A Teen Just Hacked Zendesk—Should You Be Worried?

This week on Funnel Frontier: A 15-year-old ethical hacker exposes a major Zendesk flaw, accessing sensitive data. SAP’s Joule AI agents step up to automate business tasks across departments.

This week:

• Happier customers, zero agent burnout with Zoom’s AI agents 
• Just when you thought HubSpot couldn’t surprise you anymore…
• Craft a high-converting sales page in just 3 steps
• Here's one tool that will end departmental chaos and align your teams
• Struggling with driving website traffic? Here are 33 ways to change that

Stat of the Week

78% of businesses cite economic headwinds as their top challenge for the next 12 months. (The State of CX 2024 Report)

15-year-old hacker cracks Zendesk’s defenses – a wake-up call for the industry

A 15-year-old ethical hacker named Daniel just schooled Zendesk by exposing a critical flaw in its system that allowed him to access sensitive customer data, including support tickets and even private Slack channels. 

The exploit? Shockingly simple. By leveraging Zendesk’s email collaboration feature and predictable ticket IDs, Daniel could bypass the company’s security measures through email spoofing, gaining unauthorized access to confidential information.

Daniel was working within a bug bounty framework, a common practice where ethical hackers test security systems to find vulnerabilities before bad actors do. But Zendesk’s bounty program didn’t recognize the severity of the flaw, initially dismissing Daniel’s report.

Initially, Zendesk downplayed the vulnerability, citing that email spoofing wasn’t part of their bug bounty program. But Daniel wasn’t willing to let it go. He demonstrated how this flaw could extend even further, allowing attackers to access private Slack workspaces. 

By exploiting this vulnerability, Daniel managed to secure $50,000 in bounties from companies using Zendesk—just not from Zendesk itself.

While Zendesk has since patched the issue by blocking certain email types and suggesting security best practices, this serves as a serious wake-up call for businesses relying on SaaS tools. 

If a teenager could easily expose such a critical gap, what else might be slipping through the cracks? Time for a security check, maybe?

The Week @ CRM.org

Call Center CRM Software. Your call center's as chaotic as bingo night? Maybe time to dial up one of these.

Best CRM Software: Top 10 Comparison. Picking the best CRM software is like choosing a favorite child, but these kids are more SaaS-y.

Weekly Bloom

Dieter Rams 10 Principles of Good Design. Lessons from the design maestro who made your toaster into art.

Who needs human oversight? SAP’s AI agents are here to automate the tough stuff

SAP’s Joule is leveling up! The AI-powered copilot designed to assist employees by pulling data, providing insights, and answering business questions is getting a major upgrade. Say hello to a whole squad of AI agents working together across departments!

These agents don’t just fetch data; they collaborate across different systems to automate end-to-end processes. Think of them as your virtual problem-solving crew, doing the heavy lifting behind the scenes.

Imagine handling a tricky payment dispute—Joule’s AI agents can now manage the entire process, from emails to checking invoices, like a super-organized team that never takes breaks. 

And with SAP’s new Knowledge Graph solution grounding these AI agents in real-time business data, they don’t just automate—they anticipate.

SAP says this will allow businesses to operate at peak efficiency, making complex workflows a breeze. 

The future of work is here, and Joule’s AI agents are the ones running the show.

Stellar Strategies: Tips & Tricks for Sales, Marketing & Service

The only Excel formulas you need to solve your spreadsheet headaches

If you’re looking to streamline your business operations, mastering a few key Excel formulas can save you time and headaches. 

• SUM: The go-to for quickly adding up sales, expenses, or any set of numbers.

• VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP: These search heroes find the exact data you need, whether it’s customer names or sales figures, across large datasets.

• IF Statements: Automate decisions by setting conditions—track if sales hit targets or flag overdue tasks automatically.

• COUNTIF: Perfect for tallying up how many times a specific criterion is met, like how many sales reps hit their goals.

These are just the tip of the iceberg! Learn 5 more formulas that will make your life easier.

Here’s how to build a marketing plan in minutes with AI

Feeling stuck creating a marketing plan? AI is here to do the heavy lifting. Whether you’re just starting out or trying to streamline a complex strategy, AI can turn hours of tedious planning into minutes of actionable insights.

• Summarize your business: Give AI the essential details—your product, audience, and what makes your offering unique.    

• Define smart goals: Outline specific, measurable, and time-bound goals to provide a clear focus for AI-driven recommendations.

• Know your audience: Describe your ideal customer in detail to ensure AI delivers relevant strategies for your target market.

• Use AI tools for fast results: Leverage tools like ChatGPT or HubSpot’s Marketing Plan Generator to get a structured plan within minutes.

AI won’t just give you a plan—it’ll give you a running start. Ready to create your marketing plan? Here are detailed steps on how to use AI effectively.

What do you get when you combine AI and CRM?

Why stop at traditional CRM when you can upgrade to AI-powered solutions? Here’s how to use AI-driven CRMs to supercharge your business:

1. Automate tasks: AI handles data entry and follow-ups, freeing your team to focus on what matters.

2. Gain insights: AI analyses customer data to deliver real-time recommendations and targeted strategies.

3. Improve forecasting: Predictive analytics help you make smarter, data-backed decisions.

4. Enhance customer engagement: AI-driven chatbots and automation tools keep customers engaged 24/7.

Curious which AI CRM fits your needs? Read the full article for the top AI-powered CRM software and make your next move smarter.

Galactic Gourmet

CRM blips from around the web

Avaya unveils Virtual Operations Manager for contact centers.  Avaya’s new tool, presented at GITEX Global 2024, centralizes contact center data to assist leaders with managing compliance, wait times, and more. The AI-powered solution offers automated insights and customizable follow-up actions, streamlining operations and improving efficiency.

Genesys delivers AI-powered self-service to healthcare. Genesys helps Modivcare improve support for 34 million members with AI-driven voicebots and chatbots, allowing staff to focus on complex issues. The integration enhances efficiency and cuts costs by $17 million.

HubSpot acquires Mindstream, expanding its media network. HubSpot snaps up AI-focused media outlet Mindstream, adding to its media portfolio. With over 150,000 subscribers, Mindstream delivers insights on AI trends and technologies.

Astronomical Assets

Significant Moves in the Last Seven Days 

^{DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets. Please be careful and do your own research.}

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