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RAM continues to make advances in both speed and density; DDR4 4Gb-based modules are making their way into more systems, such as Dell`s newest line of entry-level servers. Now RAM manufacturer Crucial has released 8 Gb-based modules that they claim increase performance, offer better energy efficiency and bring a higher density than the previous 4 Gb-based modules. They also designed the memory modules to work in tandem with the next-generation processor family from Intel. Finally, the Crucial Reliance program covers their memory with a lifetime warranty and also reimburses for the cost of server repairs if the memory is found to be at fault.
AIDA64 Extreme is a system diagnostic, reporting and benchmarking tool for your hardware. It features a nice user interface and the utility`s benchmarking tests focus on storage, cache, memory, and GPU. AIDA64 Extreme sells for $39.95, but a free trial version is available for download.
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At no cost whatsoever, you can scan the memory in your machine for malware. You simply download and run Windows Sysinternals Process Explorer to test all currently running executables on your Windows system against VirusTotal's 57 antivirus engines. VirusTotal is a free service that analyzes suspicious files and URLs and facilitates the quick detection of viruses, worms, Trojans, and all kinds of malware. Some security experts claim that this combination provides the best accuracy possible for malware detection.
Veracode's new state of software security report shows that PHP and ASP Web scripting languages breed more vulnerabilities than Java and .NET programming platforms. Their data is based on its cloud-based scans and code analysis of more than 50,000 applications in the past 18 months. While Java and .NET have built-in functions to reduce the risk of buffer overflows, XSS, and SQL injection, PHP and ASP don't come as well-equipped and have fewer security APIs. They point out that about 70% of content management systems on the Web are PHP-based WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla, so these systems will need extra security precautions.
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Earlier this year, the ATM Industry Association issued a position paper recommending that the next major migration to a Windows ATM operating system should be to Windows 10, skipping Windows 8 and 8.1. The ATMIA has reviewed readiness of the ATM industry to assess hardware readiness including a view on backwards compatibility and here are some of their findings:
Wells Fargo is moving full speed ahead with wireless ATM initiatives. Their "virtual card" feature will be integrated into their mobile app and cardholders will be able to use the app on their mobile device to designate the type and amount of an ATM transaction prior to arriving at an ATM. Upon arrival, they simply enter a PIN and a unique transaction code generated by the app in order to complete the transaction card-free. In addition, Wells Fargo is testing contactless technology that allows users to initiate a cardless ATM transaction just by tapping their NFC-enabled smartphone against the ATM.
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Juniper Research predicts that mobile banking will top out with one billion users by the end of 2015 and two billion by the end of 2020. Wearables, like the Apple Watch, will be responsible for approximately 100 million annual mobile banking sessions by the end of 2020, the research firm reports. Meanwhile, the outlook for mobile payments in 2016 is that 5 percent of the 600 million to 650 million NFC-phones will be used at least once a month to make contactless payments. Some observers are saying that 2016 will be an inflection point for mobile payments in the U.S., with transaction value tripling to $27.05 billion and proximity payments surpassing mobile e-commerce.
Walmart announced it is rolling out Walmart Pay, a smartphone-based payment solution that the company said will work with all credit and debit cards, as well as its own gift cards. Walmart Pay, which supports both iOS and Android devices, is essentially the same technology as MCX's CurrentC app, but is limited to its own stores. The new payment system, based on quick response code technology, is meant to enable a smoother trip through checkout lines and unite Walmart's e-commerce and in-store shopping experiences. The retailing giant noted that 22 million customers actively use the Walmart app each month and that it ranks among the top three retail apps in the Google and Apple app stores.
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The Identification and Authentication business is one of three businesses of 3M`s Security Systems Division. The company recently launched the CR5400 Double-Sided ID1 Reader, which checks the front and back sides of IDs simultaneously. It can perform age and document verification, as well as check biometrically enabled travel documents containing contactless integrated circuit chips (eIDs). It can provide authentication at the teller line, or during the account origination or loan application processes.
Cloud access security brokers (CASBs) help organizations using the cloud with security, privacy and compliance controls. One such vendor is Avanan which offers their Complete Cloud Governance Platform that includes solutions from more than 60 leading vendors. In action, Avanan uses an API model that connects directly from the Avanan platform to each cloud vendor's infrastructure. Some of their services include:
- AV/Antimalware
- Advanced persistent threat detection
- Data leak prevention
- Anomaly and insider threat detection
- Data sanitization
- Endpoint compliance
- Encryption
- Shared policy management
- Automated response
- Compliance auditing
- Shadow IT and shadow SaaS detection
Nemesis is a bootkit, which is installed on lower-level operating system components, and even if the operating system is reinstalled, can remain in place. Bootrash is another piece of malware that executes before the operating system is loaded, enabling it to avoid any integrity checks done by the operating system and many AV products. FireEye is recommending that system administrators perform a complete physical wipe of any systems compromised with these types of bootkits and then reload the operating system.
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Core Systems:
Supporting Omnichannel Delivery with the Core System
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DataHero is a self-service business intelligence platform that connects to cloud services and Excel spreadsheets. It creates charts and dashboards that can be exported in a variety of formats, from images to Adobe PDFs. Working with Excel you can quickly pivot, filter, or aggregate your data without worrying about complicated formulas - just upload an Excel spreadsheet directly into DataHero and your information is automatically visualized for you. With geographic data you can create maps of your data, to determine which branch is performing best, for example.
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Online Banking/E-Commerce/Website Design
Tender Armor has created a system for generating a daily CVV code that cardholders can use with card-not-present purchases. The startup's product, dubbed CvvPlus, issues a CVV code that cardholders can retrieve through text message, email or a website lookup, effectively authenticating the user of a card as well as the transaction. The company says that their solution is completely transparent to merchants and works with any card - debit, credit or prepaid.
eCurrency Mint (eCM) offers technology that enables central banks to issue digital fiat currency, called eCurrency. Once the technology is acquired by a country's central bank, eCurrency can only be minted by the central bank in an offline process. Each unit of eCurrency consists of a “cryptocomplex”: A self-contained security instrument made up of many layers of security technology bound together that the company claims will ensure that eCurrency cannot be counterfeited or compromised. The Dublin-based firm says that the cost of minting and distributing eCurrency is around one-tenth of the cost of printing, securing, distributing, and eventually destroying paper-based money.
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Next year, Microsoft will no longer support older versions of its browser Internet Explorer on most of its operating systems. On Jan. 12, only the current version of Internet Explorer available for the supported operating system will receive updates and Internet Explorer 11 will be the last version of the browser. Internet Explorer 11 will continue to receive updates and technical support for Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. The software giant recommends that users update their browsers before Jan. 12, since out of date browsers are more vulnerable to malware and other attacks.
Infoblox has introduced their DNS Threat Analytics which applies behavioral analytics to DNS queries in real time to help detect and block data exfiltration attempts using DNS as a communications pathway. They say that thier new solution blocks so-called zero-day threats -- attacks that haven't yet been discovered -- after analyzing DNS queries and spotting suspicious behavior. Infoblox DNS Threat Analytics is a paid feature upgrade for Infoblox Internal DNS Security and Infoblox DNS Firewall products.
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The top reason employees leave their jobs is for career advancement or promotions, according to a Gallup poll. That is why many contact center consultants recommend setting up programs to promote from within. Internal candidates have invaluable experience that many times trumps an external candidate`s education or outside experience. Case in point: a study referenced in Forbes shows it takes about two years on average for an external hire to catch up to the performance review scores of internally promoted workers. Some suggest that you should view your contact center as a valuable ‘Farm Team` where frontline workers with strong customer facing skills are developed and moved into new positions.
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