When it's not about money. Why IT professionals are fired

Does it happen that people leave the company not out of a desire to earn more, but for other reasons, sometimes agreeing to even a lower salary in a new job? We tried to find out and came across different answers. From "no one is fired for financial reasons at all," "and if they are fired, it is the youth," to "in fact, everyone is only interested in money."

Five IT specialists tell their own stories when they resigned from companies or left freelance for a higher salary computer engineer jobs.

Illustration by Alina Samolyuk

"Respect for the employee is a fixed idea for me"

Alexander Mikitenko , Lead QA Automation Engineer

In all my 14 years of experience, I have changed at least 8 companies. At the same time, he was often driven by financial motives, but sometimes left the company for reasons unrelated to money.

The clearest story happened when I went to work in Couchsurfing. This service is close in spirit to me, because it helps to host people for free - unlike Airbnb, where the benefits are shared on a commercial basis. From this point of view, Couchsurfing seemed to me a product I wanted to develop. The resource was created on Ruby on Rails, and I thought it needed automation. And this is my specialty. I found them myself and deliberately (not because of a vacancy) wrote.

I was answered in six months. They said that they were restructuring the team. Couchsurfing didn't have automation, so I got them interested. At that time I worked in a chamber startup, but gladly agreed to change jobs.

However, I left Couchsurfing in four months. It all ended quickly because I was too interested in the project. That is, he immediately began to show initiative, to push ideas, which did not quite suit the Owners and did not correspond to their vision of what people in the team should do. Every Friday, employees were sent an anonymous tool asking if they were satisfied and what they would like to change. And I painted everything every time. All the answers were tied to the team in San Francisco - ours, Kyiv, did not have autonomy. And I insisted, among other things, that autonomy is necessary, as well as horizontal principles by which people can make decisions in a team. All this was not normally spoken, and in response they said only "let's see."

There were many employees who criticized the company. But, as I was told, American culture must be taken into account. That is, it is worth writing: "Everything is wonderful and cool, but if you add this ...". Apparently, I have a problem with that, because I wrote directly. And once, when he again voiced his ideas, the CEO of the project, who is also an owner, answered me very aggressively and publicly: “I know that you are paid. And pay well. So do the work and that's it. "

It broke me! I was emotionally burned out and decided to resign. I was so sorry for the success of the project, and those words touched me. However, I expected some support from colleagues. Yes, everyone agreed that the processes were terrible, something needed to be changed, they said that we were perceived as guest workers, but it did not go beyond personal conversations. At the same time, professionally, there were no differences of opinion with the team, I received positive feedback for a long time. For example, I trained two automation staff (I have a mentor background), they progressed, and then a new developer who came in my place found me on LinkedIn and noted the excellent work on automated tests.

I left the team myself: I didn't want to stay where not only they don't develop, but they are indifferent to work. And respect for the employee is a fixed idea for me. I have left-wing views and believe that it is the employees who create the product, from which the business owner then removes the margin. Because a business owner is just a capital owner, not always even a manager. That's why it annoys me when profit-generating employees are treated as service personnel.

Besides, I'm not the only one who has this opinion. Just go to Glassdoor and read reviews about the company: they are very critical. They pay well there, but that's not the main thing. It is important for me to invest my knowledge and skills, to feel that my ideas are being developed, that I am valued.

Can similar frustrations be prevented during an interview? This is difficult because you usually see everything in the process. But you can ask whether the specialists in the company are given autonomy and in what way, how much control management (time tracking is already an element of disrespect and distrust, and I would rather not go to such a company).

In addition, there is another point - whether it is possible to disclose the salary. When you know how much your colleague earns, you can compare and analyze your capabilities, properly position yourself in the market. However, many companies either prescribe a non-disclosure clause separately or do not tolerate these conversations. So programmers usually don't allow themselves to talk about it, which is really awful.

It is also important to pay attention to companies that do not show the salary range. They actually say, "Guess how much we can pay you." This is abnormal and means that the company wants to "get cheaper". If you name a number that falls under their range and which is less than the top bar, you will be happily hired. In this case, I call the maximum possible number - such that there was nowhere to roll. It makes no sense to say a small amount: if you are valuable, you will be pointed to the "ceiling", if not - just will not take.

One way or another, companies will not pay more than a specialist generates a profit: these are not charities. And raising employees' self-awareness is a mission for me to some extent. When I come to the company, I try to initiate team building not in the style of "drink beer", but in the context of employee rights. It is terrible that there is no trade union activity in IT: specialists simply do not unite, and this is worrying. Because for me, everything that concerns employee rights is the first and most important factor that determines whether a company is suitable. The salary is also included in the list, but no more.

4 promising sectors for graduates of engineering schools

The field of engineering is a field highly coveted by high school graduates for various reasons. This field not only gives its students the opportunity to follow very interesting training courses, but also opens up many career opportunities for them upon graduation.

An engineer profile benefits from the possibility of working in various sectors of activity, and we will quote you through this article 4 sectors which show very promising for the graduates of the large schools of engineers.

Banking and finance

The banking and finance sector is currently booming, especially after the latest technological innovations and the appearance of new tools such as Fintechs, which have triggered major changes in the way banks and financial organizations operate. 

Indeed, the latter are now in a permanent quest to improve their services and modernize them in order to remain competitive in the face of newcomers on the market but also in the face of the new mode of consumption of financial products. These changes are mainly aimed at the digitization of banking services, hence the current great demand from banks for profiles of IT engineers.

To be able to offer the best solutions and meet the needs of their customers, banks are now recruiting highly specialized profiles in new technologies capable of seeking effective and relevant solutions. They are also looking for competent web and mobile developers who make a difference, and who are able to design state-of-the-art banking platforms computer engineering vs computer science salary.

The board

The rapid technological development that characterizes our time today means that many companies find themselves a little overwhelmed. Faced with this situation, a large number of companies, not having the capacity or the need to recruit a complete team specialized in the field where they present a need, turn to consulting firms.

Admittedly, the field of consulting is a booming field in all disciplines, but that of consulting in new technologies is even more so. This is due to the recent appearance of these technologies and the scarcity of advanced skills in these specialties.

At the end of a large engineering school, or even after a few years of business experience, a profile specializing in new technologies such as a Big Data engineer for example, could seize this opportunity and embark on entrepreneurship by opening its own consulting firm or simply integrate an already existing firm.

IT, telecom and networks

The field of IT, telecom and networks is a field which has been very successful for many years now, and which is still very far from stagnating!

Indeed, this field is subject to many innovations, the latest of which is the appearance of Cloud Computing, an innovation that has revolutionized the world of telecommunications and networks. The appearance of this technology quite naturally creates a great need for profiles specialized in the field, able to develop new Cloud solutions and to manage those which already exist.

This type of profile is requested by large companies working with Cloud solutions, or by providers of Cloud Computing services throughout Morocco, but also abroad!

NTIC

The field of New Information and Communication Technologies (NICT) is a very recent field of activity, having appeared in recent years. It brings together a large number of recent technologies, and is therefore in constant search of specialized profiles, which are still very rare on the market.

For example, profiles of engineers specializing in artificial intelligence and Machine Learning are in great demand in this field. These innovations have taken on a weight on the market to the point of having completely revolutionized the technological world, and profiles specializing in these technologies are in great demand by companies specializing in NICT or by large structures having departments dedicated in this direction.

These are therefore 4 rapidly developing sectors which show promise for graduates of engineering schools. However, we note that the profiles most in demand today are profiles of engineers specializing in computer disciplines called specialties of tomorrow, and who are at the cutting edge of technology. And this is quite natural given that these are very recent disciplines, for which the demand on the job market still greatly exceeds the number of profiles available, which represents a huge opportunity for any profile of engineer specializing in these technologies.

Where to start to become an IT specialist if you are far from IT

In this article, we will tell you what steps to take, where to start and how to build your training to become an IT specialist if you are far from IT.

Where to start to become an IT specialist if you are far from IT

Decide on your specialization

First of all, you need to decide why you are going into IT. Do you like making websites, creating programs for operating systems, thinking over designs or testing? This decision will be the starting point for the learning process computer system engineering salary.

Depending on the choice, you will be able to determine the training program for yourself, prepare a plan and select the first sources: books, websites or online courses.

Learn English

If your knowledge of the language is not enough for fluent reading, you should start with it. English will be needed not only for communication, you will have to read a lot and search the Internet in English. It can be as much as a technical documentation or a StackOverflow answer, or just an interesting topic article on Medium.

Learn to Google

This is the second most important skill, after knowing a foreign language, which is vital in learning. It is important to learn how to correctly form requests and filter out unnecessary information on the SERP page.

Master basic concepts

To get started, find out how a bit differs from a byte, learn basic terms and concepts of computer science, learn about conditions, loops and interrupts. How a processor works, why you need a web server, and what kind of ascii is all you need to know in order to start delving into the area that interests you.

Data structures and algorithms

Data structures and algorithms are fundamental concepts in development and IT. You will not be taught well in applied programming courses, so learn these things yourself.

First, understand the terms stack, tree, queue, hash. You don't need to dig deep into graph theory to understand algorithms, but at least understanding quicksort should be your goal.

OOP

It will be helpful to become familiar with the concept of object-oriented programming no matter what language you choose and how you intend to use it. OOP is one of the most popular development styles, so you need not only to know the definitions of the basic concepts (inheritance, encapsulation, polymorphism), but also to understand how they work and be able to implement them in the program code.

Database

If you have confidently mastered the syntax of the programming language you are interested in, you should learn how it works with different types of databases, and at the same time learn about the types of databases and their differences.

Even if your language does not usually interact with the database directly (for example, JavaScript), you need to know what is happening in this area of ​​development: you will have a better understanding of how the program as a whole works.

So how do you become an IT guy?

You can always retrain and change your profession at any age. It is only important to remember that this is a very long and difficult process. And the later you take on this, the more difficult it will be for you.

To become an IT specialist, you need to set yourself up for a long process of learning the basics and continuous self-study throughout your career. Please be patient, as many months and even years can pass between the beginning of training and the first job.

Head of digital communication

Responsible for digital communication is a whole new function. Yet it is already expanding. And for good reason: companies are well aware of the challenges linked to web 2.0, and are increasingly relying on this profession, which is at the heart of its communication system.

Computer engineer vs computer science

“  The goal of the digital communications manager is not to be out of step with Internet users' expectations and technological developments . You have to stick to the uses as best as possible, and take the pulse of the web to have the most appropriate communication possible, ” explains Benjamin Fallot, responsible for e-communication and content for a large insurance group.

A multitude of missions will punctuate the daily life of the digital communications manager: website creation, purchase of keywords on Google, advertising, referencing, monitoring on social networks, ... " The strategy is also sometimes not to not going to certain networks because our public wants a real presence and real answers ”adds Jean-Marc Goachet, digital communication and web marketing manager.

The day before, a primordial notion

The day before is a very important part of the trade. For Jean-Marc Goachet, it takes place in two stages: “ A first where we do a somewhat generic watch, a sort of mapping of the forces present. We analyze the speeches of our audiences on the web, what is being said. When we know, we analyze the tone, the places of speech, the influencers. Often we are told that everything happens on Facebook and Twitter, but that is not true. There is also Youtube, forums or various specialized websites. Once you know where the speeches take place, that you have seen what is being said, you will respond with concrete information , ”he explains.

Analytical skills

To exercise this profession, versatility is therefore strongly recommended. Indeed, the digital communication manager is the link between a company and Internet users . This is why he must know how to meet their different expectations. He is also required to work in close collaboration with the webmaster or the web marketer, which requires great adaptability.

"  You also need a developed analytical mind, good writing skills, and pedagogical qualities, to make people understand internally the issues and results of the web  ", details Benjamin Fallot.

“ You have to have a completely neutral mind, without preconceived ideas, see the forces involved, qualify them and define the digital journey of this audience. The character of immediacy is very present. For my part, I try to ensure that everyone is involved in the process of digital communication and that everyone brings building blocks to respond to the strategy of the establishment ”, analyzes Jean-Marc Goachet. A profession which day after day adapts to the various evolutions of the web.

Three of the six science prizes go to VUB

In order to secure the research funding, scientists had to submit a very extensive research proposal to the European Research Council. A scientific committee assesses the submissions extremely critically and only a few researchers are actually awarded a grant. In the university corridors it is called the scientific champions league.

Professor Luc Baeyens belongs to that small elite of six people in Belgium who received a starting grant this year. He conducts cell research at the diabetes research center of the Free University of Brussels. His rewarded research proposal is called “Neogenesis of new functional Beta Cells through Modulation of Neurogenin-3 Expression to provide Regenerative Therapy for Diabetes Patients”. This research should lead to new therapies for diabetics.

VUB professor Frederik Buylaert was also rewarded. As a historian, he researches the medieval and early modern elite. He received his research funding for “Lordship and the Rise of States in Western Europe, 1300-1600” His research is devoted to the history of rural and urban elites in the Netherlands, with a central focus on the study of social mobility, conflict management and culture of remembrance .

Bio-engineer professor Wim De Malsche is the third VUB member to receive the starting grant. He acquired it for “Exploiting vortices to suppress dispersion and reach new separation power boundaries”. Put very simply, he is looking for new nanotechnological methods to separate different components in chemical substances computing related jobs.

The European Research Council (ERC) of the European Union is the first pan-European organization to fund frontier research. The aim is to promote scientific excellence in Europe by supporting the very best, most creative researchers. In addition to the ERC Starting Grant for young top researchers, it also awards two types of funding: one for independent excellent scientists ('ERC Consolidator Grants'), and one for senior research leaders.

How to Become an Electric Master?

Electric Master

To become an electrical master, you will first need to complete your secondary education or general education degree, also known as a GED. In high school, it is recommended that you focus on mathematics and science courses and, if possible, participate in shop classes that can give you some basic understanding of electrical concepts. Once you graduate, you will need to get an apprenticeship to become an electrician. This apprenticeship can last from several weeks to several years, after which you will need to gain significant experience in the field.

Computer science vs computer programming

Only experienced electricians can become electrical craftsmen. Typically, a minimum of five to seven years of experience is required, and once you have that much experience, you will still have to apply for such a position. Many electricians choose to work for a specific company for several years in order to build a good reputation with that company and ultimately work their way through the ranks. Another way to become an electrical foreman is to work as an independent electrician for several years and create the credentials you need to apply for a foreman job with the company.

If you are planning to become an electrical craftsman, you will also need significant knowledge and experience in the workplace. The foreman will most likely be working on various construction projects, so knowledge of construction techniques will be required. If possible, it can help you get a job as a construction worker to gain the skills you need to become an electrical craftsman in the future. Working with current workplace electricians will also help you gain the skills and knowledge you need to advance your career in the field.

There are some college programs to help you become an electrical master. You can enroll in such a program if you qualify and acquire the skills and experience needed to secure employment after graduation, but keep in mind that this can be an expensive and time consuming option. The sacrifice can pay off, however, as you will be better than other candidates for senior positions in the company. College classes are another option that will give you the skills and education you need for the job, but you can save money on tuition and other fees.

Can MAZ workers become IT specialists?

The IT sphere occupies a modest place in the Belarusian labor market . As the experience of other countries shows, information technology is capable of absorbing much more workforce. But this workforce must be trained.

Today, the state retains surplus personnel in industrial enterprises to avoid a surge in unemployment and social tensions. Unprofitable factories are large employers, so it is dangerous to undertake reforming.

According to the Ministry of Finance, 69 thousand people worked in the ten most unprofitable JSCs of the country in 2015. The Eurasian Development Bank estimates excess employment in Belarus at 20% of the employed population.

Meanwhile, along with “superfluous” workers in the public sector in Belarus, there is a sphere with a reverse bias. The IT industry is in dire need of human resources, and unlike industry, jobs here are highly cost-effective.

Is this area capable of absorbing labor released from inefficient industries? The "Ezhednevnik" talked about this with the head of the coordination and methodological center for the development of IT education of the Association "Infopark" Yevgeny Lastovsky.

The expert noted that in Belarus, about 1.5-2% of the working-age population is employed in the IT sector . At the same time, in countries such as the Czech Republic or Finland, this percentage reaches 10%.

That is, the possibilities of the IT industry in the labor market are far from being exhausted. And here the decisive question becomes whether we will be able to qualitatively retrain the labor force freed from other industries. And also effectively prepare the new generation for work computer engineering vs computer science.

Statistics include the IT sector in a type of activity called "Real estate transactions, rental and provision of services to consumers"

In principle, retraining unprepared adults even in such a complex matter as computer technology is a very real task, Evgeny Lastovsky is sure. You don't have to graduate from university to become a programmer . “The university is needed to broaden the horizons, and express courses of additional education are capable of teaching a profession,” said the representative of Infopark.

Professions in IT involve intellectual ability, but you don't have to be a math genius. “IT is not only programmers, it is analysts, managers and testers. Of course, even with all the variety of specialties, IT is not suitable for everyone. But if a person has the ability and interest in this work, then he can learn at any age, ”the expert believes.

Learning doesn't mean work

The problem is that today the Belarusian IT education system does not fully meet the needs of the market. We are taught mainly theories, and a person who graduated from a university or educational courses is not able to immediately do real work.

“According to our data, about 200 resumes are received for each vacancy of a junior specialist . A person who has received an IT education has to spend 6 to 12 months looking for a first job. "

According to Evgeny Lastovsky, this problem would not exist if educational programs paid more attention to practice. Practice doesn't mean sitting at a computer and learning to write code . Practice is simulating work on a real project.

Career guidance should also play an important role in the educational process . The Center for the Development of IT Education is developing vocational guidance testing, which it proposes to conduct before the start of training.

"Crust" or real skills

As for the IT courses that are now widespread , there are even more problems here. Courses are multiplying against the background of high demand for mastering the profession. According to Infopark, there are about 540 different author's courses in IT specialties in Belarus . However, the quality of training in such courses remains questionable.

“The measure of how effective additional education courses are, is the demand for the graduated specialist in the labor market . And here we get completely different feedback from companies about various educational programs and centers, ”the expert noted.

To put things in order in this area, the Center for the Development of IT Education is working to create a system of voluntary accreditation for courses, which would confirm that the educational process meets certain criteria. Now the center is working on developing criteria - for this it cooperates with leading companies in the educational services market and studies world experience

Now Infopark has launched a competition of educational projects - the participants will train a group of listeners, randomly selected from a pre-selected pool of applicants. Based on the results, the experts will check what they have learned and determine the winners. “It is necessary to select the best teachers and replicate the best experience - as is done in“ big ”education and, for example, in medicine,” noted Yevgeny Lastovsky.

In the future, the Center also plans to introduce into practice voluntary certification for graduates of IT courses, which will determine the level of training received. According to the head of the center, such a system will stimulate educational courses to improve their level and will serve as a guide to the employer in the selection of employees.

"Computer Newspaper" is closed forever

Today a sad moment has come for fans of the Belarusian computer press. The last issue of "Computer Newspaper" went on sale, a publication that was published in February 1995 and, despite all the difficulties that have developed for the "paper" press in the last six to seven years, has been consistently published only "on paper".

 The permanent editor-in-chief of "Computer Newspaper", Svetlana Pumpur, published on the last page of the 1071th issue of the publication a farewell address to the readers, where she gratefully mentioned the authors who appeared on its pages at different times, as well as its regular journalists, who published in "KG" its materials for all 22 years.

In the same address, Svetlana thanked all the loyal subscribers and ordinary readers of "KG" who, all these years, every week bought their favorite newspaper in kiosks or took it out of their mailboxes career in computer engineer.

So for the true fans of computer technology, those who have been mastering the IT world over the past 20-odd years, not without the participation of "Computer Newspaper", today there is the last opportunity to purchase its final printed issue.

Create and use PKCS # 11 cryptographic tokens in the clouds

PKCS # 11 (Cryptoki) is a standard developed by RSA Laboratories for programs to interact with cryptographic tokens, smart cards and other similar devices using a unified programming interface that is implemented through libraries. It should be noted that in the Republic of Belarus there is a State standard "Information exchange interface with a hardware and software carrier of cryptographic information (Token)", which concerns exactly the standardization of the PKCS # 11 interface.

Cryptographic tokens provide both the storage of certificates and key pairs (public and private keys) and the performance of cryptographic operations. The weak link here is the storage of the private key. If the public key has disappeared, then it can always be restored using the private key or taken from the certificate. The loss / destruction of a token with an unrecoverable private key has sad consequences, for example, you will not be able to decrypt files encrypted on your public key, you will not be able to put an electronic signature (ES). But the last problem is solved by generating a new key pair and, for a certain amount of money, obtaining a new certificate in one of the certification centers computer engineering description.

PKCS # 11 Cloud Token

Currently, software, firmware and hardware tokens are common. And now we are considering another type of PKCS # 11 cryptographic token - a cloud token.

Today you will not surprise anyone with a cloud flash drive . All the advantages and disadvantages of a cloud flash drive are almost one in one inherent in a cloud token.

The main thing here is the security of the data stored in the cloud token, first of all, the private keys. Could this cloud token provide? We say - YES!

And so how does a cloud token work?

Naturally, the PKCS # 11 cloud, like any network resource, has an IP / port entry point. We will consider a real LS11CLOUD cloud that exists on the Internet at pkcs11.ru:4444.

Cloud registration

The first step is to register the client in the token cloud. The ls11cloud_cjnfig utility is used for registration:

bash-4.3 $ / usr / local / bin64 / ls11cloud_config  

LS11CLOUD User Utility

usage: / usr / local / bin64 / ls11cloud_config <command> [-p <password>] [-n <new password>]

Commands:

        register <host> <port> <id> - register new user on the server

        duplicate <host > <port> <id> - duplicate user account on other computer

        change_pswd - change SESPAKE authentication password

        status - display current configuration data

        log - display server log file

        recreate - re-create token to initial empty state

        unregister - remove all user files from the server

NB: Don't use non-latin letters to avoid encoding problems!

Copyright (C) LISSI-Soft, Ltd (http://soft.lissi.ru) 2017-2018

bash-4.3 $

The "register" command of the ls11cloud_config utility performs registration of the user under the nickname ("id" field) in the cloud. The user's interaction with the cloud is carried out via an encrypted channel. To generate an agreed key, on the basis of which traffic between the client and the server will be protected / encrypted, the SESPAKE protocol is used   - a protocol for generating a shared key with password-based authentication . The password for the SESPAKE protocol is also set when registering in the cloud. Immediately, we note that this password has nothing to do with the PIN-codes of the token, which the user will have in the cloud. This is the password that is involved in creating a secure (encrypted) channel between the cloud and the user:            

It is through this secure channel that access to the token in the cloud takes place. Note that it would be good practice to change the password (the "change_pswd" command) before starting or ending each session. The ls11cloud_config utility has a graphical shell that greatly facilitates the process of interacting with the cloud:

In this case, registration looks like this:

And after setting the password, the user will be registered in the LS11CLOUD cloud:

There is a second registration scheme in the cloud, it may be preferable, for example, for a corporate cloud or the user already has a cloud token. The administrator registers a number of nicknames in the cloud and gives them initial passwords. Then these nicknames along with passwords are given to employees. In this case, the employee must first duplicate the nickname from the cloud at his workplace:

Then he will be prompted for the password that the PKCS # 11 cloud administrator gave him or that he already has, and if everything went well, the employee will have access to the cloud:

If the user has duplicated the token given to him by the cloud token administrator, then the employee needs to change the password. This is a fairly standard procedure where the current password will be prompted and then a new one twice.

PKCS # 11 Cloud Token Management

After registering in the cloud, the user must initialize his personal token in the cloud, which will be available to him and only to him. Initializing a cloud token is no different from initializing any other PKCS # 11 token and consists of setting the token token and, most importantly, setting secret PINs. Tokens have two types of PIN-code: user PIN-code (USER PIN) and administrator PIN-code (SO PIN)). The user PIN-code should be known only to the owner of the token and set by him. As for the SO PIN, the token holders often do not pay attention to it. It is not right. And if we are talking about a cloud token, its security, then only the owner of such a token should own both types of PIN-code. These operations should only be carried out over a secure / encrypted channel.pk11conf :

bash-4.3 $ / usr / local / bin64 / p11conf  

usage: / usr / local / bin64 / p11conf [-hitsmIupPredf] -A APIpath [-c slotID

-U userPin -S SOPin -n newPin -L label]

       -h display usage

       -i display PKCS # 11 library info

       -s display slot (s) info (-c slotID is optional)

       -t display token (s) info (-c slotID is optional)

Others must use -c slotID

       -m display mechanism list

       - I initialize token  

       -u initialize user PIN

       -p set the user PIN

       -P set the SO PIN

       -e enumerate objects

       -d dump all object attributes (additional to -e and to -f)

       -r remove all objects

       -e -r remove enumerated objects with prompt

       -f enumerate certificates and write them to DER-files with prompt

Version 5.7

Copyright (C) 2011-2018

bash-4.3 $

Before going further, let's talk about the main thing. You can get distributions with everything you need to work with the PKCS # 11 cloud on computers with Linux and Windows operating systems here .

The p11conf utility, like the ls11cloud_config utility, has a graphical shell, which is found in the distributions:

The distributions also contain the ls11cloud library, which actually provides users with the PKCS # 11 interface. By choosing the ls11cloud cloud token library, you can initialize the cloud token:

When initializing the token, keep in mind that the default SO PIN is 87654321. After the token is initialized, it needs to be changed. And so, if everything went well, then the user will receive the following information:

Everything, after completing these steps, the cloud token is ready for use. It should be noted that currently the LS11CLOUD cloud token supports only Russian cryptography (in accordance with the standards GOST R 34.10-2001 / 2012, GOST R 34.11-94 / 2012, GOST 28147-89, GOST R 34.12-2015 and GOST R 34.13- 2015). You can see which cryptographic mechanisms are supported by the cloud token using the same P11CONF utility:

Cloud Token Testing

The cloud token can be used in any applications that work with cryptographic providers using the PKCS # 11 protocol.

The easiest way to test the operation of a cloud token is to install a version of Mozills Firefox with support for Russian cryptography. You can download this version under the name RedFox here . After the RedFox browser is installed , you need to connect the cloud token (Edit-> Settings-> Additional-> Security devices-> Download):

After connecting, the browser will ask for a PIN code to access the cloud token. Now, when the cloud token is connected, Russian cryptography is connected, you can try to establish an anonymous TLS connection with any web server using Russian ciphers, for example, at this address (https://soft.lissi.ru/):

If you disable the cloud token, then you will not be able to establish a connection. In order to use authorized https / tls   or secure email,  you must have personal certificates in the cloud token. They can be installed with the same browser from a secure PKCS # 12 container (password 01234567) or obtained from a certification authority (CA) using the same browser.

Cybercrime in Belarus - Pandora's Box is open

If we talk about the Belarusian segment of the Internet space, the dynamics of the growth of cybercrime today is very disappointing. According to preliminary forecasts, in the future, this trend will not decline due to the fact that all the criminal phenomena that occur on the Internet have long been commercialized. According to independent experts, computer criminals have already stolen from users - both individuals and legal entities - more than $ 570 million. The losses are enormous - as well as the income of computer scammers. Today cybercrime is actively taking the leading positions along with the arms trade, prostitution and drug trafficking. Law enforcement officers from different countries of the world are declaring this more and more loudly. At the moment, we are observing that the world community is trying to establish order in this area and, to one degree or another, take control of the Internet.

In our republic, the situation is not yet as acute as in neighboring countries, primarily in Russia and Ukraine. Of course, this is incommensurable with Russia - there the number of crimes exceeds the same in our republic by orders of magnitude. In addition, the Russians began to actively use the Internet before us. Taking into account the rapid pace of computerization of the population and the technological development of society - this is the introduction of electronic payment systems into all spheres of life, the growth of holders of bank plastic cards - the Belarusians will not avoid a period of rapid surge in computer crime.

As world experience shows, the level of computer crime in any country is directly proportional to the growth of technological progress.

In Russia, they are now trying to take control of this phenomenon, both at the level of law enforcement agencies and at the state level. There is a serious struggle against negative phenomena, which are present in huge numbers in the Russian segment. In Ukraine, the situation is more complicated - given the little experience of law enforcement officers, the pace and forms by which Ukrainian cybercriminals enter the world arena, the latter are increasingly taking leading positions in international reports. Our situation is more stable due to various reasons. Department "K" was created in 2002, clearly defined goals and objectives, in addition, the criminal legislation at that time was significantly improved. Computerization was not as active as that of its neighbors, and, as a result, the domestic segment escaped the avalanche dominance of crime. The third factor is a sufficient number of regulatory authorities. In non-CIS countries, the problem of cybercrime has existed for a very long time. And it is not surprising that a number of active and effective measures for large-scale countermeasures have already been developed there, there is legislation aimed at regulating the processes taking place on the Internet. Nevertheless, the international community perceives Belarusian law enforcement officers as equals - a representative of the British Bureau for Combating Organized Crime SOCA in a personal conversation highly appreciated the skill and level of opposition to the growth of computer crime of our colleagues. that there has already been developed a number of active and effective measures for large-scale countermeasures, there is legislation aimed at regulating the processes taking place on the Internet. Nevertheless, the international community perceives Belarusian law enforcement officers as equals - a representative of the British Bureau for Combating Organized Crime SOCA in a personal conversation highly appreciated the skill and level of opposition to the growth of computer crime of our colleagues. that there has already been developed a number of active and effective measures for large-scale countermeasures, there is legislation aimed at regulating the processes taking place on the Internet. Nevertheless, the international community perceives Belarusian law enforcement officers as equals - a representative of the British Bureau for Combating Organized Crime SOCA in a personal conversation highly appreciated the skill and level of opposition to the growth of computer crime of our colleagues.

Today, more than 90% of crimes in this area are punished under article 212 of the Criminal Code "Theft with the help of computer technology." This is a whole range of crimes, but, first of all, theft of codes and passwords with the aim of further access to payment systems of individuals and legal entities is typical. So, at the beginning of the year, two students installed covers on ATMs in several cities of the republic, including Minsk. Young people came to the attention of law enforcement officers at the end of last year. With the help of this patch, PIN-codes of users of bank plastic cards were stolen. The criminals were convicted and fully confessed to their deeds.

The classic scheme of theft is when, using various manipulations on the Internet, dumps are stolen from users in order to access their payment systems. One of the typical techniques is spam mailing, as a substrate, which includes malicious programs that direct the user to so-called trap sites. The user, getting to such a site, is authorized, and the scammers take over his data. In the future, this allows you to steal traffic or download a virus program to your computer, which zombies the machine, simultaneously stealing personal information from it. Zombification is necessary in order to include this PC in the so-called botnet network, which allows DDoS attacks on more powerful resources: banks, closed institutions, institutions, ministries, etc. In order to hack these systems, a huge amount of RAM is needed to compute the code. And the infected computers, working at the same time, calculate the options necessary for hacking. Stolen data is also a commodity. A striking example is the activities of the sensational Belarusian hacker Sergei Pavlovich, who back in 2004 created a website for the sale of stolen dumps. His business worked according to all the canons of marketing: the criminal and his accomplices had their own clientele, he thoroughly studied the demand in a particular region. The activity of the criminal was deeply conspiratorial - it was impossible for an outside person to obtain the necessary information. Pavlovich put this business on stream. In addition, he had contacts abroad. According to operational data, Sergey Pavlovich's group was part of an extensive network computer questions,

Some facts indicate that both foreign and our home-grown carders, first of all, hope for a quick profit. They believe that the capabilities of the Internet, such as anonymity and cross-border, are completely impersonal. This is not true. And the task of law enforcement officers in relation to such "craftsmen" is to look closely in order to stop their activities in time. And this requires careful monitoring of the Internet. Unfortunately, ensuring the security of most Internet resources in our country is in its infancy, and people who are responsible for security in this or that institution often do not even meet the required qualifications. There were facts when the "art" of hackers could be on the main page of the site of some respected agency for weeks.

The main problem of the effectiveness of the fight against cybercrime is its cross-border nature. However, our foreign colleagues help us here. For the second year in a row, Operation Proxy has been carried out within the CSTO. It is very effective. After all, awareness of the problem is already the way to its solution. Today, all developed countries of the world are concerned about the problem of information security. All of them have already realized that it is impossible to cope with this evil alone.

If we single out this type of crime as "Nigerian letters", then it is very typical abroad. So the point here is not the notorious Slavic mentality - even the mercantile English write out huge amounts of invoices to fraudsters. This is a whole criminal trend, which is so developed in Nigeria that whole families there already earn money in this way and even pass it on as a "family business". One of the detainees admitted that in this way he earned up to $ 70-80 thousand a week. African Ostap Benders are well aware of human psychology, and based on this, new and new schemes of theft are being created.

For example, a Belarusian businessman received an e-mail a letter allegedly from a representative of the South African mining industry with a proposal for business partnership. “Colleagues” phoned, the Belarusian was offered to go to London and conclude an agreement in the office. The businessman was met near the plane in a luxurious limousine, took a tour of the city, and then brought him to a luxurious office with a doorman. Having signed the contract, in several stages the unlucky businessman transferred about $ 700 thousand to the fraudsters. Belarusian operatives went to the crime scene and, together with colleagues from Scotland Yard, tried to find and detain the fraudsters, but this was no longer possible. The owner of the luxurious mansion shrugged his shoulders in bewilderment - the building was regularly rented out as an office and he did not even know what had happened.

The sensational operation "Tornado" became a masterpiece of the operational-search work of the domestic department "K". Law enforcement officers received information that a group of Belarusian programmers is distributing pornography on the Internet. But the scheme turned out to be much more cunning ... This criminal group created an "electronic wallet" through which it was possible to access more than 300 already created resources containing child pornography. Belarusian operatives, together with their colleagues from the UK and US law enforcement agencies, received irrefutable evidence of the criminal activities of Minsk residents. The criminals were soon detained, but their leader managed to escape. In a short period - just under a year - the fraudsters managed to earn about $ 5 million. As it turned out later, over 55 thousand transactions from 100 countries of the world were carried out to prohibited resources. Soon, information about the criminals was transferred to Interpol, under the auspices of which Operation Tornado began. Today it is known that as a result of large-scale actions in various countries of the world, more than a hundred lovers of children's "strawberries" have already been arrested.

Recently, mobile phones have also become the focus of cybercriminals. Since the advent of devices with the Bluetooth function, it has become possible to hack their software. Today, another IT novelty has entered the criminal epicenter - smartphones and telephones with the ability to access the Internet. In this regard, the issue of close cooperation between mobile operators and Internet providers is on the agenda. In turn, the international cooperation of law enforcement agencies is very important, which in the face of the emerging problem need to consolidate and jointly create the necessary conditions for ensuring security.

For example, the recognition of the professionalism of Belarusian specialists was evidenced by the decision to join the Belarusian Interior Ministry to the international network of national contact points, adopted at the summit of the heads of cybercrime units of the G8 countries' law enforcement agencies held in Japan. This makes it possible to quickly exchange data on upcoming, committed or committed crimes in cyberspace, request information necessary for conducting operational-search activities and investigative actions from similar units of law enforcement agencies of the participating states of information exchange. There are no less problems in such a part of the Internet segment as local networks. At one time they were a kind of "state within a state" where legal regulation was completely absent. As a result, all those negative phenomena that are widespread on the Internet, to one degree or another, have become characteristic of local networks as well - from the distribution of destructive content to the introduction of virus programs and obtaining prohibited access to other people's resources. Moreover, until recently, the operators who control this local network did not interfere in these processes. However, in light of the forthcoming adoption of new legislation in the field of legal regulation of the national segment, which is implied by Presidential Decree No. 60, such a situation will become more controllable and manageable. to one degree or another have become typical for local networks - from the distribution of destructive content and ending with the introduction of virus programs and obtaining prohibited access to other people's resources. Moreover, until recently, the operators who control this local network did not interfere in these processes. However, in light of the forthcoming adoption of new legislation in the field of legal regulation of the national segment, which is implied by Presidential Decree No. 60, such a situation will become more controllable and manageable. to one degree or another have become typical for local networks - from the distribution of destructive content and ending with the introduction of virus programs and obtaining prohibited access to other people's resources. Moreover, until recently, the operators who control this local network did not interfere in these processes. However, in light of the forthcoming adoption of new legislation in the field of legal regulation of the national segment, which is implied by Presidential Decree No. 60, such a situation will become more controllable and manageable.

Of course, the regulation of relationships on the Internet is necessary at least in a segment of your country. It is necessary to highlight the legislative issues - today the level of problems has increased to such an extent that it is very important even for developed countries. Given such properties of the Internet as anonymity and cross-border, interaction and cooperation at various levels is necessary: ​​both internationally and domestically. Cybercrime is an attempt to interact and influence the processes of the European Internet space and the world experience is such that the absence of centralized legal regulation can lead to irreversible processes.

Many people are hung up on their ears." Is it realistic to get a job as a programmer after completing the course?

From copy-paste: In many ways, the idealistic article of 2014 - the time of peak demand for the profession of a programmer. And, nevertheless, realistic notes slip through it. Such paragraphs, where the truth "hits the eye", I have highlighted. 

An alluring salary - up to $ 4,000, a colossal demand - there are 5 open vacancies for one programmer. Such arguments are given on the sites of today's popular courses, which promise to make a person an irreplaceable IT specialist in a short time. Programmer's bread has never seemed so easy and accessible. 

In 2014, according to the results of the first half of the year, the average salary in the IT sector was 17,188,372 rubles, or about $ 1,620. With such a middle, the "ceiling" seems completely transcendental. It is not surprising that more and more people are willing to retrain as IT specialists.

In addition to the specialized faculties of universities, programmers and testers today are trained in numerous educational courses. Their duration rarely exceeds 2-3 months. During this time, students are invited to go through one educational level, for example, to get acquainted with the basics of programming in C ++, Java or PHP. 

Further training, you can continue or try to find a job. Some training centers guarantee employment, others are limited to general phrases from the category: "Every year the demand for programmers is growing", "In case of successful completion of trainings, we make every effort to help with employment." On average, the price of one course ranges from 1.5 to 3 million  

Screenshot from the computer academy website computer engineering starting salary

It is curious that a number of training centers do not specialize in training IT specialists. Along with programming courses, you can go through a design, beauty or handicraft school. Standing apart are training programs from leading IT companies in Belarus, which have a clear specialization and focus on internal personnel needs.

Bad experience: "I swam somewhere in the middle"

Dmitry Burak, 29, graduated from BNTU with a degree in information technology engineer. He worked as a storekeeper, sales manager, and a few years ago he got a job in the technical support of an Internet provider. I decided to take programming courses to "test my abilities for affordable money." I chose one of the most popular areas today - "the basics of java programming". The whole course lasted 40 hours - 2 lessons per week. 

- I thought: what if I immediately start to understand everything cool and in a year to earn three mowers, - Dmitry ironically. - But it turned out that it is unlikely. I, of course, reached the end of the course, because the money had already been paid. But somewhere in the middle he "swam", generally stopped understanding what they were talking about. Perhaps more time should have been devoted to this. 

Dmitry recalls those who attended a course with him in one of the most popular programming languages ​​today. The group brought together representatives of various professions: an ambulance doctor who got a job in one of the companies as a tester a month before the start of the course, a sales manager with a forgotten engineering education, a system administrator who is "tired of climbing under tables", an experienced programmer who owns other languages ​​and wishing to pull up java. The male company in the first classes was diluted with her presence by a young girl, but by the end of the first month, says Dmitry, she disappeared. 

At the end of the courses, all students passed the final test extremely poorly. After the retake, Dmitry Burak was no longer interested in the results. Assessing the time spent on the courses, he admits that the knowledge gained was not useful in life.

Nevertheless, the interlocutor does not consider the classes useless for everyone. 

- Who really wants to learn, it makes sense to apply. Our teacher, for example, was always online on Skype. It was possible to seek advice at any time. As for employment, we were immediately told that it was not enough to pass the basic level. Now, if you take three courses, pass the exam well, then employment is possible.

Future programmers: "I'll probably agree for 6 million"

For successful examples, we went straight to the courses. The Bigsoft training center, unlike most other IT courses, does not guarantee compulsory employment for graduates. It offers training in a number of areas: testing, java programming, JavaScript and AJAX basics, PHP basics, Android development, etc. We talked with the audience and learned how they plan to use the knowledge gained in practice. 

Most of the audience in which they studied java programming turned out to be corporate clients - they were sent to courses from the company in which they work. Only a few people came to study on their own.

Dina Nazarchuk  is a 3rd year student of BSUIR. She is programming at the university, but decided to independently deepen her knowledge of the java language. 

- It is the most popular and frequently used development language today. At the university, our course has just begun. I would like to develop further, that's why I came here. I don’t think about salaries yet. 

Alexey Lysenok  is a 3rd year student of BSU. I came to the conclusion that the material given at the university is not enough.

- Self-education in this area is necessary. I am not working yet, but I am going to search soon. Salary is not the most important factor for me now. I can start at $ 200 or $ 300. 

Artem  graduated from BSUIR with an engineering degree, now he is working on assignment at Integral. I am categorically not happy with the salary, so I decided to look for myself in another area. As soon as the development is over, she plans to get a job as a programmer. He does not want to advertise his plans to the management yet, so he refused to be photographed. 

- I am familiar with programming in HTML and CSS, but I want to learn higher-level languages ((from the paster) this is not a damn programming language - this is a markup language and cascading style sheets. Where is this person now? Interesting even).We can say that I'm starting from scratch. At school I liked programming, I decided that it interests me, that I can and want to work in this area. When I entered the university, unfortunately, I was thinking about something else ... Starting salary? For 6 million, I will probably agree. 

Future testers: "Ready to work for $ 300, but not for long"

At the testing courses, there were significantly more people who decided to retrain. Many of them refused to be photographed and to give comments:  "We have another job, you never know how life will turn out."

Olga,  21, is studying to be a biologist. She does not plan to work in her specialty. I decided to go to the IT sphere on the advice of friends. Owns the computer at the "user" level. 

- I have already transferred to the correspondence department, biology for me is an alternate airfield. I want to get a job immediately after completing the course, that is, after 2 months. We, of course, were immediately warned that there would be a lot of competition and that you need to work hard to be hired. The starting salary to start with is $ 300. I'm ready to work for this money, but not for long, ”the interlocutor laughs. - This is just the third lesson, I still have an understanding, I assess myself well. But the more you learn, the more you realize that you know nothing.

Oleg Salei , 24 years old. He studies at BNTU at the correspondence department, works as a loader. I tried to learn programming on my own. But on the courses I preferred to study testing. 

- I will unlearn - and I will immediately try to get a job. Until I gain experience, I'm ready to work for $ 300-500. But, of course, I'm not ready to live on this money for several years. I think the salary will grow much faster. 

Valentina  (name has been changed) agreed to talk, but refused to be photographed. She designs communication networks, but sees no future prospects in her profession. 

- The salary ceiling in my area is 1.5 thousand, I earn less, but not 500. The ceiling in testing is much higher. The minimum I am ready to start with is the same "five hundred". I know where I am going, familiar with the job of a tester. In 2 months I plan to try to find a job. 

Beginner programmer salary starts at $ 200

It turned out that the director of the training center,  Igor Shumsky  , once also retrained from an accountant to an IT specialist, having completed such courses. But he could not get a job. For some time he worked as a freelancer, and then decided to start training IT specialists himself. 

Perhaps one of the reasons for the creation of the courses was the resentment for the deception that I had to go through in due time. They did not pay attention to me in class. Since I had never been connected with IT before, it was hard for me, I wanted the coach to devote more time to me. 

Igor Shumsky opened his training center in 2011. As a trainer, I invited an active programmer with 10 years of experience in using the java language, who developed the program. 

- We opened when there was an economic crisis in the world, and a lot of people poured into programming courses. Of course, among them there were many who did not understand at all what it was, what it was for, and went to the courses solely for material reasons. In the first six months, we noticed that somewhere between 20-30 percent of people are eliminated, that is, they simply do not reach the end of the courses. Therefore, our task was to reduce the number of random people to a minimum. Today, in our group, only a few do not reach the end of classes.

Igor Shumsky assures that, despite the possible promises of the coaches, after passing the first level (2-3 months) it is practically impossible to get a job. He compares the basics of programming to learning the alphabet. To work successfully, you need to know not syntax, but technology. According to the specialist, for this you need to pass at least 3 levels - the basics, an advanced course and an IT laboratory (practical work). And even this does not guarantee successful employment: a person must be highly motivated, with well-developed logical thinking. But sometimes one level is enough for testing.

A separate issue concerns salaries. People who come to the courses are often sure that in a few months they will be able to count on a thousand dollars or more. The specialist gives his figures. 

- I know that many people are hung up on their ears. In reality, if you have good English, have a technical education and have successfully completed the courses, you can get a job as a programmer for about $ 400-500. And the age is desirable to be up to 30 years. Without technical education and language, salaries can start at $ 200. A tester who has retrained from another specialty, without good knowledge of English, can also count on a maximum of $ 200-300 (from the start). If there is English, it can be $ 400-700. 

Igor Shumsky emphasizes that there is no need to be afraid of these numbers, because we are talking about the start of a career. 

- Our graduate, who finished java courses a year ago, started with a salary of 300 dollars in a large international company. Exactly one year has passed. He now has $ 1,600. But this is a person who is deeply motivated, that is, he is constantly studying, receiving additional education. We had builders, accountants, economists who later managed to find work. And there are those who later got a job as a programmer, quit their jobs and returned to the sphere from which they left. It should be understood from the outset that not everyone can work as programmers. I always advise those who are far from the IT sphere to start their career in the profession with testing.

Success example: "I was ready to go to work for free"

Tatiana Zhvalik , senior tester at iTechArt. An economist by education, she graduated from the national economy in 2008. By distribution, she worked in a department store, first as a salesman, administrator, then as an accountant. I did not see any prospects for myself in trade, so in 2011 I decided to change my field of activity. I heard about the profession of a tester from friends. He believes that programming requires very deep technical knowledge and it is better to get it at specialized faculties. 

After 2 months of testing courses, I sent out CVs to various companies. She was invited to EPAM with a proposal to go through a test laboratory with subsequent employment (regular courses, but already free). Tatyana Zhvalik was lucky: after the interview she was immediately taken to the project. About a month has passed since the end of the courses - this result surprised even the trainer of the training center.  

- I got on a financial project. And since I am an economist by education, the manager thought that I could do this job. And it also seems to me that during the interview, it was read on my face that I was ready to work even for free, if only I was hired. 

Tatyana Zhvalik started at $ 400, which was slightly less than the usual accounting salary. Six months later, she was promoted to "mid-specialist". And six months later, she moved to the iTechArt company, where she had already "grown" to a senior tester and received decent money for it. 

- A person should understand that at the very beginning he does not know anything and does not know how, and he still needs a long time to study. I went to all the trainings that I was signed up for, took any job at all, just to gain experience, tried to read specialized literature at home. In fact, efforts in this area never go unnoticed. But everyone's wages are growing differently. If a person expects that he will simply press one button and his salary will be raised every six months, then this is not so. You need to work a lot on yourself. 

14 services for creating a chatbot without programming skills

For websites, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, VKontakte, Odnoklassniki and other instant messengers and social networks.

Chatbots are able to process orders, book tickets and accept payments. Integration with analytics services helps you track leads and conversions. You can create a chatbot using online constructors that do not require programming knowledge. It is enough for the user to think over the response scenario computer engineering career.

Aimylogic

Supported platforms: messengers, applications and sites.

Cost: free and from 5700 rubles. rubles per month

Interface language: English, Russian.

The created chatbot can be integrated into instant messengers, social networks, websites and voice assistants - the constructor works with Alice from Yandex, Google Assistant and Alexa.

Aimylogic chatbot works with natural language. The bot determines intent, uses webhooks to make transactions and communicate.

Bot kits

Supported platforms: VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, Facebook, Telegram, website, Skype, Viber.

Cost: from 499 rubles. rubles per month.

Interface language: Russian.

Development is based on flowcharts. When communicating, the bot collects available statistics and processes the responses in two stages: corrects errors and analyzes the synonymy of expressions.

You can set up automatic mailings to users who interacted with the bot. The platform employs booking modules, payment using a bot and processing voice messages.

Botmother

Supported platforms: Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Viber, VKontakte, Odnoklassniki.

Cost: free for the first bot, then - from 799 rubles a month.

Interface language: Russian.

The developers call the constructor "Wordpress, for bots only". To create a bot, you need to connect the components together. The bot works with media files and is able to send requests to the API of third-party applications. The bot accepts payments in instant messengers through PayOnline.

Botsify

Supported platforms: Facebook Messenger, Slack, websites.

Cost: from $ 50 per month.

Interface language: English.

The platform allows you to create chat bots using artificial intelligence and machine learning

Chatfuel

Supported Platforms: Facebook Messenger.

Cost: free up to a thousand users, more - from $ 15 per month.

Interface language: English.

The platform has a built-in speech recognition tool that can respond to queries in a situational way. The service has chat bot templates, for example, for online stores, realtors, publishers. You can also outsource the chatbot development to one of the platform agencies.

Chatgun

Supported platforms: VKontakte.

Cost: from 390 rubles a month.

Interface language: Russian.

The service helps to create chat bots for communities on VKontakte. Among the functions are the collection of data from users and targeted mailings. The bot works in conversations, not just in personal correspondence. Also knows how to send media from social networks.

Dexter

Supported platforms: Facebook, Slack, SMS, Twitter, Viber and others.

Cost: from $ 80 per month.

Interface language: English.

The user needs to write a script for the dialogue - the project offers to abandon the drag-and-drop function in the constructors.

“If you can write, you can create a chatbot,” the company says. To understand user behavior, the service keeps a message log. Integration with Mixpanel and Dashbot provides detailed statistics.

Dialogflow

Supported platforms: Google Assistant, Facebook Messenger, Slack, Telegram, Skype, Viber and other platforms.

Cost: Free standard tariff, Enterprise Edition is calculated depending on the requirements of the company.

Interface language: Russian, English.

The service is powered by Google Machine Learning and uses Google Cloud Speech-to-Text for speech recognition and understanding. The platform SDK allows developers to integrate chatbots into wearables, phones, cars, and so on. The project supports over 20 languages.

Flow XO

Supported platforms: Facebook, Slack, SMS and Telegram.

Cost: free up to five bots, paid plans from $ 19 per month.

Interface language: English.

You can create a standard greeting for your site, or teach your bot to understand queries and common phrases from customers.

For developers, the service offers to receive and transmit data using the HTTP API, collect and use information about users, and connect processes.

Gupshup

Supported platforms: Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Viber, Skype, VKontakte and others.

Cost: upon request.

Interface language: English.

Natural language processing tools are integrated into the platform. Complex dialogues can be designed using a tree.

IDE Bot Builder was created for experienced developers. The service also released a platform for combining more than 30 communication channels into one interface, as well as built-in CRM tools for tracking marketing campaigns.

Manyсhat

Supported Platforms: Facebook Messenger.

Cost: free version, professional version from $ 10 per month.

Interface language: English.

The service offers tools for expanding your audience and tracking conversions.

The platform helps to create automated email threads and send messages based on user actions or response times. When a bot needs the participation of a live person, it will send a notification.

Manybot

Supported platforms: Telegram.

Cost: free.

Interface language: Russian, English, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Hebrew.

The bot is created using another chatbot in Telegram . Using the designer, you can send news to subscribers, create your own commands, menus and submenus. You can also set up automatic posting from RSS, Twitter and YouTube. There are forms for orders and feedback.

Morph.ai

Supported platforms: messengers, applications and sites.

Cost: from $ 250 per month.

Interface language: English.

The platform focuses on building chatbots to improve the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Bots are good at natural language processing and use deep learning. To assess the performance of the bot, the service offers an analytical report on the work. You can track and segment leads.

robochat.io

Supported platforms: VKontakte.

Cost: free and from 399 rubles a month grew.

Interface language: Russian

The designer creates bots in three areas: entertainment, answering questions, and business automation. In the platform, you can create a regular dialogue and quest games. Also, the address by name, recognition of the city and current time are configured.

“IT specialists vs humanities” at SoftTeco: we have mutual understanding in our team

The age-old dispute "physics vs lyricism" can be paraphrased about our reality - "IT people vs humanities". However, as in any other field, there are no unnecessary employees in IT. It depends on everyone for the company to work effectively. Engineers, HRs, accountants and marketers are building overall success brick by brick. An IT specialist, regardless of whether he is an IT specialist or not, is an important link in the work process and communication. SoftTeco is an excellent example of such a commonwealth. On the eve of March 8, we talked with 4 SoftTeco employees to find out from them what it is like to work in an IT company, being a humanitarian.  

Meet sales and account manager Natalya Atamanyuk, accountant Elena Okrut, office manager Margarita Yurut and IT recruiter Aleksandra Veyevnik.    

The most important question: is it easy for a non-techie to get into IT?

Natalya: I have been working in IT for about five years, I am a linguist-teacher by education, I graduated from Moscow State Linguistic University. She studied English and Spanish at the university. Since I studied for free, after graduation I had to work at school for two years, and then I got into my first IT company. It was not very easy, since the only skills were languages ​​and stress resistance, thanks to the work of a teacher. I didn't know anything about IT and sales, so I didn't count on a high salary, I just followed the experience. I had to learn a lot from scratch on my own, starting from the basics of the IT sphere and right up to the sales itself.

Alexandra: I have been in this area for three years, she was initially interested in me, since there are developers in my circle of acquaintances. To start a career in IT recruiting, you do not need any specific skills. But at the same time it is important to be a good psychologist, salesperson and, at least, know English. Before that, I was already engaged in sourcing, I was a little familiar with technologies and with what programmers work with. Then she took specialized courses and quickly joined the work process.

Margarita: This is my first job, I have been here for almost three years, I came by assignment after the Faculty of International Relations of the Belarusian State University. She graduated from the magistracy, I know English and Spanish. Since I have no experience in other fields, I cannot compare. I can only say that over these three years I have grown a lot in terms of professional and personal qualities thanks to the help of employees and management.

Elena: I had a chance to work in commercial and even in government organizations, two years ago I came to IT. For me to get into this area was a matter of chance - HR managers found me themselves, invited me for an interview. I think the main advantage was a correctly written resume, where I described in detail my work experience and skills computer engineering job description. 

This is the sweet word for IT: comfortable offices, gyms, snacks and a social package. What are the most valuable "buns" for you?

Alexandra: I would say that in Belarus IT is generally a parallel universe that has little in common with other areas in terms of business processes, interaction with people and building relationships within the team. Of course, the material side of the issue is also very important. But when this is satisfied (and in IT this happens quite quickly), then completely different aspects come to the fore. 

Natalya: A big plus is a young team and a linear management structure, you can go directly to the director and voice any of your proposals. Specifically for me, the most valuable thing in my work is the opportunity for constant language practice with people from different countries. During my career, I went on a large number of business trips: Denmark, Finland, UAE, Austria and other countries. That is, in parallel with work, it also turns out to travel, to get to know the world.

Margarita: Flexible schedule, you can always agree with the management, if necessary, come later or leave early. Initially, I had to combine work with study, so a huge plus was that the authorities treat everything with understanding.

Elena: Based on my experience, I can say that IT has more comfortable working conditions, the organization's policy is focused on employees. Equipped workplaces, there are never problems with the office, for example, as happens in government agencies. We also have bonuses for those who get married / get married or for those who have a child.

Returning to the question “IT specialists versus the humanities”, I want to ask - how do you develop relationships with colleagues? Are there any peculiarities in communication with IT specialists?

Margarita: IT specialists are quite calm people, I never had problems with them. Sometimes I feel like a psychologist, because everyone comes with their questions, problems, and since the main goal of my work is to create a comfortable atmosphere in the office, I try to help everyone. In turn, I can say that if I need help with something, the guys also help, sometimes I don't even have to ask.

Natalya: When I first came to the sphere, there were difficulties with this, sometimes I did not understand what they were talking about. Gradually I adapted and realized that in fact there is nothing supernatural in communicating with them. Guys from completely different spheres come here, not only from BSUIR, so even if you are not a techie, they treat this with understanding, explain slang expressions.

Elena: On accounting issues, I usually contact my colleagues via Skype or e-mail, not live - this is the peculiarity of my work here. No need to go to different offices. Misunderstandings can arise only because of the slang of IT specialists, otherwise nothing special.

Alexandra: In IT, everyone knows that the final result depends on joint well-coordinated work, so we have mutual understanding in our team. The management works to ensure that the atmosphere is friendly and productive, and people themselves understand that there is nothing without it. There is no room for prying, rudeness or disrespect for each other. Probably, most of them are closed, but this is due to the mathematical mindset of programmers and the specifics of working with code. At the same time, we also have extroverts who are always happy to talk about any topic and support someone's initiative. I can say for sure that we have never had conflicts.

Is there a particular reaction from people when they find out that you work in IT?

Elena: They say: "Wow, great!" Especially when I talk about our goodies and what kind of social package we have. In general, it seems to me, they are positively treated.

Natalya: It seems to me that in Belarus people are a little biased towards this area, there is a chance that a person will change his attitude towards you. I try not to voice that I work in an IT company, I just say that in the sales department.

Alexandra: Usually I say that this is the sphere of work with personnel, without specifying with which one. I do not want to highlight this area and advertise that I work in IT, as there is a certain hostility towards this area in Belarus due to different salaries and conditions.   

Margarita: If people find out that I work in an IT company, they immediately build up an image of a programmer, and then it is very difficult to explain that you are not an IT woman.

What's interesting on weekdays?

Natalya: I would say that all funny cases happen with sales on business trips or when customers come to us. Once we were on a business trip in Finland, came to the office of a customer, a big, serious company, and they told us: "Take off your shoes and walk in." We go in, and there is carpet everywhere and everyone is in socks. In jackets, trousers and socks. The whole meeting sat like that, you feel naked. Or the Japanese once came to Minsk, I meet them and the first question they asked was not "how are you?" But "how tall are you?" (my height is 173 cm and was also in heels).

Alexandra: There are funny situations in interviews. The main part of my job is interacting with people and finding employees. It is not always clear from the resume what kind of person he is and what kind of specialist he is. Sometimes it turns out that the actual state of affairs is very different from the information in the resume, it comes out awkwardly. 

Margarita: My work in general is very interesting, I never sit still, because my responsibilities include the implementation of so many diverse tasks. It happens that you have to do several things at once: you can take out vacations, and someone urgently needed a visa, and several deliveries immediately arrive, which you need to meet. Another interesting fact is that I know all employees by sight and by name, I even remember most of the birthdays.

Elena: We have one developer in our office. After dinner, he often treats everyone with different sweets and congratulates on professional holidays on his own behalf, gives chocolates. It is very nice. 

Since our article will be released on the eve of March 8, I want to talk separately about girls, IT women or not, it doesn't matter. I know that SoftTeco does not divide employees by gender. But all the same, there is clearly something special in the girls. And we are now talking not so much about business as about human qualities. 

Natalya: We have a slightly different mindset and outlook on things. There were cases when customers themselves asked to add girls to the team. In general, our company is very smart, educated girls, very positive. It is clear that everyone has work, their own projects, perhaps problems, but in the kitchen during lunch you are always distracted from all this. The girls tell interesting stories, joke, you draw this positive from them and, charged with it, go to work further.

Alexandra: The quality and convenience of work is the work of girls. It is rare to find a guy in the position of an office manager who monitors the life of the office so that everything is necessary for employees, everything works. The same is about HR managers, usually a girl who monitors relationships in the team, resolves conflicts, conducts psychological conversations.

Margarita: Employees spend a lot of time in the office. HR-s (and we have girls) try to make this stay the most comfortable, create a cozy atmosphere, recreation areas. We also organize all corporate events and celebrations.

Elena: Girls create an atmosphere. They do things that may not be visible at first glance, but are an important addition. Flowers, decor, kitchen are also fully equipped by girls. I think this makes it more pleasant for everyone to come to work.

There are 70% of the guys in the team. Are there any advantages from this? Maybe cons? 

Margarita: It seems to me that girls are more comfortable being in a men's team. If the guys see that they need help, they always help without further ado, you only have time to thank.

Alexandra: Being in a predominantly male team is quite pleasant. We have a respectful attitude towards both men and women. I think, deep down, men are happy with our presence, although they do not show it - they are very secretive.  

Elena: Most of the girls are sitting in my office with me, so I probably don't feel this fully. True, guys always congratulate on the holidays, on March 8, for example, always original congratulations, contests and gifts.

Natalia: We have a lot of girls, including in leadership positions. It's not about gender, it's just that everyone treats each other with respect.

Dear and most wonderful girls from SoftTeco Team! Whether you are IT or not, you make a huge contribution to SoftTeco's work. Taking this opportunity, we congratulate you on the upcoming holiday on March 8 and wish you a spring mood and warm sunny days!

eSIM - what is this technology and how to activate it in Belarus?

Technology does not stand still. Smartphones are improving every day. Even 10 years ago, you had a huge SIM card in your phone. And now a very tiny nano-SIM. This is the kind of technological evolution.

Today we will tell you about an even more advanced technology - eSIM. In the vastness of Belarus, this is still "exotic", although it is already supported by many foreign operators. If you think about what phones were like 50 years ago, then you immediately understand that there were no smartphones at all. There was only a telephone with a disk and a tube.

It was connected by wire to the only state operator. Now everything has become easier - I bought a smartphone and went to connect to the operator that you like. Upon conclusion of the contract, the client receives a SIM card.

SIM-cards are the very chips that are issued by the cellular operator in order to identify the subscriber. The evolution of SIM cards has come a long way, which is almost 30 years old.

At first they were the size of a bank card: type of engineers and salaries

Then they got smaller - with the arrival of the mini-SIM (2FF) format. It lasted 7 years and was replaced first by micro-SIM (3FF), and then in 2012 nano-SIM (4FF):

The new eSIM format eliminates the need to insert chips into a smartphone. "SIMka" becomes virtual. The "e" symbol stands for "embedded". eSIM is a separate chip in a smartphone that can be programmed to work with a specific operator's network.

eSIM is widely used in Apple smartphones. However, Samsung is the first company to launch it into mass production. The Korean company introduced the Gear S2 Classic 3G smartwatch with eSIM in 2016.

Today, eSim is available in the following Apple models:

iPhone Xs, Xs Max, Xr;

iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max;

iPad 2019, iPad Pro 11 and 12.9, iPad Air 2019, iPad Mini 5;

Apple Watch

Google is also promoting eSIM. Its smartphones Pixel 2 and 2 XL, 3, 3A XL, 3 XL, 4, 4 XL support this technology.

Samsung smartphones - Galaxy S20, S20 +, S20 Ultra eSIM are present.

What are the advantages of eSIM?

Saving space: the built-in SIM-card is almost half the size of the usual nano-SIM, thanks to which manufacturers can more efficiently use the space inside the device;

You don't need to go to the company's office to change the operator;

In the event of a theft, the thief cannot disable the SIM card by removing it.

One eSIM can store up to 5 numbers;

By reducing the number of holes in a smartphone, it is easier to make it waterproof;

It is fashionable and technological.

What are the disadvantages? They are, but they are few:

Inability to insert an eSIM card into any phone. Even if you transfer eSIM from one iPhone to another, it will take time for the operator to apply all the settings.

So far, eSim is rarely used and is supported by a limited number of smartphones.

eSIM and regular SIM can work in one smartphone?

Yes. All tablets and smartphones that support eSIM also have at least one regular SIM slot. In fact, these are devices that have the advantage of supporting two SIM cards at once (while the eSIM takes up less space).

Why are major mobile carriers switching to eSIM?

The main reason is that widespread adoption of eSIM is not very profitable for operators. It will be easy for subscribers to change the operator - because of this, cellular companies may lose customers.

How to connect eSIM in Belarus

At the moment, the advanced eSIM technology is supported by the Belarusian mobile operator A1. To connect it, you need to contact the A1 office. There you will receive a QR code, scan it and then you can safely throw away your old nano-SIM.

If you have an iPhone, then to scan and switch to eSIM, you need to go to: Settings -> Cellular -> Add cellular tariff . Then it is recommended to restart the smartphone.

If you want to switch from a regular SIM card to an eSIM, you will need to pay 4.68 BYN (as for replacing a SIM card). An office visit is required.

eSIM will work in Belarus if your smartphone is listed below:

    iPhone XS

    iPhone XS max

    iPhone XR

    iPad Pro 11-inch

    iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation)

    iPad Air (3rd generation)

    iPad mini (5th generation)

    iPhone 11

    iPhone 11 Pro

    iPhone 11 Pro Max

    Samsung Galaxy Fold

    Samsung Galaxy S20

    Samsung Galaxy S20 +

    Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

    Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

Unfortunately, there is no information on eSIM support in Belarus in Google Pixel smartphones yet.

8 features to face when moving from iOS to Android

How much does a computer scientist make

If you have used the technology only with iOS, it will be difficult to immediately switch to a completely different OS. In addition, practical questions of the transition may arise: how to transfer all data (multimedia, contacts, documents, applications, or find analogues, etc.). The article will focus on the features that those who switch to Android will immediately encounter.

Registration

The first thing that catches your eye. Android has a huge number of launchers that can be installed on a smartphone. This is not to mention the fact that you can do a lot with the built-in software. Everything here is flexible and customizable. But after the iPhone, it's hard to get used to. Because of the abundance, it is very difficult to find right away what will fit. We'll have to tinker.

Quick features and notifications

On iOS, each category has its own gestures. There is no freedom of action in terms of swapping something. The green robot opens everything at once with one gesture. The location of the function icons is customizable. Notifications can be controlled from the area: open, swipe to the side (remove unnecessary), block notifications of a specific application (temporarily or permanently). If a track is playing, the basic functions of the player appear nearby: next / previous song, pause / play.

Control

IOS devices have a mechanical Home button (double-click to open a list of running programs) and that's it. For smart phones on a green robot, this button is now rare (it is virtual), but there are two more additional ones: "Back" and "List of running programs".

Lack of iCloud

A definite plus of iOS is the presence of iCloud. All your data is saved here. Accordingly, after the reset, enter the account, recover - everything is as before. On Android, this function is performed by a Google account. You also decide which services you will use. If you used it on iPhone, there will be no problems with data recovery at all.

But due to the fact that there are many manufacturers of Android smartphones, there is no universal way to create a backup. Some use their own services (similar to iCloud), using a third-party application or via a PC. The built-in tools are quite enough for convenient backing up of your documents.

Lack of iTunes

For some it may seem like a loss, but it's not so bad. If you do not have an ecosystem running iOS, then everything is solved simply by uploading your library to the internal storage of your phone. And most of the built-in players play music from a specific folder, by genre, etc. If you don't like this, then you can subscribe to Google Play Music or Yandex.Music. Likewise, over time, the service will start suggesting tracks based on what you've listened to earlier.

Installing Applications

On Android, applications are installed from the Play Store. But if you suddenly need to install a utility downloaded from another resource - no problem. In the settings, find the "Security and Privacy" tab and give the go-ahead to install applications from unknown sources. Of course, you don't need to bet anything for the safety of your smartphone. And we do not advise.

The ability to obtain root rights

On Android, you can get Superuser rights. But this entails a number of irreversible consequences: upon receiving them, you will not be able to hand over the smartphone under warranty (resetting to factory settings will not help), some difficulties in obtaining them, and possible system instability in the future. In general, the need for such rights for an ordinary user is a very dubious thing, but they can bring a headache.

As a conclusion, I would also like to say a few words about if you have a whole ecosystem of gadgets on iOS. When all devices are from the same manufacturer, you have excellent goodies such as simple synchronization, the same software for the interaction of technology with each other, and so on. The transition can significantly complicate the operation of devices among themselves. To the extent that replacing the iPhone with an Android smartphone, you will lose some of the functionality of the programs due to incompatibility of devices and software.

This is by no means an attempt to extol iOS, it's just a given. The same story is with Android technology. Android is a little more flexible in this regard, but a little bit of handles are needed here for everything to function as you want it to.

We hire a foreigner: instructions for Belarusian IT companies

Many Belarusian employers are interested in attracting foreigners to work. Sometimes this is due to a shortage of personnel, lack of the necessary qualifications and experience among Belarusian workers. Sometimes - with a desire to expand horizons and bring something new to their business, because many foreign specialists can share the know-how and business practices applied in their countries, which becomes a great advantage over competitors. Nadezhda Smakhtina, a lawyer at Legaltax , told KV.by how to hire a foreign specialist computer engineer starting salary.

How to hire a foreign specialist?

The procedure for hiring foreign workers for HTP residents and non-residents is different. If the employer is a resident of the HTP, he simply must notify the citizenship and migration authorities within 3 working days from the date of the employment contract. A simplified procedure for hiring foreigners is an advantage provided by the Regulation on the HTP under the well-known Decree No. 8. However, a foreigner who works for a resident of the HTP must still obtain a temporary residence permit.

It is much more difficult for non-HTP employers to attract a foreigner. They need to obtain a special permit to work in the Republic of Belarus. Let's consider this procedure in more detail.

Submission of information on the availability of vacancies

First, information on the availability of vacancies in the company is submitted to the relevant department for labor, employment and social protection. The submitted information is posted in the Republican Job Bank and must be there for at least 15 working days before you can proceed to the next stage.

The term of 15 working days means that during this time the employer can consider candidates who can work without obtaining special permission. If during this period a suitable employee is not found, and you have a foreign candidate for this position, then you can submit documents to the Office of Citizenship and Migration ( UGiM ).

Submission of documents to UGiM

The following package of documents is submitted to the UGiM:

Application for the issuance of a special permit for the right to engage in labor activity in the Republic of Belarus in relation to a foreign citizen or stateless person who are highly qualified workers ( Application );

A copy of the document for a foreigner to travel abroad and its translation;

Payment order for payment of state duty;

A copy of the power of attorney, if the documents will be submitted by a representative, and not personally by the head. In this case, the representative must also take the original power of attorney with him in order to present it to the UGiM when submitting.

The statement should be given the utmost attention. It contains information:

about the employer;

about a foreigner who is planned to be hired;

name and profession code;

and most importantly, the justification for hiring.

In the justification, you need to emphasize that the vacancy requires a unique specialist, and your candidate is exactly that. This justification may include the presence of international work experience, knowledge of the foreign market that your organization is aimed at, knowledge of foreign languages, and the level of education. Explain how it will benefit and benefit the organization.

Nuances. When preparing documents, please note that the application is drawn up on the company letterhead. The profession code must be 7 digits and correspond to the national classifier of the Republic of Belarus OKRB 014-2017 "Occupations". The very same statement is signed by the head of the organization or a representative. If the application is signed by a representative, then attach a power of attorney to the documents.

The payment order for payment of the state duty must be stamped by the bank (blue stamp) and signed by an authorized bank employee. Therefore, even if you paid the state duty remotely, you still contact the bank branch for the correct execution of the payment order. The amount of the state duty for obtaining a special permit is 5 basic units (135 BYN).

Within 15 days, UGiM makes a decision to issue or refuse to issue a special permit. If you were refused on formal grounds (for example, the profession code was incorrectly indicated), the application can be resubmitted after the comments have been eliminated. In this case, as a rule, you do not need to submit information about vacancies again. Once the permit has been obtained, the next step is to register an employment contract.

Registration of an employment contract with UGiM

After obtaining a special permit, the employer and the foreign worker conclude an employment contract. The contract must be registered within a month from the date of conclusion.

For this, two copies of the employment contract are submitted to the UGiM. If the UGiM employees have no comments on the content, they register it, and put an appropriate stamp on the contract (as a rule, registration takes no more than 7 days).

An employment contract is drawn up in Russian or Belarusian, as well as in the native or understandable language of the employee. The contract indicates the number of the special permit on the basis of which the employee is hired. In terms of content, an employment contract with a foreigner is based on the Labor Code of the Republic of Belarus.

However, there are some additional requirements that apply to the content of the contract. They provide:

the procedure for concluding an employment contract between an immigrant worker and an employer of the Republic of Belarus;

basic guarantees for immigrant workers when carrying out labor activities in the Republic of Belarus;

taxation of income of immigrant workers;

the rights and obligations of immigrant workers;

rights and obligations of the employer of the Republic of Belarus.

Nuances . An employment contract with a foreigner must include the condition that the contract is terminated upon cancellation of a special permit, or that the employment contract can only be extended upon the extension of an existing special permit or obtaining a new special permit.

Regarding the conditions of moving to the Republic of Belarus, food, accommodation, medical care for an immigrant worker, the employer and the employee independently determine which of them bears such costs.

But it is better to check the existence of international agreements between the Republic of Belarus and the country of a foreign citizen, since sometimes they contain obligations of the parties to pay certain expenses.

Let's list a few of these conventions as an example:

Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan on labor activity and social protection of citizens of the Republic of Belarus;

Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the temporary employment of citizens;

Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of Ukraine on labor activity and social protection of citizens of the Republic of Belarus and Ukraine working outside their states.

Example: in accordance with the Agreement between the Republic of Belarus and Ukraine, medical care for Ukrainian workers will be carried out at the expense of the employer on equal terms with Belarusians. The costs of travel of employees and their family members from their place of residence to the point of destination, the costs of transporting personal property to the territory of the Republic of Belarus and the same costs after the termination of the employment contract are borne by the employer, except for cases of termination of the contract at the initiative of the employee. That is, if you hire a Ukrainian, then the listed expenses in the contract cannot be attributed to the employee, even by agreement of the parties.