Forget Software - Now Hackers are Exploiting Physics

Greetings,

At PCATT, we hear about the "skills gap" a lot. Why don't you teach __________? Fill in the blank with any topic you can think of; that's the skills gap they perceive. We've wrestled with this. How do we meet the training needs of our community? Everyone wants different topics at different times on different days. Liz Ryan, contributing writer for Forbes, addresses The Most Serious Skill Gap of All. It's teaching people how to manage their own careers like entrepreneurs. What do you think?

Beryl Morimoto

Program Manager

The Fourth Industrial Revolution

" We stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another. In its scale, scope, and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before."

- Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum

The "Fourth Industrial Revolution" combines digital, physical, and biological systems and provides challenges and opportunities at a speed not ever experienced. If you have 11:34 minutes, watch the video contained in this article . Give thought to how we can create our future with technology and the potential of our human capacity.

CEOs of The Fourth Industrial Revolution

Will Chief Executive Officers be able to manage in the new environment? According to a survey conducted by Juniper Networks published in June 2016, 90% of 1,800 IT respondents say their company performance would be improved if their "C-Suite" was more tech-savvy. Read what Mike Marcellin, Juniper Networks, has to say about skills CEOs will need to manage the business shift driven by technology.

How the DoD Develops a State-of-the-Art Cyber Training Program

Frank DiGiovanni , Director of force training in the Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness, came away from DEF CON with this insight: More than technical capabilities, security experts cited skillsets for the "cyber-Jedi archetype" to be creativity, curiosity, resourcefulness, persistence, and teamwork. The first step for the DoD is to select the right people to fill 6,200 positions. Next comes training that develops both offensive and defensive security skills. Read more.

"Forget Software - Now Hackers are Exploiting Physics"

If regular hacking isn't scary enough, a new hacking technique hammers a row of transistors in its DRAM flash memory until electric charge leaks to an adjacent row, thus the name "Rowhammer". The leak causes a bit flip giving privileged access to the computer's operating system. Other malware utilizes sound to transmit stolen data or monitors radio emissions for similar purposes. Bottom line - software updates are useless. Andy Greenberg's article from Wired will give you the details.

PCATT Quick Tip for Game Developers

Monir Hodges is a Software Engineer and Professor at Honolulu Community College - PCATT. She is also a Webmaster and technology advisor with regards to software solutions and leading edge technology training at PCATT. One of many topic areas that Monir teaches is gaming and animation. She shares a quick tip for people interested in keeping up with the game development community.

Envision Strategize Actualize

Those of us who attended "Envision Strategize Actualize, Thought Leaders' Perspectives on How Technology Can Transform Hawaii" in August all agree it was an invigorating environment with ideas exchanged and the promise of more to come. We will be having follow-up discussions before the next event to which you are all invited. Watch for the announcement here.

"10 Reasons a Degree Alone is No Longer Enough"

In case you need to convince yourself to study to get certified, here are ten reasons. We're not taking anything away from pursuing a college or advanced degree. At PCATT, we think a combination of experience, education, and training are best.

Keep Learning

"I'm asking you to remember one thing for the rest of your life: Always be learning. Always be growing. Education is a process, not an event. It's a marathon, not a sprint. It's a lifestyle, not an exercise."

- From Guy Kawasaki's graduation speech, Woodside Priory, May 28, 2016

Here are PCATT courses currently in progress and coming up this year. UH Maui College has a course on getting started with drones and Honolulu Community Collegehas a new WordPress for Blah blah blah. I'll say something about the new WordPress for Website Administrators course. Explore other training options from around the University of Hawaii community college continuing education programs.

And Finally...

Hold on to your wallets. These are cool tech things you can actually buy now. I like the electric wheel that turns your bicycle into an electric bicycle. Now all I have to do is learn to ride. Regular readers of the PCATT eZine know we end with something off-beat. Hope you enjoy this.