Month: March 2022

Tommy McAnairey helps increase carbon monoxide alarm ownership by over 200%

Independent research commissioned by Gas Networks Ireland shows that three out of every four households in Ireland now own a carbon monoxide alarm, an increase of 212% on 2014 when Gas Networks Ireland first introduced the animated canary character, Tommy McAnairey, in its carbon monoxide awareness campaign.

Gas Networks Ireland’s Networks Safety Manager, Owen Wilson, said the goal must be to get to 100%.

“We are delighted to see the increase in ownership of carbon monoxide alarms, however not every home has one yet,” Mr Wilson said.

 “Statistics indicate that, on average, six people die in Ireland every year from carbon monoxide poisoning. 

 “A carbon monoxide alarm can alert you to the presence of this deadly gas and potentially save lives.”

Most homes in Ireland use gas, oil or solid fuels for cooking and heating.  Boilers, cookers, solid fuel fires and other fuel burning appliances can produce dangerous amounts of carbon monoxide if they are not installed properly, are faulty or are not used correctly.  The research indicates that awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide is now as high as 92%. Last year, Gas Networks Ireland advanced the safety campaign to remind the public to give their carbon monoxide alarm a monthly test.

 “Carbon monoxide is an odourless, colourless gas that can be produced when any fuel is burned, including coal, turf, oil, gas and wood,” Mr Wilson said.

 “At low levels carbon monoxide can cause sickness and at high levels it can kill in as little as three minutes, so it is important to have an alarm and test it monthly.

“Carbon monoxide poisoning is preventable and that’s why we’ve been using our loveable singing canary, Tommy McAnairey, and his catchy songs to make people aware that while having a carbon monoxide alarm in your house will significantly reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, it needs to be working correctly for it to be effective.”

With Tommy’s help urging people who already have an alarm to check their device on a monthly basis to ensure it’s still in working order, the research shows that 40% of adults checked their alarm within the past month, up from 25% in 2018.   The number who tested their alarm in the last 6 months at 61%, up from 55% in 2020. Altogether the campaign has won over 25 advertising industry awards to date, including winning three Shark awards and a further two Art Directors of Europe Awards in 2021.

Earlier this year, Gas Networks Ireland introduced the fourth part of its carbon monoxide safety campaign, again featuring the iconic Tommy McAnairey, this time advising on the steps to take if your carbon monoxide alarm goes off. To find out more about the causes, signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning and how to protect yourself and others, visit https://www.carbonmonoxide.ie/ or call the Carbon Monoxide Awareness Line on 1800 89 89 89.

Gas Networks Ireland also promotes public safety through the gas escapes emergency service, Dial Before You Dig, meter tampering and using a registered gas installer campaigns.

U.S Health tech company Signify Health to create 125 jobs in Galway

Signify Health  a leading U.S. value-based healthcare platform that leverages advanced analytics, technology, and nationwide healthcare provider networks, today announced the opening of a new technology centre that is expected to create more than 125 new technology innovation roles in Galway during the next two years.

The technology centre – which will be located in Galway City – will drive technology innovation for Signify Health as it changes how U.S. healthcare is paid for and delivered so that people can enjoy more healthy, happy days at home.

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Trade & Employment, Leo Varadkar TD said: “I’m really pleased Signify Health has chosen Galway City for its new Technology Centre. It’s a real boost to the city and will create over 125 new jobs by 2024. This investment is a testament to all Galway has to offer and the company can expect to draw from a deep pool of talent and expertise when recruiting for these new jobs. I wish the Signify Health team the very best in this exciting new chapter.”

Founded in 2017, Signify Health is a technology-enabled services company whose mission is to lead  the transformation of the U.S. healthcare system to one that aligns payors, providers and patients to achieve the best health outcomes for individuals.  Signify Health currently employs more than 2,000 people in the U.S., and has a national mobile network of approximately 10,000 credentialed physicians and nurse practitioners.

“The team at our Galway technology centre will be designing solutions that solve some of U.S. healthcare’s most difficult and elusive problems,” said Josh Builder, Chief Technology Officer, Signify Health. “Our success will depend on being able to apply a diverse set of experiences to the challenges we face in enabling a patient-centric, cloud-based environment that brings healthcare wherever health happens. We know first-hand that Ireland is home to professionals who not only have the experience we need, but who are energised by opportunities to make a meaningful difference in healthcare, and we are excited to now also call the West of Ireland home.”

For its first phase of recruiting, Signify Health is seeking candidates to fill a range of roles in product management and software engineering as well as scrum masters.

IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan said: “Today’s announcement by Signify Health is a significant one for Ireland’s growing InsureTech sector and is an endorsement of the high quality of talent available in Galway and the West Region.  This announcement is an exemplar of IDA Ireland’s continued commitment to winning jobs and investment in regional locations.  I wish Signify Health every success with this investment.”

 To explore career opportunities at Signify Health’s new technology centre go to signifyhealth.com/ireland

Forget Karen, Davids are set to be the biggest complainers of 2022

What started out as an innocent name, ‘Karen’ is now a pejorative term used to describe ‘an uptight, middle-aged woman that wants to speak to the manager’*, according to definitions online. But is this really accurate? Are Karens the worst of us all when it comes to online complaints?

MrQ has analysed almost 80,000 negative reviews on Trustpilot and TripAdvisor for some of the most popular brands, dining venues, tourist attractions, and supermarkets, to reveal the people most likely to submit a complaint.

The top 10 names most likely to leave a negative review online

Over the last few years ‘being a Karen’ has turned into an online meme, with people posting videos on social media of people lashing out at others for no good reason. But when it comes to leaving negative reviews on the Internet, which names top the list?

Davids rank as the biggest complainers on the Internet

Male names dominate the top 10 list when it comes to complaining online, with David taking the lead with a total of 1,028 reviews. This is followed by Paul and John, with 969 and 967 reviews respectively. Sarah rounds off the top 10 and is also the top female name most likely to leave a scolding review, with 0.6% of all reviews analysed coming from a ‘Sarah’.

Results show Karen’s really do complain one of the most online, coming in as the second-highest female name to leave a bad review

Overall, men are 131% more likely to complain online than women, but which female names leave the most negative reviews?

Rank

Name

Gender

No. of one-star reviews left

1

Sarah

Female

508

2

Karen

Female

373

3

Emma

Female

335

4

Julie

Female

320

5

Lisa

Female

297

6

Susan

Female

287

7

Laura

Female

260

8

Claire

Female

259

9

Michelle

Female

249

10

Jane

Female

242

While there are people that object to being called a ‘Karen’, the trend does in fact live up to its name as it comes in second place for most likely to complain online (with 373 negative reviews). Interestingly, more old-fashioned names such as Julie, Susan, and Karen rank as the biggest complainers, compared to more millennial names such as Daisy.

Lakeland, Home Bargains and Oak Furnitureland rank as the most loved brands according to reviews data

Rank

Brands with the LEAST negative reviews

% of one-star reviews

Brands with the MOST negative reviews

% of one-star reviews

1

Lakeland

1%

Hamleys

89%

2

Home Bargains

3%

Early Learning Centre

84%

3

Oak Furnitureland

4%

Disney Store

80%

4

Toolstation

4%

Peacocks

78%

5

Vision Express

4%

Build-A-Bear Workshop

69%

Lakeland is crowned the UK’s most loved brand on the internet, with just 1% of over 77,000 reviews receiving one star, closely followed by the discount store Home Bargains (3%). On the other end of the scale, toy retailer Hamleys has the least satisfied customers, with an astounding 89% of all reviews being negative with just 1 star.

The supermarkets with the biggest complaints online, with Asda receiving the most scolding reviews

Rank

Brand

Total reviews

% of one-star reviews

1

Waitrose

3,262

52%

2

Morrisons

6,427

57%

3

Tesco

10,580

60%

4

Aldi

4,372

62%

5

Iceland

3,921

62%

6

Lidl

2,802

67%

7

Sainsbury’s

7,661

71%

8

M&S

314

73%

9

Asda

9,870

75%

Asda takes the lead as the UK’s supermarket with the most negative reviews, with an astonishing 75% of reviews (out of almost 10,000) receiving just one star. Meanwhile, Waitrose revealed to be the least complained about supermarket, however 52% of all reviews were still negative.

Once again, men are more likely to leave one-star reviews for supermarket brands, with people named John leaving the highest number of complaints.

Fast food chains lead the way as the worst-reviewed dining venues

Rank

Brand

Total reviews

% of one-star reviews

1

KFC

2,492

79%

2

Burger King

857

74%

3

Papa John’s

1,582

73%

4

McDonald’s

3,750

72%

5

Harry Ramsden’s

73

70%

A large percentage of customers visiting some of the world’s most famous establishments were clearly very unhappy with their visit with KFC topping the list with almost 80% of all reviews being negative. Burger King followed closely at 74%, and the pizza chain Papa John’s at 73%. On the other hand, Krispy Kreme and Frankie & Benny’s had the lowest ratio of one-star reviews, with 30% and 32% respectively.

Big Ben is the most complained about tourist attraction

Compared to supermarkets and fast food chains, tourist attractions were found to have a fairly small amount of negative reviews. Big Ben has the most one-star reviews (31% of all reviews), whereas the likes of the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Edinburgh Castle saw just 1% of negative reviews:

Rank

Brand

Total reviews

No. of one-star reviews left

% of one-star reviews

1

Big Ben

2,423

761

31%

2

Eiffel Tower

140,568

1,255

1%

6

Colosseum

147,358

795

1%

3

Edinburgh Castle

51,627

420

1%

7

British Museum

72,845

370

1%

5

Tower of London

65,987

357

1%

4

Natural History Museum

37,068

266

1%

9

Niagara Falls

31,538

…

Tech Review – The Konftel C2070 conferencing system

The Konftel C2070 came in a complete kit which comprised of a conference speaker ( Konftel 70)  and a 4K video resolution Camera ( Konftel Cam20) with a Konftel OCC Hub which connects the kit to the laptop by one USB cable to provide Audio and video, this is suitable for a Huddle to Medium room size. 

 

Specification:

SPEAKERPHONE

  • Product name: Konftel 70
  • Technology: OmniSound® with support for HD audio, full duplex, automatic echo cancellation and noise suppression
  • Microphone: 4 digital MEMS microphones. Beamforming audio pick-up.
  • Connectivity: USB 2.0 micro-B, Bluetooth 4.2 Class 1 (HFP/HSP/A2DP), 
  • NFC for easy pairing

 CAMERA

  • Product name: Konftel Cam20
  • Resolution: 4K Ultra HD/30 fps
  • Zoom: 8x digital zoom
  • Focus: Auto
  • Field of view: 123°
  • Wall bracket: Included
  • Remote control: Included
  • Mounting: 1/4″-20 UNC

HUB

  • Product name: Konftel OCC Hub
  • USB: 3.0
  • Driver: DisplayLink

UNBOXING THE KONFTEL C2070

 

Setup:

The setup is easy, follow the quick guide instructions as given or connect the wires as shown visibly on the Konftel OCC Hub, one connected, connect the Yellow USB direct to a Laptop, On windows 10 and above the drivers are downloaded within a minute or 2 and ready to use the kit.  As with all connections when using various conference software, Teams, Zoom, and video meet initial set up is important to ensure the correct speaker, and the camera is connected as the default. Again if using e.g. Google meet the mute button does not change the icon on the screen. The Camera can be configured via the 8x digital zoom to ensure the whole room is captured or specific teams as required. The remote ( supplied with batteries ) works instantly for slow or fast zoom. 

Konftel 70 Layout

Once set up the colour options are great to see when the volume is increased or decreased or red to view on mute on a call.The Konftel OCC Hub has a spare HDMI socket to allow the use of a dual monitor which is great as an extra within the hub.

Demo recording:

We have tried this with our colleagues for a podcast using the  Konftel 70  (recording after  1 minute into this podcast ) situated on the desk to give an idea of the audio mic picking up the conversation to an iPad recording.  Red Rhino Radio #Episode three with Actor, professional body piercer and Martial artist Baz Black

Overall:

This is great to have all the kit supplied by one manufacturer to ensure no compatibility issues are observed, all the kit is connected via one hub. The kit came with all the required accessories, cables, remote, battery to ensure easy setup.  Konftel experience from 1988 knows the disappointment of setting up a kit only to find additional cables or accessories are required, 5 minutes before an important conference call.  Konftel got the complete kit spot on. 

The speaker is large and has an excellent audio mic quality throughout the room, this has superseded many other units in terms of blocking out unwanted audio distortion with the typical keypad typing minimised on tests. The speaker has its internal battery to allow direct connection to e.g. a phone /laptop via Bluetooth to ensure ease of use when setting up quickly as required no cables. This in theory can be used as a speaker for your music albeit a bit of an overkill for this use.

Overall for ease of setup, quality audio and the zoom option of the camera, with the multipurpose option of the speaker as part of the kit or stand-alone kit, this is a remarkable option for any conference room or makeshift conference call. 

BUY

Video LInk

Twelve South releases new version of BackPack shelf for M1 iMac stand

Twelve South, a leading designer of innovative and stylish Apple accessories, has today launched a new version of its popular BackPack storage shelf for the 24-inch M1 iMac.

BackPack is a ventilated shelf that attaches to the rear of the iMac stand, providing a neat display or storage solution for hard drives and other peripherals, allowing users to declutter their workspaces.

Previously only available for 27-inch iMac models, users of Apple’s latest desktop computer can now add the handy shelf to their setup as Twelve South has now launched an updated version of BackPack, with some neat new features.

Like its predecessor, it features a compact design and is made from matte white aluminium that seamlessly compliments the iMac M1 stand. It’s ideal for decluttering cables and other desktop essentials, or, if the rear of the desk faces colleagues or customers, BackPack can display sales and marketing materials, desk figurines, collectibles, small photos, awards or even miniature plants.

It also has ventilation holes so that it can safely house gadgets and hard drives and USB-C hubs without running the risk of overheating. Included twist ties can also be used to tidy up cables.

The new BackPack now also includes a handy strap for utilising the space underneath the shelf, as well as on top, doubling the amount of storage or personalisation space.

BackPack for iMac M1 is available now from Amazon UK, RRP: £39.99.

The original BackPack, is also still available to buy so Apple users with 27-inch iMac models can purchase the innovative shelf for their iMac.

Safecility’s ‘Safeblock’ Project to Use Satellite Technology To Transform Building Safety and Monitoring

Dublin-based Safecility, an Internet of Things (IoT) specialist startup that focuses on smart and safer buildings, has been chosen by the European Space Agency’s Space Solutions Programme to demonstrate a new blockchain-based database for building safety. Currently, building safety is managed on paper or spreadsheets and has yet to adopt the transformative change that digital technology can bring.  The project, Safeblock, starting in Q1 2022 will address this challenge through sensors, geolocation and distributed ledger technology (blockchain), providing timely, accurate and transparent information for a range of stakeholders.

Safecility will demonstrate a database capable of verifying legally-required safety data collected from smart sensors in buildings and publishing it to a secure database that cannot be manipulated. The data will make use of the GNSS  (Global Navigation Satellite System) derived positioning data  to authenticate the data entries.

Safeblock supports trust by offering a standard for transparent and immutable data from devices in buildings and making a database directly available to key stakeholders, such as owners, tenants and regulators. Safeblock addresses key issues internationally around building safety, trust and compliance and the Safeblock standard will support more trusted sharing of information, better safety enforcement and support moves to introduce a Golden Thread for building safety.

Safecility already develop and sell their smart building sensors for emergency lighting and fire safety across the UK and Ireland. The company offers a platform to manage compliance testing and reporting to customers. With ESA support, the company will offer Safeblock so building safety data can be shared among all parties in a trusted way. The startup has already been shortlisted for five  awards including the UK’s Housing Digital Innovation award for its technology and ambition.

The two year project is rolling out in Q1 2022 and supports Safecility’s vision to support safer communities through technology. It also underlines the importance of research, development and innovation to the startup’s success and represents another vote of confidence in the IoT sector in Ireland.

Speaking about the announcement of the contract, Safecility CEO Cian O’Flaherty said “We are delighted to continue our work with the  ESA’s Space Solutions programme on Safeblock. They have supported this project since its inception and are a fantastic resource for companies with innovative ideas for services using space data and technology. Safeblock will fundamentally change how building safety is managed and improve transparency, trust and safety in buildings. Technology has a crucial role to play in ensuring ongoing safety of buildings to the standards we all want. We see Safeblock as a key tool in the regulator’s toolbox to keep owners, tenants and occupants informed and safe. It can address global challenges with a simple, truthful record of building safety built on sensors that report in real time. In the same way we have come to expect a BER (building energy rating) for any property, a BSR (building safety rating) is now becoming possible.”

“Since 2018 Safecility has been awarded more than €550,000 in Research, Development and Innovation contracts”, he continued, “this has enabled the company to increase staff and contribute to the development of a vibrant Irish Internet of Things startup community. With the support of the ESA, Safeblock will now recruit additional roles in development and engineering. This project cements Safecility’s reputation as leading global innovators in the field of smart, safe buildings.”

Rita Rinaldo, Head of Projects and Studies Implementation Division at ESA added “Through the Business Applications and Space Solutions programme we support start-ups and new-entrants to the space sector such as Safecility to develop, test, and scale-up their business proposition. Safeblock is an excellent demonstration of the innovative utilization of GNSS, IoT and digital technologies applied to the housing sector. It will contribute to solve the urgent issued around building safety faced by tenants, occupants and regulators, delivering a standard to be used internationally.” 

Welcoming the announcement, Gearoid Mooney, from Enterprise Ireland said:

“Safecility is an ambitious, innovative company that is changing how we monitor and report on the critical issue of building safety. The European Space Agency contract will support Safecility to combine the most advanced satellite positioning technology into its building safety management platform leading to safer living environments for building occupants and tenants.

 “Safecility is one of a number of Irish start-up companies use space-based solutions to develop commercial market opportunities.  This access to transformative technology is  supported by the Government’s investment in the European Space Agency.

Seven of the World’s Ten Most Successful E-Vehicles’ Manufacturers Rely on Continental Tyres Ex Works

As sales of EVs continue to grow across Europe, premium tyre manufacturer, Continental Tyres is highlighting that its tyres are now relied upon by seven of the ten highest-volume manufacturers of electric vehicles. In Ireland, we have seen a 132 percent growth in the sale of electric vehicles year to date 2022 versus the same period last year.

Brands using Continental tyres as original equipment for their electric vehicles include Tesla, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, as well as Kia and US manufacturer Ford.

Co. Meath native David O’Donnell, who leads the original equipment business at Continental Tyres, commented: “We develop tyres for different electric vehicles and their fields of application – whether they are small cars for city traffic or off-road SUVs.

“As the only vehicle-to-road connection, the tyre makes a very important contribution to underlining the required driving characteristics of the vehicle model.

“We are proud that so many manufacturers around the world are equipping their vehicles with our premium tyres – this is proof of our development expertise and the premium quality of our products.”

Continental’s research has shown that tyres are responsible for up to 20 percent of a vehicle’s total resistance and therefore have a significant impact on energy efficiency.

Energy efficiency is important to vehicle manufacturers – and therefore for Continental’s original equipment tyre business – as they work hard to reduce the CO2 emissions of their fleets.

Low rolling resistance is also in high demand for the owners of electric cars, for whom efficient driving is understandably a priority. Reduced rolling resistance has a clearly measurable positive effect on the environment, as well as ensuring maximum mileage per charge.

Dr. Holger Lange, who heads up tyre development for Continental’s original equipment business, added: “With our specific rolling resistance-optimised tyres, we are contributing to more climate-friendly and sustainable mobility. We combine our decades of experience in tyre development with findings from various practical tests and development co-operations with well-known manufacturers.

“Recently, we introduced a special tyre for vehicles of the Stellantis brands Peugeot, DS and Opel/Vauxhall which exceeds the requirements of the EU tyre label rating A for energy efficiency by around 17 percent. This tyre is particularly low in rolling resistance but has also received the top EU tyre label rating A in wet grip – an outstanding achievement by our engineers and material experts.”

Continental has developed a series of special technologies that meet other tyre requirements specific to electric vehicles, which are available in original equipment and replacement products.

These include ContiSilent technology, which reduces rolling noise levels in the cabin by as much as nine decibels – something that’s especially important to EV drivers, because the absence of noise from the engine makes road noise significantly more noticeable.

ContiSilent is a special foam layer applied to the inside of the tyre tread to absorb vibrations from the road. It’s compatible with all commercially-available rims and does not affect a vehicle’s performance, fuel consumption, load capacity or top speed.

Another innovation designed to put drivers’ minds at ease and support road safety is ContiSeal, whereby a highly elastic protective layer on the inside of the tyre encloses penetrating foreign bodies in fractions of a second and seals the damaged area when the foreign body is removed from the tread – which can be achieved simply by the tyre’s ongoing rotational movement.

Around 80 percent of punctures can be remedied immediately in this way, ensuring safe continuation of driving and eliminating the need for added load in the form of a spare tyre.

EVs are already heavier than vehicles with internal combustion engines because of the battery units they carry. In fact, the increased weight of vehicles on the road has partly influenced the requirement for a new HL (high load) designation for tyres.

Continental has been producing passenger tyres with the new HL load index designation since 2021. When inflated to the same pressure, the new ‘HL’ marked tyres have a higher load capacity than those built to the familiar XL standard.

The load capacity of the HL tyre with load index 101 is 825 kg, which is a ten percent increase over the XL standard

An Overview of Business Communication Channels You Should Be Using

The medium through which a message reaches an audience is a communication channel. The audience can be your internal or external stakeholders. Internal stakeholders are people within your organization, such as your workforce and managerial team. On the other hand, your key customers, prospective buyers, investors, and vendors constitute external customers. 

A few examples of such communication are as follows. 

Internal Stakeholders: You might send an update to your company’s employees about a new organizational change. 

External Stakeholders: You are about to launch a new product. And, you send a few prospects in your sales funnel some marketing messages. It could also be as simple as sending your existing customers a greeting. 

There are a variety of ways that you can send these communications. The traditional face-to-face and written communication channels are great for certain activities. Then there are the more new-age channels like mobile and digital. 

Even newer channels like video messages combine the benefits of old and new channels. Bigvu has an engaging guide on how you can use such cutting-edge channels. For example, video emails allow you to share your body language, tone of voice, and sincerity in your communication. 

Oral Communication 

An oral channel is considered the richest way for you to get your message across. These include things like face-to-face, telephonic conversations, customer presentations. They also include video meetings, conferences, and lectures. The messages delivered through this medium have a low level of distortion. That is because the audience also perceives your body language and the intonation of your voice. Apart from the message itself, these provide a separate layer of meaning. 

Additionally, this medium also has the advantage of instant feedback. This medium, however, is the most labor-intensive. The number of individuals involved in this channel is the highest in number. They are highly effective in delivering sensitive messages. 

For example, when there is a likelihood of layoffs in a company, you, as the leader, should use an oral channel. It will create a sense of assurance in your employees, avoid anxiety, and be used externally. If, for instance, you are about to discontinue a product that is crucial for a small set of customers. 

Written Communication 

Emails, text messages, reports, spreadsheets, memos are all a part of this channel. These types of communication are sparser. Thus, you must give appropriate context to what you are writing. Without this, the words in the messages might get interpreted incorrectly. You must also ensure that you remind the reader to inquire and clarify anything ambiguous. With this form of communication, you cannot guarantee that your message has been seen. Since these types of communication are received in large numbers, yours might just get lost in the crowd. 

However, they have their uses. When you write something to your customer, they have the liberty to absorb it over a long period. It also allows you to send a large amount of information to your customer at one time. When you need to send complex materials that need to be studied, this is the best form. Contracts, proposals, and price quotations are some good examples of this type of communication. 

Electronic Communication 

Traditional modes of electronic communication are television and radio broadcasts. In comparison, newer modes are social media, web pages, and blogs. This channel has the broadest reach and is the quickest medium. This channel also allows for segmented marketing and will enable you to deliver targeted marketing messages. 

This channel is highly efficient, yet it does carry some inherent risks. Hacking has become a serious threat to this type of communication. The technology that enables electronic communication is vulnerable, especially when a company stores unencrypted data. Cybercriminals can steal sensitive customer files and private communications. 

So which channel do you choose? A rule that you can follow is this. The more the emotional component of the message, the richer the medium needs to be. When you need to send a very quick standard message, like scheduling an urgent meeting, an email will work best. 

What if you need to cancel a lunch meeting? Then a personal phone call works much better. In reality, though, channels work best in combination. After a face-to-face customer meeting, the best idea would be to give them written notes of the meeting. It ensures that both parties have the same understanding of the terms and provides scope for future reference. 

 

Is Zero Trust Security Necessary For You?

Once Google adopted Zero Trust Security into its network, it began to gain interest from the tech community. Zero trust is recognized as a reliable network security method to prevent data breaches. The model implements a policy that treats each user as a potential threat until authentication. 

An effective cyber security model limits the risk of exposure and implements potent contingencies. All of these factors are taken into account with Zero Trust network access. Assuming a constant threat keeps the system vigilant in identifying potential threats and securing the network. 

How Does Zero Trust Work?

The Zero Trust principle has become a standard practice in tech. It works to offer network and cloud security; it is based on two safety principles that dictate its structure. This model does not take security for granted at any stage. It varies from traditional security models in two ways:

Constant Vigilance 

Newer models have always taken a more trustworthy approach in maintaining security. Devices already in the network do not come under scrutiny. Instead, they have access to any data contained within the network with verification. Without endpoint security, a network would be left vulnerable to internal attacks.

Zero Trust does not assume a device or user is safe simply based on its user history or network access. Instead, it automatically assumes any device seeking access is a potential threat and treats it as such. Access is also always limited to what is needed, limiting exposure. 

Data Collection   

User access, unlike traditional models, is not based on one-off verification. Zero Trust security continuously monitors every access request. It analyzes risk exposure for every device to minimize the impact of data breaches. This entire process requires collecting and updating device data.

Before authenticating a device, the process involves monitoring endpoints, perimeter networks, and enterprise zones. It also collects and continuously assesses user identity, credentials, authentication protocols, and risk assessment data. A supportive IT infrastructure maintains network security by analyzing this data.

How is Zero Trust Necessary For You

With Zero Trust security, your network is protected at every step. Security is never taken for granted, which reduces the risk of a breach. As it becomes a standard for data security, it has highlighted the internal risks posed by traditional security models. Without Zero Trust, increasing security threats leave your network vulnerable. Here’s why Zero Trust is no longer optional:

Internal threats

Having internal access used to be the basis of trusting a user or device on the network. While some of the greatest threats come from outside sources, they should not automatically overlook potential internal threats. Zero Trust uses a “trust no one” policy that takes this factor into account. 

Risks of Cloud 

Cloud-based networks are becoming more commonplace with WFH policies starting with the pandemic. Cloud security has become imperative as employees are spread out over more expansive geographical areas rather than working from a single location. 

Traditional models based on perimeter security cannot cater to this aspect. Moving from the private data center to the public cloud requires a shared responsibility model. Zero Trust considers the involvement of other parties when implementing security. 

Need for Limiting Access

Not everyone involved with the organization needs access to its entire network. Traditional models cannot limit data or segregate users based on their access authentication. Corporations deal with many external parties, such as contractors, who need access to only a tiny data segment.

Trust dimensions in Zero Trust security limit access to data based on the user’s needs. Instead of allowing total access that increases risk, this approach protects the company from unnecessary network access. 

Increasing External Attacks  

The world of cybersecurity has been undergoing rapid expansion in recent years. At the same time, cyberattacks have been on the rise. Especially with the move to e-commerce during the pandemic, businesses have become victims of increasing attacks and are open to greater risk of an attack.

New threats call for a new and aggressive approach to cybersecurity. This is provided by Zero Trust security that does not automatically trust any device and stays more vigilant in network protection.  

Conclusion

With expanding online networks and databases, and company operations moving to cloud-based networks, cybersecurity has become an increasing concern. With this in mind, Zero Trust has now come to define the standard of security to protect organizations from malicious attacks. 

Without Zero Trust, organizations leave themselves vulnerable to internal and external threats. A robust and vigilant approach is the best practice in limiting exposure and preparing contingencies. Zero Trust is not only necessary but vital for network security.