| | December 20179CIOReviewassets but with very little knowledge to protect themselves and their assets online from cyber criminals. Promote STEM Seek out opportunities to present to schools and groups to encourage young people in K-12, especially the under-represented groups, including minorities and women,to consider careers in theScience, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields; help provide a window into your professional world.Help your colleagues Assist colleagues within the organization to leverage technology to improve processes and/or explore innovative opportunities which are especially useful in times of lean budgets. If done collaboratively and with grace, this action could also help IT professionals build strong lasting relationships across departments/units within the organization. Participate Participate in established industry security organizations such as the Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations (ISAOs), InfraGard (partnership between the FBI and members of the private sector), Stop-Think-Connect (national public awareness campaign by Dept. of Homeland Security), or in other professional technology organizations.Go beyond your comfort zone Leverage volunteers with subject matter knowledge in other fields, e.g. environmental care, animal welfare, or betterment of human living conditions. Help them go further in their volunteer activities using your IT skills such as web, systems design, database, programming, security, or IoTs.Share your passion Be a mentor in and for your field.Spread your knowledge A major social contribution of IT professionals is the sharing of knowledge and skills through voluntary participation in professional organizations, seminars, conferences, user groups, standards organizations, advisory groups, one-on-one consultations, etc. Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with or knowing numerous successful IT professionals who are leaders in their fields. The one major common attribute of these passionate individuals is their willingness to collaborate with colleagues and others. Any good, ethical professional would agree, however well-intentioned, voluntary contribution to society should not be made at the expense of the good of the organization or at the expense of the shareholders. Thankfully, many forward-thinking organizations already have formal programs that encourage volunteer activities. These efforts should be on your own time. It is understandable that not everyone would be able to commit significant hours of volunteer effort regularly. Therefore, IT professionals could consider a "micro" volunteering conceptjust an hour a month will add up. Based on DOL statistics, in 2014, there were about 3.9 million IT professionals and 350,000 IT managers in the U.S., for a total of 4.25 million. At one hour per month per IT professional, this group alone could contribute 51 million hours of public good in a year; and this total doesn't even include all the indirect IT professionals who far exceed the number of direct IT professionals, or those from around the world.In addition to fulfilling duties at work, it is also a good social contribution if we keep up skills in our field of work. Individuals who regularly update their skills as lifelong learners add overall value to the organization, industry, society, and to themselves. The number of new professions continue to increase in the cyber industry and by continuously updating relevant skills, IT professionals can help further advance the industry. According to DOL statistics, healthcare support occupations and healthcare practitioners, and technical occupations are projected to be the two fastest growing occupational groups, adding a combined 2.3 million jobs, about 1 in 4 new jobs.In addition to the betterment of the society that we live in, this social contribution can be good for the soul, leverage your passion, and help to set a great example for the younger generations behind us. It should be more than a good pay-check and free snacks! As IT professionals, we should strive to leave the cyber world better than we found "IT"! As IT professionals, we should strive to leave the cyber world better than we found "IT"!
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