The camera is aimed at the scan area of the self-checkout terminal. In the background, the video sequences produced are compared with predefined shrink scenarios. Was an item passed by the scanner without being scanned or was another item scanned? Was the EAN code covered with a finger or were two items held in front of each other? Do the item and EAN code match? Has a customer walked away from the self-checkout without paying for their transaction? Whether intentional or due to negligence: the security system, consisting of IP cameras and AI-based software, learns and recognizes such operating errors or misconduct and warns in real time.

The user can define their own reactions in individual cases: A notification to the customer on the terminal display that an item has not been recorded correctly - alternatively or in combination with an audio announcement. Or via a message to the responsible employee, for example on a mobile device, on which the recorded transaction can be viewed again. Another option is to automatically cancel the checkout process for certain transactions or for store staff to check the customer directly. "Thanks to such AI-supported real-time analyses, retailers can make data- and fact-based decisions and prevent possible inventory discrepancies at the self-service checkouts," says Nino Hörttrich, Head of Global Marketing Retail at Diebold Nixdorf.

Artificial intelligence: the new building block for the "wall of secure"

On the one hand, the system is aimed at opportunistic thieves who want to obtain small "discounts". On the other hand, however, it also targets professionals who are after high-priced products and prefer self-service stations because they are familiar with how the standard technical security measures work and find creative ways to circumvent them. Retailers are correspondingly interested in the new AI-based software solutions, which are gradually being "fed" with (visual) information on new theft and fraud scenarios, approaches and behavioral characteristics of shoplifters. The systems learn from this and become increasingly better and more reliable at detecting, classifying, comparing and intelligently interpreting individual incidents and making recommendations for action on this basis.

Loss prevention platforms with a variety of applications

In order to provide their retail customers with such additional security tools, providers of self-service checkouts are acting as drivers of computer vision technology. For example, Diebold Nixdorf, together with UK partner SeeChange, has developed a corresponding solution under the label "Vynamic Smart Vision", which is already being tested in live operation. ITAB is working with specialists Signatrix and Rapitag in the field of camera-based AI and is currently conducting laboratory tests at a number of retailers. Toshiba is also currently rolling out two projects for its Produce Recognition and Fraud Prevention solution. Suitable tools for self-checkout are not only provided by checkout manufacturers, but also by service providers specializing in security such as Axis Communications, Sensormatic or Re-Vision (now part of Extenda Retail). GK Software is also exhibiting at EuroCIS with "GK AIR Fraud Detection", an AI-based solution that was developed with the aim of integrating a self-learning shopping basket check at the point of sale. The software uses a scoring algorithm to determine the probability of a correct scan for each shopping basket. Based on the data of the current shopping basket and the customer's behavior, it detects irregularities in a transaction. The AI is constantly learning and uses this knowledge for future decisions.

Analyses at the checkout and across the entire sales area

At the stands of all the IT service providers mentioned, trade visitors from the retail sector will be able to obtain detailed information about the applications at EuroCIS 2024 - applications that usually run on platforms in combination with other security tools. At Diebold Nixdorf, for example, the solutions are part of a holistic Vynamic AI platform. Toshiba calls its platform "ELERA Security Suite" and, unlike other providers, works with edge cameras where the business logic runs via the camera and therefore does not require a server. Practical tests and the first regular installations of computer vision technology are currently still focusing on self-checkout scenarios. However, work is also underway to use the entire video infrastructure of a store to generate data and create use cases. This principle underlies the solutions from Sensormatic Solutions, for example - including for greater protection against gang crime. For example, cameras and software are used to identify people wearing masks, behaving aggressively or suspiciously or carrying dangerous objects in the store or in the parking lot. On this basis, the AI-based program develops recommendations as to which cases the retailer should initiate countermeasures at an early stage. "At the heart of the solution are Sensormatic's proprietary AI algorithms, but we are supported by a whole network of technology partners and also integrate data sources from third-party providers," explains Dominik Brosch, Market Development Manager at Sensormatic Solutions.

AI will enable many new applications for greater security in the future

Axis Communications also has expertise in the field of video surveillance and analysis. The company also operates an open platform on which it provides its own AI-based security solutions for retailers, as well as those developed by or together with technology partners - in relation to checkouts and the entire sales floor. AXIS developers are working on integrating various fraud scenarios beyond the checkout into AI applications. Examples: A customer packs expensive whiskey, but it does not appear in the shopping cart at checkout. Or a customer leaves a deposit outside to pick it up at night. The AI software is trained for these and many other types of fraud and fed with data until it arrives at reliable assessments.

In future, so-called "re-identification" will also be possible. A criminal customer who is caught in store A and registered in the system with certain characteristics (clothing details, behavior, physical features - if permitted under data protection law) will also be identifiable in store B and trigger corresponding precautions. "AI-supported image data analysis will open up an extremely wide range of possibilities in the future," says Ralph Siegfried, Key Account Manager End Customers and retail expert at Axis Communications. Re-Vision (a division of Extenda Retail) is also exploring these possibilities. This IT service provider also offers a loss prevention platform with applications for greater checkout security - using an AI-supported tool for risk analysis of the shopping basket and purchasing behavior. For this purpose, a certain "fraud probability" is determined for each customer based on current and past data (e.g. certain behaviors on the site, the number of rescans within certain periods of time). This (dynamic) level is used to determine whether the customer is asked to rescan the current purchase. "Avoiding false alarms, targeted checks, fewer checks and still finding more - these are the advantages of our platform," says Jens Völling, RV Customer Success at Extenda Retail.

The upcoming EuroCIS trade fair offers the opportunity to discover the latest trends in hardware and software tailored specifically to the retail sector. EuroCIS will take place in Düsseldorf from February 27 to 29, 2024. Under the motto "Go beyond today", numerous companies will once again present solutions and products with which retailers can shape and secure their future. In addition, the trade fair is an excellent networking platform for the specialist community and offers an extensive supporting program that provides plenty of inspiration and updates on the topic of retail technology.

Source: www.eurocis.com 

"The AI Roadmap: Successfully Implementing Artificial Intelligence in Companies" is the title of the new book by Dr. Jens-Uwe Meyer, published by Verlag BusinessVillage has been published. In it, the digitalization and innovation expert, who is himself the CEO of a software company, explains how AI solutions will change our economy and society in the near future - and at such a rapid pace that he speaks of "fast disruption" instead of change and transformation.

Building on this, Meyer, who is also a sought-after speaker, drafts a roadmap on how companies can first identify AI application possibilities in their organization, then find and evaluate possible solutions and finally implement them - all based on a vision that is backed up with business cases and key business figures.

The 240-page work by Meyer, who has already written thirteen books, is based on the following thesis: In the coming years, the so-called KIRA - a combination of artificial intelligence, robotics and automation - will radically change the corporate landscape and this change will affect all companies and their employees across all industries. And management must prepare for this, although it is still largely unclear today: What other technologies will be available in the near future? How can AI be integrated into company processes? What new opportunities and risks will arise from the increased use of AI and AIRA?

In the first two chapters of his book, Meyer explains what this means for the management thinking and actions of decision-makers. He then outlines an action plan, known as a roadmap, on how companies can first find use cases for artificial intelligence and then evaluate their feasibility and calculate and realize added value. 

One of the book's strengths is that, in an environment in which changes are increasingly no longer linear but disruptive, it provides readers with a planning tool in the form of the AI roadmap that helps them to ask the right questions and find solutions; furthermore, it does not reflect on the topic of AI in isolation, but in conjunction with the two megatrends of robotics and automation.

Source: www.die-profilberater.de

The economic impact of major crisis events is multifaceted. They range from declines in sales, cost increases, supply chain problems and job losses to the destabilization of entire industries and economies. These effects were also felt in Switzerland during and after the coronavirus pandemic, followed by the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis and inflation. During this time, the crisis management of individual companies was essential in order to contain the scope of the negative effects. A study by Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) and Kiel University of Applied Sciences examined listed companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and identified and compared companies that were particularly susceptible to crises as well as those that were particularly crisis-resistant. The aim was to identify key influencing factors for greater corporate resilience. The study shows that there are differences not only between the individual sectors, but also between the countries.

New crises enable new insights

"For the first time in a long time, the coronavirus crisis has made it possible to examine the crisis resilience of companies," says Prof. Dr. Stefan Hunziker, head of the study. The last time this was possible was after the 2007/2008 financial crisis. The pandemic made it clear that companies need to know the bottleneck areas of their business model that are affected by external crisis events. They can lead to dramatic slumps in earnings and liquidity as well as cost explosions. "Not only knowing such bottleneck areas, but also reducing them in a targeted manner can make the difference between successful management and insolvency in the event of a crisis," says the HSLU professor.

Swiss companies more crisis-resistant than their neighbors

The study shows: Swiss companies were ahead of their German-speaking neighbors in terms of crisis resilience - for example in terms of return on sales, a key risk indicator for measuring crisis resilience. It is higher overall in Switzerland. The high agility of business and politics during the pandemic has contributed significantly to this: the switch to working from home and digital sales channels was faster in this country. "Although the level of digitalization in Switzerland still has some room for improvement, it is ahead of Germany in several areas," says Hunziker.

Other indicators are the above-average equity base and low expense ratio of Swiss companies. Resilient Swiss companies are significantly better in both areas. The equity base not only helps to buffer individual risks, but also reduces the risk of over-indebtedness and facilitates cash procurement. "Equity signals confidence, solvency and performance, and potential lenders such as banks are interested in this," says Hunziker. A high equity base is therefore an effective protection against liquidity bottlenecks. The low expense ratio is an indicator of a more robust business model and greater cost efficiency.

State support: fast and unbureaucratic

Together with a highly diversified Swiss economy and continued strong exports of pharmaceuticals, for example, Swiss companies experienced fewer liquidity bottlenecks overall - in other words, the probability of insolvency was lower. The government support measures in Switzerland were also initiated quickly and unbureaucratically and the coronavirus policy was comparatively more liberal than in Germany. All of this would have ensured that the crisis resilience of companies in Switzerland was higher on average during the coronavirus crisis. However, the author of the study emphasizes that not all sectors were affected equally and at the same time. While consumer-related sectors and industry were hit harder during the pandemic, the construction and real estate sectors suffered particularly badly alongside industry when interest rates and inflation rose. The statements therefore relate to the economy as a whole.

Crisis resilience as a necessity

Overall, there is a certain conflict between strengthening crisis resilience and improving cost efficiency, as building up buffers consumes additional resources in the form of equity and liquidity costs. The challenge for companies here is to find an appropriate balance. Hunziker assumes that after these crises, most companies have become more aware of how important it is to prepare accordingly. Companies would do well to know their bottleneck areas and think about appropriate operational, financial and personnel buffers and flexibility - because the next crisis is certain, even if "longer periods of calm" create an illusion of invulnerability.

Source: www.hslu.ch 

No progress in implementing measures - despite increasing risks

Last year, attacks on Swiss SMEs rose by over 60% and are expected to increase further this year. As a recent study by gfs-Zurich shows, the implementation of measures to increase cyber security has stagnated for several years. SMEs still lack the time and understanding for the problem. SMEs feel that they are not targeted enough by cyber criminals and often think that there is nothing to be gained from them - even though many attacks are widespread and not aimed at a specific SME.

Access to understandable and relevant information

ITSec4KMU offers a range of information on the topic of cyber security that is specifically tailored to the needs, skills and interests of Swiss SMEs. "We make the relevant information easily accessible. It is also important that SMEs become aware of this and that the platform develops into an important source of information," explains Heinz Tännler, Member of the Cantonal Government and Director of Finance of the Canton of Zug and President of ITSec4KMU. The aim is to create an initial awareness of cybersecurity so that SMEs can recognize what they are up against and implement appropriate initial measures for better cybersecurity protection. The online platform forms the basis for the development and expansion of the network: ITSec4KMU plans to make direct contact with local companies via a network throughout the country, for example through partnerships with trade associations. Or as René Hüsler, Director of the Department of Computer Science at HSLU and founding member of ITSec4KMU puts it: "ITSec4KMU approaches companies and uses workshops and information events to show them what can happen in the event of an attack. SMEs can achieve a lot in terms of cyber security with just a few simple initial steps - that's where we need to start."

IT service provider in focus

In the knowledge that many SMEs do not want to or cannot take care of cyber security themselves, ITSec4KMU places an additional focus on IT service providers. The register on the platform gives SMEs access to service providers in their area, allowing them to compare offers from different providers. IT service providers, in turn, can present their cyber security services to the target group. Expansion is also planned in this area, as Nicole Wettstein, Head of Tech Intelligence at SATW and Vice President of ITSec4KMU, explains: "Many SMEs are unable or unwilling to take care of IT and cyber security themselves. We support these companies by helping SMEs to find the most suitable service provider for them."

Source: www.itsec4kmu.ch 

Hardly a day goes by without the media reporting a successful cyberattack on companies, hospitals or public authorities. In the first half of 2023, 19048 incidents were reported to the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC). This corresponds to an increase of around 2000 reports compared to the first half of 2022 (16,951). However, experts believe that the number of unreported cases is significantly higher.

Cyberattacks are on the rise and the reasons for this are complex. In many cyberattacks that we witness, we see that the simplest security precautions are not observed - there is a lack of awareness to close critical security gaps immediately. This is because companies often lack the technical or human resources to keep up with the constantly growing number of security gaps. It is precisely such security gaps that are exploited by cyber criminals to attack larger and smaller companies, authorities, individuals or critical infrastructures.

The "NOT-BOOK, prepared for a cyber emergency" with practical checklists helps to close these security gaps. "With our "NOT-BOOK, prepared for the cyber emergency", we want to create added value for SMEs and MSMEs in terms of cyber security. In many of the cyber attacks that we accompany, we see that the simplest security precautions are not observed," says the team from GU Sicherheit & Partner AG.

The "Guide" contains clearly written checklists for the following areas:

• Device safety,
• Networks,
• Password management,
• Cloud services,
• E-Mail,
• private IT devices,
• Internet of Things,
• Backup,
• Data protection,
• artificial intelligence

Plus tips on protecting privacy, what to do in the event of an incident. And how best to carry out an after action review.

Source: www.gu-sicherheit.ch

The long-standing success story of the cybersecurity market remains intact. In the face of constantly increasing attack pressure and a worsening shortage of skilled workers, the signs continue to point to growth. Especially in the SME sector. While large companies tend to maintain their already high budgets and increase them slightly overall, it is small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular that are generating additional demand. Providers of Managed Security Services (MSS), which have their own Security Operation Centers (SOC), are benefiting the most from this.

This is reported in the new study "ISG Provider Lens Cybersecurity - Solutions & Services 2023", which the market research and consulting company Information Services Group (ISG) has now published in two separate editions for Germany and Switzerland. In it, ISG examines the portfolio and competitive strength of more than 100 service and product providers in the cybersecurity market. 

In addition to the MSS-SOC segment, the analysis focuses on six other product areas. In the product area, these are Identity & Access Management (IAM), Extended Detection & Response (XDR), Security Service Edge (SSE) and Data Leakage/Loss Prevention (DLP) & Data Security. In the service area, the two task areas Strategic Security Services and Technical Security Services are added. 

Artificial and human intelligence 

Cyber security is becoming a key competence. Two factors are driving this development particularly strongly. Firstly, the ever-increasing digitalization of companies is massively increasing the size of attack surfaces and the number of attack vectors. Secondly, the ability of attackers to change their methodical and tactical approach at ever shorter intervals and to use new technologies in the process is also increasing. For example, forms of artificial intelligence (AI). As a result, both the variability and the range of attacks are becoming ever greater. Regardless of this, companies and government organizations are driving forward the digitalization of their processes in order to work more efficiently and in a more customer-oriented manner. 

In this mixed situation, it is hardly possible for even large companies to organize the necessary cyber defence completely on their own. Especially as the shortage of specialist staff that can be recruited in the area of cyber security is particularly pronounced. Against this backdrop, the demand for managed security services (MSS) is showing above-average growth rates. The number of providers entering the market with tailor-made solutions is correspondingly high. (MSS service providers manage the operation of IT/OT security infrastructures for one or more customers via a highly specialized Security Operations Center. They rely on best-of-breed security tools and thus cover the entire security incident lifecycle from investigation to problem resolution. 

In order to orchestrate the variety of defense mechanisms used and detect relevant attacks early enough, market-leading providers are expanding the use of self-learning solutions that work with various automation, machine learning and AI techniques. "However, this will by no means make the human workforce in SOCs superfluous. Quite the opposite," says study author Frank Heuer, Lead Analyst Cybersecurity DACH at ISG. "After all, sound expert knowledge is needed to set up automation solutions in line with the specific threat situation. It's also about critically evaluating the results of the systems." For example, you need to get as clear a picture as possible of the attacker's interests and then incorporate this picture into the choice of appropriate tactics and the associated defensive measures, Heuer continues. 

SME business 

ISG believes that SMEs, together with large parts of the public sector, are currently the most interesting growth area for cybersecurity providers. As SMEs have fewer IT security systems overall than large companies, they are forced to upgrade due to the factors described above.  

Providers who are able to break down their experience and services to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will benefit most from the dynamics of this demand. This requires offers tailored to SMEs. At least as important, however, is the ability of providers to adapt culturally and communicatively to the needs of SMEs and local authorities.  

ISG therefore sees market advantages not least for all those providers who have sufficient German-speaking employees. Ideally paired with suitable industry knowledge. In addition, it is still a considerable advantage if the monitoring, control and data processing takes place in regional SOCs. In Switzerland in particular, the unrestricted guarantee of national data protection regulations is one of the most important selection criteria, especially for SMEs.  

In contrast, further growth in the large customer segment is currently only possible to a limited extent - after the high investments of recent years. Measured against the IT market as a whole, however, cybersecurity continues to show above-average performance. Especially as a completely new field of activity is emerging that holds considerable disruptive potential, says study author Frank Heuer: "This refers to quantum-resistant data encryption and its continuous further development. In the financial sector in particular, but also in parts of large-scale industry, we are already seeing a noticeable increase in demand for strategic consulting in order to prepare companies' cybersecurity regimes for the threats to data security posed by quantum computers." 

Source: www.isg-one.com 

FSI IT teams are already tasked with upgrading infrastructure, taking a more proactive role across the organization and delivering omnichannel interactions, all while struggling with tightening budgets and outdated architectures. However, Riverbed's study also found that by implementing the right tools, organizations can meet changing DEX requirements while reducing their current stress levels.

The study surveyed 1,800 global IT decision makers (ITDMs) and business decision makers (BDMs) across 10 countries and seven industries, including nearly 300 FSI executives. The survey explored generational expectations, hybrid working, the evolving role of IT and challenges and strategies for delivering an exceptional DEX.

New generation - digital natives in the FSI sector

Financial companies in particular rely on long-serving employees to retain and pass on the knowledge they have accumulated over years of working for the company.

"One of the biggest challenges facing financial services and insurance companies is the loss of talent - and therefore skills and knowledge - that inevitably occurs when long-serving employees leave or retire. Now that digital natives are increasingly entering the FSI workforce, it is more important than ever that robust DEX solutions are in place. This is not only to keep Generation Z and millennials productive, but also to avoid risk, automate processes, ensure customers' financial transactions are efficient, and enable top talent to work more strategically," says Christian Siemann, Regional Director, Central Region at Riverbed.

 "Our Global DEX Survey 2023 confirmed that delivering better digital experiences is becoming increasingly difficult. Encouragingly, most FSI leaders understand the current situation and are taking proactive steps to invest in technologies such as AI and unified observability to strengthen employee and customer engagement."

92 % of FSI decision makers surveyed believe they need to provide more advanced digital experiences to meet the needs of younger employees, and the same percentage state that the younger generation of employees are more demanding of IT resources. The latter figure is higher than the global survey result of 89 %, which shows the importance of meeting new DEX requirements in the financial industry.

FSI leaders must meet digital expectations

In financial services, reputation is everything, and unhappy employees and skills shortages can jeopardize that reputation. FSI executives surveyed believe that 69 % of employees would consider leaving the organization if adequate DEX was not provided, and 68 % say it would be disruptive and impact reputation, productivity or business performance if digital expectations were not met. In an industry where seconds and even milliseconds matter, ensuring a seamless digital experience for employees and customers is critical to the success of a financial organization. In fact, 98 % of executives surveyed state that providing a seamless DEX is important (62 % of critical importance) to remain competitive.

With increased digital expectations and threats to talent, productivity and competitiveness, almost all FSI respondents (93 %) say that investing in DEX is one of their top priorities for the next five years

The challenges of providing a digital experience

Today, delivering a great digital experience isn't getting easier, it's getting harder. 94 % of FSI ITDMs and BDMs surveyed cited at least one major obstacle or gap in delivering a seamless DEX. Survey respondents cited lack of sufficient observability tools (36 %), budget constraints (34 %), too much data (32 %), lack of suitable SaaS or cloud services (29 %) and lack of IT talent/skills (28 %) as the biggest obstacles preventing them from creating a seamless digital employee experience.

However, the issues hindering the digital experience can fix themselves if FSI organizations part with a reduced budget and adopt the best tools that increase productivity, retain employees and enable them to share and build knowledge and skills. Executives are aware of this, as 85 % of survey respondents have set aside money to retrain IT staff, and the overwhelming majority (86 %) believe that unified observability technology with greater automation can also help close the skills gap. Encouragingly, 93 % of FSI IT and business leaders also plan to accelerate the adoption and implementation of digital experiences - a statistic that is 4 % above the global consensus.

Strengthening DEX in financial services companies

As more and more employees demand the ability to work from anywhere, anytime and in complex hybrid and cloud-based work environments, FSI leaders have taken on a more strategic role.

84 % of FSI ITDMs and BDMs surveyed recognize the increasing importance of IT within the C-suite, while 78 percent of ITDM respondents who participated in the survey said they currently have a seat at the C-suite table. In addition, 94 % of respondents agreed that IT is more responsible for driving business innovation today than it was three years ago.

These leaders expect technology to be an enabler to drive the business forward and impress customers and employees. They also see technologies such as AI and unified observability as playing an essential role in delivering exemplary digital experiences. Of those surveyed, 95 % of FSI executives believe that unified observability is important (55 % of critical importance) to remain competitive and deliver DEX, and 94 % believe that more investment is needed in unified observability solutions.

Source: www.riverbed.com 

Kraftwerke Oberhasli AG's company paramedic team consists of six members who work in different areas and are trained as company paramedics. However, the company's catchment area covers around 400 square kilometers - administrative and operational buildings, as well as tunnels, reservoirs and 13 power plants, plus hotels, various mountain railroads and more.

With this large catchment area, the company cannot deploy a traditional company ambulance service in an emergency. This makes it more difficult to provide medical support. And, depending on the location of the incident, it takes a relatively long time for professional emergency services to arrive on site.

That is why the company now trains all employees as first aiders. They refresh their knowledge at least every two years. Employees with IVR level 2 and 3 carry out this training, with changing focus topics.

Since 2019, these exercises have been carried out together with the fire department. Special training and adapted topics are organized for hotel staff, employees in the tourism sector and chauffeurs.

In addition, around 60 percent of all employees are trained in BLS-AEDs. In this context, various AEDs were made publicly accessible in the area in 2022. In 2022, the alerting of company paramedics was also optimized. Thanks to this strategy, the company currently has around 300 first aiders who have already been able to deal with various emergencies in different areas.

Praise from the SVBS

"First aid in the company must always be adapted to the size of the company, the type of operation, the operational hazards and the local situation," says Stefan Kühnis, President of the Swiss Association for Company Paramedics (SVBS). "The company has recognized that this is hardly feasible in the traditional way. And it has not resigned itself to this, but has developed a well thought-out solution that ultimately not only helps the employees in the company, but also the population in the region."

The SVBS Award

Every year, the Swiss Association for Occupational First Aid (SVBS) honors the first aiders of the year. Particularly innovative projects in the field of first aid or exemplary deployments as first aiders are honored. On the one hand, the SVBS wants to express praise, gratitude and recognition. Above all, however, these award-winning stories are intended to inspire other first aiders to become just as active and implement a similar first aid project at work or in the community or to call on their knowledge and provide the best possible help in an emergency.

Source: www.svbs-asse.ch 

Cisco Talos has presented its quarterly threat analysis for the third quarter of 2023. During this period, 30 percent of all incidents were attacks on web applications. A notable increase compared to 8 percent in the previous quarter. These activities involved injection attacks, including SQL injection, and the use of web shells.

Ransomware remains a constant threat and accounted for 10 percent of incidents. During Q3, which covered the months of July, August and September, the LockBit and BlackByte ransomware families were active as in previous quarters. However, for the first time, the Talos team observed a new variant of BlackByte ransomware, which appeared under the name BlackByte NT.

The analysis shows that misconfigured applications and the lack of multi-factor authentication (MFA) are the two most important security vulnerabilities. "All organizations should implement some form of MFA as it is an effective protection mechanism to prevent unauthorized access to systems and data," says Roman Stefanov, Head of Cyber Security Sales at Cisco Switzerland. However, he points out that you still need to be careful. "Attackers try to trick users with so-called exhaustion attacks, i.e. many push messages at the same time. It is crucial to remain vigilant."

Telecommunications and education in focus

According to Talos, the telecommunications and education sectors were targeted the most. Each of these sectors accounted for 20 percent of incidents. Both individual threat actors and groups with different motives and expertise were active.

Telecommunications companies are attractive targets due to their control over multiple critical infrastructure assets. They serve as an entry point for attackers to access other companies, subscribers or third-party providers. These organizations often hold large amounts of customer data that are frequently targeted by financially motivated cybercriminals such as ransomware groups.

Educational institutions are attractive to cybercriminals because they hold large amounts of personally identifiable student data, as well as research institutes with valuable intellectual property. Many educational organizations have a limited budget for cybersecurity, which can limit their ability to defend themselves.

The previously unknown APT (Advanced Persistent Threats) group "ShroudedSnooper" was also newly discovered in the third quarter of 2023. It is targeting telecommunications companies and is thus following a trend towards highly sophisticated attacks in this sector. As part of this activity, ShroudedSnooper deployed two new backdoor implants called "HTTPSnoop" and "PipeSnoop". These backdoors interact with Windows HTTP core drivers and devices to monitor incoming requests for specific HTTP(S) URLs and execute the contained content on the infected endpoint.

Source: www.cisco.com 

To mark Swiss Digital Day, Digitalrat GmbH is launching an image generator with artificial intelligence (AI). The innovative "Stable Panda" service enables SMEs to generate images according to their own design and corporate identity. Generating suitable AI images is far more complex than writing text. This is why Digitalrat trains the "Stable Panda" generator with the company's respective visual language, allowing individual images to be developed. Characterless and meaningless photos (so-called stock photos) can soon be a thing of the past.

"Stable Panda" was developed with the aim of ensuring the consistency and quality of SMEs' visual communication. The AI learns the specific requirements and styles of each company to create customized images that reinforce the brand identity and visual message.

"We are excited to introduce Stable Panda at today's Digital Day. Some of our customers have confronted us with various marketing challenges. We have now used the rapid developments in AI to solve the specific problem of imagery. With Stable Panda, companies can strengthen their visual presence," says Laurent Gachnang, Partner of the Digital Council Network.

"Stable Panda" is designed to change the way SMEs create and manage their visual content.

Source: www.digitalrat.ch

The course emphasizes the development of key skills and strategic know-how and is aimed at anyone who needs to identify and assess crisis situations in companies and develop and implement effective change strategies.

The modular CAS Turnaround & Transformation Management HWZ, which is led by Ivan C. Lima, offers the opportunity to prepare preventively and comprehensively for dealing with crises and corporate change. Participants learn the necessary skills and strategies to successfully master these challenges. "This course guides students through the entire process of analysis, evaluation and transformation. Special emphasis is placed on the early recognition of potential crisis situations and a comprehensive analysis of options for action. The course provides the necessary skills to successfully implement these options," emphasizes Ivan C. Lima, Head of the course at the HWZ.

The crisis is also an opportunity

At a time when many companies are fighting for economic survival, those who have mastered turnaround management have an advantage. They can adapt quickly to new challenges, skillfully reallocate resources and position themselves optimally for the time after the crisis. Through efficient transformation management, they also discover new opportunities for innovation and open up new business areas, even in a shrinking market. 

Turnaround management is much more than financial recovery. It focuses on strategy and organizational development, on adapting structures and strategic decisions and on managing employees in times of rapid change. Successful turnaround management aims to preserve jobs and create a solid basis for future growth and new employment opportunities.

This CAS shows how stakeholder trust can be strengthened by companies acting proactively and making conscious transformations in uncertain times. It enables leaders to minimize risks and identify opportunities in times of crisis, rather than relying solely on short-term survival strategies.

"Turnaround and transformation management is far more than an emergency tool in difficult times; it is a strategic necessity. Those who not only want to survive but also grow in such times cannot avoid investing in the training and implementation of these management approaches. In a business world characterized by uncertainty, the right management strategy can make the difference between success and failure. It is essential for all players in the economy to proactively tackle this challenge and see it as an opportunity," says Ivan C. Lima, Head of Studies at the HWZ.

Source: www.fh-hwz.ch 

Sam Conniff showed how the uncertainty of New Work can be used as an opportunity and a challenge. "Burnout is at an all time high, resilience is at an all time low and our intolerance of uncertainty is the reason for all this. But uncertainty can be a great motivator. We just need to know how to use it," says Conniff. The international keynote speaker and "Uncertainty Expert" encouraged attendees to break conventional rules in the modern business world in order to achieve creative solutions and change. "Uncertainty Experts" is a ground-breaking piece of research in collaboration with leading researchers from UCL's Department of Neuroscience. In his keynote, Sam Conniff gave insights into the concept of uncertainty tolerance and how it can be used to foster creativity, empathy, engagement, collaboration and decision-making.

Companies also need creativity, empathy and commitment in order to focus on health-promoting working conditions. Since 2009, they have been able to be awarded the "Friendly Work Space" label by Health Promotion Switzerland. Currently, 106 organizations with around 220,000 employees in Switzerland and Liechtenstein have been awarded the label.

With the "Friendly Work Space" label, organizations systematically develop occupational health management (OHM) along six quality criteria. This enables them to sustainably increase employee motivation and performance, reduce operating costs and strengthen their competitiveness as attractive employers in the long term. The longer an organization carries and internalizes the label, the more effective the benefits of occupational health management will be.

17 new and 17 re-awarded organizations

Health Promotion Switzerland awards the "Friendly Work Space" label to 17 companies for the first time in 2023 and for a period of 3 years. In addition, this year 17 current organizations successfully underwent the reassessment after 3 years.

The following companies were honored in 2023:

Label helps to raise management awareness and promote health

"The BGM criteria of "Friendly Work Space" support companies in systematically implementing health management. We award the label to companies that succeed in systematically implementing the quality criteria," explains Prof. Dr. Thomas Mattig, Director of Health Promotion Switzerland. An evaluation carried out by the BASS office between May 2018 and February 2020 confirmed the impact of the label: Management awareness in the area of employee health, as well as the anchoring and systematic implementation of OHM, improve significantly from one certification to the next.

The structure of BGM is based on 6 quality criteria

The way in which health management is implemented in each organization is individual. This is based on six quality criteria of "Friendly Work Space", which make the factors influencing the health of employees tangible and assessable. If independent assessors confirm that all six criteria are met, the organization receives the "Friendly Work Space" label for 3 years. The BGM criteria of "Friendly Work Space" are supported by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) and the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).

Companies that have already been awarded the label can be re-certified every three years.

Source: www.gesundheitsfoerderung.ch