94% of spreadsheets contain critical errors, what can we learn from looking at companies that DON’T have major disruptions and is it time to ban the use of work laptops for personal use?
All this and more on the “catch them doing something right” edition of Hashtag Trending. I’m your host, Jim Love. Let’s get into it.
A recent study has revealed a startling fact about the spreadsheets we rely on in business: 94% of them contain critical errors.
The research was conducted by three major universities Central Queensland University, Swinburne University of Technology, City University of Hong Kong, and The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital published in Frontiers of Computer Science collaborating with several universities and institutions.
The errors included basic errors in the construction of the spreadsheets as well as errors introduced by users stemming from a lack of edits and controls. The study points out that these spreadsheet errors can lead to serious issues for businesses including poor decisions, financial losses, pricing mistakes. Moreover, these errors and related operational problems affect not only small businesses by carry over into critical fields like healthcare and even nuclear operations.
Professor Pak-Lok Poon, who headed the study notes that most current research focuses on testing and fixing spreadsheets after they’re created, rather than addressing issues in the early development stages. But according the study, increase in errors is attributed, at least in part, to more people creating spreadsheets without formal training in software development.
He says, ‘Many end-users lack proper software development training, leading to more errors. We need to focus more on the early stages of spreadsheet development to prevent errors.’
The study suggests adopting a life cycle approach to spreadsheet quality, addressing potential issues from the very beginning of development. This could help businesses reduce risks and improve the reliability of their decision-making tools.
The researchers also recommend better training and tools for end-users to improve spreadsheet reliability.
As businesses increasingly rely on data-driven decision-making, this study serves as a wake-up call. It highlights the critical need for better quality assurance practices in spreadsheet development and use.
For listeners who frequently work with spreadsheets, this might be a good time to review your own practices and consider implementing more rigorous checks in your spreadsheet creation process.”
Sources include: Phys.org
We spend a lot of time with studies that focus on where companies are failing, but do we spend enough time asking ourselves, who is doing the right things and what can we learn from them. A recent study by TRG Datacenters has shed light on which work-related services are leading the pack in terms of uptime.
Dropbox emerges as the most reliable platform, with only two major outages in the past year. This is particularly impressive given its massive user base of 700 million. Even more noteworthy, Dropbox managed to resolve these issues in just 45 minutes on average.
Other top performers include Asana and Airtable, each experiencing only one major crash in the last 12 months. These outages lasted a mere 45 minutes, demonstrating quick recovery times.
It’s important to note the varying scales of these services. While Asana serves over 1.3 million users, Airtable caters to a more modest 250,000. This difference in scale can significantly impact a platform’s ability to maintain reliability.
A spokesperson for TRG Datacenters highlighted this challenge: “The reliability of a platform is easy to keep when there are not that many users. The game changes when a single mistake affects millions or even billions of people, even if it lasts for 30 minutes.”
This study serves as a reminder that as businesses increasingly rely on these platforms, their stability becomes ever more critical. However, it’s also worth considering that with a global user base, not all users are equally affected by any given outage.
The data could provide valuable insights into the reliability of various work platforms. There’s a link to the full data with our show notes at technewsday.com
The full research is here.
A recent study by cybersecurity firm ESET has revealed a concerning trend: 90% of workers admit to using their company-provided laptops for personal activities. While this may seem harmless, it poses significant cybersecurity risks, particularly in an era where hybrid and remote work have become the norm.
The study highlighted that many employees engage in risky behaviors on their work devices, such as viewing adult content, gambling, accessing the dark web, and illegally streaming sports. These activities not only expose the individual to potential cyber threats but also put sensitive company data at risk.
One alarming finding is that two-thirds of respondents admitted to accessing the dark web on their work laptops, with 17% doing so daily. Younger workers, especially those aged 16 to 24, were more likely to connect to unsecured public Wi-Fi and use personal USB devices, further increasing the risk of a security breach.
ESET’s Global Cybersecurity Advisor, Jake Moore, emphasized the need for companies to implement stronger cybersecurity measures, particularly given the blurred lines between work and personal life in hybrid setups. Moore noted that while employees are often considered the weakest link in cybersecurity, the responsibility lies with companies to ensure that their endpoint security is robust and that employees are educated about the risks.
Despite the clear dangers, one in five workers admitted that their work devices lacked any cybersecurity software, and a further 7% were unsure if their devices were adequately protected. This highlights a significant gap in both awareness and protection that companies need to address.
As hybrid work continues to blur the boundaries between personal and professional use of devices, companies must impose stricter rules to protect their data and their employees.
Sources include: Tech Radar
And that’s our show for today. You can find show notes at our news site technewsday.com or .ca take you pick.
Hashtag Trending in the summer has a daily news program Monday to Thursday, and weekend edition with longer show providing a deeper dive into a key area. That show comes out late Friday evening.
Thanks for listening. I’m your host Jim Love, have a Marvelous Monday.
