Goodbye, 9-To-5: Asynchronous Work Unlocks Productivity And Growth

It goes without saying that asynchronization has officially entered the ranks of corporate buzzwords. There’s validity, however, in its leap to mainstream jargon, as the methodology has ushered in unprecedented levels of productivity and growth for businesses across the country.

Forty-two percent of workers in the U.S. were forced out of the office and into their homes last year when Covid-19 struck. Businesses that weren’t able to pivot their operations to function remotely suddenly found themselves in hot water, while others with more agile infrastructures and technologies were in a better position to adapt. From here, paths diverged. Some led their organizations forward with a “business as usual” mentality, while others opted for hyper-cognizance, noting market movements and enacting organizational changes in real-time.

Asynchronous work was that change, and it has opened the door to flexibility for businesses and organizations that proved capable of making the necessary adjustments to implement a new model. Asynchronization offered, and continues to offer, leaders an opportunity to continue to do well, working towards and achieving their business objectives — but also the chance to do good, maintaining jobs and doing right by their people during a time when many faced economic and emotional difficulty. It has worked really well for us at Aura, and I know many other companies are finding similar.

So, What Is Asynchronous Work?

Asynchronous work focuses on the most valuable resource of all: time. Asynchronous is a new way of working where time is reimagined. It means to take the measuring of time and implement systems across your organization that make the best use of it. An asynchronous workforce operates in a mode that sets a decision point and works backward from there, both individually and collaboratively — all at once and without the need for a centralized location. The benefits are realized in increased schedule flexibility while at home, enhanced work-life balance, rediscovering value in the work day-to-day, greater focus during prescribed working hours and much more.

The topic of whether fully remote workforces will become the new normal is deserving of editorial attention entirely on its own; however, in our current corporate reality, asynchronous working models have proven to make a difference.

But how exactly does asynchronous work … work?

Say Goodbye To The 9-To-5

Asynchronization doesn’t have concrete daily working hours — quite the opposite. Finding pockets of time throughout the day and committing to achieving a predetermined list of objectives is the name of the game. Doing so allows for uninterrupted focus and clarity in what needs to get done, inching the team and business closer to its end goal.

Meetings Mean More

In an asynchronous business, meetings don’t occur simply to inform others, especially when the conversations can be covered off in an email or via collaborative tools.

How should leaders adjust? By leaning on prep work heading into a meeting and circulating pre-reads and other necessary information ahead of time so all members join with an understanding of what needs to be discussed and, more importantly, where the call needs to end, so everyone is on the same page as far as next steps and responsibilities are concerned.

This isn’t to say that all meetings will be canceled in the name of efficiency. Having allotted time on the calendar to talk about things other than work, or to celebrate a milestone or special occasion with teammates, can have a tremendous impact on morale. Face time with colleagues is important now more than ever, as working remotely can lead to feelings of isolation and exclusion. Finding the right balance of the two in an asynchronous working model is no easy feat, but doing so will net the business a stronger culture in the long run.

Communication And Documentation Are Key

In our increasingly connected economy, communication and documentation tactics have become one in the same thanks to technology. Collaboration tools like Google Docs, Microsoft Teams and Slack merge the two tactics, making it extremely difficult not to communicate and collaborate. Implementing a balance of the many productivity and communication tools available into your business infrastructure to track progress toward goals will help in holding your leaders and employees accountable and will help you identify areas for optimization and opportunity.

But like anything, know there are limits. Encourage autonomy and trust throughout your organization and ensure your leaders are promoting the same at every level. There’s no height a business can’t reach when its people can communicate freely and feel they’re supported and empowered to get the job done.

The New Normal: Four Lessons From 2020 That Have Reshaped Business

In what can only be described as a tumultuous year, 2020 will have a lasting impact that will be felt for decades to come. In the early months of 2021, it’s become clear that many aspects of business, and life in general, will never fully return to what they once were.

New ways of working and conducting business were prompted by the pandemic and led to momentous shifts in consumer behavior. Covid-19 forced a reprioritization of creative problem-solving and innovation, the likes of which we haven’t seen since the Industrial Revolution.

2020 afforded the world an opportunity to take a step back and consider our approach and, more importantly, question everything. Innovative thinking compelled us to ask better questions and seek superior solutions.

Here are the four most important lessons from 2020 that won’t soon be forgotten. Welcome to the New Normal.

1. Think As Though The Present Is Now The Future

Contrary to what you may think, 2020 didn’t create anything new, per se. When Covid-19 gripped the world, there were a series of changes already underway in the marketplace.

Consumers’ preference for shopping online was eclipsing that of in-store. Countless delivery services were launching apps, competing to change the way goods are received and how fast. The ability to work from home was becoming less rare and recast as a valuable benefit to attract and retain talent. More and more brands were not only speaking out on social justice issues but taking action and inspiring others to do the same.

2020 accelerated the adoption of these trends and phased out what was or near obsolete. What might’ve taken five years to develop in the marketplace, the effects of the pandemic brought about in less than two. What business leaders should take away from this mass acceleration is the need for foresight. The ability to see three, four or even five steps ahead of the competition will be the difference-maker in readying your business to be at the forefront of disruptive trends the moment they are accepted as conventional.

2. Let Demand Be Your Guide

Consumers undoubtedly miss some aspects of in-store shopping. They may even return to brick-and-mortar stores for urgent needs when it is safe to do so, but ultimately, they will continue the convenience of virtual product acquisition they grew accustomed to out of necessity. In many cases, kinks in service and delivery have been remedied, and vendor and service provider preferences have become well-established.

DoorDash is a perfect example. The suburbs are an ideal place to quarantine due to the distance between neighbors and households with plenty of parks and outdoor spaces. This led many to flee more densely populated urban hubs for the suburbs, driving a boom in the housing market as mortgage rates dropped to historic lows. DoorDash’s presence in the suburbs was minuscule compared to city centers, and there was no urgent need for restaurants to sign on. While consumers weren’t leaving their homes often, DoorDash and other delivery services rapidly expanded to these regions to meet this immediate demand.

Let’s also consider luxury brands that sell status items that are meant to be brandished. In 2020, consumers began asking themselves if designer bags, shoes and watches were really worth it. Other than by leveraging social channels, who would they show off their latest luxury purchase to while home for the entirety of most days? Particularly during a period of unrest. This threat forced many luxury brands to pivot their products and rethink their marketing to meet incubated living.

3. Work Isn’t A Place; It’s Productivity

Just over a year ago, a large portion of the workforce began working from home, and like many other business leaders, I was unsure if it would be possible for our team to operate at the same pace in a remote environment. I, alongside many others, quickly learned this was absolutely possible, and then some.

This isn’t to say there weren’t learning moments along the way, but largely, businesses around the world have returned to, and in some cases surpassed, the productivity levels from before 2020. Our team at Aura is working harder and more efficiently than ever before. So much so that in a recent company survey, the majority of Aura employees noted that they would prefer not to return to the office. And we think this trend will continue across many businesses that have successfully pivoted to being fully remote.

Employees are increasingly relocating to warmer parts of the country with lower costs of living. Companies have started exploring the relocation of their headquarters operations to those same markets in order to cut costs and be ever-present to the growing populations in these emerging markets.

4. Asynchronous Is The Future Of Work

The line between what we once knew as work-life balance has been blurred to create what we now know as “asynchronous” ways of working. Asynchronous working is essentially work-life integration, which was on full display over the last year.

Growth-focused leaders have already taken note of this shift and are implementing measures to instill asynchronous efficiencies into their organizations. Efficiencies like a focus on best uses of time, mapping out business plans beginning with the end decision point in mind, and outlining next steps to be assigned and completed out of sight by an agreed-upon deadline. This means companies should begin prioritizing time and shift their operations to function backward, beginning with goals first.

In order to become fully asynchronous, there needs to be a philosophical mindset alignment throughout the organization. We need to accept that normal working hours may soon phase out. Meetings will no longer happen to simply inform others. Instead, there will be a focus on preparation and assigning goals and next steps to make the best use of everyone’s time. Asynchronous means truly ensuring your enterprise is more connected to value time and the employee base at large.

Business Insider – Tech Investors Love These 17 Startups Driving the Work-From-Home Revolution into 2021

2020 has been the year of remote working, with coronavirus forcing unprecedented numbers of white-collar workers to leave offices for home set ups.

From video calls to cybersecurity, businesses everywhere have been forced to adapt to the new normal.

Business Insider asked some of Europe’s biggest VC investors to pick out the remote work startups which they think are the most exciting after a massive year for the industry.

COVID-19 has been an accelerant to many industries, from finance through to healthcare, but perhaps no more so than the remote working space.

Companies large and small were forced into what was previously unthinkable — a fully remote workforce.

The trend looks set to become permanent, with one US survey finding two-thirds of firms will be WFH in some form forever. More than 20 blue-chip firms have likewise confirmed permanent remote working in some form, including Google, Microsoft, and Indeed.

That’s led a shakeup in the tech stack that companies rely on, with an uptick in software for video meetings and virtual events, as well as changing requirements around HR software.

Business Insider spoke to nine venture capital investors across Europe, asking them to pick out best startups pushing the remote working revolution forward into 2021.

Check out their picks below:

Aura CEO – Hari Ravichandran

Aura

Cited by: Lars Fjeldsoe-Nielsen, Balderton Capital

In the Balderton portfolio? No

What it does: “Aura products offer a powerful shield safeguarding the digital lives of those you love. Their digital threat protection platform unites best-in-class privacy, identity, and security products that enable customers to manage disparate cybersecurity needs with ease and maximum effectiveness.”

Why it’s hot in 2020: “As we’ve embraced working from home in a year like no other, everyone is living remotely, and all our digital activity is happening from the perceived safety of our homes.

“Unfortunately, identity thieves and fraudsters are taking advantage. That’s why Aura is special. Trusted by millions of customers, Aura is a technology company dedicated to simplifying digital security for consumers.”

Step Inside The Mind Of A Hacker To Reduce Vulnerabilities

At a time when everyone is spending more hours online, from business owners working to ensure the safety of their networks and employees to remote workforces and kids learning virtually, there has never been a better reason for us to collectively safeguard ourselves from the cyber risks that exist today.

There are many lists of tips and best practices available, but instead of preaching the benefits of a password manager or two-factor authentication, let’s step inside the mindset of a hacker to better understand how their world works. Through that perspective, we can gain valuable insight into how best to protect ourselves from a variety of cyberthreats.

Step One: Identifying A Vulnerability

A hacker first needs to find a way in, and there are several options to explore. They can exploit vulnerabilities within a device, network, system or application to allow unwanted access by outside parties. The CISA explains that you can significantly decrease this risk by keeping apps, operating systems and devices up to date because many vulnerabilities are caught and fixed fairly quickly through this measure.

What hackers often rely on instead are human vulnerabilities, or user errors that can easily expose sensitive data or open the door for unwanted access. This can include weak or repeated passwords, inadvertent downloading of malicious software and much more. Many data breaches — 90%, according to a recent CybSafe analysis (via InfoSecurity) — are a result of a human vulnerability, and with so many users online and working remotely this year, Iomart (via CNBC) found there has been an increase in data breaches as a result.

Finally, hackers can also look to exploit a network vulnerability, which I’ve found occurs most often when a network’s hardware or software is exposed to the potential for intrusion, such as an insecure Wi-Fi network or insecure devices that can be used to gain access to your network.

Step Two: Wreaking Havoc Or Worse

Once a hacker has found a way in, they typically try to take as much advantage of their entry as possible. If an email and password combination works on one site, a hacker will frequently input the same information into hundreds or even thousands of other sites. The program they use might also try slight variations on the password. A hacker hits the jackpot when they suddenly have access to many websites where credit card information and other personal details are stored. Hackers may later post or sell these credentials on the dark web, quickly spreading the victim’s information even further, but usually only after they’ve accessed all your valuable data before you even realize (if you do at all). However, if the program comes back without additional access, usually because the consumer uses unique passwords, the hacker may be forced to move on. Even worse is when the correct email and password requires additional verification, usually via text message or an authentication app, pushing the hacker back to square one. Another dead end is often a secure Wi-Fi network with a strong password that limits their access.

If the hacker gains access to a computer, they can run code, access a system’s memory, install malware or modify data. They look at a system’s hardware, software, network and users, and when they find one that meets their motives, they can leverage these flaws in their attack, putting your identity and personal information at risk in the process. What they’ll be disappointed to find is a user who has an updated OS with firewalls and antivirus software installed.

Step Three: Savvy Scamming

I’ve found that hackers are also always on the lookout for an especially complex system that has a greater chance of misconfiguration or a device that is overly connected. If that isn’t evident, a savvy hacker might forge their way into a system through a phishing scheme using email, social media, phone calls and more to steal valuable data. These scams can be remarkably tailored and are often successful because they outsmart spam filters and use information found on public social media accounts to customize the communication and impersonate people the user actually knows by targeting an email domain that has easily mistaken letters — like “m” instead of “rn.” Phishing schemes are typically most successful when the target is in a hurry and likely discounts a gut reaction to something looking a bit off. These fraudulent communications will often ask for payment details via email or through a questionable webpage without branding or typical payment processes. While these schemes can be convincing, the hacker is beholden to an action from the target and will not gain access to anything of value if the communication is simply deleted.

Staying A Step Ahead

You may not be able to prevent every type of cybercrime. In fact, it’s likely you will experience some form in your life, if you haven’t already. However, all hope is not lost, and there are many actions you can take to protect yourself and your personal information and make a hacker’s job more difficult.

There is an instant advantage in understanding the most common vulnerabilities and what you can do to better manage these weaknesses to prevent successful hacking. Cyberattacks are constantly evolving, so managing vulnerabilities and protecting against them is a continuous process. Luckily, there are a wide range of tools — including password managers, vulnerability scanning software and identity protection services — and easy behavior changes that can help. While it’s tempting to repeat the same password, ignore prompts to update software, and click quickly through emails or pop-ups, taking the time to get these right will make the hacker’s work much harder and may even cause them to move on to their next target.

Aura bolsters security offerings with Pango acquisition

Aura aims to provide all-in-one security and privacy protection for consumers

The digital security company Aura has announced that it will acquire Pango for an undisclosed sum in an effort to expand its current identity protection and security offerings.

In addition to being the company behind the popular VPN Hotspot Shield, Pango also offers a password manager called 1Password as well as a service called Robo Shield that blocks robocalls. Last year the company partnered with Aura to offer its identity theft protection service IdentityGuard alongside its own products in a subscription service to help protect users online.

Through its acquisition of Pango, Aura aims to become the premier unified security suite that protects consumers and their families with comprehensive, data-driven products. The combined entity will provide all-in-one protection for consumers by combining both firms’ privacy, identity and security products.

• Hotspot Shield can now secure your Wi-Fi router
• Email is still the biggest security risk around today
• We’ve also highlighted the best identity theft protection

Aura and Pango

In a press release, founder and CEO of Aura, Hari Ravichandran explained how the acquisition will allow the combined company to offer a holistic solution to protect users’ privacy and security, saying:

“The momentum Aura is building with the acquisition of Pango uniquely positions our business to continue scaling as we integrate exceptional products that provide a digital halo of protection for consumers. Privacy and security are more important than ever and Aura aims to be the simple holistic solution. The combined global business is profitable with well over $200 million revenue and a talented team of more than 450 all-stars committed to ensuring that our millions of subscribers have the most advanced technology to protect themselves and their loved ones.”

Aura recently acquired FigLeaf and PrivacyMate and their products alongside Pango’s will be consolidated into a holistic security and privacy solution over the next four to six quarters.

Once the acquisition of Pango is complete, Ravichandran will remain Aura’s CEO and he will be joined by Pango’s most recent CEO Sujay Jaswa who will serve as chairman of the board.