Whether you like it or not, the internet is an inescapable part of day-to-day life. Everything from communication to entertainment to information access has a home on the world wide web, offering limitless access to information in seconds. However, the online world is also ripe with risk, leaving many vulnerable to costly cyberattacks.
Thankfully, you can safeguard your privacy online by implementing proper precautions. Read on for seven cybersecurity tips to keep your information safe while enjoying life online.
Use private browsing
A straightforward yet effective way to protect your online privacy is by utilizing private browsing settings. With the simple click of a button, you can search the web without leaving a record of your browser activity. However, it’s worth noting private browsers cannot combat sophisticated tracking applications. So, if you’re looking for additional protection, consider installing a VPN to direct cyberattacks away from sensitive info.
Don’t reveal your home address
Though it may seem safe to enter your home address into online shopping sites or internet forms, even secured sites are prone to data breaches. Thankfully, you can circumvent the system by utilizing mailroom P.O. boxes—a separate address for packages and mail. You can even sign up for cheaper virtual address options, enabling you to forward deliveries to your home without compromising your address.
Use tracking protection
Though web browsers have built-in tracking protection to block third-party surveillance, many users employ additional security features to ensure online anonymity. For example, Disconnect and Ghostery are free browser extensions that disrupt direct pathways to your server, keeping you safe from hover-happy sites.
Use two-factor authentication on your accounts
Though it may be frustrating, enabling two-factor authentication on email and social sites can save you from low-level hacks and password breaches. In addition to entering your passcode, authentication applications will generate a unique, one-time code necessary for entrance. By adding a second layer of security to your online accounts, you can reduce the risk of a costly cyber attack.
Don’t over-share on social media
Though it’s typical for social media users to share personal information online—whether through pictures or words—over-sharing on the world wide web comes with a price. For example, uploading a photo with identifiable features can compromise your location, leaving you vulnerable to online and in-person threats. So, next time you upload to Instagram or Facebook, think long and hard about the information you’re sharing with the online world.
Always use strong passwords
The simplest way to protect yourself against data breaches is by creating strong passwords and updating them frequently. Instead of leaning toward the traditional route of birthdays and maiden names, consider throwing in numbers, symbols, and capitalization to throw hackers off your trail.
Use virtual private networks
A virtual private network–or VPN—protects your personal information by encrypting data before leaving your computer and traveling to an off-site server. Whether you’re protecting yourself from public Wi-Fi networks or simply want a security cushion at home, installing a well-reviewed VPN can keep tracking to a minimum.
What’s next?
The internet is both a precarious and powerful tool. Unfortunately, many online interactions aren’t secure, which is why implementing proper security protocols is a must for internet enthusiasts. By enabling private browsing, upgrading to a VPN, and upgrading all passwords, you can enjoy the online world anxiety-free.
Trolley Problem, Inc., a darkly comedic philosophical adventure which judges players on their awful choices, will be launching onto PC on 21April 2022.
Described by Forbes as “2022’s most important game…” Trolley Problem, Inc. is a deeply thoughtful and thoroughly awful narrative game which pressures players into making decisions based on genuine philosophical problems and then judges them – and the world.
With scenarios that challenge opinions on vaccinations, war, immigration, corporate espionage, religion… even the nature of decision making itself, Trolley Problem, Inc. will take players on a journey that could ultimately change how they view the world, themselves and ultimately the concept of free will.
Players are initially assessed as new recruits to Trolley Problem, Inc. – their suitability for employment determined through some initial introductory problem solving which only affects the lives of a few people and a dog. Two choices are offered – then a countdown begins. Pick the option you feel is right – but justifying your decisions to any family or friends watching you? Well, that’s your problem.
Oh, and Dead Ringers, SpittingImage and Skins actor Jan Ravens will be the one questioning all your choices by the way. No pressure.
“Everything is awful at the moment,” says Samuel Read-Graves, developer of Trolley Problem, Inc. “so what better way to take your mind off that fact by playing something which will make you feel worse? Trolley Problem, Inc. presents some genuinely testing and morally challenging scenarios based on philosophical problems and has been designed to spark debate in a format only possible through videogames. The journey isn’t entirely bleak – there are moments that I hope will make players laugh out loud – but ultimately, it’s a game about making hard choices and discovering more about yourself and how your moral compass compares with the rest of the world.”
Trolley Problem, Inc. features:
55 intensely thought-provoking multiple-choice questions across a 90-minute playtime
Streamer mode allows content creators to engage with a live viewing audience
Multiple profiles allow local players to compare and discuss their choice – whilst global statistics reflect the choices players across the world have made
References to the original philosophical papers
A host of unlockables to discover throughout the game
The strangest ‘Achievements’ ever featured in a video game
Voice acting by Dead Ringers, Spitting Image and Skins actor, Jan Ravens
Support in 10 different languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Arabic
Trolley Problem, Inc. can be wishlisted on Steam now and is currently part of the London Games Festival, listed under ‘Games Are Good for You’.
Trolley Problem, Inc. will be available on PC on 21 April 2022 priced at £8.99 / $10.99 / €10.99. It has been developed by ReadGraves and will be published by Yogscast Games.
As digital ecosystems have become increasingly complex—with content scattered across a sea of browser tabs and apps—creators, solopreneurs, and distributed teams need a better way to organize everything and keep work moving. That’s why Dropbox has been focused on building and improving capabilities that support all of your cloud content and workflows.
If you’ve ever spilled coffee on a laptop or had a computer crash for no apparent reason, you know the stress and heartbreak that come with losing your content. The newest iteration of Dropbox Backup is designed to take away those headaches. Building on Dropbox’s already popular backup functionality, Backup has been upgraded with new features, including a new restoration flow, settings to manage your backups on your computer, and more.
An easy-to-use alternative to other backup tools available in the market, Backup gives you the option of choosing a robust, standalone cloud backup solution from Dropbox, even if you don’t have a Dropbox account.
While cloud sync services can free up space on your hard drive and let you access, share, and collaborate on your content with others, Backup gives you extra peace of mind by automatically backing up a copy of your files and folders that can be quickly recovered from the cloud if needed. With Backup, you can make sure you’ve preemptively taken the steps you need to protect your most important files, such as photos, videos, and personal docs.
Simplify your backup experience. Manage everything from your desktop—one place to check progress, view history, and prioritize specific files.
Be prepared with an automated safety net. Keep backed-up files separate from your shared files, so you won’t have to worry about overwriting your emergency backups.
Rely on fast recovery if things go wrong. Start recovery with just a few clicks, and your files will be automatically restored from cloud backup.
“Dropbox Backup is excellent. You can easily back up all the files that you want to, make changes anytime, choose which folders you want to back up, and access your files everywhere.” —Arvin Velarde
Dropbox Backup is available across all plans. Backup is also available as a standalone offering for new and Basic users, so even those who don’t yet have a Dropbox account can benefit. To learn more, visit dropbox.com/backup
Launch your digital business with Dropbox Shop
With the rise of the creator economy, more people are turning their passion into a business. Last year, Dropbox launched Dropbox Shopin private beta, and now it’s introducing updates to the experience. Available today in open beta, Shop lets content creators sell and share their digital content—right from Dropbox.
By enabling you to sell directly to your customers, Shop lets you maintain ownership and control over your business and audiences. The latest updates to Shop help you elevate and customize the way you bring your digital content to customers. With the new version, you can customize your storefront and URLs, embed HTML codes, and add tipping capabilities.
“What I really like about Dropbox Shop is that it’s very easy to use, and you can create a Shop very quickly. It allows me to focus on what I’m good at instead of figuring out the logistics of a new platform.” —Sally Schönack
Dropbox Shop beta is available today to individual users on Dropbox Basic, Plus, and Professional plans in the U.S. If you’re on a team account or outside of the U.S., you can sign up for the waitlist at experience.dropbox.com/form/shop-sign-up
Move work forward with HelloSign Templates, PDF Editing, and DocSend Dashboard Analytics
With HelloSign Templates, you can streamline eSignature requests by turning your most frequently used documents into templates directly from your Dropbox account. Create, save, and send Templates right from Dropbox to spend less time formatting those high-volume documents—such as NDAs, offer letters, SOWs or contracts—that you frequently send to different recipients.
You and your team can:
Create and edit reusable templates to prepare and send documents in a flash.
Track documents throughout the entire signing lifecycle and set automatic follow-up emails so no document ever falls through the cracks.
Automatically store and organize your signed documents within Dropbox, minimizing tedious manual work.
HelloSign Templates are available today to select Dropbox users in beta, and will be rolling out to all users in the coming weeks.
PDF files are one of the fastest growing content types on the Dropbox platform. In 2021 alone, the number of PDF files shared on Dropbox grew by 40%. Customers told the company that they needed a simple way to take action on these files without leaving Dropbox. Now, a new PDF Editing feature eliminates the time and hassle of creating multiple PDF versions and switching between different platforms.
Rearrange, insert, rotate, and delete PDF pages
Fill out interactive forms
Manage multiple version by saving PDFs as a copy or replacing the original
PDF Editing is available today to select users in beta, and will be rolling out to all users in the coming weeks.
Animation of PDF Editing in Dropbox
Beforefollowing up with contacts, you need to know exactly which content your audiences find most engaging. DocSend Dashboard Analyticsprovides data-driven insights to help you identify your most promising prospects and learn which content captured their interest. Dropbox’s new analytic tracking includes a list of your most-engaged contacts, a more detailed log of recent visits that’s refreshed hourly, and a new option to sort by views, page visits, and time spent on documents.
Dashboard Analytics is available today to all DocSend users.
Bone conducting headphones are now a more common sight these days and becoming more visible in store and are a new approach to the audio experince we have tested several now at this stage and the latest offering from Naenka deliver here with their higher end model and are ideal for those who jog,cycle, do fitness and even swimmers they have a simple product with simple to use controls and overall makes it a simple product to use and enjoy no matter the use case you might want them for.
How Bone Conduction Headphones Send Signals to Your Brain?
Some creative minds found a way to make the sound waves pathway much easier, i.e. through bones. They are transmitted directly to the cochlea when the sound waves cause the head’s bones to vibrate, which further transmits the electrical impulses through auditory nerves to the brain. The impulses that reach the brain are the same that reach the ear. The technology has proven to be effective for people who have hearing impairments. The technology is even used to treat hearing loss in the medical field.
On board you get 8GB of storage which is a first I have seen in such headphones and this is great meaning whilst out on a jog or down at the gym you do not need your phone with you, they do have a proprietary connector which is always a bug bear for me mostly seen on smartwatches but you can forgive this caveat with all the other features on offer.
The build quality is great here and robust and will last after putting them through their paces for about a month they have been in the rain, in the gym and out on my bike and have not had one issue given they have been dropped a few times. Also worth noting they are great to have in your car too. Battery life is decent enough with around 240 hours of standby time and 6-8 hours of play
The sound quality is also quite good offering several formats of music files such as WAV FLAC APE WMA and MP3 with up to 1500 songs storage which is quite good if you ask me and more than enough for a few hours use doing workouts and so on.
You can also listen to your surroundings here to which is important for many these days but with the brighter nights now upon us it will not be that much of an issue, if you are with a group of friends out jogging or walking you can listen them and your music and podcasts on the go.
Naenka Bone Conduction Runner Pro Open Ear Wireless Headphones techbuzzireland
The 16mm drivers deliver decent sound too and one of the better of the few I have tried here in recent times and they do not annoy your passenger seated beside you on the bus or train for example. They are comfortable to wear to and after a few minutes you would forget they are there in fact.
The controls are great and simple here you have two buttons basically and you can take calls,higher and lower the volume skip and reverse tracks and also use your chosen voice assistant and the tactile buttons work really well all on one side making it super easy to use and easy to make the right selection.
Overall these are a well made easy to use product with and IP68 rating making them usable anywhere and easy to do so at that.
Check out the Naenka Lite Pro real hands on review where we show you the product and how they work and no stock images for context
Features
Runner Pro Bone Conduction Bluetooth Headphone
Born for sports
IP68 Professional sports waterproof bone conduction non – ear black technology
can be wear while swimming and bathing
Built-in 8G memory card
16mm large speaker driver, sound quality is shocking and layered
33g Lightweight device
The signal is as stable as wired
Comfortable wearing
plus size speaker drive
A new generation of vibration reduction technology
high performance of Sound.
Multiple layers of protection to maintain performance in harsh environments.
Seamless injection molding, integrated molding, to avoid water seepage magnetic suction contact charging change the traditional charging interface without liquid accumulation, anti-oxidation nano-coating on the chip to isolate water vapor
One-key switch between memory mode and Bluetooth mode
8G large capacity storage 1500+ music
WAV, FLAC, APE, MP3, WMA music format support
13mm high frequency resolution is thorough 13mm low and medium frequency dive surging
*The above data comes from laboratory tests, and the actual use environment and equipment are different, there will be slight differences
Businesses in Ireland are currently struggling to comprehensively measure, monitor and report on the range of metrics that they contribute to as part of the energy transition and in taking positive climate action. According to new independent research* conducted on behalf of clean energy supplier, Pinergy, by iReach, 27 per cent of SME’s, employing less than 100 people, do not currently have any tools for effectively measuring, monitoring and reporting their consumption/contribution when it comes to energy, waste, water, air quality and carbon footprint.
The research also highlighted the top three actions businesses are citing to take in reducing their carbon footprint in 2022 are a focus on reducing electricity waste (43 per cent), reducing landfill waste and increasing recycling (40 per cent) and reducing water waste (34 per cent).
Despite a growing demand and trend among businesses to play their part to become more sustainable, without the tools to monitor and measure their contributions, many will continue to struggle to effectively manage and implement these stated actions and targets.
In response, Pinergy has now developed a new measurement as a service proposition whose aim is to make measurement and reporting accessible to all businesses regardless of size with their simple to use technology.
Through this new service, Pinergy will give businesses the ability to measure the performance of their premises or buildings under various metrics. The objective is to ensure that ‘what gets measured, gets managed’. Pinergy will install a series of meters and sensors in the building of its customer, that will enable the business to measure electricity & gas usage (regardless of supplier), water usage, waste usage (with select waste companies) and most timely of all, the quality of the air in their buildings.
In terms of measurable performance indicators, Pinergy will be able to offer businesses real time data, automated reporting, target and benchmark settings, carbon reporting and various other sustainability measurements across each of the categories covering energy, water, waste and air quality. For Property Management firms in particular this information can really help in delivering on key ESG goals.
Companies are already using Measurement as a Service to streamline their reporting; John O Donovan with the JLL Management Agent team at The Tio North Dock One & North Dock Two building in Dublin said: “This is a service that is very important to us, for monitoring energy and utility usage which reduces cost and saves time by bringing together a number of different reports into one portal.”
Commenting on this latest development for Pinergy, Colm Foley, Channel Manager, Business, said: “At Pinergy, we are constantly looking for new ways that our customers can make the most of not only their energy usage but how they can most efficiently manage their buildings and premises. Not only can we now give our customers the ability to measure sustainability KPIs such as their carbon footprint, but we can also show how well utilities such as Electricity, Gas and Water are being used across their property portfolio.”
“Delivering our Measurement as a Service offering is empowering our customers with data and insights to make more informed decisions that are better for the business and better for the environment.”
* Research was conducted nationwide as part of the iReach Business Decisions Omnibus Survey Q1 2022. Over 200 SME businesses responded to the survey, delivering a high level of statistical accuracy.
Leading Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) infrastructure developer and drone operator Skyports has entered into two new commercial partnerships with Thome Group, a fully integrated ship management company, and Wilhelmsen Ships Agency, one of the worlds’ largest ships agents. Adding the reach and competencies of Thome and Wilhelmsen will accelerate Skyports’ ambitions in bringing drone delivery services to Singapore’s bustling maritime sector.
With strong backing and partnerships, Skyports is on the path to full-scale commercialisation of maritime shore-to-ship delivery services and the concurrent development of the necessary infrastructure to support these services for all industry players in Singapore and beyond
Mr Yun-Yuan Tay, Head of APAC, Skyports said, “Skyports is proud to be working with some of the leaders in the shipping and maritime industry, and to have forward-looking partners like Wilhelmsen and Thome recognise the importance and relevance of using AAM in their operations. Looking ahead, we hope to continue developing the AAM industry in Singapore and the region to enhance processes in the maritime industry – by reducing delivery times and carbon emissions, providing a new transportation option that is both more efficient and more sustainable.”
Wilhelmsen and Thome are two of the biggest players in the maritime industry, managing ships and providing agency services for thousands of vessels in Singapore’s port every year.
Separate trials will see Skyports in close collaboration with Wilhelmsen Ships Agency and Thome Group, as well as the Maritime Port Authority (MPA) in Singapore, and other government agencies. Skyports will lead the development and testing of the Concept of Operations (ConOps) for Proof of Concept (PoC) operations for shore-to-ship drone deliveries, leading into the operationalisation of drone delivery services in the maritime sector.
Skyports’ trials will deploy Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) deliveries from the temporary drone delivery distribution hub at the Maritime Drone Estate to vessels at pre-identified anchorages. Skyports is looking to complete up to 100 deliveries over the partnership period.
“Wilhelmsen is excited to be working with Skyports to incorporate drone delivery option into our service offering,” said MsJodie Reibel , VP Governance & Sustainability for Wilhelmsen Ships Agency. “We are committed to exploring new opportunities in renewables, zero-emission shipping, and marine digitalization, and this partnership with Skyports is just one example of such collaborations. The use of drone technology and digitalisation of shore-to-ship deliveries would improve efficiency of our operations significantly, and offer our clients a more sustainable and convenient option.”
MrPeter Schellenberger, Vice President, Supply Chain, Thome Group said, “Thome is continuously improving its services and offerings to enable customers to remain competitive in the maritime sector and is happy to be working with Skyports on this new collaboration. The company works closely with partners like Skyports to explore new technologies and methods to offer customers versatile solutions in ship management and offshore structure management. With the volume of cargo moving through Singapore’s port every day, the company sees the potential of the AAM industry to change the way the maritime sector operates and is looking forward to developing this further. Regulatory compliance is extremely important, and we work closely with our clients, suppliers, and principals to tackle important issues such as decarbonisation, sustainability, and governance. This forward-thinking approach has meant that the Thome Group is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading independent international ship managers.”
Mr Ng Yi Han, Director (Innovation, Technology & Talent Development), MPA said, “The agreements between Skyports and Wilhelmsen Ships Agency as well as Skyports and Thome Group are a testament to the potential of drone technology as they seek to develop drones for shore-to-ship deliveries in the unique operating environment of Singapore. The accelerating momentum for drone technology makes such partnerships important for both regulators and industry players to better understand how commercial operations can take place in our port environment to bring about commercial solutions that are effective and safe.”
Header image – The second contract signing ceremony took place between Skyports’ Head of APAC, Mr Yun-Yuan Tay (L), and Mr Peter Schellenberger (R), Vice-President, Supply Chain, Thome Group courtesy of Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
If you’re still using web traffic as an indicator of your website’s efficiency, it’s time to wake up. There are several strategies to get people to visit your website these days. An ambassador campaign, social media advertising, search engine advertising, service or product evaluations by professionals and many more options are all possible. But you can’t just sit back and wait for the visitors to come in and expect them to convert. How many individuals do the action you want them to take to test your e-commerce business? It may be signing up for a newsletter, purchasing a product, or granting authorization to email them. Follow our below tips to enhance the whole process.
1. Improve Your Paid Advertising
Having the incorrect aims might lead to the wrong result. Having a lot of visitors to your website might explain why your rate of exchange is poor. It’s a good sign when people interact with your ads and paid campaigns since your copy and graphics appeal to them. Nevertheless, when they go, you should also know that you didn’t attract the right audience in the first place. The second most critical step is to alter your target audience to increase conversion rates. To see if there is a difference in conversion rates, focus on a particular population group. Split-test your target audience segments and utilize the results to develop data-driven choices based on proven outcomes.
2. Your Calls to Action Should Be Boosted
Your website visitors may be reviewing your material and perusing the visuals of your items or services, and they may even be genuinely interested in them. However, how enthusiastic are you about bringing them on board? CTAs, on the other hand, are clear statements of what you want your people to do. In the same way, if your CTAs are bland, you’ll get the same response from your viewers. Because of this, you must ensure that your CTAs compel users to take rapid action. Tell them that a simple search may make a massive difference by showing them an imagined clock that is ticking. Assert urgency in the situation. With the right CTAs, you can tap into your audience’s innate desire to buy and increase sales.
3. Make Sure There Are No Surprises
The problem of cart turnover plagues e-commerce business operators. Shopping cart abandonment was at an all-time high of 90% in 2020. Baymard Institute estimates that the departure rate is 70%. When a customer adds a product to their basket and then leaves your site, they are considered to have abandoned the checkout process. The reason for this is that they were interested in purchasing anything from your shop, but something occurred that caused them to leave before they could complete their transaction. Almost half of the cart abandonment is due to slow checkout processes and hidden fees, according to a recent study by eMarketer. In addition, consumers may have been compelled to register an account before making purchases, either due to a sudden spike in pricing when a firm adds postage costs at the end first before the customer makes their payments. As you can see, both of these situations are huge turn-offs. Imagine that your website has just been discovered by a random person who happens to be browsing the web. Because you coerced them into signing up, the sale was halted. Another option is to Try Trustmary to improve conversions with customer testimonials.
4. Every Page Should Be Optimized to Meet the User’s Needs
In other words, why should someone come to a particular page on the website? It’s essential to know how they got there if they came from Google. Using these inquiries, you may discover more about what visitors are looking for when they get on your website. Your exchange rate will plummet, and your return rate will increase, according to the experts at trustmary.com, if the content on each page does not fulfill the user’s goal. You also lose vital SEO rankings if you don’t meet your customers’ needs. By the conclusion of the first passage, guests should recognize that they’re in the correct spot to find the answers they’re looking for.
5. Include Customer Feedback
When it comes to trust, people are more likely to put their faith in others than in companies. According to one survey, consumers between 16 and 35 place as much faith in online evaluations as they do in specific suggestions. In addition, study participants claimed 95% of their purchases were impacted by reading other people’s recommendations. So you’ll see an increase in your conversion rate if you include customer reviews and feedback on your site.
To boost your platform’s conversion rate, here are four straightforward methods. First, test and confirm your outcomes after implementing these tactics and optimizing your measurements. Then, an increase in your online company’s currency exchange rates is possible
As the internet has become an indispensable need for users today, routers are at every user’s home. An internet router is one of the required and utilitarian devices that makes the internet accessible.
When you use a router for accessing the internet, your entire web activity goes through it. And there are people, on the other hand, ready to capture it. Sometimes, they are also prepared to monetize it or interrupt it.
So, you cannot stop using the internet; you cannot exclude the router from the network; you cannot stop the information from passing through the router. What is the solution here?
Does your internet router collect data?
Yes, the internet router collects data daily, no matter which brand it is. The router is designed to collect and store information to be used for website optimization, marketing, and analysis purposes.
Big brands like Netgear, TP-Link, Asus, D-Link, etc., capture user data for marketing purposes. Some of the prime aspects that these brands collect are location data, websites visited, and other personal data identifiers.
While this may not seem like a big issue, the concern lies in the fact that the router companies can share this data with third parties. Your Internet Service Provider is one such entity that has access to your router and all the data passing through it. And in some countries, these companies can share or sell information about their users. Furthermore, there might be limited options for disabling such practices.
All the brands listed above share user data with third parties. Some claim that those third parties are in-house. It means that they have control over the fact that they do not use it unethically. However, some may share the data with unassociated third parties. These parties can use your data in questionable ways.
Do privacy policies help?
Whenever you install software on your device, it pokes you to accept some of its terms and conditions. Though we don’t take much time to tap on the “I Agree,” it can become dangerous if you don’t read them carefully.
If we talk about the privacy policies of the routers, they are designed in a complicated way. These policies are lengthy to read and are written in a vague manner with no specifics. The minimum length of the privacy policy is around 2000 words which takes 10 minutes to read. But it will take you more time for sure.
As they are tough to comprehend in one go, you may end up with more questions than answers. Some manufacturers have taken steps to improve their privacy policies by presenting them in a summarized form. But to understand it better, you must read the entire piece. So, privacy policies may not help you much.
How can you keep your data safe?
Now you know that routers collect your data and can be shared with third parties. Though no one can know who possesses their data, you can put some methods in place to keep your mind at ease.
Most router brands do not provide this feature; there are some that do. If you want to keep your data safe, you should opt-out of data sharing. When you disable this feature, the router will stop collecting data daily.
One way to minimize the information ISPs learn about you is to encrypt your internet traffic. It means that they won’t be able to read the details about your activities. The easiest way to do this is to use a Virtual Private Network.
It is essentially a program allowing users to reroute their traffic through remote servers. Additionally, it masks IP addresses, which could serve to bypass certain geo-blocks. So, download VPN apps if you wish to keep your activities a secret, especially if your ISPs tend to throttle (slow down) connections.
Conclusion
Though your router collects data, you can take some steps to ensure your data is safe. One of the first steps is to look for ways to opt-out of having your data shared with third parties. It guarantees that fewer companies will receive information about users’ activities. The second option is to hide your activities. We suggest pairing a Virtual Private Network with incognito modes and privacy-focused browsers for the best results.
A report launched today by Google confirms a substantial economic opportunity for Ireland exists if a meaningful investment in digital skills is made. The comprehensive study developed in partnership with Amárach provides detailed insights into the digital capability needs, ambitions, and plans of 1,000 SME leaders throughout Ireland. The research proposes that a significant investment into digital skills could contribute an extra €9.5 billion to Ireland’s GDP by 2025.
To help Irish businesses succeed online, it is important to first understand how they’re doing today and what their goals are. That is why Google commissioned Amárach to engage SME leaders on their lived experiences and expectations of their digital journey. Titled Bridging the Gap – A Report on Digital Capabilities in Irish SMEs, the study, one of the largest surveys of Irish SMEs in recent years, identified four key gaps in digital capabilities:
Performance – how far businesses are from realising their full potential
Competence – how businesses are struggling to use digital skills
Investment – the role of funding, time, and talent in expanding competence
Advisory – the absence of qualified advisors and suppliers to meet digital needs
The current situation
Most Irish SMEs are in the process of adopting, developing, and evolving their use of digital technologies. But some are further ahead in the process than others. When asked to rate their own progress, the majority (62%) of Irish SMEs are ‘less than halfway’ on their digital journey. Recruiting people with the necessary digital skillset is also a challenge for Irish SMEs with 41% of respondents agreeing that they do not have a person within the organisation who is tasked with developing digital skills. Only 26% of SMEs say their employees have all the skills needed in terms of basic digital capabilities.
Faced with multiple demands on their time and energy, the report indicates that business leaders believe that the digital skills gap can be closed, but the challenge is prioritising it over other short and medium-term tasks.
Digital tools
The report finds that only 11% of Ireland’s SMEs feel their employees have the skills needed to successfully adopt and use new technology, a statistic borne out in the data where only 53% of SMEs have (or use) social media and video platforms and just 18% make use of customer insights tools. When measuring the number of SMEs that have their own business website, Ireland at 55% ranks comparably lower than the EU average of 77%[1].
The research shows that Irish SMEs are ambitious when it comes to investing in digital capabilities but 50% say they lack basic knowledge about which skills to prioritise. The report indicates that policy makers, advisors, and suppliers to the SME sector need to help address the priority gaps that will deliver quick wins, spurring decision makers to go further.
Commenting, Alice Mansergh, Director for Small Business at Google said:
“The timing of this report could not be more important, the decisions that business leaders and policy stakeholders make about digital capabilities in the coming months and years will have profound implications for the long-term productivity and profitability of the SME sector, and for sustainable economic growth over the rest of the decade. For its part, Google will use these findings to help shape the courses we provide via the Grow with Google initiative helping to train people in key digital skills that will empower them to embrace new business and commercial opportunities.”
The opportunity
Irish SMEs are very confident (56%) that meeting their digital skills objectives could make a big difference to business performance, and not just on one or two metrics. SME leaders believe that improving digital capabilities would allow them to increase wages and salaries (28%) and over half of those surveyed (57%) say that meeting their objectives [in digital capabilities] would help them to grow faster and become more profitable.
Bridging the gap infographic
Fiscally, the study proposes that an increased investment in digital skills could grow Ireland’s GDP significantly, calculating an increase of €9.5 billion (to €544.2 billion) by 2025.
Spotlight on Gender
The report identifies several gender differences highlighted in the areas of digital content and social media. Female decision makers in SMEs are more likely to use social media platforms (55% vs 51% of men). Women are more likely than men to see the creation of digital content as a top priority for digital skills development (35% vs 28% of men), as well as using digital tools and channels for marketing (21% vs 17%).
Even though more female leaders than male are likely to adopt and leverage digital tools, female leaders and decision makers in Irish SMEs are less likely to say their organisation is over halfway in its digital journey (58%) than men (65%).
In order for Ireland to achieve its digital ambitions, it is vitally important that female entrepreneurs and SME business leaders are enabled to play their part.
Regional breakdown
Comparing SMEs across the regions we find several differences. 45% of firms in Dublin are likely to think they are more than halfway along their ‘digital journey’ significantly higher than regional firms based in the midlands (32%). When it comes to the adoption of digital tools, Dublin again maintains a distinct advantage with 62% of firms using a business website compared to only 47% in the border region. Firms in Dublin demonstrate a stronger appetite to upskill with nearly 70% of business leaders in the capital likely to undertake a course in the next 12 months vs 59% of Border firms.
These and other differences in the research point to the need for a strong regional focus in Ireland’s digital skills agenda to ensure an equitable and impactful benefit for all our communities.
A post-Covid world for SMEs
The Covid-19 crisis has amplified the power of digital in building business resilience. During the first few weeks of lockdown, Google saw a 300%[2] increase in the number of people taking digital training courses. Research has shown that 80% of European SMEs increased their use of digital tools during the pandemic and those SMEs that embraced digital tools had 60% better revenue results and hired 3 times more employees[3] during the pandemic. The report launched today finds that 64% of SMEs in Ireland say their experience of the Covid-19 pandemic has incentivised them to invest more in digital skills with 76% saying digital tools are more helpful to their business now than before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The report has shown how Irish SMEs are ready to invest in the digital capabilities that will propel their success in the post-Covid era.
Gerard O’Neill, Chair of Amárach Research added,
“This research is unique in that it provides information and insight directly from SME leaders themselves. The study is comprehensive, representing a cross-section of Irish SMEs and is nationally representative of regions, genders, industries and business models. While we see some subtle differences in the findings, two things are constant to almost all SMEs; first that they believe investing in digital capabilities will enhance their business and second that they are ready to do that now – but they need the right supports. This research allows decision makers, policy makers and industry personnel to have meaningful and informed dialogue that can affect real and positive change to Ireland’s digital landscape.”
Enterprise Ireland CEO Leo Clancy said,
“Small and medium enterprises remain the backbone of the Irish economy; accounting for 99% of active enterprises and 70% of employment. Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices are committed to supporting these businesses with their digitalisation journeys, investing in the capabilities that will help lead them to international success.
For successful businesses, digitalisation isn’t an option, it is a crucial advantage that allows them to compete and win. The report launched today provides invaluable insight and guidance that will inform debate and enhance decision making as we further invest in digital capabilities across Ireland.”
