engineers remote access to their infrastructure should revoke the credentials and secure their premises. Furthermore, the potential victims are urged to strengthen threat monitoring, and to report to RuCERT if they spot any signs of compromise.

The bulletin does not discuss who the threat actors are, or what the nature of the attack is. However, since Russia is at war with Ukraine, it’s safe to assume this could be the work of local cyberattackers. Ukraine and Russia have exchanged significant cyber-blows over the last three years, including a major Russian strike on KA-SAT, a satellite internet service operated by Viasat.

This attack, which occurred hours before Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, targeted the satellite modems used by the Ukrainian military and government, disrupting communications at a critical moment. The attack also had unintended spillover effects, affecting internet services across Europe, including for wind farms in Germany.

LANIT Group’s clientele includes prominent entities, such as the Russian Ministry of Defense, as well as “major players” in the military-industrial complex, including Rostec. The group got sanctioned by the US Department of Treasury in May 2024.

Via BleepingComputer

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Categories: Technology

Maximize Your Returns With APYs Up to 4.65%. Today's CD Rates, Feb. 25, 2025

CNET News - Tue, 02/25/2025 - 04:30
The sooner you lock in one of these great CD rates, the more interest you could earn.
Categories: Technology

Garmin's Venu 3 and vivoactive 5 finally have one of the most basic smartwatch features you can ask for

TechRadar News - Tue, 02/25/2025 - 04:22
  • Garmin has issued a free software update for its Venu 3 and vivoactive 5
  • Both devices finally support passcodes
  • The update also includes HRM 200 pairing and Body Battery improvements

A new software update for two of the best Garmin watches for everyday use finally brings support for passcode security, as well as other significant improvements.

Garmin's 13.17 software for the Venu 3 and vivoactive 5 has rolled out in the last few days. Now at 100% release, the system update brings four changes, including three significant free upgrades.

Along with support for Garmin's latest Connect IQ apps, watch faces, and data fields, the new update adds support for the Garmin HRM 200, one of the best heart rate monitors on the market.

There's also a Body Battery upgrade that brings improved accuracy for users who have multiple devices, bringing you a total Body Battery score from all your various Garmins should you have a dedicated model for running, diving, golf, etc.

Finally, but arguably most importantly, the Garmin Venu 3 and vivoactive 5 now support passcodes for extra security.

Garmin finally adds passcodes

Apple Watch has had passcodes since day one. (Image credit: Future)

As a long-time user of the best Apple Watches, I was shocked to discover Garmins don't have a passcode feature. Garmin says the "new" feature, imaginatively dubbed 'Passcode', helps "to protect sensitive data if your watch ever gets lost or stolen," making its previous absence all the more baffling. Like the Apple Watch, the feature comes with automatic wrist detection, so if you take your watch off (or if it's forcibly removed) the Passcode kicks in, requiring a PIN number to regain access.

Garmin is also bringing this feature to the Fenix 8 and Fenix 8, the Enduro 3, and the Forerunner range (165, 255, 265, 955, and 965), with the rollout ongoing.

Given that a passcode protects quite important information including personal health data and text conversations, I'm surprised to learn that the feature has been missing from Garmins for so long. But users who have been looking forward to it can now use it on both the Venu 3 and vivoactive 5. If there's no sign of the update on your device, check the Software Update section of your System Settings to manually download it.

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Categories: Technology

5 signs that a U.S.-Europe split is widening

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 02/25/2025 - 04:00

As the Trump administration ramps up its rhetoric against Ukraine and NATO, European countries are taking note — with increasing alarm.

(Image credit: Tobias Schwarz)

Categories: News

Health care workers are rushing to learn about immigration law in case of ICE raids

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 02/25/2025 - 04:00

A policy change by the Trump administration allows immigration agents to enter and arrest people in health facilities. Some clinics are training health workers to support patients in the event of arrests.

(Image credit: Jackie Fortiér)

Categories: News

Reconciliation is the key to unlocking Trump's agenda. Here's how it works

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 02/25/2025 - 04:00

Republicans in Congress are turning to a tool of the budget process to pass major elements of President Trump's agenda without the threat of a filibuster from Senate Democrats.

(Image credit: Zayrha Rodriguez for NPR)

Categories: News

Top Ukrainian official says Kyiv will refuse any 'bad' peace deal

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 02/25/2025 - 04:00

Ihor Brusylo, deputy head of Ukraine's President's Office, tells NPR Trump is a "peacemaker and dealmaker," while expressing hope the U.S. continues to provide aid to Ukraine.

(Image credit: Richard Drew)

Categories: News

Scooby-Doo is a good movie with a bad Rotten Tomatoes score – here's why you should ignore the critics and watch it before it leaves Netflix

TechRadar News - Tue, 02/25/2025 - 03:58

With all the new Netflix movies to watch every month, sometimes all you need is a nostalgic flick to bring back some fond memories. So when I learned that the James Gunn-written live-action adaptation Scooby-Doo was leaving Netflix on February 28, I had to revisit this outrageously fun cult classic.

Prior to his success of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and The Suicide Squad, the CEO of DC Studios penned two iconic movies based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon Scooby-Doo.

When the movie was released in 2002, it was met with largely negative reviews, the one that shocked me in particular was from The Guardian, which hailed the movie as "incredibly leaden" and "unutterably boring." Honestly, I don't stand for this kind of slander because while it's not one of the best Netflix movies and suffers from a 32% Rotten Tomatoes score, it's still incredibly fun and entertaining.

Scooby snacks, anyone?

The first Scooby-Doo movie thrusts a start-studded cast into a story that feels faithful to the animated series. In it, the Mystery Inc. gang consists of Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne Blake, Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred Jones, Linda Cardellini as Velma Dinkley, Neil Fanning as Scooby, and Matthew Lillard as Shaggy Rogers – a role he was born to play, might I add, and one he still reprises in several animated Scooby-Doo series now.

Scooby-Doo sees the Mystery Inc. gang individually invited to investigate strange happenings at a spooky amusement park, two years after a bitter break-up. The crew must reunite to solve what's possessing the college students staying at Spooky Island.

With its timeless goofy humor and slapstick comedy, the Scooby-Doo movie became a smash hit that's still quoted and remembered to this day by people the right age. So it was only right to produce a sequel two years later with Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, which is also leaving Netflix on the same day.

In Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, Mystery Inc. must save Coolsville when an evil masked figure brings to life all the old monsters they exposed in a bid to ruin their reputation. The second movie was also met with a poor critical reception, and we never got a third Scooby-Doo movie.

While I mourn the loss of a potential trilogy, the Scooby-Doo movie is still a clever take on the franchise's history and remains a hilarious crime solving comedy caper with its perfect casting and clever adult humor references.

One thing that's for certain is that Scooby-Doo proves that not everything has to have modern style or rich substance to be a good movie – sometimes all you need are some genuine laugh-out-loud gags.

So if you're looking for some casual entertainment and a movie that doesn't take itself seriously, then you should definitely watch Scooby-Doo before it leaves the best streaming service.

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Categories: Technology

Technical debt—much like financial debt—is a cumulative beast

TechRadar News - Tue, 02/25/2025 - 03:47

Technical debt—much like financial debt—is a cumulative beast. It represents all the extra hours and resources poured into keeping a solution technically current, often without making real progress toward innovation. It’s like a bucket with a hole in its base: no matter how much water you pour in, the water level barely rises. In this case, that’s because needless upgrades and patching keep draining your efforts.

Where it relates specifically to software systems, technical debt can stem from decisions made in the moment—those “quick fixes” or stopgap measures that seem like the easiest solution at the time. These might involve implementing solutions to plug a gap in your infrastructure or rushing to adopt new ERP software functionality, even when it doesn’t fully align with your strategy or staff expertise. Over time, these little compromises accumulate into big frustrations, leaving you spending all your time involved with patch management over issues – rather than addressing root causes. It’s like spending your entire paycheck on debt repayments without being able to save or invest for your future. It’s incredibly frustrating.

The good news is that paying down this technical debt is possible. It’s not an overnight fix, but with the right strategy, you can gain time and budget to gradually reduce that debt while balancing affordability, innovation, and ROI.

Why We Accumulate Technical Debt

In the ERP world, the dominant players—Oracle, SAP, and others—significantly contribute to the accumulation of technical debt. Their strategies are built around locking you into their ecosystems--pushing you to upgrade on their timelines and, crucially, use their in-house support and maintenance, preventing you from focusing on projects that drive true value for the business.

Let’s be clear: upgrading your software system doesn’t inherently create technical debt. The problem lies in how upgrades are imposed. It’s the pressure to upgrade before you’re ready or to align with vendor roadmaps that don’t match your business priorities.

For example, SAP’s push toward S/4HANA adoption has left many businesses scrambling to meet tight deadlines, fearing the loss of support for older systems. Support for SAP’s widely used ECC software will end in 2027, with an optional extended maintenance period available until 2030 at a significant premium. This impending deadline is pressuring organizations to upgrade to S/4HANA, even if they are unprepared for the transition. Many businesses face challenges in terms of the time, resources, and financial investment required to migrate, leaving them at risk of running unsupported systems and exposing themselves to potential compliance and security vulnerabilities.

Similarly, Oracle’s aggressive move to cloud-based solutions has forced customers into costly transitions under the very legitimate concern that they’ll fail to meet critical compliance and security standards if they don’t. Oracle frequently emphasizes the security and compliance advantages of migrating to its cloud services, leaving customers with limited alternatives. The message is clear: You’ve got to move to the cloud—security implications demand it. How’s that for flexibility, independence, and control? This approach places enterprises in a difficult position, pressuring them to adopt Oracle’s roadmap rather than sticking to their own strategy.

Then there are the maintenance contracts. These multi-million-dollar agreements often apply to aging products with limited ROI, yet they’re non-negotiable. Worse, the costs often escalate annually, leaving enterprises paying more and more… and getting back less and less.

Technical debt often starts with compromises--choosing systems based on budget constraints or sleepwalking into vendor lock-in. Over time, these hidden costs—mandatory upgrades, expensive support, and abandoned legacy systems—pile up. While upgrades themselves don’t directly cause technical debt, they can exacerbate it, but not being able to focus on your business goals.

The Cycle of Technical Debt

So, your aging systems are no longer meeting your needs, and your technical debt is at an all-time high. Every effort to keep things running feels like pouring water into that leaky bucket—you’re working harder but making no real progress.

So, what can you do?

While there’s no silver bullet that will allow you to eliminate technical debt instantly, it is possible to pay down this debt sustainably while prioritizing growth and innovation. Start by rethinking how you manage and support your current systems.

Breaking Free

You can’t always get rid of aging systems, but you can support them more effectively. Third-party software support offers a way to regain control over your IT strategy. Think of it as fast-tracking your journey out of technical debt.

Third-party software support shifts the focus away from vendor-imposed roadmaps to your unique business needs. If you need a highly customized setup or prefer a best-of-breed approach, your support partner enables you to maintain stable, familiar systems while selectively modernizing the parts that align with your strategy.

And the cost savings? On average, enterprises save over 60 percent on maintenance and support contracts when they switch to third-party software support. This frees up budget for innovation, employee training, maintaining existing systems, and ensuring they operate as expected— without the unnecessary, vendor-mandated bells and whistles.

Strategic Innovation Over Vendor Roadmaps

Vendors don’t want you to know about these alternatives because it threatens their entire business model, which is built around those lucrative maintenance contracts. They rely on keeping you locked into their cycle of mandatory upgrades and ever escalating fees. But technical debt doesn’t have to be an inevitable cost of doing business.

With third-party software support you can keep your systems supported, compliant, and aligned with your business goals—all while freeing time and budget to reduce technical debt. You’re no longer forced to upgrade for the sake of compliance or to access critical updates and support.

Enterprises that break free from vendor lock-in experience a twofold benefit: reduced technical debt and the freedom to allocate resources toward strategic innovation. By rethinking how you manage your software lifecycle, you’ll finally be able to pay down that debt and plan your future systems on your terms—not your vendor’s.

We've listed the best RPA software.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Categories: Technology

Everything new on Apple TV+ in March 2025: Severance season 2 finale, Dope Thief, The Studio, and more

TechRadar News - Tue, 02/25/2025 - 03:00

March 2025 is going to be a big month for Apple TV+. The increasingly popular streaming platform has had some big wins so far this year, with Severance season 2 dominating online TV show-based discussions and new movies like The Gorge earning mostly positive reviews from fans and critics alike. The tech giant, then, will hope the third month of 2025 is as productive for it as the first two were.

It looks like it will be, too. The final three episodes of Severance's sophomore season notwithstanding, there's plenty to look forward to on Apple's streaming service in March, including the debut of some exciting new Apple TV Originals. Here, then, is everything that's coming to one of the best streaming services between March 1 and 31.

March 5

Prime Target's eighth and final episode is out in early March (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)
  • Berlin ER episode 3
  • Love You to Death episode 6
  • Mythic Quest season 4 episode 7
  • Prime Target episode 8
March 7

Surface season 2 continues to pose more questions than it answers (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)
  • Severance season 2 episode 8
  • Surface season 2 episode 3
March 12

Love You to Death's final episode airs in mid-March (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)
  • Berlin ER episode 4
  • Love You to Death episode 7
  • Mythic Quest season 4 episode 8
March 14

Dope Thief's first two episodes will launch on Apple TV Plus in mid-March (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)
  • Dope Thief episodes 1 and 2
  • Severance season 2 episode 9
  • Surface season 2 episode 4
March 19

Berlin ER is a German-language medical drama that began airing in February (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)
  • Berlin ER episode 5
  • Mythic Quest season 4 episode 9
March 21

How will Severance season 2 end in late March? (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)
  • Be@rbrick episodes 1 to 13
  • Dope Thief episode 3
  • Severance season 2 episode 10
  • Surface season 2 episode 5
March 26

Seth Rogen's new TV series The Studio arrives before the end of March (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)
  • Berlin ER episode 6
  • Mythic Quest season 4 episode 10
  • Side Quest episodes 1 to 4
  • The Studio episodes 1 and 2
March 28

Surface season 2 passes its midway point in late March (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)
  • Dope Thief episode 4
  • Surface season 2 episode 6

For more Apple TV Plus coverage, read our guides on the best Apple TV Plus shows, best Apple TV Plus movies, Foundation season 3, and Silo season 3.

Categories: Technology

Trump funding freeze includes payments to keep the Colorado River flowing

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 02/25/2025 - 02:30

President Biden promised billions in funds to farmers and others to not take water from the Colorado River. President Trump is halting some of those funds, leaving questions about the river's future.

(Image credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Categories: News

Best Heated Blankets of 2025: Stay Warm With These Accessories

CNET News - Tue, 02/25/2025 - 02:15
We found all of the best heated blankets so you need never shiver on the sofa again.
Categories: Technology

Is your business primed to respond to downtime?

TechRadar News - Tue, 02/25/2025 - 01:41

The modern business is an intricate fabric of IT infrastructure, integrating networks and technologies to support its overall mission.

A single point of failure can bring the entire system to a halt, causing significant downtime. During such outages, networks become inaccessible, preventing users from interacting with the organization’s systems. IT teams must then act swiftly to restore functionality, safeguarding against data loss, revenue loss, and damage to the company’s reputation.

On average, nearly $50 million in annual sales is being missed out because of downtime according to research from Splunk. Just by being more consistent and available than the competition, IT teams can create a competitive advantage through superior resilience and efficiency.

So, why are businesses still finding challenges in ensuring business continuity?

An environment of threats

The causes of downtime are complex, as businesses and their environments sometimes evolve in unexpected ways. Premises and digital infrastructure designed for specific outcomes may become outdated due to new technologies or priorities, leading to the creation of inefficiencies and blind spots.

According to a Databarracks survey, nearly a quarter of businesses (24%) suffered downtime as a result of a cyber incident last year, with a key threat being DDoS attacks.

GTT research revealed DDoS attacks are causing huge problems for organizations. In the first half of 2024, there was a 25% increase in multi-vector DDoS attacks recorded, with these threats continuing to escalate through the second half of the year. Addressing both malicious and non-malicious causes of downtime requires comprehensive, flexible strategies – relying on tactical responses to individual issues is no longer sufficient.

The (not-so) secret ingredients to business continuity

The first step in preventing downtime is assessing the network architecture. After all, you can’t defend what you can’t see. Enterprises should evaluate the importance and requirements of both redundant connectivity and high availability network designs as a strategy to mitigate brownouts and blackouts.

Mapping out an entire network, identifying tools and operations which are critical in delivering products or services, and those areas which are at a higher risk of attack or compromise lays the foundation for an effective downtime prevention strategy.

Once the network has been mapped, and core competencies have been recognized, ensuring that redundancy measures are in place allows business decision makers and IT teams sleep easier. Increasing redundancy for both hardware and traffic pathways mean that no single point of failure will completely shut down the organization, and if one area fails, data still has alternate routes to flow through.

Sites cannot be too overprovisioned when it comes to downtime prevention, but budgets typically limit the art of the possible. Look for solutions and partnerships that offer what is needed today but also offer the ability to make soft changes when needs shift. This ability means when there are shocks to the system, IT teams don’t have to rip and replace but can quickly enhance and solve without investing heavily in new in-house solutions.

What should never be missing from this network assessment is the maintenance of a good security posture. As addressed previously, DDoS attacks are only getting more common and are coming from more vectors than ever. DDoS mitigation technologies, such as the use of data scrubbing centers and traffic filtering, ensures any inbound traffic is analyzed and cleansed of any malicious packages before it reaches the users' network.

DDoS prevention strategies should consider the approach organizations take to attack detection. Either taking the responsibility of detection in-house and reacting to incidents after-the-fact or having an always-on proactive DDoS solution. Robust DDoS solutions don’t just mitigate attacks, but do so automatically, ideally in real-time, to prevent any possible downtime and maintain business continuity when targeted.

Leaving it to the experts

Once the network has been assessed, measures implemented, and teams briefed on their priorities – then what? All the ingredients for downtime prevention must come together in the right mix and be focused on the right areas to cater for the business’ specific needs.

The process of establishing these frameworks can be drawn out and arduous, which inevitably takes time away from business growth opportunities like R&D, service improvements or identifying efficiencies. Working with a partner can alleviate this stress and create room for growth in a secure environment.

Network monitoring for cyberattacks is a 24x7x365 task, this always-on state of constant vigilance can be a huge drain for IT security teams. By collaborating with seasoned managed service security providers (MSSPs), organizations can benefit from having "more eyes" monitoring their network architecture and corporate IT. MSSPs are able to instantly monitor and address any issues, freeing up internal IT staff to concentrate on making the best choices possible to maintain business continuity.

Downtime prevention is a competitive advantage

As customer expectations continue to rise and expect faster connectivity, the urgency to ensure business continuity has never been greater. Often the best way to illustrate the importance of downtime strategies is to put it into financial terms, securing leadership commitment by equating it with a loss of future income and brand depletion.

A company's business continuity and disaster recovery strategies will be unique to them, and the decision to concentrate their efforts internally or enlisting the help of partners depends on their size and needs. What matters, though, is that downtime prevention stays a priority. Businesses can reduce downtime and assure continuity by combining novel technologies and frameworks, to react quickly should the worst happen.

We've compiled a list of the best Disaster Recovery services.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Categories: Technology

Clint Hill, the Secret Service agent who tried to shield the Kennedys, dies at 93

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 02/25/2025 - 00:58

Hill received Secret Service awards and was promoted for his actions that day, but for decades blamed himself for Kennedy's death, saying he would gladly have given his life to save the president.

(Image credit: James W. Ike Altgens)

Categories: News

AT&T Promo Code: Get a Gift Card Worth Up to $200

WIRED Top Stories - Tue, 02/25/2025 - 00:30
Whether you’re looking to upgrade your internet or get the latest phone, we’ve got you covered with our selection of AT&T coupons and deals.
Categories: Technology

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