Category Archives: Cloud Computing

On 12 13 October at Marina Bay Sands, Tech Week Singapore will bring together leading events like Cloud Expo Asia, Cyber Security World Asia and Data Centre World Asia for two full days of inspiring talks and valuable collaboration.

SINGAPORE, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CloserStill Media today announced the Main Stage line-up for Tech Week Singapore, featuring industry leaders from AWS, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Digital Realty, Equinix, GitLab, Google Cloud, Groupon Singapore, Huawei, Lenovo, Microsoft, The Sandbox, Tencent Cloud, Visa, and more.

Tech Week Singapore: 12 - 13 October 2022, Marina Bay Sands

Tech Week Singapore brings together seven co-located events, including Big Data & AI World,Cloud Expo Asia,Cyber Security World,Data Centre WorldAsia,DevOps Live,eCommerce Expo AsiaandTechnology for Marketing.

Chi Chuan Poh, Executive Director (Exhibitions & Conferences) at Singapore Tourism Board will open the two-day event on 12 October by welcoming thousands of technology enthusiasts and visionaries at Marina Bay Sands.

"It is a great pleasure to have Chi Chuan Poh as the events Guest of Honour at Tech Week Singapore. Having the support and recognition of the Singapore Tourism Board represents the significance and importance of technology events in Singapore and Southeast Asia as a place to get inspired and find the best opportunities for businesses to ride the digital wave," said Andy Kiwanuka, Managing Directorfor Asia Pacific at CloserStill Media.

Answering the tech world's burning questions

Trending topics including digital waste and sustainability, Web3 and blockchain, Metaverse, and hybrid cloud transformation are amongst the many discussion points to be dissected on the Tech Week Main Stage, sponsored by Digital Realty.

May-Ann Lim, Emeritus Director at Asia Cloud Computing Association, will explore the regulatory landscape of Web3 and Metaverse with an audience of business leaders to identify future opportunities where these transformative technologies can be applied.

"I really like the physicality of in-person events. It's a valuable experience to connect humanly with people. I think that there are a lot of new and exciting industry opportunities that are really unexplored, so I would love to chat with people at Tech Week Singapore who have ideas, projects or concepts that they are testing out," said May-Ann.

The Main Stage will also feature the inspirational story of how Chris Chong dropped out of university at the age of 20, moved to Singapore, founded Beeconomic and turned it into an eight-figure buyout in 6 months.

"I'm very excited to speak at Tech Week Singapore. It is where all the pieces can come together, memories are made and new ideas turned into businesses and innovations," said Chris Chong, Co-Founder of Groupon Singapore.

Leaders from the healthcare and financial industries will present how advancing technologies can be used as a force for good.

Daniel Laverick, Chief Digital & Data Officer at Zuellig Pharma will highlight how blockchain can be used to build trust and intelligence at a time when consumer privacy is a key priority for businesses and public services.

Medhy Souidi, Metaverse Lead and Head of Innovation at DBS Bank, is set to share how Metaverse and virtual worlds can be leveraged to showcase the importance of building a better, more sustainable physical world.

Wei Ming Lim, Head of Data Architecture, Group Technology Architecture at OCBC Bankand speaker at Cloud Expo Asia said: "Data is the new growth currency in the pursuit for an immersive and connected experience. The ability to transform data into actionable insights and to personalise individual customer journeys drive efficiency. Availability, searchability and usability are all vital factors for next-generation data platforms to build an embedded ecosystem."

Tech Week Singapore will take place on 12 and 13 October 2022 at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre.Tickets are free for all visitors.

About CloserStill Media

CloserStill Media organises international B2B tradeshows. In the technology markets, these events reach across five global territories, more than 70,000 delegates and over 2,500 exhibitors. Its portfolio includes some of the fastest growing and award-winning events, including Tech Show London, an umbrella brand featuring Cloud Expo Europe and Data Centre World. Having delivered unparalleled quality and relevant audiences for all exhibitions, CloserStill has been repeatedly recognised as a leading innovator. Its teams and events have been recognised in Europe and Asia, with awards including Best Marketing Manager five times in succession, Best Trade Exhibition, Best Launch Exhibition, and Rising Star two years in succession, among others. CloserStill is headquartered in London, with offices in Singapore, and across America and Europe. For more information, visit http://www.closerstillmedia.com.

Register your FREE ticket and get complimentary access to all 7 events: https://bit.ly/3rCDaBG

Exclusive VIP tickets are available for businesses that meet the criteria. For more information, please visit http://www.cloudexpoasia.com/why-visit/vip-badge-requirements

Members of the media can get a free press pass at https://www.gevme.com/CEA2022/?promo=press

To arrange interviews with speakers, please contact Stuart Crowley:s.crowley@closerstillmedia.com

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In Less Than 2 Days, Experts from AWS, Digital Realty, DBS, Huawei, Google Cloud, Microsoft, and Visa to Speak at Tech Week Singapore - PR Newswire...

Advanced thermal and visual sensors allow utilities to monitor the condition of remote substations from a centralized location. With continuous, real-time thermal and visual data, operations and maintenance teams can allocate resources more effectively, reduce the cost of maintenance and repairs, and improve reliability through condition-based maintenance programs.

Utilities have two primary choices to connect to the sensors and access the data. Traditionally, they would turn to their IT department to build an internal network, invest in IT infrastructure, install software on user devices, and individually update software whenever a new version was available.

Today, however, many utilities are transitioning to the cloud and accessing their data through an easy-to-use online dashboard. There are significant advantages to this approach, not least of which is that it does not require utilities to build and manage a network for each substation.

That said, some utilities are still unsure if the cloud is the right approach for their organization. This article will introduce the cloud before discussing the benefits of each approach.

Despite the seemingly ubiquitous role the cloud plays in our daily lives, many of us still arent entirely sure what the cloud actually is. This uncertainty can lead to confusion when deciding whether to embrace the cloud or turn to an internal network.

Amazon, the worlds largest cloud provider, defines cloud computing as the on-demand delivery of IT resources over the internet.

Rather than purchasing and building hardware, you simply access computing power, storage, or databases on an as-needed basis. An easy example of this is productivity software such as Office 365 or Google Workspace, where documents are stored on the cloud and can be accessed from any device using a web browser and a login. Banking, e-commerce, streaming platforms, and email are all examples of the cloud being used to transmit and store sensitive information.

Across industries, enterprises are increasingly turning to the benefits of the cloud, and 2020 saw cloud infrastructure spending surpass on-premises data center spending for the first time.

As mentioned above, the key difference between the cloud and an internal network is that the cloud does not require utilities to build out their own infrastructure. As a result, theres significantly less upfront capital investment required to connect sensors and start accessing the data.

Instead, utilities simply pay the cloud provider a monthly or yearly fee depending on their usage requirements, shifting the cost from a capital expense to an ongoing operating cost and reducing the burden on IT departments.

A second benefit of the cloud is that it is easy to scale up or down depending on the needs of the utility. While building out network infrastructure for a single remote substation may be viable, this process must be repeated for each site the utility installs thermal and visual sensors. With the cloud, utilities can simply add substations, sensors, and users without building new infrastructure or installing new software each time.

Finally, an internal network requires software to be installed on each user device. Any time a new user is added, a new software license must be installed, and it must be continuously updated every time an update is made available.

Instead, cloud-based software can easily be accessed wherever the user is on whichever device they are on. Further, this simplifies the software maintenance process because updates only need to be pushed out once to take effect for all users.

Combined, these benefits make the cloud more affordable, scalable, and easier to implement and maintain than an internal private network, especially when utilities are monitoring multiple substations.

Given the benefits above, it may seem like the cloud is the obvious choice. And for many utilities, it will be. But there are some scenarios where an internal private network comes out ahead.

Some utilities, especially larger ones, may have governance policies that require all data to remain inside the organization. Where the cloud stores and transmits data using the cloud providers infrastructure, an internal network keeps everything within the utilitys control.

Large utilities may also have the IT resources and skills needed to build and manage the network. In these cases, they may be able to justify the added expense, but they should still evaluate whether this will take scarce IT resources away from other strategic initiatives.

Finally, an internal network can reduce the risk of outages when utilities require continuous access. The cloud depends on a connection to the internet, meaning that downtime caused by a mobile or internet service provider can prevent access to thermal and visual data.

The most common concern around using the cloud typically comes down to security. As mentioned, the cloud stores data outside of the organization, meaning utilities lose some control over it when compared to an internal network.

However, utilities must assess the type of data that is being transmitted and stored to determine if it is truly sensitive data worth the additional investment. For example, thermal and visual sensors deployed at remote substations transmit temperature readings, an image of the site, and some basic information about maintenance and repairs. In most cases, malicious actors cannot use this data, and it cannot be used to disrupt the flow of power to customers.

Additionally, cloud providers can often invest far more heavily in security than even the largest utilities. Despite the concern, the cloud is generally highly secure, and utilities can ensure that their data is kept within their country of origin to comply with any regulations.

A recent Gartner report shows that cloud infrastructure will suffer 60 percent fewer security incidents than those in traditional data centers, suggesting that security should no longer be an inhibitor to the adoption of the cloud.

In the end, both the cloud and an internal private network will allow utilities to access the data they need when monitoring remote substation assets. For most, the cost, scalability, ease of implementation, and simplified maintenance of the cloud will outweigh any potential advantages of building an internal network from scratch. For those who must ensure all data remains inside the organization, an internal network can still be a viable option, as long as utilities are willing and able to absorb the higher upfront cost.

Systems with Intelligence has solutions that meet the needs of utilities regardless of which approach they choose. Before deciding which approach is best, utilities should focus on the benefits of gaining a continuous view of the health of their assets. With access to real-time data, utilities can reduce maintenance costs, improve safety, and enhance reliability by transitioning to a condition-based maintenance program. From there, they can decide whether the cloud or an internal private network is best suited to their business needs.

John Nam is Vice President Engineering at Systems With Intelligence.

For more information contact us at info@systemswithintelligence.com, or visit our website at http://www.systemswithintelligence.com.

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Fears of the Cloud Have Been Greatly Exaggerated The Advantages of Cloud Computing for Remote Substation Monitoring - T&D World

Interest in quantum computing is on the rise as, step by step, science fiction becomes science fact. Early-stage commercial quantum computers featuring around a hundred or so qubits can now be accessed via the web through Quantum-Computing-as-a-Service (QCaaS) providers such as QCWare, Azure Quantum, Amazon Bracket, and others. QCaaS takes quantum computing to a new audience outside of the research lab, offering users a much more accessible way to explore potentially exponential processing prospects.

Quantum computers encode and manipulate information using a choice of atoms, electrons, or photons. And because these processing bits (or qubits) are quantum in nature, they can represent not just the familiar ones and zeros of classical computers, but also a wide range of possible states in between. Whats more, thanks to quantum entanglement a phenomenon recognized by the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics qubits can perform their calculations in concert and begin to describe complex systems beyond the capability of classical computers.

QCaaS opens the door to a range of hardware platforms, including quantum annealers (such as those developed by D-Wave) and various gate-based processors. This latter group includes superconducting electric circuits held at cryogenic temperatures for example, processors designed by rigetti and OQC as well as trapped-ion quantum computers, such as IONQs that manipulate particles with a laser to carry out gate operations. Looking at other architectures, Xanadus modular photonic quantum processors use squeezed light pulses to engineer qubits. And theres no shortage of ingenuity when it comes to designing quantum computers.

Its an exciting time for stakeholders, but numerous challenges remain due to the sensitivity of the measurements involved. Operators have to go to great lengths to prevent the surrounding environment from spoiling the quantum output. Qubits are fragile, Sabrina Maniscalco, CEO and co-founder of Algorithmiq, told TechHQ. They are imperfect and subject to errors. Maniscalco leads a team of quantum computing experts based in Finland that is developing ways to help clean up this noise, so that users can make better use of todays early quantum computers.

Processors inside classical computers are subject to errors too, but over the years, error correction schemes have been perfected that mitigate those missteps. One approach in the quantum computing domain is to build so-called logical qubits comprising a number of physical qubits to engineer fault tolerance. But as images of todays quantum computers reveal, the hardware is complex and scaling up the number of available qubits isnt straightforward. With only a relatively small number of qubits currently at their disposal, developers have little capacity for implementing error correction in this classical way.

No doubt, progress in quantum computing hardware will continue (IBM has a roadmap to ramp up from 127 to 4158 qubits by 2025) and drive progress in qubit-level error correction. But platform-agnostic algorithm processing offers a tool that QCaaS customers can use now to clean up the signal regardless of the type of quantum computer running in the background. Growing interest in quantum-resilient data encryption schemes (driven by the likelihood that powerful quantum computers will one-day break the classical algorithms that protect todays data as it travels over the internet) points to rising confidence in the capabilities of quantum computers.

We are in a moment when we can start with quantum and have useful products, comments Maniscalco. What makes the difference, is the way of reading out the data so that its informationally complete allowing many properties to be extracted at once. Maniscalco, like many in the field, believes that quantum computers can have real-world impact across a range of industries. Application areas include materials design and the prediction of molecular structures. With quantum constituents at their heart, quantum computers have the capacity to be much more capable at simulating chemical systems compared with classical machines. And Maniscalco is particularly keen to apply the exponential power of quantum processors to pharmaceutical drug discovery an area that is ripe for acceleration.

Writing on the topic of quantum network medicine, her research team highlights that the mechanical simulation of the binding between a small molecule and the biologically active site of a protein target is ultimately a quantum problem. And here quantum algorithms have the potential to describe chemical binding from first principles. This is a powerful predictive feature when you consider that alternative artificial intelligence (AI) led approaches demand huge datasets to map out just a small portion of the measurement space.

The quantum nature of the processing architecture has promise in capturing quantum effects that would otherwise be difficult to model. Examples of such characteristics include molecules that are in a stretched configuration, out of equilibrium in the binding process, which could lead to more realistic and accurate drug models. Big pharma is taking note of the gains being made in the quantum computing sector, both in terms of data processing and usability. And many commentators are describing quantum computing as the next big disrupter in the pharmaceutical industry.

Today, there are many more guides available on how to run code on a quantum computer. APIs and SDKs written in popular computing languages such as Python are also easier to find. Plus, there are startups such Algorithmiq, and others, with quantum computing experts at the helm to provide practical tools and assistance. And as the QCaaS ecosystem grows, users will increasingly be able to focus on the results rather than getting bogged down in the technical details, which can be somewhat mysterious and hard to fathom unless you happen to have a PhD in quantum computing.

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Sharpening the predictive power of quantum computers in the cloud - TechHQ

Kyndryl (NYSE: KD), the worlds largest IT infrastructure services provider, and Microsoft today announced plans to expand the reach and impact of their global strategic partnership by helping customers expand and increase access to valuable mainframe data.

Kyndryl, provider of the secure multi-tenant zCloud, is applying its unique expertise to create data pipes that enable connections between the mainframe, including its zCloud platform, and the Microsoft cloud, making it easier for customers to move their mainframe data to the cloud, thereby unlocking new uses and value streams from their entire data estate. Customers will have a holistic view of their data and can take advantage of machine learning, AI, analytics, and reporting, and will be able to leverage low code/no code applications with Microsoft Power Platform.

Kyndryl and Microsoft also plan to combine mainframe data with other internal and external cloud-based data sources that will enable customers to create new applications that leverage modern analytics and visualisation tools to deliver advanced insights at scale.

As part of the joint mainframe modernisation initiative, Kyndryl will launch consulting and integration services developed to help customers more easily and efficiently plan, design, and connect mainframe data to Azure Cloud and Edge Computing environments.

As part of our collaboration with Microsoft on mainframe modernisation, we are helping customers increase access to valuable mainframe data and leverage new capabilities that will show benefits of cloud automation and insights from their IT environments, said Petra Goude, Kyndryl Global Practice Leader, Core Enterprise and zCloud. Through this initiative, we are teaming with Microsoft to increase flexibility and availability of mainframe datawhether workloads are in the cloud, on-premises, or at the edge.

Microsofts AI-enabled Power Platform capabilities, Kyndryls rich mainframe ecosystem and managed services experience are a strong combination that will help customers unlock their mainframe data, said Kelly Rogan, Corporate Vice President, Global System Integrator and Advisory Partners at Microsoft. Were excited that our expanded collaboration will allow us to deliver new innovations that make it easier for customers to take advantage of the cloud to access data and make informed, data-driven business decisions.

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Kyndryl and Microsoft deliver cloud-based innovation to mainframe customers - ETCIO South East Asia

- Tietoevry Banking will onboard their Payments product portfolio, including Card Suite, Payment Hub, Virtual Account Management, and Instant Payments Solutions to the IBM Cloud for Financial Services.

- IBM Consulting enters into a global business transformation and system integration initiative with Tietoevry Banking supporting the digitization of new and existing banking clients with focus on payments, card issuing and merchant acquiring.

Oct 10, 2022

Amsterdam, October 10, 2022.Today at Sibos 2022, IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Tietoevry, an IT software and services company headquartered in Finland announced a global technology and consulting collaboration for its financial technology software unit Tietoevry Banking to help deliver secured and innovative solutions for payment and transaction technology to banks globally.

Payment transactions, card payments and instant payments are a rapidly changing and growing industry that affects millions of households globally. As payment transactions continue to grow, cybercrime and data breaches are also on the rise. It has been estimated that financial services may suffer billions of dollars in losses due to cybercrime.1Tietoevry Banking chose to collaborate with IBM to leverage IBM Cloud for Financial Services and IBM Consulting to help accelerate clients hybrid cloud adoption while balancing the need to address security and compliance requirements with driving innovation.

Ilkka Korkiakoski, Head of Tietoevry Banking, Payments: For Tietoevry Banking, the collaboration signifies a leap into a financial market sector that is on another scale. Together with IBM we can offer significant added value to the financial sector: scalable consultancy practice for system integration and volume transition to cloud designed to support regulatory compliance, best practices from the SaaS and SLA industries, automation and flexibility in performance and volumes processing. Combining IBMs state of the art with our deep knowledge in payments and cards is a perfect match to drive the payments industry to the next level. It will open new doors and can extend our footprint and delivery capability outside the Northern Europe, Ilkka Korkiakoski says.

Tietoevry Banking provides scalable and modular Banking as a Service and software built by extensive industry expertise, accelerating the digital transformation of financial institutions focused on clients across the Nordics and globally. In the synergetic collaboration, Tietoevry Banking will onboard its Payments software portfolio, such as Card Suite, Payment Hub, Virtual Account Management, Instant Payments Solutions, to IBM Cloud for Financial Services and provide its managed services and SaaS capabilities to help global banks facilitate card management and payments on an industry cloud with built in security and compliance controls. The collaboration aims to help banks address the industrys stringent compliance, security, and resiliency requirements while supporting business transformation, volume migration to new platforms and innovation. In addition, IBM Consulting and Tietoevry Banking will work together to help joint clients transform and modernize at scale and support them in their journey to a hybrid cloud.

Paul Krogdahl, CTO, Global Core Banking & Payments ISV Practice at IBM said: "IBM has a long history working with clients in highly regulated industries and IBM Cloud for Financial Services was designed to help banks drive innovation and to support security and compliance needs. This initiative with Tietoevry Banking further expands our technology portfolio of financial services ecosystem partners with additional capabilities. We expect to see robust growth in the payments, cards and banking services as a platform space as an increasing number of banks globally choose to consume services as part their business strategy rather than buying or building software on their own."

As part of this work, IBM Consulting will be a global system integrator, implementation partner and managed operations partner for Tietoevry Bankings payment software portfolio. IBM Consulting will provide the deep financial services expertise needed to bring long-term value to both existing and future clients and help guide their transformation. This collaboration will also help Tietoevry Banking advance its digitization strategy and enhance its payments solution with increased security and scalability.

To learn more about IBMs insights and solutions for the financial services industry, please visithttps://www.ibm.com/banking

Contact persons:

Tietoevry

Geir Remman

+47 97055017

IBM

Willemijn Steegenga

+31 6 53 691481

willemijn_steegenga@nl.ibm.com

About Tietoevry

Tietoevrycreates purposeful technology that reinvents the world for good. We are a leading technology company with a strong Nordic heritage and global capabilities. Based on our core values of openness, trust, and diversity, we work with our customers to develop digital futures where businesses, societies, and humanity thrive.

Our 24,000 experts globally specialize in cloud, data, and software, serving thousands of enterprise and public sector customers in more than 90 countries. Tietoevrys annual turnover is approximately EUR 3 billion and the companys shares are listed on the NASDAQ exchange in Helsinki and Stockholm, as well as on Oslo Brs. http://www.tietoevry.com

About IBM

IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting services provider, helping clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries.Nearly 3,800 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently, and securely.IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients.All of this is backed by IBM's legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service. For more information, visitwww.ibm.com.

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IBM and Tietoevry Form a Global Collaboration Taking a New Step Forward in the Development of Financial Services Technology - IBM Newsroom

The probe will focus on so-called "hyperscalers" like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, which let businesses access computing power and data storage from remote servers.

Chesnot | Getty Images

British media regulator Ofcom is investigating Amazon, Microsoft and Google's tight grip on the cloud computing industry.

In the coming weeks, the watchdog will launch a study to examine the position of firms offering public cloud infrastructure and whether they pose any barriers to competition.

Its probe, announced Thursday, will focus on so-called "hyperscalers" like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, which let businesses access computing power and data storage from remote servers, rather than host it on their own private infrastructure.

Further action could be taken by the regulator if it finds the companies are harming competition. Selina Chadha, Ofcom's director of connectivity, said the regulator hadn't yet reached a view on whether the cloud giants are engaged in anticompetitive behavior. Ofcom said it will conclude its review and publish a final report including any concerns and proposed recommendations within the 12 months.

Amazon, Microsoft and Google were not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.

The review will form part of a broader digital strategy push by Ofcom, which regulates the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the U.K.

It also plans to investigate other digital markets, including personal messaging and virtual assistants like Amazon's Alexa, over the next year. Ofcom said it is interested in how services including Meta's WhatsApp, Apple's Facetime and Zoom have impacted traditional calling and messaging, as well as the competitive landscape among digital assistants, connected TVs and smart speakers.

"The way we live, work, play and do business has been transformed by digital services," Ofcom's Chadha said in a statement Thursday. "But as the number of platforms, devices and networks that serve up content continues to grow, so do the technological and economic issues confronting regulators."

"That's why we're kick-starting a programme of work to scrutinise these digital markets, identify any competition concerns and make sure they're working well for people and businesses who rely on them," she added.

Ofcom has been selected as the enforcer of strict new rules policing harmful content on the internet. But the legislation, known as the Online Safety Bill, is unlikely to come into force anytime soon after Liz Truss replaced Boris Johnson as prime minister.With Truss' government grappling with a plethora of problems in the U.K.not least the cost-of-living crisisit's expected that online safety regulation will move to the back of the queue of policy priorities for the government.

The move adds to efforts from other regulators to rein in large tech companies over the perceived stranglehold they have on various parts of the digital economy.

The Competition and Markets Authority has several active probes into Big Tech companies and wants additional powers to ensure a level playing field across digital markets. The European Commission, meanwhile, has fined Google billions of dollars over alleged antitrust offences, is investigating Apple and Amazon in separate cases, and has passed landmark digital laws that may reshape internet giants' business models.

Amazon holds a comfortable lead in the cloud infrastructure services market, with its Amazon Web Services division making billions of dollars in profits every year. In 2021, AWS raked in $62.2 billion of revenue and over $18.5 billion in operating income.

Microsoft's Azure is the first runner up, while Google is the third-largest player. Other firms, including IBM and China's Alibaba, also operate their own cloud arms.

Combined, Amazon, Microsoft and Google generate roughly 81% of revenues in the U.K.'s cloud infrastructure services market according to Ofcom, which estimates the market to be worth 15 billion ($16.8 billion).

Microsoft recently announced a number of changes to its cloud contract terms, effectively making it easier for customers to use competing cloud platforms as well as Microsoft. The Redmond, Washington-based company had faced complaints from rivals in Europe that it was limiting choice in the market.

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Amazon, Microsoft and Google face UK probe over dominance in cloud computing - CNBC

For the last few years, cloud adoption has seen an upward trajectory in the Middle East, with many organisations moving data to the cloud. The region is undergoing an economic transformation, with many nations implementing smart city initiatives and updating their national visions while improving their digital economies. National visions in countries such as UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait encourage governments to use emerging technologies in order to achieve their transformation objectives.

For instance, the digital transformation of government operations is a key component of Saudi Arabias Vision 2030. A cloud-first strategy aids lowering total cost of ownership, and strengthening cybersecurity.

Meanwhile, Bahrains cloud-first policy is also devoted to modernising government ICT and setting the bar high for employing cloud computing services in order to cut costs, boost security and efficiency and create first-rate citizen services.

Accelerating cloud adoptionPublic and private sectors in the region are investing in cloud computing to improve their infrastructure and services and leverage this technology to organise and streamline their processes.

Going by the numbers, Gartner forecasts end-user spending on public cloud services in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to grow 19 per cent this year. A renewed focus on technology growth post-Covid-19 in the region is leading to continued growth in public cloud spending, said Colleen Graham, senior research director at Gartner, in a statement. Various MENA governments policies on telemedicine, usage of autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and a rapid move towards the next phase of the fourth industrial revolution are opening new growth avenues for public cloud in the region. Additionally, the attention given to building and nurturing talent will turn a new leaf in the regions shift towards becoming a digital economy.

Gartner also stated that in 2022, MENA chief information officers will spend the most on cloud application services, which include business intelligence applications, email and authoring, content services, customer experience and relationship management and supply chain. This segment will total $2.3bn, an increase of 16 per cent from 2021, and will account for 40 per cent of the total investment made in public cloud services.

The second largest segment will be cloud application and infrastructure services, which is forecast to total $1.1bn in 2022, an increase of 25.8 per cent from 2021. Cloud system infrastructure services will record the highest growth. This segment will grow 36.8 per cent to a total $895m in 2022. Dario Sarmiento, manager Service Delivery at Kyndryl Gulf and Levant, believes that disruptive technologies have been at the centre of the IT industry for decades. However, their adoption has recently increased at an accelerated pace, forcing businesses to work in and keep up with a very competitive environment.

In the last five years, we have seen how the convergence of cheaper network access, coupling with the development of better mobile and wireless technologies (peaking, for example, at the current promise of 5G speed for wireless communications) and improvements in the underlying virtualisation technologies, has created multiple options for enterprises to enhance their competitiveness. On the flip side, with all thats available today, some businesses are finding it challenging to prioritise IT initiatives based on their own strategic objectives. Cloud Computing is part of any of those relevant options, so a decision to move there cannot be disregarded, notes Sarmiento.

Are some companies reluctant to move to the cloud?As the world becomes technology-driven, cloud computing has become an integral part of daily life, especially for regional businesses. The cloud helps companies organise their data and keep a backup of every single piece of information used for product development and customer experience enhancement. However, many organisations are still putting off migrating their infrastructure to the cloud. Reason while some may lack IT personnel, others fear the loss of accessibility. Furthermore, the decision-makers focus on the cost. Meanwhile Fayez Eweidat, senior director META at Juniper Networks, observes security as one of the biggest concerns surrounding public cloud adoption. As more companies empower a work-from-anywhere workforce, access to cloud-based applications provides a seamless experience from home to office. However, some companies are hesitant to walk down this path due to concerns about how to transition their existing security, policies and frameworks and continue to meet their compliance commitments, he adds.

However, Sarmiento says it could be one or a combination of various reasons. We have seen organisations wanting to move to the cloud but are held back by the rigidity of their legacy systems. The reality is that the larger the organisations, the longer the legacy systems have been in place. Another stumbling block is the shortage of cloud skills, which can easily impede cloud transformation projects.

The risks of not moving to the cloudSo, what risks are associated with an organisation not moving to the cloud? With the cloud at the centre of all digital transformation journeys, businesses may not be able to capture more extensive opportunities, and they could face limitations on scalability, where the cost would be too high for them to grow because of traditional IT spending that utilises funds that the business could instead use for growth initiatives or innovation.

Not being part of the cloud community also reduces the intelligence of a business. By that, I mean that in todays corporate world, startups and SMEs need to have a smart approach to data. Business intelligence and data analytics need a good understanding of data collection and storage. Not having a robust cloud storage system supporting your business can, therefore, leave a negative impact on having to dig into your data, making your business less efficient, explains Candid Wuest, vice president Cyber Protection and Research at Acronis.

However, before investing in the cloud, organisations should consider how it aligns with their overall business strategy and understand which workloads are best suited to run on the cloud. In short, investing in the cloud must be aligned with developing strategic initiatives. Primarily, an organisation should consider security, compliance, hidden costs, networking, complexities and performance before investing in a cloud environment. Additionally, the preparedness of the team to manage not only the technical aspects of migration and ongoing operations but also the business considerations of optimising costs and assuring compliance are critical factors. Lastly, organisations must assess the technical readiness of any application before moving it to the cloud, comments Eweidat.

Cloud security Tools and best practices Although the cloud is constantly evolving, some best practices have remained firm for ensuring the security of cloud environments. Experts suggest that organisations with existing cloud solutions in place or looking to implement them should consider the advice below to ensure data security.

Emad Haffar, head of Technical Experts at Kaspersky, explains that basic antivirus and anti-malware protection are not enough to protect a cloud infrastructure. Industry best practices dictate that every operating system in the infrastructure needs comprehensive, multi-layered protection that safeguards various types of workloads running on different platforms. Understanding the difference between the cybersecurity responsibility of a cloud host and a cloud tenant is vital as well. In a private cloud setup, protecting the underlying virtualisation and storage as well as network connectivity, must be considered. And while this responsibility is on the shoulders of the provider in a public cloud setup, workload security is still needed, and it is on the tenant side. He adds that having a comprehensive security solution that can cater to all these different scenarios can make the task more manageable.

Meanwhile, Eweidat puts focus on zero trust on how security teams should redesign networks into secure micro perimeters, strengthen data security using obfuscation techniques, limit the risks associated with excessive user privileges and access, and dramatically improve security detection and response with analytics and automation. Organisations investing in security tools and architectures should ensure their investment focuses on managing and monitoring of cloud environments, actionable insights for faster threat detection, security behaviour and event-driven capabilities for real-time alerts.

OverviewMoving forward, the cloud will drive technological innovation and serve as the foundation for business innovation. Thanks to the rising user demand, evolving needs of the organisations and the massive quantity of data, the future of cloud computing in the Middle East is on a steady path to proliferate in the coming years.

Read: Case study: How UAEs Mercury Payments Services fast-tracked its cloud migration with Oracle

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How cloud computing will serve as the foundation for business innovation - Gulf Business

Can you remember the halcyon days of the video game arcades? This will probably date me, but I have fond memories entering the magical world of a gaming arcade while in first year at university. When the odd early morning Control Systems or Principles of Electricity lecture didnt sound too compelling, Id skip class and head to the local arcade with my friends for an hour or two of Defender, Tempest, Frogger, Space Invaders, or Pac-Man.

I was briefly reminded of the arcade gaming world when I came across a recent publication by the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA): Top Threats to Cloud Computing Pandemic Eleven. The paper discusses cloud security themes and considers a range of cloud-related threats for practitioners and those planning migration to the cloud. As you can see from the front cover illustration above, they have designed the artwork inspired by the Pac-Man maze user interface with the 11 threats replacing the traditional Pac-Man ghosts.

The 11 issues are based on feedback from 700 industry experts who identified these, listed in priority as the top issues in their cloud environments. Each of the 11 topics are discussed briefly before considering the business impact, offering key takeaways and then anecdotes and real examples of exploits and exfiltrations to illustrate what has and can happen if you dont protect against these threats. Each threat is also cross-referenced to other CSA resources such as their Security Guidance document and Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) template spreadsheet. Useful for any cloud practitioners looking to tighten up their cloud environment.

The 11 threats outlined in the report are as follows:

Things have moved on since the 1980s when Pac-Man was ubiquitous, and the attack vectors were the fast-moving ghost gang characters. Blinky was one of them. Maybe you can remember the others? Internet search engine reports Pinky, Inky, and Clyde were the other ghosts in the Pac-Man gang. Full marks if you named all four! Reading the CSA publication reminded me how challenges have evolved from the on-premises environment where the threats were known, the data center was in close proximity, and the processes and procedures were documented and practiced. In the cloud, we have shared responsibility, and the dynamic as well as the threat models/attack vectors have changed.. Yes, the cloud offers the rigor and security diligence of the major cloud service providers but the need for careful allocation of system admins, setting least privilege, environmental hardening, due diligence, and compliance has not gone away.

Entrust CloudControl offers a compliance-centric, enterprise-grade solution for virtualized and containerized environments. It ensures DevSecOps and security administrators can establish, manage, and maintain a robust security posture across multiple clouds and on-prem environments. This prevents inadvertent or malicious misconfigurations leading to failed audits, service disruption, or breaches in security.

For those organizations migrating to multi-cloud and hybrid deployments, Entrust provides a complete suite of security solutions offering the right tools to protect against the top cloud computing threats outlined by the report. Entrust offers solutions that deliver across categories and enable enterprises to achieve their multi-cloud security strategy through a single vendor, securing the workload, creating trust in the environment in which it runs, and ensuring compliance with defined policy managed and maintained across all artifacts and across all deployment environments.

The post Taking a holistic approach to tackling the Top Threats to Cloud Computing in a multi-cloud world appeared first on Entrust Blog.

*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from Entrust Blog authored by Iain Beveridge. Read the original post at: https://www.entrust.com/blog/2022/09/taking-a-holistic-approach-to-tackling-the-top-threats-to-cloud-computing-in-a-multi-cloud-world/

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Taking a holistic approach to tackling the Top Threats to Cloud Computing in a multi-cloud world - Security Boulevard

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the worlds leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today released Recommendations for Using a Customer Controlled Key Store. Written by CSAs Cloud Key Management Working Group, the paper offers guidance to organizations that opt to use a customer controlled key store (CCKS), whereby the key management system (KMS) is external to a cloud service provider (CSP) despite the KMS being a dependency of a cloud service.

Because CCKS is still relatively new within cloud computing, there isnt a deep bench of best practices available. Even so, this pattern is growing in popularity and because of this, we felt it imperative to provide a sound set of guidelines that will help companies taking this path optimize their security and related costs, as well as their operational and business agility, said Paul Rich, a lead author and co-chair of the Cloud Key Management Working Group.

Because CCKS deals with the integration of a chosen KMS and at least one public cloud service, the document provides recommendations for choosing, planning, and deploying a KMS within the context of an integration pattern. It offers guidance pertaining to the technical, operational, legal, regulatory, and financial issues that an enterprise must consider when opting for a CCKS.

Using a CCKS presents numerous challenges, not the least of which is establishing a rationale for selecting a more complex and costly pattern. Despite the potential hurdles, there are several reasons a company might opt to use a CCKS, including:

With this document, we hope to guide the program or project manager as they lead their company through the CCKS lifecycle, providing them with the critical information they need to successfully map the pattern to their organization, said Michael Born, one of the papers lead authors.

The Cloud Key Management Working Group aims to facilitate the standards for seamless integration between cloud service providers and key broker services. Individuals interested in becoming involved in Cloud Key Management future research and initiatives are invited to join the working group.

Download the full document. Those interested in gaining a deeper understanding of Cloud Key Management Service patterns, as well as guidance for its use are encouraged to read Key Management in Cloud Services: Understanding Encryptions Desired Outcomes and Limitations.

About Cloud Security AllianceThe Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) is the worlds leading organization dedicated to defining and raising awareness of best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment. CSA harnesses the subject matter expertise of industry practitioners, associations, governments, and its corporate and individual members to offer cloud security-specific research, education, training, certification, events, and products. CSA's activities, knowledge, and extensive network benefit the entire community impacted by cloud from providers and customers to governments, entrepreneurs, and the assurance industry and provide a forum through which different parties can work together to create and maintain a trusted cloud ecosystem. For further information, visit us at http://www.cloudsecurityalliance.org, and follow us on Twitter @cloudsa.

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Cloud Security Alliance Offers Recommendations for Using Customer Controlled Key Store - Business Wire

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Skyhigh Security today announced it has joined the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world's leading organization dedicated to raising awareness of best practices to ensure a secure cloud computing environment. As a CSA member, Skyhigh Security will further educate the market on best practices for data-aware cloud security that supports rapid digital business transformation and hybrid work environments, while minimizing the impact on security performance, complexity, and cost.

The acceleration of data usage and collaboration outside the network perimeter has caused seismic shifts in IT environments, which inherently comes with risk, said Gee Rittenhouse, CEO, Skyhigh Security. Were excited to join the CSA and their diverse and extensive network of professionals who work together to create and maintain a trusted cloud ecosystem. Were eager to share our approach to data-aware cloud security with our industry peers and other like-minded organizations.

The CSA harnesses the subject matter expertise of industry practitioners, associations, governments, and its members to offer cloud security-specific research, education, certification, events, and products. Its activities, knowledge, and extensive network benefit the entire community impacted by the cloud. As an involved member of the CSA, Skyhigh Security will participate in collaborative initiatives to influence, leverage, and partake in all aspects of CSA's Research Lifecycle. Skyhigh Security will be leading and contributing to multiple groups in the cloud security space, including Zero Trust and Serverless.

We welcome Skyhigh Security and look forward to their innovative and forward-thinking contributions to best practices for securing data and applications in the cloud from anywhere or on any device, said Jim Reavis, CEO, Cloud Security Alliance. In an era when the mobile remote workforce model is ubiquitous, this is an essential element of a secure cloud environment. Our collaboration will help businesses understand how they can minimize risk by confidently managing data and application security at every access point in their environment.

Skyhigh Security is focused on cloud security that protects sensitive data no matter where users are, what device they are using, or wherever their data resides: on the web, cloud, and private applications. Its portfolio is cloud-native, architected with Zero Trust principles from the ground up, and provides a common data loss prevention (DLP) and policy engine. Skyhigh Security Service Edge (SSE) includes Skyhigh Secure Web Gateway (SWG), Skyhigh Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), and Skyhigh Private Access, among other products, providing one of the most comprehensive portfolios in the market.

About Skyhigh Security:

Skyhigh Security is focused on helping customers secure the worlds data. It protects organizations with cloud-native security solutions that are both data-aware and simple to use. Its market-leading Security Service Edge (SSE) Portfolio goes beyond data access and focuses on data use, allowing organizations to collaborate from any device and from anywhere without sacrificing security. For more information, visit http://www.skyhighsecurity.com.

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Skyhigh Security Joins the Cloud Security Alliance - Business Wire