Beyond Encryption

A Chat with CEO Paul: Are Companies Doing Enough to Protect Their Customer Communications? This week, we hear from Beyond Encryption Founder & CEO Paul Holland about the key challenges in securing digital communications amid rising cyber threats. As we wrap up for Christmas, Paul reveals how companies could be doing more to protect customer information. What’s in this episode? - 🕵️ The mounting dangers and often-overlooked vulnerabilities in outbound email exchanges 🔒 How encryption and authentication can shield sensitive customer information from prying eyes 🔧 Striking the perfect balance between ironclad security measures and light-touch user experiences 🔗 Empowering customers to communicate safely and close security gaps in real-time 🔧 Practical steps to ensure compliance, avoid penalties, and foster trust with your clients Watch/listen to the episode now via the link in the comments 🔗

Royal Mail Struggles to Deliver: Rising Costs and Missed Deadlines 📦 A recent investigation by This is Money highlighted Royal Mail’s ongoing challenges, with only 16 out of 100 first-class Christmas cards arriving on time. Some cards—even those sent to nearby addresses—still haven’t arrived. ⚡️ What’s going on? ➡️ Stamp prices have shot up to £1.65 each, climbing faster than inflation and making them some of the most expensive in Europe. ➡️ Letter volumes are way down, from 20 billion in 2004/05 to just 7 billion in 2022/23. ➡️ The service has been fined over £16 million in the past year alone for failing to meet delivery targets. Why does this matter? 📊 Rising prices are putting people off using the service, creating a cycle where fewer letters mean higher costs for those who still rely on it. 🛠️ Missed delivery targets are chipping away at trust, especially at a time when reliability is key. 📢 Many individuals and businesses are looking for alternatives, and Royal Mail risks losing relevance. What can be done? Royal Mail has been slow to effectively use digital technology to reduce the pressure on its traditional services. Other European countries have already adopted digital delivery solutions, freeing up resources to deliver those Christmas cards. By moving some correspondence online, they could improve efficiency and make sure the festive post gets where it needs to go on time. ❓ What do you think? Would you be happy to receive important letters digitally if it meant no delays and no loss of information?

🎄 A Very Merry (and Magical) Beyond Encryption Christmas! 🥂 From escape rooms and potion-making to Chinese food and karaoke, the team really pulled out all the stops to wrap up 2024.

Businesses see inevitable dips in activity throughout the year—especially in the lead-up to Christmas. 📉 How do we turn these lulls into a competitive advantage instead of our Achilles’ heel? Read CEO Paul's latest article on why slow periods shouldn't mean lost time or productivity. ⌛

From Data Cleanups to AI Dreams: Tackling Client Communication in Financial Services This week, we hear from financial services consultant Helen Clark at Mint Blue Consulting Ltd about how client communication is evolving. Key insights include: 🔎 Why the financial services industry is still tidying up customer data from the 1970s 📧 How clients want to be communicated with (spoiler – it’s not complicated) ⚙️ The utopia vs. the reality of adding new technology into an existing stack 🤖 Where getting carried away with AI and APIs can (and can’t) work ✂️ What ‘streamlining’ actually means for most financial firms 🌐 Bridging the digital divide to support vulnerable clients Watch/listen to the episode now via the link in the comments 🔗

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link: closing the gaps created by human behaviour. ⛓️💥 65% of office workers bypass company security policies for the sake of efficiency. Drilling down into what these behaviours look like, we can see that… 🔢 Nearly half of employees reuse login credentials across multiple work apps. 📱 80% access workplace systems from personal devices, which often lack basic security measures. 📤 52% admit to sharing sensitive workplace information with external parties, increasing the risk of breaches. But why do employees sidestep security? In essence, it’s all about convenience. Having to input unique passwords or install regular security updates is time-consuming, acting as points of friction for workers who are more focused on getting the job done, with productivity often taking precedence over protection. Integrating security solutions that are developed with user experience at their core is the only thing that will stop employees from skipping vital steps. Without this, organisations risk exposing critical vulnerabilities in their defences. 👥

Redefining Strategy & Harnessing AI to Stay Ahead 🛣️ Our CCO Adam Byford joined other industry leaders to discuss the business benefits and concerns of using predictive technology and AI. 👥 Here are the key takeaways: 🧭 Data is the new compass: Businesses that invest in predictive tech are better equipped to anticipate market trends, mitigate risks, and capitalise on opportunities before competitors. ✍ AI as a productivity engine: From automating repetitive tasks to generating actionable insights, AI is enabling teams to focus on strategy and creativity rather than operations. 🚨 The dark side of tech: While AI is a powerful betterment tool, it’s not just used as a force for good. With the UK experiencing 1.7 million cyber-attacks per day and AI increasingly being used to make them more sophisticated, businesses must be aware of how to counteract these threats. How is your organisation leveraging predictive tech to stay ahead? 

Ministry of Defence Hit by Major Cyberattack: Hundreds of Passwords Leaked 🔢 The MoD recently had over 600 employee credentials stolen and leaked onto the dark web. Sensitive data from military personnel, civilian staff, and defence contractors—including email addresses and passwords for the Defence Gateway portal—have been compromised. 🪪 The incident, reportedly carried out by Russian-linked hackers, underscores a troubling pattern; cyberattacks as precursors to more sophisticated espionage or blackmail, with intelligence sources already warning of potential recruitment or coercion efforts targeting affected personnel. What makes this attack particularly concerning? 👉 Exploitation of vulnerabilities in personal devices, bypassing robust systems like multi-factor authentication. 👉 Use of state-sponsored hacking tools, resembling techniques seen in high-profile Western cyberattacks. 👉 Heightened geopolitical tensions, with cyberwarfare increasingly targeting critical institutions. How can organisations, particularly those with vital responsibilities in the UK, bolster the resilience of their platforms? 🔐

One layer isn't enough for me, To prove yourself, you must use three. Something you know and something you hold, Perhaps a token or code you're told. Combining factors to verify true, Enhancing security through and through. What am I? #fridayriddle

Too often, businesses fall into the trap of “shiny new thing syndrome,” adopting the latest tools without first defining the experience they want to deliver. What’s the result? Disjointed customer journeys and wasted resources. In our latest podcast, we sit down with Adrian Swinscoe—customer experience guru, Forbes contributor, and author of Punk CX—to explore how businesses can take a more intentional approach to customer experience. Key takeaways include: - Why leading with strategy, not tech, drives better outcomes - How to use customer insights and where to gather them effectively - The promise of AI in customer communications, beyond the hype - Navigating regulatory challenges without compromising experiences Whether you're rethinking your CX strategy or looking for fresh insights, this episode is a must-listen for regulated customer-centric companies. 🎙️👇 (link in comments)