Transitioning from copper links to optical fiber can be tricky and expensive. In addition to the obvious expense of new switches, routers and fiber infrastructure, there can be hidden issues that may not show up in the initial planning and budgeting process. These surprises can delay deployment, impact network availability and dishearten budget managers. Let’s take a look at the fiber optic market and some transition issues that should be included early in the planning process. The Optical Network Market is Growing  5G high speed internet, digital transformation and increased security ..read more

Towards the end of last year, The British Library, one of the world’s largest libraries holding over 170 million items, was hacked. The ransomware attack, orchestrated by a group called Rhysida, managed to steal 490,191 personal files and offered them for sale on the group’s website.  But why hack a library? Well, contrary to popular belief, any organization can be the target of a cyber attack for a variety of reasons. In fact, the FBI and US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a joint statement warning about Rhysida: “Threat actors leveraging Rhysida ransomwar ..read more

We’re delighted to welcome Redshift to our partnership programme as a prestigious Platinum Partner. Their dedication to customer service, technical proficiency, and steadfast commitment to delivering optimal solutions has solidified their status as our premier network visibility partner for Network Critical solutions in Portugal. With an outstanding reputation for excellence, Redshift boasts highly specialised teams operating across diverse sectors, including banking, public administration, information management, and compliance. Their extensive expertise uniquely positions them to spearhead ..read more

Did you know that in ancient times, February was the last month of the year? In the year 713 BC, Roman King Numa Pompilius moved it to the second month to better align the calendar with the seasons. As well as being the shortest month of the year, February is also the only month that sometimes receives an additional day, and yet it is an important component of our calendar. Despite only occurring every 4 years, this extra day is essential in helping the earth stay aligned with our seasonal orbit around the sun. It’s a great example of how short things can make a big impact. That’s why Februar ..read more

Many babies born today will be alive to celebrate on New Year's Eve 2099, the turn of the next century. As we embark on 2024, we thought it would be interesting to examine what life might look like when today’s babies are the senior citizens of the future. How will technology change the way people live in 70 years? Well, to put the future in perspective, let’s take a look back at the 1950’s AT&T TV ads which taught us how to use a dial-up telephone. As archaic as that now sounds, it was only 70 years ago! Technology will continue to advance rapidly as developments facilitate the pace of g ..read more

Wow! It is already December. How did those January 2023 resolutions go? As the year-end holidays approach, it is a good time to review our successes as we look forward to the year ahead. At Network Critical, 2023 was a very productive year on many fronts. We would like to share some of our major successes. State of Maryland, USA The state government has many geographically remote offices connected to a central headquarters. Early in the ear, they embarked on a transition from legacy Time-Division Multiplexing (TDM) to an IP-based system. As with any large technology project, some issues neede ..read more

November is the month to reflect and show appreciation for the good things in our lives. In the United States, the holiday has its roots in a historical legend where the Indigenous Peoples provided food to starving colonialists. Thanksgiving, however, is not solely a United States custom. Many other countries celebrate and give thanks around this time. Germany celebrates Erntedankfest, a harvest festival. Liberia celebrates Thanksgiving in November marking the founding of the country by freed slaves in 1892. Japan, Brazil, The Netherlands, and Canada are all giving thanks this month. So is Ne ..read more

Halloween, All Hallows Eve, and Dia de Muertos celebrations can be a fun time or a scary time. Children dress up in scary costumes and go door to door searching for candy and treats. In some cultures, it is a time to remember those who have gone before us. While many enjoy celebrating in disguise, there is also a dark side where certain bad actors use disguises to hide nefarious activities. This is true in real life and also in cyber life. Case in Point It does not matter how big or how powerful your organization is. MGM Resorts is one of the largest casino and hotel companies in the world. T ..read more

We often see reports regarding the staggering number of #networksecurity breaches in Europe and around the world. The numbers keep going up. For example, IT Governance UK reports that there have been 694 reported data breaches so far in 2023 accounting for 612,290,598 stolen records. The number of attacks, however, is only part of the story. What is the economic impact of these breaches? The cost of cyber attacks on organizations is staggering. Embroker reports that the average cost of a single ransomware attack is US$1.85 million. Globally, cybercrime will cost companies an estimated US$10.5 ..read more

Norfolk State University has created a new academic program offering an M.S. degree in CyberPsychology. They are not the only university developing programs in this new field. This field of study is also being offered at the Berlin Business School of Business and Innovation, Nottingham Trent University, University of Buckingham, New Jersey Institute of Technology and other universities around the world. What is the study of CyberPsychology? According to the Norfolk State University description, CyberPsychology is the study of the influence of digital technology on our attitudes, behaviours, b ..read more