Government and Tech Leaders at CompTIA DC Fly-In

Innovative new products such as wearable devices and smart home devices allow us to better track our health, enhance the security of our homes, and reduce energy consumption. But questions about who should have access to the data these products collect, what it’s being used for, and how consumers give consent are at the center of one of our nation’s most critical policy debates.

Consumers deserve transparency and protections to ensure their personal information is not being used in harmful ways, but legislators must also strike the right balance to preserve America’s innovative spirit.

CompTIA’s 2019 DC Fly-In brought together leaders from the tech industry, government and public interest space to discuss why the U.S. should act swiftly to pass federal privacy legislation and where there’s common agreement between interested parties.

The panel was moderated by Matthew Starr – Director of Public Advocacy at CompTIA – and included:
Chris Calabrese, Vice President for Policy, Center for Democracy & Technology
Travis Hall, Telecommunications Policy Specialist, (OPAD), (NTIA), U.S. Department of Commerce
Yael Weinman, Associate General Counsel, Privacy, Verizon

Check out a few key takeaway from the discussion:

States are Putting on the Pressure

Following implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe, California passed a data privacy law in 2018 that establishes new rules around notices and transparency of data collection and the right of consumers to request certain information be deleted. California has long been a leader in the tech world, so panelists said it’s no surprise that many states are thinking about following suit with data privacy proposals of their own. The potential for states to take action this year is putting pressure on the federal government to take the lead in setting a regulatory framework.
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Benefits of CompTIA Certifications

At the Defense Information School at Fort George G. Meade in Maryland, the record-keeping resources are getting a high-tech makeover. Dan Nightengale, senior consultant and project manager, has been making it happen. Nightengale has spent months managing multiple teams and applying AGILE project management methodology to replace the legacy applications with a more user-friendly, efficient and effective solution. It’s a type of work he’s focused on since he began as a project manager at CGI Federal in 2016, and from which he derives a particular kind of satisfaction.

“I like seeing something start from an idea or a plan and getting it implemented, into a customer’s hands and completed and delivered,” Nightengale said.

The infrastructure conversation goes beyond Congress, too. That was made clear in remarks from FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, who delivered the final keynote address at the Fly-In. The Commissioner said the regulatory agency wants to get out of the way of businesses so the private sector can deploy next-generation broadband networks. These 5G networks will serve as the backbone for smart cities -- from enhanced public utilities to improved transportation systems.

“We want the U.S. to win the race to 5G,” Carr said. “Technology companies will help us make this happen and the technology industry will benefit through all the advantages the next generation of networks will deliver.”

But while the current role he’s in isn’t explicitly technical, being able to handle and understand the IT side of the projects he works on is always a boon. Sometimes his roles have been more focused on IT and sometimes, like at CGI, they have been more organizational. But with every career step he’s taken, the CompTIA certifications he holds have made things easier in numerous ways.

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Pay for Your Cybersecurity Certification

Pursuing a cybersecurity certification is a wise career investment for today's security professionals. Cybersecurity certifications validate the skills needed for the more than 300,000 unfilled security jobs in the United States and 1 million open positions globally. In addition to job security, a certification can be a tool for a lucrative career path, including median earnings of more than $95,000 per year with just three to four years of experience.

CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+) is often compared to (ISC)2 Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and many IT pros ask themselves, “Which certification is right for me?”

Both exams assess advanced-level cybersecurity skills and are vendor neutral, but the similarities stop there. We’ve identified four advantages of CompTIA CASP+ over CISSP.


Assesses hands-on skills
Validates technical mastery skills
Fills an industry skills gap
Price

With a low demand of qualified candidates and a high supply of jobs, current and aspiring security professionals who take ownership of professional development will be rewarded with significant career mobility, stability and freedom.

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Should I Get an IT Certification

Achieving IT certifications offers a number of benefits, including personal fulfillment, financial growth and a boost in confidence. But most of all, they show employers that you have the ability to focus and learn and that you take your career seriously.

So, what does it take to climb the ranks of IT?

I spoke with a colleague of mine not too long ago, and he made an interesting point.

“If you want to take your career into your own hands, you need a trifecta.”

He was referring to these three things:
Certifications
Experience (Skills)
A Degree

With all three on your resume, there is no reason you can’t have the job of your dreams. When it comes to certifications and skills, here are 10 questions to ask yourself before you decide to chase your next IT certification.
Why should I get an IT certification?

In January, I earned the DevOps Foundation certification. Through this, I learned that the business has to establish its “why” – the purpose, beliefs, goal and reason for doing something. This can also be applied to certifications – what is your purpose, belief, goal or reason for achieving the certification? I apply this to every major decision in my life. Establishing the why puts the goal into focus.
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The Skills You Need for the Internet of Things

Among emerging technologies, the internet of things (IoT) has the most adoption and possibly the most potential for disruption. By expanding the technology footprint to include nearly every device imaginable, IoT opens the door for businesses to fully digitize their operations while also creating huge opportunities (and headaches) for IT pros.

As with any new trend, businesses are quickly looking for the skills that will lead to IoT success. A quick review of job postings shows plenty that list internet of things in the title, but the reality is that deep expertise is not necessarily required for early adoption.

As companies are experimenting, building proof of concept projects or implementing simple solutions, they can use many of the skills they have on board. CompTIA’s latest research on the internet of things found that many of the skills companies consider critical for IoT are in foundational areas of IT.
IoT and Security

It’s no surprise to see IT security at the top of the list of critical skills. The move to cloud computing demonstrated that new technology needs a new approach to security, and IoT is no exception. There are definitely some specific areas of concern with IoT, like reviewing products from non-IT vendors and monitoring for suspicious activity in non-IT environments, but some of the main activities in securing IoT systems are managing devices and securing data across networks. CompTIA Security+ provides the necessary foundation for further IoT security.
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New IT Certification

The World Economic Forum estimates that 65 percent of students today will ultimately be working in jobs that don’t currently exist. That is an alarming statistic for any person entering the workforce, but reading between the lines, this is a reminder for employers in all sectors that transferable skills and training are more important than ever, because jobs are evolving.

The smartest employers understand the necessity of training and professional development and look to industry-standard certifications like CompTIA A+ for reassurance that a professional has not just the knowledge, but importantly, the right mindset to get the job done. Hiring people who have the most up-to-date certification is not just an immediate necessity for effectively handling day-to-day business. It’s an invaluable retention strategy and a way to future-proof your business against inevitable changes in IT.

The Adult Skills Gap Report for 2019 shows that the UK spends just two-thirds of the European average on adult training, with investments declining by 34 percent from 2011 to 2016. In spite of that, a 4 four percent growth in the IT workforce is predicted by 2022.

This decrease in training is alarming. At a time of such rapid change, growth and complexity in IT, employers simply can’t afford to be stagnant in their approach to training and certification.
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Cybersecurity Checklist

When we consider the constantly evolving and rising cyberthreats plaguing enterprises, we understand why making decisions on cybersecurity investments can quickly become overwhelming. From phishing scams to app vulnerabilities, to insider threats and more, there is a wide array of threat landmines to avoid. If you’re the person tasked with ensuring that a company has a robust security posture, it wouldn’t surprise me if you’re often losing sleep.

At times, and especially for chief information security officers (CISOs), the most basic challenge can be determining the company’s critical security needs before they cut through the noise and select the strongest security solutions their budgets will allow.

When asked what technologies should be prioritized, the answers are not always as concise or as simple as one might imagine. The reason is because there are so many variables to consider for each company.

But, it’s with those conversations in mind that I offer this checklist as a solid foundation from which to build upon. These are suggestions I’ve discussed with my own CISO, when we decided how to shape our 2019 enterprise security strategy.
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