With stiff penalties for being caught and the whiff of secretive underground or even nefarious acts, computer hacking can be seen as a somewhat dubious pursuit. Not all hackers operate with the motive of emptying your Paypal account, however; there are many hackers who utilize their skills to aid companies in locating security flaws ("penetration testing") or engage in hacking with the goal of becoming cyber-freedom-fighters that champion simple human freedoms, such as the right to free speech.

Computer hacking is as much an art as it is a skill. At its simplest distillation, hacking is the systematic search for chinks in programming armor. While advanced problem-solving, intuition and sophisticated understanding of programming languages are a distinct advantage, there does exist a number of push-button programs that computing wizards have written allowing those less sophisticated in the art of hacking to break into remote computers in a variety of ways. Because of this new ubiquity, today's hackers no longer need to be a programming Wunderkind; they simply need to know where to download software and be able to turn on a computer. It really is that simple and the implications can be disturbing.

Phishing, Push-Button Programs and Brute Force Tactics

There's no need to crack a company's firewall if you have direct physical access to their computers. One aspect of hacking is the impersonation of an employee or service worker with the goal of gaining access to a company's database, where the hacker can then unleash whatever havoc he or she has planned into the system. Another is to engage in simple phishing techniques, such as impersonating an employee who forgot their password and needs help logging into the system.

Because such impersonations often fail thanks to companies becoming more security-conscious, taking over operations of a computer remotely is often the preferred method of gaining access. Such attempts can be facilitated in a variety of ways. One is the brute-force method, in which a program such as SQLmap, Nmap or Burpsuite is used; running one of these programs is analogous to trying every doorknob in a neighborhood to see which house is unlocked. Using a variety of different parameters, these programs can find access to a vulnerable computer or network in less than a minute.

Hackers can also attempt to gain access with a program like Metasploit. With literally a few clicks of a mouse, access to a remote and vulnerable computer can be achieved by a relative newbie. With a related hacking aid, called Meterpreter, a backdoor is created that allows access into an operating system. It does not install itself onto the remote computer, running instead using the computer's memory; in fact, Meterpreter can hide itself inside the operations of a perfectly valid program, so it cannot be detected even by sophisticated programmers. Once engaged, it allows a remote user carte blanche access to the system in question.

Where to Learn the Art of Hacking

Of course, for those who wish to learn the actual skills rather than download someone else's hack, there are a number of practice sites that pose an increasingly difficult set of challenges intended to train neophytes in the art of hacking. For example, Hack This Site starts beginners with the goal of cracking simple flaws in coding scripts or software such as HTML, Unix, Javascript and Apache. Their structured series of tests increase in complexity, incorporating real-word scenarios and even old-fashioned "phone phreaking" challenges that recall the bygone golden age of hacking skills displayed by Matthew Broderick in "WarGames."

Using just these simple tools and free practice sites, beginners have a powerful array of hacking resources just a simple mouse click away.

Microsoft has now come up with a surface tablet to compete with the Apple iPad. The Surface is the known as the ‘iPad killer’ and ‘Microsoft iPad’. Microsoft has stuck to production of software till date but this is one of its latest hardware devices that is expected to take over the Apple iPad. This is a new challenge posed by Microsoft to Apple.

            The Microsoft Surface saw its official release on 19^th June in the city of Los Angeles. It has made a great first impression and seems to be beginning a new start in the competition between the best tablets in the international market. It has 10.6’’ screen and a magnetic cover that can be used as a keyboard and also as a kickstand in order to place the device upright on tables. There has been a paradigm shift in Microsoft’s policy when it decided to do away with the tile-based Metro theme for its Desktop that is almost a trademark with it.

            There are many features that make the Surface more like a laptop than like a tablet- the most prominent one being the built- in keyboard that will be useful for business customers. As Microsoft Surface employs Windows 8 as an operating system, which is also used in its computers and laptops, it will be a lot easier for customers to switch among their devices.

            The tablet was announced by Microsoft’s CEO, Steve Ballmer, in Los Angeles at a special press conference. It was hailed to be the first of an entirely new family of a number of devices being created and developed by the company. The Surface has a thickness of 9.3mm and weighs 1.5 pounds. It has a kickstand and keyboard for its cover. It is 0.1 mm thinner than the iPad 3, which is the latest iPad from Apple.

Let’s face it, fad or not, companies are starting to ask themselves how they could possibly use machine learning and AI technologies in their organization. Many are being lured by the promise of profits by discovering winning patterns with algorithms that will enable solid predictions… The reality is that most technology and business professionals do not have sufficient understanding of how machine learning works and where it can be applied.  For a lot of firms, the focus still tends to be on small-scale changes instead of focusing on what really matters…tackling their approach to machine learning.

In the recent Wall Street Journal article, Machine Learning at Scale Remains Elusive for Many Firms, Steven Norton captures interesting comments from the industry’s data science experts. In the article, he quotes panelists from the MIT Digital Economy Conference in NYC, on businesses current practices with AI and machine learning. All agree on the fact that, for all the talk of Machine Learning and AI’s potential in the enterprise, many firms aren’t yet equipped to take advantage of it fully.

Panelist,  Michael Chui, partner at McKinsey Global Institute states that “If a company just mechanically says OK, I’ll automate this little activity here and this little activity there, rather than re-thinking the entire process and how it can be enabled by technology, they usually get very little value out of it. “Few companies have deployed these technologies in a core business process or at scale.”

Panelist, Hilary Mason, general manager at Cloudera Inc., had this to say, “With very few exceptions, every company we work with wants to start with a cost-savings application of automation.” “Most organizations are not set up to do this well.”

Technology has continued to evolve in ways that few would have been able to imagine. This has allowed electronics to become smarter, more connected and far more useful.

With the Internet of Things (IoT), they're allowing more than just computers to become connected to the Internet. This aims to make the life of the average person easier, better and more care-free.

Let's examine why the Internet of Things has become such a powerful idea that an estimated one out of every five developers currently works on an IoT project.


What is the Internet of Things?

The Internet of Things hinges on one seemingly simple concept: electronics can be embedded in machines, clothing, animals and even people to provide a networked world where the whole is more than just the sum of its parts.

For example, consider how the Internet of Things can influence things like refrigerators. They can be networked directly to the manufacturer for readings that can warn if the refrigerator is about to malfunction. They can even be connected to a grocery shopping service to allow someone to restock them automatically or to notify the owner that the refrigerator is almost out of an item.

The most interesting notion about the Internet of Things is that it's not just a situation where one “thing” connects with a party. They typically communicate with other things, which in turn allows for a network of automated processes to occur.

These processes can simplify and expedite tedious tasks to make everyday life for everyone easier, which is why projects involving the Internet of Things are so popular.


How Prevalent is IoT Development?

An estimated one in five developers are currently developing projects for the Internet of Things. Their chosen languages vary widely because of the flexibility that IoT enjoys.

For example, IoT projects that hinge on interacting with mobile phones tend to have apps written in JavaScript or Java. The back-end code that runs the IoT functionality for machines tends to be written in Assembly, C++,Java,Perl,Pythonor another compiled language for efficiency.

To put the growth of IoT work into perspective, Evans Data Corp. performed research to create predictions about IoT projects in 2014. They stated that 17% of companies would be developing IoT projects.

In this year, that figure's risen to a solid 19%. Given the fact that 44% of developers have stated that they will enter into the IoT scene this year or next, this means that development will only grow in the coming future.


The Future Involving the Internet of Things

Development of IoT-related projects will likely explode in the next few years. The advantages it brings, such as more efficient work in manufacturing environments and the projected 15% savings to the restaurant industry over the next five years, will make it one of the most valuable technological changes in the near future.

Without a comprehensive understanding of the Internet of Things and the skills to lead IoT projects, businesses and developers may find themselves falling behind. Don't let the Internet of Things pass you by.