In today’s workplace, constant innovation makes it critical for employees to keep up with the latest technologies and applications. Want to excel at your job and lay the groundwork for future promotions?
Check out these five e-courses from LinkedIn Learning, part of the LinkedIn platform. Each course is available for a monthly site membership fee, with no extra costs necessary. I have been a loyal user of both LinkedIn Learning and its predecessor Lynda.com for over ten years and can personally attest to the quality of their educational offerings. So, with instruction on the blockchain, cloud computing, UX, and more, these five courses will help you fast-track yourself for future success!

1. Blockchain Basics
Instructor: Jonathan Reichental, Ph.D.
Do you work in business leadership positions, data science, or IT management? Curious about blockchain technology? This quick one-hour e-course will introduce you to the improvements in security and efficiency that blockchain databases represent. Learn about the history of blockchain technology, practical applications, and risks of blockchain innovation.

2. Learning Cloud Computing: Core Concepts
Instructor: David Linthicum, Deloitte Consulting
Looking to explore the potentialities of cloud computing? Take an hour and 44 minutes to watch this course, which will introduce you to the tools you need to take advantage of cloud computing opportunities. Find out what Saas, laaS, and PaaS are, learn about the data and applications necessary to move to the cloud, and explore the essentials of cloud monitoring, management, and security.

3.) Learning Data Analytics
Instructor: Robin Hunt, developer and educator
This 90-minute course introduces basic concepts to those who work with data, both analysts and non-analysts alike. It begins by defining data analytics and the role of data analysts. Following this, it teaches you how to work with data sets and follow best practices for data analytics projects. Finally, it covers advanced techniques for repurposing, charting, and pivoting data and top shortcut and troubleshooting tips.

4.) Artificial Intelligence Foundations: Machine Learning
Instructor: Doug Rose
As one of the most promising fields in artificial intelligence, machine learning can be beneficial in interpreting and organizing data, programming computers, and even discovering new frontiers in science. This 77-minute course teaches you how to work with data and apply machine learning principles, as well as identify different types of machine learning and machine learning applications.

5.) Getting Started In User Experience
Instructor: Chris Nodder
Want to improve the customer experience on your e-commerce website or web interface? This 41-minute micro-course introduces you to the elements of user experience (UX) – including design, research, strategy, development, interactive and visual design, content, accessibility, localization, and data science. Learn about various UX career paths, the practical skills required by employers, and typical job profiles.

Here are the steps to set yourself up with LinkedIn Learning:

1. Go to the LinkedIn Home Pag
   
2. If you are not a LinkedIn member, click on the “Join Now” button in the upper-right of the screen, and set up your membership.
   
3. If you are a member, sign in, and on the Account & Settings page, click the yellow “Upgrade” button to bring up the premium account options.
   
4. Click the “Sign Up” button for the premium level to which you want to upgrade.

For better and for worse, our lives have been revolutionized by the internet. But a new high-tech innovation known as 5G is set to transform everything once again.

The internet plays a pivotal role in our lives, thanks to broadband piped through our homes. But 'fifth generation' 5G will take this a giant step forward.

It will enable mobile phones to use wireless broadband that matches the best fiber optic speeds. We will be able to rip out old phone lines and internet cables that clutter the house – and instead use mobile reception for all our needs.

Experts believe 5G will lead to an explosion of new 'smart' gadgets that talk to our mobile phones through more reliable superfast signals – offering everything from fridge cameras that order groceries when the contents are running low, to robot chauffeurs that can take us around in a self-driving car.

The possibilities of this connection of gadgets – known as the ‘Internet of Things' (IoT) – seem almost limitless.

The 5G technology will start by making pin-sharp video phone calls the norm so we can ditch our landlines if we haven't already.

And with broadband download speeds of perhaps 200 Megabits per second (Mbps) – which is more than four times faster than the current average home broadband speed – the technology will also help us economize and be more secure.

Smartphone apps controlled by 5G will monitor our heating and lights – turning gadgets off when not needed – while providing 24-hour security with cameras viewed from our phones.

Get It to Everyone. But all of the good that is forecast for 5G will only happen when 5G is available to everyone.  In the UK, where 5G is moving more quickly than in the U.S., Ernest Doku, a technology expert at comparison website uSwitch, said, “5G has the potential to transform the way we live – but at this stage, it is no silver bullet as we still need to ensure everyone has access to the connection before it can change the world.”

Last year, it started was rolled out in several major cities though connectivity was still small and patchy. And you need an expensive new smartphone such as the Samsung Galaxy S10 to gain access.

So far, Apple devices cannot connect to the 5G network, and the revolution cannot begin in earnest until they do – which may happen when the latest iPhone models come out in September.

Beware New Malware. New 5G technology offers an exciting opportunity to improve our networks – but it also opens a new door for fraudsters.

One of the critical concerns is the threat of so-called ‘stingrays.’ This is where a criminal intercepts your mobile signal with a copycat aerial that tricks it into sharing encrypted identifying data about the phone.

Using this information, the fraudster knows what handset you are using, can track your exact whereabouts, and might even be able to hack into your phone operating system’s software.

Cybersecurity expert Colin Tankard, of Digital Pathways, said, “The public needs to be aware of the dangers of this new technology – and with more gadgets being hooked up to 5G, it increases the risk of problems if you should get hacked.”

Tankard believes those that embrace 5G must ensure they add a layer of security to their smartphones by downloading ‘virtual private network’ (VPN) software on to their handsets via an app and using a subscription service. 

Doku says: “Although it may be exciting to be among the first people to embrace this new technology, prices for 5G phones and access to the 5G network should both fall if you hold on for at least 12 months.”

Also, as a newbie, you may initially be disappointed as national coverage is still poor, and the number of gadgets connecting to 5G is limited.
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But the potential for 5G to transform the way we live and manage our homes is really exciting.

In the UK, all Internet of Things (IoT) and smart consumer devices will need to adhere to specific security requirements, under new government proposals.

The legislation aims is to help protect citizens and businesses from the threats posed by cybercriminals increasingly targeting Internet of Things devices.

By hacking IoT devices, cybercriminals can build an army of devices that can be used to conduct DDoS attacks to take down online services, while poorly secured IoT devices can also serve as an easy way for hackers to get into networks and other systems across a network.

The proposed measures from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have been developed in conjunction with the UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and come following a consultation period with information security experts, product manufacturers and retailers and others.

"Our new law will hold firms manufacturing and selling internet-connected devices to account and stop hackers threatening people's privacy and safety," said Matt Warman, minister for digital and broadband at DCMS.

They also follow on from the previously suggested voluntary best practice requirements. Still, the legislation would require that IoT devices sold in the UK must follow three particular rules to be allowed to sell products in the UK. They are:

• All consumer internet-connected device passwords must be unique and not resettable to any universal factory setting.
• Manufacturers of consumer IoT devices must provide a public point of contact so anyone can report a vulnerability, and it will be acted on promptly.
• Manufacturers of consumer IoT devices must explicitly state the minimum length of time for which the device will receive security updates at the point of sale, either in-store or online.

It is currently unclear how these rules will be enforced under any future law. While the government has said that its "ambition" is to introduce legislation in this area, and said this would be done "as soon as possible," there is no detail on when this would take place. A DCMS spokesperson said that the department would be working with retailers and manufacturers as the proposals move forward.

Many connected devices are shipped with simple, default passwordswhich in many cases can't be changed. At the same time, some IoT product manufacturers often lack a means of being contacted to report vulnerabilities – especially if that device is produced on the other side of the world.

In addition to this, it's been known for IoT products to stop receiving support from manufacturers suddenly, and by providing an exact length of time that devices will be supported will allow users to think about how secure the product will be in the long-term.

If products don't follow these rules, the new law proposes that these devices could potentially be banned from sale in the UK.

"Whilst the UK Government has previously encouraged industry to adopt a voluntary approach, it is now clear that decisive action is needed to ensure that strong cybersecurity is built into these products by design," said Warman.

"Our new law will hold firms manufacturing and selling internet-connected devices to account and stop hackers from threatening people's privacy and safety. It will mean robust security standards are built-in from the design stage and not bolted on as an afterthought," he added.

"Smart technology is increasingly central to the way we live our lives, so the development of this legislation to ensure that we are better protected is hugely welcomed," said Nicola Hudson, Policy and Communications Director at the NCSC.

"It will give shoppers increased peace of mind that the technology they are bringing into their homes is safe, and that issues such as pre-set passwords and sudden discontinuation of security updates are a thing of the past."
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The UK isn't alone in attempting to secure the Internet of Things – ENISA, the European Union's cybersecurity agency, is also working towards legislation in this area. At the same time, the US government is also looking to regulate IoT to protect against cyber-attacks.

The Smart Home market is currently badly fragmented because each vendor has been focusing on creating a separate ecosystem with devices that are difficult or impossible to connect with those of their competitors.
This situation may be about to end with the announcement of a new project called Project Connected Home over IP.

In a surprising move, Amazon, Apple, Google, along with the Zigbee Alliance have announced a joint effort to define a new standard that would remove those barriers by increasing interoperability and simplifying development for smart device manufacturers. They will join Zigbee Alliance members such as IKEA, NXP Semiconductors, Samsung SmartThings, Schneider Electric, and Signify in contributing to a project that aims to increase trust and adoption of smart things.

The new project is essentially a way to certify that whatever smart device you buy will work with your existing home setup and connect with your smartphone or voice assistant of choice. In other words, it will allow smart things to speak a common language, so they know what the other devices do and how to interact with them, hopefully, governed by better, end-to-end security and privacy protections.

The success of this project hinges on the idea that if companies build their products to connect using Internet Protocol-based technologies, it will be easier for consumers to invest in building up mixed ecosystems that are "secure, reliable, and seamless to use."

The companies involved will take an open-source approach, so each will bring some of their smart home technologies to the table so that a common protocol can be developed as quickly as possible with relatively lower costs. That includes Amazon's Alexa, Apple's HomeKit and Siri, Zigbee's Dotdot, and Google Weave and Thread.

Once that new standard is ready, it will work alongside existing connectivity standards such as Wi-Fi, cellular, and Bluetooth Low Energy. A logo on the boxes of smart things will make it easy for consumers to discern what devices are guaranteed to work with each other, and this should also make things easier for manufacturers who no longer need to worry about which standards to support. Similarly, developers will be able to follow a standard for "lifecycle events such as provisioning/onboarding, removal, error recovery, and software update."

Before you get too excited about the new development, keep in mind that a preliminary draft will be completed by the end of 2020, so we'll probably have to wait until at least 2021 to see this project bear fruit. And be ready to buy new smart things if you want these benefits, as existing ones won't necessarily be able to work with the new protocol.
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The new industry group will initially focus on physical safety products like smart locks, gas sensors, smoke alarms, security cameras, smart electrical plugs, and thermostats. Then they'll move on to cover most other smart home and commercial devices.