Organizations that adopt integrated security solutions will be future ready: Aashish Narkar, TCS

Pic source: Microsoft

Aashish Narkar, the head of IT security at TCS, believes that the only way to prepare for the future is to invest in security solutions in the present.

“Technology is a vehicle for making better changes for tomorrow. We will see a hybrid future and companies that adopt integrated security solutions will succeed in making an impact,” he said at Microsoft Future Ready, a two-day event which saw industry leaders share their thoughts about preparing organizations for the future.

The work his team does at TCS, the world’s largest IT services company, has become more critical since the onset of the pandemic with cyberattacks increasing in complexity, frequency, and intensity.

“Today, adversaries on the other side are extremely prepared and tech savvy and they use the advanced technologies to attack companies. So, companies need to be equally prepared,” he said.

Edited excerpts follow:

What are some of the top changes and challenges being witnessed in the security landscape? 

During the pandemic almost every organization’s IT department was tasked with enabling secure remote working for the entire workforce within few weeks of time which diminished the security perimeter. Most organizations earlier had only 20 to 30% of capacity and capabilities for remote working, but they were required to scale those rapidly.

With remote work, every user’s device became a perimeter, and their digital identities became extremely critical before providing access to enterprise resources. This led to an exponential rise in the attack surface leading to opportunistic and targeted attacks.

Another challenge was to maintain the required level of security hygiene with respect to patching, vulnerability management and compliance. Technology architecture built for yesteryears suddenly became irrelevant and ineffective.

Surviving the new normal required radical thinking and rapid adoption of key transformative, next generation security services. Those who invested in required technologies proactively were better off transitioning to new state however those who were not prepared enough would have struggled for sure.

How is the role of regulators changing the way companies operate today?

There are different regulations being enforced across the world which are extremely demanding. The onus is completely on companies to handle data from a privacy perspective, protecting that data and, ensuring that it does not fall into the wrong hands.

Privacy related regulations are guiding major security decisions. As part of strategic implementation, companies must keep a close watch on the number of privacy related changes. Other regulations which impact their business models also need to be considered and companies must align their security deployments and policies to bridge all the gaps which can become an issue (in the region they operate in).

At the same time, a company’s success really boils down to the technology adoptions that they have either inherited or are planning in future. Majority of these decisions are driven by the platform approach rather than selecting point or standalone solutions. Today, risks and threats are evolving rapidly, so companies must be cautious and take cognizance. They need to align their investments in the right technologies or platforms, which provide threat-based detection and rapid response capabilities.

What are some integrated security solutions that can be applied through the length and breadth of an organization? 

Our past learnings have shown that the best of the breed solutions alone are usually short lived. They often run out of steam as they are not designed to offer breadth and they cannot evolve into highly integrated platforms. Today, adversaries on the other side are extremely prepared and tech savvy and they use advanced technologies to attack companies. So, companies need to be equally prepared.

Solutions like machine-to-machine integration, ability to tap into global threat feeds, leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to process billions of signals every hour are essential for larger organizations. On-premise and legacy solutions fail miserably, so companies must choose platforms that offer integration of various security capabilities, single plane of glass for end-to-end visibility, and built-in automated response preferably backed by Managed (Detection and Threat) Hunting, which entails proactively identifying threats that evade existing security controls by searching across networks and endpoints.

“Our investments in the Microsoft platform helped us address security, compliance, and governance requirements – which are extremely critical for the hybrid workplace.”

Why did TCS choose to invest in Microsoft’s technologies?

Most of the leaders have understood the gravity of the issue and started preparing themselves and their organization for the challenge. During the pandemic, TCS made timely investments in critical technologies, including Microsoft platforms, which really helped the company sail through pandemic-induced lockdowns.

We were able to mobilize our large workforce within two to three weeks. Since then, we maintained the momentum and built on the early success to make sure we protect valuable information assets in the future.

Our investments in the Microsoft platform helped us address security, compliance, and governance requirements – which are extremely critical for the hybrid workplace.

Azure Active Directory (AAD) enabled our Zero Trust journey starting with multifactor authentication which has now matured into risk based conditional access. Capabilities like device registration for secured access to enterprise application, AAD password protection to enforce strong passwords on cloud, every access evaluated via conditional access have helped us enforce our security controls. All these are further enhanced by evaluating the sign-in risk through risk based conditional access.

Microsoft Endpoint Manager which combines services including Microsoft Intune, Configuration Manager, Desktop Analytics, co-management, and Windows Autopilot enabled us to streamline our operations into modern management and deliver a seamless modern workplace experience. With modern device management we could effectively manage, maintain, and improve compliance for thousands of devices operating remotely. This helped us not only to maintain customer compliance commitment but strengthen our security posture.

Azure Information Protection enabled us to easily discover, classify and protect business confidential documents and emails.

The Core eDiscovery capabilities in M365 provide us the ability to search and put content on legal hold for further review.

Source: https://news.microsoft.com/en-in/features/organizations-that-adopt-integrated-security-solutions-will-be-future-ready-aashish-narkar-tcs/

The fallout of the Covid 19 pandemic – Increase in Cyber Crime leads to more demand for Certified Cyber Security Professionals

Increasing dependence on mobile devices and computers has led to unlawful activities in the IT world, also known as cybercrimes. Hackers or cyber criminals conduct malware, viruses, and other attacks to gain access to critical information such as bank account details, social media accounts, personal emails, siphon off money, or even hack an organization’s websites, eCommerce business, or any other organization.

The recent COVID 19 pandemic also paved the way for rapid cloud adoption, which further expanded the scope of cybercriminals, giving them more avenues to hack.  Hence, the need for certified cloud security professionals and experts is on the rise across the globe. 

Moreover, interested IT candidates keen to safeguard and protect digital assets, websites, and critical information online, then the cybersecurity profile is just what they need to check out.

In this blog, we highlight how to seek certification for cloud security to emerge as well-qualified cybersecurity professional with robust knowledge and industry-approved certification, especially Microsoft Azure Security.

Increasing incidence of Cyber Crime during the Covid 19 pandemic

Surprising, but it is a fact that phishing scams have duped nearly 50% of work from home professionals. Cybercriminals relied on unseen malware or novel methods to conduct cyber attacks during the pandemic.

Nearly 15% increase in cyberattacks has been recorded in the first year of the pandemic. i.e. 35% from 20% as recorded before the pandemic. In addition, personal data of approximately half a million video-conferencing attendees have been accessed, stolen and sold online.

Such discouraging cyber-attacks have raised the awareness of business houses and organizations to seek comprehensive security solutions to protect their business data and employee information.

Rise in Internet crime

Due to unemployment, the coexistence of online scams and phishing has greatly accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic. These scams are directed toward internet users and those who prefer internet services, especially when online payments, purchases, and other related activities.

Phishing scams happen through emails that contain sensitive information to the reader. These emails misguide the reader, who assumes they are from a reliable source and give them access to sensitive information such as passwords, login details, and so on. During the COVID19, authorities recorded a manifold increase in phishing scams.

Development of malicious software

The development and use of malicious software to damage the organization’s digital resources have been noted during the pandemic. For example, cybercriminals use ransomware to encrypt the system’s data and then extort money from the victims.

A ransomware attack means disruption of work routines, data loss, and productivity. Another disruptive activity is the Distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks which put a load on the webserver by directing unwanted and fake traffic to the website.

Data Harvesting Malware

Data harvesting malware refers to the use of remote access trojans, information stealers, spyware, and banking Trojans to extract age, gender, location and other personal details without relevant permission of the website administrator.

The cybercriminals will then use these details for their benefit. There has been an exponential increase in the number of data harvesting malware occurring across the world during the pandemic.

Misleading and malicious domains

Covid-19 and its related terms were highly searched on the internet. Hence the cybercriminals took advantage of the same to develop misleading and malicious domains containing these terms and sought to collect personal information through which they caused financial losses to the internet user.

Misguiding Internet users

Here again, spreading false information on Covid-19 has been highly rampant. There have been multiple instances of cybercriminals spreading false information on medical treatment options, policies, and government directives and creating further confusion and monetary losses.

Reports of medical items, medicines and essentials have been sold at abnormally high rates have been noted. Also, cyber threats have been issued to create fear and panic amongst internet users.

Cyber security measures – The need of the hour

The need of the hour is to have effective cyber security measures that can control these multiple formats of cyberattacks while alerting the users of security threats or risks of malware attacks. All organizations and entities should stay alert and verify each online activity.

We currently have robust and evolving security protocols that offer various security tools to protect data, infrastructure, and applications from securing information across the World Wide Web.

Hence, there is a need for certified security professionals who can anticipate the threat and act to mitigate its attack entirely without disrupting the workflow.

In order to become a certified cyber security professional, IT professionals or fresh graduates should seek suitable certifications and training and enhance their skills and expertise in cyber security.

Microsoft, the world’s trusted IT service provider, has developed special certification courses in cyber security which are –

Exam SC-900: Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals

Exam SC-200: Microsoft Security Operations Analyst

Exam SC-300: Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator

Exam SC-400: Microsoft Information Protection Administrator

Exam AZ-500: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies

Exam MS-500: Microsoft365 Security Administration

For starters, let us view the learning path of the SC-900 exam: Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals –

SC-900 exam: Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals

• Part 1: Description and Overview of security, compliance, and identity concepts
• Part 2: Description and Overview of the capabilities of Microsoft Identity and access management solutions
• Part 3: Description and Overview of the capabilities of Microsoft security solutions
• Part 4: Description and Overview of the capabilities of Microsoft compliance solution

Important Topics to focus on in the SC-900 exam.

• Security-focused services related to Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 platforms
• Deep understanding of Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Endpoint, Microsoft Security, Azure Sentinel, and Azure AD Domain Services across hybrid and on-premises

Types of questions asked in the SC-900 exam are

• Multiple-choice questions,
• Drag and drop
• True or False questions

Synergetics offers Free Training on the SC-900 exam

Synergetics Learning has been one of the premier learning services and consulting agencies since 2000, offering comprehensive training on emerging technology to SMEs and multinational corporations across the globe.  

Synergetics is a Microsoft valued partner with its entire team accredited with Microsoft certifications. Our faculty offers thorough training, in-depth study and preparation material, mock tests, etc. In addition, the students can get access to real-world cases, Microsoft Official Curriculum, hands-on lab sessions, and a test preparation portal as well.

Our students have benefitted immensely from intensive practice-driven training from the Synergetics team. In addition, our trainers meticulously resolve their queries and doubts.

Cyber Security Measures after the Covid-19 pandemic

Highlighting a few critical measures that need immediate implementation for a safe and secure online experience for the internet users-

• Adoption of remote work, monitoring and support and related virtual work framework
• Strict access and rights policies for employees who work remotely
• Reset the security systems
• Restart physical and digital systems to mitigate risks of digital holes
• Recognize new cyber security threats and risks and have a solid plan to thwart their attack with zero disruption of the work cycles.
• Reassess the corporate IT security architecture, including security authentication systems and parameters
• Incorporate cybersecurity controls in personally owned devices along with suitable remote access policies
• Adopt advanced and next-gen technology such as AI, ML, Big Data and IoT to keep cyberattacks at bay

An Overview of Cybersecurity and the future

Covid-19 has definitely increased public dependency on online purchases, selling, and even banking transactions. Hence, hackers have ample opportunities to attack and disrupt web services..

The need of the hour is to seek relevant cybersecurity knowledge, training and certification. In addition, we need to prepare ourselves to defend and protect the cyber world from these hacks and attacks by seeking industry-approved cyber security skills and certification.

More About Synergetics:

Synergetics is a learning solutions company that offers Microsoft certifications to individuals as well as corporates. Our bespoke learning solutions are well developed and comprehensive for their best results. Moreover, we also provide training, workshops, and webinars on these certifications on request. Our well-trained and expert Microsoft-certified learning partners conduct all our learning solutions.

For more details do get in touch with us on info@synergetics-india.com or you can Call or What’s App us on +91 8291362058 or visit our contact us page to discuss your learning requirement.

You can also read: 7 Reasons on why to seek Microsoft Certifications for accelerating career growth!

How Cyber Security Consulting Can Prevent Attacks in BFSI’s Digital Era

Pic source: Data Science Central

Organizations in the cyber security counseling market have been profiting by revenue openings during the COVID-19 episode, as the pandemic changed the cyber-threat scene, prompting a blast of COVID-related assaults. Notwithstanding, the financial circumstance has been pressed for some undertakings and associations, which is causing faltering for interest in counseling administrations. By the by, market partners are zeroing in on key revenue-producing enterprises like BFSI, IT and telecom, and medical care to keep economies running during the continuous pandemic.

Service providers are expanding endeavors to recognize and top off openings in the corporates’ cybersecurity procedure. Notwithstanding, later the beginning of the coronavirus flare-up, specialist organizations are by and large continually tested with issues of abuse of remote access arrangements, track seizing assaults and compromised endpoints. Specialist co-ops are under constant strain to alleviate and stay away from these issues looked by endeavors. All things considered, organizations like Check Point Software Technologies – an American-Israeli worldwide supplier of programming and joined equipment and programming items for IT security, are endeavoring to plan and execute successful answers for securing the distant labor force.

As the medical, IT, and security sectors remain underfunded, work without adequate talented assets, and need key innovations, specialist organizations are tracking down promising circumstances in these difficulties to survey the present status of their abilities. This assists with contriving fitting cyber security gauges and fostering an expense productive engineer to get the future condition of data security organizations. Specialist organizations are expanding endeavors to distinguish drives to accomplish focused remediation objectives.

The cyber security counseling market is relied upon to progress at a strong CAGR of 8.4% during the gauge time frame. In any case, later the beginning of the coronavirus episode, specialist organizations are in effect continually tested with issues of abuse of remote access arrangements, track commandeering assaults, and compromised endpoints. Specialist co-ops are under consistent strain to alleviate and keep away from these issues looked at by ventures. By and by, organizations like Check Point Software Technologies – an American-Israeli global supplier of programming and consolidated equipment and programming items for IT security, is endeavoring to plan and carry out viable answers for securing the far-off labor force.

Rise in Popularity of BYOD Culture Across Corporate and Industrial Sector to Add in Favor of Market

The ascent in the reception of IoT innovation and BYOD in different businesses is expected to impel the cyber security counseling market in the coming years. The expanding reception of cyber security administrations in SMEs of various enterprises across the globe is projected to help the interest for cyber security counseling administrations. Also, an expansion in network intricacies in working frameworks of different associations involves high reception of data security counseling administrations, which is relied upon to help the cyber security counseling market in future.

Cloud application security arrangements help banks, and protection and financial associations secure very classified information joined with constant knowledge against industrious cyber assaults. BFSI security alludes to the presentation of different security arrangements and administrations by banks and insurance agencies to ensure them or to diminish the danger of security breaks. The market is projected to grow in the following five years, as digitization and Internet infiltration focused on smooth tasks across the business have additionally made the ways for threats and cybersecurity extortion, in this way helping the cyber security counseling market.

The developing reception of cyber security counseling administrations in non-IT organizations assists with getting authoritative data and keeps the activity the board framework from cyber-assaults. Cyber security counseling administrations give answers for identifying differently disconnected and online threats and malware to various end-users and guarantee business endurance. Entrance of man-made reasoning (AI) innovation in security tasks for the threat the board is relied upon to help the cyber security counseling market during the gauge time frame. Worldwide drives for a huge scope to use innovation are inclining toward the cyber security counseling market.

Source: https://www.datasciencecentral.com/how-cyber-security-consulting-can-prevent-cyber-security-attacks-in-bfsis-digital-era/

How to prepare and appear for the AZ-900 Certification! (Tips)

Cloud certification for Microsoft Azure begins with the certification of Azure Fundamentals, which is recognized or spoken of as AZ-900 (buying code).

The Azure Fundamentals, a.k.a as AZ-900, contains in-depth knowledge of Azure core services, and the basic fundamentals of Cloud Computing, including hands-on work experience across the Azure portal. 

The syllabus or curriculum of AZ-900 is:

• Cloud concepts
• Core Azure services
• Security
• Privacy
• Compliance and trust
• Azure pricing and support

The Future of Cloud Computing

Hence, there is considerable demand for Cloud trained and certified professionals at the recruitment level. And the best way to begin is to seek certified Cloud skills training from Synergetics, the MS OEM partner since 2000. 

Aspirants wishing to make a career in the Cloud domain can refer to the following handy and valuable tips and attempt to crack and clear AZ-900: Azure Fundamentals exam.

Outline of AZ-900 Certification

Candidates with basic knowledge of the Cloud, its working and skills are eligible to appear for this examination. The AZ-900 exam is the foundation of a career in the Cloud. This exam is the first step, and hence, expertise in Cloud computing or programming is not required. The AZ-900 exam gives a comprehensive overview of cloud services and insights into the career opportunities in the Cloud. 

How to study for the AZ-900 exam

Microsoft is a highly engaging and friendly learning partner as it offers multiple pathways to aspiring candidates seeking Microsoft certifications. To begin with, let us guide you in how to prepare for the AZ-900 certification exam – 

The Microsoft learning path includes:

• A set of free online learning modules for knowing all about the AZ-900 and its concepts
• Refer to Microsoft documentation on AZ-900 and Azure Fundamentals
• Attend free instructor-led training events hosted by Microsoft 
• Attend instructor-led training sessions and gain more knowledge about the Fundamentals of Azure
• Join Azure-based study groups and forums that encourage doubt clearing and collective learning activities. 
• Read e-books and physical books on Microsoft Azure especially AZ-900 concepts
• Practice exam questions and attend mock exams offered by Synergetics Learning Services. 

However, freshers appearing for a Microsoft certification exam for the first time should seek guidance and instructor based learning sessions from MS-certified experts. Synergetics Learning services offer quality training sessions of AZ-900 and all other Azure-based Certifications. It would be sensible to seek relevant guidance and support to crack the AZ-900 examination in the first attempt.  

Useful Examination Tips

• Be at the exam desk or center at least half an hour before the examination.
• Relax and try to stay calm.
• Keep an eye on the countdown timer during the exam.
• Mark a question for review, if you need to spend more time on its answer.
• Be careful of certain questions that require an instant response, as you cannot revisit those questions.
• Read the instructions and questions carefully before the examination.

Why seek AZ-900 Certification

The AZ-900 Certification offers a chance to become 

• Data Scientist
• Data Engineer
• Cloud Engineer 
• Software Engineer
• Backend Developer
• Migration Consultant
• DevOps Engineer and more.  

A certified Azure professional is likely to earn higher and enjoy better job prospects by top-notch multinational corporations and companies.

How does Synergetics Learning Help?

• Synergetics Learning is MS certified learning partner. It has been conducting training for individuals as well as corporate for all Microsoft Certifications. 
• Synergetics Learning hosts Microsoft learning sessions regularly. These sessions are hosted by expert and experienced Microsoft certified professionals. 
• Synergetics extends all possible assistance to aspiring candidates through in-person/virtual training sessions, doubt clearance, exam vouchers, practice sessions and so on. 
• Registered candidates are eligible to attend these sessions to gain knowledge, clear their doubts and confidently appear for the AZ-900 examination.

More About Synergetics:

Synergetics is a learning solutions company that offers Microsoft certifications to individuals as well as corporates. Our bespoke learning solutions are well developed and comprehensive for their best results. Moreover, we also provide training, workshops, and webinars on these certifications on request. Our well-trained and expert Microsoft-certified learning partners conduct all our learning solutions.
For more details do get in touch with us on info@synergetics-india.com or you can Call or What’s App us on +91 8291362058 or visit our contact us page to discuss your learning requirement.

You can also read: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals: AZ-900 certification – A definitive step for a successful Azure-certified IT career

ISSUE 1 – Cyber SignalsThreat BriefingNation-state actors redouble efforts to simply grab identity building blocks

Pic source: Microsoft

Cyberattacks by nation-state actors are on the rise. Despite their vast resources, these adversaries often rely on simple tactics to steal easily guessed passwords. By so doing, they can gain fast and easy access to customer accounts. In the case of enterprise attacks, penetrating an organization’s network allows nation-state actors to gain a foothold they can use to move either vertically, across similar users and resources, or horizontally, gaining access to more valuable credentials and resources.

Spear-phishing, social engineering attacks, and large-scale password sprays are basic nation-state actor tactics used to steal or guess passwords. Microsoft gains insight into attackers’ tradecraft and successes by observing what tactics and techniques they invest in and find success with. If user credentials are poorly managed or left vulnerable without crucial safeguards like multi-factor authentication (MFA) and passwordless features, nation-states will keep using the same simple tactics.

The need to enforce MFA adoption or go passwordless cannot be overstated, because the simplicity and low cost of identity-focused attacks make them convenient and effective for actors. While MFA is not the only identity and access management tool organizations should use, it can provide a powerful deterrent to attacks.

Abusing credentials is a fixture of NOBELIUM, a nation-state adversary linked to Russia. However, other adversaries, such as Iran-linked DEV 0343 rely on password sprays too. Activity from DEV-0343 has been observed across defense companies producing military-grade radars, drone technology, satellite systems, and emergency response communication systems. Further activity has targeted regional ports of entry in the Persian Gulf, and several maritime and cargo transportation companies with a business focus in the Middle East.

Iran: Most targeted countries (July 2020-June 2021)

Pic source: Microsoft
More about this diagram: The most targeted countries by Iran between July 2020 and June 2021 were the United States (49%), Israel (24%), and the Saudi Arabia (15%).

Recommendations

Organization should:

Enable multi-factor authentication: By so doing, they mitigate the risk of passwords falling into the wrong hands. Even better, eliminate passwords altogether by using passwordless MFA.

Audit account privileges: Privileged-access accounts, if hijacked, become a powerful weapon attackers can use to gain greater access to networks and resources. Security teams should audit access privileges frequently, using the principle of least-privilege granted to enable employees to get jobs done.

Review, harden, and monitor all tenant administrator accounts: Security teams should thoroughly review all tenant administrator users or accounts tied to delegated administrative privileges to verify the authenticity of users and activities. They should then disable or remove any unused delegated administrative privileges.

Establish and enforce a security baseline to reduce risk: Nation-states play the long game and have the funding, will, and scale to develop new attack strategies and techniques. Every network-hardening initiative delayed due to bandwidth or bureaucracy works in their favor. Security teams should prioritize implementing zero-trust practices like MFA and passwordless upgrades. They can begin with privileged accounts to gain protection quickly, then expand in incremental and continuous phases.

Source: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/business/security-insider/cyber-signals-1/threat-briefing-issue1/

Microsoft Azure Fundamentals: AZ-900 certification – A definitive step for a successful Azure-certified IT career

Microsoft Azure Fundamentals: AZ-900 certification exam is the starting point of an Azure journey for any IT professional aspiring to become Azure certified professional. The AZ-900 certification focuses on the basic concepts and fundamentals of Azure before moving ahead to understand and learn about complex operations associated with Azure.  Also, it is an optional certification for those keen to gain certification in other Azure choices but it is recommended.

Candidates from non-technical and technical background are eligible for AZ-900 certification. However, it is advisable for people who have basic knowledge of the cloud based services or are involved in its sales as it empowers them through considerable knowledge on Azure. The AZ-900 certification focuses on teaching how the Azure Cloud operation word and deliver along with mastering its fundamentals.

So, let us begin with our comprehensive AZ-900 preparation guide for understanding its topics and helps you to clear this certification successfully through methodical preparation.

What does Azure Fundamentals Certification offer?

The AZ-900 Certification is all about how the cloud services are made available within the Azure and hence it offers in depth knowledge of includes cloud concepts, cloud services, cloud security, Azure privacy, Azure pricing, and cloud workloads which are the most critical areas of the Azure Cloud.

Hence, candidates who wish to make a career in the cloud-based services and solutions need to seek the AZ-900 Certification as the stepping stone to rise further in their career.  The other core reasons for seeking this certification are –

Learn all about varied uses of Azure Cloud within organizations

• Distinction between Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), or Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
• Acquire knowledge on architectural components, management tools, products & solutions of Azure which are the Core Azure services
• Delve within the Azure solutions to get firsthand knowledge on privacy, security, and compliance embedded within them.

Why are we emphasizing on the Azure Fundamental certification?

Azure has emerged as a reliable IT solutions provider as it promises reduction in IT and infrastructure costs.  Currently, more than 80% of the Fortune 500 companies are operating their business through the Microsoft Azure Platform. Hence, the demand for suitably skilled Azure professionals is likely to be high.

Azure Certification promises higher salaries

An Azure certified professional is likely to be well paid. For instance, expectations of pay-outs in the USD 70,000 to USD 200,000 bracket p.a. are normal for an Azure certified professional.

 But in order to earn this payout, the IT professional needs to acquire additional certifications along with suitable professional experience. With a strong base in Azure fundamentals through the AZ-900 certification, the IT can make a significant leverage in the organization.

Azure Fundamentals Certification Topics

The 6 distinct domains of the Microsoft Azure AZ-900 Exam are:

1^st Step – Refer and study from the Microsoft Learning Path

Microsoft Learning Path is free online resource that helps you to learn AZ-900.  The listed chapters contain specific modules and learning sections that are useful in clearing the fundamentals and concepts necessary to pass the exam.

2^nd Step – Refer to Microsoft Documentations on AZ-900 and Azure Fundamentals are available online. You could go through their exhaustive documentation that explains in detail Azure Cloud concepts, services and applications. This documentation is useful for theoretical knowledge.

3^rd Step – Approach a certified Microsoft Instructor once you have thoroughly understood the concepts and theory in the AZ-900 course, if you wish to clear it in the very first attempt.  Microsoft offers 1-day, or 2-day instructor led courses specially for the Microsoft Azure Fundamental Certification.

Moreover, these courses are very helpful as you can gain more clarity on the theories, concepts and applications mentioned in the AZ-900 examination. You can also clear any doubts related to them. For more information on instructor led training, approach Synergetics Learning now!

4^th Step – There are many study groups and forums for  AZ-900 for an interactive and collective learning experience. The groups encourage knowledge sharing through resources and discussions while you get to learn and understand the complex subjects and be more prepared for the exam.

5^th Step – Also, available are plenty of e-books or physical books on Azure, which you can refer to if you wish to clear the certification exam in one shot. So, these books are must read along with the online study references for gaining thorough knowledge and clarity on Azure.

6^th Step – Attempt a AZ-900 Practice Exam to get a firsthand experience of the exam pattern and how well you are prepared for it. You can appear for online practice tests ac couple of times and improvise accordingly. Only when you feel fairly confident of clearing the AZ-900 exam, you should schedule it.

Scheduling procedure for the AZ-900 Examination?

• Follow these steps and to schedule the AZ-900 examination perfectly
• Visit the Microsoft Portal to check and understand the requisites of the exam
• Schedule the exam only if you are well prepared and have understood the syllabus perfectly
• Choose your preferred category for registering for the exam as per your preferences
• Log  into your personal Microsoft Account, fill up the required details
• You can choose from a physical exam center or an online examination
• Complete the registration and make the payment for reserving and confirming your exam seat.

How can Synergetics assist you in acquiring AZ-900 Certification?

To begin with, Synergetics is a Microsoft Gold Partner and has been associated with Microsoft Learning services since 2000. Our intuitive study and learning are comprehensive and offer the much necessary knowledge and guidance that help you develop the cloud aptitude and expertise.

Our learning offerings for Microsoft AZ-900 certification include:

• Get access to our Microsoft Official Courseware (MOC) upon your enrollment for the AZ-900 certification training course.
• Refine your knowledge and skills.
• Interaction with our Microsoft certified and skilled trainers who will help, support and refine your Azure-AI knowledge throughout the training journey.
• Gain practical knowledge and experience by availing our hands-on lab sessions, which are immensely valuable when appearing for an examination.
• Attempt our practice and mock tests that boost your confidence when appearing for the exam.

Also, our enrolled students can:

• Participate in study groups and online forums to acquire relevant guidance.
• Refer to the whitepaper, eBooks, and relevant Microsoft documentation.
• Gain access to Microsoft Learn Portal, Microsoft Official Courseware, and other self-learning portals.

All the best for your exam preparation and certification too!

More About Synergetics:

Synergetics is a learning solutions company that offers Microsoft certifications to individuals as well as corporates. Our bespoke learning solutions are well developed and comprehensive for their best results. Moreover, we also provide training, workshops, and webinars on these certifications on request. Our well-trained and expert Microsoft-certified learning partners conduct all our learning solutions.

For more details do get in touch with us on info@synergetics-india.com or you can Call or What’s App us on +91 8291362058 or visit our contact us page to discuss your learning requirement.

You can also read: 7 Reasons on why to seek Microsoft Certifications for accelerating career growth!

Microsoft Future Ready Industry Week, Manufacturing edition highlights the need to unlock innovation for future ready industries

Pic source: Microsoft India

New Delhi, April 5, 2022:  Microsoft’s Future Ready Industry week, Manufacturing edition witnessed a confluence of diverse perspectives as industry leaders from leading conglomerates like L&T, Ashok Leyland, Vedanta, Adani Group, Asian Paints and Aditya Birla Group and others shared insights on themes ranging from creation of resilient supply chains, operating safe and agile factories as well as unlocking innovation and new services. The event builds on the Future Ready flagship series through CXO keynotes and dialogues with Microsoft’s focus on empowering people and organizations to prepare for growth in the next decade.

In terms of business priorities for the manufacturing industry, identifying new revenue streams along with digital offerings is at the forefront and highlights the changing scheme of strategies which are increasingly customer centric, and data driven. Strategies also rely on a seamless ecosystem collaboration and partnership. Industry research also reveals that 40% of Asian manufacturers will adopt an API led integration strategy to link applications on a single platform to improve agility and visibility across organizations by 2023. The above estimates substantiate the importance of application and data sharing with their ecosystem, which results in increased operational productivity. (Source: IDC*)

Speaking on the occasion, Sashi Sreedharan, Managing Director, Microsoft India said, “Microsoft aims to fulfill its mission of empowering every person and organization on the planet to achieve more, by helping customers and partners manufacture a more resilient and sustainable future. We are fueling the manufacturing industry’s digital transformation with technology and digital capabilities to unlock new efficiencies and future-proof business.” He further added, “Given the accelerated penetration of Industry 4.0 across the Indian manufacturing landscape, Microsoft is uniquely positioned to support our customers in their growth journey by connecting the intelligent, integrated cloud, and edge capabilities of the Microsoft platforms to deliver the highest value.”

S.N Subrahmanyam, Chief Executive officer & Managing Director Larsen & Toubro in a fireside chat session with Anant Maheswari, President, Microsoft India spoke about how the industry giant has been at the forefront of digital innovation and transformation. He said, “One of the decisions that we took was to be a very high-end technology solutions provider where we could utilize technologies like IoT, Industry  4.0, AI, ML and various other tools and applications as well as platforms to envisage how we could get accurate data, to be objective about decision making. This data has helped us benchmark ourselves against the best in the world while analyzing the outcome of all this digital activity. He further added “Microsoft has played a very important role and much of IoT and Microsoft Azure is being used extensively at L&T project sites.”

Talking about a roadmap for a digitally ready Future enterprise, Sampath Kumar Venkataswamy, Senior Research Manager, Manufacturing insights, IDC Asia in the session, “The Future of Make in India” stressed the importance of process transformation in enhancing the digital readiness of Indian manufacturers. He stated, “Organizations need to assess their baselines, and if needed, re-engineer their business and operational processes. While investing in technologies that enable data visibility across their value chain. Training their workforce in terms of skilling and re-skilling is imperative for them to be agile.”

Sharing his views on the impact of technology in facilitating a more sustainable future, Vineet Jaiswal- Deputy CEO, Vedanta said, “It is always better to move to cloud because you are reducing the carbon footprint rather than having your own data center. Moreover, what we are ensuring is that whatever we do from a supply chain perspective, we have the entire end-to-end visibility. This shortens the turnaround time which in turn reduces emissions.”

Speaking about the disruptive potential of technology impacting the commercial vehicle industry in India, Dr N Saravanan, President and Chief Technology officer of Ashok Leyland, in the session “Front Office Transformation” said, “We are moving away from selling a product to selling a service with data being a key component to enhance the customer experience We can use the data to enhance the customer experience as the data itself is much more critical in commercial vehicle segment since the category is driven by TCO. Collaboration with ecosystem partners is also important and Microsoft can be a key enabler for companies to operate in the ecosystem seamlessly by supporting their end-to-end requirements from cloud computing to data security.”

Reiterating the significance of data, Venkatesh Natarajan, President and CDO, Ashok Leyland spoke about using data very extensively both for direct monetization and for indirect monetization, providing huge amount of value to customers. Looking ahead, as the industry transitions from a product centric to a solution centric kind of an organization, he spoke about how connective vehicle data, AI, analytics is going to play a very dominant role.

Sharing their insights into various approaches in building the factories of the future, Manish Gupta, Group CIO, Aditya Birla Group highlighted the evolution of technologies and stressed that the future will be personalization at scale through smart factories. Earlier, factories were very fixated in terms of what products they are going to supply, but with changing demand factories can now rely on additive manufacturing or 3D printing to rapidly respond.

Taking about smart factories, Aashish Kshetry, VP IT and HR at Asian Paints commented, “The interface of man and machine will never go away. Automation systems will have mechanisms to monitor safety protocols and reduce wastage by providing insights through sensors, measurement mechanisms and the ability to sift through large volumes of data. This could be something as simple as energy consumption. Safety and sustainability would be top priorities that any smart factory can really enhance from an overall perspective.”

Source: https://news.microsoft.com/en-in/microsoft-future-ready-industry-week-manufacturing-edition-highlights-the-need-to-unlock-innovation-for-future-ready-industries/

Why Data Management is Today’s Most Important Business Discipline

Pic source: Data Science Central

Why do I think Data Management is the most important business discipline for the 21^st century (and why my “Big Data MBA” book and course are more relevant than ever)?  Here is my self-serving logic:

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the most powerful business discipline of our generation (with AI’s ability to continuously learn and adapt to create new sources of customer, product, service, and operational value).
2. The ability for AI to drive effective and responsible decisions is uber highly dependent upon high-quality, accurate, complete, unbiased data sets.
3. Data management focus on manufacturing high-quality, accurate, complete, unbiased data sets is instrumental to the economic growth in the 21st century
4. Thusly, Data Management is the most important Business Discipline of the 21st century

IF A (AI most powerful economic force) = B (AI requires high-quality data), AND B (AI requires high-quality data) = C (data management manufactures high-quality data), THEN A (AI most powerful economic force) = C (data management) yields D (Data Management most important business discipline), right?

And let’s be clear: what I am saying is that Data Management is more than just a technology capability.  Data Management is the most important business discipline in the age where data is the most valuable resource in the world and is the catalyst for driving the economic growth of the 21st century.  Here’s more on my rationale.

A. AI Most Powerful Business Discipline and Economic Force

Research touting the business and society benefits of AI is everywhere (reminds me of Chickenman…he’s everywhere, he’s everywhere!!). PwC estimates in “Sizing the prize: PwC’s Global Artificial Intelligence Study: Exploiting the AI Revolution” that AI could contribute up to $15.7 trillion to the global economy in 2030, more than the current output of China and India combined, with $6.6 trillion of that $15.7 trillion coming from increased productivity and $9.1 trillion from consumption-side effects (Figure 1).

Figure 1: PwC “Sizing the AI Prize”

McKinsey has their version of this same point about the economic and societal value of AI, which they tout in the research titled “The state of AI in 2021.” McKinsey estimates that AI will impact a wide and diverse variety of use cases including those in Figure 2.

Figure 2: McKinsey “The State of AI in 2021”

Conclusion:  Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the most powerful business discipline and economic force of our generation.

B. AI Requires High-quality Data

There is a growing realization by some of the AI industry’s leading thinkers (such as Andrew Ng) that the full potential of AI will never be reached without significant focus, investment, and improvement in the data that feeds the AI machine. From the article “Andrew Ng Launches A Campaign For Data-Centric AI”, we get the following proclamation:

“Paradoxically, data is the most under-valued and de-glamorised aspect of AI” say Google researchers in a recent paper, reporting on their survey of 53 AI practitioners. They found that “data cascades—compounding events causing negative, downstream effects from data issues—triggered by conventional AI/ML practices that undervalue data quality… are pervasive (92% prevalence), invisible, delayed, but often avoidable.”

The Google research paper “Data Cascades in High-Stakes AI” highlights the critical challenge of “data cascades” when dealing with problems that extend across data sets and subject matter experts.

Data Cascades are compounding events causing negative, compounding, downstream effects from data issues triggered by conventional AI/ML practices that undervalue data quality.

Data cascades are pervasive, invisible, and compounded by need for tight collaboration between different stakeholders in discovering those variables and metrics that might be better predictors of performance (ML Features) where each stakeholder has a different view on the problem and even different terminology (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Ramifications of “Data Cascades”

Cascades are triggered in the upstream processes (e.g., data collection, data cleansing, data preparation, data enrichment, data governance, master data management) and have impacts on the downstream execution (e.g., model deployment, analytic score generation, decision making, and value creation effectiveness).

Conclusion:  The ability for AI to drive effective and responsible decisions is highly dependent upon high-quality, accurate, and complete data sets. The ramifications from poor-quality or incomplete data on the AI model’s effectiveness and fairness can have disastrous, unintended consequences in areas ranging from employment, loans, housing, education, criminal justice, and healthcare.

C. Data Management Is the Most Important Business Discipline

A Deloitte research article highlights three areas where “Intelligent Data Management” – which is the application of AI / ML to enhance, automate, and optimize key data management tasks – could have material impact on making Data Management more relevant and actionable to the business.

• Data Quality: Identifying and resolving data quality issues. Suggesting data quality rules based on existing datasets and updating existing data quality rules, and then automatically running them. Automating ongoing data quality checks and advanced data profiling. Recognizing patterns and anomalies. Suggesting actions for data cleansing, based on predicted values and manual data cleansing.
• Metadata Management: Labelling, classifying, cataloging, and searching data. Deriving the metadata model and metadata rules from datasets. Automatically collecting, organizing, cataloging, and merging technical and business metadata, both for structured data and unstructured data. Generating and analyzing end-to-end data lineage to identify system dependencies, data flows and anomalies.
• Master Data Management: Identifying and evaluating potential master data. Automatically generating a master data model, mapping data / business entities, and configuring an Master Data Management hub. Suggesting actions for matching and merging to establish a single source of truth, based on usage patterns, trust scores and data steward input.

Summary: Data Management is the Most Important Business Discipline

If data is “the world’s most valuable resource”, then we must reposition data management as a business discipline.  We must help organizations understand how best to reframe the data management conversation to help organizations to derive and drive more customer, product, service, and operational value from the application of data to their business.

As data becomes the ubiquitous source of economic value creation, organizations need an end-to-end data-driven value creation process that speaks to and aligns the business executives and the data and analytics teams around the business mandate to unleash the business (or economic) value of the organization’s vast data reserves. Organizations need a value creation flywheel (Figure 4)!

Figure 4: Data-driven Economic Value Creation Flywheel

The goal of Data-driven Economic Value Creation Flywheel is to create an end-to-end data and analytics value creation lifecycle that integrates data management (data engineering) with data science (feature engineering) and business management and data-driven innovation (value engineering), and then feeds back (backpropagates?) the analytics and business outcomes effectiveness to create a continuously-learning, adjusting, and refining (semi-autonomous) value creation process.

Finally, if we believe that data will be the catalyst for the economic growth in the 21st century, then we need to spend less time and investments trying to manage data and dramatically increase the time and investments to monetize or derive value from data. That will require organizations to reposition their data management capabilities as a business imperative that enables the sharing, re-using, and continuous refinement of the data and analytics economic assets to derive and drive new sources of customer, product, and operational value.

Source: https://www.datasciencecentral.com/why-data-management-is-todays-most-important-business-discipline/

Microsoft enables startups in India from idea to unicorn with new Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub platform

New Delhi, 31 March 2022 – Microsoft today launched its Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub in India to empower startups’ vision and fuel innovation to drive economic and societal progress for India and beyond. Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub  is a new digital and truly inclusive platform for startup founders in India. The platform offers over US$300,000 worth of benefits and credits, giving startups free access to the technology, tools, and resources they need to build and run their business. From the most trusted, secure, open-source friendly and compliant cloud platform, to best-in-class developer and productivity tools including GitHub Enterprise, Visual Studio Enterprise and Microsoft 365.

Beyond access to technology, Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub will empower entrepreneurs to innovate and grow by connecting them with mentors who will provide them with industry, business, and technical support to guide them through their next business milestones. Microsoft is also partnering with innovative companies like OpenAI, a global leader in AI research and deployment, that develops AI systems such as GPT-3 and Codex to provide startups with exclusive benefits and discounts. In addition, founders will have access to Microsoft Learn for tailored startup-centric training and a variety of startup and unicorn programs to help them build connections with customers or industry veterans and accelerate their growth.

Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub is designed specifically for early-stage startups to lower the barriers of business creation, be a catalyst for entrepreneurship and innovation, and contribute to easing the journey from an idea to a unicorn. It is available to all startups in India, including those without third-party validation or funding, as part of Microsoft’s commitment to empower startups’ ambitions to drive innovation from India to the world.

“Disruptive innovation in Indian startups is accelerating India’s position to become one of the leading startups hubs of the world. As a trusted partner, we want to empower every startup in India help scale their idea to become a unicorn and beyond. As a platform company, our cloud services and solutions are designed to empower founders to concentrate on what they do best – innovate at their own pace. Our aim is to provide startups access to the resources that will power their innovation, connect them with customers, and an ecosystem of developers, partners and investors to help them scale in India and beyond,” said Sangeeta Bavi, Director – Startup Ecosystem, Microsoft India.

“Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub was created following extensive research and conversations with hundreds of founders who explicitly shared their need for access to a digital ecosystem that promotes opportunities and democratizes innovation regardless of background, location, progress, or passions. We look forward to how our new offering will support more founders in Asia and provide access to the technology, tools, and resources they need to build and run their business.”

As the third largest ecosystem for startups in the world, India holds tremendous opportunities for emerging businesses across industries. Microsoft continues to demonstrate its ongoing commitment to India’s startup ecosystem and founders through specially curated initiatives. Last year, Microsoft launched a program for nurturing and scaling startups that are leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) called Microsoft AI Innovate. The program supports startups in India leveraging AI technologies, helping them scale operations, drive innovation, and build industry expertise. In collaboration with Accenture, Microsoft has also expanded Project Amplify to support startups focused on sustainability and social impact, with hands-on support and technologies, mentoring and collaboration opportunities.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Microsoft set up its India operations in 1990. Today, Microsoft entities in India have over 18,000 employees, engaged in sales and marketing, research, development and customer services and support, across 11 Indian cities – Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, New Delhi, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Noida and Pune. Microsoft offers its global cloud services from local data centers to accelerate digital transformation across Indian startups, businesses, and government organizations.

Source: https://news.microsoft.com/en-in/microsoft-enables-startups-in-india-from-idea-to-unicorn-with-new-microsoft-for-startups-founders-hub-platform/