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🔐 January 28 is known as Data Privacy Day, called to raise global awareness about the importance of Data Protection. It’s never extra recalling the rules and best practices that will help us keep sensitive information unavailable for fraudsters of all sorts.

What are we really protecting?

👥 There’s a range of digital assets that might get attacked (passwords, NFTs, photos, personal and private information), and two most frequent goals: identity theft and money, often both. Imagine waking up one day and learning that some evil doppelganger of yours was caught in some grand larceny or participated in phone extortions from your phone number. That’s scary as it sounds.

Best practices to increase your data protection.

👍 Set a strong password, which is random and at least 10-12 symbols long. Capital letters, lower case and figures make it stronger. To make sure you don’t forget your password, use Password Managers, that will save you time and nerves

👍 Two-factor authentication - one more effective protection layer. There won’t be any action made in your account that you won’t be aware of, for you’ll need to confirm it personally. In-built systems or apps like Google Authenticator, Twilio, etc

👍 Think twice before sharing your birth date and email address. You never know where this info may end up. Instead use a fake date, we won’t tell anyone and no one will know.

👍 Set a two-factor authentication on your internet banking app. Protect your wallet by all means.

👍 Update apps, browsers and operational systems regularly. New versions almost always include security bug fixes.

👍 Advice - it’s better to keep personal social media accounts limited to a particular circle of people whom you know and trust. The laws touching photos of people are very fluid and your image may get used for various purposes without your consent.

The material was inspired by the recent article in The Conversation: How to protect your data privacy: A digital media expert provides steps you can take and explains why you can’t go it alone.

✊ Global market volatility doesn’t give startup founders a chance to relax, with the survival and self-sufficiency strategy remaining in 2024. For young projects, startup accelerators can become a much-needed springboard in exchange for a share in a company.

💎 Old but gold: Before entering the program, it’s important to carefully read all the conditions, calculate the expenses for the program, including fees (if any), technical and travel costs, weigh on the potential profit from the program, and the amount of the accelerator’s share in the company, especially if one’s planning to raise funding from investors.

If that’s a decided point, here are the major tendencies that one should be aware of when choosing an acceleration program in 2024.

1️⃣ Expertise in AI: the jokes about investors not even looking at non-AI startups in 2024 have a grain of truth. AI has already proved its value, which increases investors' and VCs' trust. If an accelerator has strong AI experts as mentors, technological support, and successful cases - that’s a BIG GREEN FLAG! 💚

2️⃣ Shift to Online Acceleration Programs: The necessity to spend money more rationally often makes startups choose online acceleration programs over traditional offline ones. Moreover, it also opens doors to a global pool of mentors, resources, and networking opportunities. 👩‍💻

3️⃣ Emphasis on Due Diligence: Another green flag is the opportunity to go through due diligence before entering the program. Startups are seeking assistance and expertise, being pointed into their weak spots to get stronger eventually. It’s valuable beyond acceleration. 🔧

4️⃣ Geo-Aligned Mentorship: Recognizing the significance of localized insights, startups are gravitating towards accelerators where mentors operate within the same geographic scope as their businesses. Experience and local connections always extend beyond facts and numbers, sometimes being hard to explain. 🗺

Embrace these shifts, harness their potential, and propel your startup towards success! 💡💼

🌐56% percent of the global population, making 4.4 billion inhabitants lives in cities. And the World Bank predicts that by 2050 urban population will double its current size. As urban areas continue to grow, the need for innovative solutions becomes paramount.

🚧 From traffic congestion to environmental sustainability, urban areas grapple with a complex of issues. The pressing need for efficient resource management, smart infrastructure, and enhanced quality of life calls for transformative approaches.

Artificial Intelligence can become a great helper in transforming cities according to present-day and future needs and make the concrete jungle a better place to live in:

🚗 Traffic Optimization: Intelligent Traffic Management Systems use AI algorithms to analyze real-time traffic data to alleviate congestion, optimize routes, and enhance transportation efficiency, ensuring smoother commutes.

🏠 Smart Infrastructure Management: AI contributes to the intelligent management of urban infrastructure, optimizing energy consumption, waste management, and public services for a sustainable future.

🌍 Environmental Monitoring: AI aids in tracking and managing environmental factors, from predicting air quality issues to optimizing waste collection, fostering cities' efforts towards greater sustainability.

🛣️ Predictive Urban Planning: Leveraging predictive analytics, AI assists urban planners in anticipating population growth, optimizing land use, and strategically planning for the future development of cities.

👥 Citizen Engagement: AI-powered tools facilitate meaningful interactions between city authorities and residents, enhancing community engagement, and allowing citizens to actively participate in decision-making processes.

Striking the right balance between technological advancement and human-centric approaches is crucial for sustainable urban development.