The Ironhack Blog

Metadata will be one of these words that is tiptoeing into our daily vocabulary. This is mainly because of the exponential amount of data being generated and stored at every minute of every day. Did you know that the amount of existing data stored on the Internet doubles every two years (yikes! That's a lot of data!). How are we going to sort through all that? And avoid losing time, getting a few headaches, and completely erasing important data? Here is where the usefulness of metadata comes in. What is Metadata Anyways? To clarify, metadata is not to be mixed up with actual content; metadata is not the content itself. Instead, it describes the content of an object or piece of information . To put it simply, it’s "data about data" or " a set of data used to describe and represent an information object" or even "documentation that describes the stored data.” For example, an email has written content or "information" within it, yet the metadata would be the time it was sent, the sender, and the subject. There are three different kinds of metadata that make the system complete and operable: descriptive, structural, and administrative. Descriptive metadata Descriptive metadata is basic information: who, what, when and where. Think of it as a description of a file or a piece of art with the plaque next to it; it’s there to help individuals know what they are looking at and the description changes depending on the contents of the object or information piece. Types of descriptive metadata include: Time and date of creation Program or processes used for the creation of the data Purpose of the data Creator or author of the data Location on a device where the data was created Technical standards used File size Data quality Source of the data Modifications or programs used to modify the file Structural metadata Structural metadata defines how the data should be categorized to fit into a more extensive system of other objects or information sets. Therefore, structural metadata represents what the fields mean , so there can be a relationship established between many files to organize them and use them accordingly. Administrative metadata This is information about the history of the data or object , such as owners, rights, licenses and permissions, which is particularly helpful for information management. Word files, songs, videos and images, for example, all follow an information method regarding origins, creation and uses. What’s the Deal with Metadata? One of the main problems with the exponential growth of data is how it is treated and stored. If the data isn't appropriately descriptive, it makes it significantly harder for users of that data to retrieve or recover it . Description elements need to be accurately representative so that current tools can efficiently and effectively find them for the user. Think about it: we have all been there and quickly saved a file without labeling it properly and then spent hours trying to find it–or maybe even never saw it again. It’s forever lost in the data abyss (oh the heartbreak!). Experts studying description, search, and retrieval information point out that the best solutions to avoid this problem may be creating well-planned and designed metadata information systems tools for users . This would allow optimal information processing stored in computers to be exchanged over the networks, particularly for data available on the internet. Such a resource would mean that electronically stored data can be accessed and retrieved, regardless of format, such as text, image, sound, video, a web page, and more. This would help individuals find the exact information they are searching for–and avoid heartache or heartbreak! Metadata's Role in Forensics Now that we have briefed you on what metadata is and its various forms, are you ready to get your detective hat and magnifying glass out? Because there's an even more specific field of use: forensic metadata. Think of electronic evidence or the bread crumbs that lead to the main culprit or suspect; forensic metadata has the key to cracking a case in various investigations because vital information can be hidden in a tiny file and reveals something major. Forensic metadata in use Metadata allows digital or computer forensic investigators to understand the steps and history of an electronic file; these digital traces are fragile and need to be properly preserved . Think of it like real physical evidence at a crime scene and the level of care required to avoid cross-contamination, missed clues, or tampering with evidence. Metadata must be treated in the same way. Here are examples of some metadata that may be of interest to a criminal investigation: Recovering file names, their extensions, their respective creation, modification and access dates History of executions, failures, number of writes and reads of records File creation, modification, and access information Accessing all information stored within a document Accessing hidden document information Providing collaboration evidence Metadata even serves to help authenticate electronic evidence or help identify when evidence has been falsified or doctored. When carrying out an investigation, a professional needs very versatile tools that are fast and safe to use ; these professionals include security nationals, computer experts, investigation companies and security departments in large companies or corporations. Such tools will assist in facilitating tests and reports with a complete guarantee so when requesting strict access to these files, they already know that it is relevant to their case. We like to take inspiration from Hany Farid , a forensic and computer scientist known as the “ Sherlock Holmes of the Instagram era .” Journalists, courts, intelligence agencies, and the FBI come to him to sort real images from fake ones, as it's becoming increasingly difficult to tell the difference. He states that "the ability to manipulate digital content has accelerated." and this acceleration could present a real public threat as public figures can even fall victim to "deep fake" videos or photos. He is striving to carry out his work in many ways, using various new tools, but one initial clue that indicates that an image may have been falsified is the number of times the image has been saved or compressed. Therefore, metadata helps unlock insights into whether the image has been manipulated or not–and this is just the beginning. As you can probably tell, cybersecurity is a huge topic with lots of ground to cover. If you wanna keep on learning more, check out our cybersecurity bootcamp , which you can take either in-person or online and choose from full-time or part-time options. The future of cybersecurity is incredibly bright, with new technologies introduced every day. Are you up for the challenge?

Getting into tech is one thing, but what you really want is an industry where you have room for growth and progress ; you want to be part of a sector that has lots of room for development. Luckily for you, the tech sector provides just that . It’s an area where innovation and progress are daily happenings and you can expect to experience developments throughout your entire career. You know these development opportunities are there, but how do you access them? What’s the best way to take advantage of all that tech has to offer? In this article, we’ll review some of tech’s best professional development opportunities and give you some tips and tricks to making the most of the wonderful world of tech. Growth in Tech You’ve definitely heard us mention how strong the tech sector is; you’ve also heard us boast about the many opportunities the sector has to offer. And that’s because the tech industry is one of the fastest growing areas with incredible predictions for the future. Why? How? Well: Technology-related roles are no longer limited to purely IT companies; every single sector is taking advantage of what technology has to offer and hiring tech professionals to help them further their business goals. No matter your area of interest or preferred industry, tech professionals are in high demand. The heavy pressure placed on the digital sector during the COVID-19 pandemic led to more and more companies opting for remote workers or hybrid policies ; technology is one of the most flexible industries and allows employees to access more job opportunities without in-person requirements. Tech is always changing and evolving, meaning there will always be a new set of skills or tools to master and add to your resume. For those that enjoy a challenge, the tech sector poses the unique opportunity to continue your learning journey throughout your entire career. As tech becomes more accessible to everyone through fun tools like ChatGPT, the doors to tech also open up and eliminate previous barriers to entry, contributing to a more inclusive and diverse workforce. Sounds pretty great, right? There’s a reason tech has grown significantly in recent years and it’s because more and more people are realizing the life-changing effects that the tech sector could have on their lives. And the best part is the advantages aren’t just limited to when you immediately enter the industry; the tech sector is full of professional growth opportunities. How can you take advantage of them? What can you expect as a tech newbie? Let’s dive right in. Professional Development Opportunities in Tech As we mentioned earlier and as we’re sure you’re aware, tech moves incredibly fast. New tools and innovations are constantly evolving and being released and skilled professionals are needed in practically every industry. What does this mean for you? Well, getting that first job in tech is just the first step; entering the tech sector means you’ll need to stay on top of the latest technologies , ensuring you’re ready to tackle the next challenge. It might seem daunting, but don’t worry: the tech sector is full of incredible opportunities that can help you open new doors. Let’s start by discussing some of the different ways you can learn about new technologies; we’ll begin with courses. Professional development in tech: courses Courses can take a lot of different forms and the right one for you will depend on how much time you have, how different or new the skill you want to master is, and your current role: Formal courses : lots of universities or tech schools offer formal courses or bootcamps where you have an instructor, coursework, and a guided curriculum. These are typically reserved for learning an entirely new skill and where you’ll need some expert guidance or support; if you want to learn about a new part of tech or master something completely new, like another programming language, formal courses are definitely worth it. Online courses : sometimes you just need to finetune your skills regarding a certain tool and an online course can easily meet your goals. With online courses, you can learn at your own pace and focus on exactly what you want to learn. These free options are a great choice if you just need your skills refreshed or basic instruction. At-work courses : because tech moves so fast, it’s impossible for companies to hire new employees to fill every new need that arises. And even if it were possible, the costly and time-consuming recruitment process eats up a lot of time and resources. Because of this, many employers choose to upskill or reskill their current employees, taking advantage of their previous skills and ability to work well on the team. These are all fantastic ways to meet new needs in the field, especially if you want to learn a new skill, but what if you want to continue in your current role and move up the tech ladder? Luckily for you, the tech sector offers a wide range of opportunities for this as well. Professional development in tech: networking The power of making connections cannot be overstated: meeting other tech professionals and creating genuine connections can help kickstart your career and introduce you to never before seen opportunities: Conferences : tech conferences are an amazing place to meet fellow techies, find out about new opportunities, and make lasting connections. And while it might be tempting to connect with absolutely everyone in attendance, quality is more important than quantity when it comes to networking and making sure you are valuing your connections’ time and resources. LinkedIn : LinkedIn is a great place for networking, allowing you to check out where someone works and what they’ve been up to. Just make sure you aren’t randomly messaging people for your own benefit and take the time to create real connections. Professional development in tech: on your own The aforementioned ways to grow professionally in tech are fantastic, but here’s a little secret: it’s totally feasible to grow on your own as well! You can study on your own with books or online videos and seek out opportunities and new technologies on your own time. This, however, will require a large amount of dedication, motivation, and effort–but it’s totally possible and is a great way to get started on new skills. No matter the way you choose to develop professionally in tech, we’re sure you’ll find what works for you and reach new heights. After all, there’s no better place to be than in tech and in such a fast growing and evolving industry, there’s truly no limit. At Ironhack, we’re helping shrink the skills gap by teaching our students exactly what they need to know to enter the tech workforce and advance throughout their careers with our expertly-led bootcamps in web development, UX/UI design, data analytics, and cybersecurity . Check them out today and start planning your leap into tech and beyond.

When you think of artificial intelligence, you probably think of talking houses and robots that can do absolutely everything for us. And while movies and popular culture have led us to believe that robots will one day be capable of doing everything we can (and probably better than we can, too), artificial intelligence is so much more than that; it can recommend the next show for us to watch on our favorite streaming service or even track common symptoms across cancer patients to suggest the right treatment. While artificial intelligence does have lots of interesting and useful applications, it’s hard to ignore the super cool artificial intelligence advancements like ChatGPT, Amazon’s Alexa, or Apple’s Siri. And in fact, natural language processing is one of the most transformative advancements in artificial intelligence that really makes us feel like there’s a robot with us, helping to make our lives easier. But what is natural language processing? Is it separate from AI? How do Siri and Alexa actually work? We’ll dive into these burning questions and many more in this article. What is Natural Language Processing? Let’s start at the very beginning; natural language processing is part of the branch of artificial intelligence that uses both machine and linguistic knowledge to teach computers how to understand both text and spoken word, just like humans can. While this might sound very straightforward, natural language processing is more challenging than what meets the eye. Why? Well, human language consists of: Extreme variation from speaker to speaker : think about everyone you know who has an accent, be it a native speaker from a different region, a fluent speaker who has a slight hint of an accent, or someone who is learning to speak your language. Then, take into consideration the amount of dialects that exist and you’ll realize the challenge that understanding spoken word means. Mistakes, intentional or not: people frequently make mistakes when writing, but especially when talking, incorporating slang or jargon that can completely change the meaning of a sentence provides quite the challenge for computers. Irony and sarcasm : irony and sarcasm are staples in most people’s vocabulary, typically signaled by a facial expression or change in tone of voice. But computers, which can only process the exact words it’s being fed, struggle to understand exactly what the speaker means. Multiple meanings : lots of words have multiple meanings and its desired meaning depends on many things: the surroundings of the speaker, their body language, facial expressions, or tone of voice. This ambiguity forces computers to decide what the speaker’s intention is, despite not having everything they need to know to make that decision. To help computers tackle these challenges and fully understand exactly what they’re being fed, natural language processing scientists work to help computers become even more capable of properly identifying and responding to human speech through the following methods: Speech recognition : for a program to respond or understand what a human is saying, the first step is to convert spoken words into text for the computer to digest. Seems simple enough, right? It isn’t, because this involves separating mumbled or mispronounced words, in addition to understanding various dialects or accents. Grammatical tagging : computers have a better chance at properly understanding human speech if it can identify the part of speech, such as a verb, noun, or adjective. Through teaching computers what words mean when used in specific grammatical structures, they better understand human speech. Named entity recognition : instructing computers to identify certain words such as countries or names of places helps avoid any confusion and recognize patterns when it comes to mentioning specific places/names. Sentiment analysis : this is one of the toughest to enact perfectly, as it requires a deep understanding of human irony and sarcasm usage; showing computers examples of when emotions affect the meaning of the sentence help the overall analysis of the speech be more accurate. Now that you’re clear on what NLP is and the challenges we face, let’s review the history of NLP and see how we’ve arrived at the NLP we know today. The History of Natural Language Processing Artificial intelligence began as futuristic ideas of robots and only became a reality in the 1950s as computers began to exhibit intelligent behavior that scientists like Alan Turner researched to harness the power of artificial intelligence . Although NLP study began in the 1950s, it really took off in the 1980s as machine learning algorithms were introduced to assist with language processing. Machine learning consists of providing machines with vast amounts of data that they can process and then make sense of. Through this, they identify trends and patterns that can help them make better decisions and analyses. Over the years, NLP has become even more advanced, thanks to more and more data. Natural Language Processing Today Today, one of the most common examples of natural language processing is Siri, Alexa, and other voice assistants. Let’s discover how NLP technology has created this seemingly personal assistant that’s ready to assist us with whatever we need–and can understand our speech. Major companies like Apple, Amazon, and Google have all created their own versions of virtual assistants, so we’ll be referring to them generally and discussing the technology behind them that makes them so useful–and innovative. When first released, people tended to have fun with the technology and ask for jokes or simply carry a conversation, but the truth is that these voice-guided virtual assistants are incredibly valuable. Voice assistants can: Follow your instructions to open an app, play a certain song, or make a purchase Give you directions to your destination Engage in a brief conversation Read from web pages/apps Tell jokes and imitate human reactions Give you reminders as scheduled These may seem like minor things that you could do on your own and yes, you probably could. But voice-guided virtual assistants bring the following advantages to your life: Increasing accessibility by not requiring any physical actions; in addition, for those who are visually impaired, read aloud options permit the user to fully use their device. Handling simple tasks like making a dinner reservation, sending a text, or setting an alarm. Automating repetitive and common tasks so that your time is free to handle more challenging or intense responsibilities. How voice assistants actually work Now that you know what they can do and why they’re so valuable, let’s break down the actual processing of voice assistants to better understand how natural language processing technology works here. Step 1: Voice Recognition This might seem like the simplest part of the entire process, but it’s actually the most complicated and requires advanced technology. Why? Because of everything we mentioned before; understanding the vast variations in human language is an incredible challenge and one that took a while to become a reality. To make sense of your words, the software collects your voice, converting it into a data file and sending it to servers. We didn’t mention this earlier, but another challenge is that the voice assistant must separate your voice from your atmosphere, eliminating any other speakers or ambient noise that complicates the process of understanding you. Step 2: Connecting to Servers Once your words have been converted into a file and sent to the server, it’s time for the magic to happen. Your words go through the different methods we mentioned above like grammatical tagging, speech recognition, and sentiment analysis to identify both what words you’re saying and what your true meaning is. Major companies like Apple and Google already have giant databases of resources to help with your query, but can also simply use the internet to find the answer to your question (which is why an internet connection is required for using virtual assistants!). Step 3: Understanding your Meaning With a clear understanding of what words you spoke, the software is now tasked with understanding why you said that, needing to figure out the meaning behind your words, taking into account your tone of voice, inflections, and any irony. And natural language processing takes front stage here, making sense of your meaning, not just the words. Drawbacks of natural language processing We’ve advanced significantly in recent years, but there’s still a lot of work to be done to improve the technology. As of today, these are the most common drawbacks with technologies like Alexa and Siri: Listening issues : in loud environments or when multiple people are talking around you, voice assistants may be unable to hear you or even determine who it should be listening to. Dialect/accent issues : users who have a strong accent, be it in their local dialect or second language, can struggle to be understood by voice assistants, especially if they aren’t fully familiar with how to accent the words properly. Language limitations : despite being known worldwide, most voice assistants are limited to English or a few other languages like Spanish, French, and German. For voice assistants to be truly universal and inclusive, all languages must be included. However, this will require a significant investment into the data required to make NLP work in these languages. Internet access : because the software pulls from the internet to evaluate speech, internet access is required to use voice assistants, which can limit both their accessibility and function. As you can tell, natural language processing has advanced significantly over recent years, culminating in the creation of something that can help make our lives easier every single day. And at Ironhack, we’ve recently revamped our curriculum to reflect these changes in the tech world, ensuring our graduates are prepared to enter the workforce with the knowledge they need to land their dream jobs. If you’re interested in taking that first step towards learning what you need to know about artificial intelligence, you’re in the right place. Check out our bootcamps today and become the next AI expert.

It’s no secret that the tech world has traditionally been a male-dominated one; in fact, gender equality is one of the tech sector’s main concerns . But in recent years, more and more women have taken the first step towards true equality, making a name for themselves in tech and showing everyone that women belong in tech. If you’ve studied or researched anything about diversity and inclusion, you’re aware that representation is crucial. Encouraging young girls to choose careers in tech is the first step towards reaching a more equal and diverse tech workforce; after all, it can be daunting to choose a career in a field where you don’t see yourself represented in the slightest. That’s why we’ve chosen to highlight some of tech’s most incredible female pioneers, women who have broken down barriers on their way to success in tech . But before we get there, let’s review the gender gap in tech, why the lack of gender diversity is a problem, and how women can help better the industry as a whole. The Gender Gap in Tech If there aren’t as many women working in tech, why don’t more just join? It seems like the easy solution to the problem, right? Well, there are many barriers facing women both before they enter the tech workforce and while they’re in it: Men are statistically more likely to be promoted and hold leadership roles Women are paid less than men for the same work in every single country worldwide Women face pressure and judgment when it comes to pregnancy, motherhood, and working while children are young Women are frequently tasked with familial responsibilities, such as caring for the elderly or other family members As we mentioned before, one of the biggest barriers to more women entering the workforce is representation and these 2020 stats prove our point even further: Women received 16% of bachelor degrees in computer and information services, 21% in engineering, 27% in economics, and 38% in physical sciences. Only 19% of senior vice presidents and 15% of CEOs are women. During the COVID-19 pandemic, women were twice as likely to leave their jobs, be put on leave, or laid off. Women hold less than 20% of tech leadership roles. With these statistics, entering the field of tech can be quite intimidating. But there is a dire need for more and more women in the field because women bring value to the field. In fact, empowered women, especially in the tech industry, have been proven to increase consumer spending, improve decision-making processes, encourage more inclusive societies, and increase sustainability efforts. Women Pioneers in Tech History has been filled with female pioneers in the tech field, breaking down barriers for the women who would come after them. Let’s learn a bit about some of the most influential women in tech and how they’ve created the tech industry we know today. Ada Lovelace You’ve probably heard about Ada Lovelace and there’s a reason why: she was the world’s first computer programmer! She loved mathematics and machines from childhood and worked closely with Charles Babbage, inventor of a primitive computer. When Alan Turing created the first modern computer in 1940, he used her notes from nearly a hundred years before. Despite facing incredibly strict societal norms that limited women’s education and involvement in the sciences, she followed her passions. Her work wasn’t recognized until much later in history when the true impact of her programming skills was realized, but she serves as an incredible inspiration for breaking down barriers in tech in time when that simply wasn’t done. Grace Hopper Being one of the first female Admirals in the US Navy isn’t Grace Hopper’s only claim to fame: in 1952, she wrote the world’s first computer compiler. But that’s not all; she also helped create one of the world’s first programming languages (COBOL), standardizing the military’s computers so that everything was better organized and easier to access. She has a US Navy Warship named after her (one of only two women to have been awarded this honor) and is even credited with coining the term “debugging” after finding an actual bug within her computer. Hedy Lamarr Despite beginning her career as an actor, Hedy Lamarr would help World War II efforts by helping to create a secret communication system that helped lead to the creation of WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth technology. This frequency hopping technology is credited to Lamarr, now known as the Mother of WiFi. Raised Jewish in Austria in the early 1900s, Lamarr fled to London and immediately showed an interest in the machinery involved in war efforts and let her creativity fly. She even created a new plane designed for higher level of speeds for the Americans; however, her fame is associated with the design of the frequency hopping technology used to locate torpedoes amongst radio waves. Annie Easley Breaking down both race and gender barriers, Annie Easley was one of the first Black scientists to work at NASA and at the time was one of four Black employees out of around 2500 total workers at NASA. She is best known for working on the team that created the software for the Centaur rocket stage, advancing science’s overall knowledge of satellites and space travel. In addition to her work in science, she helped other Black Americans study to pass the voting test, which was a requirement to vote due to the active Jim Crow laws of the time. Radia Perlman Credited as the Mother of the Internet, Radia Perlman worked tirelessly on networks, making self-organization and data movement possible and establishing the basics of internet traffic. She developed the algorithm used in the Spanning Tree Protocol, which supports the internet as we know it today. She attended MIT, where the number of women allowed to enroll was limited by space in the university’s single all-female dorm (around 50 spots for women among 1000 men). Later, the university introduced co-ed dorms, where Perlman moved to, but was still surrounded by men in her STEM classes, frequently being the only women in attendance. It became so normal to only see men in her classes that she would think how strange it was to see another woman if there happened to be another in class. Katherine Johnson Instrumental in the ability of the US to safely reach space, Katherine Johnson worked at NASA as one of the first Black mathematicians, manually solving incredibly complex mathematical problems that helped the US space program get off its feet in the early days. She worked on verifying flight paths for astronauts, helping the US put their first astronaut in space. She was part of major advances for NASA, helping John Glenn successfully orbit the Earth and the US send three men to the moon in 1969. When she passed away at the age of 101 in 2020, NASA released the following statement: “Our NASA family is sad to learn the news that Katherine Johnson passed away this morning at 101 years old. She was an American hero and her pioneering legacy will never be forgotten." Encouraging Women in Tech The aforementioned women are quite the inspiration, right? We think so and at Ironhack, we’re dedicated to encouraging more and more women to join the tech workforce and become the next generation of female techies. But if you’re looking for ways to lift up women at your company or in your personal life, follow these tips and tricks. Work actively against gender bias You’ve heard the saying, “if you see something, say something” and that’s because identifying and calling out occasions of gender bias can help not only improve your workplace for women, but also show others that this kind of behavior is simply not tolerated. If you witness examples of gender bias at work, such as comments about a woman’s parenting style or pregnancy plans, address them immediately. Build women up Lots of women choose not to enter the tech workforce because of what they think will happen or what they’ve heard about being a woman in tech. Take every opportunity to encourage your female colleagues to go for a promotion or speak up, cheering them on and ensuring they’re receiving the same opportunities as their male counterparts. Break down the institutions that limit women Societal expectations can be just as destructive as workplace bias; if society places unfair pressure on women to get married and stay at home to raise their kids, women may feel like they have no way to continue their career. Promoting healthy work/life balances and understanding that women may be unfairly tasked with caring for sick family members or putting their career on hold can help women have the same opportunities as men, despite societal expectations. And if you’re a woman looking to get into tech, but are intimidated by tech’s “boy’s club” reputation, keep these tips in mind: Creating a strong network can help you be inspired by other women in tech and give you resources if you need an extra push of inspiration. Staying persistent and resilient may be a challenge at first, but it will help you reach your goals and make tech brighter for the future generation of female techies. Reminding yourself that you belong in technology is key–tech is for anyone and anyone who tells you otherwise is simply wrong. At Ironhack, we’re dedicated to preparing everyone to enter the workforce through offering flexible and accessible bootcamps that teach you exactly what you need to know to land that first job in tech. Choose from remote or in-person courses, in addition to full or part time programs, so that you’re able to find your way into tech.

You know that there are a lot of job opportunities in tech. But when it comes to what the future will demand, you might be curious about the direction in which the tech sector is heading. Should you learn how to code? Or maybe how to protect a company’s data and information from cyber attacks? While we can safely say that we predict all areas of tech to continue growing in the coming years , three specific areas are on the verge of major transformation: artificial intelligence, the cloud, and cybersecurity. Now like we said, moving into any area of tech is probably going to be a great idea and lead to lots of career growth, higher salaries, and increased flexibility . But as technology advances and new inventions spring up left, right, and center, a lot of energy and human power is focusing on the three aforementioned areas–and with good reason. All three of these sectors will face incredible growth soon and hiring possibilities are practically endless. To make sure that this is the right choice for you, we’ve created a helpful guide of everything you need to know about artificial intelligence, the cloud, and cybersecurity. We’ll run down the basics of each field, cover job opportunities, and resolve any of your burning questions about the industry. Ready? The Future of Tech We lied–before we head into these fascinating areas of tech, let’s talk a bit about tech in general and its future. What can we expect? Why is this such a great time to get into tech? Let’s discuss. Technology is moving fast. So fast, in fact, that our predictions for the future have been completely surpassed already, allowing us to dream big and have a truly incredible outlook for the future. So while the possibilities with tech itself are practically endless, so are the job opportunities: The world’s biggest and most well-known companies are all in the tech sector , such as Google, Apple, and Amazon; these companies are known worldwide and offer a wide range of job opportunities. Tech salaries are among the highest that you can find and most roles have lots of growth opportunities. The work you’ll do at a tech company means something. It’s human-centered ; you’ll be able to see how your work is bettering society as a whole. As more and more companies invest in tech and prioritize innovation solutions, the need for skilled professionals will continue to skyrocket , creating even more jobs. Tech roles are known for their flexibility and remote-friendly policies , allowing you to continue focusing on your other passions and responsibilities. The tech sector isn’t stagnant; it’s constantly evolving and there will always be new skills to learn and master . For those interested in diverse career opportunities and the chance to always learn something new, tech is a great option. With a clear picture of what the tech sector can offer you, let’s discover exactly how artificial intelligence, the cloud, and cybersecurity are on the rise. The Future of Tech: Artificial Intelligence When you think of the future, self-sufficient robots or flying cars may come to mind. And while we’re not quite at that level just yet, artificial intelligence is quickly moving towards our view of the future with automated vehicles and tools like ChatGPT. Artificial intelligence is usually ranked as the number one trend in the future of tech and there’s a clear reason why: it’s an incredibly valuable sector that provides lots of value to both companies and tech employees. We can sum up the advantages of artificial intelligence with: The ability to automate repetitive and boring tasks , freeing up humans for more interesting and important responsibilities. Reduction in human error , eliminating the possibility of mistakes made because of tiredness, boredom, or other human qualities. The ability to make unbiased decisions , removing human preconceptions or assumptions from data analyzing. Constant availability , with no rest needed and no sleep, food, drink, or any other breaks required. Future trends in artificial intelligence And why is artificial intelligence such a promising sector? Because it’s helping us transform our future and reach new heights. Generative AI, for example, leaped to popularity in late 2022 with the launch of ChatGPT, which fascinated people with its human-like ability to respond to questions, suggest solutions, and tell jokes. And while tools like ChatGPT are quite cool to have, the future of artificial intelligence is incredibly bright , thanks to the following trends: Increased availability of AI tools : one of the main reasons that ChatGPT was such a hit was because it was one of the first high-level artificial intelligence tools to be available to the public, was user-friendly, and was free to use. As artificial intelligence develops and becomes even more common, we can expect to see increasingly accessible tools available to all, not just techies or major tech companies. Use across all industries : artificial intelligence won’t be just limited to the tech sector; it will become increasingly common in practically every sector. This means that hospitals will be able to use artificial intelligence to compare symptoms across patients, streaming services can provide incredibly personalized recommendations, and schools can provide personalized tutoring or suggestions to students. Never-before-seen levels of personalization : customers want to feel special and companies struggle with this, especially when they cater to a wide range of buyer personas. But thanks to artificial intelligence, companies can use artificial intelligence algorithms to recommend content or products specifically for you, increasing both user engagement and the user experience and creating a stronger sense of brand loyalty. The Future of Tech: the Cloud You know that more data leads to better decision-making; you also know that collecting, storing, and processing large amounts of data can be quite the challenge for many companies, especially those that don’t have the necessary resources to handle this information. And this is where the cloud comes in, offering an affordable, accessible, and useful solution for data storage. The cloud proves to be a valuable resource because: It’s cost-efficient, with the majority of providers offering customizable and adjustable plans to meet your current needs. It’s safe , allowing you to focus your efforts on your company and not on potential data or security breaches. It allows for multiple users to access information from different locations, permitting your company to operate globally while fully secure. It boasts quality disaster recovery , given that your data is stored far away from your physical location and has an automated backup process. Future trends in cloud computing The cloud has transformed the way in which companies store, handle, and process data; thanks to this new way of dealing with data, companies can spend their money and energy on using this data to make better business decisions instead of worrying about security and storage. In the future, we can expect to see: A mix of public and private clouds : practically every single business has different needs and thanks to the cloud’s customizable nature, we can expect to see even more combinations of public and private cloud solutions as companies find the right formula for their needs. A rise in edge computing : to combat growing cybersecurity risks and overall concerns about data privacy, edge computing will become more common, which processes data locally instead of in the cloud. An increased importance on disaster recovery : in the case of a data breach or outage, companies need to know that their data is safe, recoverable, and protected. Because of this, we can expect to see advancements in the area of disaster recovery, focusing on improving the overall recovery service. The Future of Tech: Cybersecurity The internet and technology in general are incredible tools that have truly transformed our lives. But until we can ensure that our systems and data are secure, there will always be a risk associated with tech ; this is where cybersecurity comes into play and why it’s so important. Cybersecurity helps us protect our data, secure systems against hackers, and respect local and international privacy regulations. Companies that prioritize cybersecurity can benefit from: Protected data and information , which helps not only ensure business functions as normal, but protects the reputation of the company and increases customer confidence with the business. Increased productivity by eliminating time wasted on recovering information post-hack or finding and solving viruses. Better company management , with a clear outline of who has access to what and controlled permissions across the board, in addition to a more informed and cyber-smart workforce. Future trends in cybersecurity More and more companies are recognizing the importance of not only employing safe cybersecurity practices, but employing skilled cybersecurity professionals that know how to handle and avoid attacks and it’s becoming a priority across the board. With properly implemented cybersecurity practices, companies will be better-suited to provide a safe and secure user experience. Future trends in cybersecurity include: An increased dependence on artificial intelligence : as we mentioned, artificial intelligence will be present in every industry and cybersecurity is no exception! AI tools will help process large amounts of data, identifying and flagging any potential threats, saving valuable time when it comes to attacks and threats. Blockchain usage will become more common : blockchain technology is a secure way to both store and transfer information; because it’s decentralized, hackers have a tough time accessing blockchain-stored information. For companies that need a high level of security at all times but don’t have the physical means to store data, blockchain technology will become an integral part of their cybersecurity plans. More teamwork between companies : it makes sense for companies to be tight-lipped about their cybersecurity policies, right? On a surface level, yes, but as technology advances, the dark side of tech also is reaching new levels and some attacks and threats are nearly impossible to properly identify. In the future, companies will begin to share information about threats and work together to find solutions or simply advise other companies about risks. As you can tell, the future of technology is bright, but especially in these three sectors. If you’re ready to take the next step towards joining one of these fields and taking advantage of all that technology has to offer, there’s no better place to start than with one of Ironhack’s Bootcamps . From cybersecurity to data analytics and a lot in between, we offer expertly designed curriculum aimed at helping you land a job in tech as soon as possible after graduation. At Ironhack, we know that tech is constantly evolving and we identify the gaps in the job market, creating bootcamps that fill these exact needs. If you’re interested in taking advantage of the tech boom, what are you waiting for?! Check out our upcoming bootcamps and take the first step towards your dream career.

Imagine the most incredible, out-there design in the world. Merely ten years ago, creating that design would have been unimaginable; today, thanks to artificial intelligence, it’s a complete reality. Artificial intelligence technology has helped us harness our creativity and explore completely new areas of digital design and art. There are lots of ways artificial intelligence has transformed the way we design and create art (and don’t worry, we’ll get into that later!), but one of the most transformative is the incredible level of personalization that we can expect from designs. Consumers are now used to seeing content that’s been curated specifically for them, increasing personalization and overall pleasure with it. In this article, we’ll explore how artificial intelligence has advanced in the art and design field, providing us with unique and personalized experiences that benefit the entire user experience. Let’s dive right in. Benefits of Artificial Intelligence To understand the effect that artificial intelligence has had on the digital and artistic sphere, it’s important to comprehend exactly how artificial intelligence has transformed the way we think and act. Here are some of the main benefits of artificial intelligence: Vast ability to process information : the limits of artificial intelligence are practically nonexistent; it’s able to process and sort incredible amounts of information, making sense of patterns and trends and draw conclusions that a human would be unable to recognize. Making the best of both humans and machines : you’ve probably heard about AI taking over and occupying all human jobs, but well-designed artificial intelligence technology takes advantage of the best qualities and abilities of both humans and machines, allowing machines to take on the dull and data-heavy responsibilities and letting humans navigate solutions to provide the best option for their client. Incredible personalization : as we mentioned, AI technologies are able to process vast amounts of data and can use this information to create personalized experiences for each client that make them feel special and convince them to become loyal customers. Automating tasks : some parts of the design process are tedious and truly don’t require human intervention; artificial intelligence can automate these repetitive tasks, freeing up the human’s time for more exciting tasks. So what exactly do we mean when we talk about artificial intelligence creating designs? We have a few examples that will help you get a better picture of what we’re talking about. Generative Adversarial Networks Imagine creating a piece of artwork that’s never been seen before in a matter of seconds. From funny images of your dog in Victorian clothes to previewing how a new hotel would look in a city, Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) are specifically designed to create images that are similar to photographs that it’s fed ; this means that it creates images that do not exist in real life. GANs are deep learning architectures that exclusively create new data and information based on the details it’s given. Apart from fooling around and creating funny images, GANs are used to: Create new human poses for modeling Make photos into emojis Age a person Change a person’s clothing Convolutional Neural Network Contrary to GANs, convolutional neural networks are used to recognize patterns, trends, and styles , used specifically to categorize visual images. This is valuable to extract certain features from images and detect certain objects, frequently used for: Medical image analysis Recommendation systems Increased security Artificial Intelligence and Music The impact of artificial intelligence and visual art isn’t the only one to keep in mind; artificial intelligence and music have also come together to create a truly incredible vision where there are no limits. There are two main uses of artificial intelligence in the music industry: Creating similar sounds : artificial intelligence technology has advanced to the point that it’s able to process music it’s fed and create incredibly similar yet different sounds that could be attributed to the same artist. Creating new sounds : on the other hand, artificial intelligence can be used to create completely different sounds and even entire songs, meaning a future where a computer is the artist on the Top 50 list is a reality. Artificial Intelligence and Writing Ever get so tired of writing that you wish it could be done for you? Well, that’s becoming a reality. Artificial intelligence is capable of predicting what you want to write next, suggest spelling or grammar corrections, providing alternatives for certain words, and much more. And thanks to Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology, artificial intelligence is learning more and more about sounding like a natural human voice, incorporating slang, jargon, dialects, and much more. There’s a whole separate area of artificial intelligence and writing, however. Thanks to technological advances in artificial intelligence’s ability to mimic the human voice and process vast amounts of information, some news networks are turning to automated journalism , which uses artificial intelligence technology to write reports in a matter of seconds, reducing the time that it takes for their readers to access the information. In a world where speed matters and accurate and current information is what readers seek, automated journalism is completely transformative. The possibilities of artificial intelligence are vast and it’s just the beginning: as more and more companies choose artificial intelligence technologies to help advance their business, the need for skilled artificial intelligence professionals will rise exponentially . Knowing how to harness the power of artificial intelligence for good and reduce the burden on humans will continue to transform the way in which we work. If you’re interested in becoming the world’s next artificial intelligence professional, you’re in the right place. At Ironhack, we offer up-to-date, expertly designed courses that aim to teach you exactly what you need to know to break into the tech sector. Discover our various bootcamps today and take that first step.

You know this, but let’s make sure it’s incredibly clear: learning any skill takes practice, time, and dedication. This may seem boring and we get it: it’s hard to motivate yourself to take on an entirely new ability. But when we talk about programming, we believe we don't have to follow the traditional, boring, and highly technical path. A great example of this is learning the JavaScript language, which is frequently used to build browser applications. Nowadays, it is also used for backend applications (the active part of applications), but it remains the first choice when creating both simple institutional websites or complex web applications. Before we dive into how we can make learning JavaScript (and other technical tools!) fun, let’s explain exactly what JavaScript is. What is JavaScript? JavaScript is a programming language used for web development , expanding the capabilities of HTML and CSS to include new and dynamic elements. Thanks to JavaScript, websites can be more dynamic and users can interact with different features: HTML is the structure of the web page and its content CSS offers styles for the content of the web page JavaScript allows you to add a specific style, link to external content, include images, and personalize the user experience. As one of the world’s most popular coding languages, practically every developer you meet will have at least some experience with JavaScript. Why? Well: JavaScript is fast: no one wants to be continuously delayed by slow loading speeds or server connections; because it’s an interpreted language that runs on the client side, it requires less time to secure a server connection, making the program faster. JavaScript runs on the client side: because JavaScript runs on the client side, the server is free from this added weight and can handle other tasks. JavaScript is easy to use: as one of the most widely-known programming languages worldwide, JavaScript is easier to learn because you’ll have a lot of online or peer help if you run into any issues. JavaScript is versatile: JavaScript can be used on both the front and back ends and can be integrated with other tools like Node.js to finish the website. JavaScript is widespread: because the vast majority of developers, on both the front and back end, use JavaScript, it’s widely accepted by browsers and compatible with lots of other languages. JavaScript has lots of features: despite its simple learning curve and widespread knowledge of it, JavaScript boasts lots of added features to enhance your web development project. However, just like anything else, JavaScript does it have its limitations. Let’s take a look: JavaScript can be hacked: because anyone can see the JavaScript script of a website, it could be misused. And because JavaScript knowledge is so widespread, someone could change the code of the website and put the security of client data in danger. JavaScript is harder to debug: compared to other programming languages, it’s harder to see bugs on JavaScript and determine the source. JavaScript is seen differently on each browser: because JavaScript can run on multiple browsers, it must be tested on all to make sure it’s presenting similarly. JavaScript reflects coding errors: one mistake in the code can bring down an entire website, interrupting business functions. Learning JavaScript There are several ways to practice the acquired knowledge of JavaScript. The most obvious way is to create a simple web application, a portfolio website, a resume, or perhaps the classic application to manage everyday tasks; these are the most common examples. But how can we make the learning process more dynamic , especially for those who want to learn to program and don’t have a technical background? As a Web Development instructor, one of Miguel Braga’s goals is to simplify and streamline the JavaScript learning process; he believes that we only learn by applying all knowledge in practice. In the first module of the Ironhack’s Web Development Bootcamp, the course kicks off with a project developed completely by the students: This project consists of creating a game where students can conceptualize, develop, and release a game they created in just three weeks. The knowledge they absorb in the first module gives them access to the necessary tools for creating game dynamics, allowing them to replicate platforms, collisions, gravity, speed and dynamic rendering of images, always using JavaScript. ​​Since 2019, when Ironhack’s inaugural Web Development Bootcamp in Lisbon took place, we have witnessed the creation of strategy, RPG, adventure, platform, and many more games: Game development instead of the typical web application was chosen because this method gives a playful aspect to the project development and substantially increases its complexity. Making a game from scratch is not easy, but we believe that by exposing students to this challenge, they further develop their skills and it’s always gratifying to see the students' creativity and innovative ideas at the end of each first module. After the presentations, students play the games designed by the students, which brings a practical and immediate purpose to the project. Learning JavaScript with Games at Ironhack Learning to program doesn't have to be boring and repetitive; innovation in education is possible and combining technical skills and creativity can considerably boost the learning and acquisition of technical skills. And people with or without training in the area can enter the job market as web developers much faster with the methodology of learning by doing. As you can see, learning to program from scratch in just three weeks is possible. Are you ready to learn JavaScript by creating your own game? Check out our Web Development Bootcamp and apply today.

Can hacking really be ethical? It’s a fair question: when you think of hacking, you probably think of bad guys sitting behind computers in ski masks with horrible intentions. And this picture comes to mind because of the negative connotations associated with hacking, but we have a secret: not all forms of hacking are bad. In fact, there’s an entire branch of cybersecurity dedicated to ethical hacking , or white hat hacking. The key difference between the hacking we immediately think and ethical hacking: ethical hackers work for a company , not against them, finding problems in their security measures so that they can be rectified before a bad hacker finds them. We know not everyone is fully familiar with the concept of white hat hacking, so we’ll dive into what it’s really all about in this article. What is White Hat Hacking? As we mentioned above, white hat hackers work for the company, identifying vulnerabilities in their hardware, software, or networks. It’s a completely legal way of hacking, as long as these steps are followed: Obtain complete authorization from the organization for which they will be hacking Report all security breaches or vulnerabilities to the organization immediately, leaving nothing for later Sign a non-disclosure agreement to keep everything confidential Complete their job, resolving any identified issues Choosing not to follow these steps could lead to major trouble with both the organization and the law; ethical hackers must prioritize the ethics of their profession before all else. Why would an organization hire a hacker? Have you ever heard the saying, “if you want something done right, do it yourself”? You probably have and that’s because there’s a lot of truth behind it. Why wouldn’t you hire an expert hacker? After all, the people who will try to hack you will be hackers themselves and by hiring an ethical hacker, you’ll be using the best of the best and preventing future trouble. It might seem counterintuitive to hire a hacker to prevent hacks, but trust us. It’s becoming an increasingly common practice across all organizations as cyber threats become more and more advanced. Why is white hat hacking valuable? We get that understanding the value of any sort of hacking can be a challenge, but it’s a practice that’s growing exponentially in popularity, thanks to its sheer usefulness. White hat hackers can: Identify problems before malicious hackers gain access to a system and cause damage Compile a list of potential problems so that companies can address them Fix security holes and vulnerabilities for the company to ensure better protection from malicious hackers Think like a malicious hacker, revealing risks that maybe hadn’t been previously identified In fact, this is why hackathons have grown in popularity–hackathons provide participants with a problem to solve, letting them work on teams or individually to solve the issue. With new perspectives, you can consider things that otherwise would slip past you. What Do White Hat Hackers Actually Do? If they’re not hacking for personal or monetary gain, what do good hackers actually do? Great question. Their responsibilities are pretty much what we already mentioned: to find issues with a company’s security . And to do this, they follow these four steps: Research : before diving right in, they must gather information on the organization and potential threats to understand where to look for problems. Here, they’ll better understand how the company’s systems work and where problem areas might be (such as with old or basic passwords or wide employee access to all systems). Scanning : with the information gathered during the research stage, the white hat hacker can look for additional information on the network and gather data, ready to launch an attack. Accessing : it’s time for the fun stuff, gaining access to the system, applications, and networks, gaining control of the system. Once inside, they can seek out specific vulnerabilities and areas that need to be reinforced. Covering their tracks: all white hat hackers must cover their tracks, completely concealing how they gained access to the system and leaving it exactly how they found it. How to Become an Ethical Hacker If we’ve piqued your interest in ethical hacking, we’re not surprised. After all, it’s a fascinating and challenging career path that allows you to hack for good , having fun finding ways to hack a system legally and then work to close those holes. So if you’re interested in taking the first step towards become a white hat hacker, take a look at the main requirements: You must have a spotless track record when it comes to hacking; white hat hackers are entrusted with a huge responsibility and will ultimately have full access to a company’s data, systems, and networks. The vast majority of companies won’t be interested in anyone who’s engaged in gray or red hat hacking before. You must have a solid understanding of wireless and wired networks , in addition to various operating systems. Each company will have a different setup and the bigger your toolbelt is, the more companies you’ll be able to work for. You must be able to think outside the box ; even though you’ll be working for the company, you’ll need to think like a malicious hacker in order to prevent access. This creativity will help you create a thorough and complete report. If you already have these, great! Lots of companies are looking for qualified and skilled white hat hackers who can help them protect their networks. But if you don’t, there’s no need to worry. All of these skills are completely learnable and you can build your knowledge through online courses, books, or bootcamps. A cybersecurity bootcamp is your best bet, given it will teach you the basics of what you need to know to enter the field in a short period of time , preparing you to land your first job in the field. And bootcamps are hands-on and intensive, meaning you’ll be able to get your hands dirty and enter the workforce with actual experience–not just words. If you’re interested in taking this next step towards becoming a white hat hacker or entering the cybersecurity field in general, you’re in the right place. At Ironhack, we offer one of the market’s best bootcamps, expertly designed to set you up for success. Check out our cybersecurity bootcamp today and get ready to put that (white) hacking hat on!

One of the most enticing qualities of entering the tech sector is the ability to make it what you will ; you’ll be able to choose from a wide range of careers and opportunities. After all, as the tech sector expands rapidly, every single area is looking to hire more and more skilled tech professionals. But if the 9 to 5 lifestyle isn’t what you’re looking for and you’re full of innovative and creative ideas, considering the entrepreneurial lifestyle may be your best bet. As an entrepreneur, you’ll have a unique ability: letting your ideas come to life and having full control over your career, work, and hours. But as with anything, it will come with some challenges and that’s why we’ve created this post, to help you discover exactly what being an entrepreneur entails and how to bring your ideas to life in a startup. Ready? Let’s dive right in. Entrepreneurship: What to Expect Entrepreneurs make up an interesting part of the business world: they’ve identified a hole in the market where the world is missing a product or service . And instead of working with a major company to fill this need, they go off on their own, creating their own company and developing the product themselves. While it seems quite simple, entrepreneurship can pose a challenge and is for a specific group of people that boast the following qualities: Goal-driven : entrepreneurs need to have a clear goal in mind and be driven by this goal, allowing them to reach success and make decisions with the good of the business as a priority. Determined and persevering : starting a company from zero is a serious undertaking and there will be struggles; entrepreneurs need to be prepared for tough days and not lose sight of their goal. Decisive : entrepreneurs must take the first step and be ready to make tough decisions, leading both the company and its employees to success. Those who don’t work well under pressure may struggle as an entrepreneur. Flexible and creative : things won’t go as planned as an entrepreneur–we can guarantee that! That’s why you’ll need to be ready to go with the flow, making adjustments as necessary and coming up with creative solutions for unforeseen problems. Passionate : in those hard moments, your passion will need to be the reason you do what you do, encouraging you to keep moving forward and sticking to your goal. Before we get into the different roles that entrepreneurs play in startups, let’s cover the main types of entrepreneurship from which you can choose. Social entrepreneurship Entrepreneurs who start a social entrepreneurship have a community-centered mission, looking to address social inequality, environmental concerns, or economic development. In this case, entrepreneurs are driven by their passion and truly seeing improvements around them, unlike other kinds of entrepreneurs that may be profit-driven. Scalable startup entrepreneurship If you dream big, this may be the right choice for you. These entrepreneurs are full of innovative, profit-making ideas that focus on filling the gap that currently exists in the market and grow from there, becoming a profitable and larger company in a short period of time. With these big goals on the table, startups are a favorite of venture capitalists because when properly developed, they can create large profits in a short period of time. Small business entrepreneurship Once again focusing more on the goal of the business instead of simply making large profits quickly, small business entrepreneurs exist to fill a need, such as your local dry cleaners or nail salon. These typically don’t aim to expand to new locations or are interested in franchisement; they are focused more on their goal. Large company entrepreneurship This is the opposite of small company entrepreneurship; large company entrepreneurs want to grow rapidly and expand their offering through new products, services, or locations. Instead of capitalizing on a hole in the market, large company entrepreneurship uses an existing business model to make money. Innovation entrepreneurship This is where the most traditional definition of entrepreneurship comes into play; innovative entrepreneurs have identified a market need and created their company with the goal of filling this hole. This type of entrepreneur tends to be incredibly creative and motivated, bringing their idea from zero to actually on the market. Who can be an entrepreneur? The easy answer is anyone. And while this probably doesn’t help actually answer your question, it is the truth. However, we can sort most entrepreneurs into five categories: the innovators, hustlers, imitators, researchers, and buyers. The innovating entrepreneur : these are the entrepreneurs you see in the news; they’re the ones creating new products and services and filling market needs. They’re very passionate about their idea and benefit from leading their product’s development, making all the big decisions. The hustling entrepreneur : as the name suggests, hustler entrepreneurs are ready to get to work and do what it takes to lift their business off the ground, even if it means long hours and days. They typically start small, and grow their business as they reach success. The imitating entrepreneur : instead of creating their own business ideas, imitating entrepreneurs take an existing business model or idea and expand upon it, either improving it or moving in a completely different direction to fill a market need. The researching entrepreneur : for the more cautious and slow-moving entrepreneur, researchers tend to spend lots of time preparing their business plan before getting started, preparing for any possible issue. This could mean that they miss out on business opportunities, especially if they’re trying to stand out from the competition or fill a current hole in the market. The buying entrepreneur : with a healthy bank account behind them, buying entrepreneurs choose to invest in lucrative opportunities that are set to enter the market quickly and make fast profits. Now that you have a clear understanding of the different kinds of entrepreneurial ventures and entrepreneurs, it’s time to dive into the good stuff: how to get your idea off the ground and become an entrepreneur yourself. No matter which you choose, carefully read through the process and make the right decision for yourself. Concept to Startup So you have your great idea: it’s either something that doesn't currently exist in the market or to provide an alternative to an existing product or service. Where do you go from here? How do you actually take that first step towards making your idea a reality? Follow these steps and you’ll be well on your way to success: Dissect your idea You have your idea, but are you totally sure that it will be viable? Is it different enough than what’s already offered so that you will attract an audience and make a profit? To find answers to these questions, try conducting market research and contacting your desired audience to see how it’s received through surveys, competitor analysis, and focus groups. And if you’re eager to get even more feedback, creating a minimum viable product to test with customers is a great way to gauge interest. During this stage, it’s important to be open to change and negative feedback; it’s completely possible that things don’t work out as you’ve imagined. Instead of getting discouraged, be grateful for the opportunity to finetune things before you invest too much time and money into the product. Work on your business plan With your idea fully fleshed out, it’s time to get to work on the business plan. Within your business plan, make sure you include: Executive summary Market analysis Product/service description Marketing plan Organization map Financial plan Risks and challenges It might seem tedious, especially if you’re eager to get started, but ensuring your business plan is well written will save you time later on and provide a strong foundation for your company. Build a MVP or prototype You’re probably eager to release your product/service to the market and see how it does–and that’s totally fair. But before you spend lots of time and money on developing a product that may not be well-received in the market, creating a MVP or prototype is a good first step. This simplified version of what you plan to offer can help you gauge interest and collect helpful feedback for when you actually start releasing your full product. Find funding Between loans, venture capital, grants, and investors, you have lots of ways to find funding for your idea. And with a solidly built business plan, it’ll be easier to prove the profitability of your company to potential sponsors, helping you reach the market fast. Take time to reach out to possible financing sources, allowing you to evaluate who aligns best with your brand and can provide you with the money you need to get off the ground. Construct your company With a business plan, MVP, and funding behind you, it’s time to start thinking about the help you’ll need. When building your team, evaluate different personalities and skills and weigh the benefits and drawbacks of hiring full-time employees, freelancers, or contractors. We can’t tell you which is right for you, but make sure you’re open and honest with potential candidates about the status of your company and offer them fair compensation for their work. Create your brand You know the importance of branding--potential customers that can identify your company are more likely to return and become loyal clients. And in order for you to gain more clients, you’ll need to get your company name out there through marketing, smart website design, and social media. Make sure your style and images are the same through all channels, creating a cohesive and trustworthy image of your brand. Get your idea out there! You’re ready to get going and release your product/service to the world. Creating a detailed and well-developed marketing strategy can make this step easier and smoother, allowing you to start making a name for yourself. And while you may be absolutely thrilled about launching your startup, make sure you take it slow and steady and keep realistic expectations. You’ll most likely need a bit of time to gain notoriety and turn profits; don’t become disappointed if things don’t work out perfectly immediately. Good things take time! Tech Startups There’s a reason why the majority of startups that we hear about are tech-related: there are so many great ways technology can help us! So if you’re ready to take the first step towards bringing your tech idea off the ground, expanding the market as we know it, you’re in the right place. At Ironhack, we’re dedicated to creating the next generation of business-minded techies who are full of creativity and passion. If you’re interested in seeing where a tech career in web development, data analytics, UX/UI design, or cybersecurity could take you, check out our bootcamps and choose the one that most interests you. From there, the sky's the limit.

For years, UX/UI designers have been tasked with creating engaging and exciting user experiences, both attracting the user and encouraging them to return to the site again and again . And for a while, this consisted of carefully choosing fonts, colors, images, and other visual site elements; today, however, immersive technologies have expanded the role of UX/UI designers, encouraging them to think outside the box. Users today, on the other hand, have come to expect interactive and captivating designs that create a mental and emotional bond with the company, encouraging the user to choose them repeatedly over time. And although these interactive features have become the norm over recent years, they are a relatively new development in the field of UX/UI design. In this post, we’ll explore these new advancements in UX/UI design, review exactly why UX/UI design is so important, and make some predictions for future developments in the field. But before we dive right into the good stuff, let’s review what UX/UI design is, its purpose, and the main responsibilities of UX/UI designers. What is UX/UI Design? Although they’re typically referred to jointly, UX and UI design are two separate disciplines that convene on some main points; that’s why they’re so frequently grouped together. UX stands for user experience; UI stands for user interface and they work together to ensure the user has the best possible experience on the website. UX design User experience design focuses on how the user will interact and experience a product or design , concentrating on making it as fantastic as possible. UX designers follow lots of guidelines when it comes to brand preferences or accessibility, but they want to make all designs easy to use, logical, and enjoyable. User-centered design became popularized in the ‘90s when the consumer became the center of all designs; after all, if the product is designed for them, the user experience should be catered to them as well. “You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work back toward the technology – not the other way around.” - Steve Jobs The UX design process follows an intuitive path, easily followed by designers who are passionate about creating quality products for their users. Let’s explore the design process for UX designers, shedding some light on how they actually center the user during the entire process. Identify : what is the designer tasked with creating and why? Is the current website not attracting customers? Or are there very few users who return to the site? This high-level meeting can help give the project a strong starting point and inspiration for the following steps. Understand : with the problem identified, it’s time to research the user and ensure that you fully understand who they are, what motivates them, and what their end goal is. Industry trends and competition analysis can help you design a high-quality plan. Plan : with your research in front of you, it’s time to get going! Based on all the information you’ve gathered, begin to plan out your design, creating user personas, wireframes, user stories, and more to guide your project. And with all this information, you can create a rough timeline for the actual design process. Design : it’s finally time to get to work; it’s time to start designing. Start by sketching out the overall layout of the site, how users will navigate from page to page, and which elements will be present on each page. Test : with your design completed, it’s time to put it out into the real world and work to receive feedback, see what’s working and what’s not, and what changes and adjustments can be made. UI design User interface (UI) design differs in that it’s the actual practice of designing the aesthetics of a digital product , creating the interface of the app/site. With a focus on the visual elements that users interact with and use to navigate the page like sliding, pulling down, typing, and more, UI design is a crucial part of the design process. To create engaging and well-functioning designs, UI designers follow these steps: Sketching : to begin, it’s best to get some ideas on paper and work from there. UI designers begin by sketching out their thoughts and ideas; this helps outline the general elements that need to be included and get a rough look at how things will appear on the finished site. And because it’s an abstract sketch, it’s easy to move stuff around or rework the design. Wireframing : with your basic sketches on paper, wireframing helps you picture how things will look before you actually put them on the site, showing you how the layout will appear and where each element will be. This can help visualize the final product, provide the client with a progress update, and identify any obvious problems early on. Designing : with the format outlined properly, you can start adding design elements and see what works and what needs to be changed. This stage is essential for recognizing and fixing any accessibility/response issues and help the entire team see how the design is looking. Flowing : with all pages designed, it’s time for a crucial question: how will users navigate from one page to the next? How will they search the site or use drop-down menus? This is where the UI designer’s expertise comes into practice, seeking to create an intuitive and simple process. Fine tuning: with everything designed and planned, spend some moments on the final details, making sure every element is in high definition and looks exactly as you imagined. During this stage, you can also add more details as you see fit. You’re an UX/UI design expert now, right?! We thought so! With this knowledge, you’re ready to dive into the immersive technologies that have revolutionized the UX/UI design field. Immersive UX/UI Design Technologies We’ve seen a huge influx of new technologies in recent years that have completely changed the way we do most things; UX/UI design has also been heavily influenced by the introduction of immersive design technologies that provide an even more thorough and detailed user experience. The three main forms are virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality; these have led the user to feel even more connected to the product, but also forced UX/UI designers to reimagine the way they’ve been working for so long. Virtual reality Virtual reality technologies (VR) have recently skyrocketed in popularity and UX/UI designers have been quick to take advantage of it to provide an even more immersive and interactive user experience . VR creates a digital environment where users can navigate around, taking full advantage of their digital surroundings. Just like with normal UX/UI design, VR technologies need to stick to the same principles of empathy, comfort, hierarchy, consistency, and user-centered design to ensure that it’s well-designed. Virtual reality in UX/UI design can: Create a highly interactive user experience where users can actually see themselves using a product or service, which can help convince them to buy it. Provide the user with complete control , letting them navigate through the virtual reality environment and choose their path. Be used for practically anything , letting all UX/UI designers, regardless of their industry, take advantage of this technology. When creating their design, however, UX/UI designers need to ensure that they prioritize user comfort (for example, the VR headset must be comfortable), mimic natural human movements and actions, and guarantee accessibility. Augmented reality Unlike virtual reality, which creates a completely artificial environment for the user, augmented reality (AR) technology combines digital information with the user’s current environment. However, just like the previously mentioned technology, AR can help the user not only picture themselves using the product or service, but also join their surroundings with the product, allowing them to see the product in their home or personal space. Augmented reality in UX/UI design can: Let users navigate around their space, seeing what it would be like to have certain elements next to them or in specific locations (imagine seeing what a sofa would look like in your living room before you buy it!). Add extra value to the user experience and let users combine their personal experience with the product offered. Provide accessibility options for users that would be otherwise excluded from UX/UI technologies. AR does come with a bit of a learning curve, of course, and not all designs need or will benefit from the introduction of it; make sure you fully evaluate the pros and cons of it before deciding to incorporate augmented reality into your designs. Mixed reality We can think of mixed reality (XR)  as a combination of the best elements of virtual and augmented reality, combining both a computerized world with your physical surroundings. It sounds like AR, but here’s the key difference: XR allows these two to interact. This technology consists of expertly developed tools that put virtual elements in the real world. Mixed reality can absolutely transform the way users interact with products, but UX/UI designers need to take the following into consideration: As they’re no longer designing for a flat space, they need to take distance and vision into consideration to create a realistic and accessible design. They have to follow the limitations of the human body; for example, objects far in the distance shouldn’t be perfectly clear, a 360° view shouldn’t be possible, and users should have to be within arm’s reach to pick up or touch an object. Users must still be able to see and hear things in their physical surroundings to avoid falling or other injuries. As you can tell, the future of immersive technologies in UX/UI design is incredibly bright; after all, who wouldn’t want to try on a shirt from your house or see how a picture will look on the wall before buying it? These technologies are relatively new, however, and will require lots of work and developments to ensure they meet all UX/UI design principles. If you’re interested in becoming one of the next UX/UI designers to tackle immersive technologies and create even better user experiences, you’re in luck: UX/UI designers that specialize in virtual reality, augmented reality, or mixed reality are predicted to be in high demand in coming years. And there’s no better place to get your start than at Ironhack, where you’ll learn the essential foundational knowledge necessary to land you that first job in tech. Our expertly designed curriculum prioritizes the stuff you actually need to know, helping you get started. If you’re interested, don’t hesitate any longer: our part-time and full-time bootcamps are filling up fast! Don’t be left behind.

You know your future lies with tech and we get it: it’s an incredibly wide field with lots of job opportunities, attractive benefits, and high salaries . But if you’ve already worked in another field for a while or simply don’t have a tech background, taking that first step to switch careers can be quite daunting. Breaking into tech doesn’t have to be a scary and intimidating experience . After all, it’s incredibly common to switch careers at some point in your professional life and even more normal to want to move into a field where you’ll see an improvement in both your professional and personal life. In this post, we’ll outline the steps you’ll need to follow to break into tech from another industry, suggest some tips and tricks that can make the transition easier, and remind you of the reasons why moving into tech is such a great idea. Why Choose Tech? Before we dive into the details of switching careers, let’s head back to the very beginning: why you want to move into tech. No matter what field you choose, tech professionals can benefit from the following: Higher salaries than other industries, in addition to bonuses other forms of compensation The opportunity to work with the world’s newest technologies and harness them for good Flexible schedules that allow you to work fully remotely or at least some of the time Lots of job opportunities as the field is constantly evolving and growing There are lots of reasons to get into tech, but these are some of our favorites (and the ones that usually convince people!). With the decision to choose tech clearly made, it’s time to move on to the next step: deciding which area of tech is right for you. Choosing the Right Area of Tech If you’re looking for us to tell you which area of tech to choose, you’re in the wrong place. The best area of tech for you will depend heavily on your individual preferences, experience, and goals; we can’t simply tell you which is best! But if you are stuck and can’t make a final decision, try to follow these steps: Find out what truly interests you : there might be hundreds of openings for software engineers near you, but the idea of sitting in front of a computer and coding is not enticing at all. And that’s totally fine--coding isn’t the only in-demand skill and you’ll be able to find work in a variety of roles. When choosing the area of tech in which you want to specialize, make sure you are truly interested and can see yourself working in it for years and years. Research career paths : you really like working with artificial intelligence tools, but there’s probably no actual career in that, right? Well, as AI use grows, more and more companies are choosing to employ AI professionals, meaning there are professional paths. Dedicate some time to exploring available roles and outlining what your career would look like to make sure you are truly interested. Review required skills and what you offer : now that you’ve decided which industry is best for you, it’s time to check out what you’ll need to know and offer to land a job in that area, in addition to seeing which of your current skills could be of use. Be realistic–this is a great time to reflect on your abilities and think about what you can realistically learn. Choose your plan of action : with your interests clearly defined, it’s time to make an action plan. How will you learn the necessary skills to move into tech? How will you prepare yourself for a career change? Planning these steps ahead of time can make the adjustment much, much easier and seamless. Following the aforementioned steps will help you come up with a great plan for success. But if you’re still having trouble choosing which area, consider one of the following four: Web development : perfect for those ready to master a few programming languages and create the formula for how websites and applications work, web development is growing daily with tons of demand for skilled professionals. UX/UI design : harness your creative and tech-savvy sides as a UX/UI designer; you’ll be able to create the ideal user web experience through design. Data analytics : every good decision is backed by data and companies are increasingly relying on data to ensure they’re making the right choices. As a data analyst, you’ll be at the forefront of these decisions, visualizing and explaining the results to the rest of your team. Cybersecurity : as cybersecurity becomes more developed, so do cyber threats and it’s the responsibility of cyber professionals to protect and defend their company’s data from malicious attackers. These are just four areas of tech, but there are tons more: interested in cloud computing? Or DevOps? What about artificial intelligence? Careers in these areas and more are popping up daily and we’re sure you’ll find the perfect match for you. Preparing for Your Tech Career Change Alright, on to the next step: getting ready to make that career change. First things first, you need to build up the right skills to land that job. It seems self-explanatory, but when facing this step, you may find yourself a little lost. Are you supposed to go back to school? Or learn everything on your own? Do you quit your current role? Let’s cover these doubts and some other burning questions you may have. Learning what you need to know If you’re worried about having to head back and get another four year degree, stop right there. Because tech is moving at such a fast pace, the skills you need to know are also changing fast, meaning four year programs are usually outdated by the time you’re ready to enter the workforce. They are certainly an option, however, but make sure you explore everything available to you: Self-learning : the internet is a wonderful place full of incredible resources to help you learn about new topics. If you feel like learning on your own, it’s definitely an option! Check out free online courses or videos and start practicing. But remember that while this is a great way to try out different areas and see where your interests lie, you might run into trouble at some point and need guidance or help beyond that of what free online resources can provide. Short courses : one or two week online courses are another popular way to get the basics of your chosen area; you’ll have an instructor and a guided learning process that can help you learn what you truly need to know. However, most areas of tech require more time to learn what you really need to know to land a job. Bootcamps : bootcamps are great ways to learn what you need to enter the workforce in a short period of time and are usually flexible and customizable around your current schedule. But because they’re so intensive, they do require a sizable commitment and focus; before signing up for one, evaluate your current responsibilities to ensure you can dedicate your full energy to it. University degrees : the option to go back to school always exists; spending four years on one topic can provide you with incredible theoretical and foundational knowledge. However, the time and financial commitments are significant and can serve as a barrier for many. No matter which method you choose, make sure you properly evaluate the time, money, and energy you can dedicate to your new career and make the right decision for you. Switching careers With the decision made to jump into tech, you might feel like giving your two weeks notice immediately, especially if you’re really not happy in your current role/industry. And while that may be quite the temptation, it’s best to move slowly and cautiously to ensure you’re being responsible. Depending on which method you chose to learn the necessary skills, your timeline will look a bit different. Regardless, here’s our cheat sheet to making your career transition as smooth as possible: Create a realistic timeline : with everything decided, it’s time to outline exactly what steps you’ll take to achieve your goal. Be generous with your time allocations, allowing for unforeseen circumstances and being cautious–you don’t want to end up in a situation where you’ve quit your job and used up all your savings and are still learning necessary skills. Work on your CV/portfolio : as you start mastering tech skills, dedicate some time to polishing your CV/portfolio and interview skills so that you’re ready to apply for jobs and get your foot in the door as soon as you’re ready. Making this an ongoing task helps speed up the entire process and will help you track your progress. Don’t be too eager : a career change is a big deal and rushing through it probably won’t get you where you truly need to be. Work your way through these steps slowly and surely, guaranteeing you’re learning what you need to know. Make the process as easy as possible : you’re probably tempted to quit your job, join a full-time 9 week bootcamp and start working in tech in a few months and we get it–the tech sector is enticing and welcoming. However, don’t be afraid to choose a part-time program so that you’re able to maintain your current job and responsibilities or even put off the job search for a little after graduation so that you’re confident in your portfolio/interviewing skills. The move into tech is quite daunting--we totally get it! But there’s never been a better time to harness all that tech offers and take the first step towards your dream career with a tech bootcamp that’s specifically designed to land you a job as soon as possible. Say goodbye to all the unnecessary classes and courses that have nothing to do with tech! It’s time to focus on exactly what you need to know. At Ironhack, our bootcamps are expertly designed to teach you exactly what you need to know to land that first tech job. And we work with some of the world’s leading companies to help you land interviews, assisting you with interview prep and CV creation from the first day of your bootcamp. If you’re interested in breaking into tech (even if you have no experience in tech!), there’s no better place than Ironhack. We offer flexible courses offered both in-person and remotely and full-time and part-time so that you’re able to maintain your current responsibilities and take those first steps towards your dream career. Ready? Check out our course offerings and get ready for a transformative journey: we’ll see you in class!

If you’re in tech, we already know you’re an incredibly driven individual with a passion for learning new things and staying on top of the newest developments in tech. After all, in such a fast-moving sector, you don’t have a lot of options: being driven and motivated are basic requirements for tech professionals! Even if you’ve landed your first job (or even your dream job!) in tech already, it’s never too early to look ahead and start thinking about what your career could become. Do you want to try out new areas? Or are you interested in advancing your skills to move up the professional ladder? No matter your focus, we have some incredibly helpful professional development strategies that can help you climb that ladder and get where you want to be, career-wise. In this article, we’ll explore some of the best ways to advance in your tech career, in addition to tips and tricks to overcoming those difficult situations in which you may find yourself. Ready? Let’s prepare ourselves to climb that ladder. An Overview of the Tech Sector You’ve earned that computer science university degree or maybe just finished your UX/UI design bootcamp and you’ve landed your first job in tech. You show up the first day eager to learn and are floored by the number of developers or designers on your team. In your first meeting, you already learned so much. How is this possible? Aren’t all developers or tech professionals equal? Well: There are lots of levels to tech roles: because there are so many intricacies when it comes to tech and the responsibilities of tech professionals, you’ll find lots of roles with “Junior” or “Senior” attached to it; you’ll also quickly learn that the tech field demands knowledge in a wide range of areas, such as different programming languages, and you can expect to deepen your skill set as your career matures. Tech moves so fast: the most relevant skill 12 months ago may be completely useless now and that’s the beauty of tech. It’s a relatively new sector and one that is outdoing itself daily; for sectors like cybersecurity, for example, professionals need to be up-to-date with the latest hacking trends to effectively protect their company’s data. Tech skills are learned through practice : you probably learned a lot of theory in your tech education and maybe even worked on some of your own projects! But the tech field is one where you’ll become more and more skilled and confident through actually doing and with more and more time on the job, your skill set will reflect this experience. What is the tech ladder? It’s not an actual ladder, but the main idea is similar. The tech ladder is a representation of your journey in the professional world of tech , providing a visualization of how your career will advance over time. As you land a new job or learn a new skill, you advance a skill up the ladder and get closer to reaching your end goal. To define your personal tech ladder, consider these questions: What is your ultimate goal for your career? Are there certain milestones you wish to reach? Where are you starting off? What skills will you need to reach your end goal? Do you have dates for when you’d like to reach your goals? Write these answers down and then build your tech ladder, being realistic but ambitious so that your goals are clearly defined. It may seem unnecessary, but writing them down and actually creating this ladder can help you visualize the success you desire and help you work even harder for it. Professional Development Strategies for Tech Enthusiasts With the usefulness of the tech ladder and professional planning clearly defined, let’s move into how to advance up that tech ladder and achieve your goals. Professional development strategies are a great way to do that; these short and long-term goals can help set up a helpful guide to how you can achieve your ultimate goal (what’s on top of the tech ladder!). These goals can be pretty much anything you deem necessary to achieve your aspirations, but usually come in the form of: Developing new skills Improving current skills Becoming a leader Making more money Tech professional development strategies Your specific strategies will depend heavily on your experience and career goals, but take a look at some of the most important ones and think about how you can adjust them to fit your situation perfectly. Initiate the change you want to see It’s easier to sit back and hope that a raise or promotion comes your way; in fact, it can be incredibly intimidating and challenging to take the first step to reaching your goals. But if you truly want to advance in your career, it’s on you to take that first step . This could come in the form of going to your boss and asking for new training on a specific tool or additional responsibilities; this could also be you offering to take on other duties outside of your role such as recruiting or volunteer work in your community. However, make sure you take on only what you can handle: you don’t want to offer to take on more work and realize that your work is declining in quality because of that. Network, network, and network The professional world is all about connections and there’s no such thing as having too many connections! In the office, work to connect with other employees, even those outside of your team or department and create genuine connections where you can learn from one another. Outside of your job, you can use LinkedIn, conferences, or job interviews to meet others in your sector. While making connections with everyone you meet seems like the best option, it’s important to focus on creating quality contacts over quantity; people you truly know and can rely on are those who could suggest a job opportunity to you in the future. Learn skills outside of your field As a data analyst, you just need to know skills related to data usage, right? Well, employers are starting to value soft skills as much as hard skills, in addition to skills entirely unrelated to the tech sector. Why? Well, tech is infiltrating every single sector and if you can offer skills in that sector in addition to what you know about your chosen area of tech, you’ll be unstoppable. Make sure to cultivate these other skills so that they’re strong and can be used to better your current responsibilities. After all, you want to advance and these additional skills can help you get there. Invest in your education Some of your career goals may be completely accessible through self-learning or your current role, but others may be impossible without guided learning, especially if you want to switch careers. But don’t worry: we’re not saying you need to go back to school for four years; today, the education sector is incredibly convenient, offering loads of online courses or videos that can help you practice new skills. If you are looking to move in a completely new direction, however, you may want to consider a bootcamp or another form of more guided and organized learning . Learning a completely new skill can come with a large number of challenges, especially if you’re trying to do it alone. Bootcamps can help you learn precisely what you need to know to switch careers without all of the nonsense that long and tedious courses entail. Check in with your goals As we explained above, the tech ladder serves as a visual representation of your career goals and it isn’t for just one time use. Refer back to it as you advance and if you feel a bit stuck, choose actionable items to help you reach new heights. Most importantly, be realistic with yourself and don’t be afraid to reevaluate if something new is needed. Setting up regular check-in points can help you review your progress and see where you’re succeeding and what areas need a bit more focus and care. It seems easy, right? Create a job ladder and check back every once in a while is all you need, right? Unfortunately, it’s a bit harder than it might seem at first; however, it’s completely doable. But just in case you’re dealing with some challenges, let’s explore some common barriers to professional development and what to do in case you find yourself facing some. Barriers to Professional Development The road to the top of your tech ladder isn’t going to be roses and butterflies and it’s best to prepare for what to do in case you get stuck. There are lots of things that could come up, but we’re going to cover some of the most common: Lack of self-motivation : your career success depends primarily on you and sometimes it can be hard to push yourself to take that extra step to ask for more work or learn a new skill on your own. Recognize that it’s a challenge for everyone and set realistic goals that you can achieve, such as studying for just 30 minutes a day or choosing a guided learning course for extra support. Lack of support : if your boss isn’t supportive of your desired development and isn’t open to you taking on new responsibilities or learning other skills, you may feel that you’ve reached a dead end. But you haven’t: try other methods such as networking and consider switching jobs to be in a place where your professional growth is encouraged and valued. Lack of time: taking on new duties at work or learning outside of your 9-5 demands a significant time requirement and you might have to sacrifice other commitments that you enjoy. Before you make any decision, evaluate your current schedule, taking into consideration the happiness or other benefits your other commitments provide, and make the right decision for your overall well-being. The tech sector is continuously growing and expanding, with new opportunities popping up practically every day. Your desired professional development is completely a reality and with these tips and tricks to advancing up that tech ladder, you’ll be on the right path for success. If you’re looking for a way to advance in tech without giving up your current responsibilities or role and adding new skills to your resume, our part-time bootcamps are the perfect option. You’ll be able to study on the weekends or at night, maintaining your current responsibilities while advancing your career on the side. Interested? We offer in-person and remote bootcamps in Web Development, UX/UI Design, Data Analytics, and Cybersecurity across the world. Pick your next step and get ready to fly up that tech ladder!

With an increasing reliance on online networks, cloud computing, and online data storage, companies must improve their cybersecurity practices . As the cyber terrain grows, so do the onslaught of cyber threats that put companies at risk of data breaches, loss of sensitive data, and other ever-evolving cyber threats. Organizations must transform their security posture, expand beyond perimeter-based security measures , and embrace new machine learning cybersecurity practices that enhance network security. Integrating machine learning in cybersecurity has proved crucial in improving a company’s security posture and, specifically, protecting the outer boundaries of a network. It adds an additional layer to security practices which will effectively protect organizations against cyber threats. Understanding the role of machine learning in cybersecurity will support organizations in creating strong, multi-layered security defenses to reduce or eliminate complex digital threats.  Let’s break down the benefits of machine learning in cybersecurity! What is Machine Learning? Before we really get into machine learning for cybersecurity, let’s clear up what machine learning is. In simple terms, machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence (AI) that uses datasets to teach machines how to identify patterns, make predictions, and pull valuable insights from data. Essentially, machines develop algorithms and models without being explicitly programmed. Instead, they’re fed mass amounts of data and from which they identify trends, sort information, or take action based on data, rather than relying on specific programming instructions . Once the machine has learned from data sets, it’s able to make predictions regarding unseen or future data. Types of machine learning There are three standard machine learning methods : Supervised learning : the process of training a model with data that is already labeled, meaning that data scientists know the desired outcomes and can train the machines to reach those same conclusions. After the algorithm learns by studying these examples, the machine can automatically make predictions when presented with new, unlabeled, or unknown data. Unsupervised learning : the opposite to supervised learning in that the data is unlabeled and the outcomes are unknown. The machine’s task is to discover patterns, trends, and similarities in data and group them together without knowing the desired outcome. Reinforcement learning : trains an algorithm through giving the machine regular feedback. Positive outcomes are reinforced while undesired outcomes are punished, teaching the algorithm to identify certain trends in data, and adjust its decision-making strategy to enhance its performance over time. The chosen machine learning method is determined based on individual circumstances, the availability of data, and the desired outcomes. Applications of machine learning Machine learning has proven useful in a number of fields. It’s rapidly advancing and has had a profound impact on a variety of industries, including: Healthcare Finance Recommendation services Computer vision Robotics Manufacturing and product fulfillment Thanks to the availability of large datasets, machine learning has been greatly improved in recent years and continues to be an innovative aspect of artificial intelligence. Familiarizing yourself with machine learning’s applications will prove useful for all tech professionals. What is Cybersecurity? Cybersecurity, on the other hand, is a set of ongoing practices and processes that secure information technology systems from malicious actors and digital threats. It’s an all-encompassing term used to describe the variety of securitization practices and strategies utilized by cybersecurity professionals to create a strong network security and protect digital assets. Key aspects of cybersecurity include: Confidentiality : cybersecurity professionals must guarantee that sensitive and valuable information can only be accessed by authorized users or systems. Integrity : this refers to the reliability and accuracy of data and systems. Cybersecurity professionals implement measures to prevent unauthorized tampering or use of data or software. Availability of data: cybersecurity professionals must protect data against potential disruptions or attacks that may lead to limitations in authorized user access. Ensuring that data is secure and able to be accessed by the appropriate users is a key aspect of cybersecurity. Authentication : this is the process of verifying the identity of users, devices, or systems who attempt to access an organization's digital assets. Authentication processes are established and maintained by cybersecurity professionals. Data encryption: this refers to the process of encoding data such that it’s made inaccessible to unauthorized users. Data encryption is utilized both in the transformation of data, and in establishing safe data storage. Risk management: cybersecurity professionals must be proactive in identifying potential vulnerabilities in software, hardware, and digital systems. Recognizing and reducing potential risks is a huge aspect of cybersecurity work. Given the growing cyber landscape, the work of cybersecurity professionals is constantly transforming. That said, cybersecurity professionals must stay up-to-date on best practices, emerging threats, and tools that could enhance an organization’s security practices. What Responsibilities do Cybersecurity Professionals Have? We’ve touched on key aspects of cybersecurity, but what tools and techniques do cybersecurity professionals utilize in order to fully maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of an organization’s digital assets? Threat detection: identifying and assessing potential threats is crucial in maintaining a secure digital environment. Cybersecurity professionals must track network traffic, analyze system logs, and immediately address security alerts. They use a number of tools in order to detect suspicious activity. Vulnerability assessment : involves the ongoing work of evaluating potential risks and determining where to direct organizational resources in reducing the organization’s potential attack surface. Configuring security measures: cybersecurity professionals implement and maintain security measures such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and antivirus software. Building organizational awareness: this is a crucial aspect of securing digital assets because your organization’s cybersecurity practices only work insofar as individual employees partake in securing network systems. Educating employees on their role in the organization’s cybersecurity reduces the potential for human error in securitization practices. Incident response: in the case of a security breach, cybersecurity professionals must be prepared to respond in a timely fashion, investigating the incident, working to resolve it, and initiating next steps in order to prevent future incidents. Compliance : as the digital realm evolves, so do the laws and standards that govern it. Cybersecurity professionals must develop, update, and enforce security protocols that align with industry standards, while also ensuring that securitization practices are in line with government regulations. These are just a few of the many responsibilities of cybersecurity professionals. Their work continues to evolve as the industry changes and cyber threats take new forms . Cybersecurity professionals must have foresight, work well under pressure, and learn from incidents such that cybersecurity systems continue to improve. How Can Machine Learning Enhance Cybersecurity? Machine learning has proven helpful in data analysis in a variety of industries, from finance to healthcare to robotics and quality control. It’s a field that’s rapidly advancing because of its wide range of applications. That said , if properly understood and utilized, machine learning can help cybersecurity professionals build a robust defense against evolving security risks and vulnerabilities. Machine learning moves cybersecurity practices beyond traditional rule-based cybersecurity approaches and signature-based detection systems , leading to an organization’s stronger security posture. Here are a few ways that artificial intelligence and machine learning applied to cybersecurity can enhance an organization’s network security: Anomaly detection: machine learning models are able to analyze massive amounts of data including network traffic, system logs, and user behavior patterns, from which anomalies can be identified and potential threats are detected. Machine learning models build an understanding of what “normal” behavior is in a given network or system. Through that knowledge, they are able to flag abnormal behavior or potential security threats. Malware detection: machine learning can aid in identifying new and transforming malware strains. Machine learning analyzes file characteristics and code behavior in order to detect malicious software that is often overlooked by other antivirus tools. Phishing detection : machine learning models analyze email content, URLs, and user behavior, and learn patterns, through which ML can recognize and address phishing attempts. Behavioral analysis : ML continuously monitors and analyzes user behavior in order to identify suspicious or unauthorized activity. This is often referred to as user and entity behavior analytics , or “UEBA,” which is a machine learning technique that helps organizations detect insider threats and compromised accounts. Threat hunting : cybersecurity professionals must learn to fully utilize machine learning models in order to take on advanced threat hunting. Through proper training and implementing machine learning threat detection, organizations can detect sophisticated threats early on, identify zero-day attacks , and address advanced persistent threats (APTs) . Reduce false positives: ML is more efficient than the standard rule-based systems , ensures a reduction in false positives, and thus, frees up time for security teams to investigate and address genuine threats. Scalability : machine learning is designed to adapt to changing network landscapes and to scale in relation to greater quantities of data. This is crucial in modern network systems and in dynamic environments where traditional perimeter defenses may not be sufficient. Cloud security: with companies becoming more and more reliant upon cloud computing , integrating machine learning securitization practices into cloud environments will help identify and address digital threats that standard perimeter based practices fail to fully address. These are just a few of the benefits of integrating machine learning into an organization's cybersecurity efforts. Through fully engaging the power of machine learning, cybersecurity professionals can close security gaps, reduce cyber risks, and improve operational efficiency . Knowing this, machine learning should be embraced as one aspect of a holistic security strategy that includes perimeter defenses, access controls, data encryption, and cybersecurity training for all employees. In all, if your business operates in the digital sphere, cybersecurity and machine learning must be understood as two crucial aspects of your work. Machine learning and cybersecurity are key in protecting your company’s digital assets, work that is crucial in maintaining a reputation as a reliable and trustworthy organization . Interested in a career in cybersecurity? If you’re looking to jumpstart your career in cybersecurity, then look no further. Ironhack offers bootcamps in cybersecurity that will help you land a job in the growing industry . Check out our bootcamps, financing plans , and vast alumni network today!

Within the vast landscape of technology, the domains of cloud computing and cybersecurity emerge as distinct yet complementary pillars , each entrusted with unique responsibilities. While cybersecurity diligently guards against unauthorized access, cyber threats, and the compromise of networks and data, cloud computing represents a transformative force, wielding the internet to easily access scalable computing resources. These disciplines, while different, can come together to transform the way we fortify our digital ecosystems. Before we dive into the synergy between these two fields, let’s define each role and its respective duties. What is Cybersecurity? Cybersecurity has emerged as a guardian of digital protection; a discipline dedicated to shielding digital systems, networks, and data from the perils of cyberattacks and unauthorized access. In an era where technology reigns supreme, cybersecurity has emerged as the force necessary to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of our online realms. Let’s look at some of the ways that robust cybersecurity can benefit companies and users alike: Countering cyber perils: cybersecurity professionals relentlessly pursue an array of digital adversaries. Malware, phishing campaigns, ransomware, and viruses are met head on by cybersecurity professionals, who bolster system defenses and protect against potential breaches. Guarding sensitive information: cybersecurity professionals work to protect valuable company assets such as confidential data, financial records, intellectual property, and critical infrastructure. By meticulously securing data, they mitigate financial losses, legal repercussions, and reputational damage. Ensuring operational resilience: cybersecurity professionals proactively design and implement disaster recovery plans, guaranteeing that critical infrastructure and services are available even in the face of a security breach. Navigating regulations: cybersecurity professionals assist companies in adhering to industry-specific compliance requirements around security and data, shielding them from legal repercussions and punitive fines. Adapting to infrastructure updates: cybersecurity professionals help maintain security even as organizations incorporate new tools or technologies. By creating corresponding security tools alongside updates, cybersecurity professionals can preemptively patch any vulnerabilities. Maintaining a global network: cybersecurity professionals communicate globally, sharing insights and intelligence to stay ahead of emerging risks and delivering state-of-the-art security solutions for businesses and individuals worldwide. The role of a cybersecurity professional Leveraging their knowledge, cybersecurity professionals skillfully construct environments that enable businesses to flourish while maintaining the integrity of their digital assets. To gain a deeper understanding of how it’s done, let’s look into some of their key responsibilities: Detecting and preventing threats: cybersecurity professionals continuously survey networks and systems, diligently identifying any irregular activities that may signal potential cyber threats. They proactively deploy intrusion detection and prevention systems to spot and thwart malicious actions. Pinpointing potential weaknesses: cybersecurity professionals engage in comprehensive risk assessments, scoping out vulnerabilities in software, hardware, and network configurations. Once these deficiencies surface, cybersecurity professionals collaborate with IT teams to promptly patch them. Designing secure infrastructure: cybersecurity professionals conceptualize and implement secure network architectures that provide protection against both external and internal threats. Specifically, establishing proper segmentation, access controls, and encryption mechanisms are fundamental practices. Overseeing identity and access management (IAM): cybersecurity professionals are responsible for managing user identities and access privileges, making sure that only authorized personnel can access critical resources. This encompasses everything from multi-factor authentication to employing role-based access controls. Leading incident response: cybersecurity professionals are prepared to take the helm in the event of a security breach, leading containment and recovery efforts. Additionally, they adopt the role of educating fellow employees on security best-practices, often organizing training sessions and workshops to foster a culture of security awareness. What is Cloud Computing? Now that we’ve explored the sphere of cybersecurity, let’s turn our attention to cloud computing. Cloud computing is a technology that has revolutionized the way businesses and individuals use computing resources. It involves the delivery of computing services, including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, etc. over the internet. Let’s take a look at some reasons why cloud computing is becoming an integral part of technology and business: Cost efficiency: cloud computing eliminates the need for substantial upfront investments in on-premises hardware and software. Instead, companies can opt for a pay-as-you-go model, reducing capital expenditures and allowing for more predictable budgeting. Scalability: cloud computing offers the flexibility to scale computing resources up or down based on demand. This is particularly valuable for businesses with fluctuating workloads or those experiencing rapid expansion. Global accessibility: cloud computing services are accessible from anywhere with an internet connection, enabling remote work and facilitating collaboration among geographically dispersed teams. This accessibility enhances productivity and reduces operational barriers. Competitive edge: cloud computing allows businesses to quickly implement the latest tools and technologies. This agility keeps them competitive in a rapidly evolving digital ecosystem, and allows them to swiftly adopt emerging trends that catch the eye of consumers. Data analytics and insights: cloud computing provides the computational power and storage capacity needed for advanced data analytics and machine learning. Companies can derive valuable insights from their data to inform business strategies. Environmental impact: cloud computing can lead to energy and resource efficiency, as it allows for shared infrastructure and optimized allocation. This can contribute to a company’s sustainability goals and reduce its environmental footprint. The role of a cloud professional Cloud computing professionals hold a pivotal role in sculpting the digital landscape that enables businesses to thrive online. Their expertise equips organizations with the cloud-based tools that help them harness their full potential. Here’s an overview of the core responsibilities of a cloud professional: Tailored infrastructure customization: cloud professionals design and implement cloud-based architectures tailored to meet precise business requirements. They select and configure the most suitable services and resources to optimize overall performance. Efficient resource allocation: cloud professionals ensure the efficient provisioning of resources. They strike a delicate balance between scalability and cost-effectiveness, configuring virtual machines, databases, storage, and network components to align with the organization’s objectives. Continuous performance optimization: cloud professionals vigilantly monitor system performance, identifying bottlenecks, and fine-tuning resources to guarantee smooth operation and rapid responses. Strategic data protection: cloud professionals work diligently to safeguard data, crafting secure plans that can guard critical information in the face of system failures or unforeseen incidents. Efficient automation: cloud professionals leverage automation tools to streamline processes within cloud environments. They create scripts and workflows that automate routine taskings, improving overall efficiency and reducing the potential for human error. DevOps collaboration: cloud professionals often affiliate closely with DevOps practices. They align cloud infrastructure with development and operations teams, fostering synergy between these two critical facets. This partnership makes sure that cloud solutions work seamlessly alongside development goals and operational requirements. Cybersecurity vs. Cloud Computing: How Do They Differ? Now that we’ve gained an understanding of each role, let’s highlight some ways that these two fields can differ. Here are the key differences that set cybersecurity and cloud computing apart: Focus: cybersecurity professionals focus on safeguarding digital systems, networks, and data with the mission of ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of digital assets. In contrast, cloud professionals concentrate on the delivery of computing resources and services as a utility over the internet. Their objective is to design and manage solutions that provide scalable access to computing power and storage. Skill Sets: cybersecurity professionals possess expertise in areas such as network security, security protocols, and utilizing penetration testing tools like Nessus or Metasploit. On the other hand, cloud professionals specialize in cloud technologies, including proficiency in cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Collaborators: cybersecurity professionals typically collaborate with IT teams, software developers, and organizational management to employ security measures and mitigate risks. Conversely, cloud professionals find themselves working mainly with domain experts, data scientists, and stakeholders to understand and manage how cloud solutions overlap with the organization's strategic goals. Salary expectations: both careers enjoy competitive salaries due to the vastly in-demand nature of their positions. In any case, specific salaries will vary depending on the specific job and company. How can Cybersecurity and Cloud Professionals Work Together? The partnership between cloud and cybersecurity professionals plays a vital role in establishing a resilient defense system for organizations . Their cooperation can avert a wide range of digital threats and increase the efficiency of security operations. Let’s discover out how cloud cybersecurity is reshaping our digital world: Cybersecurity cloud architecture: cloud and cybersecurity professionals collaborate on designing and implementing security-centric cloud frameworks. This proactive approach infuses infrastructure with security from the ground up, allowing for greater resilience against threats and vulnerabilities. Threat detection: cloud professionals develop machine learning models and anomaly detection systems to monitor cloud environments for unusual activities. Cybersecurity professionals validate and fine-tune these alerts, training the system to accurately identify genuine security threats. User behavior analysis: cloud professionals create behavior analysis algorithms within cloud environments. Cybersecurity professionals leverage these insights to enhance user authentication and implement additional security measures as needed. Incident response: cloud professional design automated incident response systems within cloud environments. Cybersecurity professionals play a vital role in defining response parameters and confirming that automatic responses align with organizational goals and legal considerations. Data protection: cloud professionals provide encryption and access control mechanisms that cybersecurity professionals can configure to protect sensitive data. By working together, they ensure that data remains secure both in transit and at rest. Central management: cloud professionals often supply centralized management consoles, making it easier for cybersecurity professionals to monitor and manage security policies and configurations across multiple systems and locations. Regulation compliance: cloud professionals can offer compliance certifications and tools that can help organizations meet regulatory requirements, reducing the burden on cybersecurity professionals. The collaboration between cloud and cybersecurity professionals marks a pivotal intersection in the digital security arena. The fusion of their expertise not only fortifies an organization’s defenses, but also fosters innovation and resilience. This synergy is more than a prospect, but a strategic advantage propelling organizations to the next level. If the worlds of cloud computing or cybersecurity have caught your attention, you’ve definitely in the right place. To embark on a journey in one of these fields, consider joining one of our flexible online bootcamps or attending in-person at one of our worldwide campuses. Your path to excellence in tech awaits.

In the realm of technology, the roles of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence stand apart, each possessing distinct responsibilities. Artificial intelligence, often referred to as AI, involves the development of systems that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. On the other hand, cybersecurity focuses on protecting digital systems, networks, and data from malicious attacks and unauthorized access. While seemingly different, these disciplines can converge to deliver exceptional value in safeguarding digital environments . Before we get into how these two fields can collaborate, let’s define each role and its respective responsibilities. What is Cybersecurity? Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting digital systems, networks, data, and information from unauthorized access, cyberattacks, and other potential threats. In a world where technology plays a central role in business operations and personal interactions, cybersecurity has become essential to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of digital assets . Let’s take a look at some of the ways that cybersecurity helps companies and individuals stay protected: Protecting against cyber threats: cybersecurity professionals are trained to identify and mitigate a wide range of cyber threats like malware, viruses, phishing attacks and ransomware. Their expertise helps organizations establish robust defenses that can prevent potential breaches. Safeguarding sensitive data: cybersecurity professionals secure confidential information, financial data, intellectual property, and other critical business infrastructure. By maintaining data security, cybersecurity professionals prevent businesses from experiencing financial losses, legal consequences, and reputational damage. Ensuring regulatory compliance: cybersecurity professionals help companies adhere to industry-specific data protection regulations, saving companies from being fined or facing legal repercussions. Preserving business continuity: cybersecurity professionals work to maintain business operations even in the face of security incidents. By implementing disaster recovery plans, they guarantee that essential services remain accessible even in the event of an attack. Integrating advanced technology: cybersecurity professionals ensure that as companies adopt new technologies or tools, the corresponding security measures are developed from the ground up. This proactive approach prevents vulnerabilities from being exploited amidst infrastructure changes. Collaborating globally: cybersecurity professionals communicate within their industry networks to stay ahead of risks emerging from the far reaches of the globe. Their diverse array of insights help them deliver cutting-edge security solutions to businesses and organizations. The role of a cybersecurity professional Cybersecurity professionals are the vigilant architects that design robust digital fortresses. Using their expertise, they meticulously craft environments that allow businesses to thrive without compromising their confidentiality or integrity. To understand how it’s really done, let’s jump into some of the key responsibilities of a cybersecurity professional: Threat detection and prevention: cybersecurity professionals monitor networks and systems for unusual activities that could indicate a potential cyber threat. In order to be proactive, they also deploy intrusion detection and prevention systems to identify and block malicious activities. Vulnerability management: cybersecurity professionals conduct risk assessments, identifying possible weaknesses in software, hardware, and network configurations. Once vulnerabilities are discovered, they coordinate with IT teams to patch or mitigate them. Security infrastructure design: cybersecurity professionals design and implement secure network architectures that protect against external and internal threats. Additionally, they confirm proper segmentation, access controls, and encryption mechanisms. Identity and access management (IAM): cybersecurity professionals manage user identities and access privileges to make sure that only authorized personnel can access critical resources. This includes configuring multi-factor authentication and role-based access controls. Incident response: cybersecurity professionals lead the response team in working to contain and recover from security breaches. In addition, they educate employees about security best practices and they often facilitate training sessions and workshops to promote a culture of security. What is Artificial Intelligence? A buzzword taking popular culture by storm, artificial intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science that focuses on creating machines capable of simulating human-like intelligence. AI systems are designed to take on tasks that typically require human cognition , such as learning from experience, making decisions, and solving complex problems. Before we get into the role of an AI professional, let’s understand how AI is being harnessed to reshape the business world. Here are some key benefits: Advanced automation: AI can facilitate the automation of repetitive and time-consuming tasks, freeing up human resources to focus on more strategic and creative initiatives. Data analysis and insights: AI systems can analyze vast amounts of data at incredible speeds, identifying patterns and trends that would be impossible for humans to process manually. By calculating and providing new findings, AI aids organizations in making more informed decisions backed up by data. Enhanced personalization: AI algorithms can analyze user behavior and preferences to deliver personalized recommendations and actions, enhancing customer experience and conversion rates. Efficient customer service: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can provide instant customer support, answering queries and resolving issues 24/7. By enabling applications such as sentiment analysis and language translation, AI can further understand human language and serve customers. Process optimization: AI systems can optimize complex processes, such as supply chain management and logistics. When paired with AI-driven automation systems, they can also speed-up production lines and improve quality control. The role of an AI professional Artificial intelligence (AI) professionals play a pivotal role in developing, implementing, and advancing the AI technologies that are driving evolution within every industry. As experts in the field, they are instrumental in harnessing the potential of AI to bolster business prowess and create innovative solutions. Let’s explore the role and responsibilities of an AI professional: AI system development: AI professionals design models and algorithms that solve specific problems or improve existing processes. By implementing machine learning techniques, neural networks, and other AI methodologies, AI professionals develop machines to possess human-like decision making. Data preparation and analysis: AI professionals gather and preprocess data from various sources to train AI models effectively. This looks like cleaning and organizing data, handling missing values, and creating relevant features for machine learning algorithms. Language and vision processing: AI professionals develop algorithms that enable machines to understand, process, and generate human language. Additionally, they create AI systems that are capable of analyzing and understanding visual data, enabling applications like image recognition and object detection. Deployment and integration: AI professionals deploy AI models into production environments, ensuring scalability, reliability, and efficiency, ensuring models’ ability to integrate with existing software systems and workflows. Performance evaluations: AI professionals evaluate the performance of AI models using appropriate metrics and testing methodologies, monitoring and fine-tuning the models based on real-world feedback and changing requirements. Ethical considerations: AI professionals address ethical concerns related to AI, such as bias in algorithms, data privacy, and transparency, and implement measures to ensure that AI systems adhere to moral and legal standards. Collaboration and communication: AI professionals collaborate with cross-functional teams, including data scientists, software engineers, and domain experts. Often, AI professionals will also be expected to communicate concepts and findings to non-technical stakeholders. AI and Cybersecurity: How do they differ? Although cybersecurity and AI both exist within the tech realm, each are distinct fields whose respective professionals boast unique skills and responsibilities. Before we look at the ways these two roles can collaborate, let’s outline some of their differences: Focus: cybersecurity professionals are dedicated to safeguarding digital systems, with the objective to preserve the integrity and availability of digital assets. On the other hand, AI professionals concentrate on developing intelligent systems that mimic human-like cognitive abilities. Skilllsets: cybersecurity professionals possess expertise in areas such as network security, encryption, risk assessment, security protocols, and incident response; their role often requires knowledge of ethical hacking, vulnerability assessment, and compliance with regulations. For AI professionals, their skillset centers around machine learning, data analysis, or programming languages such as Python or R. They are experts in creating and optimizing AI models and implementing algorithms. Collaborators: cybersecurity professionals collaborate with IT teams, software developers, and organization management to employ security measures, mitigate risks, and respond to incidents. In contrast, AI professionals find themselves working mainly with domain experts, data scientists, and stakeholders, and often focus on user experience. Salary expectations: cybersecurity professionals can expect to make less on average than AI professionals, but are becoming equally competitive . However, it’s important to note that an accurate comparison would depend largely on the specific role and company. How Can Cybersecurity and AI Professionals Work Together? The synergy between AI and cybersecurity professionals can enhance the security and functionality of digital products. By leveraging the power of AI in cybersecurity, organizations can fortify their defenses against cyber threats while enjoying AI-driven innovations . Here are a few ways that AI and cybersecurity professionals can work together to deliver AI-cybersecurity solutions: AI-driven threat detection and response: AI professionals can develop machine learning models that detect anomalies and unusual patterns in network traffic and user behavior. Cybersecurity professionals can then validate and fine-tune AI alerts, training the system to only be triggered by legitimate responses, creating a more accurate rapid detection system. Behavioral analysis and user authentication: AI professionals can create algorithms that analyze user behavior to identify patterns that might indicate malicious activities. Cybersecurity professionals can then use these AI-driven insights to improve user authentication processes. By understanding and detecting unusual behaviors, they can implement additional security measures for potentially compromised accounts. Automated incident response: AI professionals can design automated incident response systems that can mitigate cyber threats without human intervention . By setting response parameters and overseeing AI-actions, cybersecurity professionals confirm that responses align with organizational goals and legal considerations. Data privacy and compliance: AI professionals can make algorithms for data anonymization, protecting user privacy while utilizing data for analysis. Cybersecurity professionals verify that these AI systems adhere to compliance standards and that data is secure, allowing for companies to learn from user data responsibly. Threat intelligence and analysis: AI professionals can develop systems that process vast amounts of threat intelligence data to identify emerging attack vectors. Cybersecurity professionals can leverage these insights to develop more comprehensive threat profiles, allowing them to quickly identify emerging threats and proactively create countermeasures. We hope it’s evident that the convergence of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity can ignite a blaze of ingenuity , benefiting both companies and users. The symbiotic relationship between these roles transcends mere potential; it emerges as a tactical edge with a capacity to propel the tech landscape to new heights. Are you interested in a career in AI or cybersecurity? Or wondering how AI will continue to affect cybersecurity in the future? Look no further! Check out more articles on our blog for the latest developments in cybersecurity and AI, and consider checking out our bootcamps to take your tech career to the next level.

The tech world has so many roles and positions that all have a big impact on how we interact with the internet and our devices, especially as we become more and more dependent on them. For example, UX/UI designers create all the websites and applications that you interact with and cybersecurity ensures the safety of your data across the internet. Both are vital in providing an experience that is engaging, interactive, and, most importantly, safe for users; however, what do these two disciplines truly contribute to the tech world, how do they interact with one another on the internet, and how do the professionals in both positions collaborate? Let’s find out. What is UX/UI Design? Reading the word design, you may think that it includes simply providing the visual elements that are seen on a website or application, but it is so much more than just that. UX/UI design entails creating all aesthetic elements, in addition to the format and interface, combining everything to provide an optimal user experience . Nevertheless, UX/UI design is broken up into two separate, yet equally important jobs with their own set of responsibilities in the creative process. UI design The visual elements that are found on websites and applications fall under UI, or user interface, design and they include so many parts of these pages that you can see and interact with such as: Typography Color palettes Buttons Layouts Empty space Media Graphics Those who choose to become UI designers are experts at making people visually and emotionally connect with the page so that users think wow, what a beautiful page! UX design Although creating an aesthetically pleasing page is an extremely important part of UX/UI design, ensuring that the design is intuitive and engaging and makes users want to return is equally as essential and that’s where UX, or user experience, designers become involved. They help create the page from the ground up, designing layouts of the interface and then gathering data about the page from users to improve their interaction. They are generally concerned with: Creating user personas, empathy maps, and surveys for guidance Collecting and analyzing feedback and research Designing how the application flows and moves Building the wireframes, prototypes, and framework Conducting usability tests All of these tasks make a page that is as attuned to the user’s needs as possible and creates a pleasant experience for them. Design tools Thanks to a wide variety of tools, programs, and services, UX/UI designers are more efficient and quick at creating, designing, and completing their webpage and application than ever before. They are essential for them to provide the best possible product for their clients and some of them include: Graphic design software : Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD Prototyping tools : Invision, Marvel, Axure RP Wireframing tools : Balsamiq, Wireframe.cc User research and testing tools : UserTesting, Optimal Workshop Collaboration and communication tools: Slack, Framer As the tech world grows and innovates, these tools and programs will shift and improve alongside them into the future of UX/UI design. What is Cybersecurity? As you browse, interact with, and input information into lots of websites and applications, there are a slew of cybersecurity professionals hard at work protecting you and your data from the cyber threats that lurk around you. Many hackers are trying to gain access to your sensitive information like identity numbers, bank account information, and personal details, which is why cybersecurity is more than necessary: it’s crucial. Cybersecurity focuses on  protection, detection, and eradication. Protection The most important part of the job is protection and defense since the goal for cybersecurity professionals is to prevent hackers from reaching the users and their data, or a data breach. Beefing up their protection and innovating new and creative defenses, cybersecurity professionals are very dedicated to preventing potential cyber attacks, although sometimes hackers do break through, requiring the use of further measures. Detection When hackers bypass defensive programs and tools with malware and viruses, cybersecurity professionals need to be made aware of it. In addition to their protective measures, they have threat detection programs that inform them when destructive programs are present. Unfortunately, data breaches do happen once in a while and it’s likely that they will reach users’ sensitive information; hackers become more and more creative in how they are reaching data and cybersecurity teams must be prepared for both detecting and then eradicating them. Eradication When cybersecurity professionals become aware of a data breach, what do they do? They have to initiate their incident response plan that they have practiced and simulated several times. A successful incident response plan consists of the following steps: Preparation: prior to the data breach, teams need to practice and make their incident response plan as efficient as possible for when it really does happen. Identification: detection measures need to be taken to know if a data breach does happen. Contain: when they have identified that a data breach has occurred, cybersecurity professionals need to ensure that the data is safe once again, disconnecting systems from internet access and using saved backup data. Eradication: it’s time for malware to be analyzed and promptly eliminated. Recover: cybersecurity professionals reconnect their systems to the internet and help their businesses to run normally again. Review: there is a lot to learn from the whole experience and meeting with the whole team is beneficial to prevent future cyber threats and make the incident response plan more efficient, quick, and effective. Cybersecurity tools Just as UX/UI design teams use a variety of tools and programs, cybersecurity teams also employ a wide variety of tools to ensure the protection of their systems. Some of these include: Firewalls : Cisco ASA, Palo Alto Networks, pfSense Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) : Splunk, LogRhythm, IBM QRadar Network Security Tools : Wireshark, Snort, Nmap Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS) : Cisco IDS/IPS, Suricata, Snort Antivirus and anti-malware software : McAfee, Symantec, Bitdefender Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions : Crowdstrike, Carbon Black, SentinelOne These and even more tools provide a greatly needed support to the toolbelt of an expert cybersecurity professional. What are the Responsibilities of a UX/UI Designer? As we saw above, UX and UI design are normally separate disciplines and have different responsibilities in their roles. There are some designers that take on both roles sometimes; however, the majority focus on one or the other . UI design responsibilities Design the visual elements of the page Adapt pages for all screen sizes Create interactive elements and animations Use imagery, color palette, and other visual elements to establish brand identities Collaborate with the UX design team UX design responsibilities Gather and collect data and research from users Analyze and leverage research to enhance the user experience Create wireframes, user personas, surveys, and other research methods Build the flow of the pages Coordinate alongside the UI design team How do UX/UI Design and Cybersecurity Differ? UI UX design vs cybersecurity is quite the normal comparison. Although both intend on making the user experience an enjoyable one, UX/UI design is dynamic in that it focuses on creating pages and applications, interacting with users, and connecting them with the product. Cybersecurity is concerned with constantly protecting and monitoring the status of users’ data. This makes the two related but very different in their relationship with users . UX/UI design is more present and users have limited interaction much with cybersecurity in general. How do UX/UI Designers and Cybersecurity Professionals Work Together? Sharing the goal of ensuring a pleasant and safe experience for their users, UX/UI designers and cybersecurity professionals do in fact coordinate when creating a new webpage or application and cybersecurity UX design is an essential intersection of work. The design process is where these two collaborate most often in the following ways: Safety precautions At the beginning of the design process, it’s important for them to determine how they are going to ensure their clients’ safety , keeping usability in mind as well. Coming to agreements on how the page should be, UX/UI designers and cybersecurity teams need to strike a balance that both protects and engages users. Secure systems There are many tools and systems that cybersecurity professionals will put in place for security purposes that protect users’ data. Many of us are already very familiar with authentication processes since they are present on many websites we already such as: Multi-authentication process Username and passwords Captcha Security questions Social media login Biometric authentication SMS and email verification Device-based authentication Authentication is an extremely important barrier that protects users’ data extremely well, especially when it is more than one step. Maintenance, testing, and updates The design process must go through many iterations to enhance safety capabilities, provide a more engaging and intuitive user experience, and manage a balance between usability and security. It’s crucial for both UX/UI designers and cybersecurity professionals to test and monitor their pages constantly , which falls under cybersecurity professionals’ responsibilities. They also need to provide updates for their pages when they find any errors or vulnerabilities in the software. Both of these positions are essential in the tech world because they are the designers and protectors of the internet: not only do they create the interfaces that we interact with daily, but they are also building and strengthening barriers between users and threatening hackers. When they collaborate, they are creating a safe space for all of us to explore the world confidently and fearlessly . There are many UX design/cybersecurity jobs available to people with the skills to manage them and if either of these positions interest you, check out our course page where our bootcamps can have you working as a UX/UI designer or cybersecurity professional in no time at all.

Behind the internet is a network of code that supports pages and applications; unfortunately, there are many vulnerabilities that can be manipulated by people and bots to take advantage of your most sensitive information. Web developers and cybersecurity professionals are technicians at the helm of the internet with two very different roles of equal importance for netizens; one is the builder and the other is the protector: can you guess which one is which? Let’s dive in. What is Web Development? As a web developer, you are working to create the foundation of applications and websites used through an internet connection. Before moving onto the roles that web developers can hold, we need to know what the building blocks of web development are. The website and the internet When you are browsing the internet, you interact with websites, which are files stored on a server , which is in another physical location and is connected to a huge interconnected network called, you guessed it, the internet. You can access websites through a web browser like Google Chrome or Safari. To create these websites, web developers choose one of the following paths for their careers: Front end development: this client-side type of development includes everything that the user interacts with directly. Everything you hear, see, and click on are created by front end web developers and this includes the visual aspects, navigation, graphics, and other elements of the pages’ aesthetics. Back end development: all the storage and digital infrastructure in which the website is held is considered the back end, or server-side and for non-developers, the back end of a website may appear as a jumble of letters, numbers, and symbols. Back end developers normally work with different servers, APIs, operating systems, and databases. Full stack development: simply put: front end + back end= full stack. Full stack developers have the skills to build and manage both front and back end development. Coding languages There are around 700 computer programming languages that exist , some are more frequently used than others, but front and back end development depend on different coding languages when they are building websites. For front end development, developers use: HTML: HyperText Markup Language is the foundational language and has been used since the 1990s. It’s the bare minimum for what a website requires. CSS: Cascading Style Sheets determines the visual aspects of the page like typography, font, colors, and is compatible with all browsers. JavaScript: Originally, Javascript was used  just to add interactivity and engaging elements to the page; however, it has rapidly evolved into one of the most widely used computer languages with back end compatibility as well. As for back end development, the following languages are most commonly used: Python: Python makes the development process simpler and is a great language to link up IoT devices and embed machine learning into web applications. Ruby: Not only is Ruby easy to learn, it can also run on almost every OS and does a fantastic job at solving different programming issues. Java: Java is useful for programming applications on desktop systems, Android, and other applications. PHP: Since PHP is open source and can work on almost any OS, many web developers choose PHP as their back end code. What is Cybersecurity? There are always cybersecurity threats on web sites and just like anything that has vulnerabilities, the internet needs cybersecurity to defend it from anyone or anything that may try to take advantage of them. Cybersecurity has three main functions in terms of threats: protection, detection, and eradication. Protection Cybersecurity professionals focus on protection as the most important task, since they never want any cyberattackers to reach their sensitive information. They employ many tools like firewalls, intrusion protection systems, antivirus and antimalware programs, encryption tools, multi-factor authentication and others. Detection If any malware does break through the protective barrier, cybersecurity professionals need to know about it. Since hackers are becoming more and more creative in how they bypass websites’ protective layers and innovating malware and viruses, they are accomplishing their goal of reaching data; it’s a case of when, not if, which is why threat detection is also a huge responsibility in cybersecurity. Some of these tools include intrusion detection systems, endpoint detection and response solutions, user and entity behavior analytics solutions, and security information and event management systems. Eradication When the threat has been detected, it’s time to rely on the pre-prepared incident response plan, which entails gathering as much information as possible about the incident, moving the information to a safe space for users, and eliminating the problem. Practicing and understanding the incident response plan is critical for when there is a data breach because the faster you can carry it out, the sooner the data will be safe again. Coding languages Although they are not designing and building websites, cybersecurity professionals need to know programming languages to fend off cyberattacks and because hackers are using a variety of coding languages to infiltrate businesses and organizations, cybersecurity professionals must stay current and have expertise in coding languages. Here are some of the languages they may need to learn: Java Python SQL C and C++ JavaScript PHP Ruby All of these languages have a variety of purposes and uses and although they are not all necessary to learn, it’s important for cybersecurity professionals to be skilled at least one or two of them. What Responsibilities do Web Developers Have? Web developers have a variety of tasks to complete on their to-do lists and have to fill some roles at the office or in their own homes. The following are the roles: Website creator: the creator uses their coding skills and other tools to create the foundation of a website and update the software. Website designer: if being a creator makes the basic structure of the website, a website designer is about making those bare bones look like a million bucks. Collaborating alongside UX/UI designers, web developers write the code for their websites to make the visual and interactive elements a reality. Tester: prior to publishing a website, web developers must ensure that their final product works smoothly and efficiently and in the case that it does have bugs, solve and eliminate the issues. Website maintenance and support: websites sometimes will have bugs and by returning to their websites, web developers are carrying out the necessary revisions to see that everything works as it should. Database manager: since web developers are working with a lot of data, they also need to know how to handle it and expertise in linking local data and far off databases is essential. As you can see, web developers have a lot of hats to wear and they’re all equally important for their job. How do Web Development and Cybersecurity Differ? At this point, it’s evident that web development and cybersecurity share some elements and yet contrast in some ways too. Cybersecurity professionals and web developers do need to know code; however, they are applying it for different tasks. Web developers must create, design, and troubleshoot glitches and bugs, while cybersecurity professionals create security solutions including authentication and firewalls for website defenses. Although both do include website maintenance, they focus on different aspects of it. Web developers think about cybersecurity and website vulnerabilities; however, their main focus is on designing, building, and maintaining websites . On the other hand, cybersecurity professionals are concerned with improving a website’s defense with authentication and other tools and monitoring the current status of the website. How do Web Developers and Cybersecurity Teams Work Together? Cybersecurity vs. web development: who will win? It’s not about their differences, but rather how they can collaborate to make the safest experience possible for all of their clients. The following are ways in which they coordinate their efforts: Pre-creation and planning: when designing a website, web developers depend on cybersecurity professionals to guide them in how to make their website as safe as possible for their clients with front and back end solutions. Security testing: cybersecurity professionals will help with the testing process to ensure that the website has top-notch protections. Potential threats: in addition to testing the current safety of the website, web developers and cybersecurity professionals will create models for potential threats that may try to reach their databases. Patches and monitoring: web development and cybersecurity teams have to monitor their websites and update their systems continuously since there will be hackers that try to infiltrate their systems. Incident response plan: data breaches happen so they both need to be ready to enact their incident response plan. Where cybersecurity professionals normally lead these procedures of identification, analysis, and eradication of the malware, web developers will handle securing the information and making the website safe once again. Both cybersecurity and web development are two huge parts of the tech world; as the internet continues to grow thanks to efforts of web developers to build and design more, netizens need to trust the services they use, which are fortunately under the watchful eye of cybersecurity professionals. These professions are supporting one another all in the hopes of making and maintaining a fantastic user experience. If you are interested in either one of these fields, check out the courses page where you can start your journey in the tech world. Choosing to be a builder, designer, or protector of the internet: you can’t go wrong!

Here’s a hot take: everything that we interact with in this world is related to psychology in some way or another. This is because human beings use their senses to interpret the world in front of them and have a lens that is unique in some ways and in others shared with billions. UX/UI design is one of those careers that uses psychology to capture and keep the attention of their clients to make a human-centric digital experience, and as a result, UX/UI designers must have some knowledge of the strategies that they can leverage throughout the whole design process. But why is it so important and what psychological principles and theories would most benefit them in creating human-centric experiences? UX/UI Design Psychology Designing the interface and overall experience that we interact with on our devices, UX/UI designers have an enormous job in front of them. UX designers are at the helm of the user experience , which includes designing the structure and format, collecting and gathering user-focused research and feedback, and making the necessary corrections based on the information they collect. On the other hand, UI designers are focused on designing the interface from the layout to the size of the font. Both positions share one goal: to design and build a user experience that is intuitive, engaging, and simple yet encaptivating. Since the person on the other end of the screen is bound to psychological concepts, they must use them when designing and building applications and web pages. This is what it means to make a human-centric experience design. The psychology of UX/UI design includes several concepts, effects, and models that can be broken down into different categories such as emotions and aesthetics, informational processes, and time and memory limits . UX/UI psychology can be leveraged in various ways to improve your designs and make them more human-centric in the process. Connection with the client Empathy and emotional contagion As a creator of interfaces and full experiences, you must use the power of empathy to understand what the user is experiencing on your page. Empathy is about imagining the perspective of a person and feeling what they feel and since emotions are an influential part of the human experience and connection , it is important to keep the emotional aspect at the forefront. This concept applies as well to emotional contagion, or the idea that when your senses interpret a feeling, especially when it’s someone you like, you begin to feel it as well. We all feel emotions and the influence of seeing or hearing media that implies one can have a powerful impact. Design tip: creating user personas give you great guidance in imagining what it’s like to be them! Also, in your designs, including emotional pictures and media can connect your interface with the client. Storytelling effect The storytelling effect connects to the emotional experience when a client is interacting with the product, providing meaning and order to what we don’t know. If you look into the history of the human race, you can see that humans have looked to connect with others and pass on information. Stories connect and attach people when they are truly provoking and engaging. Design tip: require designers to think up a story for the entire experience and include a short story from the outset of the design process. Aesthetic-usability effect Creating an aesthetically-pleasing design provokes a positive response in the brain and provides customers with more resistance to potential errors when browsing the website or application. If there are any minor issues that arise, the client won’t be as likely to leave. For usability, clients trust and respect a page that is more visually-appealing and coherent. Design tip: when you create different elements on a page, make sure that they are intuitive and obvious. Information and load Hick’s law It can be very difficult to make a decision, especially when it may have a big impact, but on a website or application, decisions don’t always have high stakes. Hick’s law states that the more options there are to choose from, the more time it will take for an individual to make a decision. If they are more complex, it also increases the cognitive load. Design tip: lots of choices may be inevitable, but making content easy to skim and simple makes it more consumable for the user. Curiosity gap Relating to the human desire to create stories and look for more meaning, the curiosity gap refers to the desire a client has to know missing or unknown information. What does that mean for them? Well, the need for them to find out what they don’t know may be the driving factor to click on the button to the next page. Design tip: titles and information that stir up mystery and intrigue attract clients to where you want them to go. Von Retoroff effect Amongst a group of similar objects, which one most sticks out in your brain after walking away? The Von Retoroff effect, also known as the isolation effect, says that the most unique object in a group of similar ones will stay in your memory . Design tip: when designing elements like a button, the one that you want most to stick out needs to be different from the rest. However, it can’t be too different–you don’t want to confuse the user! Time and memory Focus and attention span The normal adult has an attention span of twenty to thirty minutes and since the UX/UI design teams’ goal is grabbing and keeping a user’s focus on the page, they have to keep their engagement and short attention span in mind. This is especially essential when dealing with longer processes and if the product is for children, you can cut that down to much shorter of a time. Design tip: avoid inserting elements such as pop-ups, ads, or sounds that could distract users from their current task. Investment loops/hook model Our brains love rewards and investing your clients in your page or application can be addictive for them. Much of society is hooked on social media and our devices but why is that? Investment loops and the hook model play a big role . The formation of an investment loop consists of the following: Trigger : start interacting with the product Action : satisfy the trigger Reward : variable positive feedback for the action Investment : have them return and feel invested in the product The more frequently you visit that page or application, the more likely you will associate them with usefulness and want to visit it again! Design tip: when a user is on the page and completes an action, provide them with some sort of reward. This could be an immediate one or one that is given over time; the most important thing is that they receive positive feedback for investing and interacting with the product. Miller’s law and cognitive load We all have limits unfortunately and in terms of short-term memory, our cognitive load is not too high. According to George A. Miller, a cognitive load exists and therefore a user interface should not present the user with too much information or elements all at once. A simple, concise, and streamlined design is key to ensuring that the user enjoys visiting the page. Design tip: if there is a lot of information that needs to be present, group it together. Also remove any repetitive information that could take the user’s focus away from the key information. Peak-end rule When you watch a movie, do you walk out discussing and rehashing? Our brains tend to focus on and remember the ending or the peaks (highs and lows) of an experience and for a website or application, designers need to think less about the micro-events and more about completing tasks at the end. Design tip: when providing a task for the user, you should have a clear starting point so you can highlight the peaks and add a fun element that celebrates the completion of the task. UX/UI psychology combines these and even more concepts to really create an enjoyable, engaging, and memorable experience each time you go to an application or website. Without it, it’s likely that we wouldn’t be so invested in certain sites and want to visit them so often, which is why they are so important for designers. Remember that the two most important goals for a UX/UI designer is to grab your attention and to keep it. If you like design, psychology, and technology, UX/UI design sounds like it would be the perfect fit for you. Check out the course page for UX/UI design, sign up for our bootcamp, and get started on your first human-centric digital experience.

If you want to teach someone how to code, you just have to sit them in front of a computer and help them get the hang of it, right? While that might seem like an effective way to teach someone, it’s probably not going to be effective for the vast majority of students. Some learn best by learning theory first, before diving into the practical; others prefer to learn by doing and get their hands wet right away. And there are a lot of other ways that students learn best and it ultimately depends heavily on their individual situation. The responsibility of creating an inclusive and friendly learning environment doesn’t just lay with the teacher; the entire institution must commit to removing any barriers to tech education and students must be active players in maintaining a friendly and open classroom. There are quite a few barriers to tech education that exist and in this article, we’ll cover some of the most common ones, unmask why they’ve become an issue in tech, and suggest some ways to overcome these barriers. What is a Barrier to Education? Before we head right into the nitty gritty, it’s best to first define what barriers to education are, where they come from, and give you some examples so that you’re able to identify any you might see. Once we’re clear on how barriers to education look, we can talk about tech barriers specifically. Education is a fundamental human right; everyone should have access to fair, affordable, and inclusive education from a young age. However, this isn’t a given around the entire world, due to these common barriers to education: Finances: you might assume that this section will talk about how education is too expensive and therefore excludes some people; while this is certainly true and we also need to take into account affording clean clothes for schools and materials, in addition to hiring quality teachers, some children aren’t afforded the chance to go to school because they must work from a young age to help make ends meet. Instructors : students need skilled and trained instructors to help them not only learn the necessary material, but also develop soft skills. When students are being taught by under qualified instructors, their education will reflect that and it creates a cycle within the community that is nearly impossible to break. Resources : students need a lot more than just a pencil and notebook to learn; they need high-quality and updated learning materials, in addition to a safe and healthy environment in which to learn. Many students don’t have proper classrooms and have to walk to school, which can be difficult with inclement weather. Accessibility : in schools with limited resources, students with disabilities or accessibility concerns are frequently left behind and don’t have the tools they need to succeed. Society : many are still weighed down by societal expectations, such as gender-specific industries or the assumptions that girls will stop studying and get married at a certain age. This can prove to be both a physical and mental barrier to education and have serious effects on gender diversity in the workplace. Now that you know what barriers to education are, let’s get a bit more tech specific and discuss how the tech sector is directly impacted by barriers to education. Barriers to tech education The tech sector has grown exponentially in recent years and this has led to one thing in particular: an increasing demand for skilled tech professionals. It’s a profitable and interesting sector, so why is there such a large skills gap? Why are there so many open positions in tech? Well, the aforementioned barriers to education and even more exist in tech, creating a large hole between those who could learn tech skills and the ways to actually learn those in-demand skills. Let’s discuss: A lack of tech resources : teachers can do everything they can to promote technology in the classroom, but if students aren’t exposed to computers and advanced programs, it will seem like more of a faraway dream than a reality. A lack of focus : because technology is always advancing, institutions must commit to not only teaching the in-demand tech skills of the day, but also working to stay up to date with any new developments to not waste time teaching outdated or no longer used skills. A lack of accessibility : students both learn differently and have diverse needs in the classroom, especially when it comes to learning about tech. Students must have what they need to reach success, which can be quite the challenge. To ensure that barriers to tech education are overcome , the different learning environments in tech need to be understood and clear to all. Diverse Learning Environments in Tech A diverse learning environment in tech is one where the lesson content is viewed from more than one cultural perspective , in addition to centering both the learner and the instructor. For a classroom to have a diverse learning environment, however, it needs to not only have different cultural perspectives, but also promote and enrich these differences during lessons, encouraging students to think outside their normal cultural constraints. Why are diverse learning environments important? Diverse learning environments should be prioritized because: They help students think outside the box : when diverse perspectives are seated at the table, the solution and product will reflect the diversity of these voices, making the final product or decision one that benefits a larger group. They help students expand their worldview : knowing how to deal with cultural differences and disagreements is an extremely valuable soft skill that employers highly value, and will be needed once students enter the workforce. They foster an inclusive environment : every student should feel welcome in the classroom, regardless of their background or culture. Classrooms where students feel free to be themselves will benefit from more perspective and experiences coming together. Examples of diverse learning environments Diverse learning environments don’t just refer to someone’s culture or gender; in fact, diverse learning environments can take on many forms: Racial diversity : a student’s race is a large part of their identity and can affect how they interact with others, in addition to how they’re viewed by others in society. Keep this at the forefront of your lesson plans when creating your curriculum. Ethical diversity : even students that look alike will come to class with vastly different backgrounds and cultural experiences; this will influence how they talk, act, react, deal with problems, and expect to be treated. Don’t make assumptions based on someone’s culture and work to create a classroom where all cultures and backgrounds are cherished and welcome. Language diversity : a course may be offered in English and all students signed up do speak English, but if there are second language learners or people who aren’t familiar with tech-specific jargon, it’s essential to provide subtitles on videos or make an effort to use familiar words so that all students are on the same page. Religious diversity : religious diversity means a lot more than what someone believes, it can affect the days a student can attend class, how they dress, how they interact with other students, and what they can eat. Instructors should reach out to understand any religious requirements students have and actively work to come up with solutions if any problems arise. Accessible diversity : some disabilities are visible to the naked eye and others may not be; some students may be vocal about necessary adjustments such as a special keyboard, closed captioning, or hearing aids but others may not be comfortable sharing that information to the whole class. Ensure your classroom is one that incorporates anything and everything to make students feel like an integral and needed part of the class and ensures an equal and comparable learning experience for all. Economic diversity : some students may have access to high-speed WiFi and state of the art computers; others may not have broadband at home and can only use public computers. Keep this in mind while assigning homework and outside projects, respecting the socioeconomic diversity of your class. Gender diversity : gender identity is an incredibly personal and intrinsic part of the human experience; to ensure that all students feel welcome and safe, make asking for preferred pronouns and enforcing correct language from everyone the norm. There are a lot of differences that can arise in the classroom, due to diverse learning environments. But that’s a plus and something that can help us improve the overall educational system. To break down these barriers in the tech world, we can follow these tips and tricks. Overcoming barriers in diverse learning environments Don’t let the above points get you down: diversity is something that should be cherished and welcomed because it’s incredibly valuable and contributes to higher efficiency, better final products, and a more inclusive society. And to foster innovation and inclusion in the classroom, we can: Get to know each and every student : sometimes it’s hard to know exactly what a student needs right off the bat and creating a space where you make an effort to get to know each student helps reinforce the feeling that they’re appreciated, welcome, and important. If you’re seeing some reluctance from your students about sharing what they need, try offering an anonymous form or feedback box. Practice what you preach : your students will follow your lead and creating a safe classroom is possible if you’re willing to start difficult conversations and take action when necessary. It’s not easy or fun, but your students will follow your lead. Be flexible : some students will need adjustment or concessions to fit their specific learning experience and that’s totally fine. In fact, it’s a great way to ensure that everyone makes the most of their learning experience; take the time to understand how your students learn and incorporate what you’ve learned into your classroom routine. Admit when you’re wrong or need help : knowing how to make adjustments and welcome every single kind of educational diversity simply isn’t realistic and don’t worry, we don’t expect you to be an expert! However, be open to making mistakes, correcting yourself if you do slip up, and working with students to incorporate feedback and changes as needed. Barriers to learning certainly exist, and especially in a sector like tech. But no challenges are unsurpassable and can be handled with a bit of dedication and effort. At Ironhack, we’re focused on creating inclusive and diverse classrooms , with options like full or part time or remote/in-person courses to ensure that everyone can learn the necessary skills to launch a career in tech. To discover what your tech future could look like, take a look at our four bootcamps (web development, UX/UI design, data analytics, and cybersecurity) to see which is the right fit and reach out to our Admissions team with any questions or concerns. We can’t wait to see you in class and work together to create a more diverse and inclusive tech sector.

As more and more of our lives shift online, posting absolutely everything we do can seem like the normal thing to do. And the truth is that it’s becoming normal to have a picture of our lives online and follow others’ lives on the Internet. But as the capacities of the Internet expand, so do its limitations and the things of which we need to be cautious in both our personal and professional lives. Why is Internet Safety So Important? Listen, we’re not trying to convince you that the internet isn’t a place where you can learn a lot and have fun; in fact, it’s probably the greatest invention humankind has ever had. But with all its benefits comes some very legitimate concerns that we should take into consideration and think about when we post personal information online. This list is not exhaustive by any means, but these are some of the main dangers of the internet: Identify theft Stolen information Online scams Unsafe communication Mental/physical harm Phishing/scams Viruses and malware How do you know if you’ve fallen victim to any of the above? If you hear about any of the following, you might need to reconsider your internet safety: Cyber threat : danger of destroying or stealing data Data breach/leak : sensitive information is copied, stolen, or viewed by an unauthorized user Ransomware : malicious software that corrupts and ruins files Hacker : the person behind the aforementioned attacks The most common issues on the Internet If you’re having trouble picturing how the risks above could relate to your personal or professional life, we get it. After all, no one thinks this could happen to them, right? Well, you’re right: until it does. Hacking/unauthorized access This is probably the biggest threat to Internet users: almost all our information is stored online such as our personal identifying information, financial information, and addresses. Once a hacker gains access to your network through unauthorized access, they have complete control over everything on your computer : access to your bank accounts, your account and credit card numbers, and transactions. Email fraud, spam, and phishing We’ve all received those emails promising a long-lost fortune or the opportunity to take an all expense paid cruise. Let’s break down three similar yet different risks: Email fraud : this kind of threat comes in the form of fraudulent emails asking you for personal or identifying information such as passwords which are then used to hack your accounts. Spam : annoying more than anything else, spam emails occur when your information has been sold to third parties and while it doesn’t pose a serious danger, constant calls and unwanted emails can be frustrating. Phishing: possibly the most dangerous of the three, phishing attempts pose as trusted or known sources to scare you with a fake problem to prompt you to provide personal information. Sexual abuse and pornography The Internet is full of illegal pornography and pedophiles in equal measure and both are dangerous; internet pornography takes photos and videos posted in other areas of the internet and reposts them on pornographic sites without the person’s consent. The rise of AI has also increased the risk of altered images with AI tools adding sexual aspects to otherwise clean images. Pedophiles also thrive on the Internet in a place where they can seek out young and impressionable children, build a rapport with, and then abuse them through chat and webcams or even persuading them to meet in person where they can physically abuse them. As the Internet gained popularity in the early 2000s, the number of online pedophilia cases grew astronomically. Cyberterrorism Major terrorism groups worldwide use cyberterrorism as both a tool for carrying out attacks and for communicating and distributing propaganda. Most government databases also store incredible amounts of sensitive information and are frequent victims of cyberattacks that aim to leak this data. Ways to Improve your Personal Internet Safety Thankfully, there are lots of ways to help protect your personal information online and ensure that you’re using the Internet safely in your personal life. Choose strong passwords We know it’s convenient to use the same password or some variation of the same password for the majority of your accounts, but think about the risk of a hacker gaining access to that password: if your bank accounts and email use the same password, even two-factor authentication won’t stop the hacker from gaining access. When choosing your new password, follow these tips: Pay attention to password requirements : nowadays, lots of websites won’t let you use a password you used in the past or will show you the strength of your chosen password: listen to them! Change your passwords frequently : we know, changing your password isn’t fun and who wants to remember an entirely different password? It seems tedious but the risks of data breaches are high and protecting your information should be your first priority. Keep your passwords to yourself: you may want to text your friend your Netflix password so they can watch the new episodes of Love is Blind, but if that’s the same password you’re using for other accounts, you’ve just sent them access to lots of your information. Plus, if someone else saw those messages, they’d have your password. Ironhack’s tip : if you’re having trouble remembering your passwords and when to change them, use online password storage options like LastPass to securely store all your user information in the same place. Protect your personal information Don’t make hackers’ lives easier! Whenever you sign up for a new account or membership online or make an online purchase, make sure the site is legitimate and read the terms and conditions. Before entering your banking information to make a purchase online, make sure the website is secure. How? Websites will usually have a padlock image in the search bar or have the “https://” prefix if they’re secure. Protect your devices Can you believe that 30% of all smartphone users don’t lock their phones using passwords, facial recognition, or fingerprints? But those aren’t the only devices that should be locked at all times: make sure your computer, smartwatch, Smart TV, and tablets are also secured. Make smart WiFi decisions Public WiFi networks aren’t always secure; if you are using one, don’t enter personal information. And for your at-home WiFi, make sure you protect your network with a password and ( of course! ) change your password frequently. Use 2-factor authentication We know it’s annoying to have to receive a code to your phone or email to log into your computer, but this second check helps guarantee that it’s really you trying to access your accounts. And if it isn’t, you’ll be alerted and can change your passwords. Ways to Improve your Professional Internet Safety All of the previously mentioned tips are also important at the workplace, but there are a few more aspects to keep in mind to avoid any sort of problem. After all, lots of companies work with the sensitive information of other people, meaning they need to be on top of security at all times. Ensure employees properly secure their devices This has become even more crucial with the recent rise of remote work and companies must have clear processes in place with employees to ensure they know how to properly store and protect their company devices when they’re not in use. Stay up-to-date with software updates Companies are constantly releasing software updates and many of those include important security changes that help protect your information. Educate your employees on the importance of updating their devices when prompted or even turn on automatic software updates so that their devices update on their own. Use VPNs Virtualized Personal Networks are a secure way to access the Internet; it encrypts traffic and protects the data that employees are using. And even better, if you implement a VPN at your office, users will be able to log into that VPN from their home WiFi or while traveling for work, meaning that data and information are always protected. Train your staff Your team won’t be able to flag cyber threats if they don’t know what to look for. And others may not understand the importance of avoiding public WiFi or using VPNs unless they’ve received the proper cyber safety education. When talking to your team, highlight the following: What possible phishing attempts to your company could look like What to do when a potential cyber threat is flagged How to check URLs to see if they’re secure How to create strong and powerful passwords and how often they should be changed Today, the importance of being educated on potential cyber threats and knowing how to take proactive steps to avoid any sort of issue is an absolute must for companies and individuals. In fact, it’s becoming so crucial that cybersecurity is on its way to becoming one of the industry’s fastest growing sectors. More and more companies are looking for cybersecurity experts to help them protect their data and react in the event of a data breach. For those unsure of what path they should choose in tech, cybersecurity is one that is going to experience extreme upward growth in coming years . So, what do you think? Is cybersecurity your next step?

You’ve heard about students using ChatGPT to cheat on exams and yeah, it’s not the ideal use of this super cool tool. But the moral dilemmas that arise with the use of artificial intelligence tools are becoming more and more widespread –and can have drastic effects. As artificial intelligence tools become increasingly common and developed, the moral implications of artificial intelligence are also gaining importance. Ethical concerns when it comes to artificial intelligence are completely valid; lots of aspects of human life are subjective and it can be nearly impossible to create a machine that can take all parts of human life into account. Here are some of the main ethical concerns when it comes to AI: Bias : an AI tool that’s trained with bias can have disastrous effects, eliminating entire groups from a hiring process. Privacy : can we trust machines with private and confidential information? AI tools need to be secure and foster a sense of security. Values : one person’s moral leanings differ greatly from the next; how can we train AI tools to take values into account if they are so different? Humans : part of human life is making mistakes–is making a superior and flawless decision-making process better? Or does it place machines above humans? However, we all know how incredible artificial intelligence is and how it can help transform our world for the better. Here are some great examples of how artificial intelligence is used positively: Limited human involvement : computer or robotic precision is simply superior to that of humans and whether we’re using robots to dive deep into the sea or process large amounts of data, humans are better off without these responsibilities. Increased productivity : computers don’t need to sleep, take a shower, or even eat–human productivity, on the other hand, is limited and can depend heavily on outside factors such as background noise, how they’re feeling, and stress levels. Allowing computers to run 24/7 to collect and analyze client data, for example, allows a company to collect much more information than previously possible. Better collaboration : doctors can benefit from better and more centralized patient information centers where they can see diagnosis information from other providers and see similar cases to give the best possible treatment options to their patients. Less bias : even when they do their best to avoid it, humans bring their own biases and experiences to the table; machines don’t have biases (and artificial intelligence tools are advancing to ensure they don’t include the biases of their programmers) and can help make some processes, like job selection, fairer and more inclusive. We could go on and on because artificial intelligence is truly transforming our lives and the way in which we’re using it daily will continue to disrupt our understanding of technology. But as with anything, there are various concerns to keep in mind when it comes to artificial intelligence: A lack of ethics : morality and being guided by ethics is an inherent part of humanity and our decision-making process; as of today, attempts to truly mimic a human’s decision making process, down to their emotions and morals, have not been successful. High costs : it seems like everyone and their mother is using AI tools, right? Even though the fun and trendy tools like ChatGPT are widespread and available to all, the more intense and developed artificial intelligence tools are extremely expensive to build and maintain, meaning it’s out of reach for many companies. A reliance on machines : it’s easy to rely on a machine that can do your job faster and more efficiently, but what if the server goes down? Or you can’t create the exact prompt you need to get your job down? As humans learn to rely more and more on machines, they can forget their own responsibilities and capabilities. The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence To ensure that the pros of artificial intelligence tools are not overshadowed by the ethical concerns of artificial intelligence, such as privacy worries or making decisions that should be made by humans, a certain set of guidelines have been created to help ensure artificial intelligence development stays on the right track. All artificial intelligence tools should be: Transparent : the way that machines arrive at conclusions should be understandable and make sense to humans, in addition to being as close as possible to the human decision-making process. Fair : any potential biases must be eliminated during the development process, making sure that all users of the machine will be treated equally and fairly. Accountable : the person or people responsible for the creation and management of the artificial intelligence tool must be clear so that there are steps in place in case something goes wrong. Private : all machines must respect and take into account both local and international privacy regulations, ensuring that user data remains both private and secure. Beneficial : the goal of all artificial intelligence tools should be to better and improve human life, ensuring that humans benefit from the tool’s existence and it doesn’t cause more harm than good. Robust : in line with the previous point, tools must be well-designed and free of errors or mistakes to ensure it’s effective and can do what it’s intended to do. To ensure that future artificial intelligence tools follow these guidelines and work to contribute to an overall better and more ethical tech sector, it’s going to take a new generation of AI professionals who are focused and dedicated to the cause. After all, change begins with us. At Ironhack, we’re up for the challenge: are you? We’d love to see you in class and begin to take on the ethical challenges of artificial intelligence with you. Ready? We’ll see you in the classroom!

If you like the idea of getting paid to essentially perform James Bond-type tasks and hack into the computer systems of large organizations such as financial institutions, chances are you'll be interested in a career as a pen tester. Many organizations around the world employ hackers ( ethical hackers in this case) to test their IT systems by trying to break into them. As data and digital information become more valuable and crucial to the world economy, the need for IT security is also increasing rapidly . Organizations such as banks, financial institutions, healthcare firms, and software companies need to protect their computer systems from actual hackers, therefore investing a lot of money and resources in digital security. Because of this, it’s become a lucrative and interesting career path to follow. What is a Penetration Test? Or Pen test? A penetration test - also known as a pen test - is a type of testing used by companies to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in their IT security. Any area where an actual hacker may be able to break into their network is a threat and a penetration tester imitates potential attacks on a computer network and tries to steal data, financial information, or personal data. Performing actual cyber attacks is one of the strongest ways to truly test a network and verify its stability. Cybersecurity is a growing industry, and there is huge demand for professionals in this field. Different companies have different needs when it comes to penetration testing. This depends on the type of information that needs to be protected and the type of systems that they use. What is the difference between pen testing and vulnerability assessment? Vulnerability testing also falls under the area of IT security, but is a different type of examination. Vulnerability tests are generally carried out separately to, or sometimes before, penetration tests. They are designed to define and identify weaknesses in a system and to classify them. These weak areas can then be prioritized according to the danger they pose and addressed individually through upgrades, the implementation of firewalls, or software updates. It is not uncommon for a penetration tester to also carry out vulnerability assessments, though the purpose of these is quite different to pen tests. Types of pentests Pentesting is split into three main types of tests . These are referred to as white box, black box, and gray box. These three methods examine various potential scenarios that a criminal hacker may be in, depending on how much they know about a company's computer network: Gray box penetration tests give the tester some knowledge about the system they are trying to hack Black box pentests provide the tester with zero knowledge about the system White box pen testing gives the tester all the details about a system or network Penetration testing is a proactive way to ensure the security of an IT network. The three types of pentest cover the different positions that a hacker may be in and provide a solid overview of the potential risks that an organization may be facing. What are Some Skills of Pentesters? The skills required for pentesters vary, but include: A solid scripting ability: Java and JavaScript are especially important, as are the c omputer languages Python , Bash, and Golang. A solid understanding of computer systems and network protocols. Experience with various networks and operating systems including Windows, Mac OS, and Linux is required, and mobile penetration testing for both Android and iOS systems will sometimes need to be performed. Additionally, curiosity and a technical mindset are important skills for a pen tester to possess. They need to constantly stay up to date with the latest developments in technology and be aware of new hacking techniques and opportunities that may be used by criminals. Creativity and strong communication skills are also valuable assets for anyone working in IT security. It is important to keep your skills and knowledge as a pentester up to date; ongoing learning should always be part of your role as a penetration tester. Currently, security tools that are used by penetration testers include Wireshark, Kali, Metasploit, and Wed Inspect. Becoming a Pentester The best way to become a pen tester is through learning and experience . Training in the area of cybersecurity will get you started, and is essential for anyone who is new to the field. A bootcamp in this area will cover topics such as computer hardware, software, routing protocols, and networks as well as network administration and IT security principles. Knowing how to build a security program is also a key component in digital security, as is knowing how to create a firewall. Once you understand these facets of IT, you will better understand how to break into them and truly put them to the test. Once you have completed a cybersecurity course, the rest comes with practice and ongoing training. Gaining experience in the field of penetration testing is the best way to learn the ropes. It is not only money that needs digital protection nowadays; personal information and business data have become incredibly valuable resources that hackers try to acquire. For this reason, the range of companies that need pentesting is vast, and it is a solid industry in which to build a career. Get Started in Cybersecurity A cybersecurity bootcamp is an intensive but highly efficient way to cover everything you need to know before applying for jobs in the industry. Taking a cybersecurity bootcamp is a great way to cover the fundamentals of cybersecurity and get you started on the road to becoming a penetration tester or IT expert. After graduating, working and gaining experience in IT security is the next step to master pentesting!

For those who are just starting out in the programming world, it’s important to know that most companies today carry out their development using at least one framework or library, sometimes using several. Regardless of the programming language used, be it PHP, Node.js, or Java, this offers programmers a predefined architecture and a series of resources that facilitates teamwork. Javascript has become the most popular and widespread language among programmers, thanks to its versatility and its wide variety of frameworks and libraries. Today we will discuss one of the most commonly used libraries in the front-end world that uses this language: React. The profile of a fullstack developer must master various frameworks and libraries, both front and back end. Within all the front-end technologies, frameworks such as Angular, Vue, and today's protagonist, React, stand out. Thanks to these programming frameworks, a programmer can please even the most creative designers, creating any type of complex animation within the interface. What is React? React.js was designed by Jordan Walke, a Facebook programmer, who tried to solve the problems that this social network encountered when incorporating ads. Although Walke's work began in 2010, it was not until May 2013 that Mark Zuckerberg's company launched React as an open-source solution. Since then, there have been many enthusiasts of this library that continue to contribute to its improvement. Thanks to the work of Walke, Facebook, and all the programmers who have contributed to its optimization, we now have a tool that allows us to develop web applications in which the front-end views are directly associated with the back-end data they receive. Other alternatives to manipulating the elements of the DOM such as JQuery or even pure Javascript result in confusing and difficult to maintain code. React avoids these issues by proposing an architecture based on components , which are pieces of code that use HTML, CSS, and Javascript so that they contain both logic and presentation. These components can be replicated and used in different parts of the application and in various interfaces, creating a more orderly, understandable, and well-orchestrated flow control. That is why React is one of the best alternatives when it comes to building Single Page Applications or SPAs which, as with the Facebook interface, load different visualizations in a single interface, without needing to reload the page. React vs Angular vs Vue.js Another premise that those who start in the programming world must never forget is that depending on the development they are looking to carry out, they will have to utilize some form of tool. Whether you plan to create a web application or simply to train yourself for a better position in the market, you will have to take into account various factors when choosing React, Vue, or Angular. Although all of them are used to build software, not all of them offer the same possibilities. They are neither equally agile nor do they allow for similar scalability. Let's review the main differences and similarities that exist between these frameworks and libraries so that our decision is as accurate as possible: In a study carried out by the TechMagic firm, they analyzed up to 60,000 job offers and found that, by far, React is the library most in demand by technology companies worldwide. This data shows the enormous possibilities that React offers compared to its competitors including Angular, the most powerful framework for many. Although there are those who question the reliability of this library when it comes to building large applications, the truth is that it is extremely reliable when offering optimal performance for any type of application, whatever the size. React’s reliability is demonstrated not only by its presence in the market, but also by the large technology companies that have employed React for their developments. Among the companies that have opted for React are Facebook, of course, as well as Airbnb, Slack and Dropbox. In contrast to Angular, which is a framework, both Vue and React are libraries (although this is a complex debate in which there are many points of view!). While the first one, built by Google, has a more powerful core, the other two need additional libraries to perform certain tasks. However, this is not a setback when working with React since its library has countless extensions built by the global community that uses it that allow you to perform any task with total reliability. Although there are those who will say that this is a negative factor, the truth is that it presents an important advantage: React provides greater freedom when choosing the resources that we like the most, those with which we feel most comfortable carrying out our developments and offer us good solutions. We can use Redux, which is extremely consistent, to handle the state of the application. Vue is a newcomer to the market (introduced in 2014) that still has a lot of room for improvement and does not have as many possibilities as React. Programming with Angular is much more restricted with more marked guidelines that hinder the developer’s freedom. While Angular resorts to the real DOM, adding a further degree of complexity both when programming and debugging any possible bugs that might negatively impact performance, this does not happen with React. When interacting with the DOM using React, the interface itself does not resort to the real DOM but uses the virtual DOM, which is much more agile and makes the software much more dynamic. This is because the library conceived by Jordan Walke in the Facebook environment was created with the purpose of being simple to use, robust, and scalable . This greater freedom that Vue and React provide also allows a higher level of knowledge to be acquired in less time than with Angular. Finally, another advantage of React is that there are native libraries developed by Facebook, that adapt the architecture to applications for iOS and Android. This means that with a library like React Native, programmers with the knowledge already acquired and implemented in desktop applications can develop native apps for mobile environments. Why Should You Use React? As you can see, the gains you get from React are amazing. There are many possibilities offered by this library, regardless of the size of the project and the application you want to develop. In addition, as you can see from the comparison with Angular and Vue, React was conceived with the idea that it would be a simple tool to use . Contrary to a framework like Angular, we can master React programming quickly, allowing us to make the most out of it and become experts in a short time. Benefits of using React There are many other advantages we have not yet mentioned, like: It’s a declarative language , which makes it extremely easy to create interactive interfaces, since it is React that is responsible for updating and rendering the components when the data on the server-side undergoes any modification. The ability to use JSX , which is used as a preprocessor that saves us a lot of code, facilitates syntax, and is similar to writing HTML, which means we will be writing code that will be transformed into Javascript. Getting started with React If you want to dive into the world of React, you can do some test-runs: The first thing you will have to do is install it on your computer. For this, you will have two options . The most common way is to install the npm packages and run them using the terminal, then install React as indicated in the instructions of the npm library . Then, make sure to request it in your app.js file so that you can use it. The second way is the most sophisticated and yields the best results. For this option, you would use the npx package designed by Facebook, which allows you to directly run the application in a much simpler way. In addition, you can resort to running the npx package create-react-app app-name and thus you will see how the entire architecture is generated so that executing it will be as simple as typing npm start on your console. As we said at the beginning, choosing the tool that best suits what you are going to do is crucial. However, when you take your first steps into the programming world and start practicing, choose a versatile tool that allows you to make web applications and optimize them for mobile platforms in a short time. In today's market, React is the best choice. That’s why you will lay the foundations of programming with React and carry out your first developments with this library in Ironhack’s Web Development Bootcamp .

UX/UI design is constantly evolving in relation to technological advancements, new industry standards, and developments in UX/UI best practices. It’s more important than ever before for UX/UI designers to stay up-to-date on industry trends and partake in continuous learning in order to remain competitive. This article breaks down the expanding responsibilities of UX/UI designers, as well as the evolving UX/UI designer skills required to be successful in the industry. What is UX/UI Design? User experience (UX) design and user interface (UI) design are two distinct but related areas of digital design . Their core work is creating websites or other digital applications that are user friendly and aesthetically pleasing. UX design User experience design centers designing digital products that are easy and enjoyable for individuals to access and navigate. In order to successfully design for user experience, UX designers must be knowledgeable of the needs, expectations, and behaviors of their users. UI design User interface design is specific to the aesthetics of the digital product. In other words, UI designers decide everything from the layout, color scheme, fonts, and other icons to improve the user experience. The design must also be coherent with the organization's image and identity. What Responsibilities do UX/UI Designers Have? UX and UI designers create visually appealing user centric digital products that communicate an organization’s image and function . Their responsibilities vary as they each focus on distinct parts of the design process, but ultimately their work frequently overlaps. Here’s a brief breakdown of UX designer and UI designer’s key responsibilities: UX designer’s responsibilities: User research: UX designers must understand their target users, their needs, expectations, behaviors, and specific challenges. User research involves surveys, interviews, user personas, and usability testing. Information architecture: structuring and organizing content and features in a user friendly, logical, and intuitive manner is crucial in creating a positive user experience. Wireframing and prototyping: UX designers must create wireframes and interactive prototypes to fully imagine the structure and layout of the digital product. These prototypes are later used to test for usability before the full design is complete. Usability testing: of the design is crucial in identifying usability issues, gaining feedback, and transforming the digital product accordingly. This can happen through user journey mapping, heatmaps, or behavioral analysis, in order to pinpoint potential challenges for users and other areas for improvement. UI designer’s responsibilities: Visual design: creates the visual aspects of the product including layout, color patterns, fonts, and other imagery that ultimately creates a cohesive and visually pleasing interface. Style guides and design systems : refers to the development of guidelines and systems that establish consistency across the product. Responsive design: ensures that the user interface is easily adapted across varying screen sizes and devices. Prototyping : showcases the visual design and interactive elements of the product such that collaborating teams and clients can preview the digital design. In many projects, the work of UX and UI designers can overlap or be divided based upon the size of the team, the complexity of the product, and the organization’s design process. Their collective goal is to create a digital product that offers extraordinary user experience while furthering the overall organizational objectives. How have UX/UI designer’s responsibilities evolved? The field of technology is always adapting and transforming with the introduction of new tools, design philosophies, and other industry trends. But just how have these greater advancements transformed UX/UI designer’s work? There are a number of ways: AI and machine learning integration : If designers can learn to integrate AI and machine learning into their work, they will be able to obtain actionable insights, streamline data processes, and improve user experiences. Globalization : in a time of increasing globalization of markets, designers must consider the cultural implications and nuances when designing for diverse user populations. Accessibility : UX/UI designers must create products that can be easily utilized by individuals with disabilities. This means designing with inclusive practices in mind and in hand with accessibility standards. Ethical design : the ethics question in UX/UI design is one that’s always developing as technology advances and transforms. Designers must consider issues like privacy, data security, and the potential impacts of their designs on user well-being. These are just a few of the many ways in which the role of a UX/UI designer has evolved in recent years. These transformations mean that UX/UI designers must possess a wide range of soft and hard skills in order to continuously learn, adapt, and stay ahead of the curve on industry trends and developments. This brings us to our next question: what skills are needed to be a successful UX/UI designer? What skills are needed to be a successful UX/UI Designer? Successful UX/UI designers must possess a variety of technical skills, creative ambitions, and a complete understanding of UX/UI design principles. Let’s break down the skills needed in order to thrive as a UX/UI designer in today's ever evolving tech climate. What skills does a UX designer need? There are many skills that a UX designer should have, including: Front-end development basics: UX designers must be confident with HTML, CSS, and basic JavaScript in order to better straddle the gap between design and development. Prototyping tools: UX designers should be familiar with prototyping tools like Balsamiq, Axure RP, Adobe AX, and Sketch, among others. These tools allow UX designers to quickly sketch out concepts, create complex animations, and test design products. Collaboration: is crucial to the design process. UX designers must work effectively with cross-functional teams, including developers, marketers, and other stakeholders. Problem solving: is necessary to the UX design process. A UX designer must feel prepared to take on complex design challenges, receive feedback, and adapt based on that information. User-centric mindset: is a necessity for UX designers given that the user’s needs and objectives are at the core of all design decisions. What skills does a UI designer need? Key skills for a UI designer include: Visual design: this is at the core of the work of UI designers. They must be confident in their ability to create cohesive, creative, and visually appealing designs. This requires strong analytical skills in order to determine how their design reflects both user needs and organizational identity. Prototyping tools: mastery of specific prototyping tools is necessary for UI designers. These tools may include Adobe XD, Sketch, Figma, and InVision Studio, among others. Mastering these tools is crucial in creating prototypes that will later be improved upon and transformed into final design products. Stakeholder management: this is a crucial aspect of a UI designer’s work and requires strong interpersonal skills in order to clearly communicate design decisions and rationale to non-design stakeholders. Creativity : without question, this is one of the most important parts of a UI designer’s work. A creative mindset leads to innovation design solutions that simultaneously address user needs and organizational goals. Adaptability : this is imperative to UI designers, given the need to adapt to changing product requirements, design trends, and technological advancements. In all, these are just a few simple skills that a UX/UI designer should have. UX/UI design is a dynamic field which requires regular upskilling and reskilling in order to continuously develop skill sets and stay up-to-date with the demands of the evolving tech industry. How to improve UX/UI design skills? Improving your UI/UX design skills and staying up-to-date on industry trends and developments is crucial for designers who wish to stay competitive in their quickly evolving field of work. In order to advance skill sets, designers must commit to continuous learning , embrace feedback, and tackle challenges head on. Here are a few ways UX/UI designers can continue to hone their skills: Read : UX/UI designers should take advantage of the many books and online resources that cover UX/UI design principles, methodologies, and best practices. Subscribing to the Ironhack blog is a great way to start! Participate in an online course or tutorial: today there are endless options for folks interested in learning UX/UI design or simply improving upon their UX/UI design expertise. Lucky for you, Ironhack offers online courses in UX/UI design . Join a design community: design communities help folks hone their skills, build their professional network, and find inspiration for new work. UX/UI designers can join online communities and forums like Graphic Design Forum , Behance , Dribble , or Slack’s Designer Hangout. Take on a personal project: we know that our daily work can often become repetitive and narrow in scope. That said, taking on a personal design project allows designers to address different design challenges and experiment with alternative styles and design techniques. Attend workshops and conferences : in order to learn from industry experts, stay up-to-date on design trends, and expand your network of UX/UI designers. Improving UX/UI design skills is a continual process. It requires dedication, an openness to feedback, and a willingness to take on new challenges without hesitation. Setting aside time for continuous learning, reskilling, and upskilling is an investment in yourself and your capabilities as a UX/UI designer. If you’re interested in improving your skills as a UX/UI designer, then look no further. Ironhack offers part time and full time bootcamps in UX/UI design . Our program will walk you through the basics of building your own interfaces and understanding design thinking. You’ll finish the course prepared to confidently enter the field of UX/UI design. Check out our course offerings today.