newsletter-cl-2023-06

5 fundamentals to keep your office network safe from cyber-attacks

robert.half — Sat, 06 May 2017 16:00:00 +0000

5 fundamentals to keep your office network safe from cyber-attacks robert.half 6 May 2017

In today’s digital age, the chaos following a cyber-attack can be as debilitating as a physical one.

The world woke up on 7 April 2014 to a flaw in the open source encryption “https” websites – which Internet users have been taught to trust, sending shock waves among governments, corporations, and internet users.

Many cyber-security experts called the Heartbleed vulnerability “unprecedented” and “catastrophic”, as 17 per cent of the Internet’s secure web traffic was affected. Mobile web browsers were also maliciously harvested for data, adversely affecting millions of Android users.

A recent global benchmark study by the Disaster Recovery Preparedness Council revealed that 60 per cent of data loss faced by companies is due to human error.

Doing your part to keep your office network safe from insidious cyber-attacks need not be tedious. Keep your office network safe with these five fundamental insights:

Upgrade your existing software

Besides refreshing the user interface and looks, firmware and software upgrades serve one very important function: security. Upgrades may be time-consuming, but they are essential to keep your computers (including cloud security), mobile devices, and network safe from potential vulnerabilities. For example, in the aftermath of the Heartbleed bug, a security patch was issued to fix the vulnerability. If your company has a BYOD policy, it is equally if not more prudent to ensure you are on top of upgrades. Hackers and cyber-criminals are always looking for flaws to exploit, so the upgrades will keep coming. It is a never-ending but necessary battle.

DOWNLOAD OUR CYBER-SECURITY REPORT

Change your password periodically and include 2FA

If you have an enterprise system, make sure that periodic password-changes are mandatory. Otherwise, implement a routine to refresh your passwords regularly. Strong passwords should contain a mixture of eight alphanumerics in upper and lower cases, as well as symbols. Never write your passwords, or use the same password across multiple accounts. Include Two Factor Authentication (2FA) into the mix to counter identity fraud.

If it’s too good to be true, it probably is

Cyber-criminals love to exploit human greed and curiosity to their advantage. In the immediate aftermath of a crisis or popular event, cyber criminals will create malware-infected websites to lure unsuspecting visitors through social media and search engines.

For example, numerous websites purporting to carry legitimate news about the missing MH370 sprung up on social media after the aircraft’s disappearance in March 2014. Computer security software company McAfee also announced in a statement that cyber-criminals are most likely to use Portugal’s football star Cristiano Ronaldo to lure visitors to web pages designed to infect them with malware.

As such, one should always exercise caution when clicking on email links with subject headings promising fast cash. As the adage goes, there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Always do periodic backup of your data

Having multiple layers of redundancy is one of the best insurance companies can possess in the face of a breach in the office network.

Every office should have two backup copies of their data, one over the cloud, and the other in a physical form. A routine should be established to back up important data, and practice restoration. After all, there is no point backing up your data if you have no clue how to restore it.

Have a data-protection service in place against cyber-attacks

Nothing beats a professional securing your office network and data. There are multiple security-solution companies available to customise the best protection for your office, such as McAfee, Kaspersky Lab or Websense.

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Data Analyst vs Data Scientist: What is the difference?

robert.half — Fri, 05 May 2023 23:13:03 +0000

Data Analyst vs Data Scientist: What is the difference? robert.half 5 May 2023

Whether you’re an employee looking to hire IT talent to bring meaning to your data, or a graduate or professional looking to enter the field, there can be confusion around the difference between a Data Analyst vs Data Scientist.

While they sound similar on the surface, and they both work with data, their roles do differ significantly. So, to help you understand which data professional is the right fit for your needs, in this blog we’ll discuss what they do, why they’re different and the value they can add to a business.

What is a Data Analyst?

What was once referred to as ‘business analytics’ has today evolved into ‘data analytics’ with the advent of computer software providing the perfect springboard. Programs such as Excel allowed analysts to mine more data and garner deeper insights. These days, data analysts are employed by many organisations and their daily tasks revolve around the collection, organisation and analysis of data from within the business and their industry.

The raw data may come from a variety of sources including transactional data or customer files. The Data Analyst is responsible for interpreting large volumes of information and extracting meaningful insights. A key aspect of their role is to report their findings to departments within the business, so that it can be used to inform better decisions, guide key operating strategies and drive growth.

What is a Data Scientist?

The role of the Data Scientist is focused around developing innovative methods and tools to extract data that helps solve high-level and complex problems. Data scientists design and create tools, algorithms, predictive models and automations to address business challenges and opportunities, using their skills in statistical methods and data visualisation to derive meaningful information from complicated and unstructured data.

In essence, data scientists are essentially problem solvers who can identify the key questions that matter, and then utilise a variety of software and tools to pull and analyse the data to discover the answers.

Data Analyst vs Data Scientist: Key differences

While at times their roles may cross over, there are some important differences in the work of a Data Analyst vs Data Scientist. Where a Data Analyst makes meaning from existing raw data, generally with the aim to uncover how or why something happened, a Data Scientist is more focused on what may happen in the future, creating innovative data modelling techniques to capture and understand new data. A breakdown of their common job responsibilities highlights further the key differences.

Data Analyst: data analysis, forecasting and querying; creation of dashboards for reporting; identification of patterns and trends in datasets; perform predictive, descriptive and diagnostic analytics.

Data Scientist: data mining, cleaning and scrubbing; statistical analysis using algorithms; developing data infrastructures; data visualisation; creating programming and automation techniques to improve processes.

This difference in skill set and responsibilities is reflected in the expected salaries of the roles too, as shown in the Robert Half 2023 Salary Guide.

Data Analyst (Financial Services):

Beginner – $75,000

Mid-level – $99,000

Advanced – $137,000

Data Scientist (Financial Services):

Beginner – $94,000

Mid-level – $125,000

Advanced – $168,000

Download our Salary Guide

What is driving the demand for these roles?

Data-driven skills are becoming increasingly in demand as organisations rely more and more on analytics and insights on big data to inform and guide their business operations and direction. The Future of Jobs Report 2023 backs this up, with big data analytics cited as one of the biggest drivers of job growth, with 80% of companies surveyed saying they are likely to implement big data analytics over the next five years. The flow on effect of this will be a spike in the demand for both data analysts and data scientists.

Top tips for hiring a Data Analyst

If you need someone to make sense of the data in your business, a Data Analyst is the right person for the job. They can bring valuable insights to the table that will allow you to make informed decisions about key areas that impact your growth and bottom line, including operations, pricing and scheduling.

So what are the key skills and attributes you should look for when hiring a Data Analyst? According to Bernice Lim, Technology Division Director at Robert Half Singapore, there are some essential skills and qualifications the candidate must have to be considered. ‘When hiring a Data Analyst, look for someone with ideally three years minimum experience mining, evaluating and visualising data, with proven SQL or Excel skills and an ability to communicate technical information effectively via presentations and reports. If they also have experience with database design, programming and statistical analysis, that is big tick.’

Ready to hire a Data Analyst? Request talent today

Top tips for hiring a Data Scientist

If you need an expert to interpret data, both within your business and the wider industry, and to develop innovative models to collect, clean and validate complex data sets that will allow you to fine-tune your business strategies and take your growth to the next level, a Data Scientist is the ideal choice.

Essential skills to look for in candidates include five plus years of experience in data science, advanced data mining, mathematics and statistical analysis skills, high level of proficiency with Excel, PowerPoint, SQL and programming languages software, and experience working in a fast-paced team environment. In addition to these attributes, a master’s degree in a related field such as statistics or mathematics along with relevant professional certifications should be highly regarded.

Ready to hire a Data Scientist? Request talent today

Talk to our experienced team today

At Robert Half, we can help you understand if a Data Analyst or Data Scientist is the best fit for your needs, and help you find the right person. Or if you are a candidate looking to launch your career in these exciting fields, we can help you find the ideal role. Talk to our experienced Singapore recruitment team today on +65 3163 8415 or upload your resume online and we’ll be in touch.

Why you shouldn't underestimate the value of employee appreciation

robert.half — Fri, 24 Aug 2018 10:00:00 +0000

Why you shouldn't underestimate the value of employee appreciation robert.half 24 August 2018

Showing talented employees how much their contributions are appreciated should always be at the top of managers’ to-do lists.

Recognising employees for excellent work isn’t just a nice gesture: It boosts staff morale, increases productivity, and helps retain top performers. But acknowledging staff who make a difference often becomes an “I’ll-get-around-to-it-later” task for busy managers.

Many wait too long for the compliments to have the desired impact, fail to match praise with the achievement, or forget to say thank you altogether.

If you’ve been faltering lately in giving hardworking team members rewards for exceptional effort, take action now. You don’t want to risk losing your best employees to the competition because they don’t feel valued.

Here are three ways to let talented professionals know you appreciate their contributions:

1. Give timely praise – and encourage others to do so, too

Be quick to acknowledge employees’ accomplishments. Often, a verbal thank-you or handwritten note directly from you can go a long way towards making a team member feel valued. However, accolades shouldn’t come just from the top.

Praise from colleagues is often as meaningful as a nod from a manager, so be sure to foster a culture that encourages peers to commend each other openly for a job well done.

How you offer compliments depends on the situation. Some suggestions you can consider include praising an individual or an entire project team during a staff meeting, spotlighting their achievements in an article on the company’s intranet or newsletter, or rewarding them with a paid day off or a special treat such as lunch or a movie.

DOWNLOAD OUR WORK HAPPY REPORT

2. Reward your top people

Elevating high-performing employees to the next level has always been a practical way to reward top talent. But in the current economy, upward opportunities may be scarce for firms who have had to reduce staff and are still operating with smaller budgets.

If you’re unable to promote deserving employees right now, invest in their continued growth through relevant training. You can also keep staff feeling engaged by expanding their scope of responsibility or by assigning challenging projects.

Be sure to first discuss these opportunities with them and find out if there are other developmental areas they might prefer.

3. Don’t go overboard: Make praise meaningful

While there’s no substitute for thanking employees for their hard work and accomplishments on a regular basis, be careful not to overdo it.

Avoid praising team members for simply carrying out their basic job requirements and reserve accolades for truly outstanding performance.

When possible, tie employee recognition to the achievement of specific business results.

Employee appreciation should not be overlooked

A culture that recognises and rewards high performance is a key aspect of most successful companies.

Your most valued staff members need to know they make a difference and that the firm performs better because they are part of the team.