Tag: Cloud computing

Cloud Talk, Programming, Security, Tech

A-Team of Top Tier

Quick note: if you’re viewing this via email, come to the site for better viewing. Enjoy!

young man wear eyeglasses on wall at home
I’m a team player, I just don’t like working on teams.
Photo by Renan Lima, please support by following @pexel.com

Yeah it’s that time again, time to find out why being that hotshot lone ranger could do you more harm than good. You’ve been tasked with working on the creation of an application, and it has to reach the market as quickly as possible.

However, since it’s just you and you’re only one person, being able to launch is going to take a tall order chunk of time. You find this situation would be better suited if you were to have a team…I know what you’re thinking and no I wasn’t trying to make an A-Team reference, the words just landed in such a way.

Anyway, you’re pondering if you should gather a team to work on the creation of this wonderful, ground-breaking application. How would you feel if I told you that like finding anything you need on the internet, there’s an app for that?

Well not an actual app per se to build the team, but then again there’s an app for Indeed that kind of works like what we’re talking about- you know what, never mind, just know in order to build this team you’re going to need Indeed.

older man wearing a blue shirt
You mean there was a time before me? No grandpa, not that far.
Photo by Thgusstavo Santana, please support by following @pexel.com

Developers Before Ops

So in the land before trying new ideas was a thing, when applications and such were in development there would be a team of developers and a team of operations.

The developers would go through several steps in creating an application, these steps were to plan, code, build, and test. On the other side, operations’ primary function was to test what the developers had made and provide feedback on what worked and what didn’t.

Operations steps were to deploy, operate, and monitor. An issue with working in this fashion was, when the developers were done and handed off to operations, many if not all of them took on other projects and by the time operations returned with their feedback for the developers to work on…they were, well for lack of better words, gone. Sounds bad? It was.

What was the solution to this problem? Well it’s the team we were talking about earlier. You didn’t read that part? Shame on you, go back up and read your line.

The name of the team is called DevOps, this is just a combination of the two… real creative I know. DevOps aims to shorten the development life cycle and provide rapid delivery with high software quality.

DevOps is complementary to Agile software development, actually, several aspects of DevOps came from the Agile way of working. I can see you with your hand raised. Z-daddy, what is Agile? Worry not child of mine, Z-daddy has you covered.

Agile is an iterative approach to project management and development that deliver value to their customers faster. There’s more to it than that but explaining would take over this script.

Just know the combination of developers and operations working in tandem speeds up the process and there are fewer headaches to deal with.

young man reading a burning newspaper
Our project went up in flames…the irony.
Photo by Danya Gutan, please support by following @pexel.com

Fathering DevOps

Who in their right mind would think to adopt this crazy outside-of-the-box format way of working?

Many large-name companies like; Amazon, Target, Nordstrom, Netflix, and Walmart have made the switch to DevOps and have seen a decent return in doing so. The DevOps model relies on effective tooling to help teams rapidly and reliably deploy and innovate.

So like with Netflix, when they adopted the DevOps model, they created a tool called “Simian Army” which created bugs in their systems on purpose to motivate developers to create kind of a “be prepared for anything” type of situation, so you could Netflix and become or find out you’re a baby’s daddy without having to worry about your service ever going out…which is kind of chill.

uncertain black man in hoodie
You said I’m who daddy now?
Photo by SHVETS production, please support by following @pexel.com

Keys and Goals

What’s that? “This is madness,” you say. “Other things that make DevOps so important are that it emphasizes team empowerment, cross-team communication and collaboration, and technology automation.

All of this is supposed to nullify what happened back in the old days of development, I only say “supposed” because not sure if you have ever worked for a large company or not but if you have, you will know that communication is, for lack of better terms non-existent.

Again, I know that every company is different or at least they try to be but, in my experience, dear sweet Satan it’s been bad. Anyway, DevOps at its core, the ultimate goal is to enable the organization to deliver continuous value to its customers.

At the end of the day, the aim is for the customer to be happy with the product and use it worry-free.

photo of woman in red top wearing eyeglasses
Daddy said get out, but what if that was my goal all along?
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio, please support by following @pexel.com

Degrees of Daddy Issues

So, have you been feeling peer pressure of returning to school to get a degree? Your daddy has been telling you to “either get a degree in something or get out”?

Well…I have good news and bad news. The good news first is, like always, Z-daddy got you and would never kick you out…unless you broke in then you would have to leave.

The bad news, however, is that you may have to leave if you don’t want to spend time in college because you don’t have to in order to get into DevOps… or many other fields. I don’t know why we’re still harping on the four or how many ever years in college troupe.

Education is, for the most part, free nowadays, going to a college is like going to a restaurant, depending on which one you attend you’re really just going because of the name. Sorry for the monologue, back to the script.

DevOps attracts people with technical and non-technical backgrounds, meaning you can be an intern who fetches coffee, refills, and beats on printers, and still, find your way to DevOps.

Alternate resources are doing some online courses or a coding Bootcamp. Gaining extensive knowledge of the Software Development Life Cycle or SDCL, automation tools, and processes to resolve complex operational problems would see you well.

Made it this far and found this to be entertaining? Then a big thanks to you and please show your support by cracking a like, scripting a comment, or plug-in to follow.

Would like to give sincere thanks to current followers and subscribers, your support and actions mean a lot and has a play in the creation of each script.

Do you have an interest in joining a DevOps team?

Script a comment below about what company you would dev for.

Cloud Talk, Programming, Security, Tech

Jobs Band of Thieves

Consider following on social media!

Quick note: if you’re viewing this via email, come to the site for better viewing. Enjoy!

Tim: Hey Briggs, did you read the latest script?
Briggs: You know I did bro.
Tim: Z-Daddy is like my gun, he’s always on point.
Briggs: Bro, stop calling him that and that was mad cringe.
Photo by Pixabay, please support by following @pexel.com

There was a time, a long time ago, when we as humans weren’t divided and we lived together in perfect harmony. In case you were wondering how long ago that time was, I’m referring to the stone age when we were in caves, communicating through grunts and often pointing off into the distance to what may be a potential threat.

But as our civilization grew, so did our divide, and this also happened within the world of technology. There has been a long-standing argument over which PC (Personal Computer) is superior and to what aspect. Many claim that Windows users are the most vulnerable to viruses, malware, and susceptible to other forms of attacks and Apple is the alpha, omega, and like a self-proclaimed independent woman of modern society, they don’t need any virus protection keeping them down.

Mac users, you might want to keep reading because your PC isn’t off the menu.  

Shaw: Mac can get hacked? But Steve Jobs at fruit.
Z-Daddy: Shawn, that has nothing to do with this topic.
Photo by Dima Valkov, please support by following @pexel.com

A Bitten Apple

For many years, Apple has gone under the radar for being targeted for viruses and malware. Viruses have been reported to hit Apple products but not as hard or as often as with Windows and Android.

But there is a new addition to the growing list of viruses aiming to put MacOS higher up on the attacking menu. MacStealer is classed as malware that can collect your passwords, cookies, and other credentials from the web browser. Web browsers like Firefox and Google Chrome are commonly on the menu. MacStealer also has the capability to extract information from the KeyChain database.

KeyChain, in case you’re unfamiliar, is a macOS app that stores your passwords and account information, so in a sense making it easier for you to login into your accounts with less recalling. Always keep in mind that if it makes it easier for you it also makes it easier for the attacker depending on your given level of privilege on your PC.

A small inconvenience can go a long way.

Here at Uptycs, we find viruses and stuff.
Photo by Zhengdong Hu, please support by following @pexel.com

Malware Among Mac

Analyst researchers at a company called Uptycs discovered this malware. Uptycs, which is a cloud-based analytics solution for anomaly detection. You may be asking yourself what all these words mean. These are all fancy words for, “We look for anything that may be suspicious on your network” or “sus”, for those who have played Among Us.

They had found the malware being advertised on a forum site on the dark web. For those who don’t know, the dark web is not what Hollywood makes it out to be, and you may have experienced it to some degree. The dark web is the use of special browsers like Tor Onion and VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) for peer-to-peer connections to access content that otherwise wouldn’t be accessible.

Always keep in mind, just you being there isn’t illegal, however, the activities in which you participate if discovered could have consequences. MacStealer, was not only being sold as Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) – meaning the author created it and it’s being sold for public use via agreement on pay, but its price tag was $100.

The fact that threat actors keep a budget in mind when it comes to paying for malicious services on the dark web leaves me dumbfounded. Even cyber criminals feel the effects of inflation.

Z-Daddy, please tell I don’t have to switch back to Windows OS.
Photo by Andrea Picacquadio, please support by following @pexel.com

Ideal Co-Worker

So, at this junction, you probably want to know how this malware functions. MacStealer, when distributed, appears as an unassigned DMG (Apple Disk Image file) with a weed icon on the folder.

This is done with the intent to trick the victim into running the file on their computer. After clicking, the victim is prompted with a fake prompt to enter their credentials to “log in”. Once this action is completed, the machine is comprised, and information aggregation can begin.

Once all of the data is collected, it’s stored in a ZIP file and is sent back to controlled servers and stored to be collected later for the hacker. At the same time, MacStealer sends out a notification signifying the task is complete.

Yes, I know, this is more efficient than your co-workers, and no, you can’t make a virus to replace them. I’ve already tried.

Oh my co-workers just got lucky. I was so going to replace them with a virus.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio, please support by following @pexel.com

Zero Victim Security

This is being told with some good news… finally. No one (that I am aware of) has been hit with this malware yet. Uptycs analyst spotted it and put out an alert in time.

It’s still in the developing stages, so features from the author are looking to be added to it but for now, it’s nothing too sophisticated where you wouldn’t be able to spot it. Still, prevention has to be mentioned because not everyone may be computer savvy.

For some people owning an Apple product is like eating at a fancy restaurant, some people just bought it for the name. I don’t know how many people have put weed icons on their folders but if you find a file or folder with a weed icon and you didn’t put it there, delete it. Only enter your passwords and other log-in information at secure websites.

Never, and if you’re doing it, stop, store your passwords or any information in your web browser. It seems like a good option but it’s the one of few areas threat actors count on for your goodies. If you have too many accounts and passwords to remember, a solution could be using a simple text editor like Microsoft Office Word, saving, and storing your credentials on a flash drive, and unplugging it from the computer for good measure.

Never download files or click on any links sent from unknown sources and double-check with people whom you may know the link was from. There aren’t as many vulnerabilities in MacOS as in Windows, but a moment in evaluating a given situation could see both operating systems with better security.

Any one of these macs could have been comprised, don’t let it be yours.
Photo by fauxels, please support by following @pexel.com

Made it this far and found this to be entertaining? Then a big thanks to you and please show your support by cracking a like, scripting a comment, or plug-in to follow.

Would like to give sincere thanks to current followers and subscribers, your support and actions mean a lot and has a play in the creation of each script.

Do you think there is something I may have missed or have another way to prevent this? Script a comment below.

Cloud Talk, Programming, Tech

How Did I Fail with This Grade!?

Consider following on social media!

Quick note: if you’re viewing this via email, come to the site for better viewing. Enjoy!

eyes of worry
Don’t make me learn and stuff.
Photo by samer daboul, please support by following @pexel.com

It’s that lovely time again, you know that time when you have to step outside of your comfort zone and learn something new. For most people stepping outside of their comfort zones; it’s learning how to dance, but for me, it’s learning how to do complex Math.

Give me a beat and I’ll give you the cringiest dance moves I can come up with all day, give me an equation and I’ll quickly redirect the equation to the computer. I mean what else do we have them for, outside of waiting for their pending uprise?

Anyway, you sit down at your computer, blow the dust off your keyboard, and begin glossing over what you could learn. You elect to learn a programming language but which one, there are so many. And whatever language you choose it must be able to set you apart from the pack.

What if I told you that you might want to consider learning a programming language that the pack may know but may not be proficient in? Trust me, sometimes going with the herd works. What is this programming language that could see you as a part of the herd and yet can set you apart from them?

Puzzled as to what it could be? Again, worry not sweet child of mine, Z-daddy got you.

cool guy in hat point at you
I might not be your daddy but like issues, I got you.
Photo by Elle Hughes, please support by following @pexel.com

In a World of C

So, who could give Scala a run for its money when it comes to being among scalable programming languages? One hint is that it mirrors the grades I’m used to seeing when I was in school only just with another plus sign added to it.

Couldn’t figure it out with my hint? Then I would like to introduce you to C++. What is this programming language you ask? Well like you may have heard many times over, C++ is a general-purpose programming language that can be used to create high-performance applications and offers programmers a high level of control over system resources and memory.

I’ve run into multiple people saying C++ was their first programming language to learn because they were pursuing a degree in computer science. I was also informed one or two dropped out due to difficulty and lack of interest in developing programming skills.

A clear thing to note is that colleges will set you up for failure since you wouldn’t only be learning this language but other programming languages as well. I’m aware they don’t do this intentionally, learning C++ is important since it’s cross-platform and it’s supposed to “test your grit” but yeah, just learning one programming language, in general, is hard enough when you have no clue on how to program.

Anyway, ranting aside, C++ is difficult to learn due to its multi-paradigm nature and advanced syntax. C++ was created by Bjarne Stroustrup back in 1979 (he might have had that Stephen King experience) at Bell Labs in Murray Hill, New Jersey.

If you have ever been to New Jersey, remember one thing, like the scene from The Lion King; everything the light touches is yours except Camden… stay away from Camden. There is some debate if C++ and C are either high- or low-level languages but then again, everything is a debate in the tech world so make of that what you will.

young woman holding her head frustrated
I hate school, I hate math, God I even hate breathing.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio, please support by following @pexel.com

The C in Colleges

You may be wondering, “Why do colleges add C++ into your curriculum when pursuing a degree in computer science?” Simple, as mentioned earlier they want you to fail, drop out, and provide them with an endless supply of income.

In turn, they provide you with regret, student loan debt with interest, and a crippling blow to your academic ego. Leaving you with an all-around “you’ll never work in this city again” type of vibe. Scorn aside, C++ is in many ways… everywhere.

Programs and systems in everyday use or a part of their codebase are written either in C or C++. Operating systems, web browsers, your favorite game, or video editing software are some applications C++ can be found in.

Popular areas to note other than operating systems, browsers, and games are GUI-based (Graphical user interface) applications, embedded systems, banking applications, database management software, and cloud or distributed systems.

So take that teacher who said my C+ wouldn’t take me to a lot of places, you can kiss my A.

angry man pointing
And I told her just like this, “you can kiss my A”.
Photo by cottonbro studio, please support by following @pexel.com

Enjoy the read so far? Why don’t you consider subscribing so you can keep up to date?

C++ Importance

So why is C++ so important? Well, I’m glad you didn’t ask.

If you couldn’t tell from the previous paragraph because you’re skimming through this script like an “I’m too busy to read this nonsense, just get to your point” person… you feel triggered? Good, yeah I’m calling you out.

A lot of work goes into the creation of these scripts, be a decent person, go back to the previous paragraph and stick to the script.

For those of you who stuck to the script, C++ also adds importance because of company applications like Facebo- I mean Meta (C++ may even have a play in that Ready Player One knock-off dream Metaverse) and Google, also another fun fact is that this programming language is even in your car and medical technology.

Have fun getting sleep knowing that you’re one error code away from the grave.

businessman thinking about problems
I did version control, that wasn’t my line of code that cased a crush.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio, please support by following @pexel.com

C++ Path Least Taken

So you interested in learning C++ and want to get a job using it? I have some good news; you can do this without spending your time getting into debt. That’s right you don’t have to spend years pursuing a degree that’s going to make you live out of your car for four years.

If you can learn and gain a deep understanding of the fundamentals and concepts, then landing that highly sought-after cushiony IT job is all yours. Well, it’s not going to be that simple. I mean if it was then everyone would have a developer or software engineer job.

Clearly, you’re going to need more than just this programming language, again that’s why colleges have you learn other languages aside from this one. The best alternatives to learning C++ or any programming language for that matter are doing meetups for pair programming – this will see you sharping your programming skills even if you don’t have any, and you could combine this with pursuing online courses where you can gain knowledge from a high-to-low level.

It all depends on how far you want to go. You do not need a degree to become a programmer however, you do need something more than “Hello World” under your belt.

Made it this far and found this to be entertaining? Then a big thanks to you and please show your support by cracking a like, scripting a comment, or plug-in to follow.

Would like to give sincere thanks to current followers and subscribers, your support and actions mean a lot and has a play in the creation of each script.

Do you think there might be something I may have missed about C++? Script a comment below.