When you hear the term “cybersecurity” what does it make you think of? For most people, it may bring thoughts of someone within an IT department or an image of a hacker in a hoodie, but cybersecurity is really about empowering people with what they need to know and do to stay safe in their daily digital lives. This is why cybersecurity training is so critical.

Cybersecurity knowledge isn’t just for people working in technology jobs. It’s also for those living and interacting with technology - all of us who shop online, stay connected with family and friends through social media, use technology for work, or help our kids learn through smart devices. And although the consequences of not understanding cybersecurity can apply to anyone, oftentimes the training available does not. It’s essential that companies and institutions invest in cybersecurity education that enables the secure use of technology for and by everyone, which is why CyberSAFE security training is so important. It’s relevant and practical in a way that participants can immediately apply what they’ve learned and easily adopt good digital security habits without the pressure of learning confusing acronyms or complicated technical concepts. As these habits become part of an employee’s daily life, the investment that has been made in CyberSAFE training will pay dividends, both in professional and personal areas. 

The individual with the ability to recognize a phishing attempt could prevent an attacker from extorting millions of dollars from a business AND similarly protect a family member from an online scam. Someone trained to turn on and use multi-factor authentication can protect the intellectual property of their company AND similarly prevent theft of their own personal digital data. As society becomes increasingly digital, there’s no better time to invest in end-user cybersecurity training than now.

Learn more about how to protect yourself and your organization from security risks with CertNexus® CyberSAFE®.

About the Author:

Shinesa Cambric, CISSP, CCSP, CISA® is a cybersecurity innovator, technology leader, and author of the new book: "Cloud Auditing Best Practices".

As a Principal Product Manager at Microsoft, she currently leads a team that is focused on designing solutions for global organizations to identify, detect, protect, and respond to emerging threats against identity and access. 

The technology commercially available today has more horsepower than ever before, from AI to machine learning learning to data science and beyond. But the human element will always remain central to its application and effectiveness. When we talk about your digital transformation “journey,” it’s an apt analogy. The future state of your business is your destination, and your digital transformation is the vehicle that will deliver you there. Everyone must play their role, whether they be passengers or drivers or mechanics. Technology alone cannot guarantee success. The human element remains critical to ensuring that these tools are applied effectively and efficiently.

Not Just a Job for the IT Department

Digital transformation projects are no longer strictly IT projects. They require input and involvement from the C-Suite and heads of each business unit. Business leaders are engaged passengers on your digital transformation journey.

Getting your passengers prepared for the journey requires a fundamental knowledge of the possibilities and limits of the vehicle—that is, the technology.

What is the Technology?

Artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, and big data may sound like something out of a sci-fi movie to some, but it's important for all stakeholders to have a basic understanding of these concepts.  Indeed, the fundamental concept of AI is to engineer machines to make human-like decisions, but AI has its limits. AI can’t tell you what to do from a business intelligence perspective, it must be trained and structured to provide specific insights that will inform your decisions.

Your passengers must know which insights provide the most value and what types of data will inform those insights.

Applying the Tech to Business Outcomes

What your passengers lack in tech knowledge, they should compensate with intimate knowledge of the business operation and strategy. They should know how the goals of each business unit contribute to the broader strategy. No matter how advanced technology becomes, tech will always be a tactic. Your passengers need enough tech vocabulary to realistically consider how the tech can meet the goals of the business.

Here are just a few examples:

• A grocery retailer wants to increase basket size per customer, so they implement a recommendation engine that suggests new products based on past purchase history.
• An oil company wants to cut down on manual administrative tasks, so it automates the collection of geological data.
• A bank wants to increase customer retention, so it uses a predictive algorithm to identify customers who may be about to switch to a competitor.

Understanding the ways AI can be applied will help your passengers communicate the mission of your digital transformation to the other stakeholders.

What Makes a Good Passenger?

With a general understanding of what the technology is, your stakeholders should be more prepared to have productive conversations about using technology to move the business forward. Good passengers have specific, agreed-upon goals for the business and its units. Now, it’s time to get your digital transformation on the road.

Learn more about CertNexus credentials for your passengers (business leaders):

• Data Science for Business (DSBIZ) offers business leaders, sales and marketing managers, project managers, and other stakeholders a streamlined course to help make decisions and drive organizational data science strategies. DSBIZ candidates will learn data science concepts, methods of use, challenges, and benefits using relevant business examples.

• Data Ethics for Business (DEBIZ) is designed for business leaders and decision makers, including C-level executives, project and product managers, HR leaders, marketing and sales leaders, and technical sales consultants, who have a vested interest in the representation of ethical values in technology solutions.

• Artificial Intelligence for Business (AIBIZ) offers business leaders, project managers, and other stakeholders with a streamlined course and associated credential to drive their AI strategy. AIBIZ candidates will learn AI concepts, approaches to machine learning and deep learning, fundamentals of AI implementations, and the impact of AI including business use cases.

• Internet of Things for Business (IoTBIZ) offers business leaders a streamlined course and associated credential to open collaboration and drive informed business decisions for their IoT strategy. IoTBIZ candidates will learn IoT terminology to understand the components of IoT infrastructure, uncover challenges for consideration, and discover the impact that IoT has on their organization.

• Emerging Technologies for Business (ETBIZ) is a combination of three CertNexus credentials (AIBIZ, DSBIZ, and IoTBIZ) which cover the most often used technologies to generate data, extract insights from data, and leverage data to predict future outcomes. Upon successful completion of this credentialing assessment, candidates will earn the capstone ETBIZ credential and receive a badge which can be posted on social media platforms to identify your dedication to emerging technologies.