Business info - issue 144

Cyber security EMAIL REPORTING SERVICE LAUNCHED GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is inviting members of the public to forward suspicious emails to an automated Suspicious Email Reporting Service co- developed with the City of London Police. Emails linked to malicious content will be taken down or blocked as part of NCSC’s existing takedown activities, which have already removed thousands of online scams. These include fake online shops selling fraudulent coronavirus-related items, malware distribution sites, phishing sites and advance-fee frauds, where large sums of money are promised in return for a set-up payment. NCSC has also launched a new Cyber Aware campaign to counter the activities of cyber criminals exploiting lax home working security practices and people’s fears over coronavirus. It advises computer and internet users to: 1 Turn on two-factor authentication for important accounts. 2 Protect important accounts using a password of three random words. 3 Create a separate password that you only use for your main email account. 4 Update the software and apps on your devices regularly (ideally setting them to ‘automatically update’). 5 Save your passwords in your browser. 6 Back up important data to protect yourself from being held to ransom. There is also specific advice relating to the use of video conferencing services. n In a survey by UK-based cybersecurity software company SentryBay, 42% of the 1,550 home workers surveyed said they had received suspicious emails in the first five weeks since lockdown began, with 18% having to deal with an actual security breach. Almost half (49%) say they feel vulnerable due to the insecurity of the PCs and laptops they use to connect to their corporate networks. www.ncsc.gov.uk BULLETIN businessinfomag.uk magazine 08 Workplace EMPLOYEESWELCOME RETURN TOWORK While many Britons fear the end of lockdown, research by Toluna and Harris Interactive shows that more than half (57%) of employees are either ‘enthusiastic’ or ‘relieved’ at the thought of returning to more ‘normal’ working arrangements. Not that anyone is expecting ‘business as usual’. Among the 607 UK employees questioned, there was broad recognition that the workplaces people return to will be different to what existed before: 25% expect pressure to be much higher; 30% are expecting more redundancies; and 36% believe there will be salary, promotion or recruitment freezes. Vijay Mistry, Head of Employee Experience Research for Harris Interactive and Toluna, said: “Employees recognise there will be major adjustments as businesses attempt to get back on track. In fact, employees expect they will have to work harder with fewer resources than before the pandemic. They also understand career opportunities and rewards will be limited by comparison, acknowledging their role in the recovery of the wider economy and future success of their employer.” In return, employees expect employers to be more flexible, with 47% expecting to see improved home working arrangements and 51% anticipating increased flexibility around working hours. They also want greater transparency and better communications: 41% want regular updates on the company (e.g. financial and performance updates) and 51% want regular team meetings. tolunacorporate.com Learning TEACHING SUPPORT FOR HOMEWORKERS To help employees adapt to working from home, learning solutions provider Emerald Works has launched a COVID-19 support pack containing more than 20 free articles and videos on a range of subjects, such as staying focused while working from home, running virtual meetings, mental health and decision-making under pressure, problem- solving, working in a virtual team, managing emotion in a team, keeping calm in a crisis and mindfulness in the workplace. The COVID-19 Support Pack is available on the EmeraldWorks Mind Tools platform, which provides customised online learning solutions and features a library of almost 2,500 resources accessed by more than 24 million people each year. EmeraldWorks, launched in January, combines three established learning organisations – GoodPractice, Towards Maturity and Mind Tools – in one global company.With offices in Edinburgh, London, Horsham, the US and Australia, every month it serves more than 2.5 million learners and learning professionals in 180 countries. www.emeraldworks.com Digital signage SIGN OF THE TIMES Zoom-bombing toddlers and pets make entertaining YouTube content, but aren’t so great if you are trying to project a professional image in a conference or concentrate on an urgent piece of work. To minimise the risk of interruptions from housemates or family members – those who can read at least – ePaper specialists E Ink and Visionect have launched a home office version of the latter’s Joan meeting room display. Attached to the door or wall outside a home office, Joan Home connects to the user’s calendar, displaying their current availability and calendar/schedule for the day, as well as custom content, such as a task list or digital photos. The ePaper-based display is entirely wireless and can be installed without drilling using an adhesive-backed magnetic sticker. Highly energy-efficient, it only needs to be charged every few months. https://getjoan.com/shop/joan-home/ Technology TRAINING FOR SUCCESS Employees who get sufficient training on remote working technologies are five times happier (56%) at work than those who are not offered any support (11%), according to an online survey of 2,000 flexible workers by managed IT services provider 99&One. Trained workers are also more than twice as likely to say that they get more work done in the same amount of time when working flexibly.