Nvidia says it is helping to shape up Utah’s incoming workforce to secure AI-related roles.

In a blog post, Nvidia disclosed a new joint initiative with the state that will bolster educational resources about GenAI available at its universities, community colleges, and adult education programs. Universities participating in the collaboration include the University of Utah, Utah State University, and Southern Utah University.

The public–private partnership will also allow educators in the Beehive State to participate in Nvidia’s deep-learning institute university ambassador program, which would give them access to “high-quality teaching kits,” and create a “competitive advantage” for Utah’s higher education system.

Utah Commissioner of Higher Education Geoffrey Landward said in a statement that the partnership will allow students in the state to work with AI in “practical ways,” and educators to leverage “real-world industry insights” while teaching.

“This partnership will equip Utah graduates with the skills, certifications, and experience needed to excel in high-demand careers in an evolving job market full of opportunities,” Landward said.

One of many. This isn’t Nvidia’s first AI skill-bolstering rodeo. Last year, the semiconductor company launched a partnership with California to increase the availability of AI curriculum and certifications in the state. The AI chipmaker also joined forces with the University of Florida in 2020 to roll out its first AI technology center in North America.

Read the rest here.—BM

Parents clocking a chocolate-smeared kid’s candy-fueled lies? Not a problem. Kids spotting digital scams better than their elders? Also not a problem, according to Infosec VP of Product and Portfolio Strategy Keatron Evans, especially ones about adult matters like unpaid tolls and unexpected Amazon orders.

“If you think of most public social-engineering attacks, they’re designed around our demographic, working adults, because they’re trying to compromise businesses and people at work. A lot of those things, kids find ridiculous and laugh at them,” Evans said.

That doesn’t mean kids aren’t subject to effective, targeted attacks. Young people face disturbing cyber threats, including fraudulent offers in popular videogames, identity theft, and online child abuse.

Infosec, which offers enterprise security awareness training, is adding cybersecurity lessons for schools, thanks to a new partnership with nonprofit Common Sense Media (CSM).

“It gives us a way to provide that to customers without having to take the time and the resources to build it out, which could take some years,” Evans said.

Evans spoke with us about why this partnership is an important one, and how some third graders have better cybersecurity than adults.

Excerpts below have been edited for length and clarity.

Does K–12 cybersecurity training really start at “K”?

Well, it should definitely start at K now, because we start kids on mobile devices at K. We have been using iPads to take courses and learn how to do things. With the right piece of malware, or the right attacker with the right motivation, you will see, even on little kids’ apps, things popping up that they can click on that take them to places that can be harmful or unsafe.

Read more here.—BH

Some IT pros charged with tracking their company’s laptops, software licenses, monitors, and printer ink may turn to a familiar tool on the desktop: a giant spreadsheet. But the ever-expanding rows and columns have their way of spreading tech pros thin.

IT asset management (ITAM) tools have emerged to help practitioners inventory their tech and the employees associated with them.

Tim Zimmerman, VP at market intelligence firm Gartner, sees the products helping companies answer important business questions like:

• How many devices do I have under warranty?
• Who has devices that are at the end of their life-cycle?
• How many devices have been sent for servicing help?
• How many devices have been off the network for a long period of time?

While vendors offer paid ITAM services, some IT pros have been happy to find a free option: Snipe-IT. In addition to Snipe-IT’s free option, the company also offers paid tiers for extra features, like hosting, support, and regular back-up services.

This week Osei Owusu, sales and support engineer for Grokability, the company behind Snipe-IT, took us through capabilities in the self-hosting option.

Keep reading here.—BH

Tariffs could drive up IT equipment costs, putting pressure on businesses that rely on affordable technology. Learn how enterprises can prepare for financial and operational challenges in an evolving landscape.