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Network managers have groaned for years that their high-priced technical people are chained to mundane tasks required to manually configure and manage switches, routers and other network components.

Enter a new era where software and automation take center stage.

While the industry has promised change through software-based networking for many years, 2017 just may be the year it finally happens on a broader scale.

Gartner networking research vice president Andrew Lerner said software's ascendancy should come as no surprise. Network switches have always been packed with software -- it's just that the industry grew comfortable viewing its products as hardware.

The big sticking point for years was that too much of the work configuring network components was manual and time-consuming, a cumbersome process that called for software-based networking innovation.

"What we're seeing now is a move away from manual and noncentralized networking to a more automated and centralized network management," Lerner said. "And the automation and centralization of policies is just much better done in software."

In the past, networking shops have spent 80% of their time just keeping the lights on. Seth Pricesenior network engineer, Durham County, N.C.

Automating tasks and allowing IT staffers to be more productive were among the prime reasons why Durham County, N.C., moved to exploit the software that underpins Cisco's Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI). The government agency is in the midst of a network infrastructure upgrade that will enable it to rely far more on software and automation and less on manual configuration.

In the past, networking shops have spent 80% of their time just "keeping the lights on," said Seth Price, the county's senior network engineer. By deploying Cisco's Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) and Cisco's enterprise module, APIC-EM, Price said the county's IT staff can reverse the equation and spend 80% of its time on innovation.

The county plans to use APIC to not only automate data center router and switch configurations, but to use APIC-EM -- in conjunction with Cisco Stealthwatch and Identity Services Engine (ISE) -- to create a proactive security posture where malware can be automatically detected, contained and remediated.

Durham County began rolling out APIC last July and recently got to the point where the controller software is fully up and running. Now, the county is focusing on getting APIC-EM deployed, which Price said should pay huge dividends because the software will be used across 40 county facilities connected to the enterprise network.

Here's what Price envisions after integrating APIC-EM with Stealthwatch and ISE: In the event that malware is detected on an endpoint device, Stealthwatch will automatically connect to Cisco ISE, which stores all of the county's network policies. ISE will notify both APIC and APIC-EM that the device in question can only talk to a remediation server. If the malware can be removed, the device would be allowed back on the network. If it can't, the software automatically reimages the device.

"If I had to do all of that by hand, the damage would be done and the bad guys would be long gone," Price said. "Here in Durham County, we have a small staff. I'm in charge of the network, but I'm also responsible for security. We need technologies that will help us do more with less or with the same amount of people."

APIC-EM also has a feature that lets network managers automatically assign bandwidth policies.

Price said the feature, EasyQoS (Easy Quality of Service), eliminates nearly all the manual configuration tasks required to manage bandwidth. He said when a top manager or the CIO has an important video conference, for example, he uses EasyQoS to give full priority to the video conference for the duration of the presentation.

"Once the call is over, the system automatically removes that QoS policy," Price said. "This serves an important function for network managers because, in the past, a lot of policies would be built, and people would forget to take them down."

Now, our network engineers can spend more of their time doing other projects with new technologies. Brian McEvoysenior global network engineer, Symantec

At Symantec, two Cisco applications -- APIC-EM and EasyQoS -- allowed the company to streamline policy updates throughout its offices worldwide, said Brian McEvoy, senior global network engineer. In the past, before Symantec deployed the software, two engineers would work for six months to hand-configure policy updates for about 100 company offices, a task that resulted in about $200,000 in execution update costs alone.

Symantec is also using software to set policies for its IWAN, or Intelligent WAN, wide area network infrastructure rather than manual coding.

"This technology totally transforms the IT operation," McEvoy said. "Now, our network engineers can spend more of their time doing other projects with new technologies."

Software-based networking can transform organizations in ways management would never have thought possible.

J. Todd Watkins, director of technology and innovation at Eufaula City Schools in Eufaula, Ala., said once officials deployed a new wireless system based on Extreme Networks' wireless access points, management software and analytics engine at the district's middle school, technology usage skyrocketed.

"When teachers have zero confidence in the technology, they won't use it," Watkins said, explaining that the old network had poor connectivity and required manual configuration. "Now, confidence in our new learning management system at the middle school is way up."

Extreme's Management Center software lets the district automate policy updates. Now, every new request for service can be addressed more quickly, and the district can prioritize bandwidth based on its needs.

"When the district runs standardized tests, we can change the class of service to a higher level of priority for that day," Watkins said. "We also have visibility we didn't have in the past. If a wireless client can't get on the network, it will tell us if it's the access point, the switch or an uplink port that's the problem."

Plans are in the works to add Extreme's technology to the high school and the district's two elementary schools this summer.

Change automation is altering face of networking

Exploiting software to automate tasks

Using DevOps for network testing

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Time for software-based networking to free up network managers - TechTarget

Application deadline is May 15

Nonprofits needing free help with their websites, web-based applications and software solutions are invited to apply to the Eighth Annual Cleveland GiveCamp.

GiveCamp is a weekend-long event July 21 through 23 that pairs technology talent with area nonprofits. Over the course of a weekend, technology professionals, developers, designers, database administrators, marketing professionals and others donate their time to help area nonprofit organizations with a wide range of projects, including developing websites, mobile apps and more.

A list of requirements and online application may be found at http://www.clevelandgivecamp.org/nonprofits. Deadline is May 15.

Nonprofits must provide proof of their 501(c)(3) status (IRS Determination letter), upload a copy of their most recent IRS Form 990 and have representatives present the weekend of the event. For more info, email info@clevelandgivecamp.org.

GiveCamp is an international initiative started in 2007 to bring together technology talent to help local nonprofits in need. Cleveland GiveCamp is one of the largest events in the country. Since its inception, our local our volunteers have donated nearly $4 million of free development work to more than 250 regional nonprofits.

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Nonprofits needing free help with their websites, web-based applications and software solutions are invited to ... - Akronist

May 3, 2017 | 09:00

In close cooperation with PRQA, Elektor is offering a free download of three high-quality papers on how to create secure embedded software. After registration, all three papers become available as a PDF file.

Headquartered in the UK, PRQA has offices in the United States and customers across the globe.PRQA has pioneered software coding governance for critical software applications in industries ranging from the automotive to aerospace, from transport to finance, and from medical devices to energy. PRQA promotes safe coding practices and wants to ensure the highest quality code for safety-critical and mission-critical systems. As such, the company recently published three white papers. All three of them focus on the combination of embedded software and security. Developing Secure Embedded Software - Quality Doesnt Equal Security Most organizations put considerable focus on software quality, but software security is different. Embedded development presents the challenge of coding in a language that is inherently insecure; and quality assurance does little to ensure security. Addressing Security Vulnerabilities in Embedded Applications Using Best Practice Software Development Processes and Standards Many embedded systems and connected IoT products lack proper security due to outdated software development practices. Organizations now know they need to incorporate security into the software SDLC, yet many lack security expertise and are struggling with how to implement best practices. Using Static Analysis to Overcome the Challenges of Reusing Code for Embedded Software This paper explains why software reuseis a growing problem within development organizations, why the way embedded software is developed needs to change and what organizations can do to improve reliability, safety, and security while reducing development time. Anyone interested in these white papers can register here.

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Free downloads: white papers on embedded software and security - Elektor (blog)

The Chrome extension allows voters to track how the main parties insert political messages into their Facebook feeds. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo

A tool exposing how voters are targeted with tailored propaganda on Facebook has been launched in response to what is likely to be the most extensive social media campaign in general election history.

Experts in digital campaigning, including an adviser to Labour in 2015, have designed a program to allow voters to shine a light into what they describe as a dark, unregulated corner of our political campaigns.

The free software, called Who Targets Me?, can be added to a Google Chrome browser and will allow voters to track how the main parties insert political messages into their Facebook feeds calibrated to appeal on the basis of personal information they have already made public online.

It aims to show who campaigns are targeting, how much the parties are spending and will shed light on whether targeted adverts are crossing the boundary into fake news. The creators hope thousands of people will sign up.

It comes as both Conservatives and Labour plan extensive Facebook campaigns ahead of the 8 June poll. The Conservatives have rehired Craig Elder and Tom Edmonds, the digital consultants who worked on the 2015 election battle, in which the party spent 1.2m spent on digital campaigning, against Labours 160,000. This time, Labour is understood to be ready to spend around 1m.

Elder and Edmonds last year worked for Britain Stronger In Europe, the designated remain campaign in the EU referendum. In one instance, they targeted Facebook users who had expressed strong support for a Premier League team through likes with a post about the impact on their side of foreign players needing visas in the event of Brexit. People who had mentioned they liked surfing would receive a message about the value of EU regulations on beach pollution.

Andrew Gwynne MP, Labours campaign co-ordinator, has said targeted Facebook advertising will have a significant impact on the election. Labour will use a new system called Promote to identify specific people in a constituency at whom candidates will be able to target a message.

For the good of our democracy, its time to throw some light on this dark and unregulated area of campaign spending, said Sam Jeffers, who has helped to devise the software, which is available as a browser extension.

Facebook advertising is highly targeted and tailored to the recipient, battle-tested for effectiveness, yet invisible to anyone but the end user. There are no spending limits on digital ads, despite strict legal controls in other areas of campaign expenditure. It gives big money a strong voice in our elections.

The Electoral Commission, which regulates campaign spending, told the Guardian it would be carefully considering the use of social media over the coming six weeks. Even after 2015 it has expanded so much, a spokesman said. We want to make clear how greater clarity can be provided to voters.

Instead of parties simply declaring an overall amount spent on Facebook, it wants them to provide details on dates and topics covered in adverts.

Political Facebook ads emerged as a key tactic during the 2016 EU referendum. The official Vote Leave campaign pumped out about 1bn targeted digital adverts, mostly via Facebook. Vote Leaves campaign director, Dominic Cummings, has claimed it spent 98% of its 6.8m budget on digital.

It remains unclear how Arron Banks, the millionaire backer of the Leave.EU campaign, may deploy his social media team, which is based in his Bristol insurance company HQ and was schooled in political campaigning with guidance from Cambridge Analytica, a Washington-based firm partly owned by Donald Trump donor Robert Mercer.

Leave.EU is currently under investigation by the Electoral Commission over Elder and Edmondss roles and over whether it received any impermissible donations and whether its spending return was complete. Banks has denied breaching any electoral law.

We can use this information to help people understand why theyre seeing specific messages, said Jeffers. We might also be able to use the data to work out whether campaigns are operating within the law. For example, are they respecting national v constituency spending limits? Are they discriminating against a particular group of the population?

The Electoral Commission said that if a post promotes a candidate it must be accounted as constituency spending, which typically has a 15,000 limit. If it deals with broad party policy, it should be accounted nationally.

This was not as sophisticated as the psychographic techniques claimed by Cambridge Analytica. Its British chief executive, Alexander Nix, has said it gathers voters social media data and ranks them according to openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness (including whether you put others needs and society ahead of yourself) and neuroticism.

In a conference presentation, Nix gave the example of a campaign supporting the right to gun ownership: For a highly neurotic and conscientious audience you are going to need a message that is rational and fear-based, he said. That could lead to an image of a burglars hand smashing a window and a slogan about the second amendment being an insurance policy. For a closed and agreeable audience that cares about family and tradition, the slogan might be: From father to son, since the birth of our nation would work better.

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Free software to reveal how Facebook election posts are targeted - The Guardian

FAIRMONT After applying for the grant in November 2016, Fairmont City Council has received $10,000 for the development of geographic information system (GIS) software.

City Manager Robin Gomez announced the grant acceptance at Tuesdays City Council meeting by presenting a large novelty check.

The software works by combining data and maps of Fairmont. Gomez said that while the technology has many uses, the city will use it to identify and establish historic resources in structures around town.

It will allow us to have more data, allow us to more easily analyze the locations and what we would be able to do with historic structures, Gomez said. It will help us with marketing certain structures like the Masonic Temple and help get a developer in there. Theres all sorts of possibilities that go with the GIS system, but our approach, since the grant is through the state Historic Preservation Office, is were identifying historic structures.

Gomez said that while identifying and mapping historic structures is the primary goal, the city will also use the software to map out other specifics for the city.

We can add more data, such as all those different code enforcement cases and kind of where we have vacant properties, Gomez said. We can track where we have properties that the city owns that we would be looking to have redeveloped. It allows us to identify all fire hydrants throughout the city.

Worldwide, GIS software is used for a wide variety of historic, environmental and social purposes. For example, the software can be used to find which wetlands are most at risk by comparing their location on a map to heavy pollution sources. It can also be used to track animal migration patterns, as well as help businesses find a location for a new store.

While perhaps less relevant to Fairmont, GIS software also can help officials prepare natural disaster response and evacuation plans by identifying neighborhoods most at risk, escape routes and good location for shelters.

The software can also be used to study statistical trends, allowing cities to track such things as crime rates and precipitation rates over months and years, provided they have the required data.

Once the GIS software is implemented, the city will be able to easily update its maps going forward, Gomez said.

With the new technology and data, city officials will be able to make the best decisions in the future for a better Fairmont, he said.

Its just an endless amount of data that can be in one location that allows us to analyze and make better-informed decisions, Gomez said.

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Fairmont awarded GIS software grant - The Exponent Telegram (press release) (registration)