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Software Test Engineers create and test procedures to ensure that the software developed by the company doesn't have any problems or bugs and works exactly as it was designed. In general, these professionals ensure that the software reaches the market free of errors and technical problems. This procedure not only guarantees the quality of the product, but also helps to maintain the brand's image among customers. Software test engineers also have an advanced knowledge of software engineering, a keen attention to detail; and when it comes to problem solving, they are able to identify even the tiniest errors and flaws in the software. So why are Software Test Engineers so important? Ultimately, every product must deliver the quality it sets out to. Failing to do so can damage a company's reputation, and even more so if a customer has invested money in buying or using your software. Quality assurance explains the importance of software testing. When companies or people invest in their software and don't get the promised quality, they tend not to wait for the problem to be solved. Time becomes as important to companies as the investment itself, and waiting for things to improve means wasting that investment. So, by testing software before it reaches the market, you can assure your customers that their time and business are valuable. However, there are several problems that can arise during this testing phase, such as: architectural flaws; security problems or even a faulty design. There are, of course, many more errors or problems that can significantly damage the overall user experience. Therefore, the project team must set enough time for the test engineers to find faults, revert to the development unit and ensure that everything runs smoothly, offering a faithful user experience. The ultimate goal of software creation is to satisfy the needs of your customers. The best user experience can only be achieved through several stages of testing, and time defined to make the software free of any kind of errors. The emphasis placed on this skewer, the transmission of a good, faithful user experience can help build the right target audience. The original article via News Break Original can be read at: https://original.newsbreak.com/@angela-ash-1592974/2678160611049-software-test-engineers-what-they-are-and-why-you-need-them

In the United States of America, the results of the primary elections in Kane County, Illinois, were completely paralyzed last Tuesday due to problems with the software system. The chairman of the Kane County Republican Party, Kenneth Shepro, said in a statement that the electoral authorities had informed him that a bug was at the root of the problem: "Hart InterCivic technicians are working to correct the problem," said the US politician. The results were frozen for more than an hour. The original article via Shaw Local News Network can be read at: https://www.shawlocal.com/news/election/2022/06/29/primary-election-results-stalled-in-kane-due-to-software-problem/

In Germany, a bug in the Air Traffic Control System led to the cancellation of numerous flights at Frankfurt Airport. It's not the first time that the German Air Traffic Control System has suffered technical problems, this time Frankfurt Airport was affected by an unexpected interruption. The operator of Germany's largest airport, Fraport, reported the problem, immediately informing that there would be disruptions throughout European airspace and therefore delays in operations and isolated flight cancellations. The investigation into the technical problem revealed that it was related to a software failure during the installation of an update to the Langen Control System. Although the problem was resolved early in the morning local time, all passengers were instructed that delays and cancellations were to be expected for the rest of the day, before operations returned to normal. The Langen Control Center is responsible for the lower airspace in Germany's central regions, including some of the country's busiest airports, such as Düsseldorf, Cologne and Frankfurt. The original article via Simple Flying can be read at: https://simpleflying.com/german-atc-issue-flight-delay/

Baraa Habab is the name of a young Syrian who recently discovered security flaws in Facebook, but his concerns were ignored by the US company. To draw attention to these problems, Baraa hacked the account of one of Facebook's founders, prompting them to thank him and offer him a job. The 25-year-old from Damascus was forced to leave his university, where he was studying Information Engineering, and his home country because of the civil war that has been raging since 2011. Driven by his passion for the world of programming, Baraa's resilience and hard work have been crucial to withstanding all the difficulties he has faced since then. Between 2016 and 2017, he eventually discovered a software bug on Facebook, so he wrote several times to report the problem, in both Arabic and English, but without any feedback. To ensure that his concerns were legitimate, Baraa Habab surprised the Facebook administration itself by accessing several private and public Facebook pages, without knowing the username, email or password associated with the page, and without even contacting the owners of the pages. One of these pages was precisely that of Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, where the young Syrian wrote on his wall in both English and Arabic: "There is no 100% protection, there is always a flaw.". And that's how Baraa got Facebook's attention, and was even offered a contract to work in security. With an attachment to Facebook, Baraa ended up discovering another software error later in 2018. An error that would allow the privacy of millions of users to be affected without their knowledge. In addition to helping countless people find solutions to technical problems, as well as many victims of Facebook fraud, Baraa Habab also helps companies in the field of information security and protection, and also plays a role in training and education on the subject of digital extortion. The original article via Middle East Monitor can be read at: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220618-young-syrian-man-discovers-several-facebook-security-loopholes/

US cybersecurity authorities last week ordered all federal agencies to fix software flaws exploited by hackers. These are believed to be linked to foreign governments. "These vulnerabilities pose an unacceptable risk to the security of the federal network," said Jen Easterly, director of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), in a statement. CISA's "emergency directive" gives agencies five days to update the vulnerable software, or as a last resort, remove it entirely from their networks. It does not apply to Pentagon computer networks, which are not under CISA's jurisdiction. The vulnerabilities in question are found in a type of software made by VMware, whose products are widely used in the US government. On April 6, the California-based technology giant issued a fix for the software flaws that would allow hackers not only to access files remotely, but also to install themselves on the network itself. Two days after the patch was released, hackers discovered an alternative way of breaking into computers using the vulnerabilities, according to CISA. This event forced VMWare to release software updates to plug these newly discovered vulnerabilities, which CISA ordered the agencies to address. The agency has not identified the hackers or which systems they served as. As a rule, CISA officials use their emergency authority to force agencies to address serious software flaws when spies or criminals might attack their security. In the last three years, the agency has used its resources 10 times, including in response to the so-called SolarWinds hacking campaign, believed to have been carried out by Russian agents. This ultimately went unnoticed by US authorities for a long time, resulting in a security breach of at least nine federal agencies, including those dealing with national security, such as the departments of Homeland Security and Justice. The original article via CNN International can be read at: https://edition.cnn.com/2022/05/18/politics/software-bug-warning-vmware/index.html

According to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), a software problem could lead to loss of elevator control for certain Airbus A350 aircraft. The directive issued on May 5 by EASA warns operators of Airbus A350-900 and -1000 aircraft to amend their applicable AFM (aircraft flight manual) and Minimum Equipment List due to a software problem that could lead to loss of elevator control."An occurrence was reported in which the PRIMary flight control computers (PRIMs) indicated that both elevator actuators were found to be defective." EASA also states that further investigations revealed that incorrect instructions were implemented with the introduction of the "PRIM P13 standard", which is part of the X13 Flight Control and Guidance System (FCGS) standard. Since the effective date for resolving the problem was immediately set for the following days, EASA also required operators to change their applicable AFM, which is subject to a temporary update and revision. The EASA directive also states that they must "inform all flight crews and thereafter operate the aircraft accordingly". Affected operators must also amend the Airbus A350 Minimum Master Equipment List (MMEL) accordingly. This directive is considered to be an interim action, which means that other actions may take place in the coming days. Interestingly, this is not the first software bug related to the Airbus A350. In July 2019, some models of the A350-900 had an aviation problem, which could be corrected with a software update, or even by turning the aircraft off and on at least once every 149 hours. Carrying out this rudimentary action would have prevented "partial or total loss of some aviation systems or functions". The original article via Simply Flying can be read at: https://simpleflying.com/a350-software-bug-easa-emergency-directive/

In Dallas, Texas, Toyota has been forced to recall more than 400,000 vehicles due to a software problem that affects the stability of the vehicles. According to a company statement, the software error causes the vehicle's electronic stability control system to deactivate unexpectedly. The Japanese manufacturer also advises customers to check the condition of their vehicles and to report any problems on its website. With regard to the bug in question, the statement reads: "For all vehicles involved, Toyota and Lexus dealers will update the Skid Control ECU software free of charge for customers. Owners of the vehicles involved will be notified by mid-June 2022." The original article via Big News Network can be read at: https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/272487413/toyota-recalls-460000-vehicles-due-to-stability-control-issue

On April 1st, Ford announced that it was recalling almost half a million trucks, as a brake system malfunction caused by a software error was discovered. According to ABC News, the recalled vehicles concern Ford 2021 and 2022 models, which include: Super Duty, Ford Maverick, F-150, Lincoln Navigator and Expedition. Given that the problem detected is directly related to its software, its resolution is simple, with the Ford dealership applying the appropriate software update. Ford will begin notifying owners of the affected models by post in the coming weeks. Just last week, the US multinational was in a similar situation, where it recalled more than 700,000 vehicles due to a problem related to an oil leak. According to Reuters, the models included the 2020 to 2022 Ford Escape SUV and the 2021 and 2022 Bronco Sport SUV with 1.5-liter engines, in which the oil leak could occur in the engine parts, thus causing a serious risk of fire. The original article via Tech Times can be read at:https://www.techtimes.com/articles/273797/20220401/ford-recalled-400-000-trucks-due-software-bug-affects-brake.htm

Last Sunday, a group of large vessels were prevented from entering the Kiel Canal in Germany, which connects the North Sea to the Baltic, due to a software problem - the signal was given by a spokesman for the maritime authority. "We had to stop traffic for safety reasons. Our colleagues have been trying everything to solve the problem as quickly as possible," Detlef Wittmüss, head of the Kiel Canal Waterways and Shipping Authority, told the Kieler Nachrichten newspaper. According to the spokesman, even earlier in the afternoon, smaller ships were able to re-enter the canal at Brunsbüttel, on the North Sea side, and by the end of the day, small vessels were also able to resume their journeys. Normally, Sundays are days when more than 80 ships use the Kiel Canal. In recent days, new software has been installed to control navigation on the artificial waterway, the spokesman added. So far, it has worked flawlessly. The original article via Daily Sabah can be read at:https://www.dailysabah.com/world/europe/software-glitch-causes-traffic-jam-in-germanys-kiel-canal