Rising cyber attacks on ships

Shipping experts have warned that an industry that has for centuries faced physical security threats was woefully underprepared for online piracy. The increasing digitisation of ships, as well as the use of internet devices, have only recently been widely enabled at sea by the use of lower Earth orbit satellites, which have created new opportunities for cyber attacks. Shipowners, ports and other maritime groups faced at least 64 cyber incidents in 2023, a review of company, media and academic reports by researchers at the Netherlands’ NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences has found. Over 80pc of identified incidents since 2001 with a known attacker originated in Russia, China, North Korea or Iran, according to data. Geopolitical disputes are prompting state-linked hackers to target trade flows and a recent string of state-linked attacks has underlined how conflicts in Ukraine to the Middle East have destabilised globalisation. These attacks risk bringing further chaos at a time when shipowners are already struggling.

(Adapted from “Cyber Attacks On Shipping Rise Amid Geopolitical Tensions,” by Oliver Telling, published on July 28, 2024, by the Financial Times)

Tech jobs without degrees

Deborah Martinez Castellanos works the night shift at a giant, mostly windowless data centre. She monitors screens that track the temperature and humidity of halls storing thousands of servers. The job is considered one of the hottest ones in tech. Demand for data centre technicians is booming as companies like Microsoft and Google pour billions into data centres to power everything from AI chatbots to the trillions of photos and emails stored in the cloud. They embody the rise of a class of careers that defy traditional blue- and white-collar distinctions: They are deeply tech-infused, often requiring fluency with programming and computerised systems, plus manual dexterity. This growing job category can also make good money. Pay for data technicians — whose tasks range from maintaining and repairing servers to operating heating and cooling systems — jumped by 43pc in the past three years and stands at a median of $75,100, according to certification and training provider CompTIA. Those with more years of experience can earn six figures.

(Adapted from “The Tech Job Paying Six Figures, No College Degree Required,” by Te-Ping Cen, published on August 13, 2024, by The Wall Street Journal)

Inflation perception in the US

Inflation might be easing in the US, but it doesn’t feel that way to consumers. After all, price increases for lots of items, like cable and shampoo, are indeed cooling. And the overall pace of year-over-year inflation as measured by the Labor Department’s consumer-price index was down to 3pc — much lower than the 9.1pc it clocked two years ago. But prices for many of the things that are hard to do without are still posting eye-watering increases. Rent and electricity bills are up 10pc or more over the past two years, and car insurance costs are up nearly 40pc. Shoppers might be able to trade down from prime steak to cheaper cuts of meat at the supermarket, but they can’t really do the same thing with the water bill. Rising prices have been front and centre in the US over the past three years, affecting how Americans feel about the economy and how they are planning to vote.

(Adapted from “Child Care, Rent, Insurance: Where Inflation Hits Hardest Now,” by Harriet Torry and Terell Wright, published on August 12, 2024, by The Wall Street Journal)

Art of persuasion

More than 2,000 years ago, Aristotle outlined a formula for becoming a master of persuasion in his work, ‘Rhetoric.’ Try using these five rhetorical devices that he identified in your next speech or presentation: 1) Egos — in order for your audience to trust you, start your talk by establishing your credibility. 2) Make a logical appeal to reason, or “logos.” Use data, evidence, and facts to support your pitch or idea. 3) “Pathos,” or emotion. People are moved to action by how a speaker makes them feel. Aristotle believed the best way to transfer emotion from one person to another is through storytelling. 4) Metaphor. When you use a metaphor or analogy to compare a new idea to something that is familiar to your audience, it clarifies your idea by turning the abstract into something concrete. 5) Brevity. There are limits to the amount of information humans can absorb at once.

(Adapted from “The Art Of Persuasion Hasn’t Changed In 2,000 Years,” by Carmine Gallo, published by HBR Early Career)

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, August 26th, 2024