The global water crisis is causing problems worldwide. The United Nations estimates that 2.1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water in their homes. This is relevant because those with access to clean water have a higher chance of leaving poverty, resisting disease, and seeking an education. The water crisis has severe implications that can limit health and economic prosperity.
Furthermore, scientists predict that droughts will become more frequent and severe in the upcoming century in the face of climate change. Increased droughts could spark violent conflicts in water-stressed regions. Fortunately, researchers are working toward solutions that will provide clean drinking water to even the most remote corners of the globe.
Potable Water from Salt Water
Desalination technologies are quickly becoming a necessity in at-risk areas. The most widely used desalination processes use reverse osmosis. Although reverse osmosis is energy efficient, it doesn’t work strongly on water with very high saline contents. Other desalination processes use external heat sources. However, these are not always readily available.
To make desalination viable for widespread use, the technology must become more energy-efficient and less costly. At the same time, it must not require chemicals that could detrimentally affect the environment or human health.
Researchers from a multi-institutional engineering research center based at Rice University called NEWT, Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, have a solution. They are developing a system that can be utilized in remote and domestic environments. Known as nanophotonics-enabled solar membrane distillation (NESMD), this system works with solar energy and nanoparticles to make saltwater drinkable.
“The integration of photothermal heating capabilities within a water purification membrane for direct, solar-driven desalination opens new opportunities in water purification,” says Menachem Elimelech, NEWT’s lead researcher for membrane processes.
The NESMD system uses a heat source is the membrane itself. Nanoparticles embedded on one side use sunlight to heat the water and operate the desalination process.
“Instead of heating the water before it comes into the module, you heat it on the membrane surface itself. One of the big advantages is that it can be used anywhere because it’s dependent on sunlight,” explains Akshay Deshmukh, a Ph.D. student in Elimelech’s lab at Yale.
This technology is still in its early stages. Potential uses include treating water from fracking and gas extraction operations as well as household water in less developed areas.
Starch and Solar
NEWT is not the only research center exploring water-related applications of solar power. In China, researchers at Dalian University of Technology are looking at another form of solar technology to produce drinking water. The research team is implementing the use of carbon nanosheets made from starch. This material is abundant, inexpensive, renewable, and doesn’t require hazardous materials.
These carbon nanosheets connect the desalination process to solar energy. The nanosheets are fashioned into electrodes for a capacitive deionization (CDI) system, which combines the desalination process with energy storage for maximum energy efficiency. While CDI is not a new field, this research has resulted in improved energy efficiency, cost savings, and safety.
The CDI desalination process occurs in two phases. The first phase consumes energy while the second phase generates energy. Because the energy can be stored and can actually be used to partially power the first phase, it results in huge efficiency gains. Pairing CDI systems with solar panels could facilitate their implementation in areas without electric grids while reducing fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
The system must be refined before being brought to market. However, it’s a promising step toward bringing clean water to vulnerable communities worldwide. Furthermore, the researchers’ holistic approach illustrates the importance of considering energy efficiency, convenience, and safety when designing new technologies.
Drinking Water from Air
Startup Zero Mass Water makes solar panels that use the air to make drinkable water. The panel arrays, known as Source, collect water vapor from sunlight. It is then sterilized, converted into a liquid, and saved in a reservoir.
Source is available in eighteen different countries, from an orphanage in Lebanon to estates in California. Each solar panel is about $2,500 including installation. The panel delivers about two-five liters of water daily, equivalent to ten water bottles.
Zero Mass Water delivers its product to at-risk communities through its relationship with developers, local governments, and nonprofits.
Cody Friesen, a material scientist and CEO at Zero Mass Water, is a former engineering and materials science teacher at Arizona State University. He feels the company is a solution for the world’s water crisis, including poverty-stricken regions such as Morocco, Egypt, and India.
According to Friesen, “Today it takes far less energy (effectively none, since it’s entirely solar-powered) to create drinking water with Source than any other mechanism.”
What technologies do you think are most promising for combating the global water crisis?
What’s Next
The global demand for greener power sources and alternative fuels has helped spur environmentally friendly smart grid technology. Smart grid is able to stimulate stagnant economies by changing the way power is delivered to electricity consumers around the world.
Get your team up-to-date quickly on the latest smart grid technologies with Modernizing the Smart Grid, a four-course program from IEEE. Courses include:
- Strong Grid Before Smart Grid
- Smart Distribution Systems
- The Digitized Grid
- Engaging Consumers in the Smart Grid Marketplace
Click here to learn more about getting access to these courses for your organization.
Resources
Alblaghti, Eva. (6 Feb 2018). Clean water and green energy: Making desalination practical. Yale Environment Review.
Bendix, Alex. (8 Jan 2019). These $2,000 solar panels pull clean drinking water out of the air, and they might be a solution to the global water crisis. Business Insider.
Goode, Lauren. (28 Nov 2017). How Zero Mass is using solar panels to pull drinkable water directly from the air. The Verge.
Weir, William. (23 Mar 2018). Using solar power to bring clean drinking water to remote areas. Yale News.
Depending on how many of the 30 billion Internet of Things (IoT) devices forecast for global deployment by 2020 rely on the cloud, managing the deluge of IoT-generated data makes proper processing seem near impossible. Traditional cloud computing has serious disadvantages, including data security threats, performance issues, and growing operational costs. Because most data saved in the cloud has little significance and is rarely used, it becomes a waste of resources and storage space.
In many instances, it would be incredibly beneficial to handle data on the device where it’s generated. That’s where edge computing comes in. Edge computing helps decentralize data processing and lower dependence on the cloud.
Edge computing has several advantages, such as:
- Increasing data security and privacy
- Better, more responsive and robust application performance
- Reducing operational costs
- Improving business efficiency and reliability
- Unlimited scalability
- Conserving network and computing resources
- Reducing latency
Edge Computing Use Cases
Prime use cases, which take full advantage of edge technology, include:
Autonomous Vehicles: The decision to stop for a pedestrian crossing in front of an autonomous vehicle (AV) must be made immediately. Relying on a remote server to handle this decision is not reasonable. Additionally, vehicles that utilize edge technology can interact more efficiently because they can communicate with each other first as opposed to sending data on accidents, weather conditions, traffic, or detours to a remote server first. Edge computing can help.
Healthcare Devices: Health monitors and other wearable healthcare devices can keep an eye on chronic conditions for patients. It can save lives by instantly alerting caregivers when help is required. Additionally, robots assisting in surgery must be able to quickly analyze data in order to assist safely, quickly, and accurately. If these devices rely on transmitting data to the cloud before making decisions, the results could be fatal.
Security Solutions: Because it’s necessary to respond to threats within seconds, security surveillance systems can also benefit from edge computing technology. Security systems can identify potential threats and alert users to unusual activity in real-time.
Retail Advertising: Targeted ads and information for retail organizations are based on key parameters, such as demographic information, set on field devices. In this use case, edge computing can help protect user privacy. It can encrypt the data and keep the source rather than sending unprotected information to the cloud.
Smart Speakers: Smart speakers can gain the ability to interpret voice instructions locally in order to run basic commands. Turning lights on or off, or adjusting thermostat settings, even if internet connectivity fails would be possible.
Video Conferencing: Poor video quality, voice delays, frozen screens— a slow link to the cloud can cause many video conferencing frustrations. By placing the server-side of video conferencing software closer to participants, quality problems can be reduced.
Further Enhanced Security
Although edge computing is a sensible alternative to cloud computing in many instances, there’s always room for improvement. According to “Reconfigurable Security: Edge Computing-Based Framework for IoT”, a paper published by IEEE Network, existing IoT security protocols need improvement.
A possible solution to better secure IoT-generated data is an IoT management element called the Security Agent. This new piece would use routers and other near-edge boxes to manage the computing the IoT device could not take on. In addition to being more secure, it’ll simplify the management of keys. The Security Agent box has the capability of running copious sensors that are difficult to access. The researchers’ state that if the needed authentification is not completed quickly, IoT applications will fail.
Getting Up to Speed
Designed for organizations investing heavily in this critical technology, IEEE Introduction to Edge Computing is a five-course program designed to train your entire team to support edge computing. The online, on-demand courses included in this program are:
- Overview of Edge Computing
- Practical Applications of Edge Computing
- Research Challenges in Edge Computing
- Designing Security Solutions for Edge, Cloud, and IoT
- Tools and Software for Edge Computing Applications
To learn more about getting access to these courses for your organization, connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today.
Resources
Aleksandrova, Mary. (1 Feb 2019). The Impact of Edge Computing on IoT: The Main Benefits and Real-Life Use Cases. Eastern Peak.
Nelson, Patrick. (10 Jan 2019). How edge computing can help secure the IoT. Network World.
Caulfield, Matt. (23 Oct 2018). Edge Computing: 9 Killer Use Cases for Now & the Future. Medium.
Talluri, Raj. (24 Oct 2017). Why edge computing is critical for the IoT. Network World.
The current technologies used in the healthcare industry face limitations in areas security, privacy, and full ecosystem interoperability. Although several challenges must be addressed before any large scale adoption can be attempted, a healthcare blockchain could transform the industry through the secure nature of distributed ledger technology.
A blockchain-powered health information exchange has the potential to improve the challenges providers face, such as cost, with current intermediaries. Blockchain can connect the systems to produce enhanced insights and better assess the quality of care, giving patients a better outcome in the long run.
Promising use cases for blockchain technology in healthcare include:
1. Drug Traceability
One of the top issues in pharmaceuticals today is counterfeit drugs, that can be lethal to patients. Counterfeit drugs are not produced similarly to the real product, meaning they may not treat the intended disease. The difference in ingredients and dosage can lead to side effects that can cause death. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that “16% of counterfeit drugs contain the wrong ingredients, while 17% contain the wrong levels of necessary ingredients”. Furthermore, WHO estimates that “1 in 10 medical products circulating in low- and middle-income countries is either substandard or falsified.”
How can blockchain help? Blockchain technology would improve product tracking as they move along from product production to the consumer. This would make it difficult for counterfeits to come into the marketplace. It would also allow stakeholders and labs to identify the exact location of their drugs should a problem arise.
2. Clinical Trials
It usually takes several years to test the tolerance and effectiveness of a product in a clinical trial. Because the outcome is critical for the future of the drug, falsified results are not uncommon. Additionally, the sheer number of people involved in clinical trials produce considerable amounts of data. This makes it difficult to track and far too easy to make mistakes— whether unintentional or not.
Using blockchain technology in clinical trials would reduce the risk of data fraud. By weeding out studies with seemingly unreliable protocols and results before they’re published, other professionals can focus on replicating more trustworthy studies, thereby facilitating further collaboration in the scientific community.
3. Patient Data Management
The two biggest issues for patient data management are that each patient is unique and sharing patient information amongst the medical community is sensitive and highly regulated. Because what works for one patient may not work for another, access to complete medical records is essential in order to adapt treatment and provide personalized care.
The use of blockchain technology inpatient data management would provide a structure for secure data sharing. Querying the blockchain would allow healthcare stakeholders to determine the location of the desired data without revealing patient identity. One of the main advantages of adopting blockchain in healthcare is that the technology allows individual patients to have full control over who can access his or her medical records. Through a smart contract, the patient defines conditions on when data can be accessed on the blockchain. For example, a patient can select one or more third parties who are able to grant permission to the healthcare provider in case of emergency.
Use Cases Beyond Healthcare
Healthcare isn’t the only industry that can benefit from blockchain technology. Enterprise Blockchain for Healthcare, IoT, Energy, and Supply Chain is a new five-course program coming soon from IEEE. Developed by leading experts in blockchain technology, this advanced program provides business use cases across key industries and sectors. It’s ideal for managers, professional engineers, and business leaders.
Resources
Yukhymenko, Constantin. (17 Dec 2018). What are the use cases for blockchain tech in healthcare? IBM.
(August 2016). Blockchain: Opportunities for health care. Deloitte.
(28 Nov 2017). 1 in 10 medical products in developing countries is substandard or falsified. World Health Organization.
You are most vulnerable to cyber attacks when you are traveling. According to a recent research report conducted on behalf of IBM Security, those who are traveling do not take all of the necessary precautions, connecting to unsecured public Wi-Fi, charging their devices at public USB stations, and using their private information on publicly accessible computers.
What should be especially worrying to companies is that people are more likely to engage in these risky behaviors when traveling for business rather than for pleasure, with only 13% saying that they have never connected to public wifi. Because employees often work while traveling, many business travelers connect to public hotspots and surf the web.
More than 1 in 7 travelers surveyed admitted to having their information stolen while traveling. In 2017, the travel and transportation industry was the tenth most targeted industry for cyber attacks, but the rankings have shifted dramatically. Recent data shows that attempted attacks on IBM customers revealed that in 2018, it was the second-most targeted industry.
Here are 15 tips to help you avoid putting your personal and business data at risk while traveling:
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- Know your rights and the local laws before you go to a foreign country. Your local privacy rights, not to mention your federally protected rights as a citizen of your country, disappear at the border. If border guards request access to the digital contents of your laptop, you may have no choice but to provide it. Plan ahead and know your legal rights in that country and the rights the country may have to your data.
- Before leaving, reset all of your frequently used passwords. This includes PINs for a safe or security box in your hotel room. Take the effort to make sure your personal information is safe. Avoid using easy phrases or numerical sequences, including the all-too common “123456”. In the National Cyber Security Centre’s worldwide analysis of passwords belonging to breached accounts, 23.2 million accounts used this code. And if you’re a big music-lover or superhero fan, try to stay away from “blink182” and “superman”, the most common musical artist and fictional character used in passwords.
- Set up temporary email and cloud storage accounts. When it’s necessary to use a computer that doesn’t belong to you, work from these throwaway accounts. This is especially important if you plan to use hotel business center computers, which are clear targets for malware, keystroke recording equipment, and other cyber attacks while traveling.
- Leave personal data at home. Chances are, all your data is stored in the cloud. Before traveling, delete the local copy after disabling the sync feature on your laptop, so that there’s no important data left on your laptop. Make all your updates and edits on cloud-based copies while you’re away and re-enable the local cache when you return home.
- Protect copied data. Encrypt your information using products like Microsoft’s Active Directory Rights Management Service to make sure others cannot access it. Even if border guards or thieves gain access, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to view it later.
- Disable auto-connect on your phone. Although it’s a handy feature when used at home, it’s risky to use auto-connect while abroad. Before traveling, change this setting on your device so that you must manually connect each time you connect to the internet.
- Install anti-virus protection, host-based firewall, and host intrusion prevention software. This is one of the most effective ways to keep your personal data secure while aboard. Use a trusted brand of security software and update it regularly as new versions become available to make sure all security patches are applied. Also, turn off any file or network sharing features.
- Only work on secure network options. No matter where you go, steer clear of free Wi-Fi connections. Free internet access is appealing, but it’s also particularly vulnerable to security issues. If you must use internet cafes and free Wi-Fi hotspots, make sure it is not a fake Hotspot set up by hackers and do not log into personal accounts or use sensitive data.
- Disable Bluetooth connectivity. If Bluetooth is left on, nearby assailants can connect to your phone and potentially hack into your device.
- Make sure all your web surfing is protected by TLS-enabled HTTPS. Try to connect to secure websites only and avoid those trying to put fake digital certificates on your computer, which is a common practice among hackers. Remember that your two-factor authentication (2FA) methods may not work while you are out of the country due to the changes in your service plan.
- For business, Use your corporate VPN. If your company’s VPN connection uses split-tunneling, ask a member of the IT team to explain which traffic is secure and which is not secure. You can even use your own personal VPN router when traveling to make sure all connections are secure.
- Use a good privacy screen over your laptop display. This will keep wandering eyes off of your screen.
- Lock your computing devices anytime you’re not using them. This applies even in your hotel room when showering. Change the PIN numbers you regularly use on your phone, computer, and any other device you plan on accessing. This will help prevent a security breach should you misplace any of your devices.
- Be wary of accepting that free flash drive. Although malicious thumb drive attacks are generally uncommon, you may want to think twice about plugging in a USB drive that someone hands to you at a conference. All untrusted media should be approached with caution.
- Don’t share your current location with the world. Excessive sharing can create security threats in both your hotel room and at home. Think twice before using social media to advertise that your hotel room is empty while you’re out eating dinner or that your spouse and kids will be home alone for the next week. Wait until you return home to post about your travels so you can protect your assets and your loved ones.
Improve Your Security Techniques
Keep your staff members from making careless and costly mistakes that could put your organization’s information at risk while traveling. Cyber Security Tools for Today’s Environment, an 11-course program, is designed to help businesses improve their security techniques. It’s ideal for professionals in IT, computer science, and related fields who need to stay up-to-date on how to protect enterprise networks from potential threats. Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today about training your organization on how to stay secure.
Resources
8 cyber security tips for business travelers. Norton.
Barlow, Caleb. (21 May 2019). How Cyber-Secure Are Business Travelers? New Report Says Not Very. Security Intelligence.
Grimes, Roger A. (1 Jul 2016). 11 essential data security tips for travelers. CSO.
Picheta, Rob. (23 August 2019). How hackable is your password? CNN Business.
Grauer, Yael. (30 October 2015). Should You Plug That USB Drive Into Your Computer? (Beware Of Malware). Forbes.
Widely popular among the engineering community, the finite element method (FEM) is a numerical technique used to perform finite element analysis of any given physical phenomenon. It has simple, compact, and results-oriented features that are appealing to engineers.
Here are six advantages to this technique:
- Modeling. FEM allows for easier modeling of complex geometrical and irregular shapes. Because the designer is able to model both the interior and exterior, he or she can determine how critical factors might affect the entire structure and why failures might occur.
- Adaptability. FEM can be adapted to meet certain specifications for accuracy in order to decrease the need for physical prototypes in the design process. Creating multiple iterations of initial prototypes is usually a costly and timely process. Instead of spending weeks on hard prototyping, the designer can model different designs and materials in hours via software.
- Accuracy. While modeling a complex physical deformity by hand can be impractical, a computer using FEM can solve the problem with a high degree of accuracy.
- Time-dependent simulation. FEM is highly useful for certain time-dependent simulations, such as crash simulations, in which deformations in one area depend on deformation in another area.
- Boundaries. With FEM, designers can use boundary conditions to define to which conditions the model needs to respond. Boundary conditions can include point forces, distributed forces, thermal effects (such as temperature changes or applied heat energy), and positional constraints.
- Visualization. Engineers can easily spot any vulnerability in design with the detailed visualizations FEM produces, then use the new data to make a new design.
Learn More
Coming soon from IEEE, Finite Element Method Courses will provide a comprehensive and up-to-date account of FEM in photonics devices, with an emphasis on practical, problem-solving applications and real-world examples. Your engineers will gain an understanding of how mathematical concepts translate to computer code finite element-based methods. Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today to learn how to get access to this program for your organization.
Resources
Harish, Ajay. (21 Mar 2019). Finite Element Method – FEM and FEA Explained. SimScale.
What is the Finite Element Method. WiseGeek.
Sjodin, Bjorn. (18 Apr 2016). What is the Difference Between FEM, FDM, and FVM? Machine Design.
The Benefits of Finite Element Analysis in Manufacturing. Manor Tool.
If engineers in your organization are moving into management roles for which they could be better prepared, consider offering enrollment in a mini-MBA program.
Developed by IEEE science and technology experts along with Rutgers University faculty, the IEEE | Rutgers Mini-MBA for Engineers is a flexible online program designed for engineers and technical professionals.
This fast-paced, instructor-led program is based on real-world business and engineering practices. Because it bridges the gap between engineering and business, the curriculum is particularly valuable for employees transitioning into management roles. It also teaches engineers fundamental business theories and best practices that are applicable to the engineering sector.
Why offer this program to your engineers?
- It’s the only Mini-MBA program specifically designed for engineers.
- Featuring highly-specialized, interactive content relevant to current employee roles, it offers immediate return on investment at a lower cost compared to traditional graduate degree programs.
- Taught by top-rated Rutgers Business School faculty members and experienced practitioners, this program will help employees keep their skills relevant.
- Convenient, on-demand classes allow learning anytime, anywhere. The self-paced video lessons and interactive assessments enable busy employees to maintain work-life balance.
- Participants receive ongoing access to online materials for future reference.
Offering professional development opportunities can serve as a tool to raise overall staff expertise. It can also prepare employees to enter leadership roles.
The IEEE | Rutgers Mini-MBA is intended for multiple engineers within an organization. Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today to learn more about this program and how it can fit your organization’s needs.
With the constant growth of connected devices, as well as persistent phone and tablet use, traditional centralized networks may soon be overwhelmed with traffic. Gartner predicts that 25 billion connected devices will generate unprecedented amounts of raw data by 2021. This problem will demand next-level responsiveness and reliability— and it’s just two years away.
Edge computing promises to address the impending data surge with a distributed IT architecture that moves data center resources toward the network periphery.
Meeting Needs
Edge computing topology can reduce latency for time-sensitive applications, support IoT performance in low bandwidth environments, and ease overall network congestion.
- Latency: By virtue of physical proximity, time-to-action drops when data analysis occurs locally rather than at a remote data center or cloud. Because data processing and storage will occur at or near edge devices, IoT and mobile endpoints can react to critical information in near real-time.
- Congestion: Edge computing can also ease the growing pressure on the wide-area network. This can improve efficiency and keep bandwidth requirements in check This is a significant challenge in the age of mobile computing and IoT. Instead of overwhelming the network with a constant flood of relatively insignificant raw data, edge devices can analyze, filter, and compress data locally.
- Bandwidth: Edge computing topology can support IoT devices in environments with unreliable network connectivity. Such environments include cruise ships, offshore oil platforms, rural agricultural plants, remote military outposts, and ecological research sites. Even with a hit-or-miss connection to the cloud, local compute and storage resources can enable continuous operation.
Edge Challenges
The more intelligent an edge device, the more intensive its configuration, deployment, and maintenance requirements. Organizations will need to decide on a case-by-case basis if distributed computing benefits (like cheaper WAN connectivity) justify the increased overhead at the network’s periphery. Gartner Research Director Santhosh Rao cautions that the costs associated with deploying and operating edge computing technology can pile up quickly. Although edge computing comes with many benefits, IT leaders will have to make sure a they outweigh its costs.
Security is also a major concern associated with edge computing. Some IT professionals worry that a decentralized computing architecture will make a network more vulnerable to attack by creating excess backdoor entry points. However, other people argue that placing an edge-computing gateway between network endpoints and the internet can actually improve security. Because more data will be processed and stored locally, travel to and from the cloud will be reduced.
Despite uncertainties, analysts expect organizations will increasingly rely on edge computing technology in the years to come. According to Rao, just 10% of enterprise data was created and processed outside of a centralized data center/cloud in 2018. He predicts that number will climb to 75% by 2025.
Introduction to Edge
Prepare your organization for the future by training your entire team to support edge technology now. IEEE Introduction to Edge Computing is a new five-course program designed for organizations investing heavily in edge. Courses include:
- Overview of Edge Computing
- Practical Applications of Edge Computing
- Research Challenges in Edge Computing
- Designing Security Solutions for Edge, Cloud, and IoT
- Tools and Software for Edge Computing Applications
Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist for access today.
Resources
Irei, Alissa. (Apr 2019). Understand why edge computing technology matters. SearchNetworking.
Jones, Nick. (Sept 2018). Top Strategic IoT Trends and Technologies Through 2023. Gartner.
With the amount of personal information you have saved in your electronic devices, browsing unsecured websites and enabling settings can expose you to a cyber attack.
Leaders at the Forbes Technology Council recently shared the following tips on what to be aware of and what to change in order to boost your cyber security and better protect your data, both online and off:
9 Cyber Security Tips
- Apple iCloud Restores
iCloud backups are not encrypted end-to-end. Because Apple encrypts your iCloud backups, it can also decrypt your backups. Prefer not to expose your backup data to Apple? Disable iCloud backups and encrypt iTunes backups locally instead. - Wi-Fi Hotspots
Wi-Fi hotspots are convenient, but many are easy to hack. Plus, it’s even easier to set up a fake hotspot. Even if a Wi-Fi network looks legitimate, use a VPN if possible connect to keep your data safe from prying eyes. - Unread Terms and Conditions
While you may not care about giving certain companies access to some of your sensitive data, that does not mean you want unknown third parties accessing it through a cyber attack. Make sure you read the Terms & Conditions when you subscribe to a service and try to monitor news about these services. - Two-Factor Authentication
Be sure to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on every site that offers it. It’s also a good idea to enable 2FA on your smart devices when available. - Unencrypted Media
Prevent thieves from accessing the data on your lost or stolen laptop. On a Mac, keep important files and information in FileVault, that requires a password to access your encrypted disk. For Windows PCs, consider using Bitlocker for removable drives since they already have data encryption by default. - Wireless Mice and Keyboards
Beware of “mousejacking” with your wireless devices connecting to your device. This allows someone within about a football field’s range away to take over a computer. Employees in sensitive industries such as healthcare or finance may want devices with attached keyboards. - Outdated Software
Hackers can exploit out-of-date software. Be sure to make sure you always have the most recent update on your device by allowing automatic updates. - Phishing Emails
Some tips for avoiding phishing emails include 1) checking the sender’s email address and verifying the domain, 2) alerting colleagues of any potential phishing emails you see, and 3) examining the context of the email before opening it or clicking on links. - Human Error
Often, human-related vulnerabilities are the biggest security issues. For example, an unwitting participant might accidentally download malware to their device. It’s important to provide staff training on IT security best practices in order to prevent breaches caused by human error.
Playing Defense
Give your team the training necessary to defend your organization from hackers with Cyber Security Tools for Today’s Environment, an 11-course program from IEEE. Produced and vetted by leading industry experts, this program will help your employees enhance their knowledge and stay current in the field of cyber security. Upon successful completion, they’ll receive valuable CEUs/PDHs that can be used to maintain professional licenses. Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist for a quote today.
Resources
(19 Apr 2019). 9 Cyber Security Issues That Could Be Leaving Your Data Vulnerable To Attacks. Forbes.
The finite element method (FEM) was independently developed by engineers, beginning in the mid-1950s. It approaches structural mechanics problems. The method started with promise in the modeling of several mechanical applications in the aerospace and civil engineering industries.
But What Exactly Is It?
WiseGeek describes FEM as:
“The finite element method is a tool for computing approximate solutions to complex mathematical problems. It is generally used when mathematical equations are too complicated to be solved in the normal way, and some degree of error is tolerable. Engineers commonly use the finite element method because they are concerned with designing products for practical applications and do not need perfect solutions. The finite element method can be adapted to varying requirements for accuracy and can reduce the need for physical prototypes in the design process.”
In short, FEM makes a numerical solution for a complex matter.
One example is the modeling of complex physical deformations in materials. After a collision, the damage on one end of the vehicle depends on what happened to the other areas. The collision must be displayed through steps to see what the end result is. Because there are so many steps, it is impractical to model by hand. A computer using FEM can accurately solve the problem.
Boundaries define what conditions it needs for FEM to produce relevant results. In the case of a car collision, the boundary conditions would be the impact the outside object had on the car. The conditions can include point of impact, distributed forces, thermal effects (such as temperature changes or applied heat energy), or positional constraints.
The Advantage of Using FEM
A complete FEM model turns the information into a picture an engineer can analyze to intuitively identify weak points in a design and create a new plan, if needed. Visualization software is a crucial component of the finite element computer programs.
Exciting Prospects
The application of FEM is only now starting to reach its potential. It has a promising future in helping solve problems in areas such as: fluid-structure interaction, thermomechanical, thermochemical, thermo-chemo-mechanical problems, biomechanics, biomedical engineering, piezoelectric, ferroelectric, and electromagnetics.
Coming soon, Finite Element Method Courses from IEEE will provide a comprehensive and up-to-date account of FEM in photonics devices, with an emphasis on practical, problem-solving applications and real-world examples. Engineers will come away from this program with an understanding of how mathematical concepts translate to computer code finite element-based methods. Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today to learn how to get access to this program for your organization.
Resources
What is the Finite Element Method? wiseGeek.
Harish, Ajay. (21 Mar 2019). Finite Element Method – FEM and FEA Explained. SimScale.
Connected devices are transforming the world in ways we could barely have imagined just a few decades ago. The Internet of Things (IoT) is already changing industries and lives around the world. The following are just four industries that are experiencing this transformation:
Agriculture: IoT tractors are helping farmers increase productivity and decrease costs. These vehicles not only drive themselves, but also use algorithms to calculate the best routing based on things like number of vehicles and vehicle turn radius.
Education: So long, one-size-fits-all lectures! Thanks to IoT devices that enable task-based learning, students can work at their own pace via connected devices. The devices notify teachers when students need extra guidance. Wearable devices help teachers out, too, taking over tedious tasks like attendance taking.
Industrial Environments: IoT devices that combine historical records with real-time data to predict breakdowns and schedule preventive maintenance reduce downtime.
Healthcare: IoT is already improving care and delivering it to more people. The ability to remotely monitor patients’ vital signs reduces emergency room visits and helps people in rural areas avoid long and expensive trips to a medical center.
What’s Next
Find out what the IoT could have in store for your industry. Prepare your organization for the IoT now with IEEE’s Guide to the Internet of Things, a series of eight training courses led by top researchers in the field. This program is designed for professionals working in engineering, IT, computer science, and related fields across all industries. Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist and receive a custom quote for your organization today.
Resources
Podnar, Kristina. (25 Feb 2019). How to Protect Yourself from the Siren Song of Healthcare IoT. IoT for All.