CyberSmart, a UK leader in simple and accessible automated cybersecurity technology for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), has today announced its strategic partnership with Vodafone Ireland. Following the launch of productivity solutions including Office 365 and AppHelp by Vodafone, this initiative to bolster cybersecurity defences serves as a natural progression to equip SMEs for successful, secure ways of working in today’s digital age. The move also represents CyberSmart’s debut on the European market, marking a significant step for the company toward global expansion.
A recent study published in October 2021 found that over half of Irish small businesses have paid a ransom demand, averaging at €22,712. In fact, a majority (57%) have also created a cryptocurrency reserve in case they are needed to pay a ransom. Yet, in spite of this general awareness of cyber threats and anticipation of ransom demands, only 39% of SMEs in Ireland believe they are well-protected from attacks. Through CyberSmart’s platform, Vodafone will help businesses to change the narrative and prevent them from falling victim to cybercriminals.
With little to no IT expertise required, CyberSmart’s technology continuously assesses all laptops, mobiles and tablets against best practices, and recommends fixes to reduce cyber risk – regardless of the network a device operates on, whether it is company or employee-owned, while home or remote working. They offer a trust seal to demonstrate the business’ commitment and compliance with said best practices. CyberSmart also provides SMEs with digital security training for all staff and a GDPR compliant data protection policy.
Managing Director of Vodafone Business in Ireland, Sinead Bryan said: “Vodafone is committed to providing essential connectivity solutions to Irish SMEs. This new automated security service and partnership with CyberSmart further enables us to safeguard our SME customers, support them on their digital transformation journey and protect them from the ever-growing cyber threat environment”
“Since inception, CyberSmart’s primary objective has been to empower SMEs to take back control of their cybersecurity. Our technology is affordable, straightforward to implement, but most importantly, easy to use. SMEs are under-attack and underserved – we’re looking forward to supporting the tens of thousands of Irish SMEs that fend off cyberattacks on a daily basis.” said Jamie Akhtar, CEO and co-founder of CyberSmart. “We are thrilled to be working alongside Vodafone Ireland, whose vision very closely aligns with ours. The world has gone digital in the last couple of years, and we’re here to make sure SMEs can stay resilient and secure online.”
Data breaches have a huge impact on organizations. All it takes is one tiny mistake to suffer a major security issue. That’s why it’s no secret that a data breach can destroy any company. Such cybersecurity incidents that lead to data breaches put the whole company’s network in danger. Entities need to use special security measures to avoid these serious consequences,
If a business experiences a data breach, it usually takes a toll on the company’s reputation, as the clients want to use other companies’ services where they feel safe. Unfortunately, you can say that everyone’s at risk. That said, keep reading to find out about the biggest and most notorious data breaches from last year.
How do fraudsters breach data?
As years go by, the main security gap that results in data breaches remains human error. Even though users aren’t directly associated with the breaches sometimes, they play the leading role in the success of cyberattacks. Usually, criminals gain access to data through insider leaks. For instance, a trusted employee with many privileges can still commit cyber theft.
Another popular example is when cyber criminals break into lost or stolen devices. They can also exploit personal data by accessing drives or even physical folders. Typically, this happens due to hardware vulnerabilities, especially if companies use old software. In this scenario, criminals can inject malware and steal sensitive information.
The impact of data breaches
If a business lacks security measures and has its data stolen, the chances are that the incident will impact the company’s sales. Reputational damage is a real deal, leading to the loss of clients and, eventually, a decrease in sales revenue. On top of that, the media picks up negative news and spreads it around the internet without the possibility of scraping it. Of course, such factors might scare off some potential new partners or customers.
Not only new clients but also new employees are affected by data breaches. Specialists argue that data breaches can result in employee turnover, which adds more uncertainty and stress to the organization’s table. Let’s not forget that there are also legal penalties for non-compliance with the laws and security standards. In other words, the mitigation process is much more complex than the prevention procedures that ensure safety against data breaches.
Now that we’ve wrapped up the basics, let’s continue with a short list of the worst data breach cases of 2021.
Microsoft data breach
Microsoft’s servers were attacked back in January of last year when some of the servers were affected. Hackers gained access to users’ credentials; this way, making their way through to other information systems that were connected to Microsoft’s network. To repair the damages, Microsoft released updates and updated its file encryptions.
Facebook data breach
Facebook made the news last year for the wrong reasons when the personal data of over 533 million users was posted on a low-level hacking forum. Many important details were stolen, such as the users’ full names, emails, phone numbers, or location data. Fraud prevention specialists speculated that this data breach could be used as a channel to commit further crimes, for instance, impersonating people.
LinkedIn data breach
The government launched an investigation on LinkedIn when hackers stole and shared the data of 700 million users. Even though LinkedIn tried to deny the damages in its statement, the evidence proved otherwise. The stolen personal details were uploaded to one of the forums on the Dark Web. The bad actor behind the data breach divided the stolen information into different parts, filtering the credentials by profession: IT specialists, Finance executives, and HR professionals.
How to resolve the issue?
There are essential security practices that companies must follow in order to safeguard their data. For example, using encryption, regularly updating software, and training your staff are the fundamental rules of an effective security strategy. Despite that, guaranteeing long-term data protection requires extra security layers. Nowadays, innovative companies choose to implement ID verification as a fraud prevention measure against dangerous attacks.
This service is powered by artificial intelligence, enabling smooth and secure customer identity verification services for businesses that want to onboard trusted accounts to their network. That means scammers and hackers with stolen identities are restricted from gaining access to the businesses’ services. Automatic ID verification detects photo or video spoofing, montage, and other graphic manipulations, leaving fraudsters out of the picture.
IDA Ireland, together with Taoiseach Michéal Martin and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar today welcomed the news that TikTok is to hire an additional 1,000 workers.
The news was shared with the Taoiseach and IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan at a meeting today with TikTok CEO Shouzi Chew and senior company leaders, at which both were advised of TikTok’s strategy globally and Ireland’s role in it and updated on TikTok’s growth in Ireland and future expansion plans.
Following the meeting Taoiseach said: “Tik Tok’s latest expansion further embeds Ireland as an important hub for its European and Global operations, and is clear evidence of its commitment to this country. The substantial number of additional, highly skilled jobs being created is testament to the strength of Ireland’s offering, which includes a strong talent base and collaborative ecosystem. The Government remains dedicated to cultivating an environment in which businesses of all sizes can succeed and prosper here, both now and into the future.”
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said: “TikTok’s growth since coming to Ireland has been truly incredible. At the start of 2022, TikTok had over 2,000 employees in Ireland, and the addition of another 1,000 this year really underlines the company’s commitment to Ireland, our people and the environment we have worked hard to create here. There are more people employed in Ireland now than at any other point in our history. We don’t take it for granted and will continue to work hard to make companies like TikTok feel welcome here. I wish the team the very best with this latest expansion.”
IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan said: “TikTok has expanded rapidly since establishing in Dublin in 2019. News of these additional 1,000 jobs, adding to its already substantial headcount, underscores the strategic importance of Ireland in TikTok’s global operations, with its Dublin site now base for a number of the company’s critical functions: its EMEA Trust and Safety Hub, European SMB operations, European Data Privacy and Data Protection team, its Transparency and Accountability Centre and, the most recently added, first regional Fusion Centre to be developed. That represents a substantial, continued investment by TikTok and is proof of the company’s continued commitment to Ireland.”
As a real estate professional, you’re familiar with all the pain points of real estate. From convincing a buyer that a particular home is right for him to sourcing new listings, real estate is not for the faint of heart. The advent of the Internet changed many things, and the real estate scene is no different. These days, property listings are almost exclusively online, and people are aware of this. While it might seem like the real estate agent’s job has gotten easier from the good old days…. In reality, it hasn’t.
What if we told you that you didn’t have to comb through listings for hours each day? What if we told you that new listings could be delivered to you in spreadsheet format, with all the information you’d need to make a move? What we’ve just described is web scraping in a nutshell. If you’d like to know more about web scraping, keep on reading!
Why is a residential proxy provider necessary for web scraping?
When you perform web scraping, the bots you use (more on this later) will send out multiple connection requests as they visit numerous sites to collect the data you need. Servers might flag the activity as suspicious, which could lead to your bot being blacklisted or suspended.
With a residential proxy provider like Smartproxy or Croxy, you’ll be given access to over 40 million IP addresses for each connection request. That means your bots can visit as many sites as they want to without any slowdowns or Captcha verifications.
Click here to learn more about Smartproxy and how it can help you use web scraping more effectively in your real estate business.
What is web scraping?
Web scraping involves the use of software to trawl various sites in an attempt to consolidate data. This software is called “scraper bots”, and they can be programmed to retrieve information on any site on the Internet.
What are the benefits of web scraping in real estate?
Web scraping opens up an entirely new world for real estate.
You simply need to set your scraper bot to retrieve information on properties like the size, property type, sale price and amenities surrounding it. Gone are the days of you having to manually research each of these on your own and then painstakingly compare them between other properties. Your scraper bot will summarise all of this information into a spreadsheet for you, so you can easily view information on the properties on a single page.
Here are four main ways web scraping can help your real estate business:
Appraising A Property’s Value
Appraisals require information in the fields of time of sale and proximity, square footage, and the age of the property.
With web scraping, you can easily retrieve sales information within a set time period, as compared to manually searching through public records to find comparable sales.
Though it might seem like an apparent item to scrape, square footage is vital in determining a home’s value and can provide you with undisclosed information, like whether the property underwent a renovation that could potentially increase its value.
Through the use of discrete filters and search constraints, you can exclude the age and lot size of a property from being included in web scraped results. This will prevent your other data from being skewed, giving the impression that other homes are worth less than they really are. Another great idea is to check out this blog post which also gives you a look at real estate marketing agencies.
Monitoring Vacancy Rates.
Every experienced real estate agent knows monitoring natural vacancy rates (NVR) is the key to being prepared for trends in the market. Static NVR’s just don’t cut it anymore since actual NVRS vary over historical periods and across commercial, residential and special use properties.
No one has the time or resources to continually track and analyze this data. This is where web scraping comes into play. Incorporating scraped data into your real estate processes enables you to determine the best time to buy or sell susceptible properties.
It even poses several benefits for buyers. This data can shine a light on various vacancy opportunities, helping them to negotiate better. Even property managers can use scraped data to manage their expectations and decide if they can weather potential storms without liquidating their assets.
Estimating Rental Yields.
Even if your desired rental yields are high, minor market fluctuations in any number of related variables and cause volatility in specific markets. Web scraping historical yields allows you to filter out the noise and focus on comparable properties in the vicinity of a target property. You’ll be able to remove all the other factors that go up and down and remain focused on the property at hand.
Understanding Market Direction.
Web scraping allows you to know what market investor activity is rising in, which clearly indicates that the area is about to appreciate in value.
It can even give you key areas of comparison, like the net growth in investor activity and the ratio of investors, so you can decide which upcoming market to focus on. This also alerts you to upcoming trends.
Lastly, web scraping also allows realtors to see how long a property has been on the market. One can see the average time houses have been on sale and compare them with other homes. Some realtors might become concerned if a house takes over five to six months to sell, but with all the other data you have on the house, you’ll be able to troubleshoot and decide what the issue is. Is the asking price too high? Or does the house need to be marketed in a different light?
Conclusion
Web scraping holds tremendous promise for the real estate industry. It goes far beyond simply recording down house prices and other essential factors. When used correctly, it can be a very powerful business tool, one that will give you an edge over your competitors.
No matter how good a realtor is, one can’t deny that those who use automated web scrapers will be the first ones at the scene of every property that needs to be bought or sold. Like the Internet, web scraping is yet another innovative invention that will transform real estate as we know it. Instead of resisting change, we should move with the times, so we don’t get left behind when newer, leaner competition comes into the market.
Tesco Mobile, Ireland’s largest virtual network operator, is expanding in response to customer demand with the latest of its new Tesco Mobile areas now open in Tesco Artane Castle.
Bringing the best of Tesco to mobile, it’s never been easier for savvy local shoppers to connect with trolley loads of perks, great value price plans and deals on all the leading brands. With over 400,000 Tesco Mobile customers across Ireland already enjoying 99% network coverage, this is supermarket mobile.
This new Tesco Mobile fixture in Artane will increase the total number of Tesco Mobile concessions in Ireland to 41, with this latest announcement following the opening of new Mobile areas in Killarney Park, Oranmore, Longford and Cabra Tesco stores, with plans to introduce a dedicated Tesco Mobile phone shop in more Tesco stores over the coming weeks.
The latest Tesco Mobile bill pay offers (running from 2nd – 29th June 2022) include:
Samsung Galaxy A33 5G Free on €30 Save €49.99 was €49.99 plus Free Galaxy Fit2*: Introducing the Galaxy A33 5G, a do-it-all Galaxy smartphone featuring an Awesome 6.4″ FHD+ Infinity-U display, rear mounted quad camera array with 48MP main shooter and all day 5,000mAh battery. The Galaxy Fit2 is designed with style and comfort in mind whether its tracking your steps are monitoring your sleep patterns.
Apple iPhone XR Red Free on €30 save €249.99 was €249.99: A sleek and bold smartphone that has that all-important all-screen design. Both water and splash resistant, the iPhone XR Red has 64GB of memory to ensure you’re always ready for adventure. The iPhone XR Red produces studio-quality photos and stunning 4K video; perfect for a photoshoot with friends or capturing important family moments.
Tesco Mobile pay as you go offers (running from 21st April – 15th June 2022) include:
Samsung Galaxy A03 Was €179.99 Now €139.99 Save €40: The Samsung Galaxy A03 is a game-changer with a 6.5-inch Infinity-V Display and HD+ technology, content looks sharp and crisp. The Samsung Galaxy A03 is super comfortable to hold with it’s curved design and has a screen that is easy to navigate. Then Samsung Galaxy A03 features a 48MP Main Camera for amazing photos and has a wide range of photo editing features to get the perfect snap.
Samsung Galaxy A13 €159.99 Save €40.00 was €199.99: Featuring a beautiful 6.6″ FHD+ display with 8MP selfie camera, the Galaxy A13 has it all; from a colossal 5,000mAh all-day battery to a rear quad camera array with 50MP main shooter supported by 5MP ultra-wide, 2MP depth and 2MP Macro sensors. All of that, plus an awesome battery that lasts two days.
Whether it’s the chance to switch or upgrade your phone with an unbeatable bill pay plan for less, the freedom and flexibility to prepay for what you want when you want it, or a sim only offer that rewards you with savings on your monthly bill, there’s something for everyone available in-store, with a dedicated team of Tesco Mobile experts on hand to help you make the right choice for you.
Commenting on the announcement Geoff Byrne, Chief Operating Officer at Tesco Ireland said “We’re delighted to bring Supermarket Mobile to Artane in the form of a dedicated Tesco Mobile phone shop within the Tesco store. We know the network is popular amongst our customers here, so we’re pleased to give them the chance to engage face-to-face with our Mobile colleagues and better understand the offers that are right for them and their family.
“The shopping experience of our customer is central to all we do, with supermarket mobile it’s about adding value to our daily connections and making leading brands available for less, as well as Clubcard benefits.”
Not only does supermarket mobile believe in convenience, it’s also big on savings with Tesco Mobile customers who register their Clubcard to their Tesco Mobile account are rewarded with double Clubcard points every time they pay their monthly bill or top-up, with the chance to turn €5 in Clubcard vouchers into €15 to pay their monthly bill or to buy top-up, because every little helps.
In line with Tesco’s sustainability strategy, the store features the latest in technology to continue the brand’s ambition to achieve net zero in its own operations by 2035. Designed to reflect carbon efficiencies, receiving an A energy rating due to the inclusion of the latest in LED lighting, the store is also fully powered and heated by energy-efficient technology.
The number of 5G ready phones is growing rapidly. According to a MoneyTransfers analysis, they grew from 251 to 401 in 2021. That represented a 60% jump. However in Ireland 5G has been a failure with little uptake despite the premium rates been dropped and as a 5G customer myself I find it a waste of money and hardly have a 5G signal.
Jonathan Merry, MoneyTransfers’ CEO, has shared his thoughts on the findings. He said, “We expect the number of 5G ready phones to grow over the coming months. Companies are either releasing or announcing the production of new models. Besides, the technology behind these devices has improved since their initial release. So it’s no surprise that sales are rising rapidly.”
Why 5G?
The ballooning internet traffic is fuelling the demand for enhanced data transmission capacities. 5G tech betters 4G/LTE data transmission by up to 20 times. It’ll also increase the connection density by 10X that of the current tech.
That’ll support nearly a million connections per square kilometer.
Moreover, the tech eases HD media streaming in overpopulated or poorly covered areas. Again, it’ll facilitate the integrated management of a myriad of devices. Further, it’ll lower battery usage, cost, and battery consumption.
Other areas that’ll benefit from the technology include machine learning and the internet of things. These two have wide applications in our lives. In America alone, 5G tech is expected to impact the economy by nearly $484B.
Who’s leading in 5G adoption?
According to a Viavi solutions study, about 2,000 cities in 72 nations have 5G connectivity. China leads ten other nations with the most 5G ready sites. So you can enjoy the technology in up to 356 cities in the country.
The U.S comes in second with 296 cities, and the Philippines rounds off the top three. Here you can enjoy the technology in 98 of her cities.
Researchers at Lero, Lero, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software, are teaming up with automotive perception company Provizio to develop artificial intelligence tools to end traffic accidents on the world’s roads which result in 1.35 million deaths annually.
Provizio founder and CEO Barry Lunn said the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that annually, more than 1.35 million die in road traffic accidents, with more than 50 million people maimed, and the cost to the global economy is estimated to be just shy of €2 trillion annually.
“Preventable human error has a role in more than 90% of road accidents. The numbers have not changed for more than 20 years. Unless we initiate change, this worldwide problem will continue unabated. We started Provizio to solve this problem firstly, and then we will pave a path to safe, sustainable and ubiquitous autonomy. With the right focus, we believe that robotics and drivers can work together to reduce both road deaths and accidents to zero – 1.35 million to zero drives everything we do,” he said.
Lero researchers Dr Ciarán Eising and Dr Pepijn Van de Ven, in association with Provizio, will focus on the fusion of data from onboard cameras and radar sensors to help eliminate traffic accidents for all drivers – human and robotic.
“Every decision to move that an autonomous car makes, based on its sensor inputs, is potentially a life or death one. The time-critical nature of the car’s operation means that only the car can make these decisions safely and reliably.
“A critical challenge to the successful deployment of autonomous vehicles is the difficulty the vehicle has in viewing and understanding the environment in which it must safely operate and understanding its location within that environment,” explains Dr Eising
Dr Van de Ven said they would be working with Provizio to deploy the technology on Provizio test vehicles and make developments commercially available to car manufacturers worldwide.
“Our researchers will spend time with Provizio on the Future Mobility Campus Ireland (FMCI) in Shannon to learn about Provizio’s technology and deploy the technologies developed,” he added.
Provizio founder Barry Lunn said: “We started Provizio to solve the global road death pandemic. For the last 20 years, international regulatory policy has focused on trying to make us better, more responsible drivers. This approach has failed consistently.”
“We are building augmented, guardian angel technology to make us all better and safer drivers. We are using unparalleled ‘beyond-line-of-sight’ sensor technology coupled with artificial intelligence ‘on-the-edge’ to perceive, predict and prevent accidents,” he added.
Sennheiser and AMG, the high-performance subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz AG, have entered into a new collaboration that sees the future of driving performance and the future of audio intersect in the new Mercedes-AMG ONE hypercar. The AMG ONE will give drivers an authentic Formula 1 racing experience, with stunning MOMENTUM audio quality on the road by legendary audio expert Sennheiser.
The two-seat Mercedes-AMG ONE will bring the most modern and efficient Formula 1 hybrid technology almost one-to-one from the racetrack to the road. Combining overwhelming racetrack performance with exemplary efficiency, the AMG ONE will produce more than 1,000 hp, at a breath-taking maximum speed of over 350 km/h.
To augment the driving experience by enabling a joyful listening experience on the road and attenuate engine sound, the Sennheiser AMBEO Mobility division will provide owners of AMG ONE with optimised, smart-controlled MOMENTUM True Wireless earbuds.
“MOMENTUM True Wireless is the perfect match for a car as powerful as the Mercedes-AMG ONE, as they enable users to enjoy incredible high-fidelity sound even in noisy environments thanks to their advanced Active Noise Cancellation feature. And when greater situational awareness is needed, the Transparent Hearing feature lets the wearer blend in outside ambient sound at a touch” explained Frank Foppe, Sennheiser True Wireless Product Manager.
Ergonomically designed for the best possible fit and to reduce fatigue, as well as offering up to 28-hours battery life by charging on the go from the supplied case, the earbuds are co-branded with the AMG-Mercedes and Sennheiser names.
“At Sennheiser, we love pushing boundaries and setting new standards for the listening experience. And emotion is driven by sound, in both the audio and the automotive worlds. Driving a F1 engine while enjoying premium music quality is the kind of unthinkable user experience that our AMBEO Mobility team is built to address”, added Veronique Larcher, Head of Sennheiser AMBEO Mobility. As sound is one of the most thrilling elements of any high-performance car, the collaboration between Mercedes-AMG and Sennheiser for the AMG ONE came naturally: Both parties are assuring an outstanding experience to fully meet customer’s expectations for premium quality.
Please find more information about this project here.
Dell Technologies has today unveiled a new app that allows users to replace common parts on selected Dell computers through an Augmented Reality (AR) experience with step-by-step instructions.
With smart phones already ingrained in everyday lives, Dell created a free application available on both IOS and Android that provides a step-by-step augmented reality experience to help customers replace parts on their Dell systems.
Dell’s AR Assistant guides users through servicing and repair procedures for more than 100 Dell PCs and servers in seven different languages. Dell is currently working to add over 20 additional systems by the end of the summer.
The app’s development was fast tracked during the early months of the pandemic when technicians were unable to visit people’s homes. Currently the use of the Dell AR Assistant is dependent on proper diagnosis first, then ordering parts through our technical support team. Dell’s plan is to make parts more readily and easily available for sale online for an even easier customer experience.
Dell provides product manuals and related resources online – and has for well over a decade. This includes downloads for software, drivers, BIOS, firmware, OS and security patches. The Dell AR Assistant is a natural extension of the manuals – in an easy-to-follow, customer-friendly format that can accessed from anywhere. AR Assistant users can see their devices and how to repair them using mixed reality and informational overlays on the machine being repaired, leveraging a smartphone camera. The app also has an augmented clone technology on select systems, which displays a cloned server in any desired space and allows a full 360 degree interaction with amazing realism.
Tara Gale, Client Solutions Country Lead, Dell Technologies Ireland, said: “Repairability continues to be a priority for us at Dell Technologies. As we know users want more control over their devices – including repairs. As a longtime champion of repairability, Dell has changed the game with a first-of-its-kind augmented reality app for IT repairs, the Dell AR Assistant. Our aim is to enable consumers to easily repair devices themselves where they are able to – and ultimately we’re looking to reduce repair time for issues that can be resolved by the users themselves, with a little help from Dell. We are excited to extend repairability to our customers directly and help them extend the life of their systems. Ease of repair is a win for our customers and the environment – and we’re proud to enable the next generation of consumer repairability with the Dell AR Assistant.”
The Dell AR Assistant also upholds Dell’s wide-reaching and longstanding commitment to sustainability. By making parts more accessible, replaceable and reusable, products can exhaust fewer resources and let users keep more circular materials in the economy. This is in line with Dell’s core tenets – repairability and sustainability – which were also reflected in Concept Luna, announced earlier this year.
For more information on the Dell AR assistant, visit Dell’s FAQ or take a look at quick demonstration of how the app works here.
For those not interested in making the repairs themselves, Dell has other repairs options – visit the Dell Tech Support page for more information.
