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A Look at the AusCERT2019 Cyber Security Conference

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AusCERT is holding its annual conference from 28 to 31 May 2019 at the Surfers Paradise Marriott in the Gold Coast. AusCEPT is a leading Cyber Emergency Response Team CEPT information security advisor for different sectors.

Different organisations in Australia join the network and benefit from the response services of the team on different issues involving cybersecurity.

Both members and non-members can attend the conference, which has various elements making up the agenda. The first two days cover tutorials while the actual conference takes place on the last two days.

More About AusCERT

The Australian CERT was established in 1993 as a non-profit that is part of the University of Queensland in the Information Technology Services. AusCERT served as the national cyber emergency response team until 2010. It is one of the first contacts that organisations have when dealing with security incidents.

AusCERT was created to help members detect, respond, mitigate and prevent cyber-related attacks. The response funds itself through registration fees from members, service contracts and the annual conference.

AusCERT is responsible for monitoring threats and vulnerabilities on a global scale. It then develops strategies for mitigation and prevention of different types of risks. The team has numerous global contacts across the world that allows it to gather accurate information on emerging cyber threats. As part of global CERT, the cyber security Australia team gets early warnings about threats for which members benefit a lot.

The response team has an incident management service that is responsible for stopping a cyber attack in progress. Members can also rely on this service to help them recover after an incident. AusCERT has a Security Bulletin Service, which is a report containing data from varying sources about different internet security issues.

AusCERT 2019

Every year, AusCERT holds a cyber security conference that has remained the longest running in Australia. About 700 participants, both individuals and organisations, attend the event. The conference is designed to offer companies and internet security experts the tools they need to enhance their response to attacks.

From in-house IT teams to white hat hackers and other internet security experts, the 2019 conference provides an opportunity for industry players to interact and discuss issues like cyber security management. Social events are also part of the program including a Gala Dinner that incorporates industry awards. Participants have the chance to visit the Gold Coast and enjoy what it has in store.

The Agenda

On the first day of tutorials, participants will undertake a malware traffic analysis workshop, open source security orchestration, malware analysis, MISP training, TLS training, digital forensics and social engineering. For the second day of tutorials, attendees will learn how to think like an analyst, the risk management of cyber security, x86 assembly fundamentals, hacking of Bluetooth low energy, practical data science, TLS training and digital forensics. On 30 and 31 May, keynote speeches will take place.

The keynote speakers at the 2019 AusCERT cyber security conference are Mike Hypponen and Troy Hunt. Hypponen is a renowned TED Speaker on matters of tech security. He is also the CRO (Chief Research Officer) of F-Secure. Hypponen is an author for various global publications including Scientific America, The New York Times and Wired. Hunt is a Microsoft Regional Director and an independent security trainer. He founded HIBP (Have I Been Pwned) a data breach monitoring and notification service. Adam Spencer, a lover of math and a comedian, will be the event’s MC. Speakers for the main program and tutorials are from different global and regional companies.

AusCERT2019, organised by GEMS Event Management, will be a congregation of organisations from across the region looking to gain more knowledge about cybersecurity and its various facets. AusCERT provides information about the registration of members and non-members for the conference.

The Test of Taste – 7 Tips For Turning Your Restaurant Into the Talk of the Town

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Opening a restaurant in this day and age can be more stressful than many people realise, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid doing it. The traps that many restaurateurs fall into can be avoided through fairly simple means, and avoidance is the best way to aim for success, rather than falling into them and working hard to get out. In this article, we have put together 7 tips for turning your restaurant into the talk of the town, in the hopes that it helps you reach your business goals in a timely fashion.

Menu

The menu you offer up to your customers is the first interaction of any substance that they have with your business. Plenty of times their first actual interaction will be walking past on opening day, or peering through the window when you’re closed. However, those impressions fall by the wayside once they’ve tasted your food. Your food quality is of the utmost importance, so if your decoration has to be a little more sparse to allow the budget for mind-blowing food, so be it. You’ve probably heard your friends say “this place looks a little weird but the food is amazing” more times than you’ve heard “the food here sucks but I keep coming back because it looks cool”.

Theme

Having a theme for your restaurant doesn’t have to be as cheesy as many, many 80’s restaurants made it out to be. When people think “themed restaurant”, their mind usually jumps to a medieval-themed eatery where screaming children run rampant and an air of lawlessness permeates the loose idea that this is a restaurant. This is, obviously, not what you’re going to be aiming for when it comes to your theme. A subtle theme can mean the difference between a well known restaurant and a must-visit destination for travellers, so find what theme works for you and subtly introduce it.

Pricing

Pricing is tricky, because people will assume cheaper food is, well, cheaper food. The more expensive you go, the higher quality your whole restaurant experience has to be, and therefore the more you charge the more you have to spend. Calibrate your costs with what restaurants you want to align yours with in terms of price bracket and you’ll find a more steady stream of customers.

Service

Service is highly important, because you don’t want your wait staff to take plates away the second your customers are finished eating, but you also don’t want them to leave the dishes on the table to languish in the after-dinner conversation. There are plenty of fine places to get hospitality supplies in Melbourne, so there shouldn’t be any reason you can’t provide guests with extra cutlery if they need it. Prompt service is always good, so steer clear of slow chefs and lengthy prep times for anything other than the special dish of the evening/week/month, because a special is always worth waiting for.

Dietary Options

Allowing your guests to choose between an omnivorous, a vegetarian, and a vegan option is standard in the modern day and age, so ensure you have these options, but don’t forget to include gluten free for coeliacs and a fructose free option for the unfortunate souls that can rarely eat anything on any menu for fear of the garlic and onion in every choice. This difference will set you apart from your similarly-priced competition, and leave you victorious.

Social Media

Every restaurant worth a visit has its own social media pages, and acting otherwise only works when that’s the point of your restaurant. If you’re running a place that has a ban on phones, for instance, no social media will align with your branding and be kitsch and cool. However, any other kind of place needs to have an Instagram, and a Facebook at the very least.

Location

Finally, your location will set you apart. Far from the city center but offering exotic and well-made foods will struggle, as will the same setup in the city center due to competition. Find the “golden suburb” that has a median income that works with your pricing and is known to be cool, or at least a little quirky, and you’re well on your way to being an underground hotspot.

These tips will help you secure yourself a spot on the list of every trend setter in your city, so get to planning your menu and training your staff to prepare for the opening night of a lifetime.

3 Problems Plaguing the Australian Construction Industry (And How to Overcome Them)

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The construction industry can be a harsh place for businesses. It requires a huge investment in potential profits. Until a customer has paid for a project or contract in full, there is no guarantee that this investment will be worthwhile. It means that cash flow is very important and any delays to payments or problems with receivables can become big obstacles very quickly.

In Australia, the construction sector is very healthy and diverse, but it has its challenges, just like construction sectors all over the world. For instance, the rising cost of raw materials is a constant pressure and contractors have to find ever more innovative ways to meet them, while also keeping their rates competitive.

This guide to the construction sector in Australia will discuss some of its biggest problems and how your business can overcome them.

Slow Invoicing and Payment Cycles

Many contractors (small businesses especially) find it hard to regulate cash flow because they don’t put suitable invoicing systems in place. By using aprogress payment schedule you can easily outline what is expected of your contractors at different phases of the project. It’s important to be crystal clear on what is required for a phase of the project to be considered ‘complete’ and for a progress payment to be issued so that there is no confusion or disagreements as the project progresses. Expect contractors to request a progress payment approximately every two weeks, depending on the scope of the project.

Without regular progress payments, it can be very challenging to keep your current construction project on track. Furthermore, it will be virtually impossible to begin another project as you will have too much of your financial resources tied up in the current job. Agree on a progress payment schedule that works for all parties and the job should run smoothly from start to finish.

Rising Cost of Raw Materials

As already mentioned, the price of commodities like oil and metal continues to rise alongside interest rates and the strength of the Australian currency. In some ways, this is good news for contractors, because it means that they can justify raising their own rates. However, if rates climb too high, customers look elsewhere for their construction work and deals are lost.

It is a tricky problem and one that has no easy solution. Nevertheless, businesses can try to cut costs in other areas. For example,learning how to streamline operations with the use of technology can be an effective way to minimise waste. Digital invoicing apps and record keeping software are tools which boost profits by helping companies keep track of payments and close out on projects faster.

Lack of Safety Training

One recurring problem for the Australian construction industry is safety. As demand grows, so too does the need for qualified contractors and construction experts. This can encourage some companies to cut corners and try to maximise profits by reducing their investment in things like safety training and risk management procedures.

Unfortunately, this is nothing but a fast track to serious injury and, in many cases, subsequent litigation. So,investing in high-quality safety training is not just a way to keep employees safe, it also protects the business. Technology can be a great tool in this area as well because apps and mobile devices mean that training doesn’t have to be limited to formal meetings.

Why Technology Is the Future of the Construction Industry

It is often said that technology represents the future of all industries, no matter what their objectives. While this might sound a little far-fetched, the reality is that digital resources can transform everything from project planning to managing supplies, tracking deliveries, and processing invoices. It is particularly valuable for regulating cash flow, as automating payments eliminates errors and increases visibility right the way along invoicing channels.

Spending Money to Make Money; The Advantages and Benefits of a College Loan

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Education is of vital importance to the success of any economy, local or federal. A higher level of education will drive the overall skill set of a labor force. This helps to stimulate job growth.

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A higher skilled work force will also increase employment and wage rates. However, a college education is extremely costly. According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, the average annual cost to attend a college was $22,261 for an in-state public school, and $43,289 for a private school. In a stagnant economy, these prices can seem very daunting, and the ability to attain an education may not be thought as possible. However, the federal government also recognizes this problem, and as a result, has constructed a student loan program that offers a variety of benefits and breaks for people wanting to get a college education. This has enabled countless individuals to successfully meet their educational goals, and obtain the college degrees that they desire.

Benefits of taking a Student loan

There are five major benefits that generally come with taking out a student loan. The first of these benefits is that a federal loan has a fixed interest rate. This means that the interest rate of the loan will not fluctuate during the fixed rate period of the loan, no matter what condition the economy may be in. This allows borrowers to accurately predict their future payments, enabling them to financially budget their future efficiently.

A major concern amongst borrowers is that if they are disabled or pass away while they have an outstanding loan, that their debt will be transferred to their family members. This is not be a concern among people who have a federal student loan, because the second major benefit to a federal student loan is that the government provides free loan insurance. This means that in the unfortunate event that an individual either dies or becomes disabled while their loan is still outstanding, that the federal government will cover the cost of their debt.

Another common concern amongst borrowers is that they will not be able to financially balance their loan payments while they also attend their college classes. This brings us to the third benefit of student loans, which is that the government will allow students to defer loan payments as long as they are enrolled as a half-time student. However, this benefit can be risky depending on the terms of the loan. Borrowers should be aware of this, and know the terms of their loan well before considering this benefit.

Sometimes, it is difficult for recent graduates to find employment in today’s economy. A major concern is that a person will not be able to find a job post-college, and will not be able to make payments on a loan. The federal government understands that job searching is difficult, and students may not always land the job that they desire. That is why the fourth benefit of student loans is that students who are expecting to go into a low-paying job can choose to participate in a program known as Student Loan Consolidation in order to lower their monthly payments to better match their monthly income. These programs often require post graduates to pay no more than 15% of their income. In 2014, these programs are predicted to lower this number to only 10%. It is an excellent way for graduates to customize, and extend their repayment plan to meet the demands of their post-collegiate life.

The final major benefit to taking out a federal student loan is that the government will not charge borrowers any extra money for repaying their loan ahead of schedule. Many money-lending companies will financially penalize individuals who make early payments, because this lowers the overall interest that the borrower will pay at the end of the loan’s lifespan. This is not the case with most federal student loans, because the government has a large interest in educating the population, so graduates who use a federal student loan do not have to worry if they come more money than expected, and wish to pay off their loan ahead of schedule.

In general, the annual income of a college graduate is double the income of a person who only has a high school diploma. Going into debt is a risk that nobody wants to endure. The benefits of a federal student loan helps to ease the negativity of debt by giving the borrower more control over the terms of borrowing, and their payment plan. Sometimes it is required to spend money in order to make it.

http://www.studentloansconsolidationservices.com/ offers information and articles on student loans and student financing.