As concerns over cyber-espionage mount, Texas has become the latest state to ban agencies from using TikTok on government-issued devices, making it the fifth state to impose legislation of this kind.

According to Greg Abbott, the Texas governor who made the announcement, the Bejing-born social media app offers a trove of “sensitive information to the Chinese government” and should be considered a threat to our national security. 

From coming under attack from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over its handling of US data to almost being banned outright by the Trump administration, TikTok has a track record of shaking off controversies. But could these state-wide prohibitions set the precedent for wider regulations being placed around its use?

Texas Has Banned TikTok on State-Issued Devices

Texas governor, Greg Abbott, has just banned all state agencies from using TikTok on government devices, making Texas the fifth state to roll out a policy of this kind, after Maryland, South Dakota, South Carolina, and Nebraska.

In a recent letter explaining the ban, the governor chastised the popular social media app for harvesting “vast amounts of data from its users’ devices” that could then possibly land in the hands of the Chinese government. 

He cited China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law, which states that businesses in the country must share data with the state upon request, and referred to TikTok’s politically-influenced algorithms, which have previously included censoring sensitive topics, such as the Tiananmen Square protests. 

Abbott followed the announcement up with a Tweet that outlined his thoughts in no uncertain terms, stating “the threat posed by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party)… is serious and must be stopped.”

I've banned TikTok on state issued devices.

I'm also calling for legislation to make the ban permanent and to broaden the ban.

As I detail in my letter and press release, the threat posed by the CCP through TikTok is serious and must be stopped.https://t.co/X4kkFfCDq3

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) December 7, 2022

The TikTok ban will be effective immediately and will prohibit the popular social media app from being downloaded on any state-issued device, including cell phones, laptops, tablets and desktops computers, or any device that is connected to the internet.

Five States Agree TikTok Is Dangerous

Texas isn’t the first state to take a stab at the addictive video app. Several other Republican lawmakers have made very similar regulations in previous weeks.

Most recently, Maryland banned a number of China and Russia-based apps, including TikTok, WeChat, and Kaspersky, from being downloaded on government devices, as part of an emergency cybersecurity directive.

Speaking on this decision, the state’s governor, Larry Hogan warned that these apps could pose a great “threat to our personal safety” due to their possible involvement in cyber-espionage, government surveillance, and inappropriate collection of sensitive personal information.

Some states have even gone one step further, with Indiana suing the social media app for misleading its users — particularly its younger demographic — about inappropriate content on the app and the security of their consumer data.

Are TikTok’s Days In the US Numbered?

This certainly isn’t TikTok’s first run-in with the law. The US’s fastest-growing social media platform has consistently been under fire since it was introduced to the country in 2016. Most notably, former President Trump unsuccessfully tried to ban TikTok from app stores in 2020, as relations between the US and China became increasingly hostile.

More recently, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr petitioned to ban the app once more in June, over allegations of inappropriate data harvesting and cooperative relationships with Beijing authorities.

TikTok has made a number of actions to quell the concerns of US lawmakers, including getting its head of global security, Roland Cloutier, to step down, and renewing its vow to move all US data to Oracle servers based on home soil.

However, with a number of politicians sharpening their attack against their platform, and only 24% of TikTok users claiming to trust the app to keep their data secure — down from 41% in 2020 — it may only be a matter of time before these bans are extended to the wider population.

Multi-tasking just got a lot easier with Microsoft Teams, as the popular collaboration tool will be adding picture-in-picture functionality for tablets and smartphones, a highly sought-after feature for the majority of professionals.

With millions of employees working from home, tools like Microsoft Teams have become integral to everyday life. This means that when they don’t do exactly what you want them to do, like provide an easy way to multitasking on a smartphone or tablet, it can be a real problem.

Fortunately, Microsoft Teams is so regularly updated based on customer feedback, the problems don’t last long, and one upcoming update could fix an annoying problem that users have been plagued with.

Picture-in-Picture Functionality Coming Soon to Microsoft Teams

According to the Microsoft 365 roadmap, which tracks all the upcoming changes to the platform, Microsoft Teams could soon be getting picture-in-picture functionality on iPhones and iPads. This long-awaited feature will allow users to access other apps on your device while staying connected to your call.

“The new Picture in Picture mode lets you see your meeting in an adjustable window while using other apps on your mobile device.” – Microsoft 365 roadmap entry

As with all Microsoft 365 roadmap entries, this is far from a guarantee that the feature will go live. However, most do, and the availability date of December 2022 means that it will happen sooner rather than later.

It’s worth noting that this feature will only be available for Apple devices like iPhones and iPads, although functionality on Surface tablets has had picture-in-picture for quite some time, as they are more functional laptop-replacements.

Is Microsoft Teams Good for Business?

We’ll be the first to admit that we’ve researched and covered Microsoft Teams quite thoroughly in recent years and for good reason. The collaboration/communication tool has become integral for many businesses looking to establish hybrid work policies, as it’s foundational to staying in touch with those working from home.

As a result, Microsoft Teams is a very solid option for businesses looking to get started. The interface can be a bit difficult to use compared to competitors like Zoom, but overall, you could do a lot worse, particularly if your business is already set up with the rest of the Microsoft 365 system.

And honestly, the best part of Microsoft Teams is that it’s so frequently updated. We’ve covered a wide range of helping additions to the platform, from basic speed boosts to the addition of games to spice up icebreakers.

Suffice it to say, your business would be greatly improved by the use of Microsoft Teams, particularly now that you can multitask on iPads and iPhones a little easier now.

The passwordless revolution continues, as open-source password manager Bitwarden is launching new features that will let you log in to your account with your complicated credentials.

Let’s be honest, unless you’re using a good password manager, there’s a good chance you aren’t following best practices for password security. After all, the average user has 100 accounts online and coming up with a long, unique password for each one is borderline impossible.

Luckily, the tech world has begun instituting passwordless features that will enable users to ditch the passwords and start utilizing easier, more secure means of keeping their data safe.

Bitwarden Adds Passwordless Features

Announced in a press release earlier this week, Bitwarden — the open-source password manager — is launching passwordless features designed at bolstering security and improving ease of use across the platform.

“Innovations around biometrics, security keys, and integrations with enterprise SSO all enable Bitwarden to offer passwordless authentication options, helping customers reduce password entry and streamlining user experience.” – Bitwarden press release

If you’re at all familiar with passwordless login, you’ll recognize how Bitwarden plans on implementing it. Instead of inputting a master password or elaborate security key, you’ll simply be sent a mobile notification to your authorized device. Then, all you have to do is click login, and you’ll be on your way to a easier, more secure password process.

Is the Future Passwordless?

Passwords remain an outdated, unsecured method of security for the majority of users. Yes, they can be an excellent first defense if employed correctly, but study after study has shown that even the largest businesses with the most to lose from lax password security don’t take it seriously.

81% of users use the same password for multiple accounts, the most common password around the world remains “password,” and a large percentage of business owners doesn’t even see the point of password managers. All these stats mean that implementing passwordless options for employees could make a huge difference in the security of your business.

And you wouldn’t be alone either. The passwordless movement has plenty of revolutionaries on its side, from Microsoft to Apple. Even other password managers like LastPass have begun offering passwordless features to improve security for everyday users.

So, should your business be looking into passwordless features? Absolutely, if only to take the burden of remembering 50 different login credentials off of your employees’ shoulders. And if you’re worried about how this change will be received by your team, you’re in luck, as plenty of people are comfortable going passwordless, so the transition shouldn’t be too troubling for your business.

“Goblin Mode” has been crowned the Oxford English Dictionary’s word of the year, marking the first time the decision has ever gone to a public vote with an emphatic rejection of societal expectations. 

The term – which has found its way into all sorts of social media content during the past 12 months – claimed victory in the wake of competition from “Metaverse” and “#IStandWith”, which were the other two terms shortlisted for voting by the Oxford University Press.

It must be said, however, that it wasn’t really a close-run race – a total of 318,956 English speakers voted for Goblin Mode, which accounted for 93% of the combined votes for all three phrases.

What is “Goblin Mode”, and Why Is it the Word of the Year?

Goblin Mode refers to “a type of behavior which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations”. 

“Goblin Mode” is an admittance that maintaining an overly sanitized, “perfect” pictures of yourself to present to the rest of the world on social media is unrealistic and unnecessary. 

The implication that we all have the capacity to enter “Goblin Mode” challenges the belief you should drive to be the “best version of yourself” every single day, a mantra often trotted out by influencers and celebrities on social media sites.

All in all, it’s an acceptance that conforming to social norms all day, every day, just isn’t possible – and we shouldn’t live our lives pretending it is. Unsurprisingly, this message resonated with many people living in the post-pandemic world. 

“It’s a relief to acknowledge that we’re not always the idealized, curated selves that we’re encouraged to present on our Instagram and TikTok feeds,” Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages, told the Guardian.

“This has been demonstrated by the dramatic rise of platforms like BeReal where users share images of their unedited selves, often capturing self-indulgent moments in goblin mode,” he added.

When Was Goblin Mode First Used?

While the use of the term “Goblin Mode” rapidly increased during the first half of 2022, ultimately sealing its place as word of the year, the term was first used well over a decade ago.

The first recorded usage of the term dates back 13 years to a 2009 tweet, while it initially appeared on the crowdsourced online slang dictionary Urban Dictionary in 2020. 

But it was last year that it began its meteoric rise to prominence after a satirical fake news article was produced claiming Julia Fox had said Kanye West didn’t enjoy her going “full goblin mode” during their relationship. 

Quiet Quitting, Ghost Work and More Office Slang Explained

Metaverse: Missing the Mark

Although the term “metaverse” appeared more frequently this year than it has ever been previously, it was perhaps apt that the word finished in second place. 

“The Metaverse” has made headlines all year, with Mark Zuckerberg and Co. continuing to make outlandish predictions about the number of people who’ll be spending in digital spaces in the near future and attempting to sell new VR headsets. 

However, it’s received widespread criticism for being seriously overhyped, with many of the most popular Metaverse companies seeing a steep decline in active user bases. 

So, in oddly poetic fashion, while those with a stake in the Metaverse tried tirelessly to dress it up to look more impressive than it actually is at present, Goblin Mode’s brutally honest statement on humanity’s inability to be permanently perfect evidently resonated with more people.

A report published this week has suggested Amazon plans to lay off 20,000 employees, double the figure originally reported by a number of major news outlets in mid-November.

If the rumors prove to be true, it’ll be the biggest mass layoff of staff in the ecommerce behemoth’s 28-year history. The figure is much larger than the number of staff the company laid off in the wake of the dot-com bubble bursting in the early 2000s and the 2008 financial crash combined.

Tragically, however, Amazon is not alone, with swathes of companies in the tech sector making significant cuts to their payroll during 2022.

Amazon Layoffs: Bigger Than First Thought?

According to Computer World, company managers have been told that they should “identify work performance problems among employees” so that Amazon can make a total of 20,000 layoffs.

The 20,000 employees would represent 6% of corporate staff and 1.3% of the company’s total workforce, which amounts to around 1.5 million employees.

“There is no specific department or location mentioned for the cuts; it is across the business,” a source reportedly told Computer World.

“We were told this is as a result of over-hiring during the pandemic and the need for cost-cutting as the company’s financials have been on a declining trend,” they added.

Amazon Scale Back After Pandemic Boom

Unlike some rival tech companies, Amazon’s stocks soared during the pandemic, with demand for deliveries skyrocketing.

This state of play, CEO Andy Jassy says, “forced [Amazon] to make decisions at that time to spend a lot more money and to go much faster in building infrastructure than we ever imagined we would”.

Now, after posting its slowest growth figures in two decades this July and “overbuilding”, Amazon is looking to scale back its operations, with more layoffs likely to come next year if previously circulated internal memos are to be believed.

Tech Layoffs: A Sector-Wide Issue

Amazon, of course, is not the only multi-national tech company trying to cut staff numbers as a result of the dire economic forecasts for next year and a looming recession.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in early November that he’d “decided to reduce the size of [Meta’s] team by about 13% and let more than 11,000 of our talented employees go.”

Apple, conversely, said last month that it was being “very deliberate” when it came to hiring, with Tim Cook adding that the iPad manufacturer wasn’t hiring “everywhere in the company”.

Just before this, in mid-October, Microsoft also announced layoffs “across multiple divisions” but confirmed soon after that less than one thousand staff members would be affected.

Of course, Elon Musk’s recent acquisition of Twitter also resulted in mass staff layoffs, although it’s hard to parse how much of this was financially rather than ideologically motivated.

With supply chain issues, a lack of consumer buying power, and other rising costs directly related to global issues like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine all expected to hurt tech companies’ ability to grow heading into 2023, it’s likely more layoffs in the tech sector will follow.

A recent study has revealed that the vast majority of US adults feel “overwhelmed” by their email inboxes, while a third have admitted defeat and abandoned or deleted them altogether. 

The continuous adoption of business communications platforms like Microsoft Teams, the proliferation of collaboration tools such as project management software, and the threat of phishing attacks together create a strong case that email may not be fit for contemporary workplace communication purposes. 

But, considering the billions of emails sent every year, it’s unlikely we’ll be kicking the habit any time soon – however good the alternatives may be. 

Email Overload: Every Employee’s Nightmare

According to data compiled by email management software provider Gated, which surveyed 560 working US adults and complemented it with responses from 1,500 Gated users, 62% of people agree that it is hard to focus because of digital distractions, while 67% of people feel “overwhelmed by their inbox”. 

More worryingly, 82% of survey respondents reported missing important emails because their inbox is too full, while 73% said they received too many “unsolicited” emails. 

33% of those surveyed said they were spending more than one hour a day dealing with their email inboxes, while almost three-quarters said they felt “guilt or stress” over emails they have not read and replied to.

30% of US adults surveyed have gone one step further and “declared email bankruptcy” – either “entirely deleting” or “abandoning” their inbox due to email overload.

This drastic action is made more understandable, however, by the fact that Gated found 28% of work emails were “not of immediate value” to the recipient.

Email Is No Longer the Best Way to Communicate at Work

While email inboxes have become increasingly overcrowded in the past decade, better ways to communicate with work colleagues, such as Slack and Microsoft Teams, have gradually emerged.

Communicating through these apps, which arguably share more similarities with social networking platforms like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger than they do with email, removes the vast majority of use cases for internal, colleague-to-colleague email correspondence.

Meanwhile, project management software and other business tools such as CRM systems have continued to expand their suites of collaboration tools in an effort to centralize communications around singular apps and promote efficiency. Team instant messengers and project message boards, for example, are now commonplace. 

Although email is certainly still the best way to contact someone that works for another business, 22% of US adults say email is no longer their primary source of external communication, according to the survey. Contacting clients, customers, and other companies via Twitter and sites like LinkedIn is much more prevalent than ever before.

Is Email Dead? Not Quite

Yet, despite significant developments in the world of business communications, according to Gated, 82% of US adults still use email as their primary source of internal communication at work. 

The first email was sent over half a century ago, all the way back in 1971. A modest take on the relevant technological developments that have taken place since then would be that we’ve positively diversified our lines of workplace communication – but many would say we’ve created significantly more efficient avenues to talk to one another.

Couple these advancements with one of the major disadvantages of email – that it’s a hotspot for phishing campaigns and scammers attempting to exploit unsuspecting victims, as well as endless spam and junk mail – and you wouldn’t be a fool for thinking the communication method is on the way out. 

But we are, after all, creatures of habit. With over 319 billion emails sent in the year 2021 – a number which is predicted to rise, not fall, in 2023 – it’s unlikely we’ll be giving it up any time soon, whatever cutting-edge communication tool might be just around the corner.

Amazon quietly announced its third exit from India this week, shutting down its entire wholesale distribution center for Bengaluru, Mysore, and Hubli.

The announcement, which will affect one of the largest neighborhoods in southern India, comes just weeks after Twitter cut 90% of its workforce in the same region, causing local businesses to question big tech’s commitment in South Asia.

Other businesses impacted by the colossal 10,000 Amazon layoffs include Amazon’s India food delivery service and Amazon Academy — the Indian e-learning platform.

While the company continues to make cloud investments in the country, it’s clear that mass tech layoffs so far have had a huge impact on the South Asian market.

Amazon Shuts Down Third Business in India

Despite having one of the largest growth markets in the world, Amazon has failed to crack India, resulting in its third business closure in the past few weeks, following the announcement of company layoffs.

Amazon, which pledged to invest $1 billion in small businesses in India in 2020, had made huge steps in the country, despite notorious protests questioning the company’s foreign business practice.

In 2020, Amazon launched an online food delivery service called Amazon Food in select parts of Bangalore, and in 2021, it launched an edtech online learning platform called Amazon Academy, both of which are set to close later this year.

Despite India having one of the largest online growth markets in the world, the country is still heavily reliant on independent neighborhood stores — which account for 90% of the country’s retail sales — despite its ecommerce market being worth an estimated $39 billion, according to the Guardian.

However, Amazon has struggled to compete with retail rivals like Flipkart, a retailer owned by the US giant Walmart, and ecommerce startups like Meesho and Tiger Global.

Is The Digital Market in India at Risk?

Despite Twitter and Amazon making significant cuts in the country, India is still one of the biggest growth drivers in the market. Ecommerce sales in India, according to Insider Intelligence, are still expected to soar, with projections of India hitting the $100 billion mark for the first time in 2023.

Amazon may be restructuring, but their investment in the region is still evident. Just last week, the company announced its second Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud unit in Hyderabad, pledging to invest more than $4.4 billion in the South Asian market by 2023.

Competition is fierce, with Google and Microsoft both operating cloud services in the region, however, this just proves that there is still a big drive to invest in other areas in the South Asian market.

If you’re looking for an alternative to remote or hybrid working, a four-day work week might just be the answer.

According to a six-month global study backed by researchers at Cambridge University, Boston College, and Oxford University, all participating companies reported a massive boost in their performance, productivity, revenue, and employee satisfaction across the board, after trialing a four-day work week.

The 32-hour week study, which monitored 969 people from 33 companies in the US, Australia, Ireland, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Canada also concluded that two-thirds (67%) of employees felt less burned-out with no significant increase in workload during the trial period, and 96.9% wanting to continue the experiment.

The results come at an interesting time, with businesses are under pressure to retain their top talent and improve their margins, but mass layoffs and changes to work from home policies have resulted in employees leaving in massive numbers. The new report suggests a four-day work could be a happy medium.

The 4-Day Work Week Study Global Findings

In 2022, 4 Day Week Global, a not-for-profit organization based in New Zealand, coordinated “the world’s first global, independent research into the impacts of a 4-day week,” recruiting 33 organizations with 969 employees in the US, Australia, Ireland, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Canada.

The study, which took place over a six-month period, monitored company revenue, performance, productivity, wellness, and other metrics during the 4-day, 32-hour work week with no reduction in pay. The results, released this week, were overwhelmingly positive.

“Companies are extremely pleased with their performance, productivity and overall experience, with almost all of them already committing or planning to continue with the 4-day week schedule…Revenue has risen over the course of the trial. Sick days and absenteeism are down. Companies are hiring. Resignations fell slightly, a striking finding during the ‘Great Resignation.’ Employees are similarly enthusiastic. And climate impacts, while less well-measured, are also encouraging.”

The statistics put forward a strong case for businesses looking to find a balance by encouraging workers to return to the office, but also in retaining their top talent. Here’s how the stats breakdown.

Four-day work week impact on businesses

• Overall revenue rose 8.14% (weighted by company size) in the six-month period
• Revenue across the board was up 37.55% compared to same six-month period of previous
• 63% of businesses found it easier to attract and retain talent with a 4-day week.
• Companies saw a 12.16% increase in the number of employees over the course of the trial

Four-day work week impact on employees

• 67% of employees reportedly felt less burned-out
• Fatigue levels decreased from 66% to 57%
• Sleep problems reduced from 59% to 51%
• Anxiety and negative affect also both fell substantially
• Employees with 4-day weeks are happier (78%) and less stressed (96.7%)

With remote work policies changing, and businesses forcing employees to return to the office, the four-day work week could be an alternative for those still in search of a better work-life balance. Most companies, however, may need more convincing.

Big Business Is Buckling Under Mounting Pressure

During the pandemic, companies saw a big surge in online spend, with more people streaming content, shopping, and spending time on social media, with companies hiring specifically to accommodate the increase in demand. When the world came out of lockdown, the boom inevitably subsided, with companies who had previously benefitted now facing a major economic downturn.

Productivity paranoia saw an increase in employer demands, with companies like Meta and Google demanding employees raise the bar on both product excellence and productivity, and employers redacting their work from home polices, demanding employees return to in office work.

Employees, however, aren’t happy. Mass resignations this year were recorded across the board, with top execs, like Apple’s Director of Machine Learning, quitting in opposition of the Apple’s work from home policy changes, demanding more flexibility within his team, showcasing just how high up the need for flexibility goes. Companies, however, are under pressure.

Soaring inflation has caused digital advertisers in the US to cut back on spend, impacting tech companies in particular, who rely heavily on the revenue. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve continues to increase inflation rates, with the central bank announcing its fourth straight increase of 0.75% just earlier this month, causing many companies to make cuts, leading to mass layoffs.

“We’ve seen a surge in layoffs in recent weeks because it’s becoming obvious that the [Federal Reserve] will need to keep increasing interest rates for longer than originally expected,” – Roger Lee, founder of Layoffs.fyi, told TIME.

Is The Four-Day Work Week the Answer?

While the four-day week experiment was a success in all the companies who participated, companies under pressure to meet targets during economic uncertainty may be hesitant to reduce working hours. The study, however, suggests that the impact of a four-day week may have the opposite effect.

Since companies redacted their work from home policies and demanded a return to in-office work, studies show that productivity in the US has actually hit an all-time historic low, suggesting that businesses do in fact need a change. Could a four-day week be the answer?

With quiet quitting on the rise, and companies struggling to retain their top talent, flexibility may have more of a positive impact on businesses than leaders may think.

While the five-day work week is still very much in place in the US, some companies have started testing out shorter weeks. With reports of a huge surge in applications on job openings despite the longer advertised hours. Unions are in favor too. The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) previously endorsed the “32-Hour Workweek Act,” first introduced by California Rep. Mark Takano last year, stating:

“It is past time that we put people and communities over corporations and their profits — finally prioritizing the health, wellbeing, and basic human dignity of the working class rather than their employers’ bottom line.” – CPC Chair Pramila Jayapal.

Maybe the four-day work week is the happy medium businesses and employees need.

The United States might not be as prepared for a cyber-attack as we think: A large majority of US defense contractors don’t meet basic cybersecurity requirements.

Specifically, a full 87% don’t meet core regulation standards, as a survey of 300 contractors has recently found.

It’s a sign that the country’s protective services aren’t quite up to snuff, and that’s concerning for the health and safety of our infrastructure and private data. But what are the exact standards that our bevy of contractors failed at?

Just 13% Contractors Scored 70 or Higher

The security standard is called the Supplier Risk Performance System (SPRS) score, and it’s a requirement under the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS). The US passed that supplement back in 2017.

Contractors are supposed to reach a score of 110 for full compliance. However, they only have to hit a score of 70 to reach the bare minimum. And yet just 13% of them reached 70 or higher, while the rest failed to reach that mark, research commissioned by CyberSheath has found.

Some additional takeaways about the survey’s findings:

• 80% lack a vulnerability management solution
• 79% lack a comprehensive multi-factor authentication (MFA) system
• 73% lack an endpoint detection and response (EDR) solution
• 70% have not deployed security information and event management (SIEM)

Worse, the same survey found most contractors didn’t meet another standard, the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), which is a framework that the Department of Defense released in 2020 and must be pass by any company bidding for contracts.

A “Clear and Present Danger”

CyberShealth hasn’t held back about these findings, calling them “shocking” and a threat to national security.

“The report’s findings show a clear and present danger to our national security. We often hear about the dangers of supply chains that are susceptible to cyberattacks. The DIB is the Pentagon’s supply chain, and we see how woefully unprepared contractors are despite being in threat actors’ crosshairs.” – Eric Noonan, CEO of CyberSheath

We covered the government’s commitments to closing the cybersecurity skills gap back in July, but these new results don’t look promising. And these days, cybersecurity is more important than ever.

Ransomware attacks and security breaches are up in recent years, and even the best pros have neared their breaking points recently, with one report from June of this year finding that 45% of cybersecurity professionals have considered quitting their jobs over rampant ransomware attacks.

Staying Cyber-Secure

The good news is that we are seeing some positive change on the horizon in 2023, with spending on cybersecurity set to rise in the next year by 10% to 15%.

Better software solutions like password managers, VPNs, and remote access software can help businesses small and large tackle the problem.

For the government and its defense contractors, though, we’ll need more than just a VPN. The wheels of change turn slowly in government, sure, but this appears to be a case in which they could be turning a lot faster.

As Musk continues to make sweeping changes to Twitter, including reinstating banned users, ditching moderation plans, and decimating teams designed to protect users, the company’s former Head of Trust & Safety thinks safety on the app can no longer be guaranteed.

And it’s not just former staffers that hold these concerns. As Musk continues to remove the platform’s checks and balances, advertisers are dropping like flies — with 50 of the top 100 agencies fleeing the app within the past week.

As recent events have shown, the safety and security of Twitter users have never been Musk’s top priority. But could this freefall in ad revenue be enough to change the billionaire’s tact?

Musk Continues to Cut Crucial Teams

Twitter is a less secure place to be following Musk’s takeover, according to Yoel Roth, the company’s former head of content moderation who quit the app over a month ago.

Speaking in a recent onstage interview, Roth explained that amid his many concerns, there aren’t enough workers remaining at the company that comprehend trust and safety to effectively control the platform.

The former official is referring to the widespread cuts that have recently taken place within the company, which appear to have particularly impacted teams designed to handle audience measurement and brand safety issues. These include sweeping layoffs that have taken place within the company’s analytics, insights, and consumer research team.

More shocking still, a recent report by Bloomberg has revealed that Musk has significantly reduced the size of the team responsible for tackling child sexual exploitation on the platform. The team, which was already being pushed to its limits before Musk’s takeover, has been cut in half, leaving ten people left to tend to all cases of child exploitation on the app.

To pour salt in the wound, this decision to leave behind a skeleton crew came just days after the billionaire Tweeted that stopping child exploitation was his top priority.

Removing child exploitation is priority #1. Please reply in comments if you see anything that Twitter needs to address.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 24, 2022

But unfortunately for remaining Twitter users, firing important safeguarders isn’t the only action Musk is taking to spark safety concerns.

Musk Welcomes Back Banned Users

In addition to the widespread layoffs, another one of Roth’s gripes with Musk’s handling of Twitter is his reinstatement of formerly banned accounts.

This follows Musk’s recent decision to welcome back banned users, including notoriously controversial figures Donald Trump and Kayne West. Blocked users will now automatically regain access to the site, despite the CEO formally proposing that each case would have to be reviewed by a moderation committee.

And Musk’s decision to drop the moderation committee has already prompted real-world consequences. According to a study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, homophobic and racist rhetoric on the app has spiked since his takeover of the platform.

Its actions like these that have led Yoel Roth, and thousands of former Twitter users that have ditched the app in favor of alternatives like Cohost and Mastodon, to turn their back on the platform. But unfortunately for Musk, Twitter users aren’t the only demographic fleeing the app.

Advertisers Are Ditching Twitter Amid Safety Turns

As fears around the platform’s safety mount, advertisers are leaving en mass.

According to Media Matters, 50 of the top 100 advertisers, which accounted for almost $2 billion in spending on Twitter since 2020, have stopped working with the app since Musk’s takeover. These include notable brands like VW, General Motors, Coca-Cola, Heineken, and Mars.

“Some of the things he is posting, including memes, are horrendous. The challenge for Musk and Twitter is that he will need to prove that this is an environment that is safe for advertisers, and so far we have not seen that.” – Annonymous agency leader

But while Musk assures remaining advertisers that Twitter aspires to be the “most respected advertising platform in the world”, he’s also doubling down on actions that jeopardize the safety of his users.

With no clear strategy change in site, and the platform’s ad revenue tanking, the future of Elon’s Twitter looks as unpredictable as ever.

While tech companies prepare for the upcoming recession with big budget cuts and brutal layoff plans, it’s important to remember that cybersecurity should be the last place you’re trying to save money.

The importance of cybersecurity is significant in the business world today. Unfortunately, the average business doesn’t invest nearly enough in preventing breaches and securing data, which can result in lost revenue, ruined reputations, and even the shuttering of your business.

Now, with virtually the entire business world looking to cut costs, business owners should be reminded that cutting costs in your cybersecurity department could have dire effects on the longevity of your business.

Cybersecurity Should Be Recession-Proof

While cybersecurity can feel like an unnecessary cost, resulting in no direct revenue, it remains one of the most important aspects of your business to invest in.

In fact, experts predict that, despite widespread cuts across the tech industry, cybersecurity spending is expected to increase by 10-15% over the next year and a half.

“Cybersecurity is actually getting special treatment in these recessionary times because of the increased threat perception.” – Santha Subramoni, global head of the cybersecurity business unit at Tata Consultancy Services

Increased threat perception is a bit of an understatement is regard to the current state of cybersecurity.

The Importance of Cybersecurity

Sure, experts and business owners are investing in cybersecurity, but how important is it actually? Well, according to a wide range of cybersecurity statistics and studies, you are really going to want to invest in cybersecurity for your business.

Right out of the gate, a data breach can cost the average US business approximately $10 million, which alone should be enough of a reason to shore up your security. Even worse, 83% of businesses view cybersecurity as important, but only 43% consider it to be a “top three” budget priority.

Remote work isn’t helping either. With employees working from home, cybersecurity is naturally a bit harder to nail down, creating security gaps that could cause serious problems.

“The digital footprint of our customers has increased exponentially. It’s not just the front production environments that are exposed to the internet. Everything is exposed to the internet because of remote working.” – Santha Subramoni

Fortunately, investing in cybersecurity doesn’t have to completely ruin you. While we highly recommend investing in a full-on IT department to handle security, there are some tools that can get you started on the right foot. Password managers and VPNs are a must for businesses with hybrid work models, allowing employees to access company systems without putting them at risk.

A new study has found that women want to work from home more than men want to, highlighting the importance of flexible work policies in attracting top talent.

For the last few years, remote work has become a staple of the business world. The pandemic encouraged millions of business owners to adopt the flexible work policy in hopes of curbing the effects of the virus. The paradigm shift promoted work-life balance, giving employees the freedom to get work done at their own pace.

Now, however, businesses are starting to demand employees return to the office, and it could be driving away a certain type of employee more than others.

Workplace Flexibility Is More Important to Women

According to a study from YouGov titled Workforce Insights, women want to work from home more than men do. The study, which surveyed 4,000 US individuals in the labor force, asked respondents about how important it was for a business to allow employees to work from anywhere.

In the survey, 71% of woman said that this was at least moderately important, whereas only 66% of men said the same. On top of that, only 12% of women said the ability to work from anywhere was not important at all, whereas 16% of men agreed.

“Given these gender differences, businesses that support flexibility with voluntary office work policies are likely to have the broadest positive engagement from workers.”

That’s not all, though. Women also view flexibility in working hours as more important than men, with 57% agreeing that it’s very important for a business to offer, whereas only 44% of men feel the same way.

Should My Business Offer Hybrid Work?

In short, your business should absolutely offer a hybrid work policy, and there are plenty of statistics beyond this study that prove it.

For one, productivity has been up across the board since remote work became popular. One study found that 32% of hiring managers said that productivity has increased under remote work policies. Another found that businesses experience a 22% performance boost when allowing employees to work from home.

More concrete numbers make it even harder to argue with. A Global Workplace Analytics study found that the average business can save up to $11,000 per hybrid work employees, thanks to everything from lower costs to higher productivity

Simply put, demanding your employees return to the office for some perceived company culture just isn’t the way anymore. As long as you have the right tools in place to facilitate productivity, communication, and security, like web conferencing software and password managers, you should absolutely be taking advantage of the hybrid work movement.

The tech industry’s honeymoon with remote work is coming to a close, as Snap joins other notable companies in doing away with the flexible policy.

At the start of the pandemic, tech giants like Snap were all too happy to jump on board the work-from-home boom. The infamously innovative industry paved the way for remote work, eventually spurring on the new normal of flexibility when it comes to your commute.

However, with a recession looming and tech layoffs abound, many companies have rescinded the previously flexible remote work policies, demanding employees return to the office for the majority of the week. And now, Snap has joined the fray.

Snap Employees Must Return to Office

In a company memo obtained by Bloomberg, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel informed employees that they would be required to be in the office at least four days per week. The update will apply to all 30 of Snap’s offices across the world and will go into effect in February of next year.

As for the reasons why, Spiegel is simply parroting the common line the productivity just isn’t the same with employees working from home.

“I believe that spending more time together in person will help us to achieve our full potential.” – Evan Spiegel, CEO of Snap

The policy change comes after Snap has struggled in recent months, reporting low quarterly revenue growth, with only 6% quarterly sales growth in late October, the lowest ever in the company’s history. Will a return to office actually help? Spiegel certainly seems to think so.

“We’ve forgotten what we’ve lost — and what we could gain — by spending more time together.”

This news is particularly unfortunate for the remote work movement, as Snap was one of the first and most generous adapters of the work from home policy. Snap now joins Twitter, who also revoked remote work status for its employees under the new owner, as some of the pioneers of remote work that have rebuked their previous work from home plans.

Is Remote Work Dead?

More and more companies are demanding that employees return to the office. So, the question remains: will this former paradigm shift end up as nothing more than an extended vacation from terrible commutes and boring company culture?

If you’ve gotten used to working from home, rest assured that your flexible work schedule probably isn’t going anywhere. While tech giants have made a stink about productivity and returning to the office, the majority of businesses are sticking with their remote work policies and have no plans to change them. Even better, the numbers back them up.

78% of CEOs say that remote work is here to stay and working from home continues to be the number one priority for top talent, which means that removing this policy is going to do a lot more harm than good.

Still, you need to make sure your business is equipped to effectively manage remote workers, which is where business tools can really help. Web conferencing and project management software can go a long way in facilitating productivity, while password managers and VPNs are excellent for maintaining a secure system with employees working from home.

TikTok is struggling to make a dent in the world of US and European ecommerce, and has now enlisted the help of a number of startups to try and reverse that trend and bring the Live Shopping craze sweeping Asia to other markets.

Currently, TikTok relies heavily on digital advertising to bring in revenue, although this has not been as reliable of a profit stream in recent months as it has previously and is forcing the company to look for alternative ways to make money.

Live Shopping is an integral part of the “social commerce” phenomenon – a general term for ecommerce experiences within which customers don’t even have to leave social media platforms to buy items – but other tech companies like Meta, as well as TikTok, have struggled with it in the US and Europe so far.

TikTok Teams Up With Ecommerce Startups

Digital advertising raked in $11 billion in revenue for TikTok during 2022, but the social media platform has struggled to make similar inroads in the world of ecommerce – so it’s drafting in some help.

Startups such as TalkShopLive, YunExpress and ChannelEngine all facilitate order fulfillment via integration with marketplaces and shopping technology.

TalkShopLive’s services were already requested by TikTok back in October, with the social media giant needing support for its North American rollout of a number of new shopping features that launched this month.

The company is, according to the Financial Times, also hiring staff to build an order fulfillment platform from the ground up.

A Mountain to Climb

The problem is that, for both customers and businesses, buying and selling items on TikTok hasn’t exactly been plain sailing.

Recently, several retailers that have used TikTok to sell items have informed the Financial Times that “the level of resources needed to sell on the app was not worth the returns”.

The paper also reports “around 200 new customer complaints” were being recorded daily during the summer, all related to users having shipping issues and long delivery delays.

Should Tech Giants Stop Trying to Make Social Commerce Happen?

By some metrics, certainly not. TikTok’s sister company Douyin, for instance, which is also owned by ByteDance and mainly operates in China, has seen a 320% rise in sales between April 2021 and April 2022.

But while Live Shopping seems to have really caught on in Asia, there’s significantly less enthusiasm for the retail phenomenon across Europe and the US.

TikTok parent company ByteDance isn’t the only big tech company to struggle with social commerce in European and US markets, with Meta announcing that it was phasing out its Live Shopping function in August.

The precise reason why this is the case is somewhat unclear at present, but many experts believe it’s simply down to entrenched tech and ecommerce habits. Most people in the west are used to buying products from Amazon or ecommerce platforms they recognize, rather than streamers.

Of course, this could change any time – especially when companies with the financial clout of ByteDance have money to throw at it until it does.

Twitter CEO Elon Musk has stated that he intends to reinstate the accounts of previously banned Twitter users, he said in a Tweet on Thursday.

The social media platform has already reinstated two high profile accounts in that of Donald Trump and Kanye West, but now it seems that the floodgates could be about to open.

With many Twitter suspensions in place for racist and homophobic behavior, as well as Covid and political misinformation, the move is likely to be controversial.

Twitter Puts Down the Welcome Mat for Banned Users

In a tweet on Thursday, Musk told followers that he would be offering an amnesty to those who had had their Twitter accounts banned under the site’s previous ownership.

Much like he did with Trump’s reinstatement, the ‘Chief Twit’ posted a poll, asking if those who hadn’t ‘broken the law’ should be allowed back on the platform.

Should Twitter offer a general amnesty to suspended accounts, provided that they have not broken the law or engaged in egregious spam?

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 23, 2022

After the results of the poll were finalised, in which 72% of respondents stated that banned users should be allowed back on, Musk followed up the poll, voted on by over three million people, with the latin phrase “Vox Populi, Vox Dei” – the voice of the people, the voice of God.

It’s the same phrase that Musk used when he canvassed opinion on reinstating Trump, although that poll proved slightly more popular, with over 15 million votes.

Who Could Return to Twitter After Ban Lift?

The list of those who have been suspended from Twitter is long, and makes for grim reading. Musk has already said that reinstatements won’t be gifted to those who broke the law, but even with this in mind the move will still be a controversial one.

Many of those who were suspended from Twitter in the past were done so due to the use of racist or homophobic language. Many more were banned Covid or political misinformation.

It’s a cast list of abrasive figures whom are unlikely to have turned over a new leaf since their original bans, leading to fears that reintroducing them to the platform could lessen discourse and stoke controversy.

Despite the seeming free-for-all of unbanning potentially thousands of accounts, there are some users who won’t be welcomed back on the platform. Musk has already stated that conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ suspension will remain in place.

Musk Ditches Moderation Committee

Shortly after taking over Twitter, Musk had originally stated that all bans would be subject to review by a committee formed of ‘widely diverse’ viewpoints.

However, it appears that this proposal has since been canned by Musk, who later followed up the tweet saying “A large coalition of political/social activist groups agreed not to try to kill Twitter by starving us of advertising revenue if I agreed to this condition. They broke the deal.”

It appears that under the new amnesty, banned accounts will simply be reopened, without any moderation taking place, as Musk’s message doesn’t make reference to any such process.

Fears about an increase in offensive and aggressive language on Twitter aren’t unfounded. One study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that shortly after Musk’s takeover, use of homophobic and racist slang rapidly spiked.

Google’s reign as the last major tech firm not to make major layoffs could be coming to an end, as the company launches a ‘performance management system’ that could result in 10,000 workers being terminated.

According to The Information, managers in the company have been asked to place 6% of employees on the review, as the company grapples with the same issues that are plaguing the rest of the tech industry.

And as Google prepares to send a large proportion of its workforce packing, it’s turning to an unlikely tool to solve its productivity problems —  generative AI. Here’s what we know about Google’s strategy change so far:

Google Plans to Axe 10,000 Workers Under New Productivity System

As layoff season continues, it appears that Google may be following in the footsteps of other major firms like Meta and Twitter, by preparing to let go of 6% of its workforce, roughly equating to around 10,000 employees.

These cuts would be carried out under the guise of a new performance management system, that the Silicon Valley company is launching to recover costs and solve its productivity issues.

According to The Information, under this new system, managers have been asked to categorize 6% of employees that they deem to be underperforming. Sources close to the company reveal that these selected employees could see their jobs being lost as a result, with layoffs expected to take place at the beginning of 2023.

Aside from politely showing ‘underperforming’ workers the door, this scheme also reduces the percentage of employees that can achieve a high rating, meaning a large number of workers might miss out on incentive bonuses and stock grants in the company.

This new management system, which was announced by Google way back in May, is a lot more comprehensive than the previous model, which only placed 2% of employees under review.

Why is Google Resorting to Job Cuts?

While this is the closest the software company has come to announcing widespread job losses, Google’s gripes with productivity are nothing new.

Back in September, leaked audio messages revealed that Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, admitted the company had become “slower” after its headcount ballooned throughout the pandemic. In response, Pichai unveiled a plan to “simplify the company” to make it “20% more efficient”.

But what exactly did this plan entail? Well, as it transpired, Pichai’s vision involved making pretty major cuts to its research and development Area 120, and subsequently, laying off employees who were working on canceled research projects.

And unfortunately for Google’s workforce, Alphabet’s forecast is looking even more somber since Pichai’s plan was first announced. The company’s profits dropped 27% in the third quarter of this year, due to weaker-than-expected earnings and revenue.

So, as Google continues to face the same issues as the rest of big tech, it’s hardly surprising that their workforce is, once again, taking the brunt. But as Google looks to reduce its headcount, looking elsewhere to resolve its productivity issues.

Is the “Future of Software Engineering” Generative AI?

As Google continues to ramp up its investment in AI, the company is rolling out a clandestine program that leverages machine learning to create code, according to sources cited in The Insider.

The project, which is being dubbed “Pitchfork” by company insiders, is part of a wider effort to embrace “generative AI”, an advanced technique that uses algorithms to create images, videos, and code.

But these tools aren’t just being used to build code. According to anonymous Google employees, the technology being used has been designed to learn programming styles, before generating new code based on these learnings, with the ultimate goal of  “teaching code to write and rewrite itself”.

“The idea (for project Pitchfork) was: how do we go from one version to the next without hiring all these software engineers?” – Anonymous Google employee

For software engineers that are already being squeezed out by widespread hiring freezes, Google’s adoption of self-writing code technology could sound pretty worrying.

Yet, with most major tech companies cutting costs ahead of a potential downturn, and Twitter’s new CEO and “chief Twit” Elon Musk publicly struggling to find “anyone who actually writes software” after firing 2,000 staffers, its likely that generative AI could be the answer to big tech’s productivity problems.

Despite the pandemic feeling like an increasingly distant memory for many in the US and Europe, one in four workers are worried about catching the virus at work.

Thanks to video conferencing software, millions were able to collaborate from the safety of their homes as Covid raged on – but now, more and more companies are demanding employees be in the office at least one day a week.

Businesses should be aware that staff anxieties may persist well into the future, even as case numbers continue to fall.

Gallup Poll Showcases Staff Concerns

Despite few to no restrictions remaining across the country, a recent Gallup poll shows that one in four employed adults in the US still say they are “very” (6%) or “moderately” (20%) concerned about being exposed to the coronavirus at work.

A third of people are currently “not too concerned” about Covid in the workplace, while 41% are “not concerned at all.”

The figure of 26% of workers being concerned about Covid released just this week is actually slightly down on the 33% figure Gallup recorded in July 2022.

A year ago, this figure was 36%. The highest recorded rate Gallup ever recorded was in July 2020, when 51% of employees responded that they were concerned.

Some Groups are More Concerned Than Others

Gallup says that concerns about catching Covid at work continue “to be more pronounced among women, Democrats, education workers, and healthcare workers, than it is among their counterparts”, despite an overall decline in all groups.

However, Democrat concern has plummeted since July, falling 13 percentage points to just 38%, as it has among those working in the education sector, with concern dropping from 53% to 40%.

There was no change among employees that consider themselves politically independent (which has stayed constant at 26%), while there has been a small change among republicans, with only 9% concerned (down 5 points).

Give Employees a Say When Working Out Arrangements

It can be tempting, especially if your company’s employees have nestled nicely into a groove of flexible working, to just let employees come in whenever they want, or not at all for that matter.

However, it can be pretty frustrating commuting all the way into the office, only to find that the colleagues you wanted to spend time and collaborate with have decided to stay at home – even if you can still contact them on Zoom or another video conferencing service.

There can be benefits to instituting a “team day” or a minimum amount of days employees are expected to be in the office. The poll results show, however, that it’s likely some staff may have Covid-related concerns with coming in.

It’s crucial to involve your staff in the planning of such “team days” and delegate it to department or team managers if you’re part of a larger business.

Many staff worried about Covid will have very genuine concerns, many of which will likely be based on medical issues – but there is an array of other working arrangement worries they may want to voice – and they’ll appreciate you giving them the time to do so.

There’s a way to create a system that works for everyone, and ensure staff are benefitting from your office space while feeling safe and happy.