Ransomware continues to grow and expand, both in the number of attackers and the number of potential victims. This week we feature some of the attackers strategies described in recent news items.

Whats next Ransomware in a box? New Agenda Ransomware can be customized for each victim

A new ransomware strain called Agenda, written in Googles open source programming language Go (aka Golang) was detected and reported by researchers at Trend Micro earlier this week. There has been trend towards using newer languages like Go and Rust to create malware, particularly ransomware.

The fact that many of these languages can operate cross platform makes them a much greater threat. Go programs are cross platform and stand alone. They can execute without a Go interpreter on the host system.

In addition, the creators have added a new wrinkle making this new variant easily customizable. This new strain is being sold on the dark web as Ransomware as a Service (RaaS). Qilin, the threat actor that is selling it to its affiliates, claims it will allow them to easily customize, for each victim, the:

Finally, Agenda has a clever detection evasion technique also used in the other ransomware variant REvil. It changes the user password and enables automatic login with the new credentials. This allows the attacker to use safe mode to reboot and control the victims system.

Trend Micro reported that this allowed one attacker to move from reconnaissance to full-fledged attack in only two days. On the first day, the attacker scanned a Citrix server, and on the second day mounted a customized attack.

For more information you can review the original Trend Micro posting.

New Linux ransomware families

Another way that threat actors are expanding the attack surface is by targeting Linux, one of the predominant operating systems used on internet and cloud servers. RaaS offerings are increasing targeting Linux systems.

Although regarded as a very secure operating system, and despite a consistent move to patch vulnerabilities, the large number of Linux offerings used world-wide ensures there are a significant number of vulnerabilities at any given time. Failure to update and patch systems creates a large potential target base.

But software vulnerabilities are not the only area of weakness. Configuration mistakes are often the more likely factor in the breach of a Linux system, according to researchers at Trend Micro.

Remarkably, these include easily remedied issues such as:

To quote Trends report, given the prevalence of Linux, ransomware actors find the operating system to be a very lucrative target.

Ransomware going to the dogs is no joke

As RaaS and customizability become more and more prevalent, theres an increasing ability to target smaller and more specific groups. We are familiar with ransomware attacking health care organizations, but recently the United Veterinary Services Association has written to its members with recommendations to increase ransomware prevention after an attack that hit more than 700 animal health networks around the world.

It is a reminder that no group, regardless of size or type of business, is immune to ransomware.Every organization must communicate the need to have, at a minimum, the basics of ransomware protection in place:

Read more:
Ransomware attackers expand the attack surface. This Week in Ransomware Friday, Sept 2 - IT World Canada

It took nine decades, but Raymond Lewis finally got to step out on Mardi Gras Day with Black Masking Indians.

"Never in my lifetime," he said, "I didn't think I would be dressing with an Indian group."

But not only did Lewis get an invitation from Big Chief Darryl Montana to mask with the Yellow Pocahontas Hunters, Montana also taught him to sew his own suit thanks to a program at the Louisiana State Museum, which offers area seniors the chance to take weekslong classes taught by a local artist.

"I enjoyed it, really. It was very exciting," Lewis said. "It was beautiful. I enjoyed the whole business."

The program, which was made possible by a grant from the E.A. Michelson Foundation, empowers local museums to create classes specifically for seniors. When Montana, the beading program instructor, invited the now 93-year-old New Orleanian to step out on Mardi Gras day with his tribe, Lewis accepted but not without a little help. His fellow beading students stepped in, even after the program officially ended, to help Lewis complete his suit.

"It was good socializing with a lot of folks," said Lewis, who's still keeping up with his beading.

Big Chief Darryl Montana, center, and Big Queen Dianne Honor, right, both with the Yellow Pocahontas Indians, get Theodore Brown inspired to dance and sing in front of his classmates during a beading workshop at the Louisiana State Museum Cabildo in the French Quarter of New Orleans on Wednesday, August 17, 2022. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)

The LSM, which was recently awarded a third year of funding for the program through the Michelson Foundation, has so far seen more than 100 local adults cycle through its classes, many of whom have taken more than one class, said Louisiana State Museum Manager of Education Sara Lowenburg.

"We were really excited about the opportunity to dig deeper into offering programming for older adults," Lowenburg said. "It's an audience that has a lot of connections to museums and also often has a lot of barriers, in terms of access and engagement, and we're excited to explore that."

Now, arts programming for seniors in the New Orleans area will expand, thanks to the New Orleans Museum of Art's own acceptance into the E.A. Michelson Foundation's grant program. It means dozens more adults will have the chance, like Lewis, to learn something new while connecting with their community.

Working on one bead at a time at the Mardi Gras Indian-inspired bead workshop at the Louisiana State Museum Cabildo in the French Quarter of New Orleans on Wednesday, August 17, 2022. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)

"There's a huge opportunity for museums to really do so much more to open themselves up to older adults and open up those lives of older adults using the amazing collections they have but doing it in a way that lets individuals find creativity," said Theresa Bonner, the executive director of E.A. Michelson Philanthropy, a Minneapolis organization.

And that opportunity is only growing. In Louisiana in 2020, more than 16% of the population was over 65 in 2020. Nationwide, that number is expected to grow to more than 20% by 2030.

Big Chief Darryl Montana of the Yellow Pocahontas Indians helps Anna Compass make bead art at the Louisiana State Museum Cabildo in the French Quarter of New Orleans on Wednesday, August 17, 2022. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)

"This time of life, when you're older, can last for 50 years. ... It's a long period of time, and that's a big part of why we're hoping these (kinds of programs) can spread," Bonner said. "In public libraries many years ago, there weren't programs for children, and now you can't imagine a public library without children's programs."

The demand for adult arts education in New Orleans is one that Tracy Kennan was familiar with before NOMA was awarded the grant. Kennan, the museum's curator of education, said she's long gotten calls asking for exactly that kind of programming, but has never before been able to really point anyone toward the museum.

Students in a beading class look at their art on a table inside the Louisiana State Museum Cabildo in the French Quarter of New Orleans on Wednesday, August 17, 2022. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)

"I have often had to say, 'We have this family workshop, or you can look to local universities," but that's often more than what someone is looking for. They don't want a whole semester," Kennan said.

While the LSM programs, which are typically geared toward local cultural practices, like beading, drumming, poetry and printmaking, are ongoing, the classes at NOMA will start later this fall, and Kennan expects them to incorporate lessons from the museum's permanent collection and exhibitions. Though the Michelson grant will support the program for two years, like Lowenburg, she hopes to see them become a local museum staple.

"There are a lot of people out there looking for lifelong learning opportunities, and we want to be a place for lifelong learning," Kennan said. "We want people to look to the museum as a place for that."

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Older adults are the target audience as museums add art programming - NOLA.com

Developer shortage stands in the way of decentralized, blockchain-centric internet bliss.

Advocates of Web3, a catch-all term widely used to incorporate concepts of decentralized networks, cryptocurrencies and other blockchain-powered applications, have a grand vision for the future of the Internet and global finance.

One thing that stands in the way: a lack of people to make it happen.

At the end of last year, when bitcoin and a handful of other cryptocurrencies reached their highest values, about 18,500 developers each month were contributing to open-source Web3 projects, according to a report published by crypto-focused investment firm Electric Capital.

Electric Capital

That number is at an all-time high and growing faster than everwith roughly 60% of Web3 developers entering the industry in 2021writes Electric Capital partner Maria Shen, but it is a speck of the global total of software engineers, which stood at 31.1 million in the first quarter of 2022, according to developer analytics company SlashData.

Facebook, Amazon.com and Googlethe largest companies of todays internet, dubbed Web2 by cryptophiles, have over 20,000 software developers each, according to various estimates. But theyre outnumbered by the staff at companies like JPMorgan and Citigroup, both of which say they employ over 30,000 on projects for their financial-services businesses.

Crypto insiders might shrug at this juxtaposition, replying we are still earlyone of the industrys favorite refrainsbut some see this chasm as a major impediment to the realization of Web3s promises.

When Citigroup reportedly employs 30,000 developers, but there are only several thousand active monthly blockchain developers, this developer gap feels insurmountable, says Jay McCarthy, cofounder and chief technology officer at blockchain development firm Reach.

"Blockchain has extreme potential, but if we dont get more developers building out their dreams, that potential will never be realized," echoes Chris Swenor, CEO of Reach and McCarthys cofounder.

They identified a high barrier to entry as a primary reason for the shortage. Not only does blockchain development often require knowledge of specialized programming languages like Solidity or Rust, used for implementing smart contracts on Ethereum and Solana, but fundamentally it's a brand new technology that requires behavioral change, says Swenor.

He and McCarthy founded Reach in 2019, out of their Boston homes, for that very reason. The company, backed by creators of the Algorand blockchain, provides developers with a toolkit that helps them cut up to 85% of costs and time spent on the development of applications including decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and nonfungible tokens (NFTs), two key building blocks for most visions of Web3. We are trying to lower that barrier and simultaneously increase the ceiling of what is possible because people are willing to have more ambition and try to take on more if they have the support, McCarthy explains.

At a first glance, the gap between the demand and supply of programmers needed for an internet overhaul is apparent. Its hardly possible to name a Web3 or blockchain company that is not actively seeking developers. Just last month, popular employment website Indeed listed over 600 software engineer, software architect, full-stack and back-end developer jobs that had the words cryptocurrency, blockchain, bitcoin and ethereum in their descriptions. TrueUp, the tech jobs analytics platform, estimated 9,715 open crypto jobs at the beginning of summera third of them for software-engineering positions.

However, blockchain heavy hitters say they are faced with a different set of challenges.

Protocol Labs, an open-source research and development laboratory known for decentralized data storage projects such as InterPlanetary File System and Filecoin, is looking to hire about 50 software engineers but is not short on applicants, according to Dietrich Ayala, its ecosystem lead of browsers and platforms.

I think a better question would be, is there actually a shortage of developers or is there a shortage of developers who are able to think about what the next generation of internet will look like? And that's a more challenging task from a recruiting standpoint, says Ayala, who had previously spent over a decade at web pioneer Mozilla.

The mindset is especially important for companies working on the core technology of Web3blockchains that underpin applications like NFTs and decentralized marketplaces. Theres definitely a shortage of developers in general, according to John Wu, president of Ava Labs, the New York-based creator of the Avalanche blockchain, but we have to consider quality. The space is growing so fast, things are changing so quickly. What developers are doing today may not be what we need them to do six months from now.

Competitors agree. If you throw 100 engineers at a project versus 10, it doesn't mean that the project is going to grow 10 times faster, says Austin Federa, head of communications at Solana Labs, the company behind the Solana blockchain. Some Web3 organizations have the financial backing to scale to a thousand people if they wanted to, but we don't hire a ton of developers just because we can, he states. In Web3, people hire more developers when they have new problems for them to solve.

Backed by the likes of billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried, venture capitalists Andreessen Horowitz and algorithmic investor Jump Trading, the 70-person company lacks neither resources nor developer interest. Solanas flagship Hacker Housessix-day gatherings for developers building blockchain-based applicationshave attracted more than 11,000 attendees in 18 cities this year. According to Federa, one of the goals of these events is to help the so-called Web2 developers who are interested in transitioning understand whether they are ready for the challenge. It's seen as riskier to go into Web3, I think, by a lot of developers. It's definitely a less cushy type of job to have.

Declining cryptocurrency prices, multi-billion dollar bankruptcies of some of the most trusted playersincluding Singapore-based hedge fund Three Arrows Capital and crypto brokerage Voyager Digitaland a wave of layoffs at established crypto firms, among them exchanges Coinbase and Gemini, have only added to the industrys woes.

In Ayalas experience of interviewing candidates, their biggest concern often boils down to industry risk: Will crypto as a whole succeed or fail? How bad are the recent levels of currency volatility?

It is no secret that Web3 firms are willing to pay handsome rewards for risk-taking. Crypto startups flush with cash from the latest bull marketa record $25 billion in venture capital funding in 2021, data from CB Insights shows, are offering average annual salaries of $150,000 for junior Solidity developers. The more experienced ones can rake in $400,000 or more, CoinDesk reported, whereas the national salary average for software engineers is roughly $97,000, according to Glassdoor. You will see salaries that make Web2 salaries look low, quite frankly, agrees Federa.

More than 60% of those working in Web3 take at least part of their salary in cryptocurrencies, according to a report by crypto tracking platform CoinMarketCap. Those already-hefty sums could quickly turn into fortunes with the next big price rally but can just as easily dissipate in a market downturn.

The good news is that the industry has historically managed to retain workers even through bear markets. Electric Capital estimates the number of monthly active blockchain developers has stayed flat at around 11,000 even as crypto prices fell more than 80% from their peak in 2018-2019.

But corporations like Google, Microsoft and Amazon are increasingly competing for the same talent pool: 81 of the top 100 public companies were using blockchain technology in the fall of 2021, according to Blockcdata. Among Forbes Blockchain 50 lists latest members, billion-dollar enterprises seriously implementing the technology, are Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, the largest post-trade services organization in the world, auction house Sothebys, Boeing and Walmart, to name a few.

Ava Labs Wu is optimistic: not every Web2 company has figured out how Web3 can help them, he says. Recent news may have slightly decreased the inflow of new developers to Web3, but whoever has made the decision to come over, I dont really see them going back.

Link:
Web3 Growth Stymied By Scarcity Of Programmers - Forbes

As part of the Government of Newfoundland and Labradors ongoing commitment to create approximately 3,100 new regulated Pre-Kindergarten early learning and child care spaces by 2025-26, waitlist registration will open for the first Pre-Kindergarten pilot locations on September 8, 2022:

YMCA of Newfoundland and Labrador (YMCA-NL), which was chosen as the not-for-profit operator for all 35 Pre-Kindergarten Pilot Locations, will open waitlist registration at http://www.ymcanl.com/pre-kindergarten-program beginning at9:00 a.m. NDT on September 8.More details regarding the waitlist registration can be found below.

Pre-Kindergarten locations will open in phases.These initial five locations are anticipated to open before the end of November, 2022. Second phase locations are targeted for opening between December, 2022 and early 2023. While global supply chain shortages continue to impact project schedules in all sectors, all parties continue to work toward the goal of opening all 35 pilot locations by March 31, 2023. These pilot locations will account for approximately 600 new regulated early learning and child care spaces.

The Federal-ProvincialEarly Learning and Child Care Action Planis increasing access to regulated child care through the creation of approximately 6,000 spaces by 2025-26, as well as improving affordability, inclusivity and the quality of early learning and child care programming in Newfoundland and Labrador. This plan is made possible by federal investments in the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system. These include $306 million for the 2021-22 to 2025-26 Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, a one-time investment of nearly $6.5 million in 2021-22 to support the early childhood workforce, as well as over $34 million for the 2021-22 to 2025-26 Early Learning and Child Care Extension Agreement.

Newfoundland and Labrador was one of the first provinces to make child care more affordable for families by introducing $25 per day regulated child care in January 2021. That work has continued through the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, which has further reduced the cost for regulated child care to $15 per day in 2022 and with a scheduled reduction to $10 per day in 2023.

QuotesThis is an important milestone for our Pre-Kindergarten pilot program. These first locations will create additional child care spaces in five areas with significant need, and are just the beginning of significant growth in child care availability province wide through this program. I want to thank YMCA-NL for their diligence in getting this program off-the ground in just three short months, and I look forward to the opening of the remaining pilot locations in the months to come.Honourable John HaggieMinister of Education

Access to high-quality child care gives children the chance to turn their natural curiosity into a lifelong love of learning. It builds the intellectual foundation for their future success. Todays announcement marks a major step forward for many children in this province, and is a testament to the excellent partnership between the Governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador.Honourable Karina GouldCanadas Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Government of Canada

YMCA-NL has appreciated the work of the Provincial Government and the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District to get the Pre-Kindergarten Pilot Program to the point where we can now begin the waitlist registration process. While this is an important milestone, a pilot project is also about learning, and we expect to learn a great dealthat will help us in future phasesas we work to open the five Phase one sites across the province. We also look forward to the upcoming wage grid in January to help with the recruitment of Early Childhood Educators.Jason BrownCEO, YMCA-NL

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Learn morePre-Kindergarten Pilot Set to Create Approximately 600 Regulated Early Learning Spaces in 2022-23

YMCA-NL to Act as Not-For-Profit Operator of Pre-Kindergarten Pilot Locations

$10 a day child care for families in Newfoundland and Labrador

Toward $10-a-Day: Early Learning and Child Care

Follow us on Twitter@GovNLand@EDU_GovNL

Like us on Facebook

Media contactsNancy HollettEducation709-729-1906, 327-7878nancyhollett@gov.nl.ca

Mohammad HussainPress SecretaryOffice of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina GouldMohammad.a.hussain@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Michelle NorthoverYMCA of Newfoundland and Labrador709-691-6610Michelle.northover@nl.ymca.ca

BACKGROUNDER

Waitlist Registration Details for Pre-Kindergarten Pilot ProgramWaitlist registration for the five phase one pilot locations will occur at ymcanl.com/pre-kindergarten-program. To register for the waitlist, you can select the link for your location and follow the instructions.

Waitlist registration will open at 9:00 a.m. Newfoundland Daylight Savings Time (NDT) on Thursday, September 8, 2022. All registrants will be placed on the waitlist according to their chosen school location. Successful applicants will be chosen from the waitlist once spaces are confirmed until all spaces are filled.

Priority will be given to those applicants who apply who reside within the catchment area for the school location. TheNLESD Bus Plannercan be used to identify the catchment area for your home address.

Anyone with questions about the waitlist application process is encouraged to email pre-k@nl.ymca.ca.

2022 09 011:25 pm

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Registration Set to Open for First Pre-Kindergarten Pilot Locations in Newfoundland and Labrador - News Releases - Government of Newfoundland and...

While most spend Labor Day weekend desperately squeezing one last drop of summer out of the calendar, its go time for the Television Academy. The Creative Arts Emmys are a two-night affair honoring the best in American prime-time television from categories that are not always top of mind but still fun to follow. Will Barack Obama win outstanding narrator for his work on Our Great National Parks, or will David Attenboroughs work on The Mating Game play spoiler? There are also the guest-actor categories at hand, promising potential acceptance speeches from Bill Hader, Jane Lynch,and more.

The first night of the ceremonies, held at Los Angeless Microsoft Theater, kicks off at 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 3, and runs until 7:15 p.m. Then everyone catches their breath (or attends the Governors Gala in a plaza beside the Los Angeles Convention Center) and prepares to do it all over again on Sunday. The ceremonies will be edited and televised on FXX on Saturday, September 10, at 8 p.m. The broadcast will be available on Hulu the following day. The main 2022 Emmy ceremony, hosted by Kenan Thompson, will be broadcast live on Monday, September 12. You can catch up on the full list of 2022 Emmy nominations before the big event.

Presenters at this years Creative Arts Emmys include W. Kamau Bell, Colman Domingo, Marcia Gay Harden, Randy Rainbow, Judd Apatow, and RuPaul.

Leading the nominations in Creative Arts categories are Succession and Euphoria, tied at 13; Hacks and Stranger Things, tied at 12; Only Murders in the Building at 11; and Ted Lasso at 10.

There are approximately 400,000 awards to hand out, so lets get down to it, shall we? As winners are announced they will be moved to the top of each category's nominees and highlighted in triumphant bold.

2022 Creative Arts Emmy Awards: Saturday, September 3

Arcane

Bobs Burgers

Rick and Morty

The Simpsons

What If?

Love on the Spectrum U.S.

Lizzos Watch Out for the Big Grrls

Queer Eye

RuPauls Drag Race

Top Chef

Chadwick Boseman, What If?

F. Murray Abraham, Moon Knight

Julie Andrews, Bridgerton

Maya Rudolph, Big Mouth

Stanley Tucci, Central Park

Jessica Walter, Archer

Jeffrey Wright, What If?

Savage x Fenty Show Vol. 3

Annie Live

Dancing with the Stars

The Oscars

Step into the Movies with Derek and Julianne Hough

100 Foot Wave

The Andy Warhol Diaries

McCartney 3, 2, 1

Our Great National Parks

Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy

We Feed People

Life Below Zero

The Amazing Race

Deadliest Catch

Lizzos Watch Out for the Big Grrls

RuPauls Drag Race

Survivor

Teenage Dream - Sandy Hook Promise

Detectives - Apple iPhone 13 Pro

Everyone But Jon Hamm - Apple TV+

The Lost Class - Change The Ref

Skate Nation Ghana - Meta

Walter The Cat - Chevy Silverado

Were Here

The Beatles: Get Back

The Andy Warhol Diaries

George Carlins American Dream

Lucy and Desi

Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy

We Need to Talk About Cosby

Lizzos Watch Out for the Big Grrls

Cheer

Queer Eye

RuPauls Drag Race

Top Chef

A Black Lady Sketch Show

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Late Night

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Saturday Night Live

Adele: One Night Only

Dave Chappelle: The Closer

Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel

Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special

The Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show

The Beatles: Get Back

The Andy Warhol Diaries

Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy

100 Foot Wave

We Need to Talk About Cosby

George Carlins American Dream

Controlling Britney Spears

Lucy and Desi

The Tinder Swindler

We Feed People

When Claude Got Shot

Changing the Game

Frederick Douglass

Annie Live!

RuPaul, RuPauls Drag Race

Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, and Jonathan Van Ness, Queer Eye

Nicole Byer, Nailed It

Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, and Kevin O'Leary, Shark Tank

Padma Lakshmi, Top Chef

Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman, Making It

Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy

Read more:
Creative Arts Emmys 2022: Winners and Nominees - Vanity Fair

The US financial services industry has fully embraced a move to the cloud, driving a demand for tech skills such as AWS and automation, as well as Python for data analytics, Java for developing consumer-facing apps, and SQL for database work.

The push is part of an industrywide trend toward making banking more accessible by giving customers better access to savings accounts, investments, and loans through digital services, according to careers website Dice.com. New technologies, such as cryptocurrency and digital banking, have the potential to bridge opportunity gaps in financial services that have existed for decades. But financial services companies need skilled IT professionals to help manage the integration of new and emerging technology, while modernizing legacy finance tech.

As demand for tech skills grows in the finance industry, certain IT jobs are becoming more sought-after than others. If youre an IT pro looking to break into the finance industry, or a finance IT leader wanting to know where hiring will be most competitive, here are the top 10 in-demand tech jobs in finance, according to data from Dice.

Software engineers are one of the most sought-after roles in the US finance industry, with Dice citing a 28% growth in job postings from January to May. The most in-demand skills include DevOps, Java, Python, SQL, NoSQL, React, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and AWS tools, among others. In the finance industry, software engineers are often tasked with assisting in the technical front-end strategy, writing code, contributing to open-source projects, and helping the company deliver customer-facing services. Software engineers are at the forefront of digital transformation in the financial services industry by helping companies automate processes, release scalable applications, and keep on top of emerging technology trends.

The average salary for a financial software engineer is $116,670 per year, with a reported salary range of $85,000 to $177,000 per year, according to data from Glassdoor.

Full-stack software engineers are essentially high-level software engineers who are focused on designing, testing, and implementing software applications. Job duties include helping plan software projects, designing software system architecture, and designing and deploying web services, applications, and APIs. Youll be required to write code, troubleshoot systems, fix bugs, and assist with the development of microservices. In-demand skills for the role include programming languages such as Scala, Python, open-source RDBMS, NoSQL, as well as skills involving machine learning, data engineering, distributed microservices, and full stack systems.

The average salary for a full stack software engineer is $115,818 per year, with a reported salary range of $85,000 to $171,000 per year, according to data from Glassdoor.

Back-end software engineers are responsible for maintaining the structure of server-side information by optimizing servers, implementing security measures, and developing data storage solutions. Youll also be responsible for writing server scripts and APIs that will be used by front-end engineers and UX designers, inspect server codes, configure front-side applications, maintain stable servers, and maintain a backup library. Commonly sought-after skills for back-end software engineers in the financial industry include Java, Python, SQL, Node, Go, Scala, open-source RDBMS, NoSQL databases, and AWS tools and services, among others. Youll also be expected to stay on top of latest tech trends, work closely with product managers, and assist in building cloud-based solutions for financial clients.

The average salary for a back-end software engineer is $126,755 per year, with a reported salary range of $89,000 to $205,000 per year, according to data from Glassdoor.

A director of software engineering is responsible for maintaining day-to-day operations in the software engineering business unit and drive the business roadmap and strategy for the department. Youll be responsible for managing teams of software engineers, overseeing development of customer-facing and internal business applications, and maintaining an eye on new or emerging technology that may impact the business. Its a high-level role that requires more leadership and communication skills rather than hard skills, but depending on the size of the company, you may still need to code occasionally and get hands-on with tech projects.

The average salary for a director of software engineering is $233,321 per year, with a reported salary range of $160,000 to $397,000 per year, according to data from Glassdoor.

DevOps is the intersection of operations and IT development a practice meant to facilitate faster time-to-market and better collaboration among teams involved in the development life cycle. Operations maintains a stronger focus on stability and reliability, whereas development teams are more invested in innovation, change, and moving forward. DevOps helps bring both ideologies together to find a balance between the two goals. In the financial industry, DevOps engineers are focused on bringing together new emerging technologies and legacy systems that have been in place for decades. As emerging technologies such as cryptocurrency and automated trading grow, DevOps engineers help manage the transition while finding the best way to implement new technology without disturbing the flow of the current systems and services.

The average salary for a DevOps engineer is $121,173 per year, with a reported salary range of $91,000 to $169,000 per year, according to data from Glassdoor.

As more financial companies embrace the cloud, theres been an increase in demand for data engineers to help manage AWS and Azure services in the organization. Finance companies collect massive amounts of data, and data engineers are vital in ensuring that data is maintained and that theres a high level of data quality, efficiency, and reliability around data collection. Skills for financial data engineers include coding skills, data analytics, data visualization, data optimization, data integration, data modeling, cloud computing services, knowledge of relational and nonrelational database systems, and an ability to work with high volumes of structured and unstructured data.

The average salary for a data engineer is $118,915 per year, with a reported salary range of $87,000 to $177,000 per year, according to data from Glassdoor.

In the financial industry, business analysts are responsible for using data to help inform business decisions and to translate business needs into functional requirements. Youll need to have a strong understanding of how the business works, with a focus on technology and how it can help support the business through transformation. Business analysts will be expected to build relationships with finance stakeholders in the business to better understand their technology needs and business processes. Part of the role also includes continually improving the organizations technology stack, while maintaining a priority for business continuity and risk management.

The average salary for a financial business analyst is $98,852 per year, with a reported salary range of $73,000 to $154,000 per year, according to data from Glassdoor.

Business systems analysts are responsible for overseeing internal systems, implementing new technology that will help drive and support business needs, and applying analytical data to help plan, design, and deploy new technology. Theres a strong focus on optimizing processes in the organization, maintaining enterprise applications, keeping technology within budget, and identifying key areas for improvement. In the financial industry, business systems analysts are typically tasked with applying these skills to financial technology used within the business. You may be expected to work with product managers, software development, and IT teams to participate in all phases of the development life cycle for financial services.

The average salary for a business systems analyst is $103,869 per year, with a reported salary range of $76,000 to $156,000 per year, according to data from Glassdoor.

Data has long been important to the financial industry its a vital component that helps inform everything from the stock market to personal bank accounts. Financial companies gather large amounts of data, so data scientists are in high demand to help manage, store, organize, and analyze the data collected. Data scientists are used for everything from stock market predictions, to customer experience initiatives, to fraud protection, and companies typically hire data scientists to focus on just one or two specific areas of interest. Some of the main areas that the financial industry makes use of data scientists includes risk management, fraud detection, customer data, consumer analytics, and algorithmic trading. Youll need knowledge of natural language processing (NLP), machine learning, managing complex data infrastructures, and analytics for the role. Other sought-after skills include Python, R, JavaScript, C++, Apache Spark, and Hadoop.

The average salary for a financial data scientist is $114,979 per year, with a reported salary range of $85,000 to $168,000 per year, according to data from Glassdoor.

Lead software engineers are responsible for design planning, leading new development projects, designing and developing consumer-facing web apps, building APIs, developing cloud-based solutions, and leading software development teams. As lead software engineer, you will likely be tasked with major or high-profile projects in the organization and be expected to train, coach, and mentor teammates. A masters degree isnt necessarily required for this role, but its often preferred. In the financial industry, lead software engineering jobs are typically looking for skills with Python, SQL, NoSQL, JavaScript, AWS, Kubernetes, Git, and more.

The average salary for a lead software engineer is $150,430 per year, with a reported salary range of $116,000 to $202,000 per year, according to data from Glassdoor.

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The 10 most in-demand IT jobs in finance - CIO