Please note that the current beta of CentsayWallet does not make use of Blockchain technology as we are still evaluating a number of solutions to ensure they meet our privacy requirements combined with the need to share and validate OpenCPEs and allow users to control their data.
OpenCPEs is a special blockchain project we are spinning out from Cloud Security Alliance and is one of several blockchain offerings we will be delivering to the cybersecurity industry. Inspired by the cryptocurrency model, OpenCPEs promises to revolutionize how security professionals measure their professional development experiences.
It is undeniable that an explosion of pervasive computing is enveloping humanity in both a centralized and distributed fashion. From cloud computing to internet of things, enabled by artificial intelligence, big data and 5G, we face existential threats to our security and privacy. While the challenges are real, we believe that the path to assuring privacy and obtaining a high level of digital security lies at the intersection of cloud and blockchain.
Cloud computing is the natural evolution of compute into a utility model, where it can be orchestrated and managed in the most efficient way possible. Blockchain, the immutable ledger infrastructure underlying popular cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, puts the control of transactions and valuable information into the hands of the appropriate entity via robust cryptography. Blockchain is sometimes seen as an “anti-cloud” technology, but in reality, the future lies in an integration that provides the scale and efficiency of cloud computing with the privacy and transparency of blockchain.
While this intersection of cloud and blockchain has implications far beyond cybersecurity, we are staying focused on our industry to deliver transformative capabilities. We believe that a few well thought out blockchains that function as trusted public utilities will change how we protect information while sharing it in an unassailable and truthful manner. We have several of these blockchain utilities in the works.
Which brings us to OpenCPEs. We like to say that OpenCPEs is about Transforming Knowledge into Currency. CPE stands for “continuing professional education,” which represent the activities a cybersecurity professional undertakes to maintain professional credentials. Every person in our industry takes a different career development path. Some pursue industry certifications with only minimal real world experience. Some obtain degrees from the most prestigious universities. Others have gone straight into the workforce, tackling ambitious projects. Most of us have some combination of traditional and non-traditional learning experiences. With OpenCPEs, we are creating a pseudo-cryptocurrency called centsay to allow any cybersecurity professional to accumulate educational credits and track their knowledge in an objective manner. We believe that a commonly used “cryptocurrency” will normalize the expression of knowledge and allow anyone’s expertise to be readily apparent. We think it will further work as an incentive mechanism to create a new dynamic and energy for self-improvement. In a world where technology changes daily, it may well be that the authoritative subject matter for a new technology is a whitepaper and a Youtube video. Our vision is that OpenCPEs will allow for an industry professional’s CV or resume to be inclusive of any appropriate life experiences and for any relevant knowledge to be applied to the traditional industry certifications you seek.
In order to build OpenCPEs and lay the groundwork for future industry blockchain utilities, we have taken a hard look at the existing blockchains and have tried to anticipate a future world that will be ever more demanding for privacy protection. We have taken a viewpoint that the data controller, be that an individual or an organization, must control their own information without compromise. We have therefore taken an approach of implementing a privacy-first blockchain architecture that assures the inviolability of your data. You share that which benefits you.
As OpenCPEs becomes available, we encourage you to learn about it, test it and earn your own centsay. We believe the early adopters will see enormous personal benefits and will help us improve the knowledge of cybersecurity professionals and raise the baseline of overall industry expertise. We look forward to your engagement and insights.
OpenCPES 