Category: Tech News

Sophos are coming to Ireland. #Sophos #Cybercrime #Data #Malware

Cybercrime makes headlines every day, and for a good reason: it’s no longer just something that happens to other people. Most of us either know someone who’s been hit by cybercrime – credit card fraud, perhaps, or ransomware, or having their email account hacked – or have been victims ourselves.

Sadly, it’s unlikely that cybercrime will slow down in the near future – the crooks are making far too much money to stop.

The rise of what’s called “Crimeware-as-a-Service” – a underground style of cloud computing where non-techie crooks let someone else run the IT side of their cyberattacks in return for a cut of the profits – has made cybercrime easy. Wannabe cybercrooks can now get started in the crimeware scene as easily as the rest of us can get online with a turnkey website, or run our own blog.

Paul Ducklin, Senior Technologist at Sophos, will be in Dublin on Wednesday 27 September 2017,  Paul is a passionate security technologist who not only knows the history of cybercrime but is also hands-on with the newest and most critical cyberattacks seen in SophosLabs.

Paul will also discuss about..

 

–         How Crimeware-as-a-Service and Ransomware-as-a-Service “packages” work.

–         How the Internet of Things (IoT) is opening up doors for cybercriminals to exploit your connected devices. Paul can demo live how crooks can automatically seek, find and exploit IoT devices and connected to your network – even if those devices are supposed to improve security.

–         How data-stealing and remote access malware works, and why it can be hard to spot, including Mac Malware samples that connects your computer up to the Dark Web and lets the crooks use it remotely for anything they like.

Pure Telecom and open eir agree €35M infrastructure deal. #openeir #PureTelecom

Pure Telecom has signed a €35M deal with open eir that will allow it to offer customers high-speed broadband and phone services through open eir’s network. The two-year deal will give Pure Telecom access to almost two million potential customers – helping it to reach its goal of 100,000 customers by 2019.

Pure Telecom today announces that it has signed a €35 million deal with wholesale telecoms provider open eir. The two-year agreement allows Pure Telecom to offer almost two million potential customers high-speed broadband and phone services via open eir’s nationwide open access network.

As open eir rolls out high-speed fibre broadband across Ireland, the agreement will help Pure Telecom extend its reach across the country and offer broadband speeds of up to 1,000Mbps.

Pure Telecom is currently on an aggressive growth path and is aiming to reach 100,000 residential customers by 2019. In order to acquire more customers and facilitate its growing numbers, the company announced 32 extra jobs earlier this year.

Pictured announcing Pure Telecom and open eir’s €35 million infrastructure deal are Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, and Orlagh Nevin, Director of Sales, Marketing and Service, open eir

The deal follows a €20 million agreement signed by the telecoms companies in June 2015. The latest agreement reflects Pure Telecom’s growing customer base, which rose 25% on 2015 figures, reaching 42,500 in 2016. The rise in numbers led to Pure Telecom’s best-ever financial year, up 17% on 2015 figures to reach €20 million. Demand for broadband services is also at an all-time high as an increasing amount of consumer leisure time relies on a high-speed internet connection.

Speaking about the announcement, Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: “At Pure Telecom, our strategy is very focused. We provide the best service at competitive prices. That is why we work with a number of Ireland’s leading wholesale providers, so that we can give customers the solution that best suits their needs.

“open eir has the most extensive phone and high-speed broadband network in Ireland and one which is growing by the day. We are delighted to announce this agreement as it is key to helping us extend our reach to existing and potential customers in cities and towns across the country, as well as rural Ireland. It will help us to meet our target of 100,000 residential customers by 2019, which we are already well on our way to achieving.”

Orlagh Nevin, Director of Sales, Marketing and Service, open eir, said: “For more than 15 years, Pure Telecom has shown itself to be a savvy business that knows how to attract and retain its customers. It therefore makes a lot of sense for us to partner with the company again as we continue our large-scale rollout of fibre broadband across the country.

“Earlier this year, we made a commitment to the Government that we would connect 300,000 homes in 890 communities throughout the country to fibre broadband. This means that by the end of next year, two years ahead of our initial target date, we will have a fibre broadband footprint of 1.9 million premises in Ireland – greater than any other operator in the country.” 

#RiskIQ Identifies 450+ Sites Serving Malware #GameOfThrones. #Streaming

Following the recent announcement in the independent which refers to the amount of times that people have illegally streamed this seasons series of Game of Thrones, please see the article here.

RiskIQ comments – Last year research from RiskIQ, the leader in external threat management, identified over 450 pirate content sites serving Malware to people trying to download or stream illegal versions of Game of Thrones. This reinforces recent RiskIQ research showing that 6 in 10 consumers access pirated content and 75% of this pirated content is often used as the bait to serve malware. After today’s announcement that the most recent series of Game of Thrones was pirated over a billion times, this means there is the potential for a staggering 750 million people to have been exposed to sites serving malware and have openly exposed themselves to potential threats.

“While we’re increasingly hearing that pirate sites are to be avoided, our recent research into people’s behaviour shows that the message is being ignored by many”, commented Colin Verrall, VP EMEA at RiskIQ.  “Specific examples like this will hopefully make it more real for people and result in a change in behaviour. It’s not only your internet safety that you put at risk, but your employer’s as well if you use your personal devices to access corporate systems”.

Major new tech event announced for Dublin. #Tech #Dublin #404events

The line-up for 404, a major new Dublin tech event, has been revealed.  Billed as the ultimate tech meetup, 404 will take place at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham on Saturday, 7th October 2017.

The event will bring together over 1,000 technology professionals; leading tech companies; award-winning game designers; technology experts; and Ireland’s tech meet-up community.

404 to feature Irish and international speakers, tech performers and installations, community user groups and 1,000 tech professionals

Pictured at the launch of 404 a major new tech event for Dublin were Vicky Twomey-Lee, Technical Content Curator, 404, Brian Ó hOisín, co-founder 404, Jackie Slattery, co- founder 404 and Owen Harris, VR artist Billed as the ultimate tech meetup, 404 will take place at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham on Saturday, 7th October 2017. The event will bring together over 1,000 technology professionals; leading tech companies; award-winning game designers; technology experts; and Ireland’s tech meet-up community. Pic: Marc O’Sullivan

Programme highlights for 404 include:

 

  • Cello Fortress: a live game performance by cellist Joost Van Dongen;
  • Ruth John & { Live:JS }: Javasript DJ – a collective of audio and visual artists performing live experiences through Javascript;
  • DEEP by Owen Harris: an Irish-developed meditative VR game controlled by breathing;
  • Katharine Jarmul: a Pythonista who uses artificial intelligence to generate poetry;
  • Tech For Good’s Digital Missing Maps: an open-source project, whereby 404 attendees will help create satellite mapping for unmapped areas of the world;
  • Line Wobbler by Robin Baumgarten: an award-winning arduino-based game;
  • IBM Hackable City: a replica of Hadley’s Hope from ‘Aliens’;
  • Rachel Andrew: Google Developer Expert;
  • Melanie Rieback: privacy and security expert of RFID technology;
  • Thomas Shaw: build engineer at Demonware and co-founder of ShipItCon 2017;
  • VR Storytelling: via Samsung headsets; and
  • Lots of demos, including of the latest AR technology from Google, Tango.
 Pictured at the launch of 404 a major new tech event for Dublin were Owen Harris, VR artist, Vicky Twomey-Lee, Technical Content Curator, 404 and Jackie Slattery, co- founder 404 Billed as the ultimate tech meetup, 404 will take place at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham on Saturday, 7th October 2017. The event will bring together over 1,000 technology professionals; leading tech companies; award-winning game designers; technology experts; and Ireland’s tech meet-up community. Pic: Marc O’Sullivan

Announcing details of the line-up for 404, Jackie Slattery, event co-founder, said: “This is an event by techies for techies – it’s not about big brands making a commercial pitch; it’s about celebrating Ireland’s tech community and showcasing all that’s new in tech – in Ireland and further afield.

“It’s the Ultimate Tech Meetup, where attendees can network with their peers and talk to over 40 meet-up organisers.

“For tech companies attending the event, 404 provides an opportunity to network with members of the tech community in Ireland.

“In developing the programme, we’ve done extensive research and crowd-sourced content directly from the tech community, so we’ve created something authentic, different and community-driven. The line-up is incredibly exciting, with speakers and performers that are new to the Irish tech event scene.

“At 404, you’ll get an opportunity to hear from leading Irish and international technology experts and to try out the latest AR/VR and gaming technologies. We’ll also have interactive tech performances and installations, a series of lightning talks and a great after-party, including a Javascript DJ, in the chapel of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham.”

The one-day event is targeted at experienced tech professionals, and those wishing to attend must register their interest in advance at www.404.ie.  Further information on the line-up for the event is also available at www.404.ie.

Follow 404 on:

Thirty teenagers to pitch their STEM innovations at the Ultimate Pitch Event #STEM

Thirty teenagers will compete in Ultimate Pitch Event at the Science Gallery Dublin, tomorrow, Saturday, 2nd September 2017, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. The students, known as ‘Alphas’ are all members of the  Trinity Walton Club (TWC), a STEMenrichment programme for second level students.

– A page-turning music stand, stress relieving headphones and a sign language glove are among the innovations in the competition –

 – Winning team to be awarded a 3-D printed, revolving trophy –

The final six innovations being pitched tomorrow at the Ultimate Pitch Event are:

  • Happy Head: a wearable that monitors brain activity for stress levels;
  • Mental Health Now: an app to track and improve your mental health;
  • Tortue: a backpack designed to minimise back pain;
  • Double Treble: a page-turning music stand;
  • Vegnet: a social platform for recipe sharing;
  • Visiglove: a wearable glove that turns sign language to text and speech.
Thirty teenagers selected to pitch their STEM innovations at the Ultimate Pitch Event- A page-turning music stand, stress relieving headphones and a sign language glove are among the final innovations in the competition ÐThis weekend thirty teenagers were selected to pitch their STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) innovations ahead of the Ultimate Pitch Event, taking place at Science Gallery Dublin, this Saturday, 2nd September 2017. 

 

Each team has developed their innovation, pitch and presentation over the summer by using the lean canvas business development model through a series of summer workshops in partnership with Bank of Ireland’s innovation team, it is worth noting that many people try CBD oil for back pain with the long hours put in.

The judging panel for the Ultimate Pitch Event will be:

  • David Tighe, Head of Innovation, Bank of Ireland;
  • Dr Vivienne Patterson, Head of Skills, Engagement and Statistics, HEA; and
  • Elaine Burke, Managing Editor, Silicon Republic.

 Revolving trophy

The winning team will be awarded a 3-D printed, revolving trophy that was specially designed for the Ultimate Pitch Event by TWC educator, Patrick Lynch, a PhD student in the Trinity School of Engineering. The trophy consists of an outer cog with two inner rings which rotate. These rings represent the complementary and interdisciplinary aspects of STEM and entrepreneurship.

The Ultimate Pitch Event and summer workshops were organised by Trinity Walton Club and facilitated by Director of Trinity Walton Club, Dr. Arlene Gallagher; Project Architect, Sarah Tully; and Entrepreneur in Residence in Bank of Ireland, Gene Murphy. For further information about Trinity Walton Club: http://www.tcd.ie/waltonclub/index.php

Jabra launches Jabra Elite 25e headphones with best-in-class battery for wireless calls and music #IFA2017

Today at IFA Berlin, Jabra launched the Jabra Elite 25e, an in-ear stereo neckband headphone with best-in-class battery for wireless calls and music. One charge delivers up to 18 hours of battery life – giving you the freedom to stay connected anytime and anywhere.

Jabra, part of the GN Group, pioneers in sound, launches the Jabra Elite 25e, an in-ear stereo neckband headphone with best-in-class battery for wireless calls and music*. The Jabra Elite 25e are full mobility on-the-go headphones that allow for seamlessly switching between calls and music throughout the day for optimal effectiveness and productivity – all of this for an accessible price point.

 

The Jabra Elite 25e headphones are perfectly powered: One charge delivers all day or week power with up to 18 hours of battery life – giving you the freedom to stay connected anytime and anywhere. This is the best performance for a headset in this class. Whether the headphones are used for listening to music, commuting or making and taking calls, the wind-protected microphone allows for total concentration.

 

The neckband has bendable flex zones and the design will ensure a great fit and all-day comfort. By enhancing the fit with Jabra’s EarGels™ users get better in-ear sound. The eargels and speakers are engineered for an immersive audio experience. The new eargel design allows for a more secure and comfortable fit with less audio leakage as a result. This greatly improves the listening experience, so whether you prefer rich bass or crisp high tunes, your sound quality needs won’t be compromised.

 

With a dedicated voice control button and message read out, you have one-touch access to Siri® and Google Now™, letting you access information hands-free, on the move. There’s no longer any need to take your phone out of your pocket if you want to answer a call or change your tune!

“The Jabra Elite 25e is engineered with the multi-tasking, on-the-go person in mind who values high quality conversations and music while on the move,” said Calum MacDougall, SVP at Jabra. “No product currently on the market delivers this level of battery life and experience for the Jabra Elite 25e’s price point. Therefore, we believe this product, following in the footsteps of the hugely successful Jabra Elite Sport, is worthy of the name Elite.” 

Features

  • All-day music and calls. Up to 18 hours of battery time.
  • Amazing durability. Wind and water resistant. IP54 rated.
  • Even better fit. Improved neckband and EarGels design.
  • Optimal connectivity. Connects up to 8 devices via Bluetooth, and two at the same time with Multiuse
  • Dedicated voice control button. One-touch access to Siri and Google Now.
  • Exceptional sound quality. Speakers engineered for immersive audio.

Find out more about the new Jabra Elite 25e at: http://www.jabra.co.uk/bluetooth-headsets/jabra-elite-25e

Pricing and availability

MSRP is £69.99. Jabra Elite 25e is now available in Black across all channels in the US and Canada, Europe and APAC.

EngageSmith invests €250,000 in development of Millennial Friendly Index. 

Designed with input from both millennials and industry, the Index is a software tool that enables organisations to increase millennial engagement and reduce attrition. EngageSmith invested €250,000 into researching, developing and testing the software behind the Millennial Friendly Index. The benefits of the Index include employer branding, improving millennial employee retention and increasing engagement and performance.

​EngageSmith, the millennial specialist, today announces the launch of the Millennial Friendly Index that will certify how millennial friendly employers are. Designed with input from both millennials and industry, the Index is a software tool that enables organisations to increase millennial engagement and reduce attrition.

The Index rates organisations’ millennial friendliness across a range of criteria that have been identified by industry experts and millennials. The results will enable individual companies to understand what is required to engage with and motivate millennials. Organisations that pass the exacting test will achieve millennial friendly certification. The benefits of the Millennial Friendly Index include employer branding, improving millennial employee retention and increasing engagement and performance.

EngageSmith invested €250,000 initially researching, developing and testing the software behind the Millennial Friendly Index. The funding for this came from the recent €400,000 private equity investment in the company.

The Millennial Friendly Index will be announced on an annual basis with the inaugural Index released this September. The Index will rate the top millennial friendly companies in Ireland across all industries.

Lisa Smith, founder of EngageSmith, said:

“Following constant queries by millennials and Gen Zs on what companies are the best to work for, I recognised that there is a gap in the market for a tool to bridge the gap between industry and millennials.

“The millennial generation are quick to voice negative opinions on social media, for example, if they’ve had a bad experience with a company, this inevitably is posted online, damaging the brand of the company. As 79% of Irish millennials use online job sites and 65% use social media to find jobs, potential employees are often dissuaded from applying for companies with poor online employer reputations.



We believe that our Millennial Friendly Index will be the go-to tool for millennials and to plan their careers by selecting companies that understand their needs. Our Index also gives companies the levers needed to help improve their online rating, making them more attractive to the top talent


“As the economy is reaching full employment, the talent pool available to companies is shrinking. If companies want to reduce high attrition rates and associated costs of hiring and training new employees, then it’s important that they get the millennial friendly certification as soon as possible.”


“We’re on a strong growth path and the Millennial Friendly Index will enable us to achieve our expansion goals in Ireland and overseas. We will launch the Index in the US and UK early next year and look to be make it available globally in the next two years.”

EngageSmith works with large Irish-based indigenous and multinational companies, helping them companies to increase their retention of millennials and grow productivity.

Pure Telecom parents survey: Almost half of children being held back by poor school broadband.  

From where I sit stuck between two cabinets this comes as no surprise. Currently I enjoy really poor speeds and have done so for quite some time now and been told I’ve fibre. Laughable at best..

Pure Telecom today announces the results of a survey, which shows that 46% of Irish children are being held back in their educational achievement due to poor internet at school, according to parents. The online research*, carried out by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom, surveyed parents of primary and secondary school children from a group of 1,001 adults.

The survey revealed that two-thirds of parents (67%) believe the internet supports children’s learning – and many consider it a factor in their choice of schools. Some 34% of parents would consider moving their child to a school with better internet availability if their current one didn’t have satisfactory broadband access or speeds.

The research also found that 16% of the typical child’s homework relies on the internet. On average, parents spent €213 per child on internet-connected devices and tools intended for schoolwork this year.

Almost half (48%) of children use laptops or tablets for some or all of their classes, but one-in-four parents (26%) believe their child’s school isn’t doing enough to encourage learning via internet-connected educational resources.

Under the Schools 100Mbps project, the Government rolled out 100Mbps broadband to all 780+ post-primary schools in Ireland. Earlier this year, the Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton T.D., launched the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 Action Plan 2017, which includes €30 million in ICT grants to schools, as well as a programme to enhance high-speed broadband connectivity in primary schools.

Pictured with Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, are Klara Keating and Tadhg Higgins. Pure Telecom today announced the results of a survey that found that 46% of parents believe substandard or no school internet is hindering the quality of their children’s educational achievement.

Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: “Access to internet-connected digital tools and resources is vital for all children living in a modern society, so it is concerning that so many parents believe their child’s educational achievement is being stunted by poor broadband speeds and access in school. Not surprisingly, our research showed that the majority of those parents are living in areas outside of Dublin.

“It is great to see the Government investing in a digital strategy for schools including technologies such as interactive screens and cloud-based learning tools. The availability of high-speed broadband in all – not just secondary – schools across Ireland will be crucial to its success.”

 

“Broadband access is a basic need for all Irish citizens, no matter where they live. But at the moment, the infrastructure isn’t in place to deliver broadband to everyone. We have agreements with several of Ireland’s major wholesale telecoms providers, which allow us to bring broadband to any location that has a fibre network. However, we must rely on the rollout of the National Broadband Plan in order to provide broadband to Ireland’s harder-to-reach locations. Unfortunately, until the National Broadband Plan is implemented, we will continue to see schoolchildren hindered 

Ireland’s leading professional recruitment event, #CareerZoo, is heading west.

Ireland’s leading professional recruitment and networking event, Career Zoo, will move outside Dublin for the first time this autumn, with an event taking place in Galway next month.

Career Zoo West will take place on Saturday, 23rd September, from 10am to 5pm. The event will run over three floors at the iconic Galway Racecourse venue in Ballybrit. Career Zoo takes place twice each year, attracting thousands of attendees each time.

Employers hiring at Career Zoo West will include technology giant Ericsson and Donegal-based fintech company Pramerica, both of which are sponsoring the event. Another sponsor, FRS Recruitment, will be on hand to speak with candidates about a wide variety of professional roles.

The event will feature employers from all four provinces in Ireland including Galway, Donegal, Sligo, Cork, the midlands and Dublin.

Commenting today, Jackie Slattery, Director of Career Zoo, said: “This is an exciting time for the Career Zoo brand as we bring our next event to the West of Ireland.  We will be showcasing hundreds of exciting employment opportunities across tech, medtech pharma and finance, and we would encourage anyone looking to advance their career to come along.

“With Ireland set to become the sole English-speaking country in the EU, there is so much opportunity, ready to be tapped. The West of Ireland – with its natural amenities and excellent track record in sectors such as tech, biopharma and financial services – is a very attractive option for anyone looking to make a career move or come home to Ireland.

“Career Zoo West will be our fourteenth event to date, so it’s really interesting to look at how the profile of attendees has changed over the past few years.  Skilled candidates are no longer wowed by companies that just offer decent salaries and a cool office. They also want an excellent work-life balance; affordable housing options; and proximity to their families and friends.  For these reasons, working in the West appeals to so many people, and we’re expecting a really strong response to our first Career Zoo event in Galway.”

Career Zoo West will have approximately 50 employers in attendance, including STEM-sector leaders, professional and financial services and biotech companies. Employers will be hiring for a variety of roles across: tech, pharma, medtech, finance, marketing, HR and sales.

The line-up includes recruiters and speakers from: Abbott, Abbvie, BD Research Centre Ireland, BioMarin, BNP Paribas, Cisco, Ericsson, FRS, Grifols, Irishjobs.ie, LookWest.ie, Merit, Ocuco, Pramerica, SAP and Wayfair, amongst others.

In addition to leading employers, next month’s event will include panel discussions on topics such as the latest in biotech, big data, medtech, fintech, IOT, women in STEM and workplace culture.

The sponsors of Career Zoo West are: Ericsson, Pramerica and FRS Recruitment. Admission to the event is free.  To register, go to:www.careerzoo.ie/galway.