Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1509943
5 NEWS 19.10.2023 FROM PAGE 1 The top 10 rated countries deemed best for remote work according to this year's data are: 1. Denmark 2. The Netherlands 3. Germany 4. Spain 5. Sweden 6. Portugal 7. Estonia 8. Lithuania 9. Ireland 10. Slovakia The index was compiled by assess- ing and comparing countries using four index dimensions. Under each dimension are various attributes (sub-dimensions) that, combined, help evaluate general remote-work at- tractiveness: 1. Cyber safety — infrastructure, re- sponse capacity, and legal measures. 2. Economic safety — tourism attrac- tiveness, English language proficien- cy, cost of living, and healthcare. 3. Digital and physical infrastructure — internet quality and affordability, e-infrastructure, e-government, and physical infrastructure. 4. Social safety — personal rights, in- clusiveness, and safety. How does Malta rank? Malta ranks in the top 30 of the GRWI; in particular, its English lan- guage proficiency (1st) and physical infrastructure (8th) make it an excel- lent remote work destination. While the high cost of living (77th) in Malta is an important factor to consider, it performs well in terms of inclusive- ness (9th), tourism attractiveness (10th), and economic safety (10th). Cyber safety-wise, Malta still has room for growth until it becomes a perfect work destination. It ranks 42nd in the global index overall. Per- sonal rights-wise, Malta still needs a lot of growth, ranking 33rd in the global index overall. How does Malta look compared to other countries in the region? Compared to its neighbouring coun- tries, Malta comes second (30th) after Italy (26th) in terms of general re- mote-work quality. Malta ranks high- er than Greece, which is 32nd, and Cyprus, which is 35th. Italy ranked higher because of its world-leading legal measures (2nd). It also has a much more attractive at- mosphere for digital nomads because of its tourism attractiveness (3rd). However, Malta ranked much higher than Italy in the physical infrastruc- ture score (8th vs. 30th). Italy was also lower in inclusiveness ranking (9th vs. 12th) and internet quality (26th vs. 44th). Unsurprisingly, all four countries (Malta, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus) ranked very highly in tourism attrac- tiveness. However, Greece is some- times a more appealing destination for nomads looking for cheaper remote work destinations as it has the lowest cost of living in the region (70th). When it comes to the safety index, Cyprus leads in this category (25th), followed by Malta (41st), while Italy and Greece lag behind at the 52nd and 61st positions, respectively. Practice good cybersecurity habits "Even though some of the big tech companies recently brought their employees back to the office or intro- duced a hybrid work model, remote work is here to stay. It's not just a trend — it is a fundamental shift in how we approach productivity and work-life balance. Embracing remote work em- powers our teams to harness their full potential, regardless of geographical boundaries," adds Donatas Tamelis, managing director at NordLayer. For people interested in remote work, Tamelis recommends practicing several good cybersecurity practices: • Always use a virtual private net- work (VPN). A VPN encrypts your internet connection and helps protect your personal in- formation from prying eyes. It is especially crucial when connect- ing to public Wi-Fi networks. • Also, ensure that all your de- vices, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops, have the latest software updates installed. These updates often include security patches that can help protect against known vulnera- bilities. • Be cautious with public Wi-Fi and avoid accessing sensitive in- formation such as online bank- ing or entering passwords on public Wi-Fi networks unless you are using a VPN. Hackers can easily intercept data on un- secured networks. • Enable two-factor authentica- tion whenever possible for your email accounts, social media profiles, and other online servic- es you use while traveling. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of veri- fication during login. • Use strong and unique pass- words. Create strong passwords for each of your online accounts and avoid using the same pass- word across multiple platforms. Consider using a password man- ager like NordPass to secure- ly store and generate complex passwords. "In the age of remote work, cyberse- curity is not just an option. It's a crit- ical necessity to safeguard our data and protect our organization from evolving cyber threats. Working re- motely opens up new opportunities, but it also exposes us to potential se- curity risks. Cybersecurity vigilance is our first line of defense," says Tamelis from NordLayer. High cost of living keeping digital nomads away from Malta While the high cost of living in Malta is an important factor to consider, it performs well in terms of inclusiveness, tourism attractiveness, and economic safety