Start Your Cyber Security Career

Right now, IT is a very competitive and rapidly changing environment, but many organizations still can’t fill cyber security jobs. There is an increasing demand for cyber security professionals as the impact of cyber-attacks continues to rise. The 2017 Global Information Security Workforce Study (GISWS), in its 8^thedition, estimates that there will be a shortage of 1.8M cyber security professionals by 2022, while ISACA estimates a global shortage as much as 2M in 2019 and 3.5M by 2021. The increasing threat landscape and the growth rate of the Internet of Things (IoT) is outpacing our ability to expand security. It’s unfortunate, but true: we are losing ground.

Cyber-crime damages also continue to increase and are expected to reach $6T by 2021. With projections like that plus the lack of current cyber security talent, it’s safe to say there’s probably no better job market than cyber security. Cyber security professionals help protect our critical infrastructure and our most important and private information. A lot of organizations are doing some great work in educating the workforce, but we need more pros who specialize in security. If this is a path you are interested in pursuing, there are a few ways to get you there.

Cyber Security on the Job

If you are just starting out, focus on networking basics. Everything security-related starts at the network, so a good understanding of how the network works will start you off in the right direction. If you’re already in IT and work in an environment where you have access to networking hardware, spend some time studying network design, endpoint security, and data protection. IT-related jobs such as Network Engineer or Systems Administrator together with some analytical abilities and good communication skills can pave the way and provide a transition into a cyber-security career.

Cyber Security Certificates

Another great place to begin is with a certificate program. Certificate-level training will mean that you are job-ready when you start your career, and you can obtain these certificates in a few different ways, such as classroom-based training, online instructor-led modules, private on-site training, or self-paced learning. Either way, you can differentiate yourself from other candidates with a certificate in hand.

Individuals interested in a certificate path will need an IT-related specialization. CompTIA A+, Network+ or Security+ is where many people start. Some employers will be looking for applicants entering the workforce with an industry-recognized certification from organizations such as CompTIA or ISC2.

Professional Cyber Security Career

If you are focusing on a professional degree, look at Computer Science or Information Technology courses with an emphasis on cyber security. Many universities offer specific cyber security degrees as well. Most employers and recruiters will be looking for a bachelor’s degree or a minimum of 3–5 years’ experience. Having that degree will help get you in the door and can lead to higher pay and promotions and a lifelong career. You can then advance your career by building knowledge through a certificate program such CISSP, CISM, or CEH.

If you are just curious about entering the cyber security workforce, there are also cyber security educational conferences held around the country that provide high quality professional development opportunities. ISACA offers an annual CACS (Computer Audit, Control, and Security) conference. NIST offers their NICE (National Initiative for Cyber Security Education) conference. There also are a number of vertical-specific security conferences, such as local HIMSS (Health Information and Management Systems Society) events or ICS (Industrial Control Systems) SCADA conferences. These educational conferences offer an environment where you can quickly catch up on the latest technologies and learn how many vendors are combating the latest threats.

NOTE: The views expressed here are those of the author's and not necessarily represent or reflect the views of DoT Club as a whole.

Will Chatbot Ever Rule the World?

Advancement of technology never stops on edging a new dimension to the digital connectivity and thereby furnishing the way of conducting business in this tech-savvy world. Chatbots have evolved significantly in the last few years and thanks to the artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) that empowers them.

Now questions must be rising in your mind like; “what is a chatbot?”, “Can it be implemented in every business irrespective of its nature and conventional division of sectors?”, “Is it going to adversely impact the involvement of human capital in near future?” and so on. In simple terms, Chatbots are computer programs that interact with people in a way that resembles with the approaches of human interaction. The interaction can differ in terms of complexity from simple keyword-driven queries to elaborate conversational systems based on the type of chatbot. This conversational form of user-machine interaction can act as a framework for various types of useful applications. These days’ chatbots are functioning all over the internet in customer support, as virtual assistants like Google Assistant, and in many other roles. They are no longer confined to imitate human conversation through text chats rather they are equipped for voice commands and much more. Siri, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa etc are prime examples of interactive voice-based chatbots whereas XiaoIce from Microsoft’s, Mitsuku, Facebook M etc are classic models of chatbots.

Be it a business process that deals with Banking & Financial Services or Retail or any service sector, chatbot can enrich the customer experience by building natural and rich conversational experiences. Chatbots are promising an exceptional ability to engage their customers in the right place, at the right time, with the right information in a cost-effective manner. Adding chatbots to a conversational platform lets people ask questions, issue commands, and so on without changing context. Also, it helps to streamline the process in the back end by interacting & establishing coordination with other systems. Starting from hotel booking to purchasing in e-commerce platforms, chatbots are providing an excellent framework for various processes, including workflow management, setup and configuration, order generation, search, data collection and thereby simplifying the process in almost every industry.

The chatbots market size is expected to grow from USD 703.3 Million in 2016 to USD 3,172.0 Million by 2021, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 35.2% during 2016–2021. This statistical information indicates the significance in the coming decade which further reinforces the ability to provide access to a wide range of resources with a unified cognitive experience. Though the future seems to be aligned with the techno-managerial aspects, it creates speculations regarding the utilization of human capital. But every change in technology opens up a new dimension and new possibilities in the workforce. Businesses can be more productive and plan out the further expansion with the existing human resources by empowering them with proper skills and training. In this rapidly evolving era of technology, chatbots hold a lot of promise and there is still some way to go before they can completely replace humans. The scope is enormous for creating extremely sophisticated and adaptable tools that can help the firms to automate their business processes and its only possible with an effective coordination between man and machine.

NOTE: The views expressed here are those of the author's and not necessarily represent or reflect the views of DoT Club as a whole.

Print! Print! 3D Print!!!

The Automotive Industry is in a state of flux. Significant swings in gas prices challenge the industry to balance between economics of gas guzzling SUVs and lightweight electric vehicles. Where ride sharing and public transport are steadily growing; leaps in technology have put autonomous vehicles on the road, changing the way we see our usage of cars. Automotive manufacturers must adapt to all that change, while also facing the age old challenge of minimizing production costs. One such methodology or should we say, technology is - 3D printing.

For better understanding, let us learn the basics of 3D Printing. Going by the definition, 3D Printing is the process of making a physical object from a 3D digital model, typically by laying down many thin layers of a material in succession. To put it in simple words, 3D Printing is a process of making real life models of your imagination of any object or a part.

Now let’s move onto the steps to create the part of your dreams! This typical love story starts with the designer realizing the needs of the product and giving it a virtual shape. After long sessions of corrections and improvisations, the final design is ready to leave the desktop and enter the world of 3 Dimensions. The design work is complete now, which marks the beginning of printer preparation. Followed by that, comes, layer by layer 2D printing which is all about patience as, based on the complexity of the object to be printed, the span of printing varies. Simply all that one has to do is wait and perform random checks to make sure everything is being done flawlessly.

Having the basics cleared about the working of 3D Printers, let us move on to some pros and cons. It offers you – Rapid Prototyping, Low material consumption and wastage which ultimately leads to low cost along with added flexibility in the operations of the whole manufacturing process. With these advantages, several OEMs are increasingly investing in and exploring the uses of additive manufacturing. Every technology comes with a few down points, which in this case can be – Inability to use it for mass production because of its slow processing speed, size restriction, and lack to available technology for manufacturing original parts in bulk.

What might a car look like when there’s no need to have the primary occupant facing front with their hands on a steering wheel? Throughout history that position has been a key, defining feature of a vehicle interior. Will future vehicle interiors serve different purposes, with a desk and chair, or a couch and TV? Or a bed to catch a few more minutes of sleep on the commute? The possibilities are endless, and we will see a lot of variety in the types of functions vehicle interiors begin to serve. More flexibility and more options, ultimately means mass customization over mass production of the same part again and again. And that is clearly a fit for additive manufacturing..!


NOTE: The views expressed here are those of the author's and not necessarily represent or reflect the views of DoT Club as a whole.