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Cisco Launches IoT System

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SAN FRANCISCO – Networking giant Cisco is the latest company to throw its hat into the Internet of Things (IoT) ring, with a new system targeting smart city infrastructure.The Cisco IoT System consists of 15 IoT products

ranging from 4G modules to security cameras to mass-transit WiFi access points,

all aimed at “turning data into action”.

Kip Compton, VP and GM of the IoT Systems and Software Group at Cisco, said:

“The Cisco IoT System provides a comprehensive set of IoT technologies and

products that simplify and accelerate the deployment of infrastructure for the

IoT. This unique systems approach delivers a framework that makes it possible

to deploy, accelerate and innovate with IoT.”

Among the new products are the IW3702 wireless access point for mass transit

and city transport, and a range of 360-degree 720p IP cameras.

In Australia Cisco is planning to unveil its first IoE Innovation Centre

via a WebEx media conference hosted by CTO Kevin (“Blochy”) Bloch at

4pm tomorrow.

Cyber Crimes Step Up The Pace

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Australians are losing more than $1.2 billion a year to online crime, according to a new report from Norton by Symantec

The just-released Norton Cybersecurity Insights Report says 3.7 million Australians were impacted by online crime in the last year.

Mark Gorrie, director of Norton by Symantec Pacific region, said ransomware made up a large part of online crime, and believes it will continue to grow.

He said many of the victims are paying to recover their data, meaning the cyber criminals are finding their tactics successful – and will keep coming.

Separately, credit information and data analytics group Veda yesterday reported that health companies and retailers will be the biggest targets of cybercrims  in Australia next year.

“Cyber criminals will become more interested in the health sector due to the wealth of data held by healthcare organisations and a perceived weakness in their cyber defences,” according to Veda’s 2015 Cybercrime and Fraud Report. 

It added: “Emboldened by successful data hacks into online retailers over the past two years, cyber criminals will continue to target the retail sector, with a particular focus on new to online retailers and main street retailers who are building an online retail channel.”

Govt Agencies Given Access To Telecoms Details Of 820K Aussies

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More than 820,000 Australians had their telecoms account details revealed to law-enforcement, emergency services, and national security agencies in the year to June 30, the Australian Communications and Media Authority has revealed.

The details were revealed under the Telecommunications Act. Some 584,029 customer records were handed over for the alleged purpose of enforcing criminal law, ACMA says in its annual report, tabled in Parliament this week.

Only in 171,926 cases was the information provided with the person’s knowledge or consent – meaning the other 648,000-odd cases were carried out in secrecy.

Some 7206 were for “enforcement of a law imposing a pecuniary penalty or protection of public revenue; 4195 were for locating missing persons; 1268 were to “assist ACMA”; 484 involved witnesses under summons; and 67 were for enforcing a foreign country’s criminal law.

Massive Credit Scam On Retailers

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It’s the biggest computer hacking and credit-card fraud in history. Some 11 people, including a US Secret Service grass, have been charged with hacking computer systems of nine major US retailers and the theft and sale of more than 41 million credit and debit card numbers.

The suspects have been charged with conspiracy, computer intrusion, fraud and identity theft. three of them are US citizens; the others hail from Estonia, Ukraine, Belarus and China.

The indictment alleges that the suspects hacked into the wireless computer networks of major US retailers including TJX, BJ’s Wholesale Club, OfficeMax, Boston Market, Barnes & Noble, Sports Authority, Forever 21 and DSW. Once in, they set up programs that captured card numbers, passwords and account information.

They either sold this information to others or used it themselves. In total, said US Attorney General Michael Mukasey, “they caused widespread losses by banks, retailers, and consumers.”

US Attorney Michael Sullivan said the 11 accused weren’t computer geniuses, just opportunists who used a technique called “wardriving”. This involved cruising through areas with a laptop and looking for accessible wireless Internet signals.

Once they located a vulnerable network, they installed sniffer programs that
captured credit and debit card numbers as they moved through a retailer’s
processing networks.

The US Justice Department says the defendants made “tens of millions” of dollars from their scheme, and had used the stolen data to make cards that withdrew “tens of thousands of dollars at a time” from automated teller machines.

Complicating the case, the alleged ringleader, Albert Gonzalez of Miami, was said to have been working as an informant for the Secret Service. His indictment states that during the course of his “cooperation,” he obtained sensitive information that he used “to warn off conspirators and ensure that they would not be identified and arrested.”

Another suspect, Maxym Yastremskiy, a Ukrainian who has been arrested in Turkey, is accused of creating a Web site to sell the stolen account information to buyers around the world. It wasn’t known last night if any Australian buyers were involved.

20% SMBs Fear They’re Under Skilled

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Australia’s small and medium businesses rate shortages of skilled labour as their biggest challenge, a poll by Telstra has found.

Telstra’s survey of territory winners and finalists of its 2011 Business Awards found almost one in five Australian businesses listed skill shortages as their biggest concern, while higher business costs, managing cash flow, increased competition and the Australian dollar also were presenting challenges.

Skills shortages is the biggest concern for 18 percent of respondents, followed by higher business costs (16 percent), cash flow (11 percent), increased competition (9 percent), red tape (7 percent) and the higher Australian dollar (7 percent).

About 43 percent said – surprise, surprise – that lowering company taxes is the most important thing that the Federal Government could do to better support small and medium enterprises, followed by cutting red tape and compliance costs and elevating the Minister for Small Business to a Cabinet position (both 12 percent).

One in five businesses said they would switch to cheaper energy sources and 23 percent said they would use or introduce technology such as videoconferencing to minimise travel in response to emissions reduction measures.

Blackberry Android Phone On Way

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What are claimed to be the first pictures of struggling Canadian phonemaker Blackberry’s first Android phone have been published on Twitter by longtime leaker Evan Blass.

The picture doesn’t show the full casing of the phone, but viewers can see what appears to be a BlackBerry physical keyboard alongside an onscreen keyboard.

“The smartphone strongly resembles the BlackBerry Passport, suggesting that it might feature similar specs. If so, expect the same square 4.5in HD screen, Snapdragon 801 chip and 13MP camera,” according to one report.

The phone will reportedly arrive running Android 5.0 Lollipop.

According to Blass, it will be accompanied by another Android model, the Blackberry Venice. Due in November, this will feature a 5.4in screen with QHD 2560 by1440 resolution, and a slide-out qwerty keyboard, he claims.

Auto-Update Uproar Spreads: Big Biz To Cold-Shoulder Win10

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With Microsoft’s all-new Windows 10 due for international release tomorrow, many enterprise users of earlier versions of Windows, including many in Australia, are making it plain they will have nothing to do with the new version – at least for the time being.

They are concerned about Microsoft’s policy of introducing compulsory automatic updates which they believe will spell havoc for enterprise departments. 

This follows an earlier outcry by home and small business users who fear Microsoft will use the system to force other products on them and to gain more information about users.

In the US, Forbes has reported that the policy has already run into its first major problem: early users with Nvidia graphics cards are complaining that Windows Update is automatically installing new drivers which break multi-monitor set-ups and SLI (dual card) configurations, causing second monitors not to work and can even stop PCs booting entirely.

In Australia Steve Beards, the recently appointed – and Melbourne based – APJ VP at Flexera Software is advising major enterprise accounts  – which include a number of banks – to steer clear of Windows 10.

The automatic update policy, he says, means that each time a new upgrade or patch is introduced, IT teams will need to test for compatibility with the hardware and software on-premise or in the cloud and in virtualised settings, fix any problems, package and then deliver to end users

And he predicts that as more vendors follow the Microsoft example, adopting an “agile” software development mentality, already-stretched IT departments will need more and more bandwidth to manage multiple upgrades.

“One of the biggest issues is data security,” he told.  “Enterprise users – including banks – need to ensure [after every update] that everything is up to date at maintaining security.” A six-step process is needed to ensure that everything is compatible with each change.

Consequently Flexera is advising its customers to stay away from Windows 10, at least in the short term. “They should see what the market reaction is before putting a toe in the water,” he said.

US-based Flexera produces software licensing, compliance and installation systems for application producers and mid- to large enterprises, It has a large presence in Australia, with a team of 70 software specialists in Melbourne, charged with updating an enormous library of enterprise software from all major vendors.

Xero Drops Into Dropbox

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New Zealand-based accounting software outfit Xero has inked a deal with the US-based Dropbox cloud storage service that’s claimed to provide registered tax agents with a seamless and simpler way to manage document sharing with clients at tax time.

Xero will use the Dropbox for Business service for document sharing. 

It says tax agents will be able to store and view signed copies of tax returns, letters and agreements, invoices and receipts and other key documents within Dropbox, via the Xero Tax user interface. 

They will also be able to share folders with clients and their bookkeepers.

Xero Tax with Dropbox for Business integration will be available to Australian users in September, the Kiwi outfit says.

No death spiral here: RIM CEO

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RIM’s CEO finally confronts the elephant in the room: BlackBerry’s fate.

Relax Blackberry fans. “This company is not ignoring the world out there, nor is it in a death spiral,” said Research In Motion CEO Thorsten Heins, responding to widespread criticism of RIM – and even predictions of its impending demise – following last week’s announcement of worse-than-expected financial results and the delay of the new BlackBerry 10 line to 2013.

Yes, he told radio interviewers, RIM is “very challenged at the moment”. But he maintained RIM is in the middle of a transition and knows what it is doing.

Heins blamed the latest delay in delivery of the new Blackberry 10 operating system, and handsets that will use it, to early 2013 on the sheer volume of software that must be processed by RIM’s development group. “Software development is always a huge task,” he said.

Bell Tolls For Optus 2G

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SYDNEY – Optus is mulling the future of its 2G GSM mobile services after parent Singtel opted to shut down its Singapore 2G network.Singtel will end 2G

voice, messaging and data services in Singapore in April 2017, citing

consumers’ “increased demand for mobile data and faster access

speeds” and the high uptake of faster 3G and 4G services.

In Australia, No 1 telco Telstra has announced plans to close its 2G network by

the end of 2016.

Comms industry analyst Paul Budde told iTnews it was only a matter of time

before Optus follows suit. “I think with hardly anyone left on 2G, they

can start to reuse that network space, and it makes sense to start closing

services on the old network,” Budde said.