Old tech meets new tech
A student’s project to help refugees led to the creation of a hand-cranked washing machine called the Divya. Designed by Nav Sawhney, the machine does not require electricity and can be used for washing and spin drying. It aims to alleviate the struggles of families living in refugee camps and poor communities. The project is expanding with support from organizations like Oxfam and Electrocomponents, and pilot projects are now being launched in different locations.
Diversity
barbarajonesnelson.blogspot.com/2021/08/york-statue-of-black-man-that-was-built.html In February, this year (2021) I wrote an article about a statue that mysteriously appeared in a forested area in Mt. Tabor Park in Portland Oregon, USA. It was a statue of a black man, the first African American to cross North America and reach the Pacific Ocean. The man’s name was York. He was the slave of William Clark “an enslaved member of the Lewis and Clark expedition.” York was forced to take part in the Corps of Discovery Expedition 1804 – 1806 to find an all water route to the Pacific. No one in the community knew how the bust of Clark got there. What was even more peculiar was that the statue of the black man, York, replaced one that was toppled – one of a white man, named Harvey Scott. What was the reason why Scott’s statue was removed? “Because of his (Scott’s) past conservative views on women’s suffrage, which he opposed.” York’s statue was not popular with everyone in the community, not at all! Some months ago, a white woman used “purple spray paint to deface the statue.” “The latest act of vandalism is incredibly disappointing for me, and I’m sure the majority of Portlanders will miss seeing York at the top of Mt. Tabor,” Adena Long the Portland Parks and Recreation Director said. The incident took place sometime Tuesday night (July 27, 2021) or early Wednesday morning (July 28, 2021). On this occasion – the second time that the statue was vandalized, the bust of York was torn from the pedestal KOIN News6 reported. Adena Long commented that “the numerous racist responses to the memorial of a black man forced to participate in the Corps of Discovery Expedition have not been a surprise.” Not only was the bust torn from its pedestal, “it was significantly damaged.” On Wednesday, July 28, 2021 “the shattered bust of York was cleaned up and cleared from the area” CBS News reported. #year #2021 #statue #forested #taborpark #portland #oregon #usa #blackman #african
Why a career in Cyber Security could be the right choice for you.
By Christopher Nelson MBA, CISSP, PMP, ITIL Expert CSPO. As cyber and data breaches continue to grow exponentially, corporations continue to depend on cybersecurity professionals to detect threats and protect sensitive data. Experts predict that the demand for cybersecurity specialist will continue to grow as the industry is opening many opportunities for beginners and professionals who want to enter this exciting field. Careers in cybersecurity may be demanding, but at the same time satisfying. The primary objective is to safeguard an organization’s critical data from being lost or damaged by an attack. Currently there are billions of devices connected to the internet that are changing the way we work and live. Gartner, the global research firm estimates that there are over 3.8 billion devices connected to the internet. These range from heart monitors, door locks, refrigerators to phones, computers, tablets and servers. Although the career paths in cybersecurity differ with each person, research indicates that there are key hard and soft skills which support this career choice. For positions in cybersecurity, candidates are required to have the following soft skills:• Attention to detail.• Creative and technical problem solving.• Peaceful disposition in times of trouble.• Ability to be a team player.• Desire for additional skills and information.• Be an enthusiastic listener.• Good verbal and written communication.• A curious and investigative mind. Hard skills required include the following:• Understand the basics of programing or scripting language.• Knowledge of computers.• The ability to discuss technical topics in plain words.• Learn a cybersecurity sub-category and become a specialist.• Be skilled in the tools used for attacks and security frameworks.• Investigative, regulatory and evidence gathering techniques. There are many career paths to explore, and the roles identified are some of the best career options: • Security Engineer• Consultant and Business Owner• Developer and Pentester• CISO/CISSP• Security Analyst• Cybersecurity Project Manager• Cybersecurity Lawyer• Security Architect• Cybersecurity Sales Many people who work in the industry have a job that is secure as compared to other industries. This is because employment opportunities for information security analysts will grow by an amazing 28 percent from 2016 to 2026 and experts believe that with threats increasing every day, there may be 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs globally by 2021. The benefit of learning or switching to a career in cybersecurity is that people from similar fields who are already proficient in technology and those with a non-technical background can transition if they build on their hard or soft skills. The question is which cybersecurity certification and path is best for you? There is no clear choice when selecting a career path or certification and everyone’s journey will be different, but three factors should be taken into consideration: • Which skills and qualifications that you currently hold can be transitioned to cyber security? • At what level are you in your current career? Is it Entry, Mid – Senior or Executive? • What are you enthusiastic about or hoping to accomplish? This means that if you have skills that can be transitioned such as investigative, analytical, project management or regulatory, then the change could be easier. Those with no technical or cybersecurity experience could explore Security+ or Network+ which will provide a more in-depth view of cybersecurity. Before an individual makes that final decision to get into the industry, it is important to note that whereas most organizations have identified information security as an important risk to the success of their business, it also does not guarantee that it is their primary focus. It is a competitive industry with incredibly talented people who demonstrate new ways to protect organizations. At the end of the day, your experience is the number one quality that organizations are looking for and this does not mean you must have 5 to 10 years of cybersecurity experience. It means bringing 100% effort to work every day, doing it well and getting the challenging work done.
Forgiveness by Barbara Nelson
“You must forgive everyone who has ever hurt you if you want to be forgiven yourself.”