Responsible Adoption Starts with Education

Ensuring AI is adopted in a responsible way requires a deep understanding of how automated systems are designed and the various ways they come to conclusions. For businesses and organizations implementing AI systems, panelists discussed the critical need to train those who will use them so they can evaluate and critique the system, and determine if human override is necessary.

Bivens Collinson said that she believes tariffs are here to stay.

“I hope that in three weeks’ time, you’re able to look back and say that I was dead wrong. But I don’t think the tariffs are going away. I think we’re in it for the long haul,” she said. But, if you or your clients are dealing with tariffs, she said there are ways to mitigate.

For example, in the tech industry, most products people are making are coming into the U.S. duty free. Now with the Section 301 tariffs, they may be facing a 10 percent or 25 percent tariff and it makes a big difference. However, Bivens Collinson advises to check the product’s classification.

“Because it came into the U.S. duty free, you never check to see how it’s classified,” she said. “Products evolve all the time and the tech industry moves very quickly. The product may be classified incorrectly.”

Another option is to implement partner manufacturing.

“If you do XYZ operations with China and XYZ operations with Hong Kong or Taiwan, for example, the actual transformative operations are being done in another country and it’s no longer a product of China – and therefore, no longer subject to the tariffs,” she said.

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CompTIA Certification: Streamlining the Conversation

As he’s been managing the buildout of the new record keeping app, Nightengale hasn’t been the one configuring the network. But when things get technical, and choices about IT resources have to be made to move the project forward, he can understand what’s being talked about – and keep things moving in the right direction.

“Having CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+ allows me to go into those meetings and understand what’s going on,” Nightengale said. “If my supervisor can’t attend, she sends me as a backup. I’m able to use my knowledge from those certifications to understand what’s going on.”

In all these sectors, innovative technologies will increase efficiencies and effectiveness within existing infrastructure and set the foundation for future innovation and advancement. Because of that, CompTIA staff and members told lawmakers that any infrastructure package should include funding for core smart technologies that will help to build, secure, and advance communities around the country.

CompTIA told Congress that federal infrastructure funding should concentrate on the following goals:
Improving and expanding broadband connectivity;
Using smart technologies to enhance public utilities;
Promoting cyber solutions to secure the nation’s energy grid; and
Supporting smart transportation solutions to maximize efficiency and safety of our roads, bridges, railways and airports.

But while he’s spent a few years now with IT as an ancillary part of his duties, he’s recently chosen to start focusing on an area of enterprise technology that caught his attention a few years back – and that has only gotten more important.
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Getting Your Cybersecurity Certification Paid For

The severity of the cybersecurity skills gap is likely to put security pros at an advantage for gaining support for training and certifications. Going back to the 2018 Trends in Cybersecurity report, just 27 percent of large organizations feel their current security posture is “completely satisfactory,” and that number falls to 14 percent among small organizations.

While 72 percent of organizations believe securing operations is an internal function, few have mature or defined processes for professional development. Your boss is likely aware that improving internal skill is critical but may have little idea of where to start or which cybersecurity certifications to support.

Understanding existing barriers is an advantage for making a strong case. If your organization lacks defined processes for professional security development, you may need to present research on the most valuable and up-to-date certifications.

A lack of professional development culture could necessitate making a case for how quickly the field of security is changing or the internal skills gaps.

Finally, if your barriers are related to a limited security budget, you may be best served by focusing on the financial benefits of certification. Training could provide opportunities to automate aspects of security operations or reduce costly reliance on third-party tech contractors.
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Emerging technologies will act as an enabling layer for future computing models

Blockchain has been the prime example of digital ledger technology (DLT), which provides an alternative to the centralization behind most existing technology.

DLT removes the need for an individual entity to maintain a record of transactions, distributing that record across a wide network of nodes and potentially improving trust and security. While there are still some hurdles to overcome, DLT could disrupt the entire digital ecosystem if it becomes a new standard for digital activity.

CompTIA Stackable Certifications give IT pros the broad knowledge needed to construct systems, allowing them to adjust if one part of the stack changes.

Emerging technologies hold a great deal of promise, but only if the right skills are in place to leverage them. As technology solutions move further away from individual products and closer to integrated strategies, building skills from the ground up will help IT pros understand new trends and incorporate those trends into existing architecture so that the business can grow.
What value will this IT certification add to my resume?

In order to get pass automated HR filters, you need to have certs, skills or both. If you don’t have the skills, then checking the box for CompTIA A+, CCNA or whatever IT certifications you have will really help you move on to the next phase of the interview process. Speaking of automation, learning Python, PowerShell or Ansible will put you at the front of the interview pack in 2019.
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CompTIA IT Pro: Where does security come into the picture?

DevOps is focused on allowing developers and operations to talk to each other, so we develop the right thing. But, for example, when a team is tasked with getting an app out right away, the first thing that gets cut is security because it slows things down.

To illustrate this, a few years ago there was a denial of service attack that brought down Netflix. Some clever bad guy found out that baby monitors had been put on the market with code that was developed insecurely. These very powerful baby monitors had default passwords that no one could change—the manufacturer hadn’t followed a proper DevSecOps approach and it brought huge companies down.

Security would say, for the baby monitor example, “You only need to listen one way, turn it off and turn it on. You don’t need all this powerful code, and you should be able to change password.” But instead of adding security at the end of the process, DevSecOps teams bring in security professionals early to simultaneously identify security implications as code is being developed and tested.
CompTIA IT Pro: So DevSecOps isn’t necessarily implemented by a person, but a team?

JS: It’s a process. To effectively do this, you’ll need a team of people, including a project manager who coordinates all of the developers, operations and security professionals.
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It’s a Tight Tech Labor Market

The strength of the economy and corresponding tightness of the labor market were big stories in 2018, and this was doubtlessly a boon for some highly skilled tech pros. But less available tech talent searching for work put those businesses that needed additional skilled staff in a difficult spot. As CompTIA’s 2019 Industry Outlook report points out, stiff competition, the need to find techs with the right hard and soft skills, increased salary demands and a tough time finding talent in the right locale were all factors with which tech-hiring businesses had to tangle in 2018.

There are strategies that companies – from small solution providers to startups to large enterprises –can utilize to clear these hurdles of today’s tech economy and keep their employee rosters flush with tech talent that can do the job well.

Russ Hensley, CEO of Hensley/Elam, has for more than two decades been providing clients in the Lexington, Kentucky, area with a range of cybersecure solutions. As the IT needs of businesses have evolved, Hensley/Elam’s offerings and expertise have evolved right along with it. Now, with a staff of 25, the solution provider offers a high-touch, highly consultative IT experience to clients in areas like banking and accounting.

Meanwhile, New York City-based digital transformation expert Joshua Rockoff has worked with retailers and startups to help them take the big leap into today’s tech-enhanced business landscape and thrive there.
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Understanding Strengths and Weaknesses

Recently, a security survey revealed that employee confidence in their company’s security programs outweighed the actual effectiveness of the security programs. This is a remarkable disparity, one that the same survey suggested could be caused by a lack of consistent cybersecurity audits. That’s a point well taken. How can you possibly know where to make cybersecurity investments without analyzing the company’s most vulnerable areas?

As experts in web application security, we often start there. But there’s also backup and disaster recovery or password policies to consider. The fact is, basic firewalls and virus protection no longer shield an enterprise from malicious attacks.

In Grening’s new job he keeps up the rugged laptops that ride along with police cruisers and law enforcement boats and the external modems that connect everything back to the agency. When Grening first applied for the job, he noticed the job description included experience in two software programs that were way past their expiration dates.

“I thought, ‘They’ve been end-of-life for a while and there’s very little chance those would even be running in an enterprise environment,’” he said. The description also included Windows 7, which Grening knew was on its way out.

“I asked if they had plans to migrate their system and if they needed someone to help with that,” he said. Now part of his role involves migrating images to the new system.

More sophisticated, intelligent technologies are needed to measure things like user and entity behaviors, privileged access behaviors, roles and permissions, security event alerts and more. Therefore, a security officer must use a comprehensive audit to identify as many threats as possible, and then decide which technologies will help reduce vulnerabilities before something happens.

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Why Should I Get a Linux Certification?

For the past two decades, employers have used certification as a skills benchmark for hiring and advancement in the IT industry. Today, Linux certification provides an important skills benchmark for a wide range of different industries and job roles, as illustrated below. And as these industries and job roles continue to grow, so does the need for skilled Linux users, administrators and developers.

It’s also important to note that Linux is functionally an open-source UNIX operating system – nearly all of the concepts, commands and files are identical between UNIX and Linux. If you use a Mac computer or iPhone, you are using a flavor of UNIX (macOS X and iOS are both UNIX operating systems), and many embedded systems and large servers still run UNIX today as well (e.g., BSD UNIX, Solaris AIX, QNX). As a result, those who administer Linux systems often administer UNIX systems, and vice versa.

Every office environment has their own set of rules and decorum that you hopefully learned during your internship. Your last day is not the day to flaunt them. Don’t cook fish in the community microwave (really, ever…) on your last day, or leave your desk area a mess. Talk to HR and your supervisor for what you can do for them to help transition the next intern, or to return your tools and hardware to a workable state. Give your space a quick cleaning, and before walking out one last time, make sure to give genuine goodbyes (even better: thank you notes!) to the people who have helped you throughout your time in your internship. Showing that you’re professional and courteous as well as friendly and cooperative is a lasting impression that will get remembered whenever a position opens up (within the company, or for individuals).
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The Future of the Harmonized System

The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System generally referred to as "Harmonized System" or simply "HS" is a multipurpose international product nomenclature developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO).

The system is used by more than 200 countries and economies as a basis for their Customs tariffs and for the collection of international trade statistics. More than 98% of the merchandise in international trade is classified in terms of the HS (source: WCO). The 30th anniversary of the HS took place in 2018.

On May 2-3 the WCO held a Conference on the Future Direction of the Harmonized System. The theme of the conference was “What is needed for a 21st Century Harmonized System.” The conference was attended by more than 300 individuals from government, industry, academia and other stakeholder organizations.

Additional information regarding the conference including speaker biographies, conference papers (including CompTIA’s submission), conference presentations, and photos can be accessed on this WCO website.

CompTIA was well represented at the conference with Ken Montgomery, Vice President, International Trade Regulation & Compliance, and Carlos Halasz, Customs Compliance Officer, HP Inc. representing industry on the Panel “Is the HS Still Fit for Purpose?” Topics addressed included “The Changing Face of Trade and the HS” and “The Role of the HS in Trade Agreements.” Other CompTIA members attended and participated in side meetings.
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Tackling Cloud Computing Building Blocks with Change Management

Another key task in managing complexity is to put formal change management processes in place to keep track of where data and services are coming from and how they’re being consumed. That means making an inventory of cloud computing and traditional IT resources and services and graphing their relationships with data that those resources and services touch.

You’ll want to document the process of adding a new cloud computing resource or service that maintains such metadata. Ditto for removing resources or services when they’re put to pasture.

Your cloud computing process should include the following:
Explain how a resource or service gets added, removed or changed.
Designate a workflow for enacting the process, along with designating parties responsible, accountable and those who need to be kept informed.
Outline which tools to use, how to use them and how to document changes, additions and deletions

Given such an approach, organizations can rein in their use of cloud computing technologies. Otherwise, they may wind up with their feet in the clouds and their head in the ground, as they attempt to untangle and manage a real mess.

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Brighter Future with the Business Technology Community

Transformation is a business essential today. Whether shifting models to improve your financial prospects or expanding the company’s portfolio or market reach to attract new clients, change has become an expected and necessary component in the technology industry.

Several factors are behind the transformation trends. In the latest CompTIA Operational Efficiency in the Channel study, more than half (53%) of channel firm respondents identified customer demand as the top reason for modifying their businesses. Increasing client solution and support needs are forcing them to reimagine their portfolios, processes, and delivery mechanisms.

That research also validated that business operations are more complex today than just two years ago. Between the drive for innovation and escalating customer demands, the pressures on those who lead or play a significant role in running a technology business are on the rise.

The members who regularly take part in the CompTIA Communities understand those burdens. In their scheduled group meetings, these professionals discuss common challenges, collaborate to create useful solutions, and develop innovative new resources to simplify the lives of tech business leaders, as well as their employees and clients. Transformation is a common theme across the community’s industry-improving initiatives.

Leaders of the Canadian Business Technology Community understand the need for change. In order to help members address current challenges and prepare for those that will come in future years, they’re doubling down with new conversations, initiatives, and other activities in 2019.

Not familiar with the CBTC? Here’s a quick summary of the collaborative community’s philosophies and objectives in the infographic at right.

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How Much Does CompTIA CertMaster Learn Cost?

How much is it? Well, for what we’re talking about here, for the CertMaster Learn standalone, it’s $499. Now, with the $499, all you’re going to get is the CertMaster Learn training. Let’s just say for the certification exam training is $499.

[Editor’s Note: CompTIA bundles have changed since the filming of this video. We offer various bundles that include your exam voucher, training materials and a retake voucher for a discounted price. Go to the CompTIA Store to see your options and prices.]

Your employer may finance your exams or your training, or if you are a veteran, you can look into VA benefits. Another option would be if you are looking to transition into IT from another career field, to go through your state’s Full Employment Council [if your state has one] and a lot of times, they have programs to pay for whatever training and certifications that you are seeking to take. So and that’s another option, and you can use that for any certification and any training school that you’re looking to go through. Check out the Full Employment Council, your job and also the VA.

If you all have any questions or comments, let me know your thoughts on it. If you enjoyed it, maybe that will help someone else. Shout out to CompTIA for sponsoring this video, and I thank you all for your support. Like this video. Share it out to your friends. If you enjoyed it,

Now, one quick note is that through the CertMaster Learn, you have one final assessment exam, and you only get to take that one time, so I highly recommend when you’re going through the training, make sure you go all the way through the training and then take that final assessment because once you go through it once, that’s all you’ll get, so that’s something to keep in mind when you’re going through this training.


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comptia a+ It’s Not Just About Work

When you have fun with others you create bonds that last for years to come—both personally and professionally. There’s certainly not a lack of fun at ChannelCon. Join us on Monday, Aug. 5 for the Member of the Year Lunch and help us honor this year’s winner. Later that afternoon, join a group for a behind-the-scenes tour of what it takes to create and maintain the infamous Fountains of Bellagio (RSVP is required). Start off Tuesday, Aug. 6, with the ChannelCon 5K Run/Walk and then round out the day at the ChannelCon Party later that evening. For Wednesday, Aug. 7, make sure you sign up for an Innovation Field Trip to Switch, the largest data center in the U.S. You’ll have the chance to tour the Las Vegas Core Campus, which has a capacity of up to 3.5 million square feet of data center space and up to 430 MW of power (RSVP is required).

These are the kinds of issues the Content and Issues Committee discusses on a regular basis -- focusing on what is top-of-mind in the HHS community, sharing information based on our work in the states, and monitoring topics at the federal level.

Developed by CompTIA’s Future Leaders Community, the BYTE initiative is multipronged by design, and in addition to targeting industry professionals, includes resources for people like parents and teachers who can offer support and guidance along the way.

“It's definitely a multifaceted approach,” said Ptak. “Looking at the middle school age range, we can say, ‘Here’s this whole entire toolkit up for you,’ and that’s really helpful. For those in the high school to college range, we tie it into the mentorship and shadowing program and say, ‘Who is currently graduating that we can promote a career in technology to?’”

We want to hear from you – on legalized cannabis, opioid use and homelessness, and any other topic that you feel HHS professionals need to get ahead of or become more aware of. The Content and Issues Committee wants to focus on your content and your issues.

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Learn About Computer Networking

When it comes to networking, don’t stop at just a basic network configuration with the consumer router and maybe consumer switches or any other types of devices. Work your way on up into the Cisco world and look at all the different types of things that are involved with making networks work, making data move across these networks.

Once you have that skillset and you’ve kind of broadened your horizons there, you’ll be able to develop a much better understanding of how cybersecurity itself actually works.

The meeting also included a presentation from Kelly Stone, senior director, global social media, CompTIA, who discussed the social media habits good leaders should nurture. With almost seven years’ in social media-specific roles, Stone revealed the ways businesses can optimise their online presence to grow and succeed. The audience learned the merit of sharing industry research and studies on different social media platforms, and important lessons in making social media posts shine, down to the number of posts businesses should make per week, and the best hour of the day to upload material.

Stone also encouraged attendees to work on complementing and congratulating staff and other industry players over social media, to strengthen brand presence online. Question time saw the audience open up about various social media challenges.

CompTIA Channel Community Meetings help attendees foster valuable connections, and the Sydney event was no different. Attendees participated in breakaway groups to brainstorm leadership ideas, and later enjoyed discussing core leadership themes with key event speakers and fellow attendees at a networking event after the meeting.
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Artificial Intelligence Skills Are Key to Tech Growth

In the near-term, Washington can look to CompTIA-backed legislation like the CHANCE in Tech Act (H.R. 1733/S. 777) and the Cyber Ready Workforce Act (H.R. 2721/S. 1466), which would both help establish tech apprenticeships, to help close the skills gap and prepare workers for the new landscape. In addition, policymakers should work fast to modernize our woefully outdated immigration system by increasing employment-based Green Cards for high-skilled STEM graduates, create new visas for entrepreneurs, and eliminate arbitrary caps on H-1B visas and move to a market-based approach. High-skilled immigrants are job creators and can help fill important AI programming jobs.

There are also longer-term investments to be made. Policymakers should make targeted investments in early education STEM programs to ensure key concepts are introduced at a young age. These investments should continue through college and be aligned with local and regional workforce needs. It is also crucial that investments be made in traditionally underrepresented communities to help close the confidence gap and inspire students from all backgrounds that they too can reap the benefits of our new economy.

CompTIA’s guiding principle is simple: to equip individuals with the tools they need to succeed in a tech-based economy. On the heels of our recent panel discussion with the AI Caucus, that principle has never been clearer. As AI continues to be adopted in hospitals, the workplace, our homes, automobiles, etc., etc., etc., it’s imperative that we redouble our efforts to ensure all are ready to work alongside it. We urge policymakers in Washington move fast to help shrink the skills gap.

Inability to pay higher salaries. The private sector has traditionally recognized the need to pay competitive salaries based on supply and demand. Government, on the other hand, has been stuck in time and in most instances adheres to rather inflexible pay scales that are more focused on treating everyone similarly as opposed to addressing the reality of market forces. Highly-trained technology staff can command much higher salaries in the private sector thus making it quite difficult to recruit and maintain a stable tech workforce.
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Driving Cybersecurity Decisions with Risk, Not Hype

Does this mean, then, that if a particularly enthusiastic business unit gets home from a trade show with news of an exciting new security solution they want to implement, that it should be rejected out of hand? Of course not.

IT’s focus on the basics doesn’t preclude implementing more sophisticated solutions – if they make sense. Security solutions built around technology like AI, machine learning and behavioral analytics are critical to handling a threat landscape that’s developing and changing at a breakneck pace.

As the threats evolve, our defenses have to evolve with them. But understanding how a given solution reduces risk will always be the right way to determine if and how to implement a security solution, no matter how sophisticated the technology becomes.

As with a home security system, a new advanced solution is the sort of investment that needs to be justified in terms of potential risk. There are many complex risk assessments you can go through to determine if it’s worth investing in a particular solution. Does the value of the protected assets outweigh the cost of the solution? Will it truly protect against real-world threats? There are tons of variables to consider.

When it comes to risk assessment, one calculation always makes sense – getting the basics right is one of the most sound investments a business can make. Managing cybersecurity basics correctly takes next to no additional investment and provides an unparalleled ROI in terms of potentially preventing common, costly data breaches.
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The Changing Cybersecurity Landscape

The IT security world changed forever in 2013. Some believe that’s when the bad actors got as smart as the good ones. Others say it’s because the dark web provided easy distribution of powerful hacking tools to the masses. Regardless of the reason, the internet got more dangerous. Because of this, organizations could no longer simply rely on traditional security tools to protect their networks – they need IT pros with a new set of skills to complement the security offered by firewalls and software.

As a manager or company leader, you’ve got a perspective on what your employees are good at—whether they know it or not—and you can provide the outsider perspective required to make a self-aware IDP. Follow the guide from CompTIA’s Future Leaders and you’ll see it can be done in a couple of steps.
Start with an honest self-assessment. That includes a non-confrontational discussion about areas of improvement.
Help people identify where they want to be in two to five years, and hear the kinds of responsibilities, roles and titles they want to take on. Take that into consideration for your own business plans.
Let individuals take the lead on the self-assessment. It should be a reflection on their current knowledge, skills and abilities as they see it. You can help fill in the blanks.

Before you think you can pass this off to HR, understand that you need to look outside of the human resources function to drive performance and make tools like the IDP successful. Employees are accountable for their own performance but should also hold leadership accountable for supporting them along the way.
Increased Cybersecurity Breaches and the Advent of the Advanced Persistent Threat

The past six years brought historic cybersecurity breaches at Target, Yahoo! and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). These events provided a wake-up call for cybersecurity, and, as a result, the advanced persistent threat (APT) gained widespread attention. At the time, APTs surprised most IT pros, but not anymore. Advanced persistent threats are targeted cybersecurity attacks that aim to observe systems and steal data over time.
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Managed Services Accelerate comptia a+

Managed services may not be the revolutionary business model it was a few years ago, but with increased demand, outside investments, and innovative technologies on the way, there are plenty of opportunities for MSPs today—and tomorrow.

John Tippett, vice president of product, networking at Datto, recently talked about the current state of the managed services space—where the opportunity lies and where MSPs need to focus—on a CompTIA Volley podcast with CompTIA’s Carolyn April and Seth Robinson. The discussion touched on increased investments from outside the MSP space, why MSPs are a new target for cyber criminals and how new networking technologies will create new business for MSPs. Here’s a look at some of the conversation:
Outside Investment Is Changing the Game

There’s been a lot of M&A activity in the MSP space the last several years, largely between MSPs to create larger, regional or multi-national players. That’s helped validate the model and proved to be a productive and profitable business model. Now, the MSP industry is starting to see real meaningful investment—in the billions of dollars—flowing into the market from outside the industry, Tippett said. That’s helping to bring more buzz back to the MSP space, which in turn drives new business and new opportunities.

“We're at the beginning, in my opinion, of a new cycle, a wave of innovation and business development around the managed services model,” Tippett said.

CompTIA research reveals that there’s been a plateau in the number of companies transitioning from traditional reseller models to managed services—about 40% of channel firms now identify themselves as doing some form of managed services, April said. But that may be changing, as more companies take a hybrid approach—performing traditional resell activity and dabbling in managed services on the side.
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