The Internet of Things (IoT) is allowing organizations to cost-effectively implement smart grids, also known as microgrids. Through IoT-based energy technologies, companies could revolutionize the distribution of electricity around the world.

Microgrids create smaller groups from the larger electrical utility grid, which provides greater control to organizations on how they use their energy supply.  Through this ability to disconnect and operate on the grid or in island mode, organizations can make smarter use of their power.

Islanding

Islanding refers to the ability of microgrid owners to improve resiliency when the grid is not supplying enough power. Microgrid owners are able to produce their own power when needed.

According to Justin Brant, a senior associate with the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP), “the biggest key is just in the area of resiliency, and that [microgrids] can provide the opportunity to island from the grid…When the grid may be down, you can still provide basic services.”

Benefits of a Microgrid

An IoT-based microgrid gives organizations power—both literally and figuratively. With the installation of an IoT-based microgrid, owners are able to improve the efficiency of their energy consumption. In additional to giving owners the ability to generate their own energy, microgrids also reduce dependency on utilities by helping to reduce costs and avoid peak usage charges. The technology even has the ability to produce revenue should the microgrid produce a surplus of power, which could be sold to a utility.

Utility Concerns

Microgrids may be helpful for organizations, but many utilities do not view them in a positive light. An increase in IoT-based microgrids could possibly mean a revenue loss. Furthermore, an increase in microgrids will require infrastructure upgrades. Because microgrids both use and generate energy, utilities will need to make sure that they are able to handle the bidirectional movement of power.

However, as microgrids continue to grow, opposition from utilities is decreasing, and they are looking into creating a new revenue stream. They are taking this opportunity to become partners with microgrid owners and offer fee-based services, such as microgrid feasibility studies and designs.

Modernizing the Smart Grid from IEEE

Do you want to learn more about the smart grid? Check out Modernizing the Smart Grid, a four-course online learning program from IEEE.

One of the biggest frontiers in electrical engineering today is the development and implementation of smart grid technology. Fueled by the global demand for greener technologies and alternative fuels, environmentally-friendly smart grid technology can stimulate stagnated economies. It also has the potential to change the way power is delivered to electricity consumers around the world.

Modernizing the Smart Grid, now available on the IEEE Learning Network, is designed to get you and your team up to speed quickly on the latest smart grid technologies.

Interested in bulk discounts for your organization? Contact us today, and we’ll put you in touch with an IEEE Account Specialist.

 

Resources

Castagna, Rich. (16 January 2020). Microgrids Deliver Resiliency, Security and Savings. IoT World Today.

The Centre for Strategic and International Studies recently conducted a survey of IT managers and discovered that 82% of employers believe they lack cyber security skills in their organization. Out of those surveyed, 71% feel that this under preparedness causes harm to their organizations. Leveraging the latest technology might help reduce this damage. However, making sure employees understand how to protect sensitive information is key to closing the cyber security skills gap. After all, cyber security breaches can affect the company as a whole–from the company’s supply chain to the customer.

Cyber Security Shifts

As the world becomes more digital, the risk of cyber attacks increases. Organizations need to remain alert in order to avoid data breaches, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, and ransomware. Many companies also view cyber security as a competitive advantage as consumers grow more aware of the threats their private information is facing. People want to protect their personal data, so it is crucial for organizations to make their customers feel secure when giving their information.

According to Gartner, spending on security products and services will increase to $124 billion in 2019, which is 8.7% higher than spending in the year prior. The more a company invests in cyber security, the more trustworthy they generally become in the eyes of consumers. As cyber attacks become more frequent, the demand for companies to be able to resist these attacks increases–as does the need for employees properly versed in cyber security best practices.

Cyber Security Talent Shortage

What can a company do if they currently do not have strong cyber security mechanisms in place?

• Grow internally. Companies can improve cyber security by hiring experts or buying software to improve the company’s system. While this approach may be more difficult because of budgeting, it is often an easy way for a company to make progress more quickly toward closing their cyber security skills gap.
• Educate. Cyber security is a team effort. All employees should be involved and educated on reducing infiltration and data breaches. The education of employees must be comprehensive and refreshed as new cyber threats are created. It is vital that companies make sure their employees are knowledgeable in how to protect the data.

A cyber attack can cost an organization up to $13 million USD. Training and education is a smart investment that requires company-wide engagement.

Improving Cyber Security at Your Organization

Having the right tools and systems in place can prevent data breaches and cyber crimes. As the world becomes more automated, it’s crucial for your organization to understand the available cyber security measures to protect its data and devices. Cyber Security Tools for Today’s Environment, an online 11-course program from IEEE, helps businesses improve their security techniques.

Contact a specialist today to get access to the course program for your organization.

Interested in learning about getting access to the course for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network to learn more.

 

Resources

Smerdon, Sandra. (21 January 2020). How business leaders can close their cyber security skills gap. World Economic Forum.

As companies continue to grow, Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) can help supply chain systems grow alongside the companies in order to better keep up with incoming demands. If an organization’s supply chain team need to spend all their time just keeping pace with demand, when will they have the time to think strategically and plan for the future? Learn how blockchain technology can help your company scale.

Transparency

While new companies may be able to track their data by using spreadsheets, the process is often time-consuming and hard to maintain as the company grows. With new partners and channels, data silos can make it difficult to manage your supply chain. Blockchain can help by connecting the data through its decentralized digital ledger, which creates a secure record of all product movements and transactions.

BaaS can benefit companies of various sizes, not just large corporations. This platform allows companies to connect their supply chain system with end-to-end visibility from any device with an internet browser.

Scalability

In order to grow a business, a holistic view is needed to ensure that both demand and growth are met. Blockchain provides this by ensuring companies are able to not only meet current demand but can grow.

Blockchain can provide organizations with greater scalability. Adding nodes as the supply chain expands allows for new channels to easily be added to the distributed ledger. Companies can immediately take these new channels into account when planning.

Data

As companies get busy, they may not have time to think strategically. Key performance indicators (KPIs) may not be reviewed, or they might be limited on data. Real-time data with blockchain technology can help create actionable information. Blockchain-as-a-service offers a digital view of what is happening in an organization’s blockchain at any given point. With the ability to view data at any time, it is easier to be more proactive.

BaaS in Real-Life

How exactly does BaaS look like in the real world? IBM is offering a blockchain platform that lets consumers know where their coffee comes from. In the app, “Thank My Farmer”, users can scan QR codes that shows them the journey of their coffee and supports sustainable farming projects through donations. Starting this March, consumers in the U.S. and Canada will be able to find these QR codes on Folger’s 1850 brand premium single-origin coffee and other well-known brands. 

Starbucks is also in the progress of utilizing BaaS to help show consumers their coffee’s journey. Starbucks is working with Microsoft to develop a blockchain-based supply chain tracking system and mobile app that would show customers the journey from coffee bean to cup. No live date has been given for the app.

Prepare for the Future

Enterprise Blockchain for Healthcare, IoT, Energy, and Supply Chain is a new five-course program 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.

Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today to learn more about this program and how to get access to it for your organization.

Interested in learning more for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network.

 

Resources

Mearian, Lucas. (9 January 2020). Coffee industry looks to blockchain to brew a better supply chain. Computer World.

Soni, Pratik. (8 January 2020). Blockchain-as-a-Service: Ensuring your supply chain today can meet the demands of tomorrow. Supply & Demand Chain Executive.

Edge computing for business can increase the speed of data processing and analysis. The Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to grow significantly, predicted to reach about $1.6 trillion USD by 2025. Edge technology can help process the copious amounts of data that this surge in IoT-enabled devices will produce.

Because edge computing processes data at the location where the data is being generated, it stores, processes, analyzes and informs actions of users instantaneously. The benefits of edge computing over cloud computing is the speed at which data is analyzed and acted on. See a few ways it can transform a business in the next year.

Real-Time Data Analysis

Data is normally sent to one central location so that it can be analyzed in order to take proper action. However, edge computing allows for the data analysis to take place near the area where it is created.  With edge technology, the data can be kept close to its origin point, which is optimal for nearly real-time decision making.

Augmented Reality

Edge computing has the chance to improve augmented reality. Users will gain a more vivid and realistic augmented reality (AR) experience. By taking advantage of this technology early on, technology firms can be one of the first to provide this upgraded experience to their customers.

Smart Manufacturing

Manufacturing companies can improve their production floors with edge technology. With almost real-time data analysis, it helps improve efficiency and margins. Companies can help avoid line shutdowns by identifying problems while edge computing allows analyzes the collected data.

Security Systems

Large organizations need fast and accurate security systems to help keep their information and buildings safe. Edge computing makes security systems more efficient when operating at a lower bandwidth. Data from security cameras are frequently collected and stored in the cloud through a signal. Edge computing allows each device to have an internal computer that is able to transfer footage to the cloud when it is needed.

Lowered Operational Costs

Because edge computing helps collect data, it does not require a central server to determine what action should be taken. This helps reduce operational costs by needing less storage to hold the information.

Get Close to the Edge with Customized Solutions

Not many organizations know what edge computing means or what impact it can have on their business. For one company, it could mean installing on-site servers that are capable of nearly real-time IoT data analysis. For another company, it could mean reducing organizational costs by using smaller deployments. One key benefit to edge computing it that is can be customized to meet the company’s needs.

Prepare your organization for edge computing integration. Designed to train your entire team to support edge computing, IEEE Introduction to Edge Computing is an online five-course program. The 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.

Interested in the course for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network (ILN) to learn more.

 

 

Resources

(23 December 2019). 13 Ways Edge Computing Can Benefit Businesses. Forbes.

Lital, Marom. (13 December 2019.) Enter A New Era Of Edge Computing. Forbes.

By utilizing multi-cloud systems, organizations are able to run their systems and store data across various cloud providers. According to the IBM Institute for Business Value, 85% of companies are currently using a multi-cloud system to manage their information. While the multi-cloud has its advantages, it also creates specific challenges that organizations need to take into consideration. Learn what you can do to work around the three most common challenges.

Network

Moving data around in the same cloud infrastructure is faster than having that information go across the internet. This means that network bandwidth and latency rates need to be taken into consideration when working with multi-cloud architectures.

If you are using a multi-cloud approach, this bottleneck is unavoidable. Network connectivity is the only way for the various clouds to communicate with one another. Fortunately, your IT team can use the approaches below to keep connectivity issues to a minimum.

• Avoid having large amounts of data stored in one cloud and processed in another. While one cloud storage service might cost less, it is not worth the potential performance issues.
• Compress data before sending it to another cloud.
• If you have workloads that are mirrored across two or more clouds to improve reliability, make sure that each cloud’s instance of the workload can operate independently when not synced. This minimizes data transfer delays that can affect performance.

Monitoring

Recognizing performance and availability problems is difficult when monitoring multiple clouds. Finding a reliable cloud monitoring tool can help you avoid this issue. Most APM solutions are able to support the majority of clouds. This gives organizations multiple options for finding the right monitoring tool.

Nevertheless, efficient performance monitoring for multi-clouds includes ensuring that the tool understands how the cloud’s workload functions. In order to alert you of incoming problems, the monitoring tool needs to recognize that the two workloads are running in different clouds although they are connected and dependent upon each other.

Scaling

One advantage of cloud computing is the ability to scale resources for workloads quickly depending on demand. However, when it is done across multiple clouds, this can be difficult.

While you cannot use Azure’s auto-scaling to scale up AWS components, you can configure autoscaling for each individual cloud. This approach should not require too much effort from your IT team. However, should this approach not work, teams can rely on a universal control plane to manage their multi-clouds. A universal control plane automates the scaling and load-balancing across multiple clouds, eliminating the need to configure each cloud.

Finding the Best Cloud Solution

Learn more about the benefits and challenges of cloud computing and how it pertains to your organization. Check out the Cloud Computing Course Program, which offers 37 self-paced courses focused on various aspects of cloud computing technologies.

Contact an IEEE Content Specialist for more details about getting access to this program for your organization.

Interested in getting the program for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network today.

 

Resources

Tozzi, Christopher. (25 November 2019). Multicloud Architecture: 3 Common Performance Challenges and Solutions. ITPro Today.

Jen, Miller. (8 November 2019). Multicloud vs. hybrid cloud: What it all means. CIO Dive.

A future with widespread autonomous vehicle (AV) technology could include less traffic, safer roads, and interconnected vehicles that allow drivers to sit back and enjoy the ride. Expected to reach $556.67 billion USD by 2026, the market place for AV technology is growing quickly. However, the industry still has a long way to go. In order for autonomous vehicle technology to properly function, it must work in conjunction with other areas. The five most relevant are listed below.

Five Use Cases

5G

An autonomous vehicle is expected to generate 2 Petabytes (2 million GB) of data every year. It would take the best Wi-Fi available months to be able to transfer that amount of information. The nearly real-time speeds of 5G are 10 times faster than 4G. With its infrastructure and dense network, 5G makes the future of autonomous vehicles possible.

Latency

Decreased latency, another characteristic of 5G, can also benefit autonomous vehicles. 4G currently has a latency of 50 milliseconds, which can be seen as a large delay when it comes to passenger safety.

Smart Cities and the Internet of Things (IoT)

In order for an autonomous vehicle to make smart decisions, it requires information about its environment. Smart cities, which are IoT-ready, allow for that. A city that can report on traffic, signals, etc., can help a self-driving car move smarter and more easily navigate its way around town.

Data Management

Analyzing the amount of data a self-driving car produces takes time. With the potential of nearly 10 million cars hitting the road, edge computing can help streamline this analysis by examining it closer to the source.

V2X

Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) allows the information from autonomous vehicle sensors and other sources to travel through high-bandwidth, high-reliability, and low-latency channels. It creates an ecosystem that enables cars to communicate both with each other and with infrastructures including parking lots and traffic lights.

Not only can this improve vehicle safety, but it also gives drivers or passengers information about road conditions ahead, so that they can appropriately respond. When combined with Artificial Intelligence (AI), a self-driving car will be able to make that decision itself.

Roadblocks

A study from NAMIC found that 42% of surveyed consumers said that no matter how long the technology was available, they would refuse to ride in fully automated vehicles. Similarly, 46% of respondents were skeptical about using fully automated vehicles for ride-sharing services. In order to gain public trust, the right infrastructure needs to be in place.

Data management challenges, safety concerns, and high manufacturing costs are roadblocks that can prevent widespread autonomous vehicle adoption. However, as large manufacturers and automotive organizations continue to enhance and improve the technology, the potential for an autonomous future continues to grow.

Train Your Team in Autonomous Vehicle Technology

Prepare your organization for the latest developments in AV technology with training in foundational and practical applications of autonomous, connected, and intelligent vehicle technologies. Developed by leading experts in the field, the IEEE Guide to Autonomous Vehicle Technology is a seven-course training program offered online.

Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today to learn more about purchasing the program for your organization.

Interested in purchasing the program just for yourself? View it on the Learning Network, a new learning management platform!

 

Resources

(18 October 2019). Who Will Use Self-Driving Cars?. PYMNTS.

Zoria, Sophie. (1 November 2019). 5 Striking Uses For Autonomous Driving Technology. Customer Think.

While it may be too early to know exactly how 5G will benefit edge computing, the technology will have some sort of impact on consumers and businesses. The growth of edge computing and 5G are mutually dependent. In order for 5G to provide accelerated network speeds, it requires on low-latency and high interconnection that can be delivered through edge computing.

The evolution of 5G networks will affect more than smartphone speeds. While the ability to stream and download files on your mobile device faster will be convenient, it is only a fraction of the potential 5G has in advancing technology. By providing the ability to process large quantities of small data points in a short period of time, 5G is likely to significantly impact sectors such as transport, autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and the Internet of Things (IoT). In these fields, applications that currently use large sets of data and information are likely to benefit from the ability to send the desired information in almost real-time.

Benefits to Utilizing Edge Computing with 5G

By 2025, up to 20% of data might be processed in real-time. The combination of 5G and edge computing will bring consumers and organizations improved data processing, local caching and sharing of computing power, energy efficiency at both network and device level, resilience and security, and optimal work allocation.

• Edge computing allows 5G networks to function at the needed reduced network latency for real-time operations. Together, they can enhance augmented and virtual reality for events, video and speech analytics, video security monitoring, and more.
• 5G combines edge computing into wireless networks with open source initiatives and standards to distribute data across the network, from radio access and transport to new core-enabling capabilities such as network slicing.
• Edge computing applies artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies to enhance data management across networks.

5G and Edge Security

Edge computing will play a critical role in changing the security of the network. The faster connections and increased interconnection that come with 5G also mean improved connections for cyber criminals.

John Maddison, an executive at Fortinet, Inc., mentions that “The security then needs to be deployed in a different way. And whether it’s deployed in the car itself, in the application, the IoT devices—it’ll be security deployed in the edge compute.”

Getting Ready for Edge Computing and 5G

Prepare your organization for the advancement of edge computing integration. Designed to train your entire team to support edge computing, IEEE Introduction to Edge Computing is an online five-course program. The 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.

Interested in the course for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network (ILN) to learn more.

 

Resources

(9 October 2019). 5G Americas: Edge Computing Not a One-Size-Fits-All for 5G. Global Newswire.

(15 October 2019). Edge, 5G And Data Centres: The Beginning Of The End Or The End Of The Beginning?. Data Economy.

Matthews, Kayla. (17 October 2019). How edge computing will benefit from 5G technology. Information Age.

Tripathi, Sunay. (23 October 2019). 5G And Enterprise Edge: Developments Toward A Device-Centric View Of The Cloud. Forbes.

Aten, Jason. (25 October 2019). Everyone Wants a 5G iPhone, but Here Are 5 Industries That Will Actually Be Revolutionized When Ultra-Fast Wireless Finally Arrives. Inc.

With the booming Internet of Things (IoT) device market, many people expect to be connected at all times. While it is unrealistic to be online 24/7 with no drops in coverage or speed—especially while travelling—losing connection can be a significant problem for organizations.

Businesses rely on devices and technology such as Wi-Fi and the cloud to remain connected to their data and customers. However, what happens when a business cannot connect? If employees are unable to even check their email inboxes, will productivity grind to a halt?

A possible solution that could help create a permanent connection for IoT devices involves sending data over sound. While this solution involves newer data-over-sound technology over the air, transmitting data via sound is an established practice. The characteristic whines and beeps of the dial-up modem was a form of data-over-sound using wires rather than over the air.

What is Data-Over-Sound?

Companies have been investing in new ways of transmitting data through their devices to ensure they are always securely connected. Sound waves would allow devices to interconnect without the use of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The evolution of data-over-sound technology has the real possibility to create network-independent IoT environments with uninterrupted connectivity.

Who Offers Data-Over-Sound? 

Organizations that are currently working on data-over-sound solutions include Sonarax and Stimshop. Sonarax, an ultrasonic communication technology company, revealed its new standard in machine-to machine (m2m) connectivity. It enables devices to communicate with one another via sound waves. The protocol is the most extensive global infrastructure install base, and it operates on any device that has a built-in speaker or microphone.

Sonarax’s solution addresses three main areas:

• Ultrasonic Payments: Helping create secure connections for mobile payments and contactless ATM interaction. Pilot programs for this feature have been deployed at major global financial institutions.
• Ultrasonic Authentication: Providing a safe identification solution that can be integrated and used by any third party application.
• Ultrasonic Indoor Positioning: Allowing indoor positioning in buildings, such as shopping malls and hospitals, where GPS stops working. Sonarax is working to implement its technology for novel indoor navigation functionality at a later date.

Stimshop, an agency in France, offers data-over-sound technology via its protocol Wi-Us. Stimshop’s Wi-Us technology can turn speakers or sound systems into a vehicle for wireless communication, detection, authentication, and geo-location. The company also states that its technology can be used in environments incompatible with radio waves such as explosive environments or those with electromagnetic scrambling issues.

Security Concerns

What are the security concerns when it comes to transferring data via sound? Experts worry that there are apps that can acquire the information sent through the sound waves.

However, Sonarax CEO Benny Saban states that over-the-sound verification between two devices restricts man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. This type of attack involves hackers trying to interfere with the communication between two devices.

“As in all communication protocols, encrypted data is converted to ultrasonic data and reaches its destination–unchanged–through the same encrypted method by which it was sent,” says Saban. “Essentially, the ultrasonic communication protocol adds an additional layer of security to the first layer of encryption. This means that in order to hack the data, one needs to intercept the sonic data, decipher it, and then decipher the encryption used.”

Preparing for Evolving IoT Technology

Find out what new IoT developments could impact your industry. Prepare your organization with the IEEE 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 disciplines across all industries.

Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist and receive a custom quote for your organization today.

 

Resources

Chandler, Simon. (18 October 2019). How Data-Over-Sound Will Ensure A Permanently Connected IoT World. Forbes.

(27 February 2019). Sonarax Unveils a Novel Ultrasonic Device-to-device Communication Protocol. PR Newswire.

(10 January 2018). When Wi-Fi Won’t Work, Let Sound Carry Your Data. Wired.

Stimshop Mobile Interactions and Data Transfers. Stimshop.

Cloud security threats come in many different forms including data breaches, hijacked accounts, data loss, denial of service, and system vulnerabilities. As organizations and individuals continue to adopt the cloud, securing all of the stored information is a top priority. Companies must be aware of the risks and solutions in order to prevent serious damage.

Security Risks to Cloud Data

Data Breaches

Any data stored in the cloud is at risk for cyber-attack. From phishing to security scams, hackers are constantly developing new ways of gaining access to sensitive information. This type of attack can damage a company’s reputation and affect its market position. Furthermore, it can also lead to legal issues if customers’ personal information was released.

Access Management

Without multi-factor authentication and strong passwords, cyber criminals can easily gain access to accounts. Once they’ve hacked into one account, unauthorized users can access private information. Depending on the hacked account’s permissions, bad actors could cause a sizable data breach.

Insecure interfaces

Because your company’s API and UI are exposed to the public, having strict authentication can help ensure that cyber criminals cannot gain access. However, inadequate security leaves your interfaces vulnerable to attack. Possible consequences include jeopardized confidentiality, accountability, integrity, and availability.

Data Loss

Although many cloud providers heavily focus on security, not all attacks can be prevented. Should hackers gain access to your system, it’s possible that they could erase all of your data with the intention of ransoming it. If no backup storage is in place, your organization could face a permanent loss of data.

Hijacking

Account hijacking is a form of identity theft that involves cyber criminals using stolen information in their attacks. When this occurs, your organization can lose control of its account, data, functions, business logic, and any other dependable applications on the account. A breach of this form should be taken very seriously. It can lead to large data leaks and damage to the company’s reputation.

Insiders

While outside hackers may be the first party that comes to mind, they are not the only threat to your cloud’s security. Current or former employees also pose a risk. Because they already have access to the company’s sensitive information, a malicious insider could expose or sell proprietary information. To minimize the risk of an internal attack, it’s vital to ensure user permissions are kept up to date based on employment status.

Best Practices for Cloud Security

As more people store their information in the cloud, the risk of cyber attacks increases. With a larger pool of potential targets, bad actors are furthered incentivized to develop new schemes. Despite this, the cloud is still a worthwhile storage option.

Steps you should take to secure your information include:

• Encrypting data
• Using two-factor authentication
• Understanding open API frameworks
• Making sure everyone uses hard-to-crack passwords
• Restricting accessibility to sensitive information

Protect your business

Having the right tools and systems in place can prevent data breaches and cyber crimes. As the world becomes more automated, it’s crucial for your organization to understand the available cyber security measures to protect its data and devices. Cyber Security Tools for Today’s Environment, an online 11-course program from IEEE, helps businesses improve their security techniques.

Contact a specialist today to get access to the course program for your organization.

Interested in learning about getting access to the course for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network to learn more.

 

Resources

Nailwal, Mukesh. (14 October 2019). CLOUD SECURITY BASICS: HOW TO ENSURE THAT YOUR DATA IS SAFE. Techgenix.

Soni, Rakesh. (11 October 2019). The Rise of Cloud Computing Threats: How to protect your cloud customers from security risks. Customer Think.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the field of education—particularly continuing education. Learning does not stop following graduation from a formal education program. Many people spend their lives learning new skills or improving on existing ones. Lifelong learning can be accomplished through in-person classes, online courses, or a hybrid of both.

Because people can learn in a variety of ways, AI is able to take learning to the next level by providing the ability to customize the experience to the individual. By tracking facial movements, microexpressions, and other behaviors, AI software can try to identify ways to keep the user engaged.

Benefits of AI in Education

The main benefits of leveraging AI in education include:

• The ability to personalize learning: Everyone is different. AI technology can help people learn in the best format for them. As a result, this can improve learning speeds and success rates. It can can also provide teachers with valuable data on student performance. This information will allow teachers to see when students are struggling. They’ll then be able to intervene early and prevent students from falling behind.
• More time for teachers: A teacher’s work does not end in the classroom. Teachers create tests, check exams and homework, and much more. By using an AI assistant for administrative tasks, a teacher can save time. That time can then be used to improve upon lesson plans and provide guidance to students.
• Remaining current with technology: In order to mitigate the learning curve, employers can make sure their staff is knowledgeable on using AI. This will also make employees feel like they are keeping up with technology rather than being replaced by it.

Drawbacks/Ethical AI Education

While there is no official definition for ethical AI, it is generally interpreted as using AI for the general good of the public.

“We’re seeing AI tools that can take lots of data around career pathways and make recommendations about what students can study. So we’ve got AI informing decisions made by young people,” says Toby Baker of Nesta.

As the use of AI continues to grow and expand into various industries, there will be an increasing number of people who will have to interact with AI without understanding how it arrives at its conclusions and predictions. Baker believes that there needs to be better communication between those who develop the technology and the end-users.

It’s also vital that the users understand how their data is being managed during the machine learning process. It could be concerning to know your facial movements are being monitored without knowing the purpose behind the tracking.

Using Artificial Intelligence Ethically

With growing questions around AI and ethics, there has never been a greater need for practical artificial intelligence and ethics training. IEEE offers continuing education that provides professionals with the knowledge needed to integrate AI within their products and operations.

Artificial Intelligence and Ethics in Design, a two-part online course program, helps organizations apply the theory of ethics to the design and business of AI systems. It also serves as useful supplemental material in academic settings.

Contact an IEEE Content Specialist to learn more about how this program can benefit your organization.

Interested in getting the course for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network (ILN) today!

Resources

Salak, Bill. (8 October 2019). 3 ways AI is changing education right now (and in the future). eSchoolNews

Courtois, Jean-Philippe. (7 October 2019). How AI is transforming education and skills development. Microsoft.

Luckin, Rose; Seldon, Anthony Seldon; Lakhani, Priya. (30 September 2019). The benefits of AI and machine learning. The Guardian.

Frank, Aaron. (24 September 2019). New AI Systems Are Here to Personalize Learning. Singularity Hub.

Freeze, James. (27 September 2019). An AI Education: Overcoming Fear Of The Innovation Cycle. Forbes.