Daily Archives: July 25, 2017

The combination of Raytheon and CyberSponse capabilities will give existing security operations centers the ability to collect data and react at near machine speed. This approach improves the efficiency of security operations by removing the time consuming and repetitive manual tasks found throughout the incident response lifecycle.

"Our enhanced offering enables our expert human defenders to do what they do best: hunt for more sophisticated, evolving threats," said Mark Orlando, chief technology officer for Raytheon's managed security services business.

SOC orchestration, the method of connecting security tools and data, and automation platforms are gaining traction in the security product market because they automate time-consuming incident response tasks across multiple point security products and case management tools.

"CyberSponse's advanced technology coupled with Raytheon's expertise in managed security services bring together a powerful combination of experience and technology to advance protective measures for customers," said Larry Johnson, CEO of CyberSponse. "Our collaboration with Raytheon enhances our security automation platform which is essentially the central nucleus of security operations teams and toolsets."

About CyberSponseCyberSponse is an automated orchestration engine that fills the gap between automation-only and human dependent security platforms. The CyberSponse Operations Platform permits automation of security tools within an incident management console for easy use and rapid deployment. CyberSponse is backed by a team of self-made entrepreneurs looking to disrupt the security industry with true grit, hard work, and innovative execution. For more information visit CyberSponse or follow us on Twitter.

About RaytheonRaytheon Company, with 2016 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 95 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5ITM products and services, sensing, effects, and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Follow us on Twitter.

Media ContactRaytheonKate Goulding +1.571.250.2426 iispr@raytheon.com

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http://www.raytheon.com

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Raytheon enhances cyber threat hunting with CyberSponse automation tools - PR Newswire (press release)

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said hes optimistic about the potential for Google Assistant, and the voice-activated Google Home speaker that it powers.

Pichai said the Assistant SDK released in April should bolster the number of devices developers can create that tap into the power of Google Assistant. He noted that there are now more than 70 home automation partners that let users control devices using Assistant on Google Home and phones including Honeywell, Logitech, and LG.

And he said the company is investing in this area by beefing up the headcount and marketing dollars dedicated to these products.

People are no longer only using a keyboard, mouse, and multi-touch, but are also using emerging inputs like voice and camera to ask questions and get things done in the real world, he said during an earnings call with analysts on Monday. We are seeing this in the way people interact with the Google Assistant, which is already now available on more than 100 million devices since launching last year, and there is more to come.

Interestingly, Google last mentioned Assistant is available on 100 million Android devices in May. The fact the company didnt update the figure suggests Home isnt growing very quickly and neither is Assistant on iPhone, which arrived in May.

The market for virtual assistants has become hot over the last couple of years thanks to the success of Amazons Echo and Dot devices powered by Alexa.In a report released in May, eMarketer said 35.6 million Americans use a voice-activated assistant device as of April, up128 percent from the previous year.

Alphabet and Amazon also face competition from Microsofts Cortana and Apples Siri.

Google Assistant should get a further boost as Alphabet rolls out Google Home to more geographies. Besides the U.S., its now available inCanada, Australia, and the U.K. And in early August, it will go on sale in France and Germany.

We are very focused over the long-term on making sure the Assistant can actually help people get things done in the real world, Pichai said.

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Google Assistant now has 70 home automation partners - VentureBeat

Three Ball State colleagues and I recently authored a meta-study analyzing the potential impact of automation, trade and urbanization on regions and households in the United States. The motivation for this study is our casual observation there is great angst over the state of the economy in many corners of the country. We thought it possible turmoil surrounding economic policy has its roots in different economic outcomes between regions and households.

First, close to half of all jobs are at risk of being eliminated by technology that is already in use at commercial locations, while a quarter of all jobs are at risk of trade-related dislocation. To explore this, we mapped data created by researchers at Oxford and Princeton universities estimating the risk of automation and trade related job losses to the 3,144 U.S. counties. This provided an interesting visualization of where potential job losses may cluster. We then conducted a more formal battery of assessments of the clustering of potential job losses across people and places. The results were eye opening.

It turns out the higher a countys risk of losing jobs to automation, the higher the risk in the adjacent counties. This confirms what appears to be true in the maps, and is disconcerting since it means automation-related disruption likely extends across labor markets. This is true also with trade-related job losses. The other side of this relationship is that counties with lower risk of automation or trade-related job losses are adjacent to other low-risk places. This simple fact implies regional inequality might be poised for a big increase.

The study also pointed out as these jobs are lost, other jobs are created, but these new job openings are in different places and require different skills than those that are lost. This prompted us to look at what happens to individual workers and households. There the results were even more startling.

Trade-related job losses due to offshoring or import substitution tend to cut across educational and income levels. There is no correlation between risk of job losses due to trade and either education or earnings. Automation risk couldnt be more different. There is a strong inverse relationship between educational attainment and risk of automation job losses. The data on wages is even starker. Wages for the lowest risk 10 percent of occupations average about $84,000 per year. Wages for the highest risk 10 percent are about $36,000 per year. Indeed, for workers who have more than a 50/50 chance of automation-related job losses, wages are below $40,000 per year. Those with less than a 50/50 chance of automation-related job losses average almost $70,000 per year.

Taken together, the increasing risk of automation and trade-related job losses will disproportionately impact low-wage, low-skilled workers who live in counties with an abundance of other similar workers. This is a perfect recipe for growing income inequality across regions and households. Beyond the distasteful political manifestations of inequality, we should worry that labor market disruptions falling most heavily on those least prepared to adjust could quickly turn into much broader social and economic problems. Automation, and to a lesser degree trade, impacts the most vulnerable people and places in America. Growing urban migration exacerbates the pain for communities.

The findings of our study (www.bsu.edu/cber/publications) should give readers some concern, but we also want to be clear that technological change, trade and the rise of cities generates untold wealth, opportunity and other secondary benefits that can scarcely be measured. Economic growth is good and the results benefit us more than we imagine. I simply point to the 50 extra years of life the average American enjoys since the start of the Industrial Revolution.

Still, rapid technological change, particularly as it affects clustered industries or occupations, can generate real economic discomfort. Change is not always easy, and not every household finds itself clearly better off in the short run. Our hope in authoring this research is that policymakers can prepare for and embrace these changes. To do so, we should think about policies at the state and local level, especially in education policy, that make vulnerable communities and households more resilient to change.

Michael J. Hicks, Ph.D., is director of the Center for Business and Economic Research and a professor of economics at Ball State University. Contact him at cberdirector@bsu.edu.

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Michael Hicks: Automation, trade, urbanization require resilient people - Kokomo Tribune

Businesses are enthusiastically investigating the possibilities of artificial intelligence and automation, and workers are scared for their future.

A quarter of Australians fear redundancy due to increased use of artificial intelligence and automation as businesses increasingly investigate options, according to a new report into business use of emerging technologies.

The study from research firm Telsyte looks broadly across Australian businesses and the rapid adoption of new technologies under way, including artificial intelligence and automation, wearable technology, augmented and virtual reality and drones.

It finds that nearly two-thirds of businesses are already dabbling with machine learning or deep learning to improve operations or influence business decision making, with so-called artificial intelligence and automation technology use growing for things ranging from physical robots to digital assistants and chatbots.

Telsytemanaging director Foad Fadaghi said there was a distinct difference in the enthusiasm for intelligent automation among company executives from the general population. Despite regular statements that automation will augment rather than replace jobs, workers are not buying it.

The study found that financial processes are considered ripe for early automation with 65 per cent of chief information officers questioned saying they saw opportunities to deploy machine learning in financial modelling and fraud detection.

However, it is in customer-facing roles that jobs may be noticeably affected first, with almost two thirds of organisations saying they intend to use cognitive computing for applications like chatbots, which mimic human interaction.

"AI intentions are running at two speeds in the Australian market, with businesses much more bullish about using automation technology than consumers," Mr Fadaghi said.

"There is an undercurrent of fear in the average consumer about the impact of AI on jobs and future prospects for later generations in a highly automated world. When we compare with consumer research, we see that mainstream Australians are cautious about technology, in particular automation.

"One in four Australians are concerned they might lose their job to a machine or robot in the future, and only 45 per cent think the future will be betterthanks to the opportunities technology offers."

Elsewhere in the Telsyte study it found that organisations are rapidly adopting the internet of things (IoT), which means non-traditional connected devices like sensors and cameras providing vast amounts of data for analysis.

Almost 90 per cent of technology executives in the study said their organisation would be using IoT for important processes within five years, and 59 per cent of early adopters said they are already seeing cost savings from its introduction.

Meanwhile, over 60 per cent see value in smart wearable devices such as smart watches and smart glasses in their organisation, for internal operations, access control and customer-facing applications. More than half of organisations are investigating augmented reality applications and a quarter of tech executives believe that drones or autonomous flying vehicles will become useful.

Mr Fadaghi said this would include most sectors like agriculture and fishing with underwater drones, mining operations, security and surveillance, transport and logistics, warehousing and emergency services

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Workers are not as enthusiastic about artificial intelligence and automation as their bosses - The Australian Financial Review

Todays financial services institutions are under increasing pressure. Growing consumer confidence, regulatory change and the rise of fresh-faced fintech start-ups means competition in the space is stiffer than ever before. As a result, businesses are having to work harder and smarter to attract and retain clients.

A huge part of this work has focused on technology and how banking services can expand their digital offer. The digital revolution has fundamentally changed the way businesses operate for their customers, and retail banks in particular are increasingly moving online due to consumer demand.

Most recently, the focus has been on automation and artificial intelligence particularly their potential for customer experience. Several banks have been dipping their toes in the chatbot water. Capital One, for example, recently launched their chatbot Eno, which lets customers text to see their balance, transaction history, and pay bills.

But automation can also be used for more than straightforward customer management. The technology has the capability to unlock value across a range of business functions. RPA can be especially useful in transforming complex and time-consuming back-office processes, which in turn will allow companies to free up employees to focus on more value-added work.

RPA is hugely beneficial to commercial finance divisions, for example, where efficiency and cost-effectiveness is of paramount importance. And in such a heavily regulated industry, the technology also eliminates room for human error.

Needless to say, integrating automation is a significant undertaking. While the specifics will depend on the business, the space they operate in, and the extent to which they are aiming to automate their processes, there are three critical ingredients for a successful RPA transformation.

1. Strategic fit

The first and perhaps most important is that RPA must be a strategic fit for the company. Automation needs to be understood not as a process but as a strategic capability that increases business value. This re-engineering will be key to increasing the impact of automation and maximising ROI, and must be given due diligence. Key to success will be for businesses to understand which processes will deliver the biggest business benefit when automated, and follow their roadmap accordingly.

2. Buy-in

Next, there also needs to be buy-in for transformation and automation from the C-suite for RPA to be a success. Cultural adoption may often require education and careful articulation of the business benefits of the solution, and lack of internal support at a senior level can be one of the major stumbling blocks to implementation.

3. Engagement

Legacy IT systems and resistance from existing IT departments can often be a barrier to transformation and automation. To avoid potential opposition, automation adopters would do well to focus on IT engagement from the get-go. Bringing the IT function on board at the beginning of the automation journey will help to set a clear roadmap for transformation and identify any potential roadblocks that lie ahead.

Of course, automation is no small undertaking. While the steps outlined above will form the backbone of the transformation, it isnt often as simple as 1,2,3. However, businesses have much to gain from RPA and by integrating it where appropriate, banking services can strategically use technology to drive finance forward.

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How automation can help transform the financial services landscape - Finextra (blog)