Tag: #data

Ookla partners with Dublin City Council to tackle telecoms deficits in the city

Today, Ookla, a global leader in connectivity intelligence, announces its partnership with Dublin City Council and the City Telecoms Association to identify and tackle telecoms deficits in Dublin. This first-of-its-kind initiative, fueled by Ookla’s Speedtest Insights®, offers a practical blueprint for l cities across Europe to drive digital inclusion and optimise network outcomes through actionable, data-driven insights.
The partnership demonstrates how a data-driven approach can enhance connectivity outcomes in a tangible way, empowering cities to better serve citizens. For the first time, the city is addressing connectivity gaps through targeted policy interventions, and fostering collaborative efforts with operators to attract investments that were previously hindered by site acquisition challenges.
You can find the full partnership case study here with more information about the five high-impact use cases created by Dublin City Council using Ookla’s network intelligence data.
Key points from the study:
  • Telecoms strategy and digital inclusion:  A proactive data-driven telecom strategy aimed at bridging digital divides, with significant analysis of how socio-economic factors affect connectivity outcomes, especially in areas with high social deprivation.
  • Identification of connectivity gaps: Ookla’s real-world data has enabled DCC to pinpoint key areas in Dublin with significant connectivity issues, influencing policy and planning to prioritise interventions where they are most needed.
  • Innovative use of city assets: Dublin’s approach to leveraging city-owned assets for telecom infrastructure, including facilitating multi-operator site access, represents a strategic move to optimise asset use and reduce urban clutter, aligned with EU regulatory goals​.
  • Transparency and public engagement: The Council has launched a public educational initiative on telecom infrastructure, including visualisations of before-and-after network improvements from new site deployments, to engage citizens and increase acceptance of new infrastructure.
  • Comparative benchmarking in Europe: Through Ookla’s data, Dublin has gained insights into its telecom performance relative to other European cities, highlighting areas of competitive strength in 5G availability and identifying room for improvement in 4G speeds​.
Key data and methodology:
  • The collaboration saw Ookla collect Speedtest® network data across the city over two 12-month periods (June 2022-June 2023 and June 2023-June 2024) with a sample size in the tens of millions; creating the most comprehensive analysis of mobile network performance ever conducted at the city level in Ireland.
  • Leveraging Ookla’s Speedtest® Insights platform, DCC were able to integrate other data sources, such as internal city asset registries, mobile site location maps from Ireland’s telecoms regulator ComReg, and social deprivation data from Pobal.
  • Geospatial analysis created a localised tile-based grid across the entire city to categorise mobile network performance at different times of the day. Performance was evaluated against two metrics; signal strength and download speed. Each location tile was categorised as unacceptable if it had less than 11 dBm signal strength and 5 Mbps download speed. Anything above 11 dBM and 5 Mbps was categorised as ‘acceptable’.

Nine in ten CFOs in Ireland feel decisions about financial strategy are made without sufficient data or insight

An overwhelming majority (90%) of CFOs and finance leaders in Ireland feel that decisions about their organisation’s financial strategy are made without sufficient data or insight, according to a new CFO Mindset Report by AccountsIQ, an award-winning provider of cloud-native accounting software for mid-sized businesses.

The survey of 260 CFOs across Ireland and the UK highlights the increasing pressures facing finance leaders, with many reporting a growing sense of stress and instability as they navigate economic volatility, rising operational costs, and unpredictable revenue.

CFO challenges

The survey determined external factors currently facing CFOs and other senior finance professionals. In Ireland, the top threats to financial stability are technology and software disruptions (42%), market competition (38%), and economic downturn (38%). However, concerns about financial decline are markedly lower than in the UK (48%), where it ranked as the most pressing matter of contention.

When it comes to internal challenges, more than a third (34%) of CFOs in Ireland and the UK report technological limitations as the biggest threat to their organisation’s financial stability. In Ireland, other prominent issues include a lack of skilled talent (34%), being behind on targets (34%), reporting accuracy (30%), and the time spent on manual data input (30%).

Despite differences in contributing factors, internal and external pressures are making it increasingly difficult for finance leaders across Ireland and the UK to maintain control over their organisation’s financial future, significantly limiting the potential for long-term operational success in both countries.

Operating in survival mode

While 70% of CFOs in Ireland and 58% in the UK say their finance function is scaling up to meet business growth demands, 16% describe it as actively slowing down. More than a third (38%) of all respondents state that better financial technology and software would most help them regain control, underlining the urgent need for organisations to implement improved financial tools.

Darren Cran, CEO of AccountsIQ, commented: “The need for modern solutions is clear. CFOs are facing immense pressure to make strategic decisions in the dark, without the right data or technology to support them. It’s a problem across the board but is particularly prevalent in Ireland. The sheer scale of the challenges they’re up against – from volatility to rising costs – is forcing them to operate in survival mode rather than driving growth. This is where finance leaders urgently need better tools and insights – and the good news is, they are out there. These tools can build trust in the numbers and give CFOs the confidence to make informed decisions. It also empowers CFOs to shift from firefighting to forecasting, taking back control of their financial plans and driving sustainable business growth.”

You can download the full report here

Data Breach Prevention Tips For Your Business

A data breach can significantly damage a business. It can result in the loss of proprietary information, damage to the company’s reputation, and costly remediation. The average data breach costs a business millions of dollars, but the impact extends beyond finances. How can a business prevent these attacks?

Data and Sensitive Information

To protect its data, a company must know where this data is located and what it contains. All data sets must be inventoried, and all locations must be determined. In addition, the company needs to regularly update its inventory and locations to ensure it is always aware of where data is. Furthermore, businesses that need a cloud fax provider or another third-party service must ensure the service selected conducts this inventory and knows the location of its sensitive client information.

Limit Access 

Business owners must limit access to sensitive data. Only those employees and contractors who must view this information should be granted access. Sadly, many business owners offer privileged access to those who don’t truly need it and put their data at unnecessary risk when doing so. By establishing and enforcing policies regarding privileged access, the business owner can reduce the risk of a data breach. They must ensure regular oversight of this data and use access management tools to facilitate and enforce the policies. 

Infrastructure Patches

IT security teams must monitor their networks and systems. When a security patch is offered, it needs to be used immediately. Zero-day exploits remain a problem today, so IT security teams must be aware of this and immediately take action when a manufacturer issues a software patch. Doing so will reduce the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive data.

Network Perimeter

Network perimeter security serves as the first line of defense against unauthorized access. Many companies use firewalls, and they may also benefit from intrusion prevention and detection systems. Access control lists are popular among business owners, and they often turn to other tools to ensure business data can flow internally while identifying and stopping outside threats.

Endpoint Security Controls

Every business needs endpoint security controls in place. For example, malware detection software is essential today. As the distribution of users and workloads expands, traditional perimeter security tools become less useful. Endpoint security, when properly implemented and managed, offers the highest level of security against internet-based threats.

Lateral Movement

When a cybercriminal successfully overcomes the company’s perimeter security, they immediately look for other systems they can access and infiltrate. Limiting unsanctioned lateral movement can stop them in their tracks. Microsegmentation is helpful because it establishes isolated network zones.

Data Encryption

Companies often focus on encrypting data during transmission. Sensitive data should also be encrypted at rest to prevent unauthorized parties from accessing it. Never assume a corporate network is secure. Always encrypt the data even as it moves internally.

Password Policies

Countless data breaches occurred because employees did not have robust passwords. Business owners must require passwords for all applications and services running on their network. These requirements might include a minimum password length, multi-factor authentication, or mandatory monthly or quarterly password changes.

Training

Any person with access to sensitive data must undergo comprehensive cybersecurity training. Employees and contractors are two groups that need this training. Whether intentional or unintentional, mistakes on the part of staff, contractors, and partners continue to be a significant threat to data security. This area is also the hardest to protect against. Regular training can reduce the risk.

Data breach prevention is essential. However, companies must also focus on other areas. Business owners must find the right mix of cybersecurity policies for their organizational risk appetite. When the right mix is found, business productivity increases while the risk of a security incident goes down. Every business wants this. 

Dell AI Factory Transforms Data Centers with Advanced Cooling, High Density Compute and AI Storage Innovations

Today Dell Technologies introduces new integrated rack-scalable systems, server, storage and data management innovations to the Dell AI Factory, powering high density computing and AI workloads at scale.

“Today’s data centers can’t keep up with the demands of AI, requiring high density compute and liquid cooling innovations with modular, flexible and efficient designs,” said Arthur Lewis, president, Infrastructure Solutions Group, Dell Technologies. “These new systems deliver the performance needed for organizations to remain competitive in the fast-evolving AI landscape.”

The future of accelerated compute with leading cooling innovations

The Dell Integrated Rack 7000 (IR7000) handles accelerated computing demands with superior density, more sustainable power management and advanced cooling technologies. This Open Compute Project (OCP) standards-based rack is ideal for large-scale deployment and features a futureproof design for multigeneration and heterogenous technology environments.

Key features include:

  • Designed for density, the 21-inch Dell IR7000 is designed to support industry-leading CPU and GPU density.
  • Future-ready and efficient, the rack features wider, taller server sleds to accommodate the latest, larger CPU and GPU architectures. This rack was purpose built for liquid cooling natively, capable of cooling future deployments of up to 480KW, and is able to capture nearly 100% of heat created.
  • Engineered for greater choice and flexibility, this integrated rack offers support for both Dell and off-the-shelf networking.
  • Deployments are simple and energy-efficient with Dell Integrated Rack Scalable Systems (IRSS). IRSS delivers innovative rack-scale infrastructure optimized for AI workloads, making the setup process seamless and efficient with a fully integrated plug-and-play rack scale system.

Dell Technologies introduces AI-ready platforms designed for the Dell IR7000:

  • Part of the Dell AI Factory with NVIDIA, the Dell PowerEdge XE9712 offers high-performance, dense acceleration for LLM training and real-time inferencing of large-scale AI deployments. Designed for industry-leading GPU density with NVIDIA GB200 NVL72, this platform connects up to 36 NVIDIA Grace CPUs with 72 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs in a rack-scale design. The 72 GPU NVLink domain acts as a single GPU for up to 30x faster real-time trillion-parameter LLM inferencing. The liquid cooled NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 is up to 25x more efficient than the air-cooled NVIDIA H100-powered systems.
  • The Dell PowerEdge M7725 provides high performance dense compute ideal for research, government, fintech and higher education environments. Designed to be deployed in the IR7000 rack, the Dell PowerEdge M7725 delivers more compute with improved serviceability scaling between 24K-27K cores per rack, with 64 or 72 two socket nodes, powered by 5th Gen AMD EPYC CPUs Front IO slots enables high speed IO connectivity and provides seamless connectivity for demanding applications. The server’s energy-efficient form factor allows for more sustainable deployments through both direct liquid cooling (DLC) to CPUs and air cooling via quick connect to the integrated rack.

Unstructured storage and data management innovations for the AI era

Dell Technologies unstructured data storage portfolio innovations improve AI application performance and deliver simplified global data management.

Dell PowerScale, the world’s first Ethernet storage certified for NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD, delivers new updates that enhance data management strategies, improve workload performance and offer greater support for AI workloads.1

  • Enhanced discoverability: Unlock data insights for faster smarter decision-making using PowerScale metadata and the Dell Data Lakehouse. A forthcoming Dell open-source document loader for NVIDIA NeMo services and RAG frameworks is designed to help customers improve data ingestion time and decrease compute and GPU cost.
  • Denser storage: Customers can fine tune their AI models by training them on larger datasets with new 61TB drives that increase capacity and efficiency while reducing data center storage footprint by half.2
  • Improved AI performance: AI workload performance is enhanced through front-end NVIDIA InfiniBand capabilities and 200GbE Ethernet adapter support that delivers up to 63% faster throughput.3

With new enhancements to the Dell Data Lakehouse data management platform, customers can save time and improve operations with new features like disaster recovery, automated schema discovery, comprehensive management APIs, and self-service full stack upgrades.

Customers can simplify their data-driven journey and quickly scale their AI and business use cases with Optimization Services for Data Cataloging and Implementation Services for Data Pipelines. These services increase accessibility to high-quality data through discovery, organization, automation and integration.

Dell Generative AI Solutions with Intel for modern workflows

As part of the Dell AI Factory, Dell Generative AI Solutions with Intel offers jointly engineered, tested and validated platforms for seamless AI deployment. Featuring the Dell PowerEdge XE9680 and Intel ® Gaudi 3 ® AI accelerators with Dell storage, networking, services and an open-source software stack, these preconfigured, flexible and high performing solutions support a range of GenAI use cases including content creation, digital assistants, design and data creation, code generation and more.

PixelCable Pro 240W App-Controlled Magnetic Charging Cable with Smart Display

Bored of your standard charging cable? Fear not mobfree are back with a new iteration of their Pixel Cable and it is called Pixel Cable Pro this time faster and better.

Offering a bigger display faster charging and data transfer this one is a must have for those who took up the first version we reviewed.

PixelCable Pro is equipped with the latest USB Power Delivery 3.1 Technology，boasting a nominal maximum power transfer capability of 240W. Equipped with the E-mark smart chip, PixelCable Pro guarantees safe and rapid charging for a diverse array of devices, ranging from wireless earbuds, smartphones to power-hungry laptops. It can charge your MacBook Pro 16″ to 56% in just 30 minutes, effortlessly giving the full potential of all your USB-C devices.

This advanced chip facilitates optimal power flow, effectively adjusting the current to match your device’s specific requirements. So not only does your device charge swiftly, but it also stays protected against potential damage from overcharging or overheating.

The OLED display gives at-a-glance info on your phone’s actual battery level without having to wake up the screen. Keep tabs on power with the clear display and get on with your day.

QCharge App

PixelCable enables fast data transmission up to 480mbps. 1G file can be transferred within 24 seconds.Short or long, you can curl PixelCable Pro to any size you want. Simply extend it for full length (5ft cable) or coil it to save space — the choice is yours. This built-in magnetic coil technology allows the cable to almost wrap itself into a neat and tidy shape that will stay wound without the need for velcro straps or other restraints.

Everytime when you connect your device, PixelCable Pro will greet you with start-up animation. You can choose the start-up animation from the preset images. The movement speed and direction can also be changed. You can also upload your own images to DIY your customised start-up animation.

This magnetic charging cable is suitable for all occasions, whether at home, in the office or in the car. Unlock more ways to use. The possibilities are endless.

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HP Wolf Security Uncovers Evidence of Attackers Using AI to Generate Malware

HP has issued its latest Threat Insights Report revealing how attackers are using generative AI to help write malicious code. HP’s threat research team found a large and refined ChromeLoader campaign spread through malvertising that leads to professional-looking rogue PDF tools, and identified cybercriminals embedding malicious code in SVG images.

The report provides an analysis of real-world cyberattacks, helping organisations to keep up with the latest techniques cybercriminals are using to evade detection and breach PCs in the fast-changing cybercrime landscape.  Based on data from millions of endpoints running HP Wolf Security, notable campaigns identified by HP threat researchers include:

  • Generative AI assisting malware development in the wild: Cybercriminals are already using GenAI to create convincing phishing lures but to date there has been limited evidence of threat actors using GenAI tools to write code. The team identified a campaign using VBScript and JavaScript believed to have been written with the help of GenAI. The structure of the scripts, comments explaining each line of code, and the choice of native language function names and variables are strong indications that the threat actor used GenAI to create the malware. The attack infects users with the freely available AsyncRAT malware, an easy-to-obtain infostealer which can record victim’s screens and keystrokes. The activity shows how GenAI is lowering the bar for cybercriminals to infect endpoints.
  • Slick malvertising campaigns leading to rogue-but-functional PDF tools: ChromeLoader campaigns are becoming bigger and increasingly polished, relying on malvertising around popular search keywords to direct victims to well-designed websites offering functional tools like PDF readers and converters. These working applications hide malicious code in a MSI file, while valid code-signing certificates bypass Windows security policies and user warnings, increasing the chance of infection. Installing these fake applications allows attackers to take over the victim’s browsers and redirect searches to attacker-controlled sites.
  • This logo is a no-go – hiding malware in Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) images: Some cybercriminals are bucking the trend by shifting from HTML files to vector images for smuggling malware. Vector images, widely used in graphic design, commonly use the XML-based SVG format. As SVGs open automatically in browsers, any embedded JavaScript code is executed as the image is viewed. While victims think they’re viewing an image, they are interacting with a complex file format that leads to multiple types of infostealer malware being installed.

Val Gabriel, Managing Director of HP Ireland, comments: 

“There has long been speculation about AI being used by attackers, but evidence has been scarce, so this finding is significant. Typically, attackers tend to obscure their intentions to avoid revealing their methods, so this behaviour indicates an AI assistant was used to help write their code. It’s cases like this that showcases threat actors are constantly updating their methods. Instances like this one further lower the barrier to entry for threat actors, allowing novices without coding skills to write scripts, develop infection chains, and launch more damaging attacks. So, businesses must build resilience, closing off as many common attack routes as possible and adopt a defence in depth strategy to mitigate any risks.”

By isolating threats that have evaded detection tools on PCs – but still allowing malware to detonate safely – HP Wolf Security has specific insight into the latest techniques used by cybercriminals. To date, HP Wolf Security customers have clicked on over 40 billion email attachments, web pages, and downloaded files with no reported breaches.

The report, which examines data from calendar Q2 2024, details how cybercriminals continue to diversify attack methods to bypass security policies and detection tools, such as:

  • At least 12% of email threats identified by HP Sure Click bypassed one or more email gateway scanners, the same as the previous quarter.
  • The top threat vectors were email attachments (61%), downloads from browsers (18%) and other infection vectors, such as removable storage – like USB thumb drives and file shares (21%).
  • Archives were the most popular malware delivery type (39%), 26% of which were ZIP files.

HP Wolf Security[i] runs risky tasks in isolated, hardware-enforced virtual machines running on the endpoint to protect users, without impacting their productivity. It also captures detailed traces of attempted infections. HP’s application isolation technology mitigates threats that can slip past other security tools and provides unique insights into intrusion techniques and threat actor behaviour.

Getting to Grips with Mobile Gametech

Wow, has mobile gaming changed. Over the decades, it’s transformed from peripheral entertainment niche into enormously significant and lucrative sector within both the mobile app and gaming ecosystems. For several years now, mobile games have generated over half of all global gaming revenues, outperforming both the incumbent console and PC markets – impressive in our eyes, at least!

According to a recent report by Statista, the mobile gaming industry is forecast to hit a value of over $118 billion in 2027 – truly underscoring its dominant status in gaming. 

And the success of mobile gaming is no mere trend! It’s a result of technology utterly transforming the gaming landscape. Exciting advancements in tons of different areas – mobile hardware, software development, and operational tech – have rewritten our sense of what’s possible. Nowadays, you can use your phone to enjoy the kind of experience that you’d once only have expected on high-end consoles and PCs. Plus, have you seen the sheer scale of games available for mobile these days? Cards, bingo, slots, poker, adventures, horror, and more. Users can access everything from casino games to esports tournaments on their smartphones. Want to try your hand at slots or poker without having to do more than pick up your phone and open an app? You can enjoy super high-end graphics and gorgeous functionality in today’s mobile casino games, all from your smartphone! It’s one very clear marker of just how far we’ve come.

And sure, there are plenty of other genres that your mobile can handle, but there’s no question that digital casino games are especially well-suited to this format – supported by their popularity today.

The Mobile Gametech Ecosystem

To fully grasp how mobile gaming thrives, it’s crucial to dissect the technologies that sustain it. The mobile gametech ecosystem can be broadly categorised into three domains: Development, Consumer Tech, and Operations. 

Development

Development is at the heart of any gaming experience, and for mobile developers, the landscape is more competitive than ever. From casual commute-friendly games to AAA multiplayer titles, there’s an ever-increasing demand for new mobile experiences, which makes development tech that can handle the demand essential. 

Consumer Tech

Of course, all the development technologies in the world wouldn’t make a difference if it weren’t for devices. What else would we play the games on? The latest smartphones now come equipped with faster processors, stronger GPUs, and RAM aplenty, making it possible for developers to create games that were once only feasible on games consoles. 

Connectivity also takes a pivotal position in the mobile gametech ecosystem. As controversial as it remains, 5G has been a boon for mobile gamers, offering low latency and lightning-fast download speeds. 

Operations: Monetization, Data, and Maintenance

The operational side of mobile gaming is also crucial to the ecosystem. This includes everything from backend infrastructure to player engagement techniques.

A Deep Dive into Mobile Game Engines

Most app developers today are increasingly turning towards using game engines. It will surprise absolutely no one that using the right software to develop a gaming app is key, but did you know it can make the difference between a mediocre title cluttering up the app stores and a standout hit everyone wants to try? Developers need engines that aren’t just robust, but also flexible enough to handle the unique challenges of the mobile platform – which are not insignificant! 

What is a Mobile Game Engine?

A mobile game engine is essentially a software framework designed to simplify game development. These frameworks provide the necessary tools to create, manage, and optimise all the elements of a game – not just graphics, but also sound and networking. When creating mobile gaming apps, a game engine can be used to render graphics and manage the game’s underlying logic, which ensures a seamless experience across all mobile devices. 

The Best Mobile Game Engines

There are several game engines in existence and, while none are exclusively designed solely for mobile development, a number do stand out for their adaptable feature sets, which make them ideal for the sector. The likes of Unity and Unreal are the market leaders, but don’t stop with them. There are also a couple of up-and-coming tools that deserve your consideration!

Unity

Perhaps the most popular engine for desktop and console games, but that’s not all! It also ranks highly in the mobile world. If you’re creating 2D or 3D mobile games, it’s excellent, and it’s also versatile and super easy to use. Plus, cross-platform capabilities! They mean that developers can build for Android, iOS, Windows, and more at the same time – definitely a win. 

Unreal Engine

Unreal Engine, developed by Epic Games, counts as another major player here. Sure, it’s better known for AAA console and PC games, but does that mean it’s useless for mobile games? No! Its powerful visual scripting tool called Blueprints lets developers build games without needing to write a single line of code, opening up options for folks everywhere. 

Godot

Free and open-source, Godot is swiftly gaining popularity. Like the engines above, it supports 2D and 3D game development, but it’s much more lightweight than Unreal, which makes it ideal for creating mobile games that are compatible with less powerful devices. 

Cocos2d-x

Popular among developers creating 2D and indie games, Cocos2d-x is a lightweight, open-source engine. It’s widely used in the Asian markets, particularly during the development of hypercasual and puzzle games. However, thanks to its support for Android, iOS and Windows, it’s becoming more popular with developers in the UK and Europe. 

 

Efficient Data Retrieval: Optimizing API Requests for Developers

In today’s software development atmosphere, there is a lot of integration and the need to pull information from different external sources. Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) help different software systems to communicate, thus making it easy to fetch information when needed. However, developers also have to remember that API requests should be executed very efficiently to maintain the performance of the system. This article provides a clear explanation of how APIs make accessing and collecting information much easier. It will also look at the use of a curl get request and how it can be used for data retrieval.

What is API?

API allows communication between two programs and provides the logic that will operate between them. It also provides a blueprint for software applications, as it stipulates rules regarding the usage of various software.

Significance of Maximizing Data Extraction from APIs

Providing strategies for faster data retrieval from APIs is critical for system performance, minimizing the waiting time, and for effective use of resources by putting them to the most efficient use. Developers face unforeseen costs regarding data usage because of inefficient API adoption, which increases the data retrieval duration and the total volume of data that will be retrieved. 

Best Practices In Requesting And Cascading The Management Of Queries

It is essential to learn and understand as many best practices as possible, especially when optimizing API requests.

Grasp the API Endpoints and Parameters

In making API requests, developers have to do due diligence on the provided endpoints and parameters. A friendly approach towards how API structure works and how data is drawn makes the data calling more reliable.

Apply Relevant HTTP Methods

For prompt and effective data extraction, it is very important to select the appropriate HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) that support the expected activity. GET requests are most efficient in pulling data out, while POST and PUT requests are used to put in or change the data, respectively.

Make Use of Pagination for Big Data Acquisition

In retrieving bigger data sets, pagination helps the developer obtain the data in a few divisions. This ensures that the system is not stressed and that data is processed more effectively.

Make Use of Suitable Authentications

Authentication methods can help combat data threats and prevent data tampering. Therefore, developers need to utilize effective authentication methods, starting with APIs and moving on to OAuth. 

Reasonable Error Handling and Retries

Mistake management and risk assessment have been termed core components in the rendering of API requests. By applying sound error handles and reattempt requests, there’s an improved chance of obtaining data in the event of intermittent errors.

Things to Note in Dealing with Large Datasets

When handling large amounts of data, certain practices will ensure that retrieval is done optimally and efficiently.

Enable Data Streaming for Large Size of Information Carriage

With the use of a data streaming system, developers can send and process data at the same time and minimize the amount of memory utilized.

Use Data Compression Approaches

Data transfers, which involve compressive approaches, reduce the size of the transferred data, thereby optimizing the bandwidth and speed of retrieval of data transfer.

Managing Rate Limit Policy

API rate limiting policies must be respected to avoid violating the terms of abuse of third-party APIs and ceasing to obtain additional data.

Keep an Eye on the API Rate Limit and Respect It

Developers need to monitor and observe the policy’s provisions regarding API usage to preempt any halting of services or blocking of APIs. Adhering to rate limits encourages good business ethics from data providers and guarantees active data flow.

Make Use of Exponential Backoff

Exponential backoff is a programming practice that postpones further attempts to process requests after repeated rate limits, preventing servers from being flooded or throttled. By adopting strategies such as adding request parameters into the exponential backoff requests, request retries can be efficiently and effectively managed.

Investigate the Frequency of Requests and Tweak for Each API

Developers can also study the frequency with which requests are made and when those requests are unnecessary so that data can be fetched more intelligently rather than making too many API calls. By tweaking request frequency, developers will make systems more effective and data access processes more efficient.

The incursion of cURL GET Request

cURL is an efficient command line application designed to transfer data with URLs and multiple protocols which comes in handy for executing API calls in a command terminal.

Benefits of cURL for Fast Data Access

With cURL making all necessary send and receive operations as APIs, communication requests become unnecessary. This is very convenient for developers seeking to improve the efficiency of processes requiring data access.

In Conclusion

Developers looking to maximize how a system is operating and improve user satisfaction must focus on how data is retrieved from the system. Implementing various strategies like knowing API’s endpoints, figuring out how to handle large volumes of data, decreasing the time to completion, popularizing limiting rate features, and using tools like cURL make the process better. Apply these optimization strategies to improve your data access methods and enhance performance in your software development lifecycle.

 

Keeping Patient Data Safe: Why Cybersecurity Is Important in Medicine

Like most areas of our society, health care has wholeheartedly embraced the boom of digital technology. Computerised equipment and ‘smart’ medical devices have revolutionised patient care, and looking back on the last twenty years, the sorts of advancements that have come about are nothing short of outstanding. 

Of course, it’s not perfect. As is the case with any infrastructure that relies heavily upon technology, there’s always the concern of cyber security. In this article, you’ll learn about the main considerations medical institutions need to make. 

On Data Breaches

Given the vast amounts of personal, sensitive data that hospitals and medical centres deal with on a daily basis, they’ve become a prime target for cybercriminals. 

Whether it be stealing patient medical histories, financial records, insurance details, bank information, and more, hackers frequently seek to target hospitals for the immense value this sort of data has on the black market for use in fraud and ransom schemes. 

Thankfully, hospitals have now started to employ rigorous encryption methods to ensure patients are protected.

The Risk Involved With Medical Devices

While there wasn’t much concern even ten years ago, the leap in technological advancements seen in medical devices has become a hot topic where cybersecurity is concerned. 

More and more frequently, implantable devices and screening equipment are connected to the internet as standard; this can offer very valuable insight for researchers, but it comes at the added cost of potentially compromising cyber security. 

Aside from the obvious worrisome issue of personal data being leaked, there’s the much more serious implication of hackers being able to interfere with the actual mechanisms of these devices – a very dangerous precedent for patient safety. 

Thankfully, companies like Blue Goat Cyber exist: they work to secure medical devices from a cybersecurity perspective before they even hit the market.  

Training and Awareness in Cybersecurity


When we’re talking cybersecurity, it’s mostly all about letting the latest technology do the work. That doesn’t mean to say that human intervention isn’t crucial, however. 

Over the last several years, hospitals and medical centres have placed a huge focus on training their staff on how to safely handle sensitive and private data. This sort of training includes cyber hygiene (how to keep data organised and properly dispose of information no longer needed), how to distinguish fishing from regular email, and what steps to take to appropriately damage control in the unfortunate event that an attack does happen. 

Protecting against cyber attacks in a medical setting requires tight collaboration, as it can only take one weak link to have everything fall down like a stack of cards. Software and hardware – if properly maintained – is usually always rocksteady, so human error represents a key area for risk mitigation. 

Wrapping Up

While data breaches and cyberattacks in hospitals may be a scary prospect, with rigorous testing, thorough staff training, and the use of the latest cybersecurity software and hardware, the risks can be managed sufficiently enough that there isn’t a major cause for concern. Hopefully, you now have a better idea of how this standard can be accomplished.