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Designing professional development for Millennials and Gen Zers

For Millennials and Gen Z, today’s professional development needs work

In the age of Zoom fatigue, why are professional development programs getting longer? To engage Millennials and Gen Z, we must level-up the learning offer.

  • Leadership
  • min read
    • The generations we call Millennials (born 1981 to 1996) and Gen Z (born 1997 to 2012) now make up most of the global workforce. But despite their numbers, today's workplace may not meet their needs, because they're quitting jobs and hopping between positions in growing numbers. Those businesses that examine how they're retaining, developing and supporting these employees will have a chance to get ahead of their competition. There are signs information overload and mental fatigue are making us all gravitate to short-form content, but Millennials and Gen Z express this preference more strongly – they seem to learn, think and communicate differently from their predecessors. If companies want to boost their performance, organizational resilience and enterprise capabilities, they should redesign their professional development programs to engage these audiences better. Where professional learning is going wrong As a futurist keynote speaker and workshop presenter, I train thousands of professionals on how to adapt to industry change and emerging technologies. I need to bring audiences up to speed and inspire enthusiasm within minutes. But I find IT learning and professional development methods are still tied up in rigorous training programs and demanding certifications that take weeks or months to unpack. In the age of Zoom fatigue, things are going in the wrong direction. I've seen a steady increase in the average length of training I'm asked to give, from under an hour to 90−180 minutes. "Today's IT and security pros need to get up to speed on a rising array of breaking trends, technologies and topics in less time than ever," David Thomas, executive director of online programming at University of Denver, told me. "At the same time, they're pulled in more directions and their concentration is becoming more divided." Microlearning as an addition to traditional learning Experts suggest offering a broader range of learning approaches and educational solutions can help fill the gaps around extensive teaching and training programs. Microlearning especially is gaining ground. This rapid-fire approach to learning means breaking content into shorter, more approachable chunks. It helps promote interest in new topics and gets learners up to speed faster. In a 2018 paper, researchers Ján Skalka and Martin Drlík reported that microlearning, in tandem with more comprehensive training methods like coursework and certification programs, helps offset the impact of decreasing attention. It gives a speedy onramp for tech-related topics, reducing the learning curve, driving interest and boosting learning. Tatyana Shumaylova, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Kaspersky says get-to-the-point, bite-sized learning is central to their cyber education program Automated Security Awareness Platform (ASAP). "We understand that maximum engagement is key to learning, so we put that at the heart of our educational approach. For Millennials and Gen Z in particular, the 'old ways' are ineffective, so we trimmed the fat, banished waffle and keep our modules sharp, interactive and impactful." Greater loyalty to businesses that value learning Researchers at Florida International University found leaders and employees admit there's an issue with maintaining attention spans. They also found young audiences can maintain intense focus but are easily distracted. The research found these younger professionals are "most engaged when working on projects that are rewarding and impactful" and when they're doing "meaningful work and being challenged." These generations also actively look for jobs with more development opportunities and are more loyal if they receive continuing education. Companies must adapt development and training programs to short attention spans to engage and retain them. A Millennial herself, Taylor Tresatti, head of industry research for BIZDEV: The International Association for Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, told me she'd found learning and experiential opportunities promised but not delivered many times in her career. So she changed job roles and positions to get them: "As an employee, you have to gain working knowledge of new tools, technologies and trends quickly, without active training or certification from your employer. It would be super helpful to have access to faster and easier ways to master new skills." Investing in tech-rich learning experiences In their 2020 paper Educational experiences with Generation Z, three researchers said younger generations motivate companies to "accelerate and improve the teaching and learning process." This means investing in more technology-powered resources for new ways of teaching and learning, and finding more effective ways to capture and hold audiences' attention. Chris Zimmerman, senior analyst with trend forecasters FutureProof Strategies, told me, "There's a time and place for traditional learning methods and deeper dives. But your first goal in an increasingly frenetic business world should be to pique audience interest. That means looking for ways to present learning material that breaks through daily clutter better. It also means finding better ways to package and present material that bestows working knowledge faster." How to make learning more engaging I recently developed a new training method called POP FUTURE – you can download the instruction manual and guide for free. It's a faster, friendlier way to present learning content, putting future trends, new technologies and emerging business topics in a more intuitive and welcoming context that audiences of more backgrounds and skill levels can understand. My methods include reducing training manuals, workplace guides and reports to quick-hit videos, animated explainers or brief charts, illustrations and infographics. Effective teaching can also include games, exercises and simulations based on real-world challenges, like role-playing strategies for addressing network hacks or data breaches. I also recommend using animated GIFs, eye-catching explainers and graphs, and other social media-friendly content to make simple, understandable visual representations of complex subjects. Developing tomorrow's leaders Millennials and Gen Zers are quick learners, hungry for insight. In a world of shrinking employment tenures, they weigh learning and development opportunities highly when considering jobs. When unforeseen challenges emerge, these audiences won't have the time for traditional learning programs or in-depth curriculums. Supplementing your learning and development regimen with more short-form and microlearning-based content will give your workforce access to more approachable, on-demand learning and speak to more knowledge-hungry employees.
trust global business

New research on how to build trusted business relationships worldwide

  • Leadership
  • min read
    • Trust is the building block of all relationships, but the way we build trust in business isn't the same the world over. Tyree Mitchell is assistant professor at Louisiana State University School of Leadership and Human Resource Development. His latest book with Jeanne Brett, Searching for Trust in the Global Economy, shares findings from studying managers in 33 countries, revealing differences in how they nurture trust relationships. It also asks if the pandemic has changed how we make decisions about trust. I spoke with Tyree about his research and ideas to improve relationships in virtual and global tech teams. Susi O'Neill: Why did you focus on international differences in trust for your research? Tyree Mitchell: Global economic development needs new business relationships. Negotiating them is tricky – there's much uncertainty, vulnerability and unmet expectations. Trust is critical. When negotiators trust each other, businesses use fewer resources to prevent exploitation and have better economic outcomes. Most research and theories on trust are from a Western perspective. Data from the World Values Survey shows different responses. For example, the US is higher on trust than Brazil. To build relationships, you must understand how trust varies between cultures. We wanted to explore what that means when negotiating business relationships and understand from managers and executives how trust happens. How do we decide if we'll trust a business partner? We learned from the 82 managers we interviewed four key actions they use to make trust decisions. First, due diligence – searching for information about the new partner, including financial status, ratings and reviews and data gathering on social platforms like LinkedIn. Second, brokering – a special introduction where a third party puts their reputation on the line. We particularly see this in East Asia. Third, goodwill building – interacting socially to get to know the partner, like grabbing a coffee or going to a sports event together. Finally, testing – getting the partner to act or react, like asking a question when you already know the answer. We want to know if they will be upfront about company difficulties or cover up problems. In the West, we use testing to check if you're forthcoming and honest, as the assumption is you can be trusted. In East Asia, testing is about checking competency, as people tend to embellish things, so partners want to know if you can deliver what you promise. From these actions, we found four standards for determining if someone is trustworthy -- competence, openness, respect and rapport (CORR.) Competence means, are they capable with the knowledge and skills to deliver on their promise? Openness means are you honest and forthcoming? Respect means showing regard for one another, even if you don't have shared values. Rapport refers to building affinity around shared values. What were the main differences you saw between research participants? We analyzed the 82 manager interviews using a framework based on regional differences in trust and the tightness of social norms. There is a cultural difference in how people answer the question, can most people be trusted? For example, in India, the answer is more often 'no' and in Sweden, more often 'yes,' so we call India' low-trust' and Sweden' high-trust.' There are also differences in tightness and looseness of social norms and consequences for deviating. For example, China is high-trust and tight, the US is high-trust and loose, India is low-trust and tight, and Mexico is low-trust and loose. To understand cultural differences in trust decisions, you must understand these differences. There are also differences in how different cultures decide to trust. East Asians emphasize testing more than Middle Easterners or Latin Americans. Latin Americans and Middle Easterners emphasize goodwill building more than East Asians. Latin America, the Middle East and South Asia are lower trust. But in Latin America, rapport and establishing shared values are more important. Respect for cultural differences is vital in the Middle East and South Asia. This may be because the institutions that monitor and sanction deviance from norms in 'tight,' but more diverse cultures don't cross ethnic boundaries. What were the most surprising research findings? East Asia and the West focus primarily on the business relationship. If there's a business relationship, the personal connection follows. China and UK's behavior was similar, but social norms are different. On brokering a relationship through a third party, one US manager asked, "What's in it for the person making the introduction?" That's not considered in the 'tight' East Asian culture – if the third party puts their reputation on the line, they're good to deal with. In this culture, someone can be outcast if they bring embarrassment on themselves or their family – the stakes are higher. How can transparency be improved between partners? Share information openly and honestly. Anticipate being asked questions about past performance and how you see the future relationship. Your potential partner may interpret reluctance to share as hiding, so when you can't share information, explain why. Signal you're engaged and want to learn more by asking questions. Trust is a two-way street. Are there differences in how people build rapport and trust in person versus online? During the pandemic (in the fall of 2020), we went back to the same managers we spoke to before to ask how they developed new relationships and made trust decisions virtually. A manager from Brazil said they found ways of keeping the spirit of face-to-face using technology, as talking to someone online is the same way to make a connection. Could virtual reality (VR) and the virtual office help bridge the geographic divide? Engineers and scientists I've interviewed for other research reacted negatively to the idea that VR could replace or substitute for face time. Personally, I'm comfortable using video conferencing, but I've found using a video game character awkward. I like the possibilities, but our ability as humans to get up to speed and be open to it can be a challenge. The reluctance to use virtual technology could be partly generational. When we re-interviewed managers during the pandemic, one manager from Palestine mentioned that his father initially felt the business could survive without using technology. However, when it was time to make a serious business decision, his father would ask: "Can you send an email or do something?" What advice can you share for managers of international tech teams? Other research shows challenges in inter-cultural teams include violations of respect or hierarchy, prejudice and lack of common ground. Communication styles vary – in East Asia, it's more indirect, but in Latin America and the Middle East, it's more direct. Don't leave anything to chance. While putting together this charter, your conversations will help define how you'll deliver. If someone doesn't show up to a meeting, what happens next? A shared team mental model about what to expect reduces uncertainty. Nothing is perfect, but the charter negates some pitfalls by getting collective agreement.
earning customer trust

Earn customer trust with ‘inside out’ business values

  • Transparency
  • min read
    • I've particularly noticed two business trends since the pandemic. First, people aren't rushing back to work – whether it's called the Great Resignation or Great Reshuffle, we're thinking hard about where and why we work. Second, we've become more dependent on, and aware of, technology and how it's shaping narratives in society. Tech can earn business gains in efficiency and productivity, but there's no shortcut to earning trust. Fuelled by mistrust in media and government, public trust is declining. There's an opportunity for businesses to lead in regaining public trust, and I believe they should start with their employees. Distrust has become the default The pandemic sparked fears about personal and societal issues. There are existential concerns like climate change and growing worries about personal freedoms and economic security. This anxiety and insecurity make it hard to trust. The Edelman Trust Barometer surveys 36,000 respondents in 28 countries on their relationship with business, government and the media. The 2022 Barometer shows distrust has become the default, especially distrust of government and media. Who people trust has become more local, like co-workers and neighbors, and distrust of outsiders has risen. The business of raising trust Trust has long been weak in media, but the Edelman Trust Barometer showed trust in government has fallen around 25 percent between 2020 and 2022. Trust in business meanwhile stayed at about the same level. People are looking to business to tackle big issues rather than their governments. It's an opportunity for business leaders, but not those who picture nothing more than trust-promoting marketing operations and communications ploys. Cutting through the fake The public sees CEOs and business leaders with a wary eye. Between 2021 and 22, those who said they worry business leaders are intentionally misleading people went up to 63 percent. Similar concerns about journalists (67 percent) and government leaders (66 percent) have risen too. Build trust from the inside out The Edelman Trust Barometer found employees tend to give credence to their CEO. But what about your employees? It's worth doing an anonymous internal survey to find out how much they trust your company. Internally, transparency is an excellent way to earn confidence. Show faith in your employees and give them accurate information about your strategy and intentions. There are, of course, limits to how transparent businesses can be. You can't divulge intellectual property secrets or make big announcements before an earnings report as a publicly-traded company. But the way you operate and communicate internally must be consistent with how you want customers and stakeholders to see you. I call this the 'inside-out' model: What goes on at the core radiates out through the value chain. The core is your executive and employees. Moving out from the core are your ambassadors, distributors and suppliers. The next level is customers. Demonstrating consistency over time – from the inside out – will mean greater trust. Gain trust the old fashioned way: Earning it I have seen these three leadership attitudes matter when it comes to instilling trust throughout your organization and value chain. First, when possible, under-promise and over-deliver – for example, in marketing promises, delivery dates and product performance. Second, have a karmic attitude – giving without expecting anything in return. A transactional approach, based on equal exchange, means no margin for 'extras,' and can rapidly decline into an adversarial relationship. A karmic attitude builds up credit. Marcus Sheridan built a successful swimming pool business by giving away relevant and honest content. Credit is important over the long haul if you need forgiveness for an error. Unexpected things happen, and there are unavoidable, big-picture issues like global supply chains breaking down and wholesale price rises. Third, bring your company's purpose to life and ensure it impacts your behavior, language and decision-making. The most important audience is your employees: Ensure they clearly understand and experience the company purpose and vision – many employees say they don't fully understand theirs. However, avoid overselling your purpose – it's better to understand your limits than to promise something you can't deliver. Strive to live up to what you say. Admit mistakes and be honest about your failings. This will help build trust and engender loyalty. Overcoming the challenges of tech and trust As businesses grow, they need more tech to help manage many customers and workflows. Many organizations are starting to use artificial intelligence (AI) to support customer relationship management (CRM,) customer service and eCommerce. While there are great uses for AI, issues around data privacy, invasive personalization and bias are legion. You need a solid ethical framework to manage these. Using empathy to understand the employee and customer journey better is vital. And to be trusted, especially with AI, you must have a firm grasp on the outcomes you want. For example, when using chatbots to augment customer service, tell your customers what kind of agent they're dealing with (bot or not) and be alert to when a human agent must step in to ensure the best customer experience. There's no shortcut to building trust. It takes a concerted effort across the organization. If you've built a loyal and trusting partnership with your employees and stakeholders, they'll be your best ambassadors and be more forgiving of your mistakes. Be vigilant when trust starts to erode: Trust is hard-earned and quickly lost.
cybersecurity new team sport

Why cybersecurity is the new team sport

  • Leadership
  • min read
    • The pace of technological change is accelerating, and we readily adopt its many advantages. But despite this massive technological change, approaches to the threats it brings have changed little. The result is, we're losing the battle against constant attacks and breaches. For CEOs and Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs,) history may supply an answer – not in the form of technological genius, but in the form of humanity. Our recent history and deepest past show why cybersecurity must become the new team sport. The futuristic wild west of IT When I started working with computers in the early 1980s, they were controlled by men with beards in woolen tank tops. They ruled from a refrigerated IT throne – refrigerated because the IT team would often share the room with servers that need to be kept cool – knowing everything that went on in their realm. If something happened that was not allowed, it was fixed and hidden from the outside world with a combination of embarrassment and corporate secrecy. Today, we're in more of a futuristic wild west. The business perimeter contains many more applications, devices and entry points. Specialist 'gun slingers' – in the form of CISOs – have the IT administrator's security responsibilities. Each tries their best to cope with the onslaught of potential threats – anything from a nation-state attack to an employee accidentally sending data somewhere they shouldn't. Start-up mentality not all it's cracked up to be "Fail fast" and "move fast and break things" are often hailed as mantras of tech start-up success. But history also shows bad people have these same mentalities. They don't worry about due diligence or putting new ideas and technologies through rigorous testing. They try anything they think will work without considering if it will breach compliance. Meanwhile, budget, resources and red tape often tie CISO hands. They can feel held hostage by a board that doesn't understand the need for rapid reaction to combat the latest advance in 'dark tech.' We've seen this challenge before Up to now, I've described a futile, dystopian, 'Mad Max' world. But I think the battles CISOs fight today are our history, not of our future. Companies, and those in cybersecurity, often call their critical data and intellectual property the 'crown jewels,' referencing the ceremonial treasures acquired by English kings and queens. Those crown jewels are protected by thick walls, with guards and few entry points – like how IT administrators guarded our data back in the 80s. CISOs are inevitably 'outgunned,' under-resourced and underfunded in a battle against an agile and risk-indifferent enemy. So how do we 'fight the good fight' and win? Again, history has answers. Early 1900s business theorist Harrington Emerson is sometimes paraphrased, "Methods are many, principles are few. Methods may change, but principles never do." So let's go back to first principles. We're stronger together Humans first formed settlements as they started farming some 14,000 years ago. Having individuals in these settlements with different skillsets and abilities facilitated their growth. Some of us have an aptitude for the cerebral, like designing and inventing. Others are more physical, excelling in building and protecting. Settlements developed when we used complementary skills to advance a common goal, like making a safer, more prosperous place to live. Settlements collaborated – sometimes merging, sometimes building coalitions. And in times of crisis, while a few favored 'everyone for themselves,' most joined together for the greater good. Charles Darwin said, "It is the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) that those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively prevailed." History has countless examples of international teamwork, from expeditions into unchartered territory to the allied nations of World War II, and more recent history. COVID-19: Each taking on a little During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, as individuals, we took precautions to keep ourselves and our families safe. But our actions of self-isolation, social distancing and complying with lockdowns knowingly served to protect society. Some countries legally enforced these measures. In others, it was a request. Regardless, most adhered, each playing their part by taking on a little of the responsibility to keep everyone safe. Eventually, the infection rate dropped and with much help from modern medical science, the world could open up. During the pandemic, countries teamed up, sharing information about infections – different strains, different consequences and symptoms. The data grew as individuals and teams combined findings, leading to the creation of vaccines to reduce the impact of the virus. It didn't stop there – sharing goes on, so vaccines can be tweaked to ensure continued efficacy. Extrapolating from this, the roadmap for cybersecurity should see the CISO as part of a team – not just within one organization, but within a global network, openly sharing intelligence and insight. On the other side of the planet, a CISO who has seen similar adds more context. As the chain passes from CISO to CISO, value increases. Quantity and depth of data grow, like crowdsourced security. This level of open collaboration may sound far-fetched, but intelligence agencies worldwide have shared information on threats similarly since September 11, 2001. This operating model may be closer than we think. CISOs already attend lunches or drinks where they swap 'war stories' under the Chatham House rule: You may use the information, but you may not disclose its source. Cybersecurity researchers in different companies and institutions worldwide combine their findings, writing shared reports. We already collaborate this way, instinctively reaching out for help, as we did in the days of early human settlements, but mostly we do it individually. Corporate legalities and organizational culture tend to restrict rather than encourage inter-company information exchange – it doesn't have to be that way. History shows collaboration naturally happens between groups with a common cause, and today is no different. By encouraging CISOs, staff and researchers to exchange knowledge and skills through a system for sharing threat information, we can nurture the communication of cooperation. We are better together, and together we can play the new team sport of cybersecurity.
legal regulatory systems keep up rapid change

Regulation can keep pace with changing tech. Here’s how.

  • Digital transformation
  • min read
    • With rising concerns about consumer privacy, anti-competitive business activity and the spread of misinformation, public and policymakers' scrutiny of the high-tech space is intensifying. Big Tech's influence is still rising. Safety and data privacy laws already struggle to keep up. Who should oversee and police the online giants, and how can we ensure privacy and security standards meet what consumers rightly expect? The blistering clip of technology If you thought the world moved fast before the pandemic, it's now positively frantic. COVID-19 prompted business to leap forward a technological decade in just three months. "From news, images and videos to apps, games and user-generated content, most material we consume is funneled through the largest technology firms," Taylor Tresatti, head of industry research for BIZDEV: The International Association for Business Development, told me. "More of the world's conversations only take place online." Tech firms' disproportionate influence, alongside concerns about their opaque business practices, raises questions about where responsibility lies for overseeing and governing online worlds. Regulatory processes and technological change International law's often outdated rules, lack of alignment between territories and government bodies and ongoing new technology add up to a mess for government and industry leaders. They're also concerned regulation could throttle innovation. Politicians are often quick to play to public fear but slow to understand new technologies' impacts fully. "These systems are often slow to change and adapt, so they're at direct odds with the technology they aim to manage," Tresatti observes. "That's before artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning start to drive more exponential industry advancement and growth." Other fast-moving advancements regulation must consider include robotics, quantum computing and industrial automation. Political and public concern not always aligned Political leaders can be part of the problem, Bob Ehrlich, head of consumer insights at Techsavvy, told me. "These and other virtual boogeymen are hot topics for voters, but politicians also face the challenge of how to keep up with a growing technological arms race among international powers." He expects this to lead to greater regulation in the high-tech space. Meanwhile, consumer concerns over privacy and data sharing are skyrocketing. Even as companies like Apple and Google adopt new privacy measures, Meta (formerly Facebook) has fought against them. In technologically advanced nations like the US, there's no comprehensive federal law regulating how most companies collect, store or share customer data − data often prone to compromise or breach by more sophisticated, complex threat actors. "The stage is set for a perfect storm," says Ehrlich. "From back-end oversight and management of data to front-end user experiences, many potential points of failure present themselves. We've got to be more thoughtful and make speedier decisions to have any hope of staying on top of this rapidly changing space." Rethinking the future of high-tech regulation To get better at addressing these challenges, I think we must have more informed discussions and make decisions on these topics more often, indeed, routinely. Given their unprecedented scope and influence, we must fundamentally rethink our approach to tackling technology-related issues. Government and IT leaders can use these three approaches. 1.    Adopt new standards for content sharing Instituting new industry, state and international policy standards and guidelines can help govern content sharing and moderation, data privacy and user security. Active cross-collaboration between agencies and governments would improve regional and international consistency. Christchurch Call is an example of how heads of state and the tech sector can work together to create effective new standards and processes. The international strategy for removing extremist content from social media fast was developed in the wake of a terrorist attack live-streamed on Facebook in 2019. 2.    Form partnerships between public and private sector We must bring together experts from different industries and policymakers to research, discuss and make recommendations on how to regulate emerging technologies and trends. These charter taskforces or committees should be empowered and resourced to report and recommend to lawmakers more rapidly. They should also include younger voices – digital natives – to offer up-to-date insights and perspectives. India has already begun working with Google similarly to help curb the spread of misinformation. 3.    Turn the focus from past to future Lawmakers should challenge themselves to rely less on historical precedents when making decisions. Instead, they could hold future-focused scenario-planning exercises to steer their decision-making around emerging technological use-cases and concerns. Screening processes and regular training would help ensure key decision-makers have contemporary, working tech knowledge. The lawmakers' role should also involve finding and closing the loopholes in legal and regulatory frameworks that unscrupulous actors exploit. Already, the US has convened task forces to help plan for and tackle topics like AI and robotics. Keeping tabs on tomorrow's world More regulatory oversight and governance is obviously coming soon in the IT space, but it needn't hinder industry growth or advancement. Partnerships between technology sector firms, lawmakers and industry bodies can mean opportunities to fast-track innovation while giving customers a more positive high-tech experience. As a futurist who's helped over 1,500 businesses and government agencies adapt to challenges like these, I know ensuring regulation and law keep up with technological change isn't impossible. We must get more government and industry leaders on the same page and promote teamwork and collaboration between the public and private sectors. "When everyone with a stake in the technology ecosystem works in tandem, it creates a more stable playing field and more chances to benefit industry players and everyday consumers," says Ehrlich. "From organization and government leaders' perspectives, finding more harmonious ways to collaborate at every turn is a meaningful upgrade worth pursuing."

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blockchain disinformation

How one high-tech solution is helping fight fake news

  • Emerging tech
  • min read
    • As ways to create and disseminate disinformation get more sophisticated and widely available, it's getting harder to tell fact and fiction. But the next version of the internet, Web3, might offer a 'force field' that could protect citizens from this troubling phenomenon. Start-ups and established media companies are using blockchain as part of solutions that aim to verify information and filter out false news. Is this what the world needs now, or could it open the door to even more disinformation? Fakes harder to tell from reality "There's huge money and huge power in fake news. We've seen it here in the US and around the world," says Jim Nasr, CEO of blockchain developer Acoer. Acoer created blockchain-based news platform NewsHash. Disinformation can have far-reaching and sometimes dangerous impacts. We saw this over the pandemic years especially, with rampant covid-related medical disinformation. Tommaso Canetta, vice director of Italian fact-checking agency Pagella Politica, says how false news spreads is "ever-changing. It can [come from] and go in every direction – from traditional to online media to politicians, or the other way around." A 2020 Reuters report found over 56 percent of internet users are worried if they can tell fake from real online. And 'deepfakes' – highly realistic looking audio, video and photos created using AI – further muddy the waters. A technological solution for filtering out fakes? Blockchain could create a 'built-in truth index' for the internet, effectively labeling and verifying each piece of information, creating a sort of watermark for authenticity. Used the right way, this could help people be sure news and media they receive are real. But it's complicated. Using blockchain in journalism might solve some problems but create others. For example, it may trigger more sophisticated disinformation, poor transparency or a single company like Meta (formerly Facebook) dominating the industry. What is blockchain? Blockchain stores information as blocks added in chronological order to a virtual 'chain,' stored securely and permanently. Once added to the chain, blocks are hard to change. Well-known blockchain platforms like Bitcoin and Ethereum use it to store financial transaction information, but the technology can also store and distribute news. Blockchain-based news platforms provide a secure and decentralized way to store verified information, which cannot be changed – like putting a digital watermark on verified news stories. Initiatives like the now-defunct Civil for journalism, Steemit for social media and Truepic for photo and video let publishers permanently link verified information to content in a blockchain. New York Times is also developing a blockchain-news platform, News Provenance Project. Fighting a powerful form of disinformation, miscaptioning – real photos or videos described in misleading ways – the project uses blockchain to permanently attach context (like who shot the film or image, when and where) to media. Acoer's NewsHash works by giving an article an encrypted hash (a unique string of characters) containing metadata added by the publisher, like the author's name and a publication identification number. "If the article changes in any way – even the most minuscule change – we can tell," says CEO Nasr. "And all in real-time." Readers can scan a QR code, which consults the blockchain to check whether an article or video is real. Nasr's company also assigns 'confidence scores,' rating information's authenticity. But while blockchain-based platforms can help protect against doctored images or false news pretending to be from a reputed source, they may also create new problems. But what's further up the chain? Technologies chasing a disinformation-free internet can backfire by encouraging more sophisticated disinformation or offering different versions of 'the truth.' Nasr says there are blind spots when publishing a completed news article on the blockchain because there are many places data can come from. The immutable nature of blockchain also means it may become harder to correct inadvertent errors in published material, making journalism as a whole seem like a less trustworthy source. Another issue is the potential for centralization – a single platform or business may start to dominate the news. "It's easy for an AI algorithm or company to become a centralized location for everything. It's like the internet – the idea is great, but we now have four companies [Meta, Amazon, Apple and Google] dominating it," says Nasr. "That's why we use a public ledger, instead of specific tools or proprietary algorithms, to [let readers] interrogate how we're getting there." The first and second lines of defense aren't technology With advances in AI, video and image editing software, tools for spreading disinformation will improve. Deepfake videos have already fooled internet users many times. "With the progress of fact-checking and technological tools to fight disinformation, we'll also see more complex disinformation," says Canetta. There's also a paradox in journalism requiring trust, while blockchain seeks to eliminate the need for trust. "Journalism is built around gatekeeping. You need someone to approve a story before it goes online – a hierarchy or system in place to ensure quality," says Walid Al-Saqaf, former journalist and senior lecturer in media technology and journalism at Södertörn University, Sweden. "But the notion of Bitcoin and the original blockchain was that you don't need trust." Canetta believes awareness and media literacy are the first and second lines of defense in fighting disinformation. He feels blockchain journalism isn't a silver bullet because "misinformation is not just an online phenomenon. We must teach school children that while they have access to unlimited information, not all of it is true or accurate." Using blockchain to secure other information Decentralized platforms like blockchain have many applications, like more secure communication between organizations, facilitating payroll and making auditing easier. Start-ups are working on blockchain systems that authenticate supply chains, enable digital voting, create and implement smart contracts and more. Within companies, blockchain can help secure data and make sure digital communications aren't altered. But it's not failsafe. For example, an unauthorized user can access a blockchain with a stolen password. And although it would require significant resources, it's possible to take over a whole blockchain and force a change. As blockchain evolves, so will ways to hack into it. Keeping systems updated and secure, and following security best practice will remain crucial to safer business.
trust global business

New research on how to build trusted business relationships worldwide

  • Leadership
  • min read
    • Trust is the building block of all relationships, but the way we build trust in business isn't the same the world over. Tyree Mitchell is assistant professor at Louisiana State University School of Leadership and Human Resource Development. His latest book with Jeanne Brett, Searching for Trust in the Global Economy, shares findings from studying managers in 33 countries, revealing differences in how they nurture trust relationships. It also asks if the pandemic has changed how we make decisions about trust. I spoke with Tyree about his research and ideas to improve relationships in virtual and global tech teams. Susi O'Neill: Why did you focus on international differences in trust for your research? Tyree Mitchell: Global economic development needs new business relationships. Negotiating them is tricky – there's much uncertainty, vulnerability and unmet expectations. Trust is critical. When negotiators trust each other, businesses use fewer resources to prevent exploitation and have better economic outcomes. Most research and theories on trust are from a Western perspective. Data from the World Values Survey shows different responses. For example, the US is higher on trust than Brazil. To build relationships, you must understand how trust varies between cultures. We wanted to explore what that means when negotiating business relationships and understand from managers and executives how trust happens. How do we decide if we'll trust a business partner? We learned from the 82 managers we interviewed four key actions they use to make trust decisions. First, due diligence – searching for information about the new partner, including financial status, ratings and reviews and data gathering on social platforms like LinkedIn. Second, brokering – a special introduction where a third party puts their reputation on the line. We particularly see this in East Asia. Third, goodwill building – interacting socially to get to know the partner, like grabbing a coffee or going to a sports event together. Finally, testing – getting the partner to act or react, like asking a question when you already know the answer. We want to know if they will be upfront about company difficulties or cover up problems. In the West, we use testing to check if you're forthcoming and honest, as the assumption is you can be trusted. In East Asia, testing is about checking competency, as people tend to embellish things, so partners want to know if you can deliver what you promise. From these actions, we found four standards for determining if someone is trustworthy -- competence, openness, respect and rapport (CORR.) Competence means, are they capable with the knowledge and skills to deliver on their promise? Openness means are you honest and forthcoming? Respect means showing regard for one another, even if you don't have shared values. Rapport refers to building affinity around shared values. What were the main differences you saw between research participants? We analyzed the 82 manager interviews using a framework based on regional differences in trust and the tightness of social norms. There is a cultural difference in how people answer the question, can most people be trusted? For example, in India, the answer is more often 'no' and in Sweden, more often 'yes,' so we call India' low-trust' and Sweden' high-trust.' There are also differences in tightness and looseness of social norms and consequences for deviating. For example, China is high-trust and tight, the US is high-trust and loose, India is low-trust and tight, and Mexico is low-trust and loose. To understand cultural differences in trust decisions, you must understand these differences. There are also differences in how different cultures decide to trust. East Asians emphasize testing more than Middle Easterners or Latin Americans. Latin Americans and Middle Easterners emphasize goodwill building more than East Asians. Latin America, the Middle East and South Asia are lower trust. But in Latin America, rapport and establishing shared values are more important. Respect for cultural differences is vital in the Middle East and South Asia. This may be because the institutions that monitor and sanction deviance from norms in 'tight,' but more diverse cultures don't cross ethnic boundaries. What were the most surprising research findings? East Asia and the West focus primarily on the business relationship. If there's a business relationship, the personal connection follows. China and UK's behavior was similar, but social norms are different. On brokering a relationship through a third party, one US manager asked, "What's in it for the person making the introduction?" That's not considered in the 'tight' East Asian culture – if the third party puts their reputation on the line, they're good to deal with. In this culture, someone can be outcast if they bring embarrassment on themselves or their family – the stakes are higher. How can transparency be improved between partners? Share information openly and honestly. Anticipate being asked questions about past performance and how you see the future relationship. Your potential partner may interpret reluctance to share as hiding, so when you can't share information, explain why. Signal you're engaged and want to learn more by asking questions. Trust is a two-way street. Are there differences in how people build rapport and trust in person versus online? During the pandemic (in the fall of 2020), we went back to the same managers we spoke to before to ask how they developed new relationships and made trust decisions virtually. A manager from Brazil said they found ways of keeping the spirit of face-to-face using technology, as talking to someone online is the same way to make a connection. Could virtual reality (VR) and the virtual office help bridge the geographic divide? Engineers and scientists I've interviewed for other research reacted negatively to the idea that VR could replace or substitute for face time. Personally, I'm comfortable using video conferencing, but I've found using a video game character awkward. I like the possibilities, but our ability as humans to get up to speed and be open to it can be a challenge. The reluctance to use virtual technology could be partly generational. When we re-interviewed managers during the pandemic, one manager from Palestine mentioned that his father initially felt the business could survive without using technology. However, when it was time to make a serious business decision, his father would ask: "Can you send an email or do something?" What advice can you share for managers of international tech teams? Other research shows challenges in inter-cultural teams include violations of respect or hierarchy, prejudice and lack of common ground. Communication styles vary – in East Asia, it's more indirect, but in Latin America and the Middle East, it's more direct. Don't leave anything to chance. While putting together this charter, your conversations will help define how you'll deliver. If someone doesn't show up to a meeting, what happens next? A shared team mental model about what to expect reduces uncertainty. Nothing is perfect, but the charter negates some pitfalls by getting collective agreement.
enterprise cyberthreats 2022

Five indispensable cyberthreat insights for enterprises

  • Enterprise cybersecurity
  • min read
    • Cyberthreats and cybercriminals' methods change all the time. Each year, we see things we've never seen before. Understanding what cyber researchers are finding can help your enterprise stay ahead of evolving cyberthreats, preventing costly data breaches and malicious damage. Kaspersky has the biggest global network of cybersecurity research and analyst teams, collaborating closely with product research and development. With expert researchers distributed across the globe, we see can escalate and respond to local situations fast. Here, we share some of our recent observations your business can act on today. 1. Ransomware is stepping it up a notch Fabio Assolini, Senior Security Researcher, Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT,) Latin America, says: "This year, ransomware is no less active. Cybercriminals keep threatening retailers and enterprises worldwide. Watching these tendencies gives us threat intelligence to fight cybercrime today and helps us prepare for what we may see in the months to come. "Our research groups ransomware into three big trends: Ransomware that adapts to be able to infect different platforms, ransomware becoming more "industrialized" and cybercriminals taking sides in geopolitical conflicts. But despite its ever-increasing sophistication and targeting, there's still much enterprises can do to stay safe." What to do: Find out about the five best steps your business can take to fight ransomware – from keeping software up to date, to ensuring your Security Operations team has access to the latest threat intelligence. 2. Advanced Persistent Threats are coming out of the woodwork An Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) involves sneaky, sophisticated hacking techniques. It may hide malicious software in your system for a long time, stealing information or waiting for the moment to cause maximum damage. Kaspersky tracks more than 900 groups of APTs. David Emm, Principal Security Researcher, GReAT Global, says: "We became aware of a firmware-level APT compromise through our firmware scanner logs. The attackers had modified a single component to intercept the machine's boot sequence and introduce a sophisticated infection chain. The chain leaves no traces on the hard drive, as its components operate in memory only – a fileless attack with a small footprint." The researchers named the new ATP MoonBounce and have linked it to a known threat actor. What to do: Arm employees with the knowledge they need to protect your organization. Get APT threat reports on SecureList. 3. Apps can make Internet of Things devices even more vulnerable The Internet of Things (IoT) is a fast-growing ecosystem – forecasts predict we'll use more than 75 billion IoT devices by 2025. Among these, companion apps for internet-connected cars have attracted special attention. In early 2022, a 19-year-old hacker shared how he had accessed and controlled more than a dozen Tesla cars through their apps. The vulnerability of IoT devices, increasingly part of manufacturing and industry processes, has long been known. Our interest in transparency recently spurred Kaspersky analysts to look at car-controlling apps, finding their security and openness often lacking. What to do: Dan Demeter, Senior Security Researcher, GReAT Europe, Middle East and Africa says: "For an ongoing well-established security perimeter, we recommend periodic checks and updates for all applications used withing the perimeter, whether it's a consumer or a business environment. Remove any obsolete or not used apps from these environments as soon as possible." Demeter also highlights better practice among some vehicle companion apps. "Some use specially designed solutions from automakers, which, for example, make it impossible to unlock the doors remotely. With access to the vehicle's data through the manufacturer's website, there's no need to give credentials to an app, and users can revoke access any time." 4. Geopolitical tensions are raising denial-of-service risk Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are cybercriminals' go-to targeted attack. They overwhelm a server, service or network with a flood of traffic, so you can't give your customers reliable online service. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has triggered a spate of DDoS attacks in both countries, targeting critical infrastructure, media and state-run services. Hacktivist groups have instigated some of these attacks, distributing apps, software and even games which can teach cybercrime skills to those with other aims, like extortion. Kaspersky researchers have noted a sharp rise in DDoS attacks across the board. What to do: Researchers advise businesses and nation states to prepare for DDoS attacks before they happen, through investing in suitable security controls and preparing defensive strategies with national internet service providers (ISPs.) Maher Yamout, Senior Security Researcher, GReAT Middle East, Turkey and Africa, says: "Deploy cyber defenses in advance. When an attack comes, it's too late. You never know when an emergency will happen, so today's the day to take care of your anti-DDoS protection." Threat intelligence also plays an important role in preventing DDoS attacks. Kaspersky is the only global threat intelligence provider with a major presence and expertise in Russia, where most advanced persistent threats and attacks originate. Security teams should subscribe to Kaspersky SecureList to stay up-to-date. 5. Malware keeps upping the ante Malware is common and costly. Over the past year, Kaspersky software prevented at least one malware attack on 20 percent of our users. Recently we've seen plenty of new and rehashed techniques aimed at disguising malware or letting it do more damage. Dr Amin Hasbini, Unit Head of GReAT Middle East, Turkey and Africa, says: "Since its discovery in 2014, we've seen the malware Emotet – originally designed to steal banking credentials – in many other forms, like as a delivery system for other malware and and botnet executable, using small employee mistakes to create big incidents. It mostly spreads nowadays through malicious email spam." What to do: Malware attacks often start with an employee making a small error of judgment, like clicking a link in a dodgy email, so one of the best ways to stay safe is to thoroughly educate all your staff in cybersecurity. Kaspersky research in partnership with Longitude, a Financial Times company, found leaders whose cybersecurity training programs can keep pace with the threat landscape say their companies are better prepared for a cyberattack. Immersive cybersecurity training is a powerful way to engage your workforce with learning in an age when there is much competition for their attention. Advanced cyberthreats are common. They have a big impact on business reputation and bottom line. When business leaders take cybersecurity action, they avoid spending more time later mopping up a cyberattack's damage. When choosing your cybersecurity vendor, look for those that participate in third-party tests and reviews, win awards and achieve top scores in independent tests. What's clear is that advanced threats are ever-changing, so having the most up-to-date threat intelligence will always be crucial for your business.  
tale two metaverses

The Metaverse’s history shows we’re not quite ready for it

  • Digital transformation
  • min read
    • In October 2021, Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg changed his company's brand name to Meta to reflect what he sees as the importance of the metaverse to their business strategy. Experienced using a virtual reality (VR) headset, the three-dimensional virtual environment lets characters (called avatars) engage in social and commercial activities much like real life. Many global business giants see the Metaverse as a huge commercial opportunity that will change how we live and work. Should your business get involved? I believe the Metaverse's history shows while it's an environment you should get familiar with, it may not be the time to invest big. Here's why. MMOGs have been around since the 1990s. Their popularity has risen fast worldwide with improved internet connectivity, computer power and immersive graphics. One such game, space simulator EVE Online, has seen over 60,000 players simultaneously playing. And like in the Metaverse, trading virtual items for real-world money in MMOGs has become big business. What's the Metaverse's attraction? The Metaverse has business potential because of our willingness to invest so much time and money in playing games online. In a 2022 virtual conference on the Metaverse, Datin Lorela Chia, CEO of Haus of Stylo, Malaysia, gave examples of the fashion and games industry collaborating, like creating and selling virtual garments for avatars. But it's not just about buying and selling things – the Metaverse offers a way to meet, discuss or learn that's more immersive than other online communication tools. Bill Gates said in 2021, "Within two to three years, I predict most virtual meetings will move from 2D camera image grids… to the Metaverse – a 3D space with digital avatars." Metaverse follows in Second Life's footsteps In almost every way except the VR headsets, there was a Metaverse from 2003, when Linden Labs launched virtual world Second Life. Second Life is a virtual world that lets users create avatars and settings, and teleport from one place to another in seconds. Second Life has an estimated 800,000 users and many of the characteristics of a real-world civilization – rules, citizen rights, homes, shops, universities and events. It has many business applications like hybrid conferences, virtual project meetings and data visualization for education and collaboration. IBM has used Second Life for internal meetings. BP for graduate recruitment and Imperial College London for virtual hospital tours. But with all its functionality and experience, Second Life hasn't gained mainstream commercial success. So why does Mark Zuckerberg believe his Metaverse has massive disruptive potential? What's enabling today's Metaverse? The answer lies in how the internet evolved since its birth in 1983. The power of 5G and fibre, smartphones and social media have all played a role. Today's advanced internet technologies make the Metaverse possible, but the devices and applications we use daily will determine whether it has significant commercial potential. Second Life runs on a desktop computer and connects to a network of Linden Lab servers. It's a security risk for businesses with network firewalls. Second Life is also 'synchronous:' users only get value from being online at the same time as other users. So there are no users in most Second Life locations most of the time. To use a real-world retail analogy, there's a lack of footfall. This is also true for the Metaverse. Its commercial potential will depend on user numbers and where they spend time. It's critical there's on-demand universal access across computers, laptops and mobile devices. Perhaps 'Web 3.0' will be the technology that delivers on making Metaverse experiences securely accessible to a global marketplace across different devices, but especially mobile devices like smartphones. What is Web 3.0 and why does it matter? IT industry analyst Robin Bloor recently said, "Web 3.0 is the third generation of the internet — a global network that permits intelligent interactions between all its users and devices." Web 3.0 is a theoretical new blockchain-based iteration of the web. It could provide increased data security, scalability and privacy for users. It would let users publish rich media content to a global audience and make a Metaverse more commercially viable than Second Life. By making the web more powerful, intuitive and secure, Web 3.0 could mean the volume of online users accessing and creating content grows faster. One major difference, most relevant to the Metaverse, is better handling of the 3D graphics needed for virtual worlds. Blockchain important to Metaverse commerce Metaverse settings are computer-generated environments or 360-degree photos and videos captured by consumer or professional cameras. These digital images and videos are now traded on the internet. Blockchain can validate ownership of these digital assets, enabling the fashion industry to sell digital garments. In Second Life from 2005, you could create digital assets and trade them for the digital currency Linden dollars. Today, the same thing is happening in the Metaverse using blockchain and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. These latest developments, alongside artificial intelligence that connects buyers with sellers, will add to the growth of the Metaverse. How will the Metaverse affect business? The future shape and commercial potential of the Metaverse go beyond numbers of users. It also depends on how often they visit, for how long, where and why. With pandemics and climate change restricting face-to-face contact and travel, applications that enable remote communication and collaboration have grown fast. Online meeting app Zoom saw daily meeting participants grow from 10 million to 300 million between 2019 and 2020, mostly from small business and personal use. Will the Metaverse become the new virtual meeting space Bill Gates predicted? It seems unlikely for now, with the convenience and ease of use of Zoom and other online meeting platforms. More likely, the commercial potential of the Metaverse will be unlocked by applications that benefit more from immersive experiences. It could also be useful in mental and physical health therapies that use virtual reality and for complex 3D data visualization. Facebook (Meta) has invested hugely in strategy based on VR headsets as the gateway to their Metaverse platform. Unlike the browsers found on every smartphone and laptop, few own or have access to a VR headset. At the moment, Metaverse suffers from the same problem that restricted Second Life – a limited marketplace, until the technology evolves to the point where VR headsets or glasses are affordable and ubiquitous. Unlike recent disruptions like cryptocurrency, the Metaverse relies on mass adoption to be profitable for business. Several factors in the market today make mass Metaverse adoption unlikely, like low VR headset ownership and lack of systems to access the Metaverse with commonly owned devices. While businesses should closely follow the Metaverse's development, it may be premature to invest heavily at this time. In any case, watch this space.

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green tech improving business

Six ways green tech can benefit your business

  • Remote working
  • min read
    • Two-thirds of customers place importance on a brand's sustainable or eco-friendly image. Buoyed by this growing consumer awareness, business investment in becoming more sustainable is at record highs. Staff are concerned too – 97 percent of executives say their company has been negatively affected by climate change. IT and enterprise leaders must get involved in this new age of corporate social responsibility (CSR.) But these new environmentally conscious ways of doing business can benefit your company in other ways. Here are six ways green tech is improving business while reducing its environmental footprint. 1.   Saving on energy bills Oxford Economics says data-driven tools like smart meters, smart plugs and self-regulating energy systems can cut energy costs by up to 5 percent. It may not sound like much, but will add up to billions by 2030, with the biggest savings likely in small-to-medium businesses. These smart solutions are an easy way for businesses to predict better, optimize and conserve energy, meaning cost savings while reducing climate impacts of energy production, which across the world, is still mostly done by burning fossil fuels. 2.   Gaining more organizational insight These smart devices don't just help save energy and resources. They give businesses improved insight into process efficiencies. There's been huge uptake of 'internet of things' (IoT) devices in industry and manufacturing, largely driven by their ability to predict maintenance needs, maximize productivity and reduce factory downtime. Over 55 billion devices will be connected and talking to one another by 2025, according to market researcher IDC. One example is modular house-building factories –robots are better than humans at arranging patterns to get the most cuts from a piece of wood. 3.   Improving employees' working lives According to international consulting firm McKinsey, remote, digital, and hybrid technologies will define the future of work. Many employers are using online tools to book on-demand flexible office space, vehicles and virtual desktops, cutting resource consumption and travel-related greenhouse gas emissions. Employees relish more opportunity to work flexibly, widespread since the pandemic – whether working from home or across hours that better suit family life. Commuting is no small contributor to climate change. In the US, 75 percent use driving as their main means of getting to work. 4.   Saving on carbon costs With many countries operating internal carbon markets, reducing carbon emissions can, on its own, reduce operating expenses. These schemes require companies to buy carbon credits for emissions they produce, while those that create carbon sinks, like forestry, can make money by selling credits. Renewable energy microgrids are one way to cut carbon emissions. Other companies are replacing fossil fuel-powered vehicle fleets with electric and hybrid vehicles. These can also have health benefits for staff through reduced air pollution, vibration and noise. 5.   Reducing eWaste Our growing mountains of electronic waste are not easy or cheap to recycle, but practice is improving. Green tech can also help here, like using cloud-based file storage and backups, where multiple businesses share the same IT infrastructure. (This, in turn, makes strong, automated cloud security indispensable.) Virtual desktops also mean you needn't constantly equip and re-equip staff with dedicated laptops and PCs, meaning less waste to landfill. Choose your data center wisely for minimum environmental impact – they can use much electricity and water, and create a lot of heat. Doing your research will reveal the most low-impact options, like using data centers in countries where most electricity is generated renewably. 6.   Increasing productivity One UCLA study found employees at companies that voluntarily adopt high environmental standards were 16 percent more productive than peers at less eco-friendly organizations. Reasons might include distance learning, telecommuting and real-time collaboration tech. Artificially-intelligent software personalities and automated helpers may also help employees work without needing to travel while taking over repetitive tasks that reduce focus. Green tech for business will mean many operational benefits alongside all-important protection for our resources, climate and atmosphere. Companies should aim to stay ahead of customers' expectations and move more quickly than regulation requires. The coming years will only bring more environmental scrutiny and awareness, so it will pay to invest in greener tech today.
cross cloud world

With complex data storage now the norm, how can business stay secure?

  • Safer business
  • min read
    • While firms in every line of business are planning increased cloud use, defending against the increased range of digital dangers needn't be time-consuming or expensive, even in a multicloud world. Almost nine in ten companies use multicloud – multiple cloud storage and processing providers – to power IT and store business-critical information. A whopping 80 percent use both public and private cloud. While these complex storage setups bring advantages, they make life harder for IT professionals. Recent Kaspersky research found IT complexity is becoming a top challenge for businesses, particularly securing these networked environments. How can leaders make sure it's all secure and manageable? Defending growing data worlds The number of employee and customer digital touchpoints that must be secured in the average enterprise is ballooning. Networks are getting more complex and the amount of data gathered skyrocketing. That data can be enormously valuable – if it doesn't get lost completely in the crowd of, well, more data. Meanwhile, high-severity cybersecurity incidents grew by half in just a year. Hackers keep finding new ways to breach defenses. "Cloud and online IT complexity expand each year as the magnitude of cyberthreats grow," Tim Rosato, head of trend forecasting firm Silver Lion Group, told me in a phone interview. "User accounts, information and logins are also traveling across more cloud networks, apps and virtual desktop environments." New solutions for multicloud enterprise This growing complexity has sent many companies the way of investing in automated endpoint detection and response (EDR) platforms. These proactively scan for and eliminate threats. They're also implementing more specialist security products for hybrid cloud with controls that let you centralize security. It's all about greater network visibility and faster threat response across online workloads, software development and third-party apps. "We live in a multicloud environment. Our research shows malicious actors can take advantage of any unprotected cloud, gaining unauthorized access to the whole infrastructure. New solutions can help protect assets and remediate different kinds of attacks", says Marc Rivero, senior security researcher at Kaspersky's Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT.) New digital identity management tools also help identify and authenticate users as they travel across apps, networks and cloud providers. You'll also want to routinely scan code and applications, networked systems and connected devices for potential points of compromise, closing loopholes before they get used. Simple actions can also lower odds of compromise further, like adopting zero-trust security and multi-factor authentication. And you can't go past promoting security awareness regularly among staff, with training every three to six months. Back up data offline every 24 hours and test security teams' reaction times using exercises based on real-world cyber incidents. Data-mapping tools that track how information flows across your business, and which users have or control access to this data, can also strengthen your cloud defenses. They help you classify and cordon off data by sensitivity level, which may also be useful in regulatory compliance. Many clouds certainly don't make light work, but the growth of multicloud and hybrid cloud is here to stay. For enterprises, the challenge is making sure their security is up to scratch for this complex environment. The increasing adoption of solutions that use automation and AI, and those designed for convoluted cloud settings, show many are taking heed. But no matter how many clouds or endpoints, remember your people must be the heart of your cybersecurity strategy.
blockchain disinformation

How one high-tech solution is helping fight fake news

  • Emerging tech
  • min read
    • As ways to create and disseminate disinformation get more sophisticated and widely available, it's getting harder to tell fact and fiction. But the next version of the internet, Web3, might offer a 'force field' that could protect citizens from this troubling phenomenon. Start-ups and established media companies are using blockchain as part of solutions that aim to verify information and filter out false news. Is this what the world needs now, or could it open the door to even more disinformation? Fakes harder to tell from reality "There's huge money and huge power in fake news. We've seen it here in the US and around the world," says Jim Nasr, CEO of blockchain developer Acoer. Acoer created blockchain-based news platform NewsHash. Disinformation can have far-reaching and sometimes dangerous impacts. We saw this over the pandemic years especially, with rampant covid-related medical disinformation. Tommaso Canetta, vice director of Italian fact-checking agency Pagella Politica, says how false news spreads is "ever-changing. It can [come from] and go in every direction – from traditional to online media to politicians, or the other way around." A 2020 Reuters report found over 56 percent of internet users are worried if they can tell fake from real online. And 'deepfakes' – highly realistic looking audio, video and photos created using AI – further muddy the waters. A technological solution for filtering out fakes? Blockchain could create a 'built-in truth index' for the internet, effectively labeling and verifying each piece of information, creating a sort of watermark for authenticity. Used the right way, this could help people be sure news and media they receive are real. But it's complicated. Using blockchain in journalism might solve some problems but create others. For example, it may trigger more sophisticated disinformation, poor transparency or a single company like Meta (formerly Facebook) dominating the industry. What is blockchain? Blockchain stores information as blocks added in chronological order to a virtual 'chain,' stored securely and permanently. Once added to the chain, blocks are hard to change. Well-known blockchain platforms like Bitcoin and Ethereum use it to store financial transaction information, but the technology can also store and distribute news. Blockchain-based news platforms provide a secure and decentralized way to store verified information, which cannot be changed – like putting a digital watermark on verified news stories. Initiatives like the now-defunct Civil for journalism, Steemit for social media and Truepic for photo and video let publishers permanently link verified information to content in a blockchain. New York Times is also developing a blockchain-news platform, News Provenance Project. Fighting a powerful form of disinformation, miscaptioning – real photos or videos described in misleading ways – the project uses blockchain to permanently attach context (like who shot the film or image, when and where) to media. Acoer's NewsHash works by giving an article an encrypted hash (a unique string of characters) containing metadata added by the publisher, like the author's name and a publication identification number. "If the article changes in any way – even the most minuscule change – we can tell," says CEO Nasr. "And all in real-time." Readers can scan a QR code, which consults the blockchain to check whether an article or video is real. Nasr's company also assigns 'confidence scores,' rating information's authenticity. But while blockchain-based platforms can help protect against doctored images or false news pretending to be from a reputed source, they may also create new problems. But what's further up the chain? Technologies chasing a disinformation-free internet can backfire by encouraging more sophisticated disinformation or offering different versions of 'the truth.' Nasr says there are blind spots when publishing a completed news article on the blockchain because there are many places data can come from. The immutable nature of blockchain also means it may become harder to correct inadvertent errors in published material, making journalism as a whole seem like a less trustworthy source. Another issue is the potential for centralization – a single platform or business may start to dominate the news. "It's easy for an AI algorithm or company to become a centralized location for everything. It's like the internet – the idea is great, but we now have four companies [Meta, Amazon, Apple and Google] dominating it," says Nasr. "That's why we use a public ledger, instead of specific tools or proprietary algorithms, to [let readers] interrogate how we're getting there." The first and second lines of defense aren't technology With advances in AI, video and image editing software, tools for spreading disinformation will improve. Deepfake videos have already fooled internet users many times. "With the progress of fact-checking and technological tools to fight disinformation, we'll also see more complex disinformation," says Canetta. There's also a paradox in journalism requiring trust, while blockchain seeks to eliminate the need for trust. "Journalism is built around gatekeeping. You need someone to approve a story before it goes online – a hierarchy or system in place to ensure quality," says Walid Al-Saqaf, former journalist and senior lecturer in media technology and journalism at Södertörn University, Sweden. "But the notion of Bitcoin and the original blockchain was that you don't need trust." Canetta believes awareness and media literacy are the first and second lines of defense in fighting disinformation. He feels blockchain journalism isn't a silver bullet because "misinformation is not just an online phenomenon. We must teach school children that while they have access to unlimited information, not all of it is true or accurate." Using blockchain to secure other information Decentralized platforms like blockchain have many applications, like more secure communication between organizations, facilitating payroll and making auditing easier. Start-ups are working on blockchain systems that authenticate supply chains, enable digital voting, create and implement smart contracts and more. Within companies, blockchain can help secure data and make sure digital communications aren't altered. But it's not failsafe. For example, an unauthorized user can access a blockchain with a stolen password. And although it would require significant resources, it's possible to take over a whole blockchain and force a change. As blockchain evolves, so will ways to hack into it. Keeping systems updated and secure, and following security best practice will remain crucial to safer business.
CISO executive retention cybersecurity

Keeping your CISO engaged will benefit your business. Here’s how.

  • Leadership
  • min read
    • Between stress, overwork and constant new threats, Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) face countless challenges. And the security of nations, businesses and society relies on their doing everything they can to rise to the challenges. Growing complex threats and the rapid shift to remote work complicate an already expansive role. Today's CISO needs technical skill and the ability to respond fast to reputation-damaging breaches like ransomware attacks. High stress, low retention Many CISOs haven't been in their role long. Research by Cybersecurity Ventures in 2020 found nearly one in four (24 percent) of CISOs in US Fortune 500 companies had been in their job just a year. A further 16 percent had been in post for only two years. There's no single reason CISOs move around more than other C-suite executives, but higher stress probably plays a part. UK domain registry Nominet's 2020 CISO Stress Report found 88 percent – around nine in 10 – CISOs said they were "moderately" or "tremendously" stressed. The same report found average CISO time in post was just two years and two months. Seasoned CISO Matt White, once fashion brand Chanel's Global Head of Information Security Strategy and co-founder of software-as-a-service platform XaaS, thinks CISOs' biggest challenge is lack of understanding from companies and boards. CISOs have an uphill battle – under-resourced with budget and staff while battling red tape and bureaucracy. Relationships make a fulfilling role What can CISOs do to find a role where they feel fulfilled? White suggests considering what a potential employer wants from a CISO. Do they want change or someone to continue the status quo? Although it may be hard to assess before joining, a CISO should investigate how well the organization has established and resourced its cybersecurity. White adds, "It's paramount to understanding the type of company, its level of maturity and how supportive the board may be of changes." If the last CISO left because they didn't have the financial resources or headcount for a good cyber defense strategy, a new CISO should make sure there's since been change. Kaspersky research, in association with Longitude, a Financial Times company, found a closer relationship between the C-suite and cybersecurity teams leads to better security outcomes. Over a quarter (26 percent) of survey respondents said they believed "strong integration between the C-suite and cybersecurity teams will be very important in the next two years." This group also reported they were better prepared to deal with the impact of cyberattacks. It's important senior managers get involved in elements of cybersecurity. If CISOs foster strong relationships with C-suite colleagues, they can help those executives better understand challenges facing IT security. Continuous skill development With new threats and cyber challenges cropping up daily, CISOs must keep their skills and technical knowledge up-to-date. But their role also demands a range of 'soft skills.' "CISOs, like all C-suite roles, need continuous development, not just with technical skills," says Naveen Vasudeva, Founder and CEO of United Arab Emirates-based CyberTree Paradox, a cybersecurity firm focused on small-to-medium enterprises. "The CISO must be a diplomat, skilled in communicating technical things simply, so others can understand and take action." To thrive in their career and ensure a long tenure at companies they enjoy working for, CISOs should build their skill base. This will mean they're as prepared as possible for challenges that come their way. But if a CISO finds they're completely exhausted and can't perform their job because of lack of company support, the best option may be to seek greener pastures. Strong teams are everything C-suite executives have a vital role in improving CISO working conditions and retention. Not all C-suite members can gain a comprehensive understanding of cybersecurity. Those who do develop that understanding can show inclusive leadership and better support the CISO. A CISO is only as effective as the team they lead. Highly skilled cyber professionals are in hot demand, hard to retain in a competitive market. A Cybersecurity Ventures 2020 study found unfilled cybersecurity jobs grew 350 percent in the eight years to 2021. A CISO may enter a business and find their staff don't have the right skills, making it hard to succeed in their role. Vasudeva thinks selecting the right team is the difference between success and failure. "You can't do it all, and you shouldn't. Pick skills in your team you can rely on and help them develop their next moves, so you can develop yours. It's about leadership, not management – there's a massive difference." Short tenure hurts CISOs and companies, so everyone involved should address the issue. Kaspersky's 2020 global business survey backs this up, with 38 percent of respondents saying lack of consistent management in IT security is a challenge. Being a CISO for just a year or two isn't enough time to make a real difference or embark on transformational projects, let alone change corporate culture. There is no one way a CISO can fully protect themselves from short tenure, but if they focus on enhancing their skills, build relationships with executives and create a strong team, they will likely find themselves in a strong position. C-suite colleagues have an important role to play in retaining CISOs too – raise your cybersecurity understanding so your CISO can rely on your support.
tale two metaverses

The Metaverse’s history shows we’re not quite ready for it

  • Digital transformation
  • min read
    • In October 2021, Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg changed his company's brand name to Meta to reflect what he sees as the importance of the metaverse to their business strategy. Experienced using a virtual reality (VR) headset, the three-dimensional virtual environment lets characters (called avatars) engage in social and commercial activities much like real life. Many global business giants see the Metaverse as a huge commercial opportunity that will change how we live and work. Should your business get involved? I believe the Metaverse's history shows while it's an environment you should get familiar with, it may not be the time to invest big. Here's why. MMOGs have been around since the 1990s. Their popularity has risen fast worldwide with improved internet connectivity, computer power and immersive graphics. One such game, space simulator EVE Online, has seen over 60,000 players simultaneously playing. And like in the Metaverse, trading virtual items for real-world money in MMOGs has become big business. What's the Metaverse's attraction? The Metaverse has business potential because of our willingness to invest so much time and money in playing games online. In a 2022 virtual conference on the Metaverse, Datin Lorela Chia, CEO of Haus of Stylo, Malaysia, gave examples of the fashion and games industry collaborating, like creating and selling virtual garments for avatars. But it's not just about buying and selling things – the Metaverse offers a way to meet, discuss or learn that's more immersive than other online communication tools. Bill Gates said in 2021, "Within two to three years, I predict most virtual meetings will move from 2D camera image grids… to the Metaverse – a 3D space with digital avatars." Metaverse follows in Second Life's footsteps In almost every way except the VR headsets, there was a Metaverse from 2003, when Linden Labs launched virtual world Second Life. Second Life is a virtual world that lets users create avatars and settings, and teleport from one place to another in seconds. Second Life has an estimated 800,000 users and many of the characteristics of a real-world civilization – rules, citizen rights, homes, shops, universities and events. It has many business applications like hybrid conferences, virtual project meetings and data visualization for education and collaboration. IBM has used Second Life for internal meetings. BP for graduate recruitment and Imperial College London for virtual hospital tours. But with all its functionality and experience, Second Life hasn't gained mainstream commercial success. So why does Mark Zuckerberg believe his Metaverse has massive disruptive potential? What's enabling today's Metaverse? The answer lies in how the internet evolved since its birth in 1983. The power of 5G and fibre, smartphones and social media have all played a role. Today's advanced internet technologies make the Metaverse possible, but the devices and applications we use daily will determine whether it has significant commercial potential. Second Life runs on a desktop computer and connects to a network of Linden Lab servers. It's a security risk for businesses with network firewalls. Second Life is also 'synchronous:' users only get value from being online at the same time as other users. So there are no users in most Second Life locations most of the time. To use a real-world retail analogy, there's a lack of footfall. This is also true for the Metaverse. Its commercial potential will depend on user numbers and where they spend time. It's critical there's on-demand universal access across computers, laptops and mobile devices. Perhaps 'Web 3.0' will be the technology that delivers on making Metaverse experiences securely accessible to a global marketplace across different devices, but especially mobile devices like smartphones. What is Web 3.0 and why does it matter? IT industry analyst Robin Bloor recently said, "Web 3.0 is the third generation of the internet — a global network that permits intelligent interactions between all its users and devices." Web 3.0 is a theoretical new blockchain-based iteration of the web. It could provide increased data security, scalability and privacy for users. It would let users publish rich media content to a global audience and make a Metaverse more commercially viable than Second Life. By making the web more powerful, intuitive and secure, Web 3.0 could mean the volume of online users accessing and creating content grows faster. One major difference, most relevant to the Metaverse, is better handling of the 3D graphics needed for virtual worlds. Blockchain important to Metaverse commerce Metaverse settings are computer-generated environments or 360-degree photos and videos captured by consumer or professional cameras. These digital images and videos are now traded on the internet. Blockchain can validate ownership of these digital assets, enabling the fashion industry to sell digital garments. In Second Life from 2005, you could create digital assets and trade them for the digital currency Linden dollars. Today, the same thing is happening in the Metaverse using blockchain and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. These latest developments, alongside artificial intelligence that connects buyers with sellers, will add to the growth of the Metaverse. How will the Metaverse affect business? The future shape and commercial potential of the Metaverse go beyond numbers of users. It also depends on how often they visit, for how long, where and why. With pandemics and climate change restricting face-to-face contact and travel, applications that enable remote communication and collaboration have grown fast. Online meeting app Zoom saw daily meeting participants grow from 10 million to 300 million between 2019 and 2020, mostly from small business and personal use. Will the Metaverse become the new virtual meeting space Bill Gates predicted? It seems unlikely for now, with the convenience and ease of use of Zoom and other online meeting platforms. More likely, the commercial potential of the Metaverse will be unlocked by applications that benefit more from immersive experiences. It could also be useful in mental and physical health therapies that use virtual reality and for complex 3D data visualization. Facebook (Meta) has invested hugely in strategy based on VR headsets as the gateway to their Metaverse platform. Unlike the browsers found on every smartphone and laptop, few own or have access to a VR headset. At the moment, Metaverse suffers from the same problem that restricted Second Life – a limited marketplace, until the technology evolves to the point where VR headsets or glasses are affordable and ubiquitous. Unlike recent disruptions like cryptocurrency, the Metaverse relies on mass adoption to be profitable for business. Several factors in the market today make mass Metaverse adoption unlikely, like low VR headset ownership and lack of systems to access the Metaverse with commonly owned devices. While businesses should closely follow the Metaverse's development, it may be premature to invest heavily at this time. In any case, watch this space.
enterprise cyberthreats 2022

Five indispensable cyberthreat insights for enterprises

  • Enterprise cybersecurity
  • min read
    • Cyberthreats and cybercriminals' methods change all the time. Each year, we see things we've never seen before. Understanding what cyber researchers are finding can help your enterprise stay ahead of evolving cyberthreats, preventing costly data breaches and malicious damage. Kaspersky has the biggest global network of cybersecurity research and analyst teams, collaborating closely with product research and development. With expert researchers distributed across the globe, we see can escalate and respond to local situations fast. Here, we share some of our recent observations your business can act on today. 1. Ransomware is stepping it up a notch Fabio Assolini, Senior Security Researcher, Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT,) Latin America, says: "This year, ransomware is no less active. Cybercriminals keep threatening retailers and enterprises worldwide. Watching these tendencies gives us threat intelligence to fight cybercrime today and helps us prepare for what we may see in the months to come. "Our research groups ransomware into three big trends: Ransomware that adapts to be able to infect different platforms, ransomware becoming more "industrialized" and cybercriminals taking sides in geopolitical conflicts. But despite its ever-increasing sophistication and targeting, there's still much enterprises can do to stay safe." What to do: Find out about the five best steps your business can take to fight ransomware – from keeping software up to date, to ensuring your Security Operations team has access to the latest threat intelligence. 2. Advanced Persistent Threats are coming out of the woodwork An Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) involves sneaky, sophisticated hacking techniques. It may hide malicious software in your system for a long time, stealing information or waiting for the moment to cause maximum damage. Kaspersky tracks more than 900 groups of APTs. David Emm, Principal Security Researcher, GReAT Global, says: "We became aware of a firmware-level APT compromise through our firmware scanner logs. The attackers had modified a single component to intercept the machine's boot sequence and introduce a sophisticated infection chain. The chain leaves no traces on the hard drive, as its components operate in memory only – a fileless attack with a small footprint." The researchers named the new ATP MoonBounce and have linked it to a known threat actor. What to do: Arm employees with the knowledge they need to protect your organization. Get APT threat reports on SecureList. 3. Apps can make Internet of Things devices even more vulnerable The Internet of Things (IoT) is a fast-growing ecosystem – forecasts predict we'll use more than 75 billion IoT devices by 2025. Among these, companion apps for internet-connected cars have attracted special attention. In early 2022, a 19-year-old hacker shared how he had accessed and controlled more than a dozen Tesla cars through their apps. The vulnerability of IoT devices, increasingly part of manufacturing and industry processes, has long been known. Our interest in transparency recently spurred Kaspersky analysts to look at car-controlling apps, finding their security and openness often lacking. What to do: Dan Demeter, Senior Security Researcher, GReAT Europe, Middle East and Africa says: "For an ongoing well-established security perimeter, we recommend periodic checks and updates for all applications used withing the perimeter, whether it's a consumer or a business environment. Remove any obsolete or not used apps from these environments as soon as possible." Demeter also highlights better practice among some vehicle companion apps. "Some use specially designed solutions from automakers, which, for example, make it impossible to unlock the doors remotely. With access to the vehicle's data through the manufacturer's website, there's no need to give credentials to an app, and users can revoke access any time." 4. Geopolitical tensions are raising denial-of-service risk Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are cybercriminals' go-to targeted attack. They overwhelm a server, service or network with a flood of traffic, so you can't give your customers reliable online service. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has triggered a spate of DDoS attacks in both countries, targeting critical infrastructure, media and state-run services. Hacktivist groups have instigated some of these attacks, distributing apps, software and even games which can teach cybercrime skills to those with other aims, like extortion. Kaspersky researchers have noted a sharp rise in DDoS attacks across the board. What to do: Researchers advise businesses and nation states to prepare for DDoS attacks before they happen, through investing in suitable security controls and preparing defensive strategies with national internet service providers (ISPs.) Maher Yamout, Senior Security Researcher, GReAT Middle East, Turkey and Africa, says: "Deploy cyber defenses in advance. When an attack comes, it's too late. You never know when an emergency will happen, so today's the day to take care of your anti-DDoS protection." Threat intelligence also plays an important role in preventing DDoS attacks. Kaspersky is the only global threat intelligence provider with a major presence and expertise in Russia, where most advanced persistent threats and attacks originate. Security teams should subscribe to Kaspersky SecureList to stay up-to-date. 5. Malware keeps upping the ante Malware is common and costly. Over the past year, Kaspersky software prevented at least one malware attack on 20 percent of our users. Recently we've seen plenty of new and rehashed techniques aimed at disguising malware or letting it do more damage. Dr Amin Hasbini, Unit Head of GReAT Middle East, Turkey and Africa, says: "Since its discovery in 2014, we've seen the malware Emotet – originally designed to steal banking credentials – in many other forms, like as a delivery system for other malware and and botnet executable, using small employee mistakes to create big incidents. It mostly spreads nowadays through malicious email spam." What to do: Malware attacks often start with an employee making a small error of judgment, like clicking a link in a dodgy email, so one of the best ways to stay safe is to thoroughly educate all your staff in cybersecurity. Kaspersky research in partnership with Longitude, a Financial Times company, found leaders whose cybersecurity training programs can keep pace with the threat landscape say their companies are better prepared for a cyberattack. Immersive cybersecurity training is a powerful way to engage your workforce with learning in an age when there is much competition for their attention. Advanced cyberthreats are common. They have a big impact on business reputation and bottom line. When business leaders take cybersecurity action, they avoid spending more time later mopping up a cyberattack's damage. When choosing your cybersecurity vendor, look for those that participate in third-party tests and reviews, win awards and achieve top scores in independent tests. What's clear is that advanced threats are ever-changing, so having the most up-to-date threat intelligence will always be crucial for your business.  
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About Secure Futures

Secure Futures magazine is your go-to business guide for opinions, trends and insight into the world of technology and cybersecurity. We help your business to bring on the future. Brought to you by Kaspersky, the global cybersecurity experts.

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