The COVID-19 pandemic changed how we utilize technology on both a personal and business level. Although some of these changes will fade away as we approach the end of the pandemic, there will be permanent effects that will linger indefinitely. As a basis for the new workplace and even personal communications, the cloud provided just about everything we needed on a technical level to achieve as “normal” of a life as possible. Again, the cloud provided almost everything – the exception was trained personnel to build, implement, maintain and secure cloud technologies.
Likewise, artificial intelligence pre-pandemic implementations were on the rise. One such instance actually lays claim to predicting the COVID-19 outbreak in China more than a week before the World Health Organization (WHO) officially announced it. During the pandemic, AI and machine learning implementations in the form of robotic process automation (RPA) and medical predictive capabilities helped to keep companies’ processes going and save lives. Once again, the rise in usage comes with a price – a lack of knowledgeable individuals who understand the technologies and can ensure compliance and security.
Blockchain is seeing a rapid increase in adoption in the financial sector as more traditional businesses adopt cryptocurrency as a legitimate form of payment. Medical, supply chain, and other industry uses for blockchain are being implemented by various companies as well. IoT also has seen vast adoption in recent years in the form of smart devices being implemented into smart buildings and cities.
As the pandemic proved, adoption of a new technology can be critical to business continuity, if not having life-saving implications. However, adoption is just the starting point – any implementation of a new technology still requires the need for oversight, governance, security and controls to ensure that the implementation is secure, effective and following standards and regulations. The emerging technologies mentioned here are only the beginning. In this industry, our continuing education is just that – continuing. As long as there’s technological innovation, we will need to stay vigilant and informed.
Given this backdrop, ISACA has now launched its CET Certified in Emerging Technology™ credential, composed of stackable certificates that allow IT professionals to upskill and cross-skill in specific emerging technology domains. These will be fundamental introductions into the technologies themselves and will provide practitioners with foundational knowledge of cloud, blockchain, IoT and artificial intelligence. This program is intended to prepare learners for the future of the technological landscape and provide a pathway to the growing career opportunities driven by emerging technology.