Month: July 2020

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Press review Tech Magazine

Weekly News: Tracking Down the Untrackable

Weekly News: Tracking Down the Untrackable
Tracking down the untrackable; News Windows virtual desktop features,; How old is an old dev; Confronting the new data reality... Discover the weekly Tech & IT news.

Tracking down the untrackable; News Windows virtual desktop features,; How old is an old dev; Confronting the new data reality… Discover the weekly Tech & IT news.

Tracking Down the Untrackable

What can be worse than crushing your personal record and not being able to brag about it to your friends online? 

Well, how about, for example, a ransomware attack.

If you are a fitness lover or know someone who fits into this category, chances are you have already heard about the Garmin hack. 

The American GPS and smartwatch maker was down for almost three days, its data and services held hostage for a ransom of $10m. As a result, users were unable to sync their devices with Garmin’s ecosystem of apps. 

Evil Corp, a Russian hacking group behind a recent string of attacks on U.S. companies, is thought to be responsible for the incident.

Discover our interview: A Career in Data Science: Unlocking The Power of Data with AI

New Windows Virtual Desktop features

With the current pandemic, being able to deliver a secure Windows 10 desktop experience to remote workers has become a must for many companies. 

First introduced under public preview, the Virtual Desktop updates are now generally available. 

The new, now-polished features include:

  • Azure portal integration and role-based access control (RBAC)
  • Scalable user management via the Azure Active Directory (Azure AD)
  • Monitoring logs now stored in Azure, for quicker troubleshooting and analysis
  • A/V redirect for Microsoft Teams
New Windows Virtual Desktop features

How old is an old dev?

Unfortunately, age discrimination remains an issue in most industries and professions. 

Whereas experience was once unanimously revered and treasured, our fast-paced society often tends to see older professionals as necessarily outdated. Rather than being the exception, IT is one of those areas in which the gap is even wider. 

In a short paper published earlier this year, software engineering students went through popular online articles and related discussions on Hacker News to analyze how the media portrays the employability of older developers. 

“Too old to be a developer” seems to be a common theme.

Discover our interview: How To Code Well: Taking Breaks and Other Pieces of Timeless Career Advice

How old is an old dev?

Confronting the new data reality

European data watchdogs aren’t wasting any time. 

Shortly after the European Court of Justice stroke down the Private Shield dataflow agreement between the U.S. and the E.U., the European Data Protection Board warned there will be no regulatory grace period.  

Companies relying on the cross-Atlantic flow of data to conduct operations and sell products and services will have to adapt; and fast.

Confronting the new data reality

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Growing your career: permanent & freelance IT Consultants

Should You Become a Freelance S/4HANA Consultant?

Industry Snapshot – IT Staffing
The staffing as a whole is undergoing a profound and rapid transformation. But what about the IT staffing sector? IT staffing enjoys all the benefits...

If you are an S/4HANA expert living the 9-to-5 life, chances are that you have considered going independent at some point. No one would blame you. Becoming a freelance S/4HANA consultant can be a solid career choice  

Proof of this is the resurgence of self-employed workers we have been experiencing since 2018. However, this sweet desire often clashes with the harshness of reality. Plus, this lifestyle is not for everybody.  

Hence the importance of being prepared. It is essential that you ask yourself the right questions at the right time. Focus on these essential questions. 

Here are a few honest questions you should ask yourself before blindly jumping head-first into the unknown. 

The real reasons for your wish to be a freelance S/4HANA consultant

The first question you need to answer bluntly is why you really want to become a freelancer. What are your underlying motivations? Would you like to have more free time or no longer depend on an employer? Or is it because you would like to have a wider variety of projects from which to choose? Is it for financial gain? 

If your main arguments are mostly “anti-wage,” well – that is not always a good sign. There is the danger of opting for independent employment as a means of escape rather than as a set career goal. If it is only a question of no longer being a permanent employee, it is very likely that you will quickly be faced with the harsh reality. Being a freelancer doesn’t mean drinking French press coffee and decorating your table with a succulent plant while strumming a few hours a day on your keyboard. It is a real commitment, a new way of living and organising your day. 

You should take a look at what kind of relationship you have with work, identify your professional aspirations and define your priorities.  

Assess your strengths and areas for improvement 

Most often, someone embarking on a freelancing life already has years of salaried employment behind their back. They are, hence, well aware of their strengths and weaknesses. Making an honest self-assessment is a must to orient your future moves.

If you are disorganized by nature, for example, it will be good to put an effort into developing your organisational skills. You could use one of the many apps targeted at freelancers or improve your time-management methodology. 

You should also pay attention to your starting point. If you are starting with a non-existent network, this is a disadvantage that you will need to work harder to overcome. If you have a financial safety net, then you have an advantage compared to those who start without any safety net.  

However, don’t turn these disadvantages into barriers. On the contrary, these must be seen as challenges to overcome, to push you to go even further and stay motivated. 

In some cases, it can be a good idea to do a little training before you start, to network a little and save enough money to be able to deal with unforeseen events. Take advantage of this period to clarify and outline your services offer and make a business plan. 

Defining your offer and your target audience 

Freelancing encompasses a large number of roles and services. An S/4HANA consultant must properly market their expertise in order to be successful. Their profile must fit into often-searched categories and nevertheless stand out from competitors. 

There are many questions to ask yourself at this stage: 

  • What services should I offer? Which kinds of jobs do I want to do as a freelance S/4HANA consultant? 
  • What elements should I highlight to stand out from my competition? What are my strengths? 
  • How much is this kind of work worth today? 
  • Who is my offer for? 

Pay attention to state and European regulations 

This step is crucial. Depending on the country you plan to operate in, there will be several legal forms and statutes that you are obliged to comply with. Efficient management of your fiscal and employment status takes knowledge and caution. 

For example, you should find out about the rules governing sick leave and unemployment benefits before you start. The world in which you enter is radically different from the salaried one. 

Creating a personal business entity is a good place to start. Administrative and management procedures are greatly facilitated and you can often benefit from advantageous social contribution rates. Taxation is also interesting here.

Working with industry-savvy recruiters can also help you choose your status and navigate the regulatory landscape.  

Explore our definitive S/4HANA Careers Guide. to gain more insights into S/4HANA careers and how to best approach them.

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IT Decision-makers Tips & errors to avoid

The Top 3 Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring an IT Contractor

The Top 3 Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring an IT Contractor
Recruitment: 3 major mistakes to avoid when hiring an IT contractor or freelancer: Hiring the wrong freelancers can quickly derail your project...

What are the top 3 mistakes that you should avoid when hiring an IT contractor? Working with IT contractors keeps getting more and more popular in the world of work. And for good reason: including freelancers in your projects can bring great benefits to your whole team.  

IT contractors are a workforce that is often very qualified and cost-effective. Especially in the context of a one-off increase in company activity or under special circumstances such as the Covid-19 pandemic. However, hiring the wrong freelancers can quickly derail your project and leave you with a bad taste in your mouth.  

Need advice on how to start or develop your freelance consulting business in tech or IT? Need to start a new permanent or freelance assignment? Join Mindquest and get support from our team of experts.

Recruitment: 3 major mistakes to avoid when hiring an IT contractor or freelancer:

1st of top mistakes to avoid when hiring: Not vetting the consultant’s qualifications thoroughly

You need to make sure that a consultant recruited for a particular skill possesses it and in a way that is well-suited to the reality of your project. 

To protect yourself against this difficulty; which can cause harm, both financially and in terms of reputation; it is necessary that you thoroughly vet the veracity of the freelancer’s claims and assess the true depth of their technical skills. Start with these questions: 

  • Has the freelancer provided a list of previous relevant projects? Have you verified their references? 
  • Has the freelancer justified their skills with a document or portfolio of any kind? 

During the interview process, you must ask pointed questions about the candidate’s area of expertise. It will quickly reveal the reality of the situation.  

Also read How to manage the onboarding of IT contractors in 5 steps

2nd mistake : Hiring a Consultant who does not align with your company’s values and culture 

In order to avoid divergences in operating methods, which can lead to confusion and frictions within the teams; it is preferable to choose a freelancer who aligns with the company’s values. Here, you should pay special attention to the candidate’s softer skills. As these are the ones that will determine how well the contractor fits into your existing team. 

The same goes for ensuring that the consultant aligns and complies with legal and confidentiality requirements. Make sure they fully understand your confidentiality policies and non-disclosure agreement (NDA) so that they unknowingly break the contract. 

Also read How to Manage the Offboarding of IT Contractors in 7 Steps

3rd mistake: Setting an inappropriate remuneration rate 

DevSecOps Job Description

The third most common mistake made by companies looking to hire a freelancer is to offer a pay rate that is not in line with market standards. Whether it is higher or lower than what is normally charged in that particular field of expertise and for that level of seniority. 

If you set a daily remuneration that is too high; you will end up paying more than what you need to. Plus, your collaboration with the contractor may not be sustainable in the long term. 

On the contrary, if you set a remuneration that is too low; you will have difficulty attracting good candidates with a suitable level of experience. 

Companies not used to working with freelancers are precisely the ones that usually make these mistakes. Keep in mind that collaboration should be seen from a balanced angle and in a “win-win” relationship. Only then will the collaboration be efficient in the long term. 

Embracing AI Trends in IT Recruitment

Lat but not least, the implementation of AI in recruitment practices has the potential to revolutionize how companies identify, engage, and hire IT contractors.

Here’s a closer look at how embracing AI trends can enhance your IT recruitment processes:

  • Streamline candidate vetting processes.
  • Analyze resumes for relevant skills and experience.
  • Predict candidate success based on data analytics.
  • Enhance decision-making during the hiring process.

By embracing these AI trends in IT recruitment, companies can not only stay competitive but also gain a significant edge in identifying and securing the best-fit IT contractors for their projects.

Don’t miss our Top 5 Strategies to Overcome the AI Talent Gap.

Mindquest, with its commitment to staying at the forefront of industry advancements, ensures that your recruitment strategies align with the latest AI innovations, facilitating a smoother and more effective hiring process.

Would you like to find out more about our recruitment service for IT consultants? Post your requirements now, or find out more about our job offers directly on our Mindquest platform!

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Press review Tech Magazine

Weekly News: A Look at Diversity in Tech

Weekly News: A Look at Diversity in Tech
Regarding diversity in IT, there is much work left to be done. Let's start by tracking these numbers more consistently with our weekly news.

As the Black Lives Matter movement swipes through the globe with renewed strength, it’s time for communities and sectors of activity of all sorts to carry out an honest self-assessment. IT is no exception. Let’s talk about diversity in Tech.

Computerworld looked at census and tech-sector data of a few major Western countries to see how they are doing in terms of ethnic diversity in IT. Spoiler alert: not well at all.

Unfortunately, only a handful of countries track industry-specific ethnic diversity, which complicated the analysis. Of those who do (U.K., U.S. and New Zealand), none comes even close to having an equitable ethnic representation in tech.

The Western IT industry remains disproportionately white, particularly at the managerial level. Workers with Asian ancestry come in second place, but way beyond. 

Much work left to be done. Let’s start by tracking these numbers more consistently.

Diversity in Tech: What’s all that AR buzz about?

Rumours and whispers suggest that Apple will soon introduce its own version of the ill-fated Google Glass. 

The company has spent the last few years making several advancements and acquisitions in augmented reality (AR) and supporting technologies like Lidar. 

Yes, the Google Glass failed strepitously, but Apple has a good track record when it comes to making a new product an indispensable part of everyone’s life — remember the first iPhone? 

With AR seemingly about to become more of a real thing, one might wonder what exactly can be done with it. Especially in business. Here are some examples.

diversity in tech

Closing the data tap

Last week, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled to invalidate the E.U.- U.S. Privacy Shield agreement for data sharing over concerns around privacy and extreme surveillance practices.

The court’s decision threatens to interrupt the free flow of data between the two regions, which serves as the basis for much of today’s digital trade an economic activity. 

A myriad of solutions including Gmail, Zoom calls and CRM systems are all enabled by Privacy Shield. Furthermore, many businesses across Europe trust their data and workloads to U.S. cloud services like AWS and Microsoft Azure. 

But tech giants and the enterprise world are not the only ones that stand to lose much. Thanks to Brexit, U.K. players might see access to E.U. data restricted as well. They can, after all, end up shipping it across the Atlantic anyway.

diversity in tech

The impact of COVID-19 on enterprise IT

A new Forrester report has identified 5 trends that outline the effect that the pandemic will have on technology and business in the short, medium and long term.

The biggest shifts will involve: 

  • Safety and convenience influencing future customer expectations
  • Businesses leveraging digital engagement to create hybrid experiences
  • Firms and governments investing in a new workplace model
  • Companies doubling down on digital transformation
  • Business resiliency becoming a key competitive advantage
diversity in tech

Also discover our article: 20 Amazing Women Leading Europe’s Tech Revolution

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Press review Tech Magazine

Weekly News: A Difficult Relationship With 5G

Weekly News: A Difficult Relationship With 5G
IT news

How is the relationship with 5G? Outlandish theories were spreading like wildfire across the U.K. at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. 

In a sudden burst of technological ignorance, a few conspiracy-lovers set out to destroy the country’s newly deployed 5G towers. The technology was, of course, behind the mysterious disease. 

Since then, the relationship with 5G is difficult, anti-5G sentiment has grown around the globe, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Only that the U.K. has another major problem with 5G: China. Following raising internal pressure and sanctions by Washington, the British government has banned sales of Huawei’s 5G kit starting January. Network providers will also have to abandon all already-purchased Huawei 5G tech by 2027.

Meant at addressing national security concerns, the decision is likely to delay the U.K.’s 5G rollout by 2 to 3 years. 

Big ‘oops’ from Twitter

No one is safe from cyberattacks. Not even Twitter. 

The company’s IT, PR and legal departments sure had one hell of a day yesterday after news emerged of a high-profile breach involving major firms and public figures. Apple, Elon Musk, Joe Biden, Kanye West. 

It all started when their accounts starting posting invitations to participate in a lucrative Bitcoin scam with a simple message: send 1.000 dollars to this account, and you will get double in return. 

While Twitter blames the breach on a coordinated social engineering attack against its employees, other sources point at a rogue employee who might have helped hackers get inside access.

relationship with 5G

Remote work is here to stay

Newsflash — Gartner survey confirms the writing on the wall: remote work is part of the new normal. 

A sweeping 82% of business leaders are planning on allowing at least some level of remote work moving forward, even after the pandemic is over. 

\Nearly half of companies (47%) will allow employees to work remotely full time, while 43% of respondents are aiming for a flexible week schedule. 

This new set-up highlights the necessary transformation of the CIO role. IT leaders will now have a bigger role within organisations, leading the construction of stronger cloud collaboration environments and helping maintain a cohesive remote corporate culture.

relationship with 5G

The AI bandwagon

53% of global tech and business leaders invested more than $20 million in AI and related talent in the past year, according to a report by Deloitte.  

Although the majority of respondents believe AI will significantly transform their industry in the next 3 years, only 47% of them consider they have a sufficiently skilled AI workforce. 

Ethical concerns, data privacy/regulations and AI failure are among the top concerns keeping executives up at night. 

relationship with 5G

Also discover our weekly news: Eco data centers, a Microsoft hack and the EU’s digital sovereignty

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Job Descriptions Project Manager

E-CRM Project Manager : Job Description

Salesforce Consultant
The Salesforce consultant is on the IT side of customer relations and specialises in the Salesforce ecosystem. Exlpore the role...

Use our template to create a compelling and comprehensive E-CRM PM job description to attract top talent.


The e-CRM (electronic customer relationship management) project manager position is at the crossroads of the IT, marketing and sales functions. This role occupies an important place in the field of customer relations on the web; since it coordinates the implementation of digital campaigns across all of the digital platforms of a company.

Explore also the role of the SOC Analyst: Job Description

What is the role of the e-CRM Project Manager?

Build the appropriate databases

The experts must first identify the target customers in order to adapt all pertinent actions according to the objectives set. They must then define the means to collect all the relevant data for a given customer. For example, age, family situation, opinion on a product, etc., and they must set up the according processes.

Develop programs to connect with customers

Further, the e-CRM Project Manager must use the right methods to create links with customers and retain them. For example by sending email campaigns. The objectives are to better understand the consumer and retain them to develop sales and generate profit. One of the priorities of the position is therefore to analyze the behaviour of users and their browsing habits.

Put in place strategies to offer products that meet customer expectations

In addition, the goal of the e-CRM Project Manager is to provide value to the customer. To meet their purchasing potential and follow the evolution of their tastes. They need to define a strategy for leveraging visitor and customer data and implement e-CRM solutions to offer products adapted to the profile of each contact. They then set up automated campaigns and tracks their actions to measure ROI.

Required skills to

Excellent analytical and project management skills

The e-CRM Project Manager must also know the client and develop a link between them and the company. For this, they must have robust data processing and analytical skills and a strong appetite for project management.

Good ability to interpret customer reactions

Good interpersonal skills are a must here. The expert is in direct contact with the client and must have good interpersonal skills to be able to interpret user behaviours and needs.

Strong technical knowledge of digital tools

The expert in e-CRM Project Management must have perfect knowledge of the various digital tools employed by the company. In order to carry out the relevant analysis, ensure the correct implementation and monitoring of campaigns. They must also master statistical tools.

Also discover the other Project Managements roles and career paths

The E-CRM Project Manager within the industry

This job has been very popular for some years now and keeps attracting more and more young graduates in commerce, IT or marketing. However, there are not that many available positions, and the hiring rate is relatively low due to strong competition.

This role has developed in many sectors of activity: e-commerce, banking, insurance, telecoms …

Salary of the e-CRM Projet Manager

The average daily rate fluctuates between €500 and €900.

Training of the e-CRM Project Manager

Most e-CRM Project Managers have a university-level degree. Studies in sociology and training as a webmaster also help you gain access to this kind of position. But you should know that prior professional experience is essential before becoming an e-CRM Project Manager.

In terms of evolution; after a few years of experience as an expert in e-CRM Project Management, it is possible to occupy a position of marketing director in a relatively technical context.

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IT Consultants Tips for your daily life as a freelancer

Time Management Tips in remote for IT Professionals

Time Management Tips in remote for IT Professionals
Discover our time management tips in remote for IT Professionals. Here are a few tips on how to achieve full efficiency while working remotely.

Discover our time management tips in remote for IT Professionals. Having independence in one’s work is a great thing for any driven professional who likes to take the initiative. But it is not all advantages.

Working independently lets you distribute your energy throughout the day as you see fit, giving you more flexibility to dedicate time to yourself and others. Yet all that schedule juggling requires solid time management skills.  

The ability to deal with a fluid timetable has long been one of the key factors of success for tech freelancers. Now, the coronavirus pandemic has catapulted millions of in-house workers into a new workplace paradigm. With 82% of business leaders planning on allowing at least some level of remote work from now on (Gartner), knowing how to take full control of one’s day has become a must for independent and permanent IT professionals alike.    

Here are a few tips on how to achieve full efficiency while working remotely.

Time management tips in remote:

Start by building a comprehensive calendar

It is easy to get overflowed with daily activities and forget about the bigger picture. Especially for newcomers to the remote working life.

Outline all your tasks and upcoming deadlines and incorporate them into a comprehensive calendar. Plan your week and then look at each day, building a schedule that defines clear goals while allowing for some flexibility.

Spending 10 minutes at the start of each day to review your calendar will let you reassess priorities and adjust objectives. Your goals should be “smart”, that is, achievable without excesses. Sort priorities and categorize tasks.

You can use one of the myriads of free calendar apps out there or opt for the more traditional paper version. Whatever works best for you.

Make sure to put some time on your calendar to deal with all the administrative tasks we all love so much (invoicing, timesheets, reporting, etc…). 

Prioritize the most important tasks 

It is advisable to use the morning hours to carry out your most important tasks, namely the ones that will demand the most energy and attention from you. For most people, the morning is the time of day when their brain is most productive. 

Starting with the more tedious tasks will make the rest of your day easier, leaving the less strenuous tasks for when your mind is tired. 

Find an adequate place to work 

You must be comfortable to deliver your best work. Your work environment should nurture your productivity and creativity while promoting general well-being. 

Don’t forget that your body and mind need to rest periodically to remain at full capacity. Choose a work setting that allows you to take breaks throughout the day. An hour of work usually requires 10 minutes of break.

To learn more, read our article: IT Pros: How to Work On Remote in the Post-Pandemic World

The Pomodoro method for time management

To manage your daily schedule in the best possible way, try using the Pomodoro, or ‘Tomato’ method — yes, Italian. 

This technique is designed to help you split your working day by alternating breaks and intense concentration sprints. 

The steps are pretty straightforward: 

  • Focus your attention on a single task at a time 
  • Set a timer to a fixed duration of 25 minutes 
  • Work on that single task for the duration of the timer
  • Once the time has passed, take a break for 5 minutes 
  • Start again from the beginning and, after the 4th repetition, take a longer break (15-30 minutes).   

Plan for the unexpected

Your daily schedule will often be thrown off by unforeseen events that you will have to deal with. As Murphy’s law makes clear, nothing goes as planned. Here, reactivity is key. Allocate some time on your calendar for contingency management so that you are not caught off-guard by unexpected pitfalls. 

Discover our special guide: IT Job Hunting Done Well: A Step-by-Step Guide

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Hiring an IT consultant IT Decision-makers

4 Keys to Hiring Top Tech and IT Freelancers

4 Keys to Hiring Top Tech and IT Freelancers

Freelance work has become largely democratised and, more and more, companies now rely on independent IT and technology consultants. Hiring top IT freelancers brings many benefits to your team, especially in times of crisis.

But the talent war rages and on in several areas of expertise, with professionals receiving up to dozens of mission proposals a day. 
Here is a series of concrete measures that you should put in place if you want to attract the best IT freelancers out there.  

Propose conditions in line with the reality of the IT freelance market 

Are you looking for a rare profile, with a high level of expertise and many years of experience? Be aware that this type of expert is often in high demand and can, therefore, afford to set higher rates. 

Learn more about the situation of your target talent market: what types of profiles are available? What are the average daily rates? Once conducted this research, you will be able to write a clear job description and propose suitable conditions. 

Keep in mind that compensation is not everything: all the benefits come into play here and can help you gain attractiveness top tech or IT freelancers — especially for long-term assignments (travel expenses, access to the company’s gym, etc…). 

Highlight your project’s strengths

Don’t forget that top-performing freelancers need to be passionate about their job. An IT consultant is not only looking for remuneration. Like permanent employees, they often look for a company that shares their values, with opportunities to learn and grow; a dream project, a friendly and talented team, etc. 

Don’t forget to indicate what you can bring to the table on your end. If a candidate must possess certain qualities and skills to be considered for a mission, you must also specify what you can offer.

It is not a matter of overselling the assignment, but simply of highlighting its strengths to attract the attention of the best candidates: peculiarities of the technical stack, visibility on the projects and possibilities for renewal, location, etc. 

Also, amidst the rise of DevSecOps, IT recruitment needs to adjust. Traditional methods fall short; recruiters must adapt to DevSecOps demands. Here‘s what to consider in recruiting for this era.

Work on your brand 

Your company brand is a critical deciding factor for potential candidates.

Don’t hesitate to collaborate with your company’s HR and Marketing departments to discuss how to best benefit from these communication efforts. 

Keep in mind at the time of the interview that the candidate is not the only one who has to convince. You need to make them want to join your team rather than choose another company. Try as much as possible to be transparent about the context and concrete objectives of the mission. Candidates highly appreciate this openness. 

Focus on retaining talent to hiring top IT freelancers

Hiring the best IT freelancers is not easy. But neither it is to make them want to stay. Take steps to ensure the satisfaction of the IT freelancers you work with and keep track of your missions. 

Implement specific measures to ensure that they are “freelance-friendly”: work on onboarding, regular feedback processes, etc…

Are you looking the best tech talent or tech freelancer and you don’t know how to go about it? Club Freelance is here to help you find the best candidate and support you throughout the recruitment process. 

Click here to submit your request. 

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Press review Tech Magazine

Weekly News: Rise and Fall of a Hacking Empire

IT News

Bringing to light an international hacking empire

More often than not, reality overcomes fiction. Why bother with whodunnit novels books when you can read newly-unsealed court documents?

An estimated $1.5 million in profits. Over 300 target companies across 44 countries. Under the moniker “Fxmsp,” a hacker made global headlines last year for stealing and selling source code and customer access to MacAfee, Symantec and Trend Micro.

More importantly, the hacker built backdoors into enterprise networks and then made them invisible to the system. He then sold these through Russian hacking groups for up to hundreds of thousands of dollars a piece. 

Meet Andrey Turchin, a 37-year-old man from Kazakhstan whose name has just been made public by a U.S. court. He established a full-blown business almost overnight, even employing another reputed hacker as his sales manager. 

Read the full story before Hollywood makes a movie out of it. 

More on cybersecurity

Another week goes by, leaving us with new record-breaking cyber incident metrics.

British security provider Sophos published a comprehensive cloud security study, revealing that 70% of companies hosting data or workloads in the public cloud experienced a breach in the past year. 

Businesses in the multi-cloud received almost twice as many attacks compared to those using a single cloud provider, highlighting why companies should be more worried about their cloud data. 

On another note, be advised that there is a new kid on the block. A novel strain of ransomware called Conti can use 32 simultaneous CPU threads to encrypt your data.

The most in-demand IT pros

Remote work is here to stay, and that is re-shaping the IT talent needs of companies looking to remain competitive in this new reality. 

Unsurprisingly, being knowledgeable in collaboration tools like Zoom or Teams comes in handy. So does expertise in cloud-based business suites like Microsoft 365 and G Suite.

Networking and infrastructure skills are also in high demand, as companies need to build stronger ecosystems that are able to withstand the surge in remote work and cyber attacks. 

But general business acumen takes the spotlight in the post-COVID world. Here are the most sought-after business skills of the moment.

News from Microsoft

We got some updates from the Redmond-based company this week.

The wave 2 release plans for Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform are now available. Be sure to review all the upcoming changes and additions ahead of the October roll-out. Early access begins on August 3rd.

Also — Microsoft Teams will now present your team in a fake auditorium during video calls. It certainly looks strange, but apparently our brains process it better than the rectangular grid with everyone’s face on it.

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Growing your career: permanent & freelance IT Consultants

4 Indicators of a Successful IT Freelancer

4 Indicators of a Successful IT Freelancer
KPIs

With any self-employed activity, tracking your performance is necessary to identify what works and what needs to be improved to achieve optimum results. The slow summer months can be a good time to carry out this type of assessment and ensure you are doing the best you can to be a successful IT freelancer.

But what are the best indicators of success for your self-employed activity? Follow these key indicators to draw appropriate conclusions and make effective resolutions, both in terms of income and of work methods

Has your turnover increased compared to the previous year?

What was your turnover this past year? Was it higher or lower than the previous year? Although freelance income can vary widely from month-to-month, looking at the bigger picture will help you assess your performance. Compare this year’s figure with what you achieved the previous year over the same period. Deduct from it the percentage of evolution. If that percentage is negative, it might be time to change certain things.

When calculating your turnover, do not forget to take into account all your expenses. Then divide your total turnover by month to get a comprehensive overview of the year.

Did you have more expenses than last year?

Another indicator of the health of your one-person business is the total amount of your expenses, especially compared to the previous year. As a successful IT freelancer, your charges should be in theory low, especially if you carry out your tasks at the client’s office or from your own home.

If the expenses incurred are made in the interest of your activity and this has resulted in an increase in your gross turnover, this is a good sign. On the other hand, if your expenses have increased more than your earnings, you have things to ask yourself.

Are you managing your time well?

Time management is essential for any successful IT freelancer. You must organize your days to be as productive as possible while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. thinking of allowing yourself moments of rest.

But that is not all: as an successful IT freelancer, you must also reserve some time for housekeeping. Make sure you allocate time to deal with administrative duties, as well as to search for your next assignments.

Have you managed to retain customers this year?

Customer loyalty is a key indicator of a successful IT freelancer, as it reflects the ability to build trust and ensure satisfaction with clients. The higher your loyalty level, the more likely you are to be contacted again by this client. But you are also more likely to get good recommendations; the best asset for finding new assignments.

You can also look at your customer portfolio and calculate your average income per customer: you may find that some customers have asked for too much time compared to what they paid you.

If you are doing short assignments and a client represents almost all of your turnover, you are in a delicate situation that must be taken into account. You in danger of depending too much on this unique client. In the case of long missions, this indicator is obviously less relevant.

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