Digital Wellness – What to Expect In 2024?

   

Why Will Digital Wellness Be Critical in 2024?

As technology continues to advance, people are spending more time on digital devices. Whether it's for work, education, or leisure, overall screen time has been on the rise, with some Americans spending 13 hours a day on digital screens. 

And, this doesn’t necessarily count the amount of time people are spending accessing mobile devices through other means, such as listening to audio via wireless headphones or earbuds. This digital device time may well increase as emerging technologies such as smart glasses combined with artificial intelligence (AI) come into greater use. 

These developments can have an impact on worker privacy, security, and mental well-being. For example, with the prevalence of remote and hybrid work, the boundary between professional and personal life can blur, leading to potential burnout and stress. 

One step toward alleviating such issues is adopting digital well-being initiatives. Our research shows that such initiatives may not only help reinforce cyber security and improve employee safety but also aid in attracting and retaining employees. 

Expected Trends and Challenges in 2024

Stress Challenges
Employees who spend a considerable portion of their days on digital devices may become stressed about issues such as the potential for data breaches, identity theft, and cyberattacks like malware, phishing, and ransomware. 

On top of these, information overload and digital addiction are becoming real concerns for people. Remote work, while offering flexibility, can also lead to stress if individuals struggle to establish boundaries between work and personal life. The expectation of being available around the clock, coupled with the pressure to stay productive, can contribute to digital-related stress.

Cybersecurity Concerns
Of course, cybersecurity concerns are about more than just stress. Today’s cybercriminals are continually evolving their tactics, techniques, and procedures to find digital vulnerabilities. As organizations continue to migrate to the cloud, misconfigurations and inadequate access controls may lead to data exposure. Phishing attacks, especially those utilizing sophisticated social engineering techniques, may continue to be prevalent.

The rise of AI capabilities and deep-fake technologies is also causing increased concerns about the manipulation of audio and video content for malicious purposes, such as spreading misinformation or impersonating individuals for the purpose of identity theft. 

Role of AI
But AI represents more than just an added threat. In 2024, AI has the potential to be a key player in digital protection. AI algorithms can analyze user behavior patterns to identify anomalies that may indicate unauthorized access or suspicious activities. Antivirus and anti-malware tools can use machine learning algorithms to recognize patterns associated with known and emerging threats, providing real-time protection. 

AI, particularly natural language processing, or NLP, can be used to analyze emails and messages for phishing attempts. AI can also personalize and enhance user education programs by analyzing individual behaviors and providing targeted training on security best practices. 

Role of Emerging Technologies
Many new and fast-evolving technologies are on the immediate horizon. Smart glasses, AI pins, and various iterations of augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR) devices are entering the consumer and corporate marketplace. What’s more, the so-called metaverse may still be in our collective future.

These kinds of technologies can have both positive and potentially challenging implications for digital protection. As they become more widespread, they also become targets for cyberattacks. Malicious actors might exploit vulnerabilities in the software or hardware of these devices to gain unauthorized access or compromise user privacy. 

These technologies often involve the use of biometric data for user authentication and interaction. Protecting sensitive biometric information—such as facial scans, fingerprints, or even whole-body scans—could become crucial to preventing identity theft and unauthorized access. These technologies can enhance remote collaboration, therefore boosting productivity, but securing virtual workspaces and ensuring the confidentiality of sensitive business information becomes critical in these circumstances.

Role of Remote/Hybrid Work
With employees using various devices from different locations, ensuring consistent endpoint security becomes challenging. This concern was also reflected in our research, where a large majority of organizations with remote workers agreed with the fact that greater importance is being placed on digital wellness due to remote/hybrid work arrangements. 

Greater reliance on cloud services for remote work increases the importance of securing data stored and processed in the cloud. Collaboration tools play a central role in remote work, but their use can introduce security risks. Organizations will need to implement robust endpoint security solutions that can adapt to diverse device environments. 

How Digital Wellness Solutions Can Help

Digital protection and wellness solutions offer an array of benefits to users and organizations, including but not limited the list below: 
 

• They help secure communication platforms and help individuals feel more confident in the privacy and confidentiality of their online interactions, reducing dangers and anxieties related to data breaches or unauthorized access.
• They help prevent phishing attacks and identity theft, contributing to a sense of security.
• They can have multiple protection strategies such as device management, regular security assessments, encryption, and secure access protocols.
• They may educate users about cybersecurity risks and best practices, thereby reducing stress associated with the fear of cyber threats.
• They may offer physical and mental wellness benefits through apps that guide digital detoxes, mindful relaxation, screen time regulation, and personalized goal setting.

Possible Best Practices in 2024

With 2024 rolling in, what could be best practices employers could follow to gain a competitive advantage?

Offer digital wellness as an employee benefit: “The Need for Digital Wellness” research study conducted by HR.com in partnership with McAfee™ found that nine out of ten organizations offer a digital wellness solution as part of their current benefits package. This addresses individual digital concerns and also adds a wall of protection to organizations. 

Leverage AI to your advantage: Where it makes sense, integrate AI into cybersecurity measures. It might also be used to personalize wellness benefits such as customized physical and mental health enhancement measures. 

Consider implementing zero trust security: Zero trust is a security strategy that requires all users, whether in or outside the organization’s network, to be authenticated, authorized, and continuously validated for security configuration before being granted access to applications and data. This practice can be especially beneficial for remote/hybrid organizations.

Invest in and carry out regular awareness and training programs: Providing ongoing digital protection and wellness training for employees to keep them informed about the latest threats and best practices is key to having a safe and secure workspace. 

Share intelligence with communities: When it comes to creating safe workspaces, knowledge is power that only keeps multiplying when shared. Working in communities and sharing resources could be particularly helpful for organizations as they create, implement, and evolve their own digital wellness visions.

When organizations succeed in creating digitally safe workplaces by adopting good initiatives, those initiatives tend to become best practices for the industry to benchmark on. Remember, however, that both the digital environment and digital wellness practices will likely evolve in 2024. Stay agile and open to new approaches. Regularly assess the digital environment, and stay prepared to amend or adjust digital wellness initiatives as needed.
 

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