An Android developer who disclosed the way Carrier IQ software installed on millions of mobile phones collects and reports virtually everything users do, has released a video showing that the software does indeed log user keystrokes. The company has denied collecting such specific information.
If this flap doesn’t make people wake-up to the need for better privacy laws regarding what information tech companies can collect without user permission, we’re not sure what will. Or is secretly installed snooping software that collects this much information already illegal?
While we doubt any malicious intent on the part of Carrier IQ, its executives who recently said it doesn’t record the content of text messages and emails, apparently do not know how it actually works.
“Carrier IQ delivers Mobile Intelligence on the performance of mobile devices and
networks to assist operators and device manufacturers in delivering high quality
products and services to their customers. We do this by counting and measuring
operational information in mobile devices – feature phones, smartphones and
tablets.
It added that:
“While we look at many aspects of a device’s performance, we are counting and
summarizing performance, not recording keystrokes or providing tracking
tools. The metrics and tools we derive are not designed to deliver such
information.”
The video Eckhart released this week appears to directly contradict the company’s statement.
When information such as this is sent to locations and persons unknown, the potential for abuse is obvious and not a little scary. Not only that, what if Carrier IQ were hacked and the information publicly disclosed? This is one story that isn’t going away today.
Carrier IQ backed off threats to sue Trevor Eckhart, the Connecticut researcher who disclosed the way Carrier IQ collects the informaiton because he mirrored the company’s own user manuals and called the software a “rootkit,” after he Electronic Frontier Foundation came to his aid.
Carrier IQ has said that its software – installed on phones without user knowledge – is meant only to gather information about such matters as where phone calls are dropped, signal quality is poor, or why applications crash, according to Wired.com.
The new video Eckhart released, however, shows that the software also reports the content of text messages and even logs encrypted web searches.
There is apparently no way to turn it off or opt out of its reporting. The software is so deeply embedded in phones that it can’t be removed without rebuilding the phone’s operating system, reports say.
We’ve contacted Carrier IQ and will post any response they may have.
When companies create new products, they often give the product a unique and clever name, Kim Grimsley, a senior associate at Bowie & Jensen who heads the Trademark Group at the Towson, Maryland business law firm says.
“Often when the new product is about to hit the shelves the company wants to put a trademark symbol on the product name for all to see, but hasn’t registered that unique name as a trademark with the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) yet,” Grimsley says.
“Clients ask if they can use a ™ or ® symbol with the trademark that is about to hit the market but has yet to be registered,” Grimsley said. “Or must the company wait until registration? Clients always ask what the difference between the symbols is.”
Grimsley says that one symbol does in fact require registration before use, but the other can be used the moment you start using a trademark.
When you can use the “tm” mark
“If a company’s trademark is unregistered, or they have filed a trademark application with the PTO but registration is pending, they may use the ™ symbol on your mark,” she said.
The use of the ™ symbol serves several possible functions. It gives notice to others that the company is using a word, slogan or design as a trademark. It warns others who may be considering a similar trademark to stay away from this one.
It also serves as evidence in applying for registration or in an infringement litigation. For instance, a company can point to your use of the ™ symbol in response to an infringer’s claim that the infringer did not know that a company considered its name or logo design to be a trademark.
Registration symbol use
Once a trademark is federally registered, a company may use the ® symbol as notice to others that the mark is federally registered. In fact, the failure to use the ® symbol may act as a limitation of damages in the event of infringement.
That is because damages may not start to accrue until later, such as after the infringer receives actual notice of the infringement charge, when such notice would have been given by use of the ® symbol.
Moreover, once the trademark is registered, a company will receive the benefits of federal registration, such as nationwide rights and the presumption of a valid trademark. Also, a company’s trademark will be listed as a registered mark on the PTO database, which is available to the public, thus deterring others on a much larger scale from using your trademark.
Despite the aggressive holiday advertisements consumers have already seen this year, chief marketing officers at leading U.S. retailers are not drastically adjusting their holiday spending, according to a recent BDO USA, LLP survey. The survey also found Facebook dominates social strategies, Twitter is less popular than last year, and search engines are vital to traffic.
In the survey, 65 percent of CMOs say their 2011 holiday marketing and advertising budget remains the same compared to last year.
Still, 20 percent of retailers cite an increased advertising and marketing budget this holiday season, a slight improvement from 2010 (17%). Overall, CMOs cite a budget increase of less than one percent (0.4%).
With holiday budgets holding steady, CMOs are unwilling to spend big on marketing platforms that still have much to prove. Despite all of the hype surrounding mobile commerce, just 36 percent of CMOs say they have included mobile in their holiday marketing strategies this year.
Of the CMOs incorporating mobile, 84 percent say it accounts for less than 10 percent of their holiday marketing efforts.
“Mobile marketing is still in the experimental stage, and flat holiday advertising budgets do not leave much room to test new waters,” says Steve Ferrara, partner in the Retail and Consumer Practice at BDO USA, LLP.
“Still, mobile is hardly an afterthought for retailers. As consumers demand a more personal brand experience, we expect to see huge growth for mobile as it follows the same trajectory of the now-ubiquitous e-commerce channel.”
These findings are from the most recent edition of the BDO Retail Compass Survey of CMOs, which examined the opinions of 100 chief marketing officers at leading retailers located throughout the country.
The retailers in the study were among the largest in the country, including 12 percent of the top 100 based on annual sales revenue. The telephone survey was conducted in September and October of 2011.
Some of the major findings of the BDO Retail Compass Survey of CMOs include:
Social Media Now a Staple of Marketing Strategy. As consumers take to social media to connect with brands and share experiences, retailers are adapting accordingly. Overall, 82 percent of CMOs made social networks a part of their marketing strategies this year – an increase from 2010 (75%) and 2009 (51%) and a dramatic shift from 2007 (4%).
Social media sites hold even more promise for retailers at the top 100 largest retailers (12% of the sample), all of which say they make use of social media in their holiday marketing. On average, retailers devote 16 percent of their marketing efforts to social networking sites.
Facebook Still Dominates Social Efforts. Following the move into e-commerce, Facebook is more appealing than ever to retailers. The vast majority (94%) of CMOs focus their social marketing efforts on Facebook. CMOs also report marketing via Twitter (47%), LinkedIn (12%), YouTube (11%) and Foursquare (8%).
Twitter may have lost popularity overall this year (down from 61% in 2010), but it remains an important site for CMOs at the top 100 largest retailers included in the sample. Sixty-seven percent of these CMOs include Twitter in their social marketing efforts.
Broadcast Ad Spend Indicates Retailer Confidence. This year, 27 percent of CMOs are spending the bulk of their holiday advertising and marketing budget on broadcast, a slight increase from 2010 (25%). While CMOs remain cautious, increased spending on a pricier medium signals they are trying to reach a larger audience in order to capture more sales this season.
Forty-four percent of CMOs say they spend most of their holiday budgets on print advertising (up slightly from 42% in 2010), proving that the traditional medium is far from dead. Other budget allocations include online advertising (23%) and outdoor advertising including billboards (5%).
Flash Sales Not Standard in the Marketing Mix. The majority of retailers are unsure of the benefits of flash sales (including group and daily deals). Only one-third say they make use of flash sales, while 67 percent have not yet included the strategy in their marketing efforts. According to Stephen Wyss, partner in the Retail and Consumer Practice at BDO.
“Flash sales are an attractive marketing tool, but we’re seeing daily deal sites facing an identity crisis. The market is saturated, and retailers are not convinced that the strategy drives sales or creates loyal customers. Heavy promotional activity from retailers may also reduce the attractiveness of flash sales in the eyes of consumers.”
Search Engine Results Vital to Online Traffic. This year, the majority of CMOs (53%) cite search engine results as the primary way their customers find them online, a dramatic increase from 2010 (30%). In 2010, retailers cited more traditional practices like previous shopping experiences (30%) and email promotions (24%) as the main catalyst for online visits from customers.
This year a mere 8 percent of CMOs believe previous shopping experiences are the primary way their customers find them online and just 13 percent say email promotions are the top driver— a signal that retailers are shifting their mindsets when it comes to cyber strategy.
The job front doesn’t look so bad for professionals in 2012, according to a new survey by Robert Half. Employers expect to increase hiring for professional-level positions in the first quarter, but they have concerns about finding qualified candidates for these roles, the Robert Half survey shows.
A net 10 percent of executives interviewed for the Robert Half Professional Employment Report plan to add full-time staff in the first three months of the year, up three points from the fourth-quarter forecast.
However, the number of respondents who report recruiting challenges also is on the rise: 67 percent of executives said it is at least somewhat challenging to find skilled employees today, up from 59 percent last quarter and 42 percent in the third quarter.
The IT and finance fields also reported the greatest difficulty in finding skilled professionals, at 73 percent and 68 percent, respectively.
Eighty-seven percent of respondents said they are at least somewhat confident in their organizations’ ability to grow in the first quarter.
The Robert Half Professional Employment Report is based on telephone interviews with more than 4,000 C-level executives and other leaders from a variety of fields throughout the United States who are asked about their hiring plans and general level of optimism for the upcoming quarter.
Survey respondents include more than 1,400 chief financial officers (CFOs); 1,400 chief information officers (CIOs); 500 senior human resources managers; 100 lawyers at law firms and 100 corporate lawyers; and 125 advertising executives and 375 marketing executives, all of whom have hiring authority.
Key Findings
Sixteen percent of respondents anticipate hiring professional-level staff and 6 percentexpect reductions in personnel. The resulting net 10 percent increase is up three points from the fourth-quarter forecast.
Sixty-seven percent of survey respondents said they are having recruiting challenges, up eight points from the fourth quarter.
The legal field is expected to see the strongest hiring activity, with a net 27 percent of lawyers planning to increase staff levels. The information technology (IT) and finance fields showed the largest net gains in projected hiring activity from the prior quarter.
Businesses in the West North Central¹ states will be hiring most actively, with a net 15 percent of executives planning to add professional-level staff in the first quarter, research shows.
A net 19 percent of respondents in the transportation sector said they expect to make staff additions.
Hiring Expectations: By Profession
Increase
Decrease
Net Increase
Total
16%
6%
10%
Accounting and finance
20%
11%
9%
Advertising and marketing
18%
4%
14%
Human resources
11%
3%
8%
Information technology
20%
10%
10%
Legal
31%
4%
27%
Sales and business development
15%
4%
11%
Executives Reporting Recruiting Challenges: All Professions
Quarter
Executives Citing Recruiting Challenges
1Q12
67%
4Q11
59%
3Q11
42%
2Q11
37%
1Q11
29%
“The U.S. unemployment rate for college-educated workers is roughly half the overall rate, and for many professional specialties it is even lower,” said Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International. Messmer pointed out that in the third quarter of 2011, the unemployment rates for financial analysts and computer network architects were less than 1 percent, according to the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Brett Good, a senior district president with Robert Half International, added, “The common wisdom is that jobs are simple to fill in this market, but many employers are struggling to find the talent they need. Professionals with highly specialized skills are in short supply — particularly in the information technology and finance fields.”
The iPhone 4S launch caused a large spike in mobile app downloads, according to Fiksu Inc., a mobile app user acquisition platform.
The Fiksu Index experienced as much as a 70 percent increase in download volume during the iPhone 4S launch weekend and 40 percent increase in download volume during post-launch, when compared to the pre-launch time frame of the new iPhone’s availability during October.
Fiksu also observed a notable increase in organic downloads: up 75 percent during the launch and settling in at 54 percent post-launch.
“As predicted, October was a frenzied month; the availability of the iPhone 4S weekend launch caused an unprecedented surge in app downloads, providing great opportunity in volume for mobile advertisers,” said Micah Adler, CEO, Fiksu.
“For mobile marketers seeking a window of extreme growth regardless of cost, the iPhone 4S launch presented a bonanza to secure large volumes of new users. But for those seeking to maximize value and ROI, the best bet was to resist the temptation to join the initial rush.”
He added, “Our advice to cost conscious marketers was to wait it out for a week and then take advantage of the efficiencies in heightened volumes at significantly lower costs.”
The Fiksu Indexes, which measure monthly fluctuations in competition for rank in the app stores, and the cost to acquire loyal users(1), help mobile app marketers benchmark their performance against industry averages.
The Fiksu App Store Competitive Index (which measures the average aggregate daily download volume of the Top 200 free U.S. iPhone apps) increased overall by 29 percent from 3.8 million downloads in September to a record high of 4.91 million in October.
Usually the Index captures mostly new app downloads but, given a new device launch, this month the Index also recorded many existing apps being added by people upgrading from their previous iPhone model. Factoring this in, the likely net volume is 4.5 million new app downloads.
During the peak weekend of new iPhone sales, mobile marketing costs remained high, then fell in the weeks that followed due to decreased costs in traffic. By the end of October, the Fiksu Cost per Loyal User Index netted out to $1.47. Marketers taking advantage of the immediate post-launch cost efficiencies saw a 12 percent decrease - 17 cent drop – in cost per loyal user when compared to September’s all-time high of $1.64.
Cyber Monday reached $1.25 billion in online spending, up 22 percent versus year ago, representing the heaviest online spending day in history and the second day on record to surpass the billion-dollar threshold, according to digital measurement firm comScore.
For the holiday season-to-date, $15 billion has been spent online, marking a 15-percent increase versus the corresponding days last year.
2011 Holiday Season To Date vs. Corresponding Days* in 2010
Non-Travel (Retail) Spending
Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases
Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations
Source: comScore, Inc.
Millions ($)
2010
2011
Percent
Change
November 1 – 28
$13,008
$15,020
15%
Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24)
$407
$479
18%
Black Friday (Nov. 25)
$648
$816
26%
Weekend (Nov. 26-27)
$886
$1,031
16%
Cyber Monday (Nov. 28)
$1,028
$1,251
22%
*Corresponding days based on corresponding shopping days (November 2 thru November 29, 2010)
“Cyber Monday was yet another historic day for e-commerce, with online spending reaching a record $1.25 billion,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. “It was just the second billion dollar spending day on record, following on the heels of Cyber Monday 2010.
“While last year saw Cyber Monday rank as the heaviest online spending day of the year for the first time ever, it will be interesting to watch the next couple of weeks to see if any future individual days in 2011 manage to leapfrog this year’s highest day-to-date.”
Cyber Monday Sales Growth Driven by both Buyers and Spending per Buyer
Cyber Monday’s 22-percent growth in sales versus year ago was driven by an increase in both the number of buyers (up 11 percent) and the average spending per buyer (up 9 percent). Overall, 10 million people bought online on Cyber Monday, representing the first time on record that threshold has been reached in a single day. The average online buyer conducted 1.9 online transactions on Cyber Monday for a total of nearly $125 in spending.
Breakdown of Cyber Monday Spending Growth
Cyber Monday 2011 vs. Cyber Monday 2010
Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations
Source: comScore, Inc.
Cyber Monday 2010
Cyber Monday 2011
Percent Change
Dollar Sales ($ Millions)
$1,028
$1,251
22%
Buyers (Millions)
9.0
10.0
11%
Dollars per Buyer
$114.24
$124.82
9%
Dollars per Transaction
$60.05
$66.97
12%
Transactions (Millions)
17.1
18.7
9%
Transactions per Buyer
1.90
1.86
-2%
Shopping at Work Accounts for 50 Percent of Cyber Monday Spending
Half of dollars spent online at U.S. Web sites originated from work computers, up slightly from last year. Buying from home comprised the majority of the remaining share (43.2 percent) while buying at U.S. Web sites from international locations accounted for 6.6 percent of sales.
Breakdown of Cyber Monday Spending Growth by Location
Cyber Monday 2011 vs. Cyber Monday 2010
Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations
Source: comScore, Inc.
Cyber Monday 2010
Cyber Monday 2011
Point Change
Home (incl. University)
45.0%
43.2%
-1.8
Work
49.2%
50.2%
+1.0
International
5.8%
6.6%
+0.8
Total
100.0%
100.0%
N/A
“The Cyber Monday phenomenon originated from the significant spike in e-commerce activity that traditionally occurred following the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, with many consumers turning to their work computers to continue their holiday gift buying – and that pattern still exists today,” added Mr. Fulgoni.
“Looking forward to the balance of the season, it will be very important to continue to monitor the trend in consumer spending to determine the degree to which retailers’ heavy promotional activity at the beginning of the shopping season, and consumers’ encouraging response, has pulled forward consumers’ future buying. When all is said and done, it will also be vital to see whether retailers’ deals and price discounting, which consumers are now able to discover via so many different digital media channels, will have a negative impact on retailers’ margins this holiday season.”
Experts at IEEE – the world’s largest technical professional association – say smartphone owners are increasingly paying a high price for free mobile applications, with 2012 set to be a disruptive year of widespread mobile hacking.
Research by IEEE Fellow Dr. Jeffrey Voas in the US has so far uncovered malware in more than 2,000 free smartphone apps. Voas says free, rogue applications like this will be the most common access-point for hackers over the next year.
“The issue with free apps is that you’re paying a price you don’t know about,” says Voas, who is also a computer scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
“Of free mobile applications, approximately 1 in 100 now visibly contain malware – and that doesn’t even account for the ones where the malware is so hidden it’s impossible to spot. This number is growing by the day and with most of these rogue apps offering good functionality for free, it’s easy to be victimized.”
Free isn’t necessarily free
Adds Voas, “Smartphone users need to remember that free isn’t necessarily free. It can lead to hackers accessing all of the information stored on your phone and transmitting it within two to three seconds.”
Just as an aside, we should note that tablet users also download free apps. We recently downloaded a number of free apps on our Kindle Fire – almost all from trusted services such as Evernote or Rovio (Angry Birds), but the very first was a free anti-virus program.
Dr. Madjid Merabti, an IEEE Senior Member and Professor of Networked Systems at Liverpool John Moores University, UK, says while the public has been trained to recognize cyber-security threats associated with their PCs and laptops, they do not see their smart phones as computers and subject to the same threats. And in some ways those threats are even worse.
Devices contain identifying info
“Unlike on a PC, where web browsers often give plenty of warning about dodgy websites with warning lights and alerts, the screens on smart phones are too small to display this protection,” Merabti says.
“These devices contain identifying information, potentially saved passwords, and authentication details, and are much more likely to be misplaced or stolen than other larger portable computing equipment.”
Kevin Curran, a Senior Member of the IEEE and Head of the School of Computing and Intelligence Systems at the University ofUlster, UK, says businesses will be the main victims in 2012.
“With more people using the same phone for business and personal reasons, the upsurge in smartphone hacking presents a real issue for businesses as well as consumers,” he says.
C-suite execs expose businesses to vulnerabilities
“A company can have all appropriate firewalls in place, but it takes just one employee to download malware onto their phone. In fact, with more senior employees using phones for work, it is likely to be C-suite executives exposing businesses to vulnerabilities.”
According to Curran, a “trusted app” approach is needed to combat hackers, something he hopes can be in place by 2013. He says he expects an increased number of people hacked via mobile phones in 2012 will motivate the industry and governments to define and implement such a system.
IEEE and its members are responding to the growing cyber-security threats by sharing knowledge and understanding through publications such as IEEE Security & Privacy as well as the Silver Bullet Security Podcast with Gary McGraw.
Other resources from IEEE:
IEEE Spectrum recently reported that there were approximately one million cyber crime victims each day last year across 24 countries.
Watch an IEEE.tv video interview with McAfee Vice President of Strategy Vimal Solanki on current threats from the 2011 NIKSUN World Wide Security and Mobility Conference.
Curran said the numbers game is working to attract hacker attention. “We saw 2011 as the year of the social network attack,” he says.
“But with the number of smartphone users now representing approximately 20 percent of the mobile market, we will now see an explosion in smartphone attacks, both by technical experts and by novices buying tools from dark websites and conducting low-tech but effective scams. It only takes a couple seconds to steal personal information.”
PR Newswire has launched The Earnies, the first community-chosen awards program dedicated to earned media campaigns executed through social media channels.
“Social media and owned media have completely redefined earned media and forced PR and marketing professionals to strategically rethink the old model, embrace the new opportunities, leverage all influential channels and consistently engage with audiences through social conversations that are ongoing,” said Rachel Meranus, vice president, Marketing & Communications, PR Newswire.
“The Earnies will recognize how communicators are doing so innovatively and successfully.”
The Earnies award program, which is open to individual practitioners as well as brands and organizations, focuses on the unique approach and strategy used to implement a campaign.
Hosted on the AGILITY@work web site, all submissions will be reviewed by an independent panel of social media thought leaders.
Currently on the panel are David Armano, EVP of Global Innovation and Integration of Edelman Digital; Matt Johnston, CMO of uTest; Tim Moore, SVP/Social Business Architect of Maximum and CEO of CrushIQ; Liz Strauss, co-founder of SOBCon and owner of Successful-Blog.com and Deirdre Breakenridge, CEO of Pure Performance Communications.
From a shortlist of finalists selected by the panel, final winners will be determined by community voting through social media. The Earnies award program is being launched in the U.S., but is intended to expand globally next year.
The categories include: Best Use of Video in Social Media; Best Connection to Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook Audience; Best Case of “Lemons-to-Lemonade”; We Can’t Believe That Worked!; Best Outcome Based on Listening/Monitoring/Measurement; and The Earnies Grand Prix.
To learn more about the awards program, review the categories, read about the panelists and to enter a submission, visitAGILITY@work. The deadline to submit is December 20th, 2011. Join the conversation and follow the progress of the awards process on Twitter @AgilityAtWork. Final winners will be announced via @AgilityAtWork in early 2012.
Computer security experts have long pointed out that human beings are often the weak link allowing cyber attacks to succeed. Now, researchers at the Maryland Cybersecurity Center have reaffirmed that security measures must aim at users, not just attackers. ”Users expose the network to attacks,” one said.
In a unique collaboration, an engineer and a criminologist at the University of Maryland, College Park, are applying criminological concepts and research methods in the study of cybercrime, leading to recommendations for IT managers to use in the prevention of cyber attacks on their networks.
Their work is the first look at the relationship between computer-network activity patterns and computer-focused crime trends.
“We believe that criminological insights in the study of cybercrime are important, since they may support the development of concrete security policies that consider not only the technical element of cybercrime but also the human component,” Maimon said.
In one study that focused on the victims of cyberattacks, the researchers analyzed data made available by the university’s Office of Information Technology, which included instances of computer exploits, illegal computer port scans and Denial of Service (DoS) attacks.
Applying criminological rationale proposed by the “Routine Activities Perspective,” Maimon and Cukier analyzed computer focused crime trends between the years 2007-2009 against the university network.
According to this perspective, which is designed to understand criminal victimization trends, successful criminal incidents are the consequence of the convergence in space and time of motivated offenders, suitable victims, and the absence of capable guardians.
The researchers hypothesized that the campus would be more likely to be cyberattacked during business hours than during down times like after midnight and on weekends. Their study of the campus data confirmed their theories.
“Our analysis demonstrates that computer-focused crimes are more frequent during times of day that computer users are using their networked computers to engage in their daily working and studying routines,” Maimon said.
“Users expose the network to attacks,” Cukier said. Simply by browsing sites on the Web, Internet users make their computers’ IP addresses and ports visible to possible attackers. So, “the users’ behavior does reflect on the entire organization’s security.”
Maimon, a sociologist, takes the study a step further.
“Your computer network’s social composition will determine where your attacks come from,” he said. In a similar vein, “the kinds of places you go influence the types of attacks you get. Our study demonstrates that, indeed, network users are clearly linked to observed network attacks and that efficient security solutions should include the human element.”
Cukier adds, “The study shows that the human aspect needs to be included in security studies, where humans are already referred as the ‘weakest link.’”
Cukier and Maimon said the results of their research point to the following potential solutions:
Increased education and awareness of the risks associated with computer-assisted and computer-focused crimes among network users could prevent future attacks;
Further defense strategies should rely on predictions regarding the sources of attacks, based on the network users’ social backgrounds and online routines.
“Michel and David’s research exemplifies the interdisciplinary and comprehensive approach of the Maryland Cybersecurity Center,” noted Michael Hicks, director of the Maryland Cybersecurity Center.
“Resources are not unlimited, so true solutions must consider the motivations of the actors, both attackers and defenders, as well as the technological means to thwart an attack. Michel, an engineer, and David, a criminologist, are considering both sides of this equation, with the potential for game-changing results.”
Entrepreneurs wrestling with global economic woes may be losing revenues, losing profit or even losing sleep – but they are not losing determination to succeed, according to a new wide-ranging report on the mood of entrepreneurs globally.
Published today by Hiscox, the international specialist small business insurer, the DNA of an entrepreneur reports findings from research of 3,000 owners or partners of small and medium-sized businesses in six countries: the United States, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Spain.
Bronek Masojada, CEO at Hiscox, said, “Small business owners are pumping life blood into the global economy. Those of us who work with SMBs, be it government, banks or other service providers, have a role to play in supporting them and their future goals.
“The strength and resilience of entrepreneurs continue to shine through. Every day, SMBs have to assess and manage a wide variety of risks at different levels of intensity. Our study highlights their concerns over threats from the global economic environment, which are often very hard to control or even predict. However, it also showed that they are optimistic and believe they can succeed despite this backdrop.”
Key themes from the report:
More optimism than pessimism
Forty three percent reported negative or no growth in revenue last year. Despite this performance and the general economic climate, 47% of all respondents were optimistic about the year ahead for their business, against 26% who were not and 27% who were not sure. The Germans and Dutch were the most optimistic, the British and Spanish the least.
A worsening macro-environment – and low faith in institutions
More than four in ten (44%) SMBs in the five EU countries surveyed said their business plans were affected by the eurozone crisis although only 28% did any significant exporting. In the US, 15% reported cancelled or abandoned business plans due to the financial instability in the EU.
The Americans also gave a net negative rating of 30% to the North American Free Trade Agreement. Only in France did more respondents find government helpful to business than not (central government helpful 41%, not helpful 31%; local government helpful 47%, not helpful 27%).
With some significant national variations, 56% criticised their country’s “inflexible” labor laws and over two thirds were unhappy about taxation (67%) and bureaucracy (68%). And yet among all respondents the most frequently cited fear for the year ahead was losing the support of government (40%).
Finance is tough – but relationships with banks and lenders are stable
Only one in eight (12%) said finance was easy to find, with the US respondents most likely to be denied by banks (33%), and half (50%) had experienced problems with late payments (75% of the Spanish).
But only 38% had tried to renegotiate terms with lenders or had sought greater funding. Seventy three percent reported no change in their relationship with their banks and 10% had a better relationship.
Labor force issues – and frank views on new recruits
Although only 15% intended to recruit more staff next year (36% Germany, 8% USA), 54% thought they would avoid layoffs. Six in ten (60%) of those who had taken on college or university graduates were favorably impressed with their keenness and motivation, but fewer than half rated their basic arithmetic (48%), their time-keeping (47%) or their work ethic (46%) as either Excellent or Good.
Motives, lifestyles and the working week (and the working lunch?)
The main motive for going into business was to be one’s own boss, rather than to make money. Sixty two percent defined business success as affording a comfortable lifestyle. Average working hours were 42.5 hours per week (suggesting an increase of two hours since February 2010).
The Germans worked longest (average 46.9 hours) and the British worked shortest (39.4 hours) and the US fell in the middle (41 hours). The most frequent lunchtime choice was a working lunch or sandwich at the desk – US (45%).
Forty three percent said that the economic downturn had caused them greater stress. The Spanish (60%) were the most stressed, followed by the US (50%) and the Dutch (26%) were the least.
Nearly three in ten (29%) reported sleep problems (led by the French). But 28% said that the crisis had made them more determined to succeed, and 29% said it had made them work more efficiently.
An Android developer who disclosed the way Carrier IQ software installed on millions of mobile phones collects and reports virtually everything users do, has released a video showing that the software does indeed log user keystrokes. The company has denied collecting such specific information.
Despite the aggressive holiday advertisements consumers have already seen this year, chief marketing officers at leading U.S. retailers are not drastically adjusting their holiday spending, according to a recent 
Facebook Still Dominates Social Efforts. Following the move into e-commerce, Facebook is more appealing than ever to retailers. The vast majority (94%) of CMOs focus their social marketing efforts on Facebook. CMOs also report marketing via Twitter (47%), LinkedIn (12%), YouTube (11%) and Foursquare (8%).
The job front doesn’t look so bad for professionals in 2012, according to a new survey by Robert Half. Employers expect to increase hiring for professional-level positions in the first quarter, but they have concerns about finding qualified candidates for these roles, the Robert Half survey shows.
The iPhone 4S launch caused a large spike in mobile app downloads, according to 
Cyber Monday reached $1.25 billion in online spending, up 22 percent versus year ago, representing the heaviest online spending day in history and the second day on record to surpass the billion-dollar threshold, according to digital measurement firm comScore.
Experts at 
Entrepreneurs wrestling with global economic woes may be losing revenues, losing profit or even losing sleep – but they are not losing determination to succeed, according to a new wide-ranging report on the mood of entrepreneurs globally.
