Weidenhammer Systems Inc.

Hammer Tech

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<p>In a world where creativity fuels productivity, the relentless management of emails, meetings, data, and notifications threatens innovation, as work hours expand and precious minutes dwindle. That’s why generative AI represents an enormous opportunity for business leaders interested in establishing a more productive way of working. Microsoft’s AI-powered Copilot is designed to integrate seamlessly with the Microsoft 365 apps your employees use every day, ensuring a smooth transition with minimal disruption to existing workflows.</p>



<p>While leveraging Copilot is both minimally disruptive and very affordable, it would be a mistake to jump in with both feet before evaluating your organization’s readiness across a few key areas:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Technology, Security &amp; Governance</strong>&nbsp;– Do your data privacy and governance policies align with Microsoft’s latest guidelines? Is your M365 environment operating in alignment with best practices? Missing checkboxes here could quickly put your organization in a world of hurt.</li>



<li><strong>Data</strong>&nbsp;– Is your data ready for AI to take advantage of it? If not, you could have a “garbage in, garbage out” scenario.</li>



<li><strong>Business Strategy</strong>&nbsp;– Does your company know how it plans to leverage AI specifically? Are your users educated on how to adopt AI? How can you ensure that your investment will yield the maximum return?</li>
</ul>



<p>As your Microsoft partner, Weidenhammer offers you an integrated team of specialists to help you maximize the value of Copilot, while minimizing security and data risk. In 30 days, we will deliver a roadmap for AI-ready opportunities in the organization, optimizing your data, and critical security and governance steps. We will also deliver two Copilot proof-of-concepts.&nbsp;<a href="https://insights.hammer.net/weidenhammer?__hstc=53723191.7950dc7c3c7cc07fb7844bed33dc6dc2.1726756820201.1729689606269.1730210766404.4&amp;__hssc=53723191.1.1730210766404&amp;__hsfp=1092514284" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong><em>We are calling this our Copilot Preflight offering, and you can read more about it here.</em></strong></a></p>



<p>Hammer Tech, a division of Weidenhammer, provides the Microsoft 365 infrastructure, security, and licensing engineers specific to these needs. Hammer Dev, a sister division of Hammer Tech’s, provides the workflow, data and software engineers specific to AI and other cloud-based solutions. It’s a combination that, for 46 years, has guided thousands of clients through their digital transformation—and we can do the same for you. Copilot is already helping businesses push past boundaries and reimagine their future. Let’s make sure your organization is ready to leverage AI’s full potential.</p>


Getting Started with Copilot

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<p>Modern workplaces are not what they used to be; many organizations have transitioned from five days a week in the office to at least a hybrid schedule, if not entirely remote. Still, despite this persistent trend, there’s been more than a few executives pushing for a return to office (RTO) mandate in order to facilitate more creativity, innovative problem solving, and collaboration.</p>



<p>These RTO mandates have contributed to the ongoing debate over whether remote work or in-person is better for any given organization. Some studies may indicate that in-person work has benefits, allowing more real-time collaboration and improved creativity while others show that remote work can be just as, if not more productive and collaborative as sharing an office space. Regardless of the available evidence, it’s important to recognize one fundamental truth: there’s no putting the genie of remote work back in the bottle now that it’s been unleashed.</p>



<p>There is no one size fits all solution to designing an office space.&nbsp; The optimal work environment depends on the type of work and the personalities of the workers.&nbsp; However, if it’s unlikely that remote work is disappearing any time soon, what can organizations do to make use of their office space?</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">RTO Mandates Help Grab Headlines, but Don’t Capture Hearts</h2>



<p>It’s important to acknowledge that businesses with offices have a vested interest in utilizing that space, because it’s an expense that’s fixed, tying up resources that, if unused, has a negative ROI. It’s understandable in this context for business leaders to want to push workers to use the space they paid for, because at least then there’s a return on their investment. While this concern is understandable, it overlooks a key factor in getting employees back to the office: employees.</p>



<p>Mandating RTO to realize an ROI on an office space investment is something that employees understand just as much as management. When these mandates are handed down, the intent may be to take advantage of in-person collaboration, boost creativity, and foster a more connected culture, but what employees hear is that ROI is more important than their wellbeing. This misunderstanding may lead to more bodies swiping into the office, but it will also increase the rate of disengagement workers will experience, because their hearts and minds are still set on remote work.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Turning the Office into an Employee Magnet</h2>



<p>While winning the hearts and minds of employees is a harder task to accomplish than simply mandating they show up to work, it’s possible to do if businesses invest in making the office a space employees want to come to.</p>



<p>This doesn’t necessarily mean that leaders need to invest in a space like Google has for its campuses; instead, business leaders can focus on providing tools that can make it easier and more productive to work in the office. These tools can fall into three broad categories:</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Networking</h3>



<p>Working remotely comes with a lot of perks, and one of the biggest has to do with what the employees feel is control over their network connection. Offices of the past have too often sought to minimize their investment in network assessments, endpoints, and other tools that provide the wireless connection necessary to do many of the jobs in a modern organization.</p>



<p>Network latency, inconsistent coverage, and other issues make it harder to use many of the wireless tools that the modern workplace needs to be successful, and since employees are often measured against their ability to perform, they will naturally go where the connection is. If leaders don’t invest in optimizing their office networks to provide fast, consistent connection across all available devices, then they’re setting themselves up for a struggle to get employees to RTO.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Accessibility</h3>



<p>Talent is one of the key drivers of success at an organization and in the past, teams have been limited in their recruitment efforts to the immediate, surrounding communities. With hybrid and remote work, it’s become a lot easier to expand the search for talent to anywhere in the world, and that’s been a boon for organizations who can now work with someone they couldn’t have before due to geographic differences.</p>



<p>However, this benefit to companies has been a bit of a double-edged sword, because it makes it even harder to enforce a RTO mandate when some employees are allowed to work remotely and others have to be in office. If business leaders want to attract talent to the office while still maintaining their access to diverse talent through remote work, it becomes critical to make the experience of working with a hybrid team as seamless as possible.</p>



<p>Design collaboration spaces to be responsive to the composition of the team so employees can work together regardless of their being remote or in person. This will require a combination of a consistent network connection and robust collaboration platforms, but it also means that organizations need to be mindful of how they design teams and work functions so that employees that work in person and remotely can feel just as connected as if they were all in the same room.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Collaboration</h3>



<p>With the rise of remote work, there’s been a proliferation of collaboration tools that have allowed teams to work together from anywhere in the world, and with that kind of power comes a perfectly reasonable question from employees: why come back to the office?</p>



<p>Business leaders have to consider ways of providing the same comfort and ease that remote work offers in the workplace if they want to attract their employees back to the office. Fortunately, many of the leaders in the collaboration space have taken note of this and have developed tools to do just that.</p>



<p>Recently,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hammer.tech/webexone-recap-how-cisco-is-reimagining-the-modern-workplace/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cisco’s announcements at its WebexOne</a>&nbsp;conference have detailed how it’s helping to create a more collaborative modern workplace by leveraging the power of generative AI, creating video conferencing tools that provide a consistent and responsive experience, and a whole lot more. In addition to video conferencing equipment, there’s increased interest in tools that give employees a say in how they work within a space, such as desk booking systems and scheduling tools that allow teams to see who’s in the office so they can maximize the value of their time in-person to achieve their goals.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">AI, IoT, and Boosting Employee Engagement</h2>



<p>AI has been a hot topic for 2023, and it’s unlikely to change in 2024. Cisco has already been working on how to leverage AI tools to boost the effectiveness of collaboration tools and that’s going to change the way many organizations think about what it means to be a modern workplace. However, aside from AI, there have been many different tools that organizations are using to create a more attractive workplace to be a magnet for employees.</p>



<p>One of the most promising of these includes Internet of Things (IoT) tools that allow workplaces to automatically adjust to maximize employee engagement. While it may not be talked about as widely as AI, using IoT sensors in collaborative workspaces can give business leaders access to a treasure trove of data on how to make those spaces more attractive. IoT sensors can collect information on things like temperature changes, air quality, noise, lighting, and even how many “ghost meetings” – or times when a space is booked but no one shows up – occur throughout the day. After evaluating the data on these points, it’s possible to leverage additional IoT tools to automatically adjust the conditions within the space to maximize the comfort and efficacy of the teams working within it.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Creating a Modern Workplace that Attracts Employees</h2>



<p>What constitutes a “modern” office space is constantly changing, and in an age where business leaders are looking to leverage the value of in-person collaboration to boost the effectiveness of their teams, it’s critical that leaders take the shifting definition into consideration when trying to get employees to return to in-person work.</p>



<p>If business leaders want to get employees back into the office and fully engaged, then the best way they can achieve that is by making the office a place that employees want to return to. There are many ways to achieve this, but in the context of hybrid schedules, technology will play a critical role in making it possible for teams to work together seamlessly, regardless of whether they’re in office or remote. Leaders must think about how they can organize office space to justify the time and resources that many employees invest in commuting, because the ability to do that will differentiate those companies who can successfully manage a RTO initiative from those whose employees may be physically present, but completely disengaged from the mission of their work.</p>



<p>The process of turning office space into a magnet for employees can be complicated, but with the right partner, it can be a whole lot easier than it seems. Hammer Tech has years of experience working with organizations to ensure they have the latest technology and training to maximize value to their team.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hammer.net/solutions/" data-type="page" data-id="60" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Contact us</a>&nbsp;if you want to find out more.</p>


RTO: Making the Office a Magnet Rather than a Mandate

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<p>IT professionals have had to adapt to many changes over the course of the last few years. There’s been a proliferation of discussions around AI and how it will impact cybersecurity, massive changes in the way we collaborate at work, and more that have added tons of work to the IT department. Having plenty of work is a good way of protecting budgets, but it can limit the ability of IT teams to help their organization grow. Luckily, there are ways to maximize the productivity of IT teams without requiring a massive investment of resources.</p>



<p>Across every industry, there are some IT functions that are necessary to keep the lights on. Network management, cybersecurity, device management, and other critical functions are necessary to an organization’s survival, but they can limit the resources IT professionals can deploy to meet strategic objectives. That’s why Microsoft created Intune and Autopilot.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Is Microsoft Intune and Autopilot?</h2>



<p>At a high level, Intune and Autopilot is a cloud-based device management solution that brings capabilities that used to be restricted to enterprise environments with Microsoft System Center deployed to manage their devices and bring it to a cost and skillset realm that works for a Small to Medium sized Business (SMB) demographic. Autopilot specifically is a feature of Intune that helps with the initial set up of devices, but it doesn’t have to be deployed as part of Intune, and therefore is often referred to separately.</p>



<p>These tools allow organizations to define the security and compliance posture required for devices to be on your network, which gives IT professionals complete control over endpoint connections, whether it’s a PC, mobile device, or any Windows device.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Enforcing Compliance with Intune</h2>



<p>Every organization needs to have good IT governance in place if it’s going to protect itself from cyber attacks. However, enforcing those policies can be a full time job all its own, especially in an era of remote work and bring your own devices (BYDO). However, with Microsoft’s Intune, it’s a whole lot easier than it used to be.</p>



<p>As noted before, Intune allows organizations to set the standard security posture that a device needs to meet to access the network. It does this by allowing the IT team to set up granular cybersecurity policies, which, when paired with Azure Conditional Access, gives the IT team complete control over who can access what parts of the organization’s network and data. For example, the IT team could set up the conditions that must be met for sales managers to access certain parts of the organization’s data while creating a more robust set of conditions for HR. Since these conditions are specific to the job function, they would be functional in a BYDO environment as well as on company hardware.</p>



<p>Alongside determining who can access what data, the team can establish policies around antivirus software, ensuring applications are up to date, the kind of encryption the device has, and more to ensure that no device within your organization can open a door to your network for cybercriminals. While Intune does provide a standard set of criteria for devices to meet if they’re looking to connect to the network, IT professionals can also leverage a reporting system within Intune of devices that may present a risk, allowing teams to quickly find and remediate the vulnerability.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Intune can help with Device Deployment Too?</h2>



<p>While the cybersecurity benefits of Microsoft’s Intune should not be underestimated, Intune can do more than add a new layer of protection to an organization. With Autopilot, IT leaders can order a new device, drop ship it to employees to wherever they’re located, and then set up a profile in the system using that device’s unique hash ID. Then, when the employee connects the PC to the internet during the initial setup the company defined profile, settings, and applications will be configured automatically without requiring manual intervention by the IT department or employee. This streamlines the process of new device deployment and device replacement and shaves days off of what used to be a tedious process.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">I Don’t Want to Pay Extra for IT Management</h2>



<p>Cost is something every business must consider, and it can be especially difficult in the SMB space to justify the cost of additional tools that are geared towards doing a job that’s already been assigned to a team member. However, the great thing about Intune is that if you already have a Microsoft 365 (M365) license, then access to Intune’s features will already be built into the package of tools the organization’s paying for already.</p>



<p>Depending on the SMB’s size and vision, IT departments could require massive resources to handle projects internally that allow the organization to scale and grow strategically. Time is often the most limited resource, and Intune frees up some of the time typically spent on day-to-day management so it can be spent on executing on the organization’s strategic vision. The reality is that if an organization is already using M365 and they don’t have a large, well resourced IT department, they’re allowing a ton of value at the table.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Integrating Intune into Your Day to Day Operations</h2>



<p>Intune’s ability to streamline IT operations are invaluable to any organization looking to maximize the value of their M365 licenses or trying to ensure their IT department is able to put forward its best foot. Microsoft’s leadership in the space has been undisputed for some time, with Gartner’s Magic Quadrant ranking them as leaders in Endpoint protection and management. Taking advantage of leading tools that are built into the purchased licenses are a great way of ensuring IT professionals can scale their organizations without sacrificing the</p>



<p>If you’re interested in seeing how Intune could be deployed in your environment,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hammer.net/teams/tech/" data-type="page" data-id="96">contact us</a>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="525" height="553" src="https://cms.hammer.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Intune-image-1.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-9433" srcset="https://cms.hammer.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Intune-image-1.webp 525w, https://cms.hammer.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Intune-image-1.webp?resize=285,300 285w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px" /></figure>



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Putting Your IT on “Autopilot”: The Benefits of Microsoft Intune

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<p>Hybrid and AI: two words that sum up much of the buzz in the tech industry this year.&nbsp;Last week Cisco hosted WebexOne<sup>23</sup>, their flagship collaboration event, and for the first time the event included both in-person and remote attendees.&nbsp;Hybrid work and artificial intelligence were all the talk, and while these are not exactly new themes, Cisco breathed new life into them with some exciting and innovative announcements.&nbsp;The four key pillars of the event were Reimagine Work, Reimagine Workspaces, Reimagine Customer Experiences and Reimagine IT.&nbsp;Across these pillars, Cisco is embedding AI at every level. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Large Language Models (LLMs) have captured much of the AI attention this year, and they have achieved amazing results, but these models are focused on text. Cisco’s new Real-Time Media Models (RMMs) will enhance audio and video quality and enable new features you’ll need to experience to believe.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Let’s explore how Cisco’s announcements and its adoption of LLMs and RMMs will change workplaces everywhere:&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Reimagine Work</strong>&nbsp;</h2>



<p>It’s no secret that the way we work is changing, and Webex is leading the charge. This week Cisco announced several new AI powered features designed to bring meaningful improvements to our lives. As a seasoned voice engineer, one of the most exciting announcements for me was the new Webex AI Codec which is perhaps the biggest advancement in transmitting voice over IP networks in decades. Now, it may be that only an engineer would get excited by a new codec, but this codec will bring improvements we all will appreciate.&nbsp;</p>



<p>It may seem basic, but audio is by far the most critical component of a virtual meeting. You can live with video, or even the content, freezing briefly; but if the audio is poor, it’s almost impossible for the meeting to be productive. Now, our networks have come a long way, but even so it’s not uncommon for mobile workers to encounter packet loss, the nemesis of quality voice. The new Webex AI Codec leverages AI to overcome packet loss while ALSO significantly reducing bandwidth. Cisco touts the new codec is up to 16 times more efficient than current industry standard codecs and can provide excellent voice quality on as little as 1 kbps of bandwidth.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



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<p>As if that is not enough, the new codec can use generative AI to reconstruct missing packets, allowing Cisco to maintain excellent audio quality with up to 90% packet loss!&nbsp;</p>



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<p>Webex will similarly apply machine learning techniques to improve video quality using Super Resolution, delivering meetings with amazing video quality even in poor network conditions.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Along with improvements in call quality, Cisco announced major changes coming to Webex Assistant. The Webex Assistant, largely based on technology from the 2019 acquisition of Voicea, has been around for a while, but this assistant, now known as the Webex AI Assistant is getting significant upgrades. It’s gaining new functionality and being embedded across the entire Webex platform, allowing users to leverage its capabilities whether they’re collaborating with their team, customers, partners, or even administering the solution. Ever send a message and later wish you had worded it differently?&nbsp;Change Message Tone uses generative AI to recommend changes to tone, format, or phrasing in Webex Messaging and Slido. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>In addition to helping employees collaborate one on one, Webex AI Assistant also will come equipped with the ability to generate Meeting Summaries. Meeting Summaries will help users catch up on missed meetings, or portions of meetings, in real-time, with an easily digestible summary of what was missed. Summaries will be organized into chapters and highlights allowing you to skip directly to topics or sections of interest. Webex AI Assistant will even create a brief video that summarizes the highlights of the entire meeting. Finally, Message Summaries will help you get caught up quickly by weeding through the noise to identify and summarize the unread messages that are most important.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Reimagine Workspaces</strong>&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Cisco has been beating the hybrid work drum for a few years now, but it’s no secret that hybrid work is here to stay. Countless organizations have recognized the productivity, engagement, recruiting and retention benefits of allowing their employees the flexibility to be wherever they can do their best work. This is why studies show that 98% of meetings today will have at least one remote participant, yet only 15% of conference rooms are video enabled. At the same time, both employers and employees recognize the benefits of teams coming together in an office for some tasks. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>To address these challenges, Cisco wants to help you make the office a magnet, not a mandate.&nbsp;Cisco makes the best video conferencing devices in the world, bar none.&nbsp;They have devices for every space and budget.&nbsp;It’s been nearly two years since Cisco announced the end of life for the all-in-one Room series systems, focusing more recently on bar and codec-based systems.&nbsp;These systems are great, but in larger rooms they do require quite a bit of effort to integrate.&nbsp;To address this gap, Cisco has announced the Room Kit EQX.&nbsp;Based on the powerful Room Kit EQ codec, the EQX integrates the codec, cameras, speakers, amplifiers, and mounting system all in an attractive and easy to deploy package.&nbsp;All you need to add are the displays of your choice. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



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<p>In addition to making it easier to set up an in-office collaboration space, Cisco has been investing in ways to improve the lives of mobile and remote workers. It’s been two years since Cisco partnered with world renowned audio experts Bang &amp; Olufsen, which married B&amp;O’s premium audio experience with Cisco’s enterprise feature set to produce the Bang &amp; Olufsen Cisco 980 headset. The 980 is an incredible headset for all day use, but for mobile workers, its size can be a bit unwieldy. To address these users Cisco has partnered with B&amp;O once again to develop the new Bang &amp; Olufsen Cisco 950 earbuds. These new earbuds once again combine enterprise features, premium materials, superior audio quality and comfort, but this time in a minimalistic and highly portable design for professionals on the go.&nbsp;</p>



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<p>Of course, the Webex AI Assistant is embedded into both new devices.&nbsp;Cisco also showed off more details on their evolving Cinematic Meetings feature set, as well as several newly supported room layouts and features providing enhanced experiences and more flexibility for room designs than ever before.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



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<p>Along with new products, there was also welcome news about Cisco’s partnerships. Ilya Bukshteyn, Microsoft’s VP for Teams Calling and Devices was on hand to discuss the continued evolution of the Cisco and Microsoft partnership.&nbsp;They discussed how Cisco’s devices have dramatically improved customer experiences with Microsoft Teams. For customers who have chosen to deploy Webex Calling but remain on Microsoft Teams for messaging, Cisco and Microsoft recently announced bi-directional presence sync, a welcome addition for organizations that leverage both platforms. Additional devices have been certified for Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Teams Rooms (MTR), and more features are added to MTR mode almost every month. Additionally, the partners reaffirmed their commitment to both VIMT and Direct Guest Join, both means of joining Microsoft Teams meetings from Cisco Room OS devices. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Cisco also announced two new features out of their partnership with Apple.&nbsp;First, Webex will be coming to Apple TV, allowing Apple users to leverage the new Continuity Camera feature in tvOS 17 to join Webex meetings from the comfort of their living room. Additionally, the Webex app will come to Apple Watch, allowing users to view their upcoming meetings, and join in audio-only mode with just a tap.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Finally, AT&amp;T was on hand to discuss their new integration with Webex Go, allowing customers to seamlessly integrate their Webex Calling cloud PBX line with their AT&amp;T cellular device providing a superior experience for mobile users with corporate managed devices.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Reimagine Customer Experiences&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;</h2>



<p>As the pace of digital transformation accelerates, one of the most popular booths in the Solutions Expo was the Coffee Bar powered by Webex Connect. Attendees could simply scan a QR code to launch a digital interaction with a virtual agent that would prompt you to customize your coffee order, provide an estimated wait time, and notify you once your order was ready. It was a delicious way to show off the power of Webex Connect and illustrate just one of the countless use cases where Webex Connect can improve customer experience. In a world where 40% of customers prefer digital self-service options to a live agent, if you are not digitizing your customer interactions, you are missing out.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>



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<p>Along with automating some customer service functions, Cisco is rolling out tools to help customer service professionals improve their performance. Stress is a huge issue for Contact Center Agents, and can hurt their ability to deliver the customer experience your organization wants. This stress takes its toll not only on the agent’s mental wellbeing, but also on their productivity.&nbsp;To help combat this, Cisco invited Thrive Global founder and CEO Ariana Huffington to the keynote stage to announce their partnership to integrate Thrive’s mental wellness technology with the Webex AI Assistant in Webex Contact Center. The Webex AI Assistant will monitor the agent for signs of stress, such as a particularly irate customer, and automatically trigger a Thrive Reset, a short 60 second video with music, images, and a breathing exercise designed to reduce stress and refocus the agent’s mind.&nbsp;It’s a little thing that has the potential to make a huge impact on agent wellness, productivity, and retention.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Reimagine IT</strong>&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Of course, as great as all of these end user features are, one of the best things about the Webex platform is the industry leading Webex Control Hub, possibly the best administrative interface in all of IT.&nbsp;As promised, the Webex AI Assistant is embedded across the platform, and that includes Control Hub. The new Webex AI Assistant will be able to assist administrators and support personnel with a wide variety of administrative tasks.&nbsp;Whether locating a seldom used feature, updating configurations, monitoring usage, or troubleshooting issues, the Webex AI Assistant allows admins to interact using natural language.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Cisco also announced an integration between Webex Control Hub and another beloved Cisco administrative portal, the Meraki Dashboard. For customers using both platforms, network performance insights from the Meraki Dashboard will be integrated Control Hub, and call quality statistics will be integrated into Meraki Dashboard, allowing both the collaboration and networking teams to quickly identify and troubleshoot when network performance issues may be impacting call quality.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>The entire event was run on the new Webex Events, formerly Socio. This hybrid event platform provides a seamless experience for both in-person and remote attendees, and the best part is it is included as part of your Webex Suite subscription!&nbsp;</p>



<p>In conclusion, WebexOne<sup>23&nbsp;</sup>was a spectacular event and painted a compelling and exciting future for the world’s best collaboration platform. If you want learn more about anything Cisco announced, or how Hammer Tech can help you adopt this game changing platform,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hammer.net/teams/tech/" data-type="page" data-id="96">contact us</a>.&nbsp;</p>


WebexOne Recap: How Cisco is Reimagining the Modern Workplace

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<p>Large Language Models (LLM) like ChatGPT have sparked a slew of articles and research into how AI will change the way we live and work. Already, there’s a proliferation of AI assistants that use LLMs to facilitate the writing process, help with data analysis, and more, with the expectation that AI will be used even more widely by people across nearly all industries.</p>



<p>Unfortunately, like so many tools that were created with (and that deliver on) positive intent, cybersecurity experts have found that LLMs have become a tool that cybercriminals can leverage to improve the quality of their attacks. Tools like FraudGPT and WormGPT are now available on the dark web as a way for criminals to boost the efficacy of their attacks, and that’s left many cybersecurity professionals wondering what they can do to protect their organizations from attack.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">But First, What is FraudGPT?</h2>



<p>FraudGPT and related LLMs like WormGPT are, at their core, unrestricted generative AI models. What that means is that they can consume massive amounts of unstructured data to learn how to create an adaptive, interactive interface for criminals to use without the safety protocols (“guardrails”) put in place with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot, or Google’s Bard.</p>



<p>In addition to lacking the guardrails that typically come with popular LLMs, there’s some indication that malicious (“black hat”) LLMs like WormGPT don’t require human input the way that ChatGPT does, which allows them to learn continuously from data across the internet to create far more subtle responses than the white hat versions.</p>



<p>The reason why the lack of guardrails and open source nature of the data collection are dangerous is that they can effectively act as a turnkey cyberattack tool. FraudGPT’s technology is fairly rudimentary at the moment, but any criminal that subscribes to the service will have access to a library of phishing emails and malware code that will allow someone with no previous skill to spin up an attack campaign that lacks the clear hallmarks that most employees are familiar with.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How FraudGPT Changes the Cybersecurity Landscape</h2>



<p>While LLMs like ChatGPT have created enormous opportunities for businesses and individuals to benefit, it’s important to recognize that their very existence does pose a risk as well. Even before the release of FraudGPT, fraudsters could have leveraged ChatGPT’s prompts to create an attack plan or series of phishing emails that could be used to attack organizations.</p>



<p>Now, with the release of FraudGPT and WormGPT, there’s been a shift, but – so far – only slightly from where we were before. They are more dangerous because of the reasons cited before, but they’re more an omen of what’s to come. Technology (especially of this type) advances exponentially, which makes it likely that code and content generated by black hat LLMs will get increasingly difficult to detect, not just by employees but potentially by cybersecurity measures if they aren’t kept up to date.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Is There a Way to Defend Against FraudGPT?</h2>



<p>Knowing that a tool like FraudGPT exists can be frightening to anyone, because it makes it clear that no one can truly be 100% safe from a cyberattack. It’s worth noting, though, that even before FraudGPT, the question was never if an organization’s business could be breached, but rather was how long it would take before that breach occurred. Even the most secure systems in the world can’t&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hammer.tech/a-primer-on-data-breaches/">prevent a cyber attack</a>; they can only delay it.</p>



<p>So, how do you defend against FraudGPT-equipped attackers? Since the software is in its infancy, many of the current tools you’d use can be effective. Apart from the standard defenses like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hammer.tech/how-to-thwart-cyber-attacks-with-cisco/">firewalls and VPNs</a>, it’s critical that organizations have a few things in place:</p>



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<li><a href="https://www.hammer.tech/managing-it-governance/">Clear IT governance policies</a>&nbsp;in place that are reviewed regularly.</li>



<li>Regular cybersecurity training to ensure everyone stays up to date.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.hammer.tech/resiliency-over-reputation/">Resiliency planning</a>&nbsp;to ensure business continuity when a data breach occurs.</li>
</ul>



<p>Having updated policies and procedures, modern cyber defense infrastructure, and a plan for what to do after an attack are the best defenses any organization has against cybercriminals of every stripe.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The AI Future of Cybersecurity</h2>



<p>Regardless of whether someone comes down on the side of optimism or pessimism about their impact on society, generative AI tools are here to stay, and they are already changing the landscape for cybersecurity professionals. While the tools available today to protect your IT environment may be sufficient, cyber threats will continue to become more sophisticated as time goes on, and that will require cybersecurity professionals to do the same.</p>



<p>With the introduction of AI into the cyber threat landscape, many security professionals are looking at ways of integrating AI into defensive measures to protect their data, including using AI-based defense systems. Microsoft Security Copilot and Cisco’s AI-first Security Cloud are examples of the new era of cybersecurity tools that are leveraging the promise of AI to better protect organizations against attacks. These tools have been in development for years, and have advanced exponentially over the past two years. Over time, they will become a growing part of the toolbox used by cybersecurity experts everywhere.</p>



<p>Not sure how prepared your organization is for the future of cybersecurity?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hammer.net/teams/tech/" data-type="page" data-id="96">Talk with an expert about how to prepare</a>.</p>



<p></p>


FraudGPT: AI-Equipped Cybercriminals Have Arrived

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<p>Every IT department knows it needs to have a solid set of policies and procedures to govern their technology stack. Yet, recognizing the need for good governance is very different than investing in the steps necessary to enact it. The fact is that IT teams of any size often get sidetracked with projects or maintenance that has a direct impact on the organization’s everyday operations, pushing off reviewing their organization’s Policy and Procedure binder until they’re confronted with an upcoming annual renewal for cyber liability coverage, compliance audit, vendor security questionnaire, or even worse, a cybersecurity threat.</p>



<p>According to the SANS Institute’s&nbsp;<em>State of Cloud Security</em>, 84% of cybersecurity compliance risks can be prevented if organizations adopted and improved their security governance, but what does that actually entail for everyday businesses?</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Governance Documents: The Plan Often Glossed Over</h2>



<p>Policies and procedures are the documents that govern your organization’s effective use of technology. They provide the guardrails for your employees on password requirements, how information should be secured, what kinds of security protocols they have to employ, what AI tools are authorized to process company data, and more. These documents need to be detailed and granular, covering the most mundane aspects of technology usage to be effective, because if you don’t spell out what bring your own device policies are in place, what constitutes “acceptable use” for your organization’s technology, or how devices and accounts need to be secured, then you are increasing the chances for a cybersecurity incident or data breach.</p>



<p>In addition to providing guidance on how exactly your team should be using IT resources, governance documents should include plans for how to respond when a breach occurs. While it’s idealistic to think that your organization won’t ever suffer a breach, the reality is that every business will have to deal with a cyber incident if given enough of a time horizon, and that’s why there needs to be a plan in place.</p>



<p>However, it’s not enough to simply have the documents written up; they should be regularly reviewed and updated to stay ahead of cyber threats, changes in systems or technology, and industry specific best-practice recommendations.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How Often Should I Review My It Governance Documents?</h2>



<p>It would be easy to provide an arbitrary number for how often you should review your IT governance documents, but the reality is that there is no hard and fast rule that could be given as “ideal.” Having a regular review schedule is a great first step because it offers your organization a baseline of protection by creating a benchmark for when updates will take place, but it’s critical to also pay attention to new developments within the industry.</p>



<p>IT governance documents need to be updated whenever there’s a substantial change in what kinds of threats an organization may face. Whenever governance documents reference an obsolete technology, that presents an incredibly high risk to your organization’s security posture, because it means that your documents no longer reflect the realities of what could be happening when a security incident occurs. With technology changing rapidly, it’s even more critical that your organization ensures it stays on top of your governance documents so there’s a clear plan to follow in the event of a cyber attack.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">I Have Governance Documents, but No One Follows Them</h2>



<p>Business leaders of every stripe will often develop IT governance documents at some point in their organization’s existence. Having documents is better than not having them, but they don’t do much for anyone if no one follows them.</p>



<p>Ensuring compliance with your organization’s IT governance documents can require research to diagnose the cause of, because there are many circumstances that can lead to noncompliance. It may be that the team isn’t aware of them, that there’s no enforcement system in place, or it could even be the word choice that’s used.</p>



<p>Governance documents need to be black and white if they’re going to be effective, but there are far too many companies that use phrases that imply a policy is a suggestion more than a requirement. Plus, if the documents look like they aren’t written by the same hand – whether that’s because of font or formatting – employees are going to be less likely to comply because they’ll perceive those policies and procedures as less prescriptive than they may be required. It is also important that your organization creates a culture that embraces compliance requirements, and this begins at the leadership level. If your CEO does not comply with policies and procedures, why should the rest of your staff?</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Design Your Organization Around Security</h2>



<p>Too many businesses try to bolt on security measures to their organization once it’s up and running in the mistaken belief that they aren’t at risk. However, what many come to realize is that approaching cyber security with a reactive mindset is exposing your organization to an increased risk of cyber attack.. Security is a fundamental process that needs to be at the heart of your organization if you want it to be effective in protecting the data of your organization and its customers.</p>



<p>If you’re looking for other ways to boost your cybersecurity posture, it’s worth checking out a recent blog on our website covering&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hammer.net/teams/tech/" data-type="page" data-id="96">cybersecurity basics</a>.</p>


Category: Hammer Tech

Getting Started with Copilot

RTO: Making the Office a Magnet Rather than a Mandate

Putting Your IT on “Autopilot”: The Benefits of Microsoft Intune

WebexOne Recap: How Cisco is Reimagining the Modern Workplace

FraudGPT: AI-Equipped Cybercriminals Have Arrived

Gaps in Governance: The Threat in Your P&P Binder