Top Low Code Tools, CCNA Courses & Ransomware Defense Tips in this Week’s Top Reads

In this week’s top reads, we compared two leading low code tools, covered how to build a strong ransomware defense strategy, talked about how VPNs are making a comeback and covered the top courses and study materials required to pass the CCNA certification exam.

August 25, 2022

The adoption of low code software and application development is gaining ground in 2022. Considering many enterprises and SMBs would want to embrace low-code software development in the coming days, Spiceworks News & Insights conducted a thorough review of two leading low-code development tools – Visual LANSA and Appian – based on performance, development environment, functionality, workflow, and other features. 

The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) 200-301 exam is a tough yet rewarding certification. It helps IT professionals become network administrators, IT managers, technical assistance engineers, network security specialists, system engineers and VoIP engineers. For IT professionals planning to get a CCNA certification, we compiled the best resources one needs to prepare for the exam, along with some helpful tips for budding engineers to succeed.

In an interesting read, Ray Steen, the CSO of MainSpring, looks at the impact of ransomware on organizations in 2022 and lays out top tips on how organizations should protect their data, detect malicious attacks, and defeat the ransomware business model. Artur Kane, CMO and VP of product development at GoodAccess, also explores how VPNs can provide better controls, security and compliance using modern technology and procedures.

Here’s a look at this week’s top reads from Spiceworks News & Insights.

Visual LANSA vs Appian: Which low code development tool is better?

A low-code development tool enables a business to deploy software without doing heavy coding or going through any complex processes. Visual LANSA and Appian are among some of the most popular low-code development tools that enterprises from diverse industries use. In an end-to-end review of the two products, we take a deep look at their respective feature-sets, pros and cons, and their utility to businesses based on performance, development environment, functionality, workflow, and other parameters. 

The in-depth review covers what these tools are, the best industry use cases they enable, the tools and processes required to make them work optimally, the level of performance they offer to users, their respective operational efficiencies, their ability to optimize business processes, and their credentials in terms of data security, data synchronization, ease of setup, ease of use, support quality, and lifecycle management.

Click here to read our comprehensive review of Visual LANSA and Appian.

Preparing for the tough, but rewarding, CCNA certification exam

The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) 200-301 exam is a tough yet rewarding certification. It helps IT professionals become network administrators, IT managers, technical assistance engineers, network security specialists, system engineers and VoIP engineers and earn an average income of nearly $90,000 annually. It is beyond any doubt that passing this examination and becoming a certified network engineer requires specialized and practical knowledge, a thorough grasp of networking concepts, and the ability to learn new technologies to keep pace with the quickly-evolving world of IT networking.

In an exhaustive coverage of what it takes to pass the CCNA exam, we cover the topics that IT professionals need to familiarize themselves with, offer tips on developing a study plan, and cover all the study materials, online resources, labs, knowledge repositories, and study groups that aspirants should consider to succeed in the first attempt. You may also go through our in-depth coverage of a CCNA certification, the course curriculum, the cost of taking the certification exam, industry salaries, and the jobs that require CCNA certification.

Click here to learn how to prepare for the tightly-contested CCNA certification exam.

How to prepare for the next ransomware attack?

Ransomware is one of the most ubiquitous and deadly threats facing businesses today. According to Verizon’s Data Breach Investigation Report (DBIR), ransomware incidents have increased by 13% in 2022, more than in the past five years combined. According to a survey of 1,100 cybersecurity professionals, 80% of organizations were impacted by ransomware in 2021 — in 2022, there will be more.

In an interesting read, Ray Steen, the CSO of MainSpring, lays out top tips on how organizations should protect their data, detect malicious attacks, and defeat the ransomware business model. He discusses how companies can detect the tell-tale signs of ransomware activity, respond in the aftermath of an attack, the importance of having backups, and how to ensure business continuity during a ransomware attack.

Click here to read Steen’s top tips on building an effective ransomware defense strategy.

Dissecting a new VPN approach towards better privacy and security

VPNs have been used since the 1990s to provide secure point-to-point tunnels and encrypt data in motion across an open internet. However, in recent days, the quick adoption of zero trust as a philosophical approach to cybersecurity is threatening to play havoc with the VPN services industry. But the industry has been quick to step up to the challenge. 

In an interesting long read, Artur Kane, the CMO And VP Of Product Development at GoodAccess, discusses a new renaissance of VPNs. “Now, the virtualized private network is not strictly just tunnels and encrypted packets,” he says, “but a way of establishing a secure, private network within the broader public internet, catering specifically to employees or users in any location and cloud-based applications and infrastructure.”

Kane discusses four significant factors that make this fresh approach possible: privatization, determinism, management, and access controls. These factors are now helping businesses use cloud VPN solutions to create a zero-trust network virtually without much complexity and overhead. “Threats and compliance requirements continue escalating, and general security is more complicated and complex. Turning to VPNs as existing virtual private networks within a cloud-everything world could make a crucial difference,” he adds.

Click here to read about the renaissance of VPNs and how it benefits businesses.

As always, we invite you to explore our expansive coverage of the latest in the tech industry on Spiceworks News & Insights.   

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Jayant Chakravarti
Jayant Chakravarti

Senior Assistant Editor, Spiceworks Ziff Davis

Jayant is Senior Assistant Editor for Spiceworks News & Insights and handles feature stories, news, and interviews around the latest developments in the field of technology, specifically around disruptions introduced by emerging concepts such as cybersecurity, AI, cloud computing, and data-driven analytics. He specializes in the coverage of cybersecurity laws, regulations, and practices in EMEA and North America. You can get in touch with him at jayant.chakravarti@swzd.com
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