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Companies Share Their Best Remote Work Perks

Zoom parties and desk chair stipends are passé. What remote work benefits will employees actually like?

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Updated on March 31, 2022

In a December 2021 study, the analytics service Gallup found that half of businesses can operate remotely. Of those that do, 30% of employees said they would prefer to work from home full time.

Granted, not all CEOs are on board with the concept, as a Microsoft survey in March 2022 found that 50% of business leaders are standing against work-from-home policies. Overall, though, Gallup predicts a 37% reduction for in-office work — even once our ongoing pandemic has waned.

With a third of office desks going empty, businesses everywhere are faced with a meaningful new challenge: to establish perks that are attractive to employees who rarely or never set foot in the building.

In a matter of months, classic benefits such as snack bars and foosball tables have been rendered useless. What little-known or unexpected perks could replace them?

The Usual Perks

Before we get to the unexpected ways to strengthen a remote workplace, let’s run through the typical options.

First, offering hardware and resources. Employees at home will need a quality computer, monitor, desk, and chair, so your business can either give those directly or offer an allowance to pay for them. After all, the in-office employees are getting an entire office building, so the least you can do for the remote workers is ensure their neck won’t cramp looking at a tiny laptop.

Some remote workers may function best in a co-working space, so businesses could offer a monthly reimbursement. Plus, any business-relevant software subscriptions could be covered — remote IT support can be offered through the right remote desktop software.

But these typical benefits are just common courtesy. Lesser known remote perks will actually intrigue and retain talent. Here are the best options available to remote employees, according to a host of experts we interviewed.

Top remote perks:

Child Care
Mental Health
Workouts
Bicycle Benefits
Book Clubs
Food Delivery
Specialized Virtual Events
More Time

Child Care

Employees who are working remotely need just as much peace and quiet as they would get at their office. Caring for children might fall on someone who’s at home, but it can be a massive burden for someone who’s working full time as well, no matter how much they love their child. Offering to pay for the care of a child or dependent is a big benefit that many remote workers could use.

If you have children yourself, you can likely realize the mental and physical benefits of having some childcare duties alleviated, and employees with more brainpower are never a bad thing.

“Astute employers recognize that subsidizing part or all of these expenditures can have a direct and quantifiable effect on employees’ productivity,” says Steve Scott, CTO at Spreadsheet Planet. “As any parent of small children is well aware, having a little child underfoot while attempting to complete work at home can be rather distracting.”

A related perk is offering additional paid family leave for a range of reasons, that might include pregnancy, childbirth, adoption, or any unspecified family emergency.

Benefits aren’t necessarily constrained to children, either: The same stipends can be offered for employees who double as caregivers, whether for aged family members or individuals with disabilities.

Mental Health

Between a pandemic, growing fascism, threats of nuclear war, and climate catastrophe, it’s honestly a little weird if life in 2022 doesn’t give you mental burnout. And as Romantific editor Samantha Moss notes, remote work can trigger burnout faster among some workers:

“In my opinion, as an employee, working remotely can cause loneliness and burnout because you don’t have anyone to rely upon when issues occur. One of the best remote work perks is having mental health support and subscriptions to sessions virtually. Employees that can have an open conversation about mental health are beneficial when it comes to being engaged and productive at work.”

Some businesses might simply offer a subscription to a wellbeing app like Headspace or Calm — which can work for some — but Moss is recommending a more substantial benefit. One employee benefit company, LYLA, offers an Employee Assistance Program that fields requests submitted by employees for everything from scheduling a plumber, planning a child’s birthday party, or finding a mental health provider. Then, live Solutions Center Specialists find the solution.

“The companies we work with are already seeing decreases in attrition as LYLA usage rates grow,” LYLA CEO Marsha McVicker tells me. “Over a 12-month period, a major national insurance company saw a 3% increase in productivity, and we reduced nursing turnover at one of the largest healthcare systems in the country in just 90 days — saving them over $1.8M annually.”

Employees could talk to a professional for some hands-on guidance, or they could pair up with another co-worker for a buddy-system-style weekly chat that allows them to bond in a concrete way.

Workouts

Working out is a stress-relieving activity that leaves you physically refreshed, and there’s no one who needs that more than a remote-working desk jockey. Stipends for exercise equipment, local gym memberships, or any personal development activity could all go a long way.

Adam Wood, cofounder of RevenueGeeks, is a big proponent:

“Do you want to secure your employees’ general health and productivity? Provide them with free fitness classes. Your employees will be able to incorporate an exercise break into their hectic schedules with fitness courses guided by a trained instructor. You can also give your remote workers access to a fitness center.”

Workout sessions are a particularly great perk for a hybrid workplace — Those working at the same location can all attend one fitness class, while anyone working remotely can be given a monthly stipend to attend a gym that works for them, or to supplement an adjustable dumbbell set if they’d prefer to isolate.

Bicycle Benefits

Next Day Animations is an explainer animation studio that has gone entirely virtual — “probably for good,” Chief Storytelling Officer Caitlin Rogers tells me. One unique perk they offer is their bicycle benefit, which allocates $200 towards a bicycle for all new employees who don’t own one yet, as well as a $75-per-year reimbursement to go towards a bicycle tune-up.

Much like workouts, this perk doesn’t have to be only for remote workers, but it’s just as useful for them as it is for in-office employees. It’s arguably more useful, too, as workers who have recently made the shift to working fully remotely are given an opportunity to revamp their daily life.

Biking more places saves gas, helps the environment, and keeps your quads in great shape — switching from a car to a bike has been found to cut commuting emissions by 67% in one study, and could have ten times more of an environmental impact than electric cars.

Book Clubs

Book clubs are an overlooked benefit to a hybrid or remote workplace — remote employees who regularly get together for a spirited discussion that isn’t about work can replicate the water cooler conversation that’s missing from their work life.

One app, Bookclubs, gives users the tools for managing the infrastructure of a book club, allowing members to be easily polled on the best book selections and meeting dates. The Covid-19 pandemic spurred a surge in followers for the service, with more than 2,000 new book clubs joined in the weeks following March 1. More recently, they have launched a service aimed entirely at employee book clubs for businesses.

“We see many companies creating more intimate and focused book clubs for specific, smaller teams. For example, a company may have one club for the innovation team, the people team, the sales team or the strategy team. This allows for stronger team building and more targeted professional development,” says Bookclubs co-founder and CRO Nancy Brown.

Book clubs tend to translate well to video conferencing calls, since they’re group discussions that feature one speaker at a time, rather than the overlapping conversations you’d get at an in-person group work party and which can’t really happen on video.

Plus, since remote workers are taking time to sit down and read a title they find interesting, they’re getting more out of the book club than just additional screen time — another reason why they can easily be more fun than the typical Zoom office party.

Food Delivery

We all want to eat good and nutritious food. Physical and mental well-being are boosted by these, as well as enthusiasm and productivity at work. Employees who work from home will feel more at home if you supply them with nutritious meals and snacks.

“In order to avoid your staff feeling deprived of the office cafe, consider bringing everything they need to their offices,” says Andrei Kurtuy, Co-Founder & CCO at Novorésumé. “It’s now possible to purchase meals and snacks online, which may be tailored to each employee’s individual dietary needs and personal preferences. It will be nice to be able to eat lunch alone, rather than having to share it with others.”

In some cases, employers with limited budgets might use food baskets just on days when company-wide board meetings are held, might opt for a ‘tea club of the month,’ or might pick one employee to surprise with a food delivery on a weekly rotating basis.

Food vouchers for a monthly happy hour can also pep up an otherwise lifeless Zoom meeting.

Specialized Virtual Events

And just why are Zoom meetings so likely to try your patience, anyway? Maybe it’s the eye strain, maybe it’s the distractions, or maybe it’s a lack of in-person social cues. Whatever the case, those factors can all add up, making it tricky to pull off any event that works over a video conferencing service.

As a result, planning is everything.

Large corporate events might opt for a dedicated events company for their team-building get-togethers, and some specialize in fully remote events. Avva Experience is one such company, or at least it is since the pandemic forced it to pivot — now it offers over 200 curated remote events, from virtual wine tasting to comedy nights to virtual roaring 20’s parties.

As Avva Experience demonstrates, the key is to shake things up ever so often, rather than sitting on your laurels. Tournament-style virtual games or online escape rooms are two fun options. One business, Resolute, held a contest to design their company mascot.

“We like a few remote team-building activities, such as online paint and sip classes and virtual bingo. We also have a ‘peak of the week’ session where all our employees gather online to celebrate each team member’s success,” says Courtney Stables of Custom Neon. “Incorporating an element of joy and excitement into remote team-building activities is preferable among employees.”

More Time

Micromanagement has never been a great way to track employee progress, and that’s even more apparent in a remote environment. Smart companies are responding with a range of solutions aimed at reducing meetings and freeing up employees’ time, but many fail to find that balance.

“One of the biggest perks employers are failing to leverage with remote workers is, to put it bluntly, being left alone,” says Tina Hawk, SVP Human Resources at GoodHire. “Managers and organizations are often so desperate to ‘bridge the gap’ and scramble to implement processes and protocols to keep remote workers constantly connected, that they often simply overwhelm staff.”

How can companies give their employees breathing room? Crunchbase offers “core working hours” from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm PT, allowing workers to set their own time outside those parameters.

The company also includes generous stipends for internet use, general learning, and more. Communications Manager Matt Schulman was drawn to work there in large part because of these benefits.

“Perks that encourage work/life balance also go a long way,” Schulman tells me. “Crunchbase offers unlimited PTO and actually encourages people to use it. It also schedules company-wide ‘Mental Health Mondays’ for each month without built-in holidays, which ensures that employees get at least one three day weekend every month. Plus, Thursdays are encouraged to be ‘no meeting day’ which massively helps mitigate Zoom fatigue.”

Granted, giving employees more space to work freely isn’t a new idea. But it’s a tough one to execute well, and requires a company that trusts its employees to stay on target even when they’re not being watched.

In the end, remote workers need something that fosters connection. It’s easier said than done, but a little thoughtfulness goes a long way, whether it’s a transportation voucher, bingo night, or just a little employee recognition.

As David Reid, sales director at VEM Tooling, explains: “Remote positions may make employees feel lonely and isolated — even small gestures like a thank-you note can help them remember they’re part of a team.”

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Written by:

Adam Rowe Writer

Adam has been a writer at Tech.co for nine years, covering fleet management and logistics. He has also worked at the logistics newletter Inside Lane, and has worked as a tech writer, blogger and copy editor for more than a decade. He was a Forbes Contributor on the publishing industry, for which he was named a Digital Book World 2018 award finalist. His work has appeared in publications including Popular Mechanics and IDG Connect, and his art history book on 1970s sci-fi, 'Worlds Beyond Time,' was a 2024 Locus Awards finalist. When not working on his next art collection, he's tracking the latest news on VPNs, POS systems, and the future of tech.

How Tech Helped Companies Beat the Pandemic

From game nights to work meetings, technology helped us maintain a sense of normalcy during abnormal times.

Written by

Updated on March 31, 2022

The pandemic has been tough on all of us. Between the time lost with loved ones, the businesses that shut down, and the millions lost to COVID-19, the last two and a half years have been anything but easy.

Fortunately, while the world locked down, technology was here to alleviate the stress as best it could. Zoom meetings, virtual socials, and dozens of other remote alternatives to real world events saved us from the disconnectedness and – let’s be honest – boredom of the world’s first pandemic in a hundred years.

From workout sessions and work meetings to comedy shows and game nights, millions of people have used technology to ease the burden of the pandemic, so that staying connected, relevant, and healthy doesn’t have to take a backseat to surviving a global pandemic.

We talked to a wide range of individuals and organizations that used technology to retain a sense of normalcy during abnormal times. Take a look at what they had to say about how technology saved them and their passions.

Staying Profitable in the Pandemic

With 43% of small businesses closing due to the pandemic, it’s safe to say the livelihood of many individuals was drastically affected by COVID-19. The ability to stay profitable and solvent was not an easy one, but technology alleviated the burden for a wide range of businesses, particularly when it came to stay in touch with important clients and valuable employees.

In fact, in many cases, the pandemic presented opportunities for businesses to increase sales. With millions of previously uninitiated tech users taking to the internet to stay connected, many business owners were able to take advantage through virtual events and enjoy higher attendance than ever before.

“Obviously, the pandemic caused an increase in the use of tools such as Zoom to allow people to stay connected and to create interactive experiences with brands, but another thing that it did was normalize the use of these tools and thereby increase the amount of people willing to attend virtual events,” Sean Nguyen, Director of Internet Advisor.

While many businesses had the luxury of working from home, performers like stand-up comedians were left to wonder where the stage time might come from and, more importantly, how they were going to pay their bills. Fortunately, Zoom comedy shows swooped in and provided a new avenue to laughs and a more convenient and effective means of getting tips into the hands of comedians.

“Virtual comedy makes Venmo plugs easy. We had each comic show their payment info during the show, so tips could go to them directly. This made every comic bring their best so they could make some money,” said Sammy Obeid, comic and producer of KO Comedy.

While businesses closed and lay-offs took hold, technology provided a wide variety of new avenues to make money and stay solvent during the pandemic.

Staying Sane and Healthy

Let’s be honest, the pandemic has taken a toll on our collective mental health. From the constant crisis mentality to prolonged isolation, poor mental health has become significantly more common in the population. In fact, four in ten Americans reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety of depression over the last two years.

Fortunately, technology like video chat platforms have allowed people to stay in touch in one way or another, leading to a much healthier experience for everyone.

“One of the advantages of technology nowadays is that people have access to a strong internet connection in their homes which allows them to make video calls from their devices to friends and family all over the world. I believe that this has helped people fight serious conditions such as depression, anxiety and it kept their mental health at a stable level too during such an uncertain time,” said Eran Galperin, Founder & CEO of GymDesk.

It’s not just work happy hours and social checkups either. Video chat and other technological hacks have allowed people to branch out from their normal behavior and lean into the virtual nature of social interactions. Technology has even allowed game nights to take on a whole new life of their own, and we’re here for mental health benefits that stem from it.

“Zoom opened up a new world of gaming with old friends and enabled making new friends. Suddenly being trapped in your house didn’t mean you had to be antisocial. It was the biggest factor in maintaining my mental health throughout the pandemic, and I’ll continue this well after everything opens back up,” Steve ‘Dragon Warrior’ Albertson, member of Epic Levels.

Simply put, technology paved the way for everyday people to circumvent the stay-at-home orders and create a virtual life that could — at least partially — take the place of your social life long enough to facilitate a bit of mental health.

Staying Relevant in an Remote World

The reality is that the pandemic shut us off to the rest of the world. In-person meetings, conferences, stop-ins, and drop-bys were all gone in the blink of an eye, and business was anything but “as usual.” Being able to stay relevant in the business world became just as hard as staying solvent or healthy.

But with technology, staying in front of your clients and keeping in touch with your team didn’t have to be a chore. Sure, there were growing pains, like Zoom security problems or Slack outages, but generally speaking, employees had a way to keep the lights on thanks to technology.

“With the pandemic forcing many individuals to work remotely, Zoom has helped to keep directly in touch with key stakeholders and clients. The continuity of direct engagement and interaction has been critical for many businesses, and we cannot say otherwise,” said Mario Cacciottolo, PR and Branding Manager at Sports Betting Online.

Tradition businesses had it a bit easier than others, though. For example, gyms had a lot of trouble, offering a small, poorly ventilated experience that features active people grunting and breathing loudly in close proximity to one another. Fortunately, virtual event software provide a means to keep the lights on and provide a fitness alternative to in-person workouts.

“Lockdown found us making a lot of adjustments to our software for gyms that were freezing memberships or closing down. But there were also studios that implemented virtual training sessions. This resulted in a massive increase in communication between the team and with our clients and we found video meetings the most efficient way to deal with this,” said Eran Galperin, Founder & CEO of GymDesk.

It may be easy to forget, but there were a lot of new hires during the pandemic as well. In many cases, these people started jobs and worked with coworkers that they had never met in person for years. Technology alleviated that awkwardness with video chat meetings that could, at least somewhat, simulate the work experience and allow these new employees to still grow within their role.

“Technology and programs like Zoom and Google Meet made it possible for me to attend interviews and onboard into a new company until the office was suitable for us to return. I have been able to learn and grow within my company attending live webinars online and marketing events that would have been canceled if not for Zoom and technology,” said Katelyn Perez, Lead SEO specialist at Tandem.Buzz.

There’s no true replacement for in-person work, particularly when it comes to staying relevant in the business world. Still, technology bridged the gap to allow employees and business owners alike to stay in the fight to keep their business open and thriving.

Staying Connected Online

In March 2020, we all realized how important it was to be connected. With everyone inside for months and subsequent case spikes causing everything from lockdowns to mask mandates, being connected with your friends, families, and coworkers because the ultimate goal.

Technology facilitated that connection, and we’re very fortunate that it did. Most companies used Zoom and other video conferencing tools to host meetings and check-ins with employees. Still, some companies took that connection to a whole new level.

“Our company, which has operated as a hybrid workforce since inception, has a full team video call that runs throughout each workday. While the video defaults to mute, it is a way that the small team stays visually connected and can quickly check in with each other to ask how everyone’s weekend was or let everyone know if you have to take off early to head to the vet,” said Lacy Talton, Partner & Co-Founder of Media Tradecraft.

While video calls have become significantly more common in an effort to make connecting a bit easier, we can all admit that they don’t match the real thing. In fact, many argue that Zoom fatigue and similar conditions have paved the way for less connection than before.

“While the increased accessibility of Zoom has been great for drawing participants in the first place, the relative ease of leaving a Zoom event means many participants tend to come and go as they please. This can disrupt the feeling of community and undercuts the experience, whether it’s comedy shows, author readings, or even casual meetups,” Dan Bladen, Co-founder and CEO of Kadence.

Still, something is better than nothing, particularly during a pandemic that has kept people indoors for the majority of the last two years. And even if it’s a watered down version of connection, we’d much rather connect with our co-workers, friends, and families over video call than not at all.

“People need connection and Zoom was the most used means of connecting with people from around the world,” said Liz Miller, Communication Manager for GetSetUp.

Technology has saved us during the pandemic in a number of ways. It kept us mentally healthy, financially solvent, professional, relevant, and personally connected to the people in our lives. While it may seem like the worst days of the COVID-19 are behind us, technology and its newest innovations will continue to help us stay the course, pandemic or not.

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Business Trends

Written by:

Adam Rowe Writer

37% of US Jobs Can be Done from Home

As the percentage of workers who can do their jobs from home grows, what will this mean for the US and global economy?

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Updated on March 31, 2022

As COVID-19 case rates continue to slow in the US, companies across the country are creeping back to offices and slipping into hybrid working arrangements.

Despite the widespread availability of web conferencing software and other tools that help facilitate remote work, the debate over whether remote working negatively affects productivity and innovation has raged on against a backdrop of major companies in the tech sector and beyond changing their workplace policies.

But exactly how many jobs can be done from home, and will that number just get bigger and bigger? And if the lack of enthusiasm to return to the office is permanent and prolonged, how will affect society and the economy?

Home is Where the Job is

So, how many jobs can be done from home? The truth is, in a country like the United States quite a few. One paper, published in the Journal of Economics, for instance, estimated that over a third of jobs (37%) in the United States could be carried out entirely from home.

Management consultancy firm Mckinsey, on the other hand, estimated in early 2021 that about 29% of US jobs could be done at home with no loss to productivity.

Broadly, it’s around a third of jobs – almost the same as the proportion (35%) of US workers that were actually working from home in May 2020, the month the grim milestone of 100,000 deaths was reached in the US.

Hybrid working arrangements have also remained popular – Gallup found in October 2021 that around 20% of full-time US employees were working at home some – but not all – of the time. The pollster says 45% of employees are working remotely or have a hybrid arrangement.

The Mass Shift to Remote Working has Created a New Divide

What the Public Economics paper referenced earlier also illustrates the stark differences between jobs that can be done at home and jobs that can’t.

In the US, workers who can work from home are, on average, paid more than workers that can’t. And, According to the study, 37% of workers that can work from home earn around 46% of all US wages.

Internationally, lower-income countries tend to have a smaller share of workers who can work from home and smaller rates of GDP per capita than countries with higher percentages of jobs that can be completed at home.

A lot of the workers with jobs that can be done remotely will not only be paid more on average, but also have more freedom over their days, including when they break for lunch and various other flexibilities.

They’ll also save more money due to a lack of commute, and could have the capacity to save even more on food and other expenses that arise from the day-to-day office trip.

The demand for employee monitoring software since the pandemic began, however, illustrates that more day-to-day freedom isn’t necessarily a guarantee when working from home. But constant managerial surveillance is a norm of working life for huge numbers of workers that cannot work from home anyway, from warehouses to restaurants.

On the whole, home is where workers want to be – a pew study published this year shows that in October 2020, only around a third (36%) of employees who worked from home most of the time said they were not in their workplace because they preferred to work from home (as opposed to it being unavailable). In January 2022, that figure became 61%.

Will the Divide get Bigger and Bigger?

If you told someone in 1990 that 37% of jobs would be able to be completed from the comfort of workers’ own homes just three decades later, it’s unlikely they’d believe you. But here we are, and if this trend continues at a domestic and international level, the ramifications will be vast.

Domestically, in a country like the US, the ability to work from home has made a substantial, positive difference to the lives of millions of workers, whilst nothing has changed for others.

What happens if remote jobs become increasingly numerous and available, digital literacy continues to improve, and the pool of people applying for jobs that aren’t remote – essential ones like food delivery – dries up?

Would this mark the beginning of a new era of progressive working policies, such as reimbursing lower-income employees’ transport costs for their commutes to work, considering they’re earning less and spending more? Could it accelerate the already quick-moving transition to an automated workforce happening already in many industries?

Internationally, would we end up with countries without jobs that can be done remotely and other countries with only jobs that can be done remotely? This could pave the way for even more exploitative inter-country relationships than the global order facilitates at present.

Why Companies Still Want People in the Office

With technology like web conferencing software so widely available, it’s no wonder the economy has managed to trundle on whilst adjusting to millions of workers leaving the office.

Many companies, however, want employees back as quickly as possible. Homeworking hampers innovation, they claim, and makes it harder for new starters to ease into the company and feel included.

All valid points of course, but is it the only reason? It would be a disaster for a number of large companies, for example, if all that expensive office real estate that was heavily invested in wasn’t really used by employees at all.

Whatever the situation on the ground, the important thing is that attitudes have changed – that employees will be expected to come into the office to work is no longer assumed, rather, it now has to be justified. And with 37% of jobs already able to be done at home, those reasons to come in are going are only going to get thinner.

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Business Trends

Written by:

Adam Rowe Writer

Kaspersky is a Threat to National Security, FCC Warns

The cybersecurity firm - headquartered in Moscow - has long faced questions about its ties to the Russian government.

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Updated on March 31, 2022

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has declared cybersecurity and antivirus provider Kaspersky a threat the national security, with the firm suspected of having close ties to the Russian government.

US government agencies are already forbidden from using Kaspersky products, but this move will usher in its removal from the private sector too.

The news follows the German government’s recent indictment of the security service, with the country’s Federal Office for Information Security fearful that Kaspersky could be weaponized by the Kremlin.

FCC Adds Kaspersky to the Blacklist

The FCC has added Kaspersky to the US government’s list of equipment and services that pose a security threat, covered by Section 2 of the Secure Networks Act.

The list itself is only eight companies long, with China Telecom and China Mobile International also joining Kaspersky on March 25. Kaspersky is the first Russian company to be included by the commission.

“[The addition of China Telecom and China Mobile International] as well as Kaspersky Labs, will help secure our networks from threats posed by Chinese and Russian state-backed entities” – Brendan Carr, Office of Commissioner (FCC).

Other companies that make the list include Chinese firms Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, and Dahua Technology, all of whom were added on March 12, 2021

Kaspersky Denies All Wrong Doing

Kaspersky – which is headquartered in Moscow – has strenuously denied claims that they cooperate with the Kremlin on issues of cyber-warfare and espionage.

“Kaspersky is disappointed with the decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to prohibit certain telecommunications-related federal subsidies from being used to purchase Kaspersky products and services” – Kaspersky.

The company said in a statement the decision was “not based on any technical assessment of Kaspersky products”, claiming instead that it was “being made on political grounds.”

This is effectively the same position that Kaspersky took after a Binding Operational Directive issued by the Department of Homeland Security in 2017 – which Kaspersky said was “unconstitutional” – banned federal departments from using the firm’s products.

After the ban, the company will be unable to access the FCC’s $8 billion Universal Service Fund, which is used to maintain services to low-income families and those that live in rural areas.

Kaspersky and the Kremlin: Cooperation or Conspiracy?

Precisely how close Kaspersky is to the Russian government – if at all – is hard to determine. According to Cybernews, a lot of state-owned entities – News agencies TASS and Russia Today, as well as GazpromBank – are protected by Kaspersky labs.

What’s more, in March – just days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine – a cybersecurity researcher claimed on Twitter that Russias’s Ministry of Defence was being hosted on Kaspersky’s infrastructure.

You wouldn’t guess it from the Moscow headquarters, but all of the company’s data infrastructure is actually based in Switzerland whilst the company’s holding is registered in the UK.

The company denied this and instead claimed the Russian MoD uses Kaspersky’s DDoS Protection, as do many other companies in Russia and beyond – and further clarified that no government authority has access to the company’s infrastructure.

You wouldn’t guess it from the Moscow headquarters, but all of the company’s data infrastructure is actually based in Switzerland whilst the company’s holding is registered in the UK. overall, Kaspersky operated in 200 countries.

There have prior been concerns raised about the company’s founder, Eugene Kaspersky – according to a Foreign Policy article from 2012, Eugene Kaspersky “was educated at a technical school sponsored by the KGB, and he spent time working for the Russian military.”

But Mr. Kapsersky has, similarly to the company, always maintained his innocence – he claimed in 2017 that a request from the Russian government to carry out espionage on its behalf would result in him moving the antivirus provider out of the country.

Secure Your Network

Whether you have Kaspersky or another type of antivirus software protecting your company network, now is the time to review what you’ve got and what you might need considering the increasing frequency of damaging cyber attacks.

Keeping your software up-to-date and ensuring you always have the latest, cutting-edge protection are both good principles to live by, but reviewing the reputability of the provider you trust to ensure the safety of your business is also advised.

If you’re struggling to find detailed information on your provider – or any provider’s – security record, ask them if they produce transparency reports and where they publish them.

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Privacy and Security

Written by:

Adam Rowe Writer

EU Lawmakers Agree on Landmark Rules to Reduce Big Tech Dominance

Overreach from tech corporations has been a hot-button topic for years. This new regulation attempts to fix it.

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Updated on March 31, 2022

EU officials have provisionally agreed on the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a landmark law that aims to reduce anti-competitive practices from big tech companies including Google, Meta, Apple, and Amazon, among others.

The tech companies in question may be forced to pay up to 20% of their global revenues for repeat breaches of the Act and could even risk be being broken up.

Apple and Google have both released statements taking a critical stance against the law, which may be the biggest change in how governments handle big tech in decades.

What the Act Does

The DMA covers a lot of ground but will enact three major changes worth parsing. First, it will mandate that messaging services must be interoperable. This means that apps including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and iMessage will need to be able to interact with smaller messaging platforms.

Second, the DMA will place limits on a company’s ability to bundle services. Like the interoperability mandate, this is designed to give smaller services a chance to compete. Larger companies’ range of services can easily create a network effect that serves as a moat to keep users from leaving — even if the smaller service is objectively better.

Third, the DMA bans self-preferencing, a term which refers to practices that will put a finger on the scale in favor of the tech company. Amazon has been ruled against in US court for related practices, while Google was fined in the EU as recently as 2021 for self-preferencing.

The US has chewed over similar regulation but hasn’t yet enacted any of the laws they’ve been considering.

How Companies Responded

Apple and Google have both issued statements, and they’re not happy. Here are the tech giants’ thoughts, as reported by the Financial Times.

Apple says the law “will create unnecessary privacy and security vulnerabilities for our users while others will prohibit us from charging for intellectual property in which we invest a great deal.”
Google says: “We’re worried that some of these rules could reduce innovation and the choice available to Europeans.”

Granted, they have an obvious bias in the matter, but plenty of tech pundits and experts have hesitations about the DMA as well. Device interoperability alone will be incredibly difficult to enact, they say, and will likely open up security issues.

Overreach from tech corporations has been a hot-button topic for years. Will the EU’s new laws sufficiently address the issue? Whenever we find out, at least we’ll be able to easily message our friends about it on all our interoperable devices.

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Adam Rowe Writer

Instacart Drops Its Valuation by Almost 40%

Other companies in similar businesses -- advertising and delivery -- have also seen declines in stock value lately.

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Updated on March 31, 2022

Grocery delivery startup Instacart used to be valued at $39 billion. Now, it has dropped that valuation to just $24 billion, a drop of 38%.

Instacart cites “market turbulence” and a need to attract talent as reasons why it has reassessed. Another reason could be a steep drop in sales growth rate since the start of the pandemic, when many people suddenly became interested in getting groceries dropped off at their door.

Deliveries for food as well as other products are only becoming more common, but the gig economy may not be as well positioned to offer stable infrastructure for full-time vehicle drivers.

Instacart’s New Direction

According to Bloomberg, Instacart cited the need to attract talent as a reason for the drop in valuation — that’s a reference to the current strong labor market for tech jobs, which has given employees more freedom to choose a job that’s right for them.

By ensuring their value isn’t bloated, the company will net its employees better equity over time. But the steep drop in valuation isn’t exactly a great morale booster, either.

“We are confident in the strength of our business, but we are not immune to the market turbulence that has impacted leading technology companies both public and private,” Instacart said in a statement.

They have a point: Other companies in similar businesses — advertising and delivery — have also seen declines in stock value lately, with Shopify, DoorDash, and Meta all lowering in valuation.

Still, some say the valuation remains too high:

Even at the lower $24B valuation, Instacart is grossly overvalued. It’s worth maybe $15B in public markets today. Pandemic beneficiary with $1.8B in revs & only grew 21% in FY21. Notably, GMV grew triple digits in 1Q21 but then decel’ed to flat-single digits rest of the year… https://t.co/EtUzjjJK8z
— Fat Tail Capital (@FatTailCapital) March 25, 2022

Instacart Explores Advertising

Instacart also launched a new set of digital tools yesterday, “Instacart Platform,” which is designed to help retailers and grocers offer faster fulfilment, get better analytics, and potentially get started with advertising.

Carrot Ads is the biggest new feature: It’ll allow businesses to monetize the ecommerce sites they own while using Instacart’s own ad tech.

It uses a profit-sharing model, so retailers can earn a little more while giving Instacart a new revenue stream that it definitely needs. It’s being piloted with a small set of grocers currently and may roll out later in the year.

Delivery Is Evolving

Instacart deliveries aren’t the only game in town, with many grocers opting for additional ways to get their goods to customers, from curbside pickups to other delivery services such as Amazon Fresh.

Larger retailers can cut out the middleman by offering their own grocery delivery within certain location ranges. For example, Walmart Grocery charges $9.99 per delivery, with the option to get unlimited free deliveries for $12.95 per month or $98 per year.

Smaller stores or chains might not have the ability to offer delivery — but they do have the tools should they ever decide to explore the option. Google’s just-launched fleet vehicle tools are aimed at helping with same-day last-mile deliveries, and we’ve ranked all the more established fleet management systems over here as well. Instacart’s value may have dropped, but delivery is here to stay.

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Adam Rowe Writer

Google Search Is Updating to Surface More Helpful Product Reviews

The new algorithm change comes amid growing reports that indicate Google's search engine is getting worse.

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Updated on March 31, 2022

Google is updating its search engine algorithm in order to make product reviews more helpful, focusing on “in-depth details” as well as experiential anecdotes that the product’s manufactorer wouldn’t be able to provide.

The changes will roll out over the next few weeks, the tech giant said in its announcement.

Here’s what it means for the (slightly) dimming public trust in Google search, as well as for any small businesses hoping to profit off of great reviews.

What Google’s Looking For Now

The announcement listed four examples of the types of criteria that Google will be prioritizing in its efforts to surface only the most accurate and useful reviews.

Those four criteria are, to quote the blog post verbatim:

Include helpful in-depth details, like the benefits or drawbacks of a certain item, specifics on how a product performs or how the product differs from previous versions
Come from people who have actually used the products, and show what the product is physically like or how it’s used
Include unique information beyond what the manufacturer provides — like visuals, audio or links to other content detailing the reviewer’s experience
Cover comparable products, or explain what sets a product apart from its competitors

This isn’t a comprehensive list, so Google may be looking at other factors as well. Just as it always goes with any algorithm update, Google’s keeping their cards close to their vest. After all, explaining the exact algorithm would allow enterprising SEO experts to fully game the system, partially defeating the point of the update.

Is Google Search Worse?

This newest algorithm change comes amid a collection of slowly-but-steadily growing reports that indicate Google’s search engine — the service that the tech giant and its parent company Alphabet are best known for — has been getting worse.

One popular blog post, “Google Search is Dying,” summed up these feelings in February, writing that increasing ads, buggy AI results, and increasing SEO gamification have all added up to dilute Google’s effectiveness. Let’s hope this new update is a sign of improvements to come.

Product reviews are a great place to start revamping Google search, as they are the most vulnerable to manipulation by ecommerce giants and any other businesses hoping to boost sales for an unsatisfactory product. Just today, for example, news broke that South Korea’s antitrust body has launched a probe into one ecommerce company, Coupang, due to allegations that its staffers were forced to write product reviews in order to draw in more customers.

What It Means for Small Businesses

Any reviewers should pay attention to the changes, and make sure to add plenty of details and comparisons to previous product versions or to similar products.

Small businesses won’t be writing the reviews themselves, however, so they won’t need to adjust their approach to handling their online presence. If Google’s algorithm is truly improving, the best products will rise to the top and sell the fastest — which should be what happens in a healthy marketplace, anyway.

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Big Tech

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Adam Rowe Writer

Instagram Opens Up Product Tagging Ability for All US Users

Currently an average of 1.6 million people tag one or more brands every week. That number's about to be a lot larger.

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Updated on March 31, 2022

Instagram creators have been able to tag specific products in their posts since 2019. Now, over the next few months, Instagram will be rolling out that same ability for all users, not just creators.

Tagging products allows any interested potential shopper on Instagram to find exactly where to buy any item with just a tap.

It’s evidence that Instagram continues working toward delivering on a 2021 promise: That they’ll move beyond simple photo sharing by, in part, boosting shopping functionality.

Product Tagging: What to Know

Once the feature has rolled out to your own profile, the product tagging ability will be accessible once your photo or video has been uploaded as a new post.

Before it goes live, you’ll get the option to tag a brand, and after that brand is locked in, you’ll be able to tap a second prompt to “Tag Products,” letting you browse through everything that brand has to offer until you find the product featured in your own post. You’ll be able to tag multiple products in a single post.

As a business owner on Instagram, TechCrunch reports, you’ll be able to manage who tags your products through an option for product tag preferences in your Settings. Your Instagram will be notified every time another user tags one of your products, and you’ll be able to see all the tagged posts in one location.

How Small Businesses Can Benefit

Currently, according to Instagram, an average of 1.6 million people tag one or more brands every week. Now, that number is poised to increase dramatically.

Product tagging could help a small business, both because they can tag products in their own images, but more importantly because other people who love their brand can now tag everything they make.

If you’re hoping to raise your own business profile on Instagram through the freshly expanded product tagging, your best bet is to make sure you’re signed up for the Instagram Shopping program, and then create products that look great on Instagram in order to spur interest in viewers for finding out where they can buy their own.

One thing that will help? Boosting your own Instagram presence with the right social media management approach.

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Adam Rowe Writer

Shopify’s New “Link in Bio” Tool Linkpop Brings Ecommerce to Social

The new tool seems likely to usher in a new crop of younger influencers who are interested in dipping a toe into ecommerce.

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Updated on March 31, 2022

Shopify has launched a new “link in bio” tool called Linkpop that online businesses and influencers can use to sell products to their social media followers.

Social platforms tend to give their users one chance to link to an outside website from their profiles, leading to the creation of a cottage industry for “link in bio” tools for platforms like Instagram or TikTok.

Shopify’s new tool essentially gives brands a way to set up their Shopify storefront directly within those platforms.

What is Linkpop?

If you’re familiar with any “link in bio” tools, Linkpop will look pretty familiar.

Users can sign up in order to get their own page, with a nice, short URL that looks something like “linkpop.com/yourname.” Then, they can add a series of additional content that links out to their personal website, blog, playlists, or an Amazon link to that one desk lamp that everyone on TikTok keeps asking them about.

But the ability to add Shopify store products is unique to Linkpop: With it, users can add “shoppable links to [their] Linkpop page powered by Shopify checkout,” Shopify explains on their website.

If they’re not on Shopify yet, they can get a plan, starting at $9 per month. Linkpop’s free, but the Shopify integration that makes it stand out requires a plan.

It’s all designed to be easy to get started with and optimized for fast loading times so that an audience of potential customers won’t have much friction preventing them from completing an order. Plus, it comes with built-in analytics features that log data on page views, link clicks, and sales over time.

Trying Shopify

This new tool seems likely to usher in a new crop of younger influencers who are interested in dipping a toe into ecommerce. For the right small business, it might be a way to direct audiences to specific sales or top products — multichannel ecommerce is always important to smaller operations, but so is time management, and Linkpop makes the process of selling across multiple platforms a little bit easier.

We rank Shopify as one of our top ecommerce website builders, and the platform has a lot going for it aside from Linkpop. You can check out our full review of Shopify over here, but here’s an excerpt that sums up the service’s strengths:

“Shopify is one of the biggest and best ecommerce builders on the market, allowing you to create and manage an online store and loads of different sales channels. Better yet, it offers a vast range of third-party integrations, making it so flexible that virtually any business need can be met, small or large.”

The $5 per month price point will get you the Shopify Starter plan, which won’t have everything a small business needs to run a full operation. The next plan up, Basic, costs $29 per month and will allow you to run an online store with a website, not just a Linkpop one.

Check out our full ranking of the top seven best website builders for ecommerce for the full context behind what makes Shopify stand out as one of the best.

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Adam Rowe Writer

A New Microsoft Excel Competitor Has Arisen: Rows Spreadsheets

Rows spreadsheets let users easily add data from Stripe, Google Analytics, Amazon Marketplace, and even Twitter.

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Updated on March 31, 2022

A new desktop app for spreadsheets has just launched in beta — finally offering an alternative to the only other two market leaders, Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets.

The new app is from the Berlin-based spreadsheet software start-up Rows, and it’s publicly available for all now on Windows and macOS, following a stealth launch in December.

Rows isn’t hiding the fact that they aim to help users build spreadsheets at the same scale and efficiency as their more well-known competitors.

A Rows By Any Other Name

The company raised $16 million in February 2021, specifically in order to build this app, and their marketing campaign takes direct aim at Excel and Sheets.

The spreadsheet app game has a massive audience — Excel’s app has over a billion installs on Android alone — so there’s plenty of room for a scrappy upstart competitor. But what sets Rows apart?

One big change is the ability to integrate third-party APIs. Rows lets users easily pull in data from Stripe, Google Analytics, Amazon Marketplace, and even Twitter — services that small businesses might regularly need to gather data from, but which would require esoteric Excel or Sheets skills in order to do.

Rows can also be set to auto-update itself frequently with those APIs, giving managers a living document that can deliver near-real-time insights.

Spreadsheets and Business Software

Rows still has a lot of headway to make, given how deeply Excel and Sheets are embedded in the vast range of business software offered by their respective corporations, Microsoft and Google.

Both companies have interworking apps and services for CRM, email, calendars, cloud storage and a massive list of other softwares. Google’s even in the vehicle route planning business, with two new tools out last week. Rows can’t offer any of that inter-software connection — just a more flexible spreadsheet service than ever.

Rows currently has fewer than 4,000 weekly users, according to Tech Radar, so it has a long way to go, even though it’s growing rapidly. Expect to see a lot more of the service as it works to boost visibility.

What’s in the Future?

Will Rows manage to break through the current duopoloy in spreadsheets? Henrique Cruz, Head of Growth at Rows, is optimistic, and it’s due to the changes in the business world over the past decade and a half.

“In the past 15 years have seen three very large changes in work setup (mobile-first, APIs and explosion of SaaS, and async first), and we are the first company building a pure spreadsheet for this new world.”

Those are changes that Excel and Sheets haven’t bothered adapting. And since Rows is available for free, it’s priced perfectly for any business that wants to check it out. More features will be rolled out across the year.

The service only offers one integration — with Zoho — out of all seven of our top picks for small business accounting software. But if or when Rows does integration with more softwares, they’ll be a shoe-in for any small business or start-up that needs an immediate low-code spreadsheet solution.

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Business Trends

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Adam Rowe Writer

Google Debuts 2 New Tools to Help Optimize Fleet Deliveries

The services give drivers and managers all the routing and traffic data they need to adjust for maximum efficiency.

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Updated on March 31, 2022

Last week, Google introduced two new software tools aimed at helping businesses operate fleet vehicles for deliveries.

The first tool is called the “Last Mile Fleet Solution” and uses Google Maps to guide delivery drivers through the steps needed to reach their customers. The second tool, “Routing API,” is part of Google Cloud and allows a manager to plan routes for an entire fleet of delivery vehicles.

Last Mile Fleet Solution is in public preview now for companies that manage or own a delivery fleet, while the Routing API will roll out in Q2. Here’s what to know about each offering.

Last Mile Fleet Solution

Google Maps is already known for its hyperlocal data, thanks to location-tracking data from the devices that users access Maps from. Last Mile Fleet Solution takes advantage of that data in order to streamline delivery services.

Benefits of the tool include simplified address entry to capture valid addresses, automated route planning that efficiently navigates drivers, the ability to track shipment progress, and after-the-fact analysis of fleet performance.

Drivers will get a full-day view of their upcoming tasks, with the routing and traffic data they need to adjust for maximum efficiency.

The new service “builds on” a previous offering called On-demand Rides & Deliveries, Google explained in their announcement.

“With Last Mile Fleet Solution,” says Shalin Mantri, Group Product Manager at Google Maps Platform, “companies can improve their experiences with simplified address entry to help capture correct addresses. Shipment tracking and up-to-date arrival times allow consumers to be ready and available to receive their packages. And detailed delivery locations can help drivers drop packages off at the right place, every time.”

“Last mile” deliver is a term that refers to the shipment of products from a business’s transportation hub to the final destination, typically at a customer’s home. It can add up to more than half of an operation’s total shipping costs, making it a key element for any business that makes deliveries.

Routing API

The Routing API tool uses Google Cloud as well as Google Maps’ dynamic routing data to power even more advanced fleet routing functionality. It works best when used alongside Last Mile Fleet Solution, letting managers follow along with each driver’s actions.

Managers will be able to optimize all routes to account for time windows, vehicle capacities, and package weights.

Prices for both services are available upon contact — all Google says about prices in its announcement is that it offers “predictable pricing per delivery.”

Fleet Management

With these new tools, Google is jumping into competition with established fleet management system (FMS) providers — the biggest and best names, according to our researchers, are Verizon Connect, Samsara, and Teletrac Navman.

Google’s tools offer a stripped-down version of what FMS has to offer, from route planning to a centralized dashboard that lets a manager view all vehicles in a fleet at the same time. If you’re looking for an entry-level version, Google’s tools are worth considering.

For a feature-rich FMS that handles additional core fleet services like fuel tax tracking, hardware units to collect detailed data from each vehicle, and government-mandated ELDs to properly log Hours of Service, we’ve rounded up all the best options over here.

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Adam Rowe Writer

100K Google Play Users Downloaded This Password-Stealing Malware

The app uses a trojan called 'FaceStealer' in order to display a Facebook login screen that steals your data.

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Updated on March 31, 2022

Researchers have uncovered a malicious app in the Google Play store. Titled “Craftsart Cartoon Photo Tools,” the app converts images into their cartoon versions — and also steals users’ Facebook login data.

The app has been removed from the store, but it had already been installed over 100,000 times.

It’s far from the first time a Google Play malware app has spread far and wide through the online store (Squid Game-themed malware was big for a while), so consider this your reminder to weed out any old apps that aren’t trustworthy brands. Let’s be honest, you probably never use them anyway.

The Scam

This time around, security researchers at the mobile security firm Pradeo were the ones to identify the malware and how it works.

The app uses a trojan called “FaceStealer” in order to display a Facebook login screen and requires users to enter their login data before using the app, Bleeping Computer reports. The login is real (unlike some big phishing scams), but the app also sends the information to a server at which the attackers can collect it.

The app also collects and steals additional data after that, so here’s hoping the 100,000 victims can identify and delete the app today.

Facebook Passwords Are Big Targets

When was the last time you changed your Facebook password? Plenty of people set it and forget it, staying permanently logged in on their devices, and that means that a stolen Facebook credential has a long shelf-life. Fake apps that hoover up Facebook data are easy ways to collect useful personal information, and many of them reel in a lot more than just 100,000 victims.

Last year, a group of nine apps were pulled from the Play store for stealing Facebook passwords — after they’d been downloaded a collective total of over 5.8 million times.

Part of the problem is the wild west of the Google Play store, which is lightly curated rather than closely watched. As Tech.co writer Duncan Lambden explained it last October:

“Google’s Play store is a lot less curated than Apple’s App Store. Developers can essentially post anything on the Play Store with little resistance, as long as it’s not blatantly illegal. Any uploaded app will undergo an automated check for any kind of virus-like code, but developers are constantly finding ways around these checks.”

The trustworthy Google brand can make their app store appear safe and secure, but the fact that Google Play is so often ground zero for these malware incidents indicates otherwise.

Staying Safe

First, change your Facebook password every so often — this is also good practice for every online account you use, and the longer the password, the better.

Yes, it’s a pain to do, but with a decent password manager, you won’t have to remember every single new phrase you come up with. We’ve rounded up the top management tools to consider for your Android phone.

And, while installing a fun new app, check that it’s from a brand you trust. And when it comes to the novelty single-use apps, consider just skipping them entirely. You can probably find a cartoon filter on a major app if you’re committed to seeing the Toontown version of yourself.

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Privacy and Security

Written by:

Adam Rowe Writer

New Phishing Kit Makes It Easy to Fake Chrome Browser Windows

There's a relatively new phishing attack to know about, and for once, checking the URL won't save you. Here's what will.

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Updated on March 31, 2022

Ever want to become a phisher? It’s easier than ever with a new downloadable kit.

The phishing kit lets anyone download the templates needed to create fake versions of single sign-on login forms — the mini-browser windows that pop up to let users sign into a third-party site with their accounts on services like Google, Apple, or Twitter.

Not only are these phishing browsers easy to create, but they’re incredibly tough to spot as well, and might fool even an experienced techie who could easily spot most other phishing schemes.

How it Works

The kit was created by a security researcher, mr.d0x, who has released it on GitHub. The researcher has dubbed the new form of phishing attack a “Browser in the Browser” (BitB) attack.

Templates in the kit include Google Chrome for Windows and Mac, with both dark and light mode versions available.

Phishers will still need to lure a victim onto a fake sign-in page, but once they click the button to sign in, they’ll see an image rendered with custom HTML and CSS to resemble a browser pop-up window.

Ooh that’s nasty: Browser In The Browser (BITB) Attack, a new phishing technique that allows stealing credentials that even a web professional can’t detect. #Security https://t.co/cxU83DMEzt pic.twitter.com/m9eYOmq0al
— François Zaninotto (@francoisz) March 18, 2022

The URL Check Out

A big part of what makes this trick so convincing is that the URL — the spot that cybersecurity training tells everyone to double-check for spelling errors or hidden custom subdomains — can be faked.

The apparent browser pop-up isn’t actually a real pop-up, so the URL can say whatever the phisher wants it to.

How convincing are they? Take a look.

BitB Chrome phishing windows for Facebook. Image via mr.dox.

According to mr.d0x, bad actors can download these templates, swap in their own URL and Window title, and display the form with an iframe.

This type of attack isn’t just theoretical: Security firm Zscaler exposed a BitB attack in 2020, when scammers used fake Steam login windows to steal and resell users’ Steam credentials.

How to Spot a BitB Attack

The latest and greatest phishing trick isn’t one hundred percent undetectable, even if it is a sneakier attack than we’re used to.

There’s one simple tip to try to keep in mind the next time you’re prompted to log into a new site with one of your bigger online accounts, whether it’s Google, Apple, Twitter, Microsoft or, yes, Steam. You should try to move the browser pop-up window outside of the primary window.

If it’s real, you’ll be able to, since it’s a pop-up window. If it’s fake, you won’t be able to move it out of the page that it’s built within. You’ll be able to confirm without a doubt that it’s a trick.

But unless you know what to look for, no VPNs in the world can save you from typing in your personal information, so stay on guard.

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Privacy and Security

Written by:

Adam Rowe Writer

One Pandemic-Response Reporting Service Stopped 76K Online Scams

An automated system can identify email scams — but only if members of the public spot them first. Here's how it works.

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Updated on March 31, 2022

The UK’s “Suspicious Email Reporting Service” has processed over 10 million reports of suspicious emails, resulting in the removal of around 76,000 online scams.

The National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) launched this service nearly two years ago, in the wake of a pandemic that forced more activity online than ever.

It’s a good indicator that scams can be addressed and managed — even if we’re now seeing more of them than ever.

The Suspicious Email Reporting Service

The service is simple: Concerned members of the public can just forward any suspicious email to the “report@phishing.gov.uk” address.

Once sent, this email then triggers the NCSC’s automated scanning system to check for scams and instantly remove any offending websites.

“The British public’s response to our Suspicious Email Reporting Service has been incredible and led to the removal of thousands of online scams. But there is even more we can do and by following our Cyber Aware steps to secure online accounts – starting with email – people will dramatically reduce risks including financial losses and personal data breaches,” said Lindy Cameron, chief executive of NCSC, according to a ZDNet report.

COVID-19 and Scams

Scammers thrive in times of change and uncertainty, so it’s no wonder that the early months of the pandemic in 2020 were packed with them. Plenty of COVID-19-related scams were circulating at the time that this email reporting service launched.

One claimed to offer up a report on which of the victim’s coworkers or fellow students had tested positive — only accessible if the victim entered their account information, of course.

Another common email scam invited the recipient to help process donations for a Coronavirus relief fund, as a way for the scammer to launder money.

Cyberattacks Are Growing

Despite the thousands of scams that the Suspicious Email Reporting Service has quashed, cyberattacks are on the rise in the UK — the most recent Crime Survey for England and Wales found a 161% increase in instances of unauthorized access to personal information across the last year.

The US, without its own email reporting program, saw a 28% rise in phishing attacks, with enterprise organizations averaging about 68 attacks per month, just on social media.

Ransomware remains a large concern as well, growing 104% in North America in 2021.

Staying Safe

Employees and members of the public can take some measures to stay safe — always double-check the spelling and format of any email to figure out which ones are authentic, enable two-factor authentication when available, and invest in some form of online security.

VPNs can help in some cases, particularly for businesses with a remote, distributed workforce — we’ve ranked the best ones worth considering over here.

Password managers are also beneficial, as many of them will flag suspicious sites that can be hard to spot. Check out our password management tools roundup over here.

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Privacy and Security

Written by:

Adam Rowe Writer

A Ton of Apple Services and Apps Are Down in a Global Outage

Corporate and retail internal systems were also down at Apple on Monday morning. The cause is currently unknown.

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Updated on March 31, 2022

Apple isn’t having a great Monday: A vast swath of the tech giant’s services have gone dark with no warning. The cause remains unknown.

Affected services and apps include the App Store, iCloud, Siri, iMessage, Apple Maps, Apple TV+, and FaceTime, among many more.

Even if the outage gets resolved soon, it’s a major incident that just reminded the one billion people using Apple devices worldwide just how dependent they are on the tech provider.

What’s Happening

Some of the other Apple services that are suffering outages include Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Apple Arcade, Business Manager, School Manager, the Device Enrollment Program, Schoolwork, Radio, Fitness+, Notes, and Stocks. Apple’s “Find My” service is also on the fritz.

In addition, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman reports that “corporate and retail internal systems” are also down at Apple.

In addition to Apple’s online services – Music, Maps, Podcasts and more facing outages — I’m told Apple’s corporate and retail internal systems are down too, limiting remote work and retail operations like product pick-ups and repairs.
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) March 21, 2022

The news of the outages has been confirmed from thousands of social media accounts — Apple has been rapidly confirming an increasing number of incidents as well on its website. The full extent of the outages has yet to be established.

The Impact

In our deeply interconnected modern world, a major service provider like Apple going down will always have a large impact. Sure, everyone watching Apple TV will be only slightly inconvenienced when their show stops halfway through, but what about someone depending on Apple Maps while driving somewhere?

That’s not a hypothetical, either. At least one person took to Twitter to confess that they’re now completely lost:

I’m lost as Fck. Literally, in the middle of some where going some place.
— Sam Lee (@MrGrindMode) March 21, 2022

Interestingly, Apple isn’t the only major service experiencing disruptions right now, even if it is definitely the worst off — according to DownDetector.com, companies like PayPal, AT&T, and Verizon all experienced a major spike in issues at about the same time.

If previous instances of outages at major companies can tell us what to expect, Apple will likely right the ship in the coming hours.

Until then, you’ll have to unplug at least a little from Apple. We’ve previously covered how small businesses can handle social platform outages — Now, we have to add an addendum: If Apple’s down, don’t drive anywhere with Apple Maps as your guide.

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Big Tech

Written by:

Adam Rowe Writer

Microsoft Office Is Becoming Even More Hybrid-Friendly

As part of Microsoft’s commitment to hybrid workforces, it recently announced changes to Outlook, Teams, and PowerPoint.

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Updated on March 31, 2022

Earlier this week, Microsoft announced several key updates to its suite of applications, in an effort to make its software more suitable to businesses embracing hybrid work.

Improvements include the development of a new Outlook RSVP feature, a new video layout on Teams, and a combination of the cameo and recording features on PowerPoint. The software giant also announced updates to its whiteboard and Loop tools.

These changes were introduced as part of Microsoft’s Work Trend Index Report, which highlighted a growing desire to work flexibly among workers. Moreover, with the survey also finding that most employers struggle to nurture relationships with their staff remotely, it’s clear these hybrid-friendly features are becoming more critical than ever.

Microsoft Applications Are Changing

Microsoft is no stranger to the hybrid working model, with the company allowing people to switch from home and office-based environments long before the practice entered the mainstream.

As part of its latest pledge to make its services even more useful to the modern workforce, the software provider has created a new RSVP feature for its Outlook email service. The feature allows users to select if they’re joining a meeting in-person or virtually, helping to inform other attendees of their status ahead of time. The RSVP function will appear on the web version of outlook first.

Screenshot of Microsoft Outlook new RSVP interface

Remote workers are also likely to benefit from the new Teams update, which moves the video gallery to the bottom on the screen, allowing physical attendees to be face to face with those tuning in remotely. The business communication platform also released a speaker coach feature, designed to help speakers facilitate remote meetings. The update uses artificial intelligence technology to notify the speaker about their pacing, track audience engagement, and inform others if they’re interrupting speakers.

The application PowerPoint has also been upgraded to improve recording features. The cameo tool, which allows you to integrate a Microsoft Teams camera into your slideshow, is now able to be used alongside its recording studio, a handy feature that lets you add clips of you speaking to slides. By uniting these aspects, presentations are able to be made more accessible to remote participants.

But Microsoft’s makeover doesn’t finish there. The firm has also teased the release of Microsoft Loop and announced a revamp of its Whiteboard feature, with the digital canvas welcoming 50 new templates, new collaboration cursors, and additional contextual reactions.

Microsoft says most of these changes will be out in the second quarter of this year, with its Loop service expected to go live a bit later this summer.

Is Microsoft the best option for your business?

The market dominance of Microsoft applications can cause many business owners to turn to the solutions without a second thought.

There’s no denying it, Microsoft corners the market when it comes to seamless software integration and user experience. Despite its advantages, however, companyies should be reminded that Microsoft applications aren’t the only options for hybrid, or fully remote teams.

According to our research, Google Meet actually takes the edge over Teams when it comes to web conferencing software. This is due in big part to the software’s affordability and diversity of handy features. And if its free conference call services you’re after, Zoom and RingCentral also provide solid alternatives.

Take a look at our full list of top business conference calls services here.

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Adam Rowe Writer

Microsoft Finds 50% of Bosses Want to End WFH

As employees continue to be drawn towards flexible working options, some business owners have other ideas.

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Updated on March 31, 2022

According to Microsoft’s second annual Work Trend Index report, half of global leaders are planning a full-scale return to the office in the near future, despite a growing desire among employees to work flexibly.

The survey, which compiles feedback from 31,000 people in 31 countries and also factors in user data from Microsoft 365 and LinkedIn, reveals that as hybrid work becomes standard practice, a growing number of workers are putting their wellbeing first.

With the employee/employer power dynamic continuing to shift, these findings suggest that if business leaders don’t embrace flexible solutions soon, they could risk losing their top talent.

Half of Leaders Are Planning a Full Return to the Office

After two years of COVID-19 induced disruption, hybrid working finally feels like the new normal for many. But before workers become accustomed to switching between the home and the office, a new survey from Microsoft suggests that many employers have other plans.

The Trend Index Report, released this Wednesday, concluded that 50% of business leaders already require, or will soon require, employees to return to the office full time by the end of this year. The percentage was even higher within the manufacturing (55%), retail (54%) and consumer goods (53%) industries.

43% of leaders say relationship-building is the greatest challenge in remote and hybrid work

While the motivations behind these figures vary, over half of leaders believe productivity levels were impacted by the move away from the office, while 43% cited relationship building as the biggest problem associated with hybrid and remote working.

As employers stress the importance of physical attendance, managers appear to be less certain, with 54% admitting that their current leadership is out of touch with employee expectations. However, with three quarters feeling like they lack the influence to implement significant changes in their team, it’s unlikely their concerns will be enough to swing the pendulum.

Workers Are Seeking a Healthier Work Life Balance

The past year has exposed countless employees to the concept of flexible working, from adapting office hours to working remotely.

As these practices rise in popularity, people’s attitudes towards their working lives are changing, with the Microsoft report revealing that 47% of respondents now put family and personal life ahead of their work.

But priorities aren’t limited to employees’ families, with the survey also revealing 53% of respondents are now more likely to priotitize their own health and wellbeing over work.

“By not commuting, I have more time to spend with my family and more time for daily things, like cooking a meal and eating together.” – Employee working in professional services, United States

If you run a business or manage teams, these findings shouldn’t come as a surprise. The results of the survey point towards a growing preference for flexible working that’s been on the rise for years. And with the favourability rates even higher among the millennial and Gen-Z generations, it doesn’t look like traditional practices will be returning to the workplace any time soon.

Employers Should Take Return to Office Concerns Seriously

There’s no denying that most business leaders have valid reasons for wanting employees to return to the office. However, as data from the survey suggests, introducing some flexible measures is likely to benefit them as much as their workers.

The report found that 43% of workers are likely to quit their job in the next year, indicating that employees aren’t afraid to leave a job that doesn’t meet their priorities. Among the reasons for leaving, queries around personal mental health, work life balance, and lack of flexible working were some of the biggest motivators for staff.

This data suggests that the mass resignation is far from being over, and it may just be entering a new phase. Therefore, in a time where labor shortages are rife and top talent is hard to come by, business leaders should be doing everything they can to retain their quality personnel.

If you’re concerned that your staff might be getting restless, here are some ways to get them back on board:

Listen to your staff – Communication with your workforce should go both ways. By listening to your workers concerns and queries, you can create a workplace that’s more suited to their needs and desires.
Check in with your employees regularly – No one likes to feel left their on their own. Even if no concerns have been flagged, touching base with your team is an excellent way to gain feedback and improve morale.
Utilize digital solutions – If your teams are working remotely, stay connected with communication tools like Slack and Google Chat. On a budget? Rest assured, there are loads of affordable and free ways to stay connected too.

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Adam Rowe Writer

After a Seven Year Wait, Google Domains is Finally Out of Beta

The domain name registrar has been in its development phase since 2015, and is now available to all customers.

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Updated on March 31, 2022

Remember Google Domains? Well, this week, Google announced that the domain registration service is finally accessible to all customers, after being in beta mode since January 2015.

The software is now available in 26 countries, and according to Google’s own sources, is already boasting “more than 7 million active registrations”.

The service allows users to find, manage and buy domain names. But is the finalized version really worth the wait? And does the company’s own website builder solution, Google Sites, provide businesses with the best way to build their online page?

Google Domains is Out of Beta

While Google is no stranger to extended beta periods, with Gmail remaining in the stage for five years, seven years is the longest time a service of its kind has been under development.

The exact reason behind the lengthy beta phase is unclear, but experts suspect that the release was delayed to give developers ample time to fix bugs and to perfect the services features.

Now the registrar is finally out, the tech firm is celebrating its release by offering new and returning customers 20% off any single domain registration or transfer with the code DOMAINS20.

What Does Google Domains Offer?

When it comes to Google Domains offerings, its list of features is fairly solid. Aside from its flagship domain registration service, the software also offers domain forwarding, DNS hosting, emailing forwarding and free privacy protection, among other useful features.

It allows users to pick from over 300 different domain endings, boasts a slick and familiar interface, and even offers 24/7 support from real people, should customers encounter any problems. Domain prices start at $7 a year, with the price increasing to $12 for .com domain extensions. While there’s no denying this pricing model is reasonable and fairly transparent, it’s far from the cheapest option available on the market.

In terms of software compatibility, Google Domains integrates seamlessly with other products on the server, including Google Maps, Gmail, Google Search and Google Calendar. For customers interested in setting up their own web page, the software provider also recommends that customers use its own website building service, Google Sites.

How Does Google Sites Stack Up Against Other Website Builders?

Before you opt for the company’s default option, let’s take a look at how it compares to similar services on the market.

A certified member of the G Suite family, Google Sites is free to use up to a designated storage threshold. Feature-wise, the platform comes with a drag-and-drop tool, a HTML editor, and is able to be fully integrated with other Google Apps.

While these features are enough to manage simpler projects, Sites falls short when it comes to customizable options, search engine optimization (SEO) capabilities and theme options. For this reason, if your businesses is looking to build a website with a bit of flair, it’s probably best to look elsewhere.

Our research has shown that Wix is currently the best website builder for businesses, regardless of their size and scope. Not only does the platform offer an abundance of useful features and a slick, user-friendly interface, it also won’t break the bank. If you’re looking to create an ecommerce site or portfolio, however, Squarespace might be more up to the task.

For a more detailed summary of the best website builders out there, take a look at our helpful guide.

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Adam Rowe Writer

Microsoft Teams Adds New Live Translation Feature

The new integration removes language barriers by allowing users to interpret and translate language in real-time.

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Updated on March 31, 2022

Microsoft has added a new Teams integration that enables real-time language interpretation and translation.

Appealing to its multinational audience, the service allows users to engage in meetings in multiple languages by connecting them to a wide range of professional interpreters. The feature is supported by Interprefy, a remote cloud-based technology that has already been providing its interpreting services to Zoom for over a year.

The update comes just weeks after Teams allows users to enter calls faster and add a local time to their user profiles.

Microsoft Teams Launches Live Translation For Video Meetings

Video conferencing software allows users to connect from all over the world. Thanks to this recent software update, Teams’ users can now do so in their native tongue.

The new add-on feature gives meeting organizers the option to select a language of their choice, before linking them up with a vetted professional who helps translate the meeting. This update relies on Interprefy’s network of skilled interpreters and allows users to communicate with other participants in their own language, in real time.

“We’re thrilled to have been working closely with Microsoft in bringing Interprefy’s multilingual meeting expertise to Teams users worldwide.” – Oddmund Braaten, CEO at Interprefy.

Up until now, Microsoft Teams users had access to KUDO, a multilingual live interpreting service. By granting users access to both KUDO and Interprefy, Teams translation services now rival that of software giant, Zoom.

Teams Also Expands its Live Caption Feature

This announcement shortly follows the development of a Teams live caption feature that was designed to improve accessibility on the platform.

Live captions display a meeting transcript in real-time, helping users to follow the thread of conversation easily. This popular feature is also offered in a range of languages including German, French and Spanish, making meetings more accessible to those who speak different languages as well as those who are hearing impaired.

As it currently stands, live captions are kept behind a registration wall, meaning that the feature isn’t available to all. This update aims to resolve this by expanding the use of the live caption feature to all users.

Is Microsoft Teams The Best Solution For You?

Video conferencing software makes connecting with employees a reality, even if your teams aren’t all working in the same space. With the increase in remote and hybrid working over the last couple of years, many of us have found that the concept of the ‘meeting room’ has gone virtual, with participants coming together from various locations.

Video conferencing needn’t be expensive. If you’re looking for a cost-effective way to connect your global team, Microsoft Teams could work well for you. The free service offers a slick, user friendly interface and facilitates meetings for up to 300 participants. It also offers seamless compatibility with Microsoft365, which is an asset to companies that already using the software.

In terms of overall quality and ease of use, however, Microsoft Teams falls slightly short of its competitors. According to our research, the top spots are currently reserved for GoToMeeting and Zoom. Obviously though, every business is unique and has different requirements. So if you’re still unsure which platform to opt for, we’ve compiled a detailed table below that ranks the best solutions on the market below.

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More Chip Shortage Fears as Ukraine Halts Neon Output

The country has closed two factories that produced half the world's semiconductor-grade neon.

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Updated on March 31, 2022

Short read - 3 minutes

As Russia’s attack on Ukraine sharpens, two leading suppliers of neon have been forced to halt their operations, prompting concerns over a second global microchip shortage.

According to Reuters, the two suppliers Cryoin and Ingas, produce 45 to 55 percent of the world’s semiconductor-grade neon, a critical component in chip manufacturing. In a bid to safeguard the well-being of their employees, it was reported that they both closed their doors last Friday.

With Russia’s advance showing no signs of letting up, many experts fear that these developments will place a further strain on chip shortages that have been present since the start of the pandemic. Concerns are particularly high on home soil, with US hardware companies relying on Ukraine for more than 90% of their semiconductor-grade neon.

Ukraine’s Largest Neon Producers are Forced to Close

Before Russia launched its invasion, Ukraine had a chokehold on the global semiconductor industry. Taking advantage of the byproducts of Russian steel manufacturing, Ukrainian factories were able to produce neon at an incomparable scale. As the conflict continues to intensify, however, the country’s future as a semiconductor powerhouse remains uncertain, raising questions for the production of products from cars to smartphones which are already struggling to keep pace with demand.

During peacetime, one of the country’s biggest neon suppliers, Ingas, produced around 15,000 to 20,000 cubic meters of neon each month to customers in Taiwan, China, and the United States. Despite this, as its home city Mariupol endured a slew of escalating attacks – including an airstrike to a maternity hospital – the factory decided to shutter, with employees either fleeing to safety or joining the conflict as boots on the ground.

A similar fate was endured by Cryoin, another semiconductor powerhouse in Ukraine that’s based in Odessa. While the historic port city has yet to be advanced upon by Russian troops, the manufacturing firm paused all activity the 24th of Feb, just as the invasion began. Since its closure, Cryoin has been unable to fulfill its typical orders of 13,000 cubic meters of neon each month, forcing its global customers to explore other alternatives.

Due to escalating violence in the Eastern European country, neither plant can predict when operations may resume again. What’s more, if valuable equipment is targeted by Russian troops, the halt on production could carry on indefinitely.

Chip Shortages are Nothing New

While the closure of these factories is likely to disrupt microchip production at a scale never seen before, this isn’t the first time the industry has dealt with severe shortages.

As the pandemic transformed the way we lived and worked in 2020, demands for consumer goods like cell phones, laptops and cars reached an all time high. In response, factories that were already grappling with social distancing regulations struggled to meet global demands. This caused the global supply of microchips to plummet – with the scarcity remaining in place still today.

The shortage forced the automobile company Ford to manufacture and sell vehicles without chips that power non-safety features earlier this year. This difficult decision followed General Motors’ move to cut HD radios and wireless chargers from some of their SUVs in late 2021.

Reverberations were also felt beyond the automobile industry, with Apple axing production of its iPhone 13 by over 10 million units in response to the crisis. Edward Moya, senior market analyst at OANDA, commented that Apple’s decision was a “sign that the chip shortage is nowhere near over”.

Supply chains were also put under strain during the 2014 annexation of Crimea, the former region of Ukraine. During the invasion, neon prices soared by over 600 percent as Ukrainian manufacturing power weakened – a fate that is likely to be repeated if Russian interference doesn’t cease soon.

What does this Chip Shortage Mean for US Companies?

So, with a second global chip shortage pending, many US business owners are left wondering what this might mean for them.

The answer in short, is that you’re likely to be safe for now. Thanks to past instances, major neon suppliers have learnt to reserve stockpiles for emergencies. While the size of these stockpiles vary from company to company, Cryoin believes they can hold out for at least three months before shortages start kicking in.

Thanks to past instances, major neon suppliers have learnt to reserve stockpiles for emergencies.

Despite this brief respite, businesses that depend on neon aided technology shouldn’t become complacent. As the chip industry is still overwhelmed by post-pandemic demands, the closure of Ignas and Cryoin is likely to reduce global supplies even more.

Not only could this make the semiconductor material even harder to come by, it could also lead to price hikes that could price out smaller retailers.

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Written by:

Adam Rowe Writer

Study Reveals Huge WordPress Security Issues

Blame is directed at WordPress plugins, which create major vulnerabilities, with many never getting patched.

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Updated on March 31, 2022

WordPress may be one of the most popular website builders in the world, but a recent study found that it’s plagued with a wide range of substantial security vulnerabilities that never get patched.

With security breaches, ransomware attacks, and phishing scams becoming part of everyday life on the web, cybersecurity has never been more important to businesses around the world. Subsequently, the best website builders are expected to have the infrastructure to at least provide the basics when it comes to protecting its users.

Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case at WordPress, as security flaws apparently run rampant throughout the popular website builder’s websites.

The State of WordPress Security

One of the best aspects of WordPress is that it allows for a wide range of plug-ins, which can customize the website and provide helpful functionality for businesses trying to attract customers, produce content, and generally engage online. Unfortunately, that’s one of the biggest downfalls for WordPress when it comes to security.

“Vulnerabilities from plugins and themes remain as one of the biggest threats to websites built on WordPress.”

According to the study from Patchstack, there has been a 150% increase in WordPress vulnerabilities since last year, which as researchers put it is “a significant increase.” Even worse, 29% of these vulnerable WordPress plug-ins are never patched, leaving the door open for some serious security problems.

29% 0f WordPress vulnerabilities are never patched

To be fair, though, WordPress is not technically the problem. The core platform for WordPress represents a mere 0.58% of security vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, the massive library of plug-ins is the downfall here, so if you want to stay secure, it’s best to avoid these tools if you can.

Is WordPress a Good Website Builder?

Despite the fact that 43.2% of all websites are powered by WordPress, our research shows that it doesn’t offer much compared to its competitors. Unless you’re interested in a blogging site, which we’ll admit WordPress is great for, this website builder isn’t ideal for any business.

For one, it’s customizability is limited and, according to this research, comes at a price as far as security is concerned. Additionally, the overall functionality for design, ecommerce, and analytics is severely lacking compared to competitors like Wix and Shopify.

If you’re interested in getting a website builder for your business, we’ve done a whole bunch of research to help you choose. Take a look at the table below and visit our best website builders guide to make the decision even easier.

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Written by:

Adam Rowe Writer