(Bloomberg) -- SAP SE’s cloud revenue grew by 25% in the third quarter as Europe’s biggest software company worked to transition customers away from locally run systems with the promise of artificial-intelligence tools and analytics.Most Read from BloombergClimate Change Is Killing Buildings ...

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Banking-as-a-service (BaaS) startup Synapse has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and its assets will be acquired by TabaPay.

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Cloud revenue up 24% and up 25% at constant currencies, supported by 32% Cloud ERP Suite revenue growth at constant currencies Current cloud backlog of €14.2...

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Instant money movement platform TabaPay is acquiring Synapse’s assets following the latter company’s bankruptcy.

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News &amp; press releases from SAP: Read in-depth feature articles on current business and technology trends, customer stories &amp; videos on SAP TV.

SAP Unveils AI-Driven Supply-Chain Innovations to Transform Manufacturing

ServiceNow Inc. Chief Executive Officer Bill McDermott says he has no plans to leave his position atop the rapidly expanding software company until at least the end of the decade.

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Information Services Corp (TSX:ISV:CA) Wednesday announced a new contract through its Technology Solutions segment. ISC said it has secured a $3.2 million (approx. CA$4.5 million) contract with the State of Michigan for a period of five years, with the ...

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At SAP TechEd, the global giant has made several announcements that will assist developers in enhancing their firm's SAP instances. Juergen Mueller, Chief

SAP TechEd delivers the AI generation of extensions

SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) announced the next step in its long-standing partnership with Microsoft, using the latest in enterprise-ready generative

SAP and Microsoft Collaborate on Joint Generative AI Offerings to Help Customers Address the Talent Gap – SAP News

SAP SE

sapse

Application Programming Interfaces are an integral part of the emerging digital space. Without them, benefiting from many of today’s habitual financial services would be at least difficult if not impossible. In this piece, Andersen’s experts in FinTech software development will tell how API-based IT solutions contribute to the success of banks and financial organizations. A brief outline of API technology APIs allow FinTech companies to make data and features of their applications available to external custom software development companies, business partners, and internal departments. Thus, services and products interact with each other using third-party data and features via dedicated interfaces. The implementation of API protocols is required for looking up the weather forecast in real-time, making a bank transfer, reading text messages, and more. attests to the popularity of this tool. Namely, 61,3% of software development companies said that in 2020 they had used APIs in their work more frequently than in the year before that, while 71,1% of respondents were planning to increasingly use them in 2021. Over 58% of organizations consider implementing the API economy model to be their highest priority. In their view, APIs are mostly used in Telecom, Healthcare, and Finance. RapidAPI Developer Survey 2020-2021 Rest APIs remain a dominant technology, and there is also a growing interest in Websockets, Serverless & FaaS, gRPC, etc. For example, in 2020, the usage of AsyncAPIs and GraphQL increased by several times. The larger a company is the more internal services and communication protocols it uses. For example, 40% of major companies employing ten thousand people and more reported that they simultaneously use over 250 internal APIs. Three in four companies are inclined to rely on their own solutions while reducing their dependence on external products. The following infographics represent API market segmenting by industries based on the above survey. The API market dynamics According to , the global API management market will reach $5.1 billion by 2023 growing by nearly five times compared to 2018 and at an average annual rate of 32,9%. The forecast by , in turn, states that the global API market growth will surpass $21 billion by 2028. MarketsandMarkets Adroit Market Research Tools for API platforms, analytics, and security are increasingly used thanks to the advancement of mobile technologies. This motivates companies to develop their solutions for internal and external use. The above two pieces of research underscore the advantages of cloud technologies compared to the on-premises approach when a company uses its own data centers. Cloud technologies reduce companies’ expenses and speed up product development. North America is the main region for the development of API technologies. There, API-related technologies are commonly used, vendors supply API management solutions on a massive scale, technology is constantly evolving, and there are skilled and knowledgeable experts. The rapid API market advancement is projected in the Asia-Pacific region with its technological leap and increased number of users. APIs are most commonly used in Telecom, the IT sector, Banking, Finance, Security and Insurance, and public administration. The Banking and Finance industries are constantly looking for cutting-edge, flexible, and efficient tools for providing their clients with digital services. Numerous are developed by large organizations at a faster rate than by small and medium businesses. The main global market players are Adobe, IBM, Oracle, Google, Red Hat, Software AG, Microsoft, SAP SE, and others. These are mostly US and European companies. The API economy structure Some companies following the global don't fully understand how the API economy structure is organized. Thus, their API implementation strategies are inconsistent and fragmented. API trend The API economy is based on the following pillars: the right approach to API adoption; the choice of the right technology; API development management; the establishment of an ecosystem. Let’s consider how the above stages are implemented within Banking, Finance, Security, and Insurance. The right approach to API adoption Companies implement a business-driven approach to API management based on the adoption of Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2) and Open Banking. These regulatory policies allow external financial service providers access to banking data, transactions, and other financial data of banks’ clients and financial institutions via APIs. The above approach is based on the and the top-down approach. The former suggests shifting a company’s business and IT processes to applying key API management principles. The latter requires that any solutions are made and the main channels of communication with clients are established via APIs. API-first mindset API reusability allows companies to develop their products based on already existing solutions. This principle substantially speeds up product launches and allows companies to get ROI faster. To implement the right approach to API adoption, financial institutions must change their organizational policies, ensuring communication with their clients and within their organizations mainly via APIs. Financial institutions can develop them in-house, order them from software development companies, or use open-source solutions. The choice of the right API technology The choice and comprehensive implementation of a suitable technological solution is another crucial factor for establishing the API economy. This stage is required to build the production environment. As a rule, companies consider the following tools and technologies: API management platforms are the core of an entire API management system allowing organizations to establish data security policies, choose communication protocols and repositories, and get data analytics; Microservice architecture is a decentralized system for data processing and storing. Thanks to it, companies perform the needed operations and establish communication protocols within the IT architecture of their solutions. Thus, each API is functioning independently, is easy to develop, and is testable and secure; API management catalog is a cataloging system that stores information about APIs for their subsequent reuse or for the development of new APIs; API monitoring technologies are used for efficient platform and service management, collection of statistics, and managing systems’ performance and user access. The following infographics represent API architecture. Companies face the challenge of choosing the right platforms for ensuring their production and communication processes, organizing efficient and harmonious microservice structure, and establishing effective API cataloging and monitoring. To do so, businesses look for reliable finance software development companies that specialize in API development and implementation. API development management This stage of the API economy implementation involves the adoption of Agile practices for API development management. The following development teams are responsible for API development: manage API software architecture and processes on a platform level, establish use standards and patterns, and work with API-related tools, defining API development strategy. Central teams coordinate the interaction of API processes and standards within departments. They manage API development based on legislation and company rules within their industries, e.g. Finance, Insurance, or Banking. For these purposes, API capability centers are established. Business unit design teams Finally, whose work is based on DevOps principles finalize a product. They rely on strategic principles and standards outlined by central teams, and on developments achieved by business unit design teams. delivery teams Successful API development and implementation lie in the efficient distribution of tasks between different teams, as well as in the interaction of customers with the key FinTech development specialists on a project. Building of API ecosystem To ensure the stable functioning of the API economy within an organization it needs to establish an ecosystem where API solutions are included in its production and marketing strategies as a key element of the infrastructure. The API ecosystem establishment implies using of developer portals for efficient support and transparent document flow. It's recommended that an organization’s specialists would participate in technical conferences, meetups, and hackathons where new ideas for the development of API banking solutions are generated. After all, businesses should implement advanced, user-friendly, and innovative software products to stay competitive in fast-evolving markets. A consumer-first approach is also crucial for building a productive ecosystem. It implies paying attention primarily to the development and improvement of services that are used by an organization’s clients and business partners most. Finally, companies successfully monetize their API ecosystems by leasing their tools, adopting new payment methods, and enhancing client support. To sum up The API economy of companies in the Banking and Finance industries. API solutions help businesses to interact with each other at a new level establishing efficient and convenient communication. is the future At each of the API economy levels specified above, companies face the challenge of choosing the right API development and management strategies. Cooperation with top-rated finance software development companies will help companies solve this problem.

API Economy as a Key for the Success of Banking and Finance in the Future

Following the invention of the Internet by Robert Kahn in 1983, there are multiple developments that have focused on improving the Internet. The most remarkable improvement that has taken place is the decentralization of the Internet. The development has been massive enough to the extent of transforming different activities in modern society ranging from governance, law and trust to finance, health tech and fractional ownership. The current Internet architecture takes hold of several small entities in a confined structure referred to as centralization. Ever since the advent of the Internet, sharing of information through the Internet depended on the centralization of resources in a database such that all the peers in the interconnected network are centrally controlled. With decentralized systems, there is no reliance on intermediaries to facilitate connections. Instead, in decentralized systems, individual nodes in the network take control of their own data and at the same time individually share information directly with other nodes available in the network.​ Today the centralization of the Internet implies only a few companies taking control of the Internet through data privacy as well as dictating how information flows. Specifically, the Internet is controlled by a group of companies called FAANGs which stands for Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google. Owing to the billions of data shared through such platforms, the database controlled by these companies contains valuable information that drives marketing as well as other credible actors. The wealth of information contained in the centralized Internet can have far-reaching positive ramifications for researchers as well as advertisers depending on that application of analytics techniques. Security concerns and data privacy issues – from shady mismanagement of such personal data and malicious actors to spammy remarketing advertisement – have inspired a new movement of tech entrepreneurs, Internet activists, and influential technologists to evangelize solutions which will build decentralized systems and organizations. The use of centralized servers by many organizations means that there will be significant changes in the manner in which information is stored and shared online and stored. With centralized systems, computers act as nodes in the network playing the role of power contribution as well as the control of distributed storage systems. Meanwhile, distributed systems have equally been subject to security and privacy concerns owing to the interconnections that exist between the various databases involved in the network. With decentralized systems, data is stored in a privately-owned database such as cloud-hosted accounts. In such a system, there can never be hacking threats or fears of external control of the information contained in the storage systems. With the advent of blockchain technology, distributed systems are likely to adopt the mechanisms of a shared ledger in sharing and distributing information thus guaranteeing the privacy of user information. The distributed Internet of Things has recently advanced to accommodate smart systems that have made it easy to identify solutions for problems in agriculture, the industrial sector as well as in domestic issues. The future of the technology is expected to encompass technologies such as sensor devices, mobile technologies and RFID systems (radio frequency identification). The Exploding Billion Dollar Computing Power Storage Market Cloud computing in 2020 is shaping and expected to become more focused on vertical and a sales ground war as the leading vendors battle for market share according to Larry Dignan Editor-in-Chief, ZDNet. He four industry-wide trends: predicted Companies are well aware of vendor lock-in and want to abstract their applications so that they could be moved across clouds. Multi-Cloud: The more corporate data that resides in a cloud the more sticky the customer is to the vendor. Data Acquisition: To act as differentiators among the top cloud service providers AI & IoT: : Intensity and uncertainty. Sales Tactics The major market players of the global cloud computing market are Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Alphabet Inc, Oracle Corporation, Cisco Systems, Inc., Salesforce.com, Inc., SAP SE, VMware, Inc., IBM Corporation, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Rackspace Inc., Adobe Systems Inc., SAS Institute Inc, Dell EMC Corp.and TIBCO Software Inc. Is it economical and tech viable to use blockchain for data storage? The existence of blockchain has complemented the storage of data whereby huge data can be stored in decentralized databases. As a result, the data will be secure since no people have the capability to control such data. Extending this concept could be used by decentralized data ownership – in a format, users are remunerated for the value of their data when they decide to grant access to third parties. In opposition to traditional cloud servers, the decentralized cloud storage does not keep data on one particular centralized server, but it uses different nodes located across the world, which are independent of each other. The nodes are hosted by different providers, not centralized under one entity. This technology has started with the BitTorrent protocol, which was designed for peer-to-peer file sharing. The InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) protocol has been one of the biggest evolutions of decentralized data storage. IPFS is an open-source project created by Protocol Labs, an R&D lab for network protocols and former Y Combinator startup. There are two fundamental approaches when it comes to decentralized data computing. The off-chain and on-chain. The on-chain refers to the design which includes all data of users is stored within each block on the blockchain. The enhanced security feeling comes at a price to maintain full nodes, which is a far more expensive option. While traditional cryptocurrencies such as BTC with a maximum size of 1MB per block and capacities of 3-4 transactions per second (TPS) can’t serve for the reason of data storage. Simply put, If users were able to upload a few megabytes of data, the network will become shortly overloaded. Moreover, this will cost a fortune in network fees and kill decentralization due to the heavy investments that will be required to run and purchase those machines. As off-chain data we refer to any non-transactional data that is too large to be stored in a blockchain efficiently, or requiring the ability to be changed or deleted. There are several key issues with using existing data stores with new blockchain-based projects. As those categorized by the IBM titled “Why new off-chain storage is needed for blockchains“ there are several issues with existing data stores with the existing blockchain-based projects. report The report is dated back to 2018, an early era for public blockchains- at the time of the writing would make no sense to store on-chain data. As mentioned, a relatively technically easy solution to avoid the costs of the blockchain is to store hashes instead of data per se on the blockchain. But off-chain data storage comes with its own set of flaws. That’s why until today the great majority of data storage solutions on the market are off-chain, by utilising Blockchain Layer 2 (Off-Chain) Infrastructure Platforms. Off-chain solutions tend to have a weak spot, which is no other than safety. By exporting data outside the blockchain, we weaken our safety standards due to more intermediates being involved. Different approaches have been executed by the blockchain community to understand the prospect of storing data exclusively on-chain, answering two contradicting aspects: scalability & increased block size. Who is solving On-Chain Data Storage Solutions: ILCoin & Rift Protocol Among the scalability enables is the RIFT Protocol. Decentralized Cloud Blockchain (DCB) and RIFT allow on-chain storage of files in unlimited volumes. Diving deeper in their architecture we extract the following outcomes: ILCoin’s Bigger blocks enabling more storage. ILCoin has released a 5Gb block – the biggest stable block in the market – (block # 310280) Replication of files by a second layer of Mini-blocks which are processed independently of the mined blocks Mini-blocks are not mined but have a reference to the transactions, in the same way as the mined blocks have Security of the DCB is ensured by the Command Chain Protocol (C2P) Mini-Blocks that are the same as the traditional blocks except they are not mined. They are replicated in the same way as fractals. A Mini-Block hash is generated automatically by the code which eliminates the need for them to be mined. They are contained as a layer inside the traditional (parent) block by way of a reference system. RIFT makes possible the processing of a huge amount of transactions through the Mini-Blocks which expands the capacity of the parent blocks. The transactional speed of RIFT Protocol is tens of times faster than Visa, and tens of thousands of times faster than the Bitcoin network.The new protocol operates 5Gb stable blocks, while increasing transaction speed to 23 140 987 tx/block in the case of 3-minute block generation time and 232 bytes transaction weight. Since the end of November, 5Gb blocks are live and can be checked out in . Block Explorer BitTorrent File System & Tron Blockchain BitTorrent File System is both a protocol and network implementation that provides a content-addressable peer to peer mechanism for storing digital content in a decentralized file system. It’s paired with Tron Ecosystem and the BitTorrent network. BTFS takes advantage of a fork of the IPFS implementation as a start. IPFS was built upon a collection of state of the art technologies such as BitTorrent, distributed hash tables (DHT) etc. The BTFS network architecture comprises several micro-services to serve Renters (who consume BTFS network’s storage by paying BTT) and Hosts (who provide storage space to BTFS network and get BTT rewards). The following micro-services run in the BTFS network. Status Server The status server stores network system metrics used to improve the BTFS network. This data powers the functionality of the other microservices. BTFS Hub The BTFS Hub works to provide storage renters with the most reliable hosts on the BTFS network. The Hub achieves this by calculating a score for every BTFS host using vital metrics like available storage space, host uptime & age, and proximity to file storage renter, among other metrics. The Hub powers the host recommendation based on renter selected preferences and needs. BTFS Guard One of the core guarantees of any large scale file storage system is the availability of stored files. When a file is stored in the BTFS network, the file undergoes Reed-Solomon encoding and is then split into 30 shards, stored on 30 selected hosts. With BTFS Guard, hosts are regularly challenged with proof of storage to ensure file integrity and availability. Should the threshold of missing shards be reached due to hosts not being available on the network, BTFS Guard pro-actively performs the file repair process to ensure file integrity for all renters. Escrow The BTFS Escrow service ensures the safe and secure transaction of funds between renters and hosts per the storage contract agreements. BTFS is currently in BETA mode, and developers need to reach out to the Tron Foundation to request access. Swarm & Ethereum Swarm is a distributed storage platform and content distribution service, a native base layer service of the ethereum web3 stack that aims to provide a decentralized and redundant store for dapp code, user data, blockchain and state data. Swarm sets out to provide various base layer services for web3, including node-to-node messaging, media streaming, decentralised database services and scalable state-channel infrastructure for decentralised service economies. From the end user's perspective, Swarm is not that different from the world wide web. In the background, the difference is that content is hosted on a peer-to-peer storage network instead of individual servers. This peer-to-peer network is self-sustaining due to a built-in incentive system which uses peer-to-peer accounting and allows trading resources for payment. Swarm is designed to deeply integrate with the devp2p multiprotocol network layer of Ethereum as well as with the Ethereum blockchain for domain name resolution, service payments and content availability insurance. But first, let’s look into Swarm’s data structure. There are three main components that make up the Swarm decentralised storage system: These are pieces of data of limited size (max 4K) that act as the basic unit of storage and retrieval in Swarm. Chunks link to addresses. Chunks: This is a unique identifier of a file that allows clients to retrieve and access the content. Reference: This is a data structure describing file collections. It specifies paths and corresponding content hashes allowing for URL-based content retrieval. Manifest: From the end user’s perspective, Swarm does not affect navigation or behaviour. However in the back-end, a peer-to-peer storage network hosts content, instead of individual servers. This peer-to-peer network is self-sustaining due to a built-in incentive system. Incentives are only possible due to the use of a public blockchain that allows trading resources for payment. Swarm also deeply integrates with the DevP2P multi-protocol network layer of Ethereum. DevP2P is a set of network protocols which essentially form the Ethereum peer-to-peer network. Adding to the above, Swarm links to the Ethereum blockchain for domain name resolution (ENS), service payments, and content availability insurance. What’s next for the on-chain data storage: In terms of blockchain developers the key perspectives to mitigate to on-chain data storage solutions could be summarized to the following: Savings in terms of storage costs Eliminate the liability of hosting customer private data Interoperability, innovation, open protocols. The tectonic shift towards decentralized storage solutions is much closer than many Tech Gurus, Venture Capitalists, or even Blockchain Evangelists currently believe. Expecting 30 billion interconnected devices by 2020 and mature companies building decentralised applications to distribute and store those, it’s for granted that decentralized data storage solutions will play a critical role and challenge the thrones of Amazon & Microsoft in the computing storage market.

The Crypto Challenge To The Amazons & The Microsofts in The Computing Storage Market 

After the announcement of plugins of Gluon Client that support JavaFX & Java on the iPhone devices, co-founder of Gluon and Java Champion, Johan Vos, starts a mailing list, rebooting the discussion of OpenJDK mobile! Let’s have a look at the news on mobile Java front. A recent proposal floating in the OpenJDK community seeks to jumpstart Java on iOS. According to Johan Vos-- CTO at mobile developer Gluon-- the plan involves picking up work on the project of OpenJDK Mobile, intended to build the OpenJDK API and classes for iOS and Android. Recently, Vos posted a bulletin related to these efforts. OpenJDK Mobile aims at providing the same APIs in all the latest versions of the OpenJDK source repository to Android and iOS, leveraging the tools familiar to Java app developers. Though, the main focus is on iOS which has lacked traditional support for Java language. Furthermore, Apple has not allowed the Java Virtual Machine to run on this platform. About OpenJDK: Open Java Development Kit also known as OpenJDK is a Free and of Java Platform Standard Edition (Java SE). It is created by the Java Community, OpenJDK, IBM, Oracle Corporation, Red Hat, SAP SE, and Apple Inc, and is used for creating app solutions that are compatible with Mac OS X, OpenIndiana, Linux, and many other platforms. open-source implementation The OpenJDK project produces a plethora of components. Some important components are the Java Class Library, the virtual machine (HotSpot), and the Java compiler (javac). The Web Start and web-browser plugin- which form part of Oracle Java- are not included in the OpenJDK. Previously, Sun indicated that they will try to open-source all these components, but neither Oracle nor Sun have done so. The only available Web Start implementations and free plugin as of the year 2016 are those provided by Iced Tea. OpenJDK planning to allow Java development for Android and iOS device. It will be focusing heavily on iOS devices. It introduced GraalVM ahead-of-time compiler. Recently, the Java Community and OpenJDK has proposed an idea of making the Java capable of entering uncharted territory which is iOS. The Java community has shared that they are looking forward to restart their work on the project of OpenJDK Mobile center to make this happen. But there are some questions that arise here like what made them take this decision and what is the benefit of taking this decision? Let’s uncover the answers here. This has introduced a set of APIs in the latest version of the OpenJDK source repository to iOS and Android– giving web app developers an opportunity to use the development tools of Java in the mobile ecosystem. OpenJDK project It has come up with several opportunities like maintaining a seamless communication with the help of server-side cloud, handling UI controls for the client applications, and employing platform-specific APIs in order to produce a native executable for iOS and Android devices eventually. Although, the main focus of this project is kept over the iOS platform because though initial versions of Android have supported Java for development, there is no such opportunity available in the ecosystem of iOS. It does not provide any traditional support for JVM (Java Virtual Machine), Java, and the entire concept of JIT (Just-in-time) Compilation. Therefore, in order to make the Java presence active on both of the platforms, the development team has introduced GraalVM ahead-of-time compiler for effective compilation of code at the build time in the iOS platform, which will aid the app developers to easily connect the compiled Java code with the native libraries and make the entire executable for this platform. It implies that the Java web developers will not invest their time in learning Swift or Objective-C for getting into iOS mobile app development world. By this way, they can employ the cross-platform app development environment of Java for creating iPhone app solutions and leverage competitive advantages. While bringing the Java for iPhone mobile app devices is the main component of this proposal, the Java community is also planning to introduce obsolete RoboVM tool and Gluons own Eclipse plugin in order to use Java on the Android mobile app devices. In addition to this, they are planning to release a synchronized fork of OpenJDK master using the Project Skara. As a whole, this gives a clear indication that the Java community is planning to bring revolutionary changes in their mobile app development economy – both in iOS and Android ecosystem. Therefore, not only for Java app developers, it is a good move for those in iOS and Android app development also. They can tap on new opportunities in the mobile app development industry and leverage higher benefits. Therefore, if you are also a Java web app developer or someone in the iOS or Android mobile ecosystem, you should keep yourself updated with these announcements pertaining to OpenJDK mobile. Let’s have a look at the excerpt of the interview with the Java Champion, Johan Vos . (word-by-word) taken by JAXenter JAXenter: You released the Gluon Client Plug-ins, which allow you to run Java applications on iOS devices. How is this technology possible? Apple does not allow apps that generate code while running on a device. Hence, the typical Java VM approach does not work, as this approach uses a compiler to compile bytecode and generate native code while running. However, by compiling the Java bytecode Ahead Of Time (before the app is submitted), the plugins move the compilation phase-out of the runtime, and towards the build time. This requires an AOT compiler (which we use the GraalVM compiler for) and static libraries for both Java and JavaFX, which we build from the OpenJDK and OpenJFX open source code repositories Johan Vos: JAXenter: The blog post for the announcement is called “Java on iOS, for real”. – And indeed, there have been repeated attempts to bring Java to iOS devices. What is the difference between your approach and earlier attempts? Why “for real”? Instead of creating something in parallel with the core Java and JavaFX development, we try to improve those crucial projects so that they work on mobile as well. That has a number of advantages: we leverage the great work done in those projects, we  immediately benefit from bug fixes and new features in those projects, and developers really use the same Java on mobile as they are used to use on desktop and server. Johan Vos: It took some time before we had our approach working. GraalVM, OpenJDK and OpenJFX are complex projects, providing lots of functionality. But the integration work is done, and we can now benefit from changes in those 3 upstream projects. Hence, in our approach, it took a long time to get the basics running, but the basics are now stronger than ever before, and maintaining the project, including staying on par with new features in Java, will be much easier than with other approaches. JAXenter: Java on iOS – why should you do that at all? From your point of view, what are the advantages of such an approach? Java is the leading language in many areas, and there is a large number of Java developers working with a large number of frameworks. A Java application written for Windows, works on Mac and Linux as well, without the Java developer having to learn something Mac or Linux specific. An advantage of Java on iOS that all Java developers can now use their existing skills to run applications on iOS devices. Johan Vos: Many companies already have an existing backend written in Java, with a web-based front-end. Those companies are increasingly getting requests to create a mobile front-end as well. Thanks to Java on mobile, the existing Java teams in those companies can control the development of mobile applications. There will still be the need for graphic designers and UX experts, but with the backend team and the mobile team sharing the same skills and languages, the integration between mobile apps and enterprise infrastructure becomes more smooth and secure. Security is one of the cornerstones of Java. With an increased interest in privacy and security, it makes sense to use the Java security on mobile, and for communicating between mobile and enterprise. JAXenter: The Gluon client plug-ins are based on the GraalVM – a technology that is becoming more and more popular. What makes GraalVM currently one of the most exciting projects in the Java ecosystem? Looking at performance, the current generation of JIT compilers (e.g. hotspot) does an excellent job at runtime. The codebases are often hard to maintain though, and a compiler written in Java is easier to maintain for Java developers. Johan Vos: Furthermore, Graal with its AOT compiler allows for very fast startup time. This is important in e.g. serverless functions, where the lifetime of the VM is typically shorter than the time needed for the JIT compiler to do its work; but also for consumer apps where a slow startup negatively impacts the user experience. On top of that, the polyglot characteristics of Graal make it very easy for today’s polyglot development to combine e.g. Java and Python in the same environment and share data structures. To be clear, Graal is not a replacement for OpenJDK. We also use the core API’s and their implementations, and the syntax of the language that are developed in OpenJDK. OpenJDK provides a top-quality platform, and the duo GraalVM and OpenJDK is the killer combination. JAXenter: You have worked with the GraalVM team to go the last mile to support iOS devices. What was the collaboration like – what was the biggest challenge? The GraalVM team was in the midst of finalizing the first release of the GraalVM Enterprise Edition while we were working on new functionality that was required to make it work with Java 11, JNI, LLVM, AArch64. However, the team has been extremely open, flexible and pragmatic. We tried to stay as close as possible to the master development branch of Graal, while still being able to use experimental new features. Pushing new features upstream requires passing a number of CI tests, and therefore the quality of the existing code can be guaranteed while still allowing new code. Johan Vos: JAXenter: Gluon relies heavily on JavaFX and is actively involved in the OpenJFX project. What has happened in the JavaFX development over the last few months? It took awhile for the JavaFX ecosystem to get used to modules and to the faster release cycle. We are now in a much more smooth water, and the JavaFX development is going very well, with a number of contributors working on specific features. One of the most important things that are currently under development in JavaFX, is the integration of third-party native rendering systems with the JavaFX native rendering. A number of developers are currently working on an API that allows doing this, and this will open the door for many projects that require very specific rendering to use JavaFX as well. In general, we try to lower the barriers for projects to use JavaFX. Johan Vos: With Gluon, we are of course working as well on making sure JavaFX works first class on mobile. With the JavaFX 8 family, the code difference between JavaFX for desktop and JavaFX for mobile was pretty large. For JavaFX 13, the difference is much, much smaller, and we hope to have 0 difference by JavaFX 14. In general, the focus of OpenJFX is to provide a very solid, mature and flexible base for Java developers to create client applications with a focus on performance and user experience. Rather than providing an extensive set of UI elements, OpenJFX focuses on the foundations, making sure third-party libraries, frameworks, tools, and projects can focus on their specific functionality without worrying about the underlying components. JAXenter: Back to the Gluon Client Plug-ins themselves – what is the current state of development? We have early-access for deployment to MacOS and iOS, with Linux coming very soon. We have samples for the basic HelloWorld and HelloFX, which contains a very basic JavaFX application. This allows developers to experiment with it, and to become used to the approach. Johan Vos: JAXenter: Finally, what are your plans for the future? As said, we are only at the starting point now but we are confident we can move fast now. Obviously, we will support more targets (Windows and Android). Also, the developer experience is very important to us. We want to improve the tools, integrate with IDE’s, and make it easy, intuitive and familiar for Java developers to create mobile apps using their favorite tools. Specific for mobile, we’ll work on more integrations with mobile-specific functionality. Johan Vos: We are also continuing to improve our Gluon Mobile and Gluon CloudLink offerings, which allow creating real shiny mobile apps that integrate easily and in a secure way with cloud and backend infrastructure. Wrapping Up: Hope this article is able to clear all your doubts related to recent OpenJDK update of Java. No doubt, this new update will increase the demand of Java developers in the market. I have been working in for the last 12 years as a Business Analyst. We have developed and lead several Java based software projects from the conception stage to the final delivery. Xicom Technologies We have been closely following the recent in the OpenJDK front and hope that we will build iOS apps soon using Java and OpenJDK. software developments

OpenJDK Planning to Bring Java to iOS Platform

List of 50 Billion Dollar Companies (and their Key Leaders) Who are Using Blockchain Technology Introducing Blockchain 50 With assistance from industry consultants and other experts, ’ team of reporters and editors identified more than 100 big companies actively exploring blockchain through industry consortiums and other proprietary projects. This new list features 50 — with minimum revenues or valuations of $1 billion, and U.S. operations — that are currently leading the way in adapting decentralized ledgers to their operating needs. Forbes Allianz SE - Germany Hyperledger Fabric, Corda Robert Crozier, head of Allianz’s Global Blockchain Centre of Competence Blockchain platforms: Key leader: Amazon - Seattle Hyperledger Fabric, Ethereum (later in 2019) Rahul Pathak, general manager of Amazon Managed Blockchain at AWS Blockchain platforms: Key leader: Anheuser-Busch InBev - Leuven, Belgium Ethereum, Corda Tassilo Festetics, VP of global solutions Blockchain platforms: Key leader: Ant Financial, Hangzhou- China : Ant Blockchain : Geoff Jiang, VP of Ant Financial Blockchain Platforms Key leader BBVA-Bilbao, Spain : Hyperledger Fabric, Corda, public Ethereum : Carlos Kuchkovsky, CTO, new digital business Blockchain platforms Key leader Bitfury- Amsterdam : Exonum, Bitcoin : Valery Vavilov, CEO and cofounder Blockchain platforms Key leadership BNP Paribas- Paris : Corda, Hyperledger Fabric, Ethereum : Jacques Levet, head of transaction banking for Europe, Middle East and Africa Blockchain platforms Key leader BP PLC- London : Ethereum, Cardano, Quorum : Julian Gray, technology director, Digital Innovation Organization Blockchain platforms Key leader Broadridge- New York City : Hyperledger Fabric, DAML, Quorum : Michael Tae, head of strategy Blockchain platforms Key leader Bumble Bee Foods- San Diego : Multichain : Tony Costa, CIO Blockchain platform Key leader Cargill- Wayzata, Minnesota : Hyperledger Sawtooth, Hyperledger Grid : Keith Narr, VP, Cargill Digital Labs Blockchain platforms Key leader Ciox Health- Alpharetta, Ga : Ethereum : Florian Quarre, chief digital officer Blockchain platform Key leader Citigroup- New York City Ethereum Puneet Singhvi, managing director Blockchain platform: Key leader: Coinbase- San Francisco Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Lumen Brian Armstrong, CEO; his Coinbase holdings make him a billionaire Blockchain platforms: Key leader: Comcast- Philadelphia Bitcoin, Ethereum, Hyperledger Fabric, Quorum Gil Beyda, managing director, Comcast Ventures Blockchain platforms: Key leader: CVS Health- Woonsocket, RI IBM Blockchain, Hyperledger Indy, Hyperledger Sawtooth Claus Torp Jensen, CTO of both CVS and Aetna Blockchain platforms: Key leader: The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation- Jersey City Axcore Rob Palatnick, chief technology architect Blockchain platform: Key leader: Facebook- Menlo Park, CA Unknown David Marcus, blockchain lead Blockchain platforms: Key leader: Fidelity- Boston Bitcoin, Ethereum Tom Jessop, president, Fidelity Digital Assets Blockchain platforms: Key leader: Foxconn- Taipei, Taiwan Ethereum Jack Lee, founding managing partner of venture arm HCM Capital Blockchain platform: Key leader: Golden State Foods- Irvine, CA IBM Blockchain Bob Wolpert, chief strategy and innovation officer Blockchain platform: Key Executives: Google- Mountain View, CA Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum Classic, Litecoin, Zcash, Dogecoin, Dash Allen Day, science advocate Blockchain platforms: Key leader: HPE- San Jose, CA Corda, Ethereum, Quorum, Sia, Hyperledger Fabric Raphael Davison, worldwide director of blockchain Blockchain platforms: Key leader: HTC- Taoyuan, Taiwan Bitcoin, Ethereum Phil Chen, decentralized chief officer Blockchain platforms: Key leader: IBM- Amsterdam Corda, Quorum, Hyperledger Fabric, Hyperledger Indy Mariana Gomez de la Villa, program director of distributed ledger technology Blockchain platforms: Key leader: ING- Amsterdam Corda, Quorum, Hyperledger Fabric, Hyperledger Indy Mariana Gomez de la Villa, program director of distributed ledger technology Blockchain platforms: Key leader: Intel- Santa Clara, CA Corda, Ethereum, Hyperledger Fabric, Hyperledger Sawtooth Michael Reed, director, blockchain program Blockchain platforms: Key leader: JPMorgan Chase- New York City Quorum Christine Moy, blockchain lead Blockchain platform: Key leader: Maersk- Copenhagen IBM Blockchain, Corda Michael J. White, head of TradeLens Blockchain platforms: Key leader: Mastercard- Purchase, NY Its own platform, built from scratch. Ken Moore, EVP and head of Mastercard Labs Blockchain platform: Key leader: MetLife- New York City InsureChain built on Ethereum Zia Zaman, CIO of MetLife Asia Blockchain platform: Key leader: Microsoft- Redmond, WA Ethereum, Parity, Quorum, Corda, Hyperledger Fabric Mark Russinovich, CTO of Microsoft Azure Blockchain platforms: Key leader: Nasdaq- New York City Symbiont, Corda, Hyperledger Fabric Johan Toll, head of digital assets, market technology Blockchain platforms: Key leader: Nestle- Vevey, Switzerland IBM Blockchain Benjamin Dubois, manager of digital transformation Blockchain platform: Key leader: Northern Trust- Chicago Hyperledger Fabric, Ethereum Justin Chapman, head of market advocacy and research Blockchain platforms: Key leader: Oracle- Redwood Shores, CA Oracle Blockchain Platform Frank Xiong, group vice president, Blockchain Development Platform Blockchain platform: Key leader: Overstock- Midvale, UT Bitcoin, Ethereum, RVN, Florin Patrick Byrne, founder and CEO of Overstock Blockchain platforms: Key leader: PNC- Pittsburgh Hyperledger Fabric, DAML, Corda, Ripple J. Christopher Ward, EVP and head of Treasury product management Blockchain platforms: Key leader: Ripple- San Francisco XRP Ledger Brad Garlinghouse, CEO Blockchain platform: Key leader: Samsung- Seoul Nexledger, Ethereum Jeanie Hong, SVP and head of Blockchain Center Blockchain platforms: Key leader: Santander- Madrid RippleNet, Hyperledger Fabric María de la Concepción de Monteverde, director of the Blockchain Center of Excellence Blockchain platforms: Key leader: SAP SE- Walldorf, Germany Hyperledger Fabric, MultiChain, Quorum Raimund Gross, chief innovation strategist, Blockchain Blockchain platform: Key leader: Seagate Technology- Cupertino, CA Hyperledger Fabric Manuel Offenberg, managing technologist and data security research lead Blockchain platform: Key leader: Siemens- Munich Ethereum, Hyperledger Fabric, Corda Bernd Rosauer, head of research, Technology Field IT Platforms Blockchain platforms: Key leader: Signature Bank- New York City A private, Ethereum-based blockchain Frank Santora, senior vice president and director of digital asset solutions Blockchain platform: Key leader: State Farm- Bloomington, IL Hyperledger Fabric, Corda, Quorum Mike Fields, innovation executive at State Farm RED Labs Blockchain platforms: Key leader: UBS- Zurich Hyperledger Fabric, Ethereum, Quorum, Corda Sam Chadwick, head of blockchain Blockchain platforms: Key leader: Visa- San Francisco Hyperledger Fabric . Kevin Phalen, global head of business solutions Blockchain platform: Key leader: VMware- Palo Alto, CA Project Concord, a new blockchain, which supports multiple frameworks such as Ethereum Mike DiPetrillo, senior director, Blockchain Blockchain platforms: Key leader: Walmart- Bentonville, AR Hyperledger Fabric Karl Bedwell, senior director, Global Business Services & Technology Blockchain platform: Key leader:

List of Leading Billion Dollar Companies using Blockchain

This is 2024; businesses are increasingly reliant on cloud-based resources and remote workforces. This shift necessitates robust security solutions to safeguard sensitive data and access to critical applications. Two prominent technologies addressing these needs are Business and . While VPNs have long been a cornerstone of enterprise security, SASE represents a next-generation approach that builds upon and expands the functionalities of VPNs. VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) This article delves into the rise of business VPNs and SASE, exploring their functionalities, advantages, and limitations. We'll also analyze how SASE is transforming the security landscape and its potential impact on the future of VPNs. The Role of Business VPNs in Secure Access A Business VPN establishes a secure tunnel between a user's device and a corporate network. This encrypted tunnel ensures that all data transmitted between the device and the network remains confidential, even over public Wi-Fi connections. VPNs provide several key benefits for businesses: Business VPNs empower employees to securely access internal resources like file servers, applications, and databases from any location with an internet connection. This facilitates remote work arrangements and enhances business continuity. Remote Access: VPNs significantly reduce the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access by encrypting data traffic. This is particularly important for businesses handling sensitive information. Enhanced Security: Granular access controls can be implemented through VPNs, allowing administrators to restrict access to specific resources based on user roles and permissions. Access Control: While Business VPNs offer a reliable security solution, they come with certain limitations: VPNs can sometimes introduce performance overhead due to the encryption and decryption processes. This can be particularly noticeable for bandwidth-intensive activities. Performance Bottlenecks: Scaling a traditional VPN solution to accommodate a growing workforce or fluctuating network traffic can be complex and resource-intensive. Scalability Challenges: Traditional VPNs are primarily designed for on-premises network access. They may not seamlessly integrate with the growing number of cloud-based applications and services businesses rely on. Limited Cloud Integration: SASE: A Cloud-Centric Approach to Secure Access SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) is a cloud-based security framework that converges various network security functions into a single, unified service.  These functions typically include: ZTNA replaces the traditional "castle-and-moat" security model by continuously verifying user identity and access permissions, regardless of location or device. Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA): A CASB secures access to cloud applications by enforcing access controls, data security policies, and malware detection. Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB): SWG filters web traffic, blocks malicious websites, and prevents malware downloads. Secure Web Gateway (SWG): FWaaS provides next-generation firewall functionality to inspect and filter network traffic for threats. Firewall as a Service (FWaaS): SASE offers compelling advantages over traditional VPNs: SASE eliminates the need for complex VPN setups, simplifying access for remote users and enhancing their experience. Improved User Experience: SASE's cloud-native design and ZTNA approach provide a more robust security posture with continuous user and device verification. Enhanced Security: The cloud-based nature of SASE enables effortless scaling to accommodate growing organizations and evolving security needs. Scalability and Agility: SASE offers a centralized platform for managing all network security functions, streamlining security operations and reducing administrative overhead. Unified Management: SASE integrates seamlessly with cloud applications and services, providing holistic security for the modern, cloud-centric enterprise. Comprehensive Cloud Security: However, SASE implementation requires careful consideration: Reliance on a single SASE vendor can lead to vendor lock-in, potentially limiting flexibility and increasing costs. Vendor Lock-In: Integrating SASE with existing security infrastructure can be complex and require specialized expertise. Integration Complexity: The Evolving Landscape: VPNs vs. SASE While VPNs have served businesses well for many years, SASE represents a paradigm shift towards a more comprehensive and adaptable security model. Here's a breakdown of their key differences: Feature Business VPN SASE Deployment Model Primarily on-premises Cloud-based Security Approach Perimeter-based Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) User Experience Requires manual configuration Simplified, centralized access Scalability It can be complex to scale Effortless scaling Cloud Integration Limited Seamless integration Management Decentralized Centralized When to Choose a Business VPN vs SASE The decision between a Business VPN and SASE hinges on several factors specific to your organization's needs: A Business VPN may suffice if your primary concern is securing access to on-premises resources. However, for a more robust security posture with ZTNA and comprehensive cloud application protection, SASE is a clear choice. Security Requirements: Businesses heavily reliant on cloud applications and services will benefit tremendously from SASE's seamless cloud integration. A VPN might be adequate for now if on-premises resources remain your primary focus. Cloud Adoption: Implementing and managing SASE requires some expertise in cloud security. If your IT team lacks the necessary resources, a Business VPN might be a more manageable option in the short term. IT Resources: Businesses anticipating significant growth or fluctuating network traffic should prioritize SASE's effortless scaling capabilities. A VPN might be sufficient for a static network environment. Scalability Needs: Here's a table summarizing the ideal use cases for each technology: Use Case Ideal Solution Secure remote access to on-premises resources Business VPN Access control for cloud applications and services SASE Secure branch office connectivity Business VPN (with potential migration to SASE in the future) Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) implementation SASE Simplified security management for geographically dispersed teams SASE drive_spreadsheetExport to Sheets The Future of Business VPNs and SASE While SASE represents the future of secure access, Business VPNs are not likely to disappear entirely. Here's a glimpse into what the future holds: Many businesses will likely adopt a hybrid approach, leveraging Business VPNs for specific use cases while implementing SASE for broader cloud-centric security. Hybrid Approach: Traditional VPN providers are likely to enhance their offerings to better integrate with cloud environments and offer improved performance. VPN Enhancements: As cloud adoption continues to accelerate, SASE is poised for widespread adoption across businesses of all sizes. The growing focus on zero-trust security principles will further fuel this trend. SASE Adoption: Conclusion In conclusion, Business VPNs and SASE are crucial in securing today's evolving enterprise landscape. Understanding their strengths, weaknesses, and ideal use cases empowers businesses to make informed decisions about their security architecture. As the digital landscape shifts towards the cloud, SASE is expected to become the dominant security solution for the modern, globalized workforce. By proactively adopting cloud-based security solutions like SASE, businesses can ensure they have the agility and scalability necessary to thrive in the ever-changing digital age.

The Rise of Business VPNs and SASE: Securing the Evolving Enterprise Landscape

The way companies protect their networks is undergoing a seismic shift. Accelerated by the pandemic, migration to the cloud left many organizations vulnerable to cyberthreats, and some of the previously effective security measures were rendered futile. The perimeter-defense approach to cybersecurity ceased to be effective once the workforce turned hybrid. In turn, cybersecurity companies took notice and started upgrading their offerings to successfully combat the present-day security challenges like ransomware, DDoS attacks, phishing, or password theft, to name a few. To offer an adaptable service and counter the changing cyberthreat landscape, an increasing number of cybersecurity companies opt for . adopting the SASE framework What is SASE? Short for Secure Access Service Edge, SASE is a cybersecurity concept that intersects network and threat management tools to form a consolidated, cloud-based cybersecurity solution. It incorporates, but is not limited to, core components such as SWG (Secure Web Gateways), CASB (Cloud Access Security Broker), ZTNA (Zero Trust Network Access), SD-WAN (Software-defined Wide Area Network), and FWaaS (Firewall-as-a-Service). SASE is a rapidly growing market, too. Gartner predicts that “over the next five years, the market for secure access service edge will grow at a CAGR of 36%, reaching almost $15 billion by 2025”. [1] Additionally, the consulting and research company sees the shift toward SASE as inevitable: "The legacy perimeter must transform into a set of cloud-based, converged capabilities created when and where an enterprise needs them — that is, a dynamically created, policy-based secure access service edge," says Gartner. [2] But the transition will take time. There are numerous reasons behind it, some of them being existing investments in hardware and most larger enterprises having separate network security and network adoption teams. Also, not every current SASE vendor can deliver all of the required SASE capabilities. For the model to be fully functional, its policy needs to be consistently enforced regardless of location and cover all types of access, it has to be administered easier, the end-user experience has to be transparent as well as simplified, and it should deliver a zero-trust networking posture, among other conditions. The cybersecurity industry is beginning to fully embrace the SASE model, too. Vendors providing solutions for organizations are expanding their offerings to align with the SASE framework. "The cybersecurity landscape is evolving rapidly - when we first started providing services for businesses, the cloud wasn't as advanced and widely applied as it is now," said Donatas Tamelis, Managing Director at , a B2B cybersecurity company. "Many companies still relied upon on-site servers, and the workforce wasn't as remote. The pandemic exposed countless organizations security-wise, and the industry reacted by accelerating the shift towards SASE." NordLayer Cloud security vendors see SASE as the go-to approach to protecting the business cloud environment because of its holistic nature and ability to simplify the user experience without compromising the robustness of a company's network. Why SASE is important for businesses "SASE keeps networks protected against ever-evolving cyberthreats without putting additional strains on a company's IT and other departments, and is effortlessly scalable," added ’s Managing Director. "Using different providers to fill out gaps in an organization's security architecture is not just difficult to do - for companies with small or non-existent IT departments, it's simply impossible. Our company is one of many that endorse the model for the actual value it creates for clients." NordLayer Even though SASE is not a fully defined framework yet, and there is hardly a security company now that provides all its capabilities, industry players are endorsing the new trend en masse. "We see SASE being deployed across the industry, with companies big and small adjusting their offering according to the framework's blueprint," Tamelis continued. "We are a perfect example of the trend - our recent rebrand was in part to move beyond being just a business VPN provider. To stay protected in this cybersecurity climate, companies need to have access to a range of easily manageable, deployable, and interconnected tools." [1] Gartner, “Forecast Analysis: Secure Access Service Edge, Worldwide”, Joe Skorupa, Nat Smith, 27 July 2021. [2] Gartner, “2021 Strategic Roadmap for SASE Convergence”, Neil MacDonald, Nat Smith, Lawrence Orans, Joe Skorupa, 25 March 2021. GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

Why SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) Matters for Businesses

Photo by Tom Barrett on Unsplash In the past year, the world has changed, and the way we work has changed, too. Technology, driven by the cloud and mobile devices, has brought people, processes and apps together like never before. Working from home, from coffee shops and in pop-up coworking spaces are the new normal. This digital transformation in infrastructure has significant implications for networking, which will have to adapt to new working patterns and be more flexible. As businesses become more connected and the traditional ways of working change, networks are being designed to be more agile to suit the needs of the new enterprise. The Rise of the Cloud has fundamentally changed the ways people and organizations work. But more importantly, the very nature of the cloud must change how organizations think about security. The rise of the cloud Many organizations underestimate the complexity of managing cloud applications. Often, cloud applications are deployed “as is,” without the proper security controls needed to prevent data leakage, data exfiltration or malware infection. This exposes organizations to entirely new vulnerabilities. lack of security oversight Therefore, the most significant security challenge that companies face is their lack of control over the data being accessed in the cloud. To reduce the risk of cloud app breaches and vulnerabilities, IT administrators need a way to monitor and control these connections. Edge Computing and the Security Shift The increasing number of IoT-based devices, many of them without the benefit of advanced security software, as well as the recent increase in computing power at the edge, have given rise to a new security paradigm. The are large and complex. As edge computing becomes increasingly prevalent, traditional security mechanisms must be rethought and adapted to this new security environment. security risks posed by edge computing The rising number of connected devices and data being generated at their network’s edge results in a spike in the number of potential entry points for cyberattacks, which can be costly to organizations. A key element of security is limiting access to network resources. In traditional data centres, this usually meant setting up firewalls, network segmentation and intrusion detection systems. In edge computing, however, access to resources is harder to control. This is because edge computing devices are closer to end-users and are often deployed in environments without the same network security and monitoring levels. However, the scale at which edge devices operate can also introduce security issues. And that is the problem that most enterprises face today. Solving the Cloud Edge Security Challenge The shift from a traditional, centralized approach to cybersecurity to a distributed, cloud-native approach requires a fundamentally different understanding of security monitoring: one in which security is deployed and managed as close as possible to where data flows. technology solves this problem by breaking down the communications, networking and security silos that plague enterprises today and replacing them with a hyper-secure, cloud-native architecture. The SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) SASE’s decentralized cloud-delivery model creates a framework that securely connects users to applications and resources, no matter where they are. is that it provides a consistent, scalable, software-defined security architecture that applies security policies to applications regardless of where the application resides. How SASE works SASE is also designed to operate in conjunction with existing security solutions, so companies can still leverage their current investments while transitioning to SASE. What follows is an explanation of various aspects of the development of SASE technology over the years since its introduction. 1. Proactive Security Traditional security controls, such as firewalls, IPS, IDS and gateways, don’t consider today’s dynamic threat environment. They hinder intelligence gathering, block critical data needed for effective threat hunting, and exacerbate workflow inefficiencies in security operations. The traditional approach to security is reactionary, designed to respond to known threats after a breach has occurred, while the new model is more proactive, designed to identify, isolate and remediate threats before they occur. 2. Endpoint Visibility Most enterprises already have security systems in place but lack the real-time visibility and control they need to ensure all business-critical . SASE platforms bring visibility, control, and automation to security, enabling businesses to manage risk across the organization better. endpoints are secure As business dependency on endpoints, applications and edge locations increases so does the need for a unified but decentralised security platform that integrates across endpoint, application and network layers. Individual approaches are addressing threats from specific entry points, but they're not addressing the underlying problem. 3. Risk-based Security SASE solves this challenge by tying together identity and access management (IAM), user-based security, endpoint-based security, and user-behaviour analytics to provide a holistic view of risk. The risk-based approach to security controls is efficient, flexible, and cost-effective, supporting personal and enterprise security policies. SASE provides the ability to define easily, control and audit access to virtually any enterprise resource, maximizing security while simplifying IT operations. 4. User Access The reality today is that enterprises are increasingly being faced with the challenging task of enabling their users to access enterprise applications securely, no matter where they are or what device they are using. The security model in SASE is based on the . It treats users and applications as identities instead of devices. It enforces policies based on user identities, identities of applications, and identities of data actors so that only authorized users and applications can access the contents. identity-based security approach Conclusion Essentially, the pandemic has forced businesses to reimagine how they operate, and the workforce is no exception. The nature of work has changed, and this shift is likely to have long-term effects. The transition to cloud data storage and edge computing might have made business processes more efficient. Still, it also introduced new challenges that made businesses weaker and more vulnerable to security risks. The idea is that if how we work has changed, then how we secure our data must change too. However, what obtains in many organisations is the transformation of their work processes while sticking with traditional security tools and approaches. The SASE is an innovative technology that closes the gaps and ties the loose ends going forward with business operations and networking trends.

Cloud Computing and the Evolution of SASE Cybersecurity 

— with John K. Gibbons My friend John and I have been meeting weekly to workout, have dinner, and in some cases, to study together. Recently, John and I decided to work through a textbook on theoretical computer science together. For John, this was new material, and he wanted to apply to graduate school. For me, it was old hat; I had taken one undergraduate and one graduate course on this, about 30 years ago. Both of us are older than most students, but we are both dedicated to perpetual learning. More importantly, John was fascinated by the famous “P=NP” problem, and I am interested in the edges of “Church’s Thesis” (more on both below.) We chose (Second Edition) by Michael Sipser. According to the preface, “This book is intended as upper-level undergraduate or introductory text in computer theory.” I frankly have a hard time seeing how any student could absorb this material in a single semester. It took us 18 months of working a few hours each week. The book has 10 chapters; I think we did approximately 120 problems as homework. Introduction to the Theory of Computation We are glad we did. Both of us feel more confident and enlightened.Most of these problems are proofs of one form or another. We probably got most of the right. Sometimes one of us would present a solution, and the other would say, “Oh, whoops, thank you, I didn’t think of that case, my solution is clearly wrong.” Usually we agreed. Both of us struggled with what constitutes a really good proof; for example, the solution Sipser gives to selected problems are very terse. Every math student probably knows the feeling of being able to see why something is true, but not quite being able to express it in words. The act of writing down the solution that is the most beneficial mental exercise. We did not have the benefit of any grading of our work. On what percentage of problems would we have been given full credit? We can’t say. Of course, if we were taking the course formally, we could have adjusted to feedback, which is, after all, the purpose of grading. So much for the experience of working through a textbook at our age. I’d like to now try to give you a glimpse of the beauty that we partially learned. Euclid aloneHas looked on beauty bare. Fortunate theyWho, though once only and then but far away,Have heard her massive sandal set on stone. — Edna St. Vincent Milay. * * * Theoretical computer science (TCS) exists in a nebulous relation to discrete mathematics and physics. Fundamentally it is about what can be computed by a machine, though must be understood as going beyond sprockets and camshafts, and even transistors. TCS studies what can be computed or calculated by fixed rules, whether mathematical or mechanical. machine Until certain discoveries in the 1930s this might not have seemed terribly interesting. Perhaps it seemed that anything could be computed, although obviously some things would be harder than others. It turns out this is not so. There are things which no algorithm can ever accomplish. More astonishingly, there are in fact classes of problems that are clearly harder than others. The structure of these classes — what is strictly harder than what — is of tremendous practicality in our modern world. The elucidation of the fact that there is such a structure — a hierarchy of sorts, but not a strict ranking — is one of the great accomplishments TCS. The book begins simply enough, however, with the simplest class of problems, those accepted by simple machines called “finite state machines” that can be beautifully represented as the transition between states. Inherent in formalizing this problem is something that I had seen, but was surprising to John: formalizing problems in terms of “languages”, which are particular sets of strings of symbols. It might seem more basic to somehow start with numbers than symbols; but it is not so. TCS defines computation as determination carried out by a machine whose input is a string of symbols is in a language or not, and whose possible outcomes are Accept (the string is in the language), Reject (it isn’t), or Stuck in a loop. Only unbounded languages are interesting; if there are only a finite number of strings in a language, there is always some simple machine that accepts it (though “simple” does not mean “humanly constructible” for sufficiently large languages.) The simplest class of machines, the Finite State Automata, (FSA), can recognize interesting languages, but not every language. For example, it cannot compute if the parentheses are balanced in a expression of arbitrary length. The nature of an FSA is that it processes each symbol in a string and is always in one and exactly one state. We might, however, ask a theoretical question inspired (today, but not historically) by quantum mechanics: what if we allowed the machine to be in a superposition of multiple states at once? Such a machine is called “non-deterministic”. Perhaps the first startling result of TCS is that non-deterministic Finite State Automata can compute nothing more (nor less) than deterministic Finite State Automata. If we add a small amount of memory to a Finite State Automaton, in the form of stack which we can push things onto and take things off from the top, but not look inside, then we can compute things not computable with an FSA. This is a “push-down automata”, and it can recognize balanced parentheses easily. One fascinating result in TCS is the equivalence of seemingly different models of computation: a Finite State Automata is exactly as powerful as a Regular Expression, and a push-down automata is equivalent to a Context Free Grammar, both of which is valuable to working computer programmers. If we expand the notion of the memory further to a “tape”, which we can read by moving a reading had back and forth across the tape, then we have the famous “Turing machine”. A Turing machine can compute much more than push-down automata. Modern electronics computers are almost always Turing machines, though they access memory differently, they can compute exactly what Turing machines can compute. It is possible to create a Turing Machine that reads the description of a different Turing machine from the tape and simulates that different Turing machine. This “Universal Turning Machine” means that you can make a fully programmable computer. There is nothing computable by a computerwhich cannot be computed by another computer simulating it (perhaps a bit more slowly.) This means that all Turing Machines have the same power, which is entirely nonobvious until demonstrated. Imagine an engineer in 1901 saying “Yes, but my machine is very precisely crafted and made from thefinest materials.” It matters not a whit if it is made from gossamer and gold or gumdrops and glowflies. And what is that it can compute, exactly? Well, it turns out is not quite everything. The famous “Halting Problem” shows that nobody can create a computer program guaranteed to answer what might seem a simpleproblem: Does a given Turing machine B executed on a given input w halt or not? The ingenious proof is a “trippy loop”. Suppose you could build such a machine, call it M. M is supposed to take <B,w> and say whether B halts when run on w, not matter what B is. Then suppose that I stealthe plans for your machine, and build another machine, called A. By its action A simulates your machine M on an input, and if your machine Msays “Yes the input machine halts on that input” then A goes into an infinite loop, thus never halting. If your machine says “No the input machine does not halt on that input”, then A halts. Now what does your machine M do when presented with this machine and an input string <A,w>? Let us suppose that M reports that <A,w> halts. This produces a contradiction, because A was carefully constructed to enter an infinite loop if M reports that it A halts on w. Let us suppose that M reports that <A,w> does not halt. This also produces a contradiction, because A was carefully constructed to halt on w if M reports that <A,w> does not halt. This proof depends only on our ability to simulate one Turing Machine by another. So there are languages which cannot be computed by any Turing Machine. But perhaps the problem is with Turing Machines; maybe there is another model of computation that can compute more? Sipser’s textbook does not mention the lambda calculus, the other great model of computation, but in fact it is easy to prove that the lambda calculus and Turing Machines can each simulate each other, and therefore are of equal power. This is true of every other proposed model of computation that anyone has ever thought of, and is named Church’s Thesis. It is not quite a proof that no such more powerful model of computation can exist, but it a solidly entrenched result. This may seem theoretical; perhaps you care more not about what can be computed but what can be computed efficiently with a modern electronic computer. Well, TCS has something for everyone. With this formal machinery, we can easily define a class of problems called “P”: what languages can be accepted in time no greater than polynomial of the length of the input? (Such a class is much smaller than would could be computed by an exponential of the length of the input, for example.) Well, there are many things you might want to compute which are “in P”, and quite a few things which provably cannot be computed that efficiently, to say nothing of what can by computed in “n squared” vs. “n cubed” vs. “n to the fourth”, all of which are different. In fact a great deal of practical research is discovering more efficient algorithms, a typical such paper would conclude by saying “language L which was previously known to be in O(n⁴) is now known to be in O(n^(5/2)) on the basis of this algorithm.” But now it gets weird. Recall that every Turing Machine is just a Finite Automata bolted onto a tape used as storage. We previously mentioned Non-deterministic Finite Automata? What if we could build a non-deterministic Turing Machine? Would that be more powerful than a deterministic one or not? This may seem stupid, but non-deterministic Turing Machines are very useful, even though we don’t know how to build one, for showing that a given problem is within a given complexity class. The class “NP” (non-deterministic polynomial) is the class of problems solvable in polynomial time by a non-deterministic TM. It turns out this has a simpler way of thinking about it: Can the Turing Machine guess the correct answer and then check it in polynomial time? Perhaps it is clear that “guessing and checking” is sometimes easier to think about than figuring out how to find the correct answer. The great question is does such a Turing Machine actually compute anything that cannot be computed by a deterministic polynomial time Turing Machine? In other word, is “P=NP?” This is one of the most famous and studied problems in the world today, with tremendous practical implications. TCS has not solved this problem, but has created important tools. One of them is complexity class “NP-complete”. There are dozens if not hundreds of named, important problems which are NP-complete. In practice what this means is that if a solution is found which solves one of them efficiently, humanity has an efficient solution to all of them. And now, after much study, we understand this. “The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding.” — Leonardo da Vinci As Freeman Dyson said, the Universe in infinite in all directions, whether we look at the at the small or the large scales. Theoretical Computer Science is a way of looking at the Universe that exposes beautiful new dimensions.

Working through Sipser, a textbook on Theoretical Computer Science

Homo Sapiens, Evolution, Money & Bitcoin

Humanity has started a long-term relationship with the Internet. We are now vastly more capable as a species. But recent research in psychology suggests that in some ways we weren’t built for this, and will need to learn to some new tricks to survive_._ The internet has promised a lot. It has the ability to give voice to the voiceless and provide a conduit for free expression. It’s been billed as the great hero of free speech, and it is precisely for this reason that the Internet continues to be so heavily censored in countries with authoritarian regimes. From the dictator’s point of view, unfettered access to the Internet can seem tremendously threatening, and in all likelihood, is. Unfettered communication may spread viral contagions such as the concepts of freedom of speech, representative government, freedom of religion, human rights, and democracy. Honestly, how could any respectable dictator NOT direct what ideas might “infect” their population? 2017, however, has been something of a banner year for concerns regarding how online mouthpieces can influence the world. It first hit the fan when Gizmodo published a series of articles exposing the processes behind how Facebook’s “trending news” actually “trends.” It included many alarming discoveries, including the revelation that much of the news that is actually trending is “blacklisted” on a daily basis, for ideological reasons. They also extensively quoted former employees who worked on Facebook’s trending news curation staff. These workers described how Facebook would overtly insert ideologically motivated news (that was not actually trending) into the trending news feed, as well as how they “routinely suppressed conservative news.” One need not be an admirer of conservative media to sense that these activities could be problematic. The US Senate Commerce Committee quickly launched an inquiry into Facebook’s news curation, but for most people this news was hardly a blip on their radar. In fact, some who agree with the political leanings of the Facebook curation staff may even applaud Facebook for championing their enlightened viewpoint. It is unlikely, however, that those same individuals are still applauding, as it has emerged in the last few days Facebook and Twitter received significant amounts of Kremlin-backed money to promote incendiary content and “fake news” in an effort to destabilize the United States during the election. These ads, seen by over 10,000,000 people, included images of a black woman firing a gun, to promote racial tensions, and Hilary Clinton behind bars (remember “Lock Her Up!”). Over the course of just a few months, Facebook alone has managed to raise concerns from all corners of the political spectrum, but Facebook is not alone. , Twitter, and others are all embroiled in new suspicions, and even legal actions, as individuals, organizations, and lawmakers begin to sense various threats from these online titans. But how much does all of this actually matter? Aren’t we all still able to make up our own minds? Is “brainwashing” really that easy? Aren’t we all still able to come to our own conclusions? The answers are both yes, and no. As a species we just barely swiped right on Internet’s picture, but we’ve somehow already committed a life-long relationship. This relationship has a lot of promise, and we may even end up real soulmates, but it is important that we also realize up front, that in some ways we weren’t built for this. Recent research in the fields of sociology and psychology has shed some important light on some ways in which the internet plays on our most primal social cues. We need to be on guard to make sure that we can hold our own in this new relationship with massive algorithmic interconnectivity. Google Evolution and President Trump At the heart of digesting online information is the evolutionary propensity to mine all input as social cues or signals. In the case of the “trending news,” Facebook was presenting a manufactured image of the social world which more closely resembles a world which the curators would approve of, than it does the actual world we live in. This manufactured world is then presented as social reality. No matter what side you come down on, this is no trivial thing. We humans are built to use attention as a cue for status. We then use status as a signal of mastery for which we are constantly on the lookout to apprentice under. Joseph Henrich and Francisco J. Gil-White, while at the Universities of Michigan and Pennsylvania respectively, describe a theory of “information goods.” They show that humans, unlike chimpanzees, use “relative prestige” to assign status, and then use that status as a signal of what to believe and emulate. The challenge is that this evolutionary mechanism was developed long before mass media. It developed through direct observation. The hunter getting the most attention is likely the fellow who most often comes back with the biggest kills. Thus, trusting the attention of others to point you in the right way was adaptively useful. The Internet is particularly adept at scrambling these signals. We are built to believe that seeing others give their attention to somebody, or something, signals the ability for that someone to teach you something useful. Therefore we implicitly connect attention with prestige and prestige with expertise. President Trump, who has an objectively terrible track record with the truth, provides one example of this. A giant swath of the nation, I assume mostly reasonable and well-adjusted people, describe him as trustworthy, despite what the other half, which I assume are also mostly reasonable and well-adjusted people, feel is obvious and damning evidence to the contrary. His supporters are surrounded, physically or digitally, by others who are paying attention to him. Therefore, some basic, even primordial, part of their brain signals to them that this is someone who deserves attention, emulation, and trust. They believe in him, at least in part, because of his ability to attract attention signals of trustworthiness. When each of President Trump’s tweets, to his 40 million followers, and now to the whole world, receives hundreds of thousands of likes and retweets, we shouldn’t be surprised that he didn’t need to actually do anything to earn that trust. He just needed to attract attention to himself, and then claim that he deserves the trust. The attention supports claim. Searching Reality Through Algorithms All of this also has huge ramifications for our consumption of the news, use of personalization algorithms, and the general tendency to surround ourselves with those like us. Again, this is no trivial thing. The “secret” decisions that go into the algorithms behind what we are shown can be extremely powerful. Robert Epstein, the renowned psychologist and former editor-in-chief of Psychology Today, published a series of experiments he recently conducted with Ronald E. Robertson involving over 4500 undecided voters. He was able to show that Google’s search algorithm has the power to “shift the voting preferences of undecided voters by 20 percent” and, for some demographic segments, even by as much as 80 Percent. All this was accomplished remarkably without the voters being aware of any manipulation. They call this phenomenon the “search engine manipulation effect.” These findings alarmed them and even drove them to found a growing new research group, “The Sunlight Society,” dedicated to studying specifically how new technologies might impact “democracy and human freedom.” From a societal and sociological standpoint, we often don’t take platforms like Facebook and Google seriously enough. Facebook, for example, has some serious intentions when it comes to the news. Last June, Mark Zuckerberg was asked about the role he sees for Facebook and the news, and he stated that it is his intention for Facebook to become “the primary news experience people have.” Twenty-seven percent of the human race are active Facebook users, and so there’s a problem when we are led to believe in ‘unbiased’ reflections of the social world around us, which are actually a carefully constructed, and approved, worldview masquerading as “what everyone thinks.” Clicks, likes, and shares signal what we believe to be worth our attention, and like it or not, that influences how we and others see the world. That interaction is short circuited if we’re not getting what others actually think is important, but instead what an algorithm, or a few young social engineers at Facebook, Google, or Twitter, would prefer you to think is important. On that level, it’s not so unlike the censorship we loath in China, North Korea, or Russia, (a point those governments often make). They can, and do, control what is written in the news, but at least knowledgeable people within their countries know that there is censorship, and read the news with a grain of salt. However, with the speed and convenience that most of Facebook’s 2 Billion users interpret and react to their Facebook feeds, it’s likely safe to consider the “trending” section largely unsalted. Birds of a Feather… Lots and Lots of Birds The Internet may also challenge democracy in much more subtle ways. Online, as in offline, we tend to gravitate towards those like us. Psychologists call this homophily. The difference between online and offline is that on the Internet we are never forced to sit down and have a face to face discussion with someone with whom we disagree. Rather, we can join thousands, or millions, of our like-minded ‘friends’ in promoting, condemning, ridiculing and crusading against those on the “other side.” Research on group polarization has shown that deliberation with like-minded individuals tends to move groups and individuals towards a more extreme point than their pre-deliberation judgments. In other words, people holding moderate, nuanced, or more inclusive views in the beginning, after speaking to others of the same opinion, tend to experience a form a radicalization where they hold tighter and more firmly to their original beliefs, and actually take them to more extreme levels. This is called the echo-chamber effect, and it’s playing on those same evolutionary inclinations. Going back to Trump supporters, whether we consciously think it or not, there’s a part of our evolved brain that says “137,000 other people agree with me!! I must be right, like SUPER right, right!?” But the “other side” is doing that too (Bernie Sanders had over 150,000 retweets yesterday). So is every other side. We’re more and more sure that we’re more and more right about more and more stuff that we are also certain is more and more apocalyptically important. The Internet is part of the reason why. All of the sudden democracy isn’t so much about arguing ideas in the town square and then choosing the winner on the ballot, as it is about existential warfare in high stakes games of a really really big us vs a really really big them. The same thing plays out with the news, “fake” or otherwise. Psychological research has shown that repeatedly hearing a lie causes us to believe more each time, even if we know the lie is completely false. Another psychological experiment found that even when people were directed to simply write one paragraph to defend what they knew was a lie, they still increasingly believed it. Even more damning is the research showing that when we are told a “fact”, even when we are later told by the original source that the information is not true, we still continue to include it in their decisions, and at least to some extent, believe it. If there’s one thing that online news aggregators, social media, and Donald Trump are good at, it’s repetition. And it’s incredibly hard to unbelieve something. So, what is to be done? Findings in psychology suggest that we already tend to think that people agree with us more than they actually do (this is called false consensus bias). We also tend to look for things that agree with what we already think (confirmation bias). We are not, however, condemned to these fates, but without concerted effort, it is almost always our initial inclination. The question is, how much concerted effort do any of us have to spend sifting through the social flows of our online lives? Add to that the evolutionary pull to trust and follow those who are getting the most attention, combined with the almost miraculous ability to surround our digital selves with what others are paying attention to, and there is some cause for concern. Celebrity is trustworthiness, likes are validation, and the stakes are increasingly extreme. I don’t hate . I love technology for the good that it means I do. I live in the heart of Silicon Valley and technology is the focus of my career. I bought the very first Android phone (the G1!), and now I look forward to getting the newest iPhone every fall (sorry Google!). I don’t want my boss to see my browsing history simply because of how much time I spend reading the news. But there’s a strong case to be made that without some thoughtful work on the part of individuals, companies, and governments, we may be wildly under-prepared as a species for the relationship with technology that we’re already in. technology can Please support long-form writing (and this author) by clapping for the article if you found it useful.

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