As per Statista, there are more than 6.6 billion people in the world who use smartphones. The figure accounts for around 83.3% of the world’s total population. I can even bet that your smartphone is the source for you to get insight and updates, entertainment, as well as the medium to connect with people.

By taking such a massive population in the fence, smartphones have definitely become the best connectors in the world. Startups, at the same time, need nothing but connectivity in their early stages. So, utilizing smartphones and respective apps is undoubtedly the best practice for communicating with the target audience.

You might be wondering what significance an app can bring to the performance of a startup. Let’s assume you have established a startup and then understand this significance with the benefits you will leverage with the app.

Number of smartphone subscriptions worldwide from 2016 to 2021

Source: Statista

Reasons why a startup needs a mobile app

Consumer preference

With everything going digital, now customers don’t come to you, but you go to them. In the US alone, 194 billion hours are spent on mobile apps by smartphone users. It clearly indicates the preference of consumers to get their needs fulfilled. Having your own smartphone app will ensure that the audience doesn’t have to think twice before visiting you. If you insist they visit your website every time, they will instead choose alternative businesses accessible with mobile applications.

24/7 customer support

You might be working day and night with your startup, but your startup will also have to work day and night for customers. A mobile application ensures the availability of a platform where customers can connect anytime with your business. Customers can place orders, register queries, browse product portfolios, and fill the cart at any time of day. Customer support round the clock will help you gain pace in a shorter time-period.

Better data collection to Improve service quality

In this competitive landscape, customer relationships play a key role in gaining competitive advantages. Knowing your customers helps you to establish and flourish this relationship. The mobile application stores data about customers’ purchasing behavior, needs, preferences, wish lists, and much more. You can use this insight to suggest the products to your customers and bring their carts to the billing counter.

Enhanced responsiveness

Customers’ experience with your online presence is a significant determinant of their purchase. Application is generally more responsive and easy to extract information for the users. Websites take time to show the information and pages, while mobile applications make all the information ready in the palm of users. So, users don’t get distracted while making a purchase, and this seamless experience encourages them to make the purchase they were planning.

Branding

Branding ensures customers pick your name out from a jar holding the tags of multiple companies. With a dedicated mobile application, your brand gets more recognition among customers. All your products and services are communicated on a single platform representing your overall product portfolio and highlights.

Boost sales with enhanced app capabilities

By making a good investment, you can equip your mobile application with the capabilities like augmented reality, artificial intelligence, support of camera and microphone, global positioning system, etc. With these features, customers can experience their purchase more realistically to make the decision.

Secure payment options

Payments are always a major concern of customers while making an online purchase. Integrating various payment methods such as online banking, credit/debit/ATM card, UPI, Paypal, and digital wallets makes the payment process much more feasible for users. You can instill a feature where a user’s biometric is needed to make the payment. This facility will significantly transfigure the security scenario of payment making.

Attract customers with discounts and offers

In the early days of your business, discounts and offers will be your primary weapons to attract the audience. However, the absence of a platform to communicate these offers might drag the effectiveness downward. So, with an application in place, you can dedicate a section specifically displaying the offers and discounts at your doorsteps. This section can independently increase the conversion rate for your business.

Send reminders

Businesses lose a majority of deals when customers fill their carts but never bring them to the billing counter. There might be several reasons for the same. However, getting the filled cart to the billing phase can be your biggest victory in online business. Sending a reminder to customers about their filled cart can be a result bringing step to increase the chances of making the deal.

Get feedback

You might commit errors in the earlier stages, and that is not a problem. But, not identifying and working on those errors can be a big botheration. A mobile application will enable two-way communication between your startup and your audience. So they can share their experience, communicate the positive points as well as talk about the areas seeking improvement. Take the feedback constructively and ensure further actions.

Expand your reach

Your business can’t reach everywhere, but your app can. Transfiguring your business as an ecommerce store can be much more accessible through an app. Receiving online orders and delivering the goods to customer’s doorsteps can be really effective. So, no matter where you establish your physical presence, you can entertain customers worldwide.

Conclusion

Mobile application is going to be your ace of card while setting up a startup in ecommerce. You might open the store on the website and invite the customers on the same. But, having a dedicated platform for your store will make your business more reliable and come to place for customers. With a mobile application, you can customize your store according to your and your audience’s preferences.

Further, it is also necessary that your store is accessible for customers and they don’t have to surf through pages to search for a product. The mobile application makes it possible to land customers directly on your storefront to surf for the product they need. So, you can consider mobile applications as a must-have platform rather than a good-to-have platform if you plan to stick with your ecommerce store in longer terms and look to expand it enormously.

Having an app is not sufficient when it comes to achieving competitive advantages. There are millions of apps on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. To get into your audience’s smartphone, you will have to outperform similar apps and have an experienced and innovative app development team by your side. Here at Emizentech, we can help. Contact us today and have a free consultation to give an ignition of growth to your ecommerce startup.

Today at the Open Hardware Summit in Portland, Alicia Gibb and Michael Weinberg of the Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA) launched the Open Source Hardware Certification program. It’s live, and you can certify your own hardware as Open Hardware right now.

What Is Open Source Hardware?

Open Source Hardware can’t be defined without first discussing open source software. At its very core, open source software is just a copyright hack, enabled by a worldwide universal computer network. The rise of open source software is tied to the increasing ease of distributing said software, either through BBSes, Usenet, and the web. Likewise, Open Source Hardware is tied to the ease of distributing, modifying, and building hardware.

In the 1980s, there were no services that could deliver a custom circuit board to anywhere on the planet for a dollar per square inch. When open software began, CNC machines were expensive tools, now you can build a very good machine for just a week’s wages. We are currently living at the dawn of Open Source Hardware, enabled by the creation of Open Source design tools that have themselves been used to create physical tools. Inexpensive 3D printers, open source oscilloscopes, circuit board plotters, and the entire hackerspace movement are as revolutionary as the Internet. These devices and the Internet are the foundations for Open Hardware and software, respectively.  The objections to why hardware is incompatible with Open Source no longer apply and small-scale manufacturing techniques are only going to get better.

Open source is a moral imperative in the truest Kantian sense of the word. It is a good unto itself. Of course, this means open source is also mind-numbingly prescriptivist. Holy scrolls have defined dozens of different open source licenses. The relevant license for Open Source Hardware has already been laid out to define the freedoms and responsibilities of all Open Source Hardware creators. Open Source Hardware is a tangible thing, from a laptop to a lampshade, whose design is available so anyone can make, modify, distribute, and sell that thing. Native documentation is required, and software required to run this thing must be based on an OSI-approved license.

The definition of Open Source Hardware has been around for a few years now, and since then the community has flourished, there’s a great gear logo, and you can buy real, functional hardware that bills itself as Open Source Hardware. It’s become a selling point, and this has become a problem.

Many hardware creators don’t adhere to the definition of Open Source Hardware. In some cases, the design files simply aren’t available. If they are, they could be unmodifiable. The software used to create these design files could cost thousands of dollars per seat. This is the problem the movement faces — Open Source Hardware must have a certification program. Unlike open source software, where the source is almost proof enough that a piece of software complies with an open source license, hardware does not have such obvious assurances.

Software Is Closed By Default, Hardware Is Open And The Licenses Are Harder

All software is closed by default. Anything written is covered by copyright, and the developers of open source software choose to license their works under an open source license. Open source software, then, is a copyright hack, enabled because all software is closed by default.

Hardware, on the other hand, is open by default. If you build a device to automatically inject epinephrine intramuscularly, you must go out of your way to patent your device. Only a patent will give you the ability to license your work, and before that patent is published anyone can make their own epinephrine pen. If you build something with an FPGA, the code that programs the FPGA is covered by copyright, but an arbitrary circuit that uses that FPGA isn’t. Any generic piece of Open Source Hardware could be covered under patents, trademarks, and a dozen licenses. Therefore, an Open Source Hardware license is impractical. This is why OSHWA is not releasing an Open Source Hardware license, and instead creating an Open Source Hardware certification program. No Open Source Hardware license could cover every edge case, and a certification is ultimately the only solution.

The Open Source Hardware Certification Program

At last year’s Open Hardware Summit, OSHWA formally announced the creation of the Open Hardware Certification program. Now, this program is live, and the certification database will growing very, very quickly. At its heart, the Open Source Hardware Certification program is pretty simple — create hardware that complies with the community definition of Open Source Hardware.

The theoretical basis for the need of an Open Source Hardware license is the fact that anyone is able to manufacture hardware. Of course, there are limits to technology and no one has a 14nm silicon fab line in their garage. This is a problem for any piece of Open Source Hardware, and the technical capability for anyone to recreate integrated circuits and other high technologies is the sole source of the traditional objections to any open hardware license. Garage-based fabrication is always improving, though, but closed hardware in the form of NDA’d chips will remain a problem for years to come.

The clearest example of the problem with closed-source chips is bunnie’s Novena laptop. This laptop is designed as both a hacker’s laptop and an artifact of Open Hardware. Although most of the chips used in the Novena are available without signing NDAs, open source, and blob-free 3D graphics acceleration was unavailable when the laptop launched. This non-open graphics problem will be fixed with open source drivers, but it does illustrate the problem of Open Source Hardware. Even though chips might be available, there might be binary blobs required for full functionality. You can build an Open Hardware chip in VHDL, but it’s not really open if you have to use closed-source FPGA dev tools.

OSHWA’s solution to this problem is simply asking for hardware creators to act in good faith. The certification program won’t knock points off for using closed source binary blobs if that’s the only way of doing something. Open Source Hardware is just slightly more aware of the pace of technical progress, and what is closed today may be open tomorrow. Building a piece of Open Source Hardware isn’t an all or nothing proposal; just give your best effort to make it open, and technology or reverse engineers will probably make it more open in the future.

Of course, with any certification program, there must be some effort given to enforcement. If an Open Hardware project is certified under the program but does not meet the guidelines of the certification program, fines may be levied against the project creators. Again, good faith of the project creator is assumed, and a project found not in compliance with the certification program will be given 90 days to either fix the problem or remove the project from the certification program. After 90 days, there’s a 120-day period of public shaming, and after that small fines of $500 per month. The worst offender will get a fine of up to $10,000 per month, but that would require years of non-compliance, and it’s very doubtful any conflict with OSHWA will ever reach that stage. It should be noted these fines have a legal basis in the trademark of the OSHW certification logo, and if you don’t use the OSHW logo or certify your project, there’s nothing OSHWA can do.

The old Open Source Hardware ‘gear’ logo — unquestionably a better logo — will still remain in use, and no one is going will look down on you for using it. Using the trademarked OSHW logo, though, is the only way any certification program can be enforced.

The Objections To Open Source Hardware

Of course, the Open Source Hardware Certification program has been more than two years in the making, and that’s time enough for a few people to start having very strong opinions about it. A few years ago, Saar Drimer of Boldport said he won’t be using the Open Source Hardware logo on his boards. This is despite the fact that he loves Open Source Hardware, has written open source PCB design software, and offers a 20% discount on open source contract work. His reason is simple: adding a logo brings baggage, and building Open Source Hardware is not mutually exclusive with putting a logo on a board. Dave Jones is a big supporter of Open Hardware, but he realizes the famous gear logo is becoming meaningless through abuse.

You need only look back on the last twenty or thirty years of the world of Open Source Software to get a sense of where Saar and Dave are coming from; Stallman does not believe in a moral imperative to Open Hardware, whereas most everyone in attendance of today’s Open Hardware Summit does. Gnome versus KDE is nothing compared to the religious war we potentially face between various Open Hardware philosophies. The Open Source Hardware community is relearning what the open source software community learned twenty years ago. We can only hope to learn from their missteps.

But Open Source Hardware has a much bigger obstacle to adoption than politicking and empire building. Open source software is a simple concept — you have a (copy) right to whatever software, music, words, or boat hull designs you create. You can, therefore, give others the right to use, study, share, and modify that work. Physical objects and artifacts do not have copyright, they have patents. Patent law in the United States is atrocious, and just because you were the first to create a useful invention doesn’t mean a patent would be invalidated. This is the greatest challenge to anything developed as Open Source Hardware. The only solution to this is prior art and patent inspectors that know where to look.

This Will Take a While to Work Out

The Open Source Hardware Certification program is going to take a while to unravel. OSHWA doesn’t believe this certification program will be a repository used by patent inspectors looking for prior art. The legal basis for the certification is literally built upon every piece of intellectual property law. It is, perhaps, an answer to the most complex legal questions ever: what is property, what is intellectual property and can the concept of physical things be given away.

No one has an answer to these questions, or at least an answer that can be summed up in one-page FAQ. The Open Source Hardware Certification program is an attempt to answer these questions, and so far it’s the best attempt yet.

None of this matters unless the community gets behind it, and if another competing Open Source Hardware certification or license pops up, the community may very well migrate to that. Judging from the last thirty years of open source software license drama, we can only hope that the community figures this out the first time, and we hope this certification program is a rousing success.

• The U.S. job market has almost 600,000 openings requesting cybersecurity-related skills. 
• Employers are struggling to fill these openings due to a general cyber-skill shortage, with many openings remaining vacant each year. 
• When evaluating prospective information-security candidates, employers should look for certifications as an important measure of excellence and commitment to quality.
• This article is for business owners looking to hire cybersecurity experts, or for individuals interested in pursuing a cybersecurity career. 

Cybersecurity is one of the most crucial areas for ensuring a business’s success and longevity. With cyberattacks growing in sophistication, it’s essential for business owners to protect their companies by hiring qualified cybersecurity experts to manage this aspect of their business. The best candidates will have a certification in information security and cybersecurity. This guide breaks down the top certifications and other guidance you’ll need to make the right hire for your company. It’s also a great primer for individuals who are embarking on a cybersecurity career.

Best information security and cybersecurity certifications

When evaluating prospective InfoSec candidates, employers frequently look to certification as an important measure of excellence and commitment to quality. We examined five InfoSec certifications we consider to be leaders in the field of information security today.

This year’s list includes entry-level credentials, such as Security+, as well as more advanced certifications, like Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA). According to CyberSeek, more employers are seeking CISA, CISM and CISSP certification holders than there are credential holders, which makes these credentials a welcome addition to any certification portfolio.

Absent from our list of the top five is SANS GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC). Although this certification is still a very worthy credential, the job board numbers for CISA were so solid that it merited a spot in the top five. Farther down in this guide, we offer some additional certification options because the field of information security is both wide and varied.

1. CEH: Certified Ethical Hacker

The CEH (ANSI) certification is an intermediate-level credential offered by the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (EC-Council). It’s a must-have for IT professionals who are pursuing careers in white hat hacking and certifies their competence in the five phases of ethical hacking: reconnaissance, enumeration, gaining of access, access maintenance and track covering. 

CEH credential holders possess skills and knowledge of hacking practices in areas such as footprinting and reconnaissance, network scanning, enumeration, system hacking, Trojans, worms and viruses, sniffers, denial-of-service attacks, social engineering, session hijacking, web server hacking, wireless networks and web applications, SQL injection, cryptography, penetration testing, IDS evasion, firewalls and honeypots. CEH V11 provides a remapping of the course to the NIST/NICE framework’s Protect and Defend (PR) job role category, as well as an additional focus on emerging threats in cloud, OT and IT security, such as fileless malware.

To obtain a CEH (ANSI) certification, candidates must pass one exam. A comprehensive five-day CEH training course is recommended, with the test presented at the course’s conclusion. Candidates may self-study for the test but must submit documentation of at least two years of work experience in information security with employer verification. Self-study candidates must also pay an additional $100 application fee. Education may be substituted for experience, but this is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Candidates who complete any EC-Council-approved training (including with the iClass platform, academic institutions or an accredited training center) do not need to submit an application prior to attempting the exam.

Because technology in the field of hacking changes almost daily, CEH credential holders are required to obtain 120 continuing-education credits for each three-year cycle.

Once a candidate obtains the CEH (ANSI) designation, a logical progression on the EC-Council certification ladder is the CEH (Practical) credential. The CEH (Practical) designation targets the application of CEH skills to real-world security audit challenges and related scenarios. To obtain the credential, candidates must pass a rigorous six-hour practical examination. Conducted on live virtual machines, candidates are presented 20 scenarios with questions designed to validate a candidate’s ability to perform tasks such as vulnerability analysis, identification of threat vectors, web app and system hacking, OS detection, network scanning, packet sniffing, steganography and virus identification. Candidates who pass both the CEH (ANSI) and the CEH (Practical) exams earn the CEH (Master) designation.

CEH facts and figures

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) training

While EC-Council offers both instructor-led and online training for its CEH certification, IT professionals have plenty of other options for self-study materials, including video training, practice exams and books.

Pluralsight currently offers an ethical-hacking learning path geared toward the 312-50 exam. With a monthly subscription, you get access to all of these courses, plus everything else in Pluralsight’s training library. Through Pluralsight’s learning path, students can prepare for all of the domains covered in the CEH exam.  

CyberVista offers a practice test for the CEH 312-50 certification that includes several sets of exam-like questions, custom quizzes, flash cards and more. An test prep subscription for 180 days costs $149 and gives candidates access to online study materials, as well as the ability to download the materials for offline study. Backed by its “pass guarantee,” CyberVista is so confident its practice test will prepare you for the CEH test that the company will refund its practice test costs if you don’t pass.

FYI: Besides certifications in information security and cybersecurity, the best IT certifications cover areas such as disaster recovery, virtualization and telecommunications.

2. CISM: Certified Information Security Manager

The CISM certification is a top credential for IT professionals who are responsible for managing, developing and overseeing information security systems in enterprise-level applications or for developing organizational security best practices. The CISM credential was introduced to security professionals in 2003 by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA).

ISACA’s organizational goals are specifically geared toward IT professionals who are interested in the highest-quality standards with respect to the auditing, control and security of information systems. The CISM credential targets the needs of IT security professionals with enterprise-level security management responsibilities. Credential holders possess advanced and proven skills in security risk management, program development and management, governance, and incident management and response.

Holders of the CISM credential, which is designed for experienced security professionals, must agree to ISACA’s code of ethics, pass a comprehensive examination, possess at least five years of experience in information security management, comply with the organization’s continuing education policy and submit a written application. Some combinations of education and experience may be substituted for the full experience requirement.

The CISM credential is valid for three years, and credential holders must pay an annual maintenance fee of $45 (ISACA members) or $85 (nonmembers). Credential holders are also required to obtain a minimum of 120 continuing professional education (CPE) credits over the three-year term to maintain the credential. At least 20 CPE credits must be earned every year.

CISM facts and figures

Other ISACA certification program elements

In addition to CISM, ISACA offers numerous certifications for those interested in information security and best practices. Other credentials worth considering include the following:

• Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
• Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT)
• Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)

The CISA designation was created for professionals working with information systems auditing, control or security and is popular enough with employers to earn it a place on the leaderboard. The CGEIT credential targets IT professionals working in enterprise IT management, governance, strategic alignment, value delivery, and risk and resource performance management. IT professionals who are seeking careers in all aspects of risk management will find that the CRISC credential nicely meets their needs.

Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) training

Pluralsight offers a CISM learning path containing five courses and 17 hours of instruction. The courses cover the domains addressed in the exam, but the learning path is aimed at the CISM job practice areas. 

CyberVista offers a CISM online training course in both live and on-demand formats. The course includes more than 16 hours of training videos, supplementary lessons, custom quizzes, practice test questions and access to experts through the instructor. As with other CyberVista courses, the CISM training course comes with a “pass guarantee.” 

Did you know?: According to CyberSeek, there are enough workers to fill only 68% of the cybersecurity job openings in the U.S. A cybersecurity certification is an important way to demonstrate the knowledge and ability to succeed in these job roles.

3. CompTIA Security+

CompTIA’s Security+ is a well-respected, vendor-neutral security certification. Security+ credential holders are recognized as possessing superior technical skills, broad knowledge and expertise in multiple security-related disciplines.

Although Security+ is an entry-level certification, the ideal candidates possess at least two years of experience working in network security and should consider first obtaining the Network+ certification. IT pros who obtain this certification have expertise in areas such as threat management, cryptography, identity management, security systems, security risk identification and mitigation, network access control, and security infrastructure. The CompTIA Security+ credential is approved by the U.S. Department of Defense to meet Directive 8140/8570.01-M requirements. In addition, the Security+ credential complies with the standards for ISO 17024.

The Security+ credential requires a single exam, currently priced at $381. (Discounts may apply to employees of CompTIA member companies and full-time students.) Training is available but not required.

IT professionals who earned the Security+ certification prior to Jan. 1, 2011, remain certified for life. Those who certify after that date must renew the certification every three years to stay current. To renew, candidates must obtain 50 continuing-education units (CEUs) or complete the CertMaster CE online course prior to the expiration of the three-year period. CEUs can be obtained by engaging in activities such as teaching, blogging, publishing articles or whitepapers, and participating in professional conferences and similar activities.

CompTIA Security+ facts and figures

CompTIA Security+ training

You’ll find several companies offering online training, instructor-led and self-study courses, practice exams and books to help you prepare for and pass the Security+ exam.

Pluralsight offers a Security+ learning path as a part of its monthly subscription plan for the latest SY0-601 exam. Split into six sections, the training series is more than 24 hours long and covers attacks, threats and vulnerabilities; architecture and design; implementation of secure solutions; operations and incident response; and governance, risk and compliance.

CyberVista offers a Security+ practice test so you can test your security knowledge before attempting the SY0-601 exam. The test comes with a 180-day access period and includes multiple sets of test questions, key concept flash cards, access to InstructorLink experts, a performance tracker and more. As with CyberVista’s other offerings, this practice test comes with a “pass guarantee.”

4. CISSP: Certified Information Systems Security Professional

CISSP is an advanced-level certification for IT pros who are serious about careers in information security. Offered by the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, known as (ISC)2 (pronounced “ISC squared”), this vendor-neutral credential is recognized worldwide for its standards of excellence.

CISSP credential holders are decision-makers who possess the expert knowledge and technical skills necessary to develop, guide and manage security standards, policies and procedures within their organizations. The CISSP certification continues to be highly sought after by IT professionals and is well recognized by IT organizations. It is a regular fixture on most-wanted and must-have security certification surveys.

CISSP is designed for experienced security professionals. A minimum of five years of experience in at least two of (ISC)2’s eight common body of knowledge (CBK) domains, or four years of experience in at least two of (ISC)2’s CBK domains and a college degree or an approved credential, is required for this certification. The CBK domains are security and risk management, asset security, security architecture and engineering, communications and network security, identity and access management, security assessment and testing, security operations, and software development security.

(ISC)2 also offers three CISSP concentrations targeting specific areas of interest in IT security:

• Architecture (CISSP-ISSAP)
• Engineering (CISSP-ISSEP)
• Management (CISSP-ISSMP)

Each CISSP concentration test is $599, and credential seekers must currently possess a valid CISSP.

An annual fee of $125 is required to maintain the CISSP credential. Recertification is required every three years. To recertify, candidates must earn 40 CPE credits each year, for a total of 120 CPE credits within the three-year cycle.

CISSP facts and figures 

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) training

Given the popularity of the CISSP certification, there is no shortage of available training options. These include classroom-based training offered by (ISC)2, as well as online video courses, practice exams and books from third-party companies.

Pluralsight’s CISSP learning path includes 12 courses and 25 hours of e-learning covering the security concepts required for the certification exam. Available for a low monthly fee, the CISSP courses are part of a subscription plan that gives IT professionals access to Pluralsight’s complete library of video training courses.

When you’re ready to test your security knowledge, you can take a simulated test that mimics the format and content of the real CISSP exam. Udemy offers CISSP practice exams to help you prepare for this challenging exam.

5. CISA: Certified Information Systems Auditor

ISACA’s globally recognized CISA certification is the gold standard for IT workers seeking to practice in information security, audit control and assurance. Ideal candidates can identify and assess organizational threats and vulnerabilities, assess compliance, and provide guidance and organizational security controls. CISA-certified professionals demonstrate knowledge and skill across the CISA job practice areas of auditing, governance and management, acquisition, development and implementation, maintenance and service management, and asset protection.

To earn the CISA certification, candidates must pass one exam, submit an application, agree to the code of professional ethics, agree to the CPE requirements and agree to the organization’s information systems auditing standards. In addition, candidates must possess at least five years of experience working with information systems. Some substitutions for education and experience with auditing are permitted.

To maintain the CISA certification, candidates must earn 120 CPE credits over a three-year period, with a minimum of 20 CPE credits earned annually. Candidates must also pay an annual maintenance fee ($45 for members; $85 for nonmembers).

CISA facts and figures

Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) training

Training opportunities for the CISA certification are plentiful. Udemy offers more than 160 CISA-related courses, lectures, practice exams, question sets and more. On Pluralsight, you’ll find 12 courses with 27 hours of information systems auditor training covering all CISA job practice domains for the CISA job practice areas.

Beyond the top 5: More cybersecurity certifications

In addition to these must-have credentials, many other certifications are available to fit the career needs of any IT professional interested in information security. Business owners should consider employing workers with these credentials as well.

• The SANS GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC) certification remains an excellent entry-level credential for IT professionals seeking to demonstrate that they not only understand information security terminology and concepts but also possess the skills and technical expertise necessary to occupy “hands-on” security roles.
• If you find incident response and investigation intriguing, check out the Logical Operations CyberSec First Responder (CFR) certification. This ANSI-accredited and U.S. DoD-8570-compliant credential recognizes security professionals who can design secure IT environments, perform threat analysis, and respond appropriately and effectively to cyberattacks. Logical Operations also offers other certifications, including Master Mobile Application Developer (MMAD), Certified Virtualization Professional (CVP), Cyber Secure Coder and CloudMASTER.
• The associate-level Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate certification is aimed at analysts in security operations centers at large companies and organizations. Candidates who qualify through Cisco’s global scholarship program may receive free training, mentoring and testing to help them achieve a range of entry-level to expert certifications that the company offers. CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+), which launched in 2017, is a vendor-neutral certification designed for professionals with three to four years of security and behavioral analytics experience.
• The Identity Management Institute offers several credentials for identity and access management, data protection, identity protection, identity governance and more. The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), which focuses on privacy, has a small but growing number of certifications as well.
• The SECO-Institute, in cooperation with the Security Academy Netherlands and APMG, is behind the Cyber Security & Governance Certification Program; SECO-Institute certifications aren’t well known in the United States, but their popularity is growing. 
• It also may be worth your time to browse the Chartered Institute of Information Security accreditations, the U.K. equivalent of the U.S. DoD 8570 certifications and the corresponding 8140 framework.

Also, consider these five entry-level cybersecurity certifications for more options.

Tip: Before you decide to purchase training for a certification or an test voucher, see if your employer will cover the cost. Employers may cover all or part of the cost if you have a continuing education or training allowance, or if the certification is in line with your current or potential job duties.

Information security and cybersecurity jobs

According to CyberSeek, the number of cybersecurity job openings in the U.S. stands at almost 598,000, with about 1.05 million cybersecurity professionals employed in today’s workforce. Projections continue to be robust: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects 33% growth in information security analyst positions between 2020 and 2030; in comparison, the average rate of growth for all occupations is about 8%.

Security-related job roles include information security specialist, security analyst, network security administrator, system administrator (with security as a responsibility) and security engineer, as well as specialized roles, like malware engineer, intrusion analyst and penetration tester.

Average salaries for information security certified and security engineers – two of the most common job roles – vary depending on the source. For example, SimplyHired reports about $74,000 for specialist positions, whereas Glassdoor‘s national average is about $108,000. For security engineers, SimplyHired reports almost $112,000, while Glassdoor’s average is more than $111,000, with salaries on the high end reported at $261,000. Note that these numbers frequently change as the sources regularly update their data. [Meet the man who kept Microsoft safe and secure for more than a decade.]

Our informal job board survey from April 2022 reports the number of job posts nationwide in which our featured certifications were mentioned on a given day. This should give you an idea of the relative popularity of each certification.

Job board search results (in alphabetical order by cybersecurity certification)

Did you know?: Cybersecurity matters even when you’re traveling. Find out how to keep your computer secure when you’re on the road for business or pleasure.

The importance of hiring information security and cybersecurity professionals

According to Risk Based Security‘s 2021 Year End Data Breach Quickview Report, there were 4,145 publicly disclosed breaches throughout 2021, containing over 22 billion records. This is the second-highest number of breached records, after an all-time high the year before. The U.S. was particularly affected, with the number of breaches increasing 10% compared with the previous year. More than 80% of the records exposed throughout 2021 were due to human error, highlighting an ever-increasing need for cybersecurity education, as well as for highly skilled and trained cybersecurity professionals. [Learn how to recover from a data breach.]

If you’re serious about advancing your career in the IT field and are interested in specializing in security, certification is a great choice. It’s an effective way to validate your skills and show a current or prospective employer that you’re qualified and properly trained. If you’re a business owner, hiring certified professionals and skilled IT managers can help prevent cyberattacks and provide confidence that your company’s security is in the right hands. In the meantime, review our quick cybersecurity tips to Improve your company’s protection.

Jeremy Bender contributed to the writing and research in this article.

Copyright © 2022 IDG Communications, Inc.

Google Cloud has ambitions to build what it says will be the most open, extensible and powerful data cloud of all, as part of its mission to ensure customers can make use of all of their data, from any source, no matter where it is or what format it’s in.

Google announced this “data cloud” vision today at Google Cloud Next 2022, where it introduced an avalanche of updates to its existing data services, as well as some new ones. The new updates are all designed to make this vision of an open and extensible data cloud a reality.

“Every company is a big-data company now,” Gerrit Kazmaier, vice president and general manager of Data Analytics at Google Cloud, told SiliconANGLE in an interview. “This is a call for a data ecosystem. It will be a key underpinning of the modern enterprise.”

One of the first steps in fulfilling that vision is to ensure that customers can indeed make use of all of their data. To that end, Google’s data warehouse service BigQuery has gained the ability to analyze unstructured streaming data for the first time.

BigQuery can now ingest every kind of data, regardless of its storage format or environment. Google said that’s vital because most teams today can only work with structured data from operational databases and applications such as ServiceNow, Salesforce, Workday and so on.

But unstructured data, such as video from television archives, audio from call centers and radio, paper documents and so on account for more than 90% of all information available to organizations today. This data, which was previously left gathering dust, can now be analyzed in BigQuery and used to power services such as machine learning, speech recognition, translation, text processing and data analytics via a familiar Structured Query Language interface.

It’s a big step but by far not the only one. To further its aims, Google says, it’s adding support for major data formats such as Apache Iceberg, Delta Lake and Apache Hudi in its BigLake storage engine. “By supporting these widely adopted data formats, we can help eliminate barriers that prevent organizations from getting the full value from their data,” said Kazmaier. “With BigLake, you get the ability to manage data across multiple clouds. We’ll meet you where you are.”

Meanwhile, BigQuery gets a new integration with Apache Spark that will enable data scientists to Improve data processing times significantly. Datastream is being integrated with BigQuery too, in a move that will enable customers to more effectively replicate data from sources such as AlloyDB, PostgreSQL, MySQL and other third-party databases such as Oracle.

To ensure users have greater confidence in their data, Google said, it’s expanding the capabilities of its Dataplex service, giving it the ability to automate processes associated with improving data quality and lineage. “For instance, users will now be able to more easily understand data lineage — where data originates and how it has transformed and moved over time — reducing the need for manual, time-consuming processes,” Kazmaier said.

Unified business intelligence

Making data more accessible is one thing, but customers also need to be able to work with that data. To that end, Google said it will unify its portfolio of business intelligence tools under the Looker umbrella. Looker will be integrated with Data Studio and other core BI tools to simplify how people can get insights from their data.

As part of the integration, Data Studio is being rebranded as Looker Studio, helping customers to go beyond looking at dashboards by infusing their workflows and applications with ready-made intelligence to aid in data-driven decision-making, Google said. Looker will, for example, be integrated with Google Workspace, providing easier access to insights from within productivity tools such as Sheets.

In addition, Google said, it will make it simpler for customers to work with the BI tools of their choice. Looker already integrates with Tableau Software for example, and soon it will do the same with Microsoft Power BI.

Powering artificial intelligence

One of the most common use cases for data today is powering AI services — one area where Google is a clear leader. It’s not planning on letting go of that lead anytime soon, either. In an effort to make AI-based computer vision and image recognition more accessible, Google is launching a new service called Vertex AI Vision.

The service extends the capabilities of Vertex AI, providing an end-to-end application development environment for ingesting, analyzing and storing visual data. So users will be able to stream video from manufacturing plants to create AI models that can Improve safety, or else take video footage from store shelves to better manage product inventory, Google said.

“Vertex AI Vision can reduce the time to create computer vision applications from weeks to hours at one-tenth the cost of current offerings,” Kazmaier explained. “To achieve these efficiencies, Vertex AI Vision provides an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop interface and a library of pre-trained ML models for common tasks such as occupancy counting, product recognition and object detection.”

For less technical users, Google is introducing more “AI agents,” which are tools that make it easy for anyone to apply AI models to common business tasks, making the technology accessible to almost anyone.

The new AI Agents include Translation Hub, which enables self-service document translation with support for an impressive 135 languages at launch. Translation Hub incorporates technologies such as Google’s Neural Machine Translation and AutoML and works by ingesting and translating content from multiple document types, including Google Docs, Word documents, Slides and PDF. Not only does it preserve the exact layout and formatting, but it also comes with granular management controls including support for post-editing human-in-the-loop feedback and document review.

Using Translation Hub, researchers would be able to share important documents with their colleagues across the world, while goods and services providers will be able to reach underserved markets. Moreover, Google said, public sector administrators can reach more community members in their native language.

A second new AI agent is Document AI Workbench, which makes it easier to build custom document parsers that can be trained to extract and summarize key information from large documents. “Document AI Workbench can remove the barriers around building custom document parsers, helping organizations extract fields of interest that are specific to their business needs,” said June Yang, vice president of cloud AI and industry solutions.

Google also introduced Document AI Warehouse, which is designed to eliminate the challenge of tagging and extracting data from documents.

Expanded integrations

Finally, Google said it’s expanding its integrations with some of the most popular enterprise data platforms to make sure information stored within them is also accessible to its customers.

Kazmaier explained that providing customers with the flexibility to work across any data platform is critical to ensure choice and prevent data lock-in. With that in mind, he said, Google is committed to working with all major enterprise data platform providers, including the likes of Collibra NV, Databricks Inc., Elastic NV, FiveTran Inc., MongoDB Inc., Reltio Inc. and Strimm Ltd., to ensure its tools work with their products.

David Meyer, senior vice president of product management at Databricks, told SiliconANGLE in an interview that the company has been working with Google for about two years on BigQuery supporting Databricks’ Delta Lake, following similar work with Amazon Web Services Inc. and Microsoft Corp.’s Azure.

“Making it so you don’t have to move the data out of your data lake reduces the cost and complexity,” Meyer said. “We see this as an inflection point.” Even so, he added, this is just the start of work with Google Cloud, and the two companies will be working on solving other challenges, such as joint governance efforts.

Kazmaier said the company is also working with the 17 members of the Data Cloud Alliance to promote open standards and interoperability in the data industry. It’s also continuing support for open-source database engines such as MongoDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL and Redis, as well as Google Cloud databases such as AlloyDB for PostgreSQL, Cloud Bigtable, Firestore and Cloud Spanner.

With reporting from Robert Hof

Images: Google

Digital Platforms Market In 2022 (Short Description) : Digital platform helps businesses to enhance user experience in order to attract new customers. The evolution of advanced technologies such as IoT, artificial intelligence, cloud, and analytics are playing a crucial role in driving the growth of digital platform market. Most of the enterprises are adopting digital platform for smart consumptions of digital assets in order to maximize operational excellence, implement intelligent processes, monetize internal resources, and enhance the customer experience. Also, digital platforms provide services which enables the IT and ecommerce organizations to quickly resolve issues and problem in order to provide higher level of business user satisfaction at reduced cost.

According to this latest study, In 2022 the growth of Digital Platforms Market is projected to reach Multimillion USD by 2029, In comparison to 2021, Over the next Seven years the Digital Platforms Market will register a magnificent spike in CAGR in terms of revenue, In this study, 2022 has been considered as the base year and 2022 to 2029 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for Digital Platforms.

Global “Digital Platforms Market” Report is a detailed and comprehensive analysis for global Digital Platforms market. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses are presented by manufacturers, by region and country, by Type and by Application. As the market is constantly changing, this report explores the competition, supply and demand trends, as well as key factors that contribute to its changing demands across many markets. Company profiles and product examples of selected competitors, along with market share estimates of some of the selected leaders for the year 2022, are provided.

Final Report will add the analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on this industry.

TO KNOW HOW COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND RUSSIA UKRAINE WAR WILL IMPACT THIS MARKET – REQUEST SAMPLE

COVID-19 can affect the global economy in three main ways: by directly affecting production and demand, by creating supply chain and market disruption, and by its financial impact on firms and financial markets. Our analysts monitoring the situation across the globe explains that the market will generate remunerative prospects for producers post COVID-19 crisis. The report aims to provide an additional illustration of the latest scenario, economic slowdown, and COVID-19 impact on the overall industry.

Get a sample PDF of report –https://www.360researchreports.com/enquiry/request-sample/18138316

Chapter 3focuses on analyzing the current competitive situation in the Digital Platforms market and provides basic information, market data, product introductions, etc. of leading companies in the industry. At the same time, Chapter 3 includes the highlighted analysis–Strategies for Company to Deal with the Impact of COVID-19, Top Key Players are as follows :

• Magento
• Cloudcraze Software
• IBM
• Accenture
• PHILIPS
• NetSuite
• SAP
• Oracle
• Adobe Systems
• Apttus

Scope Of the Digital Platforms Market:

The Global Digital Platforms market is anticipated to rise at a considerable rate during the forecast period, between 2022 and 2029. In 2020, the market is growing at a steady rate and with the rising adoption of strategies by key players, the market is expected to rise over the projected horizon.

North America, especially The United States, will still play an important role which cannot be ignored. Any changes from United States might affect the development trend of Digital Platforms. The market in North America is expected to grow considerably during the forecast period. The high adoption of advanced technology and the presence of large players in this region are likely to create ample growth opportunities for the market.

Europe also play important roles in global market, with a magnificent growth in CAGR During the Forecast period 2022-2029.

Digital Platforms Market size is projected to reach Multimillion USD by 2029, In comparison to 2022, at unexpected CAGR during 2022-2029.

Despite the presence of intense competition, due to the global recovery trend is clear, investors are still optimistic about this area, and it will still be more new investments entering the field in the future.

This report focuses on the Digital Platforms in global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.

Get a sample Copy of the Digital Platforms Market Report 2022

Report further studies the market development status and future Digital Platforms Market trend across the world. Also, it splits Digital Platforms market Segmentation by Type and by Applications to fully and deeply research and reveal market profile and prospects.

Chapter 4 provides breakdown data of different types of products, as well as market forecasts.

Different application fields have different usage and development prospects of products. Therefore, Chapter 5 provides subdivision data of different application fields and market forecasts.

• Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI)
• Government and Public Sector
• Healthcare and life sciences
• Manufacturing
• Retail and consumer packaged goods
• Energy and Utilities
• Others

Chapters 7-26 focus on the regional market. We have selected the most representative20 countriesfrom ;197 countriesin the world and conducted a detailed analysis and overview of the market development of these countries.

• North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)
• Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Turkey etc.)
• Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam)
• South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)
• Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)

This Digital Platforms Market Research/Analysis Report Contains Answers to your following Questions

• Which Manufacturing Technology is used for Digital Platforms? What Developments Are Going On in That Technology? Which Trends Are Causing These Developments?
• Who Are the Global Key Players in This Digital Platforms Market? What are Their Company Profile, Their Product Information, and Contact Information?
• What Was Global Market Status of Digital Platforms Market? What Was Capacity, Production Value, Cost and PROFIT of Digital Platforms Market?
• What Is Current Market Status of Digital Platforms Industry? What’s Market Competition in This Industry, Both Company, and Country Wise? What’s Market Analysis of Digital Platforms Market by Taking Applications and Types in Consideration?
• What Are Projections of Global Digital Platforms Industry Considering Capacity, Production and Production Value? What Will Be the Estimation of Cost and Profit? What Will Be Market Share, Supply and Consumption? What about Import and Export?
• What Is Digital Platforms Market Chain Analysis by Upstream Raw Materials and Downstream Industry?
• What Is Economic Impact On Digital Platforms Industry? What are Global Macroeconomic Environment Analysis Results? What Are Global Macroeconomic Environment Development Trends?
• What Are Market Dynamics of Digital Platforms Market? What Are Challenges and Opportunities?
• What Should Be Entry Strategies, Countermeasures to Economic Impact, and Marketing Channels for Digital Platforms Industry?

Our research analysts will help you to get customized details for your report, which can be modified in terms of a specific region, application or any statistical details. In addition, we are always willing to comply with the study, which triangulated with your own data to make the market research more comprehensive in your perspective.

Inquire more and share questions if any before the purchase on this report at –https://www.360researchreports.com/enquiry/pre-order-enquiry/18138316

Major Points from Table of Contents

Global Digital Platforms Market Research Report 2022-2029, by Manufacturers, Regions, Types and Applications

1 Introduction
1.1 Objective of the Study
1.2 Definition of the Market
1.3 Market Scope
1.3.1 Market Segment by Type, Application and Marketing Channel
1.3.2 Major Regions Covered (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Mid East and Africa)
1.4 Years Considered for the Study (2015-2029)
1.5 Currency Considered (U.S. Dollar)
1.6 Stakeholders

2 Key Findings of the Study

3 Market Dynamics
3.1 Driving Factors for this Market
3.2 Factors Challenging the Market
3.3 Opportunities of the Global Digital Platforms Market (Regions, Growing/Emerging Downstream Market Analysis)
3.4 Technological and Market Developments in the Digital Platforms Market
3.5 Industry News by Region
3.6 Regulatory Scenario by Region/Country
3.7 Market Investment Scenario Strategic Recommendations Analysis

4 Value Chain of the Digital Platforms Market

4.1 Value Chain Status
4.2 Upstream Raw Material Analysis
4.3 Midstream Major Company Analysis (by Manufacturing Base, by Product Type)
4.4 Distributors/Traders
4.5 Downstream Major Customer Analysis (by Region)

Get a sample Copy of the Digital Platforms Market Report 2022

5 Global Digital Platforms Market-Segmentation by Type

6 Global Digital Platforms Market-Segmentation by Application

7 Global Digital Platforms Market-Segmentation by Marketing Channel

7.1 Traditional Marketing Channel (Offline)
7.2 Online Channel

8 Competitive Intelligence Company Profiles

9 Global Digital Platforms Market-Segmentation by Geography

9.1 North America
9.2 Europe
9.3 Asia-Pacific
9.4 Latin America

9.5 Middle East and Africa

10 Future Forecast of the Global Digital Platforms Market from 2022-2029

10.1 Future Forecast of the Global Digital Platforms Market from 2022-2029 Segment by Region
10.2 Global Digital Platforms Production and Growth Rate Forecast by Type (2022-2029)
10.3 Global Digital Platforms Consumption and Growth Rate Forecast by Application (2022-2029)

11 Appendix
11.1 Methodology
12.2 Research Data Source

Continued….

Purchase this report (Price 4000 USD for a single-user license) –https://www.360researchreports.com/purchase/18138316

About Us:

360 Research Reports is the credible source for gaining the market reports that will provide you with the lead your business needs. At 360 Research Reports, our objective is providing a platform for many top-notch market research firms worldwide to publish their research reports, as well as helping the decision makers in finding most suitable market research solutions under one roof. Our aim is to provide the best solution that matches the exact customer requirements. This drives us to provide you with custom or syndicated research reports.

Contact Us:
Web :https://360researchreports.com/
Email: [email protected]
Organization: 360 Research Reports
Phone: +44 20 3239 8187/ +14242530807

Press Release Distributed by The Express Wire

To view the original version on The Express Wire visit Digital Platforms Market Study Providing Information on Top Key Players | Magento, Cloudcraze Software And More | 129 Report Pages

Gaithersburg, MD. – One Source Systems, an audio-visual specialist company in Gaithersburg, MD, is highlighting their status as a CEDIA-Certified Professional company.

The Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) is a not-for-profit trade association that represents 3,500 members worldwide who design, install, and integrate consumer electronics systems for residential and commercial applications.

The CEDIA Certification is a voluntary process that demonstrates a company’s commitment to excellence in the field of custom electronics design and installation. To become certified, companies must meet stringent standards for experience, technical knowledge, customer service, and business operations. Certified companies must also agree to adhere to CEDIA’s code of ethics, which requires them to act fairly, honestly, and professionally in all aspects of their business dealings.

In addition, the CEDIA Certification process is ongoing. Companies are required to participate in regular training and education activities to keep their certification current. While it is not required in order to work in the electronic systems industry, it is highly recognized and respected by both clients and peers.

“We are thrilled to be a part of the CEDIA association. Our partnership with the association helps us to stay on top of the technology we provide and the customers we serve,” stated One Source founding Partner, David Harris. “In our industry technology and standards change so quickly we must take advantage of a partnership that is leading the way in the adoption of this technology.”

One Source Systems has learned that the backbone of all successful relationships is trust and is committed to earning the trust of their clients.

Being CEDIA certified demonstrates One Source System’s expertise in home automation which will give customers confidence that their project will be handled by qualified professionals who adhere to industry standards. Since opening their doors in 2014, they have established themselves as the top provider of home automation and home AV installation services for luxury homeowners and trade professionals throughout Gaithersburg, Washington DC. and the surrounding areas.

For more information about One Source Systems, or to schedule a consultation, visit their website at https://onesourcesystems.com/ or call (888) 503-1768.

###

For more information about One Source Systems, contact the company here:

One Source Systems
David Harris
(888) 503-1768
[email protected]
7914 Queenair Drive
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20879

SINGAPORE/HANOI, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Vietnam is preparing new rules to limit which social media accounts can post news-related content, three people familiar with the matter said, as authorities tighten their control over news and information sources in the country.

The rules, expected to be announced by the year-end and with details yet to be hammered out, would establish a legal basis for controlling news dissemination on platforms like Facebook and YouTube while placing a significant moderation burden on platform providers, two of the sources added.

The sources asked not to be identified, as discussions about the new rules remain confidential.

Vietnam's Ministry of Information and Communications and Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

"The government wants to fix what it sees as the 'news-lisation' of social media," said one source familiar with the talks. "News-lisation", or báo hoá, is a term used by the authorities to describe the misleading of users into thinking that social media accounts are authorised news outlets.

Government officials have been holding confidential meetings with popular social media and internet firms to brief them on which types of accounts will be allowed to post news content under the new rules, according to the sources.

Authorities would be able to order social media companies to ban accounts that break those rules, they said.

Vietnam's ruling Communist Party already maintains tight media censorship and tolerates little dissent, with one of the world's most stringent internet regimes and national guidelines on social media behaviour.

Two sources with direct knowledge told Reuters that more rules on internet and social media platforms would be introduced around the fourth quarter of 2022 to early 2023.

As tech-savvy young Vietnamese increasingly turn to social media for information, those platforms have become a target for government efforts to restrict the flow of news from unauthorised sources.

Vietnam is a top-10 market globally for Facebook with 60 million to 70 million users, according to 2021 data, and sources familiar with the matter said it generates around $1 billion in annual revenue for the company – surpassing France.

YouTube has 60 million users in Vietnam and TikTok has 20 million, according to 2021 government estimates, although Twitter remains a relatively small player.

Meta Platforms Inc (META.O), owner of Facebook, and Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) declined to comment. Alphabet Inc's Google and YouTube did not respond to requests for comment. TikTok said in a statement that it addresses content violations based on applicable laws and with adherence to its guidelines, but did not comment on pending Vietnam regulations.

The Vietnamese government had adopted in July a set of non-binding guidelines on what qualifies as news outlets, including criteria to distinguish "real" and "fake" news outlets, warning that some social networking sites include accounts that mislead users into thinking they are newspapers.

Those guidelines are expected to be incorporated into the new rules, which will be binding.

The authorities are also expected to implement new rules that would require social media platforms to immediately take down content deemed to harm national security, and to remove illegal content within 24 hours, sources familiar with the matter said.

Sources told Reuters in April that the new rules, which were originally planned for July, reflected the government's dissatisfaction with social media platforms' take-down rates. read more

This will be done through amendments to the country's main internet law.

Vietnam in August also issued a new regulation, due to come into effect from October, that will require technology firms to store users' data locally and to set up local offices.

Reporting by Fanny Potkin in Singapore and Phuong Nguyen in Hanoi; Editing by Edmund Klamann

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

As the NFL hopefully goes back to square one and reviews its concussion policies and protocols from top to bottom and back again, there’s one very important reality that always needs to be remembered. The player is not a reliable source of information as to the true state of the condition of his brain.

Virtually every NFL player wants to keep playing. Virtually every player will accept the risk of a second concussion after suffering (or potentially suffering) a first concussion. Only a small handful of players have the luxury of voluntarily sitting down and letting their backups play.

Tua Tagovailoa is not a player who can comfortably step aside for his own good and watch his understudy take the field. He knows that it’s a critical season for him. He must answer questions both about ability and availability. So if, for example, he has gross motor instability against the Bills on Sunday, of course he’s going to say it was his back, or anything other than his head.

He’ll say what he has to say to get back on the field. He wants to get back on the field, like most players do.

That’s why nothing from the player ever should be taken with anything more than the smallest grain of salt. That’s why everything from the player needs to be viewed skeptically.

And that means everything. In 2011, Peyton Manning said that he deliberately tanked the baseline cognitive test so that it would be easier to pass it if a head injury left him cognitively impaired.

“They have these new [brain] tests we have to take,” Peyton said at the time.  “Before the season, you have to look at 20 pictures and turn the paper over and then try to draw those 20 pictures.  And they do it with words, too.  Twenty words, you flip it over, and try to write those 20 words.  Then, after a concussion, you take the same test and if you do worse than you did on the first test, you can’t play.  So I just try to do badly on the first test.”

Manning, after the shit hit the fan, claimed he was joking.

“Not true; I wouldn’t do that,” Manning said. “I understand the seriousness of concussions. Our job was to be entertaining to the crowd. Got some laughs out of it, but it was really unfortunate.”

But was it really a joke? And wouldn’t it make sense for football players who are wired to play football to try to rig the system so that they can keep playing?

While it’s unclear what the NFL can do to account for the clear temptation to blow the baseline testing, it’s another factor that perhaps shouldn’t be given significant weight in the overall concussion protocol. There ultimately needs to be a more reliable and objective way to clear players to play, one that does not rely on any information that comes from the player — either after he suffers a potential head injury or weeks if not months earlier.

The solution may not be simple. But it’s impossible to ignore that the natural inclination to play will affect any and all information that comes from the player, since the player simply wants to play.