Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | June 26, 2023 | Worcester Business Journal 23 By Michelle Drolet Michelle Drolet is CEO of Towerwall, a cybersecurity services firm based in Framingham. Contact her at michelled@ towerwall.com and (774) 204-0700. 10. Benefits & risks. Like most tools, large language models (like ChatGPT & Google Bard) can be used for good or ill purpos- es. Positives: generate creative content, translate languages, and debug software. Negatives: They can be used to damage reputations, spread misinformation, code malware, and conduct cyberattacks. 9. Phishing at scale. LLMs can be used to create unlimited phishing campaigns, free from grammatical errors and in any language. This can make them difficult to detect. 8. Misinformation. LLMs can be used to generate and spread false information, conspiracy theories, and hate speech. This can be used to manipulate public opinion, sow discord, and undermine trust in gov- ernment institutions. They can be prone to hallucinations – inventing things that don't exist. 7. Amplification of biases. LLMs learn from the data they are trained on, which can include biased or unbalanced informa- tion. This means that LLMs can be used to generate biased outputs, generate mali- cious content, and reinforce stereotypes. 6. Unreliability. LLMs can be unreliable about reporting facts, generate error-prone content, bypass security measures, or pro- vide inaccurate information. Its responses in human-like sentences can make people gullible. Always verify facts. 5. Data leaks & privacy. LLMs process vast amounts of data, which includes us- er-generated prompts and inputs. This data could be leaked or accidentally exposed by the LLM, which stores all user inputs. 4. Reconnaissance. LLMs can be used to gather information about a target system, individual, or organization. This information could be used to conduct a social engi- neering scam, such as an email compro- mise attack on the CEO. 3. Vulnerability hunting. LLMs can be used to hunt for vulnerabilities, making it useful for white-hat hacking. The same data could be used to exploit organizations. 2. Online harassment. LLMs can be used to harass, bully, or extort individuals. 1. User beware. The potential for abuse is a serious concern. Businesses should implement security policies and procedures designed to protect against LLM-related threats. K N O W H O W How to work with a public relations firm BY SUSAN SHALHOUB Special to WBJ S tar employees generate revenue, make goals, and inspire others. According to SAP SuccessFactors' Karie Willyerd, top performers deliver 400% the productivity of an average em- ployee. Top performers tend to fall into the background as managerial attention goes to underachievers and new hires. But there needs to be a strategy to en- ergize top performers too, or risk them getting bored, disgruntled and – worst- case scenario – looking elsewhere. Here are some ways to keep your company's top performers motivated: Include them in goal-setting. Wheth- er individual or company goals, making top performers part of the process will give them a sense of ownership and investment in the organization's success. "is way, employees feel a sense of purpose and connection to the com- pany's bottom line," according to talent marketplace Upwork. Schedule more feedback. e SAP and Oxford Economics study showed 50% of high performers expect to sit down every single month with their managers, but only 53% see that hap- pen. "If you are relying on annual or semi-annual performance reviews as the primary feedback mechanism with your employees, your high performers are likely to need a more frequent boost and will begin to show signs of under-appre- ciation," Willyerd tells Harvard Business Review. ese signs can include de- creased productivity, behavior changes, less innovation, and – in more extreme cases – resignation submissions. Provide growth, even if it means they leave. More than trainings, growth means communicating with these em- ployees about their career goals and how the company can support them. Where that gets more difficult, says David Burkus, is when those goals exceed what your organization offers. "Few people still manage to have a career inside one or- ganization," he writes on LinkedIn. "e average length of tenure is getting shorter and shorter, and leaders who recognize that and still stay committed to helping their people grow will be rewarded with people who stay motivated." 10 THINGS I know about... ... ChatGPT risks M O T I V AT I N G T O P P E R F O R M E R S David A. Ball is the president & founder of Ball Consulting Group, LLC, a strategic communications firm working with Worcester-area organizations. BY DAVID A. BALL Special to WBJ Y our business has big growth plans, but to bring them to fruition, you need to do a better job telling the company's story. It is at this point many companies decide to engage a public relations firm, but how you approach this task will likely determine the success of a PR campaign. Consider the following to establish a productive relationship with a public relations partner: Determine needs and budget Before you even start to look for a PR firm, you must identify your particular needs. Are you looking for broad-based news coverage in consumer-facing outlets? Or is it a business-to-business approach that will necessitate targeting your message to the trade media? You may want to use more than one medium, such as creating engagement through social media. Sorting out your needs will ensure a more productive meeting with potential PR partners. You will want to establish a budget for the work. Identify suitable partners Relying on a web search to find potential PR partners is not the best approach. Talk with people in your professional network. Who has their W company used, and how was their experience? Have they heard of firms with a good reputation for generating results? It will be important to ensure the firms you are speaking with have experience in your sector. You will want to give some thought to the type of firm you need. National? Local? A national firm may give you a deep bench and a lot of firepower, but if you are a small account to them, you may not be dealing with very senior people. A small firm will likely give you greater access to the senior leaders in the firm. Master the meetings You will want to get up to three proposals so you can compare the different approaches and the different cultures of potential PR partners. Go into each meeting with the same questions and the same criteria. Ask them specifically how they will achieve the goals and objectives you have established. Ask them what timeframe they recommend for the work you have outlined. It is also crucial you understand how they will staff the account. Who will be your day-to-day contact? How will you communicate with one another? Will there be regular meetings or ad hoc communications, or both? You will want to understand how much value you will be getting in relation to the fee they propose. Get a written proposal from your potential partner and, once you have chosen a firm, a formal business agreement. Set reasonable expectations Even the best PR firms cannot usually generate breakthrough results immediately. Within a few weeks, however, your new PR partner should be able to articulate what it believes the pathway is for a successful campaign to generate major return on investment. W W

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