Nyla Beth Gawel

Traditional, 9-to-5, in-office employment models have made strides in offering more flexibility and acknowledging that working parents require greater elasticity in their work days. Companies like Google, Salesforce, and Johnson & Johnson are recognized for their flexible workplace arrangements, which include everything from telecommuting to flexible scheduling. But for today’s working mom, the concept can fall short when it comes to physical office spaces, the technologies used, and merging it… Show more

Traditional, 9-to-5, in-office employment models have made strides in offering more flexibility and acknowledging that working parents require greater elasticity in their work days. Companies like Google, Salesforce, and Johnson & Johnson are recognized for their flexible workplace arrangements, which include everything from telecommuting to flexible scheduling. But for today’s working mom, the concept can fall short when it comes to physical office spaces, the technologies used, and merging it with your personal life.

Here are four questions you should be asking to ensure you are truly able to benefit from workplace flexibility. Show less

IoT is not like IT, and traditional cyber thinking only takes you so far
As a society, we’ve rushed into the Internet of Things (IoT) at a breakneck pace, applying it to anything and everything we can think of—cars, planes, and trains, pacemakers, light bulbs, baby monitors, homes, offices, factories, nuclear power plants, electric grids, even children’s dolls.
If something can be connected, we’re connecting it. The only trouble is, we’re moving to IoT faster than our ability to secure… Show more

IoT is not like IT, and traditional cyber thinking only takes you so far
As a society, we’ve rushed into the Internet of Things (IoT) at a breakneck pace, applying it to anything and everything we can think of—cars, planes, and trains, pacemakers, light bulbs, baby monitors, homes, offices, factories, nuclear power plants, electric grids, even children’s dolls.
If something can be connected, we’re connecting it. The only trouble is, we’re moving to IoT faster than our ability to secure it. And IoT is not like traditional IT. It’s far more vulnerable to attack. If cyber attackers get control of one of your systems, they can do far more than steal emails and credit card numbers.
We're simply not ready

It’s like learning how to become a trapeze artist without a net, without even knowing what the net would look like. But there’s no going back. As a society, we’re not going to say, “Time out, let’s spend the next three years figuring out how to secure IoT, then we can jump back into it.”
That’s not going to happen. Our headlong charge into IoT is nonstop. No one wants to miss the opportunities IoT has to offer, the new products, the new efficiencies, the promise of “smart” everything. No one wants to be left behind.
And here’s the rub: If you move into IoT too fast, before you’ve secured it, and something does go wrong – let’s say, wrong enough to make headlines – then everything you’re trying to do with IoT will unravel. IoT is built on trust, and if people don’t trust you, forget it.
IoT is here, and the last thing you want to do is slow down. So the question is, Can you be in the forefront of IoT and be reasonably safe at the same time? Is it even possible?
The short answer is yes.
But … and there is a but … you’ll have to work hard at it. You’ll have to do some serious thinking and planning.
It can be done. This field guide will show you how.
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Every day we rely more on devices to automate our lives. Cars tell us when they need to be serviced. Lights sense when rooms are occupied to maximize energy efficiency. Wearable technology tracks our biometrics and alerts us of health or fitness successes or risks.

But how do organizations take advantage of the breadth of technological advancement that can provide vast amounts of data on operations—such as remote sensors managing pipeline supply and demand, connected and automated… Show more

Every day we rely more on devices to automate our lives. Cars tell us when they need to be serviced. Lights sense when rooms are occupied to maximize energy efficiency. Wearable technology tracks our biometrics and alerts us of health or fitness successes or risks.

But how do organizations take advantage of the breadth of technological advancement that can provide vast amounts of data on operations—such as remote sensors managing pipeline supply and demand, connected and automated fleets, or networked enterprise resources managing sensitive data? The Internet of Things (IoT) is the next evolution of today’s connected world, one of the most discussed topics, and a highlight of Gartner’s Emerging Technologies hype cycle in 2015. IoT includes the universe of interconnected devices, sensors, and objects interacting and embedded with digital aspects such as networks, cybersecurity, data management and analytics, and user applications. IoT is not new. Many organizations already use sensors, networks, or data analyses to manage operations. The moniker “IoT” is therefore considered by some to be only a new term to describe what many industries have been doing for decades. So what makes IoT such a hot topic today? All of the technologies—from sensors to data platforms—that are part of complex systems-of-systems are now smarter, cheaper, and more autonomous than ever before. IoT therefore is the “new normal,” representing the current baseline of how industry moves from connected things to smart, self-aware, ubiquitous, embedded intelligence—requiring organizations to acquire new capabilities. As organizations look to embrace the potential that IoT can offer, Booz Allen offers an integrated set of service offerings. We combine what often are delivered as disparate capabilities, leading to the creation of new, integrated services, and solutions for our clients. Show less

Imagine a future in which streetlights turn on as cars or pedestrians approach an area; crime or emergency alerts come in on cars’ communication devices and are broadcast across a region on all available signage and messaging systems; households can choose how their energy is delivered from multiple sources and plan for surges and outages dynamically; connected vehicles and infrastructure communicate with each other to ease traffic; and doctors can provide medical services over secure and… Show more

Imagine a future in which streetlights turn on as cars or pedestrians approach an area; crime or emergency alerts come in on cars’ communication devices and are broadcast across a region on all available signage and messaging systems; households can choose how their energy is delivered from multiple sources and plan for surges and outages dynamically; connected vehicles and infrastructure communicate with each other to ease traffic; and doctors can provide medical services over secure and reliable remote networks. With advanced technology maturing at dizzying speeds, this future is coming faster than most people realize in the form of Smart Cities.
Integrated industry ecosystems, such as energy, utilities, transportation, health, and education are developing and implementing technologies that enable an integrated connectivity. The results are enhanced citizen services, new business opportunities, and more livable, functional, competitive and modern cities. Show less

We are experiencing a rapid shift in technology that is changing the way we exist in the world. As the technology industry evolves toward full-scale adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT), there is an entirely new set of demands to compete in the global innovation market. Leading the workforce of the future in these innovative fields requires an increasingly unique set of skills. In addition to the depth of technical rigor traditionally required to lead in science, technology, engineering… Show more

We are experiencing a rapid shift in technology that is changing the way we exist in the world. As the technology industry evolves toward full-scale adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT), there is an entirely new set of demands to compete in the global innovation market. Leading the workforce of the future in these innovative fields requires an increasingly unique set of skills. In addition to the depth of technical rigor traditionally required to lead in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, leaders must have emotional intelligence, communication, and management skills to succeed in our increasingly connected society.

Whether by nature or nurture, studies have found that women by far outrank men in measures of these essential “soft skills.” IoT provides an opportunity for underrepresented populations in STEM leadership—women—to find new value in their industry contributions. Widespread initiatives to integrate women into the workforce, including campaigns to promote the feminization of labor and early STEM education initiatives, have sparked a national conversation. However, evolving industry needs require us to mature past awareness of the gender gap at the top level of STEM fields and target the right kind of leaders to spearhead innovation.

Much like the convergent nature of IoT, transcending traditional gender constructs in the technology industry’s leadership will require fundamental changes in the way we think and operate; it will require us to rebuild an agile, integrated, and connected industry model that allows our businesses—and our people—to thrive. Show less

In an age when both personal and business transactions are increasingly carried out on mobile devices, citizens expect personalized, customizable self-service anytime, anywhere with a single experience across both devices and platforms. Citizens and businesses expect federal agencies to do the same. Each day, citizens continue to rely on the government for administration of public benefits, entitlements, and assistance for financial, health, and physical well-being. Increasingly, these… Show more

In an age when both personal and business transactions are increasingly carried out on mobile devices, citizens expect personalized, customizable self-service anytime, anywhere with a single experience across both devices and platforms. Citizens and businesses expect federal agencies to do the same. Each day, citizens continue to rely on the government for administration of public benefits, entitlements, and assistance for financial, health, and physical well-being. Increasingly, these services are sought using digital technology. Digital citizens expect government services to provide better, modern, 24/7 access to an increasing number of integrated touch points. As an increasing number of government agencies embark on the digital agenda, a new type of customer – the “Digital Citizen” – has emerged. The arrival of the digital citizen requires agencies to reconsider traditional operating models and transform significant aspects of their business. To engage this new and growing demographic of customers, agencies must update their understanding of expectations, touch points, and digital solutions. Show less