Seiden Group Blog - Page 2 of 31

GnuPG PHP Extension for IBM i: Now Included with Seiden Support

November 24, 2025/0 Comments/in PHP /by Alan Seiden

At Seiden Group, we listen to client requests that keep their IBM i applications secure, modern, and practical.

Recently, a customer asked us to port the GnuPG (GNUPG) PHP extension to IBM i. This extension is now available to Seiden Support subscribers.

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Getting Started with Code for IBM i: A Lunch & Learn Video

November 20, 2025/0 Comments/in VS Code for i /by Amy Lantz

On October 29, 2025, Alan teamed up with Susan Gantner and Jon Paris for an educational Lunch & Learn focused on two timely IBM i development topics: VS Code for i and RPG arrays.

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Seiden PHP+ Delivers PHP 8.5 to IBM i

November 17, 2025/0 Comments/in PHP /by Alan Seiden

Each year brings a new PHP release. We’ve prepared Seiden PHP+ so that IBM i users can adopt PHP 8.5 shortly after it becomes generally available (GA) around November 20, 2025. As I mentioned in Keep Your PHP Secure: Why Regular Updates Matter, PHP users should adopt a regular upgrade schedule to make upgrades easier.

November 20, 2025 UPDATE
PHP 8.5 and Seiden PHP+ 8.5 are both available as of today.

Notable Enhancements in PHP 8.5

Two updates stand out to me:

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Keep Your PHP Secure: Why Regular Updates Matter

October 24, 2025/0 Comments/in PHP /by Alan Seiden

Cybersecurity best practices require regular security assessments, including for PHP.

We recommend installing PHP patch releases at least quarterly. You can review all regular PHP updates, including CVE security fixes, on the php.net changelog page. Our Seiden PHP+ changelog provides additional updates that we include in our supported Seiden PHP+ package.

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What the Shai-Hulud npm Worm Means for Node.js Developers

October 17, 2025/0 Comments/in Node.js, Open Source /by Alan Seiden

The Node.js ecosystem has been disrupted by self-replicating malware called Shai-Hulud.

In September 2025, researchers found that Shai-Hulud had infected more than 500 npm packages, including some from trusted maintainers. The worm did not just publish a few bad versions. It spread automatically, using stolen credentials to infect other packages owned by the same developer.

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Ransomware Lessons from Brussels Airport and IBM i

October 13, 2025/0 Comments/in Security /by Alan Seiden

At Brussels Airport recently, I noticed airline staff working from paper passenger lists because their digital systems were unavailable. The EU Cybersecurity Agency (ENISA) later confirmed the disruption was caused by a ransomware attack on a third-party airline system (Reuters report).

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A New Generation Shapes the Future of IBM i

September 22, 2025/0 Comments/in CIO Strategy /by Alan Seiden

In recent months, I have seen an unmistakable, growing wave of younger professionals choosing to invest their energy and creativity in the IBM i platform. This trend was particularly evident at the 2025 PowerUp conference.

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When Your IBM i Email Delivery Fails with Office 365 or Gmail

August 11, 2025/0 Comments/in IBM i /by Alan Seiden

We’ve been receiving about one request per week to help clients troubleshoot or fix SMTP email issues on IBM i systems—especially when sending to Microsoft (Office 365) and Gmail accounts.

These problems can affect a wide range of systems, including:

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Mapepire Q&A

August 1, 2025/0 Comments/in Open Source /by Alan Seiden

A friend in the IBM i vendor community asked me about Mapepire popularity and security. He had read about Seiden Group’s support for the Mapepire Db2 for i driver. I have provided his questions and edited versions of my answers below.

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Seiden Group Now Supports Mapepire for Node.js and Db2 for IBM i Connectivity

July 18, 2025/0 Comments/in Db2 for i /by Alan Seiden

Seiden Group is pleased to announce that we now provide production support for the open source Mapepire database connector for IBM i. This includes support for Node.js applications and cloud-based or containerized workloads that connect to Db2 for i.

Many developers already rely on Mapepire every day because it’s the back-end to the Db2 for i extension for VS Code. We’re excited to help clients adopt this lightweight connector.

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