I sincerely hope I’m in the minority here, but I’ve been feeling a little extra anxious this fall.
I think there are a lot of reasons why that might be the case. AI continues to jump its boundaries (both guided and independently) scaling math problems and security challenges with innovative and alarming ease. We’re looking ahead to midterm elections that will almost certainly have contentious results. The weather has been erratic, and not even in the normal hurricane way. And, as always, the season is flying by, with November and then (too soon!)
Christmas right behind.
Clear Communications
One of the major sources of anxiety has certainly been the continued increase in vulnerabilities, hacking, and phishing attempts that we’re seeing. To battle this, we’re working to make sure all of our communications are well-branded and clearly communicated.
For example, you may notice that this newsletter looks a bit different than usual (thank you for reading!). That’s because we’re making the switch to a new bulk mail tool (MailerLite to EcoSend; feel free to ask why if you want to compare). This message is in part to make sure you know this is a legit shift, and one that will change what you should expect to see from us going forward.
But please also remember that if you ever see something from a known source that doesn’t look correct – even if it seems innocuous – it’s worth it to check. See if the sender looks correct, if the links are genuine, and even reach out to confirm the source. It’s getting spammy out there, folks.
A Little Extra Help
We have always incorporated security into our services, however, in light of these recent trends we’re busting it out.
Our website now has a new section focused on security services which includes,
- Password Manager support,
- Phishing Simulations (see how well you and your team respond to phishing attempts),
- Website security reviews,
- Productivity Platform (Google Workspace or Microsoft 365) security reviews,
- Support for the creation and/or review of internal security policies or best practices for your team, including AI policies,
- Annual personal or team security training
Is it sexy? Heck, no. But we are working on making it the least boring security training you’ve been tasked with. And it is so important. Large corporations and government institutions require annual security training (at a minimum). Your company should do no less.
Thank you!
A tremendous thank you to our friends at Habitus Coop for their recent generous donation to our Boost Grants!
Boost Grants are made available to current or new clients facing gaps in funding to help cover expenses for urgent technology and operational projects.
Training Time
Join us November 10th from noon to 1:00pm while we talk Digital Strategy for Nonprofits.
Sign UpAnd if you’re a nonprofit attending this week’s NC Nonprofits Conference in Charlotte, swing by our sponsor table and say “hi”!
What We’re Reading
Our recent news and article faves.
- Amazon Is Keeping Amazingly Detailed Records on Its Customers and They Are Downright Insulting
In case you go looking, I believe this is under “Ordering and Shopping Preferences” then “About You.” And dang, Amazon. /smh - Investing in the public benefit
Anthropic has announced that 5% of its shares will be committed to their Public Benefit Fund. Similarly, OpenAI has discussed giving a 5% stake in the company to the U.S. government. Presumably this will assuage guilt and help the billionaire board members sleep better at night. - How Local Business Owners Are Putting AI to Work
Cary Magazine column by Jen McFarland covering the obstacles small businesses face when trying to launch their AI efforts. - AI agents are only as good as the personal information you share. That raises privacy concerns
It’s alarmingly easy to make mistakes when we grant access to agents, especially since most of the truly impressive workflows require that access. It’s another way we’re missing education in the rollout of AI.
‘What is more, sir,’ his lordship went on, ‘I believe I have a good idea of what you mean by “professionalism.” It appears to mean getting one’s way by cheating and manipulating. It appears to mean serving the dictates of greed and advantage rather than those of goodness and the desire to see justice prevail in the world. If that is the “professionalism” you refer to, sir, I don’t much care for it and have no wish to acquire it.’
-The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro
