financial services Archives

Tech Optimizer

June 9, 2025

Streamline Amazon Aurora database operations at scale: Introducing the AWS Database Acceleration Toolkit

The AWS Database Acceleration Toolkit (DAT) is an open-source solution that enhances database performance, particularly for Amazon Aurora, by utilizing Terraform for setup, provisioning, and maintenance. DAT helps organizations reduce time to market, improve customer satisfaction, and optimize costs. It is beneficial for DevOps teams, SaaS providers, and enterprises transitioning from commercial databases to Aurora. One example of its effectiveness includes a customer reducing database migration time from 12 months to 4 weeks for over 100 databases, achieving zero outages over six months, increasing database team productivity by 60-70%, and lowering infrastructure costs by 42%. DAT's architecture includes automated resource provisioning and security through Terraform, with source code available in a Git repository. It offers multiple provisioning options for Aurora clusters, including the Terraform CLI and Jenkins pipelines. Key modules include: - Aurora cluster module for creating new clusters with customization options. - Amazon RDS Proxy for enhancing application performance and security. - Aurora GlobalDB for creating clusters across AWS Regions for disaster recovery. - Aurora Monitoring for configuring CloudWatch dashboards to monitor database performance. Use case examples are provided in the Git repository for both Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible and Aurora MySQL-Compatible engines. Deployment options include using Terraform directly, setting up a new Jenkins instance, or integrating with an existing Jenkins setup. To provision an Aurora PostgreSQL cluster, users must clone the DAT repository, navigate to the appropriate folder, configure the Terraform variable definition file, initialize the working directory, execute a plan, and apply the changes. Security features include customer-managed keys, integration with AWS Secrets Manager for password management, and enhanced monitoring through CloudWatch. To clean up, users can destroy the Aurora cluster with a Terraform command.

AppWizard

May 24, 2025

Vietnam to Block Messaging App Telegram

Morgan Williams, the Product Director at B2Core, discussed the company's Introducing Broker (IB) module in a webinar, highlighting its features such as efficient trader onboarding, automated commission tracking, and powerful growth tools for brokers. He addressed challenges brokers face when scaling their IB networks and presented a case study demonstrating the impact of B2Core's solutions.

Tech Optimizer

May 21, 2025

Achieve up to 1.7 times higher write throughput and 1.38 times better price performance with Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL on AWS Graviton4-based R8g instances

Upgrading to Graviton4-based R8g instances with Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible 17.4 in an Aurora I/O-Optimized cluster configuration results in significant performance improvements. The new instances provide up to 1.7 times higher write throughput, 1.38 times better price-performance, and reduce commit latency by up to 46% on r8g.16xlarge instances and 38% on r8g.2xlarge instances compared to Graviton2-based R6g instances. The Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible Edition now supports AWS Graviton4-based R8g instances and PostgreSQL 17.4, which introduces performance enhancements for I/O-Optimized configurations, optimizing write operations and batch processing. R8g instances offer up to 192 vCPUs and 1.5 TB of memory, supporting larger configurations and providing up to 50 Gbps of network bandwidth. PostgreSQL 17 includes vacuum improvements, eliminates the need to drop logical replication slots during upgrades, and expands SQL/JSON standards. Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible separates compute from storage, enabling independent scaling and maintaining six-way replication for durability, while processing changes as log records to reduce I/O operations. Performance benchmarks using HammerDB show improvements in throughput and commit latency across various workloads. For small workloads on 2xlarge instance size, throughput increased by 50.25% and commit latency improved by 33.87%. For medium workloads on 16xlarge instance size, throughput increased by 30% and commit latency improved by 17.44%. The most significant performance benefits arise from combining hardware upgrades from Graviton2 to Graviton4 with database engine upgrades from PostgreSQL 15.10 to 17.4. For small workloads, throughput increased by 70% and commit latency improved by 38.71%. For medium workloads, throughput increased by 70% and commit latency improved by 46.67%. Cost efficiency is also enhanced, with a 38% improvement in price performance and a 61.26% improvement in price-performance ratio when comparing Graviton2 and Graviton4 instances. Reserved Instances for Graviton4-based R8g instances offer additional cost-optimization opportunities.

AppWizard

May 13, 2025

Google just gave Android phones new features to thwart scammers

Google is piloting a feature to enhance security for banking app access during screen-sharing sessions, currently being tested with UK banking applications like Monzo, NatWest, and Revolut. When a user shares their screen while accessing their banking app, a pop-up notification will alert them to a "likely scam," reminding them to be cautious.

AppWizard

March 28, 2025

Google to Ramp Up Android Security With These New Features for Developers

Google has launched initiatives to enhance the security of its Play Store, focusing on reducing malicious and fraudulent applications. Key measures include upgrading the Play Integrity API to protect users from harmful apps and assist developers in addressing modified applications. Google Play Protect's threat detection will expand to target apps impersonating financial services, with Enhanced Financial Fraud Protection being rolled out to more markets. The app submission process will be streamlined with additional pre-review checks, and developers will receive notifications about policy compliance. Google has introduced "Government" and "Verified" badges for specific app categories and plans to expand this system. Over the past year, Google blocked 2.36 million apps violating Play Store policies and identified significantly more Android malware from third-party sources compared to those on the Play Store.

AppWizard

March 26, 2025

Google Play is working on new categories of badges for Android’s very best apps

Google has been managing the Play Store for over a decade, focusing on the safety and functionality of Android apps. Recently, the company introduced new badges in the Play Store to signify official government applications and trustworthy VPN services, with plans to expand these badges to other app categories. In response to the vulnerability of financial services apps to cyber threats, Google launched a program in Singapore to automatically block sideloaded apps that may indicate financial fraud, with plans to expand this measure to more markets. Additionally, Google is simplifying the app submission process for developers by enhancing education on policy updates and implementing more pre-review checks.

AppWizard

March 24, 2025

Malicious Game Infects Steam Users With Info-Stealing Malware

Steam removed the game Sniper: Phantom's Resolution due to a security breach involving malware designed to extract sensitive user information. The malware was disguised as a legitimate Windows process and employed tactics like executing Node.js scripts and establishing startup persistence. A month earlier, another game, PirateFi, was found to be spreading the Vidar infostealer, affecting up to 1,500 users. Both incidents highlight the risks associated with malware hosted on trusted platforms like Steam, which may exploit vulnerabilities in submission processes. Users often identified suspicious behavior before the platforms did, indicating delayed detection and response times. The lack of timely communication regarding breaches further exacerbates user concerns.

Tech Optimizer

February 28, 2025

Long-dormant Mac malware returns with advanced capabilities

As of 2025, there is an increase in malware threats targeting Apple laptops, particularly a revamped version of XCSSET, which can infiltrate Xcode projects and has enhanced capabilities that make it harder to detect. This malware employs advanced code scrambling techniques and disguises its true purpose by renaming code components. Once it infects a Mac, it embeds itself in system files and replaces the Launchpad shortcut with a counterfeit version that runs both the genuine Launchpad and the malware. XCSSET is capable of stealing sensitive information, including data from digital wallets and the Notes app, as well as gathering system information and files. It can be updated with new capabilities, increasing its data-stealing potential over time. To protect against such threats, users are advised to install strong antivirus software, be cautious with downloads and links, keep software updated, use strong and unique passwords, and enable two-factor authentication.

Tech Optimizer

February 19, 2025

EDB Expands Partner Program to Drive Global Postgres & AI Growth

EnterpriseDB (EDB) has expanded its Partner Program to support businesses and solution providers in utilizing an enterprise-grade Postgres data management platform for AI-driven data innovation. Over 35% of organizations are seeking enterprise-grade Postgres capabilities, with more than 67% of data workloads being hybrid. A McKinsey survey indicates that 65% of organizations are using generative AI in at least one business function. The enhanced EDB Partner Program offers on-demand support throughout the sales lifecycle, exclusive training and certification, increased go-to-market commitments, a personalized digital experience through the EDB Partner Portal, and showcases customer success stories. EDB aims to empower partners to help customers innovate and scale effectively in an AI-driven environment.

Tech Optimizer

February 17, 2025

Mac users beware: AI-powered malware threats are on the rise

Apple devices, particularly Macs, are facing an increase in cyberattacks, with a new wave of sophisticated malware targeting sensitive data. The emergence of Atomic Stealer (AMOS) in mid-2023 marked a shift from less harmful adware to more serious threats, with AMOS being marketed as a user-friendly service. By mid-2024, Poseidon became the leading Mac information stealer, responsible for 70% of infections and capable of draining various cryptocurrency wallets and capturing sensitive credentials. Cybercriminals are also using malvertising to lure users into downloading disguised malware. Android users are experiencing an even more severe situation, with a significant rise in phishing attacks. In 2024, researchers identified 22,800 malicious apps designed for phishing, along with thousands capable of reading one-time passwords (OTPs). These apps often mimic legitimate software and can easily infiltrate app stores, including Google Play. While Google Play Protect offers some malware protection, it is not entirely effective. To protect against malware threats, it is recommended to use strong antivirus software, be cautious with downloads and links, keep software updated, use strong and unique passwords, and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for critical accounts.