Technology Reseller - v12 2018

01732 759725 BULLETIN : TRENDS 06 People all over the world could soon be held to ransom over the use of everyday IoT items, from smart locks on front doors to automated cars, warns Dr Kevin Curran, Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and professor of cybersecurity and intelligent systems. He points out that if organisations don’t act quickly to improve IoT security, the public will start to associate IoT devices with hackers, which could stop the technology from developing to its full potential. He said: “The problems that governments will have to deal with in the future are ever increasing, one in particular being when smart home devices are held hostage by hackers and owners must pay a fee to access their lights and other IoT appliances. We will also see ransomware appearing on smart cars, trucks, trains and planes. It is only a matter of time before we see people left on the side of the road unable to drive their vehicles until they pay a ransom.” Curran added: “The rapid growth of the IoT market has seen an explosion in the number of IoT solutions, with the focus on the hardware to enable these solutions. As a result, there has been a lack of consistency and standards across the infrastructure that enables these solutions. In short, the focus on the rapid development of hardware has resulted in security being neglected. As the industry evolves, the need for a standard becomes more important to ensure interoperability and security for the system as a whole.” www.ieee.org IoT security neglected by manufacturers Wearables market grows Sales of smart and hybrid watches helped increase shipments of wearable devices to 24.3 million units in Q1 2018, with a total market retail value of US$4.4 billion, according to the latest quarterly worldwide wearable market report from Futuresource. www.futuresource-consulting.com Photo courtesy of Apple CompTIA helps to get the UK cyber-ready Tech association CompTIA has launched a Cyber Ready retraining programme after receiving funding from the Government’s Cyber Skills Immediate Impact Fund (CSIIF). The 6-month online course aims to deliver cybersecurity training to those who might not otherwise have the time to learn, including parents, carers, graduates and those with some prior IT experience. Cybersecurity is one of the most lucrative and fastest growing careers, with a median salary of £57,500, according to ITJobswatch .co.uk . Cyber Ready is one of just seven initiatives chosen to be supported by the National Cyber Security Programme, designed to increase the number of people working in the cybersecurity sector. Under CompTIA’s Cyber Ready pilot programme, 30 candidates will be trained for a Cyber Analyst Job role and CompTIA Security+ and Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) certification. The programme is divided into four stages – Application and Screening, Training and Education, Face-to- Face Cyber Wargames and Ongoing Development – and is delivered through a combination of online training and six Saturday workshops. https://certification.comptia.org/why- certify/cyber-ready Fix the gender gap, fix the skills gap On the basis that the best way to tackle the skills gap is to address the gender gap, Protection Group International (PGI) and cyber recruitment consultancy Hawker Chase have set up a training programme to encourage more women to pursue careers in cyber security. Women in Cyber is a DCMS-sponsored training programme that guarantees jobs for female candidates who demonstrate an aptitude for cyber security and complete the training. Women currently make up just 20% of the cyber security profession’s workforce. www.pgitl.com 3D printing skills enhance career prospects Nine out of 10 higher education leaders (88%) regard skills learnt through the use of new printing technologies such as digital fabrication and 3D printing as vital for educational success and job prospects, claims Ricoh Europe in a new report. Two thirds regard 3D printing as an increasingly important component of STEM-based learning (65%) and consider investment in new printing technology to be a good way to attract new students and improve student satisfaction (66%). More than eight out of 10 higher education providers (83%) have invested in, or are planning to invest in, printing technologies that enable students to construct and personalise objects and develop the design and prototyping skills needed in the textiles, medicine, automotive and engineering industries. David Mills, CEO of Ricoh Europe, said: “Digital fabrication and 3D printing provide the ability to illustrate complex concepts across a variety of subjects. As the way people and machines work together continues to evolve, integrating technical abilities into the learning process helps ensure the skills required of the future workforce become second nature for today’s students.” www.ricoh-europe. com/thoughtleadership Digital Transformation EXPO launched Imago Techmedia has announced that the inaugural Digital Transformation EXPO will take place at ExCeL London on October 3-4 2018. The event combines the cloud, infrastructure and security credentials of the established IP EXPO and Cyber Security events with four new EXPO brands: AI-Analytics X, Blockchain X, Internet of Things X and Developer X. www.dt-x.io Dr Kevin Curran