Privacy - The Rise in Demand - Capitol Technology University (Since 1927 Located Near Washington D.C.)

Direct Link: https://www.captechu.edu/privacytheriseindemand

By Dr. Jason M. Pittman, Sc.D

The demand for privacy is at an all-time high. Worldwide, web search traffic suggests that people are more interested in privacy today than they were ten years ago.
While the United States is a hotbed for privacy, largely because of the revelations by government whistleblower Edward Snowden, other countries are also demonstrating a surge in privacy demand. Interest in privacy has risen more than 10% in Germany, 15% in France, and in the Netherlands; the trend towards privacy demand has skyrocketed higher than 50% in the past ten years. Yet, this growth in demand is not the entire story.

The demand for privacy has also become much more specific. That is not to say that privacy as a concept was not well defined or understood, but rather that the need for privacy was broad. This was particularly true in relation to technology.

Nowadays, however, privacy demand is laser focused and targeted towards very specific technologies. For example, whereas ten years ago the trend in privacy demand was towards the expectation of privacy, the current trend includes distinct platforms (e.g. Facebook) and technologies (e.g. VPN or virtual private network).

I feel that this increase is largely related to changes in how we perceive technology as a knowledge mediator. Ten years ago, the internet was still quite young, and information was amorphous and static. Compare that to today when information is quite precise, highly curated, and certainly dynamic. We have access to more information, faster than we did before, and so does everyone else.
However, there is a material difference between data and information. Data are pieces or points of qualitative or quantitative values. Think about GPS coordinate for a moment (which are quantitative data). Further, think about the GPS coordinates associated with each traffic light you may be stopped at on your way to work.  An individual stop along a route is a single datum in the collective data of all GPS coordinates on your way to work.

The collection of all stops then, is simply data (plural) as well. However, if we were to plot this GPS data on a map, we could trace your exact route between home and work. This- the (re)construction of the A to B route- is information. The data were analyzed and used to construct something bigger, larger. Further, if we associated a time stamp element with each GPS datum, we could know the precise length of time for your trip. This too is information.

At all times, when discussing privacy, I refer to information as opposed to unprocessed data. The demand for privacy is rooted in information. Thus, information, unlike the underlying data, is of concern for us.

What type of information is of concern, though?

While my information is unique to me and your information is unique to you, understanding why privacy is in demand necessitates consideration of three abstract qualities of information that apply to all general cases: parity of information, information as a currency, and the permanency of information.

To better understand the demand for privacy, tune in next week for my explanation of these three demand drivers.
www.CapTechU.edu

Information Assurance: get to know this high-demand field and its career opportunities - Capitol Technology University (Since 1927 Located Near Washington D.C.)

Direct Link: https://www.captechu.edu/blog/information-assurance-professional-career-path

What is Information Assurance (IA)? Very simply put, it means ensuring that the right information gets to the right people at the right time.

More specifically, the information assurance professional at a company or organization seeks to ensure five key attributes: integrity, availability, authentication, confidentiality, and non-repudiation.

Integrity. If intruders have gained access to a network and tampered with data, then the integrity of information has been compromised. Safeguarding the integrity of digital information means taking steps to prevent such breaches. Such steps can include software designed to block malware and viruses, cyber analytics tools that can track anomalies in the system, policies that regulate use of the network, and training programs for employees.

Availability. You are preparing for an important presentation to a potential partner or client. With
only days to go before the event, you discover that the files containing your presentation have disappeared from the system, or otherwise rendered inaccessible. The network administrator explains that a glitch occurred and the information is gone forever. In information assurance terms, availability of information has been compromised. As they seek to address increasingly complex security threats, information assurance professionals must also take care to ensure that vital information remains available to those who are authorized to view it.

Authentication. You leave for a two-week vacation. During that time, an assistant realizes that a file needed for a project is stored on your desktop. With no malicious intent, your colleague logs onto your system and retrieves the file – but also, in the process, gains access to other information that only you were authorized to see, such as department financials or personnel records. Organizations must have authentication methods in place that require users to verify who they are before they can gain access to information. These can include relatively simple methods such as logins and passwords, as well as more complex tools such as authentication tokens or even biometrics.

Confidentiality. “Loose lips sink ships,” warned posters that were circulated in the United States during World War 2. Casual conversation about ship movements could be overheard by enemy spies, providing the adversary with the intelligence they needed to launch an attack. In today’s information-saturated environment, confidentiality poses an even greater challenge, as communication occurs among a much wider variety of contexts, including social media – with adversaries, for instance, scanning Facebook or Instagram posts to gain intelligence or identify possible targets.

Confidentiality is no less important in civilian contexts, such as business or politics: just ask the Apple software engineer who brought an iPhone prototype to a bar, or the Democratic party strategist who took notes at a closed-door meeting – and then left them on the counter of Neil’s Outrageous, a popular Capitol Hill deli.

Non-repudiation. An employee copies sensitive data onto a flash drive, takes it home, and loads it onto his personal computer – or perhaps even shares it with a competing organization. When pressed, the employee denies having taken those actions. Does the company have a way to prove non-compliance? Particularly when classified information is involved, it can be crucial to establish beyond doubt what someone did or didn’t do, making the action impossible to deny.

Information Assurance Career Outlook and Opportunities
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, median pay for information security analysts clocks in at a robust $92,600 per year, and forecasted job growth through 2026 is 28% -- much higher than average. IA with a cybersecurity focus is a particularly powerful combination: cybersecurity professionals make $116,000 per year, on average – three times the median salary for all full time workers.

Great! How do I get started?

A degree in cybersecurity or cyber analytics can be the surest entry point into the information assurance field. Although IA covers all forms of information – not just digital – the reality is that the majority of organizational data today is now being stored electronically. The field of cybersecurity overlaps with information assurance to a significant degree, employing the same guiding principles.
A solid background in technology – specifically in computer science or information systems – is important for most IA positions today. As your career develops, you’ll also want to consider earning key certifications, such as the CISSP. Capitol’s cybersecurity programs are mapped to the CISSP and designed to give students the preparation they need in order to earn this certification.

Join one of today’s most exciting, in-demand career areas! Learn more about Capitol’s undergraduate and graduate doctoral programs in cybersecurity, cyber analytics, computer science, and management of cyber and information security.
www.CapTechU.edu

Capitol’s new president calls for career-focused education - Capitol Technology University (Since 1927 Located Near Washington D.C.)

Direct Link: https://www.captechu.edu/President%20Sims%20calls%20for%20career-focused%20education

Capitol Technology University’s new president, Dr. Bradford L Sims, is emphasizing the need for “a solid education that enables students of all ages to obtain a great career and take care of themselves and their families.”

Speaking at his formal investiture ceremony on Friday (April 20), Sims outlined plans for new programs and approaches to learning, but said Capitol would remain true to its mission of providing practical, industry-aligned education in engineering, computer and information sciences, technology, and business.

“Education as a sector has changed dramatically over the last decade, and will continue to change,” Sims said. “Fewer students pursue education purely for the joy of learning or the promise of transformation of thinking. Many more students seek a direct connection between their learning and their career objectives. Capitol Tech is well-situated to meet the goals of both today’s students and today’s industry.”

Sims drew attention to new programs being offered at Capitol at both the undergraduate and graduate level in fields that include business analytics, cyber analytics, and unmanned and autonomous systems.

He also said the university plans to expand its range of learning modalities to include asynchronous platforms, which he said would improve accessibility for working professionals, active-duty service members, and non-traditional students.

“Expanding Capitol Tech’s online learning by offering rigorous and engaging content in an asynchronous format will provide opportunity to those who cannot access the traditional model of learning,” Sims said. “Asynchronous learning will make degrees more available to our active military, working adults, and young people with career and family responsibilities that make a campus education inaccessible to them.”

Sims is the eighth president of Capitol. An educator, administrator and construction engineer, Dr. Sims has extensive experience both in academia and industry. He previously served as interim chancellor and chief academic officer at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Worldwide campus.
His presidency was officially inaugurated on Friday during a formal ceremony, in which he received the presidential robes from Board of Trustees Chairman Harvey Weiss. Speakers at the event included Board of Trustees Chairman- Elect Haden Land, professor and provost emeritus Jack Maynard of the University of Indiana, Capitol professor Sandy Antunes, student Kae’Lyn Alexander, and alumnus Herman Felder. The university seal was presented to Dr. Sims by John Dettra, a Board of Trustees member and Capitol alumnus.

University relics presented to Dr. Sims during the ceremony included a rendering of Han Solo frozen in carbonite, a photograph of the CREI class of 1942, and the pen used to sign the bill funding Capitol’s current campus in Laurel, MD.
www.CapTechU.edu

Will the Turing Test Detect Synthetic Intelligence? - Capitol Technology University (Since 1927 Located Near Washington D.C.)

Direct Link: https://www.captechu.edu/can%20turing%20test%20detect%20synthetic%20intelligence

By Dr. Jason M. Pittman, Sc.D

We know that synthetic intelligence is not artificial intelligence. The latter is an imitation whereas the former is authentic. Further, we know that agency is an emergent expression of intelligence, synthetic or organic. With those points established, we can begin to explore more concrete areas. Thus, where our previous discussions focused on speculative (what) questions, I would like to concentrate on something more practical this time. Specifically, can we use the Turing Test to detect synthetic intelligence?

Previously, I suggested that measuring synthetic intelligence would be desirable. Stated specifically, if we’re going to create a synthetic intelligence we ought to have the ability to detect whether our work was successful and to what degree we are successful. As well, we want to know when a synthetic entity develops intelligence so that we interact with it appropriately. We do this now, implicitly, with our ourselves and with other humans. We also have several measures that we believe ought to function adequately for artificial intelligence. But, what about synthetic intelligence?
 
Human Intelligence
When examining human intelligence, we have instruments such as observation, introspection, developmental tests, and of course g factor. Further, we have a deep understanding of how human intelligence develops from birth until maturity. More precisely, we know what a human intelligence ought to be capable of certain developmental milestones. Whilst we are unique individuals, when it comes to possessing intelligence and detecting such, we humans seem to be rather similar. Thus, apart from a specific detective instrument, we ascribe intelligence to another human when we perceive them to act as we do. This seems rational insofar as we understand agency to be an embodiment of intelligence. Further, when we need to empirically measure intelligence we have those instruments too.

Artificial Intelligence
Broadly speaking, the same is true for artificial intelligence. That is, we rely on a combination of observation and empirical testing. Here, the Turing Test is the de facto standard for testing for the presence of intelligence in artificial agents. Before we consider if the Turing Test is a viable measure for synthetic intelligence we ought to ensure that we grasp the Turing Test correctly.

The Turing Test is not an interviewer measuring or detecting intelligence by posing questions to an artificial intelligence. Rather, the Turing Test detection mechanism relies on an interviewer posing questions blindly to both an artificial intelligence and a human. The measurable output then is the degree of similarity between responses to the inquiries. We must take note here that there is an implicit presupposition that there can only be a difference in degree between artificial intelligence and human, not a difference in kind. The distinction is critical.

As well, there is a salient point in the power of a test being bound by the level of intelligence creating that test. Furthermore, the Turing Test (or any detective control for artificial intelligence for that matter) can only serve to detect intelligence that is perceivable by the intelligence creating and administering the instrument to begin with. This creates quite a conundrum for us and for apply the Turing Test to synthetic intelligence.

Synthetic Intelligence
Accordingly, I suggest that the Turing Test is not a good instrument for detecting synthetic intelligence. I think that the Turing Test is insufficiently equipped to interact with synthetic intelligence because synthetic intelligence will certainly differ from human intelligence in kind, not just degree. What’s more, synthetic intelligence may not manifest in a modality we are accustomed to considering as harboring intelligence. Plants are a great example.

Therefore, I offer that the appropriate instrumentation for measuring or detecting synthetic intelligence ought to be situated in agency. That seems like meaningless words; I get it. However, even a plant intelligence embodies recognizable aspects of intelligence in the same world we inhabit. Additionally, synthetic intelligence may embody aspects that we do not yet recognize. The specific aspect is less relevant though than detecting that an aspect is present. Thus, the synthetic intelligence test should align, for now, to that degree and kind only. As an example, I don’t need to know the precise wavelength of light shining outside of my window to know that there is a type of light present. I can simply detect that some form of light is there. Yet, this brings up a more interesting line of inquiry for us.

Okay, so what if we do measure and detect that a synthetic intelligence is present? Can we trust that intelligence and can that intelligence trust us? Check back in two weeks for my idea as to how we might be able to demonstrate both!
www.CapTechU.edu

Books for Business Analytics Bachelors and Masters Program Students - Capitol Technology University (Since 1927 Located Near Washington D.C.)

Direct Link: https://www.captechu.edu/blog/books-for-business-analytics-program-students

Business analytics skills are in high demand. Companies need employees with business know-how combined with the skills needed to interpret and organize data. More and more, companies are relying on analytics to guide their decision making, and those that don’t are falling behind.
Whether you’re a bachelor’s or a master’s program student in business analytics or completely new to the field, if you’re interested in learning more about business analytics, big data, and what it’s all about, here are some essential titles that can give you a running start.
1. Even you can learn statistics and analytics:
In this highly-regarded introductory text, two veteran educators provide an overview that is designed to be accessible even to complete beginners. The fully-updated third edition includes three brand-new chapters covering Big Data and other emerging developments in analytics. Not a math person? You won’t be daunted by Levine and Stephan’s approach, which communicates statistics fundamentals in a way that does not require familiarity with mathematical equations. (In case you do want to do the math, the authors provide optional “Equation Blackboard” segments). The book also includes directions on using Microsoft Excel to obtain solutions.
2. Business Analytics - Methods, Models and Decisions:
Ready to level up? University of Cincinnati professor James R. Evans, the author of numerous textbooks covering a variety of business disciplines, is your guide in a text that delves into more advanced territory while still focusing on the fundamentals. Evans provides readers with extensive examples that illustrate how business analytics can be applied to a variety of real-world scenarios. You’ll come away with a solid  understanding of how to leverage analytics to make more effective business decisions. An added bonus: the book comes with access to commercial-grade analytics software that you can use to gain further hands-on experience.
3. Marketing Data Science:
For a slightly more advanced reader, Marketing and Data Science by Thomas Miller journeys more deeply into analytics concepts, and includes analytics solutions using the programming languages Python and R. Topics covered include web analytics, network science, information technology, and programming. Dr. Thomas Miller, the author, has helped to design multiple analytics courses for Northwestern University where he serves as the faculty director of the university’s predictive analytics program. He also owns a data science application company and spent nearly 15 years in business information technology before turning to academia.
4. Business Analytics - Descriptive, Predictive, Prescriptive:

The straightforward title notwithstanding, this book goes beyond a mere overview of business analytics fundamentals. You’ll get a handle on advanced analytical concepts such as data visualization, descriptive data mining, and non-linear optimization models. While it’s not aimed at complete newbies, the book nevertheless presents its concepts in an approachable way, ideal for those still becoming versed in the field and its lingo. The authors also cover the basic use of some popular analytics software, including SAS’s JMP Pro, and the latest edition includes bonus information on using Excel in data analytics.
5. Big Data Analytics in Cybersecurity:
Interested in Cyber Analytics? Check out this 2017 overview by Onur Savas and Julia Deng which provides readers with perspectives from academics, government laboratories, and industries on the importance of combining cybersecurity skills with big data analytics. Cloud computing and the difficulties in securing the Internet of Things (IoT) – two of the most pressing concerns in cybersecurity today -- are covered in this text. Additional topics include: network forensics, threat analysis, vulnerability assessment, visualization, and cyber training. One key strength of the book: multiple perspectives offered from experts in various areas of specialization in the field.

Got the analytics bug? Want to learn more? Check out our programs in business analytics at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels.
www.CapTechU.edu

Critical infrastructures expert Marianne Meins to deliver commencement address at Capitol - Capitol Technology University (Since 1927 Located Near Washington D.C.)

Direct Link: https://www.captechu.edu/Marianne%20Mains%20commencement%20speaker

Marianne Meins, vice president for critical infrastructure strategy at Parsons, will address graduating bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students as Capitol Technology University holds its annual commencement ceremony on Saturday (May 12).

With more than 25 years of national security-related experience, Meins has held several executive positions in industry. Joining Parsons in 2015, she spearheaded development of the company’s Converged Security Offering, which combines cybersecurity, integrated network solutions, and critical infrastructure protection.

“We are honored and delighted that Marianne Meins will be here to share her insights and experiences with the Class of 2018,” said Dr. Bradford L. Sims, president of Capitol Technology University. “Marianne not only possesses deep technical knowledge in the fields of computer science and cybersecurity, but has built an impressive career as a business leader and executive. She is well-positioned to speak to our graduates about the wider contexts in which they will be applying their knowledge as they moved forward with their careers.”

“At Capitol we pride ourselves on offering a high quality, practical education in technology fields – an education that is responsive to the ever-evolving needs of industry. We partner with leading corporations and companies, including Parsons, to keep our curriculum abreast of current developments and to secure new resources and opportunities for our students,” Sims said.

Meins is a graduate of the University of California at San Diego, where she majored in applied math and scientific programming. She went on to earn a master of science in computer science from George Mason University, and has pursued doctoral studies in the field. She currently serves as an Executive Advisory Board member of George Mason’s Computer Game Design Program.

“Ms. Meins is a proven thought leader in pioneering and evangelizing innovative and strategic initiatives focused on secure resiliency for our nation’s critical infrastructure. She has broad technical experience in cybersecurity, critical infrastructure protection, control systems (ICS/SCADA) and converged security solutions in high-performance, multi-level secure computing environments,” Parsons said in an official bio.

Based in Laurel, MD, Capitol Technology University specializes in high-demand fields such as business analytics, computer science, engineering, and cybersecurity. Undergraduates can choose from among a wide range of business, engineering, and technology degrees. Graduate programs are aimed at working professionals and are offered online.

Capitol was one of the first schools in the nation to offer degree programs in cybersecurity, and currently has programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. Capitol’s program has continuously maintained the Center of Excellence designation, awarded by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency to a select group of institutions.
www.CapTechU.edu

Using Unmanned Systems in the Field of Search and Rescue - Capitol Technology University (Since 1927 Located Near Washington D.C.)

Direct Link: https://www.captechu.edu/unmanned%20systems%20search%20and%20rescue

In the wake of a natural disaster, the last thing anyone wants is further injury or loss of life. First responders put themselves at risk to aid victims, often without knowing the extent of the situation before they go in.

Enter unmanned systems.

Unmanned systems are capable of aiding first responders by helping them to monitor events as they unfold, and to find victims in need of help in potentially hazardous situations, without the further risk of human life.

According to unmanned systems expert Dr.
Richard Baker, “Unmanned systems are used in disaster response and management for monitoring the actual event, whether it’s a tornado, a hurricane, or an earthquake. These vehicles can become essential to identify and provide situational awareness to the incident command.”

The use of these systems is also often a saver of critical time: “They let responders know which roads are closed or open, where people are that need help immediately, and allow them to be able to assess the situation and get that assistance out there faster and easier to an area where it really needs to be taken care of. Rather than doing the search by individuals on the ground, a lot of the initial searches are done by vehicles in the air,” says Dr. Baker. “And you can use ground vehicles to deliver assistance, or open pathways or whatever needs to be done.”

Unmanned systems are any electromechanical system which has the ability to carry out a predetermined or described task, or a portion of that task, and do it automatically with limited or no human intervention. There are many different types of unmanned systems, including aerial, ground, underwater, and even space vehicles.

Beyond disaster relief, first responders are also beginning to use unmanned systems to aid them in their everyday tasks. Dr. Baker says, “They use them today in public security, law enforcement, and search and rescue. The national parks services and the coast guard are also using them.”

“Search and rescue uses them quite a bit,” he continues, “anything from human body detection to simple things like a lost child in a cornfield can be detected very easily by an overhead vehicle. They can actually not only use them for detection, but if there are some people there that are hurt they can do an air drop to provide medical supplies, or other supplies they might need in an emergency.”

Even insurance companies coming in post-disaster to assess damage and begin the rebuilding process are starting to use unmanned systems. “The insurance companies and risk management are looking at using robots to go in and do an assessment immediately after a disaster and see what needs to be fixed and who needs help, and if people need dispatched to an area,” says Dr. Baker.

From bomb diffusing robots to package delivery drones dropping life vests to people trapped by flooding, it’s difficult to deny that unmanned systems are improving the lives of first responders and the people they save.

To learn more about Capitol’s unmanned systems programs, check out: Unmanned and Autonomous Systems and Unmanned and Autonomous Systems Policy and Risk Management.

www.CapTechU.edu

How Cyber and Data Analysts Predict and Protect From Future Cyber Attacks - Capitol Technology University (Since 1927 Located Near Washington D.C.)

Direct Link: https://www.captechu.edu/blog/how-cyber-analysts-predict-and-protect-from-future-cyber-attacks

The TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation famously featured a synthetic life form named Data. It was an apt choice of name for a major character in this future-oriented show.

In our real world today, data – whether in the form of personal information or the numbers used to drive business decisions – has become the central protagonist, one impacting every facet of our lives.

It’s no wonder, then, that cyber breaches are increasingly focused on acquiring data – as opposed to the more old-fashioned, even quaint, goal of skimming revenue or extorting payment. In the Uber breach, disclosed in November 2017, the phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and names of 57 million users were exposed. The Equifax breach compromised millions of social security numbers.

Hospitals are among those being hit the hardest, with their cloud-based storage systems being hacked to steal patient medical records. According to a study published in the American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC), hospital data breaches accounted for 30% of all incidents reported to the Health and Human Services department’s Office of Civil Rights, which operates a breach portal.

The good news? While data is a coveted target for hackers, it can also be used to predict and thwart attacks.

Cyber analytics is a rising field that adds descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive tools to the existing methods used by cybersecurity professionals to seal off vulnerabilities. Dr. Mary Margaret Chantré, assistant professor of cyber security and cyber analytics, defines it this way, “Cybersecurity is about the ability to be resilient to attacks and recover quickly. A cyber analyst looks at mistakes made in the past and tries to avoid them in the present so he/she can predict possible future attacks. This type of situational awareness helps minimize risk."

In examining threats, cyber analysts not only use traditional methods of statistical analysis – identifying a normal distribution pattern and then recording signification deviation – but also machine learning and algorithmic-based techniques, such as clustering and density estimation to better understand how to fortify your data.

Capitol Technology University is one of the universities paving the way for cyber analytics. Our programs at the undergraduate and masters levels are among the first in the country, aligning with the university’s pioneering tradition. Capitol, in fact, was one of the first institutions of higher education in the world to offer an academic degree program in cybersecurity, a field which is now high-priority for many schools, colleges, and universities. In 2010, Capitol started the nation’s first doctoral degree program in the field.

Get to know Data. Though the Star Trek series has long now entered reruns, he’s not going away. With a degree in cyber analytics from Capitol, you’ll be prepared to leverage data to take on cyber adversaries as fearsome as any dreamed up by Gene Roddenberry.
www.CapTechU.edu

Rogue Satellites No Boon to Space Enthusiasts - Capitol Technology University (Since 1927 Located Near Washington D.C.)

Direct Link: https://www.captechu.edu/rogue%20satellites

By Dr. Alex "Sandy" Antunes
Professor, Astronautical Engineering

Can anyone launch a satellite? Only in the sense that anyone can fly an airplane -- as long as they train up, get the proper license, and get clearance to take off each time.
One satellite start-up just might have skipped that middle step in their path to orbit, however.  At least they earn the distinction of being (if proven) the first unauthorized satellites ever launched by a US company.

The facts are that a US startup company in 'stealth mode' called Swarm Technologies was turned down for their FCC license, but launched a month later anyway, on the Indian Space Agency's ISR0 rocket. Their SpaceBee-1, -2, -3, and -4 were smaller than CubeSats and listed as (from IEEE) '“two-way satellite communications and data relay” devices from the United State. No operator was specified, and only ISRO publicly noted that they successfully reached orbit the same day.'

One of the hardest tasks for our Cactus-1 CubeSat is the FCC paperwork. It was easier winning our launch bid than figuring out the FCC spec. There are forms, mandatory software, affidavits needs from local operators -- we submitted our application in December and still spend half a day a week working on the next FCC steps.

I would love to be able to 'ignore' the FCC like Swarm Technologies allegedly did, but that happens to be illegal -- and for good reason.  The reason for licensing is twofold: to ensure no satellite interferes with emergency or broadcast services, and to minimize orbital risk from too much small 'space junk' potentially being in orbit.  Information indicates the SpaceBees were so small, the FCC was concerned with not being able to track or manage them.

This is actually an international compliance issue.  Each satellite-using country coordinates via the UN's International Telecommunication Union (ITU) -- the FCC is just the US's agency.  If we didn't coordinate, not only would we be putting other missions at risk, not only would other missions be allowed to interfere with our communications, but emergency services and aircraft world-wide would be put at risk by errant broadcasters and uncoordinated transmitters.

I've written before on the risks of bad actors in the new space age we're in, because compliance is a tricky thing. It's arguable that greatest achievemtns of Scaled Composite's SpaceShipOne and SpaceX's Falcon-1 rocket were not just technical but were in breaking the 'paperwork barrier' that made it very hard for independent companies to try for launch.  They succeeded through persistence and lobbying, not just flat out ignoring international regs.

If you're a US citizen or US company, you kinda have to follow US law -- even if the paperwork is hard, it's got a reason for existing. Unfortunately, this one bad actor could result in more scrutiny and more paperwork now for the rest of us. This company didn't just ignore a requirement, they were told 'no' and went ahead anyway. This is the CubeSat 'drone on the White House lawn' level of idiocy, where a selfish user ends up making it harder for everyone else who is complying.

So far, there hasn't been a clear restriction on future flights.  Our own Cactus-1 FCC license is still processing without any extra stress. Space is big, but not big enough for bad actors.  Let us hope this is a one-time anomaly, that no other space company will run afoul of some FCC or NOAA regulation.  Wait, what, NOAA has a problem with SpaceX's rocket cameras?  Stay tuned for the next blog post -- on who can take pictures from space.
www.CapTechU.edu

Privacy: Why it Must End - Capitol Technology University (Since 1927 Located Near Washington D.C.)

Direct Link: https://www.captechu.edu/Pittman%20privacy%20must%20end

Dr. Jason M. Pittman, Sc. D., is a scholar, professor, and cybersecurity thought leader. He currently is on the full-time faculty at Capitol Technology University. This is part two of an ongoing series on privacy.

Previously, I made the assertion that privacy, while necessary in the present, is ultimately bad for our future. I do recognize the boldness of my claim. Thus, I want to exercise due care in laying down the groundwork for the full argument.


Over the course of this essay series, I will present my reasons as to why privacy must end. First, I will demonstrate why privacy is unnatural. This is contrary to mainstream opinion of course and much of the basis for the definition of privacy as well. Second, I will show that privacy is a proxy for a different problem. More aptly put, privacy is a descriptive label assigned to a host of underlying, root issues that ought to be addressed separately. Third, I will reveal privacy as a restrictive mechanism that directly impedes both individual and social growth. That is, privacy only keeps us as free as the walls in a zoo impart freedom unto the animals. Finally, and most importantly, I will establish that privacy produces a cumulative negative value for individuals and the species (human).

Why would we continue engaging in behavior that results in a worse situation then we currently find ourselves?

Foremost, we need to understand why there is high demand for privacy. Yes, this presupposes that there is high demand for privacy, but I feel safe in this presupposition given the overt evidence in the pop dialectic. That is, all the research -- the interviews, the reading, and the presentations -- points towards three aspects of privacy that result in the high demand we see nowadays. These are parity, currency, and permanency of information. Understanding the demand for privacy does not necessarily develop an understanding of privacy however.

Thus, there are fundamental principles that ought to be considered that will lead us towards a definition of privacy. This means that we need to develop a working comprehension of concepts such as intrusion, seclusion, limitation, and control. I am doubtful that your definition of privacy will match a singular principle in this list. Rather, I have found that modern privacy is an amalgamation of these principles. Such comprehension invariably will lead us to ponder where privacy originates (i.e., how do we know privacy) the relative merit of privacy; whether privacy is flawed for example.
As a matter of fact, I now perceive privacy, in all the potential amalgamated definitions, to be deeply flawed. I will share with you the deficiencies in privacy that I have uncovered. The flaws I intend to discuss are privacy as a zero-sum heuristic, privacy as an anthropomorphism, privacy as declines, and privacy as a perception.

I do not hesitate to mention that these defects are exceedingly catastrophic to the case for privacy. Nevertheless, my viewpoint only represents the conclusion I have reached. I would be remiss to inculcate this view of catastrophic flaw in privacy without first offering you a deeper explanation as to why I think privacy is bad. The explanation here is the same as for why privacy must end, thus we have come full circle.

Full circle is not automatically the end of the conversation, however. If I have convinced you that privacy must end, I want to provide some transparency into what I feel we can do to rid ourselves of privacy. Much of my thinking involves using technology to re-balance the overarching information equation. The other parts of my answer to privacy involve tearing down and rebuilding the human mind as such relates to the underlying privacy pathology.

To be sure, the going will be hard. I honestly do not have all the answers. However, I do think we can find the right questions together.
www.CapTechU.edu

Undergraduate Academics - Capitol Technology University (Since 1927 Located Near Washington D.C.)

Direct Link: https://www.captechu.edu/academics/undergraduate-academics

Capitol is the only independent college in Maryland dedicated to engineering, computer science, information technology and business.
Choose the program that's right for you.

Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree Programs

These are four-year programs leading to a college diploma and a promising job in a high-technology field or in business.

• Astronautical Engineering
• Business Analytics and Data Science
• Computer Engineering
• Computer Engineering Technology
• Computer Science
• Cyber Analytics
• Cyber and Information Security
• Electrical Engineering
• Electronics Engineering Technology
• Engineering Technology
• Management of Cyber and Information Technology
• Mechatronics Engineering
• Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering Technology
• Mobile Computing
• Software Engineering
• Technology and Business Management
• Unmanned and Autonomous Systems

Associate (AAS) Degree Programs

These are two-year programs that equip students with high-technology skills that employers are seeking.

• Computer Engineering Technology
• Electronics Engineering Technology
• Engineering Fundamentals

Certificates

These 9 certificate programs, which each require four courses, are targeted at specialized jobs in distinct information technology and management fields. The courses are offered online in an accelerated eight-week format and on campus in a standard 16-week format. Students seeking an undergraduate certificate must complete all coursework on campus.
Lower Division

• Object-Oriented Programming
• Programming and Data Management
• Web Programming

Upper Division

• Acquisitions Management
• Computer and Network Security
• Project Management
• Software Engineering
• Space Missions and Operations Specialist
• Website Development

www.CapTechU.edu

Graduate Academics - Capitol Technology University (Since 1927 Located Near Washington D.C.)

Direct Link: https://www.captechu.edu/academics/graduate-academics

Capitol Technology University declared an innovator in engineering education by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

Doctorate Program

Capitol currently offers three doctoral programs in addition to a combination masters of science and PhD program. These programs support the development of high-level critical thinking, leadership and technical skills, and contribute innovative and practical doctoral research to student's chosen body of knowledge.

• Business Analytics and Decision Sciences (PhD)
• Cybersecurity (DSc)
• Technology (PhD)
• Technology Combination Program (MS/PhD)
• Unmanned Systems Applications (PhD)

Master’s Programs

Choose from nine master's degree programs to expand your knowledge and advance in your career. Programs are accelerated, with eight-week as well as 16-week courses, offered exclusively online with a unique delivery: real-time, live streaming audio. The courses combine the convenience of online learning with the stimulation of classroom experience.

• Business Administration (MBA)
• Computer Science
• Cyber Analytics
• Cyber and Information Security
• Electrical Engineering
• Technical Master of Business Administration in Business Analytics and Data Science
• Technical Master of Business Administration in Cybersecurity
• Unmanned and Autonomous Systems Policy and Risk Management

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Programs

Capitol Technology University offers 12 graduate certificates that are useful for professionals who already hold a master's degree or who want to learn more about a topic without the commitment of completing an entire degree. The programs typically consist of four online courses.
You can later apply your credits toward a master's degree.

If you complete both of the certificates in either Internet Engineering (“Client/Server and Wireless Devices” and “Component Technologies and Online Collaboration”), you are just two courses away from completing the MS in Internet Engineering. Completion of three post-graduate certificates in information assurance (“Network Protection,” “Security Management” and “Information Assurance Administration”) is equivalent to earning a master’s degree in Information Assurance.
Courses from other institutions cannot be transferred toward a graduate certificate. Certificates, all of which are 12 credits, are available in the following areas:

• Acquistions Management
• Client/Server and Wireless Devices
• Component Technologies and Online Collaboration
• Digital Forensics and Incident Handling
• Information Assurance Administration
• Information Technology
• Network Protection
• Project Management
• Secure Cloud Computing
• Secure Mobile Technology
• Secure Software Development
• Security Management

www.CapTechU.edu

Learn blockchain fundamentals at Capitol Cyber Saturday on April 14 - Capitol Technology University (Since 1927 Located Near Washington D.C.)

Direct Link: https://www.captechu.edu/bitcoin%20cyber%20saturday

Interest in blockchain has escalated -- and the immediate reason isn't hard to pinpoint. Bitcoin and other blockchain-based cryptocurrencies have been in the news ever since a dramatic price spike (and subsequent decline) late last year. This month, Bitcoin surged again, gaining $1,000 in value within one hour.

Blockchain uses distributed ledger technology in order to validate transactions without the need for a trusted third party, such as a payment processor.

But blockchain technology's significance goes well beyond currencies. Many see it as a potentially revolutionary innovation with an abundance of possible uses: from managing medical records to streamlining product supply and distribution.
Cybersecurity professionals, meanwhile, are eyeing blockchain's potential to aid in the fight against cybercriminals and adversaries. Because blockchain gets rid fof the middlemam, it removes one possible weak link in terms of security, As Forbes magazine reports, "by leveraging a distributed ledger and taking away the risk of a single point of failure, blockchain technology provides end-to-end privacy and encryption while still ensuring convenience for users."

In short, blockchain -- once grasped only by the few -- is quickly turning into a game-changer you can't afford not to understand.

Not sure where to start? Capitol Technology University's next Cyber Saturday can help you master the fundamentals. The next session of Capitiol's popular event series, designed for high school and community college students but open to anyone with an interest in computers or gaming, will provide an introduction to blockchain and the intriguing world of digital currencies.

A cybersecurity professional will be your guide for this presentation, part of a full morning of exciting Cyber Saturday activities at the McGowan Center on the Capitol campus. The event starts at 9:00 am and lunch will be provided before an afternoon session of Capture the Flag and other fun activities traditionally held as part of the Cyber Saturday program.

Cyber Saturdays are mainly intended to be fun, while at the same time involving skills utilized in cybersecurity, one of today’s most in-demand fields.

“These events increase awareness and then they get students interested in the [cybersecurity] profession,” says Dr. William Butler, chair of the Cybersecurity program at Capitol.

Cyber Saturdays have been a recurring event at Capitol since 2013. Meghan Young, director of admissions, says the program has been highly popular.

"Capitol is in an ideal position to offer events like these because of our designated Cyber Lab and our faculty who take the time to make learning fun and interesting,” Young said. “It gets better and better each year."

The event is free, but registration is requested ahead of the event. Inrerested in attending? Register here or contact cybersat@captechu.edu for more information. To reach the program by phone, call 240.965.2458 or 813.495.4536.

Event details:
9:00-10:00 am: Welcome to Capitol
10:00-11:00 am: Blockchain fundamentals
11:00 am -- 12:00 pm: Wireless routers and hacking
12:00-1:00 pm: Lunch and networking
1:00-2:00 pm: Capture the Flag and King of the Hill competitions
Location: McGowan Center, Capitol Technology University, 11301 Springfield Road, Laurel, MD.

www.CapTechU.edu

How to control a satellite with your mobile phone? Capitol students prove it is possible - Capitol Technology University (Since 1927 Located Near Washington D.C.)

Direct Link: https://www.captechu.edu/blog/how-to-control-a-satellite-with-your-mobile-phone

On any given day, each of us will put our smart phone to a myriad of uses. We may use it to shop. Communicate with colleagues, friends, and family. Check the weather ahead of a plane trip. Monitor stocks. Track our daily exercise routine. Check out the latest track from our favorite artist.
How about using your mobile phone to command and control a satellite in orbit high above the earth?

Not only is it possible in theory, but a group of Capitol students has devised a practical way to put it into practice. The students’ endeavor – dubbed Project Hermes – has attracted attention from space scientists and engineers, along with coverage in media outlets such as The Baltimore Sun.

 “I thought it was very clever and inventive on their part,” The Sun quoted David Kusinerkiewicz, chief engineer at John Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), as saying. “I can picture somebody sitting in a Starbucks on their smartphone talking to their satellite and getting data back. It’s a pretty cool concept.”

And the concept has been tested. In 2015, Project Hermes enjoyed its first successful space flight aboard a NASA rocket. Team members waited expectantly – then exulted as letters appeared on their cell phones, sent by the payload high overhead. The concept was tested again, with successful results, at NASA’s RockSat-X program in the summer of 2017.

Now another momentous milestone awaits: going into orbit. Integrated into a combined Capitol satellite project known as Cactus-1, Hermes was selected for NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI), with lift-off expected in the coming months.

Real-time interaction using mobile devices has the potential to transform satellite operations, says Capitol professor Risabh Maharaja, whose idea – presented during his Introduction to Space class – was the genesis of Hermes, with students then developing a way to put it into practice.
Currently, he notes, operations are limited by a satellite’s footprint; commands can only be given, or telemetry received, when a “bird” is within view either of a ground station or relay satellite. The Hermes approach, which utilizes the Iridium constellation of interlinked communications satellites, changes all that. Mission control “could maintain communication using commercial satellites with ordinary internet TCP/IP, with potentially higher bandwidth and quicker response times than conventional methods," Maharaja explains.

Hermes is only one example of the hands-on engineering projects that Capitol students become involved with from their first year at the university. The school’s educational approach stresses immersion in practical projects from year one – a philosophy that distinguishes Capitol from many other colleges and universities, where students do not gain such exposure until their junior or senior years.

Other student-led projects at Capitol include TRAPSat, which is exploring a method of capturing space debris using Aerogel, and Project Aether, which is investigating auroral effects on the atmosphere while also testing new insulation system and comparing data rates from multiple sources.
Gaining such practical experience is a major asset for aspiring space systems engineers as they prepare for a career in the industry, students say.

“Everything that we’re doing here benefits the students and is helping us look better when we go out into the job market,” says Hermes flight software specialist Christopher Murray. “Not many people in a job interview can honestly say that they have participated in designing a payload that went up into space.”

Dream of a career working with rockets, satellites, and space? With a Capitol degree, the dream is within reach. Find out more about our unique program in astronautical engineering, or contact admissions@captechu.edu

www.CapTechU.edu

Will Synthetic Intelligence Have Agency? - Capitol Technology University (Since 1927 Located Near Washington D.C.)

Direct Link: https://www.captechu.edu/synthetic%20intelligence%20agency

By Dr Jason M. Pittman, Sc.D.
April 6, 2018

Previously, we discussed synthetic intelligence as a serious field of inquiry and, separately, what constitutes intelligence. Both are foundational topics with application in growing avenues of scholarship such as computer science, computational neuroscience, cybersecurity, and of course artificial intelligence. Later, we’ll use our foundation to begin constructing an understanding of not only how a synthetic intelligence can emerge but also how we can interact with such intelligence in a safe and trusted manner. However, the foundation is not yet complete.

Intelligence alone, synthetic or otherwise, does not provide the means to act. In part, such a claim summarizes a core issue with artificial intelligence related research. That is, the expression of intelligence is imitated without a sense of how the intelligence is perceiving itself. Indeed, without agency, I would suggest that intelligence lacks the facilities alone to interact with reality. In some ways, that tells us what agency is- an intent to interact with the world as an expression of intelligence. Agency, however, exists in an odd, paradoxical space defined almost exclusively by assumptions.

Perceiving agency is not without issue. That is, we act as if our actions are the result of intentions. As well, we intimate to ourselves (and others!) that such intentions originate internal to our intelligence and freely so without predetermination. Likewise, we are aware of the intention to act although we may not be fully aware of when such intention emerges within our consciousness. Let’s assume this to be universally true, particularly the awareness clause.

We can examine three questions now. Did you intend to read this sentence? As well, did you intend to do so exactly at the moment that you did? Lastly, when did you become aware that you had an intention to do what took place?

Such questions cut to the heart of the agency paradox and the potential for engaging with a synthetic intelligence. Consider for a moment that your answers to these questions are, “yes,” “yes,” and “when I read the sentence.” Perfectly reasonable responses that I suspect accurately portray how most of us would respond. In fact, we perceive agency in others as a signal that their behavior is intelligent. There seems to be an innate assumption that your behavior is intelligent because I perceive my behavior to be intelligent. Thus, I assume you have agency because I assume my intent to act has agency.

Here’s the problem: agency can be illusory. In other words, what we perceive to be agency is in fact not agency at all. The illusion of agency in an external context has been well researched. Likewise, the illusion of internal agency has been demonstrated in simulation and practice. Thus, we need to think about how agency in a synthetic intelligence might be possible and how could we potentially detect or measure agency in a synthetic intelligence.

The most obvious instrument would be the renowned Turing test. However, I have concluded that the Turing is insufficient to properly detect intelligence and agency in synthetic intelligence. Check back in two weeks for my explanation as to why we won’t be able to trust the Turing test!

 https://www.captechu.edu/

Capitol again earns recognition as military-friendly - Capitol Technology University (Since 1927 Located Near Washington D.C.)

Direct Link: https://www.captechu.edu/node/3431

The annual Military-Friendly Schools list is out, and Capitol Technology University is again on the list.

Victory Media, publisher of the list, announced its results for the 2018-19 school year on Wednesday (April 4). It found that Capitol exceeds military-friendly benchmarks -- in some cases, by margins as high as 75% -- for academic polices and compliance, admissions and orientation, culture and commitment, financial aid and assistance, graduation and career prospects, and military support and retention.

Now in its 17th year, the Military-Friendly Schools list aims to identify the best higher education opportunities for veterans and their spouses. It "provides a comprehensive guide for veterans and their families using data suorces from federal agencies, veteran students, and proprietary survey information from participating organizations," Victory Media said in a press release.

Dr. Bradford L. Sims, president of Capitol Techhology University, said providing quality educational opportunities for the nation's servicemen and women is a high priority for the school.

“The men and women who safeguard our freedoms deserve to have the best possible avenues available for them as they transition into civilian life," Dr. Sims said. "We provide academic programs that enable them to build on the skills they have gained during their time of service, and we make these programs available and affordable through the resources that we offer."

Those resources include a tuition discount for active duty service members and their spouses -- $250 per credit for those pursuing undergraduate degree programs, and $350 for master’s degree students.

Capitol is a member of the Yellow Ribbon Program, which enables qualified veterans to study at private universities for little or no cost. Students eligible for the program can attend one of Capitol’s bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree programs tuition free.

Other benefits offered include a 50%  tuition discount for Maryland National Guard members for up to 12 credit hours per year, as well as tuition reimbursement support for online programs under the DANTES program.

Capitol prides itself on being a sound higher education option for soldiers and veterans because of its programs in high-demand fields as a STEM focused university, Sims noted.

Capitol prides itself on being a sound higher education option for soldiers and veterans because of its programs in high-demand fields such as cybersecurity, Sims noted.

“The US Army and other personnel branches are prioritizing cyber operations, which means that many soldiers are gaining experience in this arena,” he said. “Capitol can then help them develop their skills further through our master’s and doctoral degree programs.”

Interested in learning more about Capitol Technology University, its programs, and  the resources available to active duty personnel and veterans? Contact Jamie L. Haines, assistant director of military and graduate recruitment, at 301-369-2305 or by email at jlhaines@captechu.edu.

http://www.CapTechU.edu

Gaming linked to cybersecurity success, report finds - Capitol Technology University (Since 1927 Located Near Washington D.C.)

Direct Link: https://www.captechu.edu/gaming%20and%20cybersecurity

If you’re an avid gamer, you’ve probably heard the lecture before: What are you doing with your life? You're wasting your time playing computer games when you could be studying or making career plans.

For those planning a career in cybersecurity, though, a new report from McAfee has encouraging news: as the cybersecurity field grapples with escalating threats and shortages of qualified personnel, a gaming background is widely seen as an asset.

McAfee surveyed 300 senior security managers and 650 security professionals in the United States and six other countries, with the aim of tapping their views on security challenges and how best to meet them.

The respondents were practically unanimous (92%) in their view that “gaming affords players experience and skills critical to cybersecurity threat hunting: logic, perseverance, an understanding of how to approach adversaries and a fresh outlook compared to traditional cybersecurity hires,” McAfee said.

In addition, 78% said those who have grown up playing video games are stronger candidates for cybersecurity roles, compared to traditional hires.

“Gamers, those engaged and immersed in online competitions, may be the logical next step to plugging the [cybersecurity skills] gap,” the report concluded.

While the report provides useful hard numbers, the findings won’t come as a surprise to cybersecurity educators. Schools with strong cybersecurity programs, such as Capitol Technology University, have long incorporated gaming techniques into their curriculum.

Indeed, a game-based approach is central to Capitol’s popular Cyber Saturdays program, designed to help attract high school and community college students to the cybersecurity field and help build a pipeline of talent.

Held several times a year, these Saturday events offer participants an opportunity to learn cybersecurity fundamentals in a fast-paced game environment. The events teach real skills but are also designed to be fun. Activities typically include challenges such as Cyber Laser Tag, Cyber Treasure Hunt, Virtual Lock Picking, and Capture the Flag.

“These events increase awareness and then they get students interested in the [cybersecurity] profession,” says Dr. William Butler, chair of the Cybersecurity program at Capitol.

So go ahead and sharpen those gaming skills – they may be helping your career in the long run! If you’re in high school or community college, check out one of our upcoming Cyber Saturday events, including our unique Brain-Machine Interface workshop. For more information, contact the cybersecurity program at cybersat@captechu.edu.

We’ll see you in the biome!

http://www.CapTechU.edu

Privacy: The Beginning of the End - Capitol Technology University (Since 1927 Located Near Washington D.C.)

Direct Link: https://www.captechu.edu/the%20end%20of%20privacy

Jason M. Pittman, Sc.D.
March 30th, 2018

Privacy, because of its perceived necessity today, is rarely questioned in the context of tomorrow. To question privacy is to commit a grave act of heresy. As a result, the Age of Information has engendered an information model that has divided humanity into those with information and those without information. The measuring stick that serves as the fulcrum between those divisions is privacy.

We want privacy, but we want information too. We want information from others, and about others, but we do not want our information to be known. A subtle paradox exists therein.

If we are to survive as species during the next age, the Virtual Age, we need to ask tough questions about privacy.

You might be in the camp that demands more privacy. I suspect that you demand privacy because you feel that your information is valuable and threatened. You might be in the camp that is indifferent as long as your technology continues to work. In other words, you are comfortable with information being used as a currency to pay for services.

Or you might be in the camp that feels that privacy is secondary to (national) security. To you, information is ageless, and of perpetual use; thus that information holds strategic value.

To be fair, human cognition can be quite nuanced. Not only are there perhaps more camps to define but an individual may belong to multiple camps depending upon the nature of the information. For the purposes of the present discussion, I will leave aside the question of how demands for privacy can be categorized; I am more interested in exploring questions related to all the categories of privacy demand. Further, I am posing these questions in the context of the future.

Thus, the simple question, to begin with, is: is information privacy good for our future?

You surely have an answer. Given the state of affairs in modern society, you might be screaming, “yes!”. I bet that you at least nodded your head in affirmation.

If we are talking only about the present -- about now -- I might nod my head too. I'm not so convinced, however, about privacy in relation to tomorrow.

In fact, my position is that privacy is a flawed concept, flawed in ways that will pose more and more of a problem as we journey into a future of immersive technology and interconnection. It is already becoming, in some respects, a dangerous anachronism. Ultimately it may threaten the existence of our species. Like an appendix, privacy is a vestige waiting to burst from infection. And we are dangerously infected with the notion that privacy is good for us.

You most likely feel differently about privacy. You should; the present day is fraught with information used as currency. You should; today, we still view information as something permanent, as something to be owned and safeguarded. But this perspective may reflect a basic conceptual distortion.

When I started pondering the simple question of whether privacy is good for our future, I held the notion that privacy was a necessity. After all, we believe that privacy is something that we fight for, something that is to be won. Privacy is under attack; we must defend. The statistics could not be a lie: the public overwhelmingly (more than 90%) believes privacy to be important.

This, of course, is a good narrative because it appeals to our natural senses. That is, the sense to belong to a group, the sense to defend that group, and the sense to fight. And why suspect that the need for privacy is anything more than just a story? After all, we understand that privacy is a fundamental characteristic of the human condition. Privacy is something we naturally crave, we naturally need. Privacy is a redistribution of information power which keeps us safe from prying (electronic) eyes. On the other side of this same coin, those who threaten privacy are the adversary. The only use for (our) private information is a nefarious use, or so the narrative goes.

However, even if such claims are true, will those claims also be true in the future? There’s no guarantee of course. What if we want to ensure that the truth of those claims persisted into the future -- wouldn’t it make sense to find out if there are any flaws in privacy? Or, if those claims were no longer true, wouldn’t it make sense to gain an understanding of what we might gain as a result?

For the moment, I will leave these questions for your consideration. Stay tuned as we consider them further in next week's blog post.
www.CapTechU.edu

Are Robots Taking Our Jobs? Our Future with Unmanned Systems - Capitol Technology University (Since 1927 Located Near Washington D.C.)

Direct Link: https://www.captechu.edu/unmannedsystemsrobotstakingourjobs

They’re invading the sky, the land, the sea! Unmanned systems are being used in more and more industries to do jobs too dangerous, dirty, tedious, or even impossible for people to do. As the industry continues to expand, many worry about the security of their jobs and whether or not they might soon find themselves replaced by an unmanned system.

“In the future we will absolutely be seeing more unmanned systems,” says Dr. Richard Baker, unmanned systems scholar and professor. “An unmanned system is any electromechanical system which has the ability to carry out a predetermined or described task, or a portion of that task, and do it automatically with limited or no human intervention,” Dr. Baker explains.

There are many different kinds of unmanned systems. Land vehicles, like large combines, are being used in the farming industry. Aerial vehicles, like the popular lightweight quadcopter, are being used in the film industry to get beautiful overhead shots. Some of the most recognizable unmanned vehicles are even helping us to explore outer space.

“A land vehicle would be the Mars Rover,” says Dr. Baker. “We don’t think about it, but that really is a ground vehicle that’s being used to explore another planet.”

“In the water there are many different kinds,” he continues, “but they are starting to use them for mobile vehicles on the water’s surface to be security, harbor patrol. There’s actually an unmanned cargo vessel being used in Russia. They are using large cargo ships that are unmanned to transport goods, and I expect that to be going on in the future.”

With so many industries affected, should people be worried about their jobs? Dr. Baker says no: “What we’re doing is we’re creating whole new fleets of vehicles that need the support of engineers, maintenance, refuelers, software engineers, and administrators. There are new industries being created with new jobs.”

So it takes more than just skilled programmers to create successful unmanned systems. Engineers, designers, computer scientists, cyber experts, industry specialists, and more will all be potentially employable working on unmanned systems. But will some jobs be altogether eliminated?

“They’ll probably be changed because they’ll be able to use a robot to do something,” says Dr. Baker. “For example, when you think of firefighting, let’s use these vehicles to fight a fire. Alright, well who’s going to run them? Firefighters. They know where to put them and how to use them. So what we’re doing is we’re creating more jobs to create the vehicles and we’re creating new tools that the industries can use.”

“Overall, the use of unmanned systems is creating more jobs,” says Dr. Baker. “The first people that worry about them are pilots. Are we going to be replaced by them, and that answer is absolutely not. This is an environment that is complementary to manned aviation. We will eventually see manned and unmanned aircraft working together. We’ll see aircraft and water and ground vehicles working together because they’ll be communicating. So this is a world that is growing rapidly and it’s increasing the number of jobs.”

Capitol’s unmanned and autonomous systems programs are set to begin this Fall of 2018. To learn more about our programs, check out: Unmanned and Autonomous Systems and Unmanned and Autonomous Systems Policy and Risk Management.

www.CapTechU.edu