HalcyonFT Quarterly Newsletter - Q1 2024 - Updates and Recommendations

Mar 29

Browse any news outlet, and you’re sure to see AI and ChatGPT in the headlines. That’s why we’re dedicating much of this issue of our quarterly newsletter to exploring how these emerging technologies are changing the way our clients work.

In this issue:

AI-powered Microsoft Laptops
SOC 2 Type 2 Compliance
NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0
Revamping Satisfaction Surveys

New AI-Powered Microsoft Laptops

Microsoft: Advancing the new era of work with Copilot.

Microsoft has announced its first AI-powered Surface PCs, Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6, both expected to be released April 9, 2024. The new laptops will feature a Copilot button on the keyboard, integrated AI neural processing units (NPUs) to power AI experiences, the latest Intel Core Ultra processors, and longer battery life. In particular we are interested to see how the AI chips enhance the quality of real time video conferencing.

As we communicated previously, HalcyonFT recommends Microsoft Surface laptops as a standard. We appreciate Microsoft’s integration of hardware and software, which streamlines management and support. We anticipate that even greater integration between Microsoft Surface laptops, Microsoft 365, Windows, and Copilot will give users a modern and powerful laptop experience.

Please contact our team if you’re interested in purchasing the new laptops.

SOC 2 Type 2 Compliance

New certification reflects HalcyonFT’s ongoing commitment to data safety and integrity.

After achieving SOC 2 Type 1 compliance last summer, HalcyonFT has now also completed its SOC 2 Type 2 audit, further demonstrating the firm's commitment to the industry's highest security standards. Now more than ever, you can rest assured that HalcyonFT is protecting your data. Read the press release.

NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0

Exploring NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 and Its Impact on Your Organization

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released version 2.0 of its cybersecurity framework (CSF), the first major update since 2014. The latest version aims to help organizations manage and mitigate cybersecurity risks with an added emphasis on governance and supply chains. By adopting the guidance provided by NIST in CSF 2.0, your firm will gain resilience against cyberthreats, improve stakeholder engagement, and modernize cybersecurity processes.

With this release, new cybersecurity strategy gaps may arise, especially with respect to cybersecurity governance and third-party vendor management risk. The new governance function underscores the need for cybersecurity efforts to align with the strategy of each business. Firms should also develop a system to evaluate third-party vendors’ cybersecurity posture and their overall risk as a service provider.

For more information, read the full announcement here or reach out to your HalcyonFT account representative.

Revamping Satisfaction Surveys

HalcyonFT recently upgraded the satisfaction survey process with Simplesat

The recent change now includes clickable emojis on all resolved cases which has greatly helped improve our survey response rate.

In March 2024, we witnessed a remarkable 522% surge in survey response rates compared to the same period last year. This upward trend extends to the number of unique clients and users engaging in our surveys. As a result, we are now able to make more data-driven decisions in how we can improve the service that we deliver to you.

Your feedback remains incredibly valuable to us, and we are committed to continuously improving our services.