Stories by John Brandon

What CIOs Can Learn From the Biggest Data Breaches

We keep hearing about them in the news. The tallies are astounding: 145 million user accounts compromised here, 40 million credit cards stolen there. What isn't always as clear with the most high-profile data breaches is how they occurred in the first place and what you can do to prevent seeing your organization in a similar headline.

Written by John Brandon13 Nov. 14 02:07

7 Enterprise-Grade Gadgets Built for Business

For business users, having the right gadget can make the difference between a successful trip to a remote office or wasting time with tech snafus. CIO.com tested these seven new business devices -- ranging from PCs to routers to, yes, tables -- to make sure they can withstand the rigors of a hectic workday.

Written by John Brandon06 Nov. 14 03:41

5 steps to take when a data breach hits

The IT industry has an answer to almost every security problem. Need to lock down an app server to ward off hackers? There's likely a product available for that. Same goes for making sure a stolen Android phone uses strong authentication to keep a hacker from stealing data.

Written by John Brandon08 Oct. 14 00:46

4 smartwatches (almost) ready for business use

If there's any segment of the population that might gravitate to the smartwatch trend, it's business users. With a quick flick of the wrist, you can see the time, your meeting schedule and even whether you're running late for a flight. Many business folks already wear a watch to keep track of the time during a hectic day filled with meetings and other appointments. Plus, a smartwatch is an extension of the smartphone we already rely on for business trips (and just about everything else).

Written by John Brandon01 Oct. 14 23:07

6 strategies for cancelling a major IT project

In the recent book 'Think Like a Freak', well-known authors Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner touch on a difficult topic for those in charge of IT budgets and project development: What if your project fails?

Written by John Brandon09 Sept. 14 23:42

5 Ways to Improve Your Social Media Campaigns

Over the past few years, those in charge of branding and communication for large companies have realized that social networking can be an effective marketing tool. Sure, there's still multi-million-dollar ad campaigns that run during football games and the print advertisements in major national magazines. However, at a more granular scale, it's often the individual tweets and connections with customers that can have the most impact. CIO.com asked social media experts to share their best tips for achieving social media success on sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn.com and Twitter.

Written by John Brandon04 Sept. 14 23:22

5 Uses for the Surveillance Robot of Tomorrow

Robots are essentially a self-contained tribute to the wonders of technology. The most advanced models use fast computer processing, high-definition cameras, artificial intelligence and long-range sensors, all of which give you a pretty good idea where technology is heading. In some ways, a robot even provides a glimmer of the future car and future IT advances.

Written by John Brandon13 Aug. 14 23:44

How to survive 4 cloud horror stories

Horror stories don't just happen at the movie theater. In a few cases, companies make a big play to use the wrong cloud application or experience widespread outages in their connection to cloud storage.

Written by John Brandon11 Aug. 14 09:01

4 Small Computers Ready for Mass Enterprise Deployment

When the goal is to deploy computers in mass quantities to keep employees productive, nothing beats an ultra-slim desktop computer. Laptops and tablets are helpful for remote works and mobile computing – but on the desktop, these systems are about the size of your hand and don't take up too much space. They are designed from the get-go for remote management and easy tech support, and they come with fewer moving parts (for example, there's no optical drive).

Written by John Brandon22 July 14 23:16

The Next Heartbleed: 5 security vulnerabilities to watch

By and large, the major websites hit by Heartbleed have recovered. So have the bad guys, who are undoubtedly plotting their next move. Here, security experts offer their take on five large-scale, Heartbleed-level vulnerabilities for which CIOs should prepare.

Written by John Brandon10 June 14 00:57

Six amazing advances in cloud technology

The Cloud is more than just dirt-cheap data storage and lightning-fast apps. These six innovations show that it's possible to manage servers, develop applications, run virtual machines and even sequence the human genome using cloud technology.

Written by John Brandon15 April 14 02:09

6 gadgets to improve your next business trip

Taking business on the road? These gadgets will help you stay productive without making your bag exceed the carry-on size limit.

Written by John Brandon12 March 14 17:00