Tag Archive for: Forbes

How To Invest In The Metaverse – Forbes Advisor UK

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You may not have visited it yourself, but chances are you’ll have heard of the metaverse and how it is being promoted as the ‘next big thing’ in the technology and social media sectors.

The metaverse – with its roots in role-play gaming – is already awash with applications and various forms of commercial activity, many of which offer investment potential.

Here’s a look at what the metaverse is, how it works, plus the best ways for retail investors such as you and me to own a piece of the action.

Note: all forms of investing are speculative and carry the potential for partial or total financial loss.

What is the metaverse?

Internet technology has become a dominant force in entertainment, socialising and work, and it underpins key everyday services such as health, commerce, finance, transport and security. 

In terms of internet evolution, Web 1.0 can be said to have connected people to information, while Web 2.0 connected them to the social media revolution.

Web 3.0, meanwhile, involves the metaverse, where people are connected digitally to virtual places and things.

Instead of accessing the internet in two dimensions through a screen, the metaverse allows individuals to inhabit virtual or augmented reality worlds and to interact with each other in shared, three-dimensional online spaces.

This could be for a variety of purposes, from business and shopping to recreational or leisure-based activities. The rebranding of social media giant Facebook to Meta clearly reflects the importance Mark Zuckerberg attaches to the development of an online environment where people ‘live’ in a virtual universe.

From a commercial perspective, Dina Ting, head of global index portfolio management at Franklin Templeton, describes the metaverse as “an amalgamation of worlds that allows companies and content producers to address their target audience in entirely new ways and accelerate digital value creation.”

She says: “The metaverse will become the internet of internets, offering a seamless and immersive experience. With an avatar [an image representing the computer user], you will be able to walk around virtual worlds and settings to…

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What Is Cybersecurity? Everything You Need To Know – Forbes Advisor Australia

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Cybersecurity professionals can work in many different sectors to protect sensitive data from bad actors. After gaining industry experience, they can pursue management-level roles to oversee departments and craft organizational security efforts.

The following section explores common cybersecurity careers.

Chief Information Security Officer

Average Annual Salary: Around $184,000

Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in computer and information technology, master’s degree often preferred

Job Description: CISOs prepare for, manage and assess cyberthreats. These senior, executive-level professionals oversee and implement organisations’ cybersecurity and information security efforts. CISOs, which may also carry the title of chief security officer, typically collaborate with other executives to reduce damages related to breaches and ensure that security programs meet organisational goals.

Larger employers may require CISOs to hold seven to 10 years of experience in information security and/or cybersecurity. Many hiring managers seek candidates with master’s degrees, but more professional experience can often stand in for formal education.

Though certification is not required for the role, CISOs can pursue relevant credentials like certified information systems security professional (CISSP) and certified chief information security officer to increase their earning power and career opportunities.

Information Security Analyst

Median Annual Salary: $90,000

Required Education: High school diploma and experience, bachelor’s degree in computer science preferred

Job Description: Information security analysts assist organisations by scanning computer systems and networks for potential breaches. They use data encryption software and firewalls to safeguard data and communications. These professionals set companies’ security standards and apply security best practices while remaining current on changes and trends in the field.

Information security analysts primarily work in computer systems design and other related professions, along with the finance and insurance sectors. They often work alongside computer systems analysts and network administrators, requiring strong…

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Can VPNs protect you from data breaches? – Forbes Advisor Australia

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Concern about our individual cyber security is growing among Australians in the wake of numerous data breaches, including two significant attacks on Australian companies.

The Optus data breach impacted nearly 10 million customers, many of whom were required to replace vital documents, including their driver’s license. Not long after, Medibank Private revealed that all of its nearly four million customers have had their data hacked—some of which included detail medical information.

These two high-profile debacles have understandably prompted many Australians to contemplate how they can keep their data safe. Many have been wondering whether a VPN can help secure their data in an era of increased susceptibility to cyber hacks. Here’s the lowdown. 

Related: Guide to using VPNs in Australia

What Is A VPN?

VPN stands for ‘virtual private network—a service that protects your internet connection and privacy online. It does this by creating an encrypted digital tunnel between your computer and the internet, protecting your online identity and hiding your IP address (which is a series of numbers that identifies a device or network). 

Another way to understand a VPN is to picture it as an outer packet that ensures your data stays secure inside the packet. This keeps the data safe during transfer.

A VPN also allows you to use public Wifi hotspots safely.

How VPNs May Help

A VPN can quite literally block your IP address from everyone. Governments, hackers, or anyone else spying on you as you navigate the web, explains Australian cyber security expert, Stephen Kho. 

“For example, connecting to public Wi-Fi networks, such as those found in coffee shops, airports, and other public areas, is incredibly risky,” says Kho, of digital security company, Avast. 

“All it takes is one hacker connected on the same network and they can easily spy on all your activity. A VPN acts like an invisibility cloak, hiding everything you do on your phone or computer.

A VPN can protect you from prying eyes such as Google and other websites that track your browsing habits, Kho adds.

“If you’ve ever used the private browsing feature in your…

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How to Choose a VPN – Forbes Advisor Australia

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With plenty of global VPNs available to the Australian market, how can you choose which is best for you? VPN providers offer various features, so it is best to consider what you need from the network and what cost you are willing to pay.

As Neel Baggam, a cyber security engineer for Deloitte explains, some of the most crucial factors to consider when comparing VPNs are to “read the privacy policy to understand what kind of logs and data the vendor collects from the user, and how it is stored”.

Baggam also recommends making sure the VPN provider has a fast network speed and an extensive server network. Here’s what that all means, along with additional VPN features to consider.

Related: Nord VPN Review

Number of servers and locations

The number of servers and locations a VPN has can affect the overall quality of the network. If it has a large number of servers, this means all of the VPN providers’ users will be spread out across those servers. With a smaller number of users on each server, this allows for better connection speeds and stable performance.

Additionally, a higher number of servers across various locations allows users to switch between preferred locations. This can enhance the security of your connection, as it makes it harder for third parties to track your data if the server you are accessing websites with is based in Australia one day, but connecting from the UK the next day.

Simultaneous connections

VPN providers offering a varying number of simultaneous connections. This means that you, your family or your business are able to connect to the same network at the same time across various devices.

Even while connected to the same network simultaneously, the individual user’s data will not be shared between devices. It is most common for a VPN provider to offer around five simultaneous connections, although some offer more.

Connection and download speeds

“Anytime you go online, speed is important. Nobody wants to deal with loading pages, long downloads, buffering streams, or lagging video games,” writes VPN.com founder Michael Gargiulo.

Using a VPN, however, has shown to slow the average internet experience by 10-20%–a difference which would…

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