• Database technology is crucial in multiple applications and computing tasks, and certifications help demonstrate job readiness and core competencies. 
• Before pursuing a database platform certification, you should have a solid background in relational database management systems and the SQL language. 
• Valuable certifications are typically tied to specific technology companies and their platforms, such as IBM, Microsoft, Oracle and SAP.
• This article is for IT professionals considering database certifications to further their careers. 

While database platforms have come and gone through the decades, database technology is still critical for multiple applications and computing tasks. IT professionals often seek database certifications to demonstrate their knowledge and expertise as they navigate their career paths and pursue professional growth. 

While database certifications may not be as bleeding edge as Google cloud certifications, cybersecurity certifications, storage certifications or digital forensics certifications, database professionals at all levels possess in-demand career skills — and a plethora of database-related jobs are waiting to be filled.

We’ll look at some of the most in-demand certifications for database administrators, database developers and anyone else who works with databases.

What to know about database roles and certifications

To get a better grasp of available database certifications, it’s helpful to group these certs around job responsibilities. This reflects the maturity of database technology and its integration into most aspects of commercial, scientific and academic computing. As you read about the various database certification programs, keep these job roles in mind: 

• Database administrator (DBA). A DBA is responsible for installing, configuring and maintaining a database management system (DBMS). The job is often tied to a specific platform, such as Oracle, MySQL, DB2 or SQL Server.
• Database developer. A database developer works with generic and proprietary application programming interfaces (APIs) to build applications that interact with a DBMS. Like DBA roles, database developer positions are also often platform-specific.
• Database designer or database architect. A database designer or architect researches data requirements for specific applications or users and designs database structures and application capabilities to match.
• Data analyst or data scientist. A data analyst or scientist is responsible for analyzing data from multiple disparate sources to discover previously hidden insights, determine the meaning behind data, and make business-specific recommendations.
• Data mining or business intelligence (BI) specialist. A data mining or BI specialist focuses on dissecting, analyzing and reporting important data streams, such as customer, supply chain and transaction data and histories.
• Data warehousing specialist. A data warehousing specialist assembles and analyzes data from multiple operational systems (such as orders, transactions, supply chain information and customer data) to establish data history, analyze trends, generate reports and forecasts, and support general ad hoc queries. 

These database job roles highlight two critical issues to consider if you want to be a database professional:

1. You need a solid general background. First, a background in relational database management systems, including an understanding of Structured Query Language (SQL), is a fundamental prerequisite for database professionals of all stripes. 
2. There’s a focus on proprietary technologies. Second, although various efforts to standardize database technology exist, much of the whiz-bang capability that databases and database applications deliver comes from proprietary, vendor-specific technologies. Serious, heavy-duty database skills and knowledge are tied to specific platforms, including various Oracle products (such as the open-source MySQL environment and Oracle itself,) Microsoft SQL Server and IBM DB2. Most of these certifications relate directly to those enormously popular platforms. 

Did you know? NoSQL databases — called “not only SQL” or “non-relational” databases — are increasingly used in big data applications associated with some of the best big data certifications for data scientists, data mining and warehousing, and business intelligence.

Best database certifications

Here are details on our five best database certification picks for 2023.

1. IBM Certified Database Administrator — DB2 12

IBM is one of the leaders in the worldwide database market by any objective measure. The company’s database portfolio includes industry-standard DB2, as well as the following:

• IBM Compose
• Information Management System (IMS)
• Informix
• Cloudant
• IBM Open Platform with Apache Hadoop

IBM also has a long-standing and well-populated IT certification program that has been around for more than 30 years and encompasses hundreds of individual credentials. 

After redesigning its certification programs and categories, IBM now has a primary data-centric certification category called IBM Data and AI. It includes a range of database credentials: 

• Database Associate
• Database Administrator
• System Administrator
• Application Developer 

IBM’s is a big and complex certification space, but one where particular platform allegiances are likely to guide readers toward the handful of items most relevant to their interests and needs. 

Database professionals who support DB2 (or aspire to) on IBM’s z/OS should check out the IBM Associate Certified DBA — Db2 12 certification. It’s an entry-level test that addresses routine planning, working with SQL and XML, security, operations, data concurrency, application design, and concepts around database objects.

This certification requires candidates to pass one exam. Pre-exam training and familiarity with concepts, or hands-on experience, are recommended but not required. 

IBM Certified Database Administrator — DB2 facts and figures

Did you know? IBM’s certification offerings are among the best system administrator certifications IT professionals can achieve.

2. Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Azure offers a broad range of tools and add-ons for business intelligence. Azure is a cloud computing platform for application management and Microsoft-managed data centers. Microsoft certifications include various Azure offerings based on job role and experience level.

Microsoft’s certification program is role-centric, centered on the skills you need to succeed in specific technology jobs. Because Azure has such a broad scope, Azure certifications span multiple job roles. However, specific certifications exist for the following positions:

• Data Analysts
• Data Engineers
• Data Scientists
• Database Administrators 

There are also certifications for learners at different experience levels. 

For those looking to take their Azure knowledge to the next level, the Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals certification is the perfect place to start. This certification is for beginner database administrators interested in using Azure and mastering data in the cloud. It offers foundational knowledge of core concepts while reinforcing concepts for later use in other Azure role-based certifications, such as those listed below: 

• Azure Database Administrator Associate
• Azure Data Engineer Associate
• Data Analyst Associate 

Azure Data Fundamentals certification facts and figures

3. Oracle Certified Professional, MySQL 5.7 Database Administrator 

Oracle runs its certifications under the auspices of Oracle University. The Oracle Database Certifications page lists separate tracks depending on job role and product. MySQL is perhaps the leading open-source relational database management system (RDBMS). Since acquiring Sun Microsystems in 2010 (which had previously acquired MySQL AB), Oracle has rolled out a paid version of MySQL and developed certifications to support the product. 

If you’re interested in pursuing an Oracle MySQL certification, you can choose between MySQL Database Administration and MySQL Developer. 

The Oracle Certified Professional, MySQL 5.7 Database Administrator (OCP) credential recognizes professionals who can accomplish the following tasks:

• Install, optimize and monitor MySQL Server.
• Configure replication.
• Apply security.
• Schedule and validate database backups. 

The certification requires candidates to pass a single test (the same test can be taken to upgrade a prior certification). Oracle recommends training and on-the-job experience before taking the exam.

Oracle Certified Professional, MySQL 5.7 Database Administrator facts and figures

Did you know? According to Oracle, approximately 1.8 million Oracle Certified professionals globally hold certifications to advance their networking careers and professions to validate their IT expertise. 

4. Oracle Database SQL Certified Associate Certification

For individuals interested in working in the Oracle environment who have the necessary experience to become a database administrator, Oracle’s Database SQL Certified Associate Certification is another top Oracle certification and an excellent starting point. This test encompasses an understanding of fundamental SQL concepts that individuals must grasp for database projects. 

By earning the certification, individuals demonstrate that they have a range of knowledge in core SQL concepts:

• Familiarity with queries, data modeling, and normalization
• Strong base understanding of the underlying SQL language
• An ability to create and manipulate Oracle Database tables 

This certification also requires candidates to pass a single exam. While Oracle does not specify any prerequisites, the company does state candidates should have familiarity working with the command line. 

Oracle Database SQL Certified Associate Certification facts and figures

5. SAP HANA: SAP Certified Technology Associate — SAP HANA 2.0 SPS05

SAP SE has an extensive portfolio of business applications and analytics software, including cloud infrastructure, applications and storage. The SAP HANA platform’s foundation is an enterprise-grade relational database management system that can be run as an appliance on-premises or in the cloud. The cloud platform lets customers build and run applications and services based on SAP HANA. 

SAP offers a comprehensive certification program built to support its various platforms and products. We’re featuring the SAP Certified Technology Associate — SAP HANA cert because it aligns closely with other certifications we’ve highlighted and is in high demand among employers, according to job board surveys. 

This certification ensures database professionals can install, manage, monitor, migrate and troubleshoot SAP HANA systems. It covers the following skills:

• Managing users and authorizations
• Applying security
• Ensuring high availability 
• Effective disaster-recovery techniques 

SAP recommends that certification candidates get hands-on practice through formal training or on-the-job experience before attempting this exam. The SAP Learning Hub is a subscription service that gives certification candidates access to a library of learning materials, including e-learning courses and course handbooks. 

The annual subscription rate for individual users on the Professional certification track is $2,760. This online training program is designed for those who run, support, or implement SAP software solutions. Though this may seem like a steep price for online training, you will likely be able to pass any SAP certification exams you put your mind to by leveraging all the learning resources available to SAP Learning Hub Professional subscribers. 

Typically, SAP certifications achieved on one of the two most latest SAP solutions are considered current and valid. SAP contacts professionals whose certifications are nearing end-of-life status and provides information on maintaining their credentials.

SAP Certified Technology Associate facts and figures

Tip: To broaden your skill set, consider pursuing the best sales certifications to better sell and implement various IT solutions, including databases.

Beyond the top 5 database certifications

Additional database certification programs can further the careers of IT professionals who work with database management systems. 

While most colleges with computer science programs offer database tracks at the undergraduate, master and Ph.D. levels, well-known vendor-neutral database certifications exist, including the following: 

• ICCP certifications. The Institute for the Certification of Computing Professionals (ICCP) offers its unique Certified Data Professional and Certified Data Scientist credentials. Learn more about ICCP certifications from the ICCP website.
• Enterprise DB certifications. EnterpriseDB administers a small but effective certification program with two primary certs: the EDB Certified Associate and the EDB Certified Professional. 

These are some additional certifications: 

These credentials represent opportunities for database professionals to expand their skill sets — and salaries. However, such niches in the database certification arena are generally only worth pursuing if you already work with these platforms or plan to work for an organization that uses them.

Key takeaway: Pursuing additional database certifications can be helpful for professional development if you already work with these platforms or plan to work with them in the future. 

Job board search results

Before pursuing certifications, consider their popularity with employers to gain a helpful perspective on current database certification demand. Here’s a job board snapshot to deliver you an idea of what’s trending.

If the sheer number of available database-related positions isn’t enough motivation to pursue a certification, consider average salaries for database administrators. SimplyHired reports $91,949 as the national average in the U.S., ranging from $64,171 to over $131,753. Glassdoor’s reported average is somewhat lower at $84,161, with a top rung for experienced senior DBAs right around $134,000.

Choosing the right certification

Choosing the best IT certifications to enhance your skills and boost your career can be overwhelming, especially as many available certifications are for proprietary technologies. While picking a database certification can feel like locking yourself into a single technology family, it is worth remembering that many database skills are transferable. Additionally, pursuing any certification shows your willingness to learn and demonstrates competence to current and future employers. 

Ultimately, choosing which certification to pursue depends on the technologies you use at work or would like to use at a future employer.

Jeremy Bender contributed to the reporting and writing in this article. 

Many entrepreneurs, small business owners and professionals are turning to online programs to boost their business skills and broaden the scope of their knowledge. The booming online learning market offers education and resources related to in-demand career skills, like web development, cybersecurity, data analysis, trade tariffs, specialized hardware and software, and much more. 

We'll highlight 11 established, new and niche business education resources and platforms for business owners and professionals who are looking to expand their skill sets.

Online programs to boost your business skills

In 2022, the online learning market surpassed $315 billion. According to Global Market Insights, a U.S.-based research company, the market is expected to grow another 20% by 2028. 

Amid this wealth of resources, the following platforms can help you access high-quality, specialized courses online to develop your business skills. Consider each platform's content and learning style when you're choosing an educational path. 

Adobe 

An annual paid learning subscription with Adobe Digital Learning Services includes multiple instruction options, including live virtual instructor-led training (in multiple global time zones) and on-demand recorded Adobe software training (accessible 24/7). All courses in the Americas are in English, but there's also a Japan-based subscription. 

Training prices for Adobe developers, implementers or creatives may offer an attractive return on investment, as Adobe software certifications are some of the most widely known and respected creative certifications in the U.S. The paid training is designed to prepare learners for certification exams for credentials such as Adobe Certified Expert or Adobe Certified Professional.

Visit Adobe Digital Learning Services online for more information. 

Tip: Use your newly honed Adobe Creative Cloud skills to effectively market your business and craft a corporate identity.

Coursera

Leading experts and instructors from the world's best universities teach courses on Coursera. Small business owners and professionals who are interested in training and continuous learning can access video lectures, community discussion forums, and auto-graded and peer-reviewed assignments. 

Coursera offers a range of free and paid content, including university-recognized degrees. Choose from several tracks and hundreds of courses ranging from software programs, such as Microsoft Excel, to hard business skills, like financial accounting. Coursera also offers training materials for Google Cloud certifications and the best database certifications. 

Visit Coursera's website to learn more.

edX

On edX, small business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals can enroll in free online courses from top universities worldwide. edX offers over 3,600 courses, from critical thinking to data modeling, from more than 160 universities. Courses are open 24/7; you can complete them on your schedule. Some of the more niche offerings on edX include free PowerShell training and free project management materials. 

Although university experts teach edX courses, the courses are non-credit-bearing. However, you can get a Checked certificate to prove you've mastered the class and concepts. Most edX courses are taught in English, but some video courses are in Spanish, French or Chinese. Check the At a Glance section on a course's introduction page to confirm course and video transcript language offerings.

Visit the edX website to learn more. 

Grow with Google

Small business owners and employees can grow their businesses and learn applicable career skills through free content on the Grow with Google platform. Organized by solutions to common questions, the free content on the Grow Your Career and Grow Your Business verticals is engaging and easy to navigate. 

The self-paced training courses for online professional career certificates are not free, and some require a monthly subscription. However, course development is done in partnership with learning companies such as Coursera, as well as colleges and universities, lending them additional credibility. 

The small business growth resources are free bite-size tutorials that support owners and managers as they leverage Google's digital tools to build awareness of their companies, engage with customers or analyze their digital data. Business owners can also find Google training in Spanish.

Visit the Grow with Google website to learn more. 

Tip: If you're looking for ways to help your small business grow, check out Google for Small Business, a free online portal that gives businesses resources for growth and success. 

HP Life

Tech giant Hewlett-Packard (HP) provides a free global training program called HP LIFE (Learning Initiative for Entrepreneurs) to educate business owners. HP LIFE offers courses in eight languages and multiple verticals, including communications, finance, marketing and operations. HP created the HP LIFE learning opportunities in partnership with other companies. 

Visit the HP LIFE website to learn more.

LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com)

LinkedIn Learning is an online video education library offering hundreds of courses on foundational business Topics taught by thought leaders, authors and trusted online educators. For example, it offers excellent courses and guided practice for software such as the Adobe Creative Suite. 

LinkedIn Learning has learning paths, so you can take courses that build your skills on a Topic from beginner to expert levels. The course catalog includes video and audio courses in seven languages — English, German, Spanish, French, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese and Mandarin — as well as subtitling options. 

While LinkedIn Learning isn't free and requires a subscription, many U.S. public libraries offer free access to LinkedIn Learning, making the courses accessible to anyone with a public library card. 

Visit the LinkedIn Learning website to learn more.

Did you know? Business owners and professionals can also use LinkedIn business resources, including company and career pages, LinkedIn profiles for job searches, and LinkedIn groups for effective networking.

Microsoft Learn

The free Microsoft Learn platform offers product and role-based training paths. It can support your goals whether you're seeking Excel training for yourself or data analytics training for an employee who's growing into a new data analyst role. While the training content is free, the Microsoft certification exams come with a price tag. 

Visit the Microsoft Learn website to learn more.

OpenLearn

The Open University is a free online learning platform with 60-second videos as well as 24 hours of course content. Browse OpenLearn's offerings by course, qualification or subject area. It features several business-specific courses — such as business management, economics and marketing — as well as IT, design and law. For defined degrees, the Open University may charge tuition.

Visit OpenLearn's business content online to learn more.

Small Business Administration

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has supported U.S. businesses for generations through SBA loans, support and an extensive online learning platform. All SBA resources are free. They're ideal for new entrepreneurs and small business owners who are looking to learn business basics. 

Courses on writing a business plan, financing options, social media marketing, and sales are popular offerings. There's also SBA en Español, a dedicated section of the website for Spanish-speaking small business owners. 

Visit the SBA Learning Platform website to learn more. 

Udacity

Udacity provides online courses and learning resources for individuals who are interested in entering the U.S. tech industry. This platform focuses primarily on data science, cybersecurity, AI (artificial intelligence) and other high-demand tech skills. 

Udacity breaks down learning into nanodegree paths that provide credentialing. Its courses are in English and may be available for translation into other languages, but that option varies by course. Depending on which courses you sign up for, Udacity may charge a fee.

Visit the Udacity website to learn more.

Udemy

Udemy considers itself a global community. Instructors from around the world, teaching in over 75 languages, created the Udemy course catalog. With 200,000-plus offerings, you're sure to find a broad selection of courses in multiple learning styles on Topics such as Microsoft Excel, web development and data science. The price per course is lower than for some other large platforms. 

Udemy also offers Cisco certification courses, CompTIA certification courses and storage certification courses.  

Visit the Udemy website to learn more. 

Did you know? Providing access to online courses for your team can ensure effective employee training in the areas your business needs for growth and success. 

Benefits of using online business education programs

Online learning programs can enhance your skill set and support your organization regardless of your current role or business stage. 

Some benefits of online business education programs include the following: 

• Online business education can strengthen your organization. You can learn new skills and business concepts to set up your company for future growth.
• Online business education is cost-effective. Many online learning programs are free or low-cost.
• You can learn at your own pace with online business education. You can focus your attention on growing your business while developing your skills at your own pace. 
• Online business education closes skills gaps. Business owners may discover a skills gap in their workforce when their business grows, enters new markets or introduces new product lines, or when technology advances faster than their current employees' knowledge base. Online business programs can help close those skill gaps by matching employees with online programs that meet their needs.
• Online business education saves time and money. Business owners save time and money by retraining themselves or their teams and helping them learn new skills. They devote less time to hiring new staff while engaging current employees and supporting their professional development.  

Online business learning platforms offer endless opportunities

The online learning market is robust, providing nuanced options for business owners and professionals who are seeking to boost their business skills. 

As the online learning market grows, so will the accessibility of specialized courses that meet your business's unique needs. If you're a business owner, the skills you acquire can help grow your business to new levels. If you're seeking to advance your career, these courses deliver you new skill sets while showing employers your willingness to learn. 

Matt D'Angelo contributed to the reporting and writing in this article.

When: Ephrata Area school board committee meeting, Feb. 6.

What happened: Ephrata War Memorial Association wants to upgrade the seating and baseball area at the War Memorial Field, which is where the district hosts many of its sports activities.

Why it matters: If the project proceeds, it would allow for 1,200 to 1,300 new seats — a mix of seats with backrests and bleacher benches — and upgrades around the field. Although the project would be privately funded, it would need approval from the board before moving forward.

Background: The association wants to bring back a retro look to the baseball field, reflecting the history of the area while also focusing on modern aspects such as easy maintenance. “We have done everything possible to make this whole area as maintenance-free and school-friendly as possible,” former district high school football coach Scott Shelley said.

Funding: Shelley pointed out that if approved, the project would not be a burden to the school district and its taxpayers: “We’re going to do this all privately, through the alumni, through local businesses and more.” The association is working with Heck Construction Co. Inc. on the pre-construction phase. Land development plans are finished and are awaiting approval from the borough. The project would also need board approval. Because it would be privately done, the district wouldn’t need to put projects out to bid.

Quotable: “It would all be completed through the association and then donated back to the school district once completed,” explained Kristee Reichard, district business manager. She said the presentation was just to get the project details and designs in front of the board, not to make any final decisions.

Curriculum: The course catalog for the upcoming school year is up for board approval later this month. A new addition that may receive attention from drone enthusiasts is an introductory level course named Drones: Hobby to Certification. The course is designed to prepare students for Federal Aviation Administration’s Part 107 Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems certification exam, explained Assistant Superintendent Richard Hornberger. Primary knowledge areas covered for the certification test include federal regulations, airspace classifications, weather, aircraft performance, and operations. The district is also adding other industry-based certifications; two new courses are Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word & PowerPoint. Both courses are offered to students in grades nine through 12, and students who attend will take the Microsoft Office Specialist certification exam.

What’s next: Ephrata Area school board will meet again Feb. 27 at Fulton Elementary School.

© Provided by CBR

The first volume of Weekly Shōnen Jump this year had something interesting in it. The main characters from each magazine were dressed in similar attire and presented the same phrase in different forms: 合格祈願 (Gōkaku kigan). As for the meaning of this cover and this phrase, it's a cultural thing.

A lot of what's going on in Shōnen Jump's cover has to do with the New Year. Japan has its own set of traditions for celebrating New Year's Day. Jump decided to use this occasion to embody a rather specific part of that tradition.

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In Japan, people like to usher in the New Year with their first official visit to a local Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine; this is called Hatsumōde (初詣). Once there, they'll make all sorts of prayers (祈願, kigan) for good luck. They often pray for fortune in things like health, love, business, or even exorcism. In the case of students, the thing they pray for should be obvious.

A Gōkaku kigan is best translated as a "prayer for (academic) success." This is for all of the entrance exams and other such exams that students have to take at the start of the New Year. They might not feel confident that studying is enough, so they hope for a miracle on top of it.

As for why Jump is praying for success on exams, in particular, it likely has to do with their target demographic. Shōnen (少年) specifically refers to young or adolescent boys. This mostly refers to elementary school and middle school boys, but it can also include high school boys, too; any other demographic the magazine happens to attract is just good business. This cover is wishing luck to all the young boys in the audience who will likely be taking exams soon.

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The way 合格祈願 is written and presented can be in many forms. Most who are cheering for students to succeed will wave flags, fans, and banners. Some more eccentric supporters will put on outfits or speak through megaphones like they're part of an ōendan (応援団), literally "cheering squad" or "cheering section"). Much of this can be seen in the Jump cover.

It was nice of Jump to pay this indirect tribute to its readers. It serves as both a thank-you for reading, but also a reminder of the importance of studying. Hopefully, the readers will take this prayer to heart and do their best on their exams.

In the past three weeks, policymakers had their worlds rocked by generative artificial intelligence. The problem is that they don’t know it — yet.

First, a team of researchers demonstrated that Open AI’s Chat GPT3 can pass the stringent United States Medical Licensing Exam. Days later, Chat GPT 3 passed a bar exam. Finally, Chat GPT3 passed the prestigious Wharton Business School’s rigorous core examination.

The Wharton researcher writes, “OpenAI’s Chat GPT3 has shown a remarkable ability to automate some of the skills of highly compensated knowledge workers in general and specifically the knowledge workers in the jobs held by MBA graduates including analysts, managers, and consultants.”

Lawyers, doctors, administrators, managers, and consultants are some of the most highly compensated professionals in the United States. Generative artificial intelligence is banishing them to obsolescence.

With only 375 employees, the unprofitable Chat GPT3 was acquired by behemoth Microsoft at a valuation reportedly northward of $30 billion. For perspective, with over 42,000 highly educated healthcare employees, AmerisourceBergen is the largest company by revenue headquartered in Pennsylvania. Its valuation is $33.25 billion. So, with 99% fewer employees, the unprofitable Chat GPT3 is already worth nearly the same as the largest company in the Commonwealth.

Microsoft has already pledged $10 billion to optimize Chat GPT3 toward profitability. Tens of billions more dollars are coming.

The last time policymakers were presented with displacement on this scale was the globalization that decimated the American working class. The solution for Pennsylvania policymakers was to pivot the state’s economy to “Eds and Meds,” which now constitute 44% of total employment.

Those industries were chosen because spending is generated predominantly by the government, which is historically stable. To quote Ronald Reagan, “Government programs, once launched, never disappear.” Pennsylvania policymakers knew that they were making safe bets as those markets would almost always exist.

The pivot worked, with Pennsylvania stabilizing its population decline. Communities able to make the pivot, particularly in the suburbs, saw prosperity.

Once reliably Republican, the suburban voters employed by “Eds and Meds” now constitute the Democratic Party’s base. The rise of conservative populism, which pointed the finger at college-educated elites for the decline of the working class, accelerated the trend.

The reticence of suburban elites to choose Republican candidates is understandable, considering some in the GOP’s working-class base label them the enemy. For many in the working class, the contempt is personal, as they perceive the college-educated as having enriched themselves at their expense, via globalization.

But generative artificial intelligence is poised to inflict the same level of economic devastation on suburban elites as suffered by the working class through globalization. Some elites will undoubtedly find sure footing in the pending economy created by generative artificial intelligence. But many others will not.

The Rust Belt’s decline took decades to manifest. Its slow pace helped shield policymakers from criticism because gradual change enabled some Americans to find solutions on their own.

In contrast to globalization’s slow deindustrialization, however, technological adoption moves at lightning speed and is only getting faster. “Eds and Meds” suburbanites are unlikely to gain a reprieve through gradual transition. Profitable generative artificial intelligence business models may surface within a year. Suburban prosperity could be severely undermined before the next Winter Olympics. Policymakers need immediate solutions.

Political polarization rises during economic decline. A 20-point gap persists between the political affiliations of college-educated and non-college-educated Americans. It is one of the most pronounced cleavages in American politics.

The displacement potentially caused by generative artificial intelligence could put college-educated voters back into electoral play for Republicans, presuming the GOP can deliver something for them.

The path to help these Pennsylvanians, one that would be exclusive to Republicans, is rapid reindustrialization. The prerequisites for rapid reindustrialization are affordable, abundant energy and school choice. Both are fundamental tenets of the GOP platform.

Pennsylvania is blessed with abundant natural resources and is a net exporter of energy. It has educational entrepreneurs pleading for the opportunity to create the most industrially skilled workforce on the planet. Products made in Pennsylvania can reach most of the continental United States or international waters within 24 hours. Among the 50 states, this “iron triangle” of energy-workforce-logistics may be unique to Pennsylvania.

Rapid reindustrialization is the path that unites all educational backgrounds to produce real, sustainable wealth. Instead of pitting the educational classes against one another, it makes them partners in success.

Pennsylvania Republican policymakers have the opportunity before them to accomplish what Ron DeSantis has achieved in Florida: a generational political realignment of a state.

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania’s Republican Party leaders have proposed spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a 2022 midterm post-mortem. That’s fine. But the lesson of the 2022 midterm is that voters do not reward looking backwards.

A crisis has begun. The GOP will respond either by providing tomorrow’s leaders or being condemned by history for failing to rise to the challenge.

Athan Koutsiouroumbas is a managing director at Long Nyquist and Associates and a former congressional chief of staff.

Joe Peluso, administrator at Aestique Surgery Center in Greensburg, Pa., recently connected with Becker's to discuss consolidation trends he is monitoring in 2023.

Editor's note: This response was edited lightly for brevity and clarity.  

Question: What consolidation trends are you eyeing in 2023?

Joe Peluso: 2022 was a year of transformative change in the healthcare industry marked by persistent inflation, geopolitical conflict, ongoing supply chain disruptions and a challenging labor market. As a result, it is imperative that ASCs consistently seek innovative and thought-provoking opportunities to enhance operating efficiencies and access to the delivery of high-quality care. The role of ASCs has continued to evolve, but ASCs' commitment to provide value, agility to adapt to the changing landscape, and advancing safe, high-quality, cost-effective outpatient care has never wavered.

Consolidation trends in ASCs for 2023 will continue to focus on affordability. Healthcare costs have continued to escalate, rising at a faster rate than inflation, impacting accessibility and affordability for families and businesses, which is not sustainable. The ASC industry continues to expand with hundreds of new facilities scheduled to be built in 2023 because CMS is updating regulations and payments that will allow more complex surgical procedures to be performed safely and cost effectively in an ASC setting. 

The major players in the marketplace will continue to grow. However, new trends that involve collaboration and partnerships between and among independent physician certified and independent community hospitals/systems will develop innovative strategic models. These models provide opportunities for physicians to have a majority ownership interest in the ASC versus the traditional models of highly capitalized national organizations, private equity and large integrated healthcare delivery systems having a controlling majority interest and also employing some physicians. 

The independent models search for economies of scale and physician leadership critical to long-term sustainability. Operational risk is distributed across the majority of physician shareholders that can selectively positively impact resources to contain costs and Improve overall patient outcomes, as well as the patient and caregiver experience as a pathway for growth. Physician majority owners can enjoy increased revenue and work-life balance and practice medicine on their own terms.

Dateline Moscow and Kyiv: Rectification of names.

Ukraine at D+348: Preparing for the first anniversary of the invasion. (CyberWire) Russia moves conscripts to assembly areas, and a dark web souk appears on Moscow's electronic billboards.

Russia-Ukraine war live: Moscow repeats warning that Nato countries supplying Kyiv with arms risks ‘unpredictable escalation’ (the Guardian) Russian defence minister accuses Nato of trying to ‘prolong the conflict’

Ukraine Warns Russia Is Planning Major Offensive (Wall Street Journal) Kyiv says Russia is amassing troops and Getting ready for a new push along the eastern front. This comes amid a signal that Ukraine may reshuffle in its military leadership following a corruption scandal.

Russia-Ukraine war: Wagner founder challenges Zelensky to a dogfight for control of Bakhmut (The Telegraph) The founder of Russia’s notorious Wagner mercenary group challenged Volodymyr Zelensky to a dogfight on Monday for the control of Bakhmut, as Ukraine braced for a renewed Russian offensive.

Ukraine releases video appearing to show Russian troops beating own wounded officer (the Guardian) Footage thought to show Wagner group fighters beating commander with what appear to be shovelsWarning: video contains footage that some viewers may find distressing

Austria’s About to deliver Russia a Soapbox at the OSCE (Foreign Policy) Vienna will allow sanctioned Russian parliamentarians to attend the next big security meeting on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Perspectives on Ukraine and the Russian Invasion (Global ECCO) Dr. Douglas Borer, Department of Defense Analysis at the US Naval Postgraduate School, asked Dr. Myerson some questions about the causes of the Russian war against Ukraine, the role of allies in Ukraine’s defense, and his perspective on how the war might end.

How Russia Decides to Go Nuclear (Foreign Affairs) Deciphering the way Moscow handles its ultimate weapon.

U.S. Leadership on Ukraine Is Increasing European Dependence (World Politics Review) Unwillingly and unintentionally, US leadership on Ukraine war policy is increasing Europe’s dependence. That could be a problem.

American conservatives are right behind Ukraine – but they want a better strategy than Biden’s (The Telegraph) The White House has been reactive, often only moving after significant Congressional and international pressure

Japan’s Long-Awaited Return to Geopolitics (Foreign Policy) Tokyo’s abandonment of its post-1945 security stance is another fallout from Russia’s war.

Analysis: Swiss neutrality on the line as arms-for-Ukraine debate heats up (Reuters) Switzerland is close to breaking with centuries of tradition as a neutral state, as a pro-Ukraine shift in the public and political mood puts pressure on the government to end a ban on exports of Swiss weapons to war zones.

The Deeper Reason Netanyahu Won’t Arm Ukraine Against Russia (Foreign Policy) Jerusalem’s ties to Moscow are partly about security. They’re also about illiberalism.

The Ukraine war is fuelling and obscuring cyberattacks (The National) The fighting is dominating the attention that might otherwise be given over to understanding the links between online threats and modern warfare

Darknet drug market BlackSprut openly advertises on billboards in Moscow (The Record from Recorded Future News) It's unclear why BlackSprut was able to buy the Moscow billboard space, but Russia is known for some permissiveness toward darknet groups.

Inside Safe City, Moscow’s AI Surveillance Dystopia (WIRED) Moscow promised residents lower crime rates through an expansive smart city project. Then Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine.

Russia ends disclosure rules for officials, citing wartime secrecy needs (Washington Post) In the latest indication of expanded state secrecy in wartime Russia, President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed legislation that will exempt Russian lawmakers from a previous requirement that they disclose details of their income, expenses and property.

Russian Deficit Soars to $25 Billion on War Spending, Oil Embargo (Wall Street Journal) The government’s budget recorded its deepest deficit to start the year in more than a decade.

Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities

Foreign states already using ChatGPT maliciously, UK IT leaders believe (CSO Online) Most UK IT leaders are concerned about malicious use of ChatGPT as research shows how its capabilities can significantly enhance phishing and BEC scams.

Ransomware Hits Unpatched VMware Systems: 'Send Money Within 3 Days' (Virtualization Review) Users who neglected to install security patches issued by VMware two years ago are now being hit by a big ransomware attack wave.

Massive ransomware attack targets VMware ESXi servers worldwide (CSO Online) Cybersecurity agencies globally — including in Italy, France, the US and Singapore — have issued alerts about a ransomware attack targeting the VMware ESXi hypervisor.

CISA steps up to help VMware ESXi ransomware victims (SC Media) CISA says any organization experiencing a cybersecurity incident tied to VMware ransomware campaigns should immediately report it to CISA or the FBI.

‘Massive’ new ESXiArgs ransomware campaign has compromised thousands of victims (The Record from Recorded Future News) Thousands of servers running an unpatched version of VMware's ESXi product are vulnerable to ESXiArgs ransomware, researchers say.

GuLoader Malware Using Malicious NSIS Executables to Target E-Commerce Industry (The Hacker News) South Korean and American e-commerce industries have been targeted by a GuLoader malware campaign.

Polygraph: Click Fraud Scammers Are Targeting Pay-Per-Click Affiliate Schemes (GlobeNewswire News Room) Pay-per-click affiliate schemes are vulnerable to sophisticated click fraud techniques....

Hackers hit Vesuvius, UK engineering company shuts down affected systems (Graham Cluley) Vesuvius, the London Stock Exchange-listed molten metal flow engineering company, says it has shut down some of its IT systems after being hit by a cyber attack.

British steel industry provider Vesuvius ‘currently managing cyber incident’ (The Record from Recorded Future News) Vesuvius Plc confirmed that the incident “involved unauthorized access to our systems,” but it did not provide further details.

Multiple DMS XSS (CVE-2022-47412 through CVE-20222-47419) (Rapid7) Through the course of routine security testing and analysis, Rapid7 has discovered several issues in on-premises installations of open source and freemium Document Management System (DMS) offerings from four vendors. While all of the discovered issues are instances of CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, in this disclosure, we have ordered them from most severe to least.

CyRC special report: Secure apps? Don’t bet on it (Application Security Blog) The Cybersecurity Research Center conducted a security analysis of the 10 most popular Android sports and betting apps.

Highmark Health Suffers Phishing Attack, 300K Individuals Impacted (Health IT Security) Highmark Health notified 300,000 individuals of a phishing attack that potentially compromised protected health information.

Cybersecurity Incident Under Investigation in Berkeley County Schools - 19,000 Students Have Day Off (WV MetroNews) More than 19,000 students got the day out of school in Berkeley County on Monday (February 06), but it was a workday for staff.  This after a cybersecurity incident in the district Friday. Berkeley County Schools sent out a message saying they are  investigating the “cause and scope.”

West Virginia students returning to class after days-long outage following cyberattack (The Record from Recorded Future News) Nearly 20,000 students in West Virginia were forced to miss classes on Monday due to a cyberattack that crippled their school.

MTU close Cork campuses after a 'significant' IT breach (Cork Beo) All full-time and part-time classes have been cancelled

Trends

Cybercrime Shows No Signs of Slowing Down (Dark Reading) Look for latest trends in attacks, strategies, and vulnerabilities to continue gaining steam throughout 2023.

Cyber Apocalypse 2023: Is The World Heading For A ‘Catastrophic’ Event? (Forbes) According to the 2023 Global Cybersecurity Outlook from the World Economic Forum, the world is facing more and potentially catastrophic cyber-attacks. Here, we explore what that means.

Blog | Permiso 2022 - End of Year Observations () The Permiso p0 labs team provides an overview of what they have observed from the front lines of cloud attacks over 2022, and where they expect cloud attacks to head next!

DataDome’s Inaugural E-Commerce Holiday Bot & Online Fraud Report Reveals the US as the Top Source of Bot Attacks (DataDome) Study finds US generated 10 times the number of bot attacks compared to China, the second highest source during the 2022 holiday season.

State of the Cloud 2023 (Wiz) The Wiz Threat Research team looks back on the past year to highlight trends and the state of cloud usage based on visibility across our customer base.

Marketplace

IronNet Signs Contract to Enhance Cybersecurity of U.S. Navy’s Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Following Successful Pilot Program (Business Wire) Agreement addresses cyber threats against the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) by using the IronNet Collective Defense℠ Platform to Improve threat visibility and anonymized intelligence sharing

Bitwarden Boosts FIDO Alliance Membership (Business Wire) Bitwarden, the leading open source password manager trusted by millions, today announced that it has expanded its partnership in the FIDO Alliance, an

Netsurion CRO John Addeo Honored on 2023 CRN Channel Chiefs List (GlobeNewswire News Room) Netsurion, a leading provider of managed XDR, today announced that CRN®, a brand of The Channel...

Sumo Logic SVP of Global Partners and Alliances Named as a 2023 CRN Channel Chief (GlobeNewswire News Room) Sumo Logic (NASDAQ: SUMO), the SaaS analytics platform to enable reliable and secure cloud-native...

Aqua Security’s Jeannette Lee Heung Named a 2023 CRN Channel Chief (GlobeNewswire News Room) Lee Heung was behind the Aqua Advantage partner program launch driving a surge in channel revenue...

Axis Channel Leader Nicholas Mirizzi Receives 2023 CRN Channel Chief Honor (PR Newswire) Axis, the leading innovator in Security Service Edge, today announced that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has recognized Nicholas...

Jamie Hawkins of DH2i Honored as a 2023 CRN Channel Chief (DH2I) Recognized for Dedication, Innovative Strategies, and Programs That Have Driven Partner Success

Brillio Appoints Navneet Narula to Lead Global Banking and Financial Services Unit (CXOToday.com) Industry veteran tapped to turbocharge company’s burgeoning BFSI vertical    Brillio, a leading digital transformation services and solutions provider

Moti Gindi, Former CVP of Security Products at Microsoft, Joins Apiiro as Chief Product Officer (GlobeNewswire News Room) Moti, who built Microsoft Defender into a multi-billion dollar business, joins Apiiro to scale the growing business...

Folio Photonics Expands Engineering Leadership Team with the Appointment of Greg Kittilson as Vice President of Engineering (Business Wire) Announces Great Leap Forward with Newly Patented Systems and Methods for Increasing Data Rate and Storage Density in Multi-Layer Optical Discs

Products, Services, and Solutions

Cognni Launches AI-Powered Automated Infosec Risk Assessment Product (GlobeNewswire News Room) The new risk-assessment tool can scan all the data held by an organization in minutes and provide a detailed report on risks and the mitigation measures...

Cequence Security Enhances API Security Testing Capabilities (Business Wire) Cequence Security, the leading provider of Unified API Protection, today announced it has enhanced the testing capabilities within its Unified API Pro

Keyfactor Global Channel Program Hits New Milestones as Businesses Prioritize Machine Identity Management (Business Wire) Keyfactor appoints Michael de Paris as VP of EMEA Channels; SVP of Global Channel Joe Tong named to 2023 CRN Channel Chief List.

Cadien Cyber Response Launches to Deliver Incident Response & Complex Digital Forensics Services (Dark Reading) Cadien Cyber Response, a US-based incident response and complex digital forensics firm, formally launched operations today and unveiled its team of leading industry and government cyber experts focused on reactive services.

Baffle Makes Multi-Tenant Data Security for SaaS Providers Even Easier (GlobeNewswire News Room) Record-level Encryption Isolates Customer Data; BYOK Gives Customers Complete Control

How Parallel Loop Empowers Torq Users to Rapidly Automate Bulk Data Processing Up to 10x (Torq) Torq is proud to introduce Parallel Loop, a new capability that enables users to process bulk data from myriad security tools with unprecedented ease. It also provides the power of orchestration like no other automation tool in the security automation industry with true parallelism. That means multiple tasks can be run simultaneously, and optionally, on […]

Snyk Achieves FedRAMP “In Process” Milestone (GlobeNewswire News Room) With Expected FedRAMP Authorization, Snyk to Address Crucial Need for Developer Security in Public Sector

Coalfire Compliance Essentials Optimized for Automated Evidence Collection (PR Newswire) Global cybersecurity pioneer Coalfire announced today major innovations to its Compliance Essentials solution, including advanced automated...

Deepwatch Advances SecOps Platform to Detect and Contain Identity Threats (Business Wire) Introduces Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR) for Rapid Containment of Identity Compromise

Technologies, Techniques, and Standards

Agencies Seek Public Input on Updates to Guiding Plan for Cyber R&D (Nextgov.com) The document is updated once every four years.

How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Spy Game (SpyCast) Mike Susong (Website, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the impact and potential of AI on the intelligence field. Mike is a former CIA case officer who now oversees global intelligence for a risk management company.

Why Crowdsourced Security is Devastating to Threat Actors (Security Intelligence) See how crowdsourcing security is an effective tool against phishing and other cyber threats.

How to deal with sneaky spear phishing- and more - on Safer Internet Day (WatchGuard Technologies) In support of a safer Internet for all here are some insights on today’s most prevalent threats and what you can do to stay cyber secure. Follow our tips and protect yourself and your business.

Design and Innovation

Microsoft announces surprise event for tomorrow with Bing ChatGPT expected (The Verge) Microsoft won’t be streaming this event, though.

The Race to Build a ChatGPT-Powered Search Engine (WIRED) A search bot you converse with could make finding answers easier—if it doesn’t tell fibs. Microsoft, Google, Baidu, and others are working on it.

Google has unveiled its ChatGPT rival and is promising its will offer AI-powered search 'soon' (Silicon Valley Business Journal) Google is following through on CEO Sundar Pichai's promise last week to open up it AI tools to the public.

Google launches ChatGPT rival called Bard (BBC) Google is launching an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered chatbot called Bard to rival ChatGPT.

Google Releases ChatGPT Rival AI ‘Bard’ to Early Testers (Bloomberg) Microsoft expected to announce ChatGPT integration into Bing search engine

Academia

The SANS Institute Reopens HBCU Cyber Academy Application Window to Address Growing Need for Cybersecurity Professionals (PR Newswire) The SANS Institute is proud to announce the reopening of the HBCU Cyber Academy application window from February 1, 2023 to March 1, 2023. The...

Legislation, Policy, and Regulation

Chinese hacking probably outweighs balloon, experts say (Washington Post) Don’t forget about Chinese hackers

Quad Joint Statement on Cooperation to Promote Responsible Cyber Habits (The White House) We the Quad partners of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States are launching a public campaign to Improve cyber security across our nations: the

Wikipedia unblocked in Pakistan after Prime Minister's intervention (TechCrunch) Pakistan has unblocked Wikipedia in the South Asian market, three days after the online encyclopedia was censored in the nation.

What CISOs need to know about the renewal of FISA Section 702 (CSO Online) Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act sets out the rules for the US intelligence community around gathering information abroad—but is it inadvertently being used at home too?

Let Section 230 Stay (The Information) Gonzalez v. Google, which the Supreme Court will hear this month, is the culmination of years of litigation. The action—a consolidation of lawsuits filed against Google, Twitter and Facebook—attempts to hold these platforms liable for their automated recommendation of content to users. Social ...

Biden taps experts in threat intel, networking and satellite cybersecurity for telecom advisory board (SC Media) The Biden administration appointed new leaders for the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Council, while adding a number of other notable tech and cybersecurity executives.

Litigation, Investigation, and Law Enforcement

China’s tech weapons roll in to quell demonstrations, identify protesters (The Record from Recorded Future News) At a time when an errant spy balloon has raised new questions about President Xi Jinping’s absolute control over all things Chinese, we take a look at how his regime quelled last year’s Covid protests and how an arsenal of digital weapons helped tighten his grip on power.

U.S. senators question Meta over Chinese, Russian access to Facebook data -statement (Reuters) A bipartisan pair of U.S. senators said on Monday they had sent a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg questioning the company about documents that they say reveal that Facebook developers in China and Russia had access to user data.

Police hacked Exclu 'secure' message platform to snoop on criminals (BleepingComputer) The Dutch police announced on Friday that they dismantled the Exclu encrypted communications platform after hacking into the service to monitor the activities of criminal organizations.

Finnish psychotherapy extortion suspect arrested in France (Naked Security) Company transcribed ultra-personal conversations, didn’t secure them. Criminal stole them, then extorted thousands of vulnerable patients.

How Sam Bankman-Fried’s Psychiatrist Became a Key Player at Crypto Exchange FTX (Wall Street Journal) Hired as a coach at the crypto exchange, George Lerner was there for its dramatic downfall.

Politie leest opnieuw mee met criminelen (Politie) De politie en het Openbaar Ministerie in Nederland zijn er opnieuw in geslaagd toegang te krijgen tot data van een cryptocommunicatiedienst van criminelen en de afgelopen vijf maanden hun…

Eurocops shut down Exclu encrypted messaging app (Register) German and Dutch authorities say the app was a favorite of organized criminals and drug smugglers