Hackers are constantly looking for that "one flaw" that can be used to bring a city, school district or large enterprise to its knees. The reward? A large monetary payout for seemingly little effort; after all, it only takes one human error or one embedded line of code for a hacker to succeed. In fact, it is for this very reason that 25 of the most populous cities in the United States now have cyber-insurance. The growing need to protect against attacks, such as those that occurred in Atlanta earlier this year, has made cyber security one of the top concerns for cities as they plan ahead for next year's budget.

The meteoric rise (and subsequent fall) of Bitcoin stock in late 2017 brought blockchain technology to the forefront of the collective consciousness. But for many, conceptualizing the functions (and potential implications) of blockchain technology seems tantamount to decoding the human genome.

Although blockchain is most famously used by cryptocurrencies, the ease and security of this technology (combined with the relative lack of security of many other internet-based platforms and transactions) mean it’s not going anywhere. And before long, the use of blockchain is likely to work its way into just about every aspect of modern life.

Read on to learn more about the ways blockchain technology is poised to revolutionize everything from online banking to making a piece of toast.

Cypress-Fairbanks, the third largest Texas school district, indeed continues to stay ahead in regards to educational IT, transforming the way it's preparing its students - about 116,000 in the 2017-18 academic year. 

Cloud computing has quickly become a necessity for business procedures because it offers a number of very important benefits. This technology means that you can access data anywhere, at any time. For businesses and employees, this advantage allows for higher efficiency and fewer communication errors.

In the past, companies often had internal servers and their computers were connected to their network. While this is still an option that some organizations use, it is cumbersome. Creating your own network on internal servers means that you need to constantly monitor your system in house. It means hiring and maintaining a dedicated IT staff to help keep your system running optimally and protect your data from any intrusion.

By Robbie Adair, PS LIGHTWAVE Consultant 

As if network security wasn’t already a difficult task for businesses, the exponential usage growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) is making it even harder to keep networks secure. Companies are finding they need to consider both the devices in the business, like smart TVs in conference rooms, as well as employee personal devices, like fitness trackers.

IoT devices are being used not only to access networks and steal data, like the famous fish tank thermometer in the casino that compromised a database of high-rollers, but also to do launch DDoS attacks, like the Mirai botnet attack that infected over 600,000 IoT devices to take down a large portion of the internet.  As a matter of fact, DDoS attacks were up 91% by the third quarter of 2017, many using IoT botnets and, it is estimated by 2020 that 25% of all cyber attacks will target IoT devices.

From keeping your coffee hot to your house cool, smart home devices make your life immeasurably easier. They're increasingly a vital part of the average homeowner's daily life; experts at Safe Smart Living estimate that nearly half a billion smart devices will be shipped globally by the year 2020.

The smart home may be the way of the future, but currently, it's not without fault. Smart refrigerators, thermostats, security systems, and even light bulbs promise convenience and efficiency, but they remain in the early stages. Communication between devices is particularly problematic in early smart homes; they appear to function just fine on their own but fall apart when surrounded by competing gadgets. What's a smart home enthusiast to do? 

Yes, smart home devices can slow down your internet connection, but no, you're not doomed to choosing a select few favorites for fear of suffering a poor connection. A few simple adjustments will grant you the best of both worlds: a fully connected and automated home that boasts a lightning-quick connection. Read on to learn more about the relationship between smart home devices and internet speed:

A massive upheaval is underway in the retail industry which could well impact the very future of how consumers buy their goods. For decades, retailers were content to continue displaying selected wares, advertising their availability, and waiting for customers to come through the door to pick out what they needed. The advent of e-commerce, however, has turned that quaint idea on its head. It turns out that consumers are more than willing to use their smartphones or digital devices to perform their shopping tasks, and then wait for the product purchases to arrive at their door. The devastating results can be seen in the high number of retail bankruptcies and closed stores.

There is still something to be said for the retail experience, but it will need a big boost from emerging technologies to replicate the benefits of the online efficiencies while retaining the uniqueness of the in-store experience. Consumers like to shop, look, touch, and see what they are buying. They want to be able to visualize something in-person, easily compare the alternatives, and receive suggestions for complementary purchases, all with the benefit of instant gratification.

Whenever you venture online, you face serious security threats that put your identifying information and financial accounts at risk. Over 10 percent of all internet users have experienced the theft of their personal information, including social security numbers and bank account numbers, through online security breaches. With the right approach, however, you can actively mitigate the risks and increase the security of your online browsing experience. To get started, simply utilize our comprehensive security checklist to improve your safety during your at-home and on-the-go browsing experiences.  

The rapid advance of technology has given way to dozens of internet-connected devices that have become commonplace in homes across America. These devices include things such as smartphones, tablets and PCs, as well as internet of things (IoT) devices such as smart thermostats, smart security systems, smart lighting and more.  

The Public Emergency Response System, also commonly referred to as the Emergency Alert System or EAS for short, is a national warning system that was first put into place in 1997 after an initial approval by the FCC in 1994. It replaced two similar solutions: the Emergency Broadcast System (or EBS), which itself replaced the CONELRAD system that was established by Harry Truman in 1951. The Public Emergency Response System, like its predecessors before it, were designed in part to give the President of the United States a fast and reliable way to communicate with the public in times of crisis.