A coding bootcamp is a technical training program that teaches the programming skills that employers seek. Coding bootcamps allow students with little coding experience to focus on the most important aspects of coding and apply their new coding skills to solve real-world problems.

Coding bootcamps, like many trade schools, are typically run by for-profit private companies and are available in-person or online, depending on the program. A few well-known coding bootcamps are Bloc, General Assembly, Flatiron School, and App Academy. The global coding bootcamp market is determined to grow at a CAGR of 18% over the forecasted period of 2022-2027.

Even in face of the fact that COVID-19 disruptions around the globe have caused a significant drop in revenue for many enterprises, the coding bootcamp market observed a positive impact. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many in person bootcamps launched remote options and also offered COVID reliefs to the students, in the form of scholarships, incentives, or stipends, which supported the market expansion during the COVID outbreak.

Programs in software engineering and web development, where skills are constantly in demand, are still preferred by bootcamps. Sales programs for technology and cybersecurity are spreading more frequently. These initiatives seek to demonstrate the adaptability of the bootcamp model of brief, intense training to new professions and would drive the market growth during the post COVID period.

The company is enabling healthcare organizations to quickly launch ready infrastructure for telehealth, digital check-in and scheduling, configured to custom workflows and branding.

Hristo Kosev, CEO and founder of the application said:

“Healee offers you an advanced, yet easy way to get started with digital health while building your brand and adapting your tool for better user engagement.”

The platform’s current applications span traditional healthcare, insurance and pharma, to niche services in wellness, behavioral health, chronic and palliative care, COVID consultations, and many more.

The host of the event is the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Some companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, BMW and Meta, formerly known as Facebook, reduced or cancelled their attendance due to fears over Omicron.

This year we can expect:

• Space tourism – While those attending the CES will not get a free ticket to space, they will be able to get up close to Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser space plane.
• Driverless car race – Driverless cars will hit speeds of nearly 260km/h.
• COVID tech – The pandemic is not just dominating the global agenda but health tech too.
• Health tracking tech – Withings is showing off its new Body Scan smart scale, which not only measures your weight but can also sense your heart rhythm and nerve activity in the feet
• Big tech – Samsung will unveil its Galaxy S21 FE. The smartphone is a slightly lower-cost version of the Galaxy S21. 
• The metaverse – The metaverse was a big talking point in 2021 and continues to be in the new 2022. As tech companies grapple with how to finesse the technology, one company will be showing off a wearable wireless vest that may connect you to the metaverse in a physical way.
• Cute tech – And then there is a plush cat that nibbles your fingers.

Believe it or not, smartphone security is not as safe as we think it is. Authoritarian governments may force smartphone platform developers to create them, but actually, they are less safe and the criminals will be given a chance to find and easily exploit them.

According to experts, we will be witnesses to state-sponsored attacks into the hacking world and this will be the reason for many incidents that are about to happen on every platform.

It is a well-known fact that most platform vendors are watchful when it comes to such attacks. It can be said for sure that Apple is, if we judge from its recent commitment to “work tirelessly to protect our users from abusive state-sponsored actors like NSO Group.”

Initially, these designer exploits were developed to attack strategic targets but now these state-sponsored hacks are developed with limitless budgets and access to extensive resources unavailable even to platform developers. However, this means that there is no point for people to worry about being hit by such exploits.

Our digital devices contain huge information which makes our lives into data. Not only governments but also criminals are able to recognize the huge value of the kind of information smartphones carry.  WatchGuard’s latest survey warns:

“Unfortunately, like in the case of Stuxnet, when these more sophisticated threats leak, criminal organizations learn from them and copy the attack techniques. Next year, we believe we will see an increase in sophisticated cybercriminal mobile attacks due to the state-sponsored mobile attacks that have started to come to light.”

As the latest COVID variant may force us to work from home again, people must be educated on how to manage their personal data on social platforms and even on their personal devices. If you run a business, you should educate employees to become more discerning toward phishing attacks, given so many complex exploits begin with targeted phishing expeditions.

What we should be attentive to is the other big security predictions for 2022. For example, hackers will begin to attack satellites; we’ll see attempts made to abuse messaging platforms with phishing attacks; and we’ll see accelerating deployment of zero-trust security models, such as those now available to more than 1 million Apple Silicon Macs in use across the enterprise.

If you think that there are safe backdoors or invisible platforms, you are lying to yourself. You have to be careful in a world where technology has become an inseparable part of our lives.

In the past year, Mindspace launched new branches in London, Tel Aviv, Philadelphia and a new hub and spoke location outside Tel Aviv, at Yakum. Mindspace serves a wide variety of companies; about 41% are large enterprises and corporations and 38% are small and medium-sized companies. The leading industry types of its customer base are technology companies, financial companies and service providers. Past and present customers include Microsoft, Samsung, Playtika, Taboola, Yahoo!, Expedia, GoPro, and more.

While most of the commercial real estate industry took a hit as a result of COVID, the flex market continued to grow. All forecasts predict the accelerated growth of the flex industry to reach a market share of more than 30% by 2030; the current market share of flex as part of commercial real estate is 5%. According to a recent study by CBRE, in two years 43% of occupiers will have 10-50% of their portfolio dedicated to flex. In addition, 17% of occupiers will have more than 50% of their portfolio dedicated to flex. Zakai said:

“Mindspace is experiencing an impressive growth momentum and high demand in all its locations,” says Dan Zakai, CEO and Co-founder of Mindspace. “We successfully faced the many challenges of COVID. Today, our locations are almost at full occupancy and the current investment led by Harel Insurance and More Provident Funds is intended to fulfill the rising demand in the market and to launch new locations in partnership with landlords worldwide. Mindspace isn’t just another real estate company that rents out offices, but rather offers a strong, strategic partnership to its customers and to landlords. When choosing their office environment, we found that our customers put a great emphasis on their experience: central location, unique design and service of the highest standard. We expect a continued accelerated growth in 2022, while creating a great added value for our many customers.”

Mindspace provides well designed offices, fully equipped kitchens and meeting rooms. Mindspace allows for flexibility, shorter term commitments and lower financial risk, which is a suitable solution in times of economic slowdown.

In fact, a survey by IT company ServiceNow and Radar Media shows that 45% of respondents have adopted low-code platforms and that 79% say now is an optimal time to invest in low code.  According to John Bratincevic, senior analyst at research firm Forrester, there were two major use cases for low code and no code in the past year: building new apps or adding onto existing ones. He commented:

“One vendor wrote a solution in 48 hours and sold it to like 25 regional banks. So they themselves got into a whole new business line overnight, well, in two days. And then the banks of course could adopt the solution. Lots of people self-served and made their own using the platforms.”

Adding onto or changing existing apps was also very easy using low-code platforms. For example, Bratincevic recalled a retailer that had to get into the delivery business quickly and because they’d already used low code to build their important applications, it was as simple as adding a new module on top of that application to handle delivery and transportation management.

Changing needs require development speed 

One of the key benefits of low-code development is speed. Traditional software takes a long time to deliver, and sometimes by the time it actually has been delivered, requirements have changed.

ServiceNow and Radar Media’s survey found that low code cut development time at least in half. 42% of respondents had a 2x reduction in development time and 43% saw reductions of 3x.  In addition to being able to build solutions faster, low code also provides the ability to make changes quickly, without compromising on quality, Bratincevic explained.

“There’s a lot of quality checks in these platforms, so like if you’re going to delete a field in a database it’ll stop and go ‘hold it if you do that it’ll break these hundred other things. Here’s how it fits into the architecture.’ There’s a lot of quality checks that are built into the products that make it so that, in addition to being able to develop quickly, you can change quickly with a certain level of quality maintained.”

The pandemic has made companies warier of something like this happening again and how they could respond. “A lot of people had systems that couldn’t change to respond to whatever the different needs of COVID were and that was a huge problem,” said Bratincevic. “So people I think are changing their approach to say ‘what do we do when this happens again? How do we build that concrete ability to change into the systems?’”

For example, when people started working from home and not driving their cars, insurance companies needed to have a way to change their billing systems quickly to be able to issue billions of dollars in refunds.

Younger workers adopting low code

Hari Subramanian, the founder of no-code tool provider Appify, believes the generational change in the workforce and their customer bases is also contributing to low code’s success.

Younger workers tend to be very tech-savvy, having lived most of their lives surrounded by technology. Younger workers with no development experience might be able to leverage that knowledge to go into a low-code or no-code platform and create an application from scratch.  At the same time, younger customers are expecting modern digital experiences, Subramanian explained:

“They want to be able to at the click of a button get a $14 pizza and track it until it reaches their door …  If I’m going to meet a salesperson, I need that same modern digital experience. Things need to be available at my fingertips. I need rapid access to rich information. I need to be able to engage in a very rich way and that demand is being placed on businesses as well. And it kind of comes back to no-code/low-code platforms as a way for businesses to accelerate and deliver to that need.”

In addition to the age of workers, the age of the company also plays a role in adoption. According to Jinen Dedhia, co-founder of low-code platform DronaHQ, new companies are able to adopt low code without a ton of baggage. He compared the low-code movement to the introduction of the Ford motor car.

Larger, more established companies might have some experiences with low code, however. For example, a company with a Microsoft ecosystem could get started using Microsoft PowerApps.

IT still key to low-code success

Low code may have been a popular choice this year, but a few years ago reception among developers and architects was mixed. A 2018 Progress survey of 5,565 developers revealed that 28% of developers and 20% of managers had a positive opinion on low code. The rest fell into categories such as “sceptical” (37% of developers and managers combined), “negative” (21%), “customization and flexibility seen as shortcoming” (17%), and “good for simple apps and prototyping but not suitable for complex ones” (16%).

The increasing push to adopt low-code/no-code tools might have developers and IT teams worried, but the need for those technical roles isn’t going away any time soon, Dedhia explained that these solutions enable you to build faster, but technical expertise is still needed.

In addition, there are some limitations to these tools that require users to turn to their development or IT teams. Dedhia gave the example of a low-code platform not allowing you to create an API endpoint for accessing the data.

The event was attended by guests and specialists in the cybersecurity sector, which are the main focus of our digital everyday life. Here is more from the discussion.

Diana Stefanova, Vice President of Global Sites Strategy at VMware, said that the Global Security Insights 2020– study involved 14 countries from all around the world, which makes it extremely comprehensive. The results can be defined as very interesting. 542 professionals from the cybersecurity industry took part in the study. 70% of them have stated that they have suffered at least once a breakthrough in the systems. 69% reported an increase in attacks by 60-70%. Stefanova commented:

“Thanks to COVID, we have had to move towards accelerated digital transformation. This has placed new challenges for security teams. 80% of the participants believe that they have been the subject of cyber-attacks because of the majority of employees working from home.”

Diana Stefanova gave an example of what happened to Colonial Pipeline, who were forced to pay a ransom to hackers in order to resume their work. Another example she mentioned was T-Mobile. According to her, in such cases, companies must react reactively.

According to the study, 79% of respondents say that cyberattacks have become more challenging and more difficult to deal with. Among the leading reasons of this, the study identifies several reasons:

14% responded that this is due to outdated processes, technologies and methods of organizations.

According to the panellists, some of the security measures that we should consider include Internal policies and updated technology. 98% of the respondents commented that they use the Cloud-first approach, which turned up to be a double-edged sword.

The key challenges that the companies have to overcome are three:

Too many surfaces to defend

Too many silos

Too little context.

Diana Stefanova introduced Ventsislav Pochekanski, the leader of the Carbon Black team at VMware, who is completely focused on security. Carbon Black is a new team for Bulgaria, built in the last year and is the main unit of VMware. He commented:

“More and more employees are mobile and work with different points of view, which is a problem. Multiple end devices are used to access the data. Organizations maintain their traditional applications, but also develop new ones. Both new data centres and new cloud technologies are available, and it is also important to use extremely complex networks to provide connectivity between customers, users, etc.,”

According to him, there is a lack of context in the operation of these protection systems. The goal is not to protect individual components, but the entire system. Pochekanski also said that systems must see all components of protection and understand the interconnections on them.

“Our vision at VMware is for a security system that is built into the infrastructure, instead of many tools that we need to take care of, update, maintain, etc.,”

According to him, there is a lack of context in the operation of these protection systems. The goal is not to protect individual components, but the entire system. Pochekanski also said that systems must see all components of protection and understand the interconnections on them.

“Our vision at VMware is for a security system that is built into the infrastructure, instead of many tools that we need to take care of, update, maintain, etc.,” he said.

The moderator of the meeting was Boycho Popov, Editor-in-Chief of Investor. bg, as well as a presenter at Bloomberg TV, who also introduced Yuri Genov, Executive Director and Head of IT and Operations at DSK Bank.

“The work of global companies and the publication of such research provide a good insight into how the market is evolving. We were very careful during the pandemic and focused on these aspects of staff work. It is always good for someone with authority to confirm what is happening on our market, “

What actually matters is that managers are starting to focus more and more on this topic. What the statistics show is that incidents are increasing dramatically – in 2019 attacks were less than 1000, in 2020- around 2000, and in 2021 the expected number is 3000. There are several reasons behind this:

• COVID-19 pandemic
• Visualization
• Third-party software suppliers
• Cloud usage.

But how does the transition to a virtual work model affect cybersecurity?

According to Yuri Genov, the current situation taught society many things, better discipline, better security measures, etc. As threats grow, so does the culture of citizen behaviour, awareness, and precautionary measures against phishing attacks. Security is not just about finance, because the problem covers bigger and bigger perimeter. The Cloud increases data security, but its model increases the potential for problems. Security starts with people’s behaviour and habits and is developed and supported by technology.

The discussion was also attended by Georgi Sharkov, who manages the interface of a software institute – Center for Eastern Europe and the Laboratory of Cybersecurity in Sofia Tech Park.

“Both phishing and ransomware attacks are on the rise because of the pandemic, but also because of the virtualisation of education, shopping, communication and our lives in general. The infrastructure and the environment in which communication is changed. New signals for attacks and imagination have also appeared on channels that have not yet been presented in Bulgaria,”

Vihren Slavchev made an interesting emphasis on new technologies such as AI, ML and Deep Learning. Their applications are very large and one of the reasons for their widespread penetration is that they can be applied on both the good and the bad side.

“We know how drones save lives, make deliveries, etc., but they can also hit military targets with extraordinary power. In terms of cybersecurity, we are at war. It runs between machines and machines. We position software, algorithms and centres, 95% controlled by AI. On the other side are those who attack. They use AI, which studies and analyses your behaviour so that it launches the attack very successfully. Even in a prepared organisation, we see phishing emails that are incredibly neat and done with research for months. Despite years of experience behind many specialists, out of 10 phishing emails, they manage to recognise 6, 7. At some point, people will become spectators of this war and as such will lose control.

On the question of who will win the war, Slavchev noted that historically, the attackers are always one step ahead. On the other hand, the defence must be approached with a great deal of study of all models of attack. Serious research is needed and millions of dollars can be spent on defence, but the weak link in the human factor, that could open the door and welcome the enemy every time.

Georgi Sharkov continued the military analogy, saying that there are no unconquered fortresses in world history. The defender is always in an unfavourable situation.

“A fortress that is not designed to be protected cannot be. We need to think about how to design the protection. The attackers have no ethical, moral or regulatory restrictions on the use of funds. They have an advantage. The AI ​​itself needs to be protected! AI’s cybersecurity is a very important aspect.

He added that in all wars, there is no winner, and cyberspace is not an exclusion. Sharkov also said that artificial intelligence is the only tool that could help against enemy AI.

On the question asked by DevStyleR “What are the three steps that a company must take after an attack”

Ventsislav Pochekanski commented that if companies are thinking ahead, they need to ensure maximum protection for vulnerabilities and the traditional, outdated applications that are used. They are often attacked and this is done through constant monitoring. Current behaviour-based protection systems should also be used. It is also necessary to ensure the protection of internal systems. But when it comes to a cyber attack and a ransom demand, there is no technological solution.

Vihren Slavchev emphasized another curious thing – should the ransom be paid? If the company can recover relatively quickly, then there is no need. But attackers often destroy backups, which is already a big problem. He also noted that talks are underway to criminalize the payment of ransom.

As protection steps, first, he listed “trust a professional” because “pulling the cable and cutting services” is not good. Also, you need to isolate the perimeter. As a third step, you must have a crisis plan because if everything is done at the last moment, then it becomes very complicated.

Yuri Genov agreed that every company must have a ready-prepared plan and that Bulgaria has systems in place to interact with national authorities. He is of the opinion that the legislation should be observed and authorized persons should be dealt with. There are well-prepared organizations that can help, and paying a ransom should be an incredible last resort to save a business.

“It is not a coding error. It is incompetence. The developer who developed this is incompetent… This is basic stuff,” said the man who spotted the booking system problem.

“The source code of the website, flagged a few concerning features, including someone’s name, and an NHI number hard coded into the website, for what reason? I don’t know,” he said. “We could see everyone’s details. We skimmed through, we didn’t look at names, but their names, dates of birth, NHI numbers for those who entered them, contact details, where they were getting their vaccinations, what time they were vaccinated.”

It appeared that Canterbury DHB had used a modified internal system to create the booking system. “You can tell by the source code, this was never meant to be a public facing website. This was only for people to use on like iPads, in doctors’ surgeries, it was not supposed to be for this.“

The flexibility we’ve earned due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation helped us to open our minds far beyond the boundaries of a cubicle office without clocking in and out. 

After all, any troubles in life seem to fade to black when one can ride a ski or snowboard before and after work, and even during the breaks. 

That’s how one of the most popular winter resorts in southern Bulgaria, Pamporovo, has become the best mountain town for digital nomads. It’s co-working options and easy access to outdoor activities tempts every remote worker to come and experience the amazing atmosphere and work literally from the slopes.  

This will be a short interview about the different home-office options far away from the urban lifestyle that Pamporovo provides. 

Tell us a little more about Pamporovo – for our international audience? What do you offer? What are the advantages?

Pamporovo is one of the biggest mountain resorts in Bulgaria known for its unique nature and most sunny days in the year. We offer many different services, various well groomed ski slopes in the winter and good prepared bike & hike trails in the summer. Pamporovo is located in the magical Rhodope mountain.

Mountains with breathtaking views and ultimate clean air with very high negative ionization. In the region are located many natural landmarks and tourist attractions and a person will have many things to do in each day of their stay.

Can you tell us how Pamporovo has turned from a winter resort into one different and non-standard home-office?

In the last few years many people choose Pamporovo for their remote-office, because there is nothing better to combine your hobby with your work. Especially since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, the resort has been established as a preferred destination for “home office” because of the tranquility, the fresh air and the hospitality of the Rhodope people. Here you can really feel at home away from home.

What do you offer to you guests, who chose you for their remote-office?

Everything you need for the working process – privacy, fast internet connection and space for new ideas. At the disposal of the guests of Pamporovo are many hotels, guest houses and apartments and also the “Pamporovo Convention Center” with a variety of fully high technical equipped multifunctional halls, ready to satisfy even the most demanding guests.

Can you share with us, professionals from which fields chose your resort for their work environment?

Many freelancers, programmers, copywriters, PR professionals, sales managers, designers and others.

Do you believe that this environment helps professionals be more proactive?

Definitely! People are much more productive and creative when they are in such an environment. It is totally different when your office is in the woods and you’re motivated to finish your work faster because you can go to ski after that or to walk to some beautiful place around.

Are you going to provide the same amenities even after the current pandemic situation? What about during other seasons?

Of course! Pamporovo is an all season destination and offers excellent conditions for remote-office all the year.