During the pandemic, the US outdoor market boomed to an unforeseen extent: people sought freedom in nature and bought all kinds of equipment for this purpose. The corresponding e-commerce sales grew by double digits during the pandemic. A group of entrepreneurs noticed that this equipment had one thing in particular in common: it was functional, but often looked boring and of limited aesthetic appeal. This gave rise to the idea of functional outdoor equipment with the design aspirations of urban millennials. For this target group of "Design Conscious Outdoor Enthusiasts," who use the backpack not only for their newly discovered weekend hikes but also for going to university or to the co-working space, it is not only functional values that count. An international target group survey conducted by Brandpulse on social media in the primary target market of the USA and then in Europe revealed clear preferences with regard to product design and the look and feel of the prototypes presented.   In addition to a clear purpose, the new brand also received a sustainable Brand Promise. For example, a portion of sales will be donated to the institution "1% for the Planet," a global network that addresses the most pressing environmental issues and helps drive positive change for the benefit of future generations. Brandpulse developed the name Trexxflex, which was trademarked for the USA, the entire EU region, and Switzerland. The agency developed the Trexxflex branding, the website and realized the most important touchpoints such as the international webshop, an image film, a social media campaign and, in cooperation with US specialists, an influencer campaign. The first product, the Trexxflex backpack, is available on the webshop Trexxflex.com.

18,531 trade visitors to Control 2022 finally experienced QA advancements in the fields of vision technology, image processing, sensor technology and measuring and testing technology in Stuttgart - up to date, live and present. From 3 to 6 May 2022, 617 exhibitors showcased new solutions and efficient, cutting-edge QA technologies on almost 23,000 square meters of space in six halls in Stuttgart. "It's great that we can exhibit at Control again after two years away," said Gerhard Mohr, Managing Director of Kapp Niles Metrology GmbH in Großostheim. "It is pleasing to see that trade visitors are coming back, that the presence trade fairs are picking up speed again and that we are getting a little closer to the old reality." Georg Gutsch, Area Sales Manager at Kapp Niles, confirmed this statement and added: "Face-to-face interaction simply has many great advantages that are not possible with online formats." Hubert Meintrup, Advisor New Technology at Matrix Automations GmbH in Ostfildern, also expressed his relief at finally being visible again to interested parties and users in the industry. "We are delighted that we can be here again." Matthias Ruf, Head of Sales at the SKZ Plastics Center in Würzburg, was also pleased. "Control was a success for us from the very first day of the trade fair, with great interest from visitors," explained Ruf. "We are pleased to be able to present our expertise here as SKZ."

Control 2022: Finally live again!

For the 2022 industry highlight, 31 percent of exhibitors came from abroad; six percent of exhibitors came from Switzerland, four percent from Italy, three percent from the USA, and a good two percent of exhibitors came from the UK. Fabian Krüger, Control project manager, expressly thanked every exhibitor, including the trade show teams, for making the Control restart a reality. Bettina Schall, Managing Director of trade fair promoter P. E. Schall, also expressed her delight and satisfaction: "This trade fair was awaited with great anticipation, with excitement, and with the best mood in the run-up to the event. Because we all missed the personal exchange, the expert discussion at eye level, the real experience of the plants with all our senses. Fortunately, this is now possible again!"

Fast, precise and inline

Control is regarded as a pacesetter in quality assurance and provides trade visitors with everything they need to score points in international competition with excellent QA in manufacturing. In all the halls, it was consistently noticeable that there is a huge demand for personal exchanges on new developments. In the past three years since the last Control, quality inspection and quality assurance have taken on a new importance due to growing automation and digitalization, non-contact processes and remote services, small batch sizes, zero-defect manufacturing and data analysis. Therefore, news around measuring and testing technology, materials testing, analysis equipment, vision technology, image processing, sensor technology as well as weighing and counting technology were eagerly awaited. Above all, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) processes also met with great interest. The fact that AI has long since arrived in production and significantly simplifies QA processes could be experienced in many places. Even small industrial companies can realize a simple entry into AI support, as demonstrated, for example, by Dr. Dominik Lausch from Denkweit GmbH in Halle together with Marvin Krebs from Xactools in Bönnigheim. Measurement processes have to be increasingly fast, and they have to be more and more reliable. AI-supported methods provide support in this regard. One of the current topics is that measuring, testing and inspection processes are an integrated part of the manufacturing processes. Instead of taking place in specially created measuring environments, inspection processes are instead taking place in environments with dust and vibrations as well as under time pressure, resulting in new challenges for measuring machines and inspection equipment. "We are increasingly working on this," confirmed Dr. Heike Wenzel, Managing Partner of the Wenzel Group, who was also excited to finally be back live in Stuttgart.

Next Control in May 2023

On an international scale, Control is the most interesting and also the largest trade fair on the subject of quality assurance. With top-class events accompanying the trade show with the renowned research institutes of the Fraunhofer Institute, Fraunhofer Allianz Vision and Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA), as well as the special show "Contactless Measuring Technology", Control is traditionally a firmly established marketplace of innovations. The next Control - International Trade Fair for Quality Assurance - will take place from May 9 to 12, 2023. More information: www.control-messe.de

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/control-2022-erfolgreiche-rueckkehr/

When the new CEO, Daniel Grieder, took office in June 2021, a new era began for the Metzingen-based MDAX company Hugo Boss. In collaboration with Grieder and the fashion company's communications and strategy team, the Forward Advisors/Swisscontent agency group prepared a comprehensive new corporate strategy called "Claim 5" for communication and disseminated it on suitable channels. The project manager at Hugo Boss was Carolin Westermann, Head of Global Corporate Communications. It was of central importance that every employee knew, understood and, in particular, lived the strategy. This also required a new type of communication to help shape the new corporate culture from the outset. To this end, the consulting agency Forward Advisors developed an overarching and cross-channel communication strategy with the main objective of communicating the new corporate strategy in a catchy and sustainable way. The communication and marketing agency Swisscontent implemented the communication measures and tools developed by Forward Advisors. The implementation was carried out via many channels, some of which were new and innovative. The agency group worked closely with Hugo Boss management to break completely new ground and set an international benchmark - both in the internal introduction and positioning of the CEO and in internal communications in general.

The kickoff: A global, virtual employee event

In order to present himself, his ideas, and future core values for Hugo Boss, an unusual type of presentation combined with an inspiring performance was important to CEO Grieder. Under the overarching motto "Timing, Mindset, Energy," the new strategy was staged with a stage performance. This was streamed globally from Metzingen to around 14,000 employees. Dynamic films with multimedia elements and animations, fast-paced sequences, statements by famous personalities and stirring music guided the audience through the speech. Transporting emotions and energy played just as important a role as the content itself. "The goal was to position the new CEO authentically and clearly when he took office," explains Daniel Kaczynski, Senior Partner of Forward Advisors and CEO and Chairman of the Board of Swisscontent. "The response was phenomenal".

Strategy videos and a CEO app

In a further phase, a strategy video was developed based on the storyline of the virtual employee event. Grieder, the Executive Board in general, and managers and departments worldwide used this video for internal and external presentations. In less than ten minutes, the CEO sums up the new corporate strategy and culture.

Proximity, exchange, informal interaction, trust and transparency within the company are central to Hugo Boss; they are among the most important elements of the new culture. To promote and sustainably transform this, the CEO app "My Hugo Boss" was also developed and implemented - in terms of content, visuals and technology. This enables Grieder to communicate with employees regardless of time and place. Not only stories and impressions from everyday business are shared. Under the "Ask me anything" label, employees also have the option of liking and commenting on posts, taking part in surveys, and uploading pictures and videos to the social wall.

The culture in focus

Every sustainable change requires an initial analysis of the situation and circumstances. It was therefore important to understand the prevailing culture in the company right from the start in order to derive the desired developments for the future. To this end, Forward Advisors developed a "Cultural Change Program" in parallel with the introduction of the communication strategy. Based on this, the agency formulated recommendations for the future and held workshops with the managers.

---

Forward Advisors stand for strategic, digital and data-based Kommunicationsation. The Swiss agency advises companiesnehmer, C-Levels and Boards of Directors as well as their companies in solving their communication challenges. Youre Work is based on many years of experience as a strategic acting Untentrepreneurs as well as digitally minded and well-networked Kommunication profis. Swisscontent is one of the leading Swiss agencies in the Areas Kommunication and marketing. The agency advises and untSupports their customers from strategy development through Konception to the cross-media orchestrated implementation of the defined Massnahmen and distribution.  

The photography agency 13Photo has been committed to dedicated and creative author photography since 2009. As a photography agency, 13Photo develops sophisticated visual worlds and supports or advises clients from the first to the last planning step. In doing so, 13Photo works with experienced and award-winning creatives and promotes young, exciting talents. The communication design agency Sofie has redesigned the content and design of the website and at the same time created a new visual identity for the 13Photo brand. The new website has optimized the user and brand experience and simplified the customer journey - potential customers can reach the specific service offering and contact person with just a few clicks. The numerous features and functions such as animations, video and filters also ensure that the website is very easy to use at all times. The visual brand identity has been simplified and reduced to a minimum. This conceptual element is reflected above all in the logo and letterhead. The unique imagery from campaigns, portraits, reports and films ensures power, variety and diversity. This variable component complements the reduced visual language of the brand. Various interactive elements - such as those designed in the menu - give the user an insight into the diversity of 13Photo's visual world. The co-creation concept of the agencies Sofie and Marke17 was used for the conception and implementation of design and code.  

---

Responsible at 13Photo: Lisa Schneider (agency management), Adam Schwarz (agency management). Responsible at Sofies Kommunikationsdesign: Kevin Casado (Brand Management & Consulting, Concept, Design), Carla Berger (Design), Anja Meier (Design), Luca Fontana (Text). Responsible at Marke17: Pasquale Li Voti (consulting, concept, technology), Luca Moor (code), Timo Buff (code).

According to the latest "KPMG Forensic Fraud Barometer", Swiss courts dealt with 68 cases of white-collar crime in 2021. The total damage of CHF 567 million, including a CHF 300 million case, was 37 percent higher than in the previous year. The actual figures are likely to be much higher, as many cases are not even reported. Every year, KPMG's Forensic Fraud Barometer records the court cases that have been publicly heard and published in the media. The cases taken into account are those with an offense amount of more than CHF 50,000.

Public institutions most frequently affected by white-collar crime

With 25 out of a total of 68 cases heard by the courts, public institutions were particularly frequently targeted by white-collar criminals. In seven cases, there were convictions related to illegally obtained Covid 19 loans. "I expect that we will see more such cases in the next editions of our Fraud Barometer due to a delayed effect," explains Anne van Heerden, Head of Forensics at KPMG.

The second most court cases related to white-collar crime involved commercial companies - with a loss amount of CHF 134 million. Financial institutions were affected as victims in only three cases, with a single fraud case accounting for more than half of the total loss for 2021 at CHF 300 million.

Private individuals were the largest group of offenders

Commercial fraudsters were replaced by private individuals as the largest group of offenders in 2021. This group accounted for 23 out of 68 of all negotiated white-collar offenses, or one third. The average offense amount was around CHF 700,000. With 18 cases with a total offense amount of more than CHF 123 million, employees in executive functions ("management") were the second largest offender group. The average amount of crime per case was almost CHF 7 million, which is around ten times higher than for the perpetrator group of private individuals.

"The crime amounts caused by management are generally higher than for private individuals or employees. On the one hand, this group of offenders often has inside information, and on the other hand, they are in a strong position to use this information for criminal purposes," explains Anne van Heerden.

Most cases in Zurich, the largest in Bellinzona

Zurich was the region most affected by white-collar crime last year: with 22 out of 68 cases, this region accounted for almost a third of the offenses heard - compared to eight in the previous year. In the Lake Geneva region, which recorded the most white-collar crimes in the previous year with 19, only six cases were heard in 2021. The largest cases of white-collar crime were heard at the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, including the largest case with an offense amount of CHF 300 million. The average offense amount of the largest six cases was over CHF 70 million. Even excluding the largest offense or damage amount of CHF 300 million, the average offense amounts heard in Bellinzona were many times higher than those of the other regions.

(Social) insurance fraud most common offenses

The most frequent type of offense in 2021 was (social) insurance fraud, with 20 cases, which was litigated much more frequently compared to the previous year (2020: 8 cases). This is partly due to the seven fraud cases related to Covid 19 loans mentioned earlier. "White-collar criminals try to exploit new legal frameworks and loopholes in the system immediately and specifically for their own purposes," says forensic scientist Anne van Heerden. "Unsurprisingly, this was also the case with Covid 19 loans." Also on the rise last year were court cases involving fraud. In these cases, perpetrators convince the victim to make an advance payment under false pretenses, for example, but the payment is not followed by the agreed-upon or promised service. Source and further information: KPMG

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/oeffentliche-institutionen-im-visier-von-wirtschaftskriminellen16335-2/

Your company will only run if your IT is up and running. And employees can only perform optimally if IT problems are solved efficiently. That's why excellent IT end-user support is so important. Support that guarantees maximum reliability and creates new wow effects every day. It is precisely this wow support that Pidas wants to deliver. With this DNA in mind, Pidas has developed a new support concept for the DACH region. From now on, the company will focus exclusively on IT end-user support. The solution is based on the interaction between man and machine, or in other words between chatbot, support staff and the intelligent IT machine "CORA".

Making people wow!

Under the umbrella of the new promise "Making people wow!", Pidas' new image was launched in the spring. The company now has a modern, clear and sustainable identity. Scalable to all communication channels, the new design works both classically and digitally and is intended to convey the "wow effect" both externally and internally within the company. The company's own employees form the basis of the refreshing visual world.

---

Responsible at Pidas: Frédéric Monard (CEO), Melanie Müller (Head of Marketing & Communications). Responsible agency: Agencychef.ch.

Supervisory bodies are increasingly required to fulfill their legal control and supervisory duties also in dealing with cyber risks, according to the findings of a new study on dealing with cyber risks in companies. In addition to the legal obligation, there are also good reasons from a business perspective to invest in cyber risk management, according to the study, which was conducted by the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts together with the insurer Mobiliar and the business umbrella organization economiesuisse. After all, cyberattacks could cause considerable damage to organizations, which in the worst case could mean heavy fines, a severe loss of reputation, the withdrawal of operating licenses or bankruptcy.

A ship without a captain: lack of statements on cyber risk readiness

According to the study, many companies seem to lack a central foundation for managing cyber risks: None of the organizations surveyed explicitly defined the extent to which cyber risks should be consciously taken in order to achieve business goals. "From a risk management perspective, it's comparable to a ship that doesn't have a captain," says Stefan Hunziker, author of the study and Head of the Competence Center Risk & Compliance Management at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Apparently, the development of so-called risk appetite statements is very difficult in practice. The HSLU study also shows that there is a gap between the technical IT infrastructure level and the organizational level when dealing with cyber risks. "Cyber risks are still seen too strongly as a purely IT issue. Accordingly, they are managed in a decentralized and operational manner and are not integrated enough into company-wide risk management," explains Hunziker. There is a noticeable discrepancy between the relevance of risk (awareness) and risk governance. "This prevents a consistent comparison - and therefore also a meaningful prioritization - of cyber risks and other risk categories at the highest management level," says the expert. As a first step in the right direction, he recommends promoting cooperation between the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Risk Manager. "Because this is primarily where the bridge between technical cyber security and business risk management is built," says Hunziker.

People" as a risk factor: additional investments required

Often, the simplest and equally effective measures for dealing with cyber risks are still neglected. Stefan Hunziker: "The definition of cyber risks may therefore also be somewhat misleading, as many causes of risk are not to be found in cyber space, but in human misconduct." The analogy with medicine is helpful: there, it has long been known that correct human behavior prevents the transmission of diseases. Regular disinfection, disciplined hand washing and keeping a distance have been established behaviors - at least since the outbreak of the Corona pandemic. The present study confirms that the "human factor," or human behavior, is still too little addressed in the area of cybersecurity compared with technical measures. "The 'human factor' makes up only one element in the continuous improvement process of cybersecurity, but it is a very important one," Hunziker said. Human behavior in dealing with cybersecurity should be trained so that it becomes as natural and "normal" as sneezing into the crook of your arm.

Cyber Risk Management and Cloud Migration

Many cyber risks have their origins in cloud use. This makes it all the more important for organizations to plan their move to the cloud well and take appropriate measures. "Creating a clear strategy is at the very beginning of a well-planned migration to the cloud," says Armand Portmann, author of the study and Head of Information & Cyber Security | Privacy at the Department of Computer Science at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Fortunately, the majority of the organizations surveyed have such a document that describes the framework conditions for the introduction and use of cloud services. This leads to the conclusion that the topic of cloud computing is now also attracting attention in management bodies. "There is an awareness that the use of cloud services is associated with risks," says Armand Portmann. When it comes to naming the risks associated with the use of cloud services, however, the organizations surveyed are not at a loss for answers. "The top three risks include loss of confidentiality or a breach of data protection, dependence on the cloud service provider and liability issues," explains Fernand Dubler, author of the study and research associate at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. The topic is complex. It is therefore not surprising that the measures required to mitigate these risks are not obvious. Dubler adds: "These measures are extremely diverse and have to be developed individually based on the specific outsourcing situation. This often poses major challenges for the organizations concerned." Source and further information: Lucerne University

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/cyber-risk-management-bewusstsein-allein-reicht-nicht/

Companies are collecting more and more diverse data and using more and more channels to interact with their customers. Not infrequently, this results in fragmented data silos that can only be broken up and centralized with great effort. Against this backdrop, there is a great danger that inaccurate, incomplete, and outdated data sets will be created, reducing the meaningfulness and timeliness of the insights gained in analyses.

Risk Big Data

The complexity has also increased in legal terms - keyword: EU Data Protection Regulation (DSGVO). This also relates in particular to the question of data deletion. According to a Blancco studya specialist in data maintenance, almost all (96 percent) of the more than 1,800 companies surveyed worldwide have guidelines for handling and deleting data. However, most companies fail to communicate these regulations comprehensively to their employees.

Sensitive data can fall into the wrong hands

Against this backdrop, many companies have a false sense of security when handling data - especially when it comes to deleting it. As the study also shows, this often involves the purely physical destruction of data carriers or deletion or formatting processes. However, simply formatted hard disks are comparatively easy to restore, which means that sensitive data can potentially fall into the wrong hands. A similar risk also exists when employees leave the company or obsolete laptops, desktop computers, hard disks or server hardware are earmarked for disposal. According to the study, around half of all old devices are disposed of by third-party providers and thus removed from the company's direct sphere of influence. If the devices are stored for a long time before being deleted or if it is not adequately documented which data has been securely deleted, companies can quickly find themselves in need of an explanation. 

Institutionalize data competence and create clear responsibilities

The mere formulation of guidelines for compliance and data protection as well as for handling and deleting data is not sufficient against this background. Companies that work with data and its analysis also need clear personnel responsibilities for the topic of data competence and data security - for example in the form of a CDO (Chief Data Officer or Chief Digital Officer) - above and beyond the mere text of the regulations. This person is responsible for the implementation of the relevant guidelines, drives their compliance and implementation, and calls for or communicates the processes required for this.

How to delete data securely and in compliance with the law 

• The first step is to define the framework conditions. This includes defining standards with regard to availability, use, data quality, access, security and data protection.
• Responsibilities for policy implementation and compliance monitoring must be clearly assigned.
• The times for purging and deleting personal data as well as retention periods should also be defined in the framework. The legal requirements (such as the DSGVO) must also be taken into account here.
• The predefined guidelines must be communicated throughout the company and all employees must be sensitized to the topic of data quality.
• The data erasure policy should cover all IT assets - including smartphones, tablets, PCs, servers and the virtual infrastructure.
• It is important that devices with sensitive data do not leave the company or the data center environment - this is especially true in light of the fact that hybrid work models no longer clearly separate the private and business use of end devices.
• Care should also be taken with end-of-life devices to ensure that their data remains within the IT infrastructure sphere of influence of the respective company - for example, in the case of recycling or donation. In these cases, data should be deleted from the devices on site and the cleanup should be verified with an appropriate certificate.
• If an external provider takes over the disposal of old devices, he should create a complete chain of evidence of how the goods have been handled in detail since collection. In this case, it is recommended that a data destruction certificate be issued for each device.
• Devices should be disposed of at the end of their service life, preferably within 24 hours.

Source: Sage

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/risiko-big-data-viele-unternehmen-vernachlaessigen-die-datenqualitaet/

Werbewoche.ch: Benjamin Tück, Accenture Interactive, together with its various sub-brands, forms the largest digital agency in the world. Now you have decided to undergo a comprehensive transformation, culminating in an almost poetic rebranding: From now on, you'll be operating under the name "Accenture Song." Why? Benjamin Tück: I would like to talk not just about transformation, but rather about further development. The pandemic has taken a lot out of all of us over the past two years - as individuals, but also as employees or as managers. And yet, at Accenture, I believe we've been able to use this time productively: We've been thinking about how to completely reinvent customer relationships, sales, commerce, marketing, as well as business innovation. In parallel, the number of people working with us has more than doubled in the past 18 months. A structural adjustment and bundling of competencies is a logical consequence of these two developments.   So it's not just a new name, but a new organizational set-up. How is that set up? The setup is integrated and scales along content dimensions to quickly provide custom-fit solutions for the customer's ever-changing requests. Diverse agency expertise is aligned along customer challenges. A classic agency setup is no longer sufficient to serve the transformation challenges of our customers and to achieve sustainable growth and stability.   What exactly does this show in? In product or service innovation and design, marketing transformation, forward-looking sales and commerce, brand communication, and understanding and tapping into new frontiers like the metaverse ... among other things, this is what we set ourselves up for in a "seamless organization", that is, a fully integrated organization.   Fully integrated organizations usually bring with them clarity and structures that are designed to make it easier for customers to work together. Wouldn't a somewhat less "poetic" name have been obvious? You weren't the only one who reacted with surprise to our new naming. In deriving the name, let me start with our corporate culture: I can say with conviction that we have long lived a culture of permanent change and put it into practice in our work. Accenture Song builds on this: A song, a song, stands for an ancient, universal form of human craft. What associations does the term trigger for you? Not also connection, inspiration, technical skill and experience; all combined in one great harmony? This symbiosis we are now undergoing has a lofty goal: to help unleash the imagination and ideas of our employees to achieve tangible results for customers.   Will you also try to play those instruments that were previously the domain of the more "classic" marketing and communications agencies? It is well known that several large consultancies also want a piece of this "pie". I think the market perceives - and accepts - our expertise in technology, consulting and innovation very well. Now, to answer your question, we're going to shift our focus even more to creation, communications and media. Bringing our teams together under Accenture Song will give us a broad base to do that. You know, the name Accenture Song reflects the many dimensions and layers of who we are and what we can achieve for our female clients. "Song" begins our new chapter of existence, where we can all feel part of a community and culture. It represents how we bring together imagination, intelligence and technology.   What happens to all the sub-brands that you have acquired with Accenture Interactive in recent years - and in some cases painstakingly developed and sharpened? Will they disappear? Our more than 40 acquisitions over the past decade will market uniformly as Accenture Song to strengthen our synergies in product innovation, experience design, marketing and commerce. In Switzerland, there aren't quite as many; here, Boomerang, Fjord, Sinner Schrader Swipe and Wirestone operated as part of Accenture Interactive or, newly, Song. So for our location, the move is relatively small; the teams have worked together for a long time without friction or barriers. But Accenture Song as an umbrella brand will, above all, allow us to build expertise in areas that have not been in focus before by bringing our global experts together under one roof.   How would you like to use the changes in your organizational structure to the benefit of Swiss customers? In almost every conversation I have with our customers, the question of relevance comes up: How can your company remain relevant - for customers, employees and society? I already talked at the beginning about how rapidly the world and thus people's needs are changing - and of course our customers notice that, too. They ask themselves, "What kind of products or services do I offer, how do I reach my female customers, how do I interact with all my stakeholders?" Please keep in mind very clearly: companies are working towards a future that is very different from the one they were originally designed for, and in which they should still grow! We want to provide all the assistance it takes: Accenture Song's consolidated capabilities will hopefully enable us to become mission-critical partners in Swiss ecosystems, to accompany large digital acquisitions from strategy to campaign implementation, to develop new product groups and value streams with our clients, and to lift e-commerce into the metaverse together with them.

On May 2, the time had come again: "Meet Swiss Infosec" opened its doors at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Zurich Airport for the notabene 40th time. Trends, developments and solutions in the field of integral security are the focus of this established event, which was hosted by Reto C. Zbinden, CEO of Swiss Infosec AG. This time, the motto of the event was "Security as a Change Maker". The exciting presentations impressively showed how much security makes the difference and how much new technologies and new attack methods demand innovative security measures. But also new requirements such as the ISO 27002 update and new laws such as currently the new Data Protection Act and the Federal Information Security Act (ISG) ensure that security remains an ongoing topic. Last but not least, keynote speaker Beni Huggel also provided a highlight at the conference.

Information Security Act, cyberattacks, home office and business continuity.

The Information Security Act is a real game changer. With the new law, the federal government has shifted the focus from IT security to information security and is thus also making the private sector responsible, as speaker Reinhard Obermüller (Swiss Infosec AG) explained. Ransomware attacks have sharpened the focus on cyber security. The presentations by Daniel Bühler (Trend Micro) and Jerzy Michno and Fabrice Bankhauser (Trellix) showed how security must adapt in the face of increasingly intelligent attacks and why "Extended Detection and Response (XDR)" is an effective tool. The fear that incidents such as phishing, malware and ransomware or data theft will lead to operational failures is great among companies. The tips from Candid Wüest (Acronis) on business continuity and the rapid recovery of data came at just the right time. Working from home, teleworking or remote working: the pandemic has significantly changed the way and where people work - and therefore also the security requirements. David Morf (Okta) explained the importance of access solutions and the potential of identities as the key to convenient and secure collaboration.

Keynote by ex-footballer Beni Huggel

The speakers skillfully set the stage for Beni Huggel's keynote address. The change and football expert more than lived up to his reputation as a successful ex-professional footballer and turned this template into the perfect closing with brains under the title "Change is an attitude - seize the opportunities". Beni Huggel told amusingly and always with a twinkle in his eye about his path as a teacher's son and landscape gardener to becoming a young professional footballer and a permanent fixture in the national team. He told of injuries, of being an involuntary role model, of saying goodbye to the big football stage and the fear of what would come afterwards. The mindset he perfected through sport (discipline, resilience, agility, focus, ambition, personal responsibility, etc.) was crucial in enabling Huggel to create his own changes and visions again and again, to dare to take responsibility, to remain positive in change and to understand "every change as a chance". After the presentation, Dominic Zbinden, a member of the Swiss Infosec AG team, conducted a short interview with the speaker. He asked about coaches who are remembered (Christian Gross, Torsten Fink), friendships that outlast football careers (Valentin Stocker, Alex Frei, Marco Streller) and advice for future ex-football players (think about education and training even during your career). Source and further information: www.infosec.ch

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/change-und-fussballexperte-beni-huggel-an-der-40-meet-swiss-infosec/

Into space for materials research

The 3D printing helps further

Tracking down the secrets with X-ray methods

At Empa's X-ray center, Antonia Neels' team has already analyzed several such samples from 3D printing experiments. The results, meanwhile, always raise new questions. "Some evidence suggests that the mechanical properties of the glasses do not deteriorate, but on the contrary actually improve, if the sample contains small crystalline fractions," says Neels. "Now we are looking into the question of how large this crystal fraction in the glass has to be, and what kind of crystals have to form to increase, for example, the pliability or impact strength of the glass at room temperature."

Computer simulation for new casting processes

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/materialforschung-im-weltraum-mit-schweizer-beteiligung/

"Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half." The American entrepreneur John Wanamaker impressively formulated the dilemma of dealing with advertising investments at the beginning of the 20th century. Back then, marketers still had to make assumptions about which consumers might be receptive to their advertising messages. A lot has happened since then and digitalization in business and society is progressing inexorably. Data, also known as the oil of the digital economy, is available in large quantities. The question now is to what extent Swiss advertising companies will be able to make their decisions on the use of the communication mix based on facts and knowledge in 2022. Christian Kleiner is investigating this question quantitatively as part of his master's thesis at the ZHAW using an online survey. With your support, it will determine the appropriate answers. The survey takes just under 20 minutes. Click here for the survey in German and English.