Enterprise Technology Spotlight: Digital transformation, password theft and DBIR cover puzzle winner

With digital transformation picking up across the public sector in Australia, recent figures shed light on questions about just how big a benefit it is expected to produce. Technology is the underpinning foundation for a major change in the customer engagement model. Government recognizes the need to be agile. Governments, and enterprises, are trying to grapple with these new ways of doing business.

Switching gears to focus on security, we found an interesting story about how the value to stolen online credentials (passwords, etc.) has decreased. There is a glut of this type of information available in the dark corners of the Internet so the value has diminished – a simple example of the laws of supply and demand. In fact, a young Russian hacker could only exchange 1.17 billion stolen password credentials for likes and votes on his social media pages.

We have a winner! This year’s Data Breach Investigations Report cover challenge has been solved. Believe it or not, the answer involved US pop singer Meghan Trainor and cyber pathogens!

Check out the articles below…

The Australian digital transformation agenda

This article reviews the effectiveness of the Australian Government’s public sector digital agenda. It also references how the word ‘transformation’ appeared 63 times in Australian 2015 budget paper No. 2, with modest investments noted, but this year, the paper refers to ‘transformation only 10 times – suggesting that the coming year is being seen as a time for realization of earlier transformation initiatives – essentially executing on plans detailed in previous years. (Technology Decisions)

Stealing password credentials in exchange for social media likes

A young Russian hacker boasted online about having stolen 1.17 billion password credentials. Later, he agreed to hand over the records in exchange for likes and votes across his social media channels. The reason: There are so many user credentials available on the Internet there value has fallen to almost nothing. In fact, Verizon’s recently launched Data Breach Investigations Report  says 63 percent of all breaches included the use of stolen credentials, up from 51 percent in last year’s report.  (ZDNet)

Verizon DBIR puzzler solved with Meghan Trainor and ‘cyber pathogens’

Matt Johansen is the winner of this year’s annual Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report cover challenge. Verizon’s Gabe Bassett, a member of the team of 10 puzzle-masters made up of Verizon employees and the two previous puzzle winners, talks about this year’s puzzle. (Dark Reading)