Amid the chaos of early 2020, another pandemic was silently making its way across the globe at record speed. Cybercriminals reacted quickly to the fast-changing environment and chaos around them, adapting their tools and strategies to target new weaknesses in corporate and personal cybersecurity. Since then, global institutions have been grappling with the aftermath. However, dangerous hackers aren't the only threat. With more and more people now used to the seamlessness of remote work, many are deliberately or inadvertently bypassing critical workplace cybersecurity policies, something that is far easier to do at home than in the office. As a result, traditional cybersecurity teams feel like they’re fighting a losing battle.
However, there is reason to be optimistic about a more secure and prosperous future, which is compatible with a future in which we see more flexible working. To get there, cybersecurity teams must ensure that security is integrated into existing workflows as much as possible. To do this, we need new, unobtrusive and intuitive technologies.
Cybersecurity enables us to live our digital lives with confidence, from online banking to encrypted communications. However, in the workplace, we often regard it as a hindrance to productivity rather than a necessary safeguard. According to a research report by HP Wolf Security, more than a third of workers worldwide believe cybersecurity is a barrier to productivity and efficiency, with nearly half of 18-24-year-olds believing it is.
At least part of this attitude could be attributed to a lack of awareness and a general disinterest in all things related to security. Two fifths of 18-24-year-old employees are unsure of their company's data security practices. More than half indicated they are more concerned about meeting deadlines than exposing the company to a data breach. Meanwhile, nearly two-thirds of office workers said that they had had no further instruction on how to secure their home network.
The fact that this apathy is translating into high-risk activity is perhaps the most worrying aspect. Employees say security regulations and technologies are frequently overly restrictive, with nearly a fifth admitting to circumventing policies to get their work done faster — a figure that rises to 31 per cent among younger workers.
Cybersecurity experts are worried by these developments. After all, they're on the front line of the continuous war to defend intellectual property and private data. They can see the iceberg of a major security breach approaching in the distance, yet they feel unappreciated and unheard when they raise the alarm. In fact, 91 per cent reported that they felt compelled to sacrifice security to maintain a sense of company continuity.
Apathy is translating into high-risk activity
As a result, most IT professionals feel torn between the necessity to protect their company from potentially catastrophic security breaches and the demands of users and managers to develop shortcuts. While 91 per cent of IT teams have adjusted security policies to accommodate the new remote workforce, 80 per cent report having experienced pushback from colleagues. Nonetheless, because of the large number of insecure remote working devices and infrastructure, uneducated users and cybercrime groups operating with impunity from hostile countries, the threat posed by serious dangers such as ransomware — malware that encrypts a user’s files to extract money from them — is particularly severe nowadays.
Worryingly, according to research, one out of every three security teams has suffered high stress during the pandemic, with more than a quarter believing it has harmed their ability to perform their duties. We can't afford to lose any more bright workers at a time when there are chronic cyber-skills shortages, rising risks and declining policy compliance.
Employees want easy-to-use security tools and fewer constraints. On the other hand, cybersecurity teams need to find a method of increasing both security and the awareness of their colleagues of the many dangers in the digital realm. If left uncontrolled, this type of conflict might spiral out of control. So, how can businesses strike an acceptable balance between efficiency and security? The key is to make working securely as simple as working insecurely.
In short, cybersecurity teams must adapt to the emerging hybrid and remote workplace. Security that is built-in rather than bolted onto laptops, PCs and printers can give a more seamless and less restrictive experience. Organisations can then add security services on top, such as those that can contain and isolate risks before they cause harm. Other tools can provide IT teams with remote management and the capacity to self-monitor and self-heal without the need for user engagement.
It's all about maximising security while reducing user annoyance. As we go towards the new era of hybrid working, this is the best strategy to keep IT teams and ordinary colleagues happy, flexible and productive.
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The five pillars of Islam
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Although cryptocurrencies are a fast evolving world, this book offers a good insight into the game as well as providing some basic tips, strategies and warning signs.
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RESULT
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai 0 Al Ain 6
Al Ain: Caio (5', 73'), El Shahat (10'), Berg (65'), Khalil (83'), Al Ahbabi (90' 2)
