At the invitation of PZO, I attended their recent event for freelancers at the Miele Experience Centre in Vianen on 10 October. The event was kicked off by two trendwatchers known as the Fountainheads. This dynamic duo took us on a journey through the latest technological developments and social trends; their high-speed delivery tested the limits of my Dutch, but the main message was that new learning methods, knowledge-sharing and a considerable adaptive capacity are essential tools in our fast-changing world. At the end, they implored us not to waste any valuable time, because every minute counts. In other words, if you snooze, you lose!
Cybercrime
We were then treated to a presentation by cyber-crime expert Rickey Gevers. Rickey once served an 18-day prison sentence for hacking the University of Michigan’s server. Nowadays, he puts his expertise to good use as Chief Intelligence Officer at the cyber-security company RedSocks and as an ‘ethical hacker’ at the Hacker Company.
He started off by telling us that awareness is key. In spite of all the publicity surrounding suspicious emails, people are still clicking links, opening PDFs, using unknown USB sticks, connecting to public Wi-Fi networks and using the same password for their business accounts (email/VPN) and their LinkedIn accounts.
His advice on passwords:
• Use symbols
• Use numbers
• Use both upper-case and lower-case letters
• Use a different password for each website
• Don’t write down your passwords
• Don’t store your password in your email account
• Change your password every month
• Make your password as long as possible
Apparently, President Obama was notoriously difficult about his passwords. He insisted on using 123456. However, when his security advisers finally persuaded him to change his password, what did he do? You’ve guessed it – 654321! You can check the password of your own email account on Rickey’s website. Just fill in your email address and see if he has good or bad news for you! He wrapped up by stressing the importance of backing up your work and updating your system. Do those updates straightaway!
Breakout sessions
After a delicious ‘walking dinner’ – what else would you expect at the Miele Experience Centre, well-known for its cookery workshops? – I attended two breakout sessions. The first one involved the ins and outs of working in the cloud or, to be precise, with Microsoft Office 365. We learned that this software allows you to be productive anywhere, to work better together and to protect what matters. You can use it on all your devices. As I work with Microsoft Office 365, I was particularly pleased to learn about some of the functionalities I had not yet discovered. It was also reassuring to learn that protection against spam, malware and viruses is continually updated.
The second breakout session was presented by the AON insurance company and Freelance.nl. Armed with an iPad, we all took part in a pub quiz and answered questions relating to our digital security. This was fun and informative. The session was rounded off by a tip from AON about the importance of cyber-insurance. Not many people know that ‘cyber risks’ are not covered by the insurance policies we normally hold.
Following the breakout sessions, which also covered topics such as working with social media, the secrets of good communication and the latest developments in digital payment methods, there were opportunities for networking, accompanied by the inevitable hapjes en drankjes! During this networking session, I had an interesting conversation with a member of Bites & Business – a nationwide network for women in business. This organization arranges monthly networking evenings (including dinner) in more than 25 locations around the country. During these evenings, women have the opportunity to exchange knowledge, ideas and experiences with each other. They also organize workshops, training courses and weekends away here in the Netherlands or abroad.
It was obvious that PZO had put a great deal of effort into organising this event. The keynote speakers and the breakout sessions covered a wide range of topics that are of particular interest to freelancers and there was plenty of opportunity to network with the presenters and other attendees. Well done, PZO!
(Photo courtesy of Robert Zwart for PZO, 2019)
