When you think of VPNs, chances are pretty good your thoughts go to the tried and true Virtual Private Networks of old, which made it possible for you to securely connect to your company network (from a remote location) such that your local computer behaved as if it were within the company LAN. Before cloud solutions, this was the best (and often) only solution for remote working.

For the most part, those solutions were considered secure. Once connected, your machine would be given an IP address associated with the topology of your company network and, if configured to do so, would also use the same DNS servers as your company LAN. VPNs were a very specific technology that required a specific skill set to set up properly. And although VPNs are still in use today, they have (in many instances) have been usurped by cloud solutions. After all, using a cloud platform is not only easier, it’s more cost-effective and secure.

But with more modern technology and sensibilities, there’s a new type of VPN that is far more commonly used than those of old. These VPNs are less about connecting you to your company network and more about adding a layer of privacy to the platforms we use. And although these new world order VPNs go by the same name, they are a different breed of technology.

Learn more about these VPNs, how they work and why you need them in this PDF download from TechRepublic Premium.

As the back end for Teams, Microsoft’s SharePoint has been in some ways the sleeper hit of the pandemic. While the technology powering it has changed beyond recognition from the 2001 SharePoint Portal Server release, the original ideas of content collaboration, enterprise search and information organisation that made it the fastest Microsoft product to generate a billion dollars have remained intact.

The way the underlying SharePoint architecture has changed reflects both technology and culture changes within Microsoft over the years. Talking to TechRepublic just after the 20th anniversary celebrations for SharePoint, Jeff Teper—now corporate vice-president for Microsoft 365 collaboration and responsible for Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive—suggested that it summed up “my twenty-year journey from top-down waterfall and chaotic agile, to a middle way, which is intentional planned but loosely coupled execution.”

Read more from Jeff Teper in this exclusive TechRepublic interview.

In this free PDF download from TechRepublic:

• “From top-down waterfall and chaotic agile, to a middle way”: Microsoft’s Jeff Teper on 20 years of developing SharePoint
• “My goal is not to get everybody on the planet in Teams meetings all day long”: Microsoft’s Jeff Teper on the future of collaboration
• And more!

Non-fungible tokens are, in a way, a lot like cryptocurrency. The record of their existence lives on blockchains, they can be bought and sold using cryptocurrency, and there isn’t necessarily a physical asset that ties them to the real world.

NFTs differ from cryptocurrency in that they’re non-fungible, meaning they can’t be exchanged for an identical item. Cash, for example, is a fungible asset: Each dollar may be unique, but the particular dollar you have doesn’t matter. If you swap a $10 bill for two five-dollar ones, you still have $10. Trade your $10 for an autographed baseball card, however, and you then have a non-fungible item: it’s unique, and while it may have a monetary value, it isn’t itself a trade commodity.

Other examples of non-fungible goods include artwork, houses, website domain names, your pet cat and parcels of land.

Learn more about NFTs in this free PDF download from TechRepublic.

In the download:

• What are NFTs?
• What rights does ownership of an NFT confer?
• How are NFTs created, and how are NFTs sold?
• How could NFTs impact businesses?
• Is the NFT market already in a bubble?
• And more!

The latest version of Apple’s operating system for mobile devices, iOS 15, was announced on June 7, 2021, at the company’s Worldwide Developer Conference. The beta version of iOS 15 was released on June 7, 2021, to developers, and the public beta was released on June 30, 2021.

This new version of iOS includes many new features relevant to consumers and developers alike, including: an emphasis on communication changes, the ability to focus on specific aspects of your life, on-device intelligence and exploring the world.

Apple is expected to release iOS 15 to the public in Fall 2021.

Find out more in this free PDF download from TechRepublic.

In the download:

• What is iOS 15?
• Will iOS 15 work on my device?
• What are the key iOS 15 features?
• How do I get iOS 15?
• What's the release history of iOS 15?
• And much more!

If you are looking to pursue a career in software engineering and aren’t sure where to begin, TechRepublic provides you with a guide to salaries, job markets, skills and common interview questions in the field. Learn more in this free PDF download.

In the download:

Even when everything is running smoothly, managing a business, with all its moving parts, data flows, analytics, and people, is difficult, time consuming, and vitally important to overall success. Once a business enterprise reaches a certain size, it must deploy systems to help automate and simplify operation management. Increasingly, business enterprises are opting to use cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems like Microsoft Dynamics 365.

In a nutshell, Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a suite of ERP and CRM applications. Each module helps business enterprises control, process, and analyze operational data generated during the course of ordinary business so that decision makers have pertinent and actionable information available when they need it. Each business enterprise chooses the modules that will satisfy their business needs, which means Microsoft Dynamics 365, and any tool must be flexible enough to accommodate many different business entities.

Learn more about Microsoft Dynamics 365 in this free PDF download from TechRepublic.

In the download:

• What is Microsoft Dynamics 365?
• Why is Microsoft Dynamics 365 important?
• What application modules are available in Microsoft Dynamics 365?
• Who are Microsoft Dynamics 365’s competitors?
• How do I get Microsoft Dynamics 365, and how much does it cost?
• And so much more!

Not all password managers are created equal, and LastPass is one of the standout options. Available for almost every OS, browser, and mobile platform on the market, LastPass is designed to have you safe, secure, and encrypted wherever you happen to be.

TechRepublic’s free PDF download cheat sheet about LastPass is a quick introduction to this password management app, as well as a “living” guide that will be revised periodically as new updates and versions are released.

In the download:

• What is LastPass?
• Why does LastPass matter?
• Who does LastPass affect?
• Is LastPass free?
• What are some alternatives to LastPass?
• How do I get LastPass?
• And more!

During the keynote of Apple’s WWDC21 conference on June 7, 2021, the company announced its long-awaited new macOS: Monterey (also known as macOS 12). Like WWDC 2020, this year’s week-long conference aimed at developers around the world is virtual and free to the public via Apple’s website, the Apple Developer app, the Apple TV app and YouTube.

With macOS Monterey, Apple is sticking with the theme of naming its OSs after California locales. This version of macOS offers many new features for users, including Universal Control, Shortcuts and AirPlay for iMac, updated capabilities in FaceTime, a redesign for Safari (including Tab Groups) and more.

This macOS Monterey cheat sheet details the operating system’s main features, lists which devices support the OS, explains how to get it and more. We’ll update this macOS 12 guide when new features are released. Learn more in this free PDF download from TechRepublic.

In the download:

• What is macOS Monterey?
• What are the main features of macOS Monterey?
• Which devices support macOS Monterey?
• When can I get macOS Monterey?
• And more!

Samsung has taken the wraps off the latest edition of its Galaxy Z Flip phone. Dubbed the Z Flip 3 5G, this new phone maintains the foldable clamshell design that folds and unfolds vertically like an old-style flip phone. This differentiates it from Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold lineup, which folds and unfolds horizontally. The flip style design results in a smaller display when the phone is unfolded compared with the Z Fold. But the Z Flip offers a more compact and pocket-friendly form factor and rings in at a much lower price than its larger cousin.

Though Samsung christened the new phone the Z Flip 3 5G, there was no phone named the Z Flip 2. The company unveiled the original Z Flip in 2020 and then quickly followed up with the Z Flip 5G. Samsung dubbed the new version the Flip 3 to match the naming convention of the Z Fold 3.

In many ways, the Z Flip 3 5G is similar to last year’s Z Flip 5G. Both phones offer the clamshell form factor with a 6.7-inch main display, 5G connectivity, dual rear 12MP cameras, a 10MP front camera, and storage options of 128GB and 256GB. The new phone improves on its predecessor through a larger front cover display with a faster refresh rate, a beefier processor, and a lower initial price tag.

Learn more in this free PDF download from TechRepublic.

In the download:

• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G: Foldability
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G: Display
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G: Processor and storage
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G: Connectivity
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G: Cameras
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G: Battery and charging
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G: Durability
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G: Authentication and security
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G: Operating system and interface
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G: Colors
• Specs for the Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G
• Should I buy the Z Flip 3 5G?
• When will the Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G be available, and how much will it cost?
• And more!

The tech world has a problem: Security fragmentation. There's no standard set of rules for mitigating cyber risk—or even language—used to address the growing threats of hackers, ransomware and stolen data, and the threat to data only continues to grow.

President Barack Obama recognized the cyber threat in 2013, which led to his cybersecurity executive order that attempts to standardize practices. President Donald Trump's 2017 cybersecurity executive order went one step further and made the framework created by Obama's order into federal government policy.

The framework isn't just for government use, though: It can be adapted to businesses of any size.

TechRepublic's free PDF download cheat sheet about the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF) is a quick introduction to this new government recommended best practice, as well as a "living" guide that will be updated periodically to reflect changes to the NIST's documentation.

In the download:

• What is the NIST Cybersecurity Framework
• Why does the NIST Cybersecurity Framework matter?
• Who does the NIST Cybersecurity Framework affect?
• When is the NIST Cybersecurity Framework happening?
• How can I implement the NIST Cybersecurity Framework?
• And more!