Are Apple Devices Secure from Cyber Spying?

My friend who is a security expert showed me his new Apple iPad 2 fully loaded with 64GB RAM; I wondered with such a large global fan following "Are Apple devices secure from cyber spying ?".
A search on the web did throw out a number of security issues with Apple devices, I share some of the concerns raised in the last quarter of 2011.
a. Why You Shouldn’t Use H1Siri
http://www.idownloadblog.com/2011/12/06/why-not-to-use-h1siri/
b. GERMAN LEADERS QUESTION APPLE’S MOTIVES OVER USE OF CARRIER IQ
http://www.idevicenews.org/german-leaders-question-apples-motives-over-use-of-carrier-iq/225018/
c.Jailbreak 5.0.1 Untethered (iOS 5) – iPhone 4, 3GS, iPad, iPod Touch 4G, 3G
http://www.jailbreaknation.com/jailbreak-ios-5-5.0.1-untethered-iphone-4-3gs-ipad-ipod-touch-4g-3g
d. Here are some important concerns of NIST before the US Government adopts Apple Devices
1.NIST Tests Ways To Secure iPhones, iPads
http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/security/231300033
2. Vulnerability Summary for CVE-2011-3432
http://web.nvd.nist.gov/view/vuln/detail?vulnId=CVE-2011-3432
Though these security issues are barriers I am sure Apple will fix them quickly .
The key security concern is the Nexus between an US Company (A Democracy) and China ( Communist); Apple has on all its devices "Designed by Apple in California USA Assembled in China.

Original vs Fake Apple both Made in China , courtesy
http://techielobang.com/blog/2009/05/13/this-is-not-an-iphone-video-within/

How does Apple ensure that the firmware and the software loaded by its Chinese suppliers are Secure? Apple's track record in standing up to the Chinese has not been spectacular, it bent backwards on the Dalai Lama issues by blocking all reference to the Dalai Lama on its devices sold in China, its security team seems to be drawn from Pfizer's Viagra team, hopefully making their efforts potent http://www.phonearena.com/news/Apples-counterfeits-team-powered-by-the-Viagra-security-force_id21785 A web search could not provide answers for the above question neither did Apples website or from other security forums address these concerns. 
The big concern is are users of Apple devices secure from the Chinese collecting data from their devices? As corporate and governments  migrate to Apple devices they maybe vulnerable to the Chinese who  are  leaders in espionage and cyber spying.

New Year Resolution to Quit Smoking ?

Seasons Greetings and  Good Luck in 2012.

[caption id="attachment_202" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Like a Lotus may you have peace, transcendence, enlightenment, rebirth, beauty, and fertility in 2012"][/caption]

If you are a smoker or want to help a smoker keep up one's New Year Resolution to Quit Smoking then you need help from WhyQuit.

I have never been a smoker but I have seen many friends succumb to the joys of tobacco, somehow of them have quit but many quit the habit only when the God Lord decided their time in this world was over.

In later November I was invited as a motivational speaker in Chennai when one of the participants Prince Rajarathinam came up to me and told me he had quit smoking after many failed attempts thanked the Why Quit site for motivating him to quit the habit finally.

I am sure this site will be useful to help you to  Quit Smoking which you may want add to your New Year Resolutions.

Here is the link to the website  :  http://whyquit.com/

And when you quit smoking send an email to prajarathinam@ho.netaccess-india.com .

All the best in Banishing nicotine from your lifestyle in 2012.

Financial Exchanges Forecast 2012

Seasons Greetings and  Good Luck in 2012.

1. Many Financial Exchanges will declare bankruptcy in 2012 creating a flurry of transnational merger of exchanges.

2. Financial Exchanges will move their trading engines to a shared technology infrastructure like cloud computing to bring down their technology cost.

3. Rating Agencies will play a major role by stabilizing global equity markets after the regulator tames their independence by introducing reforms in their rating methodologies.

4. Cloud will be predominantly used for algorithmic and similar computer driven trading, which will make markets operations  cost effective and profitable. 

5. SAAS (Software as a Service Models) will emerge for financial exchanges to use as a service, though it may face resistance from regulators, but this paradigm shift will make technology solutions for financial trading engines a commodity with a Opex budget and will find large scale adoptions by exchanges globally in but developed and developing markets.

6. Traders will stay ahead of Regulators and Exchanges and will continue to make money thus sustaining  the joys and rewards of trading in financial markets.

Cloud Forecast 2012

Cloud forecast for 2012 

Cloud Computing will spread like this Banyan Tree Nourishing Computing Globally. 

1. Amazon and Microsoft will lead, and Cisco, HP, IBM and others will have a tough fight for the third place in the Cloud Computing Business. 

2. Thousands of SAAS Mobile Applications will be launched using the cloud in 2012, you could even have applications for monitoring your dogs health and diet, including posting photos and similar applications.
3. There will be a number of outages among smaller cloud service providers and this will lead to tighter regulation of cloud computing and also trigger a wave of Mergers with stronger cloud service providers.
4. Cyber Attacks will increase many fold using the cloud as the base for launching these attacks, Security professionals will need to gear for many sleepless nights in 2012 to stay ahead of the cyber criminals.
5. Business Leaders will aggressively bring cloud adoption mainstream and it will be a great year for businesses to save costs and cloud service providers will make windfall profits.
6. A number of cloud computing companies will go public by mid 2012 creating wealth for these pioneers in cloud computing services.
Seasons Greetings and  Good Luck in 2012.

Compliance Chokes Cloud Adoption

Cloud Computing provides Agility, Economy, Speed and much more but it cannot be adopted with the Regulator's support.
Lack of guidance for compliance has choked Cloud Adoption and has made cloud adoption similar to  climbing a steep Rock with no guidance.
.

Cloud Adoption is like Climbing a Steep Rock !

It is time for the Regulator to understand the Cloud Benefits, overcome its fears on Privacy and Security and provide guidelines for Adoption.
Let 2012 be the year when Regulators support cloud adoption by providing compliance guidelines and may business and the customer benefit by Cloud Adoption.
Are the Regulators Listening ?
Let  healthcare, banking, insurance, financial service and other regulated business benefit and server it customers better with the Regulators support and guidance for Compliance in the Cloud.

Rating Agencies and the Boy who cried Wolf

These days Rating Agencies seem to be more the story of the Boy who cried Wolf,  here is the story http://www.storyarts.org/library/aesops/stories/boy.html

The Rating Agencies today are like the Squirrel in this picture - Insignificant 

There was a  time when even a sniffle by the rating agencies would send a chill down the spine of nations and financial institutions. But thanks to a few mistimed moves the rating agencies are seen more as Squirrels burrowing away rather then Messengers of Risk.
Last month the Rating Agencies threatened to downgrade the rating of the European countries, but surprise was the European Markets rallied back with scant disregard to the threats of the rating agencies.
It is time for the Rating Agencies to act and cry Wolf only when required rather than like the Boy in the story. Else when financial catastrophe descends the rating agencies would not have Rung the Alarm Bells on Time or even if they did everyone would ignore them.
It is time for the Rating Agencies to Roar like a Lion and be effective and be heard and reckoned. Time for them to get their act together and also bring back their credibility in 2012.

A Bicycle called Life

Our life's lessons are learnt when we learn to ride a bicycle in our youth.
We start with someone helping us to balance by supporting us and then we learn to balance the cycle and then Bang we fall down.
We have  bruised shins and a few scrapes but our enthusiasm put us back on the saddle and we are back to learning to cycle.
Life too is a cycle, we make mistakes and we fall, but we must never be scared to pull ourselves up and get back into the game of life.
Sometimes the cycle wobbles, so is life, we are not always on a steady course, but we learn to hold our head true and travel through the rough roads in our life.



The Rally of life too holds its challenges, but never give up, sometimes we need an overhaul  like a bicycle, take time off to pull yourself together and start your journey again. Remember how we used to pedal furiously to climb a hill and the sheer joy of rolling down with hands free and legs in the air, Tribulations in life too are hills which when surmounted bring us joy and rewards.

Never give up on the journey called life, enjoy ever day as a new day, forget the baggage and failures of the past, move on with a new vigor and energy just like you would every morning when you sat on the saddle of your bicycle.

Life is a Bicycle, learn to stay on top and in balance and if you ever fall down pick yourself again and get on with your life. Life is too short to brood and ponder about the past. Enjoy your life and may it be filled with fulfillment and happiness.

Business will Lead Cloud Computing Adoption in 2012

The Business will lead cloud computing adoption in 2012 and beyond.

Just like ERP adoption was led by business and not the EDP manager , cloud computing adoption will be led by the Business and not the CIO/CTO.

If you do not learn how to ride the cloud computing horse, then you are doomed to be trampled under their hooves, learn to adapt to business.

Unless Technology leaders learn to change their stripes quickly and improve their trust and knowledge on cloud computing they stand to be drowned in the cloud computing deluge which is waiting to be unleashed in the coming years.

CIO/CTO/ Die Hard Technology non believers, convert and repent and adopt cloud computing else you will be swept away into insignificance like the old EDP Manager .

Welcome 2012 with the belief and conviction that Cloud Computing and Business will tango together just like the two horses in the picture.

Add Cloud Computing Adoption as the No 1 item in your TO DO list for 2012!