The idea that we are all connected via some ethereal or other unknown plane is a belief held by metaphysical enthusiasts and religions all around the world. There is something to be said about the interconnectivity of the human spirit and experience.
The Magic
In light of technological breakthroughs, we have broken through beliefs or magic and stumbled into an age of digital connection and interconnectivity on a massive scale.
Since I have been anointed (that is not a typo) with the title of futurist, I have made it a point to spend time observing people’s (and my own) use of technology on a day-to-day basis. The obvious observation is the explosive popularity of the smartphone, with its tendrils that sneak into every facet of our senses. We have applications (apps) and wearables that track our heart rates and blood oxygen levels; apps that track what we eat, our moods, our sleep cycles; and anything else that dives into the figurative and actual viscera of what makes us who we are. We can spit in a vial, send it off to a lab and, four to six weeks later, have a mapping of our genetic makeup paired with a list of markers that indicate our strengths, weaknesses and lineage. Internet of Things (IoT) devices track our every movement and surrounding environments, giving us peace of mind that everything is “OK.” The cloud houses the data acquired from our physical world via these devices and processes, where machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms attempt to figure out what is going to happen next.
We wake up. Our wrist wearables tell us how well we slept. The lights turn on in our houses automatically and the thermostat sets the temperature to our liking. Our home hub devices tell us what our day looks like and start to play our favorite news broadcast. Our smartphones tell us that if we order our coffee now, it will be ready by the time we pass our favorite coffee establishment on our way to work. Our smartphones then tell us there is a five-minute delay on our way to work due to an accident and suggests an alternate route, changing our very routine behavior. We can walk into an establishment that accepts cryptocurrency and, literally, buy a physical object with nothing more than a group of ones and zeros derived from an algorithm. The tangible of the intangible is palpable. And the cycle starts again.
Emerging technologies have already found their way into our lives and have truly built a network of interconnectivity with all of us on a very personal level.
The Magicians
And, in the middle of all the buzzwords, cryptocurrency fear of missing out (FOMO) hype and privacy concerns in which these new technologies are shrouded stand the IT architects, cybersecurity professionals, IT support staff, governance professionals and everyone in between. We attempt to implement, secure and support these new interconnecting technologies as they are created and as they become popular and lucrative and, in some cases, turn into necessities for day-today business. While none of these new age magicians is the alchemist who created the magic, this guild is tasked with implementation, interoperability, privacy and security of this new form of interconnection. These professionals are asked to do what seems impossible when implementing a new technology into a somewhat stable environment. Connecting seemingly unrelated devices that speak totally different languages and making them user friendly is quite the magic trick.
The Trick
It can sometimes seem like emerging technologies are just rebranded old technologies with a gimmick. The cloud is just a reboot of mainframe architecture. IoT devices can be seen as just programmable integrated circuits with connectivity. Blockchain is viewed as another database with some extra metadata. While there are some truths to these claims, if we step back and look at these technologies holistically, we get a much clearer picture of their future potential. An IoT device that turns a light on and off is pretty boring on its own, but combining that device with a home automation device, the cloud and some ML algorithms creates a smart home or office capable of making our lives easier and, possibly, even healthier.
WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU NEED TO DO TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE TECHNOLOGY SHOULD BE DONE, BECAUSE AN ACTIVE EMPHASIS ON CONTINUAL LEARNING AS AN IT PROFESSIONAL MAY BE THE MOST VALUABLE TRICK OF ALL.
The trick is not necessarily to find the potential of one emerging technology, but to figure out how these technologies can help us interact with our physical world and connect us in long-lasting and high-impact ways. This requires a certain amount of dedication to the craft and, while expertise in all forms of emerging technology may not be necessary, a working understanding of blockchain, IoT, AI, etc., must be achieved. There are many ways to pursue technology proficiency and mastery. In my case, starting up a container with Hyperledger or opening up a smart device and soldering a serial connection to it and doing some hands-on exploring helps me understand the underlying technology. This approach may be too “in the weeds” for many. If you are a process person, looking into flowcharts, frameworks and theory- or data-driven processes may be your preferred modus operandi. Whatever it is that you need to do to get a better understanding of the technology should be done, because an active emphasis on continual learning as an IT professional may be the most valuable trick of all.
The Curtain Call
The truth is that the magic involved in emerging technologies and their functions has much more to do with science and engineering. To the end user, this functionality, of course, appears as something magic or otherworldly until it breaks or their personal data are stolen in a breach or cybersecurity event. This fall from astonishing convenience to loss of privacy and security makes the crash to reality all the more painful for the user. Conveying the idea of security awareness to end users to help mitigate some of these pitfalls is paramount. We security practitioners not only need to change the behavior of end users, but also the culture surrounding technologies.
“Patter” is the story a magician tells during a magic trick. This narrative brings the entertainment to life and adds a little more wonder to the prestige, or finale. It also distracts the audience from any sleight of hand or trick. This new form of digital interconnectivity that we all have is truly wonderful and groundbreaking, but we need to be wary of the patter, the narrative we tell ourselves and our users about it while, hopefully, not removing too much of the perceived magic from the experience. Because what’s the fun in that?
Dustin Brewer, CSX-P, CCSP, CEH, CHFI
Is ISACA’s principal futurist, a role in which he explores and produces
content for the ISACA® community on the utilization benefits and possible
threats to current infrastructure posed by emerging technologies. He has
17 years of experience in the IT field beginning with networks, programming
and hardware specialization. He excelled in cybersecurity while serving in
the US military and, later, as an independent contractor and lead developer
for defense contract agencies, he specialized in computer networking
security, penetration testing, and training for various US Department of
Defense (DoD) and commercial entities. Brewer can be reached at
futures@isaca.org.