As the Senior Editor of the DEX Hub, each week I come across dozens of interesting tech stories and research projects about the modern workplace.
I’ve started saving these unique stories, and I thought it would be helpful to share my top picks with DEX and IT leaders alike.
1) Employee Loneliness? (It’s Not Remote Work)
Loneliness is a lesser talked about subject in the workplace but one that is a serious threat to employee wellbeing and productivity. You might think loneliness is a result of the growth of remote working, but you’d be mistaken!
The reality is that loneliness had been increasing before the pandemic and the sudden move to working from home.
In a recent study by Gartner, researchers learned that remote workers actually report the lowest levels of loneliness, highlighting that proximity isn’t the answer per say, but rather it’s the quality of the connection.
2) A Call for More Red Teaming!
Research by Applause discovered that only a third of organizations employ adequate testing practices in AI application development, prompting calls for increased red teaming to reduce risks.
Currently, only one-third (33%) of organizations employ red team testing in application development processes. Red teaming refers to adversarial testing practices - commonly used in cybersecurity - to identify potential weak points in platforms or applications.
3) The Truth About Sustainability and Data Centers (from Microsoft)
Data centers are known for being power hungry and counterintuitive to sustainability, so credit to Microsoft for being transparent about its own challenges. Recently, the behemoth of a technology company reported their carbon emissions have spiked since 2023, and their aims to be carbon negative in 2030 will likely be delayed because of the generative AI boom. The company, however, also highlighted positive steps that they (and you) can take in their 2024 Sustainability Report.
A summary of those steps (not all) include:
• Shifting servers to a low-power state when possible
• Maximizing server density within existing data centers
• Piloting a net-negative embodied carbon limestone alternative to traditional concrete.
• Testing the application of durable air filters — with an anticipated lifespan of up to 15 years — to replace the disposable air filters it currently uses in its data centers without compromising performance.
4) Most Wireless Networks Are Vulnerable to Deauthentication Attacks
A new report from Nozomi Networks that analyzed telemetry from hundreds of OT and IoT environments found 94% of Wi-Fi networks lacked the proper protections against deauthentication attacks.
“The vast majority of wireless networks, including those in mission-critical environments, remain highly exposed to these kinds of attacks. In healthcare, for example, vulnerabilities in wireless networks could lead to unauthorized access to patient data or interference with critical systems,” Nozomi reports.
5) Poor Onboarding Experiences Can Cost Organizations up to $2.2bn per Year
Based on Nexthink research of the US labor market, IT salaries, rehiring costs and research around onboarding issues, 117,711 IT or tech hires each year will have an underwhelming or terrible onboarding experience, with 29,428 leaving their role. This equates to 8% of the projected IT roles that will be created each year in the US from 2023-2033. With the average cost of replacing a technical role estimated to be $76,703, US organizations are wasting $2.2bn annually replacing IT or technology hires lost to poor onboarding processes.