Consultation opens on .uk domain names

Does British business need new shorter domain names – particularly the option of www.company.uk? These have been proposed by Nominet, the non-profit organisation that oversees all .uk net addresses. According to today’s article on the BBC technology page, the shorter domain names would have added security features. Eleanor Bradley, director of operations at Nominet explains that the new domain names would be “DNSSEC-signed [Domain Name System Security Extensions] …a security protocol that adds a digital signature to a domain to minimise the risk of domain-hijacking.” A three-month consultation period is now underway until 7^th January to listen to business concerns. Some companies envisage additional expense as they may have to buy the additional domain names simply to protect their brands. To obtain the new names, businesses would have to prove they have a significant UK presence and pay additional fees. For more information on the new domain name proposals read the full BBC article at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19767014

Microsoft finds malware on ‘new’ products

PCs and laptops may already be infected with malware before you even get them home. That’s according to a recent announcement by Microsoft and discussed in a recent article in The Independent. As part of their investigations, Microsoft researchers bought products from various ‘PC malls’ in different Chinese cities and found that 20 per cent of them were infected with malware. Although it is not thought the products bought from ‘unsecure supply chains’ will affect Western supplies of physical products, the malware could still cause problems if the software is downloaded. Researchers found counterfeit copies of Microsoft Windows and malware that could allow cybercriminals to remotely control cameras, record keystrokes and gather personal data. The main malware involved is known as Nitol Botnet which the company has been investigating by many different means. Find out more about the technical reach of the malware by reading the full article at http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/microsoft-admits-millions-of-computers-could-be-infected-with-malware-before-theyre-even-out-of-the-box-8139437.html

Quantum chip from University of Bristol

An international research team based at the University of Bristol are to reveal details this week of their latest development – a new quantum chip. Quantum technology manipulates photons of light within circuits rather than traditional chips using electrical current. This step means the possibility of ultra-fast computing and much smaller devices although quantum chips could still be produced in exiting silicon manufacturing facilities. In the short term, its first applications may be in situations where online security is important. Jeremy O’Brien, physics professor at Bristol, quoted in the full article in the Financial Times, estimated that “quantum processors could be integrated with conventional microelectronic circuits within three to five years.” The Bristol based team included engineers and scientists from Toshiba, Nokia and Oclaro from the U.K. The team’s work is to be revealed at the British Science Festival in Aberdeen this week. For more details on this step change in chip design  read the full article here  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1410dc2c-f383-11e1-b3a2-00144feabdc0.html#axzz25ORTj4UI

The BBC, the Olympics and the digital future

What were the key issues facing the chief technology officer for the BBC during the huge digital output delivered during the Olympics? John Linwood who holds that particular role, speaking in an interview in Computer Weekly magazine, does admit to ‘a moment at the end of the closing ceremony where we breathed a sigh of relief’. At one point 12 million video requests were made on one day making it ‘the largest online mobile streaming ever’. Planning infrastructure was vital with equipment rental and use of third party networks meaning that the huge capacity could be there for the event without excess investment. Linwood goes on the discuss the future direction for digital operations at the BBC including using cloud-based services and virtualisation. For more on what it took to successfully deliver the BBC Olympic output and future plans, read the whole article at http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240161490/John-Linwood-BBC-CTO-on-the-Olympics-output-and-digitisation

IT Skills survey 2012 – what do you need to progress?

IT professionals – what do you know and what do you need to know? To find out what skills are considered important by programmers, developers or IT managers, Computing.co.uk questioned 400 readers in a recent survey. Answers to questions such as “Which programming skills do you have?” and “Which programming skill do you see as the most important over the next two years?” are compared to find future trends. Today’s top three programming skills were given as SQL, HTML and Unix/Linux in comparison to the three languages seen as key for the future: Android, Java and .net. Readers were also asked about their skills in database management and analytics with just above and below 50% of respondents saying they possessed skills in the field of SQL Server, Business Intelligence and Oracle. For a detailed insight into how industry professionals see the future and more importantly why, read the full, detailed article at http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/feature/2192979/computing-it-skills-survey-2012/page/1

GCHQ and government call for more cybercrime training

The government wants to see more universities offer post-graduate training in world-class cybersecurity as part of its National Cyber Security Programme. As part of the initiative, several government bodies, including GCHQ in Cheltenham, have grouped together to encourage universities to apply for funding. As discussed in this month’s Computer Weekly magazine, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) hope eventually to establish two dedicated centres for Doctoral Training. In April this year some universities already achieved “Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research” status in the initial stages of the programme. "If the UK is to…maintain its reputation for world-class capability in cybersecurity, it is vital that we look to discover, develop and nurture the UK’s next generation of doctoral-level cybersecurity experts," said David Willetts, minister for universities and skills. For more on the future of cybersecurity training read the full article at http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240159950/Universities-invited-to-train-cyber-spooks

Is it really good to share?

It used to be the case that sensitive company information could not be distributed or released without permission and a rubber stamp from senior management. In the digital age, sensitive data, intellectual property and brand information are distributed more widely via social media, Skype, online profiles and C.Vs. The ‘sharing’ is often done by an unaware younger workforce. An article from SC Magazine looks at the headache that this can cause information security professionals and the companies they are trying to protect. “We're living in a world where our entire emerging workforce has grown up online and has been engineered to over-share. Big data miners have taken notice,” says one interviewee. Such information can be used to plan targeted attacks on security systems or be used to competitive advantage. Information security training is one suggestion as well as clear guidelines in employment contracts. Find out more about the problems with sharing by reading the full article at http://www.scmagazineuk.com/the-problem-of-employees-sharing-too-much-information/article/248318/