Tools & Platforms
Cybersecurity challenges and AWS solutions in the AI era
As the technology world has grown more complicated through an explosion in artificial intelligence use cases, it has also led to challenges for cybersecurity professionals. Generative AI applications must be secured, the infrastructure around AI needs to be protected, and there is a constant worry about new threats driven by AI-powered tools.
AWS’ Rohan Karmarkar talks with theCUBEs John Furrier about cybersecurity.
For major cloud practitioners such as Amazon Web Services Inc., this reality requires close coordination with its partners to ensure that these factors are properly managed.
“We’re definitely seeing an increase in the velocity of attacks, so obviously security partners have to cater to that, AWS has to cater to that,” said Rohan Karmarkar (pictured), director of APO technology for AWS Partner SA. “These partners are making sure that they build capability to defend against AI-powered attacks and also build capability to make the security engineers and security operations center more productive, more automated. Those are the two things that we’re working with our partners on to build those capabilities using the secure foundation that we have.”
Karmarkar spoke with theCUBE’s John Furrier at the AWS Mid-Year Leadership Summit, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed how partners are using AWS tools to mitigate threats and build a more secure environment.
Building cybersecurity on AWS
For partners, a key approach for managing security initiatives in the AI world is to build on the AWS platform. This includes leveraging many of the cloud provider’s intelligence tools, according to Karmarkar.
“PagerDuty, one of our key partners, uses Amazon Q Business, Amazon Bedrock and Amazon SageMaker to improve the incident response automation with AI,” Karmarkar said. “There are other partners like Trellix who has a Trellix-wide security assistant, which is built on Amazon Bedrock and SageMaker. Typically, security engineers get overwhelmed with these incidents, so bringing the right context and helping them analyze and getting them more productive is something that security partners are doing.”
Something else that security partners are doing is building agents. AWS is seeing its partners explore innovation in agentic AI to address a wide range of factors, including cost, accuracy and specialized domain management.
“There are a couple of partners like PantherAI and Securonix who have launched various agents that help in security engineering aspects, security operations,” Karmarkar said. “We are seeing a lot of agentic kinds of workflows and applications being built now. They’re starting with simple agents, but we are also seeing trends where agent-to-agent communication and multi-agent kinds of workflows are there.”
Adoption of AI agents and new ways to leverage autonomous technology for improving security have forced many AWS partners and customers to re-evaluate their applications. App modernization has become a key ingredient in building a secure IT environment.
“There’s a lot of conversation around app modernization,” Karmarkar explained. “We definitely are talking about application modernization because application and data modernization is the foundation to have a strong AI. How do we get apps to use the latest technologies, provide interfaces or databases to be vector enabled? It’s an interesting time to be in tech.”
Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the AWS Mid-Year Leadership Summit:
Photo: SiliconANGLE
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SiliconANGLE Media is a recognized leader in digital media innovation serving innovative audiences and brands, bringing together cutting-edge technology, influential content, strategic insights and real-time audience engagement. As the parent company of SiliconANGLE, theCUBE Network, theCUBE Research, CUBE365, theCUBE AI and theCUBE SuperStudios — such as those established in Silicon Valley and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) — SiliconANGLE Media operates at the intersection of media, technology, and AI. .
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July 11, 2025
SEOUL – A wave of artificial intelligence certifications has flooded the market in South Korea over the past two years.
But according to government data, most of these tests exist only on paper, and have never been used by a single person.
As of Wednesday, there were 505 privately issued AI-related certifications registered with the Korea Research Institute for Professional Education and Training, a state-funded body under the Prime Minister’s Office.
This is nearly five times the number recorded in 2022, before tools like ChatGPT captured global attention. But more than 90 percent of those certifications had zero test-takers as of late last year, the institute’s own data shows.
Many of the credentials are loosely tied to artificial intelligence in name only. Among recent additions are titles like “AI Brain Fitness Coach,” “AI Art Storybook Author,” and “AI Trainer,” which often have no connection to real AI technology.
KT’s AICE is South Korea’s only nationally accredited AI certification, offering five levels of exams that assess real-world AI understanding and skills, from block coding for elementary students to Python-based modeling for professionals. PHOTO: KT/THE KOREA HERALD
Only one of the 505 AI-related certifications — KT’s AICE exam — has received official recognition from the South Korean government. The rest have been registered by individuals, companies, or private organizations, with no independent oversight or quality control.
In 2024, just 36 of these certifications held any kind of exam. Only two had more than 1,000 people apply. Fourteen had a perfect 100 percent pass rate. And 20 were removed from the registry that same year.
For test organizers, the appeal is often financial. One popular certification that attracted around 500 candidates last year charged up to 150,000 won ($110) per person, including test fees and course materials. The content reportedly consisted of basic instructions on how to use existing tools like ChatGPT or Stable Diffusion. Some issuers even promote these credentials as qualifications to teach AI to students or the general public.
The people signing up tend to be those anxious about keeping up in an AI-driven world. A survey released this week by education firm Eduwill found that among 391 South Koreans in their 20s to 50s, 39.1 percent said they planned to earn an AI certificate to prepare for the digital future. Others (27.6 percent) said they were taking online AI courses or learning how to use automation tools like Notion AI.
Industry insiders warn that most of these certificates hold little value in the job market. A local AI industry official told The Korea Herald that these credentials are often “window dressing” for resumes.
“Most private AI certifications aren’t taken seriously by hiring managers,” he said. “Even for non-technical jobs like communications or marketing, what matters more is whether someone actually understands the AI space. That can’t be faked with a certificate.”
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Microsoft is launching a $4 billion initiative to train 20 million people in artificial intelligence skills through a new global program called Elevate. The effort, announced by company President Brad Smith, is part of Microsoft’s commitment to “put people first” as AI becomes more integrated into work and education.
The tech titan described the program as a centralized platform for its technology support, donations, and training across schools, colleges, and nonprofits. Through the Elevate Academy, it plans to deliver AI literacy at scale, including offerings like “Hour of AI” and partnerships with educators and labor unions.
A unified platform for Microsoft’s AI training
Microsoft Elevate consolidates the company’s nonprofit and education initiatives into a single operational framework, replacing both its Philanthropies division and Tech for Social Impact team. It combines funding, cloud infrastructure, and AI tools to expand access to training and technology.
The $4 billion will be allocated over five years through a mix of grants, software, and computing resources for K–12 schools, community colleges, and nonprofit organizations worldwide.
Massive training effort for in-demand AI credentials
As part of its credentialing plan, Microsoft is introducing the Elevate Academy, a program to reach millions of learners in just two years. It will offer structured learning across a spectrum of competencies, from digital basics to advanced technical instruction.
Course content will run through LinkedIn Learning and GitHub, two platforms already used within professional and developer communities.
The academy serves as a centerpiece delivery channel, combining investment and infrastructure with partnerships and events to help learners earn industry-recognized certifications.
National and local partners help execute large-scale rollout
Microsoft is working with education nonprofits, labor groups, and government bodies to scale rollout..
“Hour of AI,” developed with Code.org, introduces younger students to foundational concepts through short-form instruction. A summer skilling series extends access outside the school year.
Labor unions are also involved in workforce development, including the National Academy for AI Instruction and courses across the building trades. In Germany, Microsoft is partnering with North Rhine-Westphalia for better regional programs.
Aligning training with public and institutional standards
To support policy alignment, Microsoft is working with public agencies to integrate AI skills into national education systems. It has also partnered with the United Nations, the Vatican, and academic institutions to promote responsible use and ethical standards in AI learning.
These collaborations build on Microsoft’s long-standing involvement in digital literacy and public education initiatives, now carried forward under Elevate’s global scope.
Technology with purpose, training with intent
Microsoft maintains that technology should augment human potential rather than replace it. Elevate reflects that view by focusing on skills amplifying judgment, creativity, and contribution.
Work, the company argues, is deeply tied to identity and dignity, a principle it says must guide how artificial intelligence is developed and deployed. Elevate carries that outlook forward, linking digital learning to values about the role of work in people’s lives.
Another way Microsoft is supporting AI training is by giving $12.5 million in funding to the National Academy for AI Instruction, which the American Federation of Teachers is launching this fall.
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