November Technology News

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November’s Tech Updates

  1. Walmart drops plans to use robots for tracking inventory
  2. The 5 Biggest Cloud Computing Trends In 2021
  3. Crypto crime slows in 2020, but DeFi hacks rise - CipherTrace report
  4. Daimler will shrink with shift to electric, autonomous cars
  5. Smart doorbells ‘easy target for hackers’ study finds
  6. EU plans to open data to sharing in bid to rival Asia and U.S.
  7. 클라우드 보안인증에 DaaS 추가

[November 3rd, 2020]

Walmart drops plans to use robots for tracking inventory

  • Who: Walmart Inc.
  • What: The company has dropped its plans to use moving robots to scan shelves and keep track of inventory, as the company ends its partnership with Bossa Nova Rotobics Inc.
  • When: Monday, 2nd of November
  • Why: “This was one idea we tried in roughly 500 stores just as we are trying other ideas in additional stores,” Walmart said in a statement.
  • How: The company ended its partnership with a Robotics company, who it had worked with for five years to improve customer experience by using robots to assist shop staff and make their jobs easier.
  • So?:
    • Current technology did not go as planned; However, the company would continue to test new technologies and invest in its own processes and apps to track inventory and help move products to shelves as quickly as possible.
    • It will continue to put effort to digitise its stores to make shopping faster as it competes with Amazon.com Inc.
  • Link to the article

[November 9th, 2020]

  • Author: Bernard Marr
  • What:
  1. Multi-cloud approaches will lead to a breakdown of barriers between providers
    • Currently the big cloud providers take a walled-garden approach to the service they provide. However, the industry is increasingly turning to hybrid or multi-cloud environments, meaning that the bridges between their platforms are to be made for a collaborative approach.
  2. AI will improve the efficiency and speed of cloud computing
    • AI is a key enabler of technology’s adaptation to our needs. AI is where the effects of smarter algorithms delivered through cloud services will be felt - such as image recognition tools, language processing, recommendation tools, cooling systems and etc.
  3. Gaming will be increasingly delivered from the cloud, just like music and movies
    • Tech giants and startups started offering their own platform for cloud gaming, which revolutionizes the way we consume entertainment media by offering instant access to vast libraries of games that can be played for a monthly subscription.
  4. Hybrid and on-premise cloud solutions grow in popularity
    • Choosing between a public, private, or hybrid cloud environment has proved challenging for some organizations. The providers have woken up to the need for different platforms and approaches within organizations – e.g. utilizing public cloud to provide content delivery while storing and processing customer data and other controlled information via private or on-premise solutions.
  5. More of us will be working on Virtual Cloud Desktops
    • The service where the entire environment of our workstation is delivered as a managed cloud service to our laptop or desktop screen where we work - a.k.a desktop-as-a-service.
    • Organizations can take advantage of by-the-hour subscriptions for the time their employees spend working at their machines, reducing the cost of redundant technology.
    • Link to the article

[November 11th, 2020]

Crypto crime slows in 2020, but DeFi hacks rise - CipherTrace report

  • Who: A report from crypto intelligence company CipherTrace
  • What:
    • Have said that the loss from cryptocurrecny thefts and hacks have declined to $1.8 billion compared with last year, but crimes from the “decentralized finance” sector rose.
    • DeFi stands for “decentralized finance”, which are transactions on platforms that facilitate lending outside of banks.
  • Why: The cryptocurrency players have implemented more security procedures regarding crypto crimes - therefore about 20% of the crimes came from DeFi. The surge in DeFi was what ultimately attracted criminal hackers, resulting in the most hacks for the sector this year.
  • How: Companies and individuals have rushed DeFi products to market that have not gone through security verification and validation, hence, the weaknesses are showing.
  • So?: DeFi networks need to gain permission to clearly meet the regulatory compliance - this way, people will need customer verification, leading to less problems rising due to its permissionless design.
  • Link to the article

[November 13th, 2020]

Daimler will shrink with shift to electric, autonomous cars

  • Who: Daimler, a German automotive engineering company.
  • What: They plan on reducing the company size to focus on capturing recurring revenues with software-based services.
  • When: It will unveil a new vehicle car operating system in 2024.
  • Why:
  • How:
    • The company will invest in digital tech, such as developing a new OS that includes sofware-based functionalities where services can be updated; so that it can make money with new sources of revenue.
    • They are hiring a lot of new software engineers, experts in battery chemistry and electrification for the new drive.
  • So?: It will result in job losses as electric car takes less time to build than a conventional version.
  • Link to the article

[November 24th, 2020]

Smart doorbells ‘easy target for hackers’ study finds

  • Who: The consumer group ‘Which’
  • What: The publisher has revealed that the major security flaws in popular smart doorbells are putting consumers at risk of being targeted by hackers inside their homes.
  • Why:
    • The most common flaws came from weak password policies and a lack of data encryption.
    • Two of the devices in the test could be manipulated to steal network passwords and then hack other smart devices within the home.
    • The Victure Smart Video Doorbell, was found to send users’ home network names and passwords unencrypted to servers in China.
  • So?:
    • A new legislation to safeguard consumers from unsecure products has been requested tot he government.
    • Amazon has removed at least seven product listings in response to the findings.
    • When purchasing a smart doorbell, it is advised to change the default password to something long, and to enable two-factor authentication.
    • Convenience shouldn’t be compromised for security - companies should be putting the security of their customers first.
  • Link to the article

[November 27th, 2020]

EU plans to open data to sharing in bid to rival Asia and U.S.

  • Who: The European Commission
  • What: European Commission is proposing new rules to allow sharing of public and personal data with businesses and research organisations.
  • Why: To avoid EU firms and citizens relying on data from Asian and U.S rivals.
  • How: In order for data to circulate, confidence needs to be established - hence the commission proposed a new model based on the neutrality and transparency of so-called “data intermediaries,” which would organise data sharing or pooling, to increase trust. They will also regulate the selling of data to another company or using it to develop their own product based.
  • So?: EU hopes to catch up on the digital innovation, particularly in consumer markets such as social media, online shopping and smartphones
  • Link to the article

[November 30th, 2020]

클라우드 보안인증에 DaaS 추가

  • Who: 과학기술정보통신부와 한국인터넷진흥원(KISA)
  • What: 클라우드 보안인증제 대상 분야에 ‘서비스형 데스크톱(Desktop as a Service, DaaS)’를 추가하고 심사인증 적용에 나선다. DaaS는 업무에 필요한 PC 업무환경을 퍼블릭 클라우드 서비스로 빌려쓰는 것을 뜻한다.
  • When: 11월 26일, 2020년
  • Why:
    • 이는 올해 2월 행정안전부의 ‘개방형 OS 도입전략 수립’ 계획에 따라 공공기관 내 인터넷망 PC를 편리하고 안전한 DaaS로 대체하기 위한 과정의 일환이다.
    • 클라우드 보안인증은 현재 한국인터넷진흥원(KISA)에서 발급중이다. 국내 공공기관에 클라우드 서비스를 제공하기 위해서 민간 클라우드 사업자들은 클라우드 보안인증을 필수적으로 받아야 한다.
  • How:
    • 인증 범위에는 네트워크, 보안 시스템, 하이퍼바이저 등의 인프라 영역과 DaaS 구성 요소인 가상 PC OS, 인증·관리서버, 보안 SW가 포함된다. 총 14개 부문 110개 통제항목, 209개의 세부 점검 항목에 대한 점검이 이뤄지며, DaaS 평가 항목 중 상당 부분은 기존의 IaaS 보안 인증과 중복된다.
  • So?:
    • 최근 코로나19에 따른 원격근무(재택근무) 활성화에 따라 정부부처와 공공기관에서도 DaaS 수요가 크게 늘고 있기 때문에, 최근 클라우드 서비스 사업자들은 DaaS 시장에 적극적인 추세다 - KT·네이버·NHN이 모두 서비스형 데스크톱(DaaS)에 대한 클라우드 보안인증 신청을 준비 중인 것으로 확인됐다.
    • 클라우드 보안인증을 받은 DaaS가 도입되면, 공무원들은 행정업무용(내부망) PC와 인터넷용(외부망) PC를 따로 쓸 필요 없이 정부의 보안요구사항이 충족된 DaaS 기반의 안전한 가상 PC를 업무에 활용할 수 있게 된다.
  • Link to the article

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