PrintIT issue48

ISF GDPR guide The Information Security Forum (ISF) has released a GDPR Implementation Guide outlining best practice for introducing a compliance program. The new guide builds on the recently released ISF digest, Preparing for the General Data Protection Regulation , which summarises the main requirements of the new legislation and lists the concerns an organisation needs to address to be ready for GDPR. www.securityforum.org CompTIA updates cyber security exam CompTIA, a provider of vendor- neutral skills certifications for the IT workforce, has updated its CompTIA Security+ certification exam to reflect the increased responsibilities of cybersecurity professionals. The new version of CompTIA Security+ (SY0-501) places greater emphasis on a security professional’s ability to identify and address security threats, attacks and vulnerabilities. Now in its fifth iteration, CompTIA Security+ was introduced in 2002, since when 430,000 individuals have achieved certification. BULLETIN 8 PRINT.IT 01732 759725 The free Adobe Scan app uses AI and machine learning to help users find documents, receipts, business cards and other items captured with a smartphone. Adobe Sensei technology analyses all the photos in a camera roll and picks out those that match what the user is looking for (i.e. an image of a text document). Items can also be searched for by name and date. Social media a vital sales tool Sales people on both side of the Atlantic are turning to social media to prepare for meetings and to find out more about their prospects’ likes and interests, claims a new report sponsored by SugarCRM. The SalesTech Report from CITE Research reveals that when it comes to preparing for meetings most sales people refer to LinkedIn (cited by 64%), followed by company websites (63%), Google (61%), Facebook (53%) and Twitter (34%). Millennial employees (18-34 year olds) are more likely to use both Facebook (59%) and Twitter (41%), while older employees (55+ years) prefer to use LinkedIn (76%) and a company website (83%). The report states that social media has become a vital tool for sales professionals, with 72% spending 30 minutes or more on it every day for research purposes. Nearly half (49%) use it for at least 45 minutes a day. Larry Augustin, CEO of SugarCRM, said: “These findings prove how intrinsic social media has become to both our personal and professional lives. Consumers are engaging with these channels every day, so it’s only right that the business world keeps pace and stays relevant through their own practices. Of course, there is a fine line between gathering insight and intrusion, so information gathered via social media should be worked into conversations strategically.” www.sugarcrm.com Digital skills shortage bites More than half (54%) of businesses believe they are losing competitive advantage due to a shortage of digital talent. Yet, less than half have increased training budgets to develop employees’ skills in areas such as advanced analytics, automation, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. In a survey of 1,200 executives and employees carried out by Capgemini and LinkedIn for their report, The Digital Talent Gap – Are Companies Doing Enough? , 29% of employees said that their skill set is already redundant or will be in the next 2 years. More than half (58%) of those with digital skills say they are likely to gravitate towards businesses that offer better digital skills development. www.capgemini.com Virtual assistants are fine – as long as they know their place Far from fearing the effects of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, 66% UK office workers are looking forward to having an AI-powered virtual assistant to share their workload, according to a new study by Adobe. The top tasks that professionals want AI assistance with include reminders of projects or appointments (46%), help with research on a work topic (36%) and searches of electronic documents for information (30%). However, just 16% are willing to use AI for suggestions on written content or creative ideas; just 16% would use it for feedback on the tone or style of emails and longer documents; and only 10% would welcome advice from AI on how to grow their professional network. Almost nine out of 10 respondents (87%) expect their job to change in the next five years due to advances in technology. However, more than two thirds (68%) believe their existing role will continue to require human capabilities that can’t be replaced by technology. www.adobe.com AI jobs a struggle to fill UK firms are struggling to fill AI job roles due to a paucity of candidates with the right skills, warns job site Indeed. Its analysis shows that the number of jobs in artificial intelligence (AI) has risen by 485% in the last three years and that in the last quarter there were 2.3 AI vacancies per applicant with the right qualifications. Mariano Mamertino, EMEA Economist at Indeed, said: “Employers in every sector are keen to utilise artificial intelligence and need workers with the right skills to fill these roles. Our data shows that competition for this shallow pool of candidates is fierce, with the number of available roles outstripping potential new hires.” He added: “The AI sector is likely to keep growing as the potential for the widespread application of the technology across different industries becomes clearer. Investing in education and the right skills needed to propel the industry forward will be key to its growth in the coming years.” www.indeed.com ByCapgeminiDigitalTransformation Institute Digital Transformation Institute Are Companies Doing Enough? The Digital Talent Gap Mariano Mamertino