Technology is experiencing a talent shortage, with developers in high demand -- the tech resignation rate rose by 4.5 percent in 2021 according to Harvard Business Review. For some employers, this shortage is driving investment into existing talent or prompting the growth of talent from scratch. But many startups lack the staffing levels or time to train people, and they are competing against tech giants for experienced staff. In these cases, finding and hiring the right people can make all the difference.

Finding the right people means keeping a hawk-like focus on the skills and attributes the business actually needs and looking for talent wherever it can be found. There are many misconceptions about what makes a good software developer and a successful career path. By examining these misconceptions, a business can identify the individuals that will build their winning teams. The key here is not just the individuals, but also building the team. Software developers are not well-known for their soft skills but here’s the catch: who are the software developers with the most successful track records? Those individuals who have emotional intelligence and communication skills in equal proportion to their smarts.

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New analysis by CybSafe of data from the UK Information Commissioner's Office shows 80 percent of data breaches reported in 2021 were caused by user error.

A total of 2,692 reports were sent to the ICO last year 80 percent of which could be attributed to actions taken by end-users, though this is down from 90 percent in 2020.

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A new report reveals that 53 percent of organizations have experienced a cyberattack on their cloud infrastructure within the last 12 months.

The 2022 Cloud Security Report from Netwrix shows that was the most common type of attack, experienced by 73 percent of respondents.

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When you contact a large organization it's increasingly likely that, in the first instance at least, you'll find yourself dealing with a chatbot rather than a real person.

Most of these are based on some form of AI, but are they really all that clever? Deon Nicholas, CEO and co-founder of Forethought, doesn't think so. We spoke to him to find out more and discuss whether there might be a better solution.

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Keeping up with the technology curve is a vital part of staying competitive for any business in any field. Digital transformation, for example, is no longer optional -- and enterprise resource planning (ERP) is among the most crucial aspects of digital transformation.

In short, an ERP system consolidates an enterprise’s day-to-day processes, allowing for centralized management and visibility. Resolving administrative bottlenecks and increasing agility with ERP gives a competitive edge that no company can afford to ignore.

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Data breaches are everywhere. They’ve become so common-place that according to a new Imperva research report, more than a quarter of us (27 percent) don’t even bother changing our passwords even if we know they’ve been compromised.

For many, insecurity has become the default -- something that we just have to live with. The idea that hackers could steal our data, our money, even our identity is the cost we accept in order to live in the digital world. If we want to use services like online banking or social media, we have no choice but to give up our data in exchange.

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Not all products need to be exciting. Sometimes, a device can just serve to accomplish a task without wowing anybody. Take the all new Monoprice 5-in-1 USB-C to 4K HDMI Display Adapter and USB Hub, for instance. There are countless products like it, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't check it out. Why? Because while it is not exciting, it is very affordable.

As the name implies, Monoprice's new offering pulls double-duty as a USB hub and display adapter. It will turn one USB-C port on your computer into three USB-A ports and one HDMI port. The video output supports resolutions up to 4K@60 (depending on your computer's USB-C port). And yes, it has a USB-C port for pass-through power delivery -- it can handle up to 100W.

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The 'Great Resignation' phenomenon has snowballed in the UK, with almost three-quarters of a million UK workers choosing to change jobs in Q2 2021. High employee turnover is usually a consequence of businesses not providing their workers with the right training, benefits, development opportunities, and job satisfaction. Poly's research confirmed this, with over half (58 percent) of organizations seeing a higher turnover in staff over the course of the pandemic. Now that employees who used to exclusively work in an office have had a taste of what they expect from their workplace in terms of hybrid working opportunities, employers face an enormous challenge: retaining and recruiting talent. 

What steps should employees take to ensure that their workforce remains satisfied and motivated when there is no guaranteed blueprint to overcome the challenges of high turnover? 

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A recent report by the UK government suggested that strengthening and supporting digital ecosystems could add another £41.5bn to the economy by 2025 and support 678,000 new jobs. Supporting data skills and coding throughout education should be a key part of the school curriculum for young people in order to address the skills gap in the long term.

Theoretically, coding is more accessible than ever before. Nowadays, all that’s needed is a computer and a connection to the internet; these are both now more common than they’ve ever been.

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When it comes to comms, the pace of change is increasing and with a shift to remote working and study, the need to be flexible and fast is more important than ever. In 2015, BT announced that its PSTN/ISDN lines will be turned off in 2025. Given the rapid evolution in the way we communicate, now is as good a time as any to be prepared for this.

The decision to switch off has been made largely due to both technologies becoming outdated and unable to handle the volume, speed and quality of data in today’s increasingly digital world. But what do you need to know, and how can one prepare?

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Surfshark is one of the best VPNs on the market for several reasons -- not just its affordable pricing and reliability. The service is cross-platform and available on all major operating systems, including Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and Android. In fact, there is even a Linux version of Surfshark (with a GUI) for Debian-based distributions and derivatives, such as Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Pop!_OS.

Recently, Surfshark added an antivirus service at no added cost, making it even more of an incredible value. However, people were understandably hesitant to depend on a brand-new antivirus service to protect their computers and devices. Well, folks, it seems any concerns were unwarranted. You see, today, Surfshark announces it has received the coveted VB100 certification from Virus Bulletin.

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As things are returning to normal it’s clear that businesses are keen to find their footing when it comes to defining the workplace. While the UK Government has urged Civil Servants to return to office working, others are embracing remote working on a part or full-time basis.

Recent data from the Office for National Statistics shows that the UK is getting back into the office once again. As of February, this year, there has been a decline in the percentage of people working from home -- 15 percent compared with 26 percent in January 2022. And there has been an uptake of people traveling to work over the same time period. On the other hand, the cost of living crisis is also having an impact as a survey of 1,000 UK workers revealed people were apprehensive over the associated costs of working from an office.

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When it comes to fraud, you can never be too careful. Especially when you hear about the brass neck of some criminal gangs that are increasingly adopting the persona of legitimate businesses to peddle stolen credit card details and other financial information.

Fraud-as-a-service (FaaS), as it’s known, has become an industry in itself, with criminals able to provide a one-stop-shop for scammers to rip-off customers and businesses. These organized fraud rings -- often manned by career professionals who know how to bypass rules-based systems -- are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is growing and shows no signs of stopping -- almost. In 2020, IDC estimated global spending on the technology would more than double by 2024 to hit $110 billion. Investors feel the same enthusiasm. CB Insights reported venture capital for AI startups in Q3 2021 reached a record $17.9 billion. Yet, even in the bright light of such success, a shadow is being cast. Even as AI is exploding, trust has leveled out, and that could eventually stall its progress and acceptance if we are not careful.

Given how widely AI is being deployed, many organizations are content to look the other way; so long as there’s value, no need to ask questions. But what about transparency and responsibility? If a company can’t trust its own algorithm, why will consumers? Case in point is the Apple Card launch in 2019 in which a noticeable difference in credit lines offered to men vs. women was revealed. Turns out, a faulty AI design failed to have gender input. Further, Apple hadn’t been following the algorithm closely for bias. That’s how launches and reputations are undermined.

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As long ago as 2004 no less a figure than Bill Gates was predicting the death of the password. But here we are almost 20 years on and passwords are still the primary authentication method.

So passwords look set to be with us for a while yet, however, 90 percent of internet users are worried about getting their passwords hacked. Cybersecurity company Ping Identity has been looking at passwords and how to use them safely for both businesses and consumers.

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