Legislation Take Center Stage at DC Fly-In

With multiple pieces of legislation coming, Bivens Collinson flagged a few that are worth tracking. Starting with a bill that aims to give the President more power. The bill says that if the President makes a positive determination then that has to come to Congress and if they don’t agree, they have to pass a disapproval resolution.

Another bill says that before the President can take action, he must send his intent to Congress and they have to approve before the action can be taken. Bivens Collinson said that this one may have some teeth.

In talking about Section 301 tariffs, she says that right now there’s not a process in place to try and get a product excluded from the third tariff list.

“If you don’t have a process because the product is unique and not made anywhere else but China, you can try to get it excluded. That doesn’t exist right now, but this bill is trying to put that into place,” she said.

During the State of the Union address, President Trump also talked about the ability to unilaterally impose tariffs on countries at the same rate at which they impose them on us. While the bill currently has 18 sponsors, Bivens Collinson admitted that she thought this would end up being a complicated mess.

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DC Fly-In Attendees for Infrastructure

Technology leaders and business owners from across the nation converged on Capitol Hill for CompTIA’s 2019 DC Fly-In Feb 5-6. The two-day event kicked off with a series engaging panels, a Capitol Hill Speaker Series that featured current and former government officials, and more than 170 meetings with Members of Congress.

The central message delivered to members of the House of Representatives and the Senate concerned the role smart technologies should play in building the nation’s infrastructure. Because both Congress and the White House have prioritized infrastructure and a potential funding package for infrastructure, CompTIA wanted to make sure the technology industry was part of any discussions going forward.

“The annual Fly-In is an important opportunity to elevate our industry’s voice to policymakers in D.C.,” said Elizabeth Hyman, Executive Vice President of Public Sector and Advocacy (PSA) at CompTIA. “From rural electrification to the national highway system, America has a history of creating infrastructure milestones that have led to significant prosperity and national advantages. The future will no doubt rest on the next generation of infrastructure.”

A federal infrastructure funding package, which has been discussed but not introduced at this point, would help to modernize outdated infrastructure in a wide variety of sectors, including transportation, and energy.
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Ethical Problems in Computing

Editor's Note: This is the third of a series of articles on Ethics from 1991 AITP President and faculty member of the University of Notre Dame, Lou Berzai, CSP, CCP. This article was a paper from some theories discussion in Lou's ethics classes.
The first two articles are:
How Ethical Theories Apply to IT Professionals
Ethical Decision Making and the IT Professional

Because of its constantly changing nature, the area of computer technology is one that is difficult to assign a specific set of moral codes, although it is necessary that ethics be considered when making decisions in this area. Computing creates a whole new set of ethical problems, unique unto itself.

Such problems include:

"…the unauthorized use of hardware, the theft of software, disputed rights to products, the use of computers to commit fraud, the phenomenon of hacking and data theft, sabotage in the form of viruses, responsibility for the reliability of output, making false claims for computers, and the degradation of work.” (Forester 4)

These problems engender a whole new set of ethical questions, including:

"is copying software really a form of stealing”
"are so-called ‘victimless' crimes… more acceptable than crimes with human victims”
"does information on individuals stored in a computer constitute an intolerable invasion of privacy?” (Forester 4 – 5)

These questions demand that ethical principles be applied to their resolution because without the consideration of ethics, these gray areas can easily become completely black.
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Does this skill relate to my current job

In my career, it has always been easier to prepare for a certification that covers technology that I am working with. When I’m labbing eight hours a day on the job, it means less time labbing at home and more time reading and studying notecards. #LabEveryday

Part-time or Freelance Jobs

Usually having a part-time job, freelance job or internship involves many of the same responsibilities a full-time job does – just on a smaller scale. This is something that potential employers absolutely want to see as it gives them tangible proof of the experience you’ve gained. The example below does a great job of promoting experience earned via an internship and a freelance gig.
Freelance Social Media Coordinator, Central Technology Solutions, Feb. 2017 – Dec. 2018
Managed social media accounts and created social media for daily postings
Analyzed and reported on performance of posts
Increased social media following and clicks by 200%
Web Developer Intern, Capitol Media, Apr. 2016 – Jan. 2017
Performed coding, testing and production support
Created design documents
Worked in a collaborative development environment

Taking on a side gig while you’re seeking a more permanent job situation not only shows that you are dedicated to your career, but it shows you take initiative as a go-getter.
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IT pro or aspiring pro start to gain these skills

CompTIA certifications can be a good place to start, and the CompTIA Infrastructure Career Pathway includes certifications that align with DevSecOps.

First, you have to understand the device you’re coding to, the endpoint—whether it’s a car, a crane, a PC, a fridge, a phone, a watch, etc. CompTIA A+ teaches the fingerprints of what a device does.

Once your device sends a transmission—to buy something or contact customer service or whatever—CompTIA Network+ helps professionals gain the skills needed to implement functional networks.

Because so much is being done in cloud, CompTIA Cloud+ is also important for network professionals. The skills covered by CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Cloud+ apply to both DevOps and DevSecOps.

Are you ready to learn more about in-demand skills employers are seeking? Join cybersecurity and transformation strategist and evangelist Laszlo Gonc, co-founder and managing partner, Next Era Transformation Group, LLC and CEO and president, Gonc & Associates, LTD, for The Path to Modern DevSecOps, an informative and educational webinar on March 12 at 3 p.m. Central. During this webinar, you'll:
Find out what is DevSecOps and why it matters.
Understand what skills are required to be a DevSecOps engineer.
Learn six best practices for successfully practicing DevSecOps.
Discover online resources to upgrade your talent toolbox.

Finally, for DevSecOps, CompTIA Security+ helps IT pros make sure hackers can’t get in. These skills are fundamental for any security pro, and there can’t be any gaps in knowledge when it comes to protecting the network.

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Make a Position Attractive Beyond Just Pay

Rockoff notes that regardless of the size or vertical of a business, few are going to be able to compete on salary with companies like Google, Facebook or Apple – for obvious reasons. So how can startups and others keep top talent from getting pulled into the gravity of the Silicon Valley giants?

“Work-life balance is big,” Rockoff said. “The ability to be a remote worker is big. Upward mobility is a massive one.”

And it’s a specific type of movement up in a company that Rockoff has seen as being most effective in drawing and retaining today’s tech employees: They don’t just want a promotion, they want a challenge.

“A problem with a lot of tech workers today is they get pigeonholed,” Rockoff said. “When I’m hiring tech talent into in the enterprises I work on I’m saying, ‘You have a primary responsibility but we also want to give you secondary and tertiary responsibilities, which you may not have as much familiarity with, but these things that will help you with your career.’ Where we can mentor them, where we can offer them exciting opportunities but also give them the opportunity to learn, we’re selling our experience – not just simply a job.”

With tech workers increasingly looking at jobs as places for skills expansion, Hensley has likewise seen offering career development resources – and covering the cost – as a way to compete.

“A question [job seekers] ask now in the interviews is they want to know what certs we pay for,” Hensley said. “People know we pay for certs, we pay for tests and training materials people in the community know that we invest. But we expect them to pass, too.”
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CompTIA Cybersecurity Career Pathway

Unfortunately, given the many attack vectors that exist, and the fact that hackers are constantly finding new ways to use technology to exploit weak security practices, the odds are increasing for companies to experience some form of data loss or breach in 2019. Despite taking necessary precautions, mischief makers may still get beyond the company firewall. It is important to have an action plan in place to help deal with such an event before it happens. In fact, planning ahead could help your company mitigate damages.

Business disaster and continuity planning is just as important for cyber-threats as it is for physical threats. Similar to how businesses buy insurance policies to protect themselves from fires, hurricanes or floods, they can also purchase insurance policies to protect against loss from cyber-attacks. Cyber insurance policies, also known as cyber liability insurance coverage, provide a company with the necessary assistance to deal with the investigations, lawsuits or privacy violations that may have resulted from a data breach.

The cyber insurance market is estimated to double by 2020, with the boost to the market likely due to an increase in cyber risk awareness among C-level executives and high cyber-related losses. Consider whether a cyber insurance policy makes sense for your company.

The bottom line is, cybersecurity is a necessity that many businesses put on the back burner until they are in the middle of a crisis. However, this lapse can lead to severe financial losses and damage to a company’s reputation. By conducting an internal audit, training and monitoring employees, and planning ahead for how to respond to and recover, companies will be better prepared and protected, should threats come knocking in 2019.
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