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10Clouds

10clouds

TRACHYTE AND BASALT.—DISTRIBUTION OF VOLCANIC ISLES

The FinTech industry is a fast-moving train, and the one who joins early will be the winner. The market, evaluated at around is developing at a CAGR of 20%+ and is expected to exceed $699 billion by 2030. So, it’s definitely a worthy investment for companies related to finance and a must-follow trend in the coming years. , $110 billion in 2020 Strategic partnerships play a huge role in this sphere, as you can’t succeed without a reliable, experienced provider of financial software development services. Such companies bridge your business ideas and working products, making the project fail or fly. Picking a dependable partner is necessary if you plan to get a fair share of the lucrative FinTech industry revenues with cutting-edge digital products. Parameters for Top FinTech development companies selection When choosing a FinTech development company to work with, you should focus on a set of key quality parameters and make an unbiased choice based on that information. I recommend focusing on the following: Experience. A young firm can have talented, energetic staff and deliver stellar services, but the experience is still precious in the FinTech sector. So, I recommend working with FinTech software development companies that already have a couple of successful projects under their belt, enjoy high rates on reliable review platforms such as Clutch.co, have positive client testimonials, and work with top-rated FinTechs. Domain-specific expertise. A team with in-depth expertise can help you make vital decisions in terms of the underlying technology, core features, and the overall development process. During the expertise assessment, you should check the number of completed FinTech projects, the availability of FinTech services, and the presence of additional support like DevOps-as-a-Service, Security Audits, and Business Process Improvement Advisory. Tech stack. The team of your chosen FinTech company should possess varied skills and mastery of different software tools and frameworks. You never know what additional tech needs will arise in the work process, so your chosen team should be ready to manage the tasks of any tech complexity. Analyze what technologies they work with, what expertise in third-party system integration they have, and what technical partners they work with. Reputation. Don’t expect good service from a company with a notorious online reputation. It’s vital to check your candidate company’s online reviews. You may also contact a couple of its previous clients to get first-hand testimonials from somebody who has already worked with the firm and analyze the customer return rate to understand whether customers are generally satisfied with the service. I’ve done the legwork for you to pick the Top-10 providers for 2023 and beyond. The FinTech developers meet the following criteria: Relevant expertise in the FinTech industry. A positive online reputation across reputable review websites and tech ratings. A solid presence in the FinTech market. A broad tech stack that covers various FinTech technologies and tools. Let’s move on and see who’s worth your attention and who can provide state-of-the-art FinTech solutions for your business. Top 10 FinTech development companies to work with in 2023 Here are the top 10 providers I’ve hand-picked for your close consideration based on their positive track record and reliable services. 1. RNDpoint RNDpoint is a go-to provider of FinTech development services. The company delivers full-cycle development services in the Fintech industry and has a large team of 250+ software experts on board. This financial services provider has established many long-term partnerships with FinTech businesses, banks, and lending organizations. Its major specialization is banking software automation and digital transformation of financial entities. The provider currently has five offices in Western Europe and the USA, building a genuinely international presence in the global financial sector. It’s a must-try option in the FinTech software development market, given the large international team capacity and a broad international partnership network. 2014 Year of foundation: Services: Trading and Wealth Management platforms Loan Origination Systems and Scoring solutions Payment Processing software Mobile Banking and eWallet apps BNPL and Loyalty Management platforms KYC / AML and Fraud Detection solutions DevOps-as-a-Service Security Audits Business Process Improvement Advisory 4.9 Clutch.co rating score: FICO, Breaking Equity, Loop Wallet, Danske Bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Teradata Major clients: Website: rndpoint.com 2. 4IRE 4IRE - is a Swedish-Ukrainian software development outsourcing provider with a large team of top-rated developers with an innovative mindset. The company has been in the DeFi/FinTech market for 12+ years and has become a significant player in the FinTech revolution. Among its key achievements, one can name the Substrate Delivery Partners membership, 16 awards for FinTech innovation, and a large team of 250+ engineers available for hire. 4IRE has been at the forefront of FinTech development in Europe. This Fintech development firm is also an official NEAR integrator, assisting companies worldwide in the transition to blockchain functionality for better performance. 2009 Year of foundation: Services: Blockchain Development Green Finance Development Crypto Marketing DeFi Development Fintech Solutions Development Banking Software Development NFT/P2E Development 4.7 Clutch.co rating score: Stockholm Green Digital Finance, Stockholm Sustainable Finance Center, Innobridge Major clients: Website: 4irelabs.com 3. Praxent Praxent provides FinTech UX design and engineering solutions to financial organizations targeting digital transformation. The company has been on the market since 2000, with its founder, Tim Hamilton, paving his way into software development. Today, the company boasts a huge portfolio of 300+ finished projects and 100+ team members on board. Clients may choose from US-based or LATAM-based coders to compile their project teams. With 15+ years of industry experience and a large team of FinTech-specialized designers and developers, Praxent can become your go-to provider of robust business solutions in the FinTech sphere. 2000 Year of foundation: Services: UX/UI design Web app development Mobile app development Front-end and back-end solutions Web portal development 4.8 Clutch.co rating score: OpenLending, Dimensional, Meriwest, Synctera Major clients: Website: https://praxent.com/ 4. Itexus Itexus is an international FinTech development agency with an international outreach and physical presence in the USA, Australia, and Poland. It was founded by talented developers and business analysts and has completed 220+ projects since then. The company has custom-tailored solutions for companies of all scales and sizes, from startups to large corporations. It may become a reliable provider of FinTech solutions with a forward-thinking approach and a team of seasoned experts on board. The Itexus team possesses in-depth industry expertise in numerous domains covering sports and lifestyle, education, real estate, manufacturing, entertainment, and travel. 2013 Year of foundation: Services: FinTech development and consulting Insurance software development Banking process automation Healthcare and telemedicine solutions Mobile and web apps DevOps UX/UI design Machine learning Solution discovery Booking app development 4.9 Clutch.co rating score: Mango, McDonald’s, Stella & Dot, DigiRealty Major clients: Website: https://itexus.com 5. Softjourn Softjourn positions itself as a full-cycle consulting and software development company with finance, media, and entertainment expertise. The company also has a strong business focus on ticketing. Thus, you can easily find relevant talent and vital business insights into your new FinTech project at Softjourn. Softjourn currently works with companies of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 100 members, and has 300+ employees on the team. It is present in 30+ countries and has partnered with top industry players over 17 years of its operations. 2001 Year of foundation: Services: FinTech & software consulting Payment processing software Expense management systems Prepaid cards solutions Remittance software Code audit API development 4.8 Clutch.co rating score: Vendini, Ticketmaster, Live Nation Major clients: Website: https://softjourn.com/ 6. HatchWorks HatchWorks has integrated US-based and nearshore agile teams ready to deliver top-notch software solutions to clients. The provider has US offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and Washington and a set of regional branches in Costa Rica, Colombia, and Peru, providing outstaffing solutions to close tech stack gaps and help these industry leaders advance in FinTech development. You can also try its flexible services to build outstanding FinTech software with seasoned industry experts. 2016 Year of foundation: Services: Product design Software development Data Analytics Technology consulting Product fundamentals 4.9 Clutch.co rating score: Fleetcor, Recruitics, Charter Communications, NV5, Anthem, myFloc Major clients: Website: https://hatchworks.com/ 7. SPD Group SPD Group is a software product development company with a strong focus on FinTech. It has 17+ years of market presence and a wide network of branches in Eastern Europe. The provider’s headquarters are in the UK. Its vast experience and broad project portfolio make SPD Group ideal for delegating complex, large-scale FinTech projects requiring top talent and cutting-edge technology use. SPD Group delivers web and mobile dev services and provides dedicated teams of developers. You can follow their lead and work with the company’s expert dev team on your next FinTech project. 2006 Year of foundation: Services: Full-cycle custom software development Enterprise-grade software solutions AI/ML development Software unification and orchestration Legacy software modernization 4.8 Clutch.co rating score: Roche, Morningstar, PitchBook, SpaceNeedle Major clients: Website: https://spd.group/ 8. 10Clouds 10Clouds has been for 10+ years in the FinTech dev market. The company can deliver top-quality consulting and development services on demand. This Poland-based company has offices in Warsaw,  Poznan, Wroclaw, and Novi (the USA), and caters to a wide network of international businesses. The company currently has 200+ tech experts and consultants on board, so you can create stellar blockchain-based FinTech products with its help. 10Clouds has collaborated with top FinTech market players, so its reputation speaks in favor of using this trusted provider’s services for superior outcomes. 2009 Year of foundation: Services: Web & Mobile apps development Web design, production design, and illustrations UX design FinTech solutions development ML solutions development Blockchain-based products development DevOps and MLOps 4.9 Clutch.co rating score: TrustStamp, Aleph Zero, Forbes, Omise Major clients: Website: https://10clouds.com/ 9. Code & Pepper Code & Pepper is a well-known Poland-headquartered provider of top-tier FinTech products for mobile, web, and cross-platform use. The company used to be a small dev agency with proprietary SaaS software at first, but then its management adopted a strategic FinTech focus. Thus, it has quickly grown into a FinTech software developer serving dozens of clients across Europe and worldwide. Code & Pepper has many positive reviews on Clutch.co, has won a Forbes award in 2022, and received an honorable mention on Awwwards. Its team’s talent is not under question. The company is a tried and tested variant for FinTech software development. 2006 Year of foundation: Services: FinTech and banking apps development Wealth management software Insurance solutions development Lending software development Law & Legal software development Open Banking development Digital transformation 4.6 Clutch.co rating score: DirectD, Finbourne, Smart Pension Major clients: Website: https://codeandpepper.com/ 10. UppLabs UppLabs has been on the FinTech dev market since 2014 and has completed over 150 projects since the company’s foundation. The provider currently specializes in FinTech technology, focusing on healthcare and real estate software. You can get professional consulting and development services at UppsLabs, as the company’s expertise covers a broad array of technologies, including .NET, Python, Node.js, Vue.js, Java, SWIFT, and Kotlin. Over time, it has partnered with many frontline FinTechs to contribute to their innovation and help them transform their IT infrastructures. According to client reviews, working with UppLabs is a rewarding experience with impressive outcomes. Year of foundation: 2014 Services: Fintech web and mobile development Money transactions platform engineering Online trading and exchange platform engineering AI-based Fintech solutions Payment systems integration and optimization Existing services maintenance and modernization Custom IT solutions for financial business Custom IT solutions for financial business\ 4.9 Clutch.co rating score: CBInsights, Distributed Lab, RevTech Labs Major clients: Website: https://upplabs.com/ Conclusion There are the Top-10 performers in the FinTech sector to work with in 2023. Feel free to pick any financial software development company from the list above to get top-quality solutions from experienced pros. Don’t leave your FinTech projects to chance, as the market is very competitive, and only feature-rich, functional, and user-friendly solutions can win the demanding, tech-savvy users’ hearts and create a stable source of revenue for your business. Entrust your next FinTech project to experts to avoid risks, uncertainty, or double costs of mediocre development.

Top FinTech Development Companies in 2023

Top Blockchain Development Companies | March 2022

Exposing dark patterns in digital publishing Try to leave a gallery or a museum and you’ll find the same pattern almost everywhere, ‘ . To take the action you want, you have to first take the action a company wants you to take. Exit through the gift shop’ Online, companies use their UI in the same way. Creating navigation tunnels that lead the user away from where they want to go. At one end of the spectrum, companies promote the behaviour they want users to take, at the other, they deliberately confuse and trick users into certain actions. This is done by adding unnecessary complications to the UI to keep users clicking, or deliberately obfuscating certain options, hoping to catch a few unsuspecting users into staying subscribed, clicking extra links, or accepting unnecessary charges. These subtle twists of the UI are known as ‘ ’, “a user interface that has been carefully crafted to trick users into doing things, such as buying insurance with their purchase or signing up for recurring bills.” The majority of users are familiar with spam websites using these tactics. The ‘X’ that is actually a disguised link, false downloads, or pop-ups that jump around the screen, generating a few seconds of impression time as you hunt for the close option. These options are extreme, easy to spot. But reputable sites, , also use subtle dark patterns to maximize revenue by keeping their readers on the page a little longer.  Dark patterns are used to give the appearance of engagement when in reality they are just trapped in a maze, searching for an exit. Dark Patterns publishers included Let's take a journey through the most common dark publishing patterns Airlines are seen as the Patient Zero of dark patterns, and rightly so, with optional extras pre-selected, disguised provisos and conditions hiding in every turn of the UI. But, digital publishers are not exempt from using dirty tactics. To inflate impression time, the dark path is to build a dizzying maze that puts walls and missteps between the user and the action they want to take. So, to give the appearance of a clear navigation route, one of the most common dark patterns is to break the consistency of normal design. Flipping UIs gets the user to do the opposite of what they intended, through force of habit. The blue button, usually used to signify agreement / positive intent is now used to cancel the action, confirm is greyed-out. The normal visual grammar of the page has been flipped. In the split-second decisions users take, it’s easy to click the wrong option and continue without ever noticing you've been deceived. With subscriptions and user accounts forming a key strategy of publisher revenue models, disguising the exit of these programs is a common dark pattern. The most frequently seen example is to minimize the button and text of the exit, buried behind pages that implore you stay, and highlighting the option that keeps your account open. Hidden exits Publishers should consider, ‘What will this achieve apart from keeping a small percentage of users subscribed?’. Hidden exits are a victory of data over sense. Publishers can show that the new UI has an impact on reducing unsubscribes at the last minute. What this data doesn’t show is the damage done to brand reputation or the users that notice that dark pattern and resent the implication that they can be fooled, never returning to the website. animation made by from Confirm sharing is Passive-aggressive copy that implies you must be educationally subnormal if you don’t do what the pop-up instructs you to. It’s usually used on newsletters or subscription sign-ups. Wiktor Buksza 10Clouds ConfirmShaming This is another example of how dark patterns can succeed in increasing short term metrics. Some readers might be more convinced to sign up, but like a bad joke, it gets old quickly. Passively implying your readers are stupid is never going to be a long-term strategy to build an engaged audience. Disguised ads Ads disguised as other kinds of content or navigation,  to get you to click on them. This can be one of the most infuriating dark patterns for readers as not only does it fool them, it directs them to a new page, often with uncertain security credentials. A contentious dark pattern that might raise some sympathy among publishers is creating false connectivity issues for readers with ad blockers enabled. Credit False connectivity issues If a publisher relies on ad revenue, they should be explicit. It’s often not the action that users resent, but duplicity from a company they hold to a higher standard. Dark patterns are often pyrrhic victories. Users that get finessed into an extra months subscription are then gone forever. Manipulation is not a sustainable business model. Dark patterns are the UI equivalent of attempting to deceive users with the sophistication of ‘heads I win, tails you lose’. While it might work a few times out of a hundred, the majority of users that are already wise to these tactics suddenly feel as if the house just tried to bottom deal. It casts an ugly film on your brand that will do more to damage your results than any result spikes. One of the most famous consequences of operating a dark pattern was Linkedin’s high profile lawsuit where they found liable for spamming email addresses under the guise of being from a LinkedIn user. The settlement decided that the dark patterns used by Linkedin to bamboozle users into agreeing to hand over messaging rights to their contact list constituted a violation. In addition to major dent to user trust and their brand reputation, Linkedin were forced to pay $13 million in fines and restitution. The goal of a good UI is to help users navigate their way through the site. Publishers will want to do whatever is possible to encourage users to continue reading pages on their site but the line blurs when the goal is to prevent users from taking the action they intend. Let readers take the action they want. Don’t dangle exit buttons or negative actions slightly out of reach. It will do nothing but sour the reader experience for the sake of some falsely inflated metrics. Break navigation down into simple, clear categories with consistent patterns of navigation. If a reader learns to expect action, keep this pattern throughout. For readers, the distinction between the publisher and the advertiser is non-existent. If are ads run dark patterns, you run dark patterns. Ensure ad quality by working with trusted advertising networks and preventing dark formats from displaying on your site. To measure the depth of your darkness, measure by returning users, time spent on pages, and content page views per session. By following the metrics of the average user, rather than those of a single page, you can see the effect that the experience has on the user. Dark patterns do nothing but inflate metrics in the short term before corroding user trust and confidence over time. Just as dark patterns will work to eventually turn users away, consistently good use experiences create returning users and brand advocates. Consequences of darkness So, what's the difference between an effective UI and an a dark pattern? Format UI buttons honestly and clearly Clarity and consistency Work with reputable advertising partners

Through a browser, darkly

30 Top Blockchain Development Companies in 2019

Blockchain development services are becoming essential for businesses. Blockchain technology and apps have the ability to decentralize power from existing authorities through the use of smart contracts, cryptocurrency and asset ownership. But choosing the best blockchain companies can indeed be a tedious task. If you get lost in companies’ variety, this listing of top blockchain technology companies will help you make a choice in the right direction. The list contains the biggest players of blockchain development, design, application building and customization. How to choose the right blockchain technology company? Before we start, there are things you should consider to choose a reliable partner. : offshore, onshore or nearshore. Determine the type of outsourcing vendor : USA, Europe, Asia etc. At the first look, it may not appear that important. But note that service cost and quality depend on it. Check your provider location the company offers. Check out services, technologies and programming languages A good sign is when the company has experience of implementing an application in similar fields. Look at clients’ reviews and previous projects. VironIT VironIT company has become a Member of Blockchain Association. VironIT is a custom software development company with a primary focus on delivering end-to-end software development services. The company helps to gain an advantage before competitors bringing more transparency to business with the power of IBM Hyperledger, smart contracts and mobiles apps, integrated into blockchain. VironIT provides blockchain consulting, delivers proofs-of-concept and brings clarity and mutual understanding of this technology. VironIT is a member company of Belarus High Technology Park, a government-supported business environment for IT companies in Eastern Europe. LeewayHertz LeewayHertz is a custom software development company for startups and enterprises. The company develops, deploys and maintains digital technology products. Focusing on Blockchain, AI, mobile apps, IoT and Cloud platforms, LeewayHertz builds end-to-end solutions for businesses. LeewayHertz has launched over 100+ digital platforms. LeewayHertz provides the following enterprise solutions: Blockchain applications — dApps Artificial intelligence enabled products Mobile Apps: iOS, Android, cross-platform SaaS solution development IoT enabled apps AR/VR solutions ArcTouch ArcTouch is a mobile development company. The company builds software that powers the IoT, including custom iOS, Android, and Xamarin apps, as well as AI bots for conversational platforms like Amazon Alexa and Facebook Messenger. Its services include app strategy, design, engineering and lifecycle management, and can be tailored to meet specific business needs — from defining strategy, to user experience & visual design, to engineering & testing, and optimization & growth. Intellectsoft Established in 2007, Intellectsoft is a software development company with a strong focus on emerging technology like Blockchain, Augmented Reality, Big Data, Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence. Intellectsoft services include strategic IT consulting, team extension, bespoke product and app engineering, DevOps, testing and maintenance. This USA based company is one of the newest and promising blockchain team. They are experts in cryptocurrency hard forks, KYC/AML compliance, smart contracts audit services, distributed applications and private/public blockchain development. Itransition Itransition provides custom multi-tenant cloud-based Software-as-a-Service solutions. It offers IT strategy and consulting, application development, product engineering, systems integration, quality assurance and testing, application management, maintenance and support, and development and operations support services. The company provides digital engagement solutions in the areas of customer experience and engagement, digital content, omnichannel commerce, personal productivity, and social technology; and digital enterprise solutions, including business process management, collaboration, big data and analytics, data management, infrastructure management, and business intelligence. Itransition is headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado with additional offices in United Kingdom and Belarus. Unicsoft Unicsoft delivers software products, powered by Blockchain and AI technologies, for enterprises and fast-growing startups. The company analyzes customers’ goals and builds long-lasting relationships with companies in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Israel. Unicsoft focus on cutting-edge technologies such as Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Data Science. Altoros Altoros is a 300+ people strong consultancy that helps organizations with a methodology, training, technology building blocks, and end-to-end solution development. The company turns cloud-native app development, customer analytics, blockchain, and artificial intelligence into products with a sustainable competitive advantage. Being a Silver Member of the Cloud Foundry Foundation, Altoros stands behind one of the largest Cloud Foundry deployments. Headquartered in Silicon Valley (Sunnyvale, California), Altoros has a sales office in Western Massachusetts, branch offices in Norway, Denmark, and UK, as well as software development centers in Eastern Europe (Minsk, Belarus) and South America (Buenos Aires / Santa Fe, Argentina). Oxagile Oxagile is an internationally established outsourcing company with a primary focus on delivering end-to-end software development services across a range of verticals and business domains. One of the company’s core areas of expertise lies in developing custom video streaming, hybrid TV, OTT, IPTV and VoD solutions. Oxagile’s engineers are experienced in building products of any complexity. The company’s portfolio includes mission-critical web applications, cloud-based business process automation solutions, ERP systems, and enterprise-grade mobile apps for all the major platforms. Neoteric Neoteric is a dynamic, innovative and highly driven enterprise, primarily active in the IT sector. The company combines the agile approach to projects with the best software engineering practices. Its team believes that crafting software is about understanding business needs and delivering software that brings profit. Neoteric focus on using cutting-edge technologies that are really up-to-date which pushes us to evolve our skills. The company has great experience in creating startup projects for investors, implementing complex process automation solutions and working with blockchain technologies. Appinventiv Founded in 2014 in New York, Appinventiv provides a range of blockchain services to its customers. Some of their areas of excellence include initial coin offering, smart contract, cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin, Ethereum, tech audit and IoT in the blockchain. Appinventiv also provides valuable advice to startups who are thinking to raise an ICO. Its team of blockchain marketers, designers and developers know how to employ the tools to help you work in a decentralized ecosystem. Innovecs Innovecs specializes in blockchain application development, distributed document management, money transfer solutions, loyalty programs, and enterprise cryptocurrency platforms. Innovecs expertise extends to business intelligence and Big Data, AI, QA automation, hybrid apps, and DevOps. Coinfabrik Coinfabrik has more than 20 years of experience in developing and reviewing security applications. Since the emergence of Bitcoin they have also been very active in the cryptocurrency space, designing new cryptocurrency protocols and discovering many security vulnerabilities in blockchain technology. The services of this blockchain development company expand to assisting customers with defining product specifications, creating UI & UX designs, integrating applications, deploying hybrid cloud environment products, and providing QA services along with continuous support. The company offers a couple of core blockchain services, including smart contracts development and audit, as well as proof-of-existence (PoE) platforms, blockchain-based exchanges and wallets. Empirica The Empirica software solutions range from a cryptocurrency algorithmic trading platform to crypto asset management to ICO investor portal. This blockchain company also uses the technology for arbitrage and other trading applications of cryptocurrencies. The company’s services include blockchain systems development, like multi-signature wallets and exchanges, ICO services and smart contracts on Ethereum. Empirica addresses a wide spectrum of financial categories where blockchain technology can be used, including trade finance, loans, equity post-trade processing, peer-to-peer (P2P) systems, automated compliance auditing, and more. Kamtor Kamtor is a blockchain-focused development company which provides advanced solutions based on private and public blockchains such as Hyperledger, R3, EOS, Ethereum and others. This blockchain software development company offers solutions and services for various types of businesses. Kamtor services include: ICO development Smart contract development (Ethereum, EOS, HyperLedger) Cryptocurrencies & wallets creation Distributed applications (DApps) on Ethereum & EOS Private blockchain N-iX N-iX is a software development outsourcing provider with the main focus on data science, big data analytics, blockchain, BI, AI, cloud solutions, VR & AR and embedded software. The company has experience in blockchain software development. It specializes in a diverse tech stack and major blockchain-related programming language. N-iX team builds custom blockchain solutions on Ethereum, Hyperledger Fabric, and R3 Corda. Its programmers are well-versed in smart contracts development using these major platforms. Espeo Software Espeo Software is a software development firm that specializes in software development, design, and testing. Its expertise includes web and mobile products development and blockchain solutions. The team may carry out the whole blockchain product creation process from consulting to product development. Also, Espeo Software offers initial coin offering launch and related services. Concise Software Concise Software is a Poland-based software development company which specializes in blockchain solutions, smart contracts, dApps, mobile & connected vehicles, web development & more. The company has experience in implementing blockchains, smart contracts, and simple automated decentralized apps based on Ethereum blockchain and other platforms. It offers cryptocurrency payments integration into e-commerce, secure cryptocurrency payment processors, dApps with smart contracts on Ethereum blockchain, Ethereum token systems and digital wallets. LimeChain LimeChain is a blockchain software development company specializing in blockchain consulting and development. This software development firm offers both private and public blockchain development, blockchain audits, smart contract development and audit. The company helped IPChain implement blockchain technology for providing security at the first stages of patent applications. Moreover, its software engineering team developed a blockchain end for Healthbase, the company that uses blockchain technology to transform healthcare research. 10Clouds 10Clouds is a software development and design company. The company focuses on financial technology, online education and healthcare. This vendor has broad expertise in blockchain and has implemented several projects using this technology. It specializes in smart contacts development, Ethereum development and crowdsale. Its software engineers built a Blockchain decentralized marketplace for Adshares. They developed a platform that connects advertisers and publishers and enables making deals using cryptocurrency. Finding your blockchain partner is a tricky thing. It takes time and effort, more so if you plan that blockchain will be a big gear in your business. But I hope this guide will help you find the right blockchain technology provider to boost your business to the next level.

19 Top Blockchain Development Companies

With the blockchain tech industry and the cryptocurrency market such hot property right now, many countries like the ubiquitous Puerto Rico, but also Malta, and the Philippines are vying for business. The question is, which country will fare best in the great crypto-hub race? 1. Puerto Rico — Puertopia Puerto Rico has suffered economic volatility over the years but a new wave of crypto business — due to welcoming tax rates and close ties to the US — has been warmly received as the country aims to get its status back on track. is at the helm of a growing group of ‘bitcoin millionaires’ setting up shop in this tropical paradise with the aim of making it their new home. His goal is to create a cryptopia while giving back to those struggling to climb out of poverty in the region. Brock Pierce Further Reading: Puertopia: The new crypto-utopia for billionaires 2. Malta — Blockchain Island The population including the Junior Finance Minister of Malta — Silvio Schembri — are excited about the potential for foreign investment that crypto businesses are bringing to their island. Binance, Tron, and OKEX Tech have already made Malta a base for their companies. And, ‘the little country that could’ aims to encourage even more of the same. With English as an official language, low tax rates, and clear crypto regulations, it’s no surprise that Malta has established itself as a first choice destination for crypto projects. Further Reading: How Malta Became a Hub of the Cryptocurrency World 3. The Philippines — Crypto Paradise The geography of the Philippines is as diverse as its interest in crypto and the Filipino government, along with the central bank, have both recognized the potential of this tech. Seeing the potential to propel their emerging economy forward they have adapted their official policies to encourage this growth. As it happens, 5 million of the 100 million population already own crypto wallets. MergeCommit, Bloom Solutions, and Satoshi Citadel have also spotted the potential opportunity by moving their business to paradise. Further Reading: The Watchlist: Three Potential Cryptocurrency Hubs Around The World 4. Costa Rica — Tropical Technology Costa Rica is a truly inviting crypto zone. To show the value they place in the industry employers can now partially pay their workers in cryptocurrency. Challenged by the country’s high unemployment rate and national debt, Costa Rica is ready to embrace the crypto market and blockchain tech to change its fortune. Costa Rica has welcomed Green Earth Zero and BlockchainCR, amongst several other blockchain companies. Further Reading: Costa Rican Workers Can Be Legally Paid in Cryptocurrency 5. Georgia — Eastern Hothouse Georgia is a rising star of blockchain tech and crypto in Eastern Europe. Strategically placed in between Europe and Russia, Georgia also boasts very low tax rates. These factors, along with the low cost of electricity, make Georgia an ideal place for bitcoin mining — in fact, it is ranked second in the world for ‘drilling’ crypto (China being number one). Blockchain businesses include Cyber Infrastructure Inc, Patientory, and 10Clouds Dedicated Developers. Further Reading: How The Tiny Nation Of Georgia Became A Bitcoin Behemoth 6. Gibraltar — Rock of Crypto Don’t be fooled by its size, Gibraltar is ready to rock the blockchain world. Boasting a strong economy, and low import duty, with a dedicated subsidiary of the stock exchange, Gibraltar is fast becoming home to crypto business in Europe. The Gibraltar Blockchain Exchange, dedicated to trade in blockchain tech is attracting interest from across the continent. Lendo has relocated to ‘the rock’ and it’s likely that other big names will soon follow suit. Further Reading: Top Crypto Friendly (and Hostile) Countries 7. Liechtenstein — Bitcoinstein Liechtenstein is on the map when it comes to being a player in the world of blockchain tech. It benefits from being a member of the EEA, allowing it to skirt some of the most onerous EU regulations, while still trading across the continent. The country is home to Ethereum, Chainium, and Vimana, and the government has plans to make Liechtenstein the most blockchain-friendly country in Europe, with new regulations like the Blockchain Act being introduced all the time. Further Reading: As Blockchain Booms, Small Countries Become Thriving Hubs for Crypto Industry 8. Denmark — Northern Lights Make way for Denmark: one of the new epicenters of the blockchain world. This highly developed economy has wooed big blockchain hitters to establish themselves in its country, and, being so keen to attract blockchain business, they have established the most crypto industry-friendly environment possible with a low tax rate and crypto regulation exemptions. It’s easy to see why blockchain companies are so attracted to Denmark’s market. Further Reading: 5 Most Crypto-Friendly Countries in Europe 9. The Netherlands — Dutch Courage Famed for their liberal attitude, the Netherlands has embraced this new tech at a rapid rate with Dutchchain and FoodInsights both establishing themselves here. The government also backs a bold approach, seeing crypto as ‘low risk’ in relation to financial stability. Not only that, but Amsterdam hosts the ‘Bitcoin Embassy’ and boasts the highest density of bitcoin ATMs in the world, as the government experiments with their very own: De Nederlandsche Bank BNBcoin. Further Reading: The Top 5 Crypto-Friendly Nations 10. Singapore — Sing Blockchain The interest in innovative fintech in Singapore is plain for all to see. Mainly concentrated in the capital, blockchain business flourishes alongside a considerably low tax rate. LINE is just one of the major blockchain players that have launched into the Singapore market. In a country where English, Malay, and Mandarin meet, tech business is booming, the potential for innovation in blockchain tech and the cryptocurrency market on Singapore’s shores is undeniable. Further Reading: 5 Unexpected Countries That May Become Cryptocurrency Meccas An interesting fact is how many of these hubs are showing up in areas of economic volatility, where reigning financial systems have previously failed. Coincidence? Perhaps, perhaps not. Which of these nations will be crowned the ‘king of crypto’? What will be the deciding factor? Is there another competitor that we haven’t spotted yet? Let us know in the comments below! Follow us on for a daily aggregate of all things blockchain tech and crypto. Twitter Subscribe to our for all proprietary research, reports, and op-eds. website

9 unexpected crypto-havens around the world (and Puerto Rico)

Many companies jump on a bandwagon of blockchain and leverage opportunities of . Investment banks alone could save up to $12 billion per year by adopting blockchain and smart contracts. Ethereum smart contracts development What is a smart contract? A blockchain-based smart contract is a bit of self-executing code on a blockchain platform that naturally upholds the terms of a multiparty assention. To execute a brilliant get, a PC organize utilizes agreement conventions. Agreement might be accomplished either on the record level (among all individuals from the blockchain) or on an exchange level (among members of a particular exchange). These exchanges are permanent and can be followed back. Smart Contracts Benefits For Businesses Digital tokens pegged to gold Digital tokens pegged to real currencies Interactive apps for IoT devices Applications for authenticating users Applications for intellectual property protection e-Trading platforms Decentralized marketplaces Platforms for crowdfunding Applications for mobile payment services Digital signature ensures proof de-risking and authenticity Looking for top smart contract development companies? Here’s a list of smart contract blockchain companies. Below list of top ethereum smart contract development companies cater you need. 1. Bacancy Technology The rise of the Ethereum has completely revolutionized the way people perceive the blockchain. Ethereum is a blockchain that is designed for the development of decentralized applications. People from all around the world are claiming that Ethereum is going to be bigger than the Bitcoin in its applicability. Bacancy Technology is Best Ethereum smart contract development company. Here Bacancy provide smart contract development and ethereum consultant. 2. Izettle iZettle, the social payments company, creates services for person-to-person and business-to-consumer commerce. iZettle services are fantastically convenient and secure, simple to set up and use, and make it easy for users to share purchases with friends. iZettle’s first service includes a free iPad, iPhone and iPod touch app and a mini chip-card reader that lets anyone take payments anytime, anywhere. Founded in 2010 by a team of serial entrepreneurs, iZettle is based in Stockholm. 3. Elliptic Our software is recognized in the bitcoin industry as the gold-standard for regulatory compliance and enables cryptocurrency companies to meet their anti-money laundering obligations. Our AML product allows you to scale compliance without needing to scale your internal team. We have helped compliance departments around the world identify fraudulent client accounts, links to dark web marketplaces and proceeds of thefts. 4. Clearmatics Clearmatics’ technology improves the efficiency, transparency, and interoperability of business networks’ infrastructure. This allows for complete automation and privacy for business processes at every level. DVM technology offers financial communities a secure but transparent platform for processes that will disrupt the ﬁnancial system from within the existing legal framework for securities. 5. Coinfabrik We have more than 20 years of experience building and reviewing security applications, and have active in the cryptocurrency field. We have designed new bitcoin-related cryptocurrency protocols and discovered and reported various security vulnerabilities. Implement smart contracts to automate enforcement in RootStock and Ethereum. We can write your smart contract’s code securely. 6. 10clouds Consagous Technologies is a prominent name among the best Blockchain App Developers worldwide. We have an experienced team of professional Blockchain Developers who have worked with clients across the world over the years. Every penny invested in Blockchain should bring you a greater feeling of information security. We, at the developer end, understand it quite well and help you and your organization to take a bigger leap in the future of technology. 7. Applicature Applicature is a blockchain development agency working on projects in the blockchain and cryptocurrency industries. We review companies’ business models and help them adjust their businesses within the growing blockchain ecosystem. We offer a wide range of custom blockchain development services. 8.Sodio Sodio is a blockchain solutions provider helping businesses in transforming the world of this new era of innovations. Our mission is to deliver innovative and end-to-end customized solutions in all aspects of the blockchain domain to retail businesses, healthcare providers, financial institutions, B2B companies, and blockchain and cryptocurrency startups..

Top Ethereum Smart Contract development company

After publishing my previous piece introducing the officially launch of the Development Phase of the Digital Moana Initiative, I felt I did not put enough emphasis on the value that our geospatial data holds for our islands and the region as a whole. I hope this piece can contribute to making my vision a reality. In the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, our islands have always been rich in resources, from the abundance of our waters, deep sea minerals to the fertility of our lands. Yet beneath the surface of our digital landscape lies an untapped treasure that many of us have overlooked i.e. our geospatial data. Which has been by far within the custody of several CROP (Council of Regional organisations of the Pacific) agencies like the Pacific Community (SPC) Pacific Data Hub and others. But, due to issues with the availability of some of the datasets and the bureaucracy surrounding the use of those frameworks, we saw an opportunity, and as we launch the Development Phase of the Digital Moana Initiative, it's crucial to understand why this project represents more than just technological advancement, it's about recognizing and harnessing the true value of our digital resources. Understanding Data as the New Gold Throughout history, the concept of value has evolved from simple bartering to complex financial instruments. Today, we stand at the cusp of another transformation, where data, particularly high-resolution geospatial data emerges as a new form of wealth. Just as our ancestors understood the value of traditional resources, we must now recognize that our LiDAR scans, point cloud datasets, and detailed mapping information represent a form of "digital gold" that's uniquely ours to steward and share. The scarcity principle that governs traditional economics applies equally to our geospatial data. Each LiDAR scan of our coastlines, each detailed point cloud of our forests, each high-resolution map of our urban areas represents unique, irreplaceable historical information that grows more valuable with time. This data isn't just numbers and coordinates, it's a detailed digital twin of our paradise, capturing the essence of our lands in unprecedented detail. The Mining of Digital Resources Like traditional mining, the collection of high-quality geospatial data requires significant investment in equipment, expertise, and time. Our drone operators, surveyors, and data scientists are the modern-day prospectors, carefully mapping and documenting our territories. The process of capturing, processing, and storing this data is as complex and valuable as any mining operation. But unlike physical gold, our digital resources become more valuable when shared appropriately. This is where Digital Moana's tokenization approach becomes disruptive. By creating a blockchain-based framework for managing and distributing this data on a decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN), we're not just storing information, we're creating a new digital economy that benefits all Pacific Island nations. A New Model of Regional Wealth The Digital Moana Initiative recognizes that our geospatial data has inherent value that extends beyond traditional metrics. When we tokenize our LiDAR datasets and point clouds, we're not just creating digital assets, we're establishing a new model of regional wealth that can: Support sustainable development through better resource management
Enhance disaster preparedness and response capabilities
Create new revenue streams for local communities
Foster regional cooperation and data sharing
Attract international investment and partnerships
Preserve our environmental and cultural heritage The Power of Tokenization By tokenizing our geospatial data through the Digital Moana platform, we're creating a transparent, efficient marketplace that ensures fair value distribution. Each NFT representing a dataset becomes a digital certificate of ownership, allowing us to: Maintain control over our digital resources while sharing their benefits
Create sustainable funding mechanisms for ongoing data collection
Ensure fair compensation for data providers and local communities
Enable new economic opportunities through data-driven services
Protect our digital assets through blockchain technology Building a Digital Legacy As Pacific Islanders, we have always been custodians of our natural resources. Now, through the Digital Moana Initiative, we have the opportunity to become custodians of our digital resources as well. This isn't just about technology or data, it's about recognizing and maximizing the value of our digital heritage for current and future generations. The development phase of Digital Moana represents our first steps toward establishing a new digital economy based on our geospatial resources. By understanding the true value of our data and implementing systems to manage it effectively, we're not just participating in the digital economy, we're helping to shape it in ways that benefit our communities. Looking Forward As we move forward with the Digital Moana Initiative, let's remember that we're not just building a data management system, we're creating a new economic framework that recognizes the inherent value of our digital resources. Through this platform, we're transforming our geospatial data from hidden gold into a powerful engine for regional development and cooperation. The time has come for Pacific Islanders to recognize the treasure we hold in our digital mapping data. Through Digital Moana, we're not just preserving this valuable resource, we're creating new opportunities for our people while maintaining control over our digital sovereignty. This is our chance to lead the way in showing how traditional island nations can thrive in the digital age, turning our geospatial data into a foundation for sustainable prosperity. Together, we can build a future where our digital resources work for the benefit of all Pacific peoples, creating a legacy that honors our past while embracing the possibilities of tomorrow. Let' Go! After publishing my previous piece introducing the officially launch of the Development Phase of the Digital Moana Initiative, I felt I did not put enough emphasis on the value that our geospatial data holds for our islands and the region as a whole. I hope this piece can contribute to making my vision a reality. piece In the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, our islands have always been rich in resources, from the abundance of our waters, deep sea minerals to the fertility of our lands. Yet beneath the surface of our digital landscape lies an untapped treasure that many of us have overlooked i.e. our geospatial data. Which has been by far within the custody of several CROP (Council of Regional organisations of the Pacific) agencies like the Pacific Community (SPC) Pacific Data Hub and others. But, due to issues with the availability of some of the datasets and the bureaucracy surrounding the use of those frameworks, we saw an opportunity, and as we launch the Development Phase of the Digital Moana Initiative, it's crucial to understand why this project represents more than just technological advancement, it's about recognizing and harnessing the true value of our digital resources. Pacific Data Hub Understanding Data as the New Gold Throughout history, the concept of value has evolved from simple bartering to complex financial instruments. Today, we stand at the cusp of another transformation, where data, particularly high-resolution geospatial data emerges as a new form of wealth. Just as our ancestors understood the value of traditional resources, we must now recognize that our LiDAR scans, point cloud datasets, and detailed mapping information represent a form of "digital gold" that's uniquely ours to steward and share. The scarcity principle that governs traditional economics applies equally to our geospatial data. Each LiDAR scan of our coastlines, each detailed point cloud of our forests, each high-resolution map of our urban areas represents unique, irreplaceable historical information that grows more valuable with time. This data isn't just numbers and coordinates, it's a detailed digital twin of our paradise, capturing the essence of our lands in unprecedented detail. The Mining of Digital Resources Like traditional mining, the collection of high-quality geospatial data requires significant investment in equipment, expertise, and time. Our drone operators, surveyors, and data scientists are the modern-day prospectors, carefully mapping and documenting our territories. The process of capturing, processing, and storing this data is as complex and valuable as any mining operation. But unlike physical gold, our digital resources become more valuable when shared appropriately. This is where Digital Moana's tokenization approach becomes disruptive. By creating a blockchain-based framework for managing and distributing this data on a decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN), we're not just storing information, we're creating a new digital economy that benefits all Pacific Island nations. A New Model of Regional Wealth The Digital Moana Initiative recognizes that our geospatial data has inherent value that extends beyond traditional metrics. When we tokenize our LiDAR datasets and point clouds, we're not just creating digital assets, we're establishing a new model of regional wealth that can: Support sustainable development through better resource management Enhance disaster preparedness and response capabilities Create new revenue streams for local communities Foster regional cooperation and data sharing Attract international investment and partnerships Preserve our environmental and cultural heritage Support sustainable development through better resource management Enhance disaster preparedness and response capabilities Create new revenue streams for local communities Foster regional cooperation and data sharing Attract international investment and partnerships Preserve our environmental and cultural heritage The Power of Tokenization By tokenizing our geospatial data through the Digital Moana platform, we're creating a transparent, efficient marketplace that ensures fair value distribution. Each NFT representing a dataset becomes a digital certificate of ownership, allowing us to: Maintain control over our digital resources while sharing their benefits Create sustainable funding mechanisms for ongoing data collection Ensure fair compensation for data providers and local communities Enable new economic opportunities through data-driven services Protect our digital assets through blockchain technology Maintain control over our digital resources while sharing their benefits Create sustainable funding mechanisms for ongoing data collection Ensure fair compensation for data providers and local communities Enable new economic opportunities through data-driven services Protect our digital assets through blockchain technology Building a Digital Legacy As Pacific Islanders, we have always been custodians of our natural resources. Now, through the Digital Moana Initiative, we have the opportunity to become custodians of our digital resources as well. This isn't just about technology or data, it's about recognizing and maximizing the value of our digital heritage for current and future generations. The development phase of Digital Moana represents our first steps toward establishing a new digital economy based on our geospatial resources. By understanding the true value of our data and implementing systems to manage it effectively, we're not just participating in the digital economy, we're helping to shape it in ways that benefit our communities. Looking Forward As we move forward with the Digital Moana Initiative, let's remember that we're not just building a data management system, we're creating a new economic framework that recognizes the inherent value of our digital resources. Through this platform, we're transforming our geospatial data from hidden gold into a powerful engine for regional development and cooperation. The time has come for Pacific Islanders to recognize the treasure we hold in our digital mapping data. Through Digital Moana, we're not just preserving this valuable resource, we're creating new opportunities for our people while maintaining control over our digital sovereignty. This is our chance to lead the way in showing how traditional island nations can thrive in the digital age, turning our geospatial data into a foundation for sustainable prosperity. Together, we can build a future where our digital resources work for the benefit of all Pacific peoples, creating a legacy that honors our past while embracing the possibilities of tomorrow. Let' Go!

Geospatial Data Holds Immense Value for the Pacific Islands

The multi-cloud environment can enhance business agility and optimize expenses on data storage. At the same time, it brings security challenges. How do you mitigate the risks? A Growing Trend A multi-cloud architecture is a new trend. A report by Flexera, which specializes in IT management software, shows that 89% of enterprises adopt a multi-cloud strategy (a slight increase from 87% in 2023). A multi-cloud architecture refers to leveraging cloud solutions from several providers. In a multi-cloud environment, enterprises have more control over where and how their data is stored and used, as they can distribute it across multiple providers depending on business purposes and other criteria. It also prevents vendor lock-in which limits flexibility and ties a business to one company's pricing and technology roadmap. If one service fails or increases prices, another cloud platform can seamlessly take over to ensure business continuity. Furthermore, using a multi-cloud architecture is, on average, 33.6% less expensive than relying on one major platform. In fact, data shows that cost optimization is one of the top reasons why enterprises choose multi-cloud strategies. New Risks Another advantage of multi-cloud architectures: they offer increased risk resilience. After all, they spread corporate data across multiple platforms. Think of this: when you put all your money in one bank account, you are more vulnerable compared to a situation when you put them in several accounts in different banks. However, there is a paradoxical situation: the broader network perimeter introduces more points of vulnerability. For instance, data leaks are common in multi-cloud as managing security across multiple platforms introduces complexity and increases the likelihood of misconfigurations, or errors in the setup of cloud services. Over 80% of breaches in the US involve information stored in the cloud. In the 2023 IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report, the average cost for a data breach across the boards was US$4.45 million with 39% of breaches spanned across multiple environments. Breaches spanning across multiple environments also incurred a higher-than-average cost of US$4.75 million. DDoS attacks, which reach new heights in size and complexity nowadays, can also target multiсloud. With several platforms in place, it is hard to implement uniform protection strategies, as in the single cloud. Moreover, monitoring traffic across them for signs of a DDoS attack requires more advanced integrated tools and expertise than usual. Defense Strategies for Multi-Cloud Security To mitigate risks, organizations need a security strategy tailored to the unique challenges of their architecture. Below is a general approach: Develop a security policy. Start by cataloging all data and applications hosted across various cloud services. Assess their importance to your business by focusing on factors such as data sensitivity, regulatory requirements, and business impact. The next step would require identifying potential attack vectors. These will help you prioritize the protection of critical assets and handle different types of data appropriately to comply with relevant regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Next, develop an incident response plan. This document should outline procedures for detecting, responding to, and recovering from security incidents such as DDoS or data breaches. Clearly define roles and responsibilities, establish communication protocols, and coordinate with cloud providers. Test and update the plan to ensure its effectiveness twice a year. You can conduct simulated scenarios where key stakeholders discuss and walk through the steps of the plan, or perform actual tests of the recovery procedures to verify that systems can be restored. Implement robust identity and access management (IAM). Define clear policies on who can see and use data and under what circumstances. Grant users the minimum access necessary to perform their tasks, add an extra layer of security in the form of Multi-Factor Authentication, and don’t forget to review and update permissions regularly. Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Manage (CIEM) solutions can be useful to automate the process of managing user privileges in cloud environments. Encrypt data across all stages. Secure stored data and data in transit with strong encryption methods. You can use a symmetric approach, where the same key is used for both encryption and decryption, as well as an asymmetric one, which involves a pair of keys (one public and one private). No matter what you choose, store keys separately from the information. This minimizes the risk of unauthorized access to both the data and the keys. Standardize and automate security configurations. This approach will allow you to automatically apply desired security settings to all cloud resources. You can use tools like Terraform for this task. At the same time, Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) systems will help you detect and remediate misconfigurations. Try to make security centrally visible. It means getting a unified view of security events, configurations, and compliance across all cloud platforms. Such a holistic view enables security teams to identify threats more efficiently. You can implement a centralized dashboard or console that aggregates security telemetry, logs, and events in real time. For example, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems can aggregate and analyze logs from all cloud services to monitor for suspicious activities. Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPPs) take it one step further, allowing you to gain visibility into all cloud-native applications and enforce consistent security policies. They consolidate a large number of capabilities, including container scanning, runtime cloud workload protection, CIEM, and CSPM. In addition, keep in mind that protection that works for the cloud from Amazon might not be useful for Google’s products. Therefore, it is essential to always check recommendations for securing specific clouds. Regularly backup data. Schedule regular automated backups to ensure data is protected across all cloud services. There is no one-size-fits-all approach here. For highly critical data, backups might be scheduled daily or even multiple times per day. You should also consider how frequently the data within your environment changes and the so-called Recovery Point Objective (RPO), or the age of files that must be recovered from backup storage for normal operations to resume. For example, if your RPO is 4 hours, backups should be scheduled at least every 4 hours to ensure minimal data loss. Monitor and respond to emerging threats. The landscape changes fast, with cybercriminals getting more sophisticated. Use threat intelligence feeds and collaborate with industry peers to stay informed about new risks. Continuously update security measures based on lessons learned from incidents and industry best practices. Use anti-DDoS cloud solutions. They provide an extra layer between your infrastructure and hackers and help to protect businesses from growing DDoS attacks. When a company's website or other digital assets are under this cloud protection, the IP addresses where the firm stores its data are not visible to malicious actors. This means that they cannot identify the cloud where the IPs are located. Therefore, the risk of successful cyberattacks is significantly lower for those who use anti-DDoS than otherwise. While choosing a solution, make sure that it combines filtering, behavioral analysis, and always-on automatic DDoS protection with guaranteed uptime and no performance impact. Provide security training. Create dynamic training for your employees. It can include webinars or lectures by industry leaders and hands-on exercises, such as gamified simulations. For instance, your specialists may need to respond to a phishing attack targeting cloud credentials or identify misconfigured security settings. Gamifying these scenarios can involve interactive decision-making, where the team must choose the best course of action. Tailor these programs to your environment. Remember that cybersecurity education should be an ongoing effort; aim to conduct these sessions at least annually, as cyber threats continue to evolve and your team continues to grow. And a final word: taking incremental steps towards securing your multi-cloud environment is far better than doing nothing at all. While achieving 100% protection is unlikely, each step enhances your security posture, making it increasingly difficult for cyber threats to succeed. The multi-cloud environment can enhance business agility and optimize expenses on data storage. At the same time, it brings security challenges. How do you mitigate the risks? A Growing Trend A multi-cloud architecture is a new trend. A report by Flexera, which specializes in IT management software, shows that 89% of enterprises adopt a multi-cloud strategy (a slight increase from 87% in 2023). shows shows A multi-cloud architecture refers to leveraging cloud solutions from several providers. In a multi-cloud environment, enterprises have more control over where and how their data is stored and used, as they can distribute it across multiple providers depending on business purposes and other criteria. It also prevents vendor lock-in which limits flexibility and ties a business to one company's pricing and technology roadmap. If one service fails or increases prices, another cloud platform can seamlessly take over to ensure business continuity. Furthermore, using a multi-cloud architecture is, on average, 33.6% less expensive than relying on one major platform. In fact, data shows that cost optimization is one of the top reasons why enterprises choose multi-cloud strategies. less expensive less expensive shows shows New Risks Another advantage of multi-cloud architectures: they offer increased risk resilience. After all, they spread corporate data across multiple platforms. Think of this: when you put all your money in one bank account, you are more vulnerable compared to a situation when you put them in several accounts in different banks. However, there is a paradoxical situation: the broader network perimeter introduces more points of vulnerability. For instance, data leaks are common in multi-cloud as managing security across multiple platforms introduces complexity and increases the likelihood of misconfigurations, or errors in the setup of cloud services. Over 80% of breaches in the US involve information stored in the cloud. involve involve In the 2023 IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report , the average cost for a data breach across the boards was US$4.45 million with 39% of breaches spanned across multiple environments. Breaches spanning across multiple environments also incurred a higher-than-average cost of US$4.75 million. 2023 IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023 IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report DDoS attacks, which reach new heights in size and complexity nowadays, can also target multiсloud. With several platforms in place, it is hard to implement uniform protection strategies, as in the single cloud. Moreover, monitoring traffic across them for signs of a DDoS attack requires more advanced integrated tools and expertise than usual. Defense Strategies for Multi-Cloud Security To mitigate risks, organizations need a security strategy tailored to the unique challenges of their architecture. Below is a general approach: Develop a security policy . Start by cataloging all data and applications hosted across various cloud services. Assess their importance to your business by focusing on factors such as data sensitivity, regulatory requirements, and business impact. The next step would require identifying potential attack vectors. These will help you prioritize the protection of critical assets and handle different types of data appropriately to comply with relevant regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Develop a security policy Next, develop an incident response plan. This document should outline procedures for detecting, responding to, and recovering from security incidents such as DDoS or data breaches. Clearly define roles and responsibilities, establish communication protocols, and coordinate with cloud providers. Test and update the plan to ensure its effectiveness twice a year. You can conduct simulated scenarios where key stakeholders discuss and walk through the steps of the plan, or perform actual tests of the recovery procedures to verify that systems can be restored. Implement robust identity and access management (IAM). Define clear policies on who can see and use data and under what circumstances. Grant users the minimum access necessary to perform their tasks, add an extra layer of security in the form of Multi-Factor Authentication, and don’t forget to review and update permissions regularly. Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Manage (CIEM) solutions can be useful to automate the process of managing user privileges in cloud environments. Implement robust identity and access management (IAM). Encrypt data across all stages . Secure stored data and data in transit with strong encryption methods. You can use a symmetric approach, where the same key is used for both encryption and decryption, as well as an asymmetric one, which involves a pair of keys (one public and one private). No matter what you choose, store keys separately from the information. This minimizes the risk of unauthorized access to both the data and the keys. Encrypt data across all stages Standardize and automate security configurations. This approach will allow you to automatically apply desired security settings to all cloud resources. You can use tools like Terraform for this task. At the same time, Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) systems will help you detect and remediate misconfigurations. Standardize and automate security configurations. Try to make security centrally visible. It means getting a unified view of security events, configurations, and compliance across all cloud platforms. Such a holistic view enables security teams to identify threats more efficiently. You can implement a centralized dashboard or console that aggregates security telemetry, logs, and events in real time. Try to make security centrally visible. For example, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems can aggregate and analyze logs from all cloud services to monitor for suspicious activities. Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPPs) take it one step further, allowing you to gain visibility into all cloud-native applications and enforce consistent security policies. They consolidate a large number of capabilities, including container scanning, runtime cloud workload protection, CIEM, and CSPM. In addition, keep in mind that protection that works for the cloud from Amazon might not be useful for Google’s products. Therefore, it is essential to always check recommendations for securing specific clouds. Regularly backup data. Schedule regular automated backups to ensure data is protected across all cloud services. There is no one-size-fits-all approach here. For highly critical data, backups might be scheduled daily or even multiple times per day. Regularly backup data. You should also consider how frequently the data within your environment changes and the so-called Recovery Point Objective (RPO), or the age of files that must be recovered from backup storage for normal operations to resume. For example, if your RPO is 4 hours, backups should be scheduled at least every 4 hours to ensure minimal data loss. Recovery Point Objective Recovery Point Objective Monitor and respond to emerging threats. The landscape changes fast, with cybercriminals getting more sophisticated. Use threat intelligence feeds and collaborate with industry peers to stay informed about new risks. Continuously update security measures based on lessons learned from incidents and industry best practices. Monitor and respond to emerging threats. Use anti-DDoS cloud solutions. They provide an extra layer between your infrastructure and hackers and help to protect businesses from growing DDoS attacks. When a company's website or other digital assets are under this cloud protection, the IP addresses where the firm stores its data are not visible to malicious actors. This means that they cannot identify the cloud where the IPs are located. Therefore, the risk of successful cyberattacks is significantly lower for those who use anti-DDoS than otherwise. While choosing a solution, make sure that it combines filtering, behavioral analysis, and always-on automatic DDoS protection with guaranteed uptime and no performance impact. Use anti-DDoS cloud solutions. Provide security training. Create dynamic training for your employees. It can include webinars or lectures by industry leaders and hands-on exercises, such as gamified simulations. For instance, your specialists may need to respond to a phishing attack targeting cloud credentials or identify misconfigured security settings. Gamifying these scenarios can involve interactive decision-making, where the team must choose the best course of action. Provide security training. Tailor these programs to your environment. Remember that cybersecurity education should be an ongoing effort; aim to conduct these sessions at least annually, as cyber threats continue to evolve and your team continues to grow. And a final word: taking incremental steps towards securing your multi-cloud environment is far better than doing nothing at all. While achieving 100% protection is unlikely, each step enhances your security posture, making it increasingly difficult for cyber threats to succeed.

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