“Customers simply describe the outcome they want to achieve, the role of the AI agents, and the processes they want to build through natural language prompts—not code—and AI Agent Studio will build a team of AI agents, managed by the AI Agent Orchestrator, that are ready to work immediately,” the company said. The new studio also guides enterprise users through creating, testing, and activating AI agents for custom use cases, it added. Another customer, Rolls-Royce, is already using the AI Agent Studio to streamline its operations, according to ServiceNow. source

By Al Barbarino ( January 27, 2025, 2:40 PM EST) — Aggressive antitrust enforcement gave startups fewer exit opportunities as large companies like Google, Amazon and Apple pulled back on acquisitions, according to a Monday report from the Computer & Communications Industry Association, yet the trade group’s chief economist is optimistic things will change under President Donald Trump. … Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More In the evolving landscape of AI, enterprises face the challenge of integrating modernsolutions with legacy systems that often lack the necessary application programming interfaces (APIs) for seamless integration. Approximately 66% of organizations continue to rely on legacy applications for core operations, leading to increased maintenance costs and security vulnerabilities. Tools like PigAPI have taken a different approach to this problem by enabling AI agents to interact directly with graphical user interfaces (GUIs) within virtual Windows desktops hosted in the cloud. This connects modern AI capabilities with legacy software, allowing for automation of tasks such as data entry and workflow management without the need for local infrastructure. Additionally, users can intervene at any point, taking control of the virtual machine (VM) to guide or adjust tasks as needed. For businesses grappling with legacy challenges, this hybrid approach offers a practical solution to modernize operations without overhauling existing systems. Breaking through legacy system barriers Traditional robotic process automation (RPA) tools, such as UiPath and Automation Anywhere, are designed to automate repetitive tasks by mimicking human interactions with software applications. However, these tools often encounter significant challenges when dealing with legacy systems, particularly those that are GUI-based and lack modern integration points. The absence of user-friendly APIs in these older systems makes integration cumbersome and prone to errors. Additionally, RPA solutions are typically rule-based and struggle to adapt to dynamic changes in user interfaces or workflows, leading to brittle automation processes that require constant maintenance and updates. By contrast, AI agents, such as those enabled by Pig API, offer a more flexible and intelligent approach to automation. Unlike traditional RPA tools, AI agents are not solely rule-based; they can learn and adapt to changes in the user interface, making them more resilient to updates or modifications in legacy systems. This adaptability reduces the need for constant maintenance and allows for more complex task automation. Furthermore, by operating within virtual environments, AI agents can scale more efficiently, handling multiple tasks across different systems simultaneously without the constraints of physical hardware. For example, in the finance sector, AI agents can facilitate the migration of data from outdated accounting systems to modern customer relationship management (CRM) platforms by mimicking manual data entry processes. In healthcare, they can interact with legacy electronic health record (EHR) systems to extract and input patient information, streamlining administrative tasks and reducing the potential for human error. Technical details: How Pig API powers GUI automation with AI agents Pig API enables AI agents to interact directly with GUIs within cloud-hosted virtual Windows desktops. Through its Python software development kit (SDK), Pig makes it possible for developers to integrate virtual environments into workflows, automating processes that traditionally required manual effort. Connecting AI agents to cloud-hosted virtual desktops At the heart of Pig API is its ability to create and manage VMs for AI agents. These cloud-hosted environments eliminate the need for local infrastructure, allowing enterprises to scale workflows seamlessly. For instance, developers can easily initialize a VM, connect to it, and define tasks for their AI agents using a straightforward process. Here’s an example: Source: https://x.com/erikdunteman/status/1881754445899567315 This setup provides AI agents with a dedicated environment to perform tasks such as interacting with desktop applications, simulating user inputs and automating workflows. By abstracting the complexities of GUI interaction, Pig ensures that developers of varying expertise can leverage its capabilities effectively. Simulating human-like interactions  Pig API enables AI agents to perform a variety of actions that closely mimic human behavior. This includes moving a mouse, clicking, dragging, typing into forms or spreadsheets and capturing screenshots of the current desktop view. These tools allow agents to make informed decisions during their operations and execute complex workflows. Source: https://github.com/pig-dot-dev/pig-python LLM integration for multi-step workflows One of Pig API’s standout features is its integration with large language models (LLMs) such as Anthropic’s Claude or OpenAI’s GPT. This capability enables AI agents to incorporate decision-making into their automation workflows, handling tasks that go beyond predefined rules. For instance, consider the following example of a data extraction and processing workflow: Source: https://x.com/erikdunteman/status/1881754445899567315 In this workflow, the AI agent opens a browser, navigates to a specified URL, extracts relevant customer reviews and organizes data into an Excel spreadsheet. By integrating with LLMs, Pig enables agents to execute multi-step tasks that combine GUI automation with AI-driven logic, demonstrating its potential for streamlining complex operations. Pig API in the automation ecosystem The automation landscape includes a variety of tools tailored for different use cases, from traditional RPA platforms to advanced agentic AI solutions. Tools like UiPath and AutoHotkey excel at automating structured workflows and repetitive tasks, but are often limited when it comes to unstructured processes or GUI-heavy environments. Both require predefined scripts or rule-based logic, making them less adaptable to changes in user interfaces or dynamic workflows. Pig API positions itself as a solution for scenarios where traditional automation tools encounter barriers, particularly in interacting with legacy Windows applications. Other emerging solutions, such as Microsoft’s UFO project and Anthropic’s Computer Use, also aim to enhance automation through intelligent agents capable of interacting with GUIs. However, these technologies remain in their experimental stages and focus more on augmenting user productivity rather than enterprise-scale workflows. Pig’s specific focus on enabling agents to operate within isolated virtual environments provides an alternative that aligns with the needs of enterprises dealing with legacy systems. What’s next for Pig API and AI automation As enterprises continue to navigate the complexities of integrating modern AI solutions with legacy systems, tools like Pig API take a new approach to bridging this gap. By enabling AI agents to interact directly with GUIs within virtual Windows desktops, Pig opens up new possibilities for automation in environments that have traditionally been difficult to modernize. Its cloud-hosted architecture and ability to work without APIs position it as a valuable tool for enterprises looking to extend the lifespan of legacy systems while improving operational efficiency.

We are thrilled to announce our research, Deconstructing Human-Element Breaches (Forrester clients can access here), detailing the many and varied risks posed by and to humans — problems that have plagued cybersecurity teams for decades. Forrester clients can use this research as a catalyst for productive conversations with executives and peers across functions about controls to mitigate the human-element breach types most common to their organizations and industries. This blog includes an FAQ based on the most common questions we receive from our clients and the security vendor community about human-element or human-related breaches. Aren’t human-element breaches just social engineering and human error? Whenever we mention human-related breaches, security and risk leaders and practitioners typically think of two main categories: social engineering and human error. This isn’t wrong but isn’t the full picture. After covering these topics separately for years, we decided to deconstruct the problem of human element breaches to uncover what they are and how to address them. This includes a variety of categories such as security culture, social engineering (including phishing), and insider risk. How do I use Forrester’s wheel of human-element breaches? As part of the research, we deconstructed eight breach families containing 25 human-element breach types (see figure below). They include established and emerging attacks such as social engineering, data exfiltration by insiders, and just plain human error. Attackers target humans in so many different ways, and humans behave in such distinct ways that leave them and their organizations vulnerable to attacks. Security leaders can use this wheel to assess the breach types that pose the most risk to their organization, define and describe each breach to stakeholders, and gain buy-in for investment to mitigate these risks. Why do we need this clarity? While it’s great that human-centered security is becoming more top of mind, human-related breaches remain inconsistently defined. For example, well-respected sources, such as the annual Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s notifiable data breach reports, each provide different perspectives of what constitutes human-related breaches. This confusion can lead organizations to focus on common breaches while ignoring others, limit the solutions to well-trodden yet ineffective recommendations such as security awareness and training (SA&T), or worse, bury their heads in the sand, overfocusing on technology and not people. Can’t you just train people? After all, this is “just” a human issue. According to Forrester data, 97% of organizations conduct some form of SA&T — hoping for a silver bullet while checking a regulatory compliance box. Despite this, human-related attacks such as business email compromise have quadrupled, CISOs haven’t instilled security cultures in their organizations, training continues to cause friction for learners, and no one knows what behaviors actually change. While awareness of security issues is important, it can never replace the role of technical controls. Even the most vigilant employee will fall for a credible phishing lure or deepfake voice call, accidentally misconfigure an API setting, or send a sensitive file to the wrong recipient. Training is not enough. Technical controls must be in place to protect users from these attacks and change their behavior. If training isn’t as effective as you say it is, can’t we just use tech? While some breaches, such as those caused by human error or social engineering, are easy to associate with people, others that are technologically heavy, such as generative AI (genAI) misuse, are a bit more difficult to understand. Yet it was people relying on fallible genAI content that led the Australian Federal Parliament to publish an inaccurate submission. Without understanding that this is a human-related issue, it is easy to try to rely solely on technology to solve the problem. Security leaders need to strike a balance between training and technical controls. We provide guidance on how to do so using Forrester’s Human-Element Breach Control Matrix. I keep hearing about human risk management, but isn’t it just SA&T 2.0? Far from being SA&T with a fancy new name, human risk management (HRM) solutions present a significant change of mindset, strategy, process, and technology. Forrester defined HRM and began evaluating HRM vendors, encouraging orgs to positively influence security behaviors through evidence-based detection and anticipation of human risk, instead of purely relying on training. Do we really need another tool to manage the human risk? While some technologies in your tech stack provide limited behavioral insights, HRM is unique in that its sole focus is human risk. It integrates with existing tools and technology to measure a vast range of security behaviors and provides a comprehensive view of human risk. HRM also correlates behavioral, threat, access, and knowledge data to surface previously unseen risks. It interacts with people through a set of interventions including training but also through policy updates to protect people in a way that requires minimal effort on their part. Talk To Us Forrester clients can schedule a guidance session or inquiry with: Jinan Budge, for human-centered security, security culture, influence and engagement, and human risk management. Jess Burn, for social engineering and email, messaging, and collaboration security solutions. Joseph Blankenship, for insider risk. Heidi Shey, for data security. Any one of the contributors to this research to discuss the entirety of human-related breaches. source

We asked people in 35 countries about the influence of specific religious texts on their national laws. The texts in question varied by country: For example, adults in predominantly Christian countries were asked about the influence of the Bible. And in Muslim-majority countries, they were asked about the influence of the Quran. In most middle-income countries: Majorities say the historically predominant religion’s text should have either a great deal or a fair amount of influence on the laws of their country. People are more likely to say religious texts should take precedence over the will of the people if the two conflict. Many say religious texts already have a great deal or a fair amount of influence on their country’s laws today. On the other hand, in most high-income countries: Majorities say religious texts should not shape their national laws. People are about as likely, or slightly more likely, to say that the will of the people should win out over religious texts if the two conflict. Most people say religious texts currently have little or no influence on their country’s laws. The U.S. stands out from other high-income countries both for its high percentage of people who think the Bible currently influences the country’s laws and for its high percentage who think the Bible should have that kind of influence. We asked people in 35 countries about the influence of specific religious texts on their national laws. (Tunisia was included in the 36-country survey, but the questions about the Quran were not asked there.) In each country, we selected the sacred text(s) of the historically predominant religion(s). For example, in the United States, where Christians have long made up a majority, we asked about the influence of the Bible. And, because the concept of “religious texts” is somewhat more relevant in Western religious traditions, in Buddhist-majority nations like Thailand, we asked about a comparable concept: the influence of Buddhist dharma. In Japan, Nigeria and South Korea, we asked all respondents separately about the influence of two religious texts. In Japan, we asked about Buddhist dharma and Shinto teachings. A significant portion of the population there identifies as Buddhist, yet Shinto has long been tied to national identity, and a quarter of Japanese adults say they feel a personal connection to the Shinto way of life. In Nigeria, where large shares of the population identify as either Christian or Muslim, we asked about the influence of the Bible and the Quran. In South Korea, where sizable shares identify as either Christian or Buddhist, we asked about the Bible and Buddhist dharma. Here is a list of the religious texts asked in each country: Religious text Country Bible United States, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, UK, Australia, Philippines, South Korea, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru Quran Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Turkey, Tunisia Buddhist dharma Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand Hindu teachings India Jewish scripture Israel Shinto teachings Japan How much influence should religious texts have on laws? A majority of adults in most middle-income countries surveyed believe the religious texts they were asked about should influence the laws of their country. This generally holds true despite people in different countries being asked about different texts – such as the Bible, the Quran, Buddhist dharma and Hindu teachings. In Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, the Philippines and Peru, half of adults or more say the texts they were asked about should have a great deal of influence on the laws of their country. In contrast, people in high-income countries are more likely to say religious texts should have little or no impact on their national laws. In Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the UK, half or more say the Bible should have no influence at all on their laws. In the United States, around a quarter say the Bible should have a great deal of influence on the country’s laws. The U.S. also stands apart from the other high-income countries surveyed for having the highest share of adults (49%) who say a religious text should influence national laws at least a fair amount. Turkey also stands out: Of all the countries in which we asked about the Quran, Turkey has the highest share of adults saying the Islamic holy book should have no influence at all on the law (31%). Views by religion In most countries, followers of the historically predominant religion are more likely than people of other religions to say their religious text should influence the nation’s laws. For instance, 57% of Hindus in India say Hindu teachings should have great influence on India’s laws, while 26% of Indian Muslims take that position. In Israel, 19% of Jews and 5% of Muslims believe Jewish scripture should have a great deal of influence on Israeli laws. And 52% of Haredi (“ultra-Orthodox”) and Dati (“religious”) Jews say Jewish scripture should greatly influence national law, compared with just 10% of Masorti (“traditional”) Jews and 2% of Hiloni (“secular”) Jews who say this. Because Nigeria has significant shares of both Christians and Muslims, we asked about the influence of both the Bible and the Quran. Nigerian Christians are slightly more likely than Nigerian Muslims to say the Bible should have a great deal of influence on the law (44% vs. 36%), while Muslims are significantly more likely than Christians to say the Quran should have a great deal of influence (59% vs. 17%). In nearly every country with enough Christians and religiously unaffiliated adults for analysis, Christians are more likely than the unaffiliated (those who identify as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular”) to say the Bible should have a great deal of influence on the law. For example, in Brazil, 58% of Christians say this about the Bible’s influence, compared with 34% of the religiously unaffiliated. Notably, the religiously unaffiliated in most middle-income countries are more likely than the religiously affiliated in

By Dorothy Atkins ( January 28, 2025, 8:21 PM EST) — A California federal judge on Tuesday ordered OpenAI Inc. to produce a dataset used to train the company’s flagship GPT-4 model to counsel representing a proposed class of authors in their high-stakes copyright infringement battle, rejecting OpenAI’s argument that handing over the dataset poses too many security issues…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

When asked about their national leader’s connection to religion, people are generally more likely to say it is very important to have a leader of their country who stands up for people with their religious beliefs than to have a leader whose religious beliefs are the same as their own, or to have a leader who has strong religious beliefs even if they are not the same as their own. In Kenya, for instance, 62% of adults say it is very important to have a president who stands up for people with their religious beliefs. Meanwhile, 55% of Kenyans say it is very important for their president to share their religious beliefs. And 54% of Kenyans say it is very important to have a president who has strong religious beliefs, even if those beliefs differ from their own. People in middle-income countries tend to be more likely than people in high-income countries to say each of these things is very important in a national leader. Views of these qualities are tied to how people otherwise engage with religion: Those who are affiliated with a religion (such as Christianity) are consistently more likely than the religiously unaffiliated to say each trait is very important for their country’s leader to have. People who pray daily are more likely than people who pray less often to view these traits as very important. Adults who think religion helps society are more likely than those who think religion hurts society to say these religion-related traits are very important in a national leader. How important is it to have leaders who stand up for people’s religious beliefs? A median of 30% across the 35 countries where we asked this question think having a leader who stands up for people with their religious beliefs is very important. People in middle-income countries are considerably more likely to say this than people in high-income countries. For example, in Bangladesh and Indonesia, around seven-in-ten adults say it’s very important to have a prime minister or president, respectively, who stands up for people who share their beliefs. Large shares in several other South and Southeast Asian countries also say this is very important, as do about half of adults or more in the African nations surveyed. In many high-income countries, though, fewer tend to say it’s very important to have a leader who stands up for people with their religious beliefs. Only 11% of adults in France and 5% in Japan say this trait is very important in their president or prime minister, respectively. And 51% of Spanish adults say it is not at all important to have a prime minster who stands up for people with their religious beliefs. Chile, Israel and the U.S. stand out among the high-income countries surveyed. In all three, about three-in-ten adults say it is very important that their national leader stands up for people with their religious beliefs. Views by education Across many of the surveyed countries, people who have lower levels of education are more likely than those with higher levels of education to say it is very important to have a leader who stands up for people with their religious beliefs. (This difference persists even after statistically controlling for religiousness.) In Turkey, for example, 61% of adults with lower levels of education say it is very important to have a president who stands up for people with their religious beliefs. This share falls to 37% among Turkish adults who have higher levels of education. How important is it to have leaders who share people’s religious beliefs? We also asked people whether it’s important that their national leader have the same religious beliefs as they do. A 35-country median of 22% say this is very important. Adults in the 17 middle-income countries (48% median) are generally more likely than adults in the 18 high-income countries (10% median) to say having a leader who shares their religious beliefs is very important. Majorities in six middle-income countries say this, including about three-quarters of adults in Bangladesh and Indonesia. Meanwhile, in every high-income country surveyed, about a quarter of the public or less take this position. For instance, 12% of U.S. adults say it is very important to have a president who shares their religious beliefs. And in eight high-income countries, half or more say it is not at all important that their leader have the same religious beliefs they do. In Sweden, the share holding this view reaches 68%. Europeans who support right-wing populist parties are more likely than nonsupporters to say a leader having the same religious beliefs as them is very important. (For more on populist parties, refer to the Appendix.) In Germany, 17% of those who express a favorable opinion of Alternative for Germany (AfD) say this is a very important trait for their chancellor to have, while only 6% of Germans with an unfavorable view of AfD agree. As with other attitudes discussed in this chapter, adults with less education are more likely than those with higher levels of education to say it is very important that their leader have the same beliefs as they do. Views by religion Adults who are affiliated with a religion are consistently more likely than the religiously unaffiliated (those who identify as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular”) to say it is very important to have a national leader who shares their same religious beliefs. This dynamic is readily apparent in countries that have sizable populations of both Christians and religiously unaffiliated people. In Chile, for example, Christians are about three times as likely as the unaffiliated to say having a president with the same beliefs as them is very important (26% vs. 8%). In a few middle-income countries, though, religiously unaffiliated adults are more likely than the religiously affiliated in high-income countries to say this is a very important trait for their national leader to have. For instance, 33% of unaffiliated adults in middle-income South Africa say it is very important to have

Exciting developments such as DeepSeek’s R1 announcement are extending opportunities to run large language models (LLMs) on edge devices. These advancements could have profound implications for edge computing, particularly in the realms of AIOps (artificial intelligence for IT operations) and observability. By enabling real-time insights and faster automations at the edge, enterprises can enhance their operational posture, drive down costs, and improve operational efficiency and resilience. The Impact On Edge Computing Edge computing has been gaining traction to process data closer to its source, reducing latency and bandwidth usage. Edge computing technologies help firms anticipate customer needs, act on their behalf, and operate businesses efficiently in localized contexts including internet-of-things-enabled scenarios. Running LLMs on laptops and edge devices enhances these benefits by delivering powerful AI capabilities right at the edge. Training these models is a considerable challenge, something synthetic data could play a role in for AIOps, which is an approach that DeepSeek appears to have leveraged. DeepSeek-R1 claims to be as good if not better than other top-tier models, but it also offers unique advantages such as the ability to explain its answers by default. This transparency is crucial for building trust and understanding in AI-driven decisions in AIOps solutions. Processing and analyzing vast amounts of data in real time at the edge enables more responsive and intelligent edge devices. This capability is particularly valuable in scenarios when immediate decision-making is critical but connectivity to a central source or cloud resources is intermittent and unreliable. Alternative considerations are the high costs for networking and risks associated with data traveling from the edge to the cloud and data center. Some AIOps strategic objectives are to improve prediction accuracy, enhance user experiences, and produce far-reaching contextual insights for IT operations; all these stand to benefit from LLMs processing telemetry at the edge. Enhancing AIOps And Observability AIOps and observability are crucial components of modern IT operations, providing the tools needed to monitor, analyze, and optimize complex systems. Observability tools capture real-time data points, including metrics, events, logs, and traces (MELT), which are essential for understanding system behavior and performance. AIOps leverages this data to reduce alert noise, troubleshoot issues, automate remediation, and provide deep, contextual real-time insights. With LLMs running on edge devices, AIOps and observability can achieve new levels of real-time insight and automation. For instance, LLMs can analyze MELT data on the fly, identifying patterns and anomalies that might indicate potential issues, security or operational. The immediate analysis allows for quicker detection and resolution of problems, minimizing downtime and enhancing system reliability especially in environments with unreliable or irregular connectivity. The integration of smaller-footprint LLMs that can run at the edge, such as DeepSeek-R1, with AIOps can also lead to more proactive and predictive maintenance of devices and infrastructure or injection of risk-mitigating actions with no human intervention. A New Paradigm For IT Operations The integration of LLMs with edge computing and AIOps and observability represents a new paradigm for IT operations. It could be a game-changer for edge computing, AIOps, and observability if the advances of DeepSeek and others that are sure to surface run their course. This approach enables enterprises to harness the full potential of AI at the edge, driving faster and more informed decision-making. It also allows for a more agile and resilient IT infrastructure, capable of adapting to changing conditions and demands. As enterprises embrace this new paradigm, they must rethink their data center and cloud strategies. The focus will shift to a hybrid and distributed model, dynamically allocating AI workloads between edge devices, data centers, and cloud environments. This flexibility will optimize resources, reduce costs, and enhance IT capabilities, transforming data center and cloud strategies into a more distributed and agile landscape. At the center will remain observability and AIOps platforms, with the mandate for data-driven automation, autoremediation, and broad contextual insights that span the entire IT estate. Join The Conversation Register for the upcoming webinar on February 12, The Importance Of AI-Driven IT Operations And AIOps In Edge, IoT, And OT Computing. During this webinar, I will be speaking with my colleague Michele Pelino about these very topics that DeepSeek has further catapulted into the news. As always, I invite you to reach out through social media to any of us if you want to provide general feedback. If you prefer more formal or private discussions, email [email protected] to set up a meeting! You can also follow our research at Forrester.com by clicking on any of our names below. Click the names to follow our research at Forrester.com: Carlos Casanova, Michele Pelino, and Michele Goetz. source

1Password fast facts Our rating: 4.3 stars out of 5Pricing: Starts at $2.99 per monthKey features Unique travel mode feature. Integrations with Fastmail and Privacy. Easy-to-use and modern UI. 1Password has earned a reputation for being one of the best password managers around. It has an easy-to-use and sleek-looking interface, strong end-to-end encryption, and interesting integrations on top of its service. While it lacks a free version, its premium plans offer a ton of value that makes the spend worth it. For those looking for an all-around password management solution, 1Password should definitely be on your list. NordPass 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), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Micro, Small, Medium, Large, Enterprise Features Activity Log, Business Admin Panel for user management, Company-wide settings, and more Dashlane 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), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Micro, Small, Medium, Large, Enterprise Features Automated Provisioning ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus 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 Access Management, Compliance Management, Credential Management, and more How much does 1Password cost? A base 1Password Individual account costs $2.99 per month for one year. This is their main consumer plan. On the other hand, the starting price for its initial business subscription is $19.95 per month for the 1Password Teams Starter Pack, covering up to 10 users. In 2023, 1Password only offered one plan option for each subscription tier, with monthly pricing that was billed annually. In 2024, it now has both an annual or a monthly contract option — which I appreciate as it gives customers more flexibility in terms of their subscription. 1Password Personal Plan Annual Monthly Features included Individual $2.99 per month, paid annually $3.99 per month Covers 1 user, autofill capabilities, password sharing, end-to-end encryption Families $4.99 per month, paid annually $6.95 per month Covers 5 family members, all Individual features, plus simple admin controls and unlimited shared vaults Starting at $2.99 per month for its individual plan, 1Password’s base pricing is reasonable and falls in the middle of the pack compared to the competition. For example, Bitwarden offers one of the most affordable starting plans at less than $1 per month, while fellow popular pick Dashlane comes in at a much higher $4.99 per month. At $2.99 per month, you’re still getting very good value, including unlimited device support and password storage. I believe 1Password’s Families plan at $4.99 monthly could be more affordable. It starts at $4.99 per month for five users. In comparison, Dashlane offers 10 family member accounts, double that of 1Password, for a fair increase to only $7.49 monthly. Meanwhile, RoboForm and Bitwarden offer Families plans for less money at $2.66 for five users and $3.33 for six users, respectively. Like its Individual plan, 1Password’s Teams Starter Pack is on par with other password managers and is a good option for small teams and businesses, providing accounts for up to 10 members. 1Password Business Plan Annual Monthly Features included Teams Starter Pack $19.95 per month, paid annually $19.95 per month Covers up to 10 users; actionable security alerts, domain breach report, 1Password Developer Business $7.99 per user per month, paid annually $9.99 per user per month Covers unlimited seats; includes all Teams Starter Pack features plus integration with Okta, Entra ID, Duo, and others; advanced reporting, granular admin controls Enterprise Contact sales for quote Contact sales for quote All Business features plus a dedicated account manager, tailored onboarding, quarterly and annual business reviews, and priority for new business features Its Business plan, priced at $7.99, is expensive as Bitwarden has a comparable plan at just $6 — a $2 difference that eventually adds up. 1Password Business provides useful additional features such as single sign-on support, a free families plan for all users, custom usage, and breach reports for included users. But if these features aren’t important to you, Bitwarden’s more affordable plan looks better. While it’s a shame that 1Password doesn’t have a free version, it does offer 14-day free trials across all plans (except Enterprise). This lets you test out which subscription fits your needs best. Before purchasing any subscription, I highly recommend availing of any of 1Password’s 14-day trials. Personally, I like how these free trials don’t require credit card or payment information to access, allowing users to test drive their features without handing over sensitive details. Is 1Password safe? Before you start transferring any of your passwords into 1Password, it’s important to check whether it can keep your sensitive data safe and secure. Fortunately, 1Password offers top-notch security for your passwords and credentials. 1Password data is end-to-end encrypted and utilizes the gold standard AES 256-bit encryption to secure your data. It also uses a zero-knowledge approach, meaning only the user can access their own information. 1Password provides all its users with a 34-character Secret Key that’s created locally on a user’s device. The Secret Key works in tandem with the account password to access your passwords and acts as an additional layer of protection for your data. Because it’s created locally, 1Password doesn’t have access to your Secret Key and prevents user data from being collected or sold to third parties. 1Password should also be commended for its commitment to regular security audits done by independent third parties. As of December 2024, 1Password has completed 26 penetration tests conducted by verified auditors, continually assessing its security and features. In October 2023, 1Password announced that it detected suspicious activity on the Okta instance it uses to manage employee-facing apps. 1Password said it immediately terminated the activity and emphasized that no user data or sensitive systems were compromised. While that is good news, security incidents like this are important to be aware of. Overall, 1Password is a secure password manager that

From 2013 to 2023, the number of ICT specialists in the EU increased by 59.3% according to Eurostat. In that period, most of these tech workers were found in Germany, which provided employment for 21.5% of the EU’s ICT specialists—unsurprising when you consider the fact that the country is home to a myriad of high-tech companies and organisations such as SAP, Siemens, Bosch, and Audi. France had the second largest share at 13.8%, with Italy and Spain representing 9.9% and 9.6% respectively. While the demand for tech workers is increasing, this is happening in tandem with a worsening skills gap. 5 software roles to apply for now Data Engineer, F2F, Amsterdam Embedded Software Engineer, Lely, Zuid-Holland Senior Software Engineer, OVSoftware, Gelderland Java Software Engineer, Gino BV, Groningen Full stack AI developer, Witteveen+Bos, Overijssel Labour market challenges 2024 data from Eurostat shows that 57.5% of EU businesses just can’t recruit necessary ICT talent, and that the gap between labour demand and actual employment has grown by 20% in the past ten years. Large companies aren’t faring much better with 68% unable to fill all their open tech roles. The skills gap looks set to worsen as new technologies open up demand for emerging job roles. Webinar: Nurturing Scaleup Success Join us on 18 February for a discussion on the vital role of ecosystems in nurturing startups and scaleups and fostering a dynamic entrepreneurial landscape. Additionally, universities and learning institutions often can’t keep up with ever-changing technology requirements. The length of many higher education courses means that qualified tech talent is often in a pipeline that is simply too long for wider hiring needs. The European Commission is highly aware of its ongoing skills gap issue and the threat that this poses for economic expansion. It is seeking to address it with a series of measures which include up- and reskilling needs, improving labour and skill forecasting and addressing individual and structural barriers to labour market participation, for example. The recent Future of Jobs report from the World Economic Forum (WEF) has identified 15 of the fastest-growing job titles by 2030. These are highly tech focused and include big data specialists, fintech engineers, AI and ML specialists, plus software and applications developers. Security management specialists, data warehousing specialists, UI and UX designers, IoT specialists, data analysts, information security analysts, and DevOps engineering roles will also increase. New opportunities for software devs For software developers in particular, emerging technologies are set to significantly impact their skillsets and career trajectories this year and beyond. Think of the continued expansion of artificial intelligence and machine learning as one key area of growth. Additionally, low-code/no-code platforms, cloud-native development, edge computing, DevSecOps, quantum computing, natural language processing (NLP), and robotic process automation (RPA) are more technologies software developers may need to get to grips with. The WEF says that “Three technologies in particular are set to have the biggest impact: robots and automation, energy generation and storage technology, and AI and information processing.” It found that 86% of leaders expect AI and information processing technologies to transform their business by 2030. That will lead to a rise in the jobs available and the skills required, which may prompt the rise of focused roles such as generative AI engineer, AI ethicist, prompt engineer, remote AI training specialist, robotics software engineer, AI product manager and business intelligence developer with AI focus. Quantum computing is also a rapidly emerging field and as it continues to advance, a variety of new job titles are likely to emerge, reflecting the unique skills and expertise required in this cutting-edge field. Think roles for quantum optimisation engineers, quantum algorithm developers, quantum software engineers, and application specialists, for example. Roles could also develop for quantum error correction specialists, quantum machine learning scientists, quantum health researchers, quantum data scientists, and quantum sensing engineers. Upskilling for the future Skill gaps represent opportunities for software engineers with the right skills. However, keeping up with an ever-changing industry can be daunting. Developers who want to stay ahead of emerging technologies and job titles over the next five years can adopt several strategies. Continuous learning and upskilling is a key aspect to focus on. Online courses, certifications and bootcamps, and coding workshops can all hone and develop your skills. Platforms like Coursera, edX, or Pluralsight can be used to develop skills that are focused on specific technologies such as low-code/no-code development, or AI frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch, for example. If you aren’t getting the experience you’d like within your current work environment, think about developing personal projects using new technologies. This will give you valuable hands-on experience, and could involve creating applications with AI capabilities or exploring quantum computing simulations. You can also contribute to or collaborate on open-source projects to apply new skills in real-world scenarios, while gaining visibility within the developer community. Keep your curiosity going by joining relevant professional networks, both on and offline. Conferences and meetups are another rich resource to mine, and you can be among the first to learn about the latest trends, as well as network with your peers. Lastly, think about how you can make yourself the most employable you’ve ever been by identifying and then focusing on niche skills. Generative AI, ethical AI practices, or quantum algorithm development are just some to look at. Exploring how emergent technologies can intersect with other industries can also significantly broaden your career opportunities. Ready to look for a new tech role? Check out The Next Web Job Board now source