The Strong One

Ever wondered about the origins of Netdata , that incredible monitoring tool that keeps your IT infrastructure in check? 🤔 Let's dive into the exhilarating backstory! 🌟 🌌 The Beginning: Once upon a time in the vast realm of technology, a brilliant mind named Costa Tsaousis embarked on a quest. His mission? To create a monitoring tool like no other, one that could unveil the mysteries of complex systems! 🌐 🧠 The Genius at Work: With unwavering determination and coding magic, Costa crafted Netdata from scratch. His vision was to democratize monitoring, making it accessible to all, from tech giants to the smallest of startups! 🌐✨ 🚀 The Game Changer: Netdata was born! A lightweight, real-time, autonomous monitoring tool that shattered the norms. No more hidden costs or complex setups – Netdata was here to empower every sysadmin and IT enthusiast! 💪🔍 🌟 The Legacy: Today, Netdata stands tall as an open-source superhero, protecting servers, applications, and dreams

  Stephen Koseff of Investec talks about culture in an organization in a talk hosted by the The Collins Club and recorded for YouTube .  Stephen Koseff mentioned the use of the old Investec head quarters. I was the guy who walked into the old 55 Fox Street with Taddy Blecher and commissioned it for CIDA CITY CAMPUS . The pot plants were left behind unattended but there was one that had survived.  I was also the guy who was one of the first in at Fedsure and was sworn at by the incumbents. 🤣 But there was a time when they used external coaches and it wasn't kept confidential, otherwise a great insight into a great origanization. #southafrica #culture #banking 🇿🇦💰⭐

  "SARS Chief Officer for Digital Information Services and Technology, Mmamathe Makhekhe-Mokhuane made headlines in October after an embarrassing interview on SABC .  In the interview, Makhekhe-Mokhuane displayed no real knowledge about SARS’ IT systems and tried to divert the conversation to other topics.  When the interviewer tried to get the discussion back on track, Makhekhe-Mokhuane now famously replied: “Mam, can you give me protection from yourself.”" * Read the full article on MyBroadband .   The real crazy is at 12:00 minutes into the interview.

  "However, what really piqued my interest was that Sars had entered into a contract with Gartner in Ireland (presumably Gartner Ireland Limited). Willemse further testified that Gartner in South Africa had merely provided support staff. My first thoughts were: US holding company, Ireland, low tax rate, tax haven and the Double Irish tax avoidance structure!  Ireland has become synonymous with tax avoidance… It remains a popular jurisdiction for multinationals doing business in South Africa.  No, surely Sars would not lend itself to enabling a corporation that it is contracted with to avoid tax?" * Read the full article on TechCentral .

  According to the SEC, the US consultancy violated anti-bribery and internal accounting control provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act between December 2014 to August 2015 in its work at Sars.    * Link to the SEC ruling: https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/admin/2023/34-97609.pdf * Read the full article on Polity .

    "Multinational tech firm Gartner’s revealing self-disclosure about its corrupt 2015 deal with the SA Revenue Service leaves South Africans with two questions: Did tech businessman Patrick Monyeki bribe then tax boss Tom Moyane to bat a R200-million tech contract to Gartner and, crucially, why are the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority still sitting on their hands? " * Link to the SEC ruling: https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/admin/2023/34-97609.pdf * Read the full article on Daily Maverick .

  "Global research and advisory firm Gartner was this morning roasted by the Nugent commission over tax administration and governance at the South African Revenue Service (SARS).  Gartner, which says it takes pride in providing insights, advice and tools for leaders in IT, finance, HR, customer service and support, legal and compliance, marketing, sales and supply chain functions across the world, this morning testified over allegations that it illegally gifted part of a R200 million SARS contract to a third-party." * Read the full article over at ITWeb .

    Was the work of code-breakers at Bletchley Park perhaps history's most crucial piece of espionage? Discover what really happened as part of this once top-secret operation to decode the Nazi's enigma machine.

  Dave Cutler recounts the story of Windows Longhorn, plus the worst code he's seen.

  You are guilty until proven innocent! The network is slow!  But is it actually a network issue? Or is it an application issue. Chris Greer explains.

  David Smith Created one of the first Viruses in the age of the internet, hacking into the US marine, Microsoft and Intel, all with the help of a stripper, It lead him to Prison time, This is the story of the Melissa Virus. The video includes several internet security companies, Cybersecurity threats, cyber security companies and hints at Cyber warfare.

  Marcus Hutchins is The Hacker who saved the internet, he single-handedly stopped the Melissa virus from global destruction. This is the story of Marcus Hutchins.  Hackers infiltrate hundreds of thousands of companies across the world, causing 4 – 8 billion dollars worth of damage. This video includes several internet security companies, Cybersecurity threats, cyber security companies, and cyber warfare. Marcus Hutchins (Youtube) -    / @malwaretechblog  

  In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) have emerged as the vanguard of defense, providing robust protection against a myriad of cyber threats. Among the top-tier NGFWs, Clavister Firewall stands out with its arsenal of cutting-edge features designed to fortify networks and combat modern cyber risks. Let's delve into the key attributes that make Clavister Firewall a formidable cybersecurity solution: Centralized Management : Clavister Firewall's centralized management offers a unified platform for configuring, monitoring, and managing network security policies across multiple devices from a single console. This streamlines operations, simplifies policy deployment, and ensures consistent security across the network infrastructure. Software Updates : Regular software updates are crucial

    The SolarWinds hack is considered the largest cyber attack the world has ever seen. This video goes behind the scenes uncovering specific details about the SolarWinds cyber incident. Hackers infiltrate American Government Agencies and spy on their movements to collect information. The videos includes several internet security companies, Cybersecurity threats, cyber security companies and hints at Cyber warfare.

  systemd is, to put it mildly, controversial. As a FreeBSD developer I decided I wanted to know why.  I delved into the history of bootstrap systems, and even the history of UNIX and other contemporary operating systems, to try and work out why something like systemd was seem as necessary, if not desirable. I also tried to work out why so many people found it so upsetting, annoying, or otherwise rage-inducing. Join me on a journey through the bootstrap process, the history of init, the reasons why change can be scary, and the discovery of a part of your OS you may not even know existed.  linux.conf.au is a conference about the Linux operating system, and all aspects of the thriving ecosystem of Free and Open Source Software that has grown up around it. Run since 1999, in a different Australian or New Zealand city each year, by a team of local volunteers, LCA invites more than 500 people to learn from the people who shape the future of Open Source. For more information on the conferenc

  This video is a full business documentary on Microsoft, Bill Gates, and Paul Allen. It features a lot of archive footage of the early days at microsoft, a lot of old interviews with bill gates, as well as displaying old microsoft products.  One of my favorite things about making this video was actually going through old microsoft footage and finding the first windows operating system (windows 1.0), the first MS-Dos footage, Windows 95 footage and commercials, etc.  But ya, this was a pretty full-on business documentary...but because Microsoft is a trillion dollar company with a lot of history, I obviously couldn't get into a lot of topics that i wanted to talk about. For example, I wanted to talk about the relationship between Microsoft and Apple a lot more. I wanted to mention Steve Ballmer an Ric Weilands importance to the company. I wanted to talk about what happened to Kent Evans (he unfortunately passed away as a teenager). I wanted to talk about microsofts other investments

"CAPE TOWN — Strange how disgraced SARS Commissioner Tom Moyane destructively stopped the revenue service’s modernisation project shortly before his friend Patrick Monyeki , acting as a “silent” empowerment partner of global advisory firm Gartner, helped put in a successful bid for a R200 million S ARS IT contract . SARS derived little or no taxpayer benefit from the work while Gartner’s local point man was involved in questionable, possibly criminal conduct, a red-faced managing partner of Gartner conceded to the Nugent Commission of Inquiry this week. Gartner Managing Vice President Michael Lithgow ’s stout bid to cover for his local senior managing partner, Neville Willemse, failed dismally. Willemse was subpoenaed anyway and gave shaky testimony, revealing that Monyeki contacted him out of the blue shortly after Monyeki’s friend, Moyane, halted the earlier SARS modernisation project.  The evolving State Capture/cronyism narrative is proving that the culture of nepo

"Commissioner Kieswetter informed the committee that consultancy firm Bain had paid back the R217m to SARS. However, IT consultants Gartner had declined to do the same despite several engagements." * Read the full article on Biznews .

"The threat map of the modern cybersecurity landscape is rapidly changing, especially now with the rise of AI on both sides of the fence. Nils Undén, CTO at Clavister shares his thoughts on the subject as well as some tips on how to think and act.  Artificial intelligence is getting a lot of hype now, mostly due to generative AI solutions like ChatGPT, Bard, Midjourney and so on. There have already been targeted attacks using generative AI where voice calls have been faked to get access. But for us, AI’s big strength is for analyzing large amounts of data. This can be use by both attackers and defenders and I will talk about the defensive aspects." * Read the full blog post over on Clavister .

  "Modern SIEM and SOAR platforms are enriched with user and entity behaviour analytics, monitoring user accounts and devices active in the network, which can benefit African businesses explains Tony Walt at Port443." * Read the full article on Intelligent CIO .

  "LanDynamix, a leading provider of IT specialist solutions in managed services and cybersecurity, has successfully utilised SD-WAN technology to connect pilot pharmacies located in supermarkets to the network of its client, First Care Solutions.  Peter Clarke, MD of LanDynamix , says software-defined wide-area networking technology’s inherent flexibility, cost-effectiveness and relatively easy deployment played a big role in the pilot project’s success."  * Read the full article on TechCentral .

  "LanDynamix, one of South Africa’s leading managed services specialist organisations, has completed a successful migration to a software-defined wide-area network (SD-WAN) for its longstanding client, AllLife. The new network provides greater flexibility, delivers higher speed and can accommodate growth, says Leandro Valentini, head of IT: IT operations, facilities and collections at AllLife." * Read the full article on TechCentral .

  "In essence, SD-WAN technology empowers organisations to digitise their business and consume cloud technologies that drive new opportunities for growth. The “new normal” that sees employees accessing corporate systems around the clock — regardless of their geographic location — is here to stay, as companies pursue fully remote or hybrid modes of work. That said, the stop-gap measures implemented last year just to keep operations running at a time when it was not possible to go into the office must now be replaced with more robust technologies that deliver the longevity needed for a digitally driven marketplace. That’s where the Telviva One unified communications platform comes in." * Read the full article on TechCentral . 

  " The concept of virtualisation is coming to the wide-area network, promising to give enterprises a more agile, cost-effective and resilient approach to managing their network infrastructure. The concept of the software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) is maturing at a rapid rate, meaning that the technology will soon hit the mainstream in South Africa." * Read the full article on TechCentral .

    "W ith networked applications and security still being the top concerns for most businesses, those that transform their IT and network architectures, and use cloud services, should simultaneously consider transforming their security architectures.  By implementing SD-WAN, these enterprises can ensure a smooth and uninterrupted experience, with improved performance, increased security and lower operational costs.  Its biggest selling point, however, is the oversight it gives IT departments that will benefit from a real-time overview of their application performance, network stability, and the ability to troubleshoot, audit and direct capacity, as well as implement different configurations quickly and easily."  * Read the full article on ITWeb .

"Cybersecurity has never been more important than it is today. Attacks by cybercriminals are more powerful and sophisticated than ever, and they are targeting at a wider range of businesses than ever before.  In fact, South Africa has the highest number of ransomware and email attacks in Africa, with more than half of all businesses impacted in the 12 months leading up to September 2022.  Those attacks are expensive too, with South African businesses forking out an average of R49,25-million any time they fall victim to a successful attack." * Read the full article on IT-Online . 

  "Safeguarding sensitive data and maintaining robust cybersecurity practices has become paramount for businesses of all sizes, with the global costs of cybercrime expected to reach US$13 trillion within the next five years. To assist companies in fortifying their digital defences, here are six cybersecurity mistakes to avoid." * Read the full article on ITNA .

  "T he South African software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) market is on a growth trajectory.  This is according to local market research firm BMIT’s latest South African SD-WAN Market Report , which sets out to define and then quantify the significant growth trend in SD-WAN adoption.  Based on the broadest definition used in the report, BMIT predicts SD-WAN will penetrate 37% of all South African virtual private network (VPN)-enabled business sites by 2026, up from 17% in 2021.  SD-WAN is a virtual wide area network architecture that allows enterprises to leverage any combination of transport services – including multi-protocol label switching (MPLS), long-term evolution and broadband internet services – to securely connect users to applications."  * Read the full article on ITWeb .  

  "Turnium Technology Group today announced a collaboration with IBM to deploy its cloud-native SD-WAN platform on the IBM  Cloud for Telecommunications service.  The Vancouver, British Columbia-based SD-WAN vendor claims the collaboration will help service providers and enterprises deploy, manage, and access edge compute applications over IBM’s private backbone network.  Turnium isn’t a new player in the SD-WAN space having launched its initial white-label offering in collaboration with its sister company Multapplied in 2016 . The company’s cloud-native, container-based SD-WAN platform runs on bare metal, virtual machines, or containerized environments like OpenShift, which coincidentally was acquired by IBM with the purchase of RedHat in 2018." * Read the full article on sdxcentral .

  "Network Latency, sometimes called delay or just time, is the time it takes for Internet traffic to reach its destination. It is critical to how quickly web pages load, your chance at winning an online game, and how many times you have to repeat yourself in a video conference. The bandwidth of internet access has been steadily improving for decades, but performance in terms of latency has not seen anywhere near the same regular improvement." * Read the full article over at Domos .

"SD-WAN services and equipment come in all shapes and forms today.  To help kick off your research, we’ve put together this the Ultimate SD-WAN guide. Below you will find answers to some of the most common questions asked here at SD-WAN Experts. You’ll also find a list of vendors with brief profiles. We’ll be updating those profiles regularly so you may want to check back on them.  But no WAN deployment is ever a matter as simple as “painting by the numbers.” There are always nuances to every installation and while we can offer general observations here, only direct engagement can accurately assess your specific requirements. Fill out the form below for a free, WAN assessment." * Access the guide over at SD-WAN Experts . 

    "South Africa’s leading co-workspace solutions provider is expanding their existing footprint of five, central business district and suburban state-of-the-art facilities, to add a sixth facility at The Bank in the trendy suburb of Rosebank in Johannesburg." * Read the full article over at Startup Magazine !