Top 5 Must Reads: 8/4/2023

Welcome to our second official newsletter from our main Network Computing feed! If you're subscribed to our?previous newsletter?that you know and love, then you'll want to go ahead an join us here as we shift editorial updates and all things Network Computing over to our main account.

Every day at?Network Computing?offers original reporting from our team of journalists and unique commentary you won't see anywhere else! But in case you missed them, here are some of our favorites from this week:

1.?API Standardization

Story by?Salvatore Salamone

Key Points:

• Enterprises these days rely on services and applications that are composed of multiple elements that must be tightly integrated and work together.
• That means the application programming interfaces (APIs) that make services and functions available to others, and allow businesses to monetize their offerings, are all the more important. And as such, there is an increased need for API standardization.
• Similarly, the growing reliance on cloud services for everything from security to networking infrastructure is focusing new attention on the need for API standardization.

2. IT Salaries in 2023

Story by?Network Computing's Editors

Key Points:

• In 2022, employers continued their hunt for IT talent in the residual tidepools of a waning pandemic. Strapped with a survivalist’s hodgepodge mix of technologies and slap-hazard networks, companies needed more IT hands on deck to mop up tech redundancies and security hazards, and to restore the order needed to prosper in the ‘new normal’ aftermath.
• As a result, IT professionals saw a rise in job openings, salaries, and bonuses. Over 75% of respondents of the?2023 US Network Computing Salary Report?saw their salaries rise—by an average of 4%.?

The 2023 US Network Computing Salary Report?takes a deep dive into data on:

• Salary Trends
• Raises & Bonuses
• Salary Parity
• IT Career Paths
• Job Satisfaction
• Gender Pay Gap

3. AI Strategy and FinOps

Story by? Zeus Kerravala

Key Points:

Think about what FinOps has to do:

• Invoices can have hundreds of line items, each needing to be sifted through, with missing or mismatched tags to check.
• FinOps is made more complex by?multi-cloud?environments with multiple providers, service dashboards, invoice formats, service usage fees, cost models, and discount programs.
• The human brain can’t possibly do all of this. So, today’s typical human tools—manual processes and spreadsheets—are not up to the task.
• Cost management requires integration to discover shadow IT and evaluate usage across hundreds of SaaS apps, as well as private and public?IaaS. Integration is crucial so you can understand, in granular detail, cloud usage.

4. Gray Routing Risks

Story by? Bob Wallace

Key Points:

• Companies using so-called gray routing to save money with application-to-person (A2P) messaging for enterprise SMS risk crippling security attacks, unhappy customers, and a tarnished brand. A2P messaging is a type of SMS messaging whereby texts are sent from a software application run by an enterprise to consumer devices.
• SMS gray routing is when text messages are sent through a legal channel initially but, at some point, travel through illegal channels before reaching their destination.
• The enterprise impact of grey route usage varies, including financial losses, quality and reliability issues, security risks, compliance breaches, loss of visibility, customer dissatisfaction (leading to further revenue loss), and more.

5.?Causes of Cloud Outages

Story by?Salvatore Salamone

Key Points:

• As enterprises rely more and more on cloud services to meet their network infrastructure, compute, data storage, and security needs, cloud computing outages have a significant impact on operations.
• Unfortunately, what we find is that cloud outages have a lot in common with their?data center outage?counterparts. Many occur due to human error, power outages, malicious acts, Mother Nature, or plain bad luck.
• Yet, many critical IT chores like deploying a new server, provisioning storage for an application, or setting up new router tables are done manually via command line interfaces (CLIs). As one would expect, that can lead to configuration mistakes.

Webinars from the Archives...

In this archived panel discussion, 泛达 's Bob Wagner and Jeff Paliga deliver a fireside chat during our 'Network Resilience Boot Camp' presented by Data Center Knowledge and Network Computing. This excerpt is from our live 'Network Resilience Boot Camp' virtual event moderated by Bonnie D. Graham on June 29, 2023.

View the entire Network Resilience Boot Camp event?on-demand here.

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REGISTER NOW:

"Cyber Resiliency 2023: How to Keep IT Operations Running, No Matter What" LIVE webinar on 8/24 - a co-branded presentation between?InformationWeek?&?ITPro Today

On Thursday – August 24, beginning at 11am ET – tune into?our free online webinar featuring?Candy Alexander, CISSP CISM?- CISO & Cyber Practice Lead at?NeuEon Inc., and?Christian Hyatt?- CEO & Co-Founder at?risk3sixty?as our keynote speakers! This live virtual event will be moderated by?our colleague?Steven Hill.?REGISTER?now at the link above.

"Cyber Resiliency 2023: How to Keep IT Operations Running, No Matter What"

It’s clear that IT needs fewer bells and whistles in cybersecurity and operational alerts, and more business bounce-back from attacks and outages.

Resiliency means your business must be able to take the punches and remain in full operation.?There are plentiful options but no guarantee that any single solution can provide resilience against onslaughts that vary from sudden cloud outages to prolonged ransomware attacks. A layered plan, however, could be just the thing. During this event, we share?what you need to consider.

Topics Include:

• Challenges in Keeping Up With Cyber?Resiliency
• Ransomware Preparedness for Enterprises
• Preparing for Cloud Service Outages

This is just a taste of what’s going on. If you want the whole scoop, then?register for one of our email newsletters,?but only if you’re going to read it.?We want to improve the sustainability of editorial operations, so we don’t want to send you newsletters that are just going to sit there unopened. If you're a subscriber already, please make sure Mimecast and other inbox bouncers know that we’re cool and they should let us through. Keep your eyes peeled for our bi-weekly Network Computing Newsletters arriving every other Friday, and make sure to subscribe so you don't miss a beat!