Hiring: Higher or Lower? 

This week we reported that just 36% of CIOs expect IT headcount growth in the year ahead, the lowest figure since 2011. Shifting economic outlooks and debate over AI’s impact are two key factors muddying IT hiring reality.  

But really, what is happening with IT hiring right now? CIO readers asked Smart Answers. And our AI chatbot, fueled by decades of human reporting, had some interesting answers. Stabilization and moderate growth, lower unemployment for IT folks vs the general population, more in office work, and modest salary growth. Cool, cool, cool.  

Find out: What are the current trends in IT hiring market?  


Attack Soldier 

Also on the slate this week: reports that a US soldier is suspected of being behind a massive Snowflake data leak. The hacker told fellow members of criminal forums that he was from the US Army and shared pictures of himself in uniform.  

Concerned readers of CSO asked Smart Answers how to protect their organizations against DDoS attacks. The answer? Load up your capabilities to handle large volumes of traffic, and build up your cyber security defenses. Want to know more? Ask the bot - 

Find out: How can companies protect themselves from DDoS attacks?  


You Say Python, We Say Cython 

The next version of the Python-to-C translator will be a major release, with more tools than ever to speed up your code. Recently we reported all the details on the latest version of Cython.  

Not sure what that is? You weren't alone. Smart Answers can help.  

Find out What is Cython and how does it relate to Python and C?