Cyber-attacks are a big business, as highlighted by recent headlines of ransomware attacks on the Colonial Pipeline and on the Taiwanese computer manufacturer Acer, which allegedly paid a ransom of £50 million. According to Harvard Business Review, the total amount of ransom companies paid to hackers grew by 300% over the period of last 12 months – and high-profile victims of cyberattacks are now forking out millions to survive. It's easy to see why small and medium businesses (SMBs) may feel that cyberattacks are reserved for large enterprises with sky-high revenues – but this assumption comes at a cost. With 49% of SMBs impacted each month by cyber-attacks, it's clear all organisations are targets for cyber criminals. Cyberattacks have evolved in complexity amid the challenges of managing remote or hybrid workforces, meaning it's now crucial that businesses improve their understanding of cybersecurity and invest in strong backup and disaster recovery solutions.

Digital transformation using artificial intelligence (AI) and hybrid cloud has accelerated amid the pandemic and studies have shown that these technologies will play a big role in helping companies to reinvent the ways of working and gain competitive advantage. In a recent conversation with CXOToday, Viswanath Ramaswamy Vice President, Technology, IBM Technology Sales, IBM India / South Asia, explains how hybrid cloud has emerged as the fundamental enabler of digital transformation today and with the more recent innovations in AI, how enterprises can operate, respond, and emerge stronger post-pandemic. He also touched upon the significant skills gap that exists in the market and how companies can help bridge the same. Hybrid cloud is today's business imperative, but is India ready for a hybrid cloud future? What role is IBM playing in developing cloud innovation among Indian businesses?

Enterprise buyers are on track to spend more on, and further leverage, cyber security tools that employ artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to combat digital threats, according to new research by Cisco. The vendor's 2018 Annual Cybersecurity Report suggests that the accelerating uptake of AI and machine learning in the security space can be attributed to efforts to reduce attackers' time to operate as they begin to weaponise cloud services and evade detection through encryption, used as a tool to conceal command-and-control activity. The research informing the report involved more than 3,600 respondents across 26 countries, with chief information security officers (CISOs) and security operations (SecOps) managers in several countries and at organisations of various sizes asked about their security resources and procedures. According to Cisco, while encryption is meant to enhance security, the expanded volume of encrypted web traffic – both legitimate and malicious – has also created greater challenges for cyber security professionals trying to identify and monitor potential threats. Indeed, Cisco threat researchers claim to have observed more than a threefold increase in encrypted network communication used by inspected malware samples over a year. The vendor suggested that machine learning technology that can, over time, effectively learn how to automatically detect unusual patterns in encrypted web traffic, cloud, and IoT environments, can help to enhance network security defences.

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is the great story of our time, thanks to the low cost of computing, storage, and off-the-shelf machine algorithms. However, cyber criminals also have access to these resources and are able to build smarter malware. This means that the attackers of the future will be machines that think, as hackers will look for new ways to use AI to their own benefit. We will witness sophisticated attacks launched on a large scale both quickly and intelligently, with little human intervention. As the digital economy expands, cybersecurity threats will also grow.

Smart cities, which were once confined to the realms of science fiction books, are rapidly becoming a reality all around the globe. Unfortunately, like all revolutionizing innovations, smart cities are developing their own unique challenges alongside of their perks. So what are industry insiders and tomorrow's city planners doing to face these challenges? The security issues facing smart cities are unlike anything ever before seen, and solutions to these problems haven't yet sprung up en masse, meaning many different interest groups have proposed their own respective plans. By combing through some of today's proposed solutions, we can identify some of the leading trends that will come to dominate the future of smart city security.

Check in/reception desk: This role is surely going to go the way of AI in the future, imagine as you walk into the hotel gates the AI automatically knows it you by interfacing with your cell phone or by using some form of facial recognition and assigns you a room based on your preferences and you simply walk up to that room and enjoy your stay as your cellphone is your key to your room as well. If maybe you don't have a reservation in advance you can book a room on your way from the airport and have it ready when you arrive. The AI will also remember exactly how you like your room and have it that way anticipating your arrival. Valet: Self driven cars will certainly make valets redundant, the car can park itself. Cleaning/Maintenance: Though robots cannot completely replace these roles some of them can, for example vacuuming/washing the floors, pool maintenance etc. Room service/Bell: Automated robots will deliver food or anything else you ordered to your rooms as well as carry your luggage to your rooms as well.

There has certainly been no lack of punditry and controversy in the US regarding the hacking of John Podesta's email account (along with the DNC email hack), with some claiming they were responsible for Mrs. Clinton's loss in the election. I will leave the impact of these claims to those who write and talk about politics. I don't discuss politics in a work setting, so will leave that aspect to them. What I would like to address is the security infrastructure versus security posture that made this hack possible. For the uninitiated, Mr. Podesta received a targeted phishing email directing him to reset his password.