On October 24, 2023, the 10th edition of Swiss Cyber Storm will take place at the Kursaal Bern. During this time, the event has established itself as the IT security conference in Switzerland. This year again, 24 national and international experts will be on stage to present the latest topics and trends in cybersecurity and discuss them with the audience. 

This year's motto "The Human Factor" underscores the central role of people in the fabric of IT security. Are people the weakest link in the security chain, as is often claimed? Can user training improve enterprise security? How can companies create awareness of threats without everything coming to a standstill afterwards? Is increased security awareness desirable or rather sand in the gears? What would IT systems need to look like to be "secure by default"? These questions are the focus of the event.

The discussion will Eva Galperin open, Director of Cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), with the Opening Keynote. Galperin graduated from SFSU with degrees in political science and international relations. For several years, she has worked on the digital privacy and security needs of victims of domestic violence. She is also a co-founder of the Coalition Against Stalkerware.

Some more speakers and talks on "The Human Factor":

• Christina Lekati, Senior Social Engineering Trainer & Consultant, Cyber Risk: "Social Engineering: Targeting Key Individuals, Profiling, and Weaponizing Psychology."
• Joseph Da Silva, CISO, RS Group: "Teacher, Enforcer, Soothsayer, Scapegoat: the Life of the CISO."
• Christine Bejerasco, CISO, WithSecure: "Secure-by-Design: How do You Design with a Security Mindset for the User?"

A selection of speakers and talks on other security topics:

• Stefan Lüders, Computer Security Officer, European Organization for Particle Physics (CERN): "Help! I Have Data Center Nightmares"
• Alexandra Arni, Executive Director, Swiss FS-CSC Association: "Cyber Resilience on the Swiss Financial Center - the Swiss FS-CSC".
• Stefan Soesanto, Senior Researcher, CSS, ETH Zurich: "Making Sense of Data Dumps and Data Leaks in Times of War and Peace".

The closing keynote, titled "The Human OS: Can't Tech This," will be delivered by Yanya Viskovich, Senior Manager Security Consulting at Accenture.

Speakers in the main program will include: Omer Akgul, Sheila A. Berta, Tim Blazytko, Edzo Botjes, Edwin Foudil, David Jacoby, Raphaël Schaffo, Joe Slowik, Mauro Verderosa.

Also besides the program, during the coffee breaks or the lunch break, the Swiss Cyber Storm 2023 offers ample opportunity for social exchange and discussion with the speakers.

Source: www.swisscyberstorm.com

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/swiss-cyber-storm-conference-2023-die-rolle-der-menschen-im-fokus/

Requirements in the area of security, data protection and compliance are familiar to employees. Nevertheless, they become a challenge in everyday work. Whether out of convenience or ignorance, situations arise again and again that quickly become critical for IT security. For example, when time pressure causes sensitive documents to quickly end up in the wrong place or with the wrong contact person, or, quite banally, when sensitive conversations take place in public spaces. To prevent employees from resorting to so-called "shadow IT" or being too careless with sensitive information, clear instructions for critical scenarios and regular training are needed. The software manufacturer Materna Virtual Solution shows four security-critical situations that happen quickly in everyday work and should therefore be handled all the more strictly.

Dealing with sensitive data pragmatically. When it comes to work performance, modern technology has real boosters in store for employees: in the subway, you can conveniently make phone calls via smartphone, give screen approval for customer data in meetings, or simply let print jobs linger in the departmental printer until the next coffee run. Are there any security concerns? 

Security: Sensitive and personal data should only be shared with trusted persons within the company and in compliance with data protection requirements and security regulations. Under no circumstances should personal information simply circulate unprotected in public spaces - phone calls in the subway are therefore just as taboo as unprotected documents. 

Security should be defined by everyone. Phishing emails are well known, and insecure websites or apps can be identified at a glance. Experienced employees know that the firewall offers protection against all attackers and that it is easiest to install updates between Christmas and New Year. There have also been no data protection problems with WhatsApp so far.

Security: In terms of comprehensive IT security, the same transparent IT security requirements must apply to all stakeholders in the company. This includes the requirement that regular system updates are installed and that no insecure applications are used for data transfer or communication. Under no circumstances should each employee define his or her own standards, put updates on standby for extended periods of time, or use private messengers for professional purposes.

Devices should not lie around unused. The employer provides the latest smartphone or performance notebook and then it is supposed to lie around uselessly on the weekend? Private use is more in line with the spirit of sustainability and also provides a lot of family fun when gaming finally runs smoothly.

Security: Professional devices require a special protection concept if they are also used for private purposes in addition to work. According to COPE (Corporate-Owned, Personally Enabled), companies can prepare their devices for secure private use. For example, they can install a container-based solution in which all business applications are processed in an encrypted software container.

Easy to remember passwords. Assigning a new password every few months again, which has to be longer and more complicated each time? Not necessarily advisable. Better for security: Passwords and multi-level authentication measures are essential and must not be freely accessible or shared with third parties. IT administrators must ensure strict implementation of authentication access. They can support employees in password management through the use of tools and appropriate training. Under no circumstances should printed password lists be found on the desk - and yes: even a locked roll container does not provide sufficient protection.

"Of course, these don'ts are exaggerated, but they are still reality in everyday life. At the latest when a security attack has paralyzed the company," explains Christian Pohlenz, Security Expert at Materna Virtual Solution. "There is therefore no way around an internal company security concept that includes DSGVO requirements and compliance with security measures. The be-all and end-all is then regular training. After all, any security concept is only as good as its implementation by employees in everyday life."

Source: www.virtual-solution.com

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/schluss-mit-den-provisorien-in-der-it-sicherheit/

The Swiss watch industry is on an export high, with core regions such as the US and China recording healthy growth. Despite the rise in e-commerce, 62 percent of brands expect in-store sales to dominate over the next five years and plan to expand their retail activities. This is according to Deloitte's 2023 Swiss Watch Industry Study, which includes insights from industry experts and consumer surveys in key markets.

India as a growth market

The study shows that watch industry executives see India as a market with incredible potential for the coming years. In the first eight months of the current year, India recorded above-average sales growth of 18 percent. The study authors expect India to be among the top ten Swiss export markets within a decade. Double-digit growth also in 2023: Following its successful performance in 2022, when the Swiss watch industry recorded record exports worth CHF 24.8 billion, it continued its growth trajectory in the first eight months of the current year. By the end of August, watch exports had increased by 10.2 percent in terms of volume and 9.2 percent in terms of value - despite inflation.

Of the top ten export markets, the U.S. remained the most important single market for Swiss watches, with exports worth nearly CHF 2.7 billion, an increase of almost 10 percent over 2022. China saw similar growth of 9.3 percent over the same period, but exports are still 7.5 percent below 2021 levels. Watch industry executives have mixed feelings about China, with forecasts for growth and decline evenly split among respondents. Nearly four in 10 of the 75 executives surveyed said that reduced travel by Asian consumers has negatively impacted their sales figures over the past 12 months.

Less optimism for the next 12 months

When asked about the outlook for the coming 12 months, the majority of Swiss watch industry executives were optimistic about the prospects for both the Swiss economy (60%) and their main export markets (59%). Compared with the overall economic outlook, however, the industry is less confident about its own prospects than it was a year ago. Only half of respondents said they were positive about the outlook (down from 57% in 2022), and a quarter responded that they were negative. Most executives cited geopolitical uncertainty (84%) as the main reason for this sentiment, followed by inflation and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis (69% each). For the next year, executives consider the lack of qualified personnel to be a major risk factor. At the same time, suppliers indicated that they intend to increase both production capacity and the number of employees in Switzerland.

Personal experience trumps digital convenience

52 percent of the consumers surveyed buy watches primarily in stores where they can touch, test and try out the products. 43 percent said they value personal contact with sales staff. Most brands and retailers (62%) agree that offline sales will continue to outweigh online sales over the next five years, with differences by price segment. Generally speaking, customers mostly buy the expensive watches offline. Most brands are investing in expanding their retail space, whether in flagship stores or multi-brand outlets.

In a digitized world, watch trade shows are still very important. Nine out of ten executives see them as crucial for making contact with potential customers and expanding their customer base.

"The electrifying atmosphere of watch fairs and auctions and the opportunity to get up close and personal with a watch in a store cannot be replicated in the digital space. However, social selling - with personalized recommendations and instant purchases via connected apps as well as mobile payment options - will become an important secondary channel for the industry. In Asia, social commerce is already well established and transforms screen time into a satisfying shopping experience," says Karine Szegedi, Head of Consumer and Fashion & Luxury at Deloitte Switzerland.

India as the next growth market

The overwhelming majority of executives see India as the next big growth market for the watch industry, with the country being the most frequently mentioned answer to this question for the first time. India saw strong export growth in the first eight months of 2023, with a value of CHF 133.7 million, an increase of 18.5 percent over the same period last year and an increase of nearly 60 percent over the first eight months of 2021.

In current statistics, India ranks only 22nd in terms of value of Swiss watch exports, but the industry believes this will change. "India is a fascinating market. Consumers are not only numerous, but also increasingly affluent and appreciate luxury items - these are characteristics that attract the industry's attention. We expect export sales of Swiss watches in India to reach over CHF 400 million by 2028. And we expect India to be among the top 10 Swiss export markets within a decade," explains Karine Szegedi.

Sustainability is of strategic importance

As in previous years, sustainability is still important to the watch industry, but the motivations have changed, according to Karine Szegedi: "The survey shows a decisive change. Sustainability has evolved from a consumer-driven demand to an industry-led mission. More than two-thirds of respondents said that sustainability is part of their corporate strategy and that they invest in areas such as circular economy or governance structures." For brands, certified ethical gold (86%), recycled materials (76%) and alternatives to leather (74%) will play either a very important or an important role in the next five years.

34 percent would choose a watch from a brand that focuses on sustainability, while only 25 percent prefer a brand that focuses on its image. Younger generations are prioritizing sustainability over brand image. This shift underscores the need for the industry to integrate sustainability as a core business strategy.

"The Swiss watch industry is not only surviving, it is truly thriving, setting new records and focusing on both tradition and innovation. With the rise of India as a key market and the industry's internal shift towards sustainability, the sector is poised for a future that balances tradition and progress. So look to the watch more often in the future: the next chapter of Swiss watchmaking promises to be as multi-faceted and fascinating as the timepieces that emerge from it," concludes Karine Szegedi.

Source: www.deloitte.ch 

Tectrain Academy's goal through the study is to investigate the reasons behind the shortage of skilled workers. To achieve this, they conducted various surveys and an expert interview. By interviewing 100 participants of different age groups, the study contributes to understanding the expectations and motivations of different generations. The research strives to provide companies with deep insights into the individual drivers of each generation. A work-life balance is important.

Today's employees, regardless of age, are looking for a harmonious balance between their professional and personal lives, flexible work schedules and ongoing learning opportunities. The study's findings underscore a significant shift in workplace priorities. A competitive salary alone is no longer the golden ticket. Instead, a dynamic company culture, meaningful feedback and growth opportunities are essential. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced these expectations, reshaping the job market and causing employers to quickly adapt to these changing demands.

The role of continuing education

Continuing education and continuous learning is of utmost importance in today's modern workplace. Traditional education is often not enough to equip individuals with the dynamic skills needed for the modern workplace. Industries and technology are constantly evolving that sometimes it is not enough for an employee to succeed.

Continuing education effectively closes the skills gap and ensures that employees are always prepared for the challenges of the present and the opportunities of the future.

Numerous companies have been able to achieve many positive effects after a training initiative: increased productivity, increased innovation and a competitive advantage on the global market. By investing in employee training, companies reduce the shortage of skilled workers and ensure long-term success.

However, there are differences between the generations in how employers' offers for continuing education are valued. The age groups > 55, 35-44 and <25 value it most when their employer offers them opportunities for professional development. This value is lower for the age groups 45-54 and 25-34. The study does not provide any information on the reasons for this. It should therefore be investigated whether and to what extent the respective life situation of the employees (job security, family situation) could play a role here.

IT skills shortage

The rapid advances in technology, artificial intelligence or cloud computing, have caused the demand for specialized skills to skyrocket. The IT sector is a good example of this. However, the supply of professionals equipped with these cutting-edge skills has not kept pace, resulting in a pronounced IT skills shortage. Cybersecurity or data science are also big topics, but there are not enough trained professionals to fill these roles. The study shows the dual challenge here: companies struggling to find the right talent, and professionals afraid they haven't updated their skills enough. And that poses a threat to the growth of the industry. Tectrain aims to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow and has created a comprehensive approach to address the IT skills shortage.

Recognizing and promoting internal talent

Many companies are quick to probe the external labor market and overlook the hidden talents of their existing employees. Tectrain emphasizes the importance of internal talent development.

Strategic personnel development for the future

The focus should be on practical, self-determined and sustainable competence development.

Exploiting the benefits of digitization and automation

While human expertise is irreplaceable, certain repetitive tasks can be automated to increase efficiency.

Optimization of business processes

In view of the shortage of skilled workers, it is imperative that companies adapt their business processes. This allows companies to focus on their core IT tasks, ensure that good quality work is being done, and at the same time make their working environment more attractive to young and potential IT talent.

Prepare for the future

According to this study, the shortage of skilled workers remains one of the biggest challenges in today's business world. The demands of the business world are becoming ever greater, industries are evolving at an ever faster pace, and the need for training is becoming increasingly important. By investing in training, companies can ensure that employees are up to the challenges that the digital and modern business world brings. "The future of business belongs to those who are prepared for it.

Source: www.tectrain.ch 

Human resources is going through a period of change and has long since ceased to be limited to core tasks such as recruiting, hiring, managing and evaluating employees. Rather, HR departments are primarily concerned with improving the "employee experience" as a whole. They need to promote diversity, inclusion and equality, and manage training and retraining opportunities. HR also has employee counseling and administrative responsibilities. Furthermore, it ensures smooth internal communication.

"Our HR department is now almost paperless. Pay slips, vacation requests, HR reports, etc. are only processed digitally. This speeds up our processes immensely and makes processing very simple and efficient for everyone involved," explains Rainer Hallenberger, Group VP HR & Corporate Development, CHT Group.

The biggest problem for HR departments is that they do not have enough employees to meet the new challenges. Even for classic HR tasks, there are often not enough skilled employees. In this situation, more and more HR managers are realizing that automated processes can help their teams work more effectively and focus on value-adding tasks.

Central application areas for HR automation

According to IDC InfoBrief, companies looking to automate their HR should focus on the following key areas:

• HR processes: Employee administration, payroll, workforce scheduling and the management of contingent workers are basic tasks that must be performed reliably despite their repetitive nature. Automation can provide significant improvements in each of these areas.
• Employee recruitment and retention: Recruiting new employees today means much more than just identifying and hiring the best candidates. In the competition for employees, it is much more important to retain them in the long term. Results-oriented human resources management requires marketing the company to the outside world. The recruitment process should be streamlined while remaining relevant, and onboarding must be productive and fast.
• Transformation of the workforce: This area includes further training and
  -development of employees with a view to new business requirements. The appropriate process should be based on the skills and experience of the employees, the available vacancies, gig orders and projects, and the career aspirations of the individual employee. Many companies prefer to focus on training and retraining existing staff rather than hiring new employees with the desired skills.
• Metrics, Insights, and Agility: Measurable data and detailed insights are essential for HR departments to increase effectiveness while enhancing their strategic relevance. The dreaded annual performance review should be replaced by ongoing, data-driven coaching. Hierarchical silo structures must be softened and supplemented by cross-functional teams. The focus should be on business results and oriented toward customer satisfaction. In terms of compensation, too, opaque individual agreements must be replaced by transparent, fair regulations.
• Future-proofing human resources: Artificial intelligence (AI) is an essential tool for real-time collection of relevant metrics. This highlights the need for closer collaboration between HR, IT and other departments. Only then can technologies be seamlessly integrated and data effectively interpreted. Particular attention should be paid to educating the HR team in the areas of data analytics, machine learning (ML), and HR technology.

"The IDC study shows that HR is at a pivotal stage, as it is much more business-relevant than it used to be and is evolving from a cost center to a value-added position," said Richard Doherty, senior director, product marketing, Workday. "To enable this shift to a results-driven HR function, traditional core HR processes and tasks must be digitized. "

Source: www.workday.com 

Swiss startup development accelerator Venture Kick can look back on a portfolio of 675 high-tech companies with 13,305 jobs and a financing volume of CHF 7.8 billion. This represents a veritable small economic miracle created.

World-class research as raw material

Research at Swiss universities is leading in many areas on a global scale. Switzerland is the world champion in patents and manages to attract the best talent. The PC, the computer mouse and the Internet were invented in Switzerland. Apart from the mouse (Logitech), however, the commercial potential of the inventions was primarily exploited in Silicon Valley. Venture Kick was launched in 2007 to change that and double the number of startups from Swiss universities. The idea was to kick researchers out of the labs and onto the market, turning them into successful entrepreneurs.

Over 50 million for 1000 startup projects

In addition to financial support of up to CHF 150,000, the company founders benefited from intensive coaching and a widespread network to international investors and industry experts. "To successfully bring innovations to market, startups need to build strong business cases that excite future customers, partners and investors," says Co-Managing Director Beat Schillig. As of today, 783 companies have been founded from the 1000 startup projects that have mastered the first stage and received 10,000 Swiss francs in the last 16 years. Of these, 675 companies are still on the market today.

In addition to the 50 million francs in seed capital from Venture Kick, the startups were funded with a further 7.8 billion francs from investors. Thanks to the newly launched Kickfund, startups can gain a total of more than one million in seed capital via Venture Kick.

More and more female founders create promising jobs

From 2007 to 2012, fewer than 20% of startups had women on their founding team. This proportion has risen to a pleasing 48% in the last three years. In addition to the high survival rate of 85%, Venture Kick startups show strong growth momentum. Over the last 10 years, jobs have grown by an average of 19% to 13,305 today. About half of the startups originate from ETHZ and EPFL. Today, Venture Kick startups can be found in 24 cantons.

Venture Kick's portfolio includes several global market leaders in high-growth future markets, such as Climeworks (CO2 direct air capture technology) or InSphero (3D cell cultures for pharmaceutical research). Nationally, startups like Planted (plant-based meat) are also making a splash with more and more consumers.

Number 1 in Europe with global impact

Venture Kick is organized as a foundation and is funded exclusively by private donors and foundations. "When we launched our initiative, we knew the importance of our mission," says Pascale Vonmont, president of the Strategy Committee. "But the results far exceeded our expectations. The 155-fold leverage of investors for every franc provided by Venture Kick and startups developing good solutions to global societal problems make us proud!"

The operational team behind Venture Kick doesn't want to rest on its laurels and aims to create more than 20,000 jobs by 2027. "The number of talented researchers from Swiss universities who apply to Venture Kick with start-up intentions is increasing. In order to fully exploit this potential for Switzerland as a business location, we are looking for more partners," says Beat Schillig. "The 1000th Kick is history. We will kick the next 1000 startup projects even faster and better."

Source: www.venturekick.ch 

The young Swiss company betterview has had an interesting summer. This week, it opened a clinic in Chur, where - as at its other six locations - laser treatments are offered at a fixed price. In addition, the startup has ventured abroad and founded betterview Britain Ltd. The first clinic is scheduled to open in London in the second quarter of 2024. The company is currently looking for suitable premises and recruiting medical staff.

"We evaluated various markets and came to the conclusion that London is the right place to continue the betterview success story," says co-founder Rouven Mayer about the choice. "The market situation is comparable to that in Switzerland and there is no provider with the same concept yet. Accordingly, we are confident that our offer will also be well received in the UK." The company plans to offer the same services in London as in Switzerland. In addition, a whole network of clinics is also to be set up there in the future.

Double-digit million sales and self-supporting clinics

Since its foundation in spring 2022, the demand for betterview laser eye treatments has been very high. The clinics are already economically self-sustaining and in the first business year sales in the double-digit million range were generated. Co-founder David Holenstein: "The expansion of the clinic network is demand-driven through and through. In Zurich, we are now even experiencing capacity bottlenecks, which is why we are moving to a much larger location at the end of the year." At Bahnhofplatz 1, and thus in a prime location in the center of Zurich, a "betterview flagship" is being built on around 250m2. The previous premises will not be abandoned, however, but converted. An operating theater is being built there to enable lens treatments to be covered in-house in the future.

Source: www.betterwiev.ch 

u-blox, a provider of wireless communication and positioning technologies and services, has announced the launch of u-safe, a comprehensive vehicle positioning solution that is driving the adoption of autonomous vehicles. The u-safe solution intelligently leverages components already proven in highly accurate navigation and positioning systems in automotive applications. It will provide Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs with a positioning solution for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that is valued worldwide for its reliability and safety. Typical applications are ADAS Level 3 and higher, which require high accuracy, integrity and functional safety. In addition, ADAS Level 2+ applications can also benefit from this solution to ensure that the systems concerned are future-proofed for the transition to higher levels of automation.

With satellite support

u-blox claims to be the only provider on the market to offer an end-to-end solution for functionally secure positioning (according to ISO 26262 and SOTIF) that combines proprietary hardware with customized software and correction services. With the new solution, the company aims to take positioning using global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) to an unprecedented level. By integrating with ADAS and ADS (Autonomous Driving Stacks), u-safe offers an additional layer of safety.

u-safe is an ASIL Class B GNSS positioning solution for advanced safety-critical automotive systems. The solution includes u-blox' ninth generation GNSS technology platform with the A9 chipset and module, the PointSafe correction service with the corresponding positioning and sensor data fusion software, and the u-blox Thingstream IoT platform as OEM backend services. In addition to the pre-certified product components, u-blox will provide customer-specific support for integration and final certification in the overall solution.

New partnership

The launch of u-blox's u-safe solution follows the recently announced partnership with GMV, a leading navigation company providing solutions for connected and autonomous vehicles. u-blox and GMV have partnered to provide functionally safe E2E positioning solutions in the automotive sector for applications intended for the mass market.

"Autonomous driving is the biggest revolution in the automotive industry. While people face risks every day, accidents with autonomous vehicles have far-reaching consequences. Safety is therefore of the utmost importance. Without a doubt, ensuring safety is the most important prerequisite for customer acceptance and widespread deployment of automated driving systems," explains Peter Kalinowski, Director of Product Management for Safety Critical Products at u-blox. "Our mission is to provide the next generation of seamlessly integratable and functionally safe positioning solutions that enable autonomous driving in a broadly scalable way."

Source: www.u-blox.com

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/u-blox-u-safe-loesung-fuer-sichere-fahrzeugpositionierung/

In the opening address, Prof. Jürg Christener, Director of the FHNW School of Engineering, emphasized the importance of the graduation ceremony for the graduates: "The graduation ceremony is like passing the finishing line after a long marathon," he explained. "It marks the culmination and fulfillment after three, four or even more years of intense effort. Unlike in sports, however, here each and every individual is a winner, a victor."

"I trust AI to do a lot, but I trust you to do a lot more".

Dr. Dorothea Baur, an expert on ethics in the context of technology, society and the environment, then presented her thoughts on current issues concerning artificial intelligence. "You are the people I trust to recognize the concrete benefits of artificial intelligence, but equally to acknowledge its limitations," Dr. Baur said in her inspiring speech. She concluded her address by saying, "Give me the serenity to use artificial intelligence where it does good, to reject it where it does harm, and the wisdom to distinguish one from the other. I'm sure that will get you very far."

Awards for the best works

Once again this year, the two highest-scoring theses in each degree program were awarded the diploma prizes. Joel Becker, a graduate of the Electrical Engineering and Information Technology program, received the regional Siemens Excellence Award for the most outstanding thesis, worth 4000 Swiss francs. In his thesis, he developed a measurement system for the vibration behavior of piezoelectric cantilevers together with the Basel-based microsensor specialist UnTrueDyne Sensors AG. These are freely vibrating structures that are applied to a chip. If the resonant frequency and quality of the cantilevers are measured with high precision, these values can be used to determine the density and viscosity of the medium surrounding the structures.

A special diploma

After handing over the 385 diplomas and 21 awards, there was one more special diploma: Prof. Dr. Ruth Schmitt, Head of Education at the University of Applied Sciences FHNW, presented Director Jürg Christener with a diploma and a big thank you for his many years of commitment to students, researchers and employees of the university - of course with top grade 6 and paw print of the campus cat Chili. It was the last diploma ceremony under the leadership of Jürg Christener, who will retire in 2024.

Winners of the diploma prizes

BSc Data Science
 1st prize: Joseph Weibel, Baden AG
 2nd prize: Chantal Strasser, Basel BS
 
BSc Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
 1st prize: Daniel Richner, Rheinfelden AG
 2nd prize: Marco Farine, Bern BE

BSc Energy and Environmental Engineering
 1st prize: Andreas Ruf, Magden AG
 2nd prize: Sirikit Rudin, Liestal BL

BSc Computer Science
 1st prize: Timothy Grützner, Allschwil BL
 2nd prize: Manuel Attiger, Rütihof AG

BSc Computer Science - Profiling iCompetence
 1st prize: Tobias Wyss, Biberist SO
 2nd prize: Katrin Stutz, Solothurn

BSc Mechanical Engineering
 1st prize: Philippe Keller, Villigen AG
 2nd prize: Jan Mazacek, Eptingen BL

BSc Optometry
 1st prize: Estelle Reymond, Renan BE
 2nd prize: Laura Bonaccorso, FR-Saint-Cergues

BSc Systems Engineering
 1st prize: Florentin Dipner, Nuglar SO
 2nd prize: Christoph Frey, Brittnau AG

BSc Industrial Engineering
 1st prize: Alex Heinemann, Windisch AG
 2nd prize: Jan Scheidegger, Lotzwil BE

Master of Science in Engineering
 1st prize: Luiz Zanetta de Matos, Oberengstringen ZH
 2nd prize: Dominik Hiltbrunner, Zunzgen BL

Siemens Excellence Award
Joel Becker, Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Pfeffingen BL

The graduation ceremony 2023 in numbers

Degrees by study program
BSc Data Science: 7
BSc Electrical Engineering and Information Technology: 31
BSc Energy and Environmental Engineering: 27
BSc Information Communication Systems trinational: 4
BSc Computer Science: 55
BSc Computer Science - Profiling iCompetence: 43
BSc Mechanical Engineering: 55
BSc Optometry: 27
BSc Systems Engineering: 36
BSc Industrial Engineering and Management: 65
Master of Science in Engineering: 35

Degrees by sponsoring canton
Aargau: 168
Basel-Country: 44
Basel City: 16
Solothurn: 45

Source: www.fhnw.ch

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/diplomfeier-der-hochschule-fuer-technik-fhnw/

The research shows that many Ransomware-as-a-Service threat actors are focusing more on smaller businesses, which they assume are less well protected. In the first half of the period studied, most LockBit victims (57 percent) and a significant proportion of BlackCat victims (45 percent) globally are companies with fewer than 200 employees. In the case of Clop, large enterprises account for half of the attacks (50 percent), while 27 percent affect small businesses.

Based on telemetry data from the Japanese cybersecurity specialist, 6,697,853 ransomware threats were detected and blocked at the email, URL and file levels in the first six months of 2023. This figure represents a slight decrease of 3.64 percent compared to the second half of 2022, when a total of 6,950,935 ransomware threats were detected.

North America is LockBit's preferred region, accounting for about 41 percent of all victims in the group. Europe accounts for just over a quarter of LockBit victims. About 57 percent of BlackCat victims are also in North America, followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific. Clop actors show similar geographic preferences. In 2022, BlackCat in particular caused a significant stir in Europe after the group attacked several significant targets.

Other global findings of the report:

• The number of ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) victims increased 47 percent from the second half of 2022 to the first half of 2023 (from 1,364 to 2,001 companies)
• The number of new RaaS groupings increased by 11.3 percent during this period to a total of 69 in the first half of 2023.
• LockBit, the leading ransomware family since 2022, is responsible for just over a quarter of attacks, while BlackCat and Clop each account for about 10 percent.
• Finance, retail, and logistics were the industries most affected by ransomware in the first half of 2023.

"We have seen a significant increase in the number of ransomware victims since the second half of 2022," said Richard Werner, business consultant at Trend Micro. "Threat actors continue to innovate, target more victims, and cause significant financial and reputational damage. Companies of all sizes need to prioritize and optimize their cybersecurity measures. Our report is designed to help security professionals, policymakers and other stakeholders make better-informed decisions in the fight against ransomware."

Source: Trend Micro

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/zahl-der-ransomware-opfer-seit-2022-um-47-prozent-gestiegen/

Around a quarter of the greenhouse gases emitted in Switzerland and around 40% of the nationwide energy consumption are attributable to the building sector. At the same time, over one million buildings in Switzerland are in urgent need of renovation from an energy perspective. But renovation progress is slow: For Switzerland to achieve its climate targets, the renovation rate would have to be tripled.

Challenges with condominiums

Among others, homeowners are also responsible. The home ownership rate in Switzerland is around 36%, with around one third of homeowners living in condominiums. Medina Seferovic focused on this group in her bachelor thesis. This is because renovation projects are often particularly difficult for condominiums, as the necessary majority must be found in the condominium owners' meeting.

Practical recommendations for action for a sustainable future

In order to answer the question: Which approaches are suitable to increase the renovation speed of condominium owners?, Medina Seferovic interviewed several experts in a first step after an extensive literature research. Based on this, she identified several factors that should have a positive or negative impact on the likelihood of an energetic renovation. In a second step, she conducted a survey among condominium owners in order to test the hypotheses thus established.

Some hypotheses were confirmed. For example, a lack of know-how or conflicting opinions between the generations in a condominium owners' association reduce the probability of an energy-related renovation. However, the study also provides surprising findings. The analysis of the survey shows, among other things, that neither the perceived benefit of the measures nor the personal attitude towards the environment have a significant influence on the probability of an energetic refurbishment.

Finally, the author provides valuable and practice-oriented recommendations for condominium owners, condominium administrators and companies in the energy consulting and construction industry on how to increase the rate of renovation in condominiums.

The awarding of the UBS Sustainability Prize

For the fifth time in a row, the HWZ, in cooperation with UBS, is awarding the Sustainability Prize for outstanding bachelor theses. With this award, the jury particularly wants to acknowledge the relevance of the topic, the exemplary scientific approach of Ms. Seferovic as well as the high practical benefit of the thesis due to the given recommendations for action. The award was presented at the HWZ Bachelor's degree ceremony on Wednesday, October 4, 2023.

Source: www.fh-hwz.ch 

At 18 virtual booths, which addressed individual topics, aspects or modules around innovative ConSense software and services, the trade audience could inform themselves and enter into direct chat with the experts of ConSense GmbH standing by. Those who wanted to go deeper into Integrated Management Systems or into the ConSense modules Audit Management and Measures Management, which complement the basic version of the software, were given a direct insight into the user-friendly solutions in live demos at the respective booths. Completely new in the offer were the focal points "Quality in focus" in cooperation with the ConSense media partners as well as information around the lucrative ConSense partner program.

Exciting specialist topics and a stimulating look "beyond the end of one's nose

The conference program of ConSense EXPO attracted the highest attention - responsible for this great success was the exciting range of topics, which picked up trade show guests at every QM level. Among the crowd-pullers was the presentation by motivational trainer, entrepreneur and success author Dr. Stefan Frädrich, who gave humorous tips in his keynote on how to put a leash on "Günter", our inner pig dog, and train him to become a "Quality Partner". The contribution of the cultural and social anthropologist Khaled Hakami "Hunters & Gatherers ... and the WEIRD People" was also very well received. But also classical QM topics such as the impulse lecture "Integrated top management systems - from the management's point of view" or the trend-setting panel discussion "AI power for your management system - pioneer of the digital transformation" attracted numerous participants.

Satisfied visitors and good feedback

The supporting program was also very popular, just like at a trade show: In addition to lively exchanges, virtual soccer was also played in the networking area of the Coffee Lounge. The puzzle competition, in which participants went in search of nine puzzle pieces hidden at the virtual trade show booths and won great prizes, attracted a large number of participants. Even after the ConSense EXPO was over, it was far from over: Those who had missed an exciting program item could still use the various recordings for a whole week until October 06. And so, after the ConSense EXPO had ended, ConSense GmbH once again received a highly positive response, ranging from "Thank you for the professional and technical presentation" to "This presentation is fantastic, you should offer this in a longer event".

"Our concept to offer with the ConSense EXPO not only valuable software information and news, but also formats and lectures by top-class and experienced speakers, which stimulate a change of perspective in quality management and encourage exchange, has been a complete success. We are pleased about the extremely positive feedback and therefore invite you to the next event: If you want to be there, you can already make a note of April 16-19, 2024 for the spring event of the ConSense EXPO," says Dr. Iris Bruns from the management of ConSense GmbH.

Source: www.consense-gmbh.de

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/virtuelle-messe-consense-expo-herbst-2023/