But, like any other professional, a data expert will encounter some challenges. Some challenges will be brought up by the data itself and others will come from working with others, whether in your own organization or from another institution.

New Technology

Technology advances rapidly and, as a data professional, you will surely be aware of this. The real challenge is deciding which of the new technologies will work to the best interest of improving your organization and which is better to avoid. For example, most data professionals claim that they now work with Artificial Intelligence.

This will clearly, to some extent make a data professional’s life easier, though it will mean significant economic investment on your company’s part, as well as an investment of time for you to learn how the new technology works.

Advanced technology may take up a lot of the time of data professionals as they may be forced to learn new skills as technology and hardware development. As well as this, new technology may also lead to the obsolescence of some data, leading to challenges in the industry.

Big Data

For better or worse, we now live in a world of ‘big data’, in which companies and institutions have the power and the technology to compile huge amounts of data in order to build knowledge of consumption patterns, or political views, and of a host of other things. As a data professional, this is clearly both a threat and an opportunity. A threat as there are challenges to analyzing the data, and an opportunity because your skills will clearly be needed.

As well as this, the accessibility of data is expected to grow at a higher rate in the next few years. The major challenge is that more than 80 percent of it is unstructured data. This is data that doesn’t have a defined style of data organization, and it may be text heavy and include things such as emails.

Due to the proliferation of internet sites, unstructured data is becoming more widespread than organized data, and this presents challenges to data professionals, as unstructured data is more complicated, and thus more costly, to analyze. However, unstructured data analysts have the potential to reveal more important, and thus more valuable, information through the data, though sometimes this becomes very difficult or impossible to interpret.

In fact, a good indicator of the trend towards big data, and the challenges that it brings is that many data professionals feel ‘overwhelmed by data’. There is simply too much out there, and it sometimes feels too difficult to know what is good data and what is not, which to put into the data set and which to discard.

The accessibility of data, coupled with the fact that much of it is potentially quite difficult to analyze, is one of the biggest challenges facing data professionals.

Data From Multiple Sources

As a data professional, you may obtain your data from multiple sources. Data from multiple sources might be contradictory, or lacking in reliability, or it may even have a political agenda. In fact, the reliability of data was one of the biggest concerns of data professionals in the last year.

This is because many companies that either gather or use data will then go on to share this with multiple other sources. For you, the challenge is clearly in knowing which data you should trust: which should you use to further your knowledge, and which should you discard as inaccurate or unreliable.

Perhaps the best way to meet this challenge is to carefully choose the sources of your data. If you do this, you can ensure that the data you are using is appropriate and will help your business to grow.

Creating Value

Data professionals focus on providing their services in line with an organization’s users and an organization’s departmental needs. Some organizations may outsource their data operations, so data professionals may effectively work as freelancers. This may be a good thing, as it creates flexibility. However, there is an element of insecurity.

The challenge for you is to ensure that the service you provide for your employer creates value for the organization. As we have said, data has never been so accessible. This is an opportunity for you, but also a challenge, as you will need to justify your role in a business, especially since big data can now be accessed by non-professionals at the push of a button.

Cooperating between Multiple Departments

Professionals in different departments may want their data sourced from a specific source. Harmony between the departments is consequently essential. This is because data that comes in different formats or that needs to be cleaned or reformatted, will merely make data integration impossible and will make your life harder and your company run less efficiently.

This is why data professionals have cited format consistency or data as being vitally important, indeed one of the greatest challenges faced by data professionals, and why professionals are pushing for data integration.

In conclusion, data professionals will face many obstacles in their field, but this doesn’t mean that they cannot face these challenges head-on. Living as we do in a knowledge society, in which data is a huge economic asset (in fact it may become one of the only economic assets in the next few decades), there has never been a more rewarding time to be a data professional, both in terms of the challenges you will face in work an also in relation to the wage a well-qualified data professional can command.

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Echo woke up due to a word in background conversation sounding like “Alexa.” Then, the subsequent conversation was heard as a “send message” request. At which point, Alexa said out loud “To whom?” At which point, the background conversation was interpreted as a name in the customers contact list. Alexa then asked out loud, “[contact name], right?” Alexa then interpreted background conversation as “right”. As unlikely as this string of events is, we are evaluating options to make this case even less likely.”

Hmmm. Hopefully we’ll get some further updates out of this one.

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“Americans should be able to obtain this information from wireless carriers, just as they can obtain from the consumer credit agencies a list of the private parties who have accessed their credit reports,” the letter reads.”

Much more to come on this story.
This next hack tells the tale of a real hero. A 16-year-old tried a phishing scheme against his teacher to change his grades. We sure wish we could say to you he was successful, but, alas, he was arrested. 14 felony counts detained, to be exact.

David Rotaro, send manipulative emails to his teachers which tricked them into clicking a link which took them to a page Rotaro created which mimicked their teacher portal.
Rotaro hoped to use this fake page to gather their log-in information and change his grades himself.
Hilarious, but please don’t ever try this.

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Boy, the Equifax story just never ends. For about the ninth time, Equifax has revealed the “FULL” extent of the biggest security hack in history (something which I thought they had already done about eight other times). Here are the stats:

• 146 million people were affected
• 99 million addresses
• 209,000 payment cards
• 38,000 drivers’ licenses
• 3,200 passports

YIKES. The good news is that the number of people affected didn’t change, but the bad news is… passports? Equifax was apparently unaware people were uploading their passport information to their servers in another case of them being really inept. Check out the link above for more details and we’ll be sure to update you when the next full extent of the hack is revealed.

If you use 7-Zip because you don’t like using WINRAR’s free trial for nine years, well, there’s a security flaw. That’s right! One of the most popular unzipping tools out there affects all software versions before the publication of this post.
So if you use it, please update it. For now, please check out their trailer (yes, they have a trailer):

ALERT* This is a Nutella story ALERT* This Week in Getting Hacked has now seen everything. World Password Day was 7 days ago and none of you celebrated it. Neither did I. I had better things to do. Much like the person running Nutella’s Twitter account who apparently thinks “Nutella” is a fantastic password. Check it out:
 

Today it’s World Password Day: choose a word that’s already in your heart. Like “Nutella”, for example! #WorldPasswordDay #Nutella pic.twitter.com/Q9EERc6244

— Nutella (@NutellaGlobal) May 3, 2018

That’s it for this week, folks. Please change your passwords and disable Cortana when not in use. People are smart. You are not.

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In less than a month, I turn 29 years old. In that short amount of time, I’ve learned everything I need to know about the world. Ok, ok, ok, I just lied.
The truth is, in the wise paraphrasing of Socrates’ words, I know nothing.
For those of you less familiar with Plato’s The Apology of Socrates, let me give you the gist: Socrates is on trial for corrupting the youth of Athens (and some other stuff). His defense? How could he be corrupting the youth with knowledge when, he himself, has none? (Confused? No worries, there is a reason they call it the Socratic Paradox). To get to the point, Socrates understands that his knowledge is limited. Unlike other “wise men” who exert their wisdom onto others, it takes a truly wise man/woman to be aware of their own ignorance.
And to that point, let me rephrase my previous statement: I am a wise woman who admits that she does not know everything.
Now I am going to admit this whole “I don’t know everything” thing is something that does not come easy for me. After all, I am a self-proclaimed arrogant a**hole who believes in her own perfection (jokingly, of course). I have spent my entire adult life consulting others on what to do by way of asserting my confidence in my areas of expertise.
However, as I grow older, I am reminded that my experience and academic achievements do not qualify me to “know it all.” I must continue to reach out to those with more knowledge than me. Then again, in the words of my Mom’s Dad, “you can take all the advice in the world, but it does not help if it goes in one ear and out the other.”

In the case of this year’s STEM Grant, I have heard mountains of advice, I have discussed many solutions, and I can say, in semi-full confidence, that I am moving forward with what I think is best. To sum it up, welcome to the 3rd Funding Cycle of Colocation America’s STEM Grant.
I’m sure the question on some of your minds is, “Why do you need an article to explain this?” The truth is my Mom (for background, check out this article). My Mom, an expert in the nonprofit field, is one of my biggest advocates, supporters, and, let’s go with, coaches, I have. I am proud to be her daughter and have learned a lot from her.
However… (scary Jaws music in the background)…

You can read the rest of the article by clicking here.
You can also view more of Sam’s articles on our Business News Page!

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If you drive a Volkswagen or an Audi you are now vulnerable to remote hacking! Huzzuh! I mean, the hacker can only glean less-than-useful information from you, but researchers on the matter suggest they could get GPS information and track you that way.
What’s more shocking (not) is that researchers found out about the flaws way back in July of 2017 and VW just sat on it. Great. Here’s VW’s official statement. 

This is a shocking statistic: Over 20,000,000 Chrome users are victim of Fake Ad Blockers. What? Literally everyone I’ve talked to (albiet, that’s significantly fewer than 20,000,000 people) who even knows/wants to use an ad blocker knows of just about two of them.

But according to this article, people are just silly.

May the Fourth be with You Everyone: Rebel scum have hacked into servers on the planet currently being helped by the Empire, Scarif and have stolen top-secret Empire plans for peace-keeping technology.

ARE WE BLIND!? DEPLOY THE GARRISON!

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Today is a day to smile.
Today is a day to clap.
Today is a day to remember the past and
Today is a day to look to the future.
 
Today is a day to listen.
Today is a day to learn.
Today is a day to say Thank You and
Today is a day to be kind.

Today is International Women’s Day.
For the last six years, on this very day, International Women’s Day, I have announced the Top 5 Most Influential Women in the Data Center Industry List. This year is no different.
Below are five women who make an impact in, and out of, the data center every day. Yes, they hold positions of high importance in their respective companies but it’s what they do outside of their “job” that is truly inspiring.
These five women join a list of 30 other amazing women who work hard everyday to ensure that the world is a better place through technology. It is a pleasure to announce this year’s installment of the Top 5 Most Influential Women in the Data Center Industry List in celebration of International Women’s Day 2018.

Delfina Eberly, Vice President of Infrastructure for Facebook (@Facebook)

Eberly is the Facebook veteran that has been keeping you connected. She oversees the social network’s data center infrastructure and ensures that it is both scalable and secure. Eberly has assisted Facebook in making its data centers as efficient as possible. From cooling to staff, Facebook, with the aid of Eberly’s team, has created custom servers, racks, and automation software to help process more than 10 trillion queries a day.
Beyond her impact on the data center level, Eberly has been influential on building a more inclusive workforce. Credited as contributing to Facebook’s diversity, Eberly speaks at conferences and workshops on how to get more Latinos and women involved in technology and leadership roles. Not one to boast about past achievements (her lack of a bio online proves that), Eberly is helping shape the way we connect on-and-offline, now and in the future.

Charisse Richards (@charisserichar1), CIO & Chief of Staff for Iron Mountain Data Centers (@IODataCenters)

Richards is a passionate leader with a strong track record of motivating teams to drive strategic initiatives. This experience will become particularly handy as she assists Iron Mountain with their recent acquisitions including the U.S. operations of IO Data centers, FORTRUST data center, and two Credit Suisse data centers. With these acquisitions will come great responsibility, something Richards, with over 15 years of experience in the field, seems more than comfortable with.
Prior to Iron Mountain Data Centers, Richards worked as Sr. Director, Service Management and Support at Choice Hotels. Her work with communication and collaboration, on a global level, has established Richards as a trusted leader. When she is not developing new IT strategies, mentoring staff, or examining new opportunities and challenges, Richards can be found at Women in Leadership Symposiums including the one today in Phoenix.

Nicola Peill-Moelter, Ph.D., (@greenqween), Senior Director of Environmental Sustainability for Akamai (@Akamai)

With Akamai’s network being over 1,000 data center locations strong, it is no question that Peill-Moelter’s work affects us all. In 2009, Peill-Moelter established Akamai’s Global Sustainability Program which includes “energy and greenhouse gas management and report, energy efficiency and electron-waste reduction, employee engagement and stakeholder-awareness.” But her favorite activity is collaborating with the engineers on innovative ways of reducing carbon emissions through energy efficient practices.
Perhaps that last activity is her favorite thanks to her BE in Chemical Engineering or the Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering Science from Caltech. Peill-Moelter also has a U.S. Patent, is a member of the Greenhouse Gas Experts Network and the International Society of Sustainability Professionals. Her board work includes the Caltech Alumni Association and the 1:1 Movement. And, yes, some extracurriculars have been removed for space. She is making a difference in sustainability practices one data center at a time.

Kim Stevenson (@Kimsstevenson), Senior Vice President and General Manager for DCG Solutions Segments for Lenovo (@LenovoDC)

Coming up on almost a full year since announcing her last day at Intel, Stevenson has done well in her new role at Lenovo. She is responsible for product management business and building end-to-end teams that align with every step of the customer experience. It is her belief that “every business decision today is shaped by technology because it has the power to transform markets, relationships and processes” that makes her such an influential leader in the field.
Before Lenovo and Intel, Stevenson worked at EDS, now DXC Technology, and IBM in several executive positions. In each role, Stevenson utilized her deep understanding of data center technologies and customer needs to propel her business forward. It is because of this that Stevenson has been awarded numerous honors (as in too many awards to write) including Silicon Valley Business Journal’s Best CIO and Huffington Post’s Most Social CIO. Beyond that, she just wants to play some tennis, go kayaking, and maybe paddle board a bit.

Kathleen Hogan, Ph.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy (@ENERGY)

It’s no question the biggest drain data centers have on our world is, well, energy use. That is where Hogan comes in. In her role, Hogan oversees more than $600 million, annually, for energy efficiency policy, program, and research. By creating policy and guidelines for energy-efficient practices, Hogan influences the designs and procedures of data centers around the U.S. She even helped create a “solution network” which aided companies in sharing best practices in hopes of accelerating the spread of efficient technologies.
Throughout her career, Hogan has developed and managed numerous programs to reduce the U.S.’ energy use. Her amazing work has earned her a Presidential Rank Award and induction into the Energy Efficiency Hall of Fame of the U.S. Energy Association. Heck, she is even a contributor to the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In 2016, Hogan was awarded the Career Achievement Medal by the Partnership for Public Service (known as the “Oscars” of government service). Although she has received a “career” award, we know she will continue to promote energy efficiency.

<— Top 5 Women in Tech 2017

Editor’s Note: When trying to identify key players, many aspects were considered. To dwindle down the list I considered the company the women work for, their positions within the company and, of course my own opinion. Because of space and time allotted, corporate lawyers (general counsel), chief financial officers, marketing directors, and human resource directors were not included though their work is vital to the success of the company. The women included above are considered to have influence in the decision making process and the direction in which the company goes. It is important to note that the list was formed by acquiring readily available data via the internet and thus may be missing some key players who do not have their position listed on their company’s website.

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The most probably explanation for all this is that someone or someones in Bulgaria set up 1,200 computers with premium Spotify accounts, then had them play the songs on “Soulful Music” constantly. While it would cost $12,000 to set up all those accounts, the payoff would be worth it.
The report estimates it would be possible to squeeze out at least 72 million plays of the songs out of those 1,200 accounts, which would be the equivalent of $288,000 each month. A little finagling of the playlists so each song played for the bare minimum 30 seconds could up that number to north of 100 million, or about $415,000.

All of this never broke any of Spotify’s rules, so… there’s your quick-money scheme for the week. This classifies as a hack because of the pure determination in gaming Spotify’s system.
And finally….
People were trying to log into their Chase bank accounts and getting other people’s accounts. The problem has been fixed and JP Morgan states no unauthorized transactions took place, but good lord.

This is one of the largest banks in the country and this is a huge problem. Good thing it wasn’t worse.
That’s it for this week. Stay safe out there!

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If you’re like many people, myself included, forced into using Skype, well, you can get hacked. The app I complain about the most is in headlines this week for a “nasty” security bug that allows low-level access to every corner of your operating system.

Skype’s updater client can allow attackers to infiltrate and access a user’s operating system. Here’s the kicker, Microsoft says they won’t immediately fix the bug because they would basically have to re-write Skype from the ground up (oh, no, because it works so well…).
So, until they fix it, every time the Skype updater runs to keep your software running at the levels of stink expected from the app, more and more malware gets put on your system. Yay! Hopefully Microsoft can just open up the API just a little bit so other, better, messaging apps can give you your Skype messages.
Until then, I’ll go back to using an app for business that barely notifies me I have messages.

Facebook, always thinking about your security, is imploring you to download a security app that’s literally just malware. That’s right—download Facebook’s Onavo Protect, a secure wireless networking app, and Facebook will then be able to track EVERYTHING you do on your phone.

Like they don’t know enough about you already, this is just a fancy (and perhaps misleading) way for the social-media giant to wriggle their way into collecting more data on you.
Just remember, typically when an app is free—YOU’RE the product, not the consumer. Now, I’m going to go back under my new Facebook VPN and try to get some work done in peace. Excuse me.

In one of the easiest “hacks” of all time, an unsecured Amazon server revealed over 119,000 Passports and Photo IDs of FedEx employees. The publicly accessible Amazon S3 server had IDs from all over the world and as of now there’s no indication that the information has been used maliciously.
Head of communications for Kromtech Security Center, Bob Diachenko, said on the matter:

“This case highlights just how important it is to audit digital assets when a company acquires another and to ensure that customer data is secured and properly stored before, during, and after the sale,” Kromtech said in a statement. “During the integration or migration phase is usually the best time to identify any security and data privacy risks.”

You know we couldn’t do one of these without talking about cryptocurrency these days: Hackers are using Government Websites to mine bitcoin. Thousands of .gov sites have been hacked in a cryptojacking scheme using malware called Coinhive.

Coinhive sits in a website’s code and infects visitor’s machines to use for the mining of cryptocurrency.
When are we going to learn?
That’s all for this week. Change your passwords folks.

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