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        Flexibility is the biggest selling point that we have over our larger rivals. We give our clients the freedom needed to thrive in today’s fast-paced business world, organisations say to us that they often see higher quality work from independent consultants like us, this reason is the primary motivator when choosing us over a big firm. This means that we have the same skills and experience as the big firms, with added freedom and flexibility to let us focus and resolve client requirements.

      • Latest news
        Happiness hacks

         

         

        16 ways to add More Hours to the Day

        A twenty five hour day isn’t coming any time soon with Covid19. Twenty four is all that we get. However, with a bit of skill you can squeeze out a couple more hours to add to your day from personal and work time. Here’s how to have more :

        1. Work in blocks.
        2. Learn how to say no.
        3. Cut down on TV/Netflix.
        4. Plan you week in advance.
        5. Limit your social media time.
        6. Don’t be busy just to be busy.
        7. Don’t do everything…delegate.
        8. Unsubscribe from useless e-mails. Do some Triage:

        Take a 10-minute break after 1 hour of work.

        Prioritize work and schedule online facetime with friends and family, due to covid lockdown. 

        Only watch 1 hour of TV/Netflix at night to wind down once work is complete.

        Make a list of what has to be done for the week and on what days. 

        Don’t make excuses and find things to clean to procrastinate. 

         

        09. Exercise - Plan workouts during your work breaks (10 min chunks) so you can get the most exercising done throughout the day.

        10. Do most important tasks in AM.

        11. Be good at planning and organizing. 

        12. Disable notification for useless apps.

        13. Find tasks to eliminate or automate.

        14. One task at a time (no multitasking).

        15. Always set reminders on your phone.

        16.Write stuff down so you don’t forget.

        Don’t waste time re-writing texts. 

        AM is best for maximizing productivity.

        Use accurate time frames for task – make sure to have extra time in case a task takes longer than expected. They are distracting. 

        Use alarm app. 

        Make use of agenda and post-its.

         

        The final question isn’t just of doing things faster, but of doing the right things. Constantly measure and be aware of the actual value each of your personal and work activities brings. Those that don’t add much should be simplified or eliminated entirely to focus on those that work.

         

         

         

         

         

         

         

         

         

         

         

        7 Steps in implementing a Zero Trust Architecture

        In the past, cyber defences used to focus on a ‘perimeter’ consisting of geographical proximity. Therefore, everything within the security perimeter was confined to the office building. Today, fewer employees are required to go to an office to work since they can access an organization’s assets through mobile devices and cloud software, regardless of where they are located. Unfortunately, this gives cyber criminals more entry points to collect and damage an organization’s assets. 

        ZTA, developed by Forrester’s John Kindervag in 2010, is one of the best ways to secure any kind of cyber assets for most organizations. The basic principles of zero trust are:

        • -        Assume network is always hostile.
        • -        Assume internal/external threats are always present.
        • -        Assume internal network is not sufficient to equal trusted.

        As not all organizations looking to implement ZTA are doing so under the same circumstances, let’s look at the two different varieties of implementation:

        • Pure ZTA creation – This is also known as a ‘greenfield’ approach. New companies without cybersecurity architecture or those seeking a makeover of their existing systems are effectively starting over from scratch. 
        • Hybrid ZTA and perimeter system ­– More commonly, companies looking to incorporate ZTA into their cyberdefences will be integrating zero trust concepts into an existing perimeter-focused cybersecurity system. 

        7 steps to implementing a Zero Trust Architecture 

        Step 1: Identifying Actors

        The first stem is establishing the actors (who) of your system. This entails knowing who your users are, who potential threats may be, etc. This involves a process of detailed recordkeeping and account management, including:

        • -        All individual users and their characteristics
        • -        All nonperson entities (NTE) and their functions
        • -        All attributes and roles associated with every account

        Step 2: Identifying Assets 

        The second step is establishing the ‘what’ of your system. This requires you to develop and maintain a catalog of all individual resources of assets that are part of your system. This list includes, but is not limited to:

        -        Enterprise owned hardware

        Computers and laptops

        Mobile devices, tables, etc.

        All IoT devices (e.g. Belkin WeMo Smart Light Switch, Amazon Echo Plus Voice Controller, Google Home Voice Controller)

        -        Unowned assets that regularly connect to enterprise resources

        Employee devices

        Client devices

        Third-party devices

        -        Digital artifacts

        All software and applications

        User accounts and relevant data (see above)

        Certificates and other digital or virtual resources

        Step 3: Identifying Processes

        Completing the initial inventory means keeping track of all processes in your system. 

        Companies may not be able to catalog all the information in Step 2, therefore it is important to set up a system that can efficiently scan a new asset and index it immediately. That way, your database adapts over time as assets are added, removed, or changed.

        This requires not only identifying all the processes, but also categorizing and ranking them with respect to stakes and cybersecurity needs. Processes to be gauged in this manner include:

        • -        Protocols
        • -        Data flows
        • -        Work flows
        • -        Transactions
        • -        Structured events

        Step 4: Formulating Policies 

        This step is where you move on to the establishment of rules and practices. It is therefore important to utilize the information gathered over the cataloguing stages to gauge the importance of a given actor, asset, or process to the overall ZTA scheme and the broader cybersecurity of the organization.

        It is highly recommended to begin with smaller or lower-stake process or asset. For instance, an application used by a small and defined subset of users is preferable for first adoption than one used by all users.

        Once the right process or asset is chosen, policies regarding specific cybersecurity needs and means can be drafted. 

        The policies define:

        • -        Which credentials or authenticating factors are appropriate for access
        • -        What information is eligible for the algorithm calculating access approval

        -        How the algorithm for access is to be calculated:

        • Logistics of access approval and denial
        • Priority and relevance of information
        • Exceptional cases and exceptions

        Step 5: Producing Solutions

        The fifth step involves creating the solutions by putting into action all the data collection and policy planning. 

        Here, you draft a list of viable solutions or deployments of ZTA to be used on one or more candidates identified in Step 4. These solutions are also guided by the policies outlined in Step 4. 

        You must determine which solution to implement. Things to consider when choosing from your list of solutions include:

        • -        Does the solution enable data collection analysis?
        • -        Does it require installation of components?
        • -        Does location impact its efficacy?

        Once a solution is chosen, you materialize it through deployment. 

        Step 6: Beginning Deployment and Monitoring 

        The sixth step involves putting your solution in place, deploying it on and through the various components that make up your ZTA architecture for the selected candidate(s). Actual changes are finally implemented to your cyberdefence framework. 

        It is highly recommended to have one or more trial runs before deploying the solution in full force. Initial hiccups are likely, such as 

        -        The system may be overly cautious, not granting access where it should.

        -        The system may be improperly lax, granting more access than it should. 

        -        The system may no properly handle special cases.

        This step is not complete until the deployment of ZTA components on the chosen candidates is fully deployed. Once complete, you will have successfully implemented ZTA. 

        Step 7: Expanding the Framework

        This last step requires you to return to the fourth step. Insights from your first run through steps five and six will guide your decisions as you return to Step 4. 

        Once you decided that the initial ZTA deployment on chosen candidates is functional and stable, because: 

        • -        you are monitoring the ZTA and loggin all traffic,
        • -        changes and adjustments are few and minor, and
        • -        operation involves little to no maintenance. 

        At this point, your deployment is successful. Moving forward you need to identify a new round of candidates for ZTA deployment, then designing the plan – until you enable cybersecurity for the complete list of applications that require protection, it should include application, data and infrastructure in your model implementation.

      • What we offer

        Business & Technology Consulting

        We offer clients specialised consulting in areas that we deeply understand. Our services include:

        • - Skills To Envision, Design And Develop Enterprise Apps
        • - Talent For SaaS/PaaS/IaaS In The Cloud
        • - API Architecture
        • - Data Science Talent
        • - ALM deployments – Agile/Devops
        Read more
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Blog

Happiness hacks
Alex Antonatos
05 December 2020
Sharing tips in developing team work plans
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
16 ways to add More Hours to the Day
Alex Antonatos
01 November 2020
Interpersonal communication - 10 tips
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
7 Steps in implementing a Zero Trust Architecture
Alex Antonatos
27 September 2020
Get rid of the lengthy COTS Feasibility Study, Interesting facts & data to make you think twice
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
5 Reasons you should go with PWAs for your Web and Mobile Apps
Alex Antonatos
12 August 2020
Oracle Business Flow: Project Expenditure to Revenue Recognition
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
Advice for the next generation professionals entering the fourth industrial revolution
Alex Antonatos
09 June 2020
Why implement a centralized CRM package - Main Pitfall & 5 tips
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
Tips for online meetings - post COVID19 environment
Alex Antonatos
02 May 2020
A Conceptual Data Model (aka BIM) is Not Technical - It's about clarifying ...
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
6 ways to stay positive during COVID-19
Alex Antonatos
23 March 2020
The Secret to Enterprise Projects: Don’t Care Who Gets the Credit
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
AI split by functional use cases
Alex Antonatos
23 February 2020
Work and Vacations: Integration is the New Separation
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
The biggest asset in the world is your mindset
Alex Antonatos
31 January 2020
A Powerful Testing strategy - 5 tips
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
Pros of implementing SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework)
Alex Antonatos
22 November 2019
3 step process in modifying BI dynamic reports, dashboards or KPI's
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
Message processing vs stream processing architecture
Alex Antonatos
03 September 2019
What Can Banks and Insurance Companies Learn from Tesla and Under Armour
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
Reinforce application security developed on AWS/ Azure - Options
Alex Antonatos
23 April 2019
Integration to Fusion Accouning Hub from your EBS or PeopleSoft Ledger (Co-Existence Strategy)
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
Adapt your sprint delivery, don't follow textbooks or best practices
Alex Antonatos
22 February 2019
Negative Conversations in the Workplace: 3 Tips for Staying Positive
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
Scrum vs Kanban cheat sheet
Alex Antonatos
29 January 2019
The Next Level of Cloud Transformation
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
The 3 Kinds of People You Want on Your New Strategic Project
Alex Antonatos
09 January 2019
Industry Classification: Is It Outdated? in Today’s Economy
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
Always leave the office on time
Alex Antonatos
28 November 2018
Amazon Echo and the Future of The Connected Home
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
The future of the cloud...Serverless
Alex Antonatos
07 November 2018
Imputabilité - Accountability
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
C’est quoi le DevOps?
Alex Antonatos
31 October 2018
Tips for Keeping Productivity the Main Focus of Your Virtual Meetings
28 September 2018
Business Intelligence should not be Hype, use it to answer these 4 golden rules, I included an explanation of the OBIEE Design Architecture with step by step approach to building Reports.
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
The Difference Between AI and Deep Learning—And Why You Need Both
11 April 2017
Architecture for the cloud; Tips to build and deploy your cloud based applications
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
Noticing the Good at Work: How It Can Change Your Life
25 November 2015
Lessons Learned the hard way from a failed project – Do we learn from our mistakes
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
Let’s Fix It: Deliver Your Business Project, or You’re Just Another Person With an Opinion
19 October 2014
Test drove for the last 6 months Oracle Fusion Applications, they have achieved Incredible Things, 7 Pros and 2 Challenges of Fusion Applications.
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
The Power of a "Coffee Meeting"
12 May 2014
BPM and SOA are joined at the hip - 5 tips - next mobile bpm is coming.
Alex Antonatos
19 October 2018
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