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ACD (automatic call distribution) and IVR (interactive voice response) are two different ways for call centers to handle inbound calls. ACD automatically routes incoming calls based on predefined rules — an IVR guides callers through pre-recorded menu options so they can route themselves. In a perfect world, you’re able to use both to optimize around the caller experience. If you have to pick one, though, ACD is the clear winner for customer retention. While IVR systems are cheaper and can help free up your agents, it requires callers to take the initiative. Plus, nobody likes being stuck in a phone tree. 1 RingCentral RingEx Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Medium, Large, Enterprise Features Hosted PBX, Managed PBX, Remote User Ability, and more Six (more) reasons why ACD is the better choice In addition to higher customer retention rates, there are several other reasons why ACD has the edge over IVR for call centers. 1. You’ll answer more questions and resolve more problems When was the last time you called a business with a problem and got your question answered from an automated menu? I’m assuming never. Or maybe almost never if you’re lucky. Even with recent call center IVR upgrades, they still have a long way to go. Customers aren’t calling to find your address and they know that they can pay their bills online. The only reason they picked up the phone and dialed your number is because they want to speak to someone who can actually help them. ACDs make this happen. IVRs, on the other hand, can frustrate your customers, and they tend to answer questions they aren’t even asking. 2. Improved call center KPIs ACD systems are faster and more efficient for call centers. This can help improve many of the key call center metrics you’re tracking to measure success, including: First response time (FRT). First-call resolution (FCR). Average handling time (AHT). Net promoter score (NPS). Customer satisfaction score (CSAT). Average abandonment rate. Average time in queue. An IVR can negatively impact just about every metric unless you do everything perfectly. Even when done well, things like first call resolution, customer satisfaction, and average time in queue can still get worse. 3. Increases brand loyalty If your customers are calling you, they likely have some sort of problem. Forcing them to navigate a long phone menu can make matters worse, make them wait longer, and build up frustration by the time they get to talk to someone. Providing phone support from a live agent goes a long way, especially in an era where so many businesses fail to deliver. Quickly connecting callers to a qualified agent proves that you actually care. If your customers feel like you care about them, you’ll not only retain them, but it’s also easier to turn them into loyal customers with higher lifetime value. Plus, they’re more likely to talk about their five-star experience, recommend you to their friends and family, and even pay more for your services. 4. Limits repetitive self-service Self-service isn’t always a good thing. For a lot of call centers, it doesn’t make sense at all, despite sounding good on paper. Most people can troubleshoot common issues on their own through your website, Google, or even forums. But if they’re calling you, it’s likely that they have a more complex problem to solve — one that likely requires skilled agents. Many callers have likely tried various other solutions and the last thing they want to hear is a self-service voice menu telling them to go try things they’ve already done. What about callers who would actually benefit from self-service? Worst case, they talk to an agent for a few minutes and receive excellent care along the way. Best case, they’re able to get all of their questions answered in a few minutes and leave feeling like you’ve exceeded expectations. 5. It’s easier to prioritize incoming calls If your call center software is integrated with your CRM, you can use customer data to prioritize your most important calls. This ensures that callers with the highest sales potential or those paying for faster service are quickly routed to a live agent ahead of others. SEE: Learn how to test call center integrations before you buy.  You probably don’t want an enterprise client paying $20,000 per year sitting on hold behind a solo user who pays $20 per month. 6. Connects callers to the right agent on the first try IVR systems fail when they don’t help callers help themselves. As we’ve already discussed, most people calling want to talk to a real person rather than navigating a complex and long-winded phone menu. If the caller presses a wrong button or doesn’t understand your options, they’ll likely end up talking to the wrong person. You may be able to get by with a general operator after your IVR to direct calls to the appropriate department. But this leads to longer hold times, and your callers still haven’t connected with someone who can help them. ACD systems eliminate these problems by automatically routing inbound calls to the most qualified agent on the first try. Customers get faster care because the rep who answers the phone can provide assistance without having to transfer them to someone else. ACD features to look for As you’re comparing different tools and call center software, these are the features you should pay attention to. If you attend live demos, be sure to ask about them so you know how they work and each system’s capabilities. Call distribution methods Because call routing impacts your company image, it’s one of the most important pieces of running a successful call center. Do it well and callers will appreciate it whether they realize it or not. Do it wrong and they’ll walk away notably frustrated. As such, you should have the ability to customize the way your ACD routes calls to

A CRM for Outlook is a customer relationship management solution that can integrate with the Microsoft email platform. If you’re already using Outlook as an email provider, it makes sense to consider investing in a CRM with that integration available so that your business communications and analytics are all connected. Here’s a comprehensive list of CRM tools with both an Outlook integration and an identifiable use case for email or activity management. 1 monday CRM Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Any Company Size Any Company Size Features Calendar, Collaboration Tools, Contact Management, and more 2 Creatio CRM Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Medium, Large, Enterprise Features Dashboard, Document Management / Sharing, Email / Marketing Automation, and more 3 HubSpot CRM Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Micro (0-49 Employees), Small (50-249 Employees), Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees) Micro, Small, Medium, Large Top CRM for Outlook comparison In addition to the standard customer relationship management software features you’d expect, like contact management and reporting capabilities, the best Outlook CRM should also include more specific email management features. This can include AI-generated content, templates, tracking, mass emails, and more. I’ve found that the best CRM for Outlook are Dynamics 365 by Microsoft, HubSpot, Pipedrive, monday CRM, and Insightly. Star rating Starting paid price Forever free plan Email templates Activity tracking Total integrations Dynamics 365 3.3/5 $65 per user per month No No Limited 1,000+ HubSpot 4/5 $15 per user per month Yes Yes Yes 1,500+ Pipedrive 4.3/5 $14 per user per month No Yes Yes 350+ monday CRM 3.6/5 $12 per user per month Limited Yes Yes 200+ Insightly 4.3/5 $29 per user per month No Yes Yes 1,000+ Dynamics 365: Best overall CRM for Outlook Image: Microsoft Formerly known as Microsoft Dynamics 365, Dynamics 365 is Microsoft’s CRM solution. Since both tools are native Microsoft applications, Dynamics 365 is the best CRM for Outlook. In addition to integrating and managing information between the two tools, Dynamics 365 has an AI Copilot that can be activated in Outlook. The CRM can track, edit, and summarize all email threads and reply drafts. Why I chose Dynamics 365 Dynamics 365 is an AI-powered CRM solution that can provide contextual insights, AI-generated content, and contact activity management. Users can collaborate with teammates or other departments through various channels and sources, such as Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365. This way, the entire business is connected with accessible data. While Microsoft Dynamics 365 does have a lengthy free trial, once you are ready to subscribe to a premium plan, you might find the prices are higher than the industry average. If you want a similar CRM with AI tools and powerful integrations, I recommend HubSpot, monday CRM, or Insightly. For more information, read the full Microsoft Dynamics 365 review. Dynamics 365 pricing Dynamics 365 Sales Professional: $65 per user per month. Dynamics 365 Sales Enterprise Edition: $105 per user per month. Dynamics 365 Sales Premium: $150 per user per month. Microsoft Relationship Sales: Contact directly for a quote. Dynamics 365 features Microsoft Teams: Integrate with Teams with additional AI-powered features with Copilot. Sales force automation: Access forecasting, competitor analytics, sales goals, and territory management. Self-service support: Automatically intake and solve tickets and support calls with AI-powered chatbots. Example Dynamics 365 AI chatbot customer support conversation. Image: Dynamics 365 Dynamics 365 pros and cons Pros Cons 30-day free trial. There is no forever-free plan. 24/7/365 data security guarantee. Expensive premium plans compared to others in this guide. Robust native and third-party integration and automation. Real users report complicated user interfaces. HubSpot: Best free CRM with Outlook integration Image: HubSpot HubSpot is an extremely scalable CRM software that also offers a free CRM with more than just core functionality. HubSpot includes free tools such as an email template builder, an AI email writer, a meeting scheduler, and live chat software. To send emails through the Outlook integration, users can log emails sent from Outlook in HubSpot CRM with just one click. Real-time email tracking allows the most up-to-date information around approved templates, email sequences, and meetings. Why I chose HubSpot HubSpot is a popular CRM solution that can act as a customer platform to support marketing, sales, and service operations. It’s an extremely powerful and scalable solution that can be used by any size business from startups to enterprises. The Professional tier is meant to support small and midsize businesses but can be pretty expensive compared to other Outlook CRMs in this guide. If you want a more affordable solution, I recommend Pipedrive, monday CRM, or Insightly. For more details, read my HubSpot review. HubSpot pricing Free CRM: Free for up to five users with contact management, quotes, live chat, and more. Sales Hub Starter: $15 per seat per month, billed annually, or $20 when billed monthly. Sales Hub Professional: $90 per seat per month, billed annually, or $100 when billed monthly, and a one-time $1,500 onboarding fee. Sales Hub Enterprise: $150 per seat per month, with an annual commitment and a one-time $3,500 onboarding fee. HubSpot features Company insights: Populate contact records with company details to have the most updated customer profiles. Template builder: Turn the most successful emails into templates with personalization to share with entire teams. AI email writer: Use AI to generate marketing and sales outreach emails in seconds. HubSpot generative AI content request. Image: HubSpot HubSpot pros and cons Pros Cons Supports over 1,500 possible integrations. Higher-tier paid plans require a one-time onboarding fee. 24/7 customer support. Reports of occasional system bugs and glitches. Real users report an intuitive interface. The advanced paid plans are pricey compared to others on this list. Pipedrive: Best for email and communication tracking Image: Pipedrive Pipedrive can fully integrate with Outlook, Gmail, or a generalized company email. The integration allows users

Writing a call center business plan helps you stay organized and forces you to think through your business model, financials, and company structure. You’ll find boilerplate business plan templates and information just about anywhere. Fit Small Business has a great guide to help you get started with the basics. To keep things short and sweet, I’m going to focus on the specific business plan elements you should focus on when starting up a call center. 1 RingCentral RingEx Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Medium, Large, Enterprise Features Hosted PBX, Managed PBX, Remote User Ability, and more Step 1 — Identify your service model First, figure out what type of call center you’re interested in. There are four main options to choose from, including inbound, outbound, hybrid, and omnichannel. Inbound call centers Inbound call centers work well for customer support, appointment scheduling, reservations, billing services, and order processing. Your staff will only answer incoming calls without having to worry about outbound. Aside from general customer service, inbound call centers are also great for after-hours answering services that take over outside of normal business hours. Outbound call centers These are most commonly used for sales and telemarketing. But they can also work well for market research surveys, political campaigns, debt collection, appointment reminders, and follow-up surveys. Hybrid call centers Offering a mix of inbound and outbound is called a hybrid call center. This is a more challenging place to start as there’s a lot more to think about, but they open the door for multiple revenue opportunities. For example, you can run outbound campaigns whenever call volume is low and automatically switch to inbound when you get a heavier influx of incoming calls. Most call center solutions offer features for both but some cater specifically to hybrid set ups. RingCentral, for example, offers a helpful “call blending” feature that allows staff to answer incoming calls and make outbound calls too. SEE: Check out our in-depth RingCentral review to learn more about it.  Omnichannel call centers Talking to people on the phone is one channel. But there are dozens of others. Omnichannel call centers handle them all, including live chat, text, social media, email, and more. This works best for large brands providing customer support at scale, and it’s commonly used for technical and general support. Like a hybrid approach, omnichannel is a tough place to start. There are a lot of moving parts and you’ll need more expensive software to streamline operations. On top of that, most businesses that need this tend to take care of it in house because of its complexity. Step 2 — Choose your workspace setup Next, decide how you want to set up and deploy your call center. You can run it in a traditional office, as a remote company, or a combination of the two. A traditional environment makes training, managing, and collaborating easy. However, it’s more expensive, doesn’t offer flexibility to your employees, and limits who you can hire. You’ll need to pay for rent, electricity, additional insurance, other utilities, cleaning services, trash removal, and dozens of other expenses. Remote call centers are far easier to start and much cheaper. This is how I run all of my businesses and I can’t recommend it enough. I save thousands of dollars every month and my team appreciates that they get to work from home. Because your expenses are lower and your employees are happier, the path to profit is a lot shorter. Plus, you can hire anyone in the world. There are times I wish we could meet in person, but the benefits of remote work far outweigh the drawbacks. If you absolutely insist on having an office, consider a hybrid approach. You may require a certain number of in-person days per week, require specific employees to come to the office, or make it optional. Step 3 — Identify your software and hardware needs Next, think about the type of software you’re going to use. Cloud-based VoIP call center software is the way to go. There’s no need to consider on-premise or any other type of phone system. Operating from the cloud makes it easier to scale, deploy new agents, and keep costs down as you grow. SEE: Check out the best call center software to see which is right for you.  For that to work, you’ll need high speed internet. If your team is working from home, you can consider paying for them to upgrade their internet services to ensure crystal clear call quality no matter where they work. Depending on your model, you’ll likely also need collaboration software along with business essentials, like accounting software, payroll software, and project management software. Aside from software, you may also need: Computers, monitors, and laptops. Desk phones. VoIP headsets. A VoIP router. Switches. Network cables. Surge protectors. Notebooks and pens. Office chairs, keyboards, and mice. If your agents are working from home, you may want to think about a one-time stipend or work-from-home bonus that allows them to buy the things they need to do their job. Step 4 — Plan your staffing strategy Recruitment strategy is a separate topic altogether and far too much to cover here. But it’s an incredibly important aspect of a call center business plan so I didn’t want to leave it out. You should have a staffing plan for your initial launch and a flexible plan for the next 6-12 months. To do that, make sure you can easily answer the following questions: How many employees will you need on day one? Do you want to hire a bunch of people all at once? Are you going to start smaller and grow from there? Where are you going to find new hires? What will your hiring process look like? What qualification criteria are you looking for? Who’s going to conduct your interviews? You’ll also need to factor in how you’re going to

In this table-themed HTML tutorial, I’ll explain how to make a basic table, add and remove borders, create layouts, make cells the shape and size you want, place cell contents, and add color. It’s easy to follow and designed for beginners. I have included images so you can see what the HTML 5 code should look like. I’d also recommend using this free HTML Code Editor. Enter your code in the left-hand section, and the preview will appear on the right. It’s a great site to use if you plan to explore the world of HTML in the future. Create a basic table Before you can do fancy stuff with table layout, you must create a table. The <table> and </table> tags enclose all the other elements of a table. Each row in a table is set up with a <tr> (table row) tag, which is followed by a <td> (table data) tag for each cell in that row. The following code sets up a simple 2-by-2 table: <table><tr><td>Cell contents&nbsp;</td><td>Cell contents</td></tr><tr><td>Cell contents</td><td>Cell contents</td></tr></table> The <table>, <tr>, and <td> tags all have various attributes that let you control the look of the table itself as well as the placement of its contents. (Read the rest of our table tips to get acquainted with them.) In the absence of those attributes, the table defaults to fit around the cell contents. You’ll notice I added &nbsp; on the third line as I wanted a space between the words. Thus, in most browsers, the code above yields a borderless table that looks like this: A simple, borderless table. Image: HTML Code Editor SEE: 5 Essential HTML Rules for Beginners (TechRepublic) Add and remove borders Tables don’t have to contain text only, of course. Most of the complex layouts you see on the Web combine images and text inside various table cells — you just can’t see the lines, or borders, between the cells. The border attribute of the <table> tag allows you to assign a thickness (in pixels) to the border lines. To make a table with a border of 2 pixels, just add border=”2″ to the <table> tag. To make an invisible border, set the border attribute to 0. (Although most browsers default to a table border of 0, specifically stating it ensures that the border will be invisible in all browsers.) Below are two examples of what this looks like. On the left are the codes for one table with a 2-pixel border and another table with an invisible border. The finished products are on the right. Example one: A table with a 2-pixel border. Image: HTML Code Editor <table border=”2″><tr><td>See our products</td></tr><tr><td>Find out about us</td></tr></table> Example two: A table with an invisible border. Image: HTML Code Editor <table border=”0″><tr><td>See our products</td></tr><tr><td>Find out about us</td></tr></table> Here’s a useful trick — design the table with a visible border, which will show you just how your elements are broken up. When you have everything in place, change the border attribute to 0. SEE: AI-Generated Code is Causing Outages and Security Issues in Businesses (TechRepublic) Create table layouts Two attributes for laying out table content were cellpadding and cellspacing. However, in HTML 5, those attributes are no longer supported. That’s not a problem; using the style sheet language Cascading Style Sheets will help. CSS is good to know because it can be used to specify the presentation and styling of a document. The CSS section in our example starts with <style> and ends at </style>. The wording should be self-explanatory, as the border is set at 2 pixels and is solid black, while the padding is set at 10 pixels. The latter controls the distance (in pixels) between the cell’s contents and its sides. With CSS placed before the HTML, we have an elegant solution. Image: HTML Code Editor <style>   table {      border: 2px solid black;      border-collapse: collapse;   }   td {      padding: 10px;   }</style> <table><tr><td>See our products</td></tr><tr><td>Find out about us</td></tr></table> Make cells the shape you want HTML doesn’t stick you with plain grids for your table layout. With the rowspan and colspan attributes of the <td> tag, you can make a given cell span the height or width of several other cells. To use these attributes, simply assign them a value based on the number of cells you want to span. For instance, the following table has two rows of three columns each: Columns on show. Image: HTML Code Editor <table border=”2″><tr><td>Cell contents</td><td>Cell contents</td><td>Cell contents</td></tr><tr><td>Cell contents</td><td>Cell contents</td><td>Cell contents</td></tr></table> To make the first cell span all three columns, add colspan=”3″ to its <td> tag and delete the other two <td> tags in that row: The colspan attribute adds a new dimension to the columns. Image: HTML Code Editor <table border=”2″><tr><td colspan=”3″>Cell contents</td></tr><tr><td>Cell contents</td><td>Cell contents</td><td>Cell contents</td></tr></table> If you’d like to make that first cell span two rows instead, add rowspan=”2″ to its <td> tag and delete the first <td> tag from the second row: The rowspan attribute alters the rows. Image: HTML Code Editor <table border=”2″><tr><td rowspan=”2″>Cell contents</td><td>Cell contents</td><td>Cell contents</td></tr><tr><td>Cell contents</td><td>Cell contents</td></tr></table> Of course, you can make your tables far more complex than these examples. If you choose to do so, it’s always a good idea to sketch out your tables before you create them. Make cells the size you want Table cells size themselves to their content by default. But what if you want cells of a different size? Enter the width and height attributes of the <td> tag. Just specify the size in pixels, and you’re all set. To make a cell 100 pixels wide and 80 pixels high, for example, you’d do this: The width and height attributes allow you plenty of options. Image: HTML Code Editor <table border=”2″><tr><td width=”100″ height=”80″>Cell contents</td></tr></table> Note that width and height are only suggested attributes. That is, they take effect only if the cell’s set width or height doesn’t conflict with other cells in the same column or row. SEE: Quick Glossary: Web Browsers (TechRepublic Premium) Precisely place cell contents Once

The United States, China, and the United Kingdom are the countries most prepared to foster AI, according to a new report by the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI. Stanford HAI’s Global Vibrancy Tool analyzed research papers, private investments, patents, and infrastructure to determine the rankings. Drawing data from 36 countries, it combined 42 AI-specific indicators to deliver a comprehensive and quantitative assessment of global AI leadership. “AI has increased as a topic of national interest for countries across the globe, and correspondingly narratives about which countries lead in AI have become more prominent than ever,” Nestor Maslej, the AI Index project manager, said in a press release. Top 10 countries for AI readiness According to Stanford researchers, the countries leading in AI development are: United States China United Kingdom India United Arab Emirates France South Korea Germany Japan Singapore More must-read AI coverage Countries with government support for AI sit at the top of the list The index divided its analysis into three sub-categories: Innovation Economic competitiveness Policy, governance, and public engagement These subcategories allowed for additional theories about how AI innovation can be fostered. For example, countries farther down the innovation index had scores closer together to one another than the wider gaps in the top three. This suggests that “modest investments in AI capacity could lead to substantial shifts in rankings,” the report stated. Additionally, Stanford HAI highlighted that making AI “a political priority” likely affects the speed at which a country builds AI readiness. For example, the United Arab Emirates’s investment in research institutions helped it achieve its fifth-place ranking. The U.S. has the world’s most robust AI ecosystem and has set itself apart from the other “superpower” noted in the report: China. For example, the U.S. scored 70 on the weighted index calculation, while China followed at 40. The U.S. also saw significantly more private investment in AI ($67.2 billion) than China ($7.8 billion). Overall, the U.S. leads in: Notable machine learning models Private investment in AI AI-related job postings Newly funded AI startups AI-related mergers and acquisitions. “The [U.S.’s] strengths lie in its robust R&D ecosystem, advanced infrastructure, and active policy and governance frameworks,” according to the report. However, China has the most AI-related patents. “China’s focus on developing cutting-edge AI technologies and increasing its R&D investments has positioned it as a major AI powerhouse,” the report stated. Elsewhere, the United Kingdom, sitting in third place, was notable for hosting the first AI safety summit in 2023. SEE: Australia’s AI industry strength may be creating, implementing, and interpreting AI use policies. The AI Global Vibrancy tool can be adjusted to explore different factors The project isn’t just a static report but a tool intended to “encourage improvements in AI-related data collection efforts,” said Vanessa Parli, director of research at Stanford HAI. Business leaders can adjust weights and assign custom values to indicators on the Global AI Vibrancy Ranking tool. “We are optimistic that the tool will encourage improvements in AI-related data collection efforts,” Parli said in the press release. “In fact, we are crossing our fingers that the tool can open the door to new data-driven collaborations between HAI and countries across the world.” The index aims to measure where resources should be located, how policies should be developed, and how investments should be steered. source

A speedy and stable internet connection and solid Wi-Fi network are crucial for households in the age of remote work. Subpar performance could lead to dropped video calls and the inability to access Google Docs when deadlines are due. Several apps on the market help people assess the wireless network in their home or their favorite coffee shop. Here are six of the best free solutions to test network performance, locate nearby connectivity, and more. SEE: Does a VPN Slow Down Your Internet Speed? (TechRepublic) Top Wi-Fi apps comparison table All the free speed test apps are effective, but it helps to look at the ratings and number of reviews on the App Store and Google Play to determine what appeals to you. FAST Speed Test comes across worse in the ratings, but it only received 222 reviews on the App Store. The others did better and generally got enough reviews to warrant an accurate rating. App Store rating No. of App Store reviews Google Play rating No. of Google Play reviews Meteor 4.7 4.6k 4.8 125k Speedtest by Ookla 4.5 23.5k 4.6 1.41m FAST Speed Test 3.9 222 4.1 47.1k Internet Speed Test Speedcheck 4.9 95.4k 4.5 541k Speed Test Master 4.6 13.6k 4.5 1m V-SPEED Speed Test 4.7 1.1k 4.8 469k Best Wi-Fi apps to test network performance Meteor The Meteor app will perform a speedy network test and then list your download, upload, and ping performance. It also allows you to test anticipated performance for several apps, including YouTube, Slack, FaceTime, Google Maps, and Netflix. The app is available on the App Store and Google Play. The colorful Meteor app is at the joint top of the Google Play ratings. Image: Meteor Speedtest by Ookla Speedtest by Ookla is one of the more popular Wi-Fi test apps on the market. Once downloaded, users can use the app to test network speed, streaming performance, and more. The in-app hamburger menu provides access to past performance results, listing previous download and upload speeds and information related to ping, jitter, and packet loss. It is Available on the App Store and Google Play. Ookla got the highest number of reviews on Google Play. Image: Ookla SEE: 9 VoIP Troubleshooting Tips (TechRepublic) FAST Speed Test FAST Speed Test is owned by Netflix and is available as an app or on Fast.com. The app and web versions have a minimalist interface, which is great for quickly determining your network speed without being bombarded by ads. However, it lacks the advanced network testing feature other speed test apps offer. It’s Available on the App Store and Google Play. Netflix’s FAST Speed Test offers an ad-free experience. Image: FAST Speed Test Networking: Must-read coverage Internet Speed Test Speedcheck The Internet Speed Test Speedcheck app features a Wi-Fi speed test feature with a no-frills user interface. After the test, the results page will illustrate anticipated performance for email, browsing, gaming, streaming, and video chat using a five-point rating system. The app also makes it easy to peruse past speed tests to gauge performance history as usage and connectivity fluctuations over time. The bottom of the app includes a “WiFi Finder” button, but you must install a separate SpeedSpot app to use this feature. This is available on the App Store and Google Play. Internet Speed Test Speedcheck is the winner in terms of App Store ratings. Image: Internet Speed Test Speedcheck SEE: What Is 5G? (TechRepublic) Speed Test Master The Speed Test Master app performs a fast download and upload network test and displays this information, as well as details related to jitter and packet loss. The tools feature also includes a Wi-Fi detector to locate nearby connectivity. It is available on the App Store and Google Play. Speed Test Master also has a Wi-Fi detector. Image: Speed Test Master V-SPEED Speed Test V-SPEED Speed Test offers a quick Wi-Fi test with a vivid and easily navigable user interface. Similar to other apps on this list, it gauges network performance and stores past results. The app also makes it easy to share its Wi-Fi test results on social media for those so inclined. It is Available on the App Store and Google Play. V-SPEED Speed Test is joint top in the Google Play ratings. Image: V-SPEED Speed Test source

There will be times when you need to actually view your SSH certificates on Linux. Why? For example, you need to add a certificate for authentication on GitHub (or any other online service that requires SSH authentication). You know you’ve created those SSH certificates, but how do you view them? For those who are familiar with SSH, you probably already know the answer to that question. After all, this is pretty basic SSH stuff. For those who are new to the ways of SSH (or Linux, macOS or Windows, for that matter), the task might stump you. In this article, and the video tutorial above, I’ll show you how easy it is to view those SSH keys, so you can use them for third-party services. SEE: How to Create and Copy SSH Keys with 2 Simple Commands (TechRepublic) What you’ll need The only thing you’ll need for this is access to a server or desktop (Linux, macOS, or Windows) and an SSH key created. If you’ve not already created your SSH key pair, you can do so with the command: ssh-keygen That command will generate a key pair, both public and private keys. The public key is the one you send to servers for SSH key authentication. When you attempt to log in to that server, SSH will compare the public and private keys. If those keys match, you’ll be allowed access. Simple enough. You’re ready to move on. How to view your SSH public key on Linux There are two easy ways to view your SSH public key in Linux: using the cat command or using both the ssh-agent and ssh-add commands, which is a bit more complicated. The second method is probably overkill for what you need, but it’s a good way to view the key while requiring your SSH keypair password. Using the ssh-agent command Run the command:ssh-agent sh -c ‘ssh-add; ssh-add -L’ Upon successful authentication, your SSH public key will print out in the terminal. You can then copy that and paste it where you need it. If you don’t want to have to memorize yet another command, you could simply use the cat command. Using the cat command Run the command:cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub The command will print out your SSH key on your Linux machine without prompting you for your key authentication password. SEE: How to Mount Remote Directories with SSH (TechRepublic) Open source: Must-read coverage How to view your SSH public key on macOS Viewing your keys on MacOS can be done in a similar fashion to Linux. To view the SSH public key on macOS Open your terminal window, and run the commandcat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.puborcat /Users/USERNAME/.ssh/id_rsa.pubWhere USERNAME is your macOS username. The above commands will print out your SSH public key. macOS also has one more nifty trick up its sleeve. You can copy the contents of the SSH key directly to the clipboard, without displaying the key, using the pbcopy tool. To copy the SSH public key on Mac Run the command:cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub | pbcopy Once you’ve copied the key to your clipboard, you can paste it wherever you need it. SEE: How to Use an SSH Config File on macOS for Easier Connections to Your Data Center Servers (TechRepublic) How to view your SSH public key on Windows If you have not generated an SSH Key yet, you can generate one now. To generate an SSH public key on Windows Run the command:ssh-keygen You’ll be asked where to save the key. If you use the defaults, it will save your keys in C:User[YourUserName].sshid. You will then be prompted to enter a passphrase. You can hit Enter for an empty/no passphrase. It will then ask you to confirm the passphrase. Your key will be generated. To view your SSH public key on Windows Run the command:type ~.sshid_rsa.pubWhere USERNAME is the name of your user. The command will display your SSH public key. Now, use the Ctrl+C keyboard shortcut to copy the file’s contents. You can also do something similar to what we did on macOS (copying the SSH public key directly to the clipboard). To copy the SSH public key on Windows Issue the command:type ~.sshid_rsa.pub | clipWhere USERNAME is your username. Now, paste that key on a word processor or wherever you need it. SEE: Top Commands Linux Admins Need to Know (TechRepublic Premium) How to view your private key Chances are, you’ll never have to view your private key. After all, that’s the secret in the sauce that’s never on display for anyone to see. But on the off chance you do need to view that key, you can follow the same steps as above, but remove the .pub from the file name in any instance. Remember, id_rsa is the private key, and id_rsa.pub is the public key. And that’s all there is to viewing your SSH public and private keys on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Be sure to treat these keys with the care and security they deserve. Although your public key will be handed out to other users and services, that private key needs to be tucked away and never shown to the public. If you do accidentally release that private key, you’ll need to: Remove the public key from the authorized_keys file on every server that uses the key pair. Delete the public and private keys on the host. Generate a new key pair. Send the new key pair to the servers you must log in to with SSH key authentication. If you leave any trace of that compromised key pair on any server or desktop, you risk allowing someone access. source

It used to be that a government shutting down internet access was an extreme move taken in times of severe upheaval. However, the practice has become increasingly common, as internet shutdowns have been used during elections and student exams. Sometimes, it’s the whole internet. But more often, and on a longer-term basis, it’s blocking certain services. But there are steps you can take if service is affected. And it’s good to plan ahead. Here are five tips to help you stay online during an internet shutdown: 1. VPNs. Get a good virtual private network that you can trust. You may even need two in case one is successfully blocked itself. A VPN encrypts your internet traffic and protects your online privacy. Because the VPN redirects the IP address, the user’s identity and location remain private. This means a VPN could help you access the broader network if your local internet connection is blocked. SEE: What Is a VPN? Definition, How It Works, and More (TechRepublic) Must-read IoT coverage 2. A mesh network. This is a workaround — and one that definitely needs pre-planning. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace explains that a mesh network “allows users to maintain communication with one another without relying on the internet or SMS. Instead, they use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi technology to create a chain of devices that can send messages to one another when they are in close proximity.” 3. International SIM cards. If you’re near a border or can travel there, you may be able to pick up service from a neighboring country. 4. Sideloading apps. You can install apps without using the device’s official app distribution method. This can help you circumvent blockages on particular services. When you’re sideloading, remember that nobody checks the apps to ensure they’re legitimate, so be careful what you install. SEE: Network Security Policy (TechRepublic Premium) 5. Satellite content. A service called Knapsack, for instance, broadcasts packets by satellite that can be received by satellite TV receivers. Knapsack is a project developed by NetFreedom Pioneers, a nonprofit working with local and international organizations. The project’s site says no internet connection is required. Knapsack can deliver up to 20 GB of digital content daily. That equals 240 hours of internet browsing, 4,000 songs, or 40 hours of online video in standard definition – shared daily. Hat tip to Vittoria Elliott at restofworld.org for the excellent info and five tips. There are more fixes, of course, such as the Tor Browser and proxy servers. Hopefully, you can avoid shutdowns and blackouts, but if you can’t, these methods should help. source

A database linked to SL Data Services, a U.S.-based data broker, has exposed 644,869 sensitive records online. The records included personally identifiable information, property ownership details, vehicle records, court records, and background check documents, and they lacked password protection or encryption. Security researcher Jeremiah Fowler discovered the exposure and reported it to the review and cyber research site WebsitePlanet. He observed a sample of the documents stored in the 713.1 GB database and said 95% were labeled as “background checks.” Documents of this type contained full names, home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, employment information, family members, social media accounts, and criminal record history. Fowler verified that some named individuals did live at their listed addresses. “This information provides a full profile of these individuals and raises potentially concerning privacy considerations,” he wrote in a report. Fowler believed that a property report ordered from SL Data Services would be stored in a database that the customer could access through a web portal. The only problem is that “if you know the file path, you know where the documents are stored,” he told TechRepublic in an email. He added: “This company used one database for multiple domains and used no segmentation other than folders named after the website.” Access to the database was restricted for over a week after Fowler notified SL Data Services of the exposure. He could only connect with call centre agents, who informed him that a breach would be impossible because the company uses an SSL with 128-bit encryption. During that week, the number of records it contained increased by over 150,000. It is unknown how long the database was publicly accessible, nor if anyone accessed it. SEE: Data (Use and Access) Bill: What Is It and How Does It Impact UK Businesses? Exposed data puts individuals at risk of phishing attacks The biggest concern surrounding the exposed data is the opportunity it creates for staging convincing phishing and social engineering attacks. A criminal can use the information to either impersonate or target an individual whose data was exposed in a background check document. “The criminals could potentially leverage information about family members, employment, or criminal cases to obtain additional sensitive personal information, financial data, or other privacy threats,” Fowler wrote in the report. Businesses that store personal information should consistently monitor access logs for suspicious activity, such as mass viewing or downloading files. They should also refrain from using PII in the file naming system, as unauthorised users may be able to read them simply by opening the directory or file metadata. Using random and hashed identifiers as filenames is recommended as an alternative. Must-read security coverage Who is ‘SL Data Services’? SL Data Services provides “comprehensive real property reports for residential real estate across the US” and was founded in 2023, according to its accredited Better Business Bureau page. However, some reviews suggest deceptive practices, whereby customers order a property report for $1 but then receive subsequent monthly charges to their credit card of up to $20 despite claiming not to have consented to a subscription. According to Fowler, SL Data Services operates a network of an estimated 16 websites. This is because folders within the exposed database were named with separate website domains. SEE: 1.1 Million UK NHS Employee Records Exposed From Microsoft Power Pages Misconfiguration Its Better Business Bureau page provides the alternative business name of “propertyrecs.com LLC,” which appears to be another property records provider. However, Fowler called the company and was told it also provides criminal checks, motor records, and death and birth records. The company’s reviews on Trustpilot indicate that PropertyRecs users are often charged a subscription fee they did not intentionally sign up for, similar to SL Data Services. Despite the rescinding of public access to the database, Fowler has not heard from SL Data Services or PropertyRecs. TechRepublic also reached out to the companies but did not receive a response. There is no confirmation that the exposed database is owned by SL Data Service, PropertyRecs, or a third-party contractor. Information service providers make prime targets for cyber attackers This is not the first instance this year of an information service provider failing to adequately secure its data. In August, a hacker dumped 2.7 billion data records from National Public Data, a background-checking service, on a dark web forum in one of the biggest breaches in history. It is thought that attackers gained initial access to National Public Data via a sister property, RecordsCheck, which hosted an archive of plain text usernames and passwords for different components of its site, including its administrator. The archive indicated that all the site’s users were given the same six-character password by default, but many never changed it. National Public Data has since filed for bankruptcy, claiming it cannot withstand the financial and reputational damage that resulted from the breach. In 2023, TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate, two other background-checking companies, confirmed that 20 million of their customers had been affected by a data breach. They claim that the data was stolen from the cloud storage of a former service provider. “I have seen numerous instances of a relatively small company with access to massive amounts of data and lax data security,” Fowler told TechRepublic. “It appears many data brokers invest in data but not data protection technology. “Data is valuable, and every year, there are more companies that get into the business of collecting, sharing, and selling information. When startups enter the market, like any business they are focusing on sales and revenue and often do not create a secure infrastructure to manage and deliver their data. “When it comes to PII, there has to be higher standards and accountability, and companies entering this market need more oversight for obvious reasons, and until there are regulations in place, we will continue to see these types of data breaches.” Fowler recommends that, before signing up to a data broker, inquire about its data storage methods and penetration testing or vulnerability scan frequency. “If

After an eight-month investigation into the nation’s adoption of AI, an Australian Senate Select Committee recently released a report sharply critical of large tech companies — including OpenAI, Meta, and Google — while calling for their large language model products to be classified as “high-risk” under a new Australian AI law. The Senate Select Committee on Adopting Artificial Intelligence was tasked with examining the opportunities and challenges AI presents for Australia. Its inquiry covered a broad range of areas, from the economic benefits of AI-driven productivity to risks of bias and environmental impacts. The committee’s final report concluded that global tech firms lacked transparency regarding aspects of their LLMs, such as using Australian training data. Its recommendations included the introduction of an AI law and the need for employers to consult with employees if AI is used in the workplace. Big tech firms and their AI models lack transparency, report finds The committee said in its report that a significant amount of time was dedicated to discussing the structure, growth, and impact of the world’s “general-purpose AI models,” including the LLMs produced by large multinational tech companies such as OpenAI, Amazon, Meta, and Google. The committee said concerns raised included a lack of transparency around the models, the market power these companies enjoy in their respective fields, “their record of aversion to accountability and regulatory compliance,” and “overt and explicit theft of copyrighted information from Australian copyright holders.” The government body also listed “the non-consensual scraping of personal and private information,” the potential breadth and scale of the models’ applications in the Australian context, and “the disappointing avoidance of this committee’s questions on these topics” as areas of concern. “The committee believes these issues warrant a regulatory response that explicitly defines general purpose AI models as high-risk,” the report stated. “In doing so, these developers will be held to higher testing, transparency, and accountability requirements than many lower-risk, lower-impact uses of AI.” More Australia coverage Report outlines additional AI-related concerns, including job loss due to automation While acknowledging AI would drive improvements to economic productivity, the committee acknowledged the high likelihood of job losses via automation. These losses could impact jobs with lower education and training requirements or vulnerable groups such as women and people in lower socioeconomic groups. The committee also expressed concern about the evidence provided to it regarding AI’s impacts on workers’ rights and working conditions in Australia, particularly where AI systems are used for use cases such as workforce planning, management, and surveillance in the workplace. “The committee notes that such systems are already being implemented in workplaces, in many cases pioneered by large multinational companies seeking greater profitability by extracting maximum productivity from their employees,” the report said. SEE: Dovetail CEO advocates for a balanced approach to AI innovation regulation “The evidence received by the inquiry shows there is considerable risk that these invasive and dehumanising uses of AI in the workplace undermine workplace consultation as well as workers’ rights and conditions more generally.” What should IT leaders take from the committee’s recommendations? The committee recommended the Australian government: Ensure the final definition of high-risk AI explicitly includes applications that impact workers’ rights. Extend the existing work health and safety legislative framework to address the workplace risks associated with AI adoption. Ensure that workers and employers “are thoroughly consulted on the need for, and best approach to, further regulatory responses to address the impact of AI on work and workplaces.” SEE: Why organisations should be using AI to become more sensitive and resilient The Australian government does not need to act on the committee’s report. However, it should encourage local IT leaders to continue to ensure they responsibly consider all aspects of the application of AI technologies and tools within their organisations while seeking the expected productivity benefits. Firstly, many organisations have already considered how applying different LLMs impacts them from a legal or reputation standpoint based on the training data used to create them. IT leaders should continue to consider underlying training data when applying any LLM within their organisation. AI is expected to impact workforces significantly, and IT will be instrumental in rolling it out. IT leaders could encourage more “employee voice” initiatives in the introduction of AI, which could support both employee engagement with the organisation and the uptake of AI technologies and tools. source