Update 2019: We’ve been busy working on some great training content around security, check out the Cloud Academy library to prepare on all-things cloud security.
Welcome to the Cloud Technology and Security Alert News Digest. This week we’ve got word of some big platform changes (Big Data on Azure and the Google Maps Engine API), a fantastic new guide to cloud resources, hardening positions forming around the shift to a cashless economy, and still more evidence that many otherwise intelligent people act like idiots when they choose their passwords.
Guide to the open cloud:
Building your cloud deployment, but having trouble choosing between a wealth of available cloud technology resources? Worried you might be missing the next “Docker”? The Linux foundation’s brand new report on the most significant open source cloud tools has been released and it’s a must-read.
The guide divides packages into categories like Containers (Docker, LXC), IaaS (Apache CloudStack, OpenStack), PaaS (Deis), Provisioning and Management Tools (Ansible, Chef), Storage (CouchDB), and Software Defined Networking. You’ll have to register (for free), but don’t miss it.
Cosmos: coming soon to a cloud near you
While they are still officially keeping it very quiet, Microsoft now seems to be working hard to make a paid version of Cosmos – it’s internal-facing massively parallel storage and computation service – available to consumers through their Azure cloud platform. Mary Jo Foley at ZDNet reports that the service will most likely come with a Visual Studio plug-in supporting Cosmos’ SQL-IP language.
The cashless economy: who wins and who loses
Infowars has an interesting – if unnecessarily contentious – post on Bill Gates’ philanthropic campaign for cashless payments to jump start Third World business development. The piece is worthwhile for its portrayal of two opposing positions…but the graphic of Mr. Gates is definitely way over the top.
How will I get there now?
Rachel King of ZDNet reports that Google seems to be planning to pull the plug on its Google Maps Engine API (which allows web developers to make their data interactive with Google Maps). CartoDB is, apparently, a possible replacement.
Worst Passwords of 2014:
We know you’ve been waiting for this: Spalshdata.com has released its annual report on the most common passwords in widespread use…and they’re all absolutely awful. Remember: improve your passwords and those of your users!
