You’re on your phone--a lot

INC. THIS MORNING You’re on your phone--a lot Good morning, It doesn’t matter if you sell [salads]( [mattresses]( or cybersecurity services: Every business is a tech business, simply because of how embedded technology is in most operations these days. It’s a blessing and a curse. That’s why Inc. decided to check in with the CEOs of some of America’s hottest companies, to get a handle on how they’re using and thinking about technology. In November, [we surveyed 153 high-ranking executives]( at least 25 different industries--from the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing businesses in the U.S. We asked questions about topics like cybersecurity, data privacy, social media platforms, productivity, and work-life balance. The results are fascinating. For example, 21 percent of respondents said they’ve hired an external team to hack into their own systems as a cybersecurity measure. Of those who did, 87 percent found it worthwhile. Staff writer Kevin J. Ryan dug into those numbers and [discovered a group of founders across the country]( who deeply believe the benefits are worth the cost. "We hire outside accounting firms, we hire outside engineering firms to do peer reviews," one founder, Chris Carter of Milwaukee-based enterprise software company Approyo, told Ryan. "Why wouldn't we do this with our network? It just makes sense." Speaking of security, here’s another stat from the survey: 32 percent of respondents said they restrict access to certain websites from work computers due to security concerns. I investigated further and found that data security challenges are [particularly significant for companies with remote workers](. San Francisco-based GitLab, for example, employs more than 1,100 employees across 65 countries--which means it needs to track 65 different sets of cybersecurity laws and compliance regulations. "When everyone's in an office, it's easy to turn someone's computer off," Jerry Bennett, founder and CEO of Melbourne, Florida-based consulting firm Privateer IT, told me. "But in a remote workforce, you're dealing with things like HIPAA laws and cybersecurity laws. And you're dealing with people's real lives." In real life, by the way, you’d be hard-pressed to find an executive who isn’t staying connected to the office 24/7. Ninety-two percent of survey respondents check email outside of normal work hours (not surprising), including 56 percent who do so “almost constantly.” Yikes. These data points are just the beginning, so take a look at the rest of our reporting on the survey. Technology is only going to become more ingrained in your business, so now’s the time to think deeply about its strengths and weaknesses. HERE'S WHAT ELSE I'M READING TODAY: In Silicon Valley, some men say [cosmetic procedures]( are essential to their careers. --The Washington Post IPO alert: On Friday, Mattress company [Casper]( filed to go public on the New York Stock Exchange. --CNBC [Lime]( the world’s largest scooter sharing company, is pulling out of 12 markets and laying off staff. --CNN Here's five useful tricks you didn't know your [AirPods]( were capable of. -- Inc. Dick’s Sporting Goods’s stand for [gun control]( is paying off. --Pittsburgh Business Times (subscription required) Tesla is challenging hackers to crack its Model 3 car, with more than [$1 million]( on the line. --Electrek The Kansas City Chiefs had a big win yesterday after a huge comeback. Here's the mentality that its quarterback [Patrick Mahomes]( used to get back in the game. -- Inc. A growing number of brands are deciding they no longer need [Amazon](. --CNBC --Cameron Albert-Deitch Reporter, Inc. How are we doing? Send me ideas and feedback for Inc. This Morning at [calbertdeitch@inc.com](mailto:calbertdeitch@inc.com?subject=) or on [Twitter](. [Click here]( to forward to a friend. This email was sent by: Mansueto Ventures 7 World Trade Center, 29th Floor New York, NY, 10007, [Unsubscribe]( • [Update Profile]( • [View in Browser]( • [Privacy Policy](