Month: May 2022

Corporate responsibility is shifting away from pleasing shareholders to enhancing the skills of stakeholders. The signs have been there since the beginning. McKinsey & Company’s report found that the majority believe the system is failing and that current leaders lack credibility. People are more afraid of job loss than ever. According to the report, 59% fear losing their job due to lack of training and skills. This is more than the fear of job losses due to automation (55%), or trade policies and tariffs harming the company (57%). It shouldn’t surprise that people are concerned about their own health. What can a company do now to help?
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Corporate Responsibility in the 2010s
You must first look back at the history of how we got to where we are today in order to develop a successful business strategy for 2020. This graphic is from a Merrill Lynch Thematic Investing Report (Nov 2019). We see paradigm shifts as we move into the next decade. In the next 10 years, we will see more change than in the past 100 years.

As you can see many of the paradigms that were popularized in the 2010s have proven to be successful, for better and worse. These are some strategies that we used to maximize our business’ profits.
Globalization
In the 2010s, the free movement of capital, goods and labor around the globe was a huge success. Fortune praised these businesses as being more “global” than ever at the height of the decade. We are now witnessing waves of rejections of globalization all over the globe. According to the Merrill Lynch Report, we have reached peak globalization.
More than ever, localization is a key factor in our businesses, our economies and our Google searches. The data shows that people are not afraid of losing their jobs due to governmental policies that they don’t have control over. They are concerned because they believe their leaders don’t believe they are qualified for the job. People are saying, “Take care of me!” as these sentiments are becoming more common.
Humans
As artificial intelligence takes over, the human power that was essential to certain tasks in 2010s will no longer be required. Robotic Process Automation is already available in government spaces through the DOD’s Joint AI Center. But I didn’t want to link ad nauseam all the reports about AI taking jobs, so I began to think about the 2020s solution in this new paradigm.
Amazon, a world leader in robotic process automation, has committed to upskilling 100,000 U.S. workers for in-demand jobs by 2025. Industry Week reported that Tesla’s Elon Musk admitted that the delays in manufacturing were partly due to a heavy reliance upon robotic automation. He said that Tesla’s excessive automation was a mistake. “Humans are underrated. This complex network of conveyor belts was our nightmare. It wasn’t working.
It will not be robots and human beings in the 2020s, but successful businesses will find ways to have both robots as well as humans. Capgemini’s report shows that upskilling workers can save $1.2 billion over three years. While robots and automation pose a threat to certain jobs, many companies are beginning to recognize the social responsibility of taking care of their workers.
Shareholders
The 1980s were the era when companies’ low stock prices made them vulnerable to takeovers. The new focus of directors and executives on profits and share prices was what followed. The rise in short-term trading and quarterly investment returns as well as quarterly earnings saw the corporate responsibility of the company shift towards pleasing shareholders.
A group of 200 chief executives from around 200 companies discussed how shareholder value is not everything. The paradigm shifts towards stakeholders.
My Top 2 Executive Lessons From 2010
Upskilling Stakeholders
Who are the stakeholders?
Your company’s stakeholders are society. Leaders must incorporate the concerns of society into their business strategy. Leaders and employers, you must consider the long-term consequences of your decisions. If you believe that customers drive value, you might consider rethinking your purpose and societal impact. Employees are what make or break the customer experience.
“Society demands that all companies, public and private, serve a common purpose.” Every company must not only show financial performance but also demonstrate how it contributes to society in order to prosper over time. January 2018, Larry Fink, CEO BlackRock
Your company’s talent pool is sourced from society. This talent pool will have an impact on your business and your customers.
How can you make stakeholders happy?
In the 2010s, companies did an amazing job of returning shareholders’ money. The ones that provide returns to stakeholders will win. Upskilling is key to satisfying your stakeholders and ultimately your business’ success.
What percentage of your budget goes to training? Training your employees is more than just training customers. Have you ever asked your employees if they feel at risk because of a lack of skills? How many of your employees fall within this category? How many of your coworkers are in this same bucket?
Bill Blase, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, AT&T, stated back in March 2018 that “it’s important companies, at the top level, engage and retrain employees rather than constantly going on the streets to hire.”
Why can’t every company let employees take any class they want within a budget? Why should it be job-related? This is not the 1900s. It’s not common for people to do the same job over and over again. You could hire someone who is extremely passionate about your next strategic need.

The future is today’s Battlefields. They defend Smart Borders, Intelligent Combat and Construct Future Battlefields.
New-generation information technologies such as big data, cloud computing and Internet of Things (IoT), AI, blockchain, etc. are used to create a “smart network” that will manage the entire process of discovery and reporting, decision-making and disposal of coastal defense and border security. This smart system will be built by civilians, the government, the military, police and party. Guangdong Provincial Coastal Defense Commission has been asked by the National Committee on Border and Coastal Defense to accelerate the development and demonstration of a model of the proposed “smart coast defense system” and “smart frontier” systems. Informatization efforts have led to the construction of thousands upon thousands of monitoring stations and centres, as well as video surveillance. The Deputy Director for the Border Defense Bureau of National Defense Mobilization Department, Military Commission, informed that China has constructed more than 30,000 kms of coastal and frontier defense roads. These roads are equipped for video surveillance and blocking facilities. They have also created a basic “three in one” management and control system that can be used for civil air defense, physical defense and technical defense. The article reports that the 14th Five Year Plan will soon issue an opinion document on smart borders and coastal systems, as well as technical standards.
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Mixed results have been achieved in coastal defense and smart border building. Although some areas such as network communication and data integration have seen positive results, confidential and secure communication has yet to be achieved. This is a rough overview of a pilot smart system at the Southern Theatre Command that includes an information management system and control system. This system integrates voice and video transmission with advanced command and control functions known as “electronic sendry”. Joint military-civilian efforts are used to strengthen the Guanxi border system. This system was used to detect illegal activities such as smuggling.
Intelligent Combat
Combining Linear and Non-Linear Warfare techniques to create “intelligent warfare.” Sometimes the first battle is decisive. It is crucial to win smart wars and take control of future conflicts. This can be achieved by studying and exploring the clever combination of non-linear and linear combat to pre-emptively influence the situation, strategically plan the battle situation, create a turning point in time, and effectively control the situation. This combat system will focus on paralyzing the enemy and attacking mind, controlling information and multi-domain mixed actions. The practical application of the linear and nonlinear operations will be the focus of such a combat system. It will be a combination of a machine + human + network intelligent system. Cross-domain linkages are important to achieve small gains and precision. They can also be used to create multi-domain, high-mobility, distributed strikes against rapidly changing battlefield conditions and different combat objectives. Intelligent warfare is dynamic and requires a flexible system that can adapt to changing circumstances and times. This is why it is important to have a flexible system. Instead of actual attacks, the emphasis will be on actions such as surprise attacks on the central battle stations and quick battles that require quick decision-making.
Hybrid warfare is also known as nonlinear warfare. It refers to the use of non-military tactics such as psychological warfare, economic warfare and cyber warfare in conjunction with conventional military warfare tactics. Some argue that there is a difference between “hybrid warfare”, and “nonlinear warfare” (nonlinear warfare being a Russian specialty), but both use a combination non-military tactics in order to achieve their goals.
Future Battlefields: Constructing Future Battlefields
To highlight important considerations when building future battlefields. They claim that the future battlefield will be multi-dimensional and will involve multiple domains, including the physical, information, and cognitive domains. They support multi-dimensional battlefield deployment (land, air, and sea) and the creation of a joint combat battlefield. A transparent and holographic battlefield can be created using advanced technology and a digital battlefield info chain. This battlefield information chain can also be created by integrating command, control and communication units. The next step is to design these battlefields according to the way battles are fought, and according to combat styles. This includes integrating battlefield construction with national strategy needs and strategic army requirements, as well as following tactical and technical standards of weapons, equipment, linking military requirements with battlefield construction tasks, and implementing combat mission requirements. But, it is possible to argue that battlefield construction has the ultimate goal to serve actual warfare. It is therefore crucial to ensure that every system is tested and certified for combat readiness, as the future battlefield will be intelligent and unmanned. Therefore, standards and planning, quality supervision, supporting facilities, and connecting facilities are all important. It is vital. It is important to develop practical technologies and not flashy applications. It is crucial to develop an economy that can support and sustain the development of these advanced systems. Future battlefield infrastructure, logistics, warehousing, and other industry systems will encourage the construction of a full-dimensional, mable-based economy.

1. Security breaches are not what they used to be
Hackers are not a new phenomenon. However, 2016 saw an increase in targeted attacks that held data hostage. Hacking is no longer limited to stealing credit cards information in order to get a return on hacking. 2016 saw an increase in criminal breaches of personal information, particularly in the health care sector. They were the target of more than 10 million people in 2016 hacks in medical fields due to the confidentiality of the information stored on the servers of medical facilities.
Source: DataBreachToday.com
Rebecca Herold, security and privacy consultant and CEO of SIMBUS LLC, and The Privacy Professor, says, “From what we’ve seen it is quite simple to get money in multiple ways from healthcare entities.” She adds that the crooks could sell healthcare data for more than other types of personal information in other sectors. The data can be used to commit medical identity theft, as well as other types of fraud. All that prescription data can also be sold to drug dealers or those selling prescription drugs online at lower prices, creating a lucrative revenue stream for them.
Cyberattacks on the consumer market have not disappeared, but they have changed in late 2016, and will continue to evolve as more homes sign up for the IoT.
Gryphon CEO John Wu stated, “The reason IoT devices have been used now is because it’s so easy to attack.” Wu added, “They also possess enough processing power to carry out such attacks.”
Additionally, devices such as routers and DVRs can be accessed at all times, so they are always available for use in an attack on a website.
Wu stated that you can have a large effect because you can control many devices, in some cases hundreds, of thousands, and flood a server. “It’s very difficult for these attacks to be prevented, because they come from IP addresses all over the world. It is impossible to scale up your bandwidth fast enough in order to stop it.
These types of attacks are expected to increase in 2017, so make sure you stay on top of the Ethical Hacking Courses.

2. Microsoft Makes Major Changes to MCSE & MCSD Tracks
Microsoft has “streamlined” its Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE), and Developer (MCSD), certifications. Holders will need to take exams annually to remain current.
Redmond stated that the four new MCSE certifications and the sole new MCSD certificate “are aligned with Centers of Excellence, which are used by the Microsoft Partner Network for technical competencies that are easily recognizable by both Microsoft customers and partners.”
The new continuous learning plan also offers the possibility to re-earn your certification every year by passing an exam from the electives list. This will demonstrate your investment in broadening and deepening your skills in a particular Center of Excellence.
This plan will take effect on April 1, 2017, and all MCSE/MCSD certifications issued prior to September 2016 will be canceled.
The new qualifications are:
MCSE Cloud Platform and Infrastructure – focusing skills validation to Windows Server and Microsoft AzureMCSE Mobility – focusing skills validation to Windows Client and Enterprise Mobility SuiteMCSE Data Management and Analysis – focusing skills validation to both on-premises and cloud Microsoft data products and servicesMCSE Productivity – focusing skills validation to Office 365, SharePoint and ExchangeMCSD: App Builder – focusing skills validation to Web and Mobile app development. Red Hat and IBM Collaboration for Next-Generation Clouds
Red Hat and IBM have a long history of innovation to improve product offerings across IBM platforms. The companies are collaborating more in product development and upstream technologies to make their platforms more compatible. This will allow Red Hat to offer its offerings to clients who have previously worked in distributed environments. Red Hat and IBM began to work together to create functionality and jointly engineer solutions across IBM Power Systems. These solutions were then released in the Red Hat portfolio.
Enabling Red Hat solutions on IBM’s next-generation Power Systems;Introducing new high-performance computing (HPC) capabilities for leading edge research deployments;Developing high availability capabilities for Power Systems.
4. Red Hat New DevOps Certifications and Training
In 2016, Ken Goetz (Vice President of Training and Red Hat) stated that DevOps was not a product, but a culture and a process. There are certain skills and technologies that DevOps workers should have. This new RHCA concentration aims to provide a way for employers and developers to validate these essential open source skills and further enable enterprises to accelerate the delivery of applications.

Red Hat Learning Subscription will offer these new DevOps courses. This subscription provides unlimited access to Red Hat’s entire training content. It is an annual subscription that allows customers unlimited access to Red Hat’s entire training content. It helps customers speed up the on-boarding process, adopt new technology releases, and cross-train across multiple products in an instant setting. Red Hat Consulting will continue to offer full-stack DevOps strategy to streamline software delivery and align IT with business.

5. VMware NSX
VMworld 2016 highlighted the challenges and relationship between the software-defined cloud (SDDC), and the public cloud. VMware presented the Cross-Cloud Service vision during the day one keynote. The idea is to extend your SDDC into multiple cloud services. Cross-Cloud Service is possible because of tight security measures.

Nutanix Now Available on Amazon

Dwayne Lessner is the Principal Technical Marketing Engineer at Nutanix. He will be joining us today on the blogosphere to discuss Nutanix Clusters in AWS.

The digital innovation era of today, coupled with the increased remote work requirements in recent months, has made IT teams more focused on being able to quickly innovate to support business needs while working remotely. Public clouds such as AWS, Azure and GCP are being increasingly used to meet the IT challenges of rapid provisioning while still maintaining centralized control. IT teams must be able extend their on-premises environments and skills to public clouds. They can also take advantage of public cloud services. This will allow them to manage their infrastructure in a unified manner. This solution is not a multicloud solution or a hybrid solution. It must be a true Hybrid & Multicloud solution.

Nutanix Clusters, a state of the art cloud offering, enables seamless hybrid cloud infrastructure deployments that can be natively integrated into public cloud services. Direct, low latency access is available to cloud-native services that offer predictable Nutanix resilience and efficiency. This solution was designed to allow you to increase your data center capacity by using public cloud elasticity. You can also maximize operational efficiency by leveraging similar skills and tools across public and private clouds.

Nutanix Cloud Platform for MulticloudEra and Hybrid
Nutanix Clusters was designed to provide consistent experience between public and on-premises cloud environments. These environments can be moved without the need to refactor applications or incur additional costs. This allows you to get rid of any lock-in to your underlying cloud.
Nutanix Clusters Benefits and Features

Nutanix Clusters runs using AWS as the first public cloud provider that is supported. Other cloud providers will be added in the near future. You can run the Nutanix HCI platform directly on AWS EC2 baremet instances by using your existing VPCs. Prism Central is a central management tool that can manage both your on-premises and AWS deployments. It helps you unify private cloud infrastructure operations. You can provision Nutanix Clusters on any of the globally available AWS regions with a choice of general purpose, storage intensive or compute intensivebaremetalinstance configurations, as required by your workloads.

Nutanix Clusters not only helps you decouple apps from the underlying platform but it also helps you to decouple your business investments. You can use your Nutanix software licenses anywhere you like. You can also choose between pay-as you-go (PAYG), or commitment-based subscription plans to allow for flexible consumption. You can retain your existing investments in public cloud providers and use your credit, discounts and the choice between payment models for the bare-metal instances and cloud resources consumed.
Nutanix Clusters gives you the ability to control and deliver YOUR Nutanix software to YOUR AWS account on YOUR terms.
Use Cases
Lift and Shift: Consolidate your data centers or move applications to the cloud. There is no need to re-architect your applications. Simply “lift and shift” them without any change, saving significant costs and time investments.On-Demand Elasticity: Quickly scale capacity, or expand to different geographical regions, in minutes by bursting into public clouds to support seasonal demands.Business Continuity: Leverage public clouds for high availability and disaster recovery without the complexity arising from managing a secondary datacenter or a stand-alone disaster recovery solution.Cloud-Native Services: Modernize legacy on-premises applications with direct access to cloud-native services like artificial intelligence, machine learning, analytics, and more to advance your digital initiatives.
Key Workloads
Virtual Desktops on Cloud – Use public cloud resources to scale your VDI infrastructure. I/O IntensiveApplications: Enable high end databases, big data and other I/O intensive apps to move to cloud without compromising on performance.
Key Features
Native networking integration: Nutanix Clusters allows you to run all your Nutanix software within your existing AWS VPCs. This completely eliminates the complexity of networking overlay. You can reuse your existing AWS networking setup – cloud account, VPCs and subnets as well as Direct Connect. Nutanix Clusters intelligently selects node placements across AWS racks in order to ensure high availability rack-aware design. If any individual AWS host instance is reported as unresponsive by EC2, it triggers a node replacement operation to make sure the cluster health is restored.Just-in-time scale and shrink: Easily add new compute nodes when you need to spin up more hybrid cloud capacity. You can either manually add nodes and expand the size of your cluster with one-click or use triggers based on capacity consumption to scale out nodes automatically.On-demand hibernate and resume: Maximize hybrid cloud cost efficiency with a unique one-click hibernate and resume feature (currently in early access), so that you only pay for EC2 bare metal instances when you need them. Hibernation sends data to cost-efficient S3 storage and uninstalls Nutanix software, stopping EC2 baremet instances so you can stop paying bare metal compute fees. You can bring your cluster back from hibernation when you are ready to use it again. All your data will be preserved.

Nutanix Clusters Console
The Nutanix clusters console manages the provisioning of clusters within your AWS accounts. This global service allows you to deploymen

You are a technology leader in an enterprise and you must develop and implement a secure IT infrastructure that supports and scales to a mixed workforce. You must do it quickly. Your organization’s recovery could be stalled if it isn’t. Your team could be constantly under cyber-attacks. This could lead to productivity dropping and a decrease in revenue.
How can you avoid these problems and guide your organization through the process? We’ll start by giving perspective and explaining a few basics.

Why is my company implementing a new security strategy to protect hybrid work?
Because hybrid work is here for the long-term. Even if restrictions are less severe, your team will not return to their pre-pandemic work routines. You must be a technology leader and anticipate new IT needs.
Before COVID, remote work was on the rise. Cloud tech and mobile technology made it easier for staff to work remotely from home. This work style has become the norm, with distancing protocols allowing for more flexibility. Many companies have employees who work in company facilities and at remote locations. They often move between them in the same month, week or even day.
A hybrid infrastructure is essential for this irreversible shift to hybrid work. Hybrid cloud environments allow workload to flow freely, securely, and fluidly between on-premises, public, and private platforms. This is why they have become a standard operating procedure (SOP), for enterprise IT across all business lines.
Edge computing is the expansion of edge computing, which industry experts call the expansion in edge computing. This means that your data and apps can be found anywhere and everywhere. As security threats increase and attack vectors change, hybrid networks become more vulnerable.

Why can’t my existing cybersecurity strategy meet these new requirements?
Traditional security solutions were not designed for today’s hybrid workforce. Cloud apps and mobile devices have not only established new network boundaries but have extended these borders further, faster than ever before. Older security tools, policies, and practices are no longer relevant.
Trust is the key issue. Traditional security solutions like firewalls and VPNs rely on trusting in the location. They work like gates. Trust is based on authentic credentials. Bad actors can steal legitimate credentials. They can also use force to open the gate.
Hacking breaches that involve brute force, or the use lost or stolen credentials, account for 80%.
— 2020 Verizon Data Breach Investigations report
Once they have gained access to the network’s gate, cybercrooks can freely move around the area with location-based trust. They could gain access to valuable information in your company, such as financial data, transaction data from customers, personal data of employees, and so on.

Why can’t updating security tech be enough?
Because rapid, radical change demands rapid, radical response. The shift to hybrid work has begun quickly and it is happening wherever your organization operates. Here are the first steps to fix a flawed hybrid security strategy.
Reassess your business requirements considering the new hybrid reality and revisit IT policies and procedures comprehensively.Don’t wait to sunset solutions that will no longer work and lay groundwork for those that will work in the foreseeable future.Start drafting a project plan for this initiative right away. Your plan should include collaboration within your organization as well as outside. You will need to create a budget for technology that supports secure hybrid infrastructure early on. This means that you will need to be able to calculate the costs and cost centers for all departments, as well as the entire organization. This is where collaboration with your peers, particularly financial executives, is key. Trusted vendors and solution providers who believe in transparent pricing are essential. Although a secure hybrid strategy is important, it shouldn’t be a financial burden on your company.

What is the best hybrid strategy for work security?
Every business is unique, but the best hybrid work security strategy today is to combine the zero-trust approach and SASE (Secure Access Service Edge).
SASE is sometimes called “sassy” by some IT professionals. It’s an architecture and not a product. SASE allows you to combine security and networking functions into one seamless cloud-based architecture. This allows you to provide secure access for all your organization’s data from wherever your users are working.
A zero-trust framework combines policies and processes to establish trust for all network access requests, regardless of origin. Your security systems do more than just verify credentials at the gate. They authenticate every user (and each device) whenever and wherever they request access.
Our research also shows that you can speed up your transition to a hybrid work security strategy by working closely with industry leaders like our Cisco partner, who offers SASE technologies. Their offering is called Cisco Zero Trust.

What is Cisco Zero Trust?
Cisco’s Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) combines their best-in-class secure network technology with Duo multi-factor authentication solution that ensures only trusted devices and users can access all applications.

What security benefits does Cisco Zero Trust offer?
Cisco’s zero trust framework ensures that you have access at all levels
Workforce – users & devicesWorkload – application and workflowWorkplace-networkThis secure access approach allows for easy access

There is a Cisco certification path that will suit you, whether you are new to Cisco or looking to improve your skills. There have been new Cisco certification options since February 24, 2020. These options allow you to be innovative and reinvent yourself to make a difference in your role in your company. Continue reading to learn more about the Cisco certification path, best path for you career, and training options to help you prepare for certification success.

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Cisco Certifications: Benefits for Your Career
Career advancement is the best reason to become certified in Cisco networking technology. These are the top Cisco certification paths that will help you accelerate your career.
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Cisco Certified Network Professional Enterprise (CCNP Enterprise). Cisco certification demonstrates your Cisco expertise. Certified professionals are highly sought-after and highly respected. You can get a job as a Network Engineer, Systems Administrator, or Information Technology (IT Director) with your CCNA.
According to PayScale, the average CCNA salary amounts to $76,000 Certified employees can command a higher salary and have the knowledge to succeed in their job. These tips will help you land a job as a Cisco Networking Specialist once you have earned your certification.
Cisco Certifications are a benefit for organizations
Cisco technologies are the global authority in computer networking. They have become the most popular choice to protect and streamline these networks. Cisco professionals are highly valued by organizations because of this. Cisco certifications allow organizations to provide the necessary skills to enable deployment and give you the ability to use Cisco products to their full potential. This allows you to get more out of your IT investment. It also lowers downtime because skilled technicians can handle any issues that may arise. This increases customer satisfaction as problems can be solved quickly.
Cisco Learning Credits
Cisco Learning Credits can be purchased separately or as an attachment to your software purchase. These prepaid dollars can be used for training. Each Cisco Learning Credit can be used to purchase $100 towards Cisco training at New Horizons. Before you register for your class, let your New Horizons Account Executive know if you have Cisco Learning Credits.
Cisco Certification Paths FAQ Guide
With the right amount of training and experience, it is not difficult to pass the CCNA and CCNP exams. Although there are usually no pre-requisites in most cases, experience levels can vary. Below are the recommended Cisco training and pre-requisites for Cisco certification. The complete Cisco Certification FAQ Guide is available here.
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2020 Updates and Changes
These paths represent Cisco’s largest change to certifications for 25 years. Here is a summary of the changes for Cisco’s new certification pathways:
NewDevNettrack of certification across all levelsCCENTentry level cert is being retiredCCNAwill be consolidated to one certification, requiring one examCCNPwill have only five concentration areas, requiring TWO examsSpecialist Level is earned after the first exam in a CCNP trackCCIEwill require 2 exams, the first being a CCNP exam, the other a CCIE lab examNew courseswill roll out over the next 6 months, aligned with the new certificationsRecertificationrequirement will now be every 3 yearsBenefits to the New Cisco Certification Structure
These are the top benefits of Cisco’s new certification structure.
The ability to start where you want depending on your current level of expertise – no prerequisites to start earning your associate, specialist, professional or expert level certification.Continuing education credits for recertification and ongoing development are available for CCNA, Cisco Certified Specialist, CCNP and CCIE.Easier path to CCIE status.New Emeritus lifetime tenure for CCIE certifications maintained continuously for 20 years.Badging for completing training courses.No more continuing education administrative fee, as of February 24, 2020.The re-certification period for all certifications will be 3 years.Is CCNA Going Away?
The Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT), will be retiring. The new CCNA will be available at the Associate level. The new CCNA will validate a wide range of skills and foundational knowledge. It will only have one exam that covers networking and security fundamentals as well as automation, programmability, and programming. Previously, CCNA candidates had to take multiple exams in order to earn one of the 10 different CCNA certifications. These certifications will be replaced by the new CCNA exam (#200-301).
CCNA CloudCCNA CollaborationCCNA Cyber OpsCCNA Data CenterCCDA Data CenterCCNA SecurityCCNA Service ProviderCCNA WirelessThe CCNA training course will cover the basics of both ICND1 & ICND2, while more advanced information will be covered in the new CCNP courses.
Is CCNA required for CCNP?
No. No. The CCNP title in this focus area will be awarded to you if you pass the second exam. Two exams will be required: one core exam and one focus exam. Here’s a complete list of all the new CCNPs.
CCNP EnterpriseCCNP SecurityCCNP SecurityCCNP Service ProviderCCNP CollaborationCCNP Data CenterCisco Certified Professional DevNet ProfessionalThe CCNP Enterprise replaces CCNP Routing and Switching and CCNP Wireless certifications.
What is Cisco DevNet Certification and how do you get it?
The DevNet certification program validates software developers, DevOps experts, automation specialists, as well as other software professionals. The DevNet track will include both programming (primarily Python) and infrastructure. The program certifies emerging technical skills that enable organizations to harness the power of IT professionals.

Building A Virtualization Dream Team
This article is for you if your company understands the many compelling benefits of virtual apps and desktops and is ready to mobilize your team to switch from physical to virtual desktops. Although you may have been involved with large IT projects and migrations in the past, virtualization is quite different. You are not only deploying new technology but also creating a new way for IT to be delivered to businesses.
You need a well-trained team of experts to plan, deliver, and maintain this initiative. This article will help you to build the best virtualization team possible and strengthen their individual skills through targeted training to keep your project on schedule and on budget.
The 4 Competencies of Virtualization Delivery. Your app and desktop virtualization deployment should deliver a great user experience, which is easy to use and that offers outstanding performance, availability, and security. The right team must have the appropriate skills and roles to achieve the four main competencies in virtualization deployment.
1. Prepare: Explore the potential of virtual apps and desktops, and get your key stakeholders to agree that virtualization is right for you.
2. Assess and Design: To ensure that you deliver the right solutions to the right users, analyze your business and user requirements. Next, create the architecture that meets those needs.
3. Deploy: Install and configure software and hardware according to the design.
4. Support: Keep your environment up-to date and running at peak performance in order to ensure ease-of-use and user satisfaction.
Three Key Roles That Make Up Your Virtualization Team. While the size of your team will depend on the complexity and size of your deployment, there are three main roles that you will need to fulfill:
1. The Designer: Also known as the Consultant or Architect, this is often called the Designer. This person designs the solution that best suits your business, user segments, and application estate. This role is responsible for the Assess, Design and Preparation stages.
2. The Builder: Also known as the Engineer, Consultant or the Engineer, the Builder is responsible for creating the hardware and software solutions and integrating them with your overall IT infrastructure.
3. The Operator: Also known as the Administrator, this individual manages and provides support to internal departments and ensures everything runs smoothly.
We’ve covered the four competencies required for virtualization deployment as well as the three roles that make up your team. Let’s now look at the work culture you can offer your employees and the training support system they can use to ensure their success.
The 5 Principles for Building Your Virtualization Dream Team. Once you have the skills and competencies you need, there are five principles that will help you build your team and project to success.
1. Find people who love technology: Moving to virtualized apps or desktops requires a new culture and mindset. People who are enthusiastic, know the benefits and pay attention to detail will be successful. People who are resistant to virtualization should be removed. Skills can be taught, but attitude can’t.
2. Create a Culture for Learning: In the old IT world, there was less standardization, and more tolerance for local solutions. Virtualization is a complex process that must be standardized and centralized. This is why it is important to share best practices. Information can be documented, shared, and codified by creating a learning culture. Teams should share the key ideas and create libraries to store and retrieve their designs, decisions, and processes.
3. Eliminate Obstacles: App and desktop Virtualization touches every IT discipline. Silos of expertise don’t work in virtual world. All teams in the network, server, storage, security, and application departments should openly collaborate and communicate. Regular meetings should be held to share information with other teams and solicit input.
4. Executive buy-in is essential: You want to create a working environment that allows your team to access the resources they need. This means getting executive buy in from the beginning. Executive buy-in will ensure that your project receives the support and resources it needs. The team should have someone who can show management the business benefits of your initiatives and the process you use to accomplish them.
5. Establish Training Paths: It is crucial to get your team the right education at just the right time. We will discuss this further next.
One of the most common objections to expert training is that it will cost time and money. However, team training can save money over time. Students learn effective processes and methods to maximize productivity and maximize use of resources. Offering professional development training engages employees, encourages their development, and increases their satisfaction with their company.
It is important to plan and carefully consider business-led training initiatives so that people only learn what they need, when they need it. A trusted learning solution provider is crucial in this situation. Instead of trying to train everyone to the highest level possible, it is better to focus your education so that each member has the skills they need when they need them. It is possible to think of training paths as a system where everyone receives basic and support training and then further targeted training as required.
You can also view training as an investment in cost savings and excellent ROI by upskilling your existing support staff. Finding, screening and hiring new candidates is a time-consuming and costly task.

The public cloud market is experiencing rapid growth. Gartner predicts that revenue will rise from $176 billion in 2018 and $240billion by 2020. Three tech giants have dominated the cloud space: Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. They account for nearly 65 percent of the global public clouds market.
It can be difficult to compare these cloud giants with so many features and services. This comparison will show you how Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud IaaS, and PaaS platforms stack up against each other.
We’ll discuss seven factors to consider before you choose a cloud provider that suits your business.
Features and Services
Compute Capabilities
Existing customer base
Hybrid Cloud and Legacy Apps
Deploying Apps and PaaS
Open Source Developer Capabilities
Pricing
AWS Vs. Azure Vs. Google
Since its inception in 2006, AWS has been the leading public cloud provider in the IaaS market. AWS boasts a greater global cloud network and broader service portfolio than any other cloud vendor.
Despite AWS’s dominance in the market, Microsoft has seen rapid growth under the “cloud first” strategy of Satya Nadella. Microsoft Azure is a great cloud option for companies who already rely on Microsoft-centric IT infrastructures.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) has recently helped Internet giant Google climb into the top three. Google Cloud is distinguished by its deep investments in machine learning and analytics.
Let’s look at the offerings of AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud in seven different categories.
1 – Features & Services

The key to choosing the right cloud provider is your business’s needs, wants, and workloads.
AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud offer similar basic capabilities. All three offer the same public cloud services, including self service and instant provisioning, autoscaling and security.
AWS is more popular than its competitors and offers the most comprehensive range of services. Amazon’s 140 cloud services include everything you need, including compute, storage, networking, and developer tools.
Azure’s services are almost identical to AWS. Google Cloud offers fewer cloud service options than its competitors in security and DevOps, but is more competitive in machine learning and analytics.
All three providers are open to partnerships and allow customers access to external apps and services within their cloud environments. Google, for example, has formed partnerships with Pivotal, Rackspace, and SAP.
2 – Compute Capabilities

Computing is the key to building and running an organization. The right compute services will enable you to efficiently develop and deploy your applications and workloads.
AWS EC2
Elastic Compute Cloud is AWS’s main compute offering. EC2 provides a variety of configurations for different uses, including big data and enterprise applications, as well as migrations from on-premises environments. AWS also offers related services such as Elastic Beanstalk to deploy apps and AWS Lambda to run code.
Azure Virtual Machines
Azure Virtual Machines are the core of Azure’s compute services. These machines allow you to quickly provision Linux and Windows virtual machines. You can also use Azure tools like Cloud Services, App Services, and Functions to quickly create and deploy cloud applications.
Google Compute Engine
Google’s scalable Compute Engine provides VMs in Google data centres. Compute Engine’s VMs are fast to boot, have persistent disk storage, and can be used for any workload.
3 – Existing Customer Base

While a high-profile customer base should not be the main reason you choose a cloud provider for your business, it can help you understand how others in your industry are benefitting from the cloud.
AWS has traditionally taken on large enterprise deals such as Expedia and Airbnb. Azure also boasts some well-knowncustomersincluding Adobe, HP and NBC News.
Google has found its niche with cloud-native Startups that are smaller than others, but they have also taken on larger companies in recent years like Target, 20th Century Fox and PayPal.
These large companies often use multi-cloud approaches to get the best out of different cloud providers. An example: A company may choose Google Cloud for its analytics or ML capabilities, but partner with AWS and Azure for large-scale compute requirements.
4 – Legacy Apps and Hybrid Cloud

Many companies delay cloud migration because they still rely on legacy apps. Not all companies have the ability to create new apps in the cloud environment. You should choose a cloud provider that has strong hybrid cloud capabilities if you still rely on legacy applications or prefer to keep sensitive information in onsite data centers.
AWS
Amazon has always dismissed the benefits of using on-premises applications. However, they have recently made a greater effort towards hybrid cloud support. AWS has partnerships with vendors such as Intel, SAP, and VMware to allow you to run your enterprise applications on AWS.
Azure
Azure provides the best support and capabilities to hybrid clouds. Azure provides all the tools needed to create modern apps, unify DevOps and streamline identity management. It also integrates security in hybrid environments.
Google
Google is the latest cloud vendor to offer hybrid cloud capabilities. Google’s Cloud Services Platform is an integrated platform that offers a range of cloud services that can both be deployed on Google Cloud or in on-premises environments.
5 – Deploying APPS or PAAS

One of the greatest advantages of cloud computing lies in the ease of deploying applications.
AWS
AWS offers several app deployment options including Container Service, Elastic Beanstalk Lambda, Batch, and Batch. They offer fewer features than Azure for app hosting.
Azure
Microsoft has used its vast knowledge of developer tools

It can be difficult to compare these cloud giants with so many features and services. This comparison will show you how Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud IaaS, and PaaS platforms stack up against each other.
We’ll discuss seven factors to consider before you choose a cloud provider that suits your business.

Comparing AWS Vs. Azure Vs. Google
Amazon Web Services, the oldest and most established public cloud provider, has been leading the IaaS market ever since 2006. AWS boasts a greater global cloud network and broader service portfolio than any other cloud vendor.
Despite AWS’s dominance in the market, Microsoft has seen rapid growth under the “cloud first” strategy of Satya Nadella. Microsoft Azure is a great cloud option for companies who already rely on Microsoft-centric IT infrastructures.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) has recently helped Internet giant Google climb into the top three. Google Cloud is distinguished by its deep investments in machine learning and analytics.
Let’s look at the offerings of AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud in seven different categories.
Features and ServicesCompute CapabilitiesExisting Customer BaseHybrid Cloud and Legacy AppsDeploying Apps and PaaSOpen Source Developer CapabilitiesPricingServices140+ cloud servicesOn par with AWS75+ cloud servicesRegions19 global regions54 global regions18 global regionsComputeEC2Virtual MachinesCompute EngineHybridHybrid support through partnerships with on-premises providersComprehensive hybrid cloud support and capabilitiesRecently introduced hybrid cloud support in 2018PaaSOffers app deployment solutions but lacks in app hostingExtensive app deployment and hosting servicesIncludes developer tools but has fewer PaaS capabilitiesOpen-SourceContributes to Linux, Kubernetes & moreRecently acquired GitHubLeads in open-source capabilities. Created over 2,000 open source projectsExisting CustomersExpedia, Netflix, Airbnb, NewsCorp, Aon, Channel 4, Dow Jones, NikeAdobe, HP, NBC News, Boeing, easyJetTarget, 20th Century Fox, Twitter, PayPal, BloombergPricingPer-second billing for EC2 and several other servicesPer-second billing on container instances onlyPer-second billing (one-minute minimum)Price CalculatorPrice CalculatorPrice Calculator

1. Services and Features
The key to choosing the right cloud provider is your business’s needs, wants, and workloads.
AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud offer similar basic capabilities. All three offer the same public cloud services, including self service and instant provisioning, autoscaling and security.
AWS is more popular than its competitors and offers the most comprehensive range of services. Amazon’s 140 cloud services include everything you need, including compute, storage, networking, and developer tools.
Azure’s services are almost identical to AWS. Google Cloud offers fewer cloud service options than its competitors in security and DevOps, but is more competitive in machine learning and analytics.
All three providers are open to partnerships and allow customers access to external apps and services within their cloud environments. Google, for example, has formed partnerships with Pivotal, Rackspace, and SAP.

2. Compute Capabilities
Computing is the key to building and running an organization. The right compute services will enable you to efficiently develop and deploy your applications and workloads.
AWS EC2
Elastic Compute Cloud is AWS’s main compute offering. EC2 provides a variety of configurations for different uses, including big data and enterprise applications, as well as migrations from on-premises environments. AWS also offers related services such as Elastic Beanstalk to deploy apps and AWS Lambda to run code.
Azure Virtual Machines
Azure’s compute services center around Azure Virtual Machines. These machines allow you to provision Linux or Windows VMs in a matter of seconds. You can also use Azure tools like Cloud Services, App Services, and Functions to quickly create and deploy cloud applications.
Google Compute Engine
Google’s scalable Compute Engine provides VMs in Google data centers. Compute Engine’s VMs are fast to boot, have persistent disk storage, and can be used for any workload.
3. Existing customer base
While a high-profile customer base should not be the main reason you choose a cloud provider for your business, it can help you understand how others in your industry are benefiting from the cloud.
AWS has traditionally taken on large enterprise deals such as Expedia and Airbnb. Azure also boasts some well-knowncustomersincluding Adobe, HP and NBC News.
Google has found its niche with smaller cloud-native startups. However, they have also taken on larger companies in recent years like Target, 20th Century Fox and PayPal.
These large companies often use multi-cloud approaches to get the best out of different cloud providers. An example: A company may choose Google Cloud for its analytics or ML capabilities, but partner with AWS and Azure for large-scale compute requirements.
4. Hybrid Cloud and Legacy Apps
Many companies delay cloud migration because they still rely on legacy apps. Not all companies have the ability to create new apps in the cloud environment. You should choose a cloud provider that has strong hybrid cloud capabilities if you still rely on older apps or prefer to keep sensitive information in onsite data centers.
AWS
Amazon has always dismissed the benefits of using on-premises applications. However, they have recently made a greater effort towards hybrid cloud support. AWS has partnerships with vendors such as Intel, SAP, and VMware to allow you to run your enterprise applications on AWS.
Azure
Azure provides the best support and capabilities to hybrid clouds. It offers all the tools that you need to create modern apps, unify DevOps, and streamline identity management

2014 was a year that seemed to have seen an inexorable stream of cyberthreats, data breaches and has impacted retailers, banks and gaming networks, governments, and many other organizations.
Although the calendar year is coming to an end, we can still expect cyber threats to grow in severity, complexity, and size. Steve Durbin, managing Director of the Information Security Forum (ISF), says that cyber threats will continue to increase. Durbin is a non-profit association that assesses security issues and manages risk for its members.
Durbin says that the ISF sees five security trends leading 2015 and beyond.
Durbin states, “There’s not a lot that’s really new.” “What’s new is the increase of complexity and sophistication.”
1. Cybercrime
Durbin states that the Internet is becoming a more attractive hunting ground for terrorists, activists, and criminals who want to make money, get noticed and cause disruption or even bring down governments and corporations through online attacks.
Cybercriminals today mainly operate from the former Soviet countries. They are highly skilled and have modern tools. Durbin says that they often use 21st-century tools to combat 20th-century systems.
Durbin states, “In 2014, we saw cybercriminals demonstrate a higher level of collaboration amongst them and a greater degree of technical competence that caught many large organisations unawares.”
He says that organizations must be prepared for the unexpected in 2015 to be able to withstand high-impact, unforeseen events. Cybercrime, the rise in hacktivism, the rising cost of compliance to meet the increased regulatory requirements, and the relentless advances of technology against a background of underinvestment in security departments can all create a perfect storm for the perfect threat storm. Organizations that know what their business depends on the most will be able to quantify the business case for investing in resilience and minimize the impact of the unforeseeable.
2. Privacy and Regulation. Most governments have created or are currently creating regulations that impose conditions on the use and safeguarding of Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Organizations that fail to adequately protect it will face severe penalties. Durbin says that privacy must be treated as both a compliance issue and a business risk in order to reduce regulatory penalties and business costs, such as reputational damage or loss of customers, due to privacy violations.
2015 will see organizations become more burdened by the patchwork nature regulation in the world.
Durbin states that there are increasing plans to regulate the collection, storage, and use of information. He also mentions severe penalties for data loss and breach notification, especially in the European Union. “This will continue to develop further, imposing an overhead regulatory management above the security function and necessary including legal, HR, and Board level input.”
He suggests that organizations should use the EU’s data breach regulation and privacy regulation struggles as a gauge of their own capabilities and plan accordingly.
He says, “Regulators and governments want to get involved.” This is putting organizations under greater pressure. They must have the resources to respond, and they must be aware of what’s happening. You will make more use of your in-house counsel if you have it. If you don’t have in-house counsel, there will be a cost.

3. Threats from Third-Party Suppliers Supply chains are an essential component of any organization’s global business operations. They are the backbone of today’s global economy. Durbin states that security chiefs around the world are becoming more concerned about how open their organizations are to many risk factors. Suppliers often have access to sensitive and valuable information. When that information is shared, it can lead to loss of direct control. This increases the risk of information being lost or stolen, and can also lead to a loss of confidentiality, integrity, or availability.
Even seemingly innocuous connections could be used as a vector for attack. Target was hacked by attackers who exploited a web service application that the HVAC vendor used for submitting invoices.
Durbin states that third-party providers will continue being under pressure from targeted attacks over the next year and will not be able provide assurance of data confidentiality and integrity over the next year. Organizations of all sizes should consider the consequences of suppliers having unintentional, but potentially harmful, access to their intellectual property and customer or employee information. This thinking should not be limited to distribution partners or manufacturing partners. This thinking should include your professional service suppliers, your lawyers, and accountants, who all have frequent access to your most valuable data assets.
Durbin also stated that infosec specialists should be closely supervised by those responsible for contracting services in order to do thorough due diligence on possible arrangements.
He says that it is crucial that organizations have business continuity plans in place to increase resilience and senior management confidence in their functions’ abilities. A well-structured supply chain information risks assessment approach can help to break down a daunting project into manageable parts. This method should not be supplier-centric and should be information-driven. It should be scalable and repeatable throughout the enterprise.
4. Trends in the Workplace: BYOx The bring-yourself (BYOx) trend is here to stay, Durbin states. However, few organizations have created good policies to deal with it.
“As employees bring mobile devices to work, applications are becoming more popular.”