“Simplicity does not precede complexity, but follows it.”
–Alan Perlis, pioneering computer scientist

By Larry K. Williams, TAG president and CEO

The innovation economy moves at the speed of technology, and every day it accelerates a bit. As capital surges into technology businesses, the mix of opportunities and risks keeps changing. With supply chain breakdowns, war in Europe and the constant threat of cyberattacks, it’s not easy keeping up with today’s radical complexity.

TAG is committed to providing value for members as they navigate uncertainty and disruption in the technology landscape. According to Moore’s Law, which was coined by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore, computing power doubles about every two years. On top of that, there’s Metcalfe’s Law. It states that a network’s impact is the square of the number of nodes, or computers, in the network. For example, a network with 10 nodes has an inherent value of 100 (10 X 10). With these forces at work, and with the world creating more data, you can see how radical disruption is the norm in today’s hyper-connected economy.

In this data-rich environment, hackers have more access to sensitive data than ever, and they have more opportunities as businesses continue to digitize, data volumes increase. Internet of Things (IoT) devices are overflowing the data pool. At the end of 2021, there were 14.6 billion connected devices. That number is projected to grow 18 percent this year and more than double by 2027. The economy’s shift to hybrid and remote work also creates significant risk for cybersecurity.

This week, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a Shields Up! notification to increase your cybersecurity vigilance. As the nation’s cyber defense agency, CISA helps organizations improve cybersecurity and resilience. We also work with the National Technology Security Coalition, created by TAG six years ago to defend against cyberthreats and help recruit a workforce to defend the technology ecosystem.

On March 16, TAG Southeastern Software Association (SSA) Society will present a panel on cybersecurity. We also provide a steady stream of insights and content on cybersecurity and the broader tech economy through our 20+ Societies, full calendar of programs, on TAGWire and through TAG SmartBrief, our new email newsletter, which launches in March.

Thank you for engaging with TAG as we make connections, remove friction, protect against cyberattacks and educate members through communities of knowledge ready to solve problems—large and small.