Are we too trusting of tech?

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The question surrounding ‘can we trust tech?’ has been debated for years, it will be debated for decades to come, and it will never have a straight answer. But, Data Scientists have found that people may be more willing to trust a computer programme than a human. 

Technology is something that is influencing our lives more and more often from deciding what music you listen to, to the route you take when using a navigation system. 

Put simply, technology can be trusted to perform a set task that it’s designed to do, however, there are obvious risks that are associated with using technology such as cyber-attacks and data breaches. 

In the real world, trust is built but it takes time. Take your friends, the brands you buy from, or the publications you read – these relationships have taken years to build but only seconds to break. Whereas when it comes to tech, we readily rely on the opinions of strangers to find out if a hotel is worth staying in or if a restaurant is worth visiting. 

When you’re online shopping, do you think twice about entering in your payment details? If you’re paying for something over the phone, and someone asked for your details, do you hesitate? The action is the same, yet your reaction is different. 

A 2019 study found that people were 29% more likely to give away their credit card details during a text based chat if they thought they were talking to a computer versus a human being; but why? As technology becomes more prominent, the security risks we face increases. And this applies to both individuals and companies. 

So, how can you protect your business, and your consumers’ data?

Ethical hacking

The aim of ethical hacking is the process of attempting to penetrate a system or network on behalf of the owner. The goal? To identify and fix security vulnerabilities to prevent unauthorised third parties from penetrating them. 

Businesses can have a standardised way of testing their systems. You’ll receive recommendations to protect yourself, and they help flag any areas where you may be vulnerable. 

Cloud storage 

IT decision makers have previously said that security was their main concern when thinking about moving to the cloud. However, files stored on the cloud are housed in servers offsite that are heavily guarded, and therefore, most employees won’t have access to these. 

Additionally, data kept in these servers are encrypted and this makes hacking a laborious task for criminals. If your data isn’t encrypted, it makes it easier for hackers to steal as it hasn’t been scrambled.  

Firewalls

A firewall is a network security device that monitors incoming and outgoing network traffic, it’s a first line of defence in network security and has been used for decades. They prevent valuable information from being leaked, user activity can be tracked, and they prevent people from modifying information. 

Technology is an integral part of life, and it impacts our everyday functions whether at home or work. From emailing to financial transactions, we’re reliant on multiple technology platforms to be connected and to work effectively. The increasing reliance on tech, is leading to equal amounts of either scepticism or over trust. But, by taking some simple yet effective approaches to your business you can ensure that your business is as protected as it can be. 

We have over 10 years experience in scaling software engineering teams, and we can help you to hire the top 5% of the market. Send us a message if you want to know more. 

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